Fox-1A

Fox-1A
Mission typeCommunications
OperatorAMSAT[1]
COSPAR ID2015-058D[1]
SATCAT no.40967[1]
Spacecraft properties
BusCubeSat (1U)
ManufacturerRadio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT)
Launch mass1.3 kilograms (2.9 lb)
Dimensions10 by 10 by 10 centimetres (3.9 in × 3.9 in × 3.9 in)
Start of mission
Launch date8 October 2015, 12:49 UTC
RocketAtlas V 401 AV-058
Launch siteVandenberg SLC-3E
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric
RegimeLow Earth
Semi-major axis7,020 kilometres (4,360 mi)
Perigee altitude504.3 kilometres (313.4 mi)[2]
Apogee altitude795.7 kilometres (494.4 mi)[2]
Inclination64.8°[2]
Period97.6 minutes[2]
RAAN178.6841°[2]
Argument of perigee312.3881°[2]
Mean motion14.757262270[2]
Epoch25 June 2018[2]
Transponders
BandFM
FrequencyUplink: 435.172 MHz
Downlink: 145.980 MHz
TWTA power400mW

Fox-1A, AO-85 or AMSAT OSCAR 85[3] is an American amateur radio satellite. It is a 1U Cubesat, was built by the AMSAT-NA and carries a single-channel transponder for FM radio. The satellite has one rod antenna each for the 70 centimetres (28 in) and 2 metres (6 ft 7 in) bands. To enable a satellite launch under NASA's Educational Launch of Nanosatellites (ELaNa) program, the satellite continues to carry a Penn State University student experiment (MEMS gyroscope).

According to AMSAT-NA, Fox-1A will replace OSCAR 51. Upon successful launch, the satellite was assigned OSCAR number 85.

Launch and mission

The satellite was launched on 8 October 2015 with an Atlas V rocket together with the main payload Intruder 11A (also known as NOSS-3 7A, USA 264 and NROL 55) and 12 other Cubesat satellites (SNaP-3 ALICE, SNaP-3 EDDIE, SNaP-3 JIMI, LMRSTSat, SINOD-D 1, SINOD-D 3, AeroCube 5C, OCSD A, ARC 1, BisonSat, PropCube 1 and PropCube 3) from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, United States. After just a few hours, the transponder was put into operation, initial connections were made between amateur radio stations and telemetry was received.

Status

Since December 2018, AO-85 has suffered from dangerously low battery voltage while in eclipse. As a result, AMSAT have disabled all on board transmitters in an effort to extend the usable life of the satellite. Transmitters are periodically turned back on to collect telemetry data.[4]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "Fox 1". NSSDCA. NASA GSFC. Retrieved 2018-06-25.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h "FOX-1A (AO-85)". n2yo.com. Retrieved 2018-06-25.
  3. ^ "AO-85 (Fox-1A) FM Voice Transponder Activated". Trevor Essex. 9 October 2015. Retrieved 2018-06-25.
  4. ^ "AO-85 Status Update – AMSAT". 20 December 2018. Retrieved 2021-02-23.


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