Space Jam 6 at the Octave Chanute Aerospace Museum, Rantoul, Illinois, USA – Akihiko Hoshide, KE5DNI Sunday, August 5, 2012. Station WB9SA in Illinois, USA will call NA1SS at approximately 10:06 UT.
Amateur Radio CubeSat Launch Postponed
Aeneas – University of Southern California
The launch of the amateur radio CubeSats on an Atlas 5 rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base has been postponed until at least Tuesday, August 14.
Carpcomm Amateur Radio CubeSat Space Communication Network
The Carpcomm Space Network aims to brings together ham radio operators, university ground stations and interested people around the world to form a global space communication network.
2o12W Active on the Amateur Radio Satellites
Ken Eaton GW1FKY operating the Amateur Radio Satellites at 2o12W – Picture Credit Phil Jones MW0PJJ
Olympic Flagship Special Event Station 2 Oscar 12 Whiskey (2o12W) has been active on the amateur radio satellites working stations in the USA and across Europe.
US Delegation visits CubeSat
ALMOST READY: The Cubesat is almost ready for its launch into space
CPUT’s satellite endeavours have been given the thumbs up by a delegation from the US National Security Department.
The F’SATI satellite programme which is based at the Bellville Campus and headed by Prof Robert van Zyl was visited by the high profile visitors recently during a tour of the country.
TubeSat aims to test Ion Engine
FRETS1 TubeSat – Image Credit Wes Faler
Wes Faler is building a small satellite called Fluid & Reason Engine Test Satellite 1 or FRETS1.
FRETS1 is a TubeSat-style picosatellite that aims to fly in 2013 on an Interorbital Systems Neptune rocket into a 310 km sun synchronous orbit. Its mission is to test a new kind of ion engine, one designed for higher thrust and lower power than traditional designs.
It’s planned to use a closed cell foam filled with pressurized nitrogen, vaporizing the supporting plastic and releasing the enclosed nitrogen using a spark system similar to that used by Pulsed Plasma Thrusters (PPTs). PPTs create an arc across the face of a solid Teflon bar, turning a few micrograms of Teflon into plasma. The plasma moves along the PPT’s cathode and anode by Lorentz forces, much the same way that a rail gun accelerates its conducting projectile.
This video gives a brief overview of what a TubeSat is.
Watch SatTV Technology Update – TubeSat
Note it is understood the first launches will take place in California rather than the site mentioned in the video.
Building An Ion Engine http://www.science20.com/satellite_diaries/building_ion_engine-81149
FRETS1 TubeSat http://frets1.wordpress.com/
Interorbital Systems http://www.interorbital.com/
Tubesat – Image Credit Interorbital Systems
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