Communications & Radioamateurs
Help us collect telemetry data and become part of the NyxSat mission.
Track NyxSat
The NyxSat team actively encourages the global amateur radio community to listen for the satellite telemetry beacon and to experiment with the amateur radio payloads. Reception reports will be especially valuable during the Launch and Early Orbit Phase.
Telemetry / Beacon Downlink
NyxSat transmits public, non-encrypted telemetry through its UHF and LoRa downlinks. Radio amateurs are encouraged to receive and report valid telemetry packets.
| Link | Frequency | Modulation | Data rate | Format | Bandwidth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UHF Beacon / Telemetry |
435.800 MHz | GMSK | 9600 baud | ASM + Golay mode | 10 kHz |
| LoRa Telemetry |
437.800 MHz | LoRa | 250 bit/s | AX.25 | 125 kHz |
All telemetry, modulation descriptions, protocols and formats will be publicly available. Instructions and tools for decoding NyxSat telemetry and mission data will be published on this page before launch.
S-Band Images Downlink
NyxSat will use its S-Band link to downlink optical payload images. Images will be packetized and transmitted using AX.25 format.
| Link | Frequency | Modulation | Data rate | Format | Bandwidth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S-Band Images |
2450 MHz | QPSK | 1 Mbps | AX.25 packetized images | 2 MHz |
NyxSat Digipeaters
NyxSat will host two amateur radio relay systems: a standard UHF digital store-and-forward digipeater and an experimental LoRa-based digipeater.
UHF Digipeater
| Service | Store-and-forward amateur digipeater |
|---|---|
| Uplink frequency | 435.600 MHz |
| Modulation | GMSK |
| Baudrate | 9600 / 1200 baud |
| Protocol / format | TBD |
LoRa Digipeater
| Service | Experimental LoRa amateur digipeater |
|---|---|
| Uplink frequency | 437.800 MHz |
| Modulation | LoRa |
| Data rate | 250 bit/s |
| Bandwidth | 125 kHz |
| Spreading Factor | TBD |
| Coding Rate | TBD |
| Protocol / format | AX.25 |
How the amateur payload works
The digipeaters use a store-and-forward approach: a message received from a radio amateur is stored on board and retransmitted in the periodic beacon (typically one message per beacon). The LoRa payload provides an experimental platform for long-range, low-power amateur satellite communications.
Detailed operating instructions for both digipeaters will be published before launch.
QSL Cards
We will happily send a special mission QSL card to any radio amateur who submits valid telemetry packets. Instructions for decoding telemetry and submitting reception reports will be provided on this page shortly before launch.