On September 3rd Vega rocket carrying student satellite Hämarik launched from the space centre at Kourou. For now we know that the rocket has reached orbit and Hämarik has separated from the rocket.
Koit and Hämarik are 1U cube satellites (10 * 10 * 10 cm). The mission with which the student satellites will be tasked is primarily surveillance of the Earth using dithering and near-infrared cameras.
Rauno Gordon, the Head of Space Center at TalTech, explained that in principle detailed colour pictures can be taken of the Earth from space and that the globe can then be mapped using those images. “We can also monitor the changes taking place in a particular region in closer detail, like geological processes or weather phenomena,” he added. “Near-infrared and dithering cameras make it possible for us to keep an eye on vegetation as well, which is to say what sort of shape the plants in a particular place are in and how viable they are – whether they’re showing strong growth or drying up.”
Urmas Kõlli from AS Datel said: "Today we use only a fraction of the opportunities in the space sector in our economy. In recent years, AS Datel has contributed to development projects on Earth observation. Recognition to TalTech for the fact that the growing generation of engineers in Estonia is more and more familiar with space technologies."
The satellite program of TalTech started in 2014. It is an international and interdisciplinary initiative in which research and business partners from Estonia and abroad have contributed. The first satellite, Koit was launched into orbit on 5 July 2019. After that, Hämarik was retested, such as vibration and impact tests, and made the components and subsystems more reliable.
Over 6 years, more than 150 students have participated in the satellite program. TalTech's satellite program is supported by AS Datel, AS Telegrupp, Mediq Eesti OÜ, Lennuliiklusteeninduse AS, AS CGI Eesti, Stoneridge Electronics AS. The cooperation partners of the program are IB Krates OÜ, NICPB, University of Tartu Tõravere Observatory, PERH, Brandner PCB OÜ, Satrian Aerospace OÜ, Radius Space OÜ.