KySat, at a virtual media conference, today announced that Kentucky's first
mission to space will launch on Wednesday, December 5, 2007 at 5:30 PM MST
(7:30 PM EST) from the White Sands launch facility in New Mexico. Code
Name: Space Express…will be a sub-orbital launch carrying aa KySat student
designed and built payload. The final countdown for Space Express commenced
at 12 PM EST today, November 14, 2007, and can be tracked at
http://www.kysat.com .
The Space Express payload will be carried aboard a Shadow ID rocket
provided by Lunar Rocket and Rover Company based in Los Alamitos,
California. The mission, expected to reach an altitude of approximately 120
km (about 75 miles) will fly a non-recoverable payload. The primary
objective of Space Express is to test subsystems and processes being
developed for future orbital KySat missions now in development with launch
targets beginning in 2008.
The Space Express payload configuration includes:
Electrical Power System
Command and Data Handling System
Communication System
Telemetry System
The mission will be monitored and tracked by three (3) KySat designed
ground stations and the radar array at White Sands Missile Range.
Approximately twelve students plus various faculty/mission advisors from
member KySat organizations will travel to White Sands as part of the launch
team. This team will handle final payload testing, launch integration and
ground station operations during the mission.
KentuckySatellite (KySat) is an ambitious joint-enterprise involving public
organizations, colleges, universities and private companies in a
student-led initiative involving the design, build, launch and ground
operation of small satellites (i.e., <10kg) and other spacecraft to promote
science, technology, engineering, innovation and education. Beginning in
2008 KySat plans to launch a minimum of one orbital mission a year, each with increasing complexity and capacity.
Panelists participating in the virtual media conference included:
Kris W. Kimel, Kentucky Science & Technology Corporation...KySat Managing Partner, 859-229-6161 or kkimel@kstc.com.
James Lumpp, University of Kentucky...KySat Mission Advisor (jel@uky.edu).
Ben Malphrus, Morehead State University...KySat Mission Advisor (b.malphrus@morehead-st.edu).
Greg Schmidt, Associate Director for Strategic Planning, Science Directorate, NASA Ames Research Center (gschmidt@mail.arc.nasa.gov).
Robert Kleinberg, President/CEO, Lunar Rocket & Rover Co., Inc. (robert.kleinberger@lunar-rocket.com).
Tyler Doering, Space Express Student Design Team Lead (tyler.doering@gmail.com).
Complete mission details along with visuals of the Shadow 1D launch
vehicle, a view from space at the approximate altitude Space Express is
expected to achieve and names and photos of the KySat student design teams
are available in the Press Room at http://www.kysat.com .
KySat Enterprise Members include: University of Kentucky; University of
Louisville; Morehead State University; Murray State University; Western
Kentucky University; Kentucky Space Grant Consortium, Kentucky Council on
Postsecondary Education; Kentucky Science and Engineering Foundation;
Kentucky Science and Technology Corporation (Managing Partner) and Kentucky
Community and Technical College System.
For additional information relating to the Kentucky Space Express or KySat
initiative, please contact Kris Kimel at kkimel@kstc.com or 859-229-6161.
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