LightSail-1 and PSK31 CubeSats launched

LightSail-1 and PSK31 CubeSats launched

At 1504 UT on Wednesday, May 20 the first of The Planetary Society’s two LightSail spacecraft blasted off into space aboard an Atlas V rocket with the X-37B space shuttle. Deployment of LightSail took place at 1705 UT

The mission is a shakedown cruise designed to test out the LightSail’s critical systems.

There were ten CubeSats including LightSail-1 in the UltraSat Deployer onboard the Atlas V, among them were CubeSats carrying amateur radio PSK31 transponders for multi-user PSK31 text messaging as well as APRS.

LightSail-1 has a 9600 bps FSK AX.25 Packet Radio downlink on 437.435 MHz. The Planetary Society’s Jason Davis asks radio amateurs to help by emailing him any data they collect from LightSail, including screenshots of the radio signal if you have them. He'll pass the information on to the engineering team, and your contribution will be recognized on the blog. The contact address is at http://www.planetary.org/about/staff/jason-davis.html

In 2016, the second LightSail spacecraft will piggyback into orbit aboard the first operational flight of SpaceX’s new Falcon Heavy rocket for a full-fledged solar sailing demonstration.

Further information on the CubeSats launched can be seen at
http://www.spaceflight101.com/afspc-05-secondary-payloads.html

PSK31 and APRS CubeSats
http://www.arrl.org/news/view/us-naval-academy-cubesat-launch-to-include-next-aprs-satellite

AMSAT-UK http://amsat-uk.org/








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Here's a link to the Kickstarter campaign to raise money for that bird: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/theplanetarysociety/lightsail-a-revolutionary-solar-sailing-spacecraft/video_share

 

What exactly is the advantage of these 'Lightsails'? Why are they important to ham radio?

How is monitoring their inch-ful progress useful to the (ham) radio art? Or radio science in general? When does this 'lightsail' depart the circumterrestrial environment? 3 months? 3 years? 20 years? What exactly does monitoring the PSK signal tell you?

Remember Suitsat....

Honestly: I have a Ph.D. in astrophysics, have published in both planetary and radio science, and I haven't a clue.

Please don't tell me this is a puzzle piece in mining asteroids...

73
Chip W1YW

 

The PSK31 transponders are for making QSOs.

And lots of the science being done by satellites carrying amateur radio transmitters has nothing to do with amateur radio. Some have experimental licenses but transmit on the amateur bands, others are licensed as amateur radio satellites.

 

No doubt...but what is the relevant ham radio tie in to lightsails...you are confusing the other Cubesats with the 437 mhz lightsail downlink( my typo--shud be FSK). This report does not say Lightsail is an amsat...

 

Same thing that ties us to listening for beacons and monitoring other non-ham HF stuff -- curiosity and experimentation, and a desire to help out.

 

Doesn't have to be an amsat to be of interest to the amateur radio crowd. Just needs to communicate on a amateur allocated frequency for us to have a need to know. Besides, there's wisdom in having multiple eyes on a project even if nothing goes wrong. Should something go wrong, there are more eyes than just the official project observers that may be of help in solving what happened. Otherwise, it's a good education device as well for multiple science topics should a school have such clubs.

 

I beg to differ. I don't see how this is anything more than a very expensive Crooke's radiometer (by analogy...not mechanism). And although I understand the supposed 'ham allocation' justification, it is inconsistent with the reality that we almost never--save for every 5 years or so, or more-- discuss other operations on 430 MHz.

I don't get the multiple eyes thing at all.

Why don't we push a paper airplane into a hurricane and stick a tiny xmitter on it...

73
Chip W1YW

 

But not ham related.

73
Chip W1YW
---------------------------------------------------

"Remember Suitsat--ooops!"

 

What? No fractal antennas on-board either!! Bah!

LOL.

Actually I'm glad the post was made, as the PSK sats are obviously Ham related, but the Lightsail is an interesting development, and I was glad to get a reminder. Hopefully I'll get to see a reflection from the mylar sail.

 

Should be bright. I remember the ECHO sats from 55 years ago...

If they had METALLIZED the mylar THEN THIS would be a great ham radio SAT-BOUNCE possibility at 430 and even 2M. Too bad this wasn't considered.

73
Chip W1YW

 

Yup, the PS "Lite-Suit" is not a "Ham Radio Satellite" per the definition by AMSAT Dan N8FGV seen in this presentation, section on "What can we do in the future?", point 1. on page 15, "Satellites that do not carry transponders are not "Ham Radio Satellites.",

http://mstl.atl.calpoly.edu/~bklofa...-NA_Symposium2013/Schultz_CubeSats_in_HEO.pdf

However, in point 4. on page 18, he suggests leveraging what assets we hams do have, ie, offer our experience ... to other worthy (?) groups needing it - Planetary Society's Lightsail, etc etc etc.

Apparently AMSAT's biggest problem now is competing with the inundation of independent or non-ham cube-sats and getting an affordable ride to higher orbits. So this is part of a PR effort to hopefully gain some favors in the future. One could argue whether the Planetary Society's primary project is scientifically valid and worthy, it's on their dime, but perhaps they would be willing to share some booster payload space / comms function for us in the future in return for services rendered now.

Now back to being mesmerized watching my Crookes radiometer spin ...

73 de John - WØPV

 

Don't get dizz-ee-ee-e-eee-ee-e-e-e...

I would donate to a well planned solar sail that allows and encourages SAT-BOUNCE (in early stages). Why that opportunity was missed is beyond me.

73
Chip W1YW

 

Absolutely! Not enough sat-bounce going on. Some Europeans were reported as being successful bouncing off the ISS a couple of years ago but have not heard of any NA station attempts. Perhaps the big sail will be radio-reflective and in a higher orbit (but not too high) long enough to make some decent DX QSO's.

 

Wait a minute! The mylar IS metallized! It is metallic silver, otherwise it would not work...


We should try a Lightsail bounce!!
We're looking at around Jul 16 for deployment apparently..
By then, we should be able to obtain all the tracking info in order to test bouncing signals off of it.
See below...
http://www.universetoday.com/120288/hunting-lightsail-in-orbit/