Satgen377    LEO Satellite Projects   by GM4IHJ            15 June 96

Name                Launch     Modes(Modulation)     Remarks
                           (A)= analog  (D)= digital
Sunsat (S Africa)      -      J(D) S
Pansat (US Navy)       -      70cm spread spectrum see note (1)
Sapphire (Stanford U)  97     J(D) + FM voice downlink
Sedsat (U of Alabama)  -      A(A)  L(D)
ASUsat (U of Arizona) 3/97    J(A)  J(D)
Hudsat (Finland)       97     S(D)
Picosat (Stanford U)   -      L(A) SSB or FM
Opal (Stanford U)      -      70cm downlink  Picosat launcher test
Koreasat 3 (S Korea)   -      J(D)     
UNAmsat (Mexico)       -      J(D)           Meteor Radar
Techsat (Israel)       -      J(D)
JAS 2 (Japan)         8/96    J(A) J(D) plus Digitalker

Note (1) Pansat is reported to be fitted with Amateur Radio store and
forward facilities. It will need special reception capability for its
spread spectrum link, if this is ever available to radio amateurs.
Unfortunately Pansat may be of short life as it is scheduled for
launch from the Space Shuttle. It may also be out of range of stations
above latitude 40 N or S, if its launch is to low inclination.

     The above list gives a patchy over view of possible future
satellites using amateur radio frequencies. Most of these satellites
are destined for polar or near polar orbits , and they are clones of
the familiar pacsats. So while 9600 bps gateway links via Uo22 and the
Koreasats are very useful and may soon need augmenting, it is not
clear whether many of the other digital mode J newcomers listed here
will be much more than interesting University CV quotes, with several
builders mentioning their plans for lengthy experimental phases before
the satellites are released for amateur radio.
     
     Exceptions to the above which will be very welcome are, Sedsat
with its mode A transponder and its mode L digital, Hudsat introducing
mode S digital , Unamsat with its meteor radar, and JAS 2 with its
analog and digital mode J. These should all prove useful to
communicators, experimenters and beginners.

     In a different class entirely is the proposed Picosat
constellation of 16 LEO microsats . These will employ mode L 1269 up
and 435 down , and be accessible by hand held transceivers. Each
satellites transponder will support at least 38 ACSSB qsos or 9 FM
qsos simultaneously. Opal is a test of a launcher for picosats. On its
initial flight the picosats will be short life primary battery powered
units of hockey puck size. Later transponding Picosats will be 6 inch
cubes, powered by solar cells.

Please note that Itamsat is not operating on the frequencies shown on
its WWW Internet page. It is using 435.284 MHz downlink presently.