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FUNcube SatelliteFUNcube Satellite

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IntroductionIntroduction

Background information about AMSAT and AMSAT-UK

Brief history of “OSCAR” satellites

Info on today's operational spacecraft

Background of FUNcube

FUNcube – what it will do

Expected timelines

The follow on spacecraft

Some conclusions

15/07/2007

AMSAT–UK

500 individual members –most are active radio amateurs.

One of more than 20 such groups worldwide.

In Europe, AMSAT groups exist in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Denmark , Sweden, and the UK.

15/07/2007

OSCAR SatellitesOldest - Oscar 1 - launched 1961

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OSCAR Satellites Largest – Oscar 40 – launched 2000

• 450kg to HEO on an Ariane 5

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OSCAR SatellitesOldest still operational - Oscar 7 - launched 1974

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OSCAR SatellitesLatest –HW-1 – launched Dec 2009 - Oscar 68

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OSCAR SatellitesCreated by groups in – US, Japan, UK, Russia,

China, France, Germany, Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Korea, Israel, Italy, Portugal, Saudi Arabia,

Malaysia, Mexico, Thailand, India, Netherlands, South Africa

03/11/2008

AMSAT-UK provided an S band transmitter/transponder in June 2004 and it was launched in October 2005 – Oscar 53

15/07/2007

We offered a 3 watt S band PA in April 2004 It was launched in June 2004

In the beginning - AO51

15/07/2007

18/10/2008

Columbus L/S Band Antennas

04/01/2009

The Amateur Satellite ServiceITU regulated frequency bands:

HF @ 7, 14, 21 & 28MHz

VHF @ 145MHz

UHF @ 435, 1260* & 2400MHz

Microwave @ 3.4GHz*, 5.6GHz*, 5.8GHz*, 10GHz, 24GHz +

* - with some limitations

.

.

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Cubesats Standard - less than I.3 kg

100x100x100mm

Double and triples also possible

Standard deployment mechanisms “PODS”

.

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PSLV launcher

.

CubeSat deployers

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Current cubesat

statistics 40 launched already

200+ being developed

Created by groups in:

US, India, Netherlands, France, Switzerland, Italy,

Germany, Denmark, Norway, Austria, Spain, Portugal

Poland, Estonia, Japan, Turkey, Mexico etc etc…..

.

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FUNcube Project– the backgroundFUNcube Project– the background

Given that:Cubesats are “cheap”Cubesats can be built quicklyCubesats should be “simple”

So:Could we create an educational outreach mission?Could it also have a amateur transponder?Could we create a team of volunteers with the skills/passion?Could we develop the actual educational outreach?Could we fund it?

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FUNcube Project– primary objectiveFUNcube Project– primary objective

• EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH • STEM subjects

– Radio – practical understanding of communication– Electronics – how radios work– Physics – Data from 40+ telemetry channels– Orbital mechanics - Doppler

• Materials science payload -Demonstrate loss of heat energy by radiation from two materials with differing surface finishes

• “Fitter Message” - Short greetings messages

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FUNcube-1 SatelliteFUNcube-1 Satellite

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• 1-Unit CubeSat• COTS CubeSat structure, EPS, Solar panels, PMAS and antennas• Bespoke CCT (Command, Control & Telemetry) Board • Bespoke RF and HPA boards• VHF telemetry downlink– 1k2 BPSK with FEC (Forward Error Correction)

• Materials science experiment• Mode UV linear transponder (20kHz, 1W PEP)• Designed for SSO at around 600km (with a >5 year mission life!)• AMSAT-UK’s first spacecraft

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FUNcube-1 The “stack”FUNcube-1 The “stack”

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FUNcube-1 The “Stack”FUNcube-1 The “Stack”

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FUNcube – Special Solar PanelFUNcube – Special Solar Panel

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Martlesham Team Meeting – Nov Martlesham Team Meeting – Nov

20102010

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FUNcube-1 The “Stack” for realFUNcube-1 The “Stack” for real

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Team Meeting @ ISIS - May 2011Team Meeting @ ISIS - May 2011

FUNcube – telemetry receptionFUNcube – telemetry reception

The “Ground Segment”- the FUNcube The “Ground Segment”- the FUNcube dongledongle

• An SDR radio designed and built by Howard Long G6LVB• The Pro version covers 61 -1700MHz• 96kHz bandwidth I/Q output – works with all freeware SDR

software & any OS• Possibilities for remote reception networks /parallel processing• Is creating a sensation!


• An SDR radio designed and built by Howard Long G6LVB• The Pro version covers 61 -1700MHz• 96kHz bandwidth I/Q output – works with all freeware SDR

software & any OS• Possibilities for remote reception networks /parallel processing• Is creating a sensation!


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Thermal testing Rutherford Appleton Laboratory - AIV section.

• Qualification tests on engineering model• No solar panels or antenna deployment sub system• Find all thermal issues before going to time-consuming

vacuum test• Access to spacecraft between tests is easy• Calibrating some temperature sensors along the way

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• Thermal air test is useful to find component and workmanship issues. (i.e. solder joints)

• Gets a rough idea of temperature ranges• Components are put at desired temperature by forcing air

around them (convection)• This heat transfer is NOT present in space due to the lack of

air needed for convection

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Thermal sensor locations:

On PA transistorNear uplink RX crystalOn CCT microcontroller

0 50 100 150 200 250 300

-40

-20

0

20

40

60

80 f(x) = − 0.426757382443355 x + 76.7804916756003R² = 0.988769149638928

ADC count PA

Linear (ADC count PA)

110 120 130 140 150 160 170 180

-40

-20

0

20

40

60

80 f(x) = − 1.56380831310913 x + 236.995294888093R² = 0.985555415605518

ADC count RF

Linear (ADC count RF)

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• Results are promising• Identified some issues to be solved later• No showstoppers• Lets move on to thermal vac!

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Thermal Vacuum testing Rutherford Appleton Laboratory - AIV section.

• Qualification tests on engineering model• No solar panels or antenna deployment sub system• More time-consuming due to vacuum conditions• Access to spacecraft between tests is time consuming

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Thermal Vacuum testing Rutherford Appleton Laboratory - AIV section.

• Thermal vacuum shows you the “real” distribution of heat• The sun is not mimicked in the vacuum chamber, so no “real”

illumination• However, the steady-state temperatures can be observed• Another workmanship test (thermal stress cycling)• Also, outgassing of all materials is done in a “bake out”• RAL has facilities to analyze this

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Colloquium July 2011

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Vibration testing Rutherford Appleton Laboratory - AIV section.

• Qualification level tests on engineering model• No solar panels or antenna deployment sub system• Composite vibration profile to encompass several launch

vehicles• X Y and Z Axis testing


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• 1) Sine survey to assess low stress response. 0.5G 5Hz to 2000Hz

• 2) High sine amplitude. 4G 5 to 100Hz (launch)• 3) Quasi static. Short burst 11G 20Hz• 4) Random vibration. Composite 20 – 1000Hz at 7.8G for 2

mins

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• Single axis accelerometers attached to 5 PCBs + structure (Z)

• 3 axis accelerometer attached to test pod• Control accelerometer attached to adaptor plate• Each axis has 3 tests with surveys between. Total 7 runs per

axis

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• Z axis accelerometers attached to 5 PCBs + structure• 3 axis accelerometer attached to test pod• Control accelerometer attached to adaptor plate• Each axis has 3 tests with surveys between. Total 6 runs per

axis


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• Z axis accelerometers attached to 5 PCBs + structure• 3 axis accelerometer attached to test pod• Control accelerometer attached to adaptor plate• Each axis has 3 tests with surveys between. Total 6 runs per

axis


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Results (RAL 46 page report)Example results for 2 minute Z axis random vibration test at 7.8G input

PMASS 64.8g 619Hz EPS 44.1g784Hz

PA Board 56.5g 591Hz RF Board 44.5g563Hz

CCT 88.7g 631Hz Structure 18.9g 933Hz


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& now FUNcube-2 on UKube-1& now FUNcube-2 on UKube-1

Shefford - May 2011

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PLUS UKube-1PLUS UKube-1 • And now UKube-1

MKARS Presentation Feb 2011

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FUNcube Project – TimescalesFUNcube Project – Timescales• Project inception – Spring 2009• “Go ahead” given – July 2009• Agreement with ISIS signed – Nov 2009• First working hardware - April 2010• First “complete prototype” - Nov 2010• End to end testing complete - March 2011• FUNcube 1 &2 “Engineering model boards” - June 2011• Thermal & vibration testing successfully completed - July 2011• Flight hardware for FUNcube-2 - Dec 2011• Complete Flight ready FUNcube-1 spacecraft – March 2012• FUNCube-1 LaunchFUNCube-1 Launch - 2- 2ndnd half 2012 half 2012• FUNcube2 on Ukube-1 launchFUNcube2 on Ukube-1 launch - 2012?- 2012?

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FUNcube Project – ConclusionsFUNcube Project – Conclusions

• Educational project with benefits for every generation• Great example of volunteer teamwork• Is actually “pushing” legislation• Good publicity for amateur radio• Has spawned the development of the first amateur

VHF/UHF SDR radio • Has created a second launch opportunity for free• It is lots of FUN (and hard work)

•

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Thank you for your attentionThank you for your attention

Any Questions?Any Questions?

Graham Shirville: [email protected]

FUNcube websites: www.funcube.org.ukand www.funcubedongle.com

AMSAT-UK website: www.uk.amsat.org – join us now!

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