Monthly Archives: September 2011

Sep 12 2011

Don't worry, it's only a falling five-tonne space satellite

Nasa says chances of its dead 20-year-old satellite, due to fall to Earth later this month, hitting anyone are 3,200-1

Nasa says one of its dead satellites will soon fall to Earth but there is very little chance that it will hit anyone.

 

The space agency does not know when or where its 20-year-old satellite will drop. It will probably be in late September but could fall in October. And it could land anywhere south of Juneau, Alaska, and north of the tip of South America. Nasa says there is only a one in 3,200 chance of satellite parts hitting someone.

 

Experts say not to worry. In the more than 50 years of the space age, no one has ever been hurt by falling space debris. The 5.4-tonne satellite was used to monitor the atmosphere. Most of it will burn up during re-entry. Only about 550kg of metal should survive.

 

Sep 11 2011

Edge of Space for Foundation Australian Ham

Australian student and foundation radio amateur Mark Jessop VK5FDRK, who was staying in the United Kingdom, acheived a new record when his balloon reached a height of 40,575 metres. It was launched from Cambridge and carried a 434.650 MHz transmitter, .

Mark VK5FDRK acheived a UK record and was close to the all-time international amateur altitude maximum. He is now returning to Australia and for the Scout Jamboree On The Air (JOTA), October 15-16, he will be involved in the launch of an Amateur Radio repeater up to 30 km, which Scouts around Australia will be able to talk through.

Read all about the UK record breaking flight at
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/08/23/balloon_record/

Mark Jessop VK5FDRK & Adrian Snell VK5ZSN Ham Radio Blog http://blog.darklomax.org/

RF Head – HAB & Ham Radio Experimentation http://rfhead.net/

Project Horus http://projecthorus.org/

Sep 11 2011

Registration open for 2011 AMSAT Space Symposium

Registration open for 2011 AMSAT Space Symposium

AMSAT announces the 2011 AMSAT Space Symposium will be held on Friday, November 4th through Sunday, November 6th in San Jose, CA.

Our annual gathering will feature:

+ Space Symposium with Amateur Satellite Presentations
+ Operating Techniques, News, & Plans from the Amateur Satellite World
+ Board of Directors Meeting open to AMSAT members (Nov. 3-4)
+ Meet Board Members and Officers
+ Annual General Membership Meeting
+ Annual Banquet-Keynote Speaker and Door Prizes

Continue reading →

Sep 9 2011

Calling all UK secondary students: UK Space Settlement Design Competition 2012

Would you like to win a trip to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas? The UK Space Design Competition gives you and your friends the opportunity to do just that!

2010 UK international team in Houston.

2010 UK international team in Houston.

Supported by the Space Science and Engineering Foundation and the UK Space Agency, the competition will take place at Imperial College London on the weekend of 24 -25 March 2012. It challenges teams of over 40 students, supported by space experts, to design a scientifically viable space settlement for over 10,000 inhabitants, taking several factors into account, ranging from structural engineering and communications to entertainment, food production, construction timelines, and cost. Designs are presented to a panel of expert judges for the chance to represent the UK at the International Space Settlement Design Competition, held annually at NASA’s Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center. Continue reading →

Sep 8 2011

Experiments on the Prospero Satellite

October 28, 2011 will be the 40th anniversary of the historic launch of Prospero the UK’s first satellite to be launched on the Black Arrow rocket.

A description of the Prospero satellite and its experiments written in 1975 can be downloaded here

Pictures of the Prospero ground station can be downloaded here

Attempts are underway to reactivate Propero, beacon frequency 137.560 MHz see 1970s UK Satellite To Be Revived

Picture of Black Arrow Rocket on Display in Australia

Sep 7 2011

UK Amateur Radio Smartphone CubeSat STRaND-1

The International Amateur Radio Union satellite frequency coordination panel has agreed a frequency of 437.575 MHz for the UK satellite STRaND-1.

Some of the SSTL STRaND-1 Project Team, from Left to Right: Bob Dyer, Nick Holt, Dale Mellor, Mark Brenchley, Shaun Kenyon, Jonathan Gebbie, Rupert Taylor, Rosie Linehan, James Parsons, Andy Schofield

STRaND-1 will carry an Android Smartphone and plans to use data rates of 9k6 or 19k2 bps for the AX.25 packet radio downlink. A software-based speech synthesiser will be included to pay homage to the UOSAT family of satellites.

The 3U CubeSat measures 30 by 10 by 10 cm and weighs 4 kg. Unlike previous CubeSats it will feature full 3-axis control with the attitude an orbit control system comprising a nano-magnetorquer, nano-reaction wheels, GPS receiver, 8 pulse plasma thrusters and a butane thruster.

STRaND stands for Surrey Training, Research and Nanosatellite Demonstration and the programme is intended to be a long-term arrangement between the space company SSTL and academic researchers at the Surrey Space Centre (SSC), with STRaND-1 the first of a long line of STRaND nanosatellites.

Continue reading →