astronomy

TurkSat-3USat

TurkSat-3USat is a astronomy topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand TurkSat-3USat rather than just read about it. In short: TurkSat-3USat is a Turkish communications nanosatellite developed by the Space Systems Design and Test Laboratory and Radio Frequency Electronics Laboratory of Istanbul Technical University (ITU) in collaboration with the Türksat company along with Turkish Amateur Satellite Technology Organization (TAMSAT). It was launched on 26 April 2013.

Key takeaways

TurkSat-3USat belongs to astronomy; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect TurkSat-3USat to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of TurkSat-3USat from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

TurkSat-3USat is a Turkish communications nanosatellite developed by the Space Systems Design and Test Laboratory and Radio Frequency Electronics Laboratory of Istanbul Technical University (ITU) in collaboration with the Türksat company along with Turkish Amateur Satellite Technology Organization (TAMSAT). It was launched on 26 April 2013. Started with a protocol signed on 29 November 2010, TurkSat-3USat is a follow-up project based on the ITUpSAT1 mission, which was launched on 23 September 2009.

Launch and orbit TurkSat-3USat was launched as a secondary payload on 26 April 2013 at 04:13:04 UTC atop a Long March 2D satellite launch vehicle from the Launch Area 4/South Launch Site 2 of Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Gobi Desert, China. Further payloads on this flight were:

Gaofen 1, (CNSA), China NEE-01 Pegaso, (EXA), Ecuador CubeBug-1, (INVAP), Argentina TurkSat-3USat was placed into a Sun-synchronous low Earth orbit at an altitude of 645 kilometres (401 mi). It orbits 2-3 times a day over Turkey. The satellite's mission duration is expected to be at least three years.

Spacecraft and payload TurkSat-3USat is packed in a three-unit CubeSat structure made by Innovative Solutions In Space BV (ISIS) from Delft, Netherlands. It is 10 by 10 centimetres (3.9 in × 3.9 in) wide and 34 centimetres (13 in) long, and has a mass of about 4 kilograms (8.8 lb). The satellite's payload, a linear transponder and on-board computer, were designed in the RF Electronic Laboratory of ITU. It is Turkey's first indigenously developed satellite. TurkSat-3USat providing SSB/CW communication in amateur radio frequency bands. The transponder input is 145.940-145.990 MHz and the output is 435.200-435.250 MHz. On 437.225 MHz is either a CW beacon or 9,600 baud Audio frequency-shift keying (AFSK). Solar panels and lithium polymer batteries together with super capacitors provide the required power. Passive magnetic attitude control system with hysteresis rods enable satellite stabilization. A C329 UART camera module is available on board for occasional snapshots of Earth. The satellite features also a system to deorbit itself after the completion of its mission in compliance with the current CubeSat standard and United Nations regulations.

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with TurkSat-3USat

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what TurkSat-3USat claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In astronomy, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to TurkSat-3USat before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about TurkSat-3USat ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of TurkSat-3USat

In research: TurkSat-3USat appears in astronomy research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses TurkSat-3USat in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: TurkSat-3USat is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 2013 in Turkey, Communications satellites in low Earth orbit, Communications satellites of Turkey, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for TurkSat-3USat outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study TurkSat-3USat in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what TurkSat-3USat means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain TurkSat-3USat out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is TurkSat-3USat in simple terms?

Why does TurkSat-3USat matter?

Because it connects several astronomy ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study TurkSat-3USat?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on TurkSat-3USat.