Author Archives: m0xtd

Jan 14 2012

Student Software Defined Radio CubeSat

Students at the University of Vigo have built Xatcobeo a CubeSat that carries a Software Defined Radio (SDR) and a solar panel deployment mechanism.  A launch on an ESA Vega rocket in February is planned.

The IARU Amateur Satellite Coordination Panel pages report that it carries three payloads:

SRAD: a Software Defined Radio. The aim is to test under space conditions a reconfigurable radio. Different modulation schemes will be selected depending on the link conditions.

RDS: an ionizing radiation dosimeter. This dosimeter will take measures of ionizing radiation in a typical LEO orbit for amateur satellites, thus increasing our knwoledge about radiation conditions in this environment.

PDM: a solar panel deployment mechanism to be tested in-flight.

It is planning to use FFSK with AX.25 on UHF. These frequencies have been coordinated – Simplex 437.365MHz and SSR downlink on 145.940MHz.

Further info available at http://www.xatcobeo.com/

 

Jan 14 2012

FUNcube in Electronics Weekly

FUNcube_Graphic_Large

Artists impression of FUNcube in space

The FUNcube amateur radio satellite project is featured on the website of Electronics Weekly.  The printed version of the publication (circulation 36,400) is due out on Wednesday, January 18.

Read the article ‘Radio hams seal launch deal for FUNcube satellite’ http://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/13/01/2012/52712/radio-hams-seal-launch-deal-for-funcube-satellite.htm

A free subscription to the digital version of the publication is available via the Electronics Weekly website http://www.electronicsweekly.com/ On the lef-hand side under “SIGN UP TO” click on “Digital Magazine”.

 

Jan 14 2012

Winter OSCAR News

The Winter issue of OSCAR News has been posted to members.

In this issue:
– It all started here – 50 years ago!
– UKube-1 Update
– Clive Wallis G3CWV column
– RSGB Spectrum Forum Meeting Nov 2011
– FUNcube Report
– Utility of Nearly Geostationary Orbits for Amateur Spacecraft
– Another 50th Anniversary
– News from Bochum
– Winner of Space App Competition
– The AMSAT-UK Survey
– Accurate Time Keeping
– ‘Shorts’

Jan 13 2012

KickSat – Zac Manchester KD2BHC Interview

Zac Manchester KD2BHC is an engineer at Cornell University in the Space Systems Design Studio who has created the Sprite – a “cracker-sized” satellite that changes the dynamics of the economics and thus the accessibility of spacecraft by several orders of magnitude.

Watch a recording of a live interview and Q&A session Jan 10, 2012.

KickSat – a personal spacecraft of your own in space http://www.uk.amsat.org/2164

London Hackspace hope to have a sprite, HackSat1, deployed by KickSat, see http://www.uk.amsat.org/2482

London Hackspace Project: Hoxton Space Centre

Jan 13 2012

AMSAT Picture Albums

Australis-Oscar-5 Checkout

Australis-Oscar-5 Checkout

Bob McGwier N4HY has made available an extensive collection of amateur radio satellite pictures available for download on smugmug.com.

The pictures range from the early 1960’s with OSCAR’s 1, 2, 3 etc to the more recent Eagle and SuitSat.

You can view the pictures and download them from http://n4hy.smugmug.com/AMSAT

 

Jan 13 2012

ICUBE-1 CubeSat

Camera Module

Camera Module

Students at the Institute of Space Technology (IST) have been building Pakistan’s first CubeSat ICUBE-1. Like a number of new CubeSats its communications subsystem is capable of acting as an “AO-16 mode” FM to DSB transponder.

The IARU amateur satellite frequency coordination panel pages say that the VHF downlink will operate as a 1k2 BPSK beacon but has the capability of being configured as an FM-DSB transponder. A downlink on 145.947 MHz and an uplink on 435.060 MHz have been coordinated.

It is planned to have an imaging payload with a small low resolution CMOS sensor. The C3188A imaging module uses Omnivision’s CMOS image sensor OV7620. The camera will be mounted on the Z+ face of the ICUBE and can take continental scale images.

ICUBE http://www.icube.org.pk/

Student Satellite Project http://www.ist.edu.pk/student_satellite.html

Institute of Space Technology (IST) http://www.ist.edu.pk/