Tag Archives: Space

Nov 6 2011

OSCAR 1 Video

A prototype of the first Amateur Radio satellite OSCAR 1 has been on display at the AMSAT symposium in San Jose.  OSCAR-1 was launched nearly 50 years ago on December 12, 1961 and its beacon sent the letters HI on 144.9830 MHz CW.

Bob Allison, WB1GCM of ARRL’s Technical Lab led the effort to refurbish the OSCAR 1 prototype on display at ARRL headquarters. With the help of OSCAR 1 developer Lance Ginner, K6GSJ, Bob and his team got OSCAR 1 operational again.

The refurbished OSCAR-1 was on display at the ARRL exhibit area at the 2011 Dayton Hamvention. The OSCAR 1 prototype was again on display during the AMSAT Symposium where everyone was able to once again hear the CW transmissions (now managed by a PIC controller) in the 145 MHz band.

Additionally, the AMSAT News Service will re-run the weekly Project OSCAR Newsletters to commemorate the 50th anniversary of OSCAR 1. During the November/December 2011 time frame you will be able to share the excitement of the launch campaign that started it all 50 years ago.

Watch for the re-publication of the Project OSCAR Newsletters in the AMSAT Journal [AMSAT-NA] . The Newsletters were hand-typed back in 1961. Thanks to Don Ferguson, KD6IRE for scanning the original documents announcing OSCAR 1.

Watch OSCAR 1 – 1st Amateur Radio Sat at AMSAT space symposium 2011 – San Jose,CA

AMSAT News Servce http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/news/

Nov 6 2011

CubeSat UHF Downlink Frequencies Chart

Christophe has produced a handy chart showing the CubeSat UHF downlink frequencies.

http://cubesat.free.fr/IMG//pdf/Cubesat_-_frequence_bande_U.pdf

CubeSat France in Google English http://tinyurl.com/CubeSatfFrance

Nov 4 2011

Astronaut Julie Payette Interviewed

Astronaut Julie Payette and Pete Sipple 2E0PSL

Astronaut Julie Payette and Pete Sipple 2E0PSL

In a recent podcast Chelmsford Amateur Radio Society (CARS) member Pete Sipple 2E0PSL asked NASA astronaut Julie Payette about the Amateur Radio station on the ISS.

Julie Payette was a flight engineer on two ISS missions, STS-96 and STS-127, and her answer can be heard in the ISS Essex Ham podcast in which Pete 2E0PSL also speaks to the Chair of CARS John Bowen G8DET.

Sarah Sipple M6PSK with Julie Payette

Sarah Sipple M6PSK with Astronaut Julie Payette

Listen to the ISS Essex Ham podcast at
http://www.essexham.co.uk/audio/essexham_iss.mp3

Read about the interview at
http://www.essexham.co.uk/news/working-the-international-space-station.html

Pete 2E0PSL acheived his Intermediate licence this year on one of the CARS amateur radio training courses.

To find out more about the courses speak to Clive G1EUC
Tel: 01245-224577
Mob: 07860-418835
E-mail: training2011 at g0mwt.org.uk
Web: http://www.g0mwt.org.uk/training/

Essex Ham http://www.essexham.co.uk/

Oct 31 2011

Android App to Fly on STRaND-1 Smartphone Satellite

When a competion was run to find Apps  to fly on the Smartphone CubeSat STRaND-1 one of the wining entries was an App which was a spin-off of the work done by the AMSAT-UK FUNcube team. See the story at:

http://www.blackpepper.co.uk/posts/android-app-to-fly-on-strand-1-nanosat-mission/

A detailed article on STRaND-1 appeared in a recent edition of the newsletter OSCAR News published by AMSAT-UK. It can be downloaded from http://www.uk.amsat.org/on_193_final.pdf

The video of a presentation on STRaND-1 is at http://www.batc.tv/vod/Strand.flv

Join AMSAT-UK online at http://tinyurl.com/JoinAMSAT-UK/

 

 

Oct 30 2011

RSGB-Shuttle SSTV Contact on TV News

A vintage TV news report first broadcast Aug 4, 1985 shows a contact between RSGB HQ in Potters Bar and Astronaut Tony England W0ORE in the Challenger shuttle on mission STS 51-F.

Tony W0ORE was running a Motorola model MX-340 handheld 2-meter transceiver and a Robot Research model 1200C slow-scan television scan converter with an antenna fitted on the inside of one of Challengers windows.

RSGB General Manager David Evans G3OUF was among those at the Society’s station GB3RS.

It is believed the voice contact was carried out on 145.550 MHz FM and the RSGB HQ team acheived a first with a two-way exchange of Slow Scan TV (SSTV) pictures.

Watch the ITN TV news report ‘Space Radio Hams’ at
http://www.itnsource.com/shotlist//ITN/1985/08/04/AS040885006/

Oct 30 2011

OSCAR-9 and OSCAR-11 TV News Reports

The original TV news reports about the United Kingdom’s first Amateur Radio satellites, UOSAT-1 (OSCAR-9) and UOSAT-2 (OSCAR-11), can now be seen on the web.

In ‘Talking Satellite’, made February 15, 1983, Martin Sweeting G3YJO talks about OSCAR-9 and its speech synthesizer.
The ITN description reads: “The World’s first talking satellite begins to speak. It was launched 18 months ago in America for the University of Surrey and one of its purposes is to encourage interest among school children in space technology.”
Watch it at http://www.itnsource.com/shotlist//ITN/1983/02/15/AS150283008/

In ‘British Satellite’, made February 7, 1984, Martin Sweeting G3YJO talks about OSCAR-11 due to be launched the following month.
The ITN description reads: “Staff at the University of Surrey have designed and built a spacecraft in 5 months after being challenged by NASA.  Intvw Dr Martin Sweeting, University of Surrey.”
Watch it at http://www.itnsource.com/shotlist//ITN/1984/02/07/AS070284011/

30th anniversary of UoSAT-1 (OSCAR-9)
http://www.uk.amsat.org/2011/10/12/30th-anniversary-of-uosat-1-oscar-9/

UoSAT-2 (OSCAR-11) Report September 1, 2011
http://www.southgatearc.org/news/september2011/oscar11_report.htm

OSCAR News is published quarterly by AMSAT-UK and posted to members.
To get your copy join AMSAT-UK online at http://tinyurl.com/JoinAMSAT-UK/
Free sample issue at http://www.uk.amsat.org/on_193_final.pdf