How PEM® fasteners ended up on board a Danish satellite in space
A small component for a satellite, a giant leap for success: PEM® fasteners supplied by Hans Buch played an important role for a Danish satellite orbiting the Earth, launched by students in a collaboration across several universities.
In the spring of 2023, a Danish satellite named DISCO-1 was successfully launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. Onboard the satellite were components from PennEngineering® in the form of PEM® fasteners supplied by Hans Buch.
DISCO-1 is the first in a series of satellites in the DISCO program established in collaboration between students from four different Danish universities.
A crucial lightweight solution
DISCO-1 is built by Space Inventors, which Hans Buch supplied and recommended due to the advantages of using PEM® fasteners over various other technologies in mechanical fastening.
Weight has been crucial for the satellite’s properties and performance, says the division director and CCO for Hans Buch’s Industry division.
– It was essential for the design of the satellite that the weight could be kept down without compromising quality, and here our PEM® fasteners played a crucial role, he explains.
The components used in PEM® fasteners are CLA™-M2-2 self-locking aluminum nuts. They were mounted on a milled aluminum bracket, which was anodized to increase corrosion resistance.
Overall, PEM® fasteners made it possible to manufacture an application of aluminum sheets as thin as 2 mm. This was achieved without compromising the durability to withstand the harsh conditions of rocket launch and during the journey in orbit around the Earth.
Contributing to new knowledge about climate change
The satellite measures 10x10x10 cm and weighs just about 1 kg. It is the first in a series of satellites to be sent into orbit around the Earth, helping researchers understand climate change in Greenland. DISCO-2 is planned for launch in the summer of 2024.
– We are excited and proud to contribute to the successful creation of the first DISCO satellite, and we have eagerly followed the launch, says Rasmus Pedersen.
Inspiration for young talents
The DISCO program aims to attract young talents to the Danish space sector, which is growing rapidly and lacks workforce.
The project also makes history as it is the first time students across four of the country’s universities collaborate on an innovative, national space program. It resonates in the offices in Albertslund at Hans Buch A/S.
– We are pleased that the project aims to inspire young, technical talents to choose the space sector as a field and career. It is significant for a company like Hans Buch to be a small part of it, says Rasmus Pedersen.
The DISCO program has received support of 4.5 million DKK from the Industry Foundation and involves students from the IT University of Copenhagen, the University of Southern Denmark, Aarhus University, and Aalborg University.
Local newspaper fascinated by the story
“When a new satellite was launched by rocket from the Vandenberg base in the USA on April 15, a piece of Albertslund was along for the ride,” wrote the local newspaper Albertslund Posten, describing what fasteners actually are and why PEM® fasteners stand out from other technologies in mechanical fastening.
