On the 17th of August, 2021 C3S’s 3U platform will be launched. The spacecraft, that was born under the European Space Agency (ESA) General Support Technology Programme’s (GSTP) RadCube mission, is the first industrial satellite being built in Hungary, and so far, the largest as well. The in-house developed, high-reliability nanosatellite that is equipped with redundant subsystems will be sent into Low Earth Orbit.
The RadCube mission, created with the aim of technological demonstration, is carried out in the frame of an international consortium, which is led by C3S as the prime contractor, by the commission of ESA. The Centre for Energy Research, a subcontractor of this project, is responsible for the development of a space radiation measuring device placed inside a space weather monitoring equipment, which will serve as the payload on-board the platform. Further subcontractors are the Imperial College of London, developing the magnetometer and the Polish Astronika. The European Space Agency, being the customer in this project, also provides the secondary payload.
The satellite will be launched in Kourou, French Guiana, from the Guiana Space Center with the coordination of Arianespace. During the mission SAB Launch Services Srl serves as the launch partner, while the satellite will travel on-board the VEGA VV19 European spacecraft. ESA is contracted for a half-year operation of the satellite; however, this lifetime will be greatly exceeded by the C3S-developed platform.
For the latest news regarding the launch, please visit C3S’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/c3sspace
