Tag Archives: video

Feb 22 2013

Watch Live Video of UK STRaND-1 Smartphone Satellite Launch

The STRaND-1 build and test phase took just 3 months

The STRaND-1 build and test phase took just 3 months

The UK smartphone satellite STRaND-1 is expected to launch from India on Monday, Feb. 25 at 12:25 GMT. You can follow the launch on Twitter or watch live video.

STRaND-1 and other CubeSats carrying amateur radio payloads are planned to launch on the ISRO PSLV-C20 rocket into a 785 km orbit.

STRaND-1 carries an amateur radio 9600 bps AX.25 packet radio downlink on 437.568 MHz. It is hoping to be the first ever satellite to carry a smartphone into space and is also believed be the first satellite to use a part produced with a 3D Printer.

On Twitter the Surrey Space Centre @SpaceAtSurrey tweeted:

Official launch hashtag of STRaND-1 spacecraft is #S1Launch. Post launch we will be using #STRaND1 hashtag. Launch time:12.25 GMT 25th Feb 2013 #UniOfSurrey #SSTL

Launch Authorisation Board (LAB) for PSLV – C20 @STRaND mission has cleared the launch on Monday, Feb 25, 2013. @university of surrey #S1Launch

Live video launch feeds for Monday’s PSLV launch http://www.webcast.gov.in/live/ and http://ibnlive.in.com/livetv/

Launch times can and do change at the last minute so follow Twitter for the latest information.

Follow Surrey Nanosats https://twitter.com/SurreyNanosats

Read more about STRaND-1 at http://www.amsat-uk.org/?page_id=12196

STRaND-1 telemetry format http://www.amsat-uk.org/?page_id=12875

STRaND-1 videos http://www.amsat-uk.org/?page_id=12472

Other satellites on the same launch http://www.amsat-uk.org/?p=12180

STRaND-1 on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/nanosats

Provisional initial track of STRaND-1

Provisional initial track of STRaND-1

Feb 16 2013

Plasma Rockets & Solar Storms

Testing Plasma Rocket ComponentsThis Cosmic Journeys video covers the work of Dr. Ben Longmier KF5KMP and his University of Michigan team in developing plasma rockets.

Dr. Ben Longmier and his team from the University of Michigan have traveled to Fairbanks, Alaska to play a small part in a much larger push to revolutionize space travel and exploration.

The team plans to use helium balloons to send components of a new type of rocket engine to an altitude of over 30 kilometers, above 99% of Earth’s atmosphere. The purpose is to test these components within the harsh environment of space. While astronauts train to live and work in zero gravity, or to move around in bulky space suits, these would-be space explorers are preparing to negotiate some of Earth’s harshest environments.

Continue reading →

Feb 14 2013

Two TV CubeSats from Ecuador

NEE-02 Krysaor - Image credit EXA

NEE-02 Krysaor – Image credit EXA

Ecuador is hoping to have two CubeSats in orbit this year.

Their first CubeSat NEE-01 Pegasus will carry a 720p HD camera to send live video from space using a 0.9 watt TV transmitter in the 910 MHz (33cm) band along with a beacon that will send a Morse Code ID, a SSTV image and Ecuador’s national anthem. It was originally planned to launch on a Dnepr from Yansy but is now expected to fly on a CZ-2D rocket from the Jiuquan Space Center on April 26, 2013 at 0413 UT.

Ecuadors second CubeSat NEE-02 Krysaor carries the same payloads in the 910 MHz band as NEE-1 Pegasus but has a slightly different solar panel configuration. As yet websites such as Gunter Space Page give no indication on which rocket NEE-02 Krysaor will fly.

Continue reading →

Jan 14 2013

Alba Orbital make Shell top 10

CubeSat_ModelGlasgow based Alba Orbital, who aim to use CubeSats for Space Burials, have got through to the national round of a major start-up competition.

They now need your help to go one better and win £1000 for their Space Start-up.

There is a 1 minute elevator pitch video on the Shell Livewire site describes their plans for the company.

You can vote for Alba Orbital at http://www.shell-livewire.org/awards/grand-ideas-awards

Alba Orbital believe Space is important and more start-up satellite companies should be succeeding!

Thanks for your support,

Tom Walkinshaw
Founder, Alba Orbital

Shell LiveWIRE Grand Ideas Awards http://www.shell-livewire.org/awards/grand-ideas-awards

BBC Radio Scotland interview with Tom Walkinshaw of Alba Orbital
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ft6i_7FSdko

Alba Orbital use the MAKlab Studio in Glasgow, for manufacturing their prototype satellites http://www.maklab.co.uk/

Alba Orbital http://www.albaorbital.com/

Jul 16 2012

Ecuador, heading into space

CubeSat NEE-01 Pegasus

A Chinese rocket due to launch in the 2nd quarter of 2013 will carry CubeSat NEE-01 Pegasus from Ecuador.

Ronnie Nader with Elisse Nader and CubeSat

The NEE-01 Pegasus engineering team was led by Cmdr. Ronnie Nader, Ecuador’s first astronaut. The tiny 1U CubeSat (10cm cube) has a large fold-out solar array, a world first, and carries a 902 MHz band 720p HD TV transmitter, another world first for a CubeSat. Also operating in the same band will be a beacon that will send a Morse Code ID, a SSTV image and Ecuador’s national anthem.

The raw aluminum structure of the CubeSat was donated by Professor Bob Twiggs KE6QMD. After launch the 10 by 10 by 10 cm NEE-01 Pegasus will deploy its 75 cm fold-out solar panels, the largest to be flown on a CubeSat.

As part of the educational outreach objectives of the satellite video of the Earth taken by the HD camera will be made available to school students in Ecuador.

The satellite will send two signals that will be received and decoded by the EXA’s HERMES-A ground station in Guayaquil and then uploaded live to the Internet using Facebook and Twitter; the first signal will contain text book questions and the second will contain an image related to the question. If the students are able to answer the question correctly they will be granted access to the video camera on board the spacecraft and will be able to see earth from space as the astronauts see it in their space missions. More advanced students will have access to the pure radio signal so they can try decoding it by themselves.

The satellite featured in the July 15 edition of the El Murcurio newspaper.

Read the El Murcurio newspaper article in Google English http://tinyurl.com/Ecuador-in-Space

NEE-01 Pegasus on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/NEE01PEGASO/

IAC2011 Paper http://exa.academia.edu/RonnieNader/Papers/795135/NEE-01_PEGASUS_The_first_Ecuadorian_Satellite

NEE-01 Pegasus will monitor near-earth objects http://www.uk.amsat.org/6932

Italian Microsat to Deploy Six Amateur Radio Satellites http://www.uk.amsat.org/?p=7717

Jun 16 2012

Spacelab – STS-50 Mission 1992 Video

Richard Richards KB5SIW Receiving SSTV on Space Shuttle STS-50

Richard Richards KB5SIW Receiving SSTV on Space Shuttle mission STS-50

The 1992 space shuttle STS-50 mission was the first time that astronauts received an amateur radio fast-scan television video. It was sent by the ham radio club station W5RRR at the Johnson Space Center (JSC).

Narrated by the Commander and crew, this video contains footage selected by the astronauts, as well as their comments on the mission. Footage includes launch, onboard crew activities, and landing.

The amateur radio aspect of the mission gets a mention at 11:32 into this video.

Watch Space Shuttle STS-50 Columbia Spacelab USML pt1-2 Post Flight Press 1992 NASA

Watch Space Shuttle STS-50 Columbia Spacelab USML pt2-2 Post Flight Press 1992 NASA

Video of Jay Leno – SAREX – Shuttle Amateur Radio Experiment 1992 http://www.uk.amsat.org/?p=8172

Vintage Spacelab 2 video featuring Amateur Radio http://www.uk.amsat.org/?p=7639

Vintage Videos of STS-9 Columbia Mission and Spacelab http://www.uk.amsat.org/?p=7265

Shuttle Amateur Radio experiment (SAREX) past missions

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