WE HAVE LIFTOFF - DISCOVERY ON THE WAY
And a total of FOUR amateur Radio Satellites on their way to orbit:
ANDE MAA - packet digipeater and packet-to-voice RAFT - packet digipeater and packet-to-voice NMARS - Navy Marincorps Mars packet and Voice repeater FCAL - Cubesat telemetry system
We call NMARS an amateur satellite too because it is operated by Amateur Radio Volulnteers in the Military Affiliate Radio System. It is on MARS frequency and only authorized MARS operators can use it, but they are all duly licensed radio amateurs too.
These satellites will not last long due to their very low deployment altitude, but they should provide a new opportunity to do experiments and make packet contacts. This is especially true since ANDE, RAFT, PCSAT-1 all operate on the same frequency and can replay packets between themselves. And if we are lucky, we might get the ISS to QSY to the same frquency for a few 4-satellite experiments.
Bob, WB4APR US Naval Academy Satellite Lab