Tag Archives: Wallops Flight Facility

Nov 19 2013

Minotaur-1 Launch: Keplerian Two-Line Elements (TLEs)

Cape-2 CubeSat - University of Louisiana

Cape-2 CubeSat – University of Louisiana

These are the preliminary Keplerian Two-Line Elements (TLEs) for the beaconing CubeSats on the ORS-3 Minotaur-1 launch from the Wallops Flight Facility assuming a liftoff time of 2013-11-20 00:30:00 UT.

The P-POD position designation in the TLE name can be looked up on the website. http://cubesat.org/index.php/missions/upcoming-launches/135-ors3-launch-alert

Doppler.sqf data at http://www.dk3wn.info/p/?p=38470

Follow the launch day chat on the #cubesat IRC channel see http://www.cubesat.org/index.php/collaborate/ground-operators

Also check the AMSAT Bulletin Board (AMSAT-BB) at
http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/tools/maillist/

Frequency Chart by Mike Rupprecht DK3WN

TLe’s for launch November 21 at 0115 UT:

ORS3-2.2A
1 99900U 00000    13324.06792882 0.00000000  00000-0  00000-0 0  0005
2 99900  40.5215 249.9769 0002852 187.8940 351.5057 15.19723466000006
ORS3-2.3A
1 99901U 00000    13324.06827604 0.00000000  00000-0  00000-0 0  0007
2 99901  40.5215 249.9769 0002954 196.7779 344.5267 15.19722048000009
ORS3-2.3B
1 99902U 00000    13324.06827604 0.00000000  00000-0  00000-0 0  0008
2 99902  40.5215 249.9769 0002954 196.7779 344.5267 15.19722048000000
ORS3-2.3C
1 99903U 00000    13324.06827604 0.00000000  00000-0  00000-0 0  0009
2 99903  40.5215 249.9769 0002954 196.7779 344.5267 15.19722048000001
ORS3-2.5A
1 99904U 00000    13324.06862326 0.00000000  00000-0  00000-0 0  0000
2 99904  40.5214 249.9768 0003075 205.2431 337.9664 15.19728651000009
ORS3-2.5B
1 99905U 00000    13324.06862326 0.00000000  00000-0  00000-0 0  0001
2 99905  40.5214 249.9768 0003075 205.2431 337.9664 15.19728651000000
ORS3-2.5C
1 99906U 00000    13324.06862326 0.00000000  00000-0  00000-0 0  0002
2 99906  40.5214 249.9768 0003075 205.2431 337.9664 15.19728651000001
ORS3-2.6A
1 99907U 00000    13324.06827604 0.00000000  00000-0  00000-0 0  0003
2 99907  40.5215 249.9769 0002954 196.7779 344.5267 15.19722048000005
ORS3-2.6B
1 99908U 00000    13324.06827604 0.00000000  00000-0  00000-0 0  0004
2 99908  40.5215 249.9769 0002954 196.7779 344.5267 15.19722048000006
ORS3-2.6C
1 99909U 00000    13324.06827604 0.00000000  00000-0  00000-0 0  0005
2 99909  40.5215 249.9769 0002954 196.7779 344.5267 15.19722048000007
ORS3-2.7A
1 99910U 00000    13324.06792882 0.00000000  00000-0  00000-0 0  0006
2 99910  40.5215 249.9769 0002852 187.8940 351.5057 15.19723466000007
ORS3-2.7B
1 99911U 00000    13324.06792882 0.00000000  00000-0  00000-0 0  0007
2 99911  40.5215 249.9769 0002852 187.8940 351.5057 15.19723466000008
ORS3-2.7C
1 99912U 00000    13324.06792882 0.00000000  00000-0  00000-0 0  0008
2 99912  40.5215 249.9769 0002852 187.8940 351.5057 15.19723466000009

For mapping to satellite name and doppler.sqf data see http://www.dk3wn.info/p/?p=38470

Archive image of KySat-1

Archive image of KySat-1

Help needed with the CAPE II satellite
https://amsat-uk.org/2013/11/18/help-needed-with-the-cape-ii-satellite/

KySat-2: Calling all radio hams and space enthusiasts!
https://amsat-uk.org/2013/11/15/kysat-2-calling-all-radio-hams/

Satellite tracking https://amsat-uk.org/beginners/satellite-tracking/

Frequency list for amateur radio satellite deployments in November
https://amsat-uk.org/2013/11/13/three-amateur-radio-satellite-deployments-in-november/

Live TV coverage of launches https://amsat-uk.org/2013/11/17/tv-coverage-of-two-ham-radio-sat-launches/

Jul 23 2012

Tethersat-1 & 2 to test Electrodynamic Tether Propulsion

Illustration of the EDT concept – image Wiki

 

The amateur radio satellite Tethersat is a 3U CubeSat that splits into two joined by a 1 km tether to test electrodynamic tether propulsion.

Both spacecraft will use 9600 bps AX25 GFSK packet downlinks on UHF. A launch is planned on ORS-3 in July 2013 from the Wallops Flight Facility on Wallops Island, Va.

Electrodynamic tether propulsion propulsion has the potential to make space travel significantly cheaper. It is a simplified, very low-budget magnetic sail. It can be used either to accelerate or brake an orbiting spacecraft. When direct current is pumped through the tether, it exerts a Lorentz force against the magnetic field, and the tether accelerates the spacecraft.

Potentially this technique could be used to raise the orbit of a satellite from 600 to 1000 km using a Ward Spiral maneuver. See the 2009 paper Tethered Satellite Dynamics, Mission Design and Applications by Chadwick Healy http://ccar.colorado.edu/asen5050/projects/projects_2009/healy/

Wiki http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrodynamic_tether

IARU Satellite Frequency Coordination Panel status http://www.amsat.org.uk/iaru