Poland's first ever satellite launched
PR dla Zagranicy
Peter Gentle
13.02.2012 08:25
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Michal Kubicki talks to Dr Andrzej Kotarba from the Space Research Centre at the Polish Academy of Sciences about the launch.
The European Space Agency (ESA) has launched Poland's first ever satellite, the PW-Sat, from its Space Centre in Guiana, Monday.
photo - pw.sat.pl
The satellite was launched around 10.50 CET and has been built by students from the Warsaw University of Technology and scientists from the Space Research Centre at the Polish Academy of Sciences.
the load was released by the Vega rocket - currently on its maiden 'qualification flight' at around 12,00 CET today.
The satellite was launched by the European Space Centre's new Vega rocket and will monitor the behaviour of 'space debris' and other objects orbiting Earth including the International Space Station.
"The system consists of a special tail ]deployable drag augmentation device] which will allow faster entry into the Earth's atmosphere,” says Maciej Urbanowicz at the Warsaw University of Technology.
The main objective of this experiment is to test the concept of using atmospheric drag to deorbit the satellite, says the ESA web site.
It is hoped to be able to remove the satellite from orbit at a predicted time, about one year after launch.
The secondary objective is to test the solar cells, which have never before been used in space.
The rocket launched eight other satellites - or 'cube'stats' - adding a new capability to Europe’s launch systems. (pg)
Watch launch LIVE here.
More about the project in an exclusive interview with Dr Andrzej Kotarba from the Space Research Centre at the Polish Academy of Sciences.