December 7: Deployment video of Ireland’s first satellite into space
The team has released a short video that shows the deployment of Ireland’s first satellite, EIRSAT-1, into space.
December 4: The spacecraft receives commands successfully from the ground station
Ireland’s first ever satellite, EIRSAT-1, has circled the Earth 34 times since its launch on Friday, December 1, 2023. Signals from EIRSAT-1 have been established with the mission control room located at University College Dublin.
All the onboard systems are functioning well, and the team is now preparing to begin science operations as reported via X (former Twitter).
December 1: Successful launch of Ireland’s first satellite EIRSAT-1
Ireland’s first ever satellite, EIRSAT-1, launched successfully atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, USA, at 1:18 p.m. EST (18:18 UTC) on Friday, December 1, 2023.
The Educational Irish Research Satellite 1, EIRSAT-1 was designed and built by the team of students and professors at University College Dublin (UCD) with the support of the ESA Education programme, Fly Your Satellite! (FYS).
The project began in 2017 when the UCD team’s proposal has been accepted by ESA under the Fly Your Satellite! (FYS) programme.
To design and build the first ever satellite for Ireland, the UCD team worked with ESA experts over the past six years, and now it’s successfully launched and deployed to the lower-earth orbit.
The student team has built a mission control room at University College Dublin to operate EIRSAT-1.
“It is a matter of pride for the Education team to be involved in the launch of the first satellite of a nation,” says Head of the ESA Education Office Hugo Maree.
“The Irish students who arrived at ESA in 2017 are now in the lab, running tests with strong engineering skills, and preparing to operate a satellite like a proper Mission Control team. Seeing such young bright minds, readying for a career in the space sector and reaching so high, is so inspiring – the ultimate meaning of our Education programme.”
Live launch broadcast of Ireland’s first satellite EIRSAT-1 in case you missed it
Scientific instruments or payloads
EIRSAT-1 is a two unit spacecraft, which consists of 2 experimental payloads (GMOD and EMOD), one software payload (WBC) and one Antenna Deployment Module (ADM).
GMOD – The Gamma-ray Module: The Gamma-ray Module will detect the most luminous explosions in the universe, gamma ray bursts. It is the main or primary payload of EIRSAT-1.
EMOD – The ENBIO Module: A heat-resistant coating panels, developed by Irish company ENBIO. It is an experiment to see how protective coatings perform in space.
WBC – Wave-Based Control: It is a software payload which will control the orientation of the satellite in space.
Budget
1.5 million euros have been funded to build and operate the satellite by the Irish Research Council, Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation, Science Foundation Ireland and the ESA according to University College Dublin.
Everything you need to know about EIRSAT-1 in summary
| EIRSAT-1 | Details |
|---|---|
| Mission type | Two unit CubeSat (a miniature satellite) |
| Mass | 2305 g |
| Dimension | 22 cm x 10 cm x 10 cm |
| Stands for | Educational Irish Research Satellite 1 (EIRSAT-1) |
| Launch date | December 1, 2023 |
| Mission duration | 12 months (planned) |
| Launch vehicle | Falcon 9 rocket of SpaceX |
| Launch site | Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, USA |
| Budget/Cost | 1.5 million euros |
| Built by | A team of students and professors at University College Dublin (UCD) |
| Scientific instruments | Gamma ray detector, thermal coating panels, orientation control payload |
| Official website | https://www.eirsat1.ie |
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