Tag Archives: ISS

Jul 24 2012

Working the ISS

Wendy Quinn W1DY explains how to go about hearing and talking to the International Space Station (ISS).

The video shows the ISS frequencies used in most of the world, uplink 144.490 MHz, downlink 145.800 MHz, however, in IARU Region 1 (Europe/Africa) the uplink is 145.200 MHz. So just tune to 145.800 MHz and activate the standard -600 kHz repeater shift.

Watch ISS

The current location of the ISS and the status of its amateur radio stations can be found at http://www.issfanclub.com/

Listening to the International Space Station http://www.uk.amsat.org/3491

Jul 21 2012

CubeSat Launch Success

The HTV-3 cargo vessel carrying five CubeSats blasted off on an H-IIB rocket from the Tanegashima Space Center on Saturday, July 21 at 02:06 UT on its way to the International Space Station (ISS).

On July 27 it is scheduled to arrive at the ISS  where it will be grappled by the Expedition 32 crew using the station’s Canadarm2 robotic arm and attached to the forward end of the Harmony module to begin a stay of just under a month.

Onboard are four amateur radio CubeSats, F-1, We-Wish, FitSat-1 and TechEdSat along with a scientific CubeSat Raiko.

The CubeSats will remain on the ISS until the first week in September when they will be deployed by Japanese astronaut and radio amateur Akihiko Hoshide KE5DNI using the ISS Kibo robot arm.

The F-1 CubeSat carries a pair of Yaesu VX-3R handheld transceivers to provide communications on 145.980 MHz and 437.485 MHz FM using AX.25 packet radio data.

FITSAT-1 will carry an Optical Communications experiment that aims to write Morse Code across the night sky, although only when in range of Japan. It will also transmit CW on 437.250 MHz, FM AX.25 data on 437.445 MHz and high speed data on 5840.00 MHz.

We-Wish will transmit  on 437.505 MHz FM AX.25 data.
TechEdSat will transmit on 437.465 MHz and will also communicate via the Iridium and Orbcomm satellite phone networks, a first for a CubeSat.

Watch the launch of the HTV-3

Video of planned deployment of F-1 CubeSat XV1VN from the ISS http://www.uk.amsat.org/8446

F-1 CubeSat on TV http://www.uk.amsat.org/8861

Jul 18 2012

Live TV broadcast for launch of HTV-3 CubeSats

FSpace, the team of young engineers and students at the FPT University who developed the amateur radio F-1 CubeSat, report on the final launch preparations for the HTV-3 cargo vessel that will carry five CubeSats to the International Space Station (ISS).

FSpace say final inspection was performed on July 9, and from July 13-15, a rehearsal was conducted simulating the launch operation. Late access cargo loading will continue until July 19 then the hatch will be closed and the H-IIB launch vehicle with the HTV-3 will be moved to the launch pad. The launch is planned for July 21 at 02:18 UT.

FSpace report that live TV coverage will be available at these URL’s:

– NASA TV HD (HD resolution, for high speed connections) http://www.ustream.tv/nasahdtv

– NASA TV (standard resolution, for lower speed connections) http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html

– Live webcam from Tanegashima launch pad (automatically updated once every few minutes)  http://space.jaxa.jp/tnsc/webcam/index_e.shtml

Read the full FSpace report at http://fspace.edu.vn/?p=716&lang=en

It is planned that the CubeSats will be deployed from the space station in September by Japanese astronaut Akihiko Hoshide KE5DNI using the ISS Kibo robot arm. The five CubeSats are:

+ F-1
http://fspace.edu.vn/?page_id=10
On-board camera for earth observation mission
Yaesu VX-3R 1, 437.485 MHz FM downlink:
o Solar cell power only, operates in sunlight only
o Output power: between 0.1W and 0.3W depending on illumination, half-wave dipole antenna
o Morse code beacon (10 chars) using FM CW every 30 seconds, listen here

Yaesu VX-3R 2, 145.980 MHz FM downlink:
o Rechargeable battery, operates in dark and sunlight
o Output power: max 1.0W, half-wave dipole antenna
o AFSK 1200bps, half duplex, one AX.25 packet every 60 seconds

+ We Wish
http://www.meisei.co.jp/news/2011/0617_622.html
Infrared camera for environmental studies
Downlink on 437.505 MHz

+ FITSat 1
http://www.fit.ac.jp/~tanaka/fitsat.shtml
High-speed data test, high power LED visual tracking
CW Beacon 437.250 MHz,
FM Data   437.445 MHz,
High speed data 5840.00 MHz.

+ TechEdSat
http://ncasst.org/techedsat.html
http://www.uk.amsat.org/5018
Downlink on 437.465 MHz

+ Raiko – the only non-amateur radio CubeSat
http://tinyurl.com/RAIKO-CubeSat (Google English)
2U CubeSat, photography, Ku-band beacon

A video depicting the planned deployment of the F-1 CubeSat, callsign XV1VN, from the ISS can be seen at http://www.uk.amsat.org/?p=8446

F-1 CubeSat Blog on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/116436068290/

FSpace Team with home made antennas for NOAA weather satellite reception

Jul 15 2012

Video of ISS Ham Radio contact with WISH students

International Space Station Flight Engineer Joe Acaba KE5DAR used amateur radio to speak with high school students participating in a summer program called Women in STEM High School Aerospace Scholars, or WISH.

The students, selected from across the country, were attending briefings and engaging in competitive hands-on engineering activities related to space exploration and research.

Watch Joe Acaba Speaks with WISH Students

WISH – Encouraging science, technology, engineering and mathematics http://www.uk.amsat.org/8495

ARISS contact with STEM High School Aerospace Scholars, Houston, TX
http://www.southgatearc.org/news/july2012/ariss_event_1007.htm

NASA WISH Press release http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2012/jun/HQ_12-209_WISH.html

Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) http://ariss.rac.ca/

Jul 12 2012

Three Radio Hams Scheduled to Head to ISS This Weekend

Akihiko Hoshide KE5DNI, Yuri Malenchenko RK3DUP and Sunita Williams KD5PLB

ARRL report that NASA will televise the launch and docking of the next mission to the International Space Station (ISS), scheduled for 8:40 PM (CDT) Saturday, July 14 (0140 UT, Sunday, July 15).

NASA Flight Engineer Sunita Williams, KD5PLB, along with Russian cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko, RK3DUP, and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Akihiko Hoshide, KE5DNI, are completing preparations as they undergo their final Soyuz spacecraft fit. Live NASA TV coverage of the Soyuz TMA-05M spacecraft launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan begins at 8:30 PM CDT on Saturday, July 14 (0130 UT July 15).

The trio will arrive at the station on July 16, joining NASA Flight Engineer Joe Acaba, KE5DAR, and two Russian cosmonauts: Expedition 32 Commander Gennady Padalka, RN3DT, and Flight Engineer Sergei Revin, RN3BS. Acaba, Padalka and Revin have been aboard the ISS since mid-May. Williams, Malenchenko and Hoshide — who also will be part of the Expedition 33 crew starting in September — will return to Earth in mid-November. Source ARRL

NASA TV’s scheduled coverage is available at,
http://www.arrl.org/news/three-hams-scheduled-to-head-to-iss-this-weekend

Soyuz FG Rocket with the Soyuz TMA-05M Spacecraft – Roscosmos

Jul 11 2012

F-1 CubeSat on TV

The Vietnamese TV station VTV1 broadcast a news story about the amateur radio CubeSat F-1, callsign XV1VN, due to be launched to the International Space Station (ISS) on July 21.

The broadcast shows students from the FPT University in Hanoi who are involved in the project and has an interview with Thu Trong Vu XV9AA.

F-1 carries a low-resolution camera (640×480), a 3-axis magnetometer and two Yaesu VX-3R transceivers using 145.980 and 437.485 MHz.

It is planned to launch to the ISS on July 21 in the HTV-3 cargo vessel and be deployed in September by Japanese astronaut Akihiko Hoshide KE5DNI using the ISS Kibo robot arm.

 

Watch CubeSat F-1 on VTV1

For the latest news on F-1 see the FSpace website http://fspace.edu.vn/

Video depicting F-1 CubeSat XV1VN deployment from the ISS http://www.uk.amsat.org/?p=8446

Vietnam Student CubeSat F-1 http://www.uk.amsat.org/?p=5025