STS-116 and RAFT/ANDE operations


Space shuttle STS-116 was launched at 8:47 p.m. EST on Dec.9, 2006,
from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. And three cubesats ANDE/RAFT/
MARScom were lowered into the shuttle payload bay.

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/index.html


ANDE Side A: 145.825 Digipeater up/downlink 1200 baud packet
ANDE Side B: 145.825 downlink (backup to side A only)
RAFT System: 145.825 Digipeater up/downlink 1200 baud packet
RAFT PSK-31: 28.120 HF PSK-31 uplink -downlink on 145.825

http://web.usna.navy.mil/~bruninga/satstation.html
http://www.ew.usna.edu/~bruninga/ande-raft-ops.html
http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ftp/news/2006/ans337.txt


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The 20 channels of ANDE telemetry are multiplexed into 4 sequential
frames.  Each frame consists of 5 analog channels, and 8 status 
bits which include the two FRAME counter bits.  It takes 4 frames 
to constitute the complete telemetry picture of ANDE.  Frame Format:

ANDE>APRTLM,SGATE:T#SSS,111,222,333,444,555,FF111111

Where the header is ANDE>APRTLM,SGATE: (These fields may vary)
Within the actual data portion of the packet are these fields:

  SSS      is the serial number 
  111      is the first channel telemetry
  222      is the second channel
  333      is the third channel
  444      is the forth channel
  555      is the fifth channel
  FF111111 the 8 internal bits (including the FRAME counter)
 
FF  CHANNEL 1   CHANNEL 2  CHANNEL 3  CHANNEL 4  CHANNEL 5
--  ----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
11  BUS-Volts   SOLAR-X    SOLAR-Y    SOLAR-Z    5V BUS
10  Temp-BAT    Temp-SOL-X Temp-SOL-Y Temp-SOL-Z Temp-Retro
01  Laser-Volts A1-Amps    A2-Amps    B1-Amps    B2-Amps
00  Temp-Bat-B  Clock      Temp-Laser Time-to-Go On-Time

Telemetry equations are generally of the form y = aX + b 
where X is the 3 byte decimal telemetry count in each channel
in the data. Temperature is a cubic y=aX^3 + bX^2 + cX - d.

 Define Function for Temperature:
   Tof(V) = .00001 * X ^ 3 - .0039 * X ^ 2 + .829 * X - 40.4
   
   IF Frame is "00" THEN
      Temp-Bat-B  = TempOf(X1)
      Clock       = X2 * 1
      Temp-Laser  = TempOf(X3)
      Time-to-Go  = X4 * 1
      On-Time     = X5 * 1
      
   IF Frame is "01" THEN
      Laser Volts = X1 * 0.1
      A1-Amps     = X2 * 1.7 - 4
      A2-Amps     = X3 * 1.7 - 4
      B1-Amps     = X4 * 1.7 - 4
      B2-Amps     = X5 * 1.7 - 4
      
   IF Frame is "10" THEN
      Temp-Bat-A  = TempOf(X1)
      Temp-SOL-X  = TempOf(X2)
      Temp-SOL-Y  = TempOf(X3)
      Temp-SOL-Z  = TempOf(X4)
      Temp-Retro  = TempOf(X5)
      
   IF Frame is "11" THEN
      BUS-volts   = X1 * 0.1
      SOL-X       = X2 * -.0196 + 1
      SOL-Y       = X3 * -.0196 + 1
      SOL-Z       = X4 * -.0196 + 1
      5-volt-ref  = X5 * .0235

http://www.ew.usna.edu/~bruninga/ande.html
http://www.dk3wn.info/sat/afu/sat_ande.shtml

----------------------------------------------------------------------

RAFT1>APRS,SGATE:T#nnn,CH1,CH2,CH3,CH4,CH5,xxxxxxxx 

RAFT1        AX.25 callsign of RAFT1 
APRS         AX.25 generic TOCALL 
SGATE        digipeater address for Internet Gateways 
T#nnn        a 3 decimal digit serial number 
CH1 to CH5   5 telemetry channels (3 digit decimal) 
xxxxxxxx     an 8 byte (8 bit binary) number showing the state of
             the output bits 

The telemetry channels will be presented in standard format as shown below:

FRAME 00:    CH1 - Battery Voltage
             CH2 - Temperature
             CH3 - X arrays solar current
             CH4 - Y arrays solar current
             CH5 - Z arrays Solar current



http://web.ew.usna.edu/~raft/index.htm
http://www.ew.usna.edu/~bruninga/raft.html
http://www.dk3wn.info/sat/afu/sat_raft.shtml

----------------------------------------------------------------------

RAFT and ANDE are scheduled to deploy on 20 Dec.

RAFT DEPLOY: 20 Dec, 00:05 UTC
ANDE DEPLOY: 20 Dec, 19:42 UTC

http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/mission_schedule.html
Shuttle Mission TV Schedule --> View PDF


Two-Line-Elements of RAFT and ANDY were published by USNA Satellite Lab,
WB4APR, Bob Bruninga. MEPSI is not an amateur payload.

RAFT
1 99996U   06055B 06354.00425926  .00000000  00000-0  75127-6 0    05
2 99996  51.6317 309.4879 0022786 355.5701 331.0310 15.79983089    08
ANDE
1 99997U   06055C 06354.82113426  .00000000  00000-0  80952-6 0    07
2 99997  51.6301 305.2569 0023271 358.3253 297.8304 15.80009479    01
MEPSI
1 99998U   06055D 06353.92692130  .00000000  00000-0  87344-6 0    04
2 99998  51.6299 309.8896 0022956 355.6419 250.7656 15.80006930    01

----------------------------------------------------------------------

ANDE and RAFT and MARScom all contain systems involving US Naval Academy
Student Projects. RAFT and MARScom are complete student spacecraft and
the ANDE comm system was a student project. FCAL was built at NRL but also
contains an amateur radio cubesat for its comms and telemetry. THese four
satellites all operatin in the Amateur Satellite Service were carried to
orbit on the Space Shuttle mission STS-116 at 8:47 PM on 9 December 2006.
http://www.ew.usna.edu/~bruninga/ande-raft-ops.html

NMARS:
VHF 148 MHz FM uplink
HF SSB downlink 27.962 USB reception capability and a 10m beam
A 1200 baud packet TNC to RX on 10m and TX on 148 MHz.
http://www.ew.usna.edu/~bruninga/marscom.html

FCAL:
THe frequency for FCAL is in the 435 band. We will post it when we get it.
The images below detail how the telemetry from FCAL can be decoded.
http://www.ew.usna.edu/~bruninga/fcal.html


DEPLOY Video
http://www.ew.usna.edu/~bruninga/craft/RAFT%20Deploy.wmv
http://www.aj3u.com/raft.php


----------------------------------------------------------------------

Subject: [amsat-bb:96041] RAFT Deploy...
From: "Robert Bruninga"
Date: 21 Dec 2006, 11:33

RAFT and NMARS were deployed at 01:56:49z on 21 December 2006.
They have a very high spin rate.  NMARS is spinning at at least
60 RPM and RAFT at maybe half that.   This will make getting a
complete 1 second packet difficult due to fading on linear
antennas.

De WB4APR, Bob

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Subject: [amsat-bb:96044] RAFT Telemetry
From: "Stefan Wagener"
Date: 21 Dec 2006, 11:50

Here you go:

20:26:46R RAFT>BEACON,SGATE <UI Len=39>:
T#030,078,002,035,034,069,10000000,000
20:27:46R RAFT>BEACON,SGATE <UI Len=39>:
T#031,078,002,034,034,070,10000000,000
20:28:46R RAFT>BEACON,SGATE <UI Len=39>:
T#032,077,002,035,034,069,10000000,000

Keps used for STS116, Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba,
first packet at 02:27 UTC

73, Stefan VE4NSA

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Subject: [amsat-bb:96238] RAFT beacon Jan.6
From: "Mineo Wakita" ei7m-wkt@asahi-net.or.jp
Date: 20:49, 6 Jan 2007

RAFT
145.825 MHz
AX.25 1200bps AFSK
Jan 6, 16:54-17:03 JST, 2007
Jan 6, 07:54-08:03 UTC, 2007
Max ele, 75 deg

RAFT>BEACON,SGATE [01/06/07  16:58:09] <UI>:
T#157,087,091,037,053,104,00000000,999


http://www.dk3wn.info/sat/afu/sat_raft.shtml
http://www.ew.usna.edu/~bruninga/ande-raft-ops.html
http://www.ew.usna.edu/~bruninga/raft.html
http://web.ew.usna.edu/~raft/index.htm

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Subject: RAFT voice synthesizer recorded
From: "Mineo Wakita" ei7m-wkt@asahi-net.or.jp
Date: 9:53, 7 Jan 2007

RAFT
145.825 MHz
AX.25 1200bps AFSK
Jan 7, 09:12-09:21 JST, 2007
Jan 7, 00:12-00:21 UTC, 2007
Max ele, 78.5 deg

http://www.ne.jp/asahi/hamradio/je9pel/70107raf.wav

(Voice: Hello all Japanese APRS Station. This is JF1AJE.)

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Subject: [amsat-bb:96264] RAFT beacon Jan.8
From: "Mineo Wakita" ei7m-wkt@asahi-net.or.jp
Date: 16:54, 8 Jan 2007

RAFT
145.825 MHz
AX.25 1200bps AFSK
Jan 8, 15:50-15:58 JST, 2007
Jan 8, 06:50-06:58 UTC, 2007
Max ele, 48 deg

RAFT>BEACON,SGATE [01/08/07 15:53:14] <UI>:
T#972,086,090,037,054,123,00000000,999

[by RAFT Telemetry Decoder Ver1.1 beta]
Bus Voltage      8.6 V
Solar Current    180 mA
Battery Current  74 mA
Load Current     108 mA
TX Temp          23.16 C
Statusbits       00000000

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Subject: [amsat-bb:96348] ANDE beacon Jan.13
From: "Mineo Wakita"
Date: 7:09, 13 Jan 2007

145.825 MHz, 1200bps AX.25    JST
ANDE-1>APRS1,SGATE [01/13/07  06:25:39] <UI>:
:BLN1ANDE :ANDE-1 only wakes up 1  of evry 15s for users. Pse conserve.

http://www.ew.usna.edu/~bruninga/ande-raft-ops.html
http://www.ew.usna.edu/~bruninga/ande.html
http://www.dk3wn.info/sat/afu/sat_maa.shtml

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Subject: [amsat-bb] ANDE Beacons
From: "Robert Bruninga"
Date: Thu, 18 Jan 2007 09:34:33 -0500 

> On Behalf Of Mineo Wakita
> 
> 145.825 MHz, 1200bps AX.25    JST
> ANDE-1>APRS1,SGATE [01/13/07  06:25:39] :
> :BLN1ANDE :ANDE-1 only wakes up 1  of evry 15s for users.
> Pse conserve.

Since ANDE sleeps most of the time, and only awakes on activity,
we programmed the Satellite's KPC-3 TNC to schedule the beacons
so that they would give an idea of how long ANDE was kept awake.
The above beacon comes out 15 seconds after awakening.
The odd spelling and spacing make the bulletins wrap nicely on
the D7 and D700 radio front panel displays.

Here are the beacons and their times since awakening:

15s:  ANDE-1 only wakes up 1  of evry 15s for users. Pse conserve.
105s: ANDE stays  awake for 30 secs after last pkt heard.
4.2m: Aliases are RELAY, WIDE,APRSAT,ARISS & WIDEnN
10m:  I've been on over 10m & need to save power.  Thanks.

I have never seen the last one.  This is good news, and means
we are conserving power on this non-solar powered satellite.
(115 "D" cell Lithium cells).

Since ANDE has a voice synthesizer, I thought about programming
voice beacons, based on my daughter's morning responses to being
woken up...  But then it would make the satellite useless before
noon on weekends...

Bob, WB4APR

----------------------------------------------------------------------

RAFT>BEACON,SGATE [01/20/07  04:31:34 JST] <UI>:
RAFT is on 145.825  US Naval Academy

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: ANDE MAA and FCAL were reversed. 
From: "Mineo Wakita"
Date: Sat, 20 Jan 2007 04:16:42 +0900 

REALLY in Space-Track:
29664  ANDE  SPHERE 1  2006-055F
29667  FCAL  SPHERE 2  2006-055J

----------------------------------------------------------------------

RAFT Telemetry Decoder  by Mike Rupprecht, DK3WN

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Subject: [amsat-bb] RAFT synthesizer speaks!
From: "Mineo Wakita"
Date: Fri, 23 Feb 2007 22:19:34 +0900 

Feb 23, 12:26 UTC, RAFT speaks !
(1)  Set rig to A VFO(Tx): 145.823
                B VFO(Rx): 145.827
(2)  Set rig to SPRIT
(3)  Run terminal Software
(4)  Received:
     RAFT>APRS1,SGATE [02/23/07  12:30:02] <UI>::TALK     :Activate my voice by connecting "raft".
(5)  cmd:C RAFT
(6)  cmd:*** CONNECTED to RAFT
(7)  Received:
     RAFT>APRS2,SGATE [02/23/07  12:31:29] <UI>::TALK     :I will SPEAK any message you send to talk
(8)  Send>  :TALK     :This is JE9PEL via RAFT
(9)  Then RAFT speaks: This is JE9PEL via RAFT
(10) cmd:D
(11) cmd:*** DISCONNECTED

    http://www.ne.jp/asahi/hamradio/je9pel/70223raf.wav
    (Voice: This is JE9PEL via RAFT.)


Log in this time:
RAFT>BEACON,SGATE [02/23/07  12:29:59] <UI>:>RAFT is on 145.825  US Naval Academy
RAFT>APRS1,SGATE [02/23/07  12:30:02] <UI>::TALK     :Activate my voice by connecting "raft".
RAFT>BEACON,SGATE [02/23/07  12:30:07] <UI>:T#460,082,002,037,036,121,10000000,999
RAFT>BEACON,SGATE [02/23/07  12:30:47] <UI>:T#462,081,002,057,056,123,10000000,999
RAFT>BEACON,SGATE [02/23/07  12:31:07] <UI>:T#463,081,002,058,057,123,10000000,999
cmd:C RAFT
cmd:*** CONNECTED to RAFT
RAFT>BEACON,SGATE [02/23/07  12:31:28] <UI>:T#464,081,002,057,056,125,10000000,999
RAFT>APRS2,SGATE [02/23/07  12:31:29] <UI>::TALK     :I will SPEAK any message you send to talk
:TALK     :This is JE9PEL via RAFT
cmd:D
cmd:*** DISCONNECTED

Cf. http://www.ew.usna.edu/~bruninga/ande/ANDEcontract.txt
    http://home.vianetworks.nl/users/hamoen/pa3guo/voice.html

----------------------------------------------------------------------

http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/news/


A recording has been put on-line for those wishing to hear the RAFT satellite speak: http://www.ne.jp/asahi/hamradio/je9pel/70223raf.wav RAFT is speaking, "This is JE9PEL via RAFT". (Thanks Mineo, JE9PEL) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- RAFT/ANDE digipeat ! by Mineo Wakita, JE9PEL ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: Bye-bye RAFT WB4APR Bob wrote: Nothing heard at 0300z. RAFT is toast I assume. Last packet captured was by PE1ITR at 01:45:10 20070530014510 :RAFT]BEACON,SGATE,qAO,PE1ITR:T#768,079,103,036,067,131,00100000,999 Bye Bye RAFT! WB4APR, Bob US Naval Academy Satellite Lab http://www.ew.usna.edu/~bruninga/craft/save-raft.html ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: Goodbye message from RAFT PA3GUO Henk recorded: http://home.vianetworks.nl/users/hamoen/pa3guo/raft_voice_goodbye.mp3 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: [amsat-bb:98713] RAFT final report. From: Robert Bruninga To: amsat-bb Date: Fri, 1 Jun 2007 09:55:33 -0400 > Dave Johnson's RAFT telemetry page, and FINDU show > the last RAFT packet within APRS was > RAFT>BEACON,SGATE,qAO,PE1ITR:T#768,079,103,036,067,131,00100000,999 > > Battery Volts 7.9 > Sol Array mA 206 > Battery mA 72 > Load mA 134 > Temperature C 26 > Date Wed 30 01:45:11 I expanded the scale on the final temperature plot for RAFT, and it is clear to see the additional data we were getting from all the great volunteer ground stations. Re-entry was probably at 0347z over the southern Indian Ocean as predicted by Harro Zimmer. So although we didn't hear RAFT on that last 0300z pass over the USA, she was there. See the web page. http://www.ew.usna.edu/~bruninga/craft/save-raft.html If RAFT had reset due to high temps during the sun pass 30 minutes earlier, it would have returned to only 1 minute beacons. But no one reported even hearing any squelch bursts after that last packet. Throughout the 5 month 9 day mission, the KPC-3+ TNC command and control system only had one automatic re-boot. So it worked very reliably in space. It transmitted probably 1,374,000 packets. Bob, WB4APR


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