OpenBCM V1.07b12 (Linux)

Packet Radio Mailbox

IW8PGT

[Mendicino(CS)-Italy]

 Login: GUEST





  
I0OJJ  > SPACE    08.01.22 07:00l 117 Lines 5315 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : 8394I0OJJ
Read: GUEST
Subj: [AMSAT-UK] Launch of EASAT-2 and HADES satellites
Path: IW8PGT<LU4ECL<I0OJJ
Sent: 220107/2351z @:I0OJJ.ITA.EU [Rome] $:8394I0OJJ

AMSAT-UK

///////////////////////////////////////////
Launch of EASAT-2 and HADES satellites

Posted: 07 Jan 2022 06:27 AM PST
https://amsat-uk.org/2022/01/07/launch-of-easat-2-and-hades-satellites/


The EASAT-2 and HADES satellites, each carrying an FM transponder and  
digipeater, are expected to launch on January 13 at 15:25 GMT on the SpaceX  
Falcon-9 Transporter-3 mission.

A translation of a post by Spains URE reads:

The Scottish space broker Alba Orbital has confirmed the correct  
integration of the EASAT-2 and Hades satellites in the Falcon-9vehicle,  
using the companys AlbaPOD ejector. It is confirmed, except for exceptional  
circumstances, the launch for this Thursday, January 13, initially at 15.25  
UTC (16.25 Spanish peninsular time). Both satellites should have been  
launched a year ago, but the problems of the Momentusintegrator, on  
whose Vigoride vehicle albaPod ejectors of Alba Orbital were to be  
integrated with the American administration, caused this  
delay. Momentus was replaced by Exolaunch for the flight.

Both satellites offer FM voice communications and data relay in FSK or AFSK  
up to 2400 bps,such as AX.25 or APRS frames. They also broadcast voice  
beacons on FM with the callsigns AM5SAT and AM6SAT,as well as CW.

The EASAT-2satellite, designed and built jointly by AMSAT-EA and students  
of the European University of the Degrees in Aerospace Engineering in  
Aircraft and in Telecommunication Systems Engineering,with contributions  
from ICAI in the communications part, incorporates as experimental  
cargo basaltic material from Lanzarote,similar to lunar basalts, provided  
by the research group on meteorites and planetary geosciences of the CSIC  
at the Institute of Geosciences, IGEO (CSIC-UCM) and that could be used as  
a building material on the Moon. This project was promoted and has the  
collaboration of the ETSICCP (UPM).

The UNESCO world geopark of Lanzarote and Chinijo archipelago has been used  
for various investigations as an analogue of the Moon and Mars, including  
also the instruction of ESA astronauts. The selected basaltic  
material meets the requirements to be used as a simulant of the basalt  
existing on the Moon. The purpose of the experiment is to determine its  
evolution in space based on periodic measurements of some of its  
properties. Although the experiment is limited and constitutes a first  
phase of this type of study, it is an important milestone as it is the  
first of its kind introduced on such a small satellite.

As for Hades,its payload consists of a miniature camera module that sends  
the captured images as an audio signal in SSTVmode. The SSTV formats it  
uses are compatible with Robot36, Robot72, MP73 and MP115.

The design is based on the one used in the successful mission of  
the PSAT2satellite, an amateur radio satellite of the United States Naval  
Academy and brno University of Technology. This chamber has been  
operational since June 25, 2019: (http://www.aprs.org/psat2.html).

The camera chip is the Omnivision OV2640, which provides a resolution of up  
to 2M pixels and compressed output in JPEG. Resolution is limited by the  
CPUs internal memory (MCU) that controls the camera to 320×240 (typical) or  
640×480 maximum. The MCU selected for the control is the STM32F446RET6,  
which has the smallest possible footprint with connection to DCMI  
peripheral, necessary for connection with the camera.

Images can be stored on a 2 MB serial flash memory. The complete SSTV  
encoder has managed to be implemented in a 4-layer PCB with dimensions of  
only 38x38mm.

The MCU can be fully controlled from ground stations. The firmware allows  
the sending of images of the camera live,of imágenes previously saved in  
the flash memory or of images encoded in ROM. It also provides advance  
programming of image acquisition and PSK telemetry with the current status  
(event counters, temperature, voltage, light conditions, etc.) and a brief  
summary.

The described module has been developed and manufactured at the Department  
of Radioelectronics of the Brno University of Technology in the Czech  
Republic. Both hardware and firmware designs with the source codes will be  
available on Github under the MIT license (https://github.com/alpov/SatCam).

Initially only the EASAT-2 repeater is active. Hades will be activated by  
telecommand a few days after launch.

The frequencies coordinated with IARU for both satellites are as follows:

EASAT-2



145.875 MHz uplink, Modes: VOICE FM (without undertone) and FSK 50 bps,  
AFSK, AX.25, APRS 1200 / 2400 bps
436.666 MHz downlink, Modes: FM voice, CW, FSK 50 bps, FM voice beacon with  
AM5SAT callsign


HADES

145.925 MHz uplink, Modes: VOICE FM (without undertone) and FSK 50 bps,  
AFSK, AX.25, APRS 1200 / 2400 bps
436.888 MHz downlink, Modes: FM voice, CW FSK 50 bps, SSTV Robot 36, FM  
voice beacon with AM6SAT callsign


The description of the transmissions can be found in the following document:

Español  English:

AMSAT-EA appreciates the reception of telemetry, voice beacons and SSTV  
images. A paper QSL is sent to those who send their transmissions. It can  
be done through the following link: http://data.amsat-ea.org







Read previous mail | Read next mail


 24.12.2024 03:09:14lGo back Go up