Pages: [1] 2   Go Down

Author Topic: RadFxSat-2/Fox-1E Update  (Read 649 times)

K6LCS

  • Member
  • Posts: 2583
    • Clint's Stuff
RadFxSat-2/Fox-1E Update
« on: February 02, 2021, 10:29:11 PM »

2 February 2021

Testing and characterization of RadFxSat-2/Fox-1E continues.  After user reports and additional verification that the linear transponder is at least partially functioning with a low level downlink signal, the Engineering and Operations teams worked to identify which satellite, or Object, orbited from the Virgin Orbit Launch Demo 2 is actually RadFxSat-2/Fox-1E.   Several objects have been suspected (D, C, and M), with Object C being suggested recently by Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA.  Recently, these satellites have sufficiently spread apart to allow testing to determine which object is RadFxSat-2/Fox-1E.

During the 2 Feb 2021 0240 UTC passes, command station Mark Hammond, N8MH, compared Objects D, C, and M for the “best fit” for received signals with Doppler correction on both the uplink and downlink frequencies for each of the candidate objects.  Objects D and M were quickly eliminated from further consideration, due to poor frequency predictions of Doppler correction compared to observed signals. The clear best fit is Object C, which is known OBJECT C, INTELDES 2021-002C, and NORAD CAT ID 47311.   Therefore, AMSAT is happy to identify Object C/2021-002C/47311U as RadFxSat-2/Fox-1E.    Thank to Alan Biddle, WA4SCA, for support during the identification.

It should be noted that 18 SPS has not yet approved the identification for cataloguing.  Final determination of the object assignment comes from the squadron.

The Engineering and Operations teams appreciate the community’s cooperation thus far and affirm the request that users do not attempt to use the transponder until further notice.  The proper identification will allow further characterization of the satellite’s condition through additional testing.

On behalf of the Engineering and Operations Team,

--
Mark L. Hammond [N8MH]
AMSAT Director and Command Station                 
Logged
Clint Bradford, K6LCS
AMSAT Ambassador, ARRL Affiliated Club Coordinator
http://www.work-sat.com
909-999-SATS

VE3WGO

  • Member
  • Posts: 666
Re: RadFxSat-2/Fox-1E Update
« Reply #1 on: February 05, 2021, 09:33:23 AM »

can't find any info on RadFxSat-2/Fox-1E newer than this.

... has anybody heard any further update or analysis on this sat?

73, Ed
Logged

K6LCS

  • Member
  • Posts: 2583
    • Clint's Stuff
Re: RadFxSat-2/Fox-1E Update
« Reply #2 on: February 05, 2021, 12:03:47 PM »

Last I read AMSAT team was still working on it ... and asking for us to MONITOR ONLY for the time being.
Logged
Clint Bradford, K6LCS
AMSAT Ambassador, ARRL Affiliated Club Coordinator
http://www.work-sat.com
909-999-SATS

WE4B

  • Member
  • Posts: 165
Re: RadFxSat-2/Fox-1E Update
« Reply #3 on: February 05, 2021, 02:32:22 PM »

If it's not functioning by now, it's not going to function. Thus a lack of updates as the AMSAT-NA teams hopes and prays that everyone will just forget about it.
Logged

K6LCS

  • Member
  • Posts: 2583
    • Clint's Stuff
Re: RadFxSat-2/Fox-1E Update
« Reply #4 on: February 05, 2021, 07:42:05 PM »

Official news will come from AMSAT.
Logged
Clint Bradford, K6LCS
AMSAT Ambassador, ARRL Affiliated Club Coordinator
http://www.work-sat.com
909-999-SATS

WE4B

  • Member
  • Posts: 165
Re: RadFxSat-2/Fox-1E Update
« Reply #5 on: February 05, 2021, 08:28:33 PM »

Like I said, if it's not working by now the Vegas odds are that it's not going to work.
Logged

VE3WGO

  • Member
  • Posts: 666
Re: RadFxSat-2/Fox-1E Update
« Reply #6 on: February 08, 2021, 05:20:07 PM »

even so, they gave it AO-109 designation.  That seems a little premature to me, given its present state of non-usefulness.

(https://www.amsat.org/ans-038-amsat-news-service-weekly-bulletins-for-feb-7/)

Hopefully there will be some clarification of whether it's the uplink or the downlink that is damaged.

73, Ed
« Last Edit: February 08, 2021, 05:27:56 PM by VE3WGO »
Logged

K9JKM

  • Member
  • Posts: 25
Re: RadFxSat-2/Fox-1E Update
« Reply #7 on: February 09, 2021, 06:45:11 AM »

N0JY gave a video presentation on Sunday, February 7 about the status of RadFxSat-2.

Playback is still available at: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/905270501 (bear with the audio difficulty at the beginning - it clears up)

Additional engineering department videos are on his home page on twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/n0jy
Logged

VE3WGO

  • Member
  • Posts: 666
Re: RadFxSat-2/Fox-1E Update
« Reply #8 on: February 20, 2021, 07:10:49 AM »

Another week and a half has gone by since anything was made public.  I can't find any newer status updates.

Does anyone have any news about Fox-1E /AO-109's health?   The silence is deafening.

73, Ed
Logged

WE4B

  • Member
  • Posts: 165
Re: RadFxSat-2/Fox-1E Update
« Reply #9 on: February 20, 2021, 05:00:43 PM »

Another week and a half has gone by since anything was made public.  I can't find any newer status updates.
Does anyone have any news about Fox-1E /AO-109's health?   The silence is deafening.

Nope. Not even any info about it in this week's ANS bulletin. At this point, I am sure that they wish people would stop asking about it so that others will forget about it. If it was going to properly operate, it should have done so by now.
Logged

WE4B

  • Member
  • Posts: 165
Re: RadFxSat-2/Fox-1E Update
« Reply #10 on: February 27, 2021, 10:34:28 AM »

The 'powers that be' at AMSAT-NA keep hoping folks will just forget about AO-95, HO-107 and Fox-1E. Fortunately, many people want answers. Many people keep asking questions. Sadly, 'the powers that be' just pretend they don't hear the questions. These 'powers that be' have a legacy of failed spacecraft. I'll never understand why people keep electing these people with such a horrible track record. Members can change AMSAT-NA but members are going to have to stop being apathetic and remove these 'leaders' that simply use AMSAT-NA as their personal clubhouse and don't provide members with any functional, space based assets.

This meme sums up what happens when members ask questions:

Logged

VE3WGO

  • Member
  • Posts: 666
Re: RadFxSat-2/Fox-1E Update
« Reply #11 on: February 28, 2021, 05:33:12 AM »

right.   In today's latest news update in ANS-059 on Amsat's home page there is not a word about Fox-1E/AO-109.  Several news items about what other organizations are doing in satellites though.

No info on the Communications Satellites page either.  Normally any new satellites are listed with a note beside them saying something like "In commissioning", or "Transponder not yet active", but nothing on AO-109.

I guess the hope is that it will fade into obscurity, as this is what the complete absence of news released to the public suggests.

I see the other Fox sats there:

AO-85 (Fox-1A) Now end of mission
AO-91 (RadFxSat / Fox-1B) Do not attempt to access in eclipse
AO-95 (Fox-1Cliff) Beacon operational
AO-92 (Fox-1D) Do not attempt to access in eclipse

The Fox platform is apparently not working out so well.     The Golf platform will obviously need a total re-think or else it will be more of the same.

Another approach to take is the Camsat (China Amsat) redundancy approach - launch a lot of satellites (the CAS series), and if half of them survive, then we still have something to work with.  For example, on the Communications Satellites page, we can see that the CAS series has 11 entries, and 5 of them seem to be fully operational, a couple more are intermittent.

Amsat has the money to do this.  I wonder why it isn't following Camsat's lead.

73, Ed
Logged

WE4B

  • Member
  • Posts: 165
Re: RadFxSat-2/Fox-1E Update
« Reply #12 on: February 28, 2021, 12:25:14 PM »

They definitely want the memory of it to fade away. I even get the feeling that the 'The Ambassador' has been 'coached' not to comment about it or else we would have heard him defending the failed spacecraft. AMSAT-NA really is a bizarre organization which isn't really operating for the benefit of the members. The organization has certainly devolved to a point where it is no longer relevant to the amateur radio community.

I am thankful for the Chinese and their amateur radio satellites. We are fortunate that their government allows them to be put into orbit.

AMSAT-NA's new mantra is 'Onward & Upward'. I've heard it referred to as 'Onward & Upchuck'. AMSAT-NA wants members to believe that there will be a HEO satellite put into orbit. Unless FCC regulations regarding debris mitigation changes, that's just not going to happen. Heck, why would AMSAT-NA even think about HEO when they can't get reliability out of LEO spacecraft.

It's all smoke and mirrors. I'm not the bad guy in these discussions. I'm just the guy that publishes the facts without hyperbole. AMSAT-NA members deserve so much better than what they get from the 'legacy incumbents' that have a legacy of controversies, scandals and failed/non-functional spacecraft. It's up to the membership to change things. All the members have to do is remove these failed leaders from office and replace them with people that actually care and will be responsive to stakeholders.

Until members remove and replace ineffective 'legacy incumbents', these 'leaders' will just keep sweeping things under the rug and hoping that nobody notices. People do notice. I will keep posting/publishing to ensure that people know as will others.


Logged

K6LCS

  • Member
  • Posts: 2583
    • Clint's Stuff
Re: RadFxSat-2/Fox-1E Update
« Reply #13 on: February 28, 2021, 05:48:13 PM »

There's nothing "hidden" from the public - neither by ARISS nor AMSAT. And just because
someone doesn't answer your threats and demands in any forum doesn't make them "secretive."

It just might show you to be a poor communicator.

No - there are not hourly reports on the status of the three programs mentioned. Any question
I have sent to ARISS or AMSAT gets answered in a very reasonable amount of time.

And I would wager anyone else's sincere inquiries would be replied to, too.

(But a little hint: Don't threaten to take away biz licenses and sic the feds on and personally
attack the person from whom you would like information. That really isn't conducive to a
meaningful conversation.)

Clint Bradford K6LCS
Logged
Clint Bradford, K6LCS
AMSAT Ambassador, ARRL Affiliated Club Coordinator
http://www.work-sat.com
909-999-SATS

WE4B

  • Member
  • Posts: 165
Re: RadFxSat-2/Fox-1E Update
« Reply #14 on: February 28, 2021, 07:25:25 PM »

Like I said, AMSAT-NA continues to try to sweep failures under the rug and will not respond to requests from many members about the status of failed spacecraft. In fact, they have even stopped mentioning Fox-1E in weekly news releases. I guess the thinking is, out of sight, out of mind... that's the M.O. of how the 'legacy leaders' operate.

Members of an organization should not have to beg and plead for answers from 'leaders'. Especially a niche organization such as AMSAT-NA. It is what it is and the eyes of the amateur radio world are upon AMSAT-NA.

Any non-profit organization (or any business) that has BoD members that intentionally violate the bylaws of the organization and run afoul of the corporate code in the location where they operate stand the chance of losing their right to operate. I have no control over that, only the BoD members that sign-off on these violations would be responsible if that were to happen. We all see it frequently happen on the 6 o'clock news where executives of companies run afoul of laws. I'm not a lawyer or and didn't stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night so I'm not an officer of the court. I have clearly stated that AMSAT-NA 'legacy incumbents' have violated the bylaws of the organization and through doing so have violated the Corporate Code of Washington DC. Once again, I'm not a lawyer. If people want to read about it, here's a credible source from a current BoD member (that wasn't involved in the conspiracy):

http://amsat.wd9ewk.net

Here's the definition of conspiracy from dictionary.com:

Conspiracy - An agreement by two or more persons to commit a crime, fraud, or other wrongful act.

To put the thread back onto the topic, AMSAT-NA seems to be hoping that people will just forget about Fox-1E and is now no longer providing any regular updates about the spacecraft. Myself and others realize that this is another failed mission. We do not understand why AMSAT-NA won't just say that.

« Last Edit: February 28, 2021, 07:28:11 PM by WE4B »
Logged
Pages: [1] 2   Go Up