Jul 20 2013

QB50: Amateur Radio transponder payloads to launch 2014

Graham Shirville G3VZV, Gerard Auvray F6FAO and Wouter Weggelaar PA3WEG

Graham Shirville G3VZV, Gerard Auvray F6FAO and Wouter Weggelaar PA3WEG

It was announced during the QB50 presentation at the AMSAT-UK International Space Colloquium that two CubeSats, one carrying a linear transponder for SSB/CW, the other a FM voice transponder, should be launched into a 600 km orbit in the first half of 2014.

The QB50 project team has announced that on July 19, 2013 they signed a Memorandum of Understanding with AMSAT-UK, AMSAT-Francophone, and AMSAT-NL to enable two amateur radio payloads to fly on two 2-Unit CubeSats in the first half of 2014. These precursor CubeSats, which have still to be named, will be placed into a conventional 600 km 98o orbit in advance of the main mission. This allows for the testing of key satellite and payload components ahead of the full QB50 mission. In addition, the precursor mission allows for experimentation and validation of operational concept of the QB50 mission. Next to these objectives the amateur radio payloads will be operated as well. At the beginning of the mission, the various payloads onboard the spacecraft will be operated in an alternating fashion, whilst the amateur radio payloads will be operated as the primary payload of the spacecraft once all QB50 related experimentation has been concluded.

Typical QB50 CubeSatThe main mission of QB50 has the scientific objective to study in situ the temporal and spatial variations of a number of key constituents and parameters in the lower thermosphere (90-320 km) with a network of about 40 double and 10 triple CubeSats. These, university built, CubeSats will be launched into a 320km circular orbit, will be separated by a few hundred kilometres and carry identical science sensors. The sensors will monitor parameters that will greatly increase our knowledge and understanding of this little explored region of the E and F layers of the Ionosphere. QB50 will also study the re-entry process by measuring a number of key parameters during re-entry and by comparing predicted and actual CubeSat trajectories and orbital lifetimes.

QB50The AMSAT-Francophone (AMSAT-F) payload for one of the satellites will be a U/V (435/145 MHz) FM transponder. It will also transmit FX25 telemetry at 9600 bps. This secondary payload will be also used in several satellites in the main constellation as their main receiver and transmitter.

The AMSAT-NL payload, on the other precursor satellite, will incorporate a linear U/V transponder core.

The QB50 spacecraft in the main, short duration, mission will, generally, have downlinks operating on frequencies in the 435-438 MHz Amateur Satellite Service allocation and some are expected to use 2.4 GHz. They will be notified to the ITU as a Belgian network after having been coordinated by the IARU Frequency Coordination Panel. Some of these will also, on occasions, act as FM voice relays during their missions.

Watch the video of the QB50 Presentation at the 2013 AMSAT-UK International Space Colloquium
http://www.batc.tv/streams/amsat1308
Direct video download http://www.batc.tv/vod/qb50.flv

More information about the QB50 project can be found at http://www.qb50.eu/

Webcast of International Space Colloquium this weekend
https://amsat-uk.org/2013/07/18/webcast-of-international-space-colloquium/

Jul 20 2013

AMSAT members wave at Cassini

AMSAT-UK International Space Colloquium Wave To Cassini - Image Credit Neil PA9N

AMSAT-UK International Space Colloquium Attendees Wave To Cassini – Image Credit Neil PA9N

NASA asked people to wave at the Cassini space probe which was taking pictures from near Saturn. Attendees at the AMSAT-UK International Space Collquium responded enthusiastically

On Friday, July 19 between 21:27 and 21:47 UT NASA’s Cassini spacecraft took images of Saturn, with the planet Earth in the background nearly 1.5 billion kilometers away. NASA encouraged the public to look and wave in the direction of Saturn at the time of the portrait and share their pictures via the Internet.

AMSAT-UK International Space Colloquium attendees were among the many world-wide who did just that.

NASA Interplanetary Probes to Take Pictures of Earth From Space
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/cassini/whycassini/cassini20130718.html

JPLers Wave at Saturn as Part of Worldwide Campaign
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?release=2013-228

Jul 19 2013

Ofcom 2300 MHz and 3400 MHz Consultation Responses Needed

AMSAT-UK_Bevelled_LogoThe Ofcom 2.3 GHz and 3.4 GHz consultation closes at 5 pm on Monday, July 22. It proposes the loss of large chunks of amateur radio spectrum in both bands.

The British Amateur Television Club (BATC) have issued the statement below and all amateurs should give consideration to helping defend our spectrum by responding to this important Ofcom consultation.

Our vital allocations at these frequencies need to be defended. If Ofcom receives few responses to the consultation they may draw the conclusion that all amateur frequencies are “up for grabs”.

Noel G8GTZ on behalf of the BATC committee says:

It is vital that all BATC members in the UK, whether active on 2.3 GHz or not, respond and use the opportunity to show Ofcom that we value the spectrum we do have access to.

If they do not see a large response, they will be more inclined when considering the future of other bands, such as 10 GHz, to take the approach of the authorities in Sweden and Australia and just remove our access to bands without consultation.

The ATV community is particularly affected by the proposed changes, and whilst we do not have a formal BATC response, I have posted my own proposed responses on the BATC forum at:
http://www.batc.org.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=3176

Also, Chris GW4DGU, Chair of the UK microwave group, has published his responses in the latest issue of Scatterpoint and they are available for download here:
http://www.johng4bao.webspace.virginmedia.com/Files/Ofcom%20Scatterpoint%201307.pdf

These responses can be used as guidance, but please do not just cut and paste.

You can either submit your response on-line http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/consultations/public-sector-spectrum-release/howtorespond/ or by email using the word template available at http://www.microwavers.org/files/2300MHz/PSSR-Reply-Template.doc

Please try to include info that indicates:

Are you a user these bands or other amateur microwave bands?
Are you a member of an associated specialist group? (eg UKuG , BATC, AMSAT-UK etc)
Typical use (eg narrowband, EME , ATV, data, beacon/repeater keeper etc)
Any particular concerns or other general comments
And of course, try to give specific answers to the nine questions !

Thanks to the good work by Murray Niman G6JYB and the BATC technical liaison team we do have a good relationship with our regulator in the UK and this is the opportunity for you all to show them how much we value the spectrum we have access to.

Ofcom Amateur Consultation on 2 & 3 GHz allocations
http://www.southgatearc.org/news/june2013/ofcom_amateur_consultation_on_2_and_3ghz_allocations.htm

The Register: Ofcom 2400 MHz Consultation
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/06/27/hams_strike_up_for_wifi_protection/

Joint RSGB, BATC, UKuG, AMSAT-UK submission to Ofcom 2.4 GHz Consultation
http://www.southgatearc.org/news/june2013/joint-submission-to-ofcom-2-4ghz-consultation.htm

Jul 18 2013

Find out about the BIS Kicksat Sprite Satellite

KickSat 437 MHz Sprite Satellite

KickSat 437 MHz Sprite Satellite

Andrew Vaudin of the British Interplanetary Society (BIS) will be giving a presentation on the BIS Kicksat Sprite satellite to the AMSAT-UK International Space Colloquium on Sunday, July 21.

The event takes place on Saturday/Sunday July 20-21 at the Holiday Inn, Guildford, GU2 7XZ, UK and is open to all.

KickSat Sprite satellites enable individuals to have their own satellite orbiting in space for very low cost, typically £200 ($300). Andrew Vaudin’s presentation should start at 9:50 AM on Sunday and is understood to include a demonstration.

Thanks to volunteers from the British Amateur Television Club (BATC) this presentation and the 17 others will be streamed live to the internet to a global audience. See https://amsat-uk.org/2013/07/18/webcast-of-international-space-colloquium/

Information about KickSat can be found at:
http://www.bis-space.com/category/bis-projects
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/zacinaction/kicksat-your-personal-spacecraft-in-space

16 year-old UK student to work on KickSat Sprite
https://amsat-uk.org/2013/04/23/uk-student-to-work-on-kicksat/

The KickSat Sprites from both the BIS and London Hackspace are planned to launch on the SpaceX Falcon 9 ELaNa 5 / CRS 3 mission early in 2014.

A sample issue of the AMSAT-UK newsletter OSCAR News can be downloaded here.

Jul 18 2013

Webcast of International Space Colloquium this weekend

Holiday Inn Guildford GU2 7XZ

Holiday Inn Guildford GU2 7XZ

The AMSAT-UK International Space Colloquium takes place at the Holiday Inn, Guildford, GU2 7XZ, UK this weekend, July 20-21.

Thanks to BATC volunteers all 18 presentations should be streamed live to the web, enabling them to be seen by a global audience.

Clearly a webcast cannot match actually being there, with the opportunity to chat to satellite builders and inspect space hardware, but if you can’t get to Guildford then the webcast provides the next best thing.

Watch live at http://www.batc.tv/ch_live.php?ch=3 (view stream AMSAT 2013)

There will also be a Chat facility available that can be used to ask the presenters questions, set your chat ID by entering: /nick “your callsign” or /nick “your name”.

The schedule, times in BST (GMT+1), is at http://tinyurl.com/2013ColloquiumSchedule

A sample issue of the AMSAT-UK newsletter OSCAR News can be downloaded here.

Jul 18 2013

UKube-1 with Amateur Radio Transponder may launch October

Artists impression of UKube-1 in orbit

Artists impression of UKube-1 in orbit – Credit Clyde Space

BBC News is reporting that the UK Space Agency’s first CubeSat UKube-1, being built by Clyde Space in Glasgow, may launch in late October 2013.

Clyde Space Senior Systems Engineer Steve Greenland will be giving a presentation on UKube-1 to the AMSAT-UK International Space Colloquium which takes place July 20-21 at the Holiday Inn, Guildford, GU2 7XZ, UK.

The Colloquium is open to all but for those unable to attend the event all 18 presentations including UKube-1 will be web streamed live on the BATC site at http://batc.tv/ch_live.php?ch=3

Flight and Engineering Models of FUNcube-1 with FUNcube-2 boards

Flight and Engineering Models of FUNcube-1 with FUNcube-2 boards

UKube-1 will carry a set of AMSAT-UK FUNcube-2 boards which will provide:
• 1200 bps BPSK telemetry beacon on 145.915 MHz
• Linear transponder downlink 145.930-145.950 MHz for SSB/CW communications
• Linear transponder uplink 435.080-435.060 MHz

In addition UKube-1 also carries:
• ISIS 1200 bps BPSK telemetry beacon on 145.840 MHz
• UKSEDS myPocketQub 442 on 437.425-437.525 MHz with 11 mW output using spread spectrum
• 1 watt transmitter on 2401.0 MHz from Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT), Cape Town, for high data rate mission data downlinking using up to 1 Mbps QPSK or OQPSK modulation

Gunter’s Space Page lists UKube-1 as manifested on a Soyuz-2-1b Fregat-M rocket to be launched from Baikonur in Kazakhstan.

FUNcube-1 flight model - Image credit Wouter Weggelaar PA3WEG

FUNcube-1 flight model – Image credit Wouter Weggelaar PA3WEG

If the launch does go ahead as planned in late October then the FUNcube-2 boards will be in orbit before the FUNcube-1 satellite which may launch in November, 2013 on a Dnepr rocket from Dombarovsky near Yasny.

FUNcube-1 will be using these frequencies:
• 1200 bps BPSK telemetry beacon on 145.935 MHz
• Linear transponder downlink 145.950-145.970 MHz for SSB/CW communications
• Linear transponder uplink 435.150-435.130 MHz

There will be a presentation on FUNcube-1 at the AMSAT-UK International Space Colloquium which will be streamed live to the web. The presentation schedule is here.

Read the BBC News story at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-23319103

Watch UK Space Agency video – UKube-1 CubeSat payload animation

On Friday, October 19, 2012 after some final testing and characterisation checks completed at the facilities of ISIS BV in Delft, AMSAT-UK handed over the set of three PCBs that form the FUNcube-2 subsystem on the UKube-1 spacecraft to Clyde Space Ltd in Glasgow. Clyde Space are leading the development and assembly of this CubeSat project for the UK Space Agency.

Steve Greenland of Clyde Space receives the AMSAT-UK FUNcube-2 boards that will be incorporated into UKube-1

Steve Greenland of Clyde Space receives the AMSAT-UK FUNcube-2 boards that will be incorporated into UKube-1

The PCBs were taken to Glasgow in a Pelicase by Graham Shirville G3VZV who handed them to Steve Greenland Senior Systems Engineer at Clyde Space.

The three PCB’s comprise:
• CCT Board – Command, control and telemetry, interfaces via I2C with the antenna deployment system and the main OBC (On-Board Computer).
• RF Board – Command receiver, telemetry transmitter and linear transponder of the FUNcube satellite educational payload also includes telemetry sensors.
• PA Board – 400 mW VHF amplifier and sensors.

The telemetry transmitter provided by AMSAT-UK will be available for educational outreach to school students around the world.

UKube-1 on display at UK Space Conference in Glasgow

UKube-1 on display at UK Space Conference in Glasgow