SB SPACE @ ARL $ARLS005
ARLS005 Amateur Radio Transponders on Planned Chinese Satellites to
Include HF

ZCZC AS05  
QST de W1AW  
Space Bulletin 005  ARLS005
From ARRL Headquarters  
Newington, CT  May 23, 2018
To all radio amateurs

SB SPACE ARL ARLS005
ARLS005 Amateur Radio Transponders on Planned Chinese Satellites to
Include HF

China's Amateur Radio Satellite organization, CAMSAT, has released
some details of three new Amateur Radio satellites that could be
launched as early as September. Two of the satellites, CAS-5A and
CAS-6, will carry transponders, and one of them will have HF
capability.

CAS-5A is a 6U CubeSat. It will have an HF/HF (21/29 MHz) mode
linear transponder; an HF/UHF (21/435 MHz) mode linear transponder;
an HF CW telemetry beacon; VHF/UHF mode linear transponder; a
VHF/UHF mode FM transponder; a UHF CW telemetry beacon, and UHF
AX.25 4,000/9,600-baud GMSK Telemetry. Transponders will have 30 kHz
passbands, except for the H/U unit, which will be 15 kHz.

The tiny CAS-5B, weighing 1/2 kilogram, will be deployed from CAS-5A
in orbit. It will carry a UHF CW beacon on an Amateur Radio
frequency. It will be placed into a 539 x 533 kilometer, 97.5-degree
orbit.

CAS-5A/B will launch from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center.

CAS-6, a 50-kilogram microsat, will include a VHF CW telemetry
beacon; a U/V mode 20 kHz linear transponder, and AX.25 4,800-baud
GMSK telemetry downlink. It will also carry an atmospheric wind
detector and other systems that will operate on non-amateur
frequencies.

A launch at sea is planned for CAS-6 from the China Academy of
Launch Vehicle Technology. The microsat will be placed into a 579 x
579 kilometer, 45-degree orbit.

CAMSAT has applied to the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU)
to coordinate frequencies for all three spacecraft.
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