The first Dutch 'student' satellite has been successfully launched from India. Students from Delft's Technical University have worked on the mini satellite for three years. Its greatest advantage is that its development has only taken those three years. A large satellite can often take up to 10 or even 15 years to develop, making the costs many times higher.
There was hectic activity at the university in Delft after the rocket carrying ten satellites, including the students' Delfi-C3, was launched from the Sriharikota space centre in southern India. Former air and space travel student Joost Elstak says the first contact with the satellite was made just after lift-off. "So, we know it's working," he explains with relief. It is only 30 centimetres long, not much bigger than a litre-carton of milk.
The Dutch student satellite will research three things. The students have developed a radio and are testing it in space. They have been commissioned by a Dutch company to test a new kind of solar cell which is lighter than the conventional type. A sun sensor developed by another Dutch company is also being put through its paces. "This project helps students learn right from the start how the industry actually works," Mr Elstak says.
The rocket is also carrying student satellites from Denmark, Japan, Germany and Canada.
Enthusiasts
Radio hams are helping with the project by sending information received from the satellite to the students in Delft. The recordings will then be decoded. Enthusiasts from all over the world have already signed on to take part. One such is Martin Beekhuis from Eindhoven in the south of the Netherlands. He explains that he and his peers will record the information beamed from the satellite and then make it available to a group of 30 Delft students involved in the project.
Communications
Mr Elstak says there is a global network of radio enthusiasts and so making contact with them was easy. It was not difficult to interest the hams in helping out as they were offered a real incentive. After the satellite has spent three months gathering information for the Delft students, it will be set to operate as a their own personal communications satellite.
Source: Radio Netherlands
