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mur.sat - the mur.at satellite
In 2011 mur.at will launch this satellite. Interorbital Systems offers its TubeSat personal satellite kit for aprox. USD 8,600 (launch inclusive). The satellite will occupy a LEO for a couple of weeks before burning in the atmosphere on reentry. This is a SpaceArt project kindly supported by BMUKK.
Before mursat is sent to its LEO (lower earth orbit), it was already shown, in an exhibition taking place from December 3rd to 17th 2010 at ESC im LABOR, Graz. Until the end of the exhibition, the satellite's functionality will be fixed. With an additional payload of only 200 grams, we have to focus on a certain range of possibilites.
the project in detail
Go to the ProjectDescription for background information and motivation to develop mursat.
tube sat arrived
The TubeSatKit has finally arrived (see SpaceOdyssey2010 for more details).
the people involved
Read about the PeopleInvolved - artists, tech developers, supporters.
the actions
- meeting schedule: the minutes from the meetings held and the update for the upcomming meetings
the exhibition: what happened during the exhibition in december 2010.
- balloon testflights: how to test some basic communication between the satellite and the ground
- space center: once mursat flies into space, we are going to follow and accompany it on its travel.
the technology / tech development
- hardware
- software
- usage ideas:
- as many sensors as possible ()
- orientation sensor (magnetic field)
- Inertialsensor (movement)
- Photoresistor ???
WebCam without IR filter!
- radio scanner (what do you hear in space?)
- drag an antenna? antenna pole for gradient stabilasation (is this term correct?); exactly orthogonal to receiving
- direction ...
- place a high power LED on satellite that blinks when orientation towards earth fits so - using long term exposure - one could get a pattern.
- sending/receiving data via website (store and forward) should/will be possible
- place a microphone on the satellite and record sound from space
- place a speaker on the satellite and play sounds that people uploaded
The communication between mur.sat and earth will be solved via 2.4GHz radio. As the signals of mur.sat will only be available for very short time periods on one spot, we will need a dense global GroundStationNetwork of sender/reciever stations. The single station should catch and collect the signal snippets and transmit them via Internet (TCP/IP) to the mur.at space center in Graz. The thereby originating art piece will be visible in the Graz space center and online; of course all data will be available online and for free, published under a fitting GNU public licence that will ensure access to durable open public data. After a few weeks - probably 6 to 8 - the satellite will burn up during its re-entry in the earth atmosphere.
LEO
Low Earth Orbit (see e.g. Wikipedia for more).
3~4 min per day visibility from Graz/Austria
the art
Here you find the SatArt we are thinking about. Sensors of all kinds, data sent up and down, and all published in the public domain.
the ground station network
There will be an GroundStationNetwork of people around the world that will follow mur.sat on its mission. Please consider our OpenInvitation to participate!
Gallery
Pending an idea for a better name, there is a GalleryPage now where you find pictures that don't fit anywhere else 
design questions
mur.sat logotype idea
Things are getting better. Have a look at the GraphicsDesign (you need to be registered to view this page).
website layout example links
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