Ukraine has taken an important step in the development of space technologies – the project to create the first student space instrument has started, which will be the basis of the payload of the future satellite. The development is carried out on the basis of the Main Astronomical Observatory of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (GAO) in cooperation with leading experts in the field of aerospace engineering.
Launching the project and its goals.
This unique student project was officially presented during the press conference "The Future of Space Engineering in Ukraine". Its main goal is to develop a spectrometer for a future satellite, which will give students the opportunity to gain hands-on experience with real space technologies.
Stages of implementation:
- The first stage is the creation of a mock-up of the payload, which has already been started.
- The second and third stages are the direct development of the satellite and its launch into space.
As the press secretary of GAO Olena Kompaniets notes, the project has not only an educational purpose, but also practical value: students will receive exclusively that knowledge, which will be needed to create a satellite.
Selection of students and the educational process.
Seven students with a high level of knowledge in mathematics were selected to participate in the project, physics and programming. The selection was made through motivational letters and interviews.
According to Ivan Sinyavskyi, Head of the Atmospheric Optics and Instrumentation Department of GAO, students' education involves a practical approach - they do not just study theory, and directly work on the development of the device.
International experience and perspectives.
The founder of startups MySat and Aerobavovna Dmytro Khmara emphasizes, that similar student initiatives are a common practice in the world, however, they were almost never implemented in Ukraine.
The main challenges:
- Ukrainian students know the theory of satellite construction, but are unable to work with practical components.
- The lack of broad government support slows down the development of small space startups.
- Integration of international experience is needed to improve technologies.
For this purpose, it is planned to use international practices and cooperate with foreign experts.
Strategic importance of the project for Ukraine.
As noted by Ruslana Tulupova, Head of NGO "Agency of Extracurricular Education", such initiatives are key to development:
- Economies - attraction of investments in the technological sector.
- National security - development of own satellite technologies.
- Navigation and communication - creation of independent Ukrainian space systems.
- Information processing - the possibility of receiving own data from satellites.
The registration of the public organization "Bee First" is also ongoing, which will become a platform for the implementation of future space projects.
Further plans and perspectives.
Scaling of the project is planned in the coming years, in particular:
- Expansion of the student team.
- Finding funding for satellite development and launch.
- Integration of new technologies into future developments.