ISS 437.800 MHz cross band repeater activated
At 01:02 GMT on September 2 a
cross band FM amateur radio repeater with a downlink on 437.800 MHz was
activated on the International Space Station
The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) announcement reads:
The ARISS team is pleased to announce that set up
and installation of the first element of our next generation radio
system was completed and amateur radio operations with it are now
underway.
This first element, dubbed the InterOperable Radio
System (IORS), was installed in the International Space Station Columbus
module. The IORS replaces the Ericsson radio system and packet module
that were originally certified for spaceflight on July 26, 2000.
Initial operation of the new radio system is in FM cross band repeater
mode using an uplink frequency of 145.990 MHz with a CTCSS access tone
of 67 Hz and a downlink frequency of 437.800 MHz. System activation was
first observed at 01:02 UTC on September 2. Special operations will
continue to be announced.
The IORS was launched from Kennedy Space Center on March 6, 2020 on
board the SpaceX CRS-20 resupply mission. It consists of a special,
space-modified JVC Kenwood D710GA transceiver, an ARISS developed
multi-voltage power supply and interconnecting cables. The design,
development, fabrication, testing, and launch of the first IORS was an
incredible five-year engineering achievement accomplished by the ARISS
hardware volunteer team. It will enable new, exciting capabilities for
ham radio operators, students, and the general public. Capabilities
include a higher power radio, voice repeater, digital packet radio
(APRS) capabilities and a Kenwood VC-H1 slow scan television (SSTV)
system.
A second IORS undergoes flight certification and will be launched later
for installation in the Russian Service module. This second system
enables dual, simultaneous operations, (e.g. voice repeater and APRS
packet), providing diverse opportunities for radio amateurs. It also
provides on-orbit redundancy to ensure continuous operations in the
event of an IORS component failure.
Next-gen development efforts continue. For the IORS, parts are being
procured and a total of ten systems are being fabricated to support
flight, additional flight spares, ground testing and astronaut training.
Follow-on next generation radio system elements include an L-band
repeater uplink capability, currently in development, and a flight
Raspberry-Pi, dubbed “ARISS-Pi,” that is just beginning the design
phase. The ARISS-Pi promises operations autonomy and enhanced SSTV
operations.
ARISS is run almost entirely by volunteers, and with the help of
generous contributions from ARISS sponsors and individuals. Donations to
the ARISS program for next generation hardware developments,
operations, education, and administration are welcome -- please go to https://www.ariss.org/donate.html to contribute to these efforts.
ARISS--Celebrating 20 years of continuous amateur radio operations on the ISS!
