Subscribe with SteadyESTCube 2
ESTCube 2 [University of Tartu]
ESTCube-2 is a 3U CubeSat built by Tartu University's Estonian Student Satellite Foundation.
The primary goal of the ESTCube-2 project is to provide undergraduate and high school students with hands-on experience in the development of space technology.
On board the ESTCube-2, four innovative technologies are being tested:
- Plasma brake technology is being tested in the Earth's ionosphere to remove the satellite from orbit at the end of its mission.
- Advanced satellite on-board systems and bus testing. A miniature star tracker, flywheels, a cold gas thrust module, and a radio experiment to determine the satellite's position are included, in addition to conventional systems.
- Tartu Observatory's two Earth observation cameras are being tested. The cameras are designed to measure the NDVI vegetation index on Earth and operate at two different wavelengths.
- The satellite is putting thin film anti-corrosion materials to the test.
The satellite was completed in the first half of 2022 and was launched from Kourou, French Guiana, on a shared Vega launch vehicle in October 2023. ESTCube 2 failed to deploy.
| Nation: | Estonia |
|---|---|
| Type / Application: | Technology, Earth observation |
| Operator: | University of Tartu |
| Contractors: | University of Tartu |
| Equipment: | |
| Configuration: | CubeSat (3U) |
| Propulsion: | None |
| Power: | Solar cells, batteries |
| Lifetime: | |
| Mass: | |
| Orbit: |
| Satellite | COSPAR | Date | LS | Launch Vehicle | Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ESTCube 2 | 2023-155# | 09.10.2023 | Ko ELV | Vega | with THEOS 2, TRITON, PROBA V-CC, CSC 1, 2, MACSAT, ANSER L, F1, F2, ESTCube 2, N3SS, PRETTY / failed to deploy |
Launch Sites:
- Ko = Centre Spatial Guyanais (CSG), Kourou, French Guiana, France
