KPI designers of nanosatellites meet with delegation of Polish Space Agency.
Representatives of the Department of Science and Innovation at the Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute (KPI) and researchers working on the implementation of the University’s Space Program met with representatives of the Polish Space Agency on October 10.
Led by Grzegorz Brona, President of the Polish Space Agency, the delegation included Prof. Krzysztof Wesolowski and Rafal Krenz of the Poznan University of Technology (PUT), among others. In addition, the Polish delegation was accompanied by Oleh Kazanishchev, first secretary of the Embassy of Ukraine in the Republic of Poland, and Halyna Tsymbal, chief specialist of the Division of International Projects Management at the International Relations Department under the State Space Agency of Ukraine.
As far as KPI participants are concerned, Yurii Sydorenko and Igor Lytvynov, deputy vice-rectors for science, Borys Rassamakin, head of the Laboratory of Nanosatellite Technology, Serhii Pukha, chief engineer of the special design bureau Storm, Prof. Sergiy Shukayev, head of the International Projects Office of the International Collaboration Department, and others took part in the meeting with the representatives of the Polish space industry.
The participants in the meeting considered some purely technical questions concerning space technology developed at Igor Sikorsky KPI and possibilities for expanding cooperation.
Yevhen Kovalenko, member of the KPI nanosatellite development, provided the guests with input about the work on these space vehicles and characteristics of those that are already in near-earth orbit as well as those that are being designed and built. In particular, discussions at the meeting focused on the PolyITAN-3-PUT nanosatellite, which is being created in conjunction with the Poznan University of Technology (this is evidenced by the abbreviation for the Polish university used in the name of the new nanosatellite). This vehicle is designed for Earth remote sensing. PUT representatives Krzysztof Wesolowski and Rafal Krenz outlined engineering developments and proposals in terms of its systems and design stages.
Great interest was expressed in the presentation of the KPI concept to form a grouping of microsatellites for Earth remote sensing, which Serhii Pukha showcased at the meeting. This grouping is supposed to consist of six microsatellites weighing up to 100 kilograms, capable of carrying much more payload than nanosatellites (the mass of nanosatellites cannot exceed 10 kg). Compared with their existing counterparts, the microsatellites developed by KPI experts will have several considerable differences, capable of performing a wider range of tasks, especially when operating as a part of the grouping.
Volodymyr Sytin