MESAT-1 New Linear Satellite for Amateur Radio

Every amateur radio satellite operator is excited over the launch of MESAT-1 scheduled for 27 June 2024. It will be launched on a Firefly Aerospace “Alpha” rocket into a low earth orbit of about 555 km altitude. It is Maine’s 1st Small Satellite, which was originally scheduled to be launched in 2022, but got delayed, as is usual with most space projects. MESAT-1 is expected to remain in orbit for well over a decade. In addition to student projects at Maine, it has a linear transponder module (LTM-1), which is of interest to amateur radio satellite operators. LTM-1 was built by Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT). Ground station operator can command the satellite through LTM-1 and it will transmit telemetry back to Earth. In addition it has a linear transponder for amateur radio communications. AMSAT has announced that telemetry can be copied by setting up FoxTelem.

University of Maine applied to the International Amateur Radio Union to coordinate its planned frequency use for MESAT-1. According to the plan approved by IARU in November 2021, telemetry downlink is on 435.800 MHz 1200 baud BPSK. Uplink frequency band is between 145.910-145.940 MHz and downlink frequency band 435.810-435.840 MHz. You may be aware that unlike FM repeater satellites, linear satellites re-transmit signal received in the uplink on the downlink band by upconverting the frequency. FM repeater satellites have only a single uplink and downlink frequency. They extract the audio received and re-transmit on the downlink. Linear satellites usually work on SSB and CW modes and need dual band VHF/UHF radio capable of these modes.

MESAT-1 is a 3U CubeSat, which is 30 cm long with cross section of 10 cm x 10 cm. You may recall that one CubeSat unit is 10 cm x 10 cm x 10 cm. NASA’s CubeSat Launch Initiative (CSLI) selects CubeSat missions for the Educational Launch of Nanosatellites (ELaNa) program and MESAT-1 will be launched as part of the program, which has already launched several CubeSats. Three projects in MESAT-1 are ALBEDO by Saco Middle School,  IMAGER by Fryeburg Academy and HAB by Falmouth High School. Naturally amateur radio satellite operators are eagerly waiting for a successful launch and deployment of the linear transponder for two way communications.