Video AMSAT UK 2023: Geostationary Microwave Amateur Payload Proposal. Frank Zeppenfeldt PD0AP, ESA
Geostationary Microwave Amateur Payload Proposal
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Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2407 for Friday December 15th, 2023
ESA EXPLORES POSSIBLE MICROWAVE AMATEUR PAYLOAD ON SATELLITE STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Is there room aboard a satellite for a geostationary microwave amateur payload to cover part of North America? Jeremy Boot G4NJH looks at that question. JEREMY: The European Space Agency has an approved proposal to investigate sharing a commercial geostationary satellite contract to piggy-back a microwave amateur payload on it to cover Europe and part of North America. The investigatory project was presented by ESA's Frank Zeppenfeldt, PDØAP, to the AMSAT-UK Colloquium in Milton Keynes on the 14th of October. Frank described a payload that would have both an amateur radio and educational role, with two uplink transponders on 5.6 GHz and two downlink transponders on 10 GHz. The payload would be capable of handling narrowband modes such as CW and SSB and narrowband digital modes but would also have the capacity for wideband modes such as amateur TV. The proposal from AMSAT-UK and the British Amateur Television Club has input and support from the newly incorporated AMSAT-CA's Technical Working Group as well as from AMSAT-USA. According to a November 30th position paper from AMSAT-CA's president Stefan Wagener, VE4SW, and technical director Levente Buzas, VA7QF, a number of amateur radio satellite associations are helping Frank promote the project to commercial satellite operators in 2024 during the World Satellite Business Week. Stefan told Newsline that Frank hopes to use the QO-100 geostationary amateur payload on Qatar's Es’hail 2 satellite as an example so another commercial partners can be identified to carry a similar payload in a position over the Atlantic to cover Europe and Canada. The study is being undertaken with the help of €250,000 in ESA funds. This is Jeremy Boot G4NJH. (AMSAT-CA, AMSAT NEWS)