UPM-Sat1 Satellite
On July 7, 1995, the small Spanish university satellite UPM-Sat1 launched from French Guiana as a secondary payload on Ariane IV-40's V75 mission, with the military satellite Helios as the primary client.
UPM-Sat1, which had an operational life of 213 days in orbit, follows a sun-synchronous polar orbit at an altitude of 670 kilometers, completing an Earth orbit every 98 minutes.
While UPM-Sat1 served as a scientific and technological demonstration satellite, its primary value lay in its educational mission. The key objective was the satellite itself: to demonstrate the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid's capability to design, develop, build, test, integrate, and operate a modestly performing space system that retained the complexity of a full-scale mission.
The then-rector of UPM, Rafael Portaencasa Baeza, played a crucial role in the project, actively securing the necessary funding. In May 1991, a collaboration agreement was signed between UPM, the Community of Madrid, and the Fundación Caja Madrid, through which the foundation provided the financial support for the satellite's development.
Additional support came from the Interministerial Commission on Science and Technology (CICYT), Universidad Politécnica itself, and in-kind contributions of services and materials from ESA, CASA Espacio, INTA, IBM, FIAR, CRISA, CIEMAT, and other entities. The project’s total cost was estimated at €1.8 million. See the article on wikipedia.
The outreach campaign "SEND YOUR NAME TO SPACE" was conducted with the "UPM-Sat1" for elementary school students.
UPM-Sat1 satellite being prepared for launch
UPM-Sat1 satellite mounted on platform for integration on Ariane IV launcher
UPM-Sat1 logo on the cap of the launcher
UPMSat-2 Satellite Project
UPMSat-2 is a small university satellite project (50 kg) led by IDR/UPM, designed as a logical continuation of the previous UPM-Sat1. The project's objective was to design, build, qualify, launch, and operate in orbit a platform based on the proven UPM-Sat1 design, integrating new technologies and adapting it to meet the requirements of modern launch vehicles. UPMSat-2 serves as a versatile platform for in-orbit technology demonstration as well as scientific and educational applications, significantly contributing to the education of numerous students in the Aerospace Engineering Bachelor's program and the Master's in Space Systems (MUSE) at Universidad Politécnica de Madrid.
The primary experiments included: the Micro Thermal Switch (testing a newly developed miniature thermal switch by IberEspacio), testing an experimental high-sensitivity magnetometer (Bartington), in-flight qualification of avionics (TECNOBIT, STRAST, IDR), on-board radiation monitoring and study of the South Atlantic Anomaly (TECNOBIT, STRAST), development of a new low-cost solar sensor, in-flight study of a reaction wheel's behavior (SSBV), thermal control experiments, and testing of new attitude control systems (see “Mission Experiments” section). Additionally, the amateur radio community had access to satellite telemetry data, collaborating with AMSAT and SatNOGS.
For UPMSat-2, the outreach campaign "SEND YOUR NAME TO SPACE with UPMSat-2" was launched, complemented by the informational video series "UPMSat-2: Beyond the University". Additionally, the campaign "I Want to Be an Engineer" was conducted in collaboration with the UPM Equality Unit to inspire young women to pursue STEM studies.