Kentucky Space

Nicest Cubesat Earth image ever?

john@emergix.com (Administrator) — Thu, 23 May 2013 15:40:51 +0000

Is this the nicest image of the Earth ever taken by a Cubesat?

Courtesy of the Cubesat team at the University of Tartu, Estonia, this image appears at the Southgate Amateur Radio club, which also links to a nice video of the team talking about the mission.

Launched May 4, ESTCube-1 will test solar sail technology.

Wayne

"K2 Tuesdays" - Working together

john@emergix.com (Administrator) — Tue, 21 May 2013 17:52:09 +0000

"K2 Tuesdays" is a series on the development of KySat-2, the latest spacecraft from Kentucky Space. Prior installments, new to old, are here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here.

On Thursday May 16th the Kentucky Space and University of Kentucky teams went to Morehead State University to test the flight version of the power system developed for KySat-2.

After an overview of the controlling software developed for the system, the team connected the UK-developed command and data handling system, or C&DH, to the MSU-developed electrical power system, or EPS, and all worked together as expected. We also connected the radio that will be used on K2 and transmitted data across the room. With three independent systems working together to transmit data, it was a big step forward in the design and development of KySat-2

The photos here show the work fitting actual components in the flight structure to determine the ideal wiring. As you can see we have moved from 3D printed fit checks to using the flight model chassis.

More to come.

Twyman Clements, Space Systems Engineer, Kentucky Space

"K2 Tuesdays" - Parts and pieces and a license to transmit

john@emergix.com (Administrator) — Tue, 14 May 2013 18:08:26 +0000

We are turning for home in the development of KySat-2 so I thought it’d be a good time to share some photos. While many tests and hurdles remain, the components have been coming together over the past two weeks.

The first photo shows the K2 frame integrated with dummy solar panels, the second shows the electrical power system built by MSU integrated onto the frame, and, finally, the last photo shows the camera lens, its structure, the antenna phasing board and the deployment board all integrated onto the –Z face of the spacecraft. In the final picture, note the curved structures around which the antennas will wrap.

This week we will be integrating the last subsystem with the FlatSat version of KySat-2. Once we get everything talking to one another we will start integrating the flight structure. The purpose of the "FlatSat" is to connect and lay out the critical components of the spacecraft to isolate any problems before the cube takes shape.

We are happy to announce that we were granted a frequency allocation from the International Amateur Radio Union to allow KySat-2 to transmit. Now it’s time for the entire K2 team to buckle down over the next three months for delivery of our spacecraft at the end of summer.

Twyman Clements, Space Systems Engineer, Kentucky Space

Video: Cubesats "dramatically lowering the cost of experimentation"

john@emergix.com (Administrator) — Mon, 13 May 2013 15:10:25 +0000

Posted over the weekend and getting a welcome push from tech evangelist Robert Scoble, this video from the labs at SRI International - where SIRI, Nuance, HDTV, the Mouse, and many other things got their start - explains how Cubesats are dramatically lowering the costs of space exploration.

Kentucky Space has certainly taken advantage of that breakthrough, and is currently developing its second student-built craft, KySat-2, which is documented in a blog series we call "K2-Tuesdays."

Cubesats are invaluable as a training tool for future astroengineers.

But the platform is increasingly responsible for real science as well. Kentucky Space partner Morehead State University is developing a second Cubesat to study the X-ray remnant from the Big Bang, which may make a contribution to cosmology.

We would remiss if we didn't point out that the co-creator of the Cubesat, Prof. Bob Twiggs, is now instructing just down the road at MSU. What a pleasure it is to have Bob nearby!

Wayne

"K2 Tuesdays" - Meet the Command and Data Handling Team

john@emergix.com (Administrator) — Tue, 07 May 2013 13:15:46 +0000

The University of Kentucky Command and Data Handling team for our next spacecraft has just posted this video on its work with KySat-2, which makes this "K2 Tuesday" update a breeze. Take it away, team!

Wayne

What's next for KySat-2?

john@emergix.com (Administrator) — Thu, 02 May 2013 00:00:00 +0000

The "K2 Tuesdays" posts (as well as this Thursday edition) are a semi-regular series on the development of KySat-2, the latest spacecraft from Kentucky Space. Prior installments are here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here.

While at the CubeSat conference at CalPoly last week, the KySat-2 team did a test fit of the craft, which included the machined frame, printed solar panels and antenna holders, with the standard deployer used to eject Cubesats on orbit. See the image on the right. The test fit, thankfully, was 100 percent uneventful.

Here's a short look ahead at what the University of Kentucky and Morehead State University teams will tackle in the next couple of months.

Testing the interface between the command & data handling and power systems in early May.
The team at Morehead will do antenna characterization and antenna deployment testing with the milled flight chassis, which will be anodized soon. The remainder of the month will be dedicated to radio testing, and to debugging the flat-sat configuration of the satellite at the Kentucky Space lab in Lexington.
In June, the team will check out the ground station operation, and conduct environmental testing, including thermal vacuum test and bakeout of the spacecraft.

Twyman Clements, Space Systems Engineer, Kentucky Space

2013 CubeSat Workshop

john@emergix.com (Administrator) — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 13:27:03 +0000

One of the must-attend events for any developer, the 2013 CubeSat Workshop has just wrapped up. Videos of the sessions, which featured presentations from Kentucky on Wednesday and Friday, may be found here, the agenda for the entire event, here.

The Wednesday session featured a discussion of the command and data handling board for KySat-2. The craft is currently under construction and the subject of numerous "K-2 Tuesday" entries by Kentucky Space Space Systems Engineer, Twyman Clements.

On Friday, University of Kentucky students offered a description of an experimental bus they have under development.

The milled flight model chassis for K-2 is pictured to the right.

Wayne

Another milestone in commerical ISS resupply

john@emergix.com (Administrator) — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 13:36:33 +0000

Watch as Orbital Sciences' Antares vehicle roars to space from Wallops, Virginia.

Successfully reaching orbit on Sunday, the flight is a milestone for the company, which is under contract with NASA for commercial resupply of the International Space Station. And while it wasn't the most important goal of flight, the craft also delivered three Cubesats powered by Android smartphones.

The launch is a precursor to a demonstration flight to the ISS later this year.

Wayne

Smartphone satellites

john@emergix.com (Administrator) — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 12:29:54 +0000

Now scheduled for a possible launch on Saturday after 5p EDT, the private rocket Antares will carry four Cubesats to orbit. Three of the four craft will be powered by consumer off-the-shelf technology in the form of Android smartphone software. If you're a do-it-yourselfer, Universe Today supplies the following detail on these innovative phonesats:

As the name implies, the PhoneSat series of satellites are each constructed around a Nexus Smartphone and operate using Google’s very own Android operating system. The mission serves as NASA’s test bed for the concept. The phone system will monitor the orientation of the satellites. The PhoneSats will also use their off-the-shelf built-in cameras to take pictures of the Earth from orbit.

A separate watchdog circuit will reboot the phones if necessary. The PhoneSats are expected to last about a week in orbit until their batteries die. One of the PhoneSats is equipped with solar panels to test rechargeable technology for the platform.

Two of the nano satellites are built around a Samsung Nexus S and the other around a HTC Nexus Smartphone. The satellites will also use the SD card for info storage plus the 3-axis magnetometer and accelerometer incorporated into the phones for measurements and orientation.

The craft are appropriately named "Alexander," "Graham" and "Bell."

Wayne

"K-2 Tuesdays" - Flight hardware coming in!

john@emergix.com (Administrator) — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 17:30:23 +0000

K2 Tuesdays is a semi-regular series on the development of KySat-2, the latest spacecraft from Kentucky Space. Prior installments are here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here.

The last of KySat-2’s flight hardware has come in over the past two weeks and the design that the entire team have been working on for the previous six months is beginning to come together!

Since our last K2 Tuesday update we’ve received our gold plated solar panels (below right), our antenna holders from our friends at CRP technologies (below left) and the milled aluminum chassis for the KySat-2 flight model (upper left). This frame will be anodized black similar to the CXBN spacecraft and is the last major process that needs to occur before integration.

In the meantime the KySat-2 FlatSat (upper right) is taking shape. A "FlatSat" lays out the spacecraft subsystem on a table so that dependencies can be verified and any problems quickly identified. It also permits us to test the whole system to its maximum capacity. The FlatSat will also include our 3D printed version of KySat-2, which can also be seen to the upper right. We will that model to test the antenna deployment mechanism of the spacecraft.

One last note: as you can see in the last photo the team printed models of the Saturn V first stage as the legs of our FlatSat from Thingaverse just to add a little context to the project.

Twyman Clements, Space Systems Engineer, Kentucky Space