ESA Award for SSETI Express Telemetry Competition

[M5AKA]

ESA Award for SSETI Express telemetry download competition

The Education Department of ESA, the European Space Agency, is delighted to #announce details of the award that will be offered to the amateur radio community in relation to the downloading of telemetry from their SSETI #Express student built satellite. The award will be given to the amateur who submits the largest number of valid telemetry and payload packets regardless of which band it is received on.

SSETI Express is scheduled for launch on September 27th from Plesetsk in #northern Russia at approx 06:52 UTC. It will downlink telemetry and payload #data in AX25 format at 9k6 on 437.250MHz and at 38k4 on 2401.835MHz. It will later also be available for radio amateurs to use as a single channel FM #transponder

All radio amateurs around the world are encouraged to download the necessary #software from the http://www.sseti.org/express/ website (this will be available from approx 12th September) and to use the SERACC system to forward the telemetry and payload data to SSETI Express Mission Control. Submissions will be automatically recorded and the leaderboard will be shown on the website.

The winner will be offered the opportunity to visit the STEC06 Conference and Exhibition in Germany in Spring 2006. STEC, the Student Technology Education Conference, follows previous events in 2004 in Lausanne in Switzerland and in 2005 in Aalborg in Denmark.

The three day event is similar to the AMSAT-NA Symposium and the AMSAT-UK #Colloquium but with more breakout technical sessions in addition to the Keynote Speeches. The meetings are always interesting and thought provoking and great enthusiasm and passion is shown by all the attendees. The post #meeting attitude adjustment sessions have also proven to be exciting.

The winner will also be encouraged to present a paper on how he/she achieved #their success - but this is not mandatory!

In addition to attending the STEC 06 Conference, the winner will be invited #to visit ESA's Mission Operations Centre #- ESOC - near Darmstadt in Germany #where they will be given a private escorted tour of the facilities. ESOC currently controls the many exciting orbital and deep space ESA missions and #will be responsible for the European Columbus module when it joins the International Space Station

For more information on the STEC events - check http://www.stec2005.space.aau.dk/ to see what this year's event included and for a few details of the ESOC facility, visit http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/ESOC/

The winner will be the amateur at the top of the leaderboard at 00:00 on Jan1st 2006. The prize will include economy class travel from your home location, accommodation and a "small" daily subsistence allowance.

AMSAT-UK wishes to congratulate and thank ESA for their generous prize, a first in the field, and is confident that it will add to the great enthusiasm for the SSETI Express project which already exists within the amateur radio community. It will be a great opportunity for us to demonstrate that the amateur radio groundstation "network" is a valuable resource for satellite projects which are able include useful amateur payloads

Video of the launch of SSETI Express will be streamed live to the web at: mms://wm9.btrichmedia.com/hcatv
---------------
AMSAT-UK produce a newsletter "Oscar News" full of satellite information. For membership details contact the secretary Jim Heck G3WGM
Tel: +44 (0)1258 453959
E-mail: g3wgm@amsat.org
Website: http://www.uk.amsat.org/
Online Satellite Pass Predictions:
http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/tools/predict/
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[k5co]

? European? ....yawn.............

[W9GRN]

Another plus for amateur radio.Anything we can learn from other hams around the globe is a positive thing for our service. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[ko4ma]

I look forward to using the U/S repeater on this bird, and will gladly collect some telemetry for this student project in exchange for that. This seems to be in the spirit of the amateur service, doesn't it?

73, Drew KO4MA

[M5AKA]

SSETI Express Launch Campaign update and LEOPS information
# #
The current status of the launch programme can be seen at
http://sseti.gte.tuwien.ac.at/WSW4/MOPWS/news.php

The latest version of the LEOPS information sheet is appended below - its
primary audience is "non amateur" so please do not be upset by some of the
basic information and advice that it contains!

SSETI Express LEOPS (Launch & Early Operations) Info

These are the preliminary TLEs for SSETI Express based upon a launch at
06:52:26 UTC on September 27th 2005

They will probably be updated just before launch and will certainly only
work for a couple of days after launch. By then we should have received
updates from NORAD and can then start to identify which orbit data refers to
which satellite.

For the first few orbits they will also be valid for the cubesats and all
the other payloads on the same launch. These are detailed below.

SSETI1
1 288XXU 0503XC # 05270.28641000 -.00000001 #00000-0 #10000-4 0 # #12
2 288XX #98.1900 167.4100 0001920 # 0.0000 #50.5000 14.60850000 00013

This data can be entered into any of the normal "tracking/prediction"
programmes for display at launch events.

SSETI Express UHF transmitter will be activated approximately 100 minutes
after launch. The details below give some information about what we expect
to hear and when for Express and the cubesats.

To receive the UHF transmissions from Express and the cubesats there are two
possibilities.

The simple possibility is a handheld receiver and simple hand held TV type
yagi antenna which is pointed in the general expected direction. When
Express is heard then this will only be obvious by a sudden burst of
increased noise from the loudspeaker. - the 9k6 data sounds just like noise
to the human ear! This will not be very impressive to invited guests but
will make the Express teams themselves very happy. Remember to have three
frequencies stored in the radio 437.260MHz at AOS, 437.250MHz for when the
satellite is at its nearest point to you and 437.240MHz as it moves away
from you. This is Mr Doppler at work.

The more complicated possibility is to use a "proper" receiving station with
automatically steered circularly polarised antennas, a mast head preamp,
Doppler adjusted UHF radio with a widened IF to pass the 9k6 data and a
suitable TNC feeding a computer and display. With this set-up it should be
possible to display the decoded telemetry from the satellite.

There is already a satellite in a very similar orbit using similar
frequencies and modulation method to Express. This is called AO51 (Amsat
Oscar 51) also known on some databases as Echo. It is strongly recommended
that you use the signals from this satellite to test your receive system
(simple or complicated options) so you have already had experience before
the launch day and demonstration. AO51 has a variety of scheduled activity
modes and frequencies and these can be checked here
http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/echo/ControlTeam.php Most times it is
radiating a voice signal and a 9k6 data signal simultaneously.


SSETI Express

Downlink: 437.250MHz AX25 9k6 FSK

(also 2401.835MHz 38k4 data and voice - but not for initial operations)

The first transmission will occur approximately 65 min after separation from
the launch adaptor- approx 100 mins after launch - we now expect this now to
occur around 08:32 UTC when Express is over northern Europe.

The type of the first transmissions will depend on the state of the battery.

In Nominal mode - a sub 1 second burst of AX25 telemetry every 18 seconds.

In Recovery or Safe mode - simple on/off telemetry comprising 16 x 100msec
carrier pulses. This telemetry is repeated every 30 seconds in Safe Mode and
every 2 mins when in Recovery Mode.

The satellite will transmit at a power of 3 watts.

The next time that Express can be heard over Europe will be the pass that
starts in Aalborg at around 10:03 UTC. This pass gives good coverage of all
of Europe and should also be audible from the launch site.

Reception reports will be welcome by email at operations@sseti.net or by
placing them on the SSETI Newsgroup at slave.gte.tuwein.ac.at in the folder
"sseti.express.report" where you will also be able to see reports from other
locations around the world.

Full information on receiving SSETI Express signals, decoding the telemetry,
submitting it to the project team and entering the competition will be
posted at #http://sseti.gte.tuwien.ac.at/WSW4/MOPWS/news.php This will have
links to all the updated pages as they occur.


NCUBE2: a cubesat which will be released by Express

Downlink: 437,305MHz
Bitrate: 9600b/s
Modulation technique: GMSK

The first transmission will occur 20 min after separation from Express -
approx 120 mins after launch.

The message: "DE=LA1CUB=NCUBE2=FF=LA1CUB===" is morsed using a 2400Hz tone,
26 words per minute where FF is a hex number [00=3,0V - FF=4,5V]
# # # #If battery voltage is above 3,8V, every 2 minutes
# # # #If battery voltage is below 3,8, every 5 minutes

At the end of the message an unnumbered AX.25 packet is attached containing
the string:

DE=LA1CUB=NCUBE2=NORWEGIAN CUBESAT - WWW.NCUBE.NO

In the header of the AX.25: Callsign: NCUBE #Destination: EARTH

The satellite will transmit at a power of 1,5W at full battery charge

Reception reports will be welcome email to ncube@rocketrange.no #or by phone
+47 76 14 44 00


UWE –1: a cubesat which will be released by Express

Downlink 437,505MHz. 9k6 FSK AX25 packet

The first transmission will occur 6 min after separation from Express -
approx 106 mins after launch.

The satellite will transmit for about 1 sec every 1 minute. The output power
of the transceiver is approx 1 watt.

Further details will be made available later.

Reception reports will be very welcome at
cubesat@informatik.uni-wuerzburg.de.


Cubesat Xi-V: a cubesat which will be released by Express

CW signal on 437.465MHz
FM packet of AFSK AX.25 on 437.345MHz

The first CW transmission will occur 30 min after separation from Express -
approx 130 mins after launch.

FM packet will not be transmitted unless commanded by the ground station.

The interval of the CW signal is about 30 seconds.

The output of CW signal is 80mW, and that of FM packet is 800mW.

Both signals share one dipole antenna, so the satellite cannot transmit both
signals at the same time.

The email address to receive reports will be announced at the ground station
web page http://gs.space.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp/ #before launch.


SAFIR-S

A module integrated within the RUBIN experimental payload which will stay
attached to the launch adaptor.

A frequency of 2401,9 MHz is used. Callsign #DP1AIS

One transmission cycle consists of 15 sec. FM-voice beacon transmission and
short 9k6 G3RUH data packets every 15 seconds. Total duration of the above
described transmission cycle is about 2-3 minutes.

Reports can be sent to DG6BCE@aatis.de


MOZHAETS

There is also a satellite in the Mozhaets series included in this launch but
no details of its transmissions are known.


LAUNCH DAY BROADCASTS

SATELLITE

The launch will be broadcast via ESA Television on Astra 1 G at 19.2 degrees
east:

Transponder: # # # # # # # # # # # # #1.108
Reception frequency: # # # # # # #12551.50 MHz
Polarization: # # # # # # # # # # # # # #Vertical
Symbolrate: # # # # # # # # # # # # # # 22Msymb/s
FEC: # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #5/6
TS_ID: # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # 1108
ON_ID: # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #1
Service Name: # # # # # # # # # # # #ESA
Service provider: # # # # # # # # # # ASTRA
Service_ID: # # # # # # # # # # # # # # 12140
TXT: # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #none

This is always on and will transmit an ESA logo starting three days before
the launch.
The programme is expected to run for approximately 30mins and will include
the launch sequence live from the Plesetsk launch site.
To set up a new installation for use to receive the Astra 1G signals would
need this sort of equipment:

A small dish (~50cm) with the correct LNB - (in the UK a "Sky dish and LNB"
would be fine) - #with either a FTA (free to air) set-top decoder feeding a
normal TV or a DVB satellite box plugged into the back of a computer (either
via a USB port or on a PCI card)

Also required is a clear view from the dish to the satellite and, of course,
some coax cable to connect the two!


INTERNET

The ESA launch programme on ASTRA 1G will also be available as a webstream
on the Internet. #Details have recently changed and will be updated as soon
as possible.

[M5AKA]

SSETI Express Launch Delayed

The following from Neil Melville, Project Manager for SSETI Express.

73 Trevor M5AKA
----
Dear all,

Unfortunately I have just learned that there is to be a launch delay of
three days. #This is due to technical problems with one of the Russian
craft, and their team needs some more time to be ready.

The new launch date is the 30th September. #The launch time should
remain the same at 06:52:26 UTC. #The orbit parameters should also
remain the same.

Although this news is certain, it has not yet been transmitted through
official channels (it will be tomorrow morning), but I wanted to give
you all as much warning as possible.

For the spacecraft: it is not a problem.

For the team: we are re-scheduling and looking at our flights and other
commitments. #Of course some, if not all, of us will remain here until
SSETI Express is safely on its way.

We'll get there soon.

Best regards to all,

Neil
Russia
--------

[M5AKA]

SSETI Express Handbook – Free Download

The Student Space Exploration and Technology Initiative was started by the European Space Agency (ESA) Education Office to enable University students in Europe to experience the challenges and opportunities of actually building a satellite and having it launched into space.

Their first satellite SSETI Express is scheduled for launch on September 30th from Plesetsk in northern Russia at approx 06:52 UTC. It is planned to downlink telemetry in AX25 format at 9k6 on 437.250MHz and at 38k4 on 2401.835MHz. It should also be available for Radio Amateurs to use as a single channel FM transponder.

To coincide with the launch the SSETI Express Handbook has just been published. Written by Richard Limebear G3RWL, using ESA and AMSAT-UK documentation, the 22 page handbook covers just about every aspect of this exciting new spacecraft. It details AMSAT-UK's involvement in the project and contains a wealth of technical information about the spacecraft and the 3 Picosats that will be launched from it.

ESA has asked for the help of Radio Amateurs around the world to collect vital telemetry data from the satellite and they are organising a competition with a prize for whoever submits the largest number of valid telemetry payload packets to SSETI Express Mission Control by 1 January 2006. The handbook provides full details of how to enter this competition.

The PDF of the handbook can be downloaded free of charge from the AMSAT-UK website at http://www.uk.amsat.org/ or printed copies are available for £5 inc P&P in Europe from AMSAT-UK, “Badgers”, Letton Close, Blandford, Dorset, DT11 7SS, United Kingdom. Tel: +44 (0)1258 453959 Email: g3wgm@amsat.org . Cheques should be made payable to “AMSAT-UK”. Postage rates for other parts of the world available on request.

A French version of the handbook translated by Christophe Candebat F1MOJ is also available.

http://www.uk.amsat.org/
------------------------

73 Trevor M5AKA
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[M5AKA]

The SSETI Express Mission News Page at http://sseti.gte.tuwien.ac.at/WSW4/MOPWS/news has been updated with the latest news and pictures from Plesetsk.

The Download Page at http://sseti.gte.tuwien.ac.at/WSW4/MOPWS/downloads.php contains software for Radio Amateurs to enable them to make use of the spacecraft along with the launch campaign logbook.

The latest versions of the English and French editions of the SSETI Express Handbook can be downloaded from http://www.uk.amsat.org/

AMSAT-UK produce a newsletter "Oscar News" full of satellite information.
For membership details contact the secretary Jim Heck G3WGM
Tel: +44 (0)1258 453959
E-mail: g3wgm@amsat.org
Website: http://www.uk.amsat.org/
Online Satellite Pass Predictions:
http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/tools/predict/

73 Trevor M5AKA
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[M5AKA]

Video Webstream of SSETI Express Launch

The launch of SSETI Express from Plesetsk in northern Russia on Friday 30th September at 06:52 UTC will be streamed to the Internet.

Thanks to the efforts of Howard Long G6LVB Radio Amateurs around the world will be able to watch the launch live by entering the following URL into their browser:

http://www.streamingwizard.com/clients/space.asx

For the latest news and pictures from Plesetsk see the SSETI Express Mission News Page at

http://sseti.gte.tuwien.ac.at/WSW4/MOPWS/news

The Download Page at http://sseti.gte.tuwien.ac.at/WSW4/MOPWS/downloads.php contains software for Radio Amateurs to enable them to make use of the spacecraft along with the launch campaign logbook.

The latest version of the SSETI Express Handbook can be downloaded from

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

It is planned that SSETI Express will downlink telemetry in AX25 format at 9k6 on 437.250MHz and at 38k4 on 2401.835MHz. It should also be available for Radio Amateurs to use as a single channel FM transponder.

AMSAT-UK produce a newsletter "Oscar News" which is full of satellite
information. For membership details contact the secretary Jim Heck G3WGM
Tel: +44 (0)1258 453959
E-mail: g3wgm@amsat.org
Website: http://www.uk.amsat.org/
Online Satellite Pass Predictions:
http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/tools/predict/

73 Trevor M5AKA
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[M5AKA]

The European Space Agency (ESA) website http://www.esa.int/ has a page aimed at
young people.

On the bottom right hand corner of the ESA home page click on the "Kids" icon.

Now click on the "Meet the SSETI Express team!" picture.

After the "Intro" caricatures of some of the team members will appear, one of
them is a Ham can you guess which one ? Click on the person to find out.

[M5AKA]

The following from Neil Melville, Project Manager for SSETI Express.

73 Trevor M5AKA
----
SSETI Express Launch - At Least One Month Delay

Dear all,

Unfortunately we have just learnt that we have an INDEFINITE launch delay.

This is due to one of the spacecraft on the launch, "SINAH", having suffered
a significant failure and not being ready to fly.

Early indications suggest that we have a delay of at least one month, but
this is not confirmed.

The launch campaign team will make the spacecraft and the ground support
equipment safe and then come home.

This is, of course, very unfortunate, but it is not critical! The spacecraft
can easily wait for the new launch date without any significant problems,
and we will fly it as soon as we can.

In the meantime please cancel all arrangements for your national launch
events.

We'll get there eventually.

Watch this space...

Neil
----

It is planned that SSETI Express will downlink telemetry in AX25 format at 9k6 on 437.250MHz and at 38k4 on 2401.835MHz. It should also be available for Radio Amateurs to use as a single channel FM transponder.

AMSAT-UK produce a quarterly newsletter "Oscar News" which is full of Amateur Satellite information.
For membership details contact the secretary Jim Heck
Tel: +44 (0)1258 453959
E-mail: g3wgm@amsat.org
Website: http://www.uk.amsat.org/
Online Satellite Pass Predictions:
http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/tools/predict/

73 Trevor M5AKA
------
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[M5AKA]

The latest information on SSETI Express from Graham G3VZV. 73 Trevor M5AKA
----
SSETI Express - Update 3rd October
Date: Mon, 3 Oct 2005 10:40:47 +0100

We have been advised that a new launch date has been agreed - Thursday 27th
October from the Plesetsk #Cosmodrome - with 28th October as a back-up date.
The launch time is still expected to remain at 06:52:26 UTC

For those who have already set-up their sat TV equipment to receive the ESA
transmissions on ASTRA 1G - you may like to know that the launch of the ESA
Cryosat spacecraft will be broadcast this coming Saturday -8th October.
Cryosat will lift-off from a launch facility at Plesetsk just a few
kilometres away from where SSETI #Express will be launched from.

Start # # End # # Description
GMT GMT
14:20 14:45 # # Start of ESA TV Programme – welcome from ESA/ESRIN
14:45 15:15 # # Launch coverage from ESA/ESOC and Plesetsk Cosmodrome
15:02 # # # # # # # Scheduled lift-off
15:15 16:30 # # Cryosat background information – live from ESA/ESRIN
16:30 16:45 # # Live coverage of satellite/launcher separation from ESA/ESOC
16:36 # # # # # # # Scheduled orbital injection
17:00 17:30 # # Post-launch media briefing from ESA/ESRIN

--------
It is planned that SSETI Express will downlink telemetry in AX25 format at 9k6
on 437.250MHz and at 38k4 on 2401.835MHz. It should also be available for Radio
Amateurs to use as a single channel FM transponder.

Free SSETI Express Handbook download: http://www.uk.amsat.org/
SSETI Express Mission Operations: http://sseti.gte.tuwien.ac.at/express/mop/
Download Page: http://sseti.gte.tuwien.ac.at/WSW4/MOPWS/downloads.php

AMSAT-UK produce a quarterly newsletter "Oscar News" which is full of Amateur
Satellite information.
For membership details contact the secretary Jim Heck G3WGM
Tel: +44 (0)1258 453959
E-mail: g3wgm@amsat.org
Website: http://www.uk.amsat.org/
Online Satellite Pass Predictions:
http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/tools/predict/
------
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[M5AKA]

The SSETI Express Handbook has been updated. The latest version
can be downloaded free of charge from the AMSAT-UK website at:

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

It is also available in Japanese thanks to the work of Toyo Komatsu JA0CQP

The new TLEs ( Kepler elements) for a SSETI Express launch at
06:52:26 UTC on October 27th are also on the AMSAT-UK website.
These were provided by Viktor Kudielka OE1VKW .

AMSAT-UK produce a quarterly newsletter "Oscar News" which is
full of Amateur Satellite information.
For membership details contact the secretary Jim Heck
Tel: +44 (0)1258 453959
E-mail: g3wgm@amsat.org
Website: http://www.uk.amsat.org/
Online Satellite Pass Predictions:
http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/tools/predict/

73 Trevor M5AKA
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[M5AKA]

Download the SSETI Express Launch Video

Folks

The video of the launch of SSETI Express is available at

http://www.g6lvb.com/images/ssetilaunchcut.wmv

It's 64Mb, and 48 minutes long. The launch itself is at 31'45".

I recommend downloading it first and then playing it direct from your local
disk.

Kind Regards, Howard G6LVB
--------------------------

SSETI Express Handbook http://www.uk.amsat.org/

Launch Picture: http://www.southgatearc.org/

Picture Library: http://sseti.gte.tuwien.ac.at/WSW4/express5.php

New Scientist
http://www.newscientistspace.com/article.ns?id=dn8217

ESA SSETI Progress Update
http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/sseti_express/SEMCMZ538FE_0.html

BBC http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4375986.stm