Go to AMSAT News for the latest headlines about developments in amateur and student satellites and for updates about amateur radio on the ISS.
ANS 055 Weekly AMSAT Bulletin – February 24, 2013:
* STRaND-1 Launch Information
* AMSAT and Virginia Tech Sign Collaboration Agreement
* Upcoming ARISS Contacts
* AMSAT-DC Workshop on Portable Satellite Ground Stations
* US Airforce Upgrades SpaceTrack Website For Keplarian Orbital Data
* Mission to Mars Announcement Expected
Go to AMSAT News for the latest headlines about developments in amateur and student satellites and for updates about amateur radio on the ISS.
ANS 048 Weekly AMSAT Bulletin – February 16, 2013:
* Monday February 18 OSCAR 7 Close Approach With Orbital Debris
* UK Space Mission – STRaND-1 Plans for Launch on February 25
* Additional Satellites on India’s PSLV-C20 Launch on February 25
* Amateur Satellite Allocations on the Agenda at Vienna
* April-May 2013 Launch for TURKSAT-3USAT Linear Transponder Cubesat
* New Cuban Satellite Operators Now On-the-Air
* NASA Long-Distance Google+ Hangout to Connect with Space Station
* JAMSAT 2013 Symposium in Tokyo – March 9-10
* ARISS School Contacts This Week
* Israeli Students Speak with Canadian Astronaut in Space
* Changes Announced at Space-Track Website to Access Tracking Data
* Satellite Shorts From All Over
An announcement from Nanosatisfi:
ArduSat Academy Launches 4 Week Space Experience
NanoSatisfi, LLC is pleased to announce that registration is now open for ArduSat Academy Summer Program 2013. Ardusat Academy is an opportunity for students, hackers, makers, DIY space enthusiasts, and anyone interested in space, science, or programming to learn how to devise and prepare their own satellite-based experiment. Building on the ArduSat initiative to make space accessible to all, ArduSat Academy gives participants the tools they need to best make use of that opportunity.
“In just four weeks, anyone can design and program their own space-based experiment or experience,” says ArduSat Academy Program Director Merryl Azriel. “This isn’t just a project to keep you busy through yet another summer: this is the real deal, with a real satellite.”
Participants will discover the nuts and bolts of satellite operations, explore the capabilities of ArduSat’s sensor suite, learn to program and assemble Arduinos, and design and test a program to execute their experiments in orbit. This summer, participants will also be able to witness the July launch of ArduSat-1 and meet with the engineers that made it all happen.
The four week program will run June 24 through July 19, with morning, afternoon, and weekend sessions available. $2000 will get you in the program, which will be held in the San Francisco metropolitan area. No prior experience is necessary. All ages 13 years and above are welcome.
For more details about ArduSat Academy Summer Program 2013 and to register, visit us at ardusatacademy.org.
About NanoSatisfi, LLC
San Francisco-based NanoSatisfi formed in the summer of 2012, with a mission of providing convenient, affordable, on-demand access to satellites. NanoSatisfi’s founders together combine experience at 9 universities, in 8 companies, in 7 languages, and on 3 continents. NanoSatisfi prides itself on being free from the old mindset of “space costs millions and take years,” and is devoted to making space accessible and affordable for everyone. The company’s first two satellites were crowdfunded via a Kickstarter campaign. The results of that campaign – a space-based application platform comprised of an AVR/Arduino based computer in a CubeSat standard with a freely programmable micro-processor and 25 sensors – will launch with NanoRacks in the summer of 2013. Learn more at www.nanosatisfi.com.
Go to AMSAT News for the latest headlines about developments in amateur and student satellites and for updates about amateur radio on the ISS.
ANS 041 Weekly AMSAT Bulletin – February 9, 2013:
* Mid-West USA High Altitude Balloon Launch on February 16
* Amateur Radio Participates in ISS Plasma Thrust Shadow Experiment
* CubeSats Form Asteroid Mining Exploration Fleet
* PCSAT normal(?) operations resume
* AMSAT-UK to provide Amateur Radio payload for ESEO satellite
* OSCAR-11 ANNUAL REPORT 2012
* UKube-1 to launch in June 2013
* Five new CubeSats hope for 2013 launch
* ARISS News
* Satellite Shorts From All Around
A team at the University of Texas has won first place in the latest round of the University Nanosat Program (UNP) sponsored by the US Air Force: The University of Texas at Austin Wins First Place in National Nanosatellite Competition – Univ. of Texas News
The same team won in 2005 with the two FASTRAC Satellites, which were launched in 2010.
More about the competition can be found at University Nanosatellite Program – Wikipedia.
From the UT announcement:
A panel of expert judges selected winners in two categories: ARMADILLO was selected as the first-place winner in the CubeSat class; and The Georgia Institute of Technology won in the Nanosatellite class. CubeSats are miniature handheld satellites that are generally built using off-the-shelf electronics components, making them very cost-effective. The ARMADILLO satellite’s dimensions are 10 cm x 10 cm x 34 cm.
The Cockrell School of Engineering’s team consists of more than 50 graduate and undergraduate students who worked for two years on the ARMADILLO (Atmosphere Related Measurements and Detection of submILLimeter Objects) mission. The competition took place at the Air Force Research Laboratories in Albuquerque, N.M., on Jan. 11.
Once in orbit, ARMADILLO will measure space debris, which will allow scientists to characterize that debris and better understand the sources and life cycles of space pollution. Space debris is a hazard for operational spacecraft. Today, ground-based radar can only detect and track space objects larger than 10 centimeters.
Lightsey said developing small, inexpensive satellites such as ARMADILLO marks a big step in the advancement of space exploration.
“We’re making these small satellites with much more advanced technology and capability than has ever been done before,” Lightsey said. “By decreasing the size of the satellite, it will also be possible for groups of satellites to work cooperatively and perform operations simultaneously, such as building structures in space and taking measurements collectively.”