The "Adelis-SAMSON" project, an autonomous group of three nanosatellites built and developed by the Technion – Israel institute of Technology, will be launched into orbit on March 20, 2021, the Technion announced Thursday.
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This is a passion project from a research team led by Professor Pini Gurfil of the Asher Space Research Institute (ASRI) and the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering, with support from the Adelis Foundation, the Goldstein Foundation, and the Israel Space Agency in the Ministry of Science and Technology.
The satellites will piggyback on a Glavkosmos Soyuz rocket from a site in Kazakhstan, and once in orbit, will be used to calculate locations of people, planes, and ships. The cluster of satellites will fly in formation in space by utilizing autonomous communication and control, without needing guidance from the ground.
The Adelis-SAMSON formation includes three miniature satellites (CubeSats), each weighing about 8 kg (17.5 lbs). Each CubeSat includes sensors, antennae, computer systems, control systems, navigation devices, and a unique and innovative propulsion system. The satellites will travel at an altitude of 550 km (341 miles) above ground and will detect signals from Earth using a mission receiver developed by IAI. The CubeSats will then transmit these signals to a mission control center located at Technion's Asher Space Research Institute.
"Basic research over the course of many years, combined with advanced Israeli technology, allows Israel to take an important step forward in the field of nanosatellites," Gurfil explained.
"You could compare the innovation of nanosatellites to switching from the personal computer to the cellphone. The Adelis-Samson project demonstrates a new concept in nanosatellite design and will enable many operations to be carried out that have been reserved until now for large and expensive satellites," he continued.
"This is a leap in the field of miniature satellites, in the capabilities of the Technion, and for the entire State of Israel, and one which will make the Technion a global pioneer in the fields of geolocation and satellite communication, with diverse applications including search and rescue, remote sensing, and environmental monitoring."
Technion President Professor Uri Sivan said that "the Adelis-SAMSON project is a wonderful and exciting example of the successful integration of science and technology and the transformation of innovative ideas into effective systems that contribute to humanity. Scientific and technological breakthroughs require multidisciplinary research and close collaboration between academia and industry, and this is what has led the project to this important day."
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"The current project continues a Technion tradition that began in 1998 with the successful launch of the Gurwin-TechSat II," Sivan added.
"That satellite has been operating in space for more than 11 years, a record time for academic activity in space. The launch of Adelis-SAMSON is a dramatic moment that we have been waiting nine years for and will follow closely. I sincerely thank our partners at the Adelis Foundation, the Goldstein Foundation, the Israel Space Agency, and Israel Aerospace Industries for helping us make this project a reality," he said.
ADELIS Foundation trustee Rebecca Boukhris said, "For many years, space and space technology have been considered the domain of superpowers; and too grand, expensive and complex for small countries. Israel has demonstrated that this is not the case, and it is vital that Israel is a member of the elite international space community. The rapid development of the space industry in Israel is essential. This project is unique for the ADELIS Foundation in that it symbolizes the spirit, genius, and strength of Israel. In effect, it highlights the technological and scientific brilliance of Israel and positions our country on the world map in the field of aerospace, and all this on a modest budget within the university setting of Technion. The Adelis Foundation considers itself as sowing the seeds of the future and hopes that this project will be the first of many more. We hope that many other small and brilliant projects will take the ADELIS-SAMSON mission as an example and develop a new ingenious space mission for the benefit of the State of Israel."
The launch can be watched live at this link.
