HuskySat-1 (HS-1)

Washington's First Student-Made CubeSat

Mission Overview

The HuskySat-1 (HS-1) is a 3U CubeSat designed, built, and tested by the Husky Satellite Lab. HS-1's goal was to test two experimental payloads, a pulsed plasma thruster (PPT), and a high-frequency K-band communication system, as well as hosting an Amateur Radio Linear Transponder.

HS-1 was developed by an interdisciplinary team at the University of Washington. It was aboard NASA's Cygnus NG-12 when it launched on November 2, 2019, and was deployed into Low Earth Orbit on January 31, 2020 to become the first amateur, student-built satellite from Washington state.

This CubeSat will demonstrate the capabilities of new technologies being developed at the University of Washington and expand the capabilities of CubeSats as a whole. In particular, the PPT and high-gain communications system will form the core technology suite on board the satellite. The HS-1 will also be flying a newly developed amateur radio linear transponder developed by AMSAT, which will contribute to the worldwide communication networks built and operated by ham radio enthusiasts.

CAD render of the HS-1, deployed antennas.

Status: Complete


Mission Type: 3U CubeSatLaunch Date: 10-02-2019Deployment Date: 01-31-2020Deployment Location: Low Earth OrbitMission Completion Date: 06-01-2020
HuskySat-1 team, Spring 2018
Images of Earth captured by HuskySat-1, shortly after deployment.
Image of the 3U, HS-1 CubeSat.

Objectives

The primary mission objectives are:

  • Delivery of system by November 2018

  • 3 months of operation

  • Operational PPT with measurable ∆V

  • Downlink of 100kb using high frequency K-band antenna

  • Host an Amateur Radio AMSAT Radio

The secondary mission objectives are:

  • 3-6 months of operation

  • Measure between 100 m s to 250m s ∆V

  • 100Mb downlink from a reflectarray antenna

  • Flight of camera payload from local High School

  • Establish ground station with high frequency capabilities

Non-Technical Objectives:

  • Lay groundwork for future CubeSat missions

  • Open hardware and software licensing

  • Publishable results