As we are going through the first days of 2022, ASAT’s members look back to everything that happened during the previous year. It was a year full of unique experiences which marked our team’s evolution. During 2021, a plethora of challenges arose, mainly due to the restrictions imposed by COVID-19, but, in the end, each one only reinforced our strength and unity as a team. Now that 2021 is over, we want to keep all the useful lessons learnt through these tough moments and recognize some of our greatest achievements.
Aeronautics Project
Beginning this flashback, we shall begin by one of the greatest moments for the Aeronautics Project, which is no other than the test flight of Anemone, the latest UAV our team has constructed.
After months of working on the design and construction of this aircraft, the members of the Aeronautics Project travelled to Larisa to watch Anemone perform a very stable flight! The exceptional stability of the aircraft proved that the decisions made during the process were correct and set the base for future projects.
The distinctions of the Aeronautics Project in innovation competitions, such as the “Greenathon-BeyondGreenTechnologies” and the “RedBull Basement”, are also remarkable. In these competitions, the Aeronautics Project represented ASAT with the R&D project Phoenix. Phoenix is a solar-powered UAV designed by our team, with the aim of detecting wildfires in forest areas and informing the authorities in time.
The judges of both competitions considered this idea promising within the concept of green innovation, something that was proven by their positive comments and the final ranking. More specifically, the Aeronautics Project managed to be among the 12, out of 105, participants that made it to the finals of Greenathon, while it was also selected as the team that will represent Greece in the global finals of RedBull Basement, where only 44 of the 4000+ ideas submitted will be presented.
Rocketry Project
Of course, 2021 was an exceptional year for our Rocketry Project as well, which participated for the first time in 2 rocketry competitions. The first one was the worldwide rocketry competition Spaceport America Cup, that was unfortunately conducted vitrually due to the ongoing pandemic.
Nevertheless, the members of the Rocketry Project showed great determination and completed all the deliverables on time for the competition, including the reports and the rocket Selene. The outcome was achieving the 9th place out of the 36 teams in the category 10K COTS with a solid motor and the 20th place in the general ranking, among 76 teams.
The second competition in which the Rocketry Project took part was the European Rocketry Challenge (EuRoC), that was held in Ponte de Sor, Portugal in October. ASAT’s acceptance alone in this competition is an important milestone, as it was the only Greek team to be included in the list of the top 20 European rocketry teams, that participated in the competition. During EuRoC, the launch of the rocket Selene took place, which was the highlight of this year for the Rocketry Project. This accomplishment made ASAT the first Greek student team to launch a high-power rocket, a fact that can offer significant technical know-how to the entire Greek scientific community and take its actions regarding the field of rocketry to another level!
Marketing Department
Last but definitely not least, this year the Marketing Department continued bringing to life innovative ideas, which did not only aim at promoting ASAT’s achievements, but also providing knowledge and opportunities to its members and the public. This was made possible through ways, such as the organization of events, the most important of which being the Career Day Event.
During this event, we had the honor to host some of our team’s sponsors and listen to their talks regarding their field of work and the modern labour market. This was an extremely useful experience for all the members of ASAT, since they got the chance to connect with renowned professionals, discuss with them on a personal level and seek internship opportunities!
Another noteworthy action was the launch of a series of YouTube podcasts, titled “Conversing with the Pros”, featuring representatives of companies that support our team. The topics analyzed vary, as they depend on the speaker’s specialization and knowledge, as well as the field in which the company he represents operates. Elaborating on topics such as the labour market and the desired qualifications an employer is looking for, we try to offer to young people useful information regarding their future professional career.
It is clear that 2021 was a very productive year for our team. Keeping the feedback obtained from it in mind, we move forward optimistic and enthusiastic about what the new year holds for ASAT! The goals we have set for 2022 regarding new projects and competitions are promising and we are already working hard towards achieving them!
