Built entirely by students of UCD, the cube-shaped satellite will, among other things, study gamma-ray bursts in the universe once launched later this month.
After more than six years of designing, building and testing, EIRSAT-1, the first satellite to be launched by Ireland, is finally ready for launch.
Now on its way to the Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, the cube satellite, or cubesat, developed by students at University College Dublin (UCD) is scheduled for launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket at the end of November.
EIRSAT-1 is an initiative supported by the European Space Agency (ESA) Academy, particularly its ‘Fly Your Satellite!’ programme aimed at helping university students in Europe to build, launch and operate their own satellites for space research.
Kicked off in 2017, EIRSAT-1 is a flagship project of the UCD Centre for Space Research, UCD School of Physics and UCD School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering. Once launched, the satellite will perform three different experiments in low-Earth orbit.
Its primary task is to study gamma-ray bursts, the most luminous explosions in the universe. EIRSAT-1 also has equipment to perform a thermal coating study to assess the performance of surface treatments for satellites, and an alternative system for controlling spacecraft orientation.
“Ireland has never had a satellite before and we are tremendously excited to reach this delivery milestone which is a tribute to the hard work of the team, and the support of the university, the Irish government and Irish industry,” said UCD’s Prof Lorraine Hanlon, director of the project.
Joost Vanreusel, head of the ESA Academy, said that UCD has “immense expertise” in space science and astrophysics, and its students overcame the challenges of a “very complex engineering project” with EIRSAT-1.
“That’s what made it a very appealing project for the ‘Fly Your Satellite!’ educational programme: the combination of the scientific expertise at the university with ESA’s experience and expertise in the building and testing of small spacecraft.”
Earlier this year, UCD’s Prof Sheila McBreen, one of Ireland’s leading astrophysicists and an expert in gamma-ray bursts, told SiliconRepublic.com about the importance of international collaborations such as EIRSAT-1 are when it comes to space research.
“They’re absolutely crucial,” said McBreen, who was recently one of the chosen researchers in the Science Foundation Ireland Frontiers for the Future programme.
“Space is not an area where you can work alone, it’s all about teams and it’s vital to be part of the space agencies. When it comes to the large missions, you need to be part of an international team. These missions are very expensive and can be 20 years in the making.”
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