SGAC global satellite tracking initiative

Abstract

The Global Satellite Tracking Initiative aims to support international students and young professionals to set up ground stations to download real-time data and images from satellites orbiting above their regions. The objective is to empower and build capabilities among space enthusiasts around the world and to promote the space sector through hands-on activities and real space technologies related to satellite communications. The Space Generation Advisory Council, together with SatNOGS as an integral part of the Libre Space Foundation, have been supporting the initiative to enhance the development of a global open source network of satellite ground stations. The initiative will be providing all the resources, hardware, and know-how that is needed to set up ground stations. A competition was launched by the end of 2021 to select teams of space enthusiasts and supply them with a kit and step-by-step instructions on how to build their own ground stations. By setting up ground stations in backyards, local universities, or maker clubs, teams are not only self-learning about telecommunications and satellite technologies, but they are creating a meaningful impact in their local communities by bringing the broad society closer to science, technology, engineering, mathematics and, in particular, space. The initiative also intends to support space missions while engaging local communities from different regions around the world in the space sector through appealing imagery and tools. After closing the Call for Applications in this pilot initiative, 10 winning teams were selected upon receiving almost 200 applications from more than 60 countries. The selected winners are based in the following emerging space faring nations: Benin, Bolivia, Egypt, Ethiopia, Nepal, Peru, Philippines, Rwanda, Vietnam, and Zimbabwe. They are being supplied with a basic Ground Station Kit and instructions on how to receive live images and data from different space missions, starting with the following frequency bands: - 137 megahertz: To receive images from National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration satellites. - 144-146 megahertz: To receive images and data from the International Space Station. - 440 megahertz: To receive data from numerous scientific and educational small satellites. Those teams that manage to set up the basic ground station kits and conduct some outreach and educational activities will receive a more advanced system. This paper captures the process to be followed by the selected teams, from the unboxing of the hardware to the reception and processing of data from operational space missions.