Orbit NTNU’s FramSat-1 has successfully been launched into orbit from Andøya Space, marking a major milestone for the Trondheim-based student organisation and a new chapter in Norwegian space history.
FramSat-1 was launched on 5 September aboard Isar Aerospace’s Spectrum rocket as part of the company’s Onward and Upward mission. The launch vehicle successfully reached orbit and deployed its payloads, marking a historic milestone for European commercial spaceflight.
Orbit NTNU is a member of NORDSEC – Nordic Defence and Security Cluster, connecting the student organisation with companies, research institutions and other organisations working across defence, security and dual-use technology.
Photo: Isar Aerospace
For Orbit NTNU, the launch is the culmination of a project that began in 2020. FramSat has also served as a platform for preparing students for careers in the space industry.
The main objective of FramSat-1 is to collect in-orbit data to verify the performance of its sun sensor against the standards required for future, larger spacecraft. Successful verification in orbit can be an important step in increasing the technology readiness of components intended for operational missions.
The project has taken the student team through extensive testing, troubleshooting, software development, systems integration and launch preparations, including repeated trips to Andøya.
Following the launch, Orbit confirmed that it had established contact with FramSat-1.
For CEO Helga Therese Vrenne and project manager Herman Castberg, the achievement represents the culmination of years of work by Orbit members, supported by partners from Norwegian industry and NTNU.
“FramSat-1 is more than a satellite. It’s a historic step for Norwegian space activity,” Vrenne says.
Andøya launchpad. Photo: Isar Aerospace
Orbit NTNU will also participate in Forsvarskonferansen – Nordic Defence and Security Conference at Scandic Hell on 22–23 September.
Orbit will be joined at the conference by four other NTNU student organisations: Propulse NTNU, Ascend NTNU, NTNU Flyingeniør and NTNU Samfunnssikkerhet. Together, the five organisations demonstrate the breadth of student-driven expertise relevant to Norway’s future capabilities in space, rocketry, aviation, autonomous systems, technology and societal security.
For NORDSEC, Orbit NTNU’s successful mission is a strong example of how student-led innovation, academia and industry can contribute to Norway’s strategic technology capabilities.
Orbit describes FramSat-1 as more than a satellite. The project has brought students, academia and industry together and provided students with practical experience in developing technology for the space sector.
The organisation has also already begun looking ahead to its next mission, with the FramSat-1.5 launch on the horizon.
With FramSat-1 now in orbit, Orbit NTNU has taken a significant step from student satellite project to contributor to Norway’s growing space ecosystem and has helped write a new chapter in Norwegian space history.
Team Orbit NTNU