From Tartu Airport, Estonia's first space camera OPIC went to Spain. This camera photographs comets. The camera was made by Tartu Observatory. It may launch into space in 2028.
OPIC is the first Estonian camera to go into deep space. It photographs the nucleus of a comet. Scientists want to know how the solar system and Earth originated. The camera will help them understand this.
Professor Mihkel Pajusalu says that comets are ancient. They date back to the beginning of the solar system. Studying them helps understand the origin of life. OPIC will photograph a comet that is approaching the Sun for the first time.
Comets have been studied before, but they had already been near the Sun. OPIC will study a new comet. This comet is pristine and unchanged. It shows what the solar system was like at the beginning.
The camera tests have been completed. Now it is going to Spain for more tests. If everything goes well, the camera will launch into space in 2028.
The camera will fly to Lagrange point L2. It is located 1.5 million km from Earth. There, the camera will wait for a comet. It will photograph an unknown comet. This makes the mission particularly exciting.