Monthly Archives: September 2015

Sep 8 2015

QB50 CubeSats to be deployed from ISS

Planet Lab Dove CubeSats leaving the Nanoracks Deployer on February 11, 2014

Planet Lab Dove CubeSats leaving the ISS Nanoracks Deployer on February 11, 2014

It has been announced that the fifty CubeSat QB50 constellation should be shipped to the International Space Station (ISS) in July 2016 for subsequent deployment. It had been planned for them to be launched by Alcantara Cyclone Space, a joint venture between the governments of Ukraine and Brazil, but that option is not longer available.

QB50p1 and QB50p2 Precursor 2U CubeSats - Image Credit ISIS

QB50p1 and QB50p2 Precursor 2U CubeSats – Image Credit ISIS

The AlbertaSat website reports on the 9th QB50 Workshop, held September 8, 2015 in Liège, Belgium. The CubeSats are now planned to be deployed from the ISS using the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) and the Nanoracks CubeSat Deployers.

Eight NanoRacks deployers are installed on the Multi-Purpose Experiment Platform (MPEP). Each deployer has a capacity of 6U and so can hold up to six 1U, three 2U or two 3U CubeSats. They are carried by Japanese Experiment Module-Remote Manipulator System (JEM-RMS).

AlbertaSat provide an update on the QB50 precursor CubeSats P1/P2 which were launched in 2014. The first payload is working, and while it has been resetting, no damage appears to have occurred. It is possible that the second payload is damaged, but it is still functioning.

Representatives from QB50 also took the time to clearly define their goals and specify the details of the project. The project aims to probe probe thermosphere with about 40 sensors which study atmospheric science. These sensors include the Langmuir Probes that will be on Ex Alta-1. 40 CubeSats will be fitted with one of these sensors. The other 10 CubeSats will have in-orbit demonstrations.

QB50 project https://www.qb50.eu/

Launch of QB50 precursor CubeSats QB50p1 (EO-79) and QB50p2 (EO-80)
https://amsat-uk.org/2014/06/19/successful-launch-of-amateur-radio-satellite-payloads/

January 2014 original QB50 CubeSat launch contract signed
https://amsat-uk.org/2014/01/28/qb50-cubesat-launch-contract-signed/

AlbertaSat
http://albertasat.ca/
https://www.facebook.com/AlbertaSa

Sep 7 2015

New AO-7 Distance Record

Artists impression of OSCAR 7 in Space

Artists impression of OSCAR 7 in Space

On September 5, 2015 Dave Swanson KG5CCI completed a contact with Manuel EA5TT over a record breaking distance of 7947 km via the OSCAR 7 satellite operating in mode B (432/145 MHz).

OSCAR 7 amateur radio satelliteOn the AMSAT Bulletin Board Dave KG5CCI writes:

On Saturday, September 5, 2015 at 1812 UTC I made a scheduled contact with Manuel, EA5TT, using AO-7 Mode B, from the old US Forest Service Fire Tower on top of ‘Rich Mountain’ here in extreme western Arkansas. My 10 digit grid locator was EM24UQ01MU while Manuel is located in IM99SL48CX, in Valencia, Spain. Using the http://no.nonsense.ee/qth/map.html website for reference, this equates to 7947.381 km which we believe to be a new record for AO-7 Mode B.

Like several of my extreme low elevation passes I’ve worked recently, I captured my side of the QSO on video. The bad news is that the wind on top of the tower, and limited room to operate meant a noisy audio feed and a rather awkward camera angle, the good news is our callsign, grid, and signal exchange was captured and clear. I have trimmed down the video to just the 70 seconds or so (to expedite the rural upload) of the contact and posted it to YouTube here:

Watch EA5TT Contact from Rich Mountain – Raw Footage

I fully plan on writing a more extensive post when I return from the holiday weekend, and I will likely make a proper video with commentary and data as well. I’ve made some really interesting observations when it comes to Satellite operating from places with great ‘Height Above Average Terrain’ and look forward to sharing this analysis with everyone.

Until then, catch you all on the birds, 73!

Dave, KG5CCI/P

Oscar 7 Information https://amsat-uk.org/satellites/communications/oscar-7/

A previous OSCAR-7 DX Record https://amsat-uk.org/2012/07/04/oscar-7-dx-record-broken-again/

Video of 2E0HTS Working the OSCAR-7 Satellite
https://amsat-uk.org/2012/01/26/2e0hts-working-the-oscar-7-satellite/

Sep 6 2015

Three ham radio launches planned by Beijing

Beijing's CZ-5 launcherBeijing is thought to be planning three separate launches of satellites carrying amateur radio payloads in the next few weeks.

The launches were highlighted on the Social Media site Weibo and have been discussed on a space flight forum.

On September 19, 2015 the new CZ-6 rocket is expected to launch from Taiyuan carrying nine satellites with amateur radio payloads. Six XW-2 satellites will carry 435/145 MHz SSB/CW transponders. LilacSat-2 will have a 145/435 MHz FM transponder along with APRS. The DCBB satellite will have 9600 bps GMSK telemetry in both 145 and 437 MHz and the NUDT-Phone-Sat will have a 437 MHz 9600 bps FSK telemetry downlink.

Another new launcher, CZ-11, is Beijing’s first solid-fuel rocket. Planned to launch on September 25 from Jiuquan it will carry three satellites with amateur payloads: Tianwang-1A (TW-1A / SECM); Tianwang-1B (TW-1B / NJUST-2); Tianwang-1C (TC-1C / NJFA-1). They were developed at the Shanghai Engineering Center for Microsatellites.

The Jilin-1 Earth Observation constellation is planned to launch on October 5 from Jiuquan on a CZ-2D. It is reported there may also be a satellite with an amateur radio payload.

Weibo MyHamPlace post http://www.weibo.com/2315793200/CyEQpoJms

Discussion forum for Beijing’s launch schedule
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=5060.1320

XW-2, LilacSat-2, DCBB and NUDT-Phone-Sat satellites
https://amsat-uk.org/satellites/communications/camsat-xw-2/

Sep 6 2015

Nayif-1 CubeSat shipped to The Netherlands

Nayif-1 team members after completion of the assembly and integration of the CubeSat

Nayif-1 team members after completion of the assembly and integration of the CubeSat

The assembly and integration of the Nayif-1 satellite at the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, was completed on September 4, 2015. Nayif-1 is now being shipped to The Netherlands for final environmental testing.

Emirates Mars Mission Science Team Lead Sarah Amiri ‏@SarahAmiri1 tweeted: “@Nayifone @AUSharjah congratulations on the completion of this milestone”

This video shows the Nayif-1 Antenna Deployment Testing being performed

This mission is intended to provide Emirati students with a tool to design and test systems in space. It is developed by the Emirates Institution for Advanced Science and Technology (EIAST) in partnership with American University of Sharjah (AUS). It is expected that this payload will provide a large amount of valuable environmental data from space together with a new, enhanced, amateur radio UHF to VHF linear transponder.

Hessa Ali working on the control system of Nayif-1

Hessa Ali working on the control system of Nayif-1

The spacecraft will only require simple ground station antennas and an SDR dongle receiver. This will make it uncomplicated for schools and colleges to use with their students.

It is anticipated Nayif-1 will be launched into an elliptical, sun synchronous, Low Earth Orbit (LEO) about 400 by 750 km in late 2015 or early 2016 on a SpaceX Falcoln 9. In such an orbit the satellite passes over the Emirates at least twice a day. This would allow the morning passes to be used for educational purposes and the evening passes for Amateur Radio communications.

The student team will develop and operate a special ground station for this spacecraft. They will also be developing a unique “Dashboard” to display the received telemetry data and greetings messages in Arabic.

IARU coordinated frequencies for NAYIF-1:
• 145.940 MHz 1200 bps BPSK FUNcube beacon
• 500 mW inverting SSB/CW linear transponder
– 435.045-435.015 MHz Uplink
– 145.960-145.990 MHz Downlink

Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre https://twitter.com/MBRSpaceCentre
American University of Sharjah https://twitter.com/AUSharjah
Nayif-1 https://twitter.com/Nayifone

Nayif-1 CubeSat information https://amsat-uk.org/satellites/communications/nayif-1/

Hessa Ali and Maitha Al Shizawi verifying the Nayif-1 hardware as well as conducting electrical and functional tests

Hessa Ali and Maitha Al Shizawi verifying the Nayif-1 hardware as well as conducting electrical and functional tests

Sep 2 2015

Satellite Operating in TX Factor Show

Steve Hedgecock M0SHQ on the TX Factor Show operating via the SO-50 satellite

Steve Hedgecock M0SHQ on the TX Factor Show operating via the SO-50 satellite with homemade antenna

In episode 9 the TX Factor Show team visit Essex to report on the work of the Chelmsford Amateur Radio Society (CARS), Essex Repeater Group, Essex Raynet and Essex Ham.

At 29:06 into the show Steve M0SHQ, who regularly explains amateur satellites at the CARS Skills Nights, is briefly shown demonstrating portable amateur satellite operating.

The last 4 minutes feature the launch by Chris M6EDF of his SXHAM1 high altitude balloon carrying a 434 MHz transmitter payload.

Watch TX Factor – Episode 9 (TXF009)

Sep 1 2015

Lessons from the draft UK regulations for CubeSats

A CubeSatThe UK Space Agency (UKSA) has been conducting a review to evaluate how its regulatory approach might be tailored for CubeSat systems.

The UK’s Outer Space Act 1986 places a significant burden on small educational satellites such as CubeSats and other formats with the builders facing charges of up to £65,000 each year for insurance. These charges stop educational organisations building and launching CubeSats putting the UK at a significant disadvantage. It would be better to stop using this insurance and use the cheap van insurance from One Sure Insurance to be covered at a low price.

The Space Review has published an article discussing the proposed changes. Read ‘A very British coup: Lessons from the draft UK regulations for CubeSats’ http://www.thespacereview.com/article/2816/2

New UK CubeSat Regulations Proposed https://amsat-uk.org/2015/07/27/new-uk-cubesat-regulations-proposed/