Dec 17 2011

Announcement of Opportunity: CubeSat Mission Concept Studies

Artists impression of UKube-1 in orbit

Artists impression of UKube-1 in orbit

The UK Space Agency is inviting proposals to develop CubeSat preparatory studies for future mission concepts e.g. UKube-2.

The core of the UK Space Agency strategy is to lead and sustain the growth of the UK Space Sector. In support of this the National Space Technology Programme (NSTP) promotes the development of new commercial and scientific applications by offering grant funding for truly novel concepts to be fully explored.

CubeSats offer huge potential to accelerate technology development of sensors and instruments in a 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 CubeSat is a relatively new concept, which is maturing rapidly, in which the UK has existing leading capability.

This NSTP programme is to facilitate the acceleration of space technologies up the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) curve but can also attract new players into the space sector by offering a low cost route to getting flight heritage. To follow, the NSTP Pathfinder studies programme is to be released in early 2012 and will be specifically to develop technology concepts.

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 1st February 2012, 12pm.

Further information at
http://www.bis.gov.uk/assets/bispartners/ukspaceagency/docs/space%20science/cubesats/cubesat-ao-dec-11.pdf 

UK launches National Space Academy http://www.uk.amsat.org/2011/12/16/uk-launches-national-space-academy/

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Dec 16 2011

Amateur Radio Satellites Approach Launch

Amateur radio CubeSats and ALMASat-1 being prepared for launch

The integration of Vega’s first, second and third stages is now complete at ESA’s Spaceport at Kourou in the Caribbean. ESA say the new rocket is moving full speed ahead towards its maiden flight at the end of January.

Vega will carry seven amateur radio satellites, ALMASat-1 and six Cubesats. The primary payload is LARES (Laser Relativity Satellite), a passive satellite with laser mirrors for the study of the Earth gravitational field and general relativity measurements (Lense-Thirring effect).

By the end of December, the six CubeSats, ALMASat-1 and LARES will be ready and enclosed in the fairing, well in time for the launch.

PW-Sat to launch in January

Vega to Launch Amateur Radio Satellites

Vega moves closer to its first liftoff 

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Dec 16 2011

UK launches National Space Academy

Space is about to touch down in even more classrooms and colleges across the UK, with the launch of the National Space Academy – a network of outstanding teachers and space scientists that will use the inspirational context of space to teach STEM subjects – and geography – to our students and their teachers.

Led by the National Space Centre on behalf of the UK Space Agency, the Science & Technology Facilities Council (STFC), the UK Space Education Office (ESERO-UK), and theEuropean Space Agency, the academy will be launched in February 2012 and will be supported by a range of universities, colleges and sponsors.

The National Space Academy’s network of teachers will work with scientists from theUniversity of Leicester, the University of Nottingham and the STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Harwell, Oxfordshire. They will deliver student masterclasses, teacher CPD (continued professional development) courses, careers events and a bespoke space engineering course at Loughborough College. The first group of 12 teachers will be spread across England.

Inmarsat, VEGA Space, Astrium GEO Information Services, Rolls Royce, Logica, the Garfield Weston Foundation and the Ogden Trust have all committed funds to the National Space Academy.

The National Space Academy will work with existing initiatives such as ESERO-UK, thenetwork of Science Learning Centres, STFC’s Leading Space Education Project, the Institute of Physics, and the network of Science and Discovery Centres to improve the attainment of students in secondary schools and colleges.

Minister for Universities and Science David Willetts said:

Space captures the imagination of people of all ages, and the National Space Academy will use the UK’s world-class expertise in space research and technology to inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers

“Space captures the imagination of people of all ages, and the National Space Academy will use the UK’s world-class expertise in space research and technology to inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers. This will also equip them with the skills and knowledge needed to boost both our leading research base and our economy.”

Professor Sir Martin Sweeting G3YJO, Chairman of the National Space Centre’s Board of Trustees, says:

“The National Space Centre is indebted to its partners and sponsors for their drive and enthusiasm in getting the National Space Academy up and running. The three year pilot programme that was run in association with the East Midlands Development Agency was a great success and showed that students respond very positively to the subject of space as a context for their learning. We have evidence of improved attainment in exam results and teacher effectiveness, and a greater likelihood of students choosing science and engineering-related subject at the next stage in their education”.
Credit: UK Space Agency

Dec 15 2011

FUNcube Dongle used in new Prospero X-3 Satellite Tests

Prospero

Roger J A Duthie M0RJA and the team are carrying out further attempts to reactivate Prospero, the United Kingdom’s first satellite launched on a UK-built rocket, Black Arrow, on October 28, 1971.

The team now have an AMSAT-UK FUNcube Dongle (FCD) VHF/UHF Software Defined Radio to receive Prospero on 137.560 MHz and use an Icom IC-746 tranceiver on transmit commands to the satellite.

Because the frequency is now used by a number of Orbcomm satellites it can be difficult to identify the Prospero X-3 signal. The intention is to switch the satellite on and off by making commanding attempts and listening for a response in the RF carrier to indicate that Prospero is indeed still in some sort of working condition.

It is hoped Amateur Radio operators will be able to provide recordings of the signals on 137.560 MHz.

For further information check the Prospero X-3 blog and the AMSAT bulletin board.

Prospero 40th Anniversary has links to the real time tracking page and the history of the satellite

PE0SAT – Prospero

Join the FUNcube Yahoo Group

OSCAR News is published quarterly by AMSAT-UK and posted to members. Download a free sample issue here join here

Dec 15 2011

PW-Sat to launch in January

PW-Sat, a 1U CubeSat to be launched on the first VEGA flight in January, will carry a 435 to 145 MHz Amateur Radio transponder.

The single channel transponder will operate in a similar way to the amateur satellite AO-16. The uplink on 435.020 MHz will be FM and the downlink on 145.900 MHz will use the BPSK telemetry beacon transmitter to produce Double Sideband (DSB) that can be received on an SSB radio.

PW-Sat should be launched into a 1450 by 300 km 71 degree orbit and may be expected to have a lifetime of about 4 years before re-entry. It was built by students of Warsaw University of Technology in cooperation with the Space Research Centre and will be Poland’s first satellite.

PW-Sat has five modes of operation:
1. Receive only mode – no downlink
2. Beacon CW mode – Downlink On-Off Keying (OOK) CW (1kHz) 12 WPM on 145.900 MHz
3. Beacon BPSK mode – Downlink BPSK (3 kHz) 1200 bps AX25 (1 frame on 20 sec) on 145.900 MHz
4. Control communication mode. Downlink BPSK (3 kHz) 1200 bps AX25 on 145.900 MHz
5. Voice Repeater mode (aka “AO-16” mode) – Uplink 435.020 MHz FM (15 kHz) Downlink 145.900 DSB (3 kHz)

For more information on PW-Sat in Google English see  http://tinyurl.com/CubeSatPW-Sat 

Vega to Launch Amateur Radio Satellites

IARU Amateur satellite frequency co-ordination panel pages hosted by AMSAT-UK http://www.amsat.org.uk/iaru/

AO-16 FM-DSB transponder http://www.southgatearc.org/news/january2008/ao16_reconfigured.htm

OSCAR News is published quarterly by AMSAT-UK and posted to members.
To get your copy join AMSAT-UK online at http://tinyurl.com/JoinAMSAT-UK/
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Dec 13 2011

Norwegian Student’s CubeSTAR in the press

CubeSTAR

CubeSTAR

The CubeSTAR amateur radio satellite being built by students at the University of Oslo features on page 2 of the December 14 issue of Electronics Weekly.

CubeSTAR is a project which aims to improve and support future space weather monitoring. Its scientific purpose is to monitor space weather in the Polar Regions where it will measure ion density and turbulence using the multiple-Neddle Langmuir Probes system developed at the University in Oslo.

These probes are based on a new concept that will increase the spatial resolution down to a few meters. After deployment in space the probes will unfold and record data that will be transmitted to a ground station. CubeSTAR is a 2U cubesat and will use AX.25 packet radio on 437.465 MHz.

Read page 2 of Electronics Weekly at http://cde.cerosmedia.com/1C4ee6257db71e1467.cde

CubeSTAR http://cubestar.no/

University of Oslo – CubeSTAR http://www.mn.uio.no/fysikk/english/research/projects/cubestar/

CubeSTAR on IARU Amateur Satellite Frequency Coordination pages provided by AMSAT-UK
http://www.amsatuk.me.uk/iaru/finished_detail.php?serialnum=191

AMSAT-UK publishes a colour A4 newsletter, OSCAR News, which is full of Amateur Satellite information.
Free sample issue at http://www.uk.amsat.org/on_193_final.pdf
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