All Nations University advances in satellite technology
The All Nations University College -Intelligent Space Systems (ANUC-ISSL) has successfully designed and built an amateur ground station that tracks and communicates with amateur radio satellites.
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The technology is also able to communicate with research and educational satellites in the very high frequencies (VHF) and ultra high frequency (UHF) bands in low earth orbit. This ranges from 300km-1000km above the earth surface.
A statement from the university made available to the Daily Graphic said the ANUC-ISSL Ground Station which had been licensed by the National Communication Authority (NCA) with its call sign being G2-AA, had successfully received radio signals from satellites such as Jugnu ( a satellite built by the Indian Space research organisation), Tisat (designed by the University of Applied Science of southern Switzerland), HO-68 (by China), Seed-2 (Japan), Aausat ( Denmark), RS-22 (Russia) and SPROUT (Nihon University, Japan).
Ghana’s first space science laboratory
The ANUC-ISSUL is Ghana's first institutional Space Science Laboratory established under the auspices of Electronics and Communications Department of the university. Established in February 2012, the laboratory continues to make great strides in the field of Satellite Technology giving the country a great esteem in Space Technology worldwide.
On May 15, 2013, the ISSL team attained its first unusual feat in Ghana's history and in the history of sub-Saharan Africa when they developed and launched a deployable miniature educational Satellite ("Cansat") which has been recognised as Ghana's first step to space.
Another achievement of the ANUC - ISSL team, the statement said, was when its ground station successfully received signals from the International Space Station (ISS).
The ISS, the largest artificial body in orbit, is a joint project of space agencies in Russia, United States, Canada, Japan and Europe. It carries astronauts performing various scientific experiments in biology, human biology, physics, meteorology and astronomy in space.
The ISS astronaut crew provides opportunities for students on earth by running student-developed experiments, making educational demonstrations, allowing for student participation in classroom versions of ISS experiments, and directly engaging students via amateur ground stations.
The statement explained that the participation of every institution or a country as a whole was first initiated by the reception of beacon signals and also Slow Scan Television (SSTV) from the Space Station. The reception of this SSTV image awards the ground station a QSL card (contact verification card) confirming the reception of a two-way radio communication by a third party listener from Amateur Radio on International Space Station (ARISS).
Inspiring career interests of students
The statement said: "Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) inspires students worldwide to pursue interests and careers in science, technology, engineering and math through amateur radio communication opportunities with the International Space Station (ISS) on-orbit crew.
Amateur Radio organisations, and space agencies in the USA, Russia, Canada, Japan and Europe sponsor this educational opportunity by providing the equipment and operational support to enable direct communication between crew on the ISS and students around the world via Amateur Radio”, saying: “Hundreds of amateur radio operators around the world work behind the scenes to make these educational experiences possible".
According to the university, Ghana, through the ANUC-ISSL ground station, can now participate in ISS amateur activities.
“The geographic position of Ghana and the position of the ANUC-ISSL ground station near the equator of the globe puts the ground station to an advantage to be involved in special Space activities”, the statement added.
Inauguration
The university said the ground station was yet to be inaugurated.
The ISSL team, the statement announced, had begun its next project, the building of an Earth - Observational Satellite.
Earth-Observational Satellites have become powerful scientific tools to enable better understanding and improved management of the Earth and its environment, such as regional vegetation coverage or wide-area weather, cloud patterns, agriculture and resource mapping as well as assessing the impact of disasters.
It said the ISSL team planned to target persisting environmental issues in the country. The project is targeted for completion by 2017.
The statement said All Nations University College was committed to providing the best in technology for Ghana and the continent of Africa adding that “the ANUC-ISSL shall be Ghana's gateway to build the capacity of young students and researchers in Space Science and Technology in Ghana in particular and in Africa as a whole”.
