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| The Swayam COEP cubesat (Courrtesy AMSAT India) |
India in late June launched 20 satellites from Sriharikota base, of which seven will downlink their data on amateur radio frequencies. One of them, LAPAN-A3, will relay FM and APRS; while another, Swayam COEP, will provide digital store-and-forward on 70 centimeters.
Virginia Tech is working with AMSAT and the US
Air Force on a geostationary amateur satellite to be launched in the 2017-2018
timeframe. The $9 million mission (for which $6 million is still to be raised)
will include a software-defined radio (SDR) which will provide digital
transponders on the 5- and 10-GHz amateur bands. For more information, visit
<www.hume.vt.edu/geo/>.