Radio Sputnik RS12/RS13
Satellite Summary
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: See Below
Features:
- Linear Communications Transponders
- Robot autotransponder
Linear Transponder RS-12 Non-Inverting (CW/SSB):
- Mode KT Uplink: 21.210 - 21.250 MHz
- Mode A Uplink: 145.910 - 145.950 MHz
- Mode KA Downlink: 29.410 - 29.450 MHz
- Mode T Downlink: 145.910 - 145.950 MHz
- Robot Uplink: 21.129 and 145.830 MHz
- Robot Downlink: 29.408 or 29.454 MHz and 145.912
or 145.958 (Beacon frequencies)
Linear Transponder RS-13 Non-Inverting (CW/SSB):
- Mode KT Uplink: 21.260 - 21.300 MHz
- Mode A Uplink: 145.960 - 146.000 MHz
- Mode KA Downlink: 29.460 - 29.500 MHz
- Mode T Downlink: 145.860 - 145.900 MHz
- Robot Uplink: 21.139 and 145.840 MHz
- Robot Downlink: 29.458 or 29.504 MHz and 145.862
or 145.908 (Beacon frequencies)
Status: RS-12/13 Non-Operational
- It is thought that after superpower proton flashes from the Sun about
July/August 2002 caused damaged to the COSMOS2123 and RS-12/13
transponders (thanks Jerry, K5OE/3).
- The latest information is available from the AMSAT
News Service (ANS). Click on the Weekly Satellite Report link.
Description
RS-12/13
RS-12/13 rides 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.
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.
Kevin Manzer, AC5DK, hosts the The RS-12/13
Satellite Operator's Page.
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.
Return to Satellite Summary
Last update May 31, 2003 - N7HPR