VZLUSAT-2
| Operator | VZLU Aerospace |
|---|---|
| COSPAR ID | 2022-002DF |
| SATCAT no. | 51085 |
| Website | www |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft type | 3U CubeSat |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 13 January 2022 |
| Rocket | Falcon 9 |
| End of mission | |
| Decay date | 30 November 2025 |
VZLUSAT-2 was a Czech technology demonstration satellite operated in low Earth orbit between 2022 and 2025 by the Prague-based company VZLU Aerospace. The 3U-type CubeSat was testing various spaceflight technologies including two Earth observation cameras, X-ray sensors, a GRB detector, a radiation monitoring device, and a water vapor outgassing sensor.[1][2][3][4][5][6] The satellite was launched in January 2022 on the Transporter-3 rideshare mission of Falcon 9,[7] operated successfully in space,[8][9][10] and ended its mission with destructive re-entry in November 2025.[11][12] VZLUSAT-2 was the first Czech spacecraft to capture high-resolution images of the Czech Republic from orbit.[12][13]
Gallery
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Photo of Prague taken by VZLUSAT-2 on 10 October 2022
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Photo of Orlík Reservoir taken by VZLUSAT-2 on 10 October 2022
References
- ^ "Czechs readying second-generation nanosatellite for SpaceX launch". Radio Prague International. 2020-10-09. Retrieved 2026-05-14.
- ^ "VZLUsat 2". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 2026-05-14.
- ^ Kulu, Erik. "VZLUSAT-2". Nanosats Database. Retrieved 2026-05-14.
- ^ Jović, Daniela (2022-01-26). "VZLUSAT-2 calling home!". Spacemanic. Retrieved 2026-05-14.
- ^ "VZLUSAT2". VZLU AEROSPACE... národní centrum pro letectví a vesmír. Retrieved 2026-05-14.
- ^ "VZLUSAT-2". heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov. Retrieved 2026-05-14.
- ^ "VZLUSAT-2". Spacemanic. Retrieved 2026-05-14.
- ^ "Images of the planet and gamma flashes - the satellite VZLUSAT-2 celebrates two years in orbit". info.zcu.cz. Retrieved 2026-05-14.
- ^ "Cubesat Missions Detect 360 Gamma-Ray Transients". quantumzeitgeist.com. 2026-01-28. Retrieved 2026-05-14.
- ^ Munz, Filip; Rípa, Jakub; Pal, Andras; Dafcikova, Marianna; Werner, Norbert; Ohno, Masanori; Meszaros, Laszlo; Dániel, Vladimír; Hanak, Peter; Hudec, Jan; Frajt, Marcel; Kapus, Jakub; Svoboda, Petr; Dudáš, Juraj; Kasal, Miroslav (2024). den Herder, Jan-Willem A.; Nakazawa, Kazuhiro; Nikzad, Shouleh (eds.). "GRBAlpha and VZLUSAT-2: GRB observations with CubeSats after 3 years of operations". Proceedings of SPIE : Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2024. SPIE: 250. arXiv:2407.12555. doi:10.1117/12.3025855. ISBN 978-1-5106-7509-4.
- ^ "VZLUSAT-2 Deorbiting Announcement & Competition". Libre Space Community. 2025-07-11. Retrieved 2026-05-14.
- ^ a b "Czech satellite VZLUSAT-2 ends mission after four years". Radio Prague International. 2025-12-02. Retrieved 2026-05-14.
- ^ VZLU (2023-01-13). "ZA ROK NA OBĚŽNÉ DRÁZE POŘÍDIL VZLUSAT-2 I SNÍMKY ČR". VZLU AEROSPACE... národní centrum pro letectví a vesmír (in Czech). Retrieved 2026-05-14.