A satellite known as Estcube-2, developed by Estonian students, has reached preparatory facility in Brno, Czech Republic, on Saturday. The satellite was safely transported by a dedicated team from the Estcube student satellite project, based in Toravere, Estonia. Once in the Czech Republic, an international team will finalize preparations for its journey to space. This concludes the Estonian team’s part in the mission, according to the project manager, Hans Teras. The next phase will see the Estcube-2 being affixed to a rocket module, before being airlifted to French Guiana in South America. A launch window between September 13-18 is anticipated, with the Arianespace Vega rocket, renowned for its reliability, to carry the payload. Teras cautions about the inherent risks involved with rocket launches, but reassures that Estcube-2 has withstood rigorous testing in extreme conditions. The satellite, a project from the University of Tartu, follows in the wake of its predecessor, Estcube-1, Estonia’s pioneer satellite. Its mission is to evaluate the effectiveness of a plasma brake, colloquially known as a solar sail, contributing to Estonia’s ongoing foray into orbital research which also saw two cube satellites from Tallinn University of Technology being launched.
Source: news.postimees.ee
