MESAT1 Amateur Satellite in Orbit

A satellite of interest to the amateur radio community is MESAT1. Built by the University of Maine, in cooperation with AMSAT, this satellite carries a 30 kHz wide V/U Transponder plus a 1k2 BPSK telemetry downlink. Telemetry downlink 435.800 MHz with transponder downlink 435.810-435.840 MHz, and transponder uplink 145.910-145.940 MHz. Amateurs are encouraged to use AMSAT’s FoxTelem software to collect telemetry.

AMSAT - https://www.amsat.org/

Company Announces Bluetooth Connection to Satellite

A company based in Seattle, Washington has achieved an unprecedented long-distance connection in space with a satellite - via Bluetooth technology.

Using a software patch upgrade to some off-the-shelf Bluetooth chips, the Hubble Network in Seattle has achieved what it calls the first low-power Bluetooth connection with a satellite orbiting the Earth. The signals travelled a distance of more than 600km - or 370 miles - prompting Hubble's CEO and cofounder Alex Haro to say in a recent press release that the Seattle company had debunked sceptics' belief that such a feat was impossible. A press release from the company this month heralded the achievement as "critical validation for the company, potentially opening the door to connecting millions more devices anywhere in the world.”

Hubble Network said it began receiving the signals shortly after the satellites' launch in March. Hubble hopes it will be able to present an option for communications with global coverage creating less battery drain and lower operating costs.

Source - https://www.arnewsline.org/

First Contact Made Through QO-100 from North America

The first contact through the QO-100 geostationary satellite made from North America took place on 11th May 2024 from Newfoundland, Canada. VO1/M0XUU (VU3HPF) made a trans-atlantic FT8 contact with G0MRF in London. The contact is significant considering the QO-100 footprint falls beyond Newfoundland at -0.9° below the horizon.

Source AMSAT-UK