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Ministry of Transport
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A new device, made by Czech companies, for launching satellites to orbit is on its way to space

Odbor komunikacekosmické aktivityEvropská kosmická agenturavesmír

The European Vega rocket will take 53 satellites from the Kourou spaceport in the French Guyana to orbit. The satellites will be gradually released during the flight from a launch system called dispenser. The system was made in the Czech Republic. This is the most expensive piece of Czech hardware ever launched to space since our joining the European Space Agency in 2008. The rocket was supposed to be launched on Sunday June 21, but the launch was postponed for bad weather.

A new device, made by Czech companies, for launching satellites to orbit is on its way to space
"The new dispenser is great success for the Czech space industry and has a huge commercial potential. More dispensers will be made in the Czech Republic in the coming years and used all over the world for launching satellites," says the minister of transport Karel Havlíček.

The dispenser weights 252 kilogram and carries another 756 kilogram, i.e. three times its weight. After the first flight on Sunday with 53 satellites to be launched, another flight will follow on the reinforced version of the Vega-C launch vehicle with a capacity that is 800 km higher. The dispenser is ready for this and will carry six times its weight. The dispenser design is so flexible that it can carry different combinations of smaller and bigger satellites, which no competitor is Europe can do.

The dispenser is the most valuable Czech component launched into space since the Czech Republic's accession to ESA in 2008. The Brno-based company SAB Aerospace was the main contractor and the total cost was EUR 8 million. 

Interesting is the fact that the majority of satellites are installed already in Europe and then transported to the European Kourou spaceport in the French Guyana. Until now, satellite manufacturers had to travel to South America because of this. This is therefore a significant cost saving, which makes this Czech dispenser even more attractive for launching satellites.

Demand for small satellites has been quickly growing and the European Space Agency decided to build a Europe-based service to satisfy this demand. The aim of this service is to shorten the waiting time for a suitable launch vehicle for those satellite manufacturers and operators who operate systems that are so small that it makes no financial sense for them to purchase the entire launch vehicle for them and for those who do not want to wait too long for the opportunity when a competitor/partner pops up to "take a ride" with them. 

Following the launch in February of the Solar Orbiter probe with the biggest involvement of Czech science centres in the preparation of the space probe since the Czech Republic joined ESA, the upcoming launch is evidence of even more success.

You will find information about the launch on the ESA website.

Photo: ESA
The satellite launch system in clean rooms on the Kourou spaceport before connecting to the Vega rocket. Spaceport workers during the final phase of satellite installation on the devices and testing. 

 

Start-VV16-rakety-Vega-s-SSMS-dispenserem-a-53-druzicemi.jpg
 
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