AMSAT's Fox-1 satellite has been
scheduled for launch aboard NASA's ELaNa XII mission late next year, according
to the AMSAT News Service. NASA plans to launch the cubesat into an orbit with
an expected lifetime of about 11 years. The satellite is scheduled to be
delivered to NASA for integration with the launch vehicle next March, to be
followed by a launch currently scheduled for next November.
The satellite will host
scientific payloads as well as amateur radio equipment, as part of AMSAT's
recent focus on supporting science, technology, engineering and mathematics
(STEM) education. The satellite's planned educational mission qualified it for
the NASA program, which provides free launches for selected projects. The
launch is generally the most expensive part of any amateur satellite project.
