The Hungarian satellite is ready for launch!

Researchers built a Hungarian satellite at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics which plays a pioneering role in Hungary’s technological development. The MRC-100, a new satellite was completed in cooperation with the teachers, researchers, and students of the university. This small satellite, designed to test the level of electrosmog in the atmosphere, will launch into orbit from the United States. So, how long did it take to develop the satellite, when will it be launched into space and what does Elon Musk have to do with it all? You can find out the answers below. 

According to 24.hu, the university’s researchers started working on the MRC-100 satellite in 2019. They designed this device to examine and measure the level of electrosmog in the orbit on which it will be launched to.

University Experiments

Budapest University of Technology and Economics has been conducting research and developments related to space science for years now. The Department of Broadband Communications and Electrical Engineering was responsible for creating this new device. It was named MRC-100. They named it after the University’s Radio Club, as this is how they wanted to pay tribute to the club’s 100th anniversary, coming up in 2024. 

Even though it is a small satellite, it is still considered the largest in size in the series for which it was made. 

Other universities carried out experiments and measurements on this device as well. In addition, the MRC-100 also includes measuring devices from the University of Szeged, the Széchenyi István University in Győr, and the University of Debrecen.

SMOG Project

The MRC-100 satellite is part of a series, called the SMOG Project. The university’s researchers developed several other satellites for this project series before. Three years ago they developed a pocket satellite, named SMOG-P. With the help of this satellite, they created the world’s first electromagnetic pollution map. The basis of its operation is that it collects the electromagnetic waves of digital TV broadcasting, measures them, and presents their effects.

Launching and Sponsors 

The planned release of the satellite will take place in May 2023. However, it must be delivered to the launching company at least six months prior. Soon, the MRC-100 will leave for Glasgow, where the installation of the satellite platform is scheduled. 

The domestic sponsors of the project include the National Media and News Agency and also the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The Amateur Radio Digital Communications Foundation is sponsoring the launch, which will take place in the United States.

Elon Musk is one of the most frequently mentioned names concerning space science. His name has come up several times regarding this development as well. So, what exactly is the connection between them? The connection is that Musk’s SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the satellite, MRC-100, into outer space. 

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Source: 24.hu, hvg.hu