Description

MaSat-1, derived from the Hungarian words "magyar" and "satellite," marks Hungary's inaugural domestically crafted satellite.

Conceived and developed at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics, this pioneering picosatellite weighs around 1 kg and measures 10 cm in each dimension. It embarked on its journey on February 13, 2012, propelled into space alongside several other satellites during the maiden voyage of ESA's latest Vega launch vehicle from the Guiana Space Centre near Kourou, French Guiana.

The primary objective was to incorporate a 1 kg system into a compact 10 cm cube capable of enduring launch vibrations, adapting to extreme environmental conditions (e.g., wide temperature fluctuations, vacuum), sustaining operations for at least 3 weeks at an altitude of 2000 km above Earth, and maintaining continuous communication with the ground control station. At the eleventh hour, it was discovered that there was additional space to accommodate a miniature mass camera in the satellite (VGA sensor board, 640*480 pixels). Although the initial image captures were unsuccessful, following the completion of the satellite's fundamental tasks and its successful navigation through a solar storm in early March 2012, the operational team triumphantly captured the first viable images of Earth.

Engraver: Áron Bohus