An amateur radio satellite created by students and named ‘Somaiya Beliefsat-0’ was successfully launched on New Year’s Eve at 9.10 am from Sriharikota’s premier launch pad. The satellite serves as a payload on the PSLV-C58 mission’s PSLV Orbital Experimental Module (POEM) platform
With the launch of the satellite, Somaiya Beliefsat-0 pays tribute to 100 years of the HAM radio in India and endeavours to succeed its predecessor. “HAMSAT was decommissioned in 2016,” said Umesh Shinde, the faculty coordinator for the mission. “Now Somaiya Beliefsat-0, positioned in a 350-km orbit with a 9.6-degree inclination, is set to become a crucial player in the realm of global amateur radio.”
HAM operators worldwide are poised to activate services once the POEM payload achieves its designated orbit.
Professor Suresh Ukrande, former principal of K J Somaiya Institute of Technology (KJSIT), said that Somaiya Beliefsat-0 was the first installment in a series of satellites dedicated to advancing space technology education. “Equipped with an ultra-high frequency (UHF) to a very high frequency (VHF) FM repeater and VHF digipeater, the satellite extends its services to the global amateur radio community,” he said. “Its innovative features include Automatic Packet Reporting System standard telemetry every 30 seconds, simplifying the reception of space tech telemetry for students with minimal set-up requirements.”
