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UO-14 Satellite Declared Dead
Newington - Nov 13, 2003 The UO-14 satellite has been declared officially dead. The Mission Control Centre at the Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL) Center for Satellite Engineering Research reports that the venerable and popular bird "has reached the end of its mission after nearly 14 years in orbit." Launched in 1990, UoSAT-OSCAR-14 pioneered the PACSAT communication concept as the first 9.6 kbps Amateur Radio data communications satellite, although it became best known in recent years as an FM "easy sat" repeater. "Since launch, UO-14 has completed over 72,000 orbits and as many charge/discharge cycles of its on-board NiCd battery," said AMSAT-UK Chairman Martin Sweeting, G3YJO. "However recently one of the battery cells has become exhausted and can no longer support continuous operation of the repeater." Sweeting said UO-14's transmitter shuts down shortly after it is commanded "on" due to undervoltage, so the microsatellite's mission has been terminated. "Thank you UO-14 for your long service!" Sweeting concluded. AMSAT-NA Board Member Bruce Paige, KK5DO, an enthusiastic UO-14 user, called the AMSAT-UK announcement "sad news." He said the lost of UO-14 leaves amateurs with SO-41 and SO-50 as the only two LEO FM voice satellites now in operation, although he noted that the planned 2004 launches of the OSCAR-ECHO and VUSAT could help fill in the void. The popular and heavily used FM satellite quit working in August, but hope remained within the amateur satellite community that UO-14 somehow could be revived. Ground controller Chris Jackson, G7UPN, at one point was able to reset the satellite, but he later determined that UO-14 had suffered a primary power system failure that was causing the spacecraft to shut down during some eclipses. During its active lifetime, UO-14 served several roles. After some 18 months in orbit as a PACSAT, UO-14 was switched to non-amateur frequencies for humanitarian use by Volunteers In Technical Assistance, which used it for messaging into Africa. After the store-and-forward communications computer proved no longer able to perform that task, UO-14 was turned back to amateur use as a single-channel FM voice repeater, the role for which it was best known. UO-14 worked as an "FM bent pipe repeater satellite" in full duplex mode. UO-14 again served a humanitarian role in early 2001 when hams assisting with earthquake relief operations in the Indian State of Gujarat took advantage of the satellite to provide communication from the stricken region. The beauty of UO-14 was that it required minimal gear to make contacts--typically 5 W and modest antennas would do the trick. Operators with dualband handheld transceivers and "rubber duckie" antennas often could make QSOs via UO-14. AMSAT-NA has said that its new ECHO satellite, planned for launch next March 31, will take over the role of the now-defunct AO-27 and UO-14 low-Earth-orbiting satellites. Community Email This Article Comment On This Article Related Links SpaceDaily Search SpaceDaily Subscribe To SpaceDaily Express Microsat News and Nanosat News at SpaceMart.com
Small Satellite Solutions From Scotland
Clyde, Scotland (SPX) Jan 12, 2006Clyde Space are offering the growing ranks of small satellite manufacturers power subsystem solutions for their missions. Based in purpose built facilities on West of Scotland Science Park in Glasgow, Clyde Space has a range of power subsystems for missions from as little as 1W up to in excess of 2.5kW. |
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