• Question: What was your favorite project u worked on?

    Asked by Star2006 to Eimear, James, Jonathan, Lána, Willi on 27 Feb 2018.
    • Photo: Lána Salmon

      Lána Salmon answered on 27 Feb 2018:

      I think the project/mission I’m working on now, EIRSAT-1, is my favourite project. In UCD a team of students, including myself and Willi, are designing, building and launching Ireland’s first satellite. It’s a bit of a dream come true to work on a project like this – to build something really cool (and something Irish!) and send it into space. The team are so talented and diverse, and i think that’s why I’m enjoying the mission so much. We are all new to this, so we’re learning on the go, which is scary and exciting! But I love that we get to solve problems every day to get a satellite into orbit.

    • Photo: William O'Connor

      William O'Connor answered on 27 Feb 2018:

      My favorite project? I have to say my favorite projects are ones I’m working on now!

      Lana has told you about a really exciting project, the first Irish satellite. Everyone on the team is learning a lot, and we’re learning from each other, because you can’t be an expert in everything. Each person plays his or her part. Our group is working on the control system and on a “mechanism” to push out the “antennae” (or radio aerials) after the satellite leaves the International Space Station.

      As a separate project I’m working with the European Space Agency on designing ways to control launchers (which is what ESA calls rockets!).

      But I also have some other projects which has nothing to do with space, such as helping to design a device to detect deseases in farm animals!

    • Photo: James Geary

      James Geary answered on 27 Feb 2018:

      This is a very difficult question to answer. I enjoyed and also disliked aspects of most projects that I worked on so it is very difficult to say which one I enjoyed the most.

      For me I like projects that are technically challenging, have a good team spirit, have a lot of diversity in the work and have lots of problems to solve.

      Putting together the right team for a project is very important, you need to ensure that there is enough diversity in the teams background and approach so that you get the largest opportunity to find good solutions, while not having too much conflict in the team due to differences! Some conflict is healthy in a team….

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