Communications Satellite, Mechanical Test Model, MicroSat

Object Details

Summary: Microsat is a type of communications satellite designed, manufactured, and operated by the amateur radio community. Created in 1988, this type introduced a modular design concept for spacecraft. Modules, each containing their own specialized electronics, are stacked together to create the spacecraft structure--a first for amateur, commercial, or government satellites.; University-based student groups used this template to build MicroSats that, beginning in 1990, were launched into orbit and used for two-way ham radio communications and experiments. This artifact is an engineering mechanical test model built to evaluate the modular concept.; MicroSat is part of a long-running tradition of amateur radio community involvement in space communications. Its design demonstrated that small, relatively inexpensive satellites, using everyday electronic components, could perform complex, sophisticated communications tasks.; The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation donated this artifact to the Museum in 2002.

Materials: Aluminum, Kapton (Polymide), Glass, Stainless Steel, Gold Plating, Plastic, Paper, Synthetic Fabric, Epoxy, Teflon
Dimensions: Overall (Total): 25.4 × 25.4 × 85.7cm, 8.3kg (10 in. × 10 in. × 2 ft. 9 3/4 in., 18.2lb.); Overall (Cube): 23.2 × 23.2 × 23.2cm (9 1/8 × 9 1/8 × 9 1/8 in.)

National Air and Space Museum

GUID (Link to Original Record): http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nv92425fbde-6b7a-42a1-8c92-1fe9ec77bdc7