In our article… we presented a photo of Estonia’s first satellite, which was built mainly at the University of Tartu. It’s a mini satellite, with dimensions of about 10 x 10 x 11 centimeters, and it weighs around 1 kilogram.
Developed as part of the Estonian Student Satellite Program, ESTCube-1 was an educational project involving both university and high school students. It was launched by ESA in 2013 and remained operational until 2015.
The most important thing?
It was a student-built satellite!
Its development and scientific results contributed to: – 29 bachelor’s theses,
– 19 master’s theses,
– 5 PhD dissertations,
– and the creation of 4 start-up companies.
Although student training was a primary goal in creating ESTCube-1, the satellite also had a scientific mission. It carried an electric solar wind sail (E-sail). The mission ended due to degradation of the photovoltaic system, which eventually led to battery failure. The last official signal was transmitted on February 17, 2015. However, Earth imaging and environmental data collection continued until May 19, 2015.
The satellite’s plan to test its E-sail failed, as the sail’s deployment mechanism did not survive the rocket’s launch vibrations.
A pity. It didn’t survive the vibrations of launch.
That’s one of the harsh realities of launching satellites.
Research didn’t stop there. Students continued their work on ESTCube-2, the second satellite, designed to carry even more advanced technologies. Its launch in 2023, streamed live from the Tartu Observatory, revealed that the satellite never detached from the launcher and most likely burned up in Earth’s atmosphere.
Still, the Estonian satellite team continues its research undeterred to this day!
