Aerospace Corporation, THE

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION APPLICATION FOR SPECIAL TEMPORARY AUTHORITY

Applicant Name

Name of Applicant:

Aerospace Corporation, THE

Address

Attention:	David Hinkley (M2-241)
Street Address:	2350 E. El Segundo Blvd
P.O. Box:
City:	El Segundo
State:	CA
Zip Code:	90245
Country:
E-Mail Address:	[email protected]

Best Contact

Give the following information of person who can best handle inquiries pertaining to this application:   Last Name: Hinkley First Name: David Title: PICOSAT project manager Phone Number: 310-336-5211

Explanation

Please explain in the area below why an STA is necessary: A STA is required due to the non-commercial, unique research-oriented and short-term nature of the operation. The experiment will be conducted over the maximum STA award period for the AeroCube-5 satellites because they have rechargeable power systems.

Purpose of Operation

Please explain the purpose of operation:

AeroCube-5 Test. The purpose of the operation is to conduct research regarding the space application of microelectronic technologies. The operation includes a demonstration of principles of the physics of the low-earth-orbit space environment and its effects on microelectronics. Two AeroCube-5 satellites comprise this flight to study the physics of formation flying as well as the tracking of small released masses. The AeroCube-5 is a PICOSAT class satellite, weighs less than 2.2 KG and is 4x4x6 inches in dimension. It is being launched on NROL-39, slated for December, 2013. The orbit is 469 x 972 km with 120 degree inclination. Orbital debris analysis predicts a lifetime 23 years (see “AC5_Lifetime” Exhibit). The satellite releases nine 1.2 gram “targets” as part of its mission. Orbital debris analysis predicts these will have a lifetime of 3 years (see “AC5_Peas_Lifetime_v2” Exhibit). A space collision probability analysis shows that the peas and the AC5 satellite both are below the 0.001 threshold required in AFI 91-217 (see “AC5_collision_prob_v3” Exhibit). To assess ground casualties and to double check the orbit lifetime and space collision probabilities calculated by The Aerospace Corporation experts, the NASA DAS2.02 program was utilized. The input and outputs are provided as exhibits (see “NASA DAS2.02 input for AC5” and “NASA DAS2.02 output for AC5”). The AeroCube-5 satellite has two radios for redundancy. The first is the tried-and-true Freewave Technologies, Inc. FGRM radio inside which outputs 2 Watts. It has a fixed frequency (i.e. not hopping or spread spectrum) at 914.7 MHz (see “AC5 Freewave FGRM bandwidth” Exhibit) so that the ground station can quickly link up with the satellite rather than waiting for the hopping sequence to sync up. The second radio is called the AdvRadio that is built by The Aerospace Corporation around a Texas Instruments CC1101 transceiver chip. It also operates at a fixed 914.7 MHz frequency (see “AC5 AdvRadio bandwidth” Exhibit) and outputs 1.5W. The satellite chooses which radio to use - both are not used at the same time. Both radios attach to an omni-directional patch antenna on the AeroCube-5. We have the pattern calculated and tested but use -10dB as the gain for 90% of the sphere area (see “AC5 antenna pattern simulations” Exhibit). When the AeroCube-5 satellite is ejected, it will power-on. However the radio will be in receive-mode only. As the satellite flies over a ground station, the station will be continuously beaconing upwards towards the satellite. When the satellite radio hears the beacon, along with the proper serial number code, it will respond and a link will be established. At that point, the ground station will ask the satellite for whatever information it wants, typically state of health log files, images from the cameras or other onboard telemetry. The satellite will respond by down-loading the requested information. When the link is lost due to the satellite passing out of view while the satellite was transmitting, the satellite will try 256 times to complete the last packet transmitted. If each packet is 72 bytes long and the radio data rate is 38.4 Kbaud, then it will try for only a couple of seconds before the 256 attempts are exceeded. At that point the satellite will go back into a passive receive mode again and again wait for the next beacon from a ground station with the correct serial number. We would like to use two types of ground stations to communicate with the AeroCube-5 satellite. The first is a fixed 16” dish antenna at The Aerospace Corporation in El Segundo, CA, near LAX airport. It has 30 dB gains, 5 deg beam width and also would use a 2W Freewave FGRM radio or an AdvRadio on the feed horn. The second ground station is a portable 2-meter diameter dish. This has 22 dB gain, a 15 deg beam width and would use a Freewave FGRM radio or an AdvRadio with the output passed through a 9W amplifier. This portable station we would like to use somewhere that is RF quiet and also advantageously located for maximum satellite coverage. A typical satellite pass is 5 minutes long, twice per day - so the system spends a lot of time not in use. The antenna parameters and ground station locations are shown in the exhibit “AC5 FAA sketch and antenna figures v1.

Information

Callsign:
Class of Station:	FX MO
Nature of Service:	Experimental

Requested Period of Operation

Operation Start Date:	12/01/2013
Operation End Date:	06/01/2014

Manufacturer

List below transmitting equipment to be installed (if experimental, so state) if additional rows are required, please submit equipment list as an exhibit:
Manufacturer	Model Number	No. Of Units	Experimental
Freewave Technologies	FGRM	1	No
The Aerospace Corporation	AdvRadio	1	No

Certification

Neither the applicant nor any other party to the application is subject to a denial of Federal benefits that includes FCC benefits pursuant to Section 5301 of the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988, 21 U.S.C. Section 862, because of a conviction for possession or distribution of a controlled substance. The applicant hereby waives any claim to the use of any particular frequency or electromagnetic spectrum as against the regulatory power of the United States because of the prvious use of the same, whether by license or otherwise, and requests authorization in accordance with this application. (See Section 304 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended.) The applicant acknowledges that all statements made in this application and attached exhibits are considered material representations, and that all the exhibits part hereof and are incorporated herein as if set out in full in this application; undersigned certifies that all statements in this application are true, complete and correct to the best of his/her knowledge and belief and are made in good faith. Applicant certifies that construction of the station would NOT be an action which is likely to have a significant environmental effect. See the Commission's Rules, 47 CFR1.1301-1.1319.

Signature of Applicant (Authorized person filing form):	David A. Hinkley
Title of Applicant (if any):	PICOSAT Project Leader
Date:	2013-04-29 00:00:00.0

Station Location

	City	State	Latitude	Longitude	Mobile	Radius of Operation
	El Segundo	California	North  33  54  52	West  118  22  49

Datum:  NAD 83 Is a directional antenna (other than radar) used?   Yes Exhibit submitted:   Yes (a) Width of beam in degrees at the half-power point:   5.00 (b) Orientation in horizontal plane:   (c) Orientation in vertical plane:   Will the antenna extend more than 6 meters above the ground, or if mounted on an existing building, will it extend more than 6 meters above the building, or will the proposed antenna be mounted on an existing structure other than a building?   Yes (a) Overall height above ground to tip of antenna in meters:   17.00 (b) Elevation of ground at antenna site above mean sea level in meters:   40.00 (c) Distance to nearest aircraft landing area in kilometers:   3.00 (d) List any natural formations of existing man-made structures (hills, trees, water tanks, towers, etc.) which, in the opinion of the applicant, would tend to shield the antenna from aircraft: None

Action	Frequency	Station Class	Output Power/ERP	Mean Peak	Frequency Tolerance (+/-)	Emission Designator	Modulating Signal
Modified	914.70000000- MHz	FX	2.000000 W 1535.000000 W	P	0.01600000 %	1M09F1D	2FSK

Action	Frequency	Station Class	Output Power/ERP	Mean Peak	Frequency Tolerance (+/-)	Emission Designator	Modulating Signal
Modified	914.70000000- MHz	FX	2.000000 W 1535.000000 W	P	0.01600000 %	357KF1D	GFSK
	City	State	Latitude	Longitude	Mobile	Radius of Operation
	WSMR	New Mexico	North  33  45  10	West  106  22  21	North Oscura Peak, White Sands Missile Range, NM	1.00

Datum:  NAD 83 Is a directional antenna (other than radar) used?   Yes Exhibit submitted:   Yes (a) Width of beam in degrees at the half-power point:   15.00 (b) Orientation in horizontal plane:   (c) Orientation in vertical plane:   Will the antenna extend more than 6 meters above the ground, or if mounted on an existing building, will it extend more than 6 meters above the building, or will the proposed antenna be mounted on an existing structure other than a building?   No (a) Overall height above ground to tip of antenna in meters:   (b) Elevation of ground at antenna site above mean sea level in meters:   (c) Distance to nearest aircraft landing area in kilometers:   (d) List any natural formations of existing man-made structures (hills, trees, water tanks, towers, etc.) which, in the opinion of the applicant, would tend to shield the antenna from aircraft:

Action	Frequency	Station Class	Output Power/ERP	Mean Peak	Frequency Tolerance (+/-)	Emission Designator	Modulating Signal
Modified	914.70000000- MHz	FX	9.000000 W 869.000000 W	P	0.01600000 %	1M09F1D	2FSK

Action	Frequency	Station Class	Output Power/ERP	Mean Peak	Frequency Tolerance (+/-)	Emission Designator	Modulating Signal
Modified	914.70000000- MHz	FX	9.000000 W 869.000000 W	P	0.01600000 %	357KF1D	GFSK
	City	State	Latitude	Longitude	Mobile	Radius of Operation
	San Luis Obispo	California	North  35  18  9	West  120  39  57		0.10

Datum:  NAD 83 Is a directional antenna (other than radar) used?   Yes Exhibit submitted:   Yes (a) Width of beam in degrees at the half-power point:   15.00 (b) Orientation in horizontal plane:   (c) Orientation in vertical plane:   Will the antenna extend more than 6 meters above the ground, or if mounted on an existing building, will it extend more than 6 meters above the building, or will the proposed antenna be mounted on an existing structure other than a building?   No (a) Overall height above ground to tip of antenna in meters:   (b) Elevation of ground at antenna site above mean sea level in meters:   (c) Distance to nearest aircraft landing area in kilometers:   (d) List any natural formations of existing man-made structures (hills, trees, water tanks, towers, etc.) which, in the opinion of the applicant, would tend to shield the antenna from aircraft: Mountain range

Action	Frequency	Station Class	Output Power/ERP	Mean Peak	Frequency Tolerance (+/-)	Emission Designator	Modulating Signal
Modified	914.70000000- MHz	FX	2.000000 W 869.000000 W	P	0.01600000 %	1M09F1D	2FSK

Action	Frequency	Station Class	Output Power/ERP	Mean Peak	Frequency Tolerance (+/-)	Emission Designator	Modulating Signal
Modified	914.70000000- MHz	FX	2.000000 W 869.000000 W	P	0.01600000 %	357KF1D	GFSK
	City	State	Latitude	Longitude	Mobile	Radius of Operation
	Low earth orbit	California	North	West	469 x 972 km orbit at 120 degree inclination

Datum:  NAD 83 Is a directional antenna (other than radar) used?   No Exhibit submitted:   No (a) Width of beam in degrees at the half-power point:   (b) Orientation in horizontal plane:   (c) Orientation in vertical plane:   Will the antenna extend more than 6 meters above the ground, or if mounted on an existing building, will it extend more than 6 meters above the building, or will the proposed antenna be mounted on an existing structure other than a building?   No (a) Overall height above ground to tip of antenna in meters:   (b) Elevation of ground at antenna site above mean sea level in meters:   (c) Distance to nearest aircraft landing area in kilometers:   (d) List any natural formations of existing man-made structures (hills, trees, water tanks, towers, etc.) which, in the opinion of the applicant, would tend to shield the antenna from aircraft:

Action	Frequency	Station Class	Output Power/ERP	Mean Peak	Frequency Tolerance (+/-)	Emission Designator	Modulating Signal
Modified	914.70000000- MHz	MO	2.000000 W 3.000000 W	P	0.01600000 %	357KF1D	GFSK

Action	Frequency	Station Class	Output Power/ERP	Mean Peak	Frequency Tolerance (+/-)	Emission Designator	Modulating Signal
Modified	914.70000000- MHz	MO	2.000000 W 3.000000 W	P	0.01600000 %	1M09F1D	2-FSK
	City	State	Latitude	Longitude	Mobile	Radius of Operation
	College Station	Texas	North  30  36  41	West  96  20  52

Datum:  NAD 83 Is a directional antenna (other than radar) used?   Yes Exhibit submitted:   Yes (a) Width of beam in degrees at the half-power point:   15.00 (b) Orientation in horizontal plane:   (c) Orientation in vertical plane:   Will the antenna extend more than 6 meters above the ground, or if mounted on an existing building, will it extend more than 6 meters above the building, or will the proposed antenna be mounted on an existing structure other than a building?   No (a) Overall height above ground to tip of antenna in meters:   (b) Elevation of ground at antenna site above mean sea level in meters:   (c) Distance to nearest aircraft landing area in kilometers:   (d) List any natural formations of existing man-made structures (hills, trees, water tanks, towers, etc.) which, in the opinion of the applicant, would tend to shield the antenna from aircraft:

Action	Frequency	Station Class	Output Power/ERP	Mean Peak	Frequency Tolerance (+/-)	Emission Designator	Modulating Signal
Modified	914.70000000-914.70000000 MHz	FX	9.000000 W 869.000000 W	P	0.00016000 %	1M09F1D	2FSK

Action	Frequency	Station Class	Output Power/ERP	Mean Peak	Frequency Tolerance (+/-)	Emission Designator	Modulating Signal
Modified	914.70000000-914.70000000 MHz	FX	9.000000 W 869.000000 W	P	0.00016000 %	357KF1D	GFSK
	City	State	Latitude	Longitude	Mobile	Radius of Operation
	Gainsville	Florida	North  29  38  53	West  82  20  39

Datum:  NAD 83 Is a directional antenna (other than radar) used?   Yes Exhibit submitted:   Yes (a) Width of beam in degrees at the half-power point:   15.00 (b) Orientation in horizontal plane:   (c) Orientation in vertical plane:   Will the antenna extend more than 6 meters above the ground, or if mounted on an existing building, will it extend more than 6 meters above the building, or will the proposed antenna be mounted on an existing structure other than a building?   No (a) Overall height above ground to tip of antenna in meters:   (b) Elevation of ground at antenna site above mean sea level in meters:   (c) Distance to nearest aircraft landing area in kilometers:   (d) List any natural formations of existing man-made structures (hills, trees, water tanks, towers, etc.) which, in the opinion of the applicant, would tend to shield the antenna from aircraft:

Action	Frequency	Station Class	Output Power/ERP	Mean Peak	Frequency Tolerance (+/-)	Emission Designator	Modulating Signal
Modified	914.70000000-914.70000000 MHz	FX	9.000000 W 869.000000 W	P	0.00016000 %	1M09F1D	2FSK

Action	Frequency	Station Class	Output Power/ERP	Mean Peak	Frequency Tolerance (+/-)	Emission Designator	Modulating Signal
Modified	914.70000000-914.70000000 MHz	FX	9.000000 W 869.000000 W	P	0.00016000 %	357KF1D	GFSK

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