Clyde Space have successfully completed Thermal Vacuum Testing, where the UKube-1 Flight Model was operated in a simulated space environment (i.e. no air and at temperature extremes)
UKube-1 the UK Space Agency’s (UKSA) first satellite has ‘booked’ its journey into space on a Russian Soyuz-2 rocket. The launch from Baikonur in Kazakhstan is expected to take place in the 3rd quarter of 2013. UKube-1 has also completed Thermal Vacuum Testing to verify the spacecraft operation in a simulated space environment.
UKube-1 will carry a set of AMSAT-UK FUNcube boards to provide a 435/145 MHz linear transponder and a 145.915 MHz BPSK telemetry beacon for educational outreach.
Artist’s Impression of UKube-1 in space – Credit Clyde Space
UKube-1 – the UK Space Agency’s first CubeSat mission – has ‘booked’ its journey into space on a Russian Soyuz-2 rocket. The launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrone in Kazakhstan is expected to take place in March 2013.
UKube-1 carries an amateur radio 435/145 MHz linear transponder built by members of AMSAT-UK.
Funds for the OSSI CubeSat have been raised by selling T-shirts
The amateur radio CubeSat OSSI is planned to launch in December according to an Antara News article. [UPDATE rocket launch has been delayed and may now be April 2013]
The article describes how Korean artist Hojun Song DS1SBO developed his own home made satellite and says radio operators will be able to communicate with the satellite. If all goes well, it will repeat a message in Morse code using its LED lights at a set time and location.
The DIY satellite OSSI is planned to launch on a Soyuz-2-1b from the Baikonur launch facility in Kazakhstan in December with the Bion-M 1 and Dove 2 satellites. (The Dove 2 CubeSat will transmit images on a 2.4 GHz downlink). The satellites will be placed into an orbit with an apogee of 575 km, perigee of 290 km and inclination of 64.9 degrees. They are expected to remain in orbit for about a year before burning up on re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere.
The OSSI uplink is in the 145 MHz band and the downlink in the 435 MHz band.
Hojun Song DS1SBO and the NovaNano FlyMate™ deployer
Hojun Song DS1SBO is a cutting-edge, tech-obsessed Korean artist breaking boundaries with his passion for telling stories through technology. He hopes to instill a sense of empowerment in the world, through the DIY nature and uplifting undertones in each of his works.
OSSI CubeSat
At univeristy he studied Electrical Engineering and Computer Science after which he started working on his art.
After years of research he has found that it is indeed possible to launch and operate a personal satellite at a fairly reasonable price. For the past six years he has been exploring ways to integrate the concept of a personal satellite project into cultural contexts and into his artistic practice.
Hojun Song’s first satellite OSSI will take off on a Soyuz rocket from Baikonour in Kazakhstan this August. He obtained his rocket launch through a new French launch brokerage company NovaNano http://www.novanano.com/. In this video he shares his story, his struggles and his plans.
Watch The Open Source Satellite Initiative by Hojun Song
The OSSI CubeSat should be delivered on May 31 in preperation for its launch on August 31. The team are working hard to finish building the satellite.
AMSAT-UK 
You must be logged in to post a comment.