{"id":512,"date":"2019-01-12T21:30:21","date_gmt":"2019-01-12T20:30:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/beta.iaru-r2.org\/?page_id=512"},"modified":"2020-02-29T14:12:40","modified_gmt":"2020-02-29T13:12:40","slug":"satellites","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.iaru-r2.org\/en\/on-the-air\/satellites\/","title":{"rendered":"Satellites"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Amateur radio and orbiting satellites<\/strong><\/p>\n

Since 1961, radio amateurs have been responsible for creating a constellation of some 150 orbiting space satellites. The satellites are often developed in collaboration with academic institutions and are launched through support from space and satellite organisations.<\/p>\n

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\"FUNcubeFM
FUNcubeFM satellite<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Amateur satellites provide intercontinental communication between low-power amateur stations around the world, carrying both voice, data and television. Satellites and the ARISS<\/span> programme (see below) form valuable parts of outreach programmes in STEM<\/span> subjects.<\/p>\n

A number of organisations provide information, support and coordination in the field of amateur satellites. These include:<\/p>\n

AMSAT<\/span>: The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation<\/strong> was first formed in the USA<\/span> in 1969 as an educational organisation. Its goal was to foster Amateur Radio\u2019s participation in space research and communication. AMSAT<\/span> was founded to continue the efforts, begun in 1961, by Project OSCAR<\/span>, a west coast USA-based group which built and launched the very first Amateur Radio satellite, OSCAR<\/span>, on December 12, 1961, barely four years after the launch of Russia\u2019s first Sputnik. Since then, AMSAT<\/span> organisations have developed in many countries.<\/p>\n

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Today, the \u201chome-brew\u201d flavour of these early Amateur Radio satellites lives on, as most of the hardware and software now flying on even the most advanced AMSAT<\/span> satellites is still largely the product of volunteer engineering effort and donated resources.<\/p>\n

For over 50 years AMSAT<\/span> groups in North America, Europe and elsewhere have played a key role in significantly advancing the state of the art in space science, space education, and space technology. Undoubtedly, the work now being done by AMSAT<\/span> volunteer engineers throughout the world will continue to have far-reaching, positive effects on the very future of both Amateur Radio, as well as other governmental, scientific and commercial activities.<\/p>\n

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Read more about AMSAT<\/span> in the US<\/span> here<\/a> or the UK<\/span> here<\/a>, or Germany here<\/a>. There are other AMSAT<\/span> organisations in other countries and you can find the full list here<\/a><\/p>\n

ARISS<\/span>: Amateur Radio on the International Space Station<\/strong> (ARISS<\/span>) lets students worldwide experience the excitement of talking directly with crew members of the International Space Station, inspiring them to pursue interests in careers in science, technology, engineering and math, and engaging them with radio science technology through amateur radio.<\/p>\n

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Read more here<\/a><\/p>\n

ARSPEX<\/span>: The ARSPEX<\/span> Working Group<\/strong> is a specialised body of the IARU<\/span> Region 1, which maintains contacts with the Space Agencies and with ARISS<\/span> with the aim of<\/p>\n