Jun 6 2012

The FUNcube Launch Fund

Please Help us launch our AMSAT-UK FUNcube-1 Cubesat.

Fund:  http://tinyurl.com/7t24yol

 

The FUNcube-1 micro-satellite (CubeSat standard size) will carry a UHF to VHF linear transponder that will have approx 500mW PEP output and which can be used by Radio Amateurs worldwide for SSB and CW communications.

AMSAT-UK  is working on this new amateur satellite project: FUNcube-1 is a complete educational single CubeSat project with the goal of enthusing and educating young people about radio, space, physics and electronics, will be launched with a number of other spacecraft from a DNEPR rocket sometime in the third quarter of 2012.

FUNcube Dongle Pro or “FCD” is a SDR Receiver! – The Pro version gives unlimited access to the frequency range 64MHz to 1.7GHz (1.1GHz – 1.27GHz omitted) – Similar to USB TV Dongle, the FUNcube Dongle simple fits into your computer’s USB port. It’s compatible with many radio reception programs … like the future FunSDR write by I2PHD (see below!) and it is uses standard USB drivers already integrated into the operating system! (…No drivers required!)

FUNcube Dongle Pro Prices: (for EC buyers Inc VAT at 20%): abaut £134.60/£137.22 inc. shipping! (http://www.funcubedongle.com/)

 

 

Jun 6 2012

Educational Launch of Nanosatellites

NASA’s CubeSat program helps students take part in space experiments.

Jun 5 2012

STRaND-2 and OSCAR-5 in SatMagazine

The STRaND-2 nanosats feature in the June issue of the free publication SatMagazine.

These innovative satellites, being developed in the UK by the University of Surrey and SSTL, feature on pages 25 and 26 of the magazine

Additionally on page 71 there is a picture of the satellite OSCAR-5 that was built by radio amateurs at the University of Melbourne, Australia.

Download the June 2012 SatMagazine at http://www.satmagazine.com/2012/SM_Jun2012.pdf

SatMagazine http://www.satmagazine.com/

STRaND-2 ‘Kinect’ Satellites Video http://www.uk.amsat.org/7851

Surrey Satellite to put Xbox parts in space http://www.uk.amsat.org/7771

‘Kinect’ STRaND-2 at UK Space Agency Conference http://www.uk.amsat.org/6795

Jun 5 2012

ArduSat Open-Source Arduino-based Satellite

ArduSat is an open-source arduino-based CubeSat. It plans to have an extensive sensor-suite onboard that will allow users to upload their own code and run their own experiments.

Watch KickStarter ArduSat

Open Satellite Network https://sites.google.com/a/hackersinspace.net/www/

Jun 4 2012

First Tent In Space

In May 2012, while the world’s eyes were on the Space X Dragon launch, another piece of history was made.

In the Scottish Highlands four intrepid Vangonauts attempted their first mission and managed to pitch a tent at 104,000ft (over three and a half times the height of Mt Everest).

Mission control was in the Scottish Highlands near Oban. The tent was launched in light winds, and initially headed South East, before catching the jetstream and heading North East.

The tent was tracked by GPS by the ground crew who were then able to plan a rendezvous with the campers post trip. The mission landed in wilderness near Loch Tay resulting in a 10km hike through snow, hail and bogs for the ground crew to rendezvous with the intrepid campers. It is hoped that in future Space Camping missions, less remote landings can be orchestrated for the convenience of the campers.

Watch First tent in Space – short version 3:25

Watch Vango Space Camping :: Whole Trip (30:23)
Stunning HD images show the curvature of the Earth high up in the stratosphere

Project AirBeam® “Space Camping” Technical Data:

Initial ascent rate: Approx 5.5 metres per second
Trip duration: 1hour 42 mins
Trip ground distance:
– By Air: 68.91 Kilometres
– By Road: 95.8 Kilometres
Trip peak altitude: 31.5 Kilometres
Trip monitoring: 2 x GPS trackers giving location updated every 4 minutes to mission control.
Ground pressure: 1020 millibar.
Destination pressure: 3-4 millibar.
Helium use: 8 cubic metres
Launch balloon diameter (ground level): 2.5 metres
Launch balloon diameter (peak altitude): 10+ metres
Descent rate:
– Stratospheric: Approx 70-80 metres per second
– Sub Tropopause: Approx 6 metres per second

Space Camping http://www.spacecamping.org/

Jun 4 2012

Watch Venus Transit Online June 5-6

At 22:09 UT on June 5, 2012 the planet Venus will appear as a small, dark disk moving across the face of the Sun. The transit will finish at 04:49 UTC on June 6 (exact time depends on location of observer).

Clouds permiting, it may be visible to observers in the UK from dawn (about 03:46 UT in London).

This will be the last time the planet Venus will make the trek across the face of the sun as seen from Earth until the year 2117.

Note: Observing the Sun directly without appropriate protection can damage or destroy retinal cells, causing temporary or permanent blindness.

Clint Bradford K6LCS has posted a collection of URL’s where you should be able to watch the Venus transit online from sites around the world.

NASA (USA) http://venustransit.nasa.gov/2012/transit/

NASA Edge http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/podcasting/nasaedge/index.html

University of Barcelona  (from a telescope in Norway) https://gaia.am.ub.es/serviastro/www/html/venus2012/live/index.html

National Solar Observatory http://venustransit.nso.edu/live.html

Exploratorium  (via the Mauna Loa Observatory) http://www.exploratorium.edu/venus/

NASA TV http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

Coca Cola Space Science Center (from Australia) http://www.ccssc.org/transit2012.html

Bareket observatory (Israel)
http://www.bareket-astro.com/live-astronomical-web-cast/live-free-venus-transit-webcast-6-june-2012.html

Mt. Lemmon Sky Center http://skycenter.arizona.edu/annoucement/live

Astronomers Without Borders (from Mt. Wilson, California)
http://www.astronomerswithoutborders.org/projects/transit-of-venus/live-webcast.html

The 2012 Transit of Venus using HAM Radio http://aprs.org/VenusTransit2012.html

Transit of Venus Special Event June 6, 2012
http://www.southgatearc.org/news/may2012/transit_of_venus_special_event.htm

Ultra-high Definition video recording of 2012 Venus Transit
http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/videogallery/index.html?media_id=145648241