Tag Archives: Microsatellite

Nov 6 2014

Japanese Microsatellites Launched

Dnepr Launch November 21, 2013 - Credit ISC Kosmotras

A typical Dnepr launch – Credit ISC Kosmotras

On Thursday, November 6 at 07:35:49 UT a Dnepr rocket carrying the primary payload Asnaro-1 and four microsatellites was launched from Dombarovsky near Yasny. Kosmotras report all spacecraft have been inserted into their target orbits.

The four Japanese microsatellites are:
– ChubuSat-1 (Kinshachi-1) 437.485 MHz CW/AX.25 (Digipeater uplink 145.980 MHz)
– TSUBAME 437.250 MHz CW and 437.505 AX.25
– Hodoyoshi-1 467.674 MHz
– QSAT-EOS (Tsukushi) an AX.25 GMSK payload has been reported but the frequency is unknown.

Signals have been received from both ChubuSat-1 and TSUBAME.

The 50kg class ChubuSat-1 aims to
• Relay messages in amateur service (AX.25 packet radio Digipeater)
• Take pictures of particular site on Earth commanded from the Earth station with an optical camera and an Infra-red camera
• Try to take pictures of space debris commanded from the Earth station with above two cameras
It will have 3 axis stabilisation

Asnaro Mission PatchThe 30kg class TSUBAME aims to
• Demonstrate satellite bus technology for 30kg-class microsatellite and verification of COTS components such as micro-processors, memory and Li-ion batteries in the space environment
• Verify of Control Moment Gyros developed by the Laboratory for Space Systems
• Demonstrate of high-speed attitude manoeuvres technology using Control Moment Gyros. Some sensor data acquisition experiments will be conducted at the same time in order to demonstrate applications of CMGs
• Demonstrate of SRLL communication protocol developed by Tokyo Institute of Technology and high-speed GMSK data downlink
• Collect data through internet with the aid of radio amateurs all over the world

TSUBAME TLE http://www.dk3wn.info/p/?p=51785

Kosmotras announcement http://www.kosmotras.ru/en/news/155/

Satellite info and launch video http://russianspaceweb.com/dnepr_asnaro.html

ChubuSat-1 Slides http://www.frontier.phys.nagoya-u.ac.jp/chubusat/ChubuSat-20130311.pdf

UHF Satellite frequencies http://www.satellitenwelt.de/freqlisten/SatFreq-UHF.txt

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

Jul 4 2014

DX-1 Appeal to radio hams from Dauria Aerospace

DX-1 in space - Image credit Dauria Aerospace

DX-1 in space – Image credit Dauria Aerospace

The DX-1 satellite, built by Dauria Aerospace, launches from Pad 31/6 at Baikonur in Kazakhstan on Tuesday, July 8, 2014 at 15:58:28 UT. It weighs 27 kg and is 40x40x30 cm. Dauria Aerospace have posted the following information:

Dauria Aerospace microsatellite DX-1

Dauria Aerospace microsatellite DX-1

Finally, close to the accomplishment of our long-awaited event – the launch of the spacecraft DX1 Tuesday, July 8. We would like to ask for help to all radio amateurs who are interested in receiving signals spacecraft. Invite you to participate in the “catching” our satellite immediately after the start.

Start will be at 19:58 Moscow time from the Baikonur cosmodrome. Based on the parameters of the orbit, its separation from the upper stage and the inclusion happen over Eastern Europe, and it will return to Russia after only a few turns of a few hours from the Far East. Therefore, our MCC in Moscow will hold the first session the next day. Beacon satellite broadcasts in amateur radio frequency, so everyone will be able to hear it before us. Moreover, such aid, we need to clarify and confirm its orbit performance. Therefore, our gratitude will be backed up souvenirs for the lucky hunters from around the world.

Parameters of the radio beacon mode:

Carrier frequency: 438.225 MHz [it is understood there is a 145 MHz command uplink]
The protocol used: AX.25
Call Sign source: DSC001
Call Sign Receiver: Dauria
Size TMI frame within AX.25 packet: 55 bytes
Speed: 9600 bit / s
Modulation GFSK

Source: http://habrahabr.ru/company/dauria/blog/228669/

Google English Version http://tinyurl.com/pdueyt2

It is understood the satellite will also be using the following frequencies:
• 162.0125-162.0375 MHz Uplink – AIS ship tracking receiver
• 2269.5-2270.5 MHz Downlink – Data

Watch DX-1 on Russian TV

Dauria Aerospace http://dauriaspace.com/ Blog http://tinyurl.com/Dauria-Aerospace-Blog

DX-1 Microsatellite to launch from Baikonur https://amsat-uk.org/2014/04/27/dx-1-microsatellite-baikonur/

Jan 13 2014

Aist 1/2 (RS-41/43) Active on 435 MHz

AIST Microsatellite

AIST Microsatellite

On his website Dmitry Pashkov UB4UAD reports transmissions on 435.215 MHz and 435.265 MHz from the Russian Aist microsatellites developed by a group of students, postgraduates and scientists of Samara Aerospace University in cooperation with TsSKB-Progress.

Aist 2 (RS-43) on 435.215 MHz was launched first on a Soyuz-2-1a with the Bion-M 1 satellite on April 19, 2013. Aist 1 (RS-41) on 435.265 MHz launched later in the year on a Soyuz-2-1v Volga on December 28, 2013 .

A Google English translation of Dmitry’s post reads:

Since January 3, on board small spacecraft “Stork” at a frequency of 435.215 MHz and 435.265 MHz. are broadcast New Year’s greetings from the band “Samara Space Center.” The campaign will last until January 15, 2014.

Currently in orbit working group of two small spacecraft “Stork”, designed to meet the educational, scientific, technical and experimental problems. Staff spacecraft (frequency 435.215 MHz) was launched 19 April 2013, experienced spacecraft (frequency 435.265 MHz) was launched on 28 December 2013. Telemetry data from both satellites regularly supplied to the command post of the Centre for receiving and processing information “Samara Space Center.”

See Dmitry’s post for further information including a table of scheduled transmissions http://ub4uad.ru/?p=3651

UB4UAD website in Google English http://tinyurl.com/UB4UAD

Dec 27 2013

SkySat-1 satellite sends first HD video

Ching-Yu Hu - Skybox Imaging

Ching-Yu Hu – Skybox Imaging

Skybox Imaging was founded in 2009 by radio amateur Julian Mann KI6OSO along with Ching-Yu Hu, Dan Berkenstock and John Fenwick.

Many of the Skybox Imaging executives worked on CubeSat projects while students at Stanford University under Professor Bob Twiggs KE6QMD.

SkySat-1, the first in a planned constellation of 24 microsatellites, was launched on a Dnepr from Dombarovsky near Yasny on November 21, 2013. It is believed to be the smallest satellite ever flown that is capable of capturing imagery at better than 1 meter resolution and the 1080p HD camera can capture up to 90 second video clips at 30 frames per second.

Watch World’s First High-Resolution, HD Video of Earth from Space (1080p HD)

Skybox Imaging http://www.skyboximaging.com/

Sep 13 2013

Australia’s own BLUEsat ready for launch

The BLUEsat Team - Image credit UNSW

The BLUEsat Team – Image credit UNSW

The University of New South Wales (UNSW) has declared its undergraduate student amateur radio satellite project BLUEsat is complete and ready to be launched into space.

As the official final green light came it was to have a stratospheric balloon test flight near Wagga Wagga in New South Wales. Talks continue on a space launch date.

BLUEsat satellite - Image credit UNSW

BLUEsat satellite – Image credit UNSW

BLUEsat, a 260mm cube weighing around 13 kilograms, will carry a flight computer with transmissions to include a beacon and amateur packet radio using the AX.25 protocol in a “mode J” VHF/UHF configuration.

Magnets will passively stabilise the satellite and align it with the Earth’s magnetic field, and it will be controlled via a dedicated communications groundstation VK2UNS at UNSW is equipped with a Yaesu FT-847 satellite transceiver.

It is hoped BLUEsat will be placed in circular orbit at an altitude of around 750 km that will take it over the poles. At this altitude, the satellite will travel around the Earth at a rate of around once every 90 minutes.

Once in orbit BLUEsat will be a digital amateur radio satellite, which means that voice and data files can be uploaded to it by any amateur radio operator in the world over which the satellite passes.

Students from UNSW will continue to be the primary operators of the satellite while it is in orbit and continue the educational focus throughout the full satellite lifecycle.

Through sponsors helping to pay the bills the student-led project has given a space experience that includes VK2UNS the ground control station.

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/bluesat.unsw

Basic Low Earth Orbit UNSW Experimental Satellite (BLUEsat) project http://www.bluesat.unsw.edu.au/

January 2012 – Australian BLUEsat LEO undergoes tests
https://www.amateurradio.com.au/news/australian-bluesat-leo-undergoes-tests

Mar 20 2013

KiwiSAT – All systems are now flight ready

AMSAT-ZL KiwiSATThe KiwiSAT website reports that all hardware is complete and the KiwiSAT micro-satellite is operational. Final integration to launch ready awaits completion of command and control testing.

They say software is being developed and launch negotiation is underway in New Zealand. Earlier reports indicated that $1 million was required for a launch to a 700 km orbit.

Read the status report dated March 13, 2013 at http://www.kiwisat.org.nz/status.html