RS-10

RS-10
Radio Sputnik
RS10/RS11, RS12/RS13 and RS-15
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AMSAT Logo Satellite Summary

RS-10/11

Name: Radio Sputnik (RS) 10/11
NASA Catalog Number: 18129
Launched: June 23, 1987
Primary Spacecraft: COSMOS 1861 - Russian Navigation Satellite
Orbit: Polar LEO (Low Earth Orbit) - 1000 km altitude
Period: 105 Minutes
Modes: K, T, A, KT, KA
Beacons: 29.357 and 29.403 MHz

Features:

* Linear Communications Transponders
* Robot autotransponder

Linear Transponder:

Note: Satellite RS-10 is presently active in Mode A

* Mode A Uplink: 145.860 - 145.900 MHz
* Mode A Downlink: 29.360 - 29.400 MHz
* Robot Uplink: 145.820 MHz
* Robot Downlink: 29.357 or 29.403 MHz (Beacon frequencies)

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RS-12/13

Name: Radio Sputnik (RS) 12/13
NASA Catalog Number: 21089
Launched: February 5, 1991
Primary Spacecraft: COSMOS 2123 - Russian Navigation Satellite
Orbit: Polar LEO (Low Earth Orbit) - 1000 km altitude
Period: 105 Minutes
Modes: K, T, A, KT, KA
Beacons: 29.408, 29.454, 145.912, and 145.959 MHz

Features:

* Linear Communications Transponders
* Robot autotransponder

Linear Transponder:

Note: Satellite RS-12 is presently active in Mode KT
(simultaneous downlinks on both 10 meters and 2 meters)

* Mode KT Uplink: 21.210 - 21.250
* Mode K Downlink: 29.410 - 29.450
* Mode T Downlink: 145.910 - 145.950
* Robot Uplink: 21.129 and 145.830 MHz
* Robot Downlink: 29.408 or 29.454 MHz and 145.912 or 145.959
(Beacon frequencies)

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RS-15

Name: Radio Sputnik (RS) 15
NASA Catalog Number: 23440
Launched: December 16, 1994
Launch vehicle: Modified SS-19 missile
Launch location: Baykonur Cosmodrome
Weight: 70 kg
Orbit: Polar LEO (Low Earth Orbit) - 2000 km altitude
Inclination: 64.6 degrees
Period: 128 Minutes
Modes: A
Beacons: 29.3525 and 29.3987 MHz

Features:

* Linear Communications Transponder

Linear Transponder:

* Mode A Uplink: 145.858 - 145.898 MHz
* Mode A Downlink: 29.354 - 29.394 MHz
* Beacon 1: 29.3525 MHz
* Beacon 2: 29.3987 MHz

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AMSAT Logo Description

RS-10/11 and RS-12/13

These satellites ride piggyback on a primary spacecraft - the COSMOS
series of navigation satellites. Each satellite has two radio amateur
transponders onboard. Only one is switched on at a time. Presently,
only RS-10 and RS-12 are activated. For a number of technical reasons,
command problems, interference and the like, they cannot be switched
to other modes. So for the immediate future they will continue in
their present configuration. RS-11 and RS-13 will remain switched off
and in standby mode.

Both satellites have a 40 kHz wide linear transponder allowing for CW
and SSB contacts. One unique feature of both these satellites is the
ROBOT autotransponder. These autotransponders make it possible to
carry on a CW telegraphy contact with the ROBOT computer carried on
the spacecraft. Upon calling the satellite on the ROBOT uplink
frequency, the computer will return with a short message and issue a
QSO number.

For a more detailed description of these satellites, read John
Magliacane's, KD2BD, Spotlight On: RS10/RS11 and RS12/RS13 originally
published in The AMSAT Journal.

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RS-15

RS-15 Launch Report from Leo Maksakov dated 27 December 1994:

Moscow. Official report.

December 26, 1994 at 03:00 utc was launched Radio Amateurs satellite
RS-15 from Baykonur space center. RS-15 launched by vehicle "Rokot".
"Rokot" is made on base of rocketry boosters (1st and 2nd stages) of
missile well known as SS-19 and new booster "Briz" (3th stage).

Satellite is spherical like unit about 1 meter diameter and his weight
is approximately 70 kg. (used the same trunk as on RS-3 - RS-8). On
the board exist transponder, two radiobeacons, CW - broadcast bulletin
board (2kb), remote control system and telemetry system. The satellite
have not orientation and stabilization systems.

All electronics onboard equipment was designed and realized by group
of radio amateurs from Kaluga town (180 km s-w from Moscow) under
leaderships of Aleksander Papkov. Common coordinations and
supervisions to carry out by public organization NILAKT POSTO
(aero-cosmic laboratory), Moscow, director Valentin Yamnikov. Full
controls of RS-15 as RS-10/11 and RS-12/13 implemented by RS3A
controls station at Moscow (head Leonid Maksakov). Sponsor of ground
control station is "Unicom", Russia and "UTC", RI, USA.

RS-15 transponder bandplan and data:

Uplink: 145.858 - 145.898 MHz (from Earth to Sat.) - aprox. 100 Watts IERP
Downlink: 29.354 - 29.394 MHz (from Sat. to Earth) - up to 5 Watts
Beacon 1: 29.352.5 MHz - 0.4/1.2 Watts
Beacon 2: 29.398.7 MHz - 0.4/1.2 Watts

RS-15 Orbital data:

Orbit number: 3
Apogee: 2165 km.
Perigee: 1885 km.
Period: 127.45 min.
Inclination: 64.59 deg.
Time of ascent node: 8:56:17 utc
Longitude of ascent node: 54.243 deg. West.

A brief description of RS-15 telemetry was released by the operator of
RS3A, the command station for RS-15.

More information about RS-15 will be given after complete testing all
systems. Please send your reports and comments to controls station
(RS3A):

P.O. Box 59, Moscow 105122, Internet E-mail: [email protected]
Russia; Packet: RS3A @ RS3A.MSK.RUS.EU
Fax: 7+095-916-2949;

73 de RS-group. Your Reports are Welcome!

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AMSAT Logo References

* Vern Riportella, "New Russian Satellite Sparks Surge of Interest,"
QST, Nov 1987, p. 66.
* Keith Bergland, "Decoding RS-12/13 Telemetry," The AMSAT Journal,
Vol.15, No. 1, Jan/Feb 1992, p. 13.
* John Magliacane, "Spotlight on RS10/RS11 and RS12/RS13," The AMSAT
Journal, Vol. 15, No. 4, Jul/Aug 1992, p. 17.
* Steve Ford, "Working the EasySats", QST, Sep 1992, p. 30.
* Gould Smith, Beginners Guide to the RS Satellites, AMSAT.
* Martin Davidoff, The Satellite Experimenter's Handbook, 2nd
edition, The American Radio Relay League, Newington, CT., 1990.

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Last update April 8, 1996 - N7HPR