Written by Edward Robinson
We're excited to announce an incredibly unique global collaboration, which engages schools from around the world in developing a symbolic experiment, set to fly aboard our first launch to space early next year!
● Project Space Call to bring to life the incredible role space can play for the future of humanity, both from a scientific and unifying standpoint.
● Students from across the globe working on real space hardware, including students from Australia, Rwanda, Singapore, Ukraine, Colombia, the UAE and the United States.
● The Space Call payload, developed collaboratively between the schools, will fly within Robinson Aerospace's RASCube-1 payload, on The Exploration Company’s ‘Mission Possible’ space capsule.
Students from Rwanda (Nyabihu), Colombia (Bogota) and the United States (Detroit) working on Space Call.
What is Project Space Call?
Space Call is an innovative initiative giving high school students from around the world the opportunity to be part of a real space mission, launching in early 2025 aboard SpaceX.
Over the past year, students across six continents have been designing, manufacturing and programming small modules as part of project Space Call. These modules are now securely installed inside of Robinson Aerospace's first orbital space payload, known as 'RASCube-1', where they will launch into orbit and conduct their symbolic experiment.
Students from schools in Australia, Rwanda, Singapore, Colombia, Ukraine, the UAE and the USA, have developed the modules, which each contain a microcontroller, LED and light sensor. These modules will communicate with each other while in orbit, using morse code to engage in a game of 'Telephone' in their native languages.
Hélène Huby, CEO and co-founder of The Exploration Company said: “We are thrilled to be partnering on Space Call because it brings to life three principles we hold very dear at the Exploration Company – the importance of global collaboration in space, the need for space to be accessible to all - including the younger generations worldwide - and the power space offers for science and technology.”
Pierre Bertrand, President and founder of Space Elevator: “Space Call embodies in itself the two pillars of our non-profit, Space Elevator: Make and Inspire, to promote more social and gender diversity in the industry. Space Elevator is extremely proud to partner with The Exploration Company and Robinson Aerospace to bring our ambition as well as that of our students in orbit.”
Edward Robinson, CEO and founder of Robinson Aerospace Systems: “We’re honoured to be providing the payload bus and structure that will host Space Call during its launch to orbit. It’s been incredible to work with the students involved as they develop their electronic modules and work towards the goal of reaching space. Everyone at Robinson Aerospace is extremely excited to be hosting Space Call on our first mission to space!”
Extensive Global Collaboration
Space Call has been made possible through utilising extensive collaboration across the globe.
The Exploration Company, a leading European space company, is providing orbital launch services aboard their Nyx space capsule's first demonstrator mission, known as 'Mission Possible'.
Space Elevator, a French non-profit focused on promoting diversity and inclusion in the space sector, is running the Space Call program in schools.
Robinson Aerospace Systems is manufacturing the RASCube-1 payload's bus and structure, to power and control project Space Call while in orbit.
Centrale Supelec, a French engineering university, has provided technical assistance, helping the students through designing their space-grade experiments.
Now that the RASCube-1 payload has been assembled, with project Space Call inside, there is a series of intense tests required. This includes vibration testing, shock testing, EMC/EMI testing and various other tests. Robinson Aerospace is proud to be working with local Australian companies for these tests, including the Australian National Fabrication Facilities (cleanroom), the University of Adelaide (vibration), REDARC Electronics (EMC/EMI) and the National Space Test Facility (shock). Being able to test the entire payload locally is a true testament the strength and rapid growth of Australia's young space sector!
Additionally, local CNC machining company, MCHND, has generously manufactured the variety of jigs required for the testing.
Project Space Call is a huge global collaboration, with over 15 organisations across 8 countries directly involved!
Robinson Aerospace's First Launch to Space!
Space Call will be mounted inside of our first orbital space payload, RASCube-1, which will launch on The Exploration Company's Nyx space capsule, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
Robinson Aerospace's mission has four key objectives: 1. Enable us to learn how to design and test an orbital payload. No one in our team has done this before, so we've got a lot to learn!
2. Return a real payload back from orbit and display it in museums and events for students to see. Show students how close RASCube-1 is to the educational RASCube kits they use in class!
3. Showcase our new capability to launch payloads into orbit, enabling us to find schools and commercial customers for future missions.
4. Collect various types of data using on-board sensors and experiments. Distribute this data to students across the country, for free.
RASCube-1 is a 1U-sized payload (10x10x10cm), weighing just over 1Kg. Inside is 7 circuit boards, which perform various tasks. Other experiments include two of our RASLogger devices, and a radiation sensing experiment developed by a local 11-year-old. For more information on RASCube-1, please visit this link.
The Nyx space capsule will launch into orbit, spend some time in zero gravity, before returning to Earth for a safe recovery from the ocean. This means that after the mission we'll recover the RASCube-1 payload, allowing us to display it at events and museums!
Project Progress and Current Status
Project Space Call is complete (all student modules have been built, programmed and tested), while the RASCube-1 payload is ~90% complete. The Robinson Aerospace team has designed, manufactured, assembled and programmed the entire payload, meaning we just have a few more tests to go.
To qualify the payload for orbital launch, we need to complete an extensive amount of testing. We're about half way through this testing, having completed vibration testing and half of the Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) testing.
After a few more tests over the next 4-6 weeks, we'll be on our way to The Exploration Company's headquarters, to integrate RASCube-1 (with Space Call inside) into the Nyx space capsule.
What's Next?
With the entire payload built, and testing well underway, we're on track to launch early 2025. We can't say the exact launch date just yet, so stay tuned for more updates as the project progresses!
We've already booked in more launches to orbit, so if you'd like to see your students launching their experiments on real rockets, please reach out at contact@robinson-aerospace.com!
The future is incredibly exciting, and we can't wait for liftoff!
For any media enquiries, please contact us at media@robinson-aerospace.com
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