ChipSat Signals Received; Listeners Needed
Cornell University’s ChipSat light sail was successfully deployed on December 3, 2025, and researchers there have decoded several telemetry signals from it. This marks a significant milestone, according to Ph.D. candidate Joshua Umansky-Castro, who has been working on the project.
The student team is asking amateur radio operators with satellite stations for help in monitoring signals from the tiny ChipSat transmitters. These transmitters operate at 100 milliwatts on the frequency 437.400 MHz, using the LoRa® digital protocol. The light sail is expected to deorbit within 48 hours of deployment due to atmospheric drag.
You can find real-time data from the mission on the TinyGS project webpage, which will also provide updates on how things are progressing.
This light sail is attached to a 1U CubeSat deployed from the International Space Station. Once released, it will operate as an independent spacecraft. The goal is for the ChipSats to transmit telemetry data back to Earth, which is the first test of this kind for Cornell’s team and a promising step for future space exploration.
The potential here is exciting. Experts believe this technology could pave the way for missions beyond our solar system, possibly to neighboring stars like Alpha Centauri. As space exploration advances, contributions from amateur radio operators could become even more crucial, blending enthusiasm with cutting-edge science.
For more technical information, including setup parameters and resources for receiving signals, check out the ChipSat Ground Station Guide. This could be a unique opportunity for hobbyists to contribute to space tech advancements while positively impacting the future of interstellar exploration.
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