Saturday, December 31, 2016

Several New Satellites Due for Early 2017 Launch



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.