Amateur Radio Small Satellite Launch Alert

Mineo Wakita, JE9PEL sent a launch alert for seven amateur radio satellites planned as secondary payloads when Japan launches its GOSAT IBUKI satellite on January 21, 2009 at 03.54 UTC. GOSAT - Greenhouse gases Observing SATellite is an environmental monitoring satellite which will be launched from Japan's Tanegashima Space Center aboard the H-IIA F15 booster.


GOSAT Launch Small Satellite Summary
SatelliteDownlinkBeaconModeCallsign
Kagayaki437.375437.375FSK9K6/CW 
STARS437.485/.465437.305/.275FM/CWJR5YBN JR5YBO
KKS-1437.445437.385AFSK/CWJQ1YYY
PRISM437.425437.250AFSK/GMSK/CWJQ1YCX
SOHLA-1437.505437.505AFSK/CW 
SPRITEScientific observation satellite
SDS-1Small demonstration satellite

Masa, JN1GKZ reported that the small satellites are technically not CubeSats since they are larger in size and each platform is a unique design. Click on the satellite name in the table to follow the links for more information about each satellite.

The mission will be launched into a sun synchronous orbit to an altitude of 660km with an inclination of 98.1 degrees. The orbital period is estimated to be 98 minutes.