Education and Science, Estonia, EU – Baltic States, Technology

"We reviewed today (yesterday – ed.) morning during the communication session the state of energy productivity of the satellite and it was clear that today is the day when the satellite ceases to function," said the initiator and instructor of the program, Tartu University associate professor and Tartu Observatory space technology department head Mart Noorma.

"The research mission was completed in February, but it is now the moment when the solar panels are no longer able to recharge batteries and the satellite is no longer functional," explained Noorma.

The satellite will fall down slowly, until in about 20 years, it burns off in the atmosphere.

Noorma said that the next major space technology project is he participation in building the European Space Agency (ESA) undergraduate cooperation programme ESEO satellite, which should flow into space in 2016.

ESTCube-1 was sent officially into retirement on 17 February 2015, since the mission of the research program was completed, the Tartu University and Tartu Observatory announced. In the last few months, the endurance of the satellite's subsystems to the cosmic environment was observed.