View source for EcAMSat

{{Short description|NASA's first 6U CubeSat}}
{{Infobox spaceflight
| name                  = EcAMSat
| image                 =
| image_caption         =
| mission_type          = {{nowrap|Biological research}}
| operator              = [[Santa Clara University]]
| website               = {{url|https://www.nasa.gov/centers/ames/engineering/projects/ecamsat/|EcAMSat}}
| COSPAR_ID             = 1998-067NG
| SATCAT                = 43019
| mission_duration      = 25 days<ref name="dashboard" /><br/>152.5 hr Main Experiment<ref name=TBoonePaper>{{cite conference|last=Spremo|first=Stephen|url=https://web.stanford.edu/~amatin/MatinLabHomePage/PDF/2014_EcAMSat-SmallSat%20Proc.pdf|title=E. coli AntiMicrobial Satellite (EcAMSat): Science Payload System Development and Test|conference=[[Small Satellite Conference|SSC14]]|date=19 June 2014|accessdate=28 November 2017}}</ref>
| spacecraft_bus        = NASA NanoSat 1.0 Bus
| manufacturer          = [[NASA]]
| dry_mass              =
| launch_mass           = {{convert|10.7|kg|lb}}
| power                 =
| launch_date           = {{start-date|12 November 2017, 12:19|timezone=yes}}&nbsp;UTC<ref>{{cite web|last=Clark|first=Stephen|url=https://spaceflightnow.com/2017/11/12/space-station-cargo-shipment-blasts-off-aboard-antares-rocket/|title=Space station cargo shipment blasts off aboard Antares rocket|work=Spaceflight Now|date=12 November 2017|accessdate=28 November 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Foust|first=Jeff|url=https://spacenews.com/antares-launches-cygnus-spacecraft-to-iss/|title=Antares launches Cygnus spacecraft to ISS|work=[[SpaceNews]]|date=12 November 2017|accessdate=28 November 2017}}</ref>
| launch_rocket         = [[Antares (rocket)|Antares 230]]
| launch_site           = [[Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport|MARS]] [[Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport Launch Pad 0|LP-0A]]
| launch_contractor     = [[Orbital ATK]]
| last_contact          = <!-- {{end-date|[insert date here]}} -->
| decay_date            = 8 December 2021<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.n2yo.com/satellite/?s=43019 |title=ECAMSAT |work=N2YO.com |date=8 December 2021 |access-date=14 December 2021}}</ref>
| orbit_epoch           = 1 December 2017<ref name="satcat">{{cite web|url=https://www.n2yo.com/satellite/?s=43019|title=Satellite Catalog
|work=N2YO.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201032106/https://www.n2yo.com/satellite/?s=43019|archive-date=1 December 2017|accessdate=1 December 2017}}</ref>
| orbit_reference       = [[geocentric orbit|Geocentric]]
| orbit_regime          = [[Low Earth orbit|Low Earth]]
| orbit_periapsis       = {{convert| 405.7 |km|mi}}
| orbit_apoapsis        = {{convert| 413.4 |km|mi}}
| orbit_inclination     = 51.6&nbsp;degrees
| orbit_period          = 92.6&nbsp;minutes
| apsis                 = gee
}}
'''EcAMSat''', or '''E. coli AntiMicrobial Satellite''', was [[NASA]]'s first 6U [[CubeSat]], developed to investigate the effects of [[microgravity]] on the [[antibiotic resistance]] of [[Escherichia_coli|E. coli]]. The spacecraft was launched aboard an [[Orbital ATK]] [[Antares (rocket)|Antares]] rocket from [[Wallops Flight Facility]] on 12 November 2017, and was deployed from the [[International Space Station]] on 20 November 2017.
== Background ==
During the development of the [[PharmaSat]] spacecraft, two identical flight units were built and brought to the launch site, with the FLT-2 unit being the one ultimately launched as "[[PharmaSat]]". The FLT-1 unit sat in storage, and was later put to use as a [[NASA]] [[Ames Research Center]] Mission of Opportunity (MoO) flight, selected for funding under the Stand Alone Missions of Opportunity program. Originally named "'''PharmaSat-ECAM'''",<ref name="PharmaSat-ECAM">{{cite web|last=Hines|first=John W.|url=http://www.acser-archive.unsw.edu.au/downloads//6U%20Cubesat%20Presentations/Day%201/06.%20Research%20and%20Technology%20Implications%20and%20Applications%20for%20Very%20Small%20(MesoScale)%20Spacecraft%20-%20John%20Hines.pdf|title=Research and Technology Implications and Applications for Very Small (MesoScale) Spacecraft|page=29|work=[[NASA Ames]]|publisher=[[University of New South Wales|UNSW]]|date=17 July 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201035644/http://www.acser-archive.unsw.edu.au/downloads//6U%20Cubesat%20Presentations/Day%201/06.%20Research%20and%20Technology%20Implications%20and%20Applications%20for%20Very%20Small%20(MesoScale)%20Spacecraft%20-%20John%20Hines.pdf|archive-date=1 December 2017|accessdate=1 December 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> EcAMSat was developed from both legacy hardware and software from the PharmaSat mission.
EcAMSat was the fifth mission to utilize [[NASA]] [[Ames_Research_Center|Ames Research Center's]] NanoSat 1.0 bus, which has flown on [[GeneSat-1]], [[PharmaSat]], [[NanoSail-D2]], and [[O/OREOS]].
== Operations ==
EcAMSat was operated by [[Santa Clara University]]'s Robotic Systems Lab in [[Santa Clara, California]]. After deployment, the first [[amateur radio]] beacon packets were received by amateur radio operator JA0CAW on 20 November 2017,<ref name="dashboard">{{cite web|url=http://ecamsat.engr.scu.edu/|title=EcAMSat Mission Dashboard|work=[[Santa Clara University|SCU]]|accessdate=28 November 2017|archive-date=1 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201034116/http://ecamsat.engr.scu.edu/|url-status=dead}}</ref> and Santa Clara University closed the S-Band radio link for the first time on 21 November 2017.
EcAMSat transmitted an [[AX.25]] beacon packet once every 5 seconds at 437.100 megahertz.<ref name="beacon">{{cite web|url=http://ecamsat.engr.scu.edu/beacon/EcAMSatBeaconDecoding.pdf|title=EcAMSat Beacon Packet Decoding|work=[[Santa Clara University|SCU]]|date=15 November 2017|accessdate=28 November 2017|archive-date=1 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201040527/http://ecamsat.engr.scu.edu/beacon/EcAMSatBeaconDecoding.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>
== See also ==
* [[CubeSat]]
* [[PharmaSat]]
* [[GeneSat-1]]
* [[O/OREOS]]
* [[NanoSail-D2]]
== References ==
{{Reflist}}
{{Orbital launches in 2017}}
[[Category:Spacecraft launched in 2017]]
[[Category:Spacecraft which reentered in 2021]]
[[Category:CubeSats]]
[[Category:Satellites deployed from the International Space Station]]