UKube-1 on display at UK Space Conference in Glasgow

New Electronics has a feature on the UK CubeSat programme and UKube-1 which it says should be launched from Kazakhstan on March 27, 2014.

Caroline Harper is a programme manager at the UK Space Agency and one programme that comes under her wing is UKube-1.

CubeSats can also have a role in education, as Harper pointed out. “We have a payload called FUNCube, which will allow kids in schools to download real housekeeping data from the spacecraft almost in real time and to do their own experiments on that data. We hope that will encourage interest in STEM subjects.”

FUNcube was developed entirely by volunteers at the amateur radio organisation AMSAT-UK. TOPCAT, meanwhile, is a payload that will measure the regions of space just beyond the Earth’s atmosphere – the ionosphere and plasmasphere – in order to help GPS users by monitoring and subsequently reacting to variable space weather conditions that adversely affect the Global Positioning System. The payload will consist of a specialised dual frequency GPS receiver that is suitable for operation in the space environment. The development has been led by a postgraduate at the University of Bath, with support from Chronos Technology, RAL and MSSL.

Read the article at http://www.newelectronics.co.uk/electronics-technology/emerging-opportunities-provide-a-launchpad-for-the-uks-space-sector/58857/

Artists impression of UKube-1 in orbit – Credit Clyde Space

In addition to the educational telemetry beacon the FUNcube boards on UKube-1 will also provide a 435/145 MHz linear transponder for SSB/CW communications.

UKube-1 communications subsystem:
• Telemetry downlink 145.840 MHz
• FUNcube subsystem beacon 145.915 MHz 1200 bps BPSK
• 400 mW inverting linear transponder for SSB and CW
– 435.080 -435.060 MHz Uplink
– 145.930 -145.950 MHz Downlink
• 2401.0 MHz S Band Downlink
• 437.425-437.525 MHz UKSEDS myPocketQub Downlink

March launch for UKube-1 and TechDemoSat-1
https://amsat-uk.org/2013/11/05/march-launch-for-ukube-1-and-techdemosat-1/

The UK CubeSat Forum https://amsat-uk.org/2013/12/19/announcing-the-uk-cubesat-forum/