[amsat-bb] FW: FalconSAT-3 Update

[Robert Bruninga]

Searching for a Falconsat email a few days ago, my email found this one
from TEN YEARS ago!

-----Original Message-----
From: Richard M. Hambly [W2GPS]   Sent: Friday, March 30, 2007 9:31 AM
-----Original Message-----
From: Billy Smith [Naval Academy]    Sent: Friday, March 30, 2007 9:24 AM
-----Original Message-----
From: Latimer, Ellis H [Boeing.com]  Sent: Friday, March 30, 2007 8:36 AM
-----Original Message-----
From: Lawrence Timothy J Lt Col [AirForce Academy] Thursday, March 29,
2007 9:14 PM
Subject: FalconSAT-3 Update

All-

SpaceQuest was able to send us the "raw count" telemetry from their
software and we were able to translate it into the following:

Battery Voltage = 10.1 V (expected 8.0-10.6V)
UHF Transmitter Power = 7.584W draw, 1 W output (expected values)
Total power being produced from the 4 solar panels = 12.7 W
Power Distribution Board Power = 3.36V (needed to enable payloads, 3.3V
required)
Core Temperature: 6.9 C
ADCS: +Y direction was facing the sun as they took this data

We were able to check 54 data channels, and all indications are that the
satellite is in a healthy state.

We are still talking to SpaceQuest to sort out why our software was "hung
up" at initialization, have developed some new theories and will do
extensive testing on our Qual Model tomorrow here at USAFA.

Thanks for all of the positive emails, I emailed the cadets today (they
are on Spring Break) and told them to rest up since they will be put to
work when they return as we start commissioning :)

V/R,
Tim

Timothy J. Lawrence, Lt Col, USAF, PhD
Director, ...Department of Astronautics
United States Air Force Academy USAFA, Colorado 80840