Last week the KySat2 Design Build Team met at the Space Science Center at Morehead State University. We had a very busy week learning about orbital mechanics, the harsh conditions of space weather and antennas and RF (radio frequency) systems. RF Engineer Jeff Kruth at MSU taught the team about the many different aspects of designing, building and testing antennas and RF systems. The group was also able to see the main ground operations for KySat1. The UHF/VHF ground station, which will be used for S-Band communications, will sit atop the same hill as the 21 meter parabolic reflector at MSU.
The team also had to pleasure of spending the evening at Morehead's Dark Sky Observatory to witness more than 20 satellites pass overhead. The team ended the week with team building activities at Cave Run Lake and Dr. Malphrus' lake cabin.
We are currently in California visiting Stanford, Cal Poly, NASA Ames, Space Systems Loral, and will attend the NASA Small Satellite Industry Day. Work will continue on upcoming missions, specifically the KySat Space Express sub-orbital mission, which will include a meeting with launch provider Lunar Rocket and Rover Co. The team will also visit Stanford and attend lectures by CubeSat inventor Prof. Bob Twiggs. Finally, during the visit to Cal Poly the engineering model for KySat1 will take it's first trip into a P-POD for preliminary checks.
Tyler
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