QB50 Update

QB50 Project Update


I. AMSAT-BB on 18 Oct.2016


(C)QB50 Project

I understand that Dnepr rocket is out of game or at less delayed
due the Ucranian /Russian conflict. So those fligths are delayed.


QB50 will make use of three different launch campaign to complete the
orbital injection of all the CubeSats. Always aiming at the maximization
of the Mission Objectives, the identified launch scenario is structured
as follows:

QB50-DS,   6 CubeSats launched on a "Dnepr Science Flight"
           SSO @475km
           Dnepr Launcher
           Science Campaign
           Q3 2016
           
QB50-ISS,  40 CubeSats deployed from the "ISS"
           415km, 51.6deg
           Deployment from ISS
           Science Campaign & IOD
           Q4 2016
           
QB50-DIOD, 2 IOD CubeSats launched on a second Dnepr, the "Dnepr IOD Flight"
           SSO @550km
           Dnepr Launch
           IOD
           Q4 2016/Q1 2017


II. QB50 Project on 19 Dec.2016


(C)QB50 Project

Brussels, Belgium - Two weeks ago the launch preparation activities
managed by VKI/ISIS/NanoRacks were successfully concluded at Innovative
Solutions In Space B.V. facilities. Twenty-eight (28) CubeSats of the QB50
constellation were integrated into eleven (11) NanoRacks 6U deployers.
After a formal handover of the hardware to NanoRacks LLC, the CubeSats and
the deployers were shipped to NanoRacks’s facilities in Houston (US).
Today the hardware has been cleared out at the US customs and then it will
be transported to the cleanroom of NanoRacks. In a window of time between
Dec 19th 2016 to Jan 9th 2017 all deployers will be finally delivered to
Lockheed Martin which is responsible for the Cargo Mission Contract (CMC).

From there on, Lockheed Martin will be in charge of loading the deployers
into the Cygnus CRS OA-7 Cargo for a launch atop an Atlas V from Cape
Canaveral SLC-40 on March 16th 2017 (date/time to be confirmed).

Additional CubeSats for the ISS

Additional three (3) CubeSats are making their way to Houston following
different routes from Russia, India and California. These CubeSats will
be then integrated into a single deployer directly by NanoRacks in their
facilities.

When the CubeSats will be deployed into space?

The configuration of the deployment from the ISS has been defined during
the integration campaign. The CubeSats will be deployed from the ISS into
two consecutive airlock cycles separated by 60 days (exact dates to be
confirmed by NASA according to the ISS crew schedule). The configuration
of the deployment sequence with the correspondent sensor unit is given
in the table below.

 
III. AMSAT-BB on 5 Feb.2017

The first of the QB50 CubeSats that are destined for deployment from
the International Space Station are now awaiting their turn to be
uplifted to the ISS.

In addition to the ISS deployments it is planned that there will be
two further batches launched using other vehicles.

The exact timing of these events is not yet available but, in advance,
here is a fully updated list of all CubeSats involved. Also included are
the details of their science experiments and their downlink frequencies
and modulation modes. The frequencies have been coordinated by the IARU
Frequency Coordination team and, generally, all the spacecraft will use
9k6 data rates on 70cms.


QB50 CubeSats List (New)
http://www.qb50.eu/
http://upload.qb50.eu/listCubeSat/
http://www.ne.jp/asahi/hamradio/je9pel/70417qb5.xls
http://www.ne.jp/asahi/hamradio/je9pel/70417qb5.txt
http://ukamsat.files.wordpress.com/2017/02/qb50_details_217.xlsx






QB50 CubeSats Scenario and Schedule

 

 

 


IV. Atlas-5 on 18 Apr.2017


(C)Space FlightNow

18 Apr 2017
Atlas-5 to ISS
Launch window: 1511-1541 GMT
Launch site: SLC-41, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida

Challenger = QBUS-1, US01
Atlantis   = QBUS-2, US02
Discovery  = QBUS-3, US03
Columbia   = QBUS-4, US04  etc.