A sampling of recent articles, press releases, etc. about student and amateur CubeSat / SmallSat projects and programs:
** NTU Singapore Deploys Its Ninth Satellite Into Space – Asian Scientist Magazine
Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore, has successfully launched and deployed its ninth satellite. NTU’s first foray into space began 20 years ago. The first project was a communication payload codenamed Merlion, while the main satellite body was developed by the University of Surrey, UK. The latest satellite, called the AOBA VELOX-IV cube satellite, was built by a team led by Mr. Lim Wee Seng, executive director of NTU’s Satellite Research Centre, while its new altitude determination and control algorithm was developed by Professor Cho Mengu’s research team at the Kyushu Institute of Technology, Japan. It was launched from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) Epsilon-4 rocket.
** USI students make history with UNITE CUBE SAT deployment – 14NEWS.com
Two years of hard work came to fruition Wednesday morning when students from USI [University of Southern Indiana] watched their handmade satellite launched from the International Space Station.
The team was selected to design, build, and monitor the UNITE CUBE SAT satellite. The device is designed to measure plasma levels in the ionosphere, study the Earth’s orbit and measure temperature readings when the satellite re-enters the atmosphere.
“It was a lot of testing and development,” said Ryan Loehrlein, a USI senior and assistant team leader on the UNITE project. “We were doing prototyping with the boards. We were outside in below freezing temperatures at times just making sure the satellite would work. So actually seeing it launch today and getting to see it launched into space it’s one of those things that…it’s hard to let go of it because we’ve been doing it so long.”
See also Satellite made by USI students launched into space – 14News.com
** New nanosatellite system captures better imagery at lower cost — ScienceDaily
Ben-Gurion University researchers have developed a new satellite imaging system that could revolutionize the economics and imagery available from space-based cameras and even earth-based telescopes.
“This is an invention that completely changes the costs of space exploration, astronomy, aerial photography, and more,” says Angika Bulbul, a BGU Ph.D. candidate under the supervision of Prof. Joseph Rosen in the BGU Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.
In a paper published in the December issue of Optica, the researchers demonstrate that nanosatellites the size of milk cartons arranged in a spherical (annular) configuration were able to capture images that match the resolution of the full-frame, lens-based or concave mirror systems used on today’s telescopes.
** AMSAT news on student and amateur CubeSat/smallsat projects: ANS-034 AMSAT News Service Special Bulletin
- AMSAT Announces 50th Anniversary Space Symposium in Washington, DC
- Es’hail-2/P4A Designated Qatar-OSCAR 100 (QO-100)
- NEXUS Designated as Fuji-OSCAR 99 (FO-99)
- OrigamiSat-1 Granted FO-98 OSCAR Number
- Frank Bauer KA3HDO Appears on Ham Talk Live
- The ARISS Team Thanks You for Your Tremendous Support in 2018!
- ARRL Board Creates Permanent ARISS Committee
- European Astro Pi Challenge 2018/19: Mission Zero
- 2019 HamSCI Workshop Call for Papers and Speakers
- AMSAT-DL Website Now Multilingual
- Changes to the AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for January 31, 2019
- How to Support AMSAT
- Upcoming Satellite Operations
- Satellite Shorts from All Over
** General CubeSat/SmallSat info:
===
** Reposting – From Basement to Orbit – A New Class of Personal Satellites by Joe Latrell — Kickstarter – Crowdfunding the launch of a picosat PocketQube.
Development is nearly complete. The design for the PocketQube is finalized, and the hardware is now functional. There are still some integration processes and software work to do along with various testing requirements. We are also in the process of getting our licensing with the FCC, ITU, and other government agencies. We have spent nearly $50,000 getting to this point. To take it across the finish line, we need to raise $50,000 more. Our plan is to launch Discovery in 2019 into a 500 km (310 miles) Sun synchronous orbit. This location gives the Discovery optimal viewing of the Earth and makes it easier for us to retrieve data and upload new instructions. But in order to be ready to fly, we have to finish a lot of fine details between now and then.
More at Kickstarter campaign starts to finance launch of garage-built cubesat | Behind The Black.
====
Check out the Best Selling Electronics at Amazon
plus specific missions, Mars, Saturn, the Moon, the attributes of a PI and much more”.
.
