University of Minho will launch satellite aboard the Space X rocket
The University of Minho is preparing to launch a satellite aboard a rocket from Space X, owned by businessman Elon Musk. It’s called “Prometheus”, a symbol of the search for knowledge, and is a concentrate of technology that will be located at an altitude of 500 kilometres. The data you send will make it possible to test and develop Portuguese scientific knowledge in the area of Aerospace Engineering.
For the third time in less than a year, a Portuguese satellite will be placed in space. The “Prometheus” looks like a Rubik’s Cube, but it represents all the functionalities of a large satellite.
The real one is on its way to the United States, from where it will be launched, but at the University of Minho there are several replicas of the satellite. They allow, for example, Carolina Martins, a 1st year student on the Aerospace Engineering course, to have opportunities she never dreamed of.
“I never thought I would be able to use a satellite like this so soon!”, comments the young woman. “It was something that fascinated me quite.”
A fascination that this project wants to replicate in many other classrooms. “With it, they can learn what goes inside the satellite and what is needed to put a satellite into orbit”, notes Alexandre Ferreira da Silva, professor in the department of Industrial Electronic Engineering at the University of Minho.
This experience could prove to be fundamental in the training of future professionals in an area that is experiencing great expansion in the country. In addition to the University of Minho, this project also involves the Instituto Superior Técnico and the North American Carnegie Mellon University.
The launch of “Prometheus” takes place in just over a month.
Report link: U.Minho launches Satellite