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| The Turkish UBAKUSAT cubesat being prepared for launch (AMSAT-UK photo) |
Three more satellites carrying amateur radio transponders
are scheduled for launch in the first few months of 2017. The AMSAT News
Service reports that Turkey's
UBAKUSAT was scheduled to be delivered to the International Space Station in
early December for future deployment. It carries a Mode V/U inverting linear
transponder, a CW beacon and a digital telemetry downlink. All transmissions
will be on 70 centimeters, with uplink on 2 meters.
Two additional Chinese ham satellites are planned a joint
launch at the end of March. CAS-4A and -4B will carry optical remote sensing
experiments and will have Mode U/V linear transponders (uplink on 70
centimeters and downlink on 2 meters) as well as digital telemetry downlinks
and CW beacons.
AMSAT-NA's Fox-1B, -1C and -1D are all expected to launch in
the second quarter of the year. Each of these will carry a Mode U/V FM
transponder.
AMSAT-DL's Phase 4A geostationary satellite has a planned launch
date in the year's third quarter. This would be the first geostationary amateur
satellite.
