Students from Fuenlabrada train at the European Space Agency

Raúl García Hémonnet/Editor

A total of four URJC students, members of the Cosmos association, have participated in the ESA programme: 'Fly Your Satellite! Design Booster 2 Edition'.

Specifically, they took part in the programme's 'Training Week', held at the ESTEC (European Space Research and Technology Centre) in the Netherlands. The training lasted five days and the URJC students were able to attend sessions given by ESA professionals.

In addition, they interacted with 15 other teams of university students from different European countries. “They all shared their motivations and the atmosphere that was created was very enriching. The organization of the event by ESA Academy was unbeatable, with unparalleled treatment towards the students and a very well distributed and intense schedule,” says Cosmos. In addition to the URJC students, three students from the European University of Madrid belonging to the Galileo Club, partners in the 'S-ART' project, also participated in the initiative.

Cosmos says: “We would like to thank the ESA Academy team, and in particular the organisers of this programme, for having contributed so much to our development as a student aerospace project and for having made it a unique experience in the lives of the seven young people who were part of "S-ART".

In this programme, students have the unique opportunity to become familiar with the working methods adopted in professional space programmes by participating in their own student satellite project, the mission of which is conceived in their own higher education institutions and whose development is financed by themselves. These aerospace projects are guided by ESA specialists through the different phases of the programme, following the typical development cycle of a space mission. This involves the manufacturing, assembly, integration and testing of their spacecraft, all with the aim of ensuring that the satellites undergo accurate verification.

At the same time, participants must prepare the necessary documentation to pass ESA’s technical reviews, and are then responsible for preparing the launch campaign and operating their small satellite in orbit, also ensuring that its disposal will be carried out in accordance with the updated ‘zero space debris requirements’ policy. Teams must pass project reviews to progress to each subsequent phase, and ESA will only offer launch to those teams that demonstrate the readiness of their spacecraft and ground segment, as well as compatibility with the technical and safety requirements.