The amateur radio linear transponder (SSB/CW) on the Russian DOSAAF-85 (RS-44) has been activated. Dmitry Pashkov, R4UAB, explains that RS-85 is a small scientific satellite built by specialists at Information Satellite Systems and students at Siberian State Aerospace University (SibSAU).

The satellite’s name commemorates the 85th anniversary of the Voluntary Society for the Assistance to the Army, Aviation, and Navy (DOSAAF), the organization responsible for the military training of Soviet youth.

This is the third satellite created by the specialists of ISS-Reshetnev and is based on the Yubileyniy platform, which features a hexagonal prism structure with body-mounted solar cells. It was launched into orbit last December 26 from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome and is in an elliptical orbit with a perigee of 1,175 kilometers (729 miles), an apogee of 1,511 kilometers (937 miles), and an inclination of 82.5°.

Transmitter power is 5 W, and the beacon is on 435.605 MHz (identifying as RS44). The transponder is inverting, with uplink centered at 145.965 MHz ±30 kHz, and downlink centered at 435.640 MHz ±30 kHz.

LoTW accepts contacts via DOSAAF-85 as "RS-44."