More info about BRITE-PL in 2013.

The Lycee Francais de Varsovie with Mr.Didier Morel calls and organizes the new Jan Heweliusz contest! The contest is addressed to the students from the primary and secondary schools. It is divided into two disciplines:

• preparing a piece of art related to Heweliusz (the astronomer himself or the satellite project bearing his name) and
• coining a slogan that would incite young people and get them excited about science.

All submitted pieces of art will be photographed and loaded to the memory located aboard the Heweliusz spacecraft. The names of winners will be engraved on the satellite panels.

More information about the contest - Didier Morel (e-mail: dmorel@lfv.pl)

The ceremony to give the name "Heweliusz" to the First Polish Scientific Satellite, that is built in Space Research Center of PAS under the BRITE consortium, took place on 21 April 2012 in SRC.
The Godparents of the satellite are the winners of the contest "BRITE-PL the First Polish Scientific Satellite" -

   in junior category:
Marcelina Woroniak, from I class of Publiczne Gimnazjum in Wolin and
Łukasz Rydziński, from III class of Społeczne Gimnazjum im.Polskich Noblistów in Kwidzyń,

   in student category:
Agnieszka Brambor, from II class of LO im.Powstańców Wielkopolskich in Środa Wielkopolska and
Mateusz Chojecki, from III class of I LO im.Stanisława Staszica in Pleszew.

Agenda

11:00 welcome of invited guests and journalists
11:05 short speech of SRC/NCAC Directors
11:15 dr Piotr Orleański (SRC)presentation of BRITE-PL
11:35 prof.Józef Smak (NCAC) presentation of Jan Hevelius
12:00 coffe-break
12:10 prizes for the winners of the contest "BRITE-PL the First Polish Scientific Satellite" and the "Hevelius" godparents presentation
12:30 the unveiling of the commemorative plaque at the clean-room
12:35 dr Grzegorz Szychliński (Gdańsk History Musuem) - presentation of the Pulsar Clock in Gdańsk
13:00 lunch, briefing for media
13:40 guest' visit to clean-room, where the satellite is built

Developing work for the twin satellite BRITE-PL has began in the end of 2011. The engineers and researchers from the SRC are preparing to PDR (Preliminary Design Review) for polish payload that will be mounted on Hevelius. This is an important step, because one will find there the subsystems that are developed and manufactured in Poland. Among others there will be: solar panels, power supply, sensor of radiation and the new layout of the telescope.

For the last two months, the satellite Lem passed the final phase of testing. In December 2011 it passed through the vibr-tests, then in January 2012 it was testing in termo-vacuum chamber in SRC. In February the EMC (electromagnetic compatibility) tests were done. All tests have been carried out correctly. In the coming days the "open field" tests will begin, where the optical layout and communication system with the Earth will be checked. After the completion of these tests, the BRITE-PL Lem will be ready to take off.

The official opening of the ground station for communication with satellites of BRITE's constellation took place in Warsaw on 6 December 2011.
The Operation of station has been demonstrated through the receipt of telemetric transmission from stratospheric balloon Bobas NG, which was launched from IMGW Institute in Legionowo near Warsaw. The radio amateurs could get back transmission from balloon as well.

The first Polish scientific satellite Brite-PL 1 ("Lem") has been successfully integrated on 24 November 2011 in the afternoon. It appeared in the whole breathtaking beauties on the laboratory table in the clean-room at SRC Warsaw after 2-weeks of assembling.
Special thanks to Cordell Grant from SFL for his commitment and great support in accomplishing this task. On the left there is the first photo of the integrated satellite Lem.

The test of Brite-PL Ground Station was performed for the first time on 19 November 2011 in the Space Research Center and the Nicolaus Copernicus Astronomical Centre of the Polish Academy of Sciences. The stratospheric balloon BOBAS was sent during this test. The short movie about balloon's flight is presented below.

On 4 November 2011 the Polish Post Office issued the stamp and the envelope FDC in commemoration of the First Polish Scintific Satellite Brite-PL. The stamp of nominal 4,15 zł, designed by Jacek Brodowski in format of block, was issued in total printing of 300 000. It presents the first polish satellite LEM circulating along the Earth orbit.

Minister of Science and Higher Education, prof. Barbara Kudrycka visited SRC on 19 September 2011. She has been aware of the status of work upon the satellite and she visited clean-room and the laboratory where the Lem/Brite-PL satellite integration is performed. The tests of subsystems of its twin Hevelius/Brite-PL have been started as well. The Minister uncovered a commemorative plaque in the SRC building confirming the official name of Lem for the first polish scientific satellite.

The tests of the first Polish satellite Lem / Brite-PL in "flatsat" mode have begun since July. The "flatsat" tests verify how all satellite components interact with each other. During this type of testing all subsystems are mounted on a flat plate and tested in laboratory. The tests will last a few more next week with the simulation of various condition and operation modes of the satellite.
All elements of the twin satellite BRITE-PL - Hevelius - have been already in the SRC. The testing of the single subsystems will begin soon. At the moment we are planning that Lem will be placed into orbit in the second half of 2012 and Hevelius will join Lem a year later.

In June, the team from Graz University visited the SRC. Our Austrian colleagues brought with them the Austria's first satellite BRITE to perform the tests in the thermal-vacuum chamber located in our clean-room. TUGSAT-1/BRITE-Austria satellite is already ready and is planned to be launched - as the first satellite of BRITE constellation - at the beginning of 2013.

XV Scientific Picnic was held in Warsaw on May 28th in the Marshall's Edward Rydz-Smigly Park. The model of the satellite was unveiled at a special stand BRITE-PL. Scientists and researchers from CBK and CAMK talked about the project and the kids had the opportunity to make a cardboard model of the satellite. The teenagers were encouraged to participate in the competition, whose winners will be the godparents of the first polish scientific satellite. You too can become the godmother or the godfather...

In the February and March on-board computers (HKC computer and AOCS) have been delivered to SRC as well as startracker and XPOD. Currently the testing works are going on. The various subsystems of the satellite are checked and verified. Successively the thermal and shock-tests are performer. The positive results of these tests will enable to go to the next phase of the satellite project.

Hevelius as a star... On January 28th 2011 the Hewelianuum Center in Gdańsk celebrated the 400th anniversary of the eminent astronomer Johannes Hevelius, thereby inaugurating the Year of Hevelius. During the festivities, a model of the scientific satellite Hevelius was presented for the first time during an interactive exhibition "Energy, Sky and Sun" in the Sky Laboratory. The model was built on a 1:1 scale by SRC especially for the Hevelianum Center. Participants also took part in a workshop on satellites and their construction that was especially prepared for this event. The youngest visitors were able to play engineers from the Space Research Centre and under the supervision of astronomers were able to build their own model of a satellite, which they took home later.

The place on the panel on the first satellite was offered by CBK to the auction of the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity 2011. The shared site will be engraved with the inscription suggested by the winner in agreement with the Foundation GOCC. Space on one of the panels was auctioned off: one area 40x80 mm and the second and third with the dimensions 35x80 mm. The auctions finished on February 11th 2011.

The package containing the sun sensors and UHF antennas arrived at the CBK headquarters just before Christmas.

The Critical Milestone Review was successfully conducted on the Brite-PL project on December 10th, just before assembling and integrating the first satellite. The review took place at CBK in the presence of members of the international consortium of BRITE. The reviewers included: Cordell Grant from UTIAS-SFL/Canada, Manuela Unterberger from Graz University of Technology/Austria and Piotr Furmański from ITC-Warsaw University of Technology/Poland. The managers of all the Polish satellite's subsystems sequentially:
 1. presented a concise description of theirs subsystems or tasks, showing understanding of the conceptual design and knowledge of the documentation and its contents,
 2. discussed the state of preparations for the commissioning and testing of individual components that are being delivered from SFL,
 3. presented the test plan taking into account the hardware resources, human resources and infrastructure that is needed to complete this task,
 4. presented the problems they see today and which may be critical (eg.lack of specific test equipment at CBK) and proposed solutions to solve these problems.

The reviewers, in turn, shared with us their experiences in testing and integrating the system. They also suggested additional thermal analysis that may be useful in the case of changing the preplanned orbit. In big - we've received a "green light" to assemble and integrate BRITE-PL. Although everyone's schedule is very tight and we are short on time, the first Polish satellite will be ready for launch in the IV quarter of 2011.

The next satellite components arrived at the CBK headquarters at the end of November: 18 solar cell coupons and the optical instrument.

The third package with BRITE's elements arrived at the CBK headquarters at the beginning of November. It contained AOCS components: three raction wheels and six vacuum core magnetic torque coils for satellite's stabilization.

The Ministry of Science and Higher Education announced the winners for the names of the first two Polish satellites. Readers and sympathizers of the famous Polish author, Stanisław Lem, cast more votes on the name Lem than Hevelius hence the former will be given to the first Polish satellite, Brite-PL. Internet users chose Gdańsk's astronomer Hevelius as the patron of the second satellite.

The second package from SFL containing the umbilical box and associated cables arrived at CBK in the middle of October.

On October 2-10 the project of the first Polish satellite, BRITE-PL, was presented at the exhibition Space Days 2010 at the Złote Tarasy shopping centre in Warsaw. The exhibition that targeted a broad audience aimed to promote the importance of space activities for economy and everyday life.

The first package containing 2 UHF receivers and magnetic switches arrived at CBK from SFL on September 20th 2010. Tests of the receivers will begin soon. As we get new items we will begin assembling and veryfication the various satellite subsystems.

With a letter received on July 20th, from the Ministry of Science and Higher Education we were informed that the Ministry would hold the honorary patronage over BRITE-PL, the First Polish Scientific Satellite. The Minister, Prof. Barbara Kudrycka, congratulated us on undertaking this valuable initiative and wished us success in organizing the project.

The WIPRO Innovation Exhibition 2010 was organized on June 16th-17th in Bydgoszcz. Its aim was to present the most interesting developments and research relevant to economic development, case studies and collaboration between science and economy.
This year, the exhibitors were some of the most important scientific research teams in Poland, specializing in technology, the environment and medicine. The Space Research Center presented the BRITE project, which generated wide interest.

The satellite manufacturing started in May 2010 after the signing an agreement with Space Flight Laboratory of the University of Toronto.

May 19, 2010, a press conference was held at the Ministry of Science and Higher Education during which the first model of the satellite BRITE-PL was presented. Additionally, an annex to the agreement on the financing of the project to build and launch satellites was signed.

The international meeting of BRITE Science Team took place on February 15th-18th 2010 in Warsaw and was attended by scientists from Poland, Austria and Canada. Poland was represented by CBK and CAMK representatives and officially joined the International Consortium Project, BRITE, founded by Canada and Austria.

On December 16th, 2009 Minister of Science and Higher Education signed a decision to grant funding (from the Fund for Polish Science and Technology) to build and launch the first Polish scientific satellite BRITE. The satellite will be built at the Space Research Centre of the Polish Academy of Sciences and the Nicolaus Copernicus Astronomical Centre of the Polish Academy of Sciences in cooperation with Vienna University of Technology, Graz University of Technology, the Institute for Aerospace Studies of Space Flight Laboratory of the University of Toronto and the University of Montreal.