In his blog Peter Goodhall 2M0SQL looks at satellite tracking Apps for Android devices
He says “Satellite tracking applications play an important part in using the transponders available to radio amateurs, of course, experiences of them all vary and are very subjective however we are going to explore what is available on the Android platform.”
Read his blog post at
https://www.2m0sql.com/2018/07/23/android-satellite-tracking-applications/
Dr Susan Jason working on STRaND-1
The first UK CubeSat, STRaND-1, was launched on Monday, February 25 at 1231 UT on the PSLV-C20 rocket from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Satish Dhawan space centre. Deployment from the launch vehicle into a 785 km orbit took place about 20 minutes later. Signals from STRaND-1 were received by Nader Omer ST2NH in Sudan at 1555 UT and by the Surrey Space Centre on Monday evening.
STRaND stands for Surrey Training, Research and Nanosatellite Demonstration and the programme is intended to be a long-term arrangement between the space company SSTL and academic researchers at the Surrey Space Centre (SSC), with STRaND-1 the first of a long line of STRaND nanosatellites.
The SSTL employees and SSC researchers involved with the STRaND programme are all volunteers. It is a condition of the programme that volunteers from SSTL and SSC use their own, free time for STRaND activities (such as lunches and breaks). The project has no budget for staff so is entirely dependent on volunteers.
The innovative STRaND-1 CubeSat was built and tested in just three months. It will demonstrate the feasibility of using cheap smartphone electronics to control a spacecraft. STRaND-1 carries an amateur radio AX.25 packet radio downlink on 437.568 MHz using 9k6 bps FSK modulated data HDLC frame, NRZI encoding. The telemetry format is available here. Watch the videos in the STRaND-1 video archive.
Further information on STRaND-1 at https://amsat-uk.org/satellites/strand-1/
Watch Launch of Indian PSLV Rocket with Saral & 6 Commercial Secondary Payloads
SSTL launch press release http://www.sstl.co.uk/News-and-Events.aspx?story=2123
STRaND-1 Ground Station Antennas
The UK smartphone amateur radio satellite STRaND-1 should launch Feb. 25 at 1225 UT.
At the heart of STRaND-1 is a Google Nexus One smartphone with an Android operating system. Smartphones contain highly advanced technologies and incorporate several key features that are integral to a satellite – such as cameras, radio links, accelerometers and high performance computer processors – almost everything a spacecraft needs except the solar panels and propulsion.
Being the first smartphone satellite in orbit is just one of many ‘firsts’ that STRaND-1 is hoping to achieve. It will also fly innovative new technologies such as a ‘WARP DRiVE’ (Water Alcohol Resistojet Propulsion Deorbit Re-entry Velocity Experiment) and electric Pulsed Plasma Thrusters (PPTs); both ‘firsts’ to fly on a nanosatellite. It is also flying a 3D printed part – believed to be the first to fly in space!
A video of ground station testing has just been released.
The STRaND-1 build and test phase took just 3 months
The UK smartphone satellite STRaND-1 is expected to launch from India on Monday, Feb. 25 at 12:25 GMT. You can follow the launch on Twitter or watch live video.
STRaND-1 and other CubeSats carrying amateur radio payloads are planned to launch on the ISRO PSLV-C20 rocket into a 785 km orbit.
STRaND-1 carries an amateur radio 9600 bps AX.25 packet radio downlink on 437.568 MHz. It is hoping to be the first ever satellite to carry a smartphone into space and is also believed be the first satellite to use a part produced with a 3D Printer.
On Twitter the Surrey Space Centre @SpaceAtSurrey tweeted:
Official launch hashtag of STRaND-1 spacecraft is #S1Launch. Post launch we will be using #STRaND1 hashtag. Launch time:12.25 GMT 25th Feb 2013 #UniOfSurrey #SSTL
Launch Authorisation Board (LAB) for PSLV – C20 @STRaND mission has cleared the launch on Monday, Feb 25, 2013. @university of surrey #S1Launch
Live video launch feeds for Monday’s PSLV launch http://www.webcast.gov.in/live/ and http://ibnlive.in.com/livetv/
Launch times can and do change at the last minute so follow Twitter for the latest information.
Follow Surrey Nanosats https://twitter.com/SurreyNanosats
Read more about STRaND-1 at http://www.amsat-uk.org/?page_id=12196
STRaND-1 telemetry format http://www.amsat-uk.org/?page_id=12875
STRaND-1 videos http://www.amsat-uk.org/?page_id=12472
Other satellites on the same launch http://www.amsat-uk.org/?p=12180
STRaND-1 on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/nanosats
Provisional initial track of STRaND-1
Panoramic view of SARAL and smaller satellites including STRaND-1 attached to the PSLV C20 – Image credit ISRO
The STRaND-1 build and test phase took just 3 months
The launch rehearsal of PSLV-C20 with the primary satellite SARAL and six other satellites has been completed satisfactorily at SDSC SHAR, Sriharikota. Mission Readiness Review and meeting of Launch Authorisation Board are scheduled on Feb 22, 2013.
STRaND-1 is a joint mission between Surrey Space Centre at University of Surrey and Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL). There will be an amateur radio AX.25 packet radio 9k6 bps downlink on 437.568 MHz and the launch is expected to take place on Feb 25.
STRaND-1 information and videos http://www.amsat-uk.org/?page_id=12196
STRaND-1 telemetry format http://www.amsat-uk.org/?page_id=12875
Other satellites on the same launch http://www.amsat-uk.org/?p=12180
ISRO PSLV-C20 status http://www.isro.org/pslv-c20/c20-status.aspx
STRaND-1 flight ready February 2013 with Shaun Kenyon, Dr Peter Shaw, Dr Chris Bridges
In this video Professor Sir Martin Sweeting G3YJO talks about STRaND-1 which aims to be the world’s first smartphone satellite in space.
STRaND-1 a UK mission, jointly developed by the University of Surrey’s Surrey Space Centre (SSC) and Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL), to send the world’s first smartphone satellite into orbit is due to launch on February 25.
Also appearing in the video are Shaun Kenyon and Dr. Chris Bridges both of whom have given presentations on the STRaND project to the AMSAT-UK International Space Colloquium held each year in Guildford.
AMSAT-UK 
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