Students in Orbit
With their Celesta nanosatellite, students from UM have just been selected by the European Space Agency for the “Fly Your Satellite” call for proposals. These students have their feet firmly on the ground, but their heads are already in the stars…
Muriel Bernard (CSU supervisor), Denis Siveton, Baptiste Trotabas, Alexis Courtois, Maël Galliot, Raffaëllo Secondo, Xavier Laurand (CSU supervisor)
This latest addition is called Celesta. It is the newest in a series of satellites designed by students at the University of Montpellier. The first of these, named Robusta, launched in 2012 from Kourou. Like its predecessors from the Montpellier University Space Center, Celesta belongs to the family of nanosatellites: technology-packed devices that can measure between 10 and 50 cm across.
University Space Center
The European Space Agency’s (ESA) “Fly Your Satellite” call for proposals recognizes the best university nanosatellite projects from across Europe. The success of the CELESTA project thus allows France to be represented among the six European winners: the University of Montpellier (France), the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (Spain), University College Dublin (Ireland), and Queen’s University Belfast (Ireland), the Instituto Superior Técnico (Portugal), Sapienza University of Rome (Italy), and the University of Southampton (United Kingdom).
Developed with support from the European Organization for Research (CERN), Celesta aims to measure radiation in the space environment. The winning students will receive guidance on their project from ESA experts and a free launch from the International Space Station. This is further recognition for the University Space Center (CSU) at the University of Montpellier, France’s leading university space center.
Space-related careers
The five students from Montpellier, who traveled to the Netherlands to present their nanosatellite, can savor their success.“The panel of experts was impressive; but our experience at the Montpellier University Space Center gave us confidence in the quality of the project… This victory demonstrates the excellence of our training in nanosatellites at the Space Center and the University of Montpellier, which will be further enhanced by this follow-up opportunity. It’s exciting and encouraging for our future in space.”
In partnership with the University Space Center and the Van Allen Foundation, which provides financial and strategic support, leading companies in the industrial sector serve as sponsors and assist these students throughout their studies. These students are building their futures in a promising field: careers in the space industry.
Mini-Maxis
Tiny satellites, a huge challenge. Nanosatellites represent a strategic niche in the booming space exploration market. Their main advantage? Their price: a few hundred thousand euros—roughly a thousand times less than a large geostationary satellite.
“This is an asset that allows us to test the viability of new technologies with minimal risk—for example, by assessing their resistance to cosmic radiation,” explains Laurent Dusseau, director of the University Space Center. “Nanosatellites thus help overcome the final hurdle before commercialization. In return, they benefit from cutting-edge technologies.”