in boosting our orbit, the satellite will re-enter Earth’s atmosphere after
a few months and burn up.
When the rocket reaches its orbital altitude, the satellite is deployed
then
The satellite must
higher altitude, away from any traces of atmosphere that would produce
drag, slow it down, and shorten its orbital lifespan.
about two kilograms. The sides of the CubeSat are covered with solar
cells on all surfaces except the aft end, where the rocket motor sits.
Euroluna bought two of the four available CubeSat payload slots on
NEPTUNE 30
(OnBoardComputer), the communication printed circuit board, and the
camera board which controls six cameras – each 1.3 megapixels. In
addition, a battery will provide power when MiniRomit1 passes into the
night-side shadow of the Earth.
The second CubeSat module contains Euroluna’s propulsion system
(rocket engine), which is an electric ion accelerator. The device
accelerates metal ions across an electric field and shoots them out
through a nozzle, causing the rocket to move forward and overcome
drag caused by the few air molecules at the 310km orbital altitude. This
thrust will move the satellite to a higher orbit (path around the
Earth). The energy for the system comes from solar cells, and
propulsion is achieved using only a few grams of metal.
Denmark.
Today Euroluna consist of
background in ingeneering –
and a passion for space.
Euroluna is participating in
the30 million dollar
500 meters and sends
images back to Earth –
before the end of 2012.
used for our lunar voyage. If the engine meets expectations, it will be
groundbreaking for nanosatellites, which can then use our engine to