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PW-Sat2, satellite designed and built by students of the Warsaw University of Technology, is to be launched onboard the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from the Vandenberg Air Force Base in California on 19 November.
PW-Sat2 is a CubeSat satellite with dimensions of 20x10x10 cm.
The main task of the satellite is to test out an innovative deorbitation system which consists in using a square sail made of durable foil of 4m2. This system does not require any engine or continuous energy supply. It makes this solution smaller, cheaper and more competitive.
The sail, when extended, will significantly increase the aerodynamic drag of the satellite, speeding up its deorbitation. By deploying this system the satellite’s lifetime in orbit will be shortened from over fifteen years to several months.
Over 100 students took part in designing and building PW-Sat2 during the past 5 years.
A group of them supported by Polish MFA will be present in California during the PW-Sat2 launch into orbit.
Polish student satellite project fits in with the Polish Space Agency plans to develop Polish space specialisations as currently proposed in the draft National Space Program.
More on PW-Sat2
