16.03.2023

We are proud to announce our partnership with the University of Sydney and Breakthrough Initiatives, on its cutting-edge TOLIMAN mission.

EnduroSat will design and build a 16U MicroSat called TOLIMAN to perform high-precision astrometric measurements on the Alpha Centauri system. The search for exoplanets will focus on the habitable zone around two Sun-like stars, Alpha Centauri A and B.

The TOLIMAN mission was launched in 2021 by the University of Sydney and Breakthrough Watch, the Initiatives program specializing in the search for nearby habitable exoplanets. It will use a custom-designed mirror to spread starlight into a flower-like pattern, enabling astronomers to find evidence of orbiting planets in the Alpha Centauri system.

Phase 2 of the program – designing and building the telescope and integrating it with the spacecraft – is now under way, with EnduroSat as partner.Discovering exoplanets is a major technological challenge, even for large space telescopes. For a MicroSat, the task is daunting. The small satellite needs to fit the telescope within 8U of volume and maintain it in thermal equilibrium using an active thermal system.

EnduroSat’s flight proven MicroSat can downlink payload data at a speed of 125+ Mbps, which will be critical for downloading all data from prolonged observation sessions. This groundbreaking mission aims to be an inspiration not only to future astronomers around the world but also to small satellite companies aiming toward exploration missions.
It will demonstrate that NanoSats and MicroSats can perform complex missions and contribute to new discoveries.

We are exceptionally proud to partner in this mission. The challenges are enormous, and it will drive our engineering efforts to the extreme. The mission is a first of its kind exploration science effort and if successful, it will open the doors for low-cost exploration and astronomy missions. It will bring opportunities to hundreds of next-gen exploration teams to realize their own space missions. Bringing the cost and complexity down, will open an array of new possibilities for space exploration and we are excited to push the limit of what’s possible.

RAYCHO RAYCHEV, FOUNDER AND CEO OF ENDUROSAT

It’s very exciting to see this program come to life. With these partnerships, we have the opportunity to create a new kind of astronomical mission and make real progress on understanding the planetary systems right next door.

DR. S. PETE WORDEN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE BREAKTHROUGH INITIATIVES

With the Centauri system just four light years away, that’s tantalizingly close to home. Astronomers have discovered thousands of exoplanets outside our own solar system, but most are thousands of light years away and beyond our reach.
Modern satellite technology will allow us to explore our celestial backyard and perhaps lay the groundwork for visionary future missions spanning the interstellar voids to the Centauri system.

MISSION LEADER PROFESSOR PETER TUTHILL FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY

Quelle:EnduroSat