The First Amateur Radio Station on the Moon, JS1YMG, is Now Transmitting

/
The First Amateur Radio Station on the Moon, JS1YMG, is Now Transmitting

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) successfully landed their Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) on 19th January 2024. Just before touchdown, SLIM released two small lunar surface probes, LEV-1 and LEV-2.

LEV-2 collects data while moving on the lunar surface, and LEV-1 receives the data.

The JAXA Ham Radio Club (JHRC), JQ1ZVI, secured amateur radio license JS1YMG for LEV-1, which has been transmitting Morse code on 437.41 MHz since 19th January 2024. The probe uses a 1 W UHF antenna with circular polarization and is transmitting "matters related to amateur business."

Read More

Assistance Requested With CubeSat History Project

/

Prof. Robert “Bob” Twiggs KE6QMD and Dr. Aaron Zucherman KM6CHY (a former student of his) are working on gathering and publishing a series on the history of the creation and adoption of the CubeSat, including its direct SmallSat forebears (AMSAT, WeberSat, OPAL, etc.) and educational picosat successors (CanSats, PocketQubes and ThinSats). While outstanding technical accounts have been written on the subject, we plan on focusing on the underreported human stories and drama during this early history.

You can see our announcement here - https://www.linkedin.com/posts/bob-twiggs-b6163125_cubesat-smallsat-smallsatellite-activity-7103473477138989056-hUNb?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop

Global Response to Signals from Irelands 1st Satellite

/

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.