Fox-1E, AO-109 or AMSAT OSCAR 109 was an American amateur radio satellite. It was a 1U Cubesat built by the AMSAT-NA and carried a 30KHz linear transponder radio. Fox-1E was the fifth amateur radio satellite of the Fox series of AMSAT North America.
| Names | RadFxSat-2 AO-109 AMSAT OSCAR 109 |
|---|---|
| Mission type | Communications |
| Operator | AMSAT[1] |
| COSPAR ID | 2021-002C |
| SATCAT no. | 47311 |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Manufacturer | Vanderbilt University Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation |
| Launch mass | 1.3 kg (2.9 lb) |
| Dimensions | 10 cm × 10 cm × 10 cm (3.9 in × 3.9 in × 3.9 in) |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 17 January 2021, 19:38:51 UTC |
| Rocket | Boeing 747-744 LauncherOne R03 |
| Launch site | Mojave Air and Space Port |
| Contractor | Virgin Orbit |
| End of mission | |
| Decay date | 24 April 2024, 00:00:00 UTC |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric orbit[2] |
| Regime | Low Earth orbit |
| Semi-major axis | 6,877.0 kilometres (4,273.2 mi) |
| Perigee altitude | 478.1 km (297.1 mi) |
| Apogee altitude | 535.9 km (333.0 mi) |
| Inclination | 60.7° |
| Period | 94.6 minutes |
Mission
editThe satellite was launched on 17 January 2021, with a LauncherOne rocket. This carrier rocket was launched by the "Cosmic Girl", a converted Boeing 747, from the Mojave Air and Space Port, California, United States, and to an altitude of approx. 35,000 ft (11,000 m). The flight was carried out on behalf of NASA's CubeSat Launch Initiative (CSLI) program and put 10 satellites into orbit as part of the Rideshare ELaNa 20 mission.[3]
While in orbit the telemetry beacon was unable to be received, but the transponder remained partially in operation with reduced signal strength for the duration of the satellite's mission. Despite this, work on commissioning the telemetry beacon and checking the transponder continued with the aim of opening the satellite for general use; but the telemetry beacon never successfully recovered.[4]
The satellite was opened for amateur use on 20 July 2021.[5] It re-entered the Earth's atmosphere on 24 April 2024 at midnight. [6][7]
| Frequencies | |
|---|---|
| 435.750 MHz downlink | FM |
| 145.860 MHz - 145.890 MHz uplink | LSB |
| 435.760 MHz - 435.790 MHz downlink | USB |
See also
edit
References
edit- ↑ "Fox-1E". NASA GSFC. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain. - ↑ "RADFXSAT-2 (AO-109)". n2yo.com. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
- ↑ Gunter Dirk Krebs. "RadFxSat 2 (Fox 1E, Evolution)". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
- ↑ "RadFxSat-2/Fox-1E Designated AMSAT-OSCAR 109 as Troubleshooting Continues". www.arrl.org. Retrieved 23 April 2026.
- ↑ Paul Stoetzer (20 July 2021). "AO-109 (RadFxSat-2/AMSAT Fox-1E) Open For Amateur Use". AMSAT - The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
- ↑ SatNOGS. "FOX-1E (AO-109, RadFxSat-2)". SatNOGS Database. Retrieved 23 April 2026.
- ↑ "RADFXSAT-2 / 47311 / 2021-002C". orbit.ing-now.com. Retrieved 23 April 2026.
External links
edit- AMSAT North America
- Fox-1E (RadFxSat-2) Selected for Participation in NASA’s CubeSat Launch Initiative ARRL
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