Kentucky Space

KySat2 Team Update

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

Introductions

Hello All!  Been a while since my last post - quite busy here working to bring the second KySat Design/Build team up to speed.

Wanted to introduce you to one of them, Tyler Doering, and let you know that as a member of this team he will be keeping you updated with the going's on of KySat.

Expect Tyler's first post very soon.

Garrett

KySat 2 Team Has "Landed"

The KySat 2 design team has arrived and begun work at the KySat Lab at NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, California. Over the next several weeks the team will engage in a round of discussions and workshops dealing with spacecraft design, payload development, flight and on-orbit operations, interacting with Stanford University, NASA, Cal Poly (in San Luis Obispo), Space Systems Loral, and others.

Upon retuning to Kentucky the team will take part in another round of intensive design sessions prior to beginning the satellite design work for a 2009 launch.

Kris

KySat2 Kickoff

Last weekend marked the beginning of the first in a series of retreats for the KySat2 design/build team in which the KySat1 team will pass along as much of the knowledge they have collected in their past year on the project as possible. The retreat will be held at the University of Kentucky, with two weeks at Morehead State University, two weeks in California, and another week at UK planned for the rest of the summer.

During their time at UK, lectures will be presented about the space environment, access to space, collaboration tools, the state of the KySat1 design, as well as electronic, mechanical, and software systems design. Tours will also be given to showcase the facilities available to the KySat2 team as they design, build and test their systems.

Garrett

MSU notes KySat 2 selections

Like the Elizabethtown News-Enterprise earlier this month, which noted that local community college student Carl Mather had joined the Kentucky space team, Morehead State University has published news that two of its students, Andrew Crowe, Danville junior, and Prabhakara Eluru, a graduate student from India, were recently selected to participate on the mission design team for KySat 2.

Congratulations again to all the students who will participate on the commonwealth's satellite project! If anyone else knows of other public mentions of these deserving students, please let me know. I would like to honor them here as well.

Wayne

E-town talks up KySat participant

The Elizabethtown News-Enterprise has published a nice piece on Elizabethtown Community and Technical College student, Carl Mather, who was selected for the KySat2 Mission Support Team. The support team will learn more about its assignment at the first annual KySat conference in May.

Congratulations to Carl and all the selected students! If anyone knows of other articles about students participating in KySat, please leave a link in the comments or email me directly.

Wayne

KySat2 Mission Team Selected

KentuckySat (KySat) announced on Tuesday the names of the students who will comprise the Mission Design Team for KySat2. The students were selected after a competitive review process involving the KySat Consortium and project partners. Click here for details.

KySat2 has a projected launch date of mid-2009.

Kris