Tag Archives: Ham Radio

Nov 27 2014

Principia Mission Patch

Blue Peter presenter Lindsey, competition winner Troy and UK astronaut Tim Peake KG5BVI with mission patch

Blue Peter presenter Lindsey, competition winner Troy and UK astronaut Tim Peake KG5BVI with mission patch

In partnership with the UK Space Agency, BBC TV’s Blue Peter show asked young people to design a mission patch for UK astronaut Tim Peake KG5BVI and received more than 3000 entries.

Principia Mission Patch

Principia Mission Patch

The judges from the UK Space Agency, Blue Peter and ESA together chose their two favorites in each of the three age groups of 6–8, 9–11 and 12–15 years. Important considerations for deciding on the final six were how a design would look as a patch, the colors used and whether the children drew everything on their own. The selection of the winning design out of the six came down to Tim himself.

The mission name Principia comes from Isaac Newton’s world-changing three-part text on physics, Naturalis Principia Mathematica, describing the principal laws of motion and gravity.

The winning entry was by 13-year-old Troy who used an apple to signify Newton’s law of gravity. Fittingly a stylized International Space Station (ISS) glints in the apple. The Soyuz rocket taking Tim into space flies over the UK as the colors of the Union Flag run along the border.

In September Tim Peake KG5BVI learned how to use the Ericsson 144 MHz handheld radio which is installed in the Columbus module of the ISS. On September 18 Tim said “Will be great to chat with schools next year from space using this ham radio on board the ISS.”

UK Space Agency announcement
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/tim-peakes-principia-mission-logo

GB1SS callsign for International Space Station
https://amsat-uk.org/2014/10/22/gb1ss-callsign-for-international-space-station/

Tim Peake KG5BVI training on ISS Amateur Radio Station Equipment

Tim Peake KG5BVI training on ISS Amateur Radio Station Equipment

Nov 26 2014

Ofcom discuss Pocket Spacecraft

View of St Pauls from Ofcom office - Credit Michael Johnson M0MJJ

View of St Pauls from Ofcom office – Credit Michael Johnson M0MJJ

On Wednesday, November 26, Michael Johnson M0MJJ discussed the licensing of thousands of Pocket Spacecraft with the UK communications regulator Ofcom.

Pocket Spacecraft

Pocket Spacecraft

The plan is that a 3U CubeSat will carry Pocket Spacecraft known as ‘Scouts’ to the Moon. A ‘Scout’ is a disk with flexible electronics, smaller than a CD, containing a transceiver, antenna and solar cells. The CubeSat should first release a batch of the wafer thin Scout satellites into Earth orbit and then deploy another batch of the Scout satellites into Lunar orbit.

It is understood the mission plans to use the 435 MHz and 2400 MHz bands.

Pocket Spacecraft http://pocketspacecraft.com/

Follow Pocket Spacecraft on Twitter @mySpacecraft

UK radio ham’s Lunar CubeSat to go ahead
https://amsat-uk.org/2013/08/26/uk-radio-hams-lunar-cubesat-to-go-ahead/

BBC: ‘Pocket spacecrafts’ to become a reality
https://amsat-uk.org/2014/05/15/bbc-pocket-spacecrafts-to-become-a-reality/

Nov 26 2014

Goonhilly tracking FUNcube

Goonhilly 1 "Arthur" - Credit GES Ltd

Goonhilly 1 “Arthur” – Credit GES Ltd

Goonhilly Earth Station (GES) Ltd are transforming the BT satellite communications site at Goonhilly into a new Space Science centre.

The Goonhilly Satellite Earth Station is located on the Lizard Peninsula in Cornwall. It’s famous for many reasons, but perhaps most notably, for receiving, the first ever trans-Atlantic satellite TV images, broadcast by Telstar, on July 11, 1962. The impressive 25.9m dish called Arthur was used for that historic event.

The Register has published an article by journalist SA Mathieson following a recent visit to the site. This included seeing the AMSAT-UK ground station used to track the satellites FUNcube-1 and UKube-1 which both carry educational payloads developed by radio amateurs from the voluntary satellite organisations AMSAT-UK and AMSAT-NL. The station comprises an Asus PC with FUNcube Dongle Pro+ Software Defined Radio (SDR) and a turnstile (crossed dipoles) antenna.

SA Mathieson also visited another recent addition to the site, the radome used by the imaging start-up Planet Labs Inc to communicate with its constellation of  “Dove” CubeSats.

Read Suffering satellites! Goonhilly’s ARTHUR REBORN for SPAAAACE
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/11/25/geeks_guide_goonhilly/

Goonhilly Earth Station http://www.goonhilly.org/

FUNcube Telemetry Receive Antenna System
http://shop.amsat.org.uk/shop/article_45/FUNcube-Telemetry-Receive-Antenna-System.html

FUNcube Dongle Pro Plus SDR http://FUNcubeDongle.com/

Nov 24 2014

SpinSat Deployment from ISS

SpinSat extended from airlock

SpinSat extended from airlock

SpinSat was launched to the International Space Station (ISS) on September 21 in preparation for a subsequent deployment from the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM).

SpinSat - Credit Naval Research Laboratory

SpinSat – Credit Naval Research Laboratory

Masahiro Arai JN1GKZ reported that SpinSat would be deployed, using the Cyclops deployment system, from the airlock of the JEM. Successful deployment took place on Friday, November 28 at 14:30 UT into a 406 x 417 km x 51.65 deg orbit. SpinSat is cataloged as object number 40314.

Developed by the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) SpinSat is a 56 cm sphere weighing 57 kg that has 12 Electronically-controlled Solid Propellant (ESP) thrusters spread in pairs throughout the surface of the satellite. They will be fired in pairs to spin the spacecraft. With just primary batteries and only 4.8 grams of fuel this phase may last between three to six months.

The spacecraft will be used to calibrate the space surveillance network. Lasers will be fired at SpinSat from the ground, the light reflected back will be measured to determine where in time and space the satellite is passing overhead. SpinSat will also model the density of the atmosphere.

The IARU Satellite Frequency Coordination Panel report that SpinSat carries a 2 watt RF output 9600 bps AX.25 packet radio store and forward system on 437.230 MHz.

SpinSat just before deployment

SpinSat just before deployment

Listen for SpinSat on 437.230 MHz with the SUWS WebSDR located near London
https://amsat-uk.org/2014/08/15/suws-websdr-moves-to-new-site/

In the first few days after deployment SpinSat’s orbit will be similar to that of the International Space Station. To see when it’s in range use the ISS real-time tracker at http://issfanclub.com/

Read all about SpinSat at
http://www.nrl.navy.mil/media/news-releases/2014/with-spinsat-mission-nrl-will-spin-small-satellite-in-space-with-new-thruster-technology

SpinSat after deployment

SpinSat after deployment

NASA – SpinSat
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/1019.html

Space Station Integrated Kinetic Launcher for Orbital Payload Systems (SSIKLOPS) – Cyclops
http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/smallsat/2013/all2013/76/

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

SpinSat in orbit

SpinSat in orbit

Nov 24 2014

RSGB Spectrum Forum meeting minutes released

The RSGB Spectrum Forum meeting minutes and reports from the annual meeting held on November 1, 2014 are now available.

The Spectrum Forum, chaired by Murray Niman, G6JYB, brings together the RSGB spectrum managers with other stakeholders, including committee chairs, special interest groups and other specialists that share an interest in spectrum management.

Read the minutes and reports at
http://rsgb.org/main/blog/spectrum-forum-posts-overview/spectrum-forum-meeting-minutes/2014/11/24/spectrum-forum-meeting-minutes-2014/

Spectrum Forum http://rsgb.org/main/about-us/committees/spectrum-forum/

Nov 22 2014

IZ0UDF to lift off to ISS

Astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti IZ0UDF - Credit NASA-Robert Markowitz

Astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti IZ0UDF – Credit NASA-Robert Markowitz

Former fighter pilot Samantha Cristoforetti IZ0UDF is all set for her mission on the International Space Station, the launch will be broadcast live.

ISS Expedition 42 official crew poster

ISS Expedition 42 official crew poster

She will be Italy’s first female astronaut and expects to leave Earth on Sunday, November 23 at 2101 UT from Baikonur in Kazakhstan, also on-board will be Terry Virts and Anton Shkaplerov. She is expected to arrive at the ISS on Monday, November 24 where she will join crew members Elena Serova, Alexander Samoukutyaev and Barry Wilmore.

Since Alexander Gerst KF5ONO and Reid Wiseman, KF5LKT returned to Earth on November 10 the ISS has been left without any radio amateurs onboard.

On November 24, the Milan based company Accurat plans to launch a website Friends in Space and what they describe as the first social network that extends beyond Earth; a 6 months-long open window to make new friends from all over the world and join astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti IZ0UDF @AstroSamantha #Futura42 in her expedition to the International Space Station.

Friends in Space
http://friendsinspace.org/
https://twitter.com/Friends_InSpace

In this video Samantha explains the story behind her mission name Futura, and recounts the journey to becoming an astronaut

Watch the launch live at
http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Human_Spaceflight/Futura/Watch_Futura_launch_live

Follow @AstroSamantha at https://twitter.com/AstroSamantha

Download the high resolution (57 MB) Expedition 42 poster from
http://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/exp_42_sfaposternw-2014-07-007_highres.pdf

It has been reported on the GEO Yahoo Group that Soyuz Telemtry/Voice is expected on 143.625 MHz and 121.500 MHz on the European passes at 02:35 and 04:10 UT on Monday, November 24.

International Space Station Briefly “Ham-less” After Crew Members Return to Earth
http://www.arrl.org/news/international-space-station-briefly-ham-less-after-crew-members-return-to-earth

Astronaut Radio Amateurs http://www.w5rrr.org/astros.html