Soyuz-2-1a is planned to launch Friday, April 19, 2013 at 1000 UT from Baikonur in Kazakhstan. Among the satellites it will carry are four CubeSats with amateur radio payloads, OSSI-1, BEESAT-2, BEESAT-3 and SOMP.
Unusually the CubeSats will not be deployed straight after launch. Deployment of OSSI-1 is expected to take place after the 4th orbit and BEESAT-3, SOMP then BEESAT-2 are expected to be deployed at 16 second intervals after the 32nd orbit on Sunday, April 21 at around 1045 UT. Until then orbital maneuvers will be carried out to achieve a circular orbit at 575 km altitude.
It is expected that the four CubeSats may be deployed at intervals of about 16 seconds.
The satellites on the launch are:
Bion-M is the next generation of Russian biological research satellites. While retaining the Vostok/Zenit-derived reentry module of the earlier Bion, the propulsion module has been replace by a Yantar type module, which provides maneuvering capabilities and longer mission support. The mission duration has been increased to up to 6 months by using solar cells for energy generation. The weight of scientific equipment has been increased by 100 kilograms. Source Gunters Space Page
Bion-M1 is carrying live mice, geckos and gerbils, see the BBC story at http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/22218589
Watch Bion-M Mission
AIST is a russian microsatellite developed by designed by a group of students, postgraduates and scientists of Samara Aerospace University in cooperation with TsSKB Progress.
The satellite will measure the geomagnetic field, test the new small space vehicle bus, test methods to decrease microaccelerations to a minimum level and measure micrometeoroids of natural and artificial origin. Source Gunters Space Page
Believed to have a 435 MHz downlink and an 145 MHz command uplink.
Korean artist Hojun Song DS1SBO has spent 7 years developing his Open Source Satellite Initiative satellite OSSI-1. He has designed and built it from scratch using readily available components rather than expensive space qualified hardware.
It has a 12 WPM CW Morse code beacon on 145.980 MHz, a data communications transceiver on 437.525 MHz and carries a 44 watt LED optical beacon to flash Morse code messages to observers on Earth.
The Berlin Experimental and Educational Satellite 2 is a 1U CubeSat project intended to test a reaction wheel and an Attitude Determination and Control (ADC) system. It will also carry an experimental camera.
A 1U CubeSat project intended to test a transmitter using commercial S Band frequencies outside the amateur satellite service but will have a downlink on 435.950. It will have passive attitude control.
The Student Oxygen Measurement Project (SOMP) is a 1U cubesat developed by students of the Technische Universität Dresden, Germany, organized in the Students’ Research Group for Spacecraft Engineering in Dresden (STARD). The CubeSat will be able to determine and to a limited extent, also control the attitude
The Dove-2 mission is a technology demonstration nanosatellite for Cosmogia Inc. for remote sensing purposes based on the triple (3U) CubeSat form factor. It is also an internal company technology demonstration experiment to test the capabilities of a low-cost spacecraft constrained to the 3U cubesat form factor to host a small payload. Dove 2 is licensed to collect images of the Earth and will undertake a short-duration experimental mission in a 290 km by 575 km orbit at an inclination of 64.9°.
Source Gunters Space Page
It is believed Dove-2 will have a downlink in the 450 MHz band. Search for Cosmogia at https://apps.fcc.gov/oetcf/els/reports/GenericSearch.cfm
Satellite Downlink Mode
———- ————— ——————
OSSI-1 145.980/437.525 CW and 1200bps FSK AX.25
SOMP 437.485 1200, 9600bps BPSK
BEESAT-2 435.950 4800bps GMSK Mobitex
BEESAT-3 435.950 4800bps GMSK Mobitex
Bion-M1 Biological research satellite
AIST Russian student microsatellite that aims to measure the Earth’s geomagnetic field (435 MHz downlink, 145 MHz command uplink)
Dove-2 Commercial technology demonstration mission (450 MHz band downlink)
Predicted Keps / TLE’s:
1 99999U 13110.41666667 -.00000032 00000-0 -27259-5 0 00006
2 99999 064.9888 015.3126 0011850 230.4664 032.8952 14.97640844000015