Archivos de la categoría Radioaficion – Amateur Radio

Rome, April 30, 2024 – AMSAT Italia is proud to announce the acquisition of the quote of property of the IO-117 “GreenCube” satellite. The other part of the property remains on behalf of “Sapienza University”, Rome, Italy.

A collaborative work of the parts will let the satellite continue the amateur radio operations after the completion of the primary scientific mission. This will definitively avert the satellite decommissioning process by transferring the legal responsibility of the satellite from the Italian Space Agency to AMSAT Italia. Even formally and legally, the satellite, already known with its original name of GreenCube, becomes for the exclusive use of amateur radio. The scientific community continue the study of the behavior of this type of satellite placed in MEO orbit.

GreenCube was designed and developed by Sapienza University, ENEA and University of Naples Federico II for the Italian Space Agency. AMSAT Italia contributed to design the digipeater and supported amateur radio operations. IARU coordinated the use of the operations in the amateur radio frequency bands.

The satellite was carried on the qualification flight of Vega-C launcher on July 13, 2022 from the French Guiana Space Center in Kourou. On October 29, 2022, the on-board digipeater was activated, allowing GreenCube to become the first ham radio satellite to operate in a MEO orbit. Being a radio amateur worldwide success, AMSAT officially designated the satellite as Italy-OSCAR 117 (IO-117).

AMSAT Italia and Sapienza Space Systems and Space Surveillance Laboratory – S5LAB- are now committed to operate the satellite and to continue to offer the service to the amateur radio community.

For further information please contact AMSAT Italia at segreteria@amsat.it

An ARISS contact is scheduled with students at Mrs Ethelston’s CE Primary Academy at Axminster Community Academy Trust, Lyme Regis, U.K. at 11:44 BST (10:44 GMT) on Wednesday April 17 on 145.800 MHz FM.

Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) has received schedule confirmation for an ARISS radio contact between an astronaut aboard the International Space Station (ISS) and students at the Mrs. Ethelston’s CE Primary Academy located in Lyme Regis, UK. ARISS conducts 60-100 of these special amateur radio contacts each year between students around the globe and crew members with ham radio licenses aboard the ISS.

Acorn Multi Academy Trust is a small trust of seven schools (Mrs Ethelstons, Axminster, Chardstock, Marshwood, Loders, Thorncombe and Membury) that are situated on the coast of the English Dorset /Devon /Somerset border. Mrs Ethelston’s CE Primary Academy is hosting this ARISS contact and is directly involved in this project, however children involved are from the 7 primary schools within this Multi-Academy Trust and range in ages from 4-11 years.

This will be a direct contact via Amateur Radio allowing students to ask their questions of astronaut Matthew Dominick, amateur radio call sign KCØTOR. The downlink frequency for this contact is 145.800 MHz and may be heard by listeners that are within the ISS-footprint that also encompasses the relay ground station.

The amateur radio ground station for this contact is in Lyme Regis, UK. Amateur radio operators using call sign GB4ACA, will operate the ground station to establish and maintain the ISS connection.

The ARISS radio contact is scheduled for April 17, 2024 at 11:44:48 am BST (UK) (10:44:48 UTC, 6:44 am EDT, 5:44 am CDT, 4:44 am MDT, 3:44 am PDT).

On March 27, 2024, Belgium’s regulator the BIPT published draft restrictions on amateur radio operation  in the 23cm (1240-1300 MHz) band.

The new restrictions include:

Class A (equiv UK Full, USA Extra) – size of band reduced from 60 MHz to 8.24 MHz. The satellite allocation is reduced to 1260-1262 MHz and the antenna elevation must always be more than 15° above the horizon and the transmission power is limited to 50 W EIRP. If the elevation is above 55° above the horizon, the power is increased to 500 watts EIRP

Class B (equiv UK Intermediate / USA General) – 1296-1300 MHz only

Class C (equiv UK Foundation / USA Technician) – No access (unchanged)