AMSAT-UK

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FUNcube-1 / AO73 celebrates 3 years in space

Posted: 21 Nov 2016 08:40 AM PST
https://amsat-uk.org/2016/11/21/func...ears-in-space/

FUNcube Team Monitor Launch

Monday, November 21, 2016, marked the third birthday in space for the 985
gram spacecraft FUNcube-1 / AO73.
AO-73 (FUNcube-1) Image credit Wouter Weggelaar PA3WEG

FUNcube-1 was launched at 07:10 UT on November 21, 2013 and its first
signals were received immediately after deployment over the Indian Ocean by
amateurs in South Africa. Since then it has been operating continuously in
either its education mode or, with the transponder active, in amateur mode
when in eclipse and at weekends.

The FUNcube team are very grateful to everyone who has been contributing
their telemetry records to the Data Warehouse and also to those who are
using FUNcube-1 for educational outreach to schools and colleges around the
world. This important part of our mission is intended to encourage young
people to develop an interest and passion in all STEM subjects for their
future.
FUNcube-1 Launch Day Mug

The spacecraft is operating nominally – the telemetry indicates that all
the sub-systems are fine. The battery voltages, solar panel charge currents
and on board temperatures are virtually unchanged since launch.

In addition to FUNcube-1, there are now similar FUNcube transponders
operating in low earth orbit on the UKube-1 and EO79/QB50p1 CubeSats.

The team has recently contributed to the development of Nayif-1, which is
presently awaiting launch, and is currently working on a number of further
CubeSat and microsat projects.

Happy Birthday AO73!

Get your 73 on 73 Award, details at
https://amsat-uk.org/funcube/73-on-73-award/

AO-73 (FUNcube-1) website https://amsat-uk.org/funcube/funcube-website/

FUNcube Yahoo Group https://amsat-uk.org/funcube/yahoo-group/
Howard Long G6LVB working AO-73 while Ciaran Morgan M0XTD captures the
downlink passband data using a FUNcube Dongle Pro+ and Microsoft Surface
Tablet