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Webersat (WO 18, Webersat-OSCAR 18)

Webersat (WO 18, OSCAR 18)

Webersat (WO 18, OSCAR 18) was launched on the first ARIANE ASAP flight V35 with SPOT 2, on the 22. January 1990 (01:35:27 GMT) into an 780 km sun-synchronous, 98 degree inclined orbit, this 16 kg amateur radio micro-satellite was built by Weber State University's Center for Aerospace Technology (CAST). It has a full colour CCD camera, Digital Store and Forward packet communication transponder, spectrometer, and particle impact detector. It is box shaped with dimensions of 317 × 230 × 230 mm, with four solar panels and weighs 16.03 kg. Downlink frequency is 437.104 MHz SSB 1200 Baud PSK AX.25

It also carries a CCD NTSC video recorder, digitised to provide 209 by 274 km coverage snapshots using a mechanical shutter. A piezoelectric Particle impact detector measures the micrometeorite environment. A light spectrometer employing an NEC linear CCD measures the spectrum of sunlight reflected from the atmosphere. An L-band video uplink receiver allows NTSC video uplink to be digitised. The satellite employs a V40 processor running at 9.83 MHz, with 8MBytes of RAM. The ADCS systems comprises a horizon sensor using two photodiodes with 22° field of view, a fluxgate magnetometer, permanent magnets, hysteresis coils, and black/white painted antennas for spin control similar to a "photometer".

The satellite suffered an apparent radiation induced computer failure on the 23. August 1997, which recovered in November 1997. It was officially declared non-operational in 1998 when engineers were unable to resolve a software crash.

Nation: USA
Type / Application: Amateur communication, imaging
Operator: Weber State University Center for Aerospace Technology (CAST)
Contractors: Weber State University Center for Aerospace Technology (CAST)
Equipment: CCD Color Camera, Visual Light Spectrometer
Configuration: AMSAT-NA Microsat
Propulsion: None
Power: Solar cells, batteries
Lifetime:
Mass: 12 kg
Orbit: 788 km × 805 km, 98.71°
Satellite COSPAR Date LS Launch Vehicle Remarks
Webersat (Webersat-OSCAR 18, WO 18) 1990-005F 22.01.1990 Ko ELA-2 Ariane-40 H10 with SPOT 2, UoSAT 3, Uosat 4, DOVE, PACSAT, LUSAT

References:

  • Weber State University Center for Aerospace Technology: WeberSat

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