A nanosatellite from Oxford-based Open Cosmos has successfully made contact after hitching a ride on the SpaceX Transporter-6 mission.
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket launched from Florida yesterday carrying satellite cargo, including the Open Cosmos’ constructed 6U MENUT Earth Observation nanosatellite.
Aleix Megias, VP of operations, Open Cosmos, said: “The project will enable national and regional governments, as well as organisations to access insightful and actionable data from space from a revolutionary shared space infrastructure model.”
Open Cosmos’ nanosatellite was released into space by a satellite deployer operated by Germany’s Exolaunch.
MENUT forms part of Open Cosmos’s satellite constellation, which provides space data to combat challenges such as climate change.
Open Cosmos plans to be involved in future SpaceX launches this year.
“Open Cosmos’ goals and values are very much in line with Exolaunch’s: establishing sustainable and easily accessible infrastructure in orbit. This goal is in large part made possible by SpaceX and its ongoing Transporter rideshare missions,” said Jeanne Allarie, VP of launch at Exolaunch.
Satellite maker Open Cosmos also has a seat for one of its satellites on the UK’s first satellite launch from Spaceport Cornwall.
SpaceX is one of Elon Musk’s companies that is building reusable spacecraft and is launching its own Starlink satellites to provide global internet coverage.
The post Oxford-based Open Cosmos’ satellite hitches ride on SpaceX rocket appeared first on UKTN | UK Tech News.
