CUBE SAT -Use of Amateur Frequencies-

ON THE USE OF AMATEUR FREQUENCY BAND FOR THE CUBESAT PROJECT

On the CubeSat project it is proposed to use amateur radio frequencies for the communication between the satellite station and the ground station. We, Laboratory for Space Systems (LSS), Tokyo Institute of Technology, plan to use 144MHz band for uplink and 430MHz band for downlink on the CUTE missions.

We recognize that the amateur radio frequency band is open to the public for the following obejectives.

The term "amateur radio service" means a radio communication service for the purpose of self-training, intercommunication and technical investigations carried out by duly authorized persons interested in radio technique solely with a personal aim and without pecuniary interest (Article 3 of the Ordinance for Executing the Radio Law), as defined in the Radio Regulations of the International Telecommunication Union.

On the Titech CubeSat project, we'd like to use amateur frequency bands with the following obejectives.

Anyone, who has amateur radio equipments, can receive telemetry data from the CubeSat. Thus we can share the data with hams around the world and discuss the analyzed data together.
It will be difficult to identify the orbital parameters of the CubeSat immediately after launch. Thus, in order to track the on-orbit satellite, it is important and valuable to ask the ham network for assist in tracking the satellite as well as operating it.
We will conduct communication experiments between the satellite station and our ground station using the well-known communication protocol (Ax.25) and an improved communication protocol (Simple Radio Link Layer protocol, SRLL) in which error correction capability is intensified. Thus, it will be able to demonstrate the validity of new digital voice/data communication protocol and it is expected to make a large contribution toward the future amateur radio activity.

Details of SRLL Protocol are here.

The CubeSat project can afford many technical contributions to future amateur satellite developments and can make us to share much information with worldwide hams. Particularly, on initial tracking and initial operation process, the support of worldwide ham network is indispensible. Because of these reasons, we would like to use amateur radio frequency bands under the legal arrangement of Japan or U.S. AMSAT and government authorities which supervise these bands.

IARU Regulations for Use of Amateur Frequencies

Small Satellite Project Team, Laboratory for Space Systems (LSS), Tokyo Institute of Technology