SB SPACE @ ARL $ARLS009   
   ARLS009 US Naval Academy PSK31 CubeSat Transponders Active   
      
   ZCZC AS09   
   QST de W1AW   
   Space Bulletin 009  ARLS009   
   > From ARRL Headquarters   
   Newington, CT  May 26, 2015   
   To all radio amateurs   
      
   SB SPACE ARL ARLS009   
   ARLS009 US Naval Academy PSK31 CubeSat Transponders Active   
      
   PSK31 transponders on two US Naval Academy CubeSats are operational,   
   according to Bob Bruninga, WB4APR. The CubeSats launched on May 20   
   from Cape Canaveral on an Atlas 5 launcher. The launch included a   
   pair of 1.5U CubeSats - the PSAT APRS/PSK31 satellite and BRICsat, a   
   propulsion/PSK31 satellite - as well as a 3U CubeSat, USS Langley   
   (Unix Space Server Langley). The launch also included The Planetary   
   Society's LightSail-1.   
      
   Bruninga said PSAT is a student satellite project named in honor of   
   USNA alum Bradford Parkinson, of GPS fame. It contains an APRS   
   transponder for relaying remote telemetry, sensor, and user data   
   from remote users and Amateur Radio environmental experiments or   
   other data sources back to Amateur Radio experimenters via a global   
   network of Internet-linked ground stations. A Brno University   
   transponder on PSAT supports multi-user PSK31 text messaging (28.120   
   MHz uplink/435.350 MHz FM downlink). Bruninga said the PSAT   
   telemetry on 145.825 MHz (1200 baud AX.25) is working okay, but the   
   digipeater is off at present, since the PSK31 transponder is the   
   primary mission. The APRS downlink page at   
   http://www.findu.com/cgi-bin/pcsat.cgi is now capturing PSAT   
   telemetry.   
      
   The PSK31 multi-user FDMA transponder experiment on PSAT and BRICsat   
   is similar to the one on RAFT and PCSAT2. It allows text messaging   
   among up to 30 modest ground stations simultaneously, Bruninga said.   
   The BRICsat and PSAT PSK31 transponders are on separate spacecraft   
   but on the same frequency, although one has PSK telemetry on 315 Hz,   
   the other on 365 Hz.   
      
   Bruninga said BRICsat's telemetry has been heard, but has been   
   cycling off, due to low power. He said the BRICsat PSK31 downlink   
   has been heard, but only barely when it's on. The USS Langley   
   spacecraft has not been heard yet, he said.   
      
   BRICsat transmits 9600 baud telemetry on 437.975 MHz. The USS   
   Langley satellite transmits 9600 baud telemetry on 437.475 MHz.   
      
   The LightSail-1 packet 9600 baud (FSK) AX.25 downlink is on 437.435   
   MHz. The Planetary Society's Jason Davis is asking radio amateurs to   
   e-mail him at jason.davis@planetary.org with any data they collect   
   from LightSail, including any screenshots.   
      
   Bruninga has invited APRS radio amateurs worldwide to tune into the   
   packet downlinks and IGate packets into the global APRS-IS system,   
   so they will appear on the APRS downlink page, and also to try out   
   the "exciting, new full-duplex PSK31 way of multi-user   
   communication."   
      
   PSAT is one of five APRS-networked Amateur Radio satellites that   
   will be in orbit during 2015, and all will appear on the live APRS   
   downlink page. The others include PCsat-1, in orbit since 2001,   
   QIKcom-1, set to launch in September, QIKcom-2, set to launch in   
   December, and the ARISS packet radio system on board the   
   International Space Station since 2007.   
   NNNN   
   /EX   
      
   )\/(ark   
      
   ... He who has daughters is always a shepherd.  - Spanish Proverb   
   ---   
    * Origin:  (1:3634/12.73)