DTUSat 2 (Danmarks Tekniske Universitet Satellite 2) is a Danish 1U CubeSat to demonstrate the tracking of birds from space.
The GPPL (Ground Primary Payload) tracking system was developed by students and educators at DTU Space. It comprises as a ground segment a miniature radio-transmitter to be mounted on the carrier birds, prior to the migration, and as the space component the DTUSat-2 satellite carrying a purpose-built receiver system to complement the bird transmitters. The system provides GPS position data for individual bird compact transmitters (< 5 g) and hence yield unparalleled accuracy as compared to other systems.
The satellite was successfully deployed in orbit and beacon signals were successfully received on the first pass of the satellite. Due to some problems in the electrical power supply system on the satellite and some unforeseen problems with the ground station, no two-way communications with the satellite could be established yet. The satellite is still active and transmits beacons.
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