IARU Amateur Satellite Frequency Coordination
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IARU Amateur Satellite Frequency Coordination |
| Pulse-A | Updated: 28 Jul 2025 | Responsible Operator | Mason McCormack KC1YAZ | |
| Supporting Organisation | The University of Chicago Space Program | |||
| Contact Person | mason.mccormack@gmail.com.nospam | |||
| Headline Details: PULSE-A is a 3U CubeSat designed, built, and operated entirely by undergraduate students at the University of Chicago. Its science mission is to demonstrate space-to-ground optical communication at data rates of 1–10 Mbps. This will serve as a proof of concept for future higher-bandwidth optical downlinks. The project also focuses on student training and outreach through hands-on experience in satellite engineering and radio communications. PULSE-A's ground station serves not only as the communication hub for the mission but also as a shared resource for future CubeSats, RF experiments, and educational community initiatives. Specifically, the PULSE-A project is serving as a catalyst for re activation of our currently dormant campus amateur radio club, by bringing together student Amateurs around a specific goal. Also, the AX.25 digipeater mode of the radio will be activated any time we are not transmitting telemetry to our ground station, and continuously after the experiment is completed (see section 5.7), until demise of the satellite. We plan to make our ground station part of the SATNOGS network. Also, we will participate in the SATNOGS network to receive telemetry. PULSE-A complies with provisions 1.56, 1.57, and Article 25 by operating exclusively for non-commercial, educational, and experimental purposes. The satellite is developed and operated by undergraduate students, with no paid staff, and is used to train students in satellite communications, optical engineering, and systems design. The mission supports self-training and technical experimentation by enabling students and licensed amateur operators to engage in telemetry reception, signal reporting, and hands-on use of a student- developed ground station. All transmissions from PULSE-A comply with international amateur radio regulations, with no encryption aside from permitted control signals. Amateur operators worldwide can participate beyond simply receiving telemetry; they can report RF signal detections, contribute to mission data through open- source tools, track the satellite via SatNOGS, and collaborate with the team in ongoing technical analysis. Also, serving amateurs worldwide, the AX.25 digipeater mode of the radio will be activated any time we are not transmitting telemetry to our ground station, with amateur operators getting priority over regular telemetry beacon. The digipeater mode will operate continuously after the experiment is completed, until demise of the satellite. After the primary science mission the digipeater will be switched to 1200 baud to be more accessible to amateur operators. The ground station itself also will be used for broader amateur activities such as ISS communications, SatNOGS network participation, EME experiments, and meteor-scatter reception; thereby contributing meaningfully to the advancement and visibility of the amateur satellite service, and furthering acquaintance with the radio arts. So far we have 7 licensed ham technicians as a result of development of the ground station: KO6JTF, KE9CZD, K06JDS, KK7OAA, KJ5HBK, KR4ERV, KE2GJW and one ham general license: KC1YAZ. We are committed to using the ground station as a tool for amateur radio education as part of the UChicago Space Program to encourage more people to become amateur radio technicians and learn about science and engineering through amateur radio. Proposing a UHF downlink using AX25 with 9k6 GMSKI modulation. No launch opportunity has been confirmed but planning for a 500 km circular orbit at a 45 degree inclination NET Q1 2027. More info at https://www.uchicagospaceprogram.org/ | ||||
| Application Date: | 24 Jul 2025 | Freq coordination completed on | ||
The IARU Amateur Satellite Frequency Coordination Status pages are hosted
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