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.
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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
