DELFI-OSCAR 64 (DELFI-C³)
On the 28th of April 2008 at 03:53 UTC the Delfi-C3 was succesfully launched with a PSLV launch vehicle. At 06:45 UTC the first signal was received by a radio amateur in California. At 11:55 UTC the satellite signal was acquired and decoded at the TU Delft groundstation, initial analysis showed the craft to be in excellent condition, all solar panels and antennas were deployed and the internal temperatures and voltages were within the ranges expected.
Mission
Test a new type of thin film solar cells in the space environment. In addition, the Dutch research institute TNO Science and Industry showed interest to join the initiative with an autonomous Sun Sensor using a wireless link for data transfer. A third new technology tested during the Delfi-C3 mission is an advanced high efficiency transceiver sized for application in pico- and nanosatellites.
Communications
| Operational mode | Radio 1 | Radio 2 |
| Basic | 145.870 MHz 1200 Baud BPSK AX.25 housekeeping telemetry only |
145.930 MHz 1200 Baud BPSK AX.25 housekeeping telemetry only |
| Science | 145.870 MHz 1200 Baud BPSK AX.25 housekeeping & payload telemetry |
145.930 MHz 1200 Baud BPSK AX.25 housekeeping & payload telemetry |
| Transponder | Uplink: 435.570 – 435.530 MHz Downlink: 145.880 – 145.920 MHz (inverting) Beacon: 145.870 MHz CW |
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Orbital parameters
Name DELFI-C3 NORAD 32790 COSPAR designation 2008-021-H Inclination (degree) 97.994 RAAN 188.873 Eccentricity 0.0013611 ARGP 268.356 Orbit per day 14.81519716 Period 1h 37m 11s (97.18 Min) Semi-major axis 7003 km Perigee x apogee 615 x 634 km Drag factor 0.000387600 1/ER Mean Anomaly 91.608
Downlink
145.870 MHz, CW (Beacon, 40 mW)
145.870 MHz, 1k2 BPSK AX.25 (primairy TLM, 400mW)
145.930 MHz, 1k2 BPSK AX.25 (backup TLM, 400mW)
145.880 – 145.920 MHz (inverted •Linear transponder, 400mW)
Modular antenna deployment boxes.
Emergency Mode: 2 tones (500Hz and 900Hz), modulated DSB onto the (suppressed) carrier, use USB to receive this signal. These tones themselves are modulated with 100Bd FSK each with raw payload data.
Uplink
435.570 – 435.530 MHz (Linear transponder)
Call
DLFIC3
Status
Science mode, radio 1
Telemetry
Use rascal to decode the telemetry
QSL
Homepage and other references:
DelfiC3
Online rascal statistics
Delfi Space