[jamsat-news:3472] [ans] ANS Special Bulletin RadFxSat (Fox-1B) Launched

[Lee McLamb]

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE SPECIAL BULLETIN

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-322.01
RadFxSat (Fox-1B) Launched, Designated AMSAT-OSCAR 91 (AO-91)

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 322.01
  From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD.
DATE November 18, 2017
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-322.01

RadFxSat (Fox-1B) Launched, Designated AMSAT-OSCAR 91 (AO-91)

The Delta II rocket carrying RadFxSat (Fox-1B) launched at 09:47:36
UTC on November 18, 2017 from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California.

Following a picture-perfect launch, RadFxSat was deployed at 11:09
UTC. Then the wait began. At 12:12 UTC, the AMSAT Engineering team,
watching ZR6AIC's WebSDR waterfall, saw the characteristic "Fox Tail"
of the Fox-1 series FM transmitter, confirming that the satellite was
alive and transmitting over South Africa. Shortly after 12:34 UTC, the
first telemetry was received and uploaded to AMSAT servers by Maurizio
Balducci, IV3RYQ, in Cervignano del Friuli, Italy. Initial telemetry
confirmed that the satellite was healthy.

After confirmation of signal reception, OSCAR Number Administrator
Bill Tynan, W3XO, sent an email to the AMSAT Board of Directors
designating the satellite AMSAT-OSCAR 91 (AO-91). Bill's email stated:

"RadFxSat (Fox-1B) was launched successfully at 09:47 UTC today
November 18, 2017 from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California and has
been received by several amateur stations.

RadFxSat (Fox-1B), a 1U CubeSat, is a joint mission of AMSAT and the
Institute for Space and Defense Electronics at Vanderbilt University.
The Vanderbilt package is intended to measure the effects of radiation
on electronic components, including demonstration of an on-orbit
platform for space qualification of components as well as to validate
and improve computer models for predicting radiation tolerance
of semiconductors.

AMSAT constructed the remainder of the satellite including the
spaceframe, on-board computer and power system. The amateur radio
package is similar to that currently on orbit on AO-85 with an uplink
on 435.250 MHz (67.0 Hz CTCSS) and a downlink on 145.960 MHz.
Experiment telemetry will be downlinked via the DUV subaudible
telemetry stream, which can be decoded using the FoxTelem software.

RadFxSat (Fox-1B) was sent aloft as a secondary payload on the United
Launch Alliance (ULA) Delta II rocket that will transport the Joint
Polar Satellite System (JPSS)-1 mission. RadFxSat (Fox-1B) is one of
four CubeSats making up this NASA Educational Launch of Nanosatellites
(ELaNa) XIV mission, riding as secondary payloads aboard the JPSS-1
mission.

Since RadFxSat (Fox-1B) has met all of the qualifications necessary to
receive an OSCAR number, I, by the authority vested in me by the AMSAT
President, do hereby confer on this satellite the designation
AMSAT-OSCAR 91 or AO-91. I join amateur radio operators in the U.S.
and around the world in wishing AO-91 a long and successful life in
both its amateur and scientific missions.

I, along with the rest of the amateur community, congratulate all of
the volunteers who worked so diligently to construct, test and prepare
for launch the newest amateur radio satellite.

William A. (Bill) Tynan, W3XO
AMSAT-NA OSCAR Number Administrator"

AMSAT Engineering reminds stations that the satellite will not be
available for general use until the on-orbit checkouts are complete.
Please continue to submit telemetry to assist the Engineering team in
completing the commissioning process.

[ANS thanks Paul, N8HM, for the above information]

/EX


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