A New Model for Amateur Satellites

HuskySat-1 in University of Washington
lab prior to launch (University of
Washington photo)

AMSAT says the recently-launched HuskySat-1 satellite provides a new model for cooperation between the amateur satellite organization and educational institutions. According to the AMSAT News Service, this is the first instance of an AMSAT radio (a linear transponder in the ham bands) flying on a non-AMSAT satellite, the University of Washington's HuskySat-1. 

Under a split licensing arrangement with the FCC, HuskySat-1 will perform its scientific experiments under the supervision of the university and use a Part 5 experimental license to transmit its results back to Earth. When the experiments are completed later this year, UW will turn control of the satellite over to AMSAT, which will then activate the Part 97 amateur transponder. AMSAT says this opens the door for amateur radio payloads on future cubesat missions which (like this one) do not qualify for Part 97's so-called educational exemption. Details on HuskySat-1's mission are at <https://tinyurl.com/sehbfxy>.