Nanosatellites at the University of Montpellier

Institute of Botany, Charles Flahault Auditorium – 163 Rue Auguste Broussonnet, 34000 Montpellier.

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Lecture presented by Laurent Dusseau, professor at the University of Montpellier and director of the Montpellier-Nîmes University Space Center.

Originally designed as tools to introduce students to space engineering, nanosatellites are now at the heart of significant economic challenges. The miniaturization of technology and the emergence of new markets have led to exponential growth in launches and enabled these satellites, weighing just a few kilograms, to provide access to space for new players such as universities, small and medium-sized enterprises, and local governments.

In this field, the University of Montpellier has taken the lead by launching ROBUSTA-1A, France’s first nanosatellite, in 2012 following a six-year development program. ROBUSTA-1B took over in June 2017 and remains to this day the only operational French “CubeSat,” with scientific benefits that are far from negligible. This summer, it will be joined in space by MTCUBE, while three other nanosatellites are currently under development at the UM University Space Center with support from the Van Allen Foundation and several major players in the space industry.

The CSUM story is worth telling from both a technological and a human perspective. It has enabled more than 500 students to gain training and find employment in a field that struggles to recruit, and where these strategic jobs cannot be outsourced.

But if CubeSats go viral and flood into space, isn’t there a risk of creating space debris? For several years now, the CSU has been working with CNES to establish “best practices” that have enabled it to fully comply with the requirements of the Space Operations Act, which ensures the sustainable and shared development of space activities.

The final chapter of the ROBUSTA saga is unfolding on land with the construction in 2015 of a 2,300-square-meter facility where, alongside the CSU, several leading companies in the field have already set up shop, thereby creating a true ecosystem dedicated to nanosatellites and a value chain.

From the dream of a few enthusiasts to the creation of dozens, even hundreds, of jobs in the region that our children—trained at UM—can fill, this incredible journey has made Montpellier the French capital of nanosatellites.

Space, yes, but with both feet on the ground!

Upcoming events:

• Thursday, May 23: A Rediscovered Treasure: The Rennes Collection of Scientific Instruments (1840–1900).
• Thursday, June 27: Medical Imaging and Innovative Teaching Methods.