Sep 16 2015

CAMSAT XW-2 Satellites – Launch Information

Chang Zheng 6 CZ-6 rocket

UPDATE: Launch was postponed by one day due to technical reasons now Saturday, September 19 at 2300 UT.

Alan Kung BA1DU has posted this launch information for the XW-2 (CAS-3) satellites:

Launch time: 23:00:00 UT on 2015-09-19
The satellites should separate from rocket at 23:15:14 UT on 2015-09-19

The first pass over the mid-USA is expected at 00:05 UT on Sunday, September 20 and they should be in range of the UK at 05:21 UT – Frequencies Here – It is expected that initially only the telemetry beacons will be active. For the latest information check the AMSAT Bulletin Board.

The satellites will be launched on Beijing’s new Chang Zheng 6 (CZ-6) rocket from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center.

It is understood the CZ-6 is carrying at least nine satellites with payloads operating in amateur bands. They include six satellites (designated XW-2A to XW-2F) with 435/145 MHz linear transponders for SSB/CW communications, and one satellite, LilacSat-2 (CAS-3H) with an FM voice transponder and APRS. The frequencies to be used by the satellites are here. Some satellite frequencies fall outside the international amateur satellite bandplan, so please be aware of local terrestrial users.

XW-2A should operate in a sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of about 450 km, with the other satellites at an altitude of about 530 km.

Please send reception reports to the AMSAT Bulletin Board (sign up at http://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb) amsat-bb@amsat.org or #amsat on Twitter.

Predicted Two-Line Element (TLE) for tracking:

XW-2(CAS-3)
1 99999U          15262.96885748  .00004985  00000-0  28395-3 0 00005
2 99999 097.4712 270.8252 0010383 266.0522 270.6644 15.12847565000015

WEI Mingchuan BG2BHC says: LilacSat-2 website http://lilacsat.hit.edu.cn/ and telemetry decoder based on GNU Radio https://github.com/bg2bhc/gr-lilacsat are now available. A Live CD is coming soon.

Further information on the XW-2 satellites is at
https://amsat-uk.org/satellites/communications/camsat-xw-2/

Online orbital predictor (select XW-2) http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/tools/predict/index.php

Satellite tracking information https://amsat-uk.org/beginners/satellite-tracking/

Adding new satellites to SatPC32, Gpredict and Nova
https://amsat-uk.org/2013/11/23/adding-new-satellites-to-satpc32/

SatPC32 doppler.sqf http://www.pe0sat.vgnet.nl/2015/xw-2cas-3-launch-information/

Sep 16 2015

15-year-old radio ham receives ISS Apollo-Soyuz SSTV Award

ISS SSTV Apollo-Soyuz Award #0289 received by Sakshi Vagadia VU3EXP

Rajesh Vagadia VU2EXP reports that he and his15 year old daughter, Sakshi Vagadia VU3EXP, have each received ISS Apollo-Soyuz SSTV Awards for their reception of Slow Scan Television images transmitted using amateur radio from the International Space Station (ISS).

Sakshi Vagadia VU3EXP

These special transmissions from the ISS during July 18-19, 2015 were made to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Apollo-Soyuz mission, which was the first joint collaboration in space between the United States and the Soviet Union. The ARISS organisation has issued a special limited edition diploma to award those who received one of the SSTV images.

Rajesh writes: After getting ticket [amateur radio licence] few months back, It was first successful attempt by Sakshi VU3EXP to receive SSTV Image from International Space Station and get such memorable & precious Wallpaper (award). She received ISS SSTV image on July 18, 2015 @ 19:36:44 (UTC).

My ISS SSTV Image was received on July 19 @ 05:24:27 (UTC). It was my 5th successful attempt.

I highly appreciate ARISS International, Russian Cosmonauts, various Radio Clubs and ARISS SSTV Award Managers (incl. SQ3OOK) joint efforts to give such wonderful opportunity to we Ham community.

73 VU2EXP
Rajesh P. Vagadia
Rajkot – Gujarat

Image received by Sakshi Vagadia VU3EXP on July 18, 2015 at 1936 GMT

Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) – Contact the ISS
http://www.ariss.org/contact-the-iss.html

ISS Slow Scan TV https://amsat-uk.org/beginners/iss-sstv/

Youngest radio ham in Gujarat state
https://amsat-uk.org/2015/05/04/youngest-radio-ham-in-gujarat-state/

What is Amateur Radio ? http://www.essexham.co.uk/what-is-amateur-radio

Sep 15 2015

OSCAR News Issue 211

Issue 211 of the AMSAT-UK amateur radio satellite publication OSCAR News was released on September 15, 2015. E-members can download it here.

The paper edition is usually posted 2-3 weeks after publication of the electronic issue.

In this issue:
• Metallurgy for the Radio Amateur Dave Malley, K1NYK
• ARISS International Annual Meeting 2015 – Tokyo, Japan
• Colloquium Report – G3WGM
• AMSAT-NA, AMSAT-DL, and Virginia Tech Announce Potential Phase-3E Opportunity
• A FUNcube STEM Activity David Bowman G0MRF
• FUNcube Certificate of Achievement
• FUNcube-1 spin period
• Getting ready for Phase 4 David Bowman G0MRF
• AGM Minutes
• Science Museum London announce a new exhibition
• The UK Space Agency CUBESAT Review
• Nayif-1 Progress report
• Some FUNcube STEM reports

AMSAT-UK FUNcube Mission Patch

Membership of AMSAT-UK is open to anyone who has an interest in amateur radio satellites or space activities, including the International Space Station (ISS).

E-members of AMSAT-UK are able to download OSCAR News as a convenient PDF that can be read on laptops, tablets or smartphones anytime, anyplace, anywhere. Join as an E-member at Electronic (PDF) E-membership

There are two rates for the paper edition to cover the extra postage costs:
UK
Rest of the World (Overseas)

PDF sample copy of “Oscar News” here.

Join AMSAT-UK using PayPal, Debit or Credit card at
http://shop.amsat.org.uk/shop/category_9/Join-Amsat-UK.html

E-members can download their copies of OSCAR News here.

Sep 12 2015

Fox-1C and Fox-1D FM transponder CubeSats will fly on SHERPA

SHERPA in Orbit – Credit Spaceflight Inc

In response to a breaking opportunity, AMSAT and Spaceflight, Inc. have arranged for Fox-1D to accompany Fox-1C on the maiden flight of the SHERPA system on a SpaceX Falcon 9.

As a Fox-1 series, Fox-1D is identical to Fox-1C, but with different frequencies and carrying the University of Iowa HERCI (High Energy Radiation CubeSat Instrument) radiation mapping experiment as a hosted payload. Fox-1D will provide additional selectable U/V or L/V repeater capabilities once in orbit, and will be capable of downlinking Earth images from the Virginia Tech camera experiment.

Launch is currently planned for the first quarter of 2016. Additional donor support is needed to offset the costs associated with the launch of Fox-1D in addition to Fox-1C. Please visit http://www.amsat.org/ to donate support this launch, and help keep amateur radio in space.

Fox-1C has been renamed Fox-1Cliff in honor of Cliff Buttschardt, K7RR, who was a benefactor and long time supporter
for AMSAT as well as an adviser/mentor for students building CubeSats at Cal Poly.

Meet the Fox Project http://www.amsat.org/?page_id=1113

Fox-1C Update Video https://amsat-uk.org/2015/06/07/fox-1c-update-video/

US launch schedule discussion forum
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?PHPSESSID=q67qup1a0d3e7vloo0p9isl1u6&topic=8184.960

Sep 12 2015

KLETSKOUS CubeSat Update

The KLETSKOUS satellite team is making good progress. SA AMSAT reports that the KLETSKOUS team made some major progress during the past few weeks.

Currently the team is researching a new type of battery. It was planned to use Lithium Ion but one of the negatives about Lithium Ion is that it may suffer thermal runaway, which increases the risk of fire. Companies, like NEC, have developed a Lithium-Iron battery using lithium Iron phosphate (LiFePO4) as the cathode material. Generally, anodes of most batteries are made of carbon. As safety and reliability is the first concern for any battery being used on a satellite, it should not get overheated or catch fire in case of overcharging. The Lithium-Iron battery has superior chemical and thermal stability.

The team is in the process of acquiring Lithium Iron batteries to run tests. If the decision is to switch to Lithium Iron Phosphate, some modifications will have to be made to the charging circuit in the power unit but Fritz Sutherland, ZS6FSJ, says that it is not a major problem and will not delay the construction of the next prototype of the power unit.

Frik Wolff, ZS6FZ, has finalised the layout of the solar panels and Hannes Coetzee, ZS6BZP, will now proceed to mount the solar cells on a test board, which has to be carried out in a vacuum chamber. Work has also commenced on the magnetic stabilisation of Kletskous, which will be achieved by the use of orthogonal rod magnets. ZS6FZ is current working on this and reported good progress with a prototype ready for testing.

Work on the On Board Controller (OBC) is also progressing well. The first two prototypes have been completed. Brain McKenzie, ZS6BNM, is now working closely with team members to establish their telemetry point requirements and interfaces.

Nico van Rensburg, ZS6QL, has been working on the specifications and configuration management and has put a first draft on the table. The team meets via Skype on a fortnightly basis to discuss progress and plan the next steps.

Funding remains a major challenge. Radio Amateurs are urged to support the local CubeSat programme by donating to the SA AMSAT CubeSat building fund. Donors are acknowledged on the SA AMSAT web at http://www.amasatsa.org.za/

Source South African Radio League (SARL) http://www.sarl.org.za/

KLETSKOUS Linear Transponder Demonstration
https://amsat-uk.org/2014/05/29/kletskous-linear-transponder-demonstration/

Sep 12 2015

ISS CubeSat Deployment

Kibo Robot Arm CubeSat Deployment

Masahiro Arai JN1GKZ reports CubeSats may be deployed from the International Space Station (ISS) on September 17.

On the AMSAT Bulletin Board he writes:

ISS Kibo Japanese Experiment Module (JEM)

JAXA has announced CubeSats will deploy from the ISS via the J-SSOD on 17th September but the CubeSat name is not shown in the announcement. However, NASA’s ISS On-Orbit Status Report 09/09/15 shows the following:

JAXA-Small Satellite Orbital Deployer (SSOD) #4 Install: Kelly installed the J-SSOD#4 on the Slide Table with the Multi-Purpose Experiment Platform (MPEP) attached. The J-SSOD #4 has two satellites that will be deployed next week. The first satellite is designed to observe the Ultraviolet (UV) spectrum during the Orionid meteor shower in October. The second satellite, sponsored by the University of Brasilia and the Brazilian government focuses on meteorological data collection.

So, the first one must be S-CUBE and the second is SERPENS.

SERPENS operates in the amateur band. The SERPENS Amateur Radio page shows these downlink frequencies:
145.980 MHz using GFSK modulation at 9600 bps and AX.25 protocol
and
437.365 MHz using CW/MSK modulation at 1200 bps and CSP protocol

S-CUBE seems not to operate in an amateur band.

SERPENS Amateur Radio page http://www.aerospace.unb.br/serpens_radioamateurs

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