cogs-project---cubesat-open-source-ground-station-project
C.O.G.S. (CubeSat Open-Source Ground Station-Project) is an open-source and inexpensive Ground Station for searching for and receiving beaconing and data transmission from Cubesat Satellites. The intent is to develop an affordable solution for identification and reception of CubeSat radio transmissions using readily available software defined radio receivers. The project intends to document the hardware and software aspects involved in development of the ground station to be shared with educators, amateur HAM operators, etc.This project is solving the Virtual Ground Station App – Global Crowdsourcing of CubeSats challenge. Description
C.O.G.S. aims to develop a UHF antenna platform designed to search for, lock on to, and collect CubeSat signals through an affordable X,Y axis (pan and tilt) system allowing for precise line-of-site signal reception of passing overhead CubeSats. Secondly, the signals will be collected using cheap, commercial-of-the-shelf Software Defined Radio (SDR) dongles manufactured to receive digital broadcast television known as the RTL-SDR ($11). Although its original intent was to allow computer users to watch broadcast TV in digital signal form, hackers quickly identified that the receiver chip contained within was capable of receiving radio signals within the range of 24 - 1766 MHz; well within most Cubesat UHF transmission ranges. Lastly, C.O.G.S. intends to share the collected data with a central database fed by multiple CubeSats globally with intent to provide maximum coverage of collected signals through the use of a globally distributed network of C.O.G.S.
Project Information
License: GNU General Public License version 3.0 (GPL-3.0)
Source Code/Project URL: http://github.com/TheClubhouseAugusta/antenna
