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Microsatellite mission: Madrid university plans third space launch

The Polytechnic University of Madrid (UPM), in collaboration with other universities in the city and the regional government, will launch the UPMSat3 microsatellite. The space mission, planned for Q2 this year, will enable the observation of the cosmic microwave background in flight, as well as climatic parameters such as atmospheric humidity and temperature. Additionally, through collaboration with Carlos III and the Complutense University of Madrid, it is intended to conduct measurements of the microwave emission of aerosols in the upper layers of the atmosphere, primarily near the Earth’s poles.

The Community of Madrid is co-financing the UPMSat-3 satellite project with €150,000 as part of efforts to enhance the competitiveness of Madrid-based aerospace firms through technology validation in orbit. Nonetheless, the biggest expense, the launch cost, will be fully financed by the European Space Agency (ESA) and the German DLR.

“The main barrier any university space mission encounters is the launch, due to its high cost, which is at least one million euros. Therefore, being selected by the German DLR and the European Space Agency to obtain a free launch opportunity will allow us to complete the UPMSat-3 project,” explains the UPM.

The satellite will be launched from Andøya, Norway, using a Spectrum rocket, a relatively new two-stage launcher.

Collaborative space effort

Currently, more than 50 people are working on the creation of the device, including professors, students, and technical, auxiliary, and service staff from the Technical Schools of Aeronautical and Space Engineering, Computer Science, and Telecommunications, as well as students from the master’s degree in Space Systems, coordinated by the Ignacio Da Riva Microgravity Institute, affiliated with UPM.

This initiative of the Ministry of Education, Science, and Universities allows UPM students to participate in the development of a platform to gain real-world experience in the aerospace sector. The experiments focus on the field of technology and are joined by those from other universities, such as Carlos III and Complutense.

The satellite itself is considered a microsatellite, weighing 22 kilograms with dimensions of 0.25×0.25×0.3 meters and a modular multi-tray design. The satellite, which will orbit at 500 kilometres of altitude, will reenter the Earth’s atmosphere after a lifespan of about 10 years, breaking apart safely to avoid contributing to space debris.

Microsatellite Madrid University

However, while it will not contribute to increasing debris, pollution is another story, as when the satellite cycle ends, it will release pollutants such as aluminium oxide, which damages the ozone layer. To avoid this problem, some satellites use wood in their design, with Japanese LignoSat being the latest company to demonstrate that wood can be a viable alternative to aluminium.

The university explains that “this satellite marks the next step in the UPM’s satellite series, following UPM-Sat1 and UPMSat-2.” UPM-Sat1 launched from the Kourou Spaceport in French Guiana in 1995 aboard an Ariane-4 rocket, accompanying the Helios military satellite. UPMSat-2 followed on September 3, 2020, launched on the VEGA launcher, funded by the European Union’s IOD/IOV Horizon 2020 program.

“With this new project, we return to space and once again demonstrate UPM’s capabilities in the field of aerospace technology,” the UPM concludes.

Marc Cervera is a freelance journalist based in Barcelona, Spain, with over four years of experience contributing to leading Spanish and international media outlets. He holds a double degree in Journalism and Political Science from Universitat Abat Oliba and an MA in Political Science from the University of Essex. Marc has lived in the US, UK, Spain, and the Netherlands, and his work primarily explores economics, innovation, and politics.