New Satellites

Fox-1 launch update

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The following is excerpted from the Apogee View column of AMSAT President Barry Baines, WD4ASW, as published in the latest AMSAT Journal:

Grace L-55 will launch on a similar Atlas V
Grace L-55 will launch on a similar Atlas V

The launch of Grace/L55 from Vandenberg AFB is slipping from December 2014 into Summer 2015 due to governmental priorities. Fox-1 is currently manifested on that launch as part of the ELaNa-12 group of satellites. Instead of launching our vehicle in December, another launch vehicle with payload is taking precedence, forcing a reschedule of ELaNa-12. Currently, we are now scheduled to fly on 1 AUG 2015 rather than December 2014.

This delay is mixed news for AMSAT. While we are disappointed that this will mean that Fox-1 will not fly in 2014, it also means that we have more time to complete and test the spacecraft prior to delivery to SRI. In the overall scheme of things, it allows AMSAT to have greater confidence in the delivery of a thoroughly tested spacecraft by taking more time to allow for unforeseen contingencies and to do the ground testing.

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$50SAT now designated Morehead OSCAR-76

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Congratulations to the $50SAT team as their satellite has received an OSCAR number, Morehead OSCAR-76, or MO-76.

$50SAT is a joint effort involving Professor Bob Twiggs, Morehead State University, Howie DeFelice, AB2S, Michael Kirkhart, KD8QBA, and Stuart Robinson, GW7HPW.

More information on the satellite can be found at http://www.50dollarsat.info/ and on the AMSAT website.

$50SATMore information on obtaining an OSCAR number for your satellite can be found here.

Cubesats Deployed from ISS

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Friday February 28 at 0730Z, several cubesats were deployed from the International Space station.litsat deploy

Perhaps of most interest to radio amateurs are Lithuania’s first satellites, LituanicaSAT-1 and LitSat-1.

LituanicaSAT-1 carries an FM repeater with a 145.950 MHz uplink and 435.180 MHz downlink, a 9600 baud AX25 packet system with a 145.850 MHz uplink and 437.550 MHz downlink, and a CW beacon on 437.275 MHz. Detailed information may be found at http://www.kosmonautai.lt/en/satellite/  and https://www.facebook.com/Lituanicasat1

LitSat-1 carries a linear transponder of unknown bandwidth and with a reported uplink of 435.180 MHz and downlink of 145.950 MHz, a AX25 packet system with a 437.550 MHz uplink and 145.850 MHz downlink. Limited additional information can be found at https://www.facebook.com/palydovas and http://www.space-lt.eu/journeyof-thefirstlithuanian-satellites74326-1-541.html#apacia .

UAPSAT is Peru’s third satellite, and will transmit AX25 packet telemetry and an audio message on 145.980 MHz. It is unclear whether there will be a two-way capability. Additional information via Google Translate at http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=es&u=http://www.uapsat.info/&prev=/search%3Fq%3Duapsat%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26hs%3DGt9%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official

ArduSat-2 and SkyCube are also included in this deployment.

University of Louisiana CAPE II Cubesat Designated LO-75

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cape-2OSCAR Number Administrator Bill Tynan, W3XO announced the University of Louisiana’s CAPE II cubesat has been designated as University of Louisiana OSCAR 75 or LO-75.

Bill wrote to AMSAT mentor Nick Pugh, K5QXJ, and the CAPE II cubesat team, “I have been able to determine CAPE II has met all of the
requirements for an OSCAR number. By the authority vested in me by the AMSAT-NA president, I hereby issue CAPE II the designation University of Louisiana OSCAR 75 or LO-75. I, and all of the amateur satellite community, wish LO-75 the best of success”.

CAPE II operates on 145.825 MHz with a CW beacon with the callsign W5UL, it also includes a digipeater, text to speech operation, a simplex repeater, email and tweet functions. The ground station software can be downloaded from http://www.ulcape.org

FunCube-1 was recently issued OSCAR designation as AO-73. CubeBug-2 was designated as LO-74.