KySat CubeSat status update

The KySat Space Express achieved a successful lift-off from White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico earlier this month.

However, while all of the Kentucky Space Express systems operated successfully, shortly after launch the vehicle suffered a catastrophic failure and the KySat payload was not able to reach the target altitude in space.

KySat thanks the Space Express student team and mission advisors for their incredibly hard work and the performance of their systems and payload. The design and successful integration of the Space Express payload was, despite the failure to reach the targeted altitude of 127km, an essential step in the continued development of the initiative including first orbital mission, projected to launch in mid to late 2008.

Additional information is available on-line at: http://www.kysat.com

The KySat Space Express student team and mission advisors are extremely pleased with the performance of the student designed systems and payloads.

The KySat CubeSat mission includes these objectives:

• S-band radio for communications with KY Dish
• UHF/VHF radio for worldwide student and amateur communications
• Onboard camera
• Temp, Current, Voltage, Science sensors
• Passive magnetic attitude control
• Mission data storage on industrial MMC card
• Analog Mode: Transmit analog audio radio signal (Voice from Space app)
• Digital Mode: Transmit sequential UHF 64 byte AX.25 packets (built in TNC)
• Minimum 1 or 2 second time delay between packets
• Receive VHF Digital Pings (call sign, location, text message)

KySat Team