Tony Monteiro, AA2TX VP, Engineering AMSAT Forum Dayton Hamvention 2011 AMSAT FOX

Background AMSAT-Echo (AO-51) is the most popular ham satellite Can be worked with simple equipment 6 years old Experiencing battery issues

Background (cont) Need succession plan for “easysat” mode Launch costs have gone up dramatically MicroSats like AO-51 were once the low-cost path to orbit – not any more!

Opportunistic Launch Strategy Unique/special circumstances (AO-40) Rideshare opportunities (RS-10/11) ARISS Program (ARISSat-1) –ISS orbit only CubeSat Launches

CubeSat Small satellite specification developed by Stanford and Cal-Poly universities Standard satellite dimensions allows for pooled launches via P-POD deployer “Mass production” lowers costs and increases launch opportunities

CubeSat Challenges Very small size (1U) –10 cm cube (4” x 4” x 4”) – 1 / 16 volume of AO-51 Weight limit –1.33 kg (3 lbs) Limited area for solar panels – 1 / 6 surface area of AO-51 Limited space for antennas

Technical Approach Use “cell phone” electronics for small size and low power Use deployable solar panels to generate more power Use deployable antennas

Target Specifications 600 – 800 km polar orbit Mode U/V (70 cm up, 2m down) FM Analog Transponder Software Defined Transponder (SDX) Science experiment

Special Design Features Can tolerate battery failure (open or short) –Will run on solar power only Can tolerate IHU processor failure –FM analog transponder only

System Diagram I/Q Rx FM Rx Tx Battery Solar Cells IHU PSU Experiment Sensors

Mechanical Diagram

CubeSat Advantages Large and growing technical community –Boeing Positions AMSAT to work with universities –SUNY Next Gen projects Affordable and available launch opportunities –Regularly scheduled launches –Relatively low-cost launches –NASA Launch Initiative (subsidized or free)

University Research Stacked Cubes - 3U (12” x 12” x 4”) Inflatable antennas Active attitude control (including 3-axis) Solar panel deployment schemes Micro propulsion for on-orbit maneuvers

Status Project Started - Oct 2010 System Requirements Spec - Jan 2011 Concept Review – April 2011 SUNY student projects completed – May 2011 Model in AMSAT booth

Thank you Tony Monteiro, AA2TX AMSAT FOX AMSAT Forum Dayton Hamvention 2011