SB SAT @ AMSAT From Graham, G3VZV: All work on the SSETI Express spacecraft has now been completed and the spacecraft has left its "birthplace" - a cleanroom at the ESA ESTEC facility in the Netherlands. The spacecraft has been packed into its special transport container and is en-route to the launch site at Plesetsk in Northern Russia. The launch date is still listed as 25th August (current approx lift off is 06:50UTC but this may be corrected later) and arrangements are underway for the launch to be shown live on ASTRA-1G - a Ku band satellite covering most of Europe and, hopefully, these transmissions will also be streamed at both high and low resolution on the internet. Full details of all these media resources will be made known as soon as they are finalised as will details of the telemetry downloading and decoding software and the prizes being offered by ESA for the largest and also the first contributor! AMSAT-UK will have a team member at the launch site during the launch campaign and intend to provide regular updates during the lead up to August 25th. You can find more info about SSETI at: http://sseti.gte.tuwien.ac.at/WSW4/ [ANS thanks Graham, G3VZV for the above information] Looking at the website for the SSETI Express webcam http://sseti.gte.tuwien.ac.at/WSW4/webcam.htm [07032005] ===== PCSAT2 ?0-?? Catalog Number: Proposed Launch Date: May 2005 PCSAT2, which had previously been stowed in the Space Shuttle Discovery, arrived at Launch Complex 39B on 07 April 2005. PCSAT2 is now standing by ready to be launched on the first Space Shuttle return-to-flight mission. PCSAT2 will use the same dual redundant AX.25 command and control system as used on PCsat (NO-44) offering 8 on/off commands, 5 telemetry channels and a serial port for the solar cell experiment telemetry. It also supports the Digital Comms Relay support of the PCsat/APRS mission. The packet uplink is on 145.825 MHz and the default downlinks are in the 435 MHz band to avoid any possible interference with existing ARISS missions. PCSAT2 will have quad redundant transmit inhibits for EVA safety issues, thus, it is also easy to turn off to avoid any issues with other UHF ARISS experiments that may be activated in the future. Also, the mission lifetime of PCSAT2 is only 1 year, because it is a sample-return mission, thus terminating any long term conflicts in spectrum management. The PCSAT2 mission is intended as an opportunity to augment existing ARISS communications experiments with an external autonomous communications payload. In this regard, it has several potential uses: * A UI-Digipeater to help ease congestion on the currently shared ARISS PMS (Packet Mail system) * A PSK-31 transponder for multi-user communications to improve accessibility for schools and ARISS outreach programs. * An FM Voice repeater for full duplex crew communications to facilitate crew-to-school ARISS contacts. * Routine Telemetry on the spacecraft systems For more information and pictures visit the PCSAT2 website at http://www.ew.usna.edu/~bruninga/pcsat2.html [ANS thanks Bob, WB4APR for the above information] [04102005} ===== PHASE 3E ?O-?? Catalog Number: Proposed Launch Date: Early 2006 Status: Under Construction The AMSAT-Phase 3E satellite (P3E) is dedicated as communication and scientific platform for a highly elliptical orbit around Earth. The spacecraft will be created in a joint process together with the P5A Mars mission by an international team under leadership of AMSAT-DL and continues the successful series of AMSAT-Phase 3 satellites. Additionally the spacecraft will be a test bench for technology developped for the Mars mission. The main task of P3E is to act as communication platform for radio amateurs worldwide. A launch is planned in the period 2004 to 2006. For the latest project status update please visit the AMSAT-DL P3-E web page: http://www.amsat-dl.org/p3e/ [03272005] ===== CP1 ?o-?? Catalog Number: Proposed Launch Date: Mid May 2005 Proposed Callsign: N6CP Proposed Transmit Frequency: 436.845 [03272005] ===== CP2 ?O-?? Catalog Number: Proposed Launch Date: Mid May 2005 Proposed Callsign: TBA Proposed Transmit Frequency: 437.325 [03272005] ===== HAUSAT1 ?O-?? Catalog Number: Proposed Launch Date: Mid May 2005 Proposed Callsign: D90HP Proposed Transmit Frequency: 437.465 [03272005] ===== ICE Cube 1 ?O-?? Catalog Number: Proposed Launch Date: Mid May 2005 Proposed Callsign: W2CXM Proposed Transmit Frequency: 437.305 [03272005] ===== ICE Cube 2 ?O-?? Catalog Number: Proposed Launch Date: Mid May 2005 Proposed Callsign: N2VR Proposed Transmit Frequency: 437.425 [03272005] ===== ION ?O-?? Catalog Number: Proposed Launch Date: Mid May 2005 Proposed Callsign: TBA Proposed Transmit Frequency: 437.505 [03272005] ===== KUTEsat ?O-?? Catalog Number: Proposed Launch Date: Mid May 2005 Proposed Callsign: KC0RMW Proposed Transmit Frequency: 437.385 [03272005] ===== MEROPE ?O-?? Catalog Number: Proposed Launch Date: Mid May 2005 Proposed Callsign: K7MSU-1 Proposed Transmit Frequency: 145.980 [03272005] ===== nCUBE1 ?O-?? Catalog Number: Proposed Launch Date: Mid May 2005 Proposed Callsign: TBA Proposed Transmit Frequency: 437.305 2407.25 [03272005] ===== RINCON ?O-?? Catalog Number: Proposed Launch Date: Mid May 2005 Proposed Callsign: WA4CEW Proposed Transmit Frequency: 436.870 437.345 [03272005] ===== SACRED ?O-?? Catalog Number: Proposed Launch Date: Mid May 2005 Proposed Callsign: WA4CEW Proposed Transmit Frequency: 436.870 [03272005] ===== SACRED ?O-?? Catalog Number: Proposed Launch Date: Mid May 2005 Proposed Callsign: WA4CEW Proposed Transmit Frequency: 436.870 [03272005] ===== SEEDS ?O-?? Catalog Number: Proposed Launch Date: Mid May 2005 Proposed Callsign: JQ1YGU Proposed Transmit Frequency: 437.485 [03272005] ===== Mea Huaka ?O-?? Catalog Number: Proposed Launch Date: Mid May 2005 Proposed Callsign: TBA Proposed Transmit Frequency: 437.405 [03272005] NNNN /EX