Make Kit Reviews
Interorbital Systems
TubeSat Personal Satellite
$8,000
Reviewed: November 8th, 2011
TubeSat makes space your personal laboratory. You build a satellite the size of a large soup can, get it launched into a 310km Earth orbit moving 17,000 miles an hour, and talk to it via ham radio a few times a day for 1–3 months. Smile as you reflect on your new skills in surface-mount soldering, amateur radio (you’ll need a license), spacecraft control, solar power, and, yes, rocket science.
Even with a kit, building a satellite requires significant time and skill-building. You’ll need to order (or make) two-layer PCBs, and master reflow soldering to attach the fragile solar cells. But the manual is clear, you don’t need much math or science, and an online community shares techniques. I’m adding an ion engine to my TubeSat, which brings high-voltage electronics, micro-machining, and calculus into the mix.
The kit and launch cost $8,000 for academics and citizen scientists. (A larger CubeSat kit is $19,125, and Arduino versions of both are in development.) Success isn’t guaranteed — rockets fail, space radiation breaks electronics, and launch stresses can shake a satellite apart. (Test yours in a near-space balloon first.)
My TubeSat launches in spring 2012, and one thing’s for sure: when it’s all done, and the satellite burns up, I’ll never look at a shooting star the same way again.
The first three new IOS CubeSat Personal Satellite Kits have shipped! Similar to the TubeSat Kits, but Arduino-based, with 60 solar cell and a roomy experiment area! Contact Randa Milliron for more information: ios@interorbital.com
So the was written by who, when???? Any follow up on the project????
IOS plans = scam, beware!
Hello. It is my satellite (frets1.com) in the article and though there has not been a launch yet, I am quite pleased with the project. Personally, a scam happens when someone tells me something with no intention of follow through and with no benefit to me even if they fail. IOS is very upfront with their launch history, just ask. So far, I’ve developed patentable ion engine technology, learned advanced AI techniques, learned to design with SMT parts, seriously upgraded my electronics skill set, and received several job offers as a result of my satellite participation and improved engineering skills. I went personally to Mojave and saw firsthand IOS’ rockets, motors, and designs, I am convinced IOS is real and working very hard to make a major breakthrough in cost and launch streamlining. This is the exact opposite of “scam” and I’m saddened that you’ll never let yourself get the benefits I’ve enjoyed. Good day Enrique.