Scheduled for launch from the United States in July, the Suchai-4 nanosatellite marks a major milestone for Chilean space science. Led by Professor Marcos Díaz at the Space and Planetary Exploration Laboratory (SPEL) of the University of Chile, it will carry 60 scientific and technological experiments into orbit.
Entre ellos, dos han sido desarrollados por equipos de la Universidad de Santiago: uno lo lidera la investigadora de la Facultad de Química y Biología, Dra. Jenny Blamey, y el otro está a cargo del Dr. Carlos González, investigador del Departamento de Ingeniería Informática de la Facultad de Ingeniería.
Among these, two key aerospace initiatives were developed by leading Usach researchers: the first is a biotechnology experiment led by Dr. Jenny Blamey at the Faculty of Chemistry and Biology; the second, headed by Dr. Carlos González from the Department of Computer Engineering within the Faculty of Engineering.
“The experiment involves sending two Antarctic extremophile microorganisms into orbit: one isolated from an underwater volcano in Antarctica and the other from the Atacama Desert," explains Dr. Blamey. "Both were tested on Earth under extreme conditions simulated to match outer space. The importance of this mission lies in observing how these resilient microorganisms behave in a non-terrestrial environment—specifically under zero gravity, a vacuum, and high levels of cosmic radiation.”
Dr. Blamey emphasized: “This is an immensely critical experiment where we have invested all our efforts. To date, the only viable extremophile cultures successfully grown in a space environment are those we have deployed across three previous aerospace missions.”
Por su parte, el Dr. Carlos González, destacó que la colaboración entre diferentes universidades ha permitido que el Departamento de Ingeniería Informática esté presente en este paso importante para la investigación en el espacio.
“Tenemos varios estudiantes realizando su trabajo de titulación relacionado con el proyecto de software de este satélite y de aspectos de ciberseguridad para satélites”, agregando que hay componentes del área de sistema espacial distribuidos, experimentos de ciberseguridad en sistemas espaciales y mejoras en el software de vuelo que han estado desarrollándose en los laboratorios de Informática.
Highlighting the inter-university collaboration behind the mission, Dr. Carlos González emphasized that partnerships have enabled the Department of Computer Engineering (DIINF) to make critical advances in space research.
“We have several undergraduate and postgraduate students engineering their thesis projects directly around this satellite's core infrastructure," Dr. González noted. "Our computer science laboratories have successfully developed critical modules for distributed space systems, implemented cybersecurity experiments, and engineered significant optimizations for the satellite's flight software architecture.”
Beyond its technical achievements, Suchai-4 represents a landmark collaborative ecosystem that bridges researchers and students across the University of Santiago de Chile, the University of Chile, the Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso, Austral University, and the Biociencia Foundation.
This milestone highlights how Usach seamlessly integrates academic research with undergraduate and postgraduate teaching. By immersing students in real-world, high-tech aerospace challenges, the university continues to generate new knowledge and scalable technological solutions of global interest.