Tag Archives: QB50

Jan 28 2014

QB50 CubeSat Launch Contract Signed

First two stages of Cyclone-4 - Image credit Alcantara Cyclone Space

First two stages of Cyclone-4 – Image credit Alcantara Cyclone Space

The 7th QB50 workshop opened on Tuesday with the announcement that on Monday, January 27, 2014, the Von Karman Institute of Belgium signed the launch contract with Alcantara Cyclone Space for the launch of the QB50 constellation of 50 2U CubeSats into a 350 km low earth orbit for scientific research. The QB50 project is funded via the FP7 programme of the European Commission.

Launching Facility - Image credit Alcantara Cyclone Space

Launching Facility – Image Alcantara Cyclone Space

Alcantara Cyclone Space is a joint venture between the governments of Ukraine and Brazil for the development of the Cyclone 4 launch vehicle and launch site facilities in Brazil. The Alcantara launch site is located near the Atlantic coast just 2.3 degrees south of the equator.

Cyclone 4 is the successor to the previous Ukrainian Cyclone (Tsyklon) launch vehicles which have a record of more than 200 successful launches since 1969. The three stage rocket has a launch mass of 198 tonnes and a maximum payload of 5.685 tonnes to a 500 km Equatorial Orbit. To a Sun Synchronous Orbit (SSO) at 400 km altitude the maximum payload will be 3.910 tonnes. The launch vehicle will also have a capability to deliver 1.600 tonnes to Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO). The first and second stages are from existing designs and the third stage is new and has enhanced performance with a 4 metre diameter fairing.

The precise QB50 launch date is still to be confirmed but the launch window is defined as being between December 2015 and November 2016.

Cyclone-4 - Image credit Alcantara Cyclone Space

Cyclone-4 – Image Alcantara Cyclone Space

In July 2013 the QB50 project team signed a Memorandum of Understanding with AMSAT-UK, AMSAT-Francophone, and AMSAT-NL to enable amateur radio payloads to fly on two QB50 precursor spacecraft in advance of the main launch. These are expected to be launched in April or May this year to a 600 km Sun Synchronous Orbit (SSO) on a Dnepr launch vehicle from Dombarovsky near Yasny. One will carry a FUNcube based U/V linear transponder from AMSAT-NL and AMSAT-UK and the other will be a U/V FM transponder with AX25 telemetry from AMSAT-Francophone.

QB50: Amateur Radio transponder payloads to launch 2014
https://amsat-uk.org/2013/07/20/qb50-amateur-radio-transponder-payloads-to-launch-2014/

QB50 satellites apply for frequency coordination
https://amsat-uk.org/2013/10/13/qb50-satellites-apply-for-frequency-coordination/

QB50 UNSA-SAT1 – The first 3.4 GHz CubeSat
https://amsat-uk.org/2014/01/08/unsa-sat1-the-first-3-4-ghz-cubesat/

QB50 10 GHz CubeSat ESTELLE to carry Cold Gas Thruster
https://amsat-uk.org/2013/12/10/10-ghz-cubesat-estelle-to-carry-cold-gas-thruster/

Alcantara Cyclone Space http://www.alcantaracyclonespace.com/

Oct 13 2013

QB50 satellites apply for frequency coordination

Typical QB50 CubeSatThe first CubeSats of the planned QB50 satellite constellation have applied to the IARU for frequency coordination.

QB50 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 about 40 double and 10 triple CubeSats. These, university built, CubeSats will be launched into a 320 km circular orbit, will be separated by a few hundred kilometres and carry identical science sensors.

The sensors will monitor parameters that will greatly increase our knowledge and understanding of this little explored region of the E and F layers of the Ionosphere. 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.

Some of the first CubeSats to apply for frequency coordination are SUSat, Hoopoe/IL01, SAT-IP2, ExAlta-1, OGMS-SA, InflateSail, XCubesat, SpaceCube, UNSA-SAT1, EntrySat, PHOENIX and Dragsat-CubeSat, see http://www.amsatuk.me.uk/iaru/formal.php

QB50: Amateur Radio transponder payloads to launch 2014
https://amsat-uk.org/2013/07/20/qb50-amateur-radio-transponder-payloads-to-launch-2014/

More information about the QB50 project can be found at http://www.qb50.eu/

Jul 20 2013

QB50: Amateur Radio transponder payloads to launch 2014

Graham Shirville G3VZV, Gerard Auvray F6FAO and Wouter Weggelaar PA3WEG

Graham Shirville G3VZV, Gerard Auvray F6FAO and Wouter Weggelaar PA3WEG

It was announced during the QB50 presentation at the AMSAT-UK International Space Colloquium that two CubeSats, one carrying a linear transponder for SSB/CW, the other a FM voice transponder, should be launched into a 600 km orbit in the first half of 2014.

The QB50 project team has announced that on July 19, 2013 they signed a Memorandum of Understanding with AMSAT-UK, AMSAT-Francophone, and AMSAT-NL to enable two amateur radio payloads to fly on two 2-Unit CubeSats in the first half of 2014. These precursor CubeSats, which have still to be named, will be placed into a conventional 600 km 98o orbit in advance of the main mission. This allows for the testing of key satellite and payload components ahead of the full QB50 mission. In addition, the precursor mission allows for experimentation and validation of operational concept of the QB50 mission. Next to these objectives the amateur radio payloads will be operated as well. At the beginning of the mission, the various payloads onboard the spacecraft will be operated in an alternating fashion, whilst the amateur radio payloads will be operated as the primary payload of the spacecraft once all QB50 related experimentation has been concluded.

Typical QB50 CubeSatThe main mission of QB50 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 about 40 double and 10 triple CubeSats. These, university built, CubeSats will be launched into a 320km circular orbit, will be separated by a few hundred kilometres and carry identical science sensors. The sensors will monitor parameters that will greatly increase our knowledge and understanding of this little explored region of the E and F layers of the Ionosphere. 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.

QB50The AMSAT-Francophone (AMSAT-F) payload for one of the satellites will be a U/V (435/145 MHz) FM transponder. It will also transmit FX25 telemetry at 9600 bps. This secondary payload will be also used in several satellites in the main constellation as their main receiver and transmitter.

The AMSAT-NL payload, on the other precursor satellite, will incorporate a linear U/V transponder core.

The QB50 spacecraft in the main, short duration, mission will, generally, have downlinks operating on frequencies in the 435-438 MHz Amateur Satellite Service allocation and some are expected to use 2.4 GHz. They will be notified to the ITU as a Belgian network after having been coordinated by the IARU Frequency Coordination Panel. Some of these will also, on occasions, act as FM voice relays during their missions.

Watch the video of the QB50 Presentation at the 2013 AMSAT-UK International Space Colloquium
http://www.batc.tv/streams/amsat1308
Direct video download http://www.batc.tv/vod/qb50.flv

More information about the QB50 project can be found at http://www.qb50.eu/

Webcast of International Space Colloquium this weekend
https://amsat-uk.org/2013/07/18/webcast-of-international-space-colloquium/