ASUSat1 is a 6-kilogram-class satellite designed, fabricated, tested, and tracked by the students at ASU to perform meaningful science in space. The satellite was designed to be placed in low Earth orbit for low-cost Earth imagery, experimental verification of composite-material models, technology demonstration of low-cost student-designed systems, boards, and sensors, and provision of an audio transponder for amateur radio (AMSAT) operators. This project was begun in October 1993 and launched on January 26, 2000 at 19:03 PST to a 750km X 800km, 100 degrees inclination orbit on the first Air Force Orbital/Suborbital Program Space Launch Vehicle. We delivered the final flight hardware to Weber State on May 13, 1999, for final integration with the other payloads on the JAWSAT structure on June 23, 1999.

Following the successful liftoff of the OSP at 2000-01-27 03:03:06 UTC, the 12.9-pound nanosatellite ASUSat1 was the first of five payloads to be deployed. The Air Force requested that each of the payloads immediately inform them of initial signal acquisition, to confirm successful deployment from the fourth stage. Approximately 50 minutes after launch, ASUSat1 was the first payload to be heard when an amateur radio operator in South Africa (Paul Roos, ZS6HQ) heard two beacons on its frequency. This reception matched the expected transmission pattern of ASUSat1. The contact confirmed that we had been successfully deployed from the rocket and that the satellite was functioning on orbit.

Multiple contacts with ASUSat1 were made by amateur radio ground stations around the world. In addition to the first contact made by Paul Roos, reports were received from Niki Steenkamp and Dirk van der Merwe of the Sunsat Team in South Africa, Ian Ashley (ZL1AOX) in New Zealand, Randy Kohlwey (N7SFI) in California, and Steve Diggs (W4EPI) in Georgia. Initial telemetry received from these stations indicated that the satellite was healthy and functioning as expected, except for a possible charging problem.

Two hours into the mission was the first pass at ASU, but contact was not expected since this pass was very low on the horizon. To the delight of the team, the downlink was briefly heard. Additional contacts were made by the ASU ground station nine and eleven hours into the mission. During these passes, the ASUSat students successfully commanded and controlled the satellite. Initial systems checkout confirmed that the communications, commands, power regulation, data acquisition, and structures/deployment subsystems were performing as expected.

The last report received from ASUSat1 was by the SunSat Team at fourteen hours into the mission. This reception included a telemetry frame that confirmed that the satellite did indeed have a critical problem in the power system. Unfortunately, this problem prevented the solar arrays from supplying power. Predicted lifetime of the satellite on battery power alone was estimated to be fifteen hours.

Our mission objective was to show capability in a very low-mass, low-power, low-volume, and low-cost satellite. Even though the mission was brief, telemetry from ASUSat1 indeed indicated that the majority of the student-designed satellite components operated as designed:

The signals to ground stations around the world were strong. Attitude sensor data was also obtained, but with only two frames available it is not possible to draw any firm conclusions. Commissioning and analyses of the cameras, GPS, amateur radio repeater, and gravity-gradient fluid damper were scheduled for later in the mission, so no information on these components was available. Because of the way the spacecraft and its operations were designed, we actually derived a tremendous amount of information which will be of interest, and which we will make available, to the nanosatellite community.

Even with such a short mission, the ASUSat team has gathered an immense amount of experience and insight into the building, launching and operation of a satellite. Students with no experience, but a lot of desire, and with advisement from our industry, NASA Space Grant, and AMSAT partners, were able to create a real functioning nanosatellite. All of this was accomplished despite an incredibly limited budget and regular turnover as students graduated.

Over 400 students from high school through PhD, from engineering, liberal arts, journalism, social work, and business have comprised the satellite team, serving on the subsystems: dynamics & control, structures & materials, thermal, power, commands, communications, software, ground support equipment, science & instruments, mechanisms & deployment, and systems. The students participate in all leadership, management, and teaming aspects of a real space program. Approximately fifty students work on the project each semester, 85% are undergraduates. Once each week the entire group meets. Each sub-system meets separately, and the group leaders meet in a weekly systems meeting. The (usual for industry) design reviews are put on by the students with significant industry participation to ensure the project's success. The weekly report required of each student ensures timely progress toward team and individual goals.