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“Prometheus-1” satellite launched into space

On January 14th, a small piece of CMU Portugal’s DNA was sent into space. The “PROMETHEUS-1” satellite, Portugal’s first PocketQube developed at Universidade do Minho as part of the CMU Portugal project Prometheus, hitched a ride on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 Transporter-12 mission, launched from California, USA.

Credits: Universidade do Minho

The launch was followed live at the University of Minho in an event attended by the Rector of Universidade do Minho, Rui Vieira de Castro; the dean of the School of Engineering of the University of Minho (EEUM), Pedro Arezes;  and João Magalhães, CMU Portugal National co-director. The Minister of Education, Science and Innovation, Fernando Alexandre, participated in the session remotely. 

Alexandre Ferreira da Silva, the Prometheus project’s Principal Investigator in Portugal and a researcher at EEUM, provided an in-depth overview of the satellite. The PROMETHEUS-1 is a Rubik’s Cube-sized satellite, weighing just 250 grams and measuring 5 centimeters on each side. Built at Universidade do Minho, it was developed in collaboration with Instituto Superior Técnico and Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) as part of CMU Portugal’s Exploratory Research Project (ERP) titled “PROMETHEUS – PocketQube Framework Designed for Research and Educational Access to Space.” As a CMU Portugal exploratory research project, Prometheus was supported by Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) and developed in collaboration between Portuguese researchers and Carnegie Mellon University, led in Portugal by Alexandre Ferreira da Silva and Zachary Manchester at CMU.

João Magalhães (CMU Portugal); Alexandre Ferreira da Silva (Uminho); Tom Walkinshaw (Alba Orbital); and Pedro Andrade (Universidade do Minho and CMU Portugal Visiting Student).

“Over the past couple of years, I’ve had the privilege of leading this incredible project, which has been an amazing journey of learning and growth. None of this would have been possible without the support and collaboration of an outstanding team of colleagues – Pedro Andrade, Zachary Manchester and his team, Rodrigo Ventura, and Rui M. Rocha – to whom I’m deeply grateful”, shared Alexandre Silva.

The result was the first-ever development in Portugal of a satellite designed for both educational and scientific purposes. Equipped with battery management and orientation systems, microcontrollers, and a camera to capture images, the satellite will enable the collection of data such as its orientation and potential software errors. Control of the satellite will be managed by team members from Instituto Superior Técnico . Although it is expected to remain in orbit for up to seven years, its functional lifespan is estimated to be approximately two years, in the best scenario. Tom Walkinshaw, CEO and founder of the British satellite builder Alba Orbital, the world’s first PocketQube factory, that integrated “Prometheus-1”  in the PocketQube Deployer (‘AlbaPod’), in 2024, to be prepared for launch, was also in attendance. 

João Magalhães, CMU Portugal’s  National co-director, adds that “this project exemplifies the success of one of the pillars of the CMU Portugal Program: building bridges between Portuguese universities and Carnegie Mellon University. Prometheus is one of the 94 projects funded under the scope of our Program,  benefiting directly from collaboration between Portuguese researchers and Carnegie Mellon University in developing a satellite with a purpose distinct from any other previously developed in Portugal”. 

Credits: Universidade do Minho

The Falcon Rocket 9 lifted off around 7:10 pm (GMT), and until the satellite was released into space (‘deployment’), Universidade do Minho signed a protocol with the Portuguese Air Force, followed by the intervention of Hugo Costa, member of the executive board of the Portuguese Space Agency, and Henrique Candeias, chief engineer of the national satellite integrator N3O.

The video of the launch ceremony is available here.

Credits: Universidade do Minho

In the media: Diário de Notícias, Euronews, Exame InformáticaExpresso, Guimarães Digital, Jornal Económico, Jornal iNotícias ao Minuto, Observador, Rádio Renascença, Rádio Universitária do Minho, RTP, Sapo, Sic Notícias.