Program Description

To build a sustainable Taiwanese space industry, Taiwan Space Industry Development Initiative - Micro-satellite Development Program, including CubeSat program, has been executed by Taiwan Space Agency (TASA). The purpose for this CubeSat program is to cultivate new generation talents for space technologies and to generate CubeSat commercial products. This CubeSat program has started since 2017 and aimed to launch 3 CubeSats in 2021~2022. The orbit is circular, with altitude within 400~600km. These CubeSat contracts and their launch service contracts have been performed by universities and domestic companies in Taiwan. The following IDEASSat, NutSat, and YUSAT are 3U, 2U, and 1.5U type CubeSats, respectively.  

IDEASSat

The science payload for IDEASSat (Ionospheric Dynamics Explorer and Attitude Subsystem Satellite) is the Compact Ionosphere Probe (CIP), an all-in-one in-situ plasma sensor developed at National Central University (NCU), based on heritage from the Advanced Ionosphere Probe (AIP) aboard FORMOSAT-5. The CIP will be capable of monitoring the thermal, chemical, and electro-dynamic structure of the ionosphere, while also identifying plasma irregularities that can disrupt satellite and terrestrial radio communications through scintillation.

 

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NutSat

The payload for NutSat is the ADS-B (Automatic Dependent Surveillance - Broadcast) receiver.

The technology and devices of ADS-B have been used on commercial airplane for many years while using satellites to track airplane has the benefit for global coverage.

 

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YUSAT

There are two communication payloads, Automatic Identification System (AIS) receiver and Automatic Packet Reporting System (APRS) receiver, on YUSAT.  The AIS receiver can receive AIS packets from vessels globally.

 

The AIS packets can be stored on board and then dumped to ground stations via UHF frequency. It will improve maritime navigation safety. The APRS receiver can receive APRS messages from cars for traffic monitoring and from ground sensor devices for large area environmental monitoring.
 

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Launch Time and Orbit

YUSAT and IDEASSat were successfully launched by SpaceX Falcon-9 at 23:00 on 2021/01/24 Taiwan time.  They operated in a Sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of 525km. IDEASSat retired in September.   YUSAT retired in October.

NutSat is launched in November 2022, then deployed intro orbit from International Space Station in December 2022. 

RF Communication Information

YUSAT: callsign BN0YS, UHF downlink frequency 436.250MHz, AX25, 9k6, GMSK；APRS VHF uplink frequency145.825MHz

NutSat: callsign BN0UT, UHF downlink frequency 436.850MHz, AX25, 1k2, AFSK；APRS VHF downlink frequency 145.825MHz；

IDEASSat: callsign BN0IDA, UHF downlink frequency 437.345MHz, AX25, 9k6, GMSK；S-band downlink frequency 2420.000MHz

Welcome to receive these CubeSat downlink RF signals. Contact: albert_lin@tasa.org.tw