More CubeSats Reach Orbit
Early this morning (UTC), an Indian PSLV-C14 rocket carried the Oceansat-2 satellite to orbit, along with four CubeSats and two RubinSats. The RubinSats are 8 kg research modules that will remain attached to the PSLV-C14 booster.
CubeSats are very small satellites, typically only a few inches on each side. As they are a relatively inexpensive research spacecraft, they've become increasingly popular with university science programs. A number of CubeSats use Amateur Radio frequencies to downlink telemetry, as is the case with this latest group. Early reports indicate that all of the CubeSats are active.
Here are the frequencies and modes for the four CubeSats:
CubeSat |
Country |
Beacon Frequency (MHz) |
Data Downlink (MHz) |
Germany |
436.000 (CW) |
436.000-4800/9600 bps GMSK |
|
Germany |
n/a |
437.385-1200/9600 bps AFSK/FSK |
|
Turkey |
437.385 (CW) |
437.325-19200 bps GFSK |
|
Switzerland |
437.505 (CW) |
437.505-1200 bps FSK |
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