On Thursday, June 19, 2014 at 19:11:11 UT a Dnepr rocket was launched from Dombarovsky near Yasny in the Russian Federation carrying 37 satellites, 12 of which had amateur radio payloads.
Among the amateur radio payloads are a SSB/CW linear transponder, FM voice transponder, D-STAR Parrot Repeater and three Packet Radio Digipeaters. In total 33 satellites were deployed, the remaining four, Tigrisat, Lemur 1, ANTELSat and AeroCube 6, are being carried by the microsatellite UniSat-6 and should be deployed on Friday, June 20.
Dnepr Cluster Mission Orbit Injection Profile June 19, 2014 – Credit ISC Kosmotras
In the hours immediately after launch signals were reported from POPSAT, QB50p1, QB50p2, UniSat-6, BugSat-1, NanosatC-BR1, Duchifat-1 and TabletSat-Aurora. The two QB50 precursor Cubesats on the launch carry amateur radio transponders. They were deployed at 19:32 UT and CW signals from both were received shortly after by Andre Van Deventer ZS2BK in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. Brian Best ZS5SB also reported receiving QB50p1.
Satellites launched June 19, 2012 on the Yasny Dnepr
Richard Dailey N8UX in Kentucky, USA made use of the Southampton University Wireless Society (SUWS) WebSDR to receive the QB50P2 beacon when the satellite was in range of the UK. The details of the initial 145 MHz CW transmission format for both QB50p1, and its near twin QB50p2, is at http://www.isispace.nl/HAM/qb50p.html
QB50p1 carries the FUNcube-3 400 mW inverting linear 435/145 MHz transponder provided by AMSAT-NL.
• 145.815 MHz BPSK telemetry
• FUNcube inverting 400 mW SSB/CW transponder
– 435.035-435.065 MHz Uplink LSB
– 145.935-145.965 MHz Downlink USB
QB50p1 and QB50p2 – Image Credit ISIS
QB50p2 carries a 435/145 MHz FM transponder and FX25 data transmitter from AMSAT-F.
• 145.880 MHz BPSK telemetry
• 145.840 MHz 9600 bps FSK FX25
It is expected that both these transponder payloads will be activated after the science missions have been completed.
References:
- QB50 precursor amateur radio operator page http://www.isispace.nl/HAM/qb50p.html
- There were 37 satellites and a 2U Mass Dummy on the launch, frequencies at http://r4uab.ru/?p=6393
- For a short description of each of the satellites see http://www.zarya.info/Calendar.php#Dnepr
- Article about the launch and payloads http://www.spaceflight101.com/dnepr-launch-updates—2014-cluster-launch.html
- Southampton University Wireless Society WebSDR http://websdr.suws.org.uk/
Source: AMSAT.UK