Tag Archives: ESA

Dec 16 2011

Amateur Radio Satellites Approach Launch

Amateur radio CubeSats and ALMASat-1 being prepared for launch

The integration of Vega’s first, second and third stages is now complete at ESA’s Spaceport at Kourou in the Caribbean. ESA say the new rocket is moving full speed ahead towards its maiden flight at the end of January.

Vega will carry seven amateur radio satellites, ALMASat-1 and six Cubesats. The primary payload is LARES (Laser Relativity Satellite), a passive satellite with laser mirrors for the study of the Earth gravitational field and general relativity measurements (Lense-Thirring effect).

By the end of December, the six CubeSats, ALMASat-1 and LARES will be ready and enclosed in the fairing, well in time for the launch.

PW-Sat to launch in January

Vega to Launch Amateur Radio Satellites

Vega moves closer to its first liftoff 

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Dec 8 2011

Vega to Launch Amateur Radio Satellites

Artists impression of Vega launch

Artists impression of Vega launch

The inaugural launch of the ESA Vega rocket will carry the amateur radio microsatellite ALMASat-1 and at least six CubeSats.

The satellites will be launched from the ESA spaceport at Kourou in the Caribbean into an elliptical orbit of 1450 by 354 km at an inclination of 71 degrees. They are expected to have a lifetime before re-entry of 4 years.

ESA say the six CubeSats to be launched on Vega in late January 2012 comprise:

– Xatcobeo (a collaboration of the University of Vigo and INTA, Spain): a mission to demonstrate software-defined radio and solar panel deployment;
– Robusta (University of Montpellier 2, France): a mission to test and evaluate radiation effects (low dose rate) on bipolar transistor electronic components;
– e-st@r (Politecnico di Torino, Italy): demonstration of an active 3-axis Attitude Determination and Control system including an inertial measurement unit;
– Goliat (University of Bucharest, Romania): imaging of the Earth surface using a digital camera and in-situ measurement of radiation dose and micrometeoroid flux;
– PW-Sat (Warsaw University of Technology, Poland): a mission to test a deployable atmospheric drag augmentation device for de-orbiting CubeSats;
– MaSat-1 (Budapest University of Technology and Economics): a mission to demonstrate various spacecraft avionics, including a power conditioning system, transceiver and on-board data handling.

ESA indicate that a 7th CubeSat may be delivered in time to be flown.

PW-Sat carries an FM to DSB amateur radio transponder with an FM input on 435.020 MHz and DSB output on 145.900 MHz.

The primary payload on the launch, LARES, will be deployed into an orbit of 1200 km × 1200 km with an inclination of 71 degrees.

Frequencies and links for the CubeSats can be found at http://www.ne.jp/asahi/hamradio/je9pel/esa9cubf.htm

ESA CubeSats delivered for first Vega flight http://www.esa.int/esaMI/Education/SEM3L0WWVUG_0.html

ESA Education – CubeSats http://www.esa.int/esaMI/Education/SEM3N03MDAF_0.html

The IARU amateur satellite frequency coordination pages hosted by AMAT-UK list the frequencies of the amateur radio satellites http://www.amsat.org.uk/iaru/

ALMASat-1 http://www.almasat.org/

May 19 2011

UK’s first ESA business incubator signs first tenant

UK’s first ESA business incubator signs first tenant

The European Space Agency’s Business Incubation Centre Harwell (ESA BIC Harwell) has announced (17 May 2011) that its first tenant is The Electrospinning Company, a pioneering developer of revolutionary space age materials for the biomedical research industry.

Fibres
Microscope image of electrospun fibres

The first of its kind in the UK, the ESA BIC Harwell will create jobs and opportunities by enabling pioneering, innovative companies to translate space technologies and applications into viable and profitable businesses in non-space industries. Managed by the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), the ESA BIC Harwell will complement the work of the International Space Innovation Centre ISIC by offering a unique and focussed package of technical expertise and business support for up to 10 start-up businesses every year.

The Electrospinning Company uses an established process called electrospinning in which electrical charge is used to produce extremely thin fibres, one hundred times thinner than a human hair. These nanofibres are used in biotech research, particularly in the development of new stem-cell therapies to repair or replace damaged organs in the body. The silicon nozzle used in the manufacturing process was originally developed by STFC as part of its Microsystems In Space Programme.

Paul Neilson (left) signing the official tenancy agreement with STFC’s Paul Vernon

The Electrospinning Company currently offers its customers these revolutionary materials for laboratory use in the discovery phase of new stem cell therapies for a wide range of diseases.

As a tenant of ESA BIC Harwell, The Electrospinning Company is set to benefit from an impressive support package, which includes:

  • up to £41.5k towards the protection of intellectual property, design, prototyping and market studies;
  • easy access to both STFC’s and ESA’s technical expertise and experience;
  • well equipped offices;
  • a dedicated business champion from STFC to help with business planning and provide guidance towards access to STFC’s facilities and expertise.

Paul Neilson, Chief Executive at The Electrospinning Company, said: “We are delighted to have been selected as the first tenant at the ESA BIC Harwell. Moving there will provide us with access to important financial, technical and business support as well as to a number of innovation networks. All of this will accelerate us towards our goal of enabling doctors to implant three dimensional nanofibre structures containing stem cells that will enable patients’ bodies to regenerate damaged or diseased organs.”

Paul Vernon, Head of New Business at STFC, said: “This is excellent news. The space sector can bring huge social and economic benefits to the UK economy and business incubation is an effective tool for enabling technology transfer.  By working with both STFC’s and ESA’s scientists The Electrospinning Company is now set to make its mark with its revolutionary technology and applications.”

The tenant agreement was officially signed on 17 May at an ESA Technology Transfer Network (TTN) Showcase held at STFC’s Daresbury Laboratory in Cheshire at which Paul Nielson was a key speaker. Both the ESA BIC Harwell and the ESA TTN in the UK are operated by STFC Innovations Limited, STFC’s commercialisation company. This is the first time that the technology transfer and incubation functions have been brought together under one organisation.

Bruno Naulais, European Space Incubators Network Manager at ESA said: “We are delighted with the set-up of this new ESA BIC in the UK. ESA BIC Harwell is the fifth of its kind in Europe and we have plans to open two more in Belgium later this year. ESA’s Technology Transfer Programme aims at strengthening European industry by identifying new business opportunities for providers of space technology and systems. This contributes to enhancing the know-how and competitiveness of these providers as they broaden their business horizons. ESA BICs have supported about 125 companies since their creation and, with the addition of ESA BIC Harwell, a total of 50 companies will be supported annually, directly through ESA BICs”.

Businesses interested in finding out more about the ESA BIC Harwell can contact: