SpaceX launches TU Delft mini-satellite: DelfiPQ

During the Transporter-3 satellite launch by SpaceX on 13 January from Cape Canaveral a small satellite from Delft has also travelled into space. The DelfiPQ is one of the smallest satellites in the world. Satellite researchers Alessandra Menicucci, Stefano Speretta and Sevket Uludag from TU Delft designed and built the satellite themselves to demonstrate that technology on such a small scale can actually function in space. Swarms of these small satellites are better able than today's large satellites to observe the Earth. They could play an important role in monitoring climate change and in fast wireless broadband connections, among other things.
News article: www.tudelft.nl...
Story: www.tudelft.nl...
Animation created by MLabSpace

[@barknozer3076]

Best news I've heard this week. Congrulations.

[@jantje2280]

Great! How is the propulsion done? I know that PV cells can emit light photons like a led diode if you put power onto them...

[@AETUDelft]

Thanks for your question; please see the response from the DelfiPQ team: Delfi-PQ does not include a propulsion system but our group is working on a micropropulsion prototype based on MEMS microthrusters which we hope to fly in a future pocketqube.

[@jantje2280]

@@AETUDelft so it’s tumbling uncontrolled at tge moment?