Science and technological developments: article

Аnnotation: A brief description of the space experiment “AVIS”, carried out within the framework of the “Long-term program of scientific and applied research and experiments planned at the Russian segment of the International Space Station (ISS RS)”, is presented. The program of works provides for the development, fabrication and flight testing of a demonstration sample of a picosatellite and a sequence of three working samples of nanosatellites with stage-by-stage growing functionality. The main stages include the development of methods and means for controlling the separation of space vehicles and monitoring their status in an autonomous mode and experimental development of technology for the rendezvous, docking, and undocking of nanosatellites in orbit. The onboard equipment also includes a launching device for launching pico and nanosatellites from the ISS RS by the astronaut in manual mode and an automatic launch device for launching nanosatellites from the Progress cargo vehicle (TGK) under commands from the ISS or a ground control station. At present, within the experimental program, a set of working design documentation for the satellites and launch devices has been created and work has been begun to manufacture test samples of the products.