– This has been a long and emotional journey for us, says Ulrik Falk-Petersen, head of Orbit NTNU to news. The student organization has recently made contact with its first satellite, Selfiesat. It was sent into space in May, with SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket. The students had expected to get an answer right away. – We have sat every day throughout the summer and listened for the satellite where we thought it would appear. But it turned out that there was a problem with the vessel we sent the satellite up with. Ulrik Falk-Petersen says he is proud of all the students who have spent their free time working on the project. Photo: Private Willing to bring space closer For over four years, more than 150 students have worked purposefully to realize the project. Suddenly, in the last week, they were able to let loose the jubilation. – There was ecstasy in the room when we saw on the screen that the satellite showed signs of life. This is the first time Norwegian students have sent up something that works, says Falk-Petersen. Here the students have gathered around the screen to see the signal from the satellite. Photo: Orbit NTNU They have spent the last few days analyzing data and starting the rest of the system on the satellite, so that in the future it will be possible to send “space messengers”. This happens by an external LCD screen viewing the image sent in by the audience. Furthermore, a camera mounted on a fold-out selfie stick takes a picture of the screen with the earth in the background. – To see Selfiesat in orbit and operational is a dream coming true. I am proud of what we have achieved together, and look forward to seeing the continuation of the Norwegian space adventure, says project manager Andreas Westre in a press release. The aim of the project is to inspire and bring space a little closer, and also to show how accessible space has become for most people. The picture shows the position of SelfieSat when the students made contact with him. The final orbit of the satellite is a low Earth orbit in the area of 530–558 km. Photo: Orbit NTNU – A milestone Selfiesat is connected to the students’ own ground station – a radio tower at the NTNU office in Trondheim. From here, the students must send and receive “room selfies”, status updates and sensor data at regular intervals. And a specially trained operations team will handle all commands and tasks for the satellite. – NTNU students now have direct contact with the universe, says Toril A. Nagelhus Hernes, vice-rector for innovation, via NTNU’s website. She describes this as a milestone both for the university and the students. – It is the first time a Norwegian student organization has managed this entirely on its own. I am proud and happy on behalf of our talented students who show what is possible through competence, knowledge and good teamwork. Several projects The student organization is now working towards the launch of the FRAMSat-1 satellite, which is scheduled to be launched from Norwegian soil in 2023. The satellite makes use of a lot of technology and lessons learned from Selfiesat, and will be the first to be launched into orbit from European soil. But they are also working on another project – sending a plant into space. – We had a vote, and found that this was a fun way to challenge ourselves, smiles Ulrik Falk-Petersen. Orbit NTNU Orbit NTNU is a student organization where students from various fields of study build small satellites (CubeSats) alongside their studies. The organization has its origins in previous student satellite projects at NTNU, and took its current form in 2018. The students at Orbit NTNU are self-employed, but receive support from the university. The main goal of Orbit NTNU is to give students the opportunity to learn how to build satellites, regardless of field of study, as long as the commitment and willingness to learn is present. SelfieSat is Orbit’s first satellite, and was launched into low Earth orbit in May. FRAMSat-1 is the second satellite project of Orbit NTNU. Everything from first-year students to doctoral scholars have helped build the satellite. Source: ntnu.no
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The students became historic when Orbit NTNU made contact with the satellite Selfiesat – news Trøndelag
