On Friday, the spacecraft launched on a Falcon 9 SpaceX rocket from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
Under the direction of the European Space Agency (ESA), University College Dublin researchers planned, manufactured, and tested Eirsat-1.
The launch, according to Professor Lorraine Hanlon, head of the UCD Centre for Space Research and Eirsat-1, signified the result of a significant amount of work by a young team.
“The next step now is to get used to operating our new spacecraft and get the maximum research and training out of it,” she stated.
Watching their labour of love go off into space was described as “incredibly exciting” by Dr. Ronan Wall, manager of the UCD Centre for Space Research.
“This is the first time that Ireland has joined other countries in Europe and the globe that are able to do excellent research and innovation using our own spacecraft. To help Irish business and research, we're excited to keep training and developing our space knowledge,” he stated.
🇮🇪🚀🌌#EIRSAT1 has made history as Ireland’s first satellite!
— ESA (@esa) December 1, 2023
Relive the historic launch below 👇 pic.twitter.com/jlqXhJcXxt
The Government stated that the project's successful launch represented “a major milestone” for the developing space sector in Ireland and acknowledged it as an official Irish space mission in 2022.
Neale Richmond, Minister of State in the Department of Enterprise, congratulated the UCD academic and student team on their successful mission.
He declared, “Today was a historic day, and everyone should be proud of their role in this significant achievement for Ireland and its space sector.”