Spanish Amateur Radio cubesat

A Spanish Amateur Radio cubesat will be among those to be launched by ESA on Vega in 2009.

The RadioClub Telecomunicaciones Vigo posted the following on the AMSAT Bulletin Board (AMSAT-BB) asking for ideas from the Amateur Radio community.

The Telecommunication School at Vigo University, Spain, is developing a cubesat that will be launched by ESA. It will transmit in amateur radio bands, and the University radio club (EA1RCT) is collaborating in the project.

The design is not yet closed and we can send proposals to the development team. The radio club is willing to hear ideas from the amateur radio community: we would like to have a short list ready by next Thursday, June 26, so any proposal we receive before then will be carefully read.

The satellite will be small and lightweight as you know, and it will run on a short electrical budget. Moreover, the time schedule is very tight. One of the main objectives is to test SDR systems in space (not necessarily in ham radio bands).

Neither the bands, power or full-duplex capability have been established. It could eventually end up with just a telemetry beacon.

We would like to hear your opinions about what the amateur radio community would prefer to carry on board, in these three scenarios:

· full-duplex communication capability (linear transponder, fm rep, etc)
· half-duplex systems (digipeater?)
· beacon modes (afsk, psk, cw)

Best regards,

EA1RCT RadioClub Telecomunicaciones Vigo
http://lostrego.uvigo.es/

ESA Announces Vega CubeSat Selection http://www.esa.int/esaED/SEM2BPUG3HF_index_0.html

AMSAT Bulletin Board AMSAT-BB
http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/tools/maillist/maillist.php