Private Citizens Sending Up Satellite for UFO Research - HAM OPERATORS NEEDED!

Good point Fred.

 

I just realized that this thread was started end of January and Mr Cote never returned after making his first post.

So basically, it's a spam thread.

Don't expect him to respond.... Probably ran off with the money.

 

Or another alien abduction....

 

To address the question you pose, I take it you have never heard of the ITU?

Early on in the nascent space program the major players, interested parties and, ultimately, the membership of the United Nations, recognized the shear chaos that would soon come about if every space faring country simply did whatever they wished to do in space without proper coordination with other nation's space programs. Friends and Foes alike could see the harm that would come about if multiple nations tried to park their new satellites in orbits that necessarily intersected one another, occupied the same point n space, or chose to use identical, or nearly identical, radio frequencies for different satellites that are otherwise grouped close together in terms of line of site from earth stations. This would benefit nobody whatsoever and so they drafted and adopted treaties authorizing the creation of groups responsible for coordinating all the nation's satellites and spacecraft so that all may coexist as effectively as possible with minimum unnecessary interference to one another's programs. Insofar as radio spectrum allocations go, that coordination task was assigned to the ITU, the same body responsible for coordinating RF spectrum internationally.

Additionally, as an intentional transmitter both the nations in which the satellite is constructed and launched would have jurisdiction over the satellite prior to launch and, by treaty, the nation that owns the satellite is liable for any and all liabilities associated with the launch and use of the satellite, so that brings in responsible earthbound parties as well. Plus some nation somewhere is going to need to issue it a proper callsign if use of the satellite on amateur frequencies is to be legal anywhere as amateurs are only permitted, in most nations at least, to communicate with other properly licensed amateurs. Here in the U.S., at least, an amateur can be fined for engaging in a QSO with an obviously unlicensed (forged, pirated, etc.) party once such status becomes known or should be known (e.g. party fails or tefuses to properly identify within the required 5-10 minute window). I would imagine many other nations have similar rules on their books as well with respect to communications with unlicensed/pirate stations. And, of course, if the satellite is listening for commands on a frequency in the AR band then only a licensed amateur may communicate with it and legally transmit on those frequencies, but it still needs a proper callsign from someone. A non amateur transmitting on those frequencies will likely be violating the laws of whatever nation they are operating from unless they have secured special regulatory permission to do otherwise.

 

Not truly off topic... especially since the poster has spambandoned this post.

If he thinks his group can use amateur frequencies without permission, then we can use his thread without permission!

And your question is a good one, well answered by Ethan (thanks!).

 

"Here in the U.S., at least, an amateur can be fined for engaging in a QSO with an obviously unlicensed (forged, pirated, etc.) party once such status becomes known or should be known (e.g. party fails or tefuses to properly identify within the required 5-10 minute window)."

OK, since it has be noted that the OP is no longer participating in this, I do not feel that I am hijacking the thread.

The above has ONE flaw. Assuming that the satellite will be transmitting data ( as OP indicated) there would be no QSO involved. So further argument is superficial.

As far as receiving and disseminating the data intercepted, something about censorship comes to mind.
That would lead us into political discussion which is a NO NO on QRZ.

Just for refreshment to some participants - I believe Communication act of 1936 ( US law) had a provision that even acknowledgment of ANY communication, not a contents , is a breach of secrecy / privacy of communication.
Since I was affiliated ( they had given me a paycheck once a while HI HI HI ) with company "in public communication" I recall signing some agreement to uphold the mentioned law.

But this is 21st century and "anything goes".

73 Shirley

 

True... the Gummint can't stop me from LISTENING to pirate radio.

Censorship would be more a 'moral' or 'ethical' discussion, not so much political, but I'm sure our Gummint does it's fair share.

You would have to study and refine that statement a bit for me to buy into it... the problem is your use of the word " ANY "

I watch TV, I listen to the radio, and I talk to people about what I've seen and heard. That certainly is not illegal.

It is NOT legal to tap into private cell phone conversations and divulge their contents. In fact, it's not even 'legal' to listen to them even if nobody knows you've listened.

There are lines drawn between public and private by those in charge who tend the flock.

In the courts, that line would have to do with where someone might have an EXPECTATION OF PRIVACY.

For example, an analogy; if you were walking on a public sidewalk, I could photograph you without permission because there can be no expectation of privacy in a public place.

I could NOT however, stick my camera in your kitchen window and take your picture enjoying a meal IN PRIVATE.

 

Virtually all satellites, with only a handful of exceptions, have uplinks for control purposes for controlling the satellite, station keeping, modifying a mission, and controlling when data is and is not transmitted on the downlink, especially on a CubeSat where the power budget is much more restrictive and continuous data transmission is impractical at the power levels required for the typical amateur to receive (even a one watt power budget can be a good deal of power for such satellites).

What that means is that there will be an actual individual residing in a country almost certainly governed by the ITU and UN treaty obligations as well as local rules governing legal use of amateur frequencies who is thus responsible for commanding the satellite to transmit on the amateur frequencies. That individual would effectively be running a pirate station by most nation's laws if they do not possess a legal right to transmit on those frequencies and would effectively be responsible for its operation. Just because a station is remotely operated does not exempt a party from the need to comply with local laws and treaty obligations regarding to RF transmissions.

I am not certain why you would think that it is either desirable or legal for individuals and their projects to simply transmit anywhere within the RF spectrum they choose at whatever power level they choose nor why you feel no legal obligations would exist just because something is in orbit -- it is still owned and operated by a party in a nation that is almost certainly governed by UN and ITU obligations as well as the local laws in the nation(s) within which it is built, launched, and operated which makes them legally liable to such entities.

The reality is that RF spectrum is a necessarily shared resource that must be shared by all, something we, as nations and individuals, discovered back in 1912 when spark gap transmitters were ultimately phased out due to their incompatibility with sharing the spectrum and the switch to narrow bandwidth continuous wave transmitters quickly replaced such. There is a reason why nearly every nation has signed onto such treaties to allow and require such cooperative coordination and allocation of bandwidth, both on Earth and in space.

 

Headline...

"ARRL Searches For Little Green Men"

Hmmm...

 

I believe the space station would need a license to operate within the amateur spectrum. Before you send this
unit up, I suggest talking to someone official about a license. I see no problems with non-licensed operators
receiving the data if they have the ability to receive these spectrums. Maybe someone can work out a deal
with the International Space Station. I believe they are working on technical projects her groups.

 

Reminder: The original post was put up here in Jan. 2016 and the person who posted it never returned. He was a spamtroll. Any debate is moot.