SOUTHERN AFRICAN AMATEUR RADIO SATELLITE ASSOCIATION (SA AMSAT)

Registered as a non-profit organisation by the South African Department of Social Development
Registration number  No 55-363

UPDATED  3 August 2011
ARISSat-1 Home

SA AMSAT
P O Box 90438
Garsfontein 0042
South Africa
Tel:  012 991 4662
Fax: 012 991 5651
Email:
 saamsat@intekom.co.za

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4 April 2010

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SA AMSAT CONSTITUTION

ARISSAT LAUNCHED
 

The ARISSat-1/KEDR space craft was deployed from the ISS at 1843Z on August 3 after a hold based upon questions about the 70cm antenna. Congratulations to the ARISSat-1/KEDR team! Now bring on those reception reports.

The satellite will be in High power mode (continuous transmission) when in the sun and go to Low power (intermittent) mode when in eclipse.
 

145.950 MHz FM Downlink
FM transmissions will cycle between a voice ID as RS01S, select telemetry values, 24 international greeting messages in 15 languages and SSTV images. One of the messages will be a conversation between Yuri Gagarin and ground control.

If you successfully receive the SSTV transmissions, you are invited to upload your picture to to the ARISS SSTV Gallery.

435 MHz - 145 MHz Linear Transponder
The linear transponder will operate in Mode U/V (70 cm Up, 2m Down). It is an 16 KHz wide inverting passband and the convention will be to TX LSB on the 435 MHz uplink and RX USB on the 145 MHz downlink. This mode is designed to work with low power transmitters and omni antenna.

145.919 MHz CW Beacon
The CW transmissions will be callsign ID RS01S, select telemetry, and callsigns of people actively involved with the ARISS program.

145.920 MHz SSB BPSK-1000 Telemetry
The BPSK transmissions will feature a new 1kBPSK protocol developed by Phil Karn, KA9Q to be readable in low signal level conditions. The BPSK data will transmit satellite telemetry. When the CW2 beacon on 145.919 MHz is active this indicates that the BPSK-1000 format is being transmitted. If the CW1 beacon on 145.939 MHz is active this indicates the backup of BPSK-400 format is being transmitted.

AMSAT needs your telemetry from ARISSat-1/KEDR both during the test and after deployment from the International Space Station. Since there are no "Whole Orbit Data" storage mechanisms onboard ARISSat-1/KEDR, your submissions are the only way for AMSAT to collect the spacecraft telemetry and KURSK experiment results.

ARISSat-1/KEDR Reception Report Certificates
When you receive the downlink signal from ARISSat-1/KEDR you are invited to send your report to the following e-mail boxes. You will receive a PDF certificate by e-mail.

Students and school groups are especially welcome. We look forward to your report!

Your report must contain the following information:

  • The signal you received:
    • the secret word*,
    • an SSTV image, or,
    • telemetry data
  • Your name or group name
  • The date/time of reception
  • Your e-mail address of where to send your certificate. You will receive a PDF certificate via email.

     

Here are the e-mail boxes to send your reports:

 

Received BPSK telemetry and .CSV files should continue to be sent to: telemetry@arissattlm.org.

* Those who do hear the secret word or call sign please do not put it out to the world. That would ruin the contest for those still waiting for their station to be in range.

 

 

 

WHAT HAPPENED TI SUITSAT?

Last year astronauts living on the International Space Station (ISS) had to discard two surplus Orlan space suits. With the loss of the suits, those involved with AMSAT and Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) were at a loss. One of these suits was to be used to house the electronics for the upcoming SuitSat-2 mission: the batteries were to be mounted inside the suit, solar panels attached to the extremities with the electronics, with video cameras and an antenna mounted on the helmet.

 But even though the removal of the space suits took away the “Suit” component of the deployment, AMSAT and ARISS forged ahead, changing the configuration of the satellite and Amateur Radio experiment and giving it a new name: ARISSat-1/RadioSkaf-V.

According to ARRL ARISS Programme Manager, Rosalie White, K1STO, the AMSAT engineering team made the final decision for the satellite to become a cube with solar panels on all 6 sides.

 

ARISSat-1 will boast:

  • 24 different student greetings -- transmitted in 15 languages -- on the FM downlink.
     
  • SSTV shots taken by the spacecraft and transmitted to the ground on FM.
     

  • Telemetry from Russia’s Kursk State University experiment that will measure of the vacuum of space. The experiment will be sampling the amount of vacuum each day for 90 minutes, then sending down the data to map the vacuum change as the satellite slowly spirals into the atmosphere.

    According to AMSAT ARISSat Project Manager Gould Smith, WA4SXM, this is a unique experiment, “as we understand that such measurements have not been taken previously at the altitudes at which ARISSat-1 will operate.”