UoSAT-1

UoSAT-1, also known as UoSAT-OSCAR 9 (UO-9), was a British amateur radio satellite which orbited Earth. It was built at the University of Surrey and launched into low Earth orbit on 6 October 1981. It exceeded its anticipated two-year orbital lifespan[1] by six years, having received signals on 13 October 1989,[2] before re-entering the atmosphere.

UoSAT-1
Mission typeOSCAR
OperatorUniversity of Surrey
COSPAR ID1981-100B
SATCAT no.12888
Spacecraft properties
Launch mass54 kilograms (119 lb)
Start of mission
Launch date6 October 1981, 11:27 (1981-10-06UTC11:27Z) UTC
RocketDelta 2310 D-157
Launch siteVandenberg SLC-2W
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric
RegimeLow Earth
Perigee altitude372 kilometres (231 mi)
Apogee altitude374 kilometres (232 mi)
Inclination97.6°
Period92 minutes
 

This was the first of several UoSAT satellites; followed by UoSAT-2.

Mission

Like its successor UoSAT-2 it carried a CCD camera and a Digitalker speech synthesiser,[1] and transmitted telemetry data on a 145.826 MHz beacon at 1200 baud using asynchronous AFSK.[3]

The Astrid package sold by British firm MM Microwave,[4] consisting of a fixed frequency VHF receiver set and software for the BBC Micro, could display the telemetry frames from either UoSAT-1 or UoSAT-2.[1] UoSAT-1's solar arrays were of an experimental design reused for UoSAT-2.[1]

Computers and Data Processing

The primary computer for the satellite was the RCA 1802 microprocessor.[5] A secondary microprocessor was also employed, the "F100L" (a Ferranti 16-bit processor). Memory was 16K of DRAM.

References
  1. Cook, Mike (June 1986). "Way into the world of satellite telemetry: Mike Cook reviews the Astrid telemetry package". The Micro User. Stockport, UK: Database Publications. 4 (4): 100–1. ISSN 0265-4040.
  2. Bopp, Matthias (2 October 2010). "Homepage DD1US / Sounds from Space". Retrieved 13 October 2010.
  3. "Amateur Satellite Summary - UoSAT-OSCAR-11". AMSAT. Retrieved 17 January 2014.
  4. Webb, Stephen R. (16 January 2008). "Even More FAQs". Archived from the original on 2 August 2009. Retrieved 13 October 2010.
  5. "The COSMAC 1802 and AMSATs, OSCARs and UoSATs".


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