On October 20, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine adopted a decree titled "On the Redistribution of Certain Expenditures of the State Budget Provided to the Ministry of Education and Science for 2023." The decision includes allocating 5.2 million hryvnias for the program "Support for Priority Directions of Scientific Research and Scientific-Technical (Experimental) Developments in Higher Education Institutions." Specifically, this funding is intended to complete the development of the PolyITAN-12U student nanosatellite within the framework of the space program at the Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute.
This is the first Ukrainian nanosatellite of the 12U format, consisting of 12 modules. It was developed by Ukrainian scientists, engineers, and students at the Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute with support from the Ministry of Education and Science and the State Space Agency of Ukraine.
Creating a satellite based on a technical university allows for the full cycle of designing, manufacturing, and testing nano-class spacecraft in Ukraine.
The satellite was designed to remotely study the Earth's surface using an optical system with medium spatial resolution. It will also test radio transmitters and space communication antennas in various frequency bands.
The plan is to launch the nanosatellite into orbit in 2024. Work is already underway to address all technical, logistical, and organizational tasks. After a successful mission, the university's space program will also expand to other technical Ukrainian higher education institutions, contributing to the preparation of highly qualified specialists in the field of space technology.
