Author Archives: m0xtd

Apr 26 2012

50th Anniversary of the UK in Space

The United Kingdom sent up its first satellite 50 years ago when Ariel 1 launched on April 26, 1962. To celebrate the occassion BBC News interviewed radio amateur Sir Martin Sweeting G3YJO.

The launch of the joint UK/US satellite Ariel-1, also known as UK-1, made the United Kingdom the third country to operate a satellite, after the Soviet Union and the USA.

Deployed into a 1,202 by 397 km orbit Ariel-1 carried six experiments, five of these examined the relationship between two types of solar radiation and changes in the Earth’s ionosphere.

Ariel-1 marked the first time the UK sent something into orbit, and gave a lift-off for a part of the British economy that gets little attention but makes a lot of money.

In this BBC News report Adam Fleming speaks to Doug Millard at the Science Museum, Sir Martin Sweeting G3YJO from Surrey Satellite Technology and Space Minister David Willetts on the UK’s role in space today. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-17854280

Watch the UK Space Agency video – 50 Years of the UK in Space

UK Space Agency – Celebrating 50 Years of the UK in Space http://www.bis.gov.uk/ukspaceagency/50-years-in-space

Wiki – Ariel-1 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ariel_1

UK industry to build Solar Orbiter satellite http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-17743190

Apr 25 2012

ISS: successful contact with Balaklava school

We are pleased to announce very successful contact of Balaklava school
(Sevastopol, Crimea, Ukraine) with International Space Station.
More than 100 children came to take part of the evening event on April
11, 2012 in Balaklava – very unique place with interesting history as well
as known as a place where Russian cosmonaut Anton Shkaplerov was born.
17 questions were asked and after the radio contact was finished we continued
communication via phone in combination with video stream available on http://spacestationlive.jsc.nasa.gov/timeline/index.html
Anton came to the place where web camera is located so we were able
not only to speak but also to see what he was doing on board of the station.
During the conversation Daniel Burbank joined giving greetings to all participants
on the ground.
Anton has answered 5 more questions and shown how Orlan space suit glovers
works, how to drink water in the space. Under storm of applause Anton presented
Balaklava’s school pennon which he has on board.
Space station

Space station

Event was organized by Ukrainian radio-amateurs Andrey Begunov – UT9UF and
Oleg Dmitrenko UR4UKV with support of Sevastopol’s radio-amateurs, space enthusiast
Vladimir Kovgan and Anton’s first teacher Irina Bogdanova.
Andrey
UT9UF
Apr 24 2012

Innovative nanosat will test space software

Designing Ops-Sat at ESA's Concurrent Design Facility

Designing Ops-Sat at ESA's Concurrent Design Facility

A new ESA nanosat aiming for a 2015 launch plans to provide a platform to test software in space.

Space software rarely runs the latest operating systems, languages or interfaces. It is selected for its proven, rock-solid reliability rather than its use of the latest and newest programming technologies. For example ESA is still using the Packet Utilisation Standard to control their satellites, which was defined in 1994.

There are many reasons why satellites continue to use decades-old, tried-and-trusted software based on older technical standards. It’s not because satellite designers and builders aren’t innovative. On the contrary, some of the best ideas in software development come from the space industry.

“However, with mission-critical software, there’s a lot of risk-aversion, which is very understandable,” says Mario Merri, Head of the Mission Data Systems Division at ESOC.

“No one wants to use new and possibly problematic software on a multi-million-euro mission in space.”

Traditionally, one of the major barriers to providing updated software for use in space has been the lack of opportunities to test new tools, systems and procedures.

It’s difficult and expensive to replicate in-orbit conditions using an Earth-bound simulator, yet this is precisely the tough standard that new space software must meet.

That’s where an innovative nanosatellite design developed at ESA promises to help satellite designers, ground engineers and spacecraft and component manufacturers. Dubbed Ops-Sat, for Operations Satellite, it is specifically designed to allow controlled testing and validation of critical onboard and ground software.

The design calls for a CubeSat configuration, measuring just 30x10x10 cm and costing far less than a traditional scientific or Earth observation satellite.

“The secret behind the Ops-Sat design is that the satellite is easily recoverable from the effects of ‘buggy’ software and we use commercial, off-the-shelf processors to provide increased computing power compared to normal spacecraft,” says Dave.

“We can completely replace the entire onboard software suite with new and fresh code more or less daily, allowing developers to troubleshoot their products in a real but safe environment.”

Ops-Sat has generated considerable interest from European industry, which sees the possibilities for demonstrating new concepts, ideas and products that presently have difficulty breaking into mainstream spacecraft design.

This could accelerate innovation and lower costs in the field of satellite control.

Source ESA

Apr 24 2012

PhoneSat project

NASA Ames Research Center continues work on its PhoneSat project, which is demonstrating the ability to build very-low-cost satellites using Android smartphones as processors.

Ames has built two versions of the PhoneSat – PhoneSat 1, which costs about $3500, and PhoneSat 2, which costs just under $8,000. Both versions are based on HTC Nexus One smartphones. The first PhoneSats are scheduled to be launched aboard an Orbital Sciences Corporation Antares launch vehicle. The launch, funded under the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program, is scheduled for the third quarter of 2012. It will carry two PhoneSat 1 satellites and one PhoneSat 2. A second PhoneSat launch is expected to occur in 2013.

Apr 23 2012

Videos of 9th Annual CubeSat Developers' Workshop

The Spring CubeSat workshop held April 18-20 proved a great success and videos of the event are now available.

Spring Workshop Videos http://mediasite01.ceng.calpoly.edu/Mediasite/Catalog/pages/catalog.aspx?catalogId=64b6f338-8445-475b-9062-84c90d54ff45

Spring Workshop Schedule http://www.cubesat.org/images/2011_Spring_Workshop/2012_workshop_schedule1.pdf

Apr 23 2012

Missions of KSAT2

 

1. Study on Forcast of Localied Downpour and TornadoIn-orbit experiments of an original observation method of atmospheric water vapor.
2. Take Earth Live Images from Space
Ku-band high-speed data transmission, one shot / a few seconds.
3. Basic Experiments for LEO Positioning Satellites
Frequency and phase synchronization between a ground-base system and a satellite.
4. Orbit Determination Experiments with Radio Interferometer
Essential item for nano-satellite orbiting at very low earth orbit.
5. Satellite Tracking Experiment at Very Low Earth Orbi Evaluation of Earth’s atmosphere to the satellite.
6. Verification of Pantograph-type Extending Boom in Space
The boom was originally designed and is fit for compact satellites.
7. Messages of Encouragement from Space to Japan. Hand-lettered messages and heart warming pictures, especially from children responsible for the future.

Communication

Dual uplink, Dual downlink and a beacon signal.

– Frequency and Transmissio Rate –
Frequency Band Moduration Method Transmission Rate Purpose
Uplink UHF Band F2D 1 kbps  Commands
S Band G2D 1 kbps  Command (Backup)
Downlink S Band G1D 200 ksps  HK Data
Ku Band G1D 1 Mbps or Carrier  Image and Beacon

  # Coding by viterbi algorithm is applied to S-band downlink data. 

Main body of the satellite has a shape of 10 cm Cube, and its mass will be 1.5 kg. An expanding boom for attitude control and two solar paddles are attached to the main body.