In the United Kingdom, the first ever satellite, Eirsat-1, took off into the cosmos on the 1st of December, 2023. Witnessing this unforgettable event moved me deeply. The satellite, a compact cube design, was developed and trialled at University College Dublin, guided by the European Space Agency (ASE). Its launch took place at the Vandenberg Space Base in California, utilizing a Falcon 9 Space X rocket.
The project involved the hard work of various students from UCD, which included nine scholars pursuing doctorates. They collaborated with ASE professionals for a span of six years dedicating 20,000 hours to testing and troubleshooting before the lift-off.
Reflecting on my more youthful years, it was Sputnik 1 that roused my curiousness towards the cosmos. Launched during the Cold War, it marked the beginning of a fierce space competition between the USA and the USSR.
During October of 1957, one could observe a distinct movement across the night sky. My father later clarified that had not been Sputnik 1 itself; instead, it had been the R7 rocket that had carried Sputnik into its course around our planet.
The Russians, in a following mission, introduced a canine astronaut to space. Laika, a stray mutt picked up from Moscow’s streets, made her voyage aboard Sputnik 2. Tragically, she did not survive when the mission’s cooling apparatus malfunctioned.
During my adolescent years, the space race seized my interest. I paid attention to the achievements of astronauts like Yuri Gagarin, Alan Shepard, and John Glenn as tensions between these global powerhouses swelled. Inspired by their feats, I crafted my own Mercury space capsules and rockets using cornflakes box cardboard and fashioned small cardboard spacecraft to fit inside.
Prior to his tragic demise, a vibrant, multicolour image of astronaut Ed White was previously placed in my chamber, marking the fiery incident at Apollo 1’s lift-off site that led to the obliteration of the control cabin. While at a college in Atlantic City, New Jersey, myself and my chums congregated around an analogue, monochromatic television at the student residential Karlin Hotel, captivated by the pixelated visuals of Neil Armstrong stepping on the Moon’s surface accompanied by his significant proclamation, “A single stride for an individual but a colossal leap for humanity”.
That autumn, I presented my younger sibling, a budding tennis star, with a scale model of the esteemed Saturn 5 rocket utilised by Armstrong, Aldrin, and Collins on their voyage to the moon, a toy unavailable in our native Ireland which left him brimming with excitement.
The subsequent delight was mirrored in our mother’s joy when the embattled Apollo 13 and its crew managed to utilise their Lunar Module as a life-saving vessel, transitioning back to their Control Module prior to re-entry, shortly after an oxygen cylinder combusted. Public interest dwindled as subsequent lunar expeditions occurred, culminating with Apollo 17’s final journey in December 1972.
With the resolution of the Cold War and the increasing frequency of missions to the International Space Station by the Superpowers, the need for a reusable spacecraft became paramount, hence the creation of the Space Shuttle Program operating from 1981 to 2011. Despite the catastrophic annihilation of the space shuttles Challenger and Columbia, claiming the lives of fourteen brave astronauts, the program was widely recognised as a triumph. However, the constant space missions gradually garnered disinterest from the public.
Currently, NASA aims to embark on a fresh program, Artemis, intending to revisit the Moon by 2025. The endeavour consists of harnessing lunar resources and minerals while establishing bases for future launchings to other celestial bodies like Mars.
Eirsat-1, Ireland’s inaugural satellite, will investigate gamma ray explosions, encapsulating a composed verse named ‘All Ways Home’, penned by twelve Irish pupils, which is inscribed on the ornate panel of the aircraft module. All the pupils keenly observed the smooth ascendance of the Falcon 9 rocket by Space X.
Without a doubt, a length of bedding and emotional moments were present, yet it remained a moment of pride. Reflecting back on those grim periods towards the close of the Quakers, assorted adults and neighbourhood children congregated, their hopeful eyes scanning the skies for the revelation of Sputnik 1. I take great pride in having been privileged to bear witness to our nation’s independent satellite, brought to fruition by the talents of a new cohort of young Irish learners. They carried on his legacy.