AMSAT-NA signs agreements to build Eagle at a UMES facility

AMSAT-NA has accepted an offer to co-locate its Satellite Integration Lab with the Hawk Institute for Space Sciences (HISS), a division of the Maryland Hawk Corporation which is a 501(c)(3) non-profit educational organization affiliated with the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES).

HISS is located in Pocomoke, Maryland, on the eastern shore of the Chesapeake Bay. Pocomoke is about a 3-hour drive southeast of the Baltimore-Washington International airport.

AMSAT-NA has been actively searching for a suitable location for the past two years as AMSAT’s most recent lab at the municipal airport in Orlando, Florida was condemned due to damage by Hurricane Charley on August 13, 2004.

With the unanimous approval of the AMSAT-NA Board of
Directors, AMSAT-NA has executed two Memoranda of Understanding, one with the University of Maryland Eastern Shore and the other with Maryland Hawk Corporation, formalizing the relationship. These MOUs give AMSAT-NA essentially no-cost access to the HISS facility in return for
sharing its equipment and ideas with HISS.

In addition, the agreement with UMES calls for AMSAT-NA to work collaboratively with UMES to identify opportunities to work together on satellite and related technology projects as well as to work with their students and faculty to enhance hands-on studies and dissertation research. The possibility also exists for AMSAT-NA scientists and engineers to receive Adjunct status at the UMES.

AMSAT’s VP Engineering, Bob McGwier N4HY, commented “I consider these happenings to be a serious beginning of the activities towards a real spacecraft.” AMSAT’s lead mechanical engineer, Bob Davis KF4KSS, is also an employee of HISS, resulting in AMSAT having a representative on site at all times. Bob Davis was AMSAT’s mechanical design expert in the Orlando lab during the AO-40 satellite campaign.

HISS is currently constructing the interior walls for their new 8,000 square foot facility. It is being designed around AMSAT’s dual clean room, which was used for AO-40 and is in storage at Florida Space Institute. AMSAT will move the clean room and the parts and equipment currently in storage in the Orlando area to the new lab in the next few months. The facility will also include adequate meeting and office space for visiting AMSAT personnel. The agreement with HISS also provides AMSAT limited access to NASA Wallops
Flight Facility with its environmental testing, machine shop, rocket manufacturing and launch facilities.

AMSAT members Bob Davis KF4KSS, Rick Hambly W2GPS, Tom Clark K3IO, Jim Sanford WB4GCS and Bob McGwier N4HY have worked very hard on this project.
AMSAT members are encouraged to volunteer to work in the new lab, come by and visit (call first), and donate to the P3E and Eagle satellite funds.

Rick, W2GPS

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