Outernet – Shortwave radio from space

connectOuternet is described as the modern version of shortwave radio broadcast from space.

It is planned that the Outernet will consist of a constellation of hundreds of low-cost, CubeSats in Low Earth Orbit (LEO). Each satellite receives data streams from a network of ground stations and transmits that data in a continuous loop until new content is received. In order to serve the widest possible global audience, the entire constellation utilizes UDP-based multicasting over WiFi. Although still not common, WiFi multicasting is a proven technology, especially when the data requires only one hop to reach the recipient.

Outernet claims to be able to bypass censorship, ensure privacy, and offer a universally-accessible information service at no cost to global citizens. They say lack of an Internet connection should not prevent anyone from learning about current events, trending topics, and innovative ideas.

Although Outernet’s near-term goal is to provide the entire world with broadcast data, the long-term vision includes the addition of two-way Internet access for everyone. For free.

The team hope to have the first test CubeSats launched in 2015.

Outernet https://www.outernet.is/

Reddit http://www.reddit.com/r/technology/comments/1wqgmh/outernet_wifi_for_the_world_from_outer_space/

Daily Mail http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2552177/Forget-Internet-soon-OUTERNET-Company-plans-beam-free-wi-fi-person-Earth-space.html

Ham radio CubeSats to deploy Thursday

Koichi Wakata KC5ZTA installs ISS CubeSat Deployer

Koichi Wakata KC5ZTA installs ISS CubeSat Deployer

Several amateur radio CubeSats will be deployed from the International Space Station on Thursday, February 6, 2014.

LY2013SAT QSL card received by Andy Thomas G0SFJOn Thursday, January 9 at 1807 UT an Antares rocket launched the Cygnus freighter carrying a cargo of CubeSats to the International Space Station. Since then the CubeSats have been stored on the ISS awaiting deployment using the Japanese Kibo Robot Arm.

The first of these CubeSats LituanicaSat-1, LitSat-1, ArduSat-2, UAPSat-1 and the 915 MHz SkyCube should be deployed on Thursday, February 6, 2014. They will be followed later in the month by twenty eight commercial 3U CubeSats from Planet Labs.

LituanicaSat-1 carries a 145/435 MHz FM transponder while LitSat-1 is thought to carry a 435/145  MHz linear transponder for SSB/CW communications.

Kibo Robot Arm CubeSat Deployment

Kibo Robot Arm CubeSat Deployment

The IARU coordinated frequencies are listed as:

LituanicaSAT-1
• FM Transponder Uplink 145.950 MHz Downlink 435.180 MHz
• AX25 Uplink 145.850 MHz AX25 Downlink 437.550 MHz
• CW Beacon 437.275 MHz
https://www.facebook.com/Lituanicasat1

LitSat-1
• SSB Transponder Uplink 435.180 MHz Downlink 145.950 MHz
• AX25 Uplink 437.550 MHz Downlink 145.850 MHz
https://www.facebook.com/palydovas

ArduSat-2
•  9k6 MSK CCSDS data format downlink 437.? MHz
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/575960623/ardusat-your-arduino-experiment-in-space

UAPSAT
• AX.25 Packet Radio uplink 145.980 MHz downlink 437.385 MHz
http://www.uap.edu.pe/

Video: Deploying CubeSats from the Space Station
https://amsat-uk.org/2014/01/31/video-deploying-cubesats-from-the-space-station/

Details of other amateur radio satellites due to launch this month are at
https://amsat-uk.org/2014/02/01/japanese-amateur-radio-satellite-depoyments/

Warwick WUSAT2 CubeSat on the BBC

WUSAT Team

WUSAT Team

Bill Crofts was interviewed on the BBC about the WUSAT2 CubeSat being built by engineering students at University of Warwick.

The CubeSat is planned to launch on a sub-orbital rocket from Norway in March/April 2015. The interview was broadcast on BBC Coventry and Warwickshire in the Vic Minett show on Thursday, January 30 and can now be heard on the web at http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01ph63w

Fast forward to 11:15 into the show.

Further information on WUSAT2 is at
https://amsat-uk.org/2014/01/31/uk-wusat2-cubesat-to-launch-2015/

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

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

Japanese Amateur Radio Satellite Depoyments

Kibo Robot Arm CubeSat Deployment

Kibo Robot Arm CubeSat Deployment

Mineo Wakita JE9PEL has posted details on the AMSAT Bulletin Board of the deployments of amateur satellites by the Japanese Space Agency JAXA planned for later this month.

Satellite                Uplink     Downlink   Beacon    Mode
[JAXA ISS KIBO Robot Arm, Feb 6, 2014]
LitSat-1                435.180     145.950      145.950     SSB,CW
LitSat-1                435.550     145.850        .              AX.25
LituanicaSAT-1      145.950    435.180        .              FM
LituanicaSAT-1      145.850    437.550       437.275     AX.25,CW
ArduSat-2              .              437.xxx        .              9600bps MSK CCSDS
SkyCube                .             915.000        .              57.6kbps
UAPSat-1             145.980     437.385        .              AX.25

[JAXA ALOS-2, Feb xx, 2014]
SPROUT              145.xxx      437.xxx        .             1200bps AFSK, 9600bps GMSK
RISING-2              435.xxx    2401.xxx        .             1200bps 9600-96000bps
UNIFORM-1              .            .            .
SOCRATES                .            .            .

[JAXA GPM, 28 Feb 2014]
STARS-II (Mother)      .          437.405      437.245      FM,CW
STARS-II (Daughter)    .         437.425      437.255      FM,CW
ShindaiSat              .            437.525      437.305      1200bps AFSK,CW
TeikyoSat-3            .             437.450      437.450      FM,CW
KSAT2                  .             S,Ku-band      .
OPUSAT                  .          437.150      437.150       1200bps AFSK, 9600bps GMSK
ARTSAT1-INVADER              437.200      437.325      FM,CW
ITF-1                      .              .               437.525       CW

http://www.ne.jp/asahi/hamradio/je9pel/lituania.htm
http://www.ne.jp/asahi/hamradio/je9pel/jaxalos2.htm
http://www.ne.jp/asahi/hamradio/je9pel/jaxa_gpm.htm
http://www.ne.jp/asahi/hamradio/je9pel/satslist.htm

AMSAT Bulletin Board (AMSAT-BB) http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/tools/maillist/

Video: Deploying CubeSats from the Space Station

LituanicaSAT-1

LituanicaSAT-1

Four amateur radio CubeSats, LituanicaSat-1, LitSat-1, ArduSat-2 and UAPSat-1 are on the International Space Station (ISS) awaiting deployment currently planned for February 6, 2014.

Additionally there is SkyCube-1 which transmits on 915 MHz which is an amateur band in many countries and a license exempt allocation elsewhere.

In this video NASA PAO Officer Amiko Kauderer talks to Michael Johnson, NanoRacks Chief Technology Officer, about the installation of the CubeSat deployer in the Japanese Experiment Module Airlock. The installation work is in preparation for the upcoming deployment of several tiny satellites.

Watch Space Station Live: Deploying Cubesats from the Station

FUNcube Data Warehouse: Fitter Messages

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

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

The FUNcube team have made a few changes to the way Fitter Messages are handled / displayed on the Data Warehouse:
– Only the last 7 days of fitter messages are displayed (list is truncated at midnight UT, each day)
– To help the command stations, the ‘Slot’ number shown.
– Only the last received DATE is shown

The team are working on a process to prepare a text file which will contain ALL the Fitter Messages that have been captured by groundstations, which can be downloaded. This will be run once per day.

73 Dave G4DPZ, FUNcube

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