Ireland's first-ever satellite will blast into space later this monthIreland's space engineering industry will see one of their own satellites launched into space for the first time this year. The satellite has now left Irish shores for the last time as preparations begin ahead of the planned launch. The spacecraft will carry out three experiments while in orbit, before being returned to University College Dublin (UCD) to study the data collected. A miniature cube satellite, or cubesat, Eirsat-1 was first proposed in 2017, as part of the European Space Agency's "Fly Your Satellite" initiative, which helps students come up with their own spacecrafts. The satellite's development at UCD has seen the introduction of space systems engineering and skills that did not previously exist in Irish industry or academia.

Source: Irish Independent November 07, 2023 15:18 UTC