MOSCOW, May 18. /TASS/. The launch of the Mayak microsatellite together with the Kanopus-V-IK forest fire monitoring spacecraft is scheduled for July 14 from the Baikonur space center, according to the announcement posted on the Mayak project’s Facebook page on Thursday.

The launch of a Soyuz-2.1a carrier rocket with the Kanopus satellite from the Baikonur spaceport was initially planned for 2015 but was delayed several times in 2016. It was earlier reported that the delays were due to the spacecraft’s unpreparedness.

The Kanopus is expected to be orbited together with the Zvezda satellite, four satellites made by South Korea’s SatByul Co. Ltd, two Corvus-BC satellites, AISSat-3, Lemur+, Tyvark, the Mayak microsatellite, MKA-H developed by Dauria Aerospace and Flock 2k.

The Kanopus-V-IK satellite is designed to monitor man-made and natural disasters, look for hotbeds of forest fires, large emissions of pollutants and monitor agricultural activity and natural resources. It is equipped with an infrared camera, which, as developers expect, will help reveal forest fire hotbeds on an area of 25 square meters.

The Mayak satellite has a sunlight reflector, which will unfold after entering the orbit. The sunlight reflection will make the satellite the brightest star on the sky. The developers say it will shine brighter than Sirius, Vega and Altair and will be seen in all major cities on the Earth.