BeeSat-1

{{Short description|German satellite}}

{{Infobox spaceflight

| name = BeeSat-1

| image = BeeSat-FM Post-Acceptance-Test-Checkout 2008-09.JPG

| image_caption = BeeSat-1 before launch

| mission_type = Technology

| operator = Technische Universität Berlin

| website = {{url|http://www.raumfahrttechnik.tu-berlin.de/beesat/v-menue2/project_overview/}}

| COSPAR_ID = 2009-051C

| SATCAT = 35933

| mission_duration = 12 months (planned)
15+ months (achieved)

| spacecraft_type = 1U CubeSat

| manufacturer =

| dry_mass =

| launch_mass = {{convert|1|kg}}

| power =

| launch_date = {{start-date|23 September 2009, 06:21|timezone=yes}} UTC

| launch_rocket = PSLV-CA C14

| launch_site = Satish Dhawan FLP

| launch_contractor = ISRO

| last_contact =

| decay_date =

| orbit_epoch = 21 January 2014, 05:49:02 UTC{{cite web|url=http://www.n2yo.com/satellite/?s=35933|title=BEESAT Satellite details 2009-051C NORAD 35933|work=N2YO|date=21 January 2014|accessdate=21 January 2014}}

| orbit_reference = Geocentric

| orbit_regime = Sun-synchronous

| orbit_periapsis = {{convert|713|km|mi}}

| orbit_apoapsis = {{convert|723|km|mi}}

| orbit_inclination = 98.36 degrees

| orbit_period = 99.01 minutes

| apsis = gee

}}

BeeSat-1 or Berlin Experimental and Educational Satellite 1, is a German satellite operated by Technische Universität Berlin. The spacecraft is a single unit CubeSat, which was designed to test systems intended for use on future spacecraft, including a new design of reaction wheel.{{cite web |title=BEESAT-1 |url=http://www.raumfahrttechnik.tu-berlin.de/beesat/v-menue2/beesat-1/ |publisher=TUB |accessdate=6 January 2011 |date=25 May 2010 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110218222803/http://www.raumfahrttechnik.tu-berlin.de/beesat/v-menue2/beesat-1 |archivedate=18 February 2011 }}{{cite web|title=BeeSat-1 (Berlin Experimental Educational Satellite-1) |url=http://events.eoportal.org/get_announce.php?an_id=11635 |work=eoPortal Directory |publisher=eoPortal |accessdate=6 January 2011 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110726032851/http://events.eoportal.org/get_announce.php?an_id=11635 |archivedate=26 July 2011 }} It has also been used for amateur radio, and is equipped with a small camera.

BeeSat-1 was launched by a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, serial number C14, flying in the Core Alone, or PSLV-CA, configuration.{{cite encyclopedia|last=Wade|first=Mark|title=PSLV CA|url=http://www.astronautix.com/lvs/pslvca.htm|encyclopedia=Encyclopedia Astronautica|accessdate=6 January 2011|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111011075653/http://astronautix.com/lvs/pslvca.htm|archivedate=11 October 2011}} The launch took place from the First Launch Pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, at 06:21 UTC on 23 September 2009.{{cite web|last=McDowell|first=Jonathan|author-link=Jonathan McDowell|title=Launch Log|url=http://www.planet4589.org/space/log/launchlog.txt|work=Jonathan's Space Page|accessdate=6 January 2011}} BeeSat-1 was a secondary payload aboard the rocket, which deployed the Oceansat-2 satellite. Five other secondary payloads were flown aboard the rocket; SwissCube-1, UWE-2, ITU-pSat1, Rubin 9.1 and Rubin 9.2.{{cite web|last=Krebs|first=Gunter|title=BeeSat|url=http://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/beesat.htm|work=Gunter's Space Page|accessdate=6 January 2011}}{{cite web|last=Krebs|first=Gunter|title=Rubin 9|url=http://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/rubin-9-ais.htm|work=Gunter's Space Page|accessdate=6 January 2011}}

BeeSat-1 is operating in a Sun-synchronous orbit with an apogee of {{convert|723|km}}, a perigee of {{convert|714|km}} and 98.4 degrees of inclination to the equator. It has an orbital period of 99.16 minutes.{{cite web|last=McDowell|first=Jonathan|title=Satellite Catalog|url=http://www.planet4589.org/space/log/satcat.txt|work=Jonathan's Space Page|accessdate=6 January 2011}} BeeSat-1 was designed to operate for at least twelve months, and {{As of|2011|1|lc=y}} it is still operational.{{cite web|title=BEESAT|url=http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/satellites/satInfo.php?satID=129|publisher=AMSAT|accessdate=6 January 2011|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110303221829/http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/satellites/satInfo.php?satID=129|archivedate=3 March 2011}}

In 2024, German hacker PistonMiner repaired a number of software issues on the BeeSat-1, restored the telemetry function, and downloaded images from the camera for the first time. Their work was presented at the 38th Chaos Communication Congress in Hamburg.{{Cite AV media |url=https://media.ccc.de/v/38c3-hacking-yourself-a-satellite-recovering-beesat-1 |title=Hacking yourself a satellite - recovering BEESAT-1 |date=2024-12-30 |last=PistonMiner |language=en |access-date=2024-12-31 |via=media.ccc.de}}{{Cite web |last=online |first=heise |date=2024-12-29 |title=38C3: Hacker hijacks and repairs Beesat-1 satellites from the ground |url=https://www.heise.de/en/news/38C3-Hacker-hijacks-and-repairs-Beesat-1-satellites-from-the-ground-10221522.html |access-date=2024-12-31 |website=heise online |language=en}}

== Hardware ==

Source:

BeeSat-1 is a cubesat with a form factor of 10cm. Each subsystem has a backup except for the sensors and the camera and all subsystems are connected by 2 redundant CAN busses. The antenna enables a 4.8 kbps half-duplex communication with the ground station in Berlin. The on-board computer (OBC) includes a ARM7TDMI CPU, 2MB of SRAM, 16MB of software flash and 4MB of telemetry flash that stores telemetry data when the ground station is out of reach as communication can only be done for 10 to 15 minutes 6 to 8 times a day.

The satellite currently runs on the backup on-board computer after the primary computer's configuration in the flash was corrupted by an unplanned reset, which made it send invalid data.