AMSAT-South Africa Shifts Focus to Digital

South Africa's amateur satellite organization, AMSAT-SA, is shifting its cubesat development focus away from traditional analog transponders and toward digital SDR (software-defined radio) model. The group is currently working on two projects - the analog KLETSKous transponder which has already flown and performed well on a high-altitude balloon flight - and the SDR-based AfriCUBE. 

The South African Radio League reports that the AfriCUBE transponder development has reached a point at which it will soon be ready for field testing. The KLETSKous project is not being abandoned, says AMSAT-SA, but is being put on hold while a new lead developer is recruited, as the previous leader has had to step aside due to personal commitments.