GRBBeta: Post-Launch Mission Update

July 9, 2024 at 20:00 UTC, the Ariane 6 rocket was successfully launched on its maiden voyage from the European Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. 

This mission carried several payloads, including eight CubeSat, 5 experiments, and 2 re-entry capsules. Among these was GRBBeta, the fourth Slovak satellite.

The launch was successful, and all CubeSats were deployed correctly. However, there were issues with the deployment of some other payloads. Despite this, we are extremely happy about the success of this launch, which is a significant milestone for European space exploration and the study of gamma-ray bursts.

A major success was achieved when communication with GRBBeta was established within the first hour after its deployment during the initial pass over Europe. The first data has already been gathered, namely:

• All antennas successfully deployed
  
• UHF and VHF transmissions working
• Satellite housekeeping data received
• Batteries at 8V and charging
• Temperatures on solar panels at 7-20 °C 
• GNSS receiver data: Speed of the satellite - 26433 km/h; Altitude - 579 km
• GRB payload powered on and communication established

You can track the satellite via the SatNOGS network here.

In this project, Spacemanic acts as the mission platform supplier, mission integrator, and launch campaign manager.

For more info about partners and roles, visit the official website: grbbeta.tuke.sk

Photo credit: ESA