A Greek nano-satellite into space
One of the Aristotle University’s main research areas is space and aeronautics. In the next stage they’ll be asking how astronauts’ bodies react to long periods of time in outer space.
The team submitted their tech proposal on Friday to the European Space Agency and the “Fly Your Satellite!” program. They claim to be testing and launching into space their CubeSat-type nanosatellite. Their testings are taking place in collaboration with ESA experts.
The main idea of the nanosatellite experiment is to study the different effects space has on specific types of cell microorganisms.
“We are designing a three-unit CubeSat-type nanosatellite, with the aim of conducting a biological experiment containing microorganisms, specifically fungi, which are ablative cells similar to those of humans. We will investigate how the environment in space affects these types of cells and then extrapolate the results to humans. That is, in a second phase we aspire to be able to see how the human body is affected. Especially when it remains for longer periods of time in space.” Yannis Kotsakiachidis, made this statement. Head of the 35 student members team will be participating in the “AcubeSAT” projectfrom the Faculties of Engineering, Science and Health Sciences.
“Fly Your Satellite!”
We expect an announcement within the next 30 days. The list of the approved proposals under the “Fly Your Satellite!” project will become public. The deadline for submitting proposals expired yesterday, but we’ll soon know who was selected. The AUTh was the one who submitted the proposal following the meeting with Professor Stratos Stylianidis.
“It will be a great development, I believe that we will succeed,” Stylianides told RES-MPA, explaining that “in recent years there has been great mobility and significant research initiatives by members of the Aristotle University academic community on aerospace, aeronautics and unmanned aerial vehicle technologies” and “this project is another step of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in the field of aerospace research.”
“As long as we pass the next phase, we can go to the Netherlands in December and support the project. Presumably, we will recieve questions on our design and argue why we did it this way and not otherwise,” Kochakiahidis clarified. It will be the presentation phase in the Netherlands that will decide the final number of proposals implemented. In the previous cycle of the “Fly Your Satellite!” six teams reached the final phase.
Students founded A.S.A.A.T. in 2015 from the Department of Mechanical Engineering of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. Today it has 70 members, students of the Departments of Electrical & Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, Computer Science, Chemical Engineering, Medicine and Biology. Being the first student aerospace group of the University, its aim is to develop the knowledge and culture of aerospace among students and faculty. It is working on three research projects: the “Aeronautics”, “AcubeSAT” and “Rocketry”.
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Author: PC-GR
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