upright=1.0, The Norwegian satellite NCube-2
NCube (Norwegian CubeSat) was a series of two Norwegian
satellite
A satellite or an artificial satellite is an object, typically a spacecraft, placed into orbit around a celestial body. They have a variety of uses, including communication relay, weather forecasting, navigation ( GPS), broadcasting, scient ...
s, made by students at several Norwegian universities and university colleges. Due to problems during launch (NCube-1) and deployment into orbit (NCube-2), neither of the satellites became operational.
Both satellites were built to the
CubeSat
A CubeSat is a class of small satellite with a form factor of cubes. CubeSats have a mass of no more than per unit,, url=https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5418c831e4b0fa4ecac1bacd/t/5f24997b6deea10cc52bb016/1596234122437/CDS+REV14+2020-07-3 ...
picosatellite standard, which defined their mass and size (10 cm
cube
A cube or regular hexahedron is a three-dimensional space, three-dimensional solid object in geometry, which is bounded by six congruent square (geometry), square faces, a type of polyhedron. It has twelve congruent edges and eight vertices. It i ...
). This standard allows one or more cube satellites to be launched by '
piggyback
Piggyback, piggy-back, or piggybacking may mean:
Transport
* Piggyback (transportation), something that is riding on the back of something else
Art, entertainment, and media
* Splash cymbal piggybacking, mounting a cymbal on top of an already ...
ing' with a larger satellite. In this way the smaller satellites get a cheap ride into orbit.
The goal of the NCube satellites was to stimulate interest in science and increase competence in space technology among students and educational institutions. Moreover, enhance cooperation between educational institutions and industry and exchange of knowledge between educational institutions in north and south of Norway.
The second goal was to communicate with
amateur radio
Amateur radio, also known as ham radio, is the use of the radio frequency radio spectrum, spectrum for purposes of non-commercial exchange of messages, wireless experimentation, self-training, private recreation, radiosport, contesting, and emer ...
ground stations, and to test a space-born
Automatic Identification System
The automatic identification system (AIS) is an automatic tracking system that uses transceivers on ships and is used by vessel traffic services (VTS). When satellites are used to receive AIS signatures, the term ''Satellite-AIS'' (S-AIS) is ...
(AIS) receiver for tracking ships and
reindeer
The reindeer or caribou (''Rangifer tarandus'') is a species of deer with circumpolar distribution, native to Arctic, subarctic, tundra, taiga, boreal, and mountainous regions of Northern Europe, Siberia, and North America. It is the only re ...
.
NCube-2 was launched into orbit on 27 October 2005 from Plesetsk in Russia. NCube-1 was scheduled to be launched in January 2006, but the launch was postponed until July of the same year. The launch of both satellites has been postponed several times.
As of 2013,
NTNU was developing a 2U CubeSat called
NUTS-1.
See also
*
List of CubeSats
The following is a list of CubeSats, nanosatellites used primarily by universities for research missions, typically in low Earth orbits. Some CubeSats became Timeline of first satellites by country, their country's first national satellite. The ex ...
References
External links
More information and project documents
Satellites of Norway
CubeSats
Student satellites
Satellite launch failures
Spacecraft launched in 2006
Spacecraft launched by Dnepr rockets
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