Tomsk-TPU-120 CubeSat – Credit Tomsk Polytechnic University
The Russian Tomsk-TPU-120 CubeSat is different from other CubeSats – it has a handle!
The 3U CubeSat was launched from Baikonur to the ISS on March 31, 2016 in a Progress-MS-2 cargo vessel. It will be deployed by hand during a future Russian spacewalk (EVA), which is why it has a handle.
The satellite was developed by students at the Tomsk Polytechnic University to test new space materials technology and will be the world’s first space vehicle with a 3D-printed structure.
In May 2016 Tomsk Polytechnic University celebrates its 120th anniversary. As part of the celebrations on May 10-11 Tomsk-TPU-120 will be activated in the ISS and will transmit a greeting to Earth inhabitants, recorded by students of the university in 10 languages: Russian, English, German, French, Chinese, Arabic, Tatar, Indian, Kazakh and Portuguese.
The greeting signal will be transmitted once a minute on 437.025 MHz FM. One of the Kenwood transceivers (TM D700) on the ISS will provide a cross-band relay, re-transmitting the signal on 145.800 MHz FM.
Dmitry Pashkov R4UAB reports that on May 5 the Russian ISS crew will charge the satellite battery, connect the antenna and configure the Kenwood transceiver for relay operation, they will then make a test transmission.
Dmitry operates a WebSDR which you can use to receive the transmissions when the ISS is over Russia http://websdr.r4uab.ru/
The next Russian spacewalk appears to be EVA-43 which expected to take place in early 2017 http://spaceflight101.com/iss/iss-calendar/
Use Google translator to read original article by Dmitry Pashkov R4UAB http://r4uab.ru/?p=11845
World’s First 3D-printed Satellite http://tpu.ru/en/news-events/760/
