[amsat-bb] PSAT2 and BRICSAT2 status...

[Robert Bruninga]

> I remember reading somewhere that PSAT-2 and Bricsat-2,
> the replacements for PSAT and Bricsat, are going up here very soon...

PSAT2 and BRICSAT2 are slated for launch this spring on SpaceX's heavy
lift.

After 4 years with the FCC, we finally have confirmation that the FCC
submitted our Notification to the ITU.  This has been a long and very
frustrating experience.  The FCC's insistence that our student projects
also be licensed as military sateliltes has essentially blocked our two
previous student Amateur packet transponder payloads from ever being
activated.  QIKCOM1 was launched to the ISS but after sitting in storage
on ISS until a year later when the FCC finally authorized its release, the
HOST that was to provide the power never activated.

Then, the QIKCOM2 power cord had to be cut right before launch, because
again the FCC insisted that although it was an amateur satellite, it was
built by students who are actually military employees and so it had to get
an NTIA license.  And the small NTIA office who is busy enough with
BILLION dollar Defense satellites, just simply understandably cannot be
bothered with a student project.  So that satellite was/is being launched
as a dead brick.

I have not announced PSAT2 or BRICSAT2 because I simply don't trust
anything anymore.  The FCC has simply made it impossible for academy
students to participate in small low cost amateur satellite projects.
This has occupied all my time for 4 years and it is just not worth it.  I
have put in my papers to retire at the end of the year.

Though, I do encourage anyone building a cubesat without DoD entnglements
to consider using our single board APRS transponders as an excellent
comms, command/control and telemetry board. See http://aprs.org/satt4.html

They are basically a Byonics TinyTrack4 board hacked for satellite use...

Bob, WB4APR

-----Original Message-----
From: AMSAT-BB
Sent: Sunday, February 17, 2019 3:18 PM
Subject: [amsat-bb] NO-84 Digipeater Online

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