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The Isle of Man Government say they are “firmly ‘pro-space’ and together with a clear and simple tax regime, absence of Insurance Premium Tax and commitment to the development of space law and satellite registry, the Island offers the right environment for the space industry to flourish.” http://www.gov.im/lib/docs/iomfinance/factsheets/isleofmanspaceindustry.pdf
On Thursday, June 19, 2014 at 19:11:11 UT a Dnepr rocket was launched from Dombarovsky near Yasny in the Russian Federation, 12 of the satellites on-board carried amateur radio payloads.
In total 33 satellites were deployed from the Dnepr on June 19. One of those satellites UniSat-6 carried four smaller satellites, Tigrisat, Lemur 1, ANTELSat and AeroCube 6, which it deployed on June 20. On June 23, AeroCube 6 split into two separate satellites bringing the total of deployed satellites to 38.
Satellites launched June 19, 2012 on the Yasny Dnepr
Among the amateur radio payloads are a SSB/CW linear transponder, FM voice transponder, D-STAR Parrot Repeater, three Packet Radio Digipeaters and APRS.
In the hours immediately after launch signals were reported from POPSAT, QB50p1, QB50p2, UniSat-6, BugSat-1, NanosatC-BR1, Duchifat-1, TabletSat-Aurora and DTUsat-2.
The two QB50 precursor Cubesats on the launch carry amateur radio transponders. They were deployed at 19:32 UT and CW signals from both were received shortly after by Andre Van Deventer ZS2BK in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. Brian Best ZS5SB and Leon Steenkamp ZS1HD also reported receiving signals.
The FUNcube team send their thank to the stations in South Africa who received the first signals and also to the ISIS teams both at the launch site and at their HQ in Delft. A job very well done!
QB50p1 carries the FUNcube-3 400 mW inverting linear 435/145 MHz transponder provided by AMSAT-NL with support from AMSAT-UK.
• 145.815 MHz BPSK telemetry
• Transponder
– 435.035-435.065 MHz Uplink LSB
– 145.935-145.965 MHz Downlink USB
QB50p2 carries a 435/145 MHz FM transponder and FX25 data transmitter from AMSAT-F.
• 145.880 MHz BPSK telemetry
• 145.840 MHz 9600 bps FSK FX25
It is expected that both these transponder payloads will be activated after the science missions have been completed.
Dnepr Satellite Frequencies June 19, 2014 – Credit Mike Rupprecht DK3WN
The FUNcube team anticipate that the Dnepr launch of the amateur radio FUNcube-3 payload on the QB50p1 CubeSat will take place as previously stated.
This Thursday is the day!
To be precise, lift off is expected to take place from Yasny on June 19, 2014 at 19:11:11 UT and the deployment of the various payloads will take place over the Indian Ocean in a similar fashion to the launch of FUNcube-1 last November.
Dnepr Space Head Module – Image credit Gauss Team
Pre-launch Keplerian elements / Two-Line Elements (TLEs) can be seen below. The details of the initial 145 MHz CW transmission format for both QB50p1, and its near twin QB50p2, is at http://www.isispace.nl/HAM/qb50p.html
QB50p1 carries an inverting linear UV transponder with 400 mW output provided by AMSAT-NL and which is similar to that on FUNcube-1.
• 145.815 MHz BPSK telemetry
• FUNcube inverting 400 mW SSB/CW transponder
– 435.035-435.065 MHz Uplink LSB
– 145.935-145.965 MHz Downlink USB
QB50p2 carries an UV FM transponder and FX25 data transmitter from AMSAT-F. It is expected that these payloads will be activated after the science missions have been completed.
• 145.880 MHz BPSK telemetry
• 145.840 MHz 9600 bps FSK FX25
Launch Time: 19:11:11 UT
Separation of Platform A: 19:27:07 UT
Separation of QB50p1: 19:32:07 UT
Separation of QB50p2: 19:32:27 UT
1st pass over Delft/VKI: 20:46:46 UT
AMSAT-NA has announced that the amateur radio satellite LituanicaSAT-1 has been awarded the designation OSCAR-78, or LO-78.
In a message to the LituanicaSAT-1 team, AMSAT-NA OSCAR Number Administrator Bill Tynan, W3XO announced: “LituanicaSAT-1 has met all of the requirements for an OSCAR number. My findings from information provided to AMSAT-NA and IARU officials confirm this to be true. Accordingly, under the authority vested in me by the AMSAT-NA President, I do hereby assign LituanicaSAT-1 the designation LituanicaSAT OSCAR-78, or LO-78. I, and all of the amateur radio satellite community, wish LituanicaSAT OSCAR-78 a long and successful mission.”
On behalf of the LituanicaSAT-1 team, Simon Kareiva, LY2EN replied, “It is my honor and pleasure to accept this assignation. Our team is focused to keep LO-78 operational for the benefit of amateur radio as long, as it is possible for a small cubesat. Thank you very much, Simon LY2EN.”
The LituanicaSAT-1 team has announced activation of the FM voice transponder. A general rule to find out if the transponder is working at the moment is to monitor the beacon frequency on 437.275 MHz. If you can hear the CW FM beacon it means that the transponder is off, if you cannot hear it – the transponder is on. The transponder frequencies are approximately 435.1755 MHz (+/- 10 kHz Doppler shift) for the downlink and 145.950 MHz for the uplink with 67 Hz CTCSS.
The LituanicaSAT-1 team have announced activation of the FM transponder.
Dear radio amateurs,
The LituanicaSAT-1 transponder is currently on and should remain so. General rule to find out if the transponder is working at the moment is following: if you can hear CW FM beacon on 437.275 MHz it means that transponder is off, if you cannot hear it – transponder is on.
73, Laurynas Maciulis LY1LM, LY5N
Frequency are approximately 435.1755 MHz (+/- 10 kHz Doppler shift) for the downlink and 145.950 MHz for the uplink with 67 Hz CTCSS.
The tiny satellite is just 10x10x10 cm with a mass of 1.090 kg yet it has a VGA camera and a 145/435 MHz FM voice transponder, designed and built by Lithuanian radio amateurs.
The prototype of the FM repeater has been operating in the home of its designer Žilvinas Batisa LY3H in Elektrėnai, Lithuania. Further information at http://ly3h.epalete.com/?p=303
Engineers Steve Greenland and Andy Strain are in Baikonur, Kazakhstan to prepare UKube-1 for its launch on July 8.
Andy Strain and Steve Greenland in Kazakhstan with UKube-1 and Deployment Pod
UKube-1 carries a set of AMSAT-UK FUNcube boards providing a 435/145 MHz linear transponder and educational telemetry beacon. On the same launch as UKube-1 is the UK research satellite TechDemoSat built at SSTL in Guildford.
UKube-1 communications subsystem:
• 145.840 MHz Telemetry downlink
• 145.915 MHz FUNcube subsystem beacon
• 400 mW inverting linear transponder for SSB and CW
– 435.080 -435.060 MHz Uplink
– 145.930 -145.950 MHz Downlink
• 2401.0 MHz S Band Downlink
• 437.425-437.525 MHz UKSEDS myPocketQub Downlink
The satellites on the Soyuz-2-1b Fregat-M launch are: Meteor-M 2, SkySat 2, TechDemoSat 1 (TDS 1), AISSat 2, Baumanets 2[pulled from launch manifest], Relek, DX 1, Venta 1[pulled from launch manifest], UKube 1.
AMSAT-UK 
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