[amsat-bb] Re: ARISSat-1 status message

[Greg D.]

Given that we have no battery, is there any use for the low and emergency power modes?  Can they be disabled?  If the solar panels can provide the minimum power to keep things alive, even in worst case angles (can they?), then having the spacecraft act so skittishly is kind of annoying.

Greg  KO6TH


> Date: Mon, 5 Sep 2011 23:19:37 -0400
> From: jfitzgerald at alum.wpi.edu
> CC: amsat-bb at amsat.org
> Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: ARISSat-1 status message
> 
> On 9/5/2011 6:47 PM, Richard Ferryman wrote:
> >   Can anyone tell me the conditions that trigger this EMERGENCY mode and what changes to operation take place in this mode.
> 
> Hi Dick!
> 
> Thanks for collecting and forwarding data from ARISSat-1.
> 
> Emergency mode is entered when the power management software thinks the 
> battery is dangerously low.  It reduces the frequency of telemetry to 
> one 30 second period every 5 and a half minutes or so, and turns off 
> unnecessary loads otherwise.  Evidence suggests our battery has failed 
> "open", so the software must have taken a sample when the solar panels 
> were at a poor angle with respect to the sun.
> 
> See http://arissat1.org/v3/images/PDF/janfeb11_monterio.pdf for full 
> details.
> 
> -Joe KM1P
> _______________________________________________
> Sent via AMSAT-BB at amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author.
> Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program!
> Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb