QB50p1 CubeSat tests successful
AMSAT-NL says that an initial series of tests of the FUNcube transponder payload aboard the QB50p1 CubeSat have been successfully completed.
QB50p1 is one of two QB50 precursor spacecraft that were launched from Yasny in Russia in June 2014.
The primary science payloads are still being extensively tested but it has now been possible to undertake a short test of the transponder payload as well.
After spending 10 months in space, the transponder was commanded ‘on’ for short periods during each of the three morning passes over Europe on Monday, 27 April.
A number of FUNcube team members in the Netherlands and in the UK were standing by to run through a predefined test plan.
The transponder has a similar performance to that of FUNcube-1 but the passband is nominally 5kHz wider by design.
More information about the QB50 project can be found at https://www.qb50.eu.
Category: Front Page News, GB2RS Headlines
