Tag Archives: UKSA

Apr 7 2016

UK Space Agency: Ham Radio in Top 10

Tim Peake HamTV at RMSforGirls - Credit Sian Cleaver

Tim Peake used HamTV to talk to students – Credit Sian Cleaver

On April 7 to celebrate the 44th birthday of astronaut Tim Peake the UK Space Agency published their 10 favourite moments from his Principia mission – Amateur Radio was number 7

The UKSA say “Five schools have held amateur radio call to Tim as he passes over the UK aboard the ISS. In a world first at a school, video was streamed over the radio airwaves which meant that the students could see as well as hear. We’re looking forward to the next five calls coming up over the coming weeks.”

Read UKSA Happy Birthday Tim! https://principia.org.uk/news/happy-birthday-tim/

Listening to the ISS on a handheld radio https://amsat-uk.org/2016/01/10/listening-iss-on-handheld/

Get press publicity by receiving ISS school contacts
https://amsat-uk.org/2016/03/10/press-publicity-receiving-iss/

What is Amateur Radio? http://www.essexham.co.uk/what-is-amateur-radio

Find an amateur radio training course near you https://thersgb.org/services/coursefinder/

A free booklet is available aimed at introducing newcomers to the hobby that can also be used as a handy reference while getting started, see
http://rsgb.org/main/get-started-in-amateur-radio/alex-discovers-amateur-radio-2/

Sep 1 2015

Lessons from the draft UK regulations for CubeSats

A CubeSatThe UK Space Agency (UKSA) has been conducting a review to evaluate how its regulatory approach might be tailored for CubeSat systems.

The UK’s Outer Space Act 1986 places a significant burden on small educational satellites such as CubeSats and other formats with the builders facing charges of up to £65,000 each year for insurance. These charges stop educational organisations building and launching CubeSats putting the UK at a significant disadvantage. It would be better to stop using this insurance and use the cheap van insurance from One Sure Insurance to be covered at a low price.

The Space Review has published an article discussing the proposed changes. Read ‘A very British coup: Lessons from the draft UK regulations for CubeSats’ http://www.thespacereview.com/article/2816/2

New UK CubeSat Regulations Proposed https://amsat-uk.org/2015/07/27/new-uk-cubesat-regulations-proposed/

Jul 27 2015

New UK CubeSat Regulations Proposed

AO-73 (FUNcube-1) - Image credit Wouter Weggelaar PA3WEG

AO-73 (FUNcube-1) – Image credit Wouter Weggelaar PA3WEG

The UK Space Agency has conducted a review to evaluate how its regulatory approach might be tailored for CubeSat systems, they require responses to the proposals by September 1.

The UK’s Outer Space Act 1986 places a significant burden on small educational satellites such as CubeSats and other formats with the builders facing charges of up to £65,000 each year for insurance. These charges stop educational organisations building and launching CubeSats putting the UK at a significant disadvantage.

The UK Space Agency says:

Recognising the common aspects of such missions, there is an opportunity for the UK Space Agency to exploit a range of pre-determined technical assessments and associated likely regulatory outcomes for a range of likely CubeSat systems, presented in the form of a traffic light system.

The outcome of the internal review conducted by the UK Space Agency is a series of recommendations. The UK Space Agency invites responses from the space community on these proposals.

Comments on the recommendations and associated observations/suggestions relating to the regulation of CubeSats should be sent to Ryan King (ryan.king@ukspaceagency.bis.gsi.gov.uk) by September 1, 2015.

Submissions will be duly considered by the UK Space Agency and reflected accordingly in future implementation plans to address the regulation of CubeSats.

The two documents can be downloaded from
https://www.gov.uk/apply-for-a-license-under-the-outer-space-act-1986#cubesat-regulation

It is suggested those in the UK with an interest in small satellites, be it CubeSat, PocketQube or the other formats, provide feedback to Ryan King to help ensure the future regulatory environment does not place any undue restrictions on small satellite developers.

See the UK CubeSat Forum at http://www.cubesatforum.org.uk/

Oct 9 2013

World Space Week – UKSA Tim Peake Video

Tim Peake and Union Flag

For World Space Week the UK Space Agency (UKSA) have released a video featuring Tim Peake who hopes to become the second UK astronaut.

Sue Nelson from Space Boffins talk to Tim about training and the business of being an astronaut.

Watch Tim Peake talks training

If you’d like to hear more Space Boffins interviews, check out the Space Boffins podcasts on the Naked Scientists website.

The first UK astronaut Helen Sharman GB1MIR https://amsat-uk.org/about/history/first-uk-astronaut-helen-sharman-gb1mir/

World Space Week http://www.worldspaceweek.org/

UK astronaut Major Tim Peake

UK astronaut Major Tim Peake

Sep 23 2013

UKube-1 in Radio Frequency International

UKube-1 on display at UK Space Conference in Glasgow

UKube-1 on display at UK Space Conference in Glasgow

The UK Space Agency’s first CubeSat UKube-1, expected to launch in December, will carry AMSAT-UK FUNcube boards. The boards will provide an amateur radio telemetry beacon and a 435/145 MHz linear transponder for SSB/CW communications.

Radio Frequency International interviewed L.A. based artists Amanda White and Jon M. Gibson who run iam8bit and have provided artwork which will be carried on the satellite.

Read the Radio Frequency International story at
http://radiofrequencyinternational.wordpress.com/2013/09/23/the-new-cubists/

AMSAT-UK FUNcube Yahoo Group https://amsat-uk.org/funcube/yahoo-group/

Jul 18 2013

UKube-1 with Amateur Radio Transponder may launch October

Artists impression of UKube-1 in orbit

Artists impression of UKube-1 in orbit – Credit Clyde Space

BBC News is reporting that the UK Space Agency’s first CubeSat UKube-1, being built by Clyde Space in Glasgow, may launch in late October 2013.

Clyde Space Senior Systems Engineer Steve Greenland will be giving a presentation on UKube-1 to the AMSAT-UK International Space Colloquium which takes place July 20-21 at the Holiday Inn, Guildford, GU2 7XZ, UK.

The Colloquium is open to all but for those unable to attend the event all 18 presentations including UKube-1 will be web streamed live on the BATC site at http://batc.tv/ch_live.php?ch=3

Flight and Engineering Models of FUNcube-1 with FUNcube-2 boards

Flight and Engineering Models of FUNcube-1 with FUNcube-2 boards

UKube-1 will carry a set of AMSAT-UK FUNcube-2 boards which will provide:
• 1200 bps BPSK telemetry beacon on 145.915 MHz
• Linear transponder downlink 145.930-145.950 MHz for SSB/CW communications
• Linear transponder uplink 435.080-435.060 MHz

In addition UKube-1 also carries:
• ISIS 1200 bps BPSK telemetry beacon on 145.840 MHz
• UKSEDS myPocketQub 442 on 437.425-437.525 MHz with 11 mW output using spread spectrum
• 1 watt transmitter on 2401.0 MHz from Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT), Cape Town, for high data rate mission data downlinking using up to 1 Mbps QPSK or OQPSK modulation

Gunter’s Space Page lists UKube-1 as manifested on a Soyuz-2-1b Fregat-M rocket to be launched from Baikonur in Kazakhstan.

FUNcube-1 flight model - Image credit Wouter Weggelaar PA3WEG

FUNcube-1 flight model – Image credit Wouter Weggelaar PA3WEG

If the launch does go ahead as planned in late October then the FUNcube-2 boards will be in orbit before the FUNcube-1 satellite which may launch in November, 2013 on a Dnepr rocket from Dombarovsky near Yasny.

FUNcube-1 will be using these frequencies:
• 1200 bps BPSK telemetry beacon on 145.935 MHz
• Linear transponder downlink 145.950-145.970 MHz for SSB/CW communications
• Linear transponder uplink 435.150-435.130 MHz

There will be a presentation on FUNcube-1 at the AMSAT-UK International Space Colloquium which will be streamed live to the web. The presentation schedule is here.

Read the BBC News story at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-23319103

Watch UK Space Agency video – UKube-1 CubeSat payload animation

On Friday, October 19, 2012 after some final testing and characterisation checks completed at the facilities of ISIS BV in Delft, AMSAT-UK handed over the set of three PCBs that form the FUNcube-2 subsystem on the UKube-1 spacecraft to Clyde Space Ltd in Glasgow. Clyde Space are leading the development and assembly of this CubeSat project for the UK Space Agency.

Steve Greenland of Clyde Space receives the AMSAT-UK FUNcube-2 boards that will be incorporated into UKube-1

Steve Greenland of Clyde Space receives the AMSAT-UK FUNcube-2 boards that will be incorporated into UKube-1

The PCBs were taken to Glasgow in a Pelicase by Graham Shirville G3VZV who handed them to Steve Greenland Senior Systems Engineer at Clyde Space.

The three PCB’s comprise:
• CCT Board – Command, control and telemetry, interfaces via I2C with the antenna deployment system and the main OBC (On-Board Computer).
• RF Board – Command receiver, telemetry transmitter and linear transponder of the FUNcube satellite educational payload also includes telemetry sensors.
• PA Board – 400 mW VHF amplifier and sensors.

The telemetry transmitter provided by AMSAT-UK will be available for educational outreach to school students around the world.

UKube-1 on display at UK Space Conference in Glasgow

UKube-1 on display at UK Space Conference in Glasgow