[amsat-bb] Expanding SatNOGS for satellite command and control

[Daniel Cussen]

From:
https://satnogs.org/2016/08/cnc-librecubesat/

Although quite some time has passed since our last update the SatNOGS
team and the community was busy working on it’s software and hardware
components allowing modular setups.

A large amount of focus has being the SatNOGS client software.
Allowing the user to not only use RTL-SDR based dongles but a far
greater variety of SDR solutions using GnuRadio. In conjunction with
that SatNOGS client is able to use Amateur Radios that are supported
by hamlib (we’ve already tested on Yaesu and Kenwood radios). Such
functionality paired with our new ground station hardware design, and
further tests on after market designs such us Yaesu Az/El rotator
would allow the SatNOGS network to not only receive but transmit data
via the network to satellites.

Since a few months now Libre Space Foundation, the organization that
assists the development, and operation of the SatNOGS networks is has
being working together with the University of Patras on developing and
manufacturing the first satellite with most of it’s components based
open hardware and using free software, UPSat.

An open hardware and software satellite especially one build by Libre
Space Foundation would be a great chance for the SatNOGS network to
implement command and control features on it’s SatNOGS client,
allowing a fully open Low Earth Orbiting satellite communication stack
from earth to orbit and back.

Communications with the satellite are implemented through ECSS
Standard Commands as described in ECSS-E-70-41A standard (CCSDS). You
can checkout the code of the client on GitHub and the ecss services
implemented on the satellite here. There has been a lot of effort to
make sure that we implement all needed functionality on the SatNOGS
client, while in parallel maintaining modularity and extensibility for
future satellites and other protocols.

Do you have a satellite in the works and want to use SatNOGS client as
command and control? Let us know and we will be happy to work with you
expanding our client!

https://satnogs.org/2016/08/cnc-librecubesat/