New Russian Satellite RS-40

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MiR also known as Yubileiny-2 and RS-40 was built by students and research staff of the Siberian State Aerospace University and launched on 28 July 2012.

It is understood signals from RS-40 on 435.365 MHz were first reported by Maik Hermenau on the AMSAT-DL mailing list.

“The first signals, switch between the two downlink frequencies, when the signals stop on 435.265 MHz FM they start again on 435.365.000 MHz FM. After about six minutes the pattern changed and there where only signals on 435.365 MHz FM. When you listen close there is a difference between the pattern from the first recording and the second. Something that can’t be seen after the recording, is the fact that the signals of the first pattern have a higher bandwidth, and therefore likely to have a higher baud rate.”
— Jan PE0SAT

Data received from RS-40 - http://www.pe0sat.vgnet.nl/2012/i-received-date-from-rs-40/

First signals from RS-40 - http://www.pe0sat.vgnet.nl/2012/first-signals-from-rs-40/

Yubileiny-2 (RS-40) - http://www.pe0sat.vgnet.nl/2012/yubileiny-2/

The website of Andy Thomas G0SFJ has information on the earlier Yubileiny-1 (RS-30) satellite - https://sites.google.com/site/andythomasorg/amateur-satellites/rs-30-yubileiny​

Tethersat-1 & 2 to test Electrodynamic Tether Propulsion

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The amateur radio satellite Tethersat is a 3U CubeSat that splits into two joined by a 1 km tether to test electrodynamic tether propulsion.

Both spacecraft will use 9600 bps AX25 GFSK packet downlinks on UHF.

A launch is planned on ORS-3 in July 2013 from the Wallops Flight Facility on Wallops Island, Va.

Electrodynamic tether propulsion propulsion has the potential to make space travel significantly cheaper. It is a simplified, very low-budget magnetic sail. It can be used either to accelerate or brake an orbiting spacecraft. When direct current is pumped through the tether, it exerts a Lorentz force against the magnetic field, and the tether accelerates the spacecraft.

Potentially this technique could be used to raise the orbit of a satellite from 600 to 1000 km using a Ward Spiral maneuver.

See the 2009 paper Tethered Satellite Dynamics, Mission Design and Applications by Chadwick Healy - http://ccar.colorado.edu/asen5050/projects/projects_2009/healy/

IARU Satellite Frequency Coordination Panel status - http://www.amsat.org.uk/iaru​

KiwiSAT hoping for launch mid-2013

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The development of the amateur radio satellite KiwiSAT is completed and now ready for a LEO launch.

The KiwiSAT website says the team have been in discussion with ISC Kosmatras for a DNEPR launch. They hope the satellite will be launched mid-2013.

The latest status update can be read at http://www.kiwisat.org/status.html

KiwiSAT carries a 435 or 1268 MHz to 145 MHz  linear transponder for SSB/CW operation.

  • Transmit Power: 2 Watts PEP.
  • Beacon frequency: 145.885 MHz
  • Uplink: (U-Band) 435.265 to 435.235 MHZ LSB or
  • Uplink: (L-Band) 1268.880 to 1268.850 MHz LSB
  • Down link: 145.850 to 145.880 MHz USB

In addition to the transponder KiwiSAT also carries an Attitude Determination And Control (ADAC) experiment developed by students at Massey University.

Read the article Massey students create space satellite software at - http://www.massey.ac.nz/massey/about-massey/news/article.cfm?mnarticle_uuid=238ABC1A-FC7C-B944-8CC0-987538B6B665

KiwiSAT - http://www.kiwisat.org/

AMSAT-ZL - http://www.amsat-zl.org.nz/​