Jan 23 2012

AO, Cubesat Mission Concept Studies

A CubeSat in Space

A CubeSat in Space

(Source: Technology Strategy Board)

CubeSats offer huge potential to accelerate technology development of sensors and instruments in a miniaturised package for deployment in space. New technology concepts for space missions can be demonstrated on CubeSat payloads, delivering a test bed at low cost and significantly reduced timescales.

The UK Space Agency is currently funding a pilot programme, called Ukube1, to demonstrate the capabilities of a CubeSats with a launch towards the end of 2012. If successful, this pilot project could pave the way for a national programme starting in the third quarter of 2012, offering launch opportunities every 12-18 months. The aims of a national programme will also encompass the delivery of educational opportunities and science applications as well as testing new technologies.

Proposals are invited to develop CubeSat preparatory studies for future mission concepts e.g. UKube-2. The concept can address a scientific theme or be of an in-orbit technology demonstration nature (e.g. formation flying), providing a real impact to the UK. All UK based communities (academic, industrial and other) are invited to submit proposals. Applications can be made individually or in partnership with other organisations, however industry and academia will be funded under the rules stipulated in the scope of funding presented below.

Funding is available up to £35K per proposal; the size of award will depend on the requirements of the proposed project and the applicants’ case for support. Proposals should not exceed a grant value of £35K. Funding will be awarded in 2012 and the project cannot exceed 3 months duration. Due to the short nature of these studies and the amount of funding available, we intend funding successful applicants at the onset of the project. It is anticipated the scheme will fund a minimum of 7 proposals; the facility to fund more will depend on the size of awards and will be assessed on a competitive basis as detailed below. The deadline for submission of proposals is 01 February 2012, 12pm.

See TSB website for more information

Jan 22 2012

Winners in the ARISSat-1/KEDR Chicken Little Contest

The Chicken Little Contest received 77 entries from 17 different countries, and all continents except Antarctica.

Based on comments sent along with the submissions, a wide variety of techniques were used. These ranged from detailed calculations, to comparisons with past satellites, to guesses based on birthdays.

The winners in each category are:

+ Kindergarten through grade 8:
Cora Haefner, KK4ECV, Fort A.P. Hill, VA, USA

+ High School, grades 9 through 12:
Cameron, Lancashire, UK

+ Adult:
Thomas Frey, HB9SKA, Birr, Switzerland

Cora, KK4ECV and Thomas, HB9SKA were both within 15 hours of the
best data we have from Space Track: approximately 0700 on 4 January 2012, in the South Atlantic.

All three winners have received an appropriate Chicken Little Certificate, and the congratulations of the ARISSat-1/KEDR Team. Thanks go to all those who entered, and especially educators who worked with students.

Winners of the ARISSat-1/KEDR Grab the Last Telemetry Contest.

Thanks to the dedication of stations around the world, a nearly steady stream of digital telemetry reports were received in the final days from ARISSat-1/KEDR:

31 Dec — 1125
01 Jan — 1537
02 Jan — 1541
03 Jan — 1048
04 Jan — 107

Many other reports were received from stations copying the voice, SSTV, and telemetry transmissions, as well as some contacts through the transponder.

The final digital data received was copied by both JA8TCH, Mori Seiji, Sapporo City, Japan, and JA0CAW, Tetsurou Satou, Niigata City, Japan.
It was received at 06:02:14, 4 January, 2012, less than an hour before the estimated point of loss in the South Atlantic.
Their data, combined with the submissions of many others, constitutes the most comprehensive coverage of the reentry of any amateur satellite.

JA8TCH and JA0CAW will receive a certificate for their achievement. They and all who submitted telemetry throughout the ARISSat-1/KEDR mission have the thanks of the entire team.

Alan Biddle, WA4SCA and the ARISSat-1/KEDR Team

Amsat

Jan 20 2012

Building a Distributed Satellite Ground Station Network

There was a presentation on building a distributed satellite ground station network at the Chaos Communication Congress held December 27-30 and the video is now available.

The AMSAT-UK FUNcube Dongle VHF/UHF Software Defined Radio gets a brief mention at 39:26 into the video.

The video kicks off with an appearance by Nick Farr then the presentation by Gregor Jehle (Hadez), Armin Bauer and Andreas Hornig gets underway.

Watch 28C3: Building a Distributed Satellite Ground Station Network – A Call To Arms (en)

Hackers Plan Space Satellites http://www.uk.amsat.org/3172 

Hackerspace Global Grid http://shackspace.de/wiki/doku.php?id=project:hgg

London Hackspace Project: Hoxton Space Centre http://wiki.london.hackspace.org.uk/view/Project:Hoxton_Space_Centre

London Hackspace work on HackSat1 http://www.uk.amsat.org/2482

The DIY Magic of Amateur Radio video http://www.uk.amsat.org/3158

Jan 20 2012

Student Aalto-1 CubeSat Video

Finnish students working on the Aalto-1 CubeSat

Finnish students working on the Aalto-1 CubeSat

Students working on the Aalto-1 CubeSat have released a 4 minute video showing a visualization of the launch and deployment of the satellite.

Aalto-1 is a student satellite project of Aalto University, Finland. When launched, it will be Finland’s first satellite.

It is planned to operate at VHF-UHF and there will also be an S-band transmitter. Up to 8 watts of power will be available from the Solar panels.

The main payload of the satellite is a novel tiny Fabry-Perot imaging spectrometer, developed by VTT, Finland. The primary scientific goal of the mission is to demonstrate the feasibility of MEMS Fabry-Perot spectrometers for space applications. This miniature technology can be used in nanosatellites for large a variety of remote sensing applications in the future.

High spectral resolution images can be used for water quality monitoring and land use classification.

Watch Aalto1 Mission // visualization project status for Winter Seminar

The Aalto-1 project featured on Finnish TV – YLE TV1 2010 09 17 183019

Aalto-1 Discussion Forum https://wiki.aalto.fi/display/SatForum/Aalto-1+Discussion+Forum

Aalto-1 https://wiki.aalto.fi/display/SuomiSAT/Summary

Jan 19 2012

ITF-1 CubeSat – Imagine The Future

University of Tsukuba ITF-1 (YUI) CubeSat

University of Tsukuba ITF-1 (YUI) CubeSat

Students at the University of Tsukuba are working on the ITF-1 (YUI) CubeSat project that is planned to be launched on a H-IIA rocket in the fiscal year 2013. The orbit will be 400 by 350km with an inclination of 65 degrees.

The formal name ITF-1 comes from the initial letter of the university slogan “Imagine The Future”.  The satellite also has a popular name YUI which means “bond” in Japanese, it came from the project’s concept‚ “Creating the Worldwide Human Community”.

The 435MHz satellite beacon will send telemetry by a Morse Code audio tone on an FM transmitter running 300 milliwats output. It should be possible to receive it using simple equipment such as a handheld transceiver or scanner. Telemetry information will be first compressed into binary data  and then cut into 5 bits and converted into 10 – 15 Morse codes.

Ayano Okamura ITF-1 Project Manager

Reception reports will be acknowledged with a certificate and the telemetry will be made available on the web.

The UTF-1 Project Manager is Ayano Okamura and you can read her blog at http://tinyurl.com/ITF-1-ProjectManagerBlog

The Chief Tech blog by Asai Eisuke is at http://tinyurl.com/ITF-1-TechBlog

ITF-1 (YUI) on the IARU Amateur Satellite Frequency Coordination pages http://www.amsatuk.me.uk/iaru/formal_detail.php?serialnum=226

ITF-1 website in Google English http://tinyurl.com/CubeSat-ITF-1

Jan 19 2012

Vega rocket ready for first flight

 

Vega VV01 liftoff
Flight VV01

Vega rocket ready for first flight

19 January 2012
Final checkout of Europe’s new Vega launcher was completed last Friday, marking another milestone towards its maiden flight from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.

The first Vega launch campaign began in November with the installation of the P80 first stage on the launch pad. The two solid-propellant second and third stages were added to the vehicle, followed by the AVUM – Attitude & Vernier Upper Module – liquid-propellant fourth stage.  

AVUM pressurisation
AVUM pressurisation

All four stages have undergone final acceptance, including the testing of the avionics, guidance, telemetry, propulsion, separation pyrotechnics and safety systems.These steps culminated on 13 January with Vega’s ‘synthesis control checks’, where all systems were put into launch mode for the vehicle’s final acceptance. This included pressurising the AVUM propulsion systems that actuate the thruster valves.

The rocket’s elements were switched on from the control bench to simulate the launch countdown. The onboard software then took over and simulated the different stages of a flight. The interfaces between the vehicle and the control bench were also tested.

The test review confirmed that everything ran as expected and that the launcher is ready for flight.

AVUM in mobile gantry
AVUM

What’s next?

The ‘upper composite’ – the fairing and payload – will be integrated, followed by final checkout of the fully assembled launcher and the countdown rehearsal.

The first launch, VV01, is targeted for 9 February. It will carry nine satellites into orbit: the Italian space agency’s LARES and ALMASat-1, together with seven CubeSats from European universities.

This mission aims to qualify the Vega launch system, including the vehicle, its launch infrastructure and operations, from the launch campaign to payload separation and disposal of the upper module.

Artist's impression of Vega
Vehicle VV01

A flexible system

Vega is designed to cope with a wide range of missions and payload configurations in order to respond to different market opportunities and provide great flexibility.

In particular, it offers configurations able to handle payloads ranging from a single satellite up to one main satellite plus six microsatellites.

Vega is compatible with payload masses ranging from 300 kg to 2500 kg, depending on the type and altitude of the orbit required by the customers. The benchmark is for 1500 kg into a 700 km-altitude polar orbit.

More information on Vega and updates are now available on the new launch website here.