Tag Archives: Ham Radio

Jul 11 2012

SST-US and Virgin Galactic Small Satellite Launches

Virgin Galactic LauncherOne

Virgin Galactic LauncherOne

On July 11, Surrey Satellite Technology US LLC (SST-US) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Virgin Galactic optimizing Surrey’s innovative satellites for Virgin’s new launch vehicle, radically lowering the cost of building and launching small satellites.

This MOU comes on the heels of Virgin Galactic’s announcement of its new ”LauncherOne” program, an unmanned rocket that will be air-launched by SpaceShipTwo’s carrier aircraft, WhiteKnightTwo, and that will be capable of delivering as much as 225 kg to low Earth Orbit. SST-US and Virgin Galactic have agreed to work together to provide SST-US, the world leader in small satellite manufacturing, the information needed to build the most powerful spacecraft that LauncherOne can support, giving satellite customers a powerful and affordable option to put their payloads into space.

SST-US is the US operation of Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL), the pioneer in small and cost effective space missions. The collaboration with Virgin Galactic is expected to involve the development by SST-US of new launcher-optimised satellite platforms, the supply of subsystems to the launch vehicle, and advising on market requirements for launch services.

Dr. John Paffet, CEO of SST-US, commented: “Since we launched our first small satellite in the Eighties, we have been changing the economics of space by leveraging innovation. As our platforms have become an integral part of many space programmes, launching satellites at a cost that is synergistic with the mission programme remains a challenge. We look forward to collaborating with Virgin Galactic on this exciting new venture to develop a solution to this need.”

LauncherOne will be a two stage vehicle capable of carrying up to 500 pounds (225 kilograms) to orbit for prices below $10 million. The rocket will be launched from Virgin Galactic’s WhiteKnightTwo, the uniquely capable aircraft also designed to carry SpaceShipTwo aloft to begin her suborbital missions. With more than 85 flights completed to date, WhiteKnightTwo has substantially completed her test flight program.

“Virgin Galactic’s goal is to revolutionize the way we get to space,” Virgin Galactic’s Founder Sir Richard Branson said. “I’m immensely proud of what we have already achieved as we draw near to regular suborbital flights on SpaceShipTwo. Now, LauncherOne is bringing the price of satellite launch into the realm of affordability for schools, non-profits, and start-ups, in addition to companies and space agencies. This provides a completely new resource to the global research community, letting us learn about our home planet more quickly and more affordably.”

Watch LauncherOne – Furthering the Space Frontier

Watch Virgin Galactic’s WhiteKnightTwo and LauncherOne take flight

Virgin Galactic LauncherOne http://www.virgingalactic.com/launcherone

SST-US http://www.sst-us.com/

SSTL Press Release http://www.sstl.co.uk/news-and-events?story=2044

BBC News Report http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-18801180

Jul 10 2012

10 year old Radio Ham talks of his DIY Space Projects on TV

Channel 9 TV Interviews Jason Brand VK2FJAB

Jason Brand VK2FJAB (10) was interviewed for the morning “Today” show on Channel 9 in Australia. He talks about amateur radio and his Do-It-Yourself space projects.

Watch Channel 9 (Australia) interview with Jason

Watch Robert Brand VK2URB and Jason Brand VK2FJAB WotzUp Radio, Space and Balloon Workshop

Forget Skype: this whiz kid prefers radio
http://inner-west-courier.whereilive.com.au/news/story/forget-skype-this-whiz-kid-prefers-radio/

Students help launch balloon into space
http://inner-west-courier.whereilive.com.au/news/story/students-help-launch-balloon-into-space/

ArduSat Introduction http://wotzup.com/2012/07/ardusat-introduction/

Jul 10 2012

UK to get Kickstarter crowd-sourced funding

A KickSat Sprite Satellite

The crowd-sourced funding website Kickstarter, which has been used for amateur radio projects in the USA, is to launch in the UK this autumn.

Radio ham Zac Manchester KD2BHC used Kickstarter to raise $74,586 in donations to fund the development and deployment of over a hundred amateur radio KickSat sprite satellites.

The amateur radio satellite project ArduSat managed to raise donations of $80,379 in just 26 days.

Kickstarter is not just about raising large sums of money, for example Sandy Antunes used Kickstarter to raise $2,780 to buy a ham radio transceiver and antennas to create an amateur radio satellite ground station Calliope

BBC News report http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-18780184

Twitter http://twitter.com/kickstarter/

Kickstarter http://www.kickstarter.com/

Jul 9 2012

Rocket Science – Helen Sharman Interview

Helen Sharman GB1MIR was the first UK astronaut. On May 18, 1991, she flew to the Mir Space Station on board Soyuz-TM12, aged 27.

Before flying, Helen spent 18 months in intensive flight training in Star City on the outskirts of Moscow. The Soyuz TM-12 mission, which included Soviet cosmonauts Anatoly Artsebarsky and Sergei Krikalev, lasted eight days, most of that time spent at the Mir space station. Helen’s tasks included medical and agricultural scientific experiments, photographing the British Isles, and participating in an amateur radio hookup with UK schoolchildren.

Watch Rocket Science – Helen Sharman Interview

Since her return, Helen has become one of the UK’s leading ambassadors for science. She was awarded the OBE in 1992 and is a fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, the Royal Geographical Society, the Royal Aeronautical Society and the British Interplanetary Society. Helen has won numerous awards including the Medal “For Merit in Space Exploration” in 2012 from the Russian Federation government. Helen is currently Group Leader of Surface and Nanoanalysis at the National Physical Laboratory.

Jul 9 2012

Summer OSCAR News in the Post

The 40 page Summer edition of the AMSAT-UK publication OSCAR News is being posted to members.

In this issue:

  • Development of High Voltage Technology Demonstration Satellite, HORYU-2
  • A Multi-purpose Portable Set-up: Working Low Earth Orbit Satellites from any place
  • AMSAT-UK International Space Colloquium Guildford Sept 15-16
  • Increase in ISS Debris Avoidance Manoeuvres
  • G3CVI column “Haven’t got a callsign?”
  • The FUNcube Dongle and the next generation
  • FUNcube Report June 2012
  • AMSAT-FOX
  • Listening to the ISS
  • ITAR – International Traffic in Arms Regulations
  • ESMO – European Student Moon Orbiter

You can get OSCAR News by joining AMSAT-UK online at http://tinyurl.com/JoinAMSAT-UK

AMSAT-UK is a voluntary organisation that supports the design and building of equipment for amateur radio satellites.

Jul 9 2012

Reform of the Outer Space Act 1986: Consultation

The UK Space Agency has issued a public consultation seeking views of stakeholders on proposed changes to the Outer Space Act 1986.

This is in response to the Government Growth Review published in March 2011, in which the Government set out its wish to reform the Outer Space Act 1986 by introducing an upper limit on liability for UK operators.

The Outer Space Act covers all UK satellites irrespective of size, from tiny low cost educational CubeSats up to large commercial £500 million satellites.

The key aspects of the consultation are the proposals to waive the capped liability and insurance requirement for in-orbit operation of any satellite that meets the criteria of a CubeSat and to remove the requirement for unlimited indemnity from satellite operators.

The existing Outer Space Act imposes heavy additional costs (>£50,000 per annum) on those wishing to launch small educational CubeSats. The additional costs act as a major deterrent and to-date no such UK CubeSat has been launched.

The public consultation closes August 31, 2012.

Further information at
http://www.bis.gov.uk/ukspaceagency/news-and-events/2012/May/
reform-of-the-outer-space-act-1986-consultation