[jamsat-news:3162] ANS-118 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE
ANS-118

The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and infor-
mation service of AMSAT North America, The Radio Amateur Satellite
Corporation. ANS publishes news related to Amateur Radio in Space
including reports on the activities of a worldwide group of Amateur
Radio operators who share an active interest in designing, building,
launching and communicating through analog and digital Amateur Radio
satellites.

The news feed on http://www.amsat.org publishes news of Amateur
Radio in Space as soon as our volunteers can post it.

Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to:
ans-editor at amsat.org.

In this edition:

* CubeBug-1 Reaches Orbit
* Istanbul Technical University's TURKSAT-3USAT Launched
* Antares Successfully Launches from Wallops Island, Virginia
* PhoneSats Mission Complete
* 16 Year-old UK student to Work on KickSat Sprite
* Merritt Island High School StangSat Team Wins Best Presentation



SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-118.01
ANS-118 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 118.01
 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
April 28, 2013
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-118.01


*****************************************************************
* Volunteers are needed to help at the AMSAT booth at Dayton.   *
* Steve Belter N9IP, is looking for volunteers to help man the  *
* AMSAT booth during the 2013 Hamvention. If you are willing    *
* to help at the Hamvention, please send an e-mail by April 30  *
* to Steve Belter, n9ip@amsat.org.                              *
*                                                               *
* Monitor the 'AMSAT at Dayton Hamvention 2013' link on the new *
* AMSAT Web Site http://www.amsat.org for the latest AMSAT at   *
* Dayton news and developments                                  *
*****************************************************************


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CubeBug-1 Reaches Orbit


CubeBug-1 is the first technology demonstration mission for a new CubeSat
platform design (mechanics, hardware and software) intended to be released as
Open Source and Open Hardware for its use in Amateur projects, University
projects and research labs.

The project is sponsored by the Argentinean Ministry of Science, Technology and
Productive Innovation.

Payloads on this first mission include:
• an ARM based on-board computer
• a nano-reaction wheel with its driver circuit
• a low resolution camera
all based on COTS components

CubeBug-1 is a 2U CubeSat and uses a 1 watt output AstroDev Lithium Li-1 on
437.445 MHz using 1200 bps AX.25 AFSK FM packet radio, callsign LU1VZ-11.
Depending on the mode of the satellite the beacons will be transmitted every 10
to 30 seconds. Telemetry information is at http://1.cubebug.org/coms/telemetry

The team say “Please, if you hear the satellite, lets as know by email to
cubebug1@satellogic.com. If you decode a beacon 
or save its audio, please please
please, share it with us!”.

After the technology demonstration part of the mission is over, the satellite
will enter a mode that will include services to the Amateur radio community,
including an AX.25 Packet Radio Digipeater, science data downloads from the
payload (including images if possible).

CubeBug-1 launched on a Long March CZ-2D rocket 
from the Jiuquan Space Center on
April 26, 2013. After 816.5 seconds the CubeBug-1 deployed from the rocket.
Orbital data including TLE is at http://1.cubebug.org/orbit

Other satellites on the same launch include NEE-01 Pegasus (910 MHz) and
TURKSAT-3USAT (145/435 MHz linear transponder).

Watch a CubeBug-1 video at http://vimeo.com/56055215

CubeBug-1 website http://1.cubebug.org/

Follow #CubeBug1  on Twitter @CubeBug1 https://twitter.com/CubeBug1


[ANS thanks AMSAT-UK for the above information]


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Istanbul Technical University's TURKSAT-3USAT Launched


Members of AMSAT-TR (TAMSAT), the Turkish Amateur Satellite Technologies
Organisation, have designed and implemented an inverting V/U linear transponder
for the satellite to provide amateur radio SSB/CW communications. The
transponder input is 145.940-145.990 MHz and the output is 435.200-435.250 MHz.
On 437.225 MHz is either a CW beacon or 9600 baud AFSK.

The VHF/UHF transponder and all other subsystems, except the stabilization, are
doubled for redundancy. Where possible, both COTS systems and in-house
development are employed.

The power is provided using solar panels and lithium polymer batteries together
with super capacitors. Satellite stabilization is accomplished using passive
magnetic attitude control system with hysteresis 
rods. There is a camera payload
to take images of the Earth.

TURKSAT-3USAT launched on April 26, 2013 on a CZ-2D rocket from the Jiuquan
Space Center into a 680 km Low Earth Orbit (LEO). The satellite has a
de-orbiting system which will make it re-enter the atmosphere at the end of its
operational life.


Article in Google English about the satellite that explains how to use the
inverting linear transponder
http://tinyurl.com/TURKSAT-3USAT-Article

Further information and pictures of the preliminary testing of the V/U
transponder are at
http://www.tamsat.org.tr/tr/turksat-3usat-is-almost-ready/

Read the paper TURKSAT-3USAT: A 3U Communication CubeSat
http://www.nanosat.jp/images/3rd/pdf/%5BNSS-03-0409%5D_TURKSAT-
3USAT_A_3U_COMMUNICATION.pdf

Read more on the TAMSAT website which can be seen in Google English at
http://tinyurl.com/TurkeyTAMSAT

TURKSAT-3USAT Satellite Fun Club Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Turksat3usat-Fun-Club/484648341591111

TAMSAT / AMSAT-TR
• Facebook https://www.facebook.com/tamsat.amsattr
• Twitter https://twitter.com/tamsat_tr
• YouTube http://www.youtube.com/user/tamsatvideo

[ANS thanks AMSAT-UK for the above information]


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Antares Successfully Launches from Wallops Island, Virginia

An Antares rocket owned by Orbital Sciences Corp. blasted off on a successful
test flight Sunday, 21 April, inaugurating a new launch system to resupply the
International Space Station.

The first launch of the Antares rocket is a major step in a joint venture
between Orbital Sciences and NASA to develop two 
commercial space transportation
systems to resupply the space station, replacing much of the cargo-carrying
capacity lost when the space shuttle retired in 2011.

Sunday's demonstration flight paves the way for another mission this summer, in
which Orbital Sciences will launch its second Antares rocket with a Cygnus
spacecraft on top on a mission all the way to the space station.

If successful, the Cygnus mission this summer will clear the path for at least
eight operational cargo runs using the Antares rocket and Cygnus cargo craft.

The 13-story rocket lifted off at 5 p.m. EDT (2100 GMT) from launch pad 0A at
the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport - a facility financed by the government of
Virginia - and ascended into the sky atop a pillar of bluish golden flame from
two main engines.

The twin-engine first stage shut down less than four minutes into the mission,
releasing the rocket's solid-fueled second stage to propel the booster into
orbit.

The Castor 30 second stage motor, built by ATK, ignited for a burn lasting
two-and-a-half minutes, accelerating the rocket to more than 17,000 mph.
Engineers declared the rocket reached orbit, and the upper stage deployed a
8,377-pound block of aluminum designed to mimic the mass characteristics of the
Cygnus spacecraft, which will take the dummy 
payload's place on the next Antares
launch.

The instrumented mass simulator is just dead weight on its own, but a suite of
more than 70 accelerometers, thermocouples, thermometers, strain gauges and
microphones beamed data back to ground antennas through the rocket's
communications radio before it severed ties with 
the launch vehicle.  In addition
to the Cygnus mass simulator the Antares rocket carried aloft a group of three
cubesats known as PhonSats.

The rocket reached a near-circular orbit with an average altitude of about 155
miles, or 250 kilometers.

[ANS thanks SpaceFlightNow for the above information]


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PhoneSats Mission Complete

Since the successful deployment of our three PhoneSats on Sunday, we have
already received over 200 packets from Amateur 
Radio operators around the world!
We are sincerely grateful for all of your support and would like to thank you
for your key contributions in making this technology demonstration a success.
The received packets are being processed right now and will be published soon.
Please keep sending packets so we can follow the status of the satellites for
the complete duration of the technology demonstration.

As scheduled, Graham and Bell started transmitting picture packets which needed
to be stitched to restore the complete Earth picture.  The reassembled pictures
can be seen at http://www.phonesat.org/pictures.php

Saturday 27 April deorbit was announced via Twitter by NASA PhoneSat


[ANS thanks The PhoneSat team for the above information]


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16 Year-old UK student to Work on KickSat Sprite

The Yorkshire Post reports that Luke Bussell, who is a Year 11 student at
Bootham School and a member of the school’s astronomy group, got more than he
bargained for when he started doing his research for the annual Society for the
History of Astronomy essay prize.

Choosing to write about the history of unmanned exploration of Mars, he
contacted the British Interplanetary Society 
(BIS) to quiz their experts in this
fascinating field.

They were so impressed with the depth of Luke’s IT skills that they have
recruited him as a software engineer to work on the amateur radio KickSat
project, which will the see the design, building and testing of very small
spacecraft called Sprites.

Luke, who lives near York, said: “I did not realise that I would be working on
something that might be going into space.”

“It’s very exciting.”

“It’s good as I am only sixteen. I think that my family are quite proud,” he
added.

The KickSat Sprites from both the BIS and London Hackspace are planned to
launch, with 198 others, on the ELaNa 5 / CRS 3 mission in 2013.

The KickSat Sprite Technical Summary is available at
http://www.bis-space.com/2013/03/09/9301/kicksat-technical-summary


[ANS thanks Trevor, M5AKA, for the above information]


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Merritt Island High School StangSat Team Wins Best Presentation

StangSat presented at the Southeastern VHF Society Conference in Cocoa Beach.
Presenters, Brian Robusto and Jackson Kinney, did a fabulous job and the
StangSat team got a lot of support and advice 
from the members at the conference
They were awarded as Best Presentation earning 
$350 and over $700 was donated by
individuals present.

[ANS thanks StangSat Team, for the above information]


/EX


In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership in the
President's Club. Members of the President's Club, as sustaining
donors to AMSAT Project Funds, will be eligible to receive addi-
tional benefits. Application forms are available from the AMSAT
Office.

Primary and secondary school students are eligible for membership
at one-half the standard yearly rate. Post-secondary school students
enrolled in at least half time status shall be eligible for the stu-
dent rate for a maximum of 6 post-secondary years in this status.
Contact Martha at the AMSAT Office for additional student membership
information.

73,
This week's ANS Editor,
Lee McLamb, KU4OS
ku4os at amsat dot org


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