A sampling of recent articles, press releases, etc. related to student and amateur CubeSat / SmallSat projects and programs:

** Arizona student team to build CubeSat with inflatable antenna for NASA program:  UA Student-led CatSat Mission Selected by NASA | UANews

An inflatable space antenna designed by University of Arizona students is one of 16 small research satellites from 10 states NASA has selected to fly as auxiliary payloads aboard space missions planned to launch in 2020, 2021 and 2022.

The selections are part of the 10th round of NASA’s CubeSat Launch Initiative.

…

CatSat is a 6U CubeSat led by UA students from the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory and various departments including aerospace and mechanical engineering, astronomy, computer science, and systems and industrial engineering.

…

CatSat is the size of a large cereal box. When fully deployed, the inflatable expands in a bubble gum fashion, forming a sphere three feet across that sticks out from one side of the box. An aluminized spot inside the inflated sphere is used as the communication antenna to beam data back to the Earth. Since Catsat will be in low Earth orbit, the data can be downloaded using a ground station located at the UA.

CatSat is mainly a technology demonstration mission to mature this inflatable concept in Earth orbit. The ultimate goal is to fly such an antenna on an interplanetary mission that Reddy wants to lead to explore small bodies in the solar system.

** Hampton Univ. student team developing improve software for Cubesats: Hampton University students developing analysis software for satellites | 13newsnow.com

College students from all around Virginia, including in Hampton, are working on a major project that will analyze data of tiny satellites sent into space.

Four undergrad students from Hampton University are working with students from three other state universities to deliver small satellites to NanoRacks in Houston, Texas to be integrated into a CubeSat deployer (NRCSD).

** AMSAT news on student and amateur CubeSat/smallsat projects: ANS-083 AMSAT News Service Special Bulletin

• AMSAT Activities at Hamvention 2019
• NASA on the Air
• Satellite Operating Demonstrations Planned for Tucson Hamfest
• Three more 50th Anniversary Certificates Earned
• “Getting Started” Guide CLoseout
• Canadian Artist To Use HAARP To Transmit SSTV
• ESEO Satellite Commissioning Starts
• FoxTelem Version 1.07 Released
• Sally Ride EarthKAM @ Space Camp’s 66th Mission Is Open For Registration
• K6FW Gets 488 Grids
• Upcoming Satellite Operations
• ARISS News
• Shorts From All Over

General CubeSat/SmallSat info:

• Technology:
  • Tethers Unlimited says two-way radio has aced its first orbital test – GeekWire
  • Vector’s GalacticSky GSky-1 Satellite Developed with USC’s Space Engineering Research Center Ready for Launch Later This Year – TMCnet.com
  • Lockheed Martin develops smart satellite that can be reprogrammed in orbit – NewAtlas.com
  • Mitigating the loss of satellite data by using CubeSat remote sensing technology – Chinese Academy of Sciences/Phys.org
• CubeSat projects:
  • NASA’s latest cubesat candidates include a solar sail test – engadget.com
•  Constellations:
  • SpaceX Claims To Have Redesigned Its Starlink Satellites To Eliminate Casualty Risks – IEEE Spectrum
• Deep space:
  • Tiny satellites prove their potential on mission to Mars – NYT/The Columbus Dispatch
• Reference:
  • NASA Releases Spacecraft Technology Report [Part 1] – ThomasNet.com
  • NASA Releases Spacecraft Technology Report [Part 2]
  • NASA Releases Spacecraft Technology Report [Part 3]
  • State of the Art of Small Spacecraft Technology – NASA

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