04/26/2016
Three student-built CubeSats - including the first to carry a D-STAR (Digital
Smart Technologies for Amateur Radio) Amateur Radio payload into space - now
are successfully in orbit following an April 25 launch from Guiana. Signals
from all three have been received on Earth. OUFTI-1[1] (Orbital Utility For
Telecommunication Innovations), constructed by students at the University of
Liege in Belgium (ULg), carries the D-STAR payload. The other two CubeSats -
e-st@r-II[2] and AAUSAT4[3] - are from Italy and Denmark, respectively. The
three CubeSats were developed by student teams under the European Space Agency
(ESA[4]) Education Office "Fly Your Satellite![5]" program, which is aimed at
training the next generation of aerospace professionals.
Signals from OUFTI-1 and AAUSAT4 have been received by multiple ground
stations, and both have established bidirectional communication with their
ground stations, according to ESA. e-st@r transmitted an initially weak signal
received by at least one radio amateur in Germany.
The student teams have been checking out their spacecraft and preparing to
carry out their missions, although the e-st@r team is first working to
consolidate the radio communication link with their satellite.
OUFTI-1 transmits on 145.950 MHz (FSK AX.25 and D-STAR down, with an uplink at
435.045 MHz. OUFTI-1 carries a CW beacon transmitting on 145.980 MHz.
e-st@r-II, from the University of Turin, transmits CW and 1.2 k AFSK on 437.485
MHz. AAUSAT4 from the University of Aalborg, Denmark, will operate an automated
ocean vessel identification system. It transmits on 437.425 MHz.
The first three radio amateurs to send a recorded signal from OUFTI-1, AAUSAT4,
or e-st@r-II will receive a prize from ESA's Education Office. Visit the ESA
website for details[6].
[1] https://ukamsat.files.wordpress.com/2016/04/202_jun_2013.pdf
[2] http://www.cubesatteam-polito.com/missions/e-star-ii/
[3] http://www.space.aau.dk/aausat4/
[4] http://www.esa.int/Education/CubeSats_-_Fly_Your_Satellite/Launch_campaign_s
tarted_CubeSats_arrived_at_Kourou_spaceport
[5] http://www.esa.int/Education/CubeSats_-_Fly_Your_Satellite/Launch_campaign_s
tarted_CubeSats_arrived_at_Kourou_spaceport
[6] http://www.esa.int/Education/CubeSats_-_Fly_Your_Satellite/Be_the_first_to_c
atch_a_signal_from_Fly_Your_Satellite!_from_space
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