Russia launches new Amateur Radio satellite

A new satellite carrying Amateur Radio 'Yubileiny' (RS-30) was successfully launched from Plesetsk on 23rd May.

Radio Amateurs around the world reported receiving the CW beacon signals on 435.315 MHz with reports also of signals on 435.215 MHz

At the time of writing it is still not clear exactly which type of transponder, Linear or FM, is onboard the satellite. It appears to be in a 1500 km orbit which would give a pass time of up to 20 minutes and enable stations over 7000 km away to be worked.

Work on the satellite started in December 2004 with the intention of launching it in 2007 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the first satellite Sputnik-1.

A full report on the satellite with pictures can be seen at

Yubileiny is a next generation small satellite http://www.npopm.com/?cid=242

The Russian Federal Space Agency launch announcement is at http://www.npopm.com/?cid=news&nid=60

Reports on Yubileiny (RS-30) continue to appear on the AMSAT Bulletin Board which you can join at http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/tools/maillist/maillist.php

A number of Radio Amateurs have posted recordings of the beacon on the web:

Henk PA3GUO
http://home.vianetworks.nl/users/hamoen/pa3guo/
yubileiny_24may08_pa3guo_435.315_cw_short.mp3

Mineo JE9PEL http://www.ne.jp/asahi/hamradio/je9pel/80525yu2.wav

Mark KF6KYI using FT-817ND and Arrow antenna http://brainwagon.org/wp-content/uploads/
2008/05/rs30.mp3

According to Kosmonavtika other satellites on the same launch were Cosmos 2437, Cosmos 2438 and Cosmos 2439
http://www.kosmonavtika.com/lancements/2008/2008.html#

Russian Federal Space Agency
http://www.npopm.com/