Text, the Technion's satellite, began to provide service to radio enthusiasts around the world. His last mission was thus successfully completed. At the ground station of the "Asher" Space Research Institute at the Technion, dozens of letters of thanks were received from radio enthusiasts, congratulating the "new bird", as they say
Text, which in July will complete six years of its stay in space, has thus completed all its missions. So far, six scientific experiments and student works have been conducted using it. In two schools, Urban High in Haifa and "Ort" in Kiryat Motzkin, two space stations were established, where the students learn in collaboration with students about space and the function of Text.
The satellite, "Gorvin Text 2" in its full name, is one of the smallest in the world, built like a cube whose sides are 45 centimeters long and weigh 48 kilograms. Professor Moshe Gelman, head of the Institute for Space Research, said that "over the past few years, the satellite has circled the Earth more than 28 times, and performed all six experiments that were planned very successfully, with results that in some cases constituted a world precedent."
The control system, the camera and the radiation experiments continue to function in the satellite as they have functioned since its first day in space. The solar panel system still provides today about 90% of its initial energy. Now the satellite also provides a service to radio enthusiasts who have allocated its transmission and reception frequencies. Professor Gelman thanked the International Association of Radio Amateurs, which, at the request of the Israeli Association of Radio Amateurs, provided the frequencies for the operation of Text's radio services.
The Technion satellite cruises in a circular orbit at an altitude of 820 kilometers and has descended only three kilometers over the past five years, evidence of the existence of a thin atmosphere at this altitude. "This rate of decline will ensure that the Technion satellite will cruise in space for hundreds of years, a reminder of the Technion's work for future generations," said Professor Gelman.
The Technion satellite began as a student project of the Faculty of Aeronautics and Space at the Technion, under the direction of Professor Haim Ashad and at the initiative of Professor Giura Shabiv, then head of the Space Research Institute.
Satellite for radio enthusiasts
After nearly six years in space, the Israeli satellite "Text" is leaving for its last mission
Alex Doron
The satellite of the Technion in Haifa, "Text", is embarking on its latest mission: communication services for radio enthusiasts around the world. The International Association of Radio Amateurs assisted the project and provided the required transmission frequencies. The ground station of the Asher Institute for Space Research at the Technion hopes that many radio enthusiasts will make use of the new service. Dozens of enthusiasts in Israel are already calling the satellite "our new bird".
The Text satellite, which in July will be six years since it was launched into space, was designed as a student project under the direction of Prof. Giora Shabib. Since its launch and entering a permanent orbit in space, the satellite has performed six scientific experiments. Two stations were set up at the Urban High School in Haifa and Ort in Kiryat Motzkin, where the students learn about space and the function of the satellite.
The satellite, whose full name is "Gorvin Text 2" (after the benefactor who made its launch possible), is one of the smallest in the world: it is built in the shape of a cube, with each side only 45 cm long, and weighs only 48 kg. Prof. Moshe Gelman, head of the Space Research Institute at the Technion, said that to date the satellite has circled the Earth more than 28 times at an altitude of 820 km.
Despite its advanced age, all satellite systems continue to function as usual. The solar panel system (solar collector panels) today supplies about 90% of the satellite's energy.
In the last five years, the satellite has descended only 3 km from its designated peak height, providing evidence of the existence of a thin atmosphere at this height. "The rate of descent will ensure that the satellite will continue cruising in space for hundreds of years," claims Prof. Gelman.
