Bernard Repetti, CASAA-Sat project manager, informs us that the satellite will be launched by the Kinetica-1 rocket from the Jiuquan launch base (Inner Mongolia, China). The launch is scheduled for 27 December 2024 at 1.03 UTC.

The CASAA-Sat project of the Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Marseille (LAM), supported by CNES, began in 2013. It involved more than 200 Master's students from Aix-Marseille University's IUT and engineering schools (ISAE, ESEO, etc.).

Designed in CubeSat 2U format (10 x 10 x 20 cm), this 2-litre nanosatellite carries a suite of sophisticated instruments:

·       A dosimeter to measure the flow of charged particles

·       A precision magnetometer

·       A high-resolution camera

The aim of these instruments is to map the South Atlantic Magnetic Anomaly (SAA), an area where the Earth's magnetic field is particularly weak, with unprecedented precision.

 

In addition to the amateur radio mission, there are 3 other objectives:

·       CASAA-Sat's first objective is to measure the doses deposited by this radiation, particularly at the poles and in the South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA) where a higher flux is expected. To do this, it has six dosimeters, two in each axis, capable of recording the irradiation they receive over time.

·       The second objective of CASAA-Sat is to measure the local magnetic field and correlate it with the irradiations. This field will then be compared with existing models such as IGRF 13.

·       The third objective of CASAA-Sat is to capture the aurora borealis (to the north) and aurora australis (to the south) by taking photos and correlating them with the irradiance and magnetic field.

On the amateur radio side, AMSAT-Francophone helped Bernard Repetti with the amateur radio mission. An appeal was made to the Bouches-du-Rhône amateur radio community. Jean-François IOSCA (F1LVO) and Fabien PELLET (F4CTZ) responded. Together with AMSAT-Francophone, they contributed to the submission of the satellite frequency coordination request. Their strong commitment enabled the operating mode to evolve to the benefit of radio amateurs. Jean-François and Fabien, thanks to their proximity, have made improvements to the ground station and have also contributed their expertise to the development of the satellite.

The satellite will broadcast telemetry and images captured by the satellite.

The satellite uses the following amateur service frequencies:

• Downlink frequency: 436.500 MHz, modulation 9600 baud BPSK G3RUH
• The satellite uses AX.25 UI (Unnumbered Information) protocol frames.
• Call sign is: CASAA-1
• Uplink frequency for sending commands: 145.900 MHz

The document ‘TM/TC specifications for the CASAA-Sat nano-satellite’ describes the protocol used. :  https://site.amsat-f.org/download/120557/?tmstv=1735157767

IARU link: IARU Sat Coordinator

Link to the project :Nanosats - LAM

Amsat-Francophone article on CAASAT

73's

Christophe