Launch Window for AMSAT’s RadFxSat-2 / Fox-1E Opens on December 19
The launch that will carry AMSAT’s RadFxSat-2 / Fox-1E CubeSat into orbit will likely take place later this month. Virgin Orbit has announced that the launch window for their LauncherOne Launch Demo 2 mission, which will carry the AMSAT spacecraft into orbit, opens on December 19. RadFxSat-2 is the fifth and final Fox-1 satellite built by AMSAT.
Like RadFxSat / Fox-1B (now AMSAT-OSCAR 91RadFxSat-2) the RadFxSat-2 / Fox-1E CubeSat is a partnership opportunity between Vanderbilt University and AMSAT and will carry a similar radiation effects experiment, studying new FinFET technology.
The RadFxSat-2 spacecraft bus is built on the Fox-1 series but features a linear transponder upgrade to replace the standard FM transponder in the Fox-1A – Fox-1D projects. In addition, the uplink and downlink bands are reversed from the previous Fox satellites in a mode V/u (J) configuration using a 2-meter uplink and 70-centimeter downlink.
The telemetry downlink will be 435.750 MHz. The inverting linear transponder uplink will be 145.860 MHz – 145.890 MHz. The inverting linear transponder downlink will be 435.760 MHz – 435.790 MHz
The telemetry downlink features a 1200 bps BPSK channel to carry the Vanderbilt science data, in addition to a 30 kHz wide transponder for amateur radio use. Telemetry and experiment data can be decoded using FoxTelem version 1.09 or later.
“Participation in telemetry collection by as many stations in as many parts of the world as possible is essential, as AMSAT Engineering looks for successful startup and indications of the general health and function of the satellite as it begins to acclimate to space,” AMSAT said in announcing the possible launch window. “AMSAT will send a commemorative 3D-printed QSL card to the first station capturing telemetry from RadFxSat-2.” — Thanks to AMSAT
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