Saturday 11 January 2014
Tuesday 7 January 2014
What or Who is OzQube-1?
OzQube-1 is the name for a pico-satellite that is proposed to be designed and built as a DIY project, by a space enthusiast. It is going to be based on the PocketQube form factor. This means that it is very small as far as satellites go ( as small as 5cm³), and will not use expensive hardware.
Inspiration for this satellite came from Kickstarter, where I contributed to a project called Pocketqubeshop.com. This project showed me that it was possible to build a satellite for less than the cost of a TV. ( Launching it is another thing I'll go into another time). The Kickstarter campaign coincided with the first launch of several satellites using the Pocketqube form factor. The highlight for me was the $50sat , or Eagle2. This is a Pocketqube that was built for around $250 in parts* ( the original plan was for $50, but they opted for higher cost solar cells). This little bird has proven to be a solid, reliable platform, providing radio telemetry to radio amateurs around the world. It was a collaborative education project between Professor Bob Twiggs, ( the inventor of the cubesat and Pocketqube standards), Morehead State University in USA, and 3 radio amateurs. Have a look at the links page for more on $50sat.
It is the intention that OzQube-1 follows a similar path. The beacon and basic telemetry will be using the amateur radio bands, with an aim to make it accessible to anyone with a USB Software Defined Radio (aka USB DVB-T dongle from eBay) , some free software, and an antenna.
Now I am not an engineer, or someone that has had previous experience with building hardware for space. I'm currently an IT Professional, but I am definitely an amateur when it comes to the other skill areas required for building this craft, so I'll be learning a lot along the way. I have tinkered a bit with various mechanical and electronic systems, so I'm not completely in the dark about the challenge that lies ahead.
In addition to the amateur radio part of the craft, I've yet to formalise a plan for the main onboard computer that will function as the Command and Data Handling System, or any potential payload. I'll have more in future posts!
Inspiration for this satellite came from Kickstarter, where I contributed to a project called Pocketqubeshop.com. This project showed me that it was possible to build a satellite for less than the cost of a TV. ( Launching it is another thing I'll go into another time). The Kickstarter campaign coincided with the first launch of several satellites using the Pocketqube form factor. The highlight for me was the $50sat , or Eagle2. This is a Pocketqube that was built for around $250 in parts* ( the original plan was for $50, but they opted for higher cost solar cells). This little bird has proven to be a solid, reliable platform, providing radio telemetry to radio amateurs around the world. It was a collaborative education project between Professor Bob Twiggs, ( the inventor of the cubesat and Pocketqube standards), Morehead State University in USA, and 3 radio amateurs. Have a look at the links page for more on $50sat.
It is the intention that OzQube-1 follows a similar path. The beacon and basic telemetry will be using the amateur radio bands, with an aim to make it accessible to anyone with a USB Software Defined Radio (aka USB DVB-T dongle from eBay) , some free software, and an antenna.
Now I am not an engineer, or someone that has had previous experience with building hardware for space. I'm currently an IT Professional, but I am definitely an amateur when it comes to the other skill areas required for building this craft, so I'll be learning a lot along the way. I have tinkered a bit with various mechanical and electronic systems, so I'm not completely in the dark about the challenge that lies ahead.
In addition to the amateur radio part of the craft, I've yet to formalise a plan for the main onboard computer that will function as the Command and Data Handling System, or any potential payload. I'll have more in future posts!
Friday 3 January 2014
Naming the Baby
Like with a newborn, a name is something that parents approach in different ways. Some go through the pregnancy trying to decide on a name they like. Some have a name picked out in advance, well before conception. Some wait till the baby is born before they decide on a name.
Having never been involved with the build of an actual satellite before, I was not sure what to do. I've only just decided to build a proof of concept "engineering model" PocketQube. I'm not sure what it's purpose is yet. I'm not even sure if it's something I'm capable of building. I don't know if I'll have the resources to progress the idea past a certain point.
BUT, I'll give it a shot! So while I'm formulating a plan for this endeavour, I thought it would be better if I gave it a name, so that my obsession can have a focus. ( plus it gives my wife a specific thing to refer to, rather than call me Space Geek)
I've experienced naming children, so surely this couldn't be too far removed?
So what does one do in this day and age? Well.... I emailed people and Googled names.
Being a relatively new standard, there aren't many birds flying yet, so there's not alot of risk in having the same name as an existing PocketQube. I looked at names of CubeSat's. I looked at Australia's involvement in the space industry ( didn't have to look far, but it eliminated Aussat from the list of potential names)
After all that, I wanted something simple, that referred to 2 things - Australia and PocketQubes.
The result:
OzQube-1
(Because it could be the first of many!)
Having never been involved with the build of an actual satellite before, I was not sure what to do. I've only just decided to build a proof of concept "engineering model" PocketQube. I'm not sure what it's purpose is yet. I'm not even sure if it's something I'm capable of building. I don't know if I'll have the resources to progress the idea past a certain point.
BUT, I'll give it a shot! So while I'm formulating a plan for this endeavour, I thought it would be better if I gave it a name, so that my obsession can have a focus. ( plus it gives my wife a specific thing to refer to, rather than call me Space Geek)
I've experienced naming children, so surely this couldn't be too far removed?
So what does one do in this day and age? Well.... I emailed people and Googled names.
Being a relatively new standard, there aren't many birds flying yet, so there's not alot of risk in having the same name as an existing PocketQube. I looked at names of CubeSat's. I looked at Australia's involvement in the space industry ( didn't have to look far, but it eliminated Aussat from the list of potential names)
After all that, I wanted something simple, that referred to 2 things - Australia and PocketQubes.
The result:
OzQube-1
(Because it could be the first of many!)
Thursday 2 January 2014
New Blog - Hooray!!!!!
I finally decided to make a home for my new obsession. After taking a vigorous "interest" in space related activities, thanks to Kickstarter and other goings on in the world like the endeavours of Curiosity and Space-X.
So, "Hello Blog World"!
So, "Hello Blog World"!
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