MicroHETSat is the first 100% electric satellite to be built for the European Space Agency (ESA) at Sitael’s factory in Mola di Bari.
MicroHetSat is the first all-electric satellite, 100% Made in Italy.
The spacecraft, designed and built for the European Space Agency (ESA) at the Sitaela Mola di Bari plant, “successfully continues its mission in space after its launch with SpaceX” on 1 December in California, according to a press release.
The satellite
MicroHetSat, a 75-kilogram satellite, is manufactured entirely in the “satellite factory” of Sitael, Italy’s largest privately held space company, part of Angel Holding, whose chairman is Vito Pertosa. Its realisation is also the result of the collaboration of a network of Italian companies that supplied some elements of the system, and of the collaboration with the Italian Aerospace Research Centre (CIRA) for part of the space qualification.
Using a plasma engine, MicroHetSat is a true space-lift capable of performing manoeuvres hitherto unthinkable for small satellites, while consuming little energy. It has important implications for the sustainability of space activities by avoiding collision risks and mitigating the problem of orbital debris.
The mission
“All the key elements of the satellite, from the on-board computer to the control system, from the solar panels to the power supply and electric propulsion, have been made by our engineers and technicians. – said Marco Molina, Managing Director Sales and Products at Sitael – the satellite’s operations are now in full swing and are being successfully managed from the operations room at Sitael’s Forlì site. We are the only Italian company capable of manufacturing, launching and operating satellites above 50 kilos.
“The mission, continues Marco Molina, was made possible by the investment of the Italian Space Agency through a contract with the European Space Agency. The Puglia Region, with its specific policies to support innovative companies like ours, has allowed us over the years to build some prototypes of the satellite subsystems and part of the factory where MicroHetSat was born. With an investment from SITAEL and the ASI, we will expand the factory in 2024.
Made in Italy
This is a unique and decisive achievement for the “Made in Italy” sector of the space industry, which strengthens Italy’s role at international level in the production and launch of satellites manufactured entirely within the Italian supply chain.
