PoSAT-1 will no longer be the only satellite developed in Portugal ever launched. If the required conditions are met, in the first week of March it is Aeros’ turn to continue its journeyriding a SpaceX Falcon 9.
Common investment of 2.78 million eurosthe Aeros was developed in Portugal by several entitiesincluding Thales and CEiiA, and the universities of Técnico, Algarve, Minho and Porto, in addition to MIT.
Classified as a nanosatellite, weighs 4.5 kg, has a body 30 cm long and 50 cm wide and will orbit at an altitude of 510 kilometers and at a speed of 7 km/s, that is, will circle the Earth every 90 minutes.
Has as mission to study the oceans and send the images collected to an operations center installed on the island of Santa Maria and treated in Matosinhos.
Before having the final green light for launch, the satellite passed through the ISQ Group facilities, in Castelo Branco, at the Special Testing Laboratoryequipped with unique equipment in terms of scale and complexity, where an environmental testing campaign was carried out. This laboratory includes several thermodynamic tunnels, a thermo-vacuum chamber, a shaker for vibration tests and a structural testing laboratory.
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O launch of Aeros is scheduled for the first days of next Marchfrom Vandenberg Base, Calif.