ARTSAT2 DESPATCH Deep Space Sculpture

Students at the Tama Art University are planning to send a sculpture ARTSAT2 DESPATCH along with an amateur radio payload into deep space.

ARTSAT students at the Tama Art University

The ARTSAT2 Deep Space sculpture “DESPATCH” is planned to launch in mid 2014 on a H-IIA rocket with the asteroid explorer Hayabusa 2 as the main payload. Hayabusa 2 will be making a round-trip to the C-type asteroid 1999 JU3 arriving at the asteroid in mid 2018.

The sculpture, which is 50 by 50 by 45 cm with a mass of 30 kg, was developed at the Tama Art University using a 3D Printer. The containment vessel will carry a CW beacon in the 435 MHz band using an omni-directional antenna. The satellite should provide the ultimate in ham radio DX reception when at its maximum operational distance of 3 million km from Earth about a week after launch. Being battery powered without solar panels it will have a low transmit cycle to maximize the lifespan.

ARSAT2: DESPATCH in Google English http://tinyurl.com/ARTSAT-DESPATCH

ARTSAT on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/artsat

The students have already developed the INVADER CubeSat which is planned to launch in 2014, see
https://amsat-uk.org/2012/04/12/invader-cubesat-a-student-art-satellite/