Ireland is joining the space race with our first ever spacecraft

We have lift-off.

Space Technology Ireland is to design and build Ireland's very first spacecraft. The spacecraft is to be built in Ireland under the supervision of the Maynooth-based company, which has already manufactured parts for other space missions, including for the Rosetta mission, which landed a probe on a comet last year. The project is to be overseen by professor Susan McKenna-Lawlor, who has worked previously with NASA, the European Space Agency and the Russian Space Agency. The aim is to get Irish engineers and students in on the design and construction, according to David Moore, Editor of Astronomy Ireland, and Mr Moore also said Professor McKenna-Lawlor was held in high regard in the space community. "The Russians hold [Prof. McKenna-Lawlor] in such high regard, they offered her a free launch - that's worth several million euro," he said. More details about the project are to be unveiled at Ireland's annual telescope festival taking place in Roundwood, Co Wicklow. For more information on the telescope festival, log onto Astronomy Ireland. Hat-tip to BreakingNews.ie