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PCsat, developed by U.S. Naval Academy students and launched in 2001, allows amateur users to report and receive position information and messages from specially designed walkie-talkies nearly anywhere in the world. This artifact is an engineering model used to test the thermal and mass properties of the satellite. Note that the antennas are metal strips cut from commercially-available measuring tape.

The United States Naval Academy donated this artifact to the Museum in 2004.

 Display Status

This object is not on display at the National Air and Space Museum. It is either on loan or in storage.
Object Details
Country of Origin United States of America Type SPACECRAFT-Uncrewed Manufacturer United States Naval Academy
 Dimensions Display (Object will fit into a rectangular space measuring): 86.4 × 76.2 × 94cm (2 ft. 10 in. × 2 ft. 6 in. × 3 ft. 1 in.)
Overall (Spacecraft bus): 10 × 10 × 10 in. (25.4 × 25.4 × 25.4cm)
Other (Four of the antennae): 6 1/2 in. (16.5cm)
Other (Four of the antennae): 1 ft. 7 1/2 in. (49.5cm)
Approximate (Including antennae, as displayed in current case): 81.3 × 81.3 × 71.1cm (2 ft. 8 in. × 2 ft. 8 in. × 2 ft. 4 in.)
Support (Height of previous mount): 29.8cm (11 3/4 in.)
3-D (Not including bottom tape measures): 74.9 × 67.3 × 83.8cm (2 ft. 5 1/2 in. × 2 ft. 2 1/2 in. × 2 ft. 9 in.)
 Materials Aluminum, steel, Kapton tape, electrical components, insulated wires, paper, paint
 Inventory Number A20040208000 Credit Line Gift of the United States Naval Academy Small Satellite Program Data Source National Air and Space Museum Restrictions & Rights Usage conditions apply
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