FUNcube-1 Monitoring Station at the NRC Bletchley Park

GB2RS have released a video of the moment the first command to FUNcube-1 was sent by Wouter Weggelaar PA3WEG.

Watch AMSAT FUNcube-1 command success at RSGB National Radio Centre

BBC TV visit FUNcube station at RSGB National Radio Centre
https://amsat-uk.org/2013/11/22/bbc-visit-funcube-station-at-rsgb-national-radio-centre/

FUNcube-1 Deployed !!! https://amsat-uk.org/2013/11/21/funcube-1-deployed/

First Transponder Test https://amsat-uk.org/2013/11/22/funcube-1-ao-73-transponder-tested/

First Fitter Message Uploaded https://amsat-uk.org/2013/11/21/ao-73-first-fitter-message-uploaded/

FUNcube-1 flight model – Image credit Wouter Weggelaar PA3WEG

The FUNcube Team have some new TLEs for object 2013-066B

2013-066B
1 39417U 13066B   13330.15401895  .00003238  00000-0  45063-3 0   205
2 39417  97.7994  42.6429 0062763 180.4144 179.7025 14.77120863   712

These still seem to be the best fit but the team would appreciate any comments.

There is some discrepancy between the original published frequencies for the spacecraft and those we all experiencing in flight.

It is possible that the transponder input bandpass frequencies may also be varying due with the colder than expected temperatures being experienced.

You can track the RF board temp on the telemetry.The RX board temp varies by some 30 degrees C over a full orbit and this will be affecting the oscillator frequencies.

The team do not yet have final confirmation of the object number so the Doppler shift is probably not yet being precisely counteracted by the various Tracking Apps which will be adding to the confusion.

So just at the moment we cannot give precise guidance on the uplink/downlink formula that users should employ but the team are working on it and would appreciate input and observations.

Analysis of the housekeeping data suggests that all is well on-board FUNcube-1, the team are considering switching to continuous transponder mode for a few hours over the weekend to determine the effect that this would have to the on-board temperatures. Presently we are looking at trying this during an early morning pass over the UK on Sunday, December 1 but this will confirmed nearer the time.

FUNcube-1 has had some good media coverage from the BBC in the past few days:

BBC Radio 5 Outriders Podcast, look for the “Outriders 26 Nov 13: Crypto, crosswords and tiny satellites” edition http://www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/series/pods
Direct link to podcast http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/fivelive/pods/pods_20131126-0530a.mp3

BBC One TV and BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-25084547

Capturing FUNcube-1 Telemetry https://amsat-uk.org/2013/11/26/capturing-funcube-1-telemetry/

University of Khartoum ST2UOK Ground Station Tracking FUNcube-1

The CubeSat team at the University of Khartoum ST2UOK have been tracking and capturing telemetry data from FUNcube-1 (AO-73) since it was launched on November 21.

The team are developing their own CubeSat KN-SAT and recently completed the design and development of the Prototype-2.

KN-Sat1 http://cubesat.uofk.edu/

Khartoum Amateur Radio Satellite Ground Station
https://amsat-uk.org/2012/02/03/khartoum-amateur-radio-satellite-ground-station/

Khartoum Students Receive CubeSats
https://amsat-uk.org/2012/02/17/khartoum-students-receive-cubesats/

ST2UOK FUNcube Dashboard Screenshot

TEDxKhartoum Presentation on KN-SAT1 CubeSat
https://amsat-uk.org/2012/05/24/tedxkhartoum-presentation-on-kn-sat1-cubesat/

KN-SAT1 Prototype Subsystems Design and Testing
https://amsat-uk.org/2012/11/20/kn-sat1-prototype-subsystems-design-and-testing/