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AO-85 (Oscar 85) closed for operation

AO-85 (Oscar 85) är numera förklarad som icke fungerande, batterierna verkar ha slutat fungera //Lars SM0TGU

AMSAT-OSCAR 85 Declared End of Mission

After a long decline in the health of its batteries, AO-85 has gone
silent. Having not been heard throughout the most recent period of
full illumination, it is reasonable to believe the batteries have
deteriorated to the point of no longer being able to power the trans-
mitter. Should some future event cause a cell to open, it is possible
the satellite may be heard again, but for now it is time to declare
end-of-mission.

AO-85 was conceived as the first AMSAT cubesat, and was designed to be
a successor to the popular AO-51 microsat. Accepted into the NASA
CubeSat Launch Initative in February 2012, AO-85 was launched October
8, 2015. AO-85’s success led to further Fox satellites AO-91, AO-92,
AO-95, and RadFxSat2 / Fox-1E which will be launched later this year.
The Fox-1E transponder was also spun off into a radio system now in
orbitonboard HuskySat-1, and soon to be in several other university
cubesats.

Development continues on GOLF-TEE and GOLF-1, which will include a
legacy V/u linear transponder and a SDR-based multiband uplink and 10
GHz downlink radio system. Your continued support of AMSAT by member-
ship and donations will help us Keep Amateur Radio in Space.

[ANS thanks Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA, AMSAT Vice President – Operations
for the above information]

By SM0TGU

Webmaster and member of the AMSAT-SM steering group.

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