[amsat-bb] Re: CubeSat GeneSat-1 launch 11Dec06 with OSCAR telemetrydownlink

[Ralph Wallio, W0RPK]

Bob --

This is the first Wallops OSCAR launch that I recall but it would take me a few hours of study to
prove it.  Perhaps some of the others gray-of-beard on this net, e.g., Klein and Clark, already know
this is correct.

Preliminary GeneSat-1 info has been in my CubeSat web page for a few months.  Now that launch is
only a few days out there are updates coming in almost daily.  GeneSat-1 web page, www.Genesat1.org,
will have a lot more information when they bring it up ~06Dec.

Telecommand will be via a 2.400-2.4835GHz SS high speed ISM link using off-the-shelf transceivers
and the 10m dish at Palo Alto.  I assume this antenna yields ~45dBi gain at 2.4GHz (given a
conservative 50% efficiency) which will yield a ~20dB link margin.  A 3m dish would yield a ~10dB
link margin but the spread spectrum signal might be difficult to detect even by a well equipped 13cm
EME station.

TacSat-2 is the primary Minotaur launch vehicle payload, see
http://www.wff.nasa.gov/tacsat2/TacSat-2%20sep-06.pdf.  I am waiting for confirmation that the orbit
will be close to circular at 410km with a 40d inclination before changing the conflicting
information in my web page.

TNX es 73 de Ralph Wallio, WØRPK
W0RPK at netINS.net
http://showcase.netins.net/web/wallio/
Hubbert's Peak - The Mother of all Perfect Storms