ÉireComposites, a Connemara-based specialist manufacturer, has won a contract to design and manufacture equipment for a satellite in what is a major milestone for Irish participation in space exploration. Belgian company OIP Sensor Systems has asked the Galway group to design and produce three carbon-fibre stray light baffles that will form part of the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Altius satellite. The baffles will be attached to the side of the satellite, which is to be launched into space from French Guiana by the end of 2023. The baffles prevent stray light from reaching the lenses of the satellite’s optical instruments. “Our equipment will make sure that good images are taken that aren’t ruined by stray light,” said Tomás Flanagan, ÉireComposites’s chief executive.

Source: The Irish Times March 01, 2021 05:26 UTC