BRICS exchange Earth remote sensing data

Addis Ababa, April 29, 2025 (FMC) – The BRICS countries, under the agreement on cooperation in the field of the Earth Remote Sensing Satellite Constellation, have exchanged data covering more than 27 million square kilometres of the Earth’s surface, the Director General of Roscosmos, Dmitry Bakanov, said at a meeting of the heads of the space agencies of the member states.

Bakanov noted that within just the first year of implementing the agreement, participants received a significant volume of information. Notably, China provided Russia with data covering 560,000 square kilometres, which was used for environmental monitoring.

In turn, Russian satellites supplied Indian partners with information on 34,500 square kilometres, aiding efforts in the aftermath of earthquakes.

Bakanov emphasised that the implementation of the agreement represents an important step in developing cooperation for the peaceful exploration of outer space. The data is collected from the satellites and ground infrastructure of the five member countries: Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.

He also expressed hope that new BRICS members would show interest in joining the agreement. During the meeting, a roadmap was presented for the phased creation of a data exchange platform for Earth Remote Sensing from 2025 to 2029, TV BRICS reported, citing the press service of Roscosmos.