Tag Archives: Ham Radio

Sep 12 2015

ISS CubeSat Deployment

Kibo Robot Arm CubeSat Deployment

Kibo Robot Arm CubeSat Deployment

Masahiro Arai JN1GKZ reports CubeSats may be deployed from the International Space Station (ISS) on September 17.

On the AMSAT Bulletin Board he writes:

ISS Kibo Japanese Experiment Module (JEM)

ISS Kibo Japanese Experiment Module (JEM)

JAXA has announced CubeSats will deploy from the ISS via the J-SSOD on 17th September but the CubeSat name is not shown in the announcement. However, NASA’s ISS On-Orbit Status Report 09/09/15 shows the following:

JAXA-Small Satellite Orbital Deployer (SSOD) #4 Install: Kelly installed the J-SSOD#4 on the Slide Table with the Multi-Purpose Experiment Platform (MPEP) attached.  The J-SSOD #4 has two satellites that will be deployed next week.  The first satellite is designed to observe the Ultraviolet (UV) spectrum during the Orionid meteor shower in October.  The second satellite, sponsored by the University of Brasilia and the Brazilian government focuses on meteorological data collection.

So, the first one must be S-CUBE and the second is SERPENS.

SERPENS operates in the amateur band. The SERPENS Amateur Radio page shows these downlink frequencies:
145.980 MHz using GFSK modulation at 9600 bps and AX.25 protocol
and
437.365 MHz using CW/MSK modulation at 1200 bps and CSP protocol

S-CUBE seems not to operate in an amateur band.

SERPENS Amateur Radio page http://www.aerospace.unb.br/serpens_radioamateurs

Sep 11 2015

United Nations – ISS CubeSat Deployment

Amateur Radio CubeSats TechEdSat, F-1 and FITSAT-1 pass the ISS solar panels

Amateur Radio CubeSats TechEdSat, F-1 and FITSAT-1 pass the ISS solar panels

The United Nations Office for Outer Space affairs has announced the United Nations/Japan Cooperation Programme on CubeSat Deployment from the ISS Kibo module “KiboCUBE”.

The first of the Planet Lab Dove CubeSats were deployed from the ISS on February 11, 2014 about 0831 UT

The first of the Planet Lab Dove CubeSats were deployed from the ISS on February 11, 2014 about 0831 UT

The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) are pleased to announce the United Nations/Japan Cooperation Programme on CubeSat Deployment from the International Space Station (ISS) Japanese Experiment Module (Kibo) “KiboCUBE”.

KiboCUBE is the dedicated collaboration between UNOOSA and JAXA in utilizing the ISS Kibo for the world. KiboCUBE aims to provide educational or research institutions from developing countries of United Nations membership with opportunities to deploy, from the ISS Kibo, cube satellites (CubeSats) which they develop and manufacture.

Currently, the only way to deploy CubeSats from the ISS is from Kibo. Kibo’s unique capability is comprised of an airlock system and a robotic arm. The first orbital deployment of CubeSats from Kibo was successfully conducted in October 2012 through the Small Satellite Orbital Deployer developed by JAXA. Since then, nano-satellites and CubeSats from various countries around the world have been deployed from Kibo.

The deployment of CubeSats from ISS is easier than the direct deployment by a launch vehicle thanks to the lower vibration environment during launch. With this comparatively less demanding interface requirements, UNOOSA and JAXA believe that KiboCUBE will lower the threshold of space activities and will contribute to build national capacity in spacecraft engineering, design and construction.

UNOOSA and JAXA are looking forward to many applications!!

How to Apply information is at http://www.unoosa.org/oosa/en/ourwork/psa/hsti/kibocube.html

Sep 8 2015

NBTC to help fund JAISAT satellite project

Tanan Rangseeprom HS1JAN with CubeSat model

Tanan Rangseeprom HS1JAN with CubeSat model

Thailand’s National Broadcasting and Telecommunictions Commission (NBTC) has agreed to provide 9.3 million baht ($258,218) in funding for the Radio Amateur Society of Thailand (RAST) sponsored JAISAT-1 Project over the next two years.

JAISAT is an acronym for the “Joint Academy for Intelligent Satellites for Amateur Radio of Thailand.”

RAST President Jakkree (Jack) Hantongkom, HS1FVL said that he, along with JAISAT-1 Project Leader Tanan Rangseeprom, HS1JAN and other senior RAST officers were present at the NBTC Secretariat on Tuesday, August 4, 2015 — National Telecommunications Day — when the formal signing of the contract took place.

This funding would cover a two-year period for the JAISAT-1 satellite, which is a CubeSat, and this would include finance with long term loans assistance from https://nation21loans.com/personal-loans/loans-with-no-credit-check/ to develop and implement a linear transponder as well as to set up a ground station which would be located at Bangkok University. Jack added that RAST would establish a special sub-committee to help oversee this and this would include himself and Tanan.

The RAST President added that a separate bank account would be opened for the JAISAT-1 project while Tanan later provided additional information about the project to members at the meeting.

Radio Amateur Society of Thailand (RAST) http://www.qsl.net/rast/

Thailand’s first ham radio satellite https://amsat-uk.org/2013/08/10/thailands-first-ham-radio-satellite/

Sep 8 2015

QB50 CubeSats to be deployed from ISS

Planet Lab Dove CubeSats leaving the Nanoracks Deployer on February 11, 2014

Planet Lab Dove CubeSats leaving the ISS Nanoracks Deployer on February 11, 2014

It has been announced that the fifty CubeSat QB50 constellation should be shipped to the International Space Station (ISS) in July 2016 for subsequent deployment. It had been planned for them to be launched by Alcantara Cyclone Space, a joint venture between the governments of Ukraine and Brazil, but that option is not longer available.

QB50p1 and QB50p2 Precursor 2U CubeSats - Image Credit ISIS

QB50p1 and QB50p2 Precursor 2U CubeSats – Image Credit ISIS

The AlbertaSat website reports on the 9th QB50 Workshop, held September 8, 2015 in Liège, Belgium. The CubeSats are now planned to be deployed from the ISS using the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) and the Nanoracks CubeSat Deployers.

Eight NanoRacks deployers are installed on the Multi-Purpose Experiment Platform (MPEP). Each deployer has a capacity of 6U and so can hold up to six 1U, three 2U or two 3U CubeSats. They are carried by Japanese Experiment Module-Remote Manipulator System (JEM-RMS).

AlbertaSat provide an update on the QB50 precursor CubeSats P1/P2 which were launched in 2014. The first payload is working, and while it has been resetting, no damage appears to have occurred. It is possible that the second payload is damaged, but it is still functioning.

Representatives from QB50 also took the time to clearly define their goals and specify the details of the project. The project aims to probe probe thermosphere with about 40 sensors which study atmospheric science. These sensors include the Langmuir Probes that will be on Ex Alta-1. 40 CubeSats will be fitted with one of these sensors. The other 10 CubeSats will have in-orbit demonstrations.

QB50 project https://www.qb50.eu/

Launch of QB50 precursor CubeSats QB50p1 (EO-79) and QB50p2 (EO-80)
https://amsat-uk.org/2014/06/19/successful-launch-of-amateur-radio-satellite-payloads/

January 2014 original QB50 CubeSat launch contract signed
https://amsat-uk.org/2014/01/28/qb50-cubesat-launch-contract-signed/

AlbertaSat
http://albertasat.ca/
https://www.facebook.com/AlbertaSa

Sep 7 2015

New AO-7 Distance Record

Artists impression of OSCAR 7 in Space

Artists impression of OSCAR 7 in Space

On September 5, 2015 Dave Swanson KG5CCI completed a contact with Manuel EA5TT over a record breaking distance of 7947 km via the OSCAR 7 satellite operating in mode B (432/145 MHz).

OSCAR 7 amateur radio satelliteOn the AMSAT Bulletin Board Dave KG5CCI writes:

On Saturday, September 5, 2015 at 1812 UTC I made a scheduled contact with Manuel, EA5TT, using AO-7 Mode B, from the old US Forest Service Fire Tower on top of ‘Rich Mountain’ here in extreme western Arkansas. My 10 digit grid locator was EM24UQ01MU while Manuel is located in IM99SL48CX, in Valencia, Spain. Using the http://no.nonsense.ee/qth/map.html website for reference, this equates to 7947.381 km which we believe to be a new record for AO-7 Mode B.

Like several of my extreme low elevation passes I’ve worked recently, I captured my side of the QSO on video. The bad news is that the wind on top of the tower, and limited room to operate meant a noisy audio feed and a rather awkward camera angle, the good news is our callsign, grid, and signal exchange was captured and clear. I have trimmed down the video to just the 70 seconds or so (to expedite the rural upload) of the contact and posted it to YouTube here:

Watch EA5TT Contact from Rich Mountain – Raw Footage

I fully plan on writing a more extensive post when I return from the holiday weekend, and I will likely make a proper video with commentary and data as well. I’ve made some really interesting observations when it comes to Satellite operating from places with great ‘Height Above Average Terrain’ and look forward to sharing this analysis with everyone.

Until then, catch you all on the birds, 73!

Dave, KG5CCI/P

Oscar 7 Information https://amsat-uk.org/satellites/communications/oscar-7/

A previous OSCAR-7 DX Record https://amsat-uk.org/2012/07/04/oscar-7-dx-record-broken-again/

Video of 2E0HTS Working the OSCAR-7 Satellite
https://amsat-uk.org/2012/01/26/2e0hts-working-the-oscar-7-satellite/

Sep 6 2015

Three ham radio launches planned by Beijing

Beijing's CZ-5 launcherBeijing is thought to be planning three separate launches of satellites carrying amateur radio payloads in the next few weeks.

The launches were highlighted on the Social Media site Weibo and have been discussed on a space flight forum.

On September 19, 2015 the new CZ-6 rocket is expected to launch from Taiyuan carrying nine satellites with amateur radio payloads. Six XW-2 satellites will carry 435/145 MHz SSB/CW transponders. LilacSat-2 will have a 145/435 MHz FM transponder along with APRS. The DCBB satellite will have 9600 bps GMSK telemetry in both 145 and 437 MHz and the NUDT-Phone-Sat will have a 437 MHz 9600 bps FSK telemetry downlink.

Another new launcher, CZ-11, is Beijing’s first solid-fuel rocket. Planned to launch on September 25 from Jiuquan it will carry three satellites with amateur payloads: Tianwang-1A (TW-1A / SECM); Tianwang-1B (TW-1B / NJUST-2); Tianwang-1C (TC-1C / NJFA-1). They were developed at the Shanghai Engineering Center for Microsatellites.

The Jilin-1 Earth Observation constellation is planned to launch on October 5 from Jiuquan on a CZ-2D. It is reported there may also be a satellite with an amateur radio payload.

Weibo MyHamPlace post http://www.weibo.com/2315793200/CyEQpoJms

Discussion forum for Beijing’s launch schedule
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=5060.1320

XW-2, LilacSat-2, DCBB and NUDT-Phone-Sat satellites
https://amsat-uk.org/satellites/communications/camsat-xw-2/