China successfully launched Xiwang 3 (XW-3), a CubeSat built by the Chinese Amateur Satellite Group (CAMSAT) on 26th December 03:11 UTC (11:11 Beijing Time). The 6U Cubesat was placed successfully into LEO along with the rocket’s primary payload Ziyuan-1 02E via Chang Zheng 4C rocket.
Xiwang – meaning Hope – is equipped with a small visible-light camera whose images will be downlinked along with telemetry through a GMSK-modulated downlink which will be openly accessible to amateur radio enthusiasts. It also carries a telemetry beacon, an x-band transponder and a thermoelectric generator – the latter being carried as part of a high school experiment.
The 100 mW linear transponder will have an uplink frequency of 145.870 MHz and a downlink frequency of 435.18 MHz (transponder passband is 30 kHz, inverted). The satellite also has a CW beacon on 435.575 MHz
Xiwang 3 (XW-3) user manual has more details.
