Tag Archives: Amateur Radio

Apr 25 2013

Article on the ham radio TURKSAT-3USAT CubeSat

TURKSAT-3USAT and Deployment Pod

TURKSAT-3USAT and Deployment Pod

A well illustrated article on TURKSAT-3USAT has been published by the Turkish TAMSAT / AMSAT-TR group. It includes a section on how to hear the satellite and have contacts using its amateur radio 145/435 MHz inverting linear transponder.

TURKSAT-3USAT is expected to launch on April 26, 2013 at 0413 UT on a CZ-2D rocket from the Jiuquan Space Center. The satellite has a de-orbiting system which will make it re-enter the atmosphere at the end of its operational life.

Read the article in Google English at http://tinyurl.com/TURKSAT-3USAT-Article

TURKSAT-3USAT https://amsat-uk.org/satellites/turksat-3usat/

Apr 25 2013

CubeBug-1 with ham radio digipeater to launch Friday

CubeBug-1

CubeBug-1

CubeBug-1 is the first technology demonstration mission for a new CubeSat platform design (mechanics, hardware and software) intended to be released as Open Source and Open Hardware for its use in Amateur projects, University projects and research labs.

A CZ-2D rocket launch

A CZ-2D rocket launch

The project is sponsored by the Argentinian Ministry of Science, Technology and Productive Innovation.

Payloads on this first mission include:
• an ARM based on-board computer
• a nano-reaction wheel with its driver circuit
• a low resolution camera
all based on COTS components

CubeBug-1 is a 2U CubeSat and uses a 1 watt output AstroDev Lithium Li-1 on 437.445 MHz using 1200 bps AX.25 AFSK FM packet radio, callsign LU1VZ-11. Depending on the mode of the satellite the beacons will be transmitted every 10 to 30 seconds. Telemetry information is at http://1.cubebug.org/coms/telemetry

The team say “Please, if you hear the satellite, lets as know by email to cubebug1@satellogic.com. If you decode a beacon or save its audio, please please please, share it with us!”.

After the technology demonstration part of the mission is over, the satellite will enter a mode that will include services to the Amateur radio community, including an AX.25 Packet Radio Digipeater, science data downloads from the payload (including images if possible).

CubeBug-1 is expected to launch on a Long March CZ-2D rocket from the Jiuquan Space Center on April 26, 2013 at 0413 UT. After 816.5 seconds the CubeBug-1 will be deployed from the rocket. Orbital data including TLE is at http://1.cubebug.org/orbit

Other satellites on the same launch include NEE-01 Pegasus (910 MHz) and TURKSAT-3USAT (145/435 MHz linear transponder).

Watch a CubeBug-1 video at http://vimeo.com/56055215

CubeBug-1 website http://1.cubebug.org/

Follow #CubeBug1  on Twitter @CubeBug1 https://twitter.com/CubeBug1

Keplerian Two Line Elements (TLEs) ‘Keps’ for CubeSats are at
http://celestrak.com/NORAD/elements/cubesat.txt

TLEs / ‘Keps’ for new satellites launched in past 30 days
http://celestrak.com/NORAD/elements/tle-new.txt

Free satellite tracking software:
• SimpleSat Look Down http://www.tomdoyle.org/SimpleSatLookDown/
• Gpredict http://gpredict.oz9aec.net/
• Orbitron http://www.uk.amsat.org/?p=9051

Apr 24 2013

Live Video of Spring CubeSat Workshop

Image of a CubeSat in Space

Image of a CubeSat in Space

Live video of the Spring CubeSat Workshop taking place April 24-26 is available at

http://mediasite01.ceng.calpoly.edu/Mediasite/Catalog/pages/catalog.aspx?catalogId=36b100d1-069a-4bac-b7e3-8a9512655e78

Details of the 10th Annual Spring CubeSat Workshop are at http://www.cubesat.org/

Apr 23 2013

PhoneSat team thank Radio Amateurs

Phonesat ConstructionThe Team behind the three PhoneSats, deployed April 21, have thanked radio amateurs for their response so far and they request further telemetry reports.

They say:

Since the successful deployment of our three PhoneSats on Sunday, we have already received over 200 packets from Amateur Radio operators around the world! We are sincerely grateful for all of your support and would like to thank you for your key contributions in making this technology demonstration a success. The received packets are being processed right now and will be published soon. Please keep sending packets so we can follow the status of the satellites for the complete duration of the technology demonstration.

The three PhoneSats carry amateur radio payloads on 437.425 MHz. The callsign of all three satellites is KJ6KRW and they transmit using AFSK (1200 bps) modulation, AX.25 packet radio. The two PhoneSat 1.0 satellites, Graham and Bell, transmit with a periodicity of respectively 28 seconds and 30 seconds. The PhoneSat 2.0 beta satellite, Alexandre, transmits with a periodicity of 25 seconds.

Register your amateur radio satellite station on the PhoneSat Dashboard at
http://www.phonesat.org/dashboard.php

PhoneSat CubeSats with Ham Radio Payloads Launched
https://amsat-uk.org/2013/04/22/phonesat-cubesats-launched/

Apr 23 2013

16 year-old UK student to work on KickSat Sprite

KickSat 437 MHz Sprite Satellite

KickSat 437 MHz Sprite Satellite

The Yorkshire Post reports that Luke Bussell, who is a Year 11 student at Bootham School and a member of the school’s astronomy group, got more than he bargained for when he started doing his research for the annual Society for the History of Astronomy essay prize.

Choosing to write about the history of unmanned exploration of Mars, he contacted the British Interplanetary Society (BIS) to quiz their experts in this fascinating field.

They were so impressed with the depth of Luke’s IT skills that they have recruited him as a software engineer to work on the amateur radio KickSat project, which will the see the design, building and testing of very small spacecraft called Sprites.

Luke, who lives near York, said:

“I did not realise that I would be working on something that might be going into space.”

“It’s very exciting.”

“It’s good as I am only sixteen. I think that my family are quite proud,” he added.

Read the full Yorkshire Post story at
http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/at-a-glance/general-news/video-star-pupil-is-hired-for-space-project-1-5605332

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.

British Interplanetary Society KickSat Sprite programming and planning day
https://amsat-uk.org/2013/03/25/bis-kicksat-programming-planning-day/

KickSat Sprite Technical Summary
http://www.bis-space.com/2013/03/09/9301/kicksat-technical-summary

KickSat to deploy 128 Sprite satellites
https://amsat-uk.org/2012/09/21/kicksat-to-deploy-200-sprite-satellites/

Apr 23 2013

Warwick University Satellite Team (WUSAT) Radio Interview

WUSAT Team with CubeSat ready to launch - Image credit Warwick University

WUSAT Team with CubeSat ready to launch – Image credit Warwick University

The team behind the WUSAT CubeSat project will be interviewed on Radio Warwick – RaW 1251AM – the show will also be available world-wide on the web.

The team have already flown a CubeSat to an altitude of 30 km and aim to send their WUSAT CubeSat into Low Earth Orbit.

The interview takes place on Wednesday, April 24 between 4 and 5 pm BST (1500-1600 GMT) in the RaW News Insight show. You can listen to it live at http://player.radio.warwick.ac.uk/

Radio Warwick http://www.radio.warwick.ac.uk/

Twitter https://twitter.com/WUSAT_Team

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/WarwickUniversitySatellite

WUSAT – UK Students Fly CubeSat to 30km https://amsat-uk.org/2013/04/10/uk-students-fly-cubesat-to-30km/

WUSAT featured in Hawin Connector post
http://www.electropages.com/2013/04/harwin-hi-rel-connector-families-complete-successful-cubesat-prototype-flight-stratosphere/