The experiment of Tel Aviv University, known as the "vault" is one of the experiments that Eitan Stiva will conduct, in the sky space mission
Tel Aviv University's nanosatellite was launched into space last Tuesday morning, carrying the TauSat3 satellite that contained a technological demonstration of the "vault", a space mechanism for protecting electronic systems in space. The satellite was launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida using SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket, and was transported by NASA's Cargo Dragon C209 spacecraft to the International Space Station, along with Christmas gifts for the astronauts. Last Friday, the satellite was successfully installed and activated on the International Space Station. The satellite transmits Data is normal and communicates with the ground.
The TauSat3 nanosatellite, which is the size of a shoebox, was designed and built by the university's team of experts, and will test the performance of an active defense mechanism to protect electronics from phenomena and damage caused by cosmic radiation. The vault will enable the use of up-to-date commercial electronic systems in space by bringing them into the protected environment inside the "vault" and operating them in this environment. According to the researchers, this is a potentially revolutionary mechanism in the field of satellites as well as having a significant economic impact.
The research was conducted under the leadership of doctoral student Yoav Shimhoni from the electrical engineering school, along with a head School of Physics and Astronomy Prof. Erez Etzion and Prof. Ofer Amrani From the Ivy and Alder Fleishman Faculty of Engineering, head of the laboratory for small satellites.
It should be noted that the "vault" is expected to be included in the series of groundbreaking experiments that will be conducted as part of the "Rakia" mission led by the Ramon Foundation and the Israel Space Agency. Eitan Stiva, the second Israeli in space, will take off for a mission on the International Space Station this February. Stiva is expected to conduct dozens of experiments for leading researchers from a number of universities and commercial companies in Israel.
Prof. Etzion and Prof. Amarni explain: "The integration of the safe mission within the framework of the "Rakia" mission will provide a rare opportunity to examine the building blocks of this technology in space. At the same time as the academic research, the activity and the research topic are leveraged to promote an educational-scientific program in the field of space and radiation."
Doctoral student Yoav Simhoni adds: "Today, electronic equipment sent into space must have special adjustments to prevent possible damage from radiation in space. The protection provided by the safe will allow the use of commercial components in space. This will open the door to the use of advanced electronic components while significantly shortening both the development times and the costs of space products. "
In addition, partners in the success of the project: Dolev Bashi, Elad Sagi, Baruch Meirowitz and the team of the workshop at Tel Aviv University, Dr. Yan Ben Hamo, Dr. Igor Zolkin, Dr. Meir Ariel, Orly Bloomberg, Edward Kert, Lily Almog and the procurement team , Yasmin Miller and the legal team, and a number of electrical engineering, software and physics students.
Other partners are Dr. Alex Segal from Afka College, the Aerospace Industry, the Nanorex company that coordinates the work with NASA, the Ehrlich law firm, Sam Berkovich and the Herzog Fuchs Naman law firm, the Aerotech company, Tal Ahitov.
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