AMSAT has received a generous grant from Amateur Radio Digital Communications (ARDC) for the development of a 3U spaceframe with deployable solar panels. This standardized 3U CubeSat spaceframe will serve as the mechanical platform for AMSAT's Greater Orbit, Larger Footprint (GOLF) series of satellites, as well as for a new generation of low-Earth orbit (LEO) FM satellites.

Central to the development of the 3U spaceframe, AMSAT will build three flight-ready spaceframes for an upcoming series of satellites with potentially enhanced flight control, payload, and communication capabilities.The need for a 3U spaceframe with deployable solar panels goes back to the original design requirements for the GOLF satellites that would return AMSAT to highly elliptical orbits (HEO). The benefit of this program will provide satellites with wider coverage and longer access times to the entire amateur radio satellite community worldwide. -- Thanks to Frank Karnauskas, N1UW, AMSAT VP of Development