[amsat-bb] UKube-1 Launch information

[Graham Shirville]

UKube-1 is scheduled to launch from Pad 31/6 at Baikonur on Tuesday 
afternoon. July 8th 2014 @ 15:58:28 UTC and to be deployed from the final 
stage of the Soyuz-2-1B/Fregat-M launch vehicle at 18:32:42 UTC.

The UKube-1 Operations Team has just issued their Launch Briefing. This is 
accompanied by a spreadsheet showing the anticipated UK passes for the first 
orbits together with a worksheet showing the telemetry equations.

These documents can be downloaded at  http://funcube.org.uk/news/

UKube-1 carries a number of experiments and payloads and also the FUNcube-2 
transponder and  telemetry sub-system. This is intended to support the 
current, very successful, operations of FUNcube-1 and to provide an even 
better operational capability for schools and colleges to use for hands on 
educational outreach around the world. Further details of the educational 
outreach opportunities are available here 
http://funcube.org.uk/education-outreach/

When the FUNcube-2 sub-system is activated, the 1k2 BPSK telemetry will be 
downlinked on 145.915 MHz in the same way as already happens with FUNcube-1.

A new FUNcube-2 Dashboard UI will be released shortly. This will integrate 
directly with the existing FUNcube Central Data Warehouse and existing 
usernames and authorisation codes can be re-used.

When the transponder is activated, the downlink passband will be 145.930 to 
145.950 MHz and the uplink passband  will be 435.080 to 435.060 MHz.

It is anticipated that the FUNcube sub-system may be tested for short 
periods during the next few weeks depending upon how the LEOP plan 
progresses.

AMSAT-UK personnel will be supporting the UKube-1 operations team at 
Chilbolton during the immediate post launch period and will be ensuring that 
regular status reports are made available via IRC and other channels.

AMSAT UK and their colleagues at AMSAT-NL, are delighted that UKube-1 is 
carrying this FUNcube sub-system and wishes every success to the UKube 
Operations Team and to all the many contributors to the project.

73

Graham
G3VZV