Vega Launch Success ? Satellite Signals Heard | AMSAT-UK

Lift off of Vega

The first Vega, flight VV01, lifted off at 1000 UT from the ESA Spaceport at Kourou in the Caribbean carrying eight student built amateur radio satellites and the LARES Laser Relativity Satellite into orbit.

At 1153 UT Drew KO4MA reported hearing signals from the satellites as they went past Florida. Signals were first heard in the United Kingdom at around 1208 UT.

In Germany at 1209 UT Mike DK3WN copied the satellites at an elevation of just 3 degress, see http://www.dk3wn.info/p/?cat=83

So far signals have been received from Goliat, Masat-1, PW-Sat and XaTcobeo.

A recording of PW-SAT made by Wouter PA3WEG can be heard at http://www.pa3weg.nl/pa3weg/recordings/PW-SAT%20recording%20PA3WEG%2013-02-2012_1207UTC.mp3

KO4MA Screenshot of Vega CubeSats

PW-Sat is the only satellite with a downlink in the 145 MHz band. Its 1200bps? BPSK or CW signal on 145.900 MHz should be receiveable with an SSB radio and an omnidirectional antenna.

When PW-Sat has finished its primary scientific mission it will be reconfigured as a 435/145 MHz FM to DSB transponder for general amateur radio communications.

The other amateur radio satellites have downlinks in the 437 MHz band. A small 435 MHz Yagi antenna may be used to receive the signals.

Watch the launch of Vega VV01

The Masat-1 satellite team have made available software to decode their?437.345 MHz telemetry data via a PC sound card. The software can be downloaded from http://cubesat.bme.hu/en/foldi-allomas/kliens-szoftver/

This video shows the eliptical 1400 by 300 km orbit of the satellites.

Student amateur radio satellite downlink frequencies:
+ AlmaSat-1?? 437.465 MHz 1200 bps FSK, 2407.850 MHz
+ E-St@r??????? 437.445 MHz 1200 bps AFSK
+ Goliat????????? 437.485 MHz 1200 bpx AFSK
+ Masat-1????? 437.345 MHz 625/1250 bps GFSK, CW
+ PW-Sat?????? 145.900 MHz 1200 bps BPSK AX25, CW
+ Robusta????? 437.325 MHz 1200 bps FM telemetry ? one data burst of 20 secs every 1 min
+ UniCubeSat 437.305 MHz 9600 bps FSK
+ XaTcobeo???? 437.365 MHz FFSK with AX.25

Satscape Free Satellite Tracking Software http://www.satscape.info/home/?q=node/2?

Preliminary Vega TLE?s for launch at 1000 UT here

Website URLs for the student satellite are at http://www.uk.amsat.org/4180

Source: http://www.uk.amsat.org/4657

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