Tag Archives: Amateur Radio

Dec 8 2011

Vega to Launch Amateur Radio Satellites

Artists impression of Vega launch

Artists impression of Vega launch

The inaugural launch of the ESA Vega rocket will carry the amateur radio microsatellite ALMASat-1 and at least six CubeSats.

The satellites will be launched from the ESA spaceport at Kourou in the Caribbean into an elliptical orbit of 1450 by 354 km at an inclination of 71 degrees. They are expected to have a lifetime before re-entry of 4 years.

ESA say the six CubeSats to be launched on Vega in late January 2012 comprise:

– Xatcobeo (a collaboration of the University of Vigo and INTA, Spain): a mission to demonstrate software-defined radio and solar panel deployment;
– Robusta (University of Montpellier 2, France): a mission to test and evaluate radiation effects (low dose rate) on bipolar transistor electronic components;
– e-st@r (Politecnico di Torino, Italy): demonstration of an active 3-axis Attitude Determination and Control system including an inertial measurement unit;
– Goliat (University of Bucharest, Romania): imaging of the Earth surface using a digital camera and in-situ measurement of radiation dose and micrometeoroid flux;
– PW-Sat (Warsaw University of Technology, Poland): a mission to test a deployable atmospheric drag augmentation device for de-orbiting CubeSats;
– MaSat-1 (Budapest University of Technology and Economics): a mission to demonstrate various spacecraft avionics, including a power conditioning system, transceiver and on-board data handling.

ESA indicate that a 7th CubeSat may be delivered in time to be flown.

PW-Sat carries an FM to DSB amateur radio transponder with an FM input on 435.020 MHz and DSB output on 145.900 MHz.

The primary payload on the launch, LARES, will be deployed into an orbit of 1200 km × 1200 km with an inclination of 71 degrees.

Frequencies and links for the CubeSats can be found at http://www.ne.jp/asahi/hamradio/je9pel/esa9cubf.htm

ESA CubeSats delivered for first Vega flight http://www.esa.int/esaMI/Education/SEM3L0WWVUG_0.html

ESA Education – CubeSats http://www.esa.int/esaMI/Education/SEM3N03MDAF_0.html

The IARU amateur satellite frequency coordination pages hosted by AMAT-UK list the frequencies of the amateur radio satellites http://www.amsat.org.uk/iaru/

ALMASat-1 http://www.almasat.org/

Dec 5 2011

STARS-II Amateur Radio Satellite

Impression of STARS-II in Orbit

Impression of STARS-II in Orbit

The amateur radio satellite STARS-II has been developed by students at Kagawa University and consists of a Mother satellite and Daughter satellite connected by tether.

STARS stands for Space Tethered Autonomous Robotic Satellite. The mission will include formation flight, tether deployment, attitude control and the mother and daughter satellites will take pictures of each other.

It is proposed to fly a 80mW CW beacon and a 800mW AX25 1200bps telemetry downlink. Total mass is 8 kg.

Coordinated frequencies for CW 437.245 MHz (mother) and 437.255 MHz (daughter). FM downlinks 437.405 MHz (mother) and 437.425 MHz (daughter).

Kagawa satellite development project STARS-II http://stars1.eng.kagawa-u.ac.jp/english/index.html

The Google English translation of the Japanese language STARS-II page has additional information http://tinyurl.com/JapanSTARS-II

STARS-II on the IARU Satellite Frequency Coordination pages hosted by AMSAT-UK
http://www.amsatuk.me.uk/iaru/formal_detail.php?serialnum=170

AMSAT-UK publishes a colour A4 newsletter, OSCAR News, which is full of Amateur Satellite information. Free sample issue at http://www.uk.amsat.org/on_193_final.pdf Join online here

Dec 5 2011

Amateur radio satellite AO-51 remembered

Dozens of messages were posted to the Amsat-bb after the news of the amateur radio satellite AO-51‘s end of mission was received. Many remembered their contacts, several thanked the Operating Team. Many noted that AO-51 was the satellite that brought them into this part of our hobby. Continue reading →

Dec 2 2011

Radio Amateurs Receive Mars Science Laboratory

Mars Science Laboratory

Mars Science Laboratory

Radio Amateurs have received signals from the NASA Mars Science Laboratory using the AMSAT-DL amateur radio facility at Bochum in Germany.

On November 26, 2011 at 15:02 UTC the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) successfully launched on an Atlas V 541 from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Space Launch Complex 41. It is carrying Curiosity, a 900 kg rover about the size of a small car.

It is expected to arrive at the “Red Planet” in August 2012 after a nine month flight.

Just over 7 hours after launch at 21:45 UTC the X-band telemetry signal from the MSL was received using the Bochum amateur radio facility. The signal, received at a distance of 112,000 km, had a spin-modulation of +/- 3.5 Hz with 2 revolutions / minute.

This is believed to be the first reception of the MSL outside the official NASA Deep Space Network (DSN) and the USN tracking station at Dongara, Australia (under contract to JPL for the MSL launch).

Bochum Amateur Radio Facility

Amateur Radio Facility at Bochum

For reception of MSL James Miller G3RUH remotely reconfigured the Bochum tracking and receiving system. The MSL X-Band telemetry signal was received automatically in Bochum, no-one had to be physically on-site. This shows how flexible and reliable the system at Bochum is, ready for the planned AMSAT-DL P5-A mission to Mars.

The 20m dish at Bochum is also used by AMSAT-DL to automatically receive real-time solar data from the NASA STEREO A / B satellites. The data is transmitted to a NOAA server in the USA via the Internet.

Congratulations to the AMSAT-DL team on a remarkable acheivement.

Control Software for the Bochum Radio Telescope by James Miller G3RUH
http://www.amsat.org/amsat/articles/g3ruh/126.html

Stereo A/B Spacecraft Telemetry Reception at Bochum by James Miller G3RUH
http://www.amsat.org/amsat/articles/g3ruh/127.html

AMSAT-DL in Google English http://tinyurl.com/AMSAT-DL

AMSAT-UK publishes a newsletter, OSCAR News, full of Amateur Satellite information. Sample issue at http://www.uk.amsat.org/on_193_final.pdf  Join online at http://alturl.com/avuca

Dec 1 2011

ISS Shadow-Beacon Experiment Postponed

This weekends Plasma Thrust Space experiment using Amateur Radio has been postponed until after the delivery of a new rig due next April.

On the AMSAT bulletin board Andy G0SFJ passes on the following information:

It was earlier announced that the timetable of SpEx “Shadow-beacon” sessions on November 26-27, 2011 was reduced because the crew are newcomers and need more time to gain experience. For the same reason previously announced sessions on December 2-5, 2011 are cancelled.

Sergey Samburov RV3DR, the employee of space-rocket corporation “Energia” who is responsible for amateur radio on ISS, explains that the onboard radio was accidentally switched on standard simplex 145.825 MHz not the required duplex 144.360 / 145.825 MHz digipeater mode because of the old age of the onboard gear. It has been in use for more than 10 years and Sergey has previously observed malfunction like this.

A new radio is planned to be delivered to the ISS by cargo vehicle in April and Mission Control Center (TsUP) plans to hold new SpEx “Shadow-beacon” sessions in May-June 2012.

Again  many thanks for those submitted reports and made other assistance! The results of data processing will be presented on our site. We wait for further cooperation!
http://knts.tsniimash.ru/Shadow/en/

Amateur Radio assistance requested: ISS Plasma Thrust Shadow Experiment
http://www.uk.amsat.org/2011/11/20/amateur-radio-assistance-requested-iss-plasma-thrust-shadow-experiment/

Dec 1 2011

FASTRAC-1 Digipeater Activated

FASTRAC -1 and FASTRAC-2

FASTRAC -1 and FASTRAC-2

Sebastián KE5FKV has announced that the AX.25 packet radio digipeater on the amateur radio satellite FASTRAC-1 (FO-69) will be available from 1600 UT on Friday Dec. 2

On the AMSAT bulletin board FASTRAC Student Program Manager Sebastián Muñoz Toro KE5FKV writes:

The FASTRAC satellites have been in operation for more than a year and the team has been able to get a lot of data from them, in great part due to the amazing support from the amateur radio community.

Over the last month the team noticed that one of FASTRAC-1’s on board microcontrollers which controls one of the experiments has not been booting up correctly. The team has done everything possible to correct this issue apart from turning it off which can only happen if the batteries fall below an specific charge level. Since the satellites have been power positive throughout this whole year the only way this can happen is if the satellites transmit more often.

Given that one of FASTRAC goals has always been to eventually provide a platform for amateur radio enthusiasts to use after the primary mission was over, the team has decided to open up FASTRAC-1 to the amateur radio community with the hope as more people use it to digipeat through the satellite, the battery levels will diminish and cause a hard reset of the microcontrollers on board.

The satellite will be configured so that amateur radio operators can use it beginning on Friday, Dec 2 at 10:00 AM CST [1600 UT]. Starting on this date people will be able to digipeat through the satellites. The call sign and frequencies of the satellite are summarized below and an example of digipeating through the satellite is also shown in below.

To increase the chances of causing a hard reset, it is requested that as many amateur radio enthusiasts try to digipeat through the satellite on the weekend of Dec 10. If you are successful at digipeating through the satellites or have any problems doing so please let us know at fastracsats@gmail.com , through our Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/fastracsats or through the forums on our website http://fastrac.ae.utexas.edu/for_radio_operators/users/phpBB3/index.php

Frequency Information for FASTRAC-1
– FASTRAC-1 “Sara Lily” Downlink Frequency:  437.345 MHz
– FASTRAC-1 “Sara Lily” Uplink Frequency (1200 or 9600 baud):  145.825 MHz
– FASTRAC-1 “Sara Lily” Satellite Call Sign:  FAST1

Example of Digipeating through FAST1
– cmd: c CALLSIGN via fast1
– cmd: KE5DTW>CALLSIGN,FAST1/1: <<C>>:
– CALLSIGN>KE5DTW,FAST1*/1: <UA>:
– *** CONNECTED to CALLSIGN VIA FAST1

Here the example shows KE5DTW (UT Austin Ground Station) digipeating through FAST1 to connect to CALLSIGN. CALLSIGN represents an arbitrary callsign and should be replaced with the callsign of the station with whom a connection is being attempted. The above example is based on a Kantronics KPC9612+ TNC.

For a PDF version of the announcement please go to the following link:
http://fastrac.ae.utexas.edu/FASTRAC_Digipeating_Announcement.pdf

Thanks a lot,

THE FASTRAC TEAM

Satscape satellite tracking software http://www.satscape.info/

FASTRAC keps for tracking software http://fastrac.ae.utexas.edu/for_radio_operators/users/phpBB3/predictedorbit.php

UISS Packet Software http://users.belgacom.net/hamradio/uiss.htm

AGW Packet Engine http://www.sv2agw.com/ham/agwpe.htm

AGPE Installation and Setup http://www.soundcardpacket.com/2agwget.htm