A student high altitude balloon launch from Kennedy Space Center (KSC) is scheduled to fly with an new amateur radio communications payload on 17 July 2009. Release is planned to occur at 1330 UTC. The new payload features S- Band and 2m downlinks developed by AMSAT volunteers working together with educators from the Florida Space Grant Consortium and Florida Space Institute.
The 2m downlink will be transmitting APRS formatted position and telemetry data. The S-band downlink will be transmitting FM video from an onboard camera. In addition the audio channel of the S-band downlink will have the same AFSK being sent on 2m.
As the balloon rises at 1000 feet per minute, eventually approaching an altitude near 100,000 feet, most of the State of Florida will be within the footprint and the anticipated views from the edge of space are expected to be spectacular. It is also expected that most stations within the footprint, especially those with modest gain antennas, will be able to copy the 2m downlink fairly easily.
The downlink details are as follows:
2m: 144.990 MHz, 300 mW, 1200 baud AFSK/APRS/Telemetry 12cm: 2413 MHz, 1w, FM NTSC video, 1200 baud AFSK audio
The launch site is located at 28 31.45N, 80 40.97W
73, :ee-KU4OS
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Lee, This sounds very interesting. Since this occurs on Friday, I might be able to get some guys together here from the LMARS club to track it using our 10 element hi-gain 2m antenna on our trailer. I have a question or two. Will the group be using a local repeater, reflector, or at least Twitter to announce the launch and keep us updated as to the progress of the mission. If so, can you report the repeater to monitor or the Twitter address to follow? Also, if we can't get our equipment ready here, there an operations site near the launch location where I could come and watch the launch and tracking first hand? Who would I need to contact about that?
Thanks,
Dave, AA4KN
----- Original Message ----- From: "Lee McLamb" ku4os@cfl.rr.com To: amsat-florida@amsat.org Sent: Wednesday, July 15, 2009 8:38 AM Subject: [amsat-florida] KSC Balloon Launch Friday
A student high altitude balloon launch from Kennedy Space Center (KSC) is scheduled to fly with an new amateur radio communications payload on 17 July 2009. Release is planned to occur at 1330 UTC. The new payload features S- Band and 2m downlinks developed by AMSAT volunteers working together with educators from the Florida Space Grant Consortium and Florida Space Institute.
The 2m downlink will be transmitting APRS formatted position and telemetry data. The S-band downlink will be transmitting FM video from an onboard camera. In addition the audio channel of the S-band downlink will have the same AFSK being sent on 2m.
As the balloon rises at 1000 feet per minute, eventually approaching an altitude near 100,000 feet, most of the State of Florida will be within the footprint and the anticipated views from the edge of space are expected to be spectacular. It is also expected that most stations within the footprint, especially those with modest gain antennas, will be able to copy the 2m downlink fairly easily.
The downlink details are as follows:
2m: 144.990 MHz, 300 mW, 1200 baud AFSK/APRS/Telemetry 12cm: 2413 MHz, 1w, FM NTSC video, 1200 baud AFSK audio
The launch site is located at 28 31.45N, 80 40.97W
73, :ee-KU4OS
Via the AMSAT-Florida mailing list courtesy of AMSAT-NA AMSAT-Florida@amsat.org http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-florida
Hi Dave,
I hadn't really thought about how to provide status. Anything RF from inside the building is rather spotty and the main station radios will be being used for the balloon. I've set up a twitter account as ku4os and will try to send out status updates that way.
Today, George, KF4XB, and Bob, KG4HWC, ran a complete end-to-end test with the payload and ground station. It is possible there may be a second camera on 434 MHz sending normal ATV AM video.
Lee-KU4OS
On Wednesday 15 July 2009 15:06:23 n4csitwo@bellsouth.net wrote:
Lee, This sounds very interesting. Since this occurs on Friday, I might be able to get some guys together here from the LMARS club to track it using our 10 element hi-gain 2m antenna on our trailer. I have a question or two. Will the group be using a local repeater, reflector, or at least Twitter to announce the launch and keep us updated as to the progress of the mission. If so, can you report the repeater to monitor or the Twitter address to follow? Also, if we can't get our equipment ready here, there an operations site near the launch location where I could come and watch the launch and tracking first hand? Who would I need to contact about that?
Thanks,
Dave, AA4KN
----- Original Message ----- From: "Lee McLamb" ku4os@cfl.rr.com To: amsat-florida@amsat.org Sent: Wednesday, July 15, 2009 8:38 AM Subject: [amsat-florida] KSC Balloon Launch Friday
A student high altitude balloon launch from Kennedy Space Center (KSC) is scheduled to fly with an new amateur radio communications payload on 17 July 2009. Release is planned to occur at 1330 UTC. The new payload features S- Band and 2m downlinks developed by AMSAT volunteers working together with educators from the Florida Space Grant Consortium and Florida Space Institute.
The 2m downlink will be transmitting APRS formatted position and telemetry data. The S-band downlink will be transmitting FM video from an onboard camera. In addition the audio channel of the S-band downlink will have the same AFSK being sent on 2m.
As the balloon rises at 1000 feet per minute, eventually approaching an altitude near 100,000 feet, most of the State of Florida will be within the footprint and the anticipated views from the edge of space are expected to be spectacular. It is also expected that most stations within the footprint, especially those with modest gain antennas, will be able to copy the 2m downlink fairly easily.
The downlink details are as follows:
2m: 144.990 MHz, 300 mW, 1200 baud AFSK/APRS/Telemetry 12cm: 2413 MHz, 1w, FM NTSC video, 1200 baud AFSK audio
The launch site is located at 28 31.45N, 80 40.97W
73,
:ee-KU4OS
Via the AMSAT-Florida mailing list courtesy of AMSAT-NA AMSAT-Florida@amsat.org http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-florida
Here's the predicted flight path based as of this morning's GFS model runs. The balloon drifts a little bit NE but is almost back overhead at the release point 60 minutes after launch then drifts West towards Christmas.
Launch: * Call: KG4HWC * Launch: 13:30:00 * On: 2009-07-17 * Lat: 28.5241 * Lon: -80.6828 * Base Elev: 10 ft. * Using GFS from TTS* * Ascent: 1000 ft/m * Max Altitude: 100000 feet * Descending: 1200 ft/m
Burst: * At: 28.55654, -80.95946 * Max Alt.: 99692 feet * Radio Horizon: 388 miles * Flight Time T+: 100 minutes. * Down Range: 17 miles.
Touchdown: * At: 28.5801, -80.9747 * Total Time T+: 134 minutes. * Bearing: 282.4 deg * Down Range: 18 miles.
Lee-KU4OS
----- Original Message ----- From: "Lee McLamb" ku4os@cfl.rr.com To: amsat-florida@amsat.org Sent: Wednesday, July 15, 2009 8:38 AM Subject: [amsat-florida] KSC Balloon Launch Friday
A student high altitude balloon launch from Kennedy Space Center (KSC) is scheduled to fly with an new amateur radio communications payload on 17 July 2009. Release is planned to occur at 1330 UTC. The new payload features S- Band and 2m downlinks developed by AMSAT volunteers working together with educators from the Florida Space Grant Consortium and Florida Space Institute.
The 2m downlink will be transmitting APRS formatted position and telemetry data. The S-band downlink will be transmitting FM video from an onboard camera. In addition the audio channel of the S-band downlink will have the same AFSK being sent on 2m.
As the balloon rises at 1000 feet per minute, eventually approaching an altitude near 100,000 feet, most of the State of Florida will be within the footprint and the anticipated views from the edge of space are expected to be spectacular. It is also expected that most stations within the footprint, especially those with modest gain antennas, will be able to copy the 2m downlink fairly easily.
The downlink details are as follows:
2m: 144.990 MHz, 300 mW, 1200 baud AFSK/APRS/Telemetry 12cm: 2413 MHz, 1w, FM NTSC video, 1200 baud AFSK audio
The launch site is located at 28 31.45N, 80 40.97W
73,
:ee-KU4OS
Via the AMSAT-Florida mailing list courtesy of AMSAT-NA AMSAT-Florida@amsat.org http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-florida
We did launch a balloon from KSC this morning. The release was delayed to 1000 to give the students time to finish setting up. The 2m frequency shifted to 144.980 MHz and had very low audio levels. We'll have to extrapolate the burst altitude as the GPS didn't provide fixes above about 75 kft. I'll post a more detailed follow-up when we've had a chance to review all the data.
Reception reports and any copied data would be greatly appreciated. You can send them to me at this address.
73, Lee-KU4OS
participants (2)
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Lee McLamb -
n4csitwo＠bellsouth.net