AMSAT Fox Satellite Program
AMSAT Forum
Dayton Hamvention 2012
Tony Monteiro, AA2TX
VP, Engineering
Fox Strategy
• Take advantage of large and growing interest in
CubeSats
• Develop family of CubeSats that would be attractive
for flying science missions
• Partner with universities and apply for free launches
as science missions
• After/during science mission, satellite runs amateur
radio transponder
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Fox Stages
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Fox-1 satellites - FM Transponder
First Fox-1 mission - Penn State MEMS Experiment
Launch secured through NASA ELaNa program
Launch Target - 2nd Half 2013
Fox-2 satellites - Software Defined Transponders (SDX)
Fox-2 missions - linear and digital modes
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Fox-1 Operational Modes
• Transponder Mode
– FM repeater
– Telemetry/experiment data sent as sub-audible, lowspeed FSK simultaneously
• Command Mode
– High-speed data (9600 bps)
– Science missions with high data/power requirements
– Not needed for initial Fox-1 mission - will be activated
on-orbit to test capability for future use
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Fox-1 "ZombieSat" Features
• Intended to extend usable life beyond design target
• Designed to operate while in sunlight even with dead
(shorted) battery
• FM Transponder will operate automatically if
microprocessor should fail
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Fox-1 Science Experiment
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Penn State University
AMSAT sponsored senior design project
3-axis MEMs gyro sensors
Measures satellite spin rate, spin direction and
wobble about magnetic axis
• Educational component key element of the NASA
ELaNa launch application
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Fox-1 Progress
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Concept of Operations - Sept 2011
System Requirements spec - Oct 2011
Applied to NASA ELaNa program - Nov 2011
Accepted into NASA ELaNa program - Feb 2012
Preliminary Design Review - April 2012
Currently working on first engineering prototype
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Fox-1 Satellite
Solar
Panels
Power
System
Battery
Power bus
70 cm
Antenna
Science
Experiment
IHU
2m
Antenna
Attitude
Control
RF
System
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Fox-1 PCB Stack Drawing
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Fox-1 Structure
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Fox-1 Assembled
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Future Launch Opportunity
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Auburn University, University of Alabama, AMSAT
National Science Foundation grant
Pair of satellites based on Fox-1
1-year science mission - atmospheric physics
Includes free launch
Submitted May 7, 2012
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Proposals for Future Launches
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NASA Edison program
AMSAT partner in 3 phase-1 proposals
All 3 proposals accepted by NASA for Phase-2
Phase-2 proposals due May 22
• Next NASA ELaNa program opening - August 2012
• University partner on Fox-1 mission
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Any Questions?
Tony Monteiro, AA2TX