A Sub orbital launch from Wallops Island Virgina will carry a payload built by students from Eastern Shore Community College as a RockSat-c project. I am posting to this group in hopes that some of you mid-Atlantic hams with high gain 2 meter antennas and possibly elevation control (depending on where you are- approx 70 miles elevation at apogee) will give a listen for it. Due to antenna constraints it will have a very low eirp. It will be transmitting standard aprs packets on 144.390 Look for kn4ge-12 or kk4pgr -12 as the profile changes. Launch is scheduled for 5 am EST on June 20th. Keep abreast of any delays or follow the launch at:
https://www.facebook.com/NASAWFF?fref=ts
Also, you can watch the launch live from Ustream when the time comes.
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/nasa-tv-wallops
Any reception reports are invited, even partially decoded packets at Thomas.c.Riley@NASA.GOV
Of interest to many hobbyist, it will carry the first Raspberry Pi into space and also a nooelec SDR dongle that may possibly also be a first.
I apologize in advance for any flooding of aprs that it causes but promise you it is a very fast flight. The profile change above 15k is intended to minimize potential for flooding.
Thank You John KN4GE
A Sub orbital launch from Wallops Island.. some of you... with high gain 2 meter antennas and possibly elevation control (depending on where you are- approx 70 miles elevation at apogee) will give a listen for it
Assuming the ground track is out to sea for range safety, then I would assume it may also add as much as 70 miles distance too.. THus, high angle elevation control for most of us is not needed and from Washington DC (range 120 miles+70) the elevation angle will not rise above maybe 20 degrees which is well within the beamwidth of all terrestrial azimuth-only beams.
Just point at Wallops and see what you capture. Remember, this channel is already wall-to-wall packets and so we are looking for the needles in the haystack.
Bob, WB4APR
participants (2)
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John Floyd -
Robert Bruninga