OPUSAT Team – Image credit SSSRC

The OPUSAT CubeSat, built by students at the Osaka Prefecture University Small Spacecraft Systems Research Center (SSSRC), will test Lithium-Ion Capacitors in space.

OPUSAT – image credit SSSRC

Lithium-Ion Capacitors have a high energy density (reportedly 14 Wh/kg) and so could potentially be of use in small satellites such as CubeSats where space and mass are at a premium.

OPUSAT will have deployable solar panels and Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT). The downlink on 437.150 MHz will be CW, 1200 bps AFSK or 9k6 GMSK telemetry.

The satellite has attracted the attention of the press. Read one Japanese newspaper story in Google English at http://tinyurl.com/Nikkan-OPUSAT-130815

OPUSAT in space – Image credit SSSRC

A launch is planned on the JAXA H-2A-202 rocket in Spring 2014 into a 400 km circular 65 deg orbit along with the primary payload Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Dual-Frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR). There should be a number of other satellites carrying amateur radio payloads on the launch, including:
• STARS-2 – Kagawa University
• TeikyoSat-3 – Teikyo University
• ShindaiSat – Shinshu University
• INVADER – Tama Art University
• ITF-1 – University of Tsukuba

OPUSAT website in Google English http://tinyurl.com/OPUSAT

OPUSAT is a 1U CubeSat designed and created by an OPU student team consisting of about 20 undergraduates and graduates at the Small Spacecraft Systems Research Center (SSSRC).

It is planning to use a 2 metre downlink for CW Beacon, 1k2 AFSK and 9k6 GMSK telemetry.

Mission Plans include
a. To operate technique of getting high power with Lithium-Ion Capacitor, control to the sun, and Maximum Power Point Tracking.
b. To open data of experiments on orbit and analytical software to the public.
c. To hold “competition of expecting object”.
d. To hold “competition of expecting the date of atmospheric entry

Planning for a 400 km circular 65 deg orbit with a launch by JAXA together with STARS-ⅡKagawa University,TeikyoSat-Teikyo University, ShindaiSat Shinshu University, INVADER Tama Art University and ITF-1 University of Tsukuba.

It is understood the primary payload is the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Dual-Frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR) due to launch in JFY 2013.

OPSAT in Google English http://tinyurl.com/OPUSAT