Press Releases
Small satellite experts AAC Clyde's DaVinci mission was successfully launched on December 16th from Mahia, New Zealand on Rocket Lab's Electron Rocket. The customer, U.S. North Idaho Stem Charter Academy has since then confirmed that contact has been made with the spacecraft, with all spacecraft systems performing as planned.
The 3U satellite mission is produced for a group of high school students from Idaho, United States after they won the NASA ELaNa nanosatellite mission award. The low-cost research satellite is aligned with NASA's new focus on launching a host of small satellites, or CubeSats, to study Earth and space.
- DaVinci is not only a unique project for AAC Clyde but also for the space industry in general. The ambition with the satellite is to inspire the next generation of innovators around the world, something we are delighted to support and be part of. I'm really looking forward to seeing the first images downloaded and being shared with the next generation of engineers and scientists, says Craig Clark MBE, AAC Clyde Founder and Chief Strategy Officer.
The DaVinci mission will teach students about radio waves, aeronautical engineering, space mechanics and geography, by sending communication signals to schools around the world. The satellite carries a Globalstar modem, allowing schools to communicate with the spacecraft and download daily images captured by DaVinci and uplinked through the Globalstar Network.
AAC Clyde will provide support for on orbit test of the satellite, commissioning and ongoing operations services using the STEM Charter ground station in the United States.
About project DaVinci
Project DaVinci's mission objective is to 'light up minds' around the world with global educational access to the satellite. This cutting-edge satellite will send short messages to receiver kits tuned to a specific frequency for VHF uplink and UHF downlink. This information will include the status of the satellite as well as an inspirational message to students encouraging them to pursue their dreams in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) related fields.
The students, from North Idaho STEM Charter Academy in Rathdrum, led by their teacher Elizabeth Brubaker, said their goal was "to offer people everywhere a connection to space that has only been felt by astronauts".
The teenagers are being helped by Burt Rutan, designer of the world's first private spaceship, Spaceship One, which is now hanging in the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum, and Peter Diamandis, who launched the $10 million XPRIZE to jumpstart a private race to space - won by Rutan and his team at Scaled Composites.
The mission is funded through sponsorship and crowdfunding. One of the team leaders, Erik Finman, previously named as Time Magazine's most influential teen and a Bitcoin millionaire was instrumental in crowd funding and securing sponsors
2018-12-20
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Please visit: www.aacmicrotec.com and www.clyde.space or contact:
CEO Alfonso Barreiro, [email protected]
Chairman of the board Rolf Hallencreutz, [email protected]
ABOUT ÅAC MICROTEC
ÅAC Microtec, and its subsidiary Clyde Space, offer a full turnkey mission service from design to on-orbit operations including reliable platforms in the range of 1 to 50 Kg; customizable to suit our customers' requirements. Their end-to-end service package enables our customers to reach their mission goals with a single, trusted point of contact. In addition, they supply a full range of subsystems for cube satellites and small satellites. The company has offices in Sweden, the UK and USA.
ÅAC Microtec's shares are traded on Nasdaq First North Stockholm. G&W Fondkommission, telephone +46 8 503 000 50, is the Certified Adviser.
About CubeSats
CubeSats are fully functional satellites. CubeSat have standard dimensions are measured in standard "Units" or "U's" with a 1U CubeSat being 100mm x 100mm x 110mm and about 1.1kg, a 3U CubeSat being 100mm x 100mm x 330mm and about 4kg, and so on. CubeSats typically piggy-back on other launches. The range of applications of CubeSats is increasing rapidly as the technology and capabilities of these tiny spacecraft continue to improve.
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