Enterprise Ireland published its ‘Space Activities in Ireland 2023’ report last week
The Mayo woman will be part of an international spaceflight mission in 2026 or 2027 – but dedicated stargazers know Ireland has a strong history of space-related achievements.
Irish firms are behind some of the most diverse and innovative space-related technologies, such as microelectronics, telecoms and photonics – the physical science of light waves.
To showcase these achievements, Enterprise Ireland published its Space Activities in Ireland 2023 report last week, outlining our space-related activity and highlighting key achievements over the past year in Ireland’s growing space sector.
This year’s cover story features the launch of Ireland’s first satellite: Educational Irish Research Satellite-1 (Eirsat-1), from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California last December.
Designed and built by students in UCD, Eirsat-1 officially announced Ireland’s arrival as a spacefaring nation.
Known as a CubeSat because of its distinctive size & shape, Eirsat-1 was designed to carry out three experiments: detection of gamma-rays; thermal testing of novel protective surface coatings in space; and to test a software- based spacecraft orientation system.
Irish firms are behind some of the most diverse and innovative space-related tech
The report also includes details of Irish firm Réaltra’s contract – awarded by ArianeGroup, the French launch vehicle provider and creators of the Ariane 6 rocket – to deliver a global navigation satellite system.
This involved working with the French partners to design and deliver an end-to-end system with cameras, power and transmission capabilities to provide positioning, navigation and timing services.
The Irish firm received the Franco-Irish Newcomer of the Year award at the Ireland France Business Awards last year for its work with ArianeGroup.
Leo Varadkar and Prof Orla Feely with a mock-up of the Eirsat-1 module in 2022. Photo: Getty
Since we joined with other EU member states to found the European Space Agency (ESA) in 1975, Irish firms and researchers have built a reputation for their innovative technologies and insights.
Irish companies and research teams bid for contract work in various space programmes, including satellite communications, earth observation and satellite navigation. Today, Ireland is recognised as a strong player in the space sector.
Enterprise Ireland is the government-appointed body responsible for any industrial and research activity with ESA.
It acts as a hub for the international space industry when they’re looking for Irish space-related expertise or technologies. By the end of 2023, 109 companies were being actively supported to engage with ESA – a record number.
Another big story in this year’s ESA report is the establishment of the Irish Space Association (ISA), a non-profit body to represent and support workers in the sector.
The association aims to bring together key stakeholders from Ireland’s space industry to share knowledge, exchange ideas and find ways for Irish firms and researchers to grab an even bigger piece of the global space market.
Irish firms looking to engage with ESA initiatives should visit enterprise-ireland.com/space to learn more.
And they can also can download a copy of the report at: bit.ly/SpaceActivitiesinIreland2023
Dr Padraig Doolan is the national delegate to the European Space Agency at Enterprise Ireland