The weekly AMSAT newsletter regularly posts announcements about recently launched satellites of interest to the Amateur Radio community and SatNOGS operators. Instead of saving the emails, I decided it would be more useful to append them to this page. Check back for updates.
July 22, 2023: Philippine CubeSats May-5 and Maya-6 have been deployed. The satellites were launched to the International Space Station on June 5 aboard the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) Small Satellite Orbital Deployer-26, and were released from the ISS on July 19. The primary mission of Maya-5 and Maya-6 CubeSats is to provide digital message relay service to the amateur radio community by means of an APRS (Automatic Packet Reporting System) digipeater onboard. The APRS digipeater onboard the CubeSats will use 145.825 MHz for both receive and transmit. Another mission of the cubesats is to demonstrate a data/message store-and-forward (S&F) system in line with the Universal Amateur Radio Text and E-mail messaging. The CubeSats will also carry Commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) cameras which will take images of the participating countries from space for promotional and educational awareness. A downlink on 437.375 MHz and APRS activities on 145.825 MHz have been coordinated. (ANS thanks The Philippine Daily Inquirer and IARU for the above information),
June 17, 2023: The URESAT-1 satellite, also known as HADES-B according to its ITU designation, successfully launched into space as part of the SpaceX Transporter-8 mission from Vandenberg AFB on Monday, June 12. The satellite is a joint effort between AMSAT-EA, URE (the Spanish equivalent of ARRL), private companies, and universities.
One of the primary objectives of URESAT-1 is to serve as an FM voice and FSK data repeater. Equipped with a Slow Scan Television (SSTV) camera, the satellite will transmit live images as well as stored images at regular intervals. It also features a chess game, enabling players on Earth to engage in a game against the satellite. Periodically, the satellite will transmit updates on the state of the game, including the chess board, the last movement made, and whether the next move belongs to the players or the satellite.
The specified frequencies for communication with URESAT-1 are as follows: for uplink transmissions, 145.975 MHz or 145.925 MHz (auxiliary frequency) using FM voice without subtone, FSK 50 bps, AFSK, AX.25, APRS 1200/2400 bps. For downlink transmissions, the frequency is set at 436.888 MHz, and modes include FM voice, CW, FSK 50 bps telemetry, SSTV Robot 36, and a voice beacon with the callsign AO4URE.
To provide further information regarding URESAT-1’s transmissions, the AMSAT-EA organization has made available a comprehensive document that can be accessed at the following link: https://www.amsat-ea.org/app/download/13366685/AMSAT+EA+-+URESAT-1+Transmissions+description.pdf
For those interested in decoding the telemetry, a Linux x86/ARM decoder is available for download at the following link: https://www.amsat-ea.org/app/download/13395017/URESAT-1_telemetry_decoder_Linux_X86_ARM_v1.0.zip
A sample file containing the audio of a telemetry file can be found here: https://www.amsat-ea.org/app/download/13398144/URESAT-1_sample_FSK_telemetry-chessboard_packet.wav
If URESAT-1 operates as intended, the project team plans to release a Linux program that will allow players to send their chess moves to the satellite, further enhancing the interactive experience.
[ANS thanks Félix Páez, EA4GQS, AMSAT-EA President for the above information]
June 11, 2023: The Sapling Magnifica, developed by the Stanford Student Space Initiative, is a technology demonstration mission aimed to prove several key technologies necessary for SSI’s satellites to host scientific payloads in the future. These include a magnetorquer-based ADCS, a higher quality camera than on previous Sapling missions, and reaction wheels. The satellite will be either a 1U or a 2U spacecraft. Sapling Magnifica is an Amateur Radio mission that is entirely initiated and developed by undergraduate students, most of whom already have or are studying for their Amateur Radio license.
Amateurs will be able to participate by sending commands to the satellite and receiving images in response. Research will be conducted on image downloading comparing three different modulation techniques: FSK, LoRa, and FLRC. Amateurs will be able to receive images and, if all goes well, take an image on command.
Downlinks have been coordinated on 437.400 MHz and 2427.00 MHz. Planning a launch into a SSO 525km orbit in Q2 or Q3 2023. More info from https://github.com/stanford-ssi.
June 11, 2023: The MRC-100 Hungarian CubeSat is scheduled to launch on a Falcon 9 on June 12 from Vandenburg Space Fore Base. The MRC-100 is the successor to the SMOG-1 CubeSat which was launched in March 2021. The satellite is named to honoring the 100th year anniversary of the HA5MRC Ham Radio Club at the Budapest University of Technology.
To help with decoding the Telemetry on the CubeSat, an RTL-SDR based telemetry receiver was created and an installation script for Raspberry Pi’s and Linux PC’s which installs OpenWebRX along with the satellite receiver software.
The satellite should be receivable with a simple satellite antenna, such as a handheld Yagi, Turnstile, Dipole or quadrifilar-helix antenna. It will be transmitting telemetry at 436.720 MHz. If you have a dish and tracking equipment for it, there is also a high speed downlink at 2267.5 MHz. Like the original SMOG-1, the satellite carries a sensor that is designed to measure human caused electromagnetic pollution. It also carries a camera and an AIS receiver for tracking marine vessels. More information is available at https://www.rtl-sdr.com/.
[ANS thanks rtl-sdr.com for the above information.]
June 11, 2023: Over on his latest video, Matt, from the TechMinds YouTube channel shows us how to receive and decode the packets from the GreenCube digipeater. In his demonstration Matt uses an SDRPlay RSPdx as the receiver, SDR++ as the receiver software, SoundModem as the packet decoder, GreenCube Terminal for displaying the messages, and GPredict for tracking the satellite and compensating for the Doppler effect. He also notes that while a directional antenna on a motorized tracker is recommended, he was able to still receive packets with his omnidirectional terrestrial antennas without much issue. Watch the video at https://youtu.be/Rr87Ci96SRY. [ANS thanks rtl-sdr.com for the above information.]
April 23, 2023: $50Sat, also known as EAGLE-2, is an open-source, PocketQube satellite project that was designed to demonstrate the feasibility of building and launching a functional satellite for just $50. The project was launched in 2013 with the goal of providing a simple and low- cost platform for educational and amateur space missions. $50Sat is equipped with a basic communications system, including a UHF/VHF transceiver, a microcontroller and a simple power system. The satellite is based on a modular design, which makes it easy to modify and customize for different missions. One of the key innovations of $50Sat is the use of Commercial-Off-The Shelf (COTS) components, such as a cellphone battery and a Bluetooth module, all of which helps to lower costs. The satellite also leverages a number of open-source hardware and software tools, making it easier for others to build their own satellites based on the $50Sat design. For more ideas on PocketQubes, see http://satmagazine.com/story.php?number=1780991041. [ANS thanks satmagazine.com for the above information.]
April 16, 2023: The SpaceX Falcon 9 lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on the Transporter-7 mission on April 15, 2023 at 2:48 a.m. Eastern. The first telemetry from the satellite has been decoded and it has accepted its first telecommand sent by the ground control station.
The INSPIRE-Sat 7 satellite is a university project carried out by the University of Versailles Saint-Quentin en Yvelines (France) on behalf of LATMOS (UVSQ, Sorbonne University, Université Paris Saclay, CNRS). This satellite is a demonstrator for experimenting new technologies with a strong involvement of students. This satellite allows the experimentation of miniaturized remote sensing sensors that could be used for multi-point observation of essential climate variables (ECV) and the ionosphere.
INSPIRE-Sat 7 carries :
- A 435.200 MHz telemetry channel with BPSK mode – GR3UH 9k6.
- An FM transponder with an uplink of 145.830 MHz and a downlink of 435.200 MHz. The FM transponder is expected to be active at least twice a month, depending on the satellite power budget.
- A SPINO card that will be activated for experimentation.
To receive the telemetry, a software has been developed: KissTool. It is available for Windows & Linux:
Linux: https://site.amsat-f.org/download/118791/?tmstv=1680945385
Windows: https://site.amsat-f.org/download/118784/?tmstv=1680945385
The user manual is available in French at:
https://site.amsat-f.org/josast-kisstool/
and English at:
https://code.electrolab.fr/xtof/josast/-/blob/27-new-application-for-spino/ApplicationKissTool/src/site/markdown/UserManual.md
[ANS thanks AMSAT-Francophone and Spacenews.com for the above information]
Fredric Raab 