Tag Archives: ISS

Jan 30 2016

An Unlikely Pair of Satellites

Students working on AggieSat4 and Bevo-2 satellites - Credit Texas A&M University / Dexter Becklund

Students working on the AggieSat4 and Bevo-2 satellites – Credit Texas A&M University / Dexter Becklund

Dr Helen Reed KD7GPX is interviewed in a NASA story about the AggieSat4 and Bevo-2 satellites which were deployed from the International Space Station (ISS) on January 29, 2016.

Students from Texas A&M University and The University of Texas came together for the LONESTAR investigation.

This collaborative effort sent a pair of satellites, AggieSat4 and Bevo-2, to the International Space Station. The satellites were deployed from the space station on January 29, and AggieSat4 will eject Bevo-2 as part of a demonstration of technology with applications for future space exploration.

The two satellites will demonstrate communication protocols between them and with ground stations, as well as systems that allow the satellites to navigate through space and relative to each other and to orient themselves in three dimensions. Flight demonstration of these abilities, necessary for unmanned craft to be able to rendezvous and dock in space without direct human intervention, will contribute to future satellite missions as well.

“The overall objective is to find ways for small spacecraft to join together autonomously in space,” said Dr. Helen Reed, KD7GPX, professor of aerospace engineering and director of the AggieSat Lab at Texas A&M. “We need simple systems that will allow rendezvous and docking with little to no help from a human, which will become especially important as we venture farther out into space. Applications could include in-space assembly or reconfiguration of larger structures or systems as well as servicing and repair.”

Small satellites are less expensive to build and investigators can more easily find space on rocket launches to send them into orbit, but it does take creative thinking to design a functioning satellite with smaller volume and less power. Bevo-2 is 13.3 inches long, 5.3 inches high and 5.3 inches wide, about the size of a loaf of bread. AggieSat4 measures 24 by 24 by 12 inches, slightly larger than a piece of carry-on luggage. Together the satellites weigh 114 pounds.

Read the full story at
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/unlikely-pair-of-satellites.html

Watch The deployment of AggieSat4

The IARU has coordinated these frequencies for the amateur radio payloads:
• AggieSat4 436.250 MHz 9k6 FSK telemetry (also 153.6 kbps FSK)
• Bevo-2 437.325 MHz CW and 38k4 FSK

The AggieSat4 team request that any amateur radio enthusiasts receiving the beacons sends any data to aggiesat@tamu.edu it would be much appreciated!

AggieSat4 information
https://twitter.com/aggiesat
https://www.facebook.com/AggieSatLab
http://aggiesatweb.tamu.edu/index.php/projects/lab_projects/aggiesat4
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/v8razh1evcabt7a/jrGSjbOJb4

Bevo-2 information
https://www.facebook.com/UTSatLab
https://www.ae.utexas.edu/news/features/bevo-2-satellite-sdl

AggieSat4 reception reports http://www.dk3wn.info/p/?cat=313

Jan 28 2016

Sandringham School presentation

Handheld transceivers being presented to Sandringham School students

Handheld transceivers being presented to Sandringham School students

On Monday, January  26, 2016, Tony Wiltshire, M0TNY/ZB2TY – from Martin Lynch & Sons Ltd and Mark Haynes, M0DXR – from Kenwood UK visited Sandringham School in St Albans.

A presentation and demonstration was made to Polly, M6POG, Emma, M6GJQ and Jessica, M6LPJ, the school’s newly licenced amateurs who previously had made the initial contact with Tim Peake GB1SS aboard the ISS.

The girls had placed orders for Kenwood’s TH-K20E VHF handies with ML&S and have been looking forward to being active on the bands with their own equipment. ML&S hope the demonstration will get them the air very soon and they also thank headmaster Alan Gray, G4DJX, for his hospitality and wish Sandringham School Radio Hams the best for the future!

Rumour has it that 15 more students from the school will be taking their licence exams as a result of the interest from the ISS contact.

ML&S website http://www.MLandS.co.uk/

Video of Tim Peake ham radio contact with Sandringham School
https://amsat-uk.org/2016/01/09/video-tim-peake-sandringham/

TV News: Sandringham school amateur radio ISS contact
https://amsat-uk.org/2016/01/08/bbc-tv-sandringham-school-amateur-radio-iss-contact/

Local newspaper reports reception of Tim Peake KG5BVI / GB1SS from the ISS
https://amsat-uk.org/2016/01/13/local-paper-tim-peake-iss/

Listening to the ISS on a handheld radio
https://amsat-uk.org/2016/01/10/listening-iss-on-handheld/

What is Amateur Radio? http://www.essexham.co.uk/what-is-amateur-radio

Find an amateur radio training course near you https://thersgb.org/services/coursefinder/

A free booklet is available aimed at introducing newcomers to the hobby that can also be used as a handy reference while getting started, see
http://rsgb.org/main/get-started-in-amateur-radio/alex-discovers-amateur-radio-2/

Jan 27 2016

ISS AggieSat4 Satellite Deployment

Simulation of AggieSat4 on orbit - Credit Andrew Shell

Simulation of AggieSat4 on orbit – Credit Andrew Shell

The AggieSat4 satellite carrying the Bevo-2 CubeSat is expected to be deployed from the International Space Station (ISS) on January 29, both have amateur radio payloads.

Below is a timelapse of the build process of the Texas A&M student-built satellite, AggieSat4. The video spans an entire year, the amount of time it took to build AGS4, however many more years were put into the design and programming of AGS4 before any hardware was assembled.

AggieSat4 was launched aboard the Orbital ATK Cygnus OA-4 cargo resupply mission. The Cygnus spacecraft was mounted atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket that took the Cygnus from the Kennedy Space Center up into Low Earth Orbit on December 6 at 4:44pm EST.

AGS4 is planned to release from the ISS on January 29 and will then proceed to eject the University of Texas CubeSat, Bevo-2 and perform relative navigation tasks as well as take pictures of the release of Bevo-2.

The IARU has coordinated these frequencies for the amateur radio payloads:
AggieSat4 436.250 MHz 9k6 FSK telemetry (also 153.6 kbps FSK)
Bevo-2 437.325 MHz CW and 38k4 FSK

Watch AggieSat4 Build Process Timelapse – LONESTAR 2

The AggieSat4 team request that any amateur radio enthusiasts receiving the beacons sends any data to aggiesat@tamu.edu it would be much appreciated!

AggieSat4 information
https://twitter.com/aggiesat
https://www.facebook.com/AggieSatLab
http://aggiesatweb.tamu.edu/index.php/projects/lab_projects/aggiesat4
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/v8razh1evcabt7a/jrGSjbOJb4

Bevo-2 information
https://www.facebook.com/UTSatLab
https://www.ae.utexas.edu/news/features/bevo-2-satellite-sdl

AggieSat4 reception reports http://www.dk3wn.info/p/?cat=313

Jan 24 2016

Chelmsford Talk: Amateur Radio Satellites

Steve Hedgecock M0SHQ sending Packet Radio to the ISS

Steve Hedgecock M0SHQ sending Packet Radio to the ISS

On Tuesday, February 2, Steve Hedgecock M0SHQ will give a presentation to the Chelmsford Amateur Radio Society (CARS) on amateur radio satellites, the talk is open to all.

The main part of the presentation will be on simple satellite operation using an FT-817 and hand held antennas. Steve will also cover amateur radio activity on the International Space Station (ISS) including using the ISS APRS digipeater and reception of ISS Slow Scan Television (SSTV).

The talk coincides with the mission of UK astronaut Tim Peake GB1SS on the space station. Some of you may have already heard Tim using the amateur radio station in the Columbus module to link up with school students as part of the ARISS program.

The meeting takes place at the Oaklands Museum, Moulsham Street, CM2 9AQ. The doors open at 7pm for a 7:30pm start, car parking and admittance are free, visitors are most welcome.

Map http://www.g0mwt.org.uk/meeting-map.pdf

Web http://g0mwt.org.uk/

CARS run short amateur radio training courses, to find out about the next course speak to the training manager Peter Davies M0PSD, contact details are at http://www.g0mwt.org.uk/training/

What is Amateur Radio ? http://www.essexham.co.uk/what-is-amateur-radio

Jan 14 2016

Nepal students to speak to Tim Peake

Brihaspati Vidhyasadan students have been building a model of the ISS

Brihaspati Vidhyasadan students have been building a model of the ISS

UK astronaut Tim Peake KG5BVI will be using amateur radio to talk to students at Brihaspati Vidhyasadan School (BVS) in Nepal on Wednesday, January 20 at 08:37:04 UT.

You can listen to the audio online at https://sites.google.com/site/arissaudio/

The Himalayan Times reports this is the first link up  between a school in Nepal and the International Space Station (ISS). It will be a Telebridge contact via Tony Hutchison VK5ZAI in Australia. The ISS should be in range of the Telebridge station for about 8 minutes.

BVS is organising an Exhibition during the week of the contact from January 19-23. Experts as well as knowledgeable students will be at hand to respond to queries of visiting students who will be able to get acquainted with amateur radio during the exhibition.

The Nepal Amateur Radio Operators’ Society is one of the organisations supporting the exhibition.

UPDATE Jan. 20: Read the Nagarik News story on the successful contact http://nagariknews.com/feature-article/story/52883.html

Brihaspati Vidhyasadan School students speak to Tim Peake KG5BVI / NA1SS - Image Credit Nagarik News

Brihaspati Vidhyasadan School students speak to Tim Peake KG5BVI / NA1SS – Image Credit Nagarik News

Brihaspati Vidyasadan is a 32 year old High school, located in Kathmandu, Nepal. Brihaspati runs classes from nursery to 100 at secondary level and the 10+2 program in Science and Management at the higher secondary Level. Besides these Brihaspati also runs Diploma in Hospitality Managemant and Tourism in affiliation with Confederation of Tourism and Hospitality (CTH), UK.

Brihaspati is known for its academic excellence. To date Brihaspati has produced over 2000 SLC graduates and over 600 +2 graduates who have achieved excellent academic achievements. Brihaspati has also been awarded the “Best School in Nepal” in 2055BS.

Brihaspati is also known for its co-curricular and extra-curricular activities including sports, debates and concerts. Over the years the school has achieved Inter-school successes in football (soccer), cricket and basketball at national levels. School has also successes in inter-school competitions like debate, elocution and concerts.

For its academic, co-curricular and extra-curricular achievements Brihaspati has been placed among the Class A schools of Nepal by the Ministry of Education, Government of Nepal.

Brihaspati staff and students have been known for their innovation in education. The school is reputed to be the first school in Nepal to introduce computer education. Brihaspati houses clubs like Lokopakar, which is a student club that looks into Humanitarian aid.  Brihaspati students recently started gThink Inkh, an activity designed using the principles of Extreme Design from Stanford for instilling critical thinking and problem solving skills in students. This program has gained attention of a lot of people in the academia at a very rapid pace.

Brihaspati is located in a 25 acre land space at the heart of Kathmandu within the Balmandir compound. It  has academic facility that is of very high standards. It houses the Free and Open Source Research Lab and Ham (amateur radio) facility that students and staff have access to.

Recently during the earthquake of Nepal, one of the buildings of Brihaspati was used by ham radio operators from Nepal and India to coordinate search and reconciliation of families where over 500 families were reunited with their loved ones.

Read The Himalayan Times story at
https://thehimalayantimes.com/nepal/nepali-students-to-talk-to-astronaut-in-intl-space-station/

Brihaspati Vidhyasadan School
http://www.bvs.edu.np/bvstalkstoiss/
https://www.facebook.com/bvsTalksToISS/

ARISS http://www.ariss.org/upcoming-contacts.html

Jan 13 2016

Local newspaper reports reception of Tim Peake on ISS

ISS amateur radio article in Southend Echo Jan 13, 2016

ISS amateur radio article in Southend Echo newspaper published January 13, 2016

ISS school contacts provide an opportunity for radio amateurs across the country to get publicity for the hobby in their local newspaper.

Simply hearing Tim Peake using amateur radio from the ISS is in itself a newsworthy event which can be used to promote your local amateur radio club and the hobby in general.

When Essex radio amateur Pete Sipple M0PSX received a signal from ISS astronaut Tim Peake talking to Sandringham School students in Hertfordshire he contacted his local newspaper, the Southend Echo, and told them about it. The newspaper was very interested to hear that someone in their local area had actually received the ISS and published the story, see above.

Pete M0PSX has kindly made available the press release he sent to the local newspaper so that others can use it as a template, download press release here.

Dates of future Tim Peake amateur radio school contacts are at
https://amsat-uk.org/2015/12/15/tim-peake-iss-school-contacts-announced/

Essex Ham – What is Amateur Radio? http://www.essexham.co.uk/what-is-amateur-radio