By Teti Igoumenidi

DUTHSat-2, the first CubeSat satellite within the framework of the National Microsatellite Program with the support of the European Space Agency (ESA), was launched at 23:30 on Monday, June 23, 2025.

The mission departed from Vandenberg base in the USA with a Falcon-9 rocket as part of the Transporter-14 mission of SpaceX.

The DUTHSat-2 satellite was designed and manufactured by a scientific team of the Democritus University of Thrace, in collaboration with Greek companies. The development of such projects within the university community strengthens the extroversion of institutions, creates opportunities for young scientists, and contributes substantially to the connection of research with the needs of society and the economy.

The 7-kg DUTHSat-2 traveled for approximately one hour aboard the Falcon-9 rocket along with other satellites and was released into orbit at an altitude of 510 km above sea level.

It is now undergoing a thorough process of orbital positioning and initiation of operational functionality.

After at least six months of successful communication with the satellite and the start of its operation, DUTHSat-2 will carry out in-orbit verification of new experimental Earth observation systems (optical cameras) and secure connectivity technologies (telecommunication systems).

This project aims to strengthen the country’s capabilities in the field of Earth observation and secure space communication. More specifically, DUTHSat-2 will provide images and measurements that will be used to provide information on soil moisture, as well as marine pollution. In addition, the spectral recording frequencies and camera resolution have been chosen to detect both oil spills and pollution from ships’ ballast water discharge. At the same time, an in-flight demonstration of a new basic telemetry and operational status module will be performed. The Essential TeleMetry and housekeeping (ETM) is the space version of the “black box,” allowing operators to have an overview of the satellite’s status in the event of a failure of the main subsystems.