Researchers at the Ted and Karyn Hume Center for National Security and Technology are preparing to send an amateur radio satellite into a geosynchronous orbit in 2017.
This will be a great opportunity for Amateur Radio satellite operators! Some preliminary information about this satellite may be found here.
The proposed frequency plan for the spacecraft is:
Uplinks: 5655-5665 MHz
Downlinks: 10455-10465 MHz
The amateur radio payload will comprise a Software Defined Transponder capable of supporting many different modes, including analog SSB.
Possible coverage of a Geosynchronous satellite at 74 degrees West – Credit NX5R
According to AMSAT Vice President-Operations Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA, the satellite’s potential footprint would extend over the US from the Mid-Pacific to Africa.
Several members of our club have been working on a High Altitude Balloon Project to promote STEM interest and learning by young people. Our project team currently includes the following folks:
Other interested club members are welcome to join us.
We want to provide a STEM learning opportunity and project to be planned and executed by young people ages 10 – 16. We are actively seeking engagement and support from local schools, Scout Troops and other youth organizations to help us with this project.
Our goals for the project include:
Building and launching a high altitude balloon carrying Amateur Radio to near space and back
Enabling young people to plan and execute the project with help and guidance from members of the Nashua Area Radio Club and supporting adults from organizations that wish to assist us
Helping young people gain STEM-based experience and learnings by handling all phases of the project including:
Planning the flight, the balloon, and its payload
Building the balloon and testing it on the ground
Launching, tracking and recovering the balloon’s payload
Analysis of the flight data and the creation of a presentation to be delivered to fellow students and other interested groups
We plan to introduce new technology, experiments, and flight elements and develop team member skills and expertise across multiple launches. Later phases of the project are expected to include design and construction of additional payload electronics, high altitude/longer duration flights, and additional on-board atmospheric science experiments.
Typical High Altitude Balloon System
Our goals for the initial flight mission of this project will include:
Building a helium filled balloon which carries a payload of < 4 lbs. to altitudes in excess of 90,000 ft (27,400 m)
Parachute controls decent rate after balloon bursts
Capturing a video of flight using on-board GoPro video camera(s)
Flying an on-board APRS transmitter allows tracking from the ground via Amateur 2m APRS and aprs.fi
Flight computer plus APRS provides altitude, position and temperature data throughout the flight
Anyone with a device that has internet access and a web browser will be able to track the flight
Augmenting the APRS system with commercial satellite tracker to assure successful recovery of our payload by the project team
High Altitude Balloons
The balloon is filled with enough Helium to carry its payload to a target altitude in excess of 90,000 ft and then burst. A parachute will deploy to control the rate at which the payload descends and will ensure a controlled safe and soft landing.
Payload Components
The payload will be built around a light-weight platform which will carry a Video Camera, a Flight Computer/APRS Transmitter, and a Commercial Satellite Tracker. The camera will capture a video of the flight and the flight computer will record altitude, temperature and position data and relay this information to the ground via APRS on 2m. A commercial satellite tracker would be included to ensure we could locate the payload once it is back on the ground.
High Altitude Flight Planning
A key part of the project will involve planning the target altitude and flight path for our balloon. There are some good resources available to help us do this. Check out the Balloon Performance Calculator here. Tools also exist to estimate a balloon’s flight path and track based on Jetstream and other flight parameters.
Once we recover our balloon payload, we will guide our young team members in analyzing the data from the flight to help them to learn about atmospheric conditions and to prepare to share the results along with the video captured with classmates and other interested groups. You can get an idea of the video that we can expect below.
We are working to raise the necessary funds to support our project. We are counting on the generosity of our members and friends to help us. Please consider making a donation here.
The EO-79/FUNcube-3 satellite has transitioned to amateur radio service, now that its primary mission has been completed. AMSAT-UK and AMSAT-NL have announced that the FUNcube U/V transponder has been activated with a regular schedule. Due to power budget constraints, the transponder cannot operate 24/7, so an orbit-specific schedule has been developed. The transponder will commence operation 27 minutes after the spacecraft enters sunlight and remain active for 25 minutes. This schedule may be modified in the weeks ahead, as experience dictates. The output power of the amateur radio payload is about 400mW.
Looks like we have a new LEO satellite that we can work. EO-79 is now active of Amateur Radio use. It has an inverting SSB/CW transponder which operates on the following frequencies:
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