A day after being postponed due to weather conditions, this morning the first satellite developed by Puerto Rican hands, the Cuban Puerto Rico NanoRocks2 (PR-CuNaR2), left space.
The launch took place at 3:14 a.m. this morning from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. The PR-CuNaR2 went in the Dragon capsule of the Falcon 9, a spaceship of the company Space X.
The satellite developed by boricuas hands is a project of the Inter-American University of Puerto Rico. At the time of the launch, the students and Professor Amilcar Racó Charris hugged each other. They followed the ship where the satellite was going with long-range binoculars.
“I want to thank all the institutions that trusted us, the Inter – American University […] We aspire to keep doing bigger things for Puerto Rico, “said Professor Charris Corner, who described the launch moment as” supremely beautiful. “
The academic explained that this morning’s milestone means “the beginning of a spatial era in the creation of components, in development and in a different vision of education focused more on project development and that we have more able students who can go further in what they set out to do “.
For their part, the students expressed their satisfaction and gratitude. The first to speak was Wilhem Sánchez Rodríguez, who was seen crying as the rocket ascended. “We are full of indescribable pride. Being raised in a homeland, it is the first time we have been able to carry it on our backs and carry it beyond. Thanks to this path, we have opened the doors to future generations.” , he expressed. While Jesús Marrero Colom commented that “this is a goal achieved and many more set” while appreciating the opportunity to be part of the project. The third to speak was Ian Hortes Germán. For Ian this milestone marks “a new aerospace era” on the island and he was emphatic in stating that “this shows that we can and that our university can give more.” Héctor González Rivera expressed himself along the same lines. “I think a lot of doors will open to other universities,” he said.
Meanwhile, Xavier Álvarez Martínez thanked Racó Charris for allowing him to be part of the story, while commenting that he had no words to describe how he felt. Meanwhile Carlos Vergara Quiles ruled that this is the “beginning for many things to come.”
Here you can see the time of launch:
The PR-CuNaR2 must arrive at the International Space Station. There he will be picked up by an astronaut who will keep him at the Station until about September or October. An extendable arm will then be used to eject the satellite into space at an altitude of 400 kilometers.
Already in space, the satellite will orbit the earth every hour and a half. That is, it will give you about 16 turns in the earth in a day. It will remain there for a period of approximately two years, until it disintegrates in the atmosphere.
The satellite weighs 5.6 pounds and measures four inches wide by four inches long and 12 inches high. “It’s a small satellite that has all the same components as a large satellite we know from telecommunications, and with that we will be doing a scientific mission in evaluating how particles behave in microgravity,” he explained. a Subway the teacher Charris corner.
Inside, the Puerto Rican satellite contains stainless steel and silicon microparticles that emulate asteroids. These microparticles will be in motion while the satellite is in space. The movements and collisions of microparticles will be recorded and photographed as part of a scientific investigation that seeks to study the origin and development of young planets and stars. This part of the mission is carried out in collaboration with the Florida Space Institute and the Department of Physics at the University of Central Florida (UCF).
About 65 students were part of the development of the PR-CuNaR2 that began in 2018, although the design and construction prototype began in 2013.
From Puerto Rico, the president of Interamericana, Manuel J. Fernós, congratulated the Inter team of the PR-CuNaR2. “After much effort and overcoming great setbacks with perseverance, the Puerto Rican satellite flies high. My congratulations on behalf of the entire university community to Professor Racó Charris and the students for this historic feat,” he expressed.
Finally, Racó Charris thanked the Inter-American University for the support it received in the process to carry out the PR-CuNaR2. He similarly thanked NASA Puerto Rico Space Grant Consortium, Central Florida University, University of Michigan, Florida Space Institute, Aerospace Corp. and local express Engiworks, and Prescision Experts for project support. He also acknowledged the advice and assistance provided by Puerto Ricans living in Florida who work in the aeronautics industry among whom are alumni of various Inter-American engineering programs.