Tag Archives: CubeSat

Jan 17 2015

AESP-14 CubeSat deployed from ISS

AESP-14 CubeSat

AESP-14 CubeSat

The AESP-14 is a 1U CubeSat developed by undergraduate and graduate engineering students at the Technology Institute of Aeronautics (ITA) in Brazil. The satellite’s primary mission is to test the various subsystems in the space environment.

AESP-14 CubeSat released from ISS - Photo by Samantha Cristoforetti IZ0UDF

AESP-14 CubeSat released from ISS – Photo by Samantha Cristoforetti IZ0UDF

The satellite was sent to the International Space Station (ISS) as cargo on the SpaceX Falcon 9 mission CRS-5. Launch had been scheduled for December 16, 2014 but was postponed three times and it wasn’t until January 10, 2015 that the launch eventually took place. Since arriving at the ISS on January 12 AESP-14 has been awaiting deployment by the JEM Small Satellite Orbital Deployer (J-SSOD) which is in the Japanese Experimental Module, Kibo.

The deployment took place around 1250 UT on Thursday, February 5. The AESP-14 telemetry beacon has a power output of 500 mW and uses AX.25 with 9600 bps GMSK modulation (G3RUH standard) on 437.600 MHz. It should have started transmitting 30 minutes after deployment but as of February 11 nothing had been heard. It may be the battery did not survive several months without being recharged or the antenna may have failed to deploy.

AESP-14 CubeSat deployment from ISS - Image JAXA

AESP-14 CubeSat deployment from ISS – Image JAXA

The AESP-14 team would like to ask the help of radio amateurs around the world to forward any received telemetry frames back to the team. For this, please save the AX.25 frames in KISS format and forward the file to aesp14@ita.br

The satellite has an amateur radio experiment developed by the Americana Amateur Radio Club (CRAM). The experiment consists of the random transmission of 100 sequences of ASCII characters prefixed with the “CRAM” word that will used as part of a contest among receiving stations. The first 10 amateur radio stations that complete receiving the 100 sequences will be awarded a commemorative diploma. Further details at http://wabicafe.com.br/aesp14/cram.php

AESP-14 website http://www.aer.ita.br/~aesp14

Telemetry information sheet http://www.aer.ita.br/~aesp14/AESP-14Telemetry.pdf

AESP-14 CubeSat released from International Space Station
http://www.spaceflight101.com/iss-expedition-42-updates-february-2015.html

AMSAT-UK thanks Edson Pereira PY2SDR for this information.

Jan 14 2015

UK Space Industry in Guardian Newspaper

Dr Chris Bridges M6OBC / 2E0OBC working on STRaND-1 - Image credit Surrey Space Centre

Dr Chris Bridges M6OBC / 2E0OBC working on STRaND-1 – Image credit Surrey Space Centre

The Guardian interviewed radio amateur Dr. Chris Bridges 2E0OBC for their story on the growing UK space industry.

Chris 2E0OBC worked on the Surrey Space Centre’s STRaND-1 spacecraft which carries an amateur radio payload. The newspaper also interviewed Steve Greenland, Senior Systems Engineer at Clyde Space, who worked on the UKube-1 spacecraft which carries the FUNcube-2 amateur radio transponder.

Read the Guardian article at
http://www.theguardian.com/education/2015/jan/14/the-space-industry-is-growing-and-looking-for-talented-postgrads

Both Steve and Chris have given presentations to the annual AMSAT-UK International Space Colloquium, see the videos from 2014 at https://amsat-uk.org/colloquium/colloquium-2014/presentation-videos/

STRaND-1 https://amsat-uk.org/satellites/digital-satellites/strand-1/

UKube-1 transponder test https://amsat-uk.org/2015/01/05/funcube-2-ukube-1-update/

Jan 14 2015

Video of FUNcube-1 demonstration at IARU-R1 conference

Graham Shirville G3VZV demonstrates FUNcube-1 with Kjetil Toresen LA8KV holding the antenna

Graham Shirville G3VZV demonstrates FUNcube-1 with Kjetil Toresen LA8KV holding the antenna

Riaan Greeff ZS4PR has released a video of the demonstration of the FUNcube-1 (AO-73) CubeSat by Graham Shirville G3VZV to delegates at the IARU Region 1 Conference in September 2014.

Watch the video Graham G3VZV demonstrates FUNcube satellite

Mats SM6EAN has posted a brief report on the Swedish Amateur Radio Society (SSA) website about the FUNcube-1 CubeSat presentation at the IARU Region 1 General Conference in Varna-Albena, Bulgaria.

The following is translated from the original Swedish post.

After the session of the VHF, UHF and Microwave C5 Committee had completed the delegates were given two interesting presentations.

Graham Shirville G3VZV did a poolside demonstration of the FUNcube-1 satellite which was launched in November 2013. Using a computer, FUNcube SDR dongle and a turnstile antenna, held by Kjetil Toresen LA8KV, he received FUNcube-1 and displayed the telemetry data on the computer screen. The satellite’s telemetry beacon on 145.935 MHz was also heard using a handheld SSB receiver.

A presentation was also made about Hamnet which is being expanded, especially in Germany. Hamnet is a high-speed multimedia network and it was discussed whether and how IARU Region 1 could support the expansion of this network.

Post by Mats SM6EAN in Swedish http://www.ssa.se/iaru-reg-1-dag-4/

FUNcube http://FUNcube.org.uk/

FUNcube SDR Dongle http://FUNcubeDongle.com/

FUNcube Yahoo Group https://amsat-uk.org/funcube/yahoo-group/

Dashboard App – Telemetry Decoder http://funcube.org.uk/working-documents/funcube-telemetry-dashboard/

Data Warehouse – Telemetry Archive http://warehouse.funcube.org.uk/

Hamnet http://hamnetdb.net/

IARU Region 1 Conference documents and pictures http://iarur1con2014.bfra.bg/

Jan 11 2015

OGMS-SA CubeSat to provide FM transponder

OGMS-SA CubeSat - Paris-Est Creteil University

OGMS-SA CubeSat – Paris-Est Creteil University

OGMS-SA is a 3U CubeSat being developed by students at the Paris-Est Creteil University as part of the QB50 constellation.

The purposes of this CubeSat include upper atmosphere science; radio communication experiments; technology demonstrator; education, training and outreach.

Additionally it will provide an FM voice transponder for amateur use.

Planning to use VHF uplink and UHF downlink with 9k6 FX25 GMSK modulation. A downlink of 437.545 MHz has been coordinated.

OGMS-SA CubeSat http://www.esep.pro/-CubeSat-OGMS-SA-En-construction-.html

Source IARU Satellite Frequency Coordination http://www.amsat.org.uk/iaru

QB50 CubeSat Launch Contract Signed
https://amsat-uk.org/2014/01/28/qb50-cubesat-launch-contract-signed/

Jan 10 2015

Jan 15 Talk – A Beginners Guide to Amateur Satellites

David Bowman G0MRF giving one of his popular FUNcube satellite presentations

David Bowman G0MRF giving a previous FUNcube talk at the Sutton & Cheam Radio Society

David Bowman G0MRF will be giving a presentation titled ‘A Beginners Guide to Amateur Satellites’ at the Sutton & Cheam Radio Society (SCRS) on Thursday, January 15 at 8 pm, visitors are welcome.

The SCRS newsletter says:

Last February, we had an excellent and well-attended talk by David Bowman – GØMRF on the topic of ‘The FUNcube Satellite Project’. The technology of satellite communication seems to have caught the interest of many of our members, but what has been missing at our meetings so far has been an illustrated talk on the basics of getting started.

David will be paying us a return visit on Thursday 15th January with a talk entitled ‘A Beginners Guide to Amateur Satellites’. This will cover the development of amateur satellite communications along with plenty of information on the necessary equipment to get started and the techniques employed.

Some amateur satellite operators have extremely sophisticated and no doubt expensive station set-ups,
however, it is possible to start off at a very basic level. All will be revealed at this meeting.

It’s always good to see a good turn-out of members and visitors at our meetings, so hopefully we can ‘kickoff’ 2015 with a packed clubroom. See you all on Thursday 15th.

John – GØBWV

The meeting will be held in the Vice Presidents’ Lounge, Sutton United Football Club, The Borough Sports Ground, Gander Green Lane, Sutton, Surrey, SM1 2EY at 7:30 pm for 8:00 pm.

Map http://scrs.org.uk/location/

Sutton & Cheam Amateur Radio Society http://scrs.org.uk/

Download the Powerpoint slides A_beginners_guide_ to_amateur_radio_satellites

Dec 23 2014

FUNcube-1 in full-time transponder mode

AO-73 (FUNcube-1) - Image credit Wouter Weggelaar PA3WEG

AO-73 (FUNcube-1) – Image credit Wouter Weggelaar PA3WEG

On December 23 FUNcube-1 / AO-73 was switched into full-time transponder mode with low-power beacon. It will remain in that mode for the next 5-7 days.

Enjoy the transponder.

With best wishes for the Festive Season, and for 2015

FUNcube Team