AMSAT - AMSAT-NA Microsats

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AMSAT-NA Microsats

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AMSAT-NA Microsats

AMSAT-NA Microsat.

Microsats - what are they?

Microsat is the name for AMSAT North America's small spacecraft design. Meant as a multi-mission platform, the 22cm x 22cm x 22cm cube, weighing about 10kg, usually carries a complement of two transmitters, four receivers, battery and power management, a V40 or better class CPU with eight or more megabytes of memory, and an additional experiment module. The experiment module has been used for S-band transmitters, high speed modems, CCD imagers, meteor sounders, and other items.

The Microsats are meant to be very simple spacecraft to operate, with passive attitude control and autonomous power management. January 1995 starts the fifth year of operation for the original four Microsats. The first four were

PACSAT - AO-16
DOVE - DO-17
WEBERSAT - WO-18
LUSAT - LO-19

Since that time, two other Microsat derived satellites have been placed in orbit,

ITAMSAT - AO-26
EYESAT - AO-27

All of these spacecraft are still functioning well in orbit.

Another Microsat is awaiting launch, UNAMSAT-1, built by the Universidad Nacional Autonom de Mexico, in Mexico City.

Photos

An index to several microsat photographs from the microsat construction and launch is available, one with thumbnail images, and one with text only.

Protocols

The Microsats share a common operating system and much of their software with another small satellite bus, the UoSATs built by Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. (SSTL). The operating system, developed by Harold Price, NK6K, supports the various spacecraft computer designs (80c188, 80c186, 80386ex, V40, V53) and provides a common application support platform. The file transfer protocols, designed by Jeff Ward, K8KA/G0SUL of SSTL, and NK6K, and implemented by K8KA allow users of AO-16, LO-19, UO-22, KO-23, KO-25, IO-26, and UNAMSAT-1 to use standardized ground software. UoSAT-14/HealthSat-1 and PoSAT, two commercial UoSATS, also use these protocols, and have been on amateur frequencies in the past. Five amateur spacecraft that are under development will also use these protocols. This represents the largest number of software compatible amateur spacecraft ever.

The file transfer protocol definition documentsare available.

People

Many people are involved in any spacecraft project, the Microsat Project was no exception.

Spacecraft Descriptions

Short descriptions of each of the spacecraft mentioned on this page are now available.

Last modified: January 19, 1995

Harold Price, NK6K, hprice@bektek.com