Space. Russia has put another Arktika-M satellite with an on-board control system into operation. Developed at Rosatom’s Mars Experimental Design Bureau, Arktika-M No. 2 is the second spacecraft of the world’s only highly elliptical orbit (HEO) constellation of meteorology and hydrology satellites. The Arktika-M constellation provides round-the-clock monitoring of the Earth’s surface, cloud cover, and seas in the Arctic and adjacent regions. It supplies the Northern Sea Route operator with up-to-date information on the ice conditions and helps choose the safest route. Arktika-M also transmits positioning signals from aircraft and vessels in distress to emergency teams as part of the Cospas-Sarsat international search and rescue system.