BOCA RATON, Fla. - Tyvak International SRL, the Italian subsidiary of Terran Orbital Corporation (NYSE: LLAP), has officially completed the delivery of the Hera Milani satellite to the European Space Agency (ESA), marking a significant milestone in the agency's mission to study and protect Earth from potential asteroid impacts. The handover took place during a ceremony in Torino, Italy, on Sunday.
The Hera Milani satellite, a nanosatellite funded by Italy and developed by Tyvak International, is dedicated to the visual inspection and dust detection of the Didymos asteroid system, which was previously impacted by the DART mission. The satellite is one of ESA's first deep-space nanosatellites and is scheduled to be launched aboard ESA's Hera mothercraft in October 2024 to commence its journey to the asteroid.
Designed, built, tested, and to be operated by Tyvak International, the Milani satellite represents a collaborative effort with contributions from various companies, entities, and universities across Italy, Finland, and the Czech Republic. The satellite's development drew on the expertise of institutions such as Politecnico di Milano, Politecnico di Torino, and the Institute of Geology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, among others.
Ian Carnelli, Project Manager for the Hera mission at ESA, expressed admiration for the rapid development and the team's skills, while Margherita Cardi, VP Programs and Milani Program Manager at Tyvak International, highlighted the significance of reaching this delivery stage and the honor of hosting the ceremony to celebrate the collective achievement.
The Milani satellite is named in honor of the late Prof. Andrea Milani, who proposed the Don Quijote concept to ESA, aiming to protect future generations from asteroid threats. Franco Ongaro, Chief Space Officer of Leonardo and former ESA Director, reflected on the evolution from the concept stage to the realization of such innovative and miniaturized systems.
The Tyvak International team will continue to support the system level testing phase at ESTEC in preparation for the upcoming launch. This event underscores the advancements in space technology and the international collaboration necessary to address the challenges of asteroid detection and planetary defense.
The information for this report is based on a press release statement.
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