UNITEC-1 Signals Lost

UNITEC-1 was the first Amateur Radio spacecraft to head to another planet but no signals have been heard for several days.

Traveling with UNITEC-1 on its epic journey to Venus were the research satellites Venus Climate Orbiter (Planet-C) and Ikaros.

The launch took place on Thursday, May 20 at 23:05 UT from the Tanegashima launch centre in Japan. Shortly after launch the 5.84 GHz CW and FSK signal with the call sign JQ1ZUN was received in Japan. At that time it was 30,000 km from Earth and was a good signal but some frequency instability was noted.

Radio Amateurs from AMSAT-DL and AMSAT-UK were listening for signals from UNITEC-1 using the 20 metre dish at the Amateur Radio facility in Bochum, Germany.

On Friday, May 21 at 1900 UT they heard both Planet-C and Ikaros on 8.4 GHz but not the 5.84 GHz signal from UNITEC-1. Further attempts to hear it at Bochum on subsequent days were also unsuccessful.

In Japan attempts have been made to hear it using a 32 metre dish but so far without success.

AMSAT-DL UNITEC-1 Report
http://tinyurl.com/BochumUnitec-1

Amateur Radio Facility at Bochum
http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/articles/G3RUH/

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AMSAT-UK: http://www.uk.amsat.org/