Tag Archives: CubeSat

May 4 2012

Australia's own CubeSat Workshop is planned for July 2012

CubeSats from a land down-under. Australia’s own CubeSat Workshop is planned for July 2012 in Canberra…

6U CubeSat Low Cost Space Missions Workshop

17th – 18th July 2012

Click here to register to attend the Workshop

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:

  • Astronomy
  • Atmospheric Science and other Planetary Science
  • Space Physics
  • Earth Observation
  • Biology
  • Other

Keynotes

Technology Keynote – John W. Hines, Chief Technologist, NASA-Ames Research Center (To be confirmed)
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.

  • SESSION 1: Earth Observation Missions
  • SESSION 2: Astronomy Missions
  • SESSION 3: Planetary Science and Space Physics Missions
  • SESSION 4: Biology and other missions
  • SESSION 5: 6U CubeSat launch opportunities
  • SESSION 6: 6U CubeSat standards

 

May 4 2012

Australia’s own CubeSat Workshop is planned for July 2012

CubeSats from a land down-under. Australia’s own CubeSat Workshop is planned for July 2012 in Canberra…

6U CubeSat Low Cost Space Missions Workshop

17th – 18th July 2012

Click here to register to attend the Workshop

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:

  • Astronomy
  • Atmospheric Science and other Planetary Science
  • Space Physics
  • Earth Observation
  • Biology
  • Other

Keynotes

Technology Keynote – John W. Hines, Chief Technologist, NASA-Ames Research Center (To be confirmed)
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.

  • SESSION 1: Earth Observation Missions
  • SESSION 2: Astronomy Missions
  • SESSION 3: Planetary Science and Space Physics Missions
  • SESSION 4: Biology and other missions
  • SESSION 5: 6U CubeSat launch opportunities
  • SESSION 6: 6U CubeSat standards

 

May 4 2012

F-2 nanosatellite

Conceptual design of F-2 nanosatellite (by FSpace)

Since 1957, with more than 50 years of exploring space, the lower thermosphere (90-320 km) is the least explored layer of the atmosphere. Satellites and space stations usually orbit at altitude over 320km (to increase orbital lifetime) Atmospheric Explorers were flown in the past in highly elliptical orbits (typically: 200 km perigee, 3000 km apogee); they carried experiments for in-situ measurements but the time spent in the region of interest below 320 km was only a few tens of minutes. Nowadays, sounding rocket flights provide the only in-situ measurements. While they do explore the whole lower thermosphere, the time spent in this region is rather short (a few minutes), there are only a few flights per year and they only provide measurements along a single column. Powerful remote-sensing instruments on board Earth observation satellites in higher orbits (600–800 km) receive the backscattered signals from atmospheric constituents at various altitudes. While this is an excellent tool for exploring the lower layers of the atmosphere up to about 100 km, it is not ideally suited for exploring the lower thermosphere because there the atmosphere is so rarefied that the return signal is weak. The same holds for remote-sensing observations from the ground with lidars and radars.

QB50 is an international network of 50 CubeSats for multi-point, in-situ measurements in the lower thermosphere and re-entry research proposed by the von Karman Institute. It has the scientific objective to study in situ the temporal and spatial variations of a number of key constituents and parameters in the lower thermosphere (90-320 km) with a network of 50 double CubeSats, separated by a few hundred kilometres and carrying identical sensors. QB50 will also study the re-entry process by measuring a number of key parameters during re-entry and by comparing predicted and actual CubeSat trajectories and orbital lifetimes.

The multi-point, in-situ measurements of QB50 will be complementary to the remote-sensing observations by the instruments on Earth observation satellites and the remote-sensing observations from the ground with lidars and radars. All atmospheric models, and ultimately thousands of users of these models, will benefit from the measurements obtained by QB50 in the lower thermosphere.

F-2 is a 2U CubeSat mission proposed by FSpace laboratory, FPT University to participate in QB50 project based on experience of FSpace team working in F-1 CubeSat project. The mission goals are to:

  • Collect scientific data of the lower thermosphere (from 330km down to 90km).
  • Demonstrate practical application of CubeSats, especially in a constellation of 50 CubeSats and a network of multiple ground stations around the world.
  • Providing an opportunity to experiment new technology, Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) products such as testing a smartphone in space as an onboard computer for a nano-satellite

Besides these goals, F-2 project also has strong educational objectives such as providing hands-on-project experience on a space project to engineering/science students and promoting international cooperation/capacity building among universities around the world.

 

May 4 2012

Successful test for the F-1 cubesat

F-1 cubesat in protective case

F-1 in its protective case

Thu XV9AA  successfully completed on ground long range communication tests with the F-1 bird. The project team is now undergoing the cubesat safety review to confirm its launch by an HTV cargo in late July.

 

 

Successful long range communication test from 50km!

FSpace team has just completed another important milestone by successful performed the long range communication test of F-1 CubeSat to the ground station at a distance of 50km! The team carried the little satellite to top of Tam Dao mountain (about 1300m high), more than 50km from the ground station at FPT building in Hanoi. Despite of heavy fog and high humidity (which was very bad for radio communication) the ground station successfully sent uplink commands to F-1 and the satellite responded correspondingly, reporting its status and taking some photos.

On the long way up…

640 x 480 photo taken by F-1 from Tam Dao mountain

Test successful, let’s have a group photo!

 

May 3 2012

CubeBug-1 – ARM Microcomputer CubeSat

CubeBug-1 is the first technology demonstration mission for a new CubeSat platform design (mechanics, hardware and software) intended to be released as Open Source and Open Hardware for its use in Amateur projects, University projects and research labs.

The project is sponsored by the Argentinian Ministry of Science, Technology and Productive Innovation.

As payload on this first mission, some custom designed components will be tested: an ARM based on-board computer, a nano-reaction wheel with its driver circuit and a low resolution camera, all based on COTS components.

It plans to use to use half duplex communications on UHF with 9k6 GMSK data.

CubeBug-1 is a 2U cubesat and is expected to be launched later this year with around 11 other amateur radio CubeSats on a DNEPR rocket from Yasny into a 607km 98 degree polar orbit.

After the technology demonstration part of the mission is over, the satellite will enter a mode that will include services to the Amateur Radio community, including a Digipeater, science data downloads from the payload (including images if possible).

May 2 2012

High School Students Build Amateur Radio CubeSat

TJ3Sat (pronounced TJ CubeSat) is scheduled to be the first satellite to be flown and built by high school students.

The satellite is a product of Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology’s Systems Engineering class. During this three year long endeavor approximately 30 high school students ranging from sophomores to seniors will have contributed.

The project is broken down into individual subsystems that are assigned to groups of students. Each subsystem is assigned an industry representative that acts as a mentor to the students. In the end TJ3Sat will act as an educational resource for K-12 education worldwide.

The primary payload of the TJ3Sat is a TextSpeak module, which converts serial data into spoken voice. Coupled with the Stensat Radio, coded data will be transmitted to the satellite and will be relayed back to Earth over an Amateur Radio frequency.

It is understood the CubeSat uplink with be in the 435 MHz band with the downlink in the 145 MHz band.

Watch TJ CubeSat Fit Check

TJ3Sat http://tj3sat.wikidot.com/