[amsat-bb] A suggestion for ... Emergency Comms - APRS...

[Robert Bruninga]

Such a highly compressed method of satellite encoding exists called APRS.

>> ... the limiting factor for using LEO satellites as an Emergency
>> Response of any scale, would the short amount of time of a
>> given pass and the limited number of usable passes a day...

> But, us ingenious ham radio operator types perhaps have the basis
> of sending compressed data which conveys a lot of information.
> Packed into the bytes of telemetry messages ...
> How about a predefined disaster status data stream that all shelters...

Use the APRS Object for a SHELTER.  Just one packet can contain the
position, time and date of the report, and up to 47 bytes of useful info
such as 1) head count of staff 2) head count of victims 3) electrical
power 4)drinking water 5) more supplies needed 6) need critical
assistance.

> Conversely, if multiple LEO satellites support a disaster-status
protocol..

They do.  APRS is currently on 3 sateliltes... PSAT, ISS and PCSAT and
soon to be QIKCOM2 and PSAT2 and BRICSAT2... And TJHS hicghschool cubesat,
etc

> We'd need future cubesat missions capable of supporting a disaster
telemetry stream.

We have it.  See the SATT4 single card APRS transponder.  We invite every
school or university that is contemplating a CUBESAT to consider using
this transponder for their command and control which also provides the
APRS transponder as well.  Cost is under $300 or so.
See http://aprs.org/satt4.html

Bob, WB4aPR