Space Shuttle Discovery STS-133 – Image credit NASA/Kenny Allen and Mike Gayle
McLean Fahnestock has produced a High Definition video work showing all 135 space shuttle launches.
Watch Grand Finale 2010-11
McLean Fahnestock http://mcleanfahnestock.com/
The 40 page Summer edition of the AMSAT-UK publication OSCAR News is being posted to members.
In this issue:
- Development of High Voltage Technology Demonstration Satellite, HORYU-2
- A Multi-purpose Portable Set-up: Working Low Earth Orbit Satellites from any place
AMSAT-UK International Space Colloquium Guildford Sept 15-16
- Increase in ISS Debris Avoidance Manoeuvres
- G3CVI column “Haven’t got a callsign?”
- The FUNcube Dongle and the next generation
- FUNcube Report June 2012
- AMSAT-FOX
- Listening to the ISS
- ITAR – International Traffic in Arms Regulations
- ESMO – European Student Moon Orbiter
You can get OSCAR News by joining AMSAT-UK online at http://tinyurl.com/JoinAMSAT-UK
AMSAT-UK is a voluntary organisation that supports the design and building of equipment for amateur radio satellites.
The UK Space Agency has issued a public consultation seeking views of stakeholders on proposed changes to the Outer Space Act 1986.
This is in response to the Government Growth Review published in March 2011, in which the Government set out its wish to reform the Outer Space Act 1986 by introducing an upper limit on liability for UK operators.
The Outer Space Act covers all UK satellites irrespective of size, from tiny low cost educational CubeSats up to large commercial £500 million satellites.
The key aspects of the consultation are the proposals to waive the capped liability and insurance requirement for in-orbit operation of any satellite that meets the criteria of a CubeSat and to remove the requirement for unlimited indemnity from satellite operators.
The existing Outer Space Act imposes heavy additional costs (>£50,000 per annum) on those wishing to launch small educational CubeSats. The additional costs act as a major deterrent and to-date no such UK CubeSat has been launched.
The public consultation closes August 31, 2012.
Further information at
http://www.bis.gov.uk/ukspaceagency/news-and-events/2012/May/
reform-of-the-outer-space-act-1986-consultation
Hector Martinez CO6CBF
After many attempts, Hector Martinez CO6CBF in Cuba and Dale Pelzer KL7R in Alaska have achieved a contact between Grid Squares EL92sd and BP54xt using the amateur radio satellite FO-29.
Hector CO6CBF posted this report on the AMSAT Bulletin Board
Cubans cannot operate on AO-7 mode B, So FO-29 is our only opportunity for long contacts.
I cannot say how much time we tried but I am sure that it was more than 10 attempts. Dale did all the hard work, he drove around 4 miles from his home to a nearby hill. Majority of times he drove very late in the night.
All the SSB attempts failed. Today [Sunday, July 8] at 1920z was our first attempt on CW and it was successful!
Dale’s working conditions are a Yaesu FT-817 (only 5W semi-duplex) and ARROW antenna with preamplifier. My working conditions are a majority homebrew setup, 10 elements Yagi on 2m and 18 elements Yagi for 70cm with a homebrew preamplifier.
Thanks very much to Dale for his constancy and effort!
PS: I continue looking for new grids and long contacts on satellite, if you are into any footprint with EL92sd and wan to try, please drop me an email [address at qrz.com]
73!
Hector, CO6CBF
EL92sd
New Cuban Amateur Radio Satellite Group formed http://www.uk.amsat.org/5454
FO-29 Information http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/satellites/satInfo.php?satID=5
Download the article ‘Getting started on amateur radio satellites’ by John Heath G7HIA at https://amsat-uk.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/satellites_radcom_mar07.pdf
Copyright 2007 Radio Society of Great Britain. For personal use only – no copying, reprinting or distribution without written permission from the RSGB.
Click here to register to attend the Workshop
Workshop Details
Title: 6U CubeSat Low Cost Space Missions Workshop
Date: 17th – 18th July 2012
Abstracts Due: 26th June 2012
Time:
Venue: The Duffield Theatre, Advanced Instrumentation and Technology Centre, Mt Stromlo Observatory, Canberra Australia
Cost: Free
Download the workshop poster here.
Background
For 2012 the NASA CubeSat Launch Initiative includes 6U CubeSat satellites. An 8 kg 6U CubeSat can be designed to perform some of the Earth observation missions of 100 kg microsatellites. A 6U CubeSat (~33 x 10 x 22 cm, ≤ 8kg) has 4 times the payload capacity of a 3U CubeSat (33 x 10 x 10 cm, ≤ 4 kg) which uses two thirds of its volume for system components.
This workshop, the first in the world dedicated to the 6U CubeSat, will explore the range of missions possible with a 6U CubeSat in the areas of:
Program
| Day 1 – Tuesday 17th July 2012 | ||
| Time | Presentation Title | Speaker |
| 10:00-10:30AM | Morning tea | |
| 10:30-10:35AM | Welcome | Andrew Dempster (ACSER) |
| 10:35-10:45AM | Workshop Introduction | Steven Tsitas (ACSER) |
| 10:45-11:10AM | 6U CubeSat Design for Earth Observation with 6.5 m GSD, 5 Spectral Bands and 14 Mbps downlink | Steven Tsitas (ACSER) |
| 11:10-11:35AM | Scheduling multi-spectral collection of the Australian landmass using a 6U cubesat constellation | Leon Stepan (DSTO) |
| 11:35-12:00PM | From SmallSat to 6U CubeSat: A Case Study in size and mass reduction | Jeremy Straub (University of North Dakota) |
| 12:00-01:00PM | Lunch | |
| 01:00-01:25PM | 6U CubeSat as the basis for a sustainable Australian space program | Steven Tsitas (ACSER) |
| 01:25-01:50PM | TBC | Roger Franzen, Mike Petkovic (ANU, Mt Stromlo Observatory) |
| 01:50-02:50PM | KEYNOTE: Research and Technology Implications and Applications for Very Small (MesoScale) Spacecraft | John Hines (NASA-Ames) |
| 02:50-03:15PM | Synergy between 6U, fractionated and adaptable systems | Gordon Roesler |
| 03:15-03:45PM | Afternoon tea | |
| 03:45PM | Panel Discussion: Can the 6U CubeSat form the basis of a sustainable Australian space program? | |
| Day 2 – Wednesday 18th July 2012 | |||
| Time | Presentation Title | Speaker | |
| 09:05-09:10AM | Workshop introduction final day | Steven Tsitas (ACSER) | |
| 09:10-09:40AM | TBC | Stephanie Thomas (Princeton Satellite Systems) | |
| 09:40-10:05AM | Satellite-borne impact detectors for small meteoroids, interplanetary dust and space debris | Duncan Steel (UNSW) | |
| 10:05-10:35AM | Morning tea | ||
| 10:35-11:00AM | A CubeSat Mission for Exoplanet Transit Detection and Asteroseismology | Jeremy Bailey (UNSW) | |
| 11:00-12:00PM | KEYNOTE: Astrophysics with 6U platforms | Harvey Butcher (ANU) | |
| 12:00-01:00PM | Lunch | ||
| 01:00-01:25PM | 6U CubeSat Commercial Applications | Steven Tsitas (ACSER) | |
| 01:25-01:50PM | 40 kg to LEO; a low cost launcher for Australia | Nicholas Jamieson (UNSW) | |
| 01:50-02:15PM | 6U Radar Altimeter Concept Design | Nick Stacy (DSTO) | |
| 02:15-02:40PM | GNSS Remote Sensing in a 6U Cubesat | Andrew Dempster (UNSW) | |
| 02:40-03:05PM | Preliminary parameters for an experimental payload for Trospospheric CO2 measurement using a space-born lidar 6U cubesat platform | Manny Fabiao Dionizio (UNSW) | |
| 03:05-03:35PM | Afternoon tea | ||
| 03:35-04:05PM | 6U CubeSat Systems (TBC) | TBC | |
| 04:05-04:35PM | CubeSat deorbit devices (TBC) | TBC | |
| 04:35-04:45PM | Workshop conclusion and next steps | Steven Tsitas (ACSER) | |
Keynotes
Technology Keynote – John W. Hines, Chief Technologist, NASA-Ames Research Center
Science Keynote – Professor Harvey Butcher , Director Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics
Chair
Dr Steven Tsitas, Senior Research Associate, Australian Centre for Space Engineering Research, University of New South Wales
Who Should Attend
Scientists and engineers interested in payload and mission concepts that take advantage of the greater payload capacity of the 6U CubeSat. For examples of 6U CubeSat designs and payloads that could perform some of the Earth observation missions of 100 kg microsatellites please see “6U CubeSat Design for Earth Observation with 6.5 m GSD, 5 Spectral Bands and 14 Mbps downlink” and “6U CubeSat Commercial Applications”. Reprints available upon request.
Presentations are invited describing payloads and mission concepts for the 6U CubeSat. Presentations are also invited regarding 6U launch opportunities and 6U CubeSat standards.
Abstracts
If you wish to submit an abstract for the 6U CubeSat Low Cost Space Missions Workshop please email them to Stanija Buvac before the 3rd July 2012.
Australian Centre for Space Engineering Research
The HORYU-2 Team
On Tuesday, July 3, the amateur radio satellite HORYU-2 (call sign JG6YBW) recovered from the problems affecting the 437.375 MHz telemetry and the Blog indicates the team are now attempting to take pictures using the on-board camera.
Read the KIT HORYU Blog in Google English http://tinyurl.com/HORYU-Blog
HORYU-2 Japanese Operating Schedule in Google English http://tinyurl.com/HORYU-2-Schedule
Nano-Satellite “HORYU2”, built by students from the Kyushu Institute of Technology, was launched by JAXA from Tanegashima Space Center on May 18 with the Observation Mission “SHIZUKU” (GCOM-W1). The SHIZUKU observation images acquired by AMSR2 have been released.
JAXA press release
http://www.jaxa.jp/press/2012/07/20120704_shizuku_j.html (Japanese)
http://www.jaxa.jp/press/2012/07/20120704_shizuku_e.html (English)
HORYU2 operational status
http://kitsat.ele.kyutech.ac.jp/operation_schedule_japanese.html (Japanese)
http://kitsat.ele.kyutech.ac.jp/index_e_new.html (English)
UNISEC http://www.unisec.jp
AMSAT-UK 
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