To Infinity and Begorrah! Ireland is Building Its Own Spaceship

Space Technology Ireland announced yesterday its plans to build the country's first ever spacecraft.

The craft, which is set to function as a satellite, will be built in Ireland by the Maynooth based company. Space Technolofy Ireland has previously built parts for a number of other spacecrafts, most notably the radio transmitter and receiver for the Rosetta mission, which last year landed a probe on a comet.

The new project will be an all-Irish affair, as it looks to include Irish engineers and students in the design and construction process.

It will be overseen by Professor Susan McKenna-Lawlor, who has experience working for NASA, the European Space Agency, and the Russian Space Agency. In fact, the Russians are covering the €5 million cost of the launch.

The rest of the funding  for the satellite's construction will come from universities' research budgets and other sponsors.

It's all a bit vague at the moment, but the name, project specifications, and mission of the project will be announced this Saturday in in Roundwood, Co Wicklow at Astronomy Ireland's "Star-B-Q" summer event, so we'll know a lot more then.

Via Breaking News