[amsat-bb] Re: 9 Cubesats selected for free ESA ride to space

[Graham Shirville]

Hi Tom,

These cubesat projects are very very new...many have been developed only in 
the last 2 or 3 months and therefore it is not surprising that only one 
third of them have yet sent in any documentation regarding frequency 
co-ordination to the IARU panel.

In fact, in addition to Swisscube and Goliat,  the Robusta project is shown 
on the co-ordination website as "in progress".

We do not know which of the others will be using frequencies in the amateur 
satellite service but rest assured that all the teams have already been 
briefed on their responsibilities in relation to their possible use of "our" 
service and have been offered all possible support  and advice (including 
Jan's fb link budget spreadsheet).

May I also make a plea that the concept of "them" and "us" is seriously 
outdated in respect of the members of the cubesat teams. There are many 
examples of students who already have obtained their amateur licences and 
many who are currently taking the courses in their respective countries. I 
firmly believe that anything that enables/encourages "young" people to get 
their tickets is a good "thing" and that if a proportion of them end up as 
amateurs working in the space industry over the next decades then probably 
it is a very very good "thing"

Whether or not the satellites  carry a transponder is another subject, but 
if the cubesat programme gives today's amateurs the opportunity to help 
create an amateur friendly space industry for the next generation then it 
has my support!

best 73

Graham G3VZV


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Tom Clark, K3IO" <k3io at verizon.net>
To: "AMSAT BB" <amsat-bb at amsat.org>
Sent: Saturday, June 07, 2008 11:29 PM
Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: 9 Cubesats selected for free ESA ride to space


Of the satellites listed (according to the list posted at
http://www.amsat.org.uk/iaru/finished.asp), the following satellites
have been coordinated with IARU for use of the amateur satellite spectrum:

    * Swisscube: Space Center, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Laus
    * Goliat: University of Bucharest
    * UWE-2 (but not yet UWE-3): University of Wuerzburg

Unisat3 from Rome was launched with AO-51, however the UniCubesat is not
listed with the IARU.

It appears that the IARU Coordination group knows nothing about the
other satellites listed in the press release. But then, it also appears
that the recent Russian RS-30 "Jubilee" was apparently
unknown/uncoordinated.

If any of you are in contact with any of these groups, please stress to
them the need for coordination with the rest of the amateur
radio/amateur satellite community. Information of the coordination
process, along with some recommendations (including a very useful link
budget spreadsheet from Jan King W3GEY/VK4GEY) can be found at
http://www.iaru.org/satellite/.

73, Tom
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