The University of Montpellier Space Center and the Van Allen Foundation are celebrating their 10th anniversary at the “Montpellier Space Odyssey” gala
On June 29, the “Montpellier Space Odyssey” gala was held at the Orangerie in the Jardin des Plantes at the University of Montpellier to celebrate a decade of work, support, and projects by the Van Allen Foundation (FVA) and the University of Montpellier Space Center (CSUM). The gala also marked the 10th anniversary of the launch of France’s first nanosatellite into orbit. Attendees included Philippe Augé, President of the University of Montpellier; Jean-Claude Gayssot, former minister and President of the FVA; and Laurent Dusseau, Director of the FVA and the CSUM.
The Space Center at the University of Montpellier
Founded in 2011, the Montpellier University Space Center is the French leader in the development and launch of student-built nanosatellites. As a technological platform of the University of Montpellier, its team of about thirty people welcomes and mentors French and international students, from the second year of higher education through graduate school, through projects or internships. The CSUM is equipped with a wide range of facilities: a Concurrent Engineering Center (a collaborative tool for simulating all aspects of a mission to assess its feasibility), Ground Stations (S-band and UHF, communicating with the satellite via a radio frequency link), a control room (for mission control and monitoring), a clean room (a controlled environment for nanosatellite integration and for hosting students enrolled in partner programs to train them in Assembly, Integration, and Testing), a thermal vacuum chamber (used to replicate the thermal environment in orbit), and soon a vibration table for mechanical testing.
As a systems integrator and platform provider, the UM Space Center enables end users to carry out complete missions, deploy payloads, or conduct in-orbit technology validation. The CSUM therefore offers turnkey solutions, from feasibility studies through to operations.
The Van Allen Foundation
Established in late 2012, the Van Allen Foundation (FVA), a partnership foundation of the University of Montpellier, provides strategic and financial support to the University of Montpellier’s Space Center. It brings together stakeholders in the nanosatellite sector as well as new entrants and acts as a catalyst for generating collaborative projects. The FVA also helps identify training needs. Since its inception, 200 student internships have been funded, with €2.8 million invested in the University of Montpellier Space Center and its nanosatellite projects.
The FVA’s initiatives are focused on three objectives: Developing an emerging sector in France (funding CSUM nanosatellite projects), Building and fostering a network (organizing public conferences and technical workshops, promoting activities, and coordinating the Foundation’s Partners and Friends Club), Training the next generation of space talent (funding equipment, internships, theses, and supervisory staff).
More than 10 years of experience, projects, technological advancements, and, above all, support
Starting from scratch, the Van Allen Foundation and the University Space Center at the University of Marseille have, through their remarkable work, projects, and initiatives, earned widespread recognition and established a leading role in France and Europe. After more than 10 years of technological development and the acquisition of expertise in nanosatellite design, the University of Marseille now possesses its own technology.
A nanosatellite weighs between 1 and 50 kg. It allows universities and startups, at an affordable cost, to conduct in-flight technology demonstrations and/or carry a scientific instrument known as a “payload.” ROBUSTA 1A, launched in 2012, was the first French nanosatellite to reach orbit. Two other nanosatellites have since been launched by the CSUM. One of them, ROBUSTA-1B, launched in June 2017, is still in orbit. Two more nanosatellites are scheduled to be launched from Kourou by VEGA-C in the coming days. As for ROBUSTA-3A, which will be launched in 2023 on the maiden flight of Ariane 6, it will inaugurate CSUM’s new 3U platform as part of the Mediterranean project. Its mission: an experiment to improve weather models for forecasting Cévenol episodes.
In 2020, the FVA established its Scientific Committee, tasked with drafting calls for proposals and evaluating the scientific merit and relevance of the submissions. By co-funding the selected research projects, the Van Allen Foundation enables the Montpellier University Space Center to focus its nanosatellite missions on promising research areas. The project selected in the first call for proposals focuses on detecting plastic waste in the Mediterranean Sea.
The CSUM and the FVA also represent a gateway to countries in the Global South, which fits perfectly within the framework of the I-SITE program of excellence led by the UM.
As part of a program to build expertise in the space sector, Research Ministry of Higher Education and Research sent ten students to study at the University of Montpellier beginning in 2020. Five graduated with a Professional Bachelor’s Degree in Assembly, Integration, and Testing, and five with a Specialized Master’s Degree in Space Systems Development. These students, currently based at the Montpellier University Space Center (CSUM), are developing the HYDROSAT mission, which aims to meet Djibouti’s data collection needs. The launch of two CubeSats using the CSUM’s 1U platform is scheduled for early 2023.
In 2021, Senegal’s Ministry of Higher Education, Research Innovation (MESRI-SN) also launched, in partnership with CSUM, a training program designed to equip Senegal with its own space access capabilities. This program includes an academic component and the execution of an initial space mission with both educational and practical objectives.
In summary, for more than ten years, the Van Allen Foundation and the University Space Center at the University of Montpellier have been committed to sharing knowledge with all students, drawing on expertise gained from the leading names in the French space industry, state-of-the-art equipment, and technology developed entirely by the University of Montpellier.