Global Response to Signals from Irelands 1st Satellite

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The excitement over the launch of Ireland's first satellite gained a great deal of momentum from a contest the European Space Agency launched at the same time:

Hams from around the world responded enthusiastically to an invitation from the European Space Agency to be the first to receive radio signals from EIRSAT-1 after its launch on the 1st of December. The Educational Irish Research Satellite, a two-unit CubeSat from University College Dublin, is a ham radio satellite and an educational satellite that took to the sky from a California launchpad on the 1st of December.

The ESA announced the winners from each continent. There were no entries from Africa. There were no entries from Africa. Winners were the first to send in confirmed signals.

The ESA said it would send a QSL card and a small prize to each of the winning amateurs. All others who sent in confirmed reports will receive QSL cards as well.

Proposal Submitted to ESA for Geostationary Microwave Amateur Payload

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Proposal Submitted to ESA for Geostationary Microwave Amateur Payload

A proposal has been submitted to the European Space Agency (ESA) by AMSAT-UK, the British Amateur Television Club (BATC), and AMSAT-NA, with input from members of the UK Microwave Group for a geostationary microwave amateur payload with planned coverage of at least part of North America. This proposal was submitted in response to a presentation at the AMSAT-UK Colloquium from Frank Zeppenfeldt, PD0AP, of ESA, who has secured €250,000 in funding to investigate the possibility of an amateur satellite or payload in geostationary orbit.

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Happy 10th Birthday FUNcube-1 (AO-73)

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Happy 10th Birthday FUNcube-1 (AO-73)

November 21, 2023, marks the tenth birthday of our very first CubeSat mission, FUNcube-1 (AO-73).

A very short time after the launch from Yasny in Russia and within a few minutes from deployment, the very first frame of data from the low power transmitter on board, was detected and decoded by ZS1LS in South Africa. He was able to relay the data over the internet from his Dashboard to the Data Warehouse and the numbers, appeared, as if by magic, at the launch party being held at the RSGB National Radio Centre at Bletchley Park.

After a very brief check out, the FUNcube team were able to switch the transmitter to full power, again at the very first attempt, and were quite amazed at the strength of the signal from the 300mW transmitter on 145.935 MHz. The transponder was then switched on and successfully tested, the first contact was between G6LVB and M5AKA who were both operating from the Bletchley Park car park.

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