Fox-1A
{{short description|American amateur radio satellite}}
{{Infobox spaceflight
| name = Fox-1A
| image =
| image_size =
| image_caption =
| mission_type = Communications
| operator = AMSAT{{cite web|url=https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=2015-058D|title=Fox 1|work=NSSDCA|publisher=NASA GSFC|accessdate=2018-06-25}}
| website =
| mission_duration =
| spacecraft_bus = CubeSat (1U)
| manufacturer = Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT)
| dimensions = {{Convert|10|x|10|x|10|cm|in}}
| launch_mass = {{Convert|1.3|kg|lb}}
| power =
| launch_date = 8 October 2015, 12:49 UTC
| launch_rocket = Atlas V 401 AV-058
| launch_site = Vandenberg SLC-3E
| launch_contractor =
| last_contact =
| decay_date =
| orbit_epoch = 25 June 2018{{cite web|url=https://www.n2yo.com/satellite/?s=40967|title=FOX-1A (AO-85)|publisher=n2yo.com|accessdate=2018-06-25}}
| orbit_reference = Geocentric
| orbit_regime = Low Earth
| orbit_periapsis = {{convert|504.3|km|mi}}
| orbit_apoapsis = {{convert|795.7|km|mi}}
| orbit_semimajor = {{convert|7,020|km|mi}}
| orbit_mean_motion = 14.757262270
| orbit_arg_periapsis = 312.3881°
| apsis = gee
| trans_band = FM
| trans_frequency = Uplink: 435.172 MHz
Downlink: 145.980 MHz
| trans_bandwidth =
| trans_capacity =
| trans_coverage =
| trans_TWTA = 400mW
| trans_EIRP =
| trans_HPBW =
| programme =
| previous_mission =
| next_mission =
}}
Fox-1A, AO-85 or AMSAT OSCAR 85{{cite web|url=http://amsat-uk.org/2015/10/09/fox-1a-fm-transponder-activated/|title= AO-85 (Fox-1A) FM Voice Transponder Activated|date= 9 October 2015|publisher=Trevor Essex|accessdate=2018-06-25}} is an American amateur radio satellite. It is a 1U Cubesat, was built by the AMSAT-NA and carries a single-channel transponder for FM radio. The satellite has one rod antenna each for the {{convert|70|cm}} and {{convert|2|m}} bands. To enable a satellite launch under NASA's Educational Launch of Nanosatellites (ELaNa) program, the satellite continues to carry a Penn State University student experiment (MEMS gyroscope).
According to AMSAT-NA, Fox-1A will replace OSCAR 51. Upon successful launch, the satellite was assigned OSCAR number 85.
Launch and mission
The satellite was launched on 8 October 2015 with an Atlas V rocket together with the main payload Intruder 11A (also known as NOSS-3 7A, USA 264 and NROL 55) and 12 other Cubesat satellites (SNaP-3 ALICE, SNaP-3 EDDIE, SNaP-3 JIMI, LMRSTSat, SINOD-D 1, SINOD-D 3, AeroCube 5C, OCSD A, ARC 1, BisonSat, PropCube 1 and PropCube 3) from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, United States. After just a few hours, the transponder was put into operation, initial connections were made between amateur radio stations and telemetry was received.
Status
Since December 2018, AO-85 has suffered from dangerously low battery voltage while in eclipse. As a result, AMSAT have disabled all on board transmitters in an effort to extend the usable life of the satellite. Transmitters are periodically turned back on to collect telemetry data.{{Cite web|title=AO-85 Status Update – AMSAT|date=20 December 2018 |url=https://www.amsat.org/ao-85-status-update/|access-date=2021-02-23|language=en-US}}
See also
{{Portal|Spaceflight}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://ww2.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/2012-Symposium-Fox-Overview.pdf www.amsat.org] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160328052409/http://ww2.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/2012-Symposium-Fox-Overview.pdf |date=2016-03-28 }} (PDF)
{{Orbital launches in 2015}}
{{OSCAR satellites}}
Category:Satellites orbiting Earth
Category:Amateur radio satellites
Category:Spacecraft launched in 2015
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