Swiss in space
1 min read
Switzerland has launched its first satellite – the SwissCube – with all the enclosed pcbs manufactured by Photochemie, part of the CIcor Technologies Group.
The satellite will focus on the observation of airglow - an atmospheric phenomenon in which photons from the sun excite air molecules, which eventually emit light at several specific wavelengths. The primary mission is the ground – space communication between the SwissCube and the earth station.
Photochemie provided the high tech rigid and rigid flex pcbs in the 820g heavy and 10cm cubical satellite.
SwissCube was launched from India, having been developed by the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, in collaboration with other Swiss engineering schools, universities and private industries.
The mission should last between three months and one year. Traveling at over 7km per second, the satellite will complete a full rotation of the earth every 99 minutes. Once or twice a day, the EPFL and the HES-SO in Fribourg, Switzerland, will receive radio transmission from the SwissCube-allowing for just 10 minutes to deliver complex information. This includes telescope images, temperature measurements as well as scientific data about airglow.
