Ireland joins “space club” after launching its first satellite

Ireland has joined the unofficial club of countries with a presence in space for the first time in its history. Its first satellite was the Eirsat-1 research satellite, which was launched into Earth orbit aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in early December.

Eirsat-1 is a small device the size and shape of an ordinary brick. It was developed by a team of 50 students from University College Dublin, Social Bites reports.

The first Irish satellite is equipped with three main devices: gamma-ray detector GMOD, module for experiments with thermal materials ENBIO and device for studying magnetic waves (WBC).

GMOD can detect high-energy gamma rays without being affected by the Earth’s atmosphere. With its help, astronomers plan to search for sources of cosmic radiation (supernovae, black holes, neutron stars and other objects).

The ENBIO module is designed for testing materials exposed to high temperatures in the space environment. WBC will allow us to observe how the magnetic waves generated by the satellite will interact with the Earth’s magnetosphere. In the future, this will help create devices that move using low-power magnetic fields.

The first Irish satellite will remain in orbit for two to four years, according to postdoctoral researcher David Murphy, one of the creators of Eirsat-1. Scientists added that space experiments will start next year.