Amateur Satellite Summary

Radio Sputnik 15

Satellite Summary

RS-15

Name: Radio Sputnik (RS) 15
NASA Catalog Number: 23440
Launched: December 26, 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

Status: Semi-Operational

The latest information is available from:
- Weekly Satellite Report (WSR)

Description

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: rsgroup@olymp.msk.su
Russia; Packet: RS3A @ RS3A.MSK.RUS.EU
Fax: 7+095-916-2949;

73 de RS-group. Your Reports are Welcome!

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 May 31, 2003 - N7HPR