Taoglas shoots for the stars in Ireland's first satellite

Developed by a highly skilled team of researchers and students at University College Dublin (UCD), with the support of the European Space Agency’s Education Programme, EIRSAT-1 launched on Friday, December 1, on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. This marks a historic milestone for Ireland’s entry into space exploration.

EIRSAT-1, a compact 2-unit CubeSat, will now begin its journey to enter low orbit around the Earth, carrying three experiments – or ‘payloads’ – designed to conduct groundbreaking scientific experiments. These payloads include a gamma-ray detector, a space materials characterization experiment, and a spacecraft control testbed.

Space is a hostile environment. To reliably locate where EIRSAT-1’s scientific measurements are recorded in orbit, the team at UCD needed a robust GNSS antenna solution capable of addressing several out-of-this-world challenges. The antenna must withstand the shock, acoustic vibrations, and sudden atmospheric pressure fall during strenuous launch and eject phases while continuing to perform when exposed to high-temperature changes and solar radiation. Taoglas’ GPS/GALILEO patch antenna was chosen for its lightweight and low-volume characteristics while ensuring high gain and wide bandwidth.

“We are immensely proud that Ireland’s first satellite, EIRSAT-1, will have an Irish satellite antenna and cable solution on board. We jumped at the chance to contribute our cutting-edge technology to the students and researchers in UCD behind this project, and as a UCD alum myself I am delighted to see the end result” said Dermot O’Shea, CEO of Taoglas.

“Aerospace is a vast frontier for GNSS antenna applications. Taoglas’ engineers utilize their deep understanding of RF and antenna performance to overcome the challenges commonly associated with the development and the ever-changing demands of new aerospace technologies. The launch of EIRSAT-1 signifies a remarkable achievement for Ireland and highlights the nation’s capabilities in space research and technology.”