Vietnamese satellites leave the space station tomorrow night

The experimental satellite of FSpace Space Research Laboratory, FPT University will leave the international space station (ISS) to operate independently from tomorrow night, after nearly a week of delay.

Earlier plans to release the F-1 satellite out of space were postponed on September 27 due to a planned malfunction of a transport ship on the station.

"The F-1 satellite will leave the space station at 22:35 on 4 October Hanoi, coinciding with the 55th anniversary of the launch of the first man-made satellite of the Sputnik-1," said Vu Trong Thu, Truong FSpace research lab said. "However, the plan may change depending on the situation on ISS".

Leaving the space station, with the expected speed of 5cm / s, F-1 had to wait at least 30 minutes to start performing the first tasks such as extracting antennas, signaling, to ensure no impact on activities in ISS.

The initial trajectory of the F-1 resembles the ISS station orbit with the main parameters such as the average altitude of 416km, tilting 51.6 degrees above the equator plane, average speed of 7.7km / s, rotation cycle 93 minutes / round the earth.

If the F-1 succeeds, it will be an important milestone when the first small satellites leave the ISS with the robotic arm, opening a new path to orbit for the small satellites. Large satellites have ever been in orbit by direct boosters.

It is expected that the robot arm on ISS will drop F-1 tomorrow night. (Graphics: FSpace)

Vietnam's self-made satellite on July 21 space on a transport ship from Tanegashima Space Center, Japan. Six days later, the transport ship approached and paired with the space station, at which point the F-1 was transferred to the Kibo module.

On September 21, Japanese astronaut Akihiko Hoshide installed two F-1 launchers and small satellites to come into the pressurized chamber of the Kibo module, ready for dark satellite drop testing. roof.

The F-1 event entered a space to add a milestone to Vietnam's fledgling science and space industry, thereby gradually mastering the technological process of manufacturing small satellites, serving the demand of distribution. socio-economic development and national security.