CUNYSAT-1

Spacecraft nº:

US spacecraft nº:

Launch data: Designation  39470 / 13072J Launch date  06 Dec 2013 - 07:14 UT Launch site  Va, SLC-3E Launch vehicle  Atlas-5/501 Mission  Science, ionosphere Earth orbit: Perigee / Apogee   km Eccentricity   Inclination   ° Period   min

Spacecraft data:

Description:

• CUNYSAT 1 is a 1U Cubesat project engaging students in the City University of New York (CUNY) with participation from Medgar Evers College, City College of New York, the College of Staten Island, Queensborough Community College and Brooklyn College.
• The science objective of CUNYSAT-1 is the investigation of ionospheric disturbances using GPS signals. The ionospheric scintillation experiment includes a 12-channel L1 C/A code GPS receiver collecting data with a 50 Hz frequency and measurements include L1 frequency phase amplitudes. CUNYSAT-1 uses full-duplex communication to transmit science and telemetry data on the UHF amateur radio band and uplink commands on the VHF amateur radio band. A CW beacon is also used to transmit key telemetry on the UHF band.

Mission details:

• The Atlas-5 was launched from Vandenberg on Dec 6, 2013 at 07:14 UT.
• Attached to AV-042 was GEMSAT, the second NPSCuL cubesat launcher, which ejected 12 cubesats between around 1022 and 1038 UTC.
  • FIREBIRD A and B, two 1.5U cubesats from the Montana Space Grant Consortium to study electron microbursts in the magnetosphere.
  • CUNYSAT, a 1U from the City University of New York's Medgar Evers College, with a GPS ionospheric receiver.
  • MCUBED-2, 1 1U from the University of Michigan with technology experiments. including a low resolution imager.
  • IPEX-CP8, a 1U built by Cal Poly to test systems and algorithms for JPL.
  • ALICE, a 1U from the Air Force Institute of Technology carrying technology experiments.
  • SMDC-ONE C and D (Charlie and David), 3U communications satellites for the US Army Space and Missile Defense Command.
  • Aerocube 5a and 5b, 1.5U technology cubesats for the Aerospace Corporation.
  • SNAP, a 3U cubesat for the SMDC Nanosatellite Program, with an unknown mission.
  • Tacsat-6, a 3U cubesat for SMDC with an unknown mission, probably tactical communications or imaging.