University of Portsmouth student wins place on ESA CubeSat Hands-On Training Week
University of Portsmouth post-graduate student, Csilla Patakfalvi, won a place on the European Space Agency’s (ESA) CubeSat Hands-On Training Week 2023, which runs from 5-9 June in Belgium.
Csilla, a second-year MEng Mechanical Engineering student, applied for the training programme to further her CubeSat knowledge after taking part in the ESA Academy’s Fly Your Satellite (FYS) competition last year.
Held at the ESA Academy’s Training and Learning Facility in ESEC-Galaxia, Transinne, the five-day event aims to give university students hands-on experience with CubeSats to build on their theoretical knowledge from lectures.
During her stay, Csilla will participate in lab sessions led by Theia Space and attend lectures on CubeSat subsystems, testing and operations, delivered by ESA experts. She’ll also get to work on an ESAT model developed by Theia Space.
We spoke to Csilla before she headed off to Belgium to find out more about what she hopes to get out of the experience.
How did you feel after getting the news that you’d won a place on the ESA CubeSat Hands-On Training Week?
I applied for the training hoping to bring more knowledge and hands-on experience to my team the next time we participate in the FYS challenge. A few weeks later, I got the news through email during the exam period.
You know you are passionate about a topic if, even during the exam period, you get excited about studying more. I am super ecstatic and anxious to make the most of it.
What are you hoping to get out of the experience?
Firstly, I am very excited to learn from experts and gain hands-on experience with the systems that make up a CubeSat and the team-working activities.
Secondly, I am eager to get to know more space enthusiasts! I am very excited to spend time with passionate students from around Europe and learn about their experiences.
Of course, travelling around Belgium is pretty exciting too. I plan to visit a few cities while I am there as a mini holiday.
Did you have to do any preparation before the trip to Belgium?
We were given some homework to get familiar with and practice XML Telemetric and Command Exchange (XTCE) and Arduino programming. I've had some experience with Arduinos, but not XTCE.
What are your future career plans?
In the future, I am very excited to participate in the advancements of the Space Industry. I have attended numerous networking events throughout the past year, and everyone I met showed motivating ambition and excitement about the industry. I would be delighted to be a part of this kind of community.
As for my career plans, my dream is to work with satellites or propulsion technology in a systems engineering or project management position. I love working with people and managing a lot of things at once.
