428:
instabilities can create magnetic field-aligned irregularities (FAI), which are dense plasma clouds known to disrupt communication between Earth and orbiting spacecraft. To study FAI, the RAX satellites utilize a large incoherent scatter radar located in Poker Flat, Alaska (known as PFISR). PFISR transmits powerful radio signals into the plasma instabilities, which then scatter in the FAI and are received by the orbiting RAX spacecraft. The signals are then processed by RAX's onboard computer and transmitted back to Earth for scientific analysis. Earth-based scientists have been unable to study these unique plasma formations from the ground, and RAX will serve as a key transition point between Earth and Space.
432:
CubeSat design, and was able to execute bistatic radar measurements never before been performed with such a spacecraft. RAX team members applied the lessons learned from RAX-1 to the design of a second flight unit, RAX-2, which will perform the same mission concept of the first RAX that launched in
November 2010, with improved bus performance and additional operational modes. Science measurements will be enhanced through interactive experiments with high power ionospheric heaters where FAI will be generated on demand.
91:
42:
788:
457:
experienced by the satellite throughout its orbit over time. The cage was designed to characterize the magnetometers and run hardware-in-the-loop testing with RAX. This essentially puts the CubeSat into a virtual orbit, and allows the team to generate appropriate magnetic fields to test RAX's ability
502:
The scientific payload and the majority of the bus systems performed as expected, including the GPS-based position and time subsystem, attitude determination and control, communications, and on-board processing. Unfortunately, the mission ended prematurely after approximately two months of operation
431:
The goal of the RAX-2 mission is to enhance understanding of FAI formation so that short-term forecast models can be generated. This will aid spacecraft operators with planning their mission operations around periods of expected communication disruption. The RAX-1 mission made great strides in
427:
RAX is capable of carrying out scientific procedures that previously could only be done with large satellites, thanks in part to new enabling technologies. RAX's primary mission objective is to study large plasma formations in the ionosphere, the highest region of our atmosphere. These plasma
414:
builds on this heritage by completing the scientific portion of the overall mission; it is a reflection of students learning from practical experience, and swiftly implementing new, more inventive technologies firsthand. RAX team members were able to get practical spacecraft troubleshooting
440:
RAX undergoes the same rigorous testing that its bigger cousins do, to meet many of the same requirements. During testing, RAX was able to successfully upload commands and receive telemetry from a host of sensors. These sensors yielded data including temperature and voltage,
445:
position and velocity, spacecraft attitude (for orientation determination), and the general status of all of the RAX subsystems. The ground station software was also tested over radio links, proving that the team will be able to listen and interact with RAX remotely.
407:
The RAX-1 mission, launched in
November 2010, was a demonstration of the team's technological capabilities – it made great strides in CubeSat design, and was able to execute bistatic radar measurements that had never before been performed on a satellite of its size.
415:
experience, and applied lessons learned from RAX-1 to RAX-2, which performs the same mission concept with improved bus performance and additional operational modes. RAX-2 launched on
October 28, 2011 as part of the NASA
530:
in
California on a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket, flying in the 7920-10 configuration. CubeSat separation occurred 98 minutes after launch, and beacons from RAX-2 were heard shortly thereafter.
503:
due to a gradual degradation of the solar panels that ultimately resulted in a loss of power. RAX team members applied the lessons learned from RAX-1 to the design of a second flight unit, RAX-2.
821:
400:, Dr. Hasan Bahcivan, led his team at SRI to develop the payload while the chief engineer, Dr. James Cutler, led a team of students to develop the satellite bus in the
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Over the course of the seventeen-month development, the team also built additional testing facilities to evaluate sensors and prototypes. An in-house
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are underlined. Launch failures are marked with the † sign. Payloads deployed from other spacecraft are (enclosed in parentheses).
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to determine how it is oriented. The
Helmholtz Cage is also used to evaluate magnetic cleanliness and final integration testing.
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Launches are separated by dots ( • ), payloads by commas ( , ), multiple names for the same satellite by slashes ( / ).
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RAX-1 was sent into orbit on
November 19, 2010 by the United States Air Force as a payload manifested on the
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RAX Attitude
Determination Presentation, University of Michigan Summer Undergraduate Research in Engineering
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mission. The CubeSat launch was sponsored by NASA as part of the ElaNA-3 program. It launched from
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RAX-2 launched on
October 28, 2011, as a secondary payload on NASA's
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Cage was constructed to create and simulate the changes in
404:. There are currently two satellites in the RAX mission.
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685:"RAX-Radio Aurora Explorer Mission Science Operations"
743:"NASA - ELaNa: Educational Launch of Nanosatellites"
634:"NASA - ELaNa: Educational Launch of Nanosatellites"
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767:"Tracking Station | Worldwide launch schedule"
388:mission. The RAX mission is a joint effort between
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610:"NASA - Expendable Launch Vehicle Status Report"
482:mission, launched from Kodiak Launch Complex on
396:in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The chief scientist at
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8:
34:
822:
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27:"RAX" redirects here. For other uses, see
580:National Science Foundation Press Release
674:page at eoPortal (accessed Sept 15 2014)
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490:. The rocket used for this launch was a
1675:Spacecraft launched by Minotaur rockets
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494:rocket developed by Orbital Sciences.
7:
1149:Dragon Spacecraft Qualification Unit
473:United States Department of Defense
423:Capabilities and mission objectives
392:in Menlo Park, California and the
25:
708:NASA Goddard Spaceflight Center,
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755:from the original on 2023-06-15.
402:Michigan Exploration Laboratory
35:Radio Aurora Explorer (USA-218)
101:
1:
687:. Rax.sri.com. Archived from
156:28.0 kilograms (61.7 lb)
309:653 kilometres (406 mi)
299:622 kilometres (386 mi)
1670:Spacecraft launched in 2010
382:National Science Foundation
1701:
524:NPOESS Preparatory Project
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177:20 November 2010, 01:25:00
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1571:SpaceX COTS Demo Flight 1
528:Vandenberg Air Force Base
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591:RAX-1 Mission Completed
561:. Jonathan's Space Page
1685:University of Michigan
636:. Nasa.gov. 2011-02-14
394:University of Michigan
46:RAX under construction
374:Radio Aurora Explorer
264:Reference system
138:Spacecraft properties
838:Orbital launches in
724:. Space.skyrocket.de
557:McDowell, Jonathan.
1505:USA-222 / FASTRAC-2
1501:USA-222 / FASTRAC-1
559:"Satellite Catalog"
349:311.60 degrees
345:Argument of perigee
181:2010-11-20UTC01:25Z
36:
1660:Student satellites
794:Spaceflight portal
659:2011-06-05 at the
596:2012-03-17 at the
476:Space Test Program
339:73.62 degrees
329:97.52 minutes
319:71.97 degrees
259:Orbital parameters
1680:SRI International
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1516:USA-219 / O/OREOS
1483:USA-220 / FASTSAT
769:. Spaceflight Now
398:SRI International
390:SRI International
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16:(Redirected from
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959:GOES-15 / EWS-G2
867:Globus-1M No.12L
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295:Perigee altitude
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217:Orbital Sciences
194:Minotaur IV/HAPS
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169:Start of mission
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59:Auroral research
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1557:Glonass-M No.39
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1348:Zheda Pixing 1B
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507:RAX 2 Mission
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484:Kodiak Island
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977:EchoStar XIV
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771:. Retrieved
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726:. Retrieved
716:
710:NPP web page
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693:. Retrieved
689:the original
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638:. Retrieved
614:. Retrieved
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419:-3 mission.
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285:Eccentricity
236:Last contact
70: /
56:Mission type
1603:Perseus 003
1599:Perseus 002
1595:Perseus 001
1591:Perseus 000
1536:Intelsat 17
1497:FalconSat-5
1488:NanoSail-D2
1362:Kosmos 2469
1324:Kosmos 2468
1320:Kosmos 2467
1311:Chinasat-6A
1306:Kosmos 2466
1302:Kosmos 2465
1298:Kosmos 2464
1263:Nilesat 201
1226:Cartosat-2B
1221:EchoStar XV
1161:Shijian XII
1096:Waseda-SAT2
1039:Kosmos 2463
1024:Kosmos 2462
947:Kosmos 2461
936:Kosmos 2460
925:Kosmos 2459
909:Intelsat 16
894:Tranquility
492:Minotaur IV
315:Inclination
200:Launch site
174:Launch date
153:Launch mass
1654:Categories
1579:SMDC-ONE 1
1474:SkyTerra-1
1464:Fengyun 3B
1459:Meridian 3
1443:Compass-G4
1387:Shijian 6H
1383:Shijian 6G
1282:Tian Hui 1
1196:Arabsat-5A
1139:Compass-G3
1113:COMSATBw-2
862:Compass-G1
773:2012-05-26
728:2012-05-26
722:"RAX 1, 2"
695:2012-05-26
640:2012-05-26
616:2012-05-26
612:. Nasa.gov
535:References
384:sponsored
268:Geocentric
213:Contractor
147:3U CubeSat
1575:Mayflower
1378:Chang'e 2
1344:Yaogan 11
1334:Michibiki
1291:September
1272:Yaogan 10
1104:Negai ☆''
1012:CryoSat-2
972:Yaogan 9C
968:Yaogan 9B
964:Yaogan 9A
951:GLONASS-M
940:GLONASS-M
929:GLONASS-M
478:’s (STP)
451:Helmholtz
289:0.0021634
278:Low Earth
185: UTC
85:2010-062B
79:COSPAR ID
1665:CubeSats
1549:December
1479:STPSat-2
1452:November
1316:Gonets-M
1238:AISSat-1
1230:AlSat-2A
1200:Chollian
1186:TanDEM-X
1155:STSAT-2B
1134:SERVIS-2
1109:Astra 3B
1076:Akatsuki
876:February
753:Archived
657:Archived
594:Archived
239:May 2011
64:Operator
1621:GSAT-5P
1540:HYLAS-1
1526:Orion 7
1522:USA-223
1493:USA-221
1469:COSMO-4
1438:BSat 3B
1371:October
1357:USA-216
1339:USA-215
1277:USA-214
1242:TIsat-1
1234:StudSat
1118:USA-213
1092:Shin'en
1070:ICC-VLD
1066:Rassvet
1061:STS-132
1029:USA-212
1001:STS-131
889:STS-130
855:January
498:Results
480:STP-S26
436:Testing
386:CubeSat
243:2011-06
241: (
179: (
112:Website
100:SATCAT
1627:KA-SAT
1318:No.2,
1256:August
1191:Ofek-9
1170:Picard
1166:Prisma
1144:Badr-5
1100:Hayato
1088:DCAM-2
1084:DCAM-1
1080:IKAROS
1018:GSAT-4
898:Cupola
847:2011 →
832:← 2009
518:Launch
488:Alaska
467:Launch
325:Period
274:Regime
204:Kodiak
190:Rocket
121:.umich
119:.engin
1587:QbX-2
1583:QbX-1
1174:BPA-1
1034:SES-1
986:April
918:March
672:RAX-2
565:3 May
513:RAX-2
417:ELaNa
412:RAX-2
355:Epoch
207:Pad 1
107:37223
1399:XM-5
1214:July
1127:June
840:2010
748:NASA
567:2018
335:RAAN
123:.edu
68:NASA
1491:),
1090:),
1053:May
954:735
943:732
932:731
904:SDO
486:in
443:GPS
378:RAX
117:rax
102:no.
72:NSF
29:Rax
18:RAX
1656::
1601:,
1597:,
1593:,
1589:,
1585:,
1581:,
1577:,
1573:,
1563:,
1559:,
1538:,
1524:/
1513:,
1507:,
1503:,
1499:,
1495:/
1481:,
1436:,
1422:,
1418:,
1414:,
1410:,
1406:,
1385:,
1350:,
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1322:,
1304:,
1300:,
1265:,
1240:,
1236:,
1232:,
1228:,
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1172:,
1168:,
1111:,
1102:,
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970:,
966:,
949:/
945:,
938:/
934:,
927:/
896:,
751:.
745:.
625:^
543:^
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1082:(
1072:)
1064:(
1008:)
1004:(
900:)
892:(
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816:t
809:v
776:.
731:.
698:.
643:.
619:.
569:.
376:(
245:)
183:)
31:.
20:)
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