The SPORT satellite (Scintillation Prediction Observations Research Task), developed by the Technological Institute of Aeronautics (ITA), by NASA (in English, National Aeronautics and Space istration), by the National Institute for Space Research (INPE) and American universities, approved by the American Institution and the Brazilian Space Agency (AEB), is scheduled to be launched next Monday (21/11), around 18:20 pm ( Brasilia time).
The launch will be carried out by SPACEX, an American manufacturer of aerospace systems, space transportation and communications, at the Kennedy Space Center, in the state of Florida (USA). The transmission schedule can be viewed by here.
Developed by the Military Organization of the Brazilian Air Force (FAB), the satellite is a 6U CubeSat for scientific research in the ionosphere. This means that they are miniaturized satellites (nanosatellites) formed by units of cubes with ten centimeters on a side, each unit having a value of 1U.
Some of these nanosatellites, such as SPORT, are at the forefront of knowledge, being able to perform certain functions that large satellites perform, but at a much lower cost, which makes them very attractive for application in space research.
“The launch of SPORT crowns the work of many students and researchers from ITA and the Aerospace Science and Technology Department (DCTA). These were difficult years due to the number of obstacles we had to overcome, not only technical, but also programmatic and even health, as we had a pandemic along the way. What made this possible was the resilience and expertise of ITA students and researchers, ed by our partners at NASA, INPE, Utah State, the University of Texas at Dallas and the firm Aeroespace. Only with everyone's participation could we deliver the satellite ready for launch. Now we are experiencing the excitement and nervousness of waiting to see the fruits of this t work”, said the Project Manager, Professor Luís Eduardo Vergueiro Loures da Costa.
The General Director of the DCTA, Lieutenant-Brigadier of the Air Maurício Augusto Silveira de Medeiros, and the Rector of the ITA, Professor Doctor Anderson Ribeiro Correia, were present at the Integration Laboratory of INPE to observe the preparation for shipment of the Brazilian nanosatellite, in July this year.
Accompanied by the Project Manager, Professor Luís Loures, they were received by the Director of INPE, Clezio Marcos de Nardin and by the General Coordinator of Engineering, Technology and Space Science, Geilson Loureiro.
Nanosatellite Mission
SPORT has the mission of monitoring the ionosphere (upper layer of the atmosphere), collecting data for the study of the effects of solar storms, which cause disturbances in activities of today's society, such as the interruption of the GPS signal, the blackouts of communications, interruption in power transmission and many others.
Lieutenant Brigadier Medeiros spoke about the project:
“SPORT is the result of the integrated work of students from the ITA Space Center together with INPE technicians and researchers from NASA and North American universities in coordination with the DCTA. This synergy is fundamental for anyone who wants to be on the frontier of knowledge. As a result, Brazil wins, our Space Program wins”, concluded the General Officer.
Street: Brazilian air force
