The first nanosatellite made in the Principality of Monaco, OSM-1 CICERO was successfully placed on a polar orbit at 530 km altitude by Arianespace’s Vega launcher (VV16) from the space centre in Kourou (French Guyana) on September 2nd at 22:51 UTC -3 local time, i.e. 03 :51 CET on September 3d.
Produced in the laboratory of Monaco’s start-up Orbital Solutions – Monaco, this nano satellite weighing 10 Kg and measuring 20x10x30 cm will orbit the earth every 90 minutes. Fitted with a miniature, highly sophisticated instrument originally conceived at JPL/NASA, the satellite will collect important weather/climate data by means of radio occultation technique. OSM-1 CICERO will be registered by the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) Monaco’s first satellite.
Launch of the Vega rocket, which carries various small satellites, was delayed for some time following the closing of the space centre due to Covid-19 and then abnormally persistent adverse winds during the summer.
This historical launch marks the beginning of the Principality’s involvement in the new, promising high tech sector of “New Space”.
Attached are pictures of launch, OSM team, ‘mission patch’ and renderings of the satellite orbiting the earth.
The path of the satellite and the timing of its passes over Monaco can be followed on the page ‘business/track our satellites’ on our website: https://www.orbitalsolutions.mc/track-our-satellites.
Source: Orbital Solutions
