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{ "url": "https://mailman.amsat.org/hyperkitty/api/list/[email protected]/email/ERYET5T3XNK2ZVWLY6VC2CGMDRKL7LVT/", "mailinglist": "https://mailman.amsat.org/hyperkitty/api/list/[email protected]/", "message_id": "CAHKCqnDuSOjrQ5HLUSMoKfEdRR-mfyP4h7RMQEt2XbRQBLHRyw@mail.gmail.com", "message_id_hash": "ERYET5T3XNK2ZVWLY6VC2CGMDRKL7LVT", "thread": "https://mailman.amsat.org/hyperkitty/api/list/[email protected]/thread/ERYET5T3XNK2ZVWLY6VC2CGMDRKL7LVT/", "sender": { "address": "mjohns+K0JM (a) luther.edu", "mailman_id": null, "emails": null }, "sender_name": "Mark D. Johns", "subject": "[amsat-bb] ANS-131 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins", "date": "2020-05-10T00:01:00Z", "parent": null, "children": [], "votes": { "likes": 0, "dislikes": 0, "status": "neutral" }, "content": "AMSAT NEWS SERVICE\nANS-131\n\nThe AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and infor-\nmation service of AMSAT, The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS\npublishes news related to Amateur Radio in Space including reports on\nthe activities of a worldwide group of Amateur Radio operators who\nshare an active interest in designing, building, launching and commun-\nicating through analog and digital Amateur Radio satellites.\n\nThe news feed on http://www.amsat.org publishes news of Amateur\nRadio in Space as soon as our volunteers can post it.\n\nPlease send any amateur satellite news or reports to:\[email protected]\n\nYou can sign up for free e-mail delivery of the AMSAT News Service\nBulletins via the ANS List; to join this list see:\nhttp://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/ans\n\nIn this edition:\n\n* 2019 Back Issues of The AMSAT Journal on launch.amsat.org\n* Call for Nominations - 2020 AMSAT Board of Directors Election\n* New Chinese Amateur Satellites Expected to Launch in September\n* Cubesat Developers Workshop Presentations Available\n* Visual Observations Of RS-44 Underway\n* Hack-a-Sat Call for Participation\n* NASA TV To Air Cygnus Departure From Space Station\n* Online Amateur Radio Satellite Talk on Zoom\n* Satellite Distance Records Set\n* Upcoming Satellite Operations\n* ARISS News\n* Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events\n* Satellite Shorts From All Over\n\n\nSB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-131.01\nANS-131 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins\n\nAMSAT News Service Bulletin 131.01\n>From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD.\nDATE 2020-May-10\nTo All RADIO AMATEURS\nBID: $ANS-131.01\n\n\n2019 Back Issues of The AMSAT Journal on launch.amsat.org\n\nAMSAT's new online member portal, launch.amsat.org, is up and running.\nAll AMSAT members must log in and update their contact information to\nensure continued, uniterrupted service. Full instructions for getting\nlogged in are in the March/April issue of The AMSAT Journal, avail-\nable for free download on amsat.org and launch.amsat.org. There is\nalso separate instructions on each site.\n\nThose interested in joining AMSAT can create an account, using the\nJoin link on launch.amsat.org\n\nIMPORTANT UPDATE: AMSAT's Member Portal not only puts you in charge\nof your member account but gives you exclusive access to member-only\ncontent. Want to read back issues of The AMSAT Journal, in full color?\nWe just posted all 2019 issues, plus the first two issues of 2020. We\nwill continue to work on uploading prior years, so check back often.\n\nLog in today!\n\n(ANS thanks Robert Bankston, KE4AL, AMSAT VP-Member Services for the\nabove information)\n\n+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+\n\n Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the AMSAT office\n is closed until further notice. For details, please visit\n https://www.amsat.org/amsat-office-closed-until-further-notice/\n\n+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+\n\nCall for Nominations - 2020 AMSAT Board of Directors Election\n\nAMSAT solicits nominations for the 2020 AMSAT Board of Directors\nelection, to be held in the third quarter of the year. The seats of\nthe following three incumbent Directors expire in 2020 and will be\nfilled by this year's election: Tom Clark, K3IO; Mark Hammond, N8MH;\nand Bruce Paige, KK5DO. Further, up to two Alternate Directors may be\nelected for one-year terms.\n\nA valid nomination for Director must be written and requires either\none Member Society or five current individual members in good standing\nto nominate an AMSAT member. Written nominations, with the nominee’s\nname, call sign, and contact information, as well as the nominators'\nnames, call signs, and contact information, should be sent to the\nAMSAT Secretary:\n\nBrennan Price, N4QX\n300 Locust St SE, Unit E\nVienna VA 22180-4869\nbrennanprice at verizon.net\n\nA copy should be sent to AMSAT Manager, Martha Saragovitz, at\nmartha at amsat.org.\n\nThe AMSAT bylaws require that the nomination be written and in the\nform specified by the Secretary. In light of the ongoing pandemic and\nthe resulting closure of the physical office, the Secretary has\nelected to accept written nomination materials in electronic form,\nincluding e-mail or electronic image of a paper document. Fax trans-\nmissions cannot be accepted due to the closure of the office.\n\nNo matter what means are used, petitions MUST be received by the\nSecretary no later than June 15th. The Secretary will verify the qual-\nifications of candidates and nominating members or Member Societies as\npetitions are received, and will notify candidates whether their nom-\ninations are in order by the end of June.\n\n[ANS thanks Brennan Price, N4QX, AMSAT Secretary, for the above\ninformation]\n\n---------------------------------------------------------------------\n\nNew Chinese Amateur Satellites Expected to Launch in September\n\nTwo new Chinese amateur radio satellites are now expected to launch on\nSeptember 15, 2020. The first of these satellites, CAS-7A, is a 27 kg\nmicrosat (750 mm x 650 mm x 260 mm) with three-axis stabilization and\nseveral transponders. The transponders include a 15m to 10m linear\ntransponder (H/t), a 15m to 70cm linear transponder (H/u), and a 2m to\n70cm linear transponder(V/u). The satellite also includes a 2m to 70cm\n(V/u) FM transponder. Several beacons and data downlinks are also feat-\nured, CW beacons on 10m and 70cm, 4.8k or 9.6k GMSK telemetry on 70cm,\nand a 1 Mbps GMSK image data downlink on 3cm for the on board camera.\nIARU coordinated frequencies for the uplinks and downlinks are listed\nbelow.\n\nThis launch is also expected to carry CAS-7C, a 2U CubeSat with a V/u\nlinear transponder and a CW beacon. Frequencies for CAS-7C have not\nbeen coordinated by the IARU at the time of this writing. CAS-7C will\nalso deploy a 1 mm diameter 1080 meter long carbon fiber rope.\n\nCAS-7A and CAS-7C will launch from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center\ninto a 500 km sun-synchronous orbit with an inclination of 98 degrees.\n\nFrequencies:\n\nCAS-7A H/t Linear Transponder\nUplink - 21.245MHz through 21.275 MHz\nDownlink - 29.435MHz through 29.465 MHz\nCW Beacon 29.425 MHz\n\nCAS-7A H/u Linear Transponder\nUplink - 21.3125 MHz through 21.3275 MHz\nDownlink - 435.3575 MHz through 435.3725 MHz\nCW Beacon 435.430MHz\n\nCAS-7A V/u Linear Transponder\nUplink - 145.865 MHz through 145.895 MHz\nDownlink - 435.385 MHz through 435.415 MHz\nCW Beacon 435.430MHz\n\nCAS-7A V/u FM Transponder\nUplink 145.950 MHz\nDownlink 435.455 MHz\n\n4.8k / 9.6k GMSK telemetry downlink - 435.480 MHz\n1 Mbps GMSK image data downlink - 10460.00 MHz\n\n[ANS thanks the IARU for the above information]\n\n---------------------------------------------------------------------\n\nCubesat Developers Workshop Presentations Available\n\nAlthough we are not able to come together in San Luis Obispo for the\nCubeSat Developers Workshop today, we are excited to share some of the\npresentations that would have taken place with you online. Find the\nslide decks for these presentations on our archive\n<http://mstl.atl.calpoly.edu/~workshop/archive/> as well as videos on\nour YouTube channel\n<https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCENz0fNHsDR8Kz3jM6C_VWw/featured>.\n\nYou will also be able to find all of our previous Workshop presentations\nin NASA's Small Spacecraft Systems Virtual Institute (S3VI)\n<https://www.nasa.gov/smallsat-institute>. We are excited to have our\narchives integrated into S3VI and hope you can use this tool to further\nyour research and involvement with CubeSat.\n\nIf you were selected to present your abstract at this year's Workshop\nand would still like your presentation to be included in our archive,\nemail us at [email protected]\n<mailto:[email protected]>.\n\nWe also want to share some of our CDW Zoom backgrounds with you. Feel\nfree to download and use them in your next meeting!\n\nWe look forward to welcoming you all back to San Luis Obispo from *April\n27-29, 2021* for the next CubeSat Developers Workshop. We will continue\nto announce new deadlines and registration information via email and on\nour website <https://www.cubesat.org/workshop-information> as we\ncontinue to plan for 2021. Be sure to join the CubeSat Workshop mailing\nlist <http://www.cubesat.org/mailinglist/> for future announcements.\n\nWe hope you continue working together (from home) to advance CubeSats\n\n[ANS thanks JoAnne Maenpaa, K9JKM, for the above information]\n\n+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+\n\n Need new satellite antennas? Purchase Arrows, Alaskan Arrows,\n and M2 LEO-Packs from the AMSAT Store. When you purchase through\n AMSAT, a portion of the proceeds goes towards\n Keeping Amateur Radio in Space.\n https://amsat.org/product-category/hardware/\n\n+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+\n\nVisual Observations Of RS-44 Underway\n\nVisual observations of the payload and attached Briz-KM rocket body\nmade whilst the object has been flying over the UK at night, indica-\nted a rotation period of 19 seconds. Optically with binoculars, it\nappeared between magnitude +5 to invisible in hazy moonlit skies, on\nnear zenithal transits. No flashes nor glints were observed, which\ncould indicate the stack is in a slow roll along the longitudinal\naxis, rather than a tumbling motion.\n\nOn a radio aspect, it would appear the beacon signals are stronger\nas the payload approaches, declining thereafter upon passing TCA.\nAssuming RS-44 is mounted to the front and that some aerials have\ndeployed, then this would account for the phenomenon, as receding\naway from the station would have the aerials blocked by the Briz\nrocket body - however, I have not seen any information released as to\nthe physical condition of RS-44. It would be useful for the transmit-\nters to remain on, to monitor over the long term if the nutation rate\nslows over time. The CW beacon was timed at 20 seconds between trans-\nmission, which fits with the optical work, but this may well just be\ncoincidental as to how the beacon is programmed.\n\nLater radio monitoring indicates the beacon repetition is 15-16 sec-\nonds on the callsign being transmitted. Whether this ties in with\nhopefully future optical work to see if the spin rate has slowed to\nthe same, or we have a differential - we wait and see!\n\n[ANS thanks Max White, M0VNG, for the above information]\n\n---------------------------------------------------------------------\n\nHack-a-Sat Call for Participation\n\nI've put out the call for participation for the Hack-a-Sat competition\nin the past, and would like to bring you all up to date on the devel-\nopments and opportunities that have developed since.\n\nThe website is here: https://www.hackasat.com/\n\nHack-a-Sat is an activity that was scheduled to happen at the in-per-\nson DEFCON event.\n\nAs of today, yes, it's true. DEFCON has been cancelled.\n\nThose of you that have volunteered at Ham Radio Village in the past\nare familiar with the event. For those of you that are not, it's a\nlong-running hacking and cybersecurity event that has enthusiastical-\nly adopted everything RF and amateur radio.\n\nThe United States Air Force, in conjunction with the Defense Digital\nService, organized this year’s Space Security Challenge, called Hack-\nA-Sat. This challenge asks hackers from around the world to focus\ntheir skills and creativity on solving cybersecurity challenges on\nspace systems. This competition is going to be held! It's now a vir-\ntual event.\n\nSecurity in the amateur radio sense of the word is fundamentally dif-\nferent from commercial and military applications. We have an advan-\ntage here, mainly due to the enormous leverage we have due to our con-\ntext being completely different from what the Air Force and commercial\ninterests assume. This is, essentially, a diversity advantage.\n\nIf you want to participate on an experienced Capture The Flag (CTF)\nteam, then I am here to extend an invitation. Anyone that reads\nthrough the rules and can afford to spend some time during the event\nis invited to apply to join Vaporsec. This is a team that has a major-\nity of information security professionals. There are some satellite\nindustry people, some amateur involvement, and I'd like to make sure\nthat anyone interested in competing from AMSAT-BB gets a chance to\njoin a competitive team.\n\nThe benefits to amateur radio are primarily technical, with policy and\nsecurity a close second. The Air Force has some agendas here in terms\nof improving satellite security. Exposure to the challenges alone is a\nan excellent opportunity to learn more about modern satellite technol-\nogy...and what a significant player in space wants to find out more\nabout. Don't assume that that the challenges in the competition are\ngoing to be \"too hard.\" What is trivial for one viewpoint is unsolv-\nable for another.\n\nI'll be writing about the event and what we learned when it is over,\nso this sort of knowledge will not be secret. However, there is no\nreplacement for participation, and you could very well have the prac-\ntical knowledge, gained from operating real satellites, that wins the\ncompetition. As you can see from the website, there is some real money\ninvolved and opportunities for technical writing.\n\nLet me know at [email protected] if you would like to talk more about\njoining a CTF team for this really neat and unique event. Know someone\nthat you think should participate? Please forward to them.\n\n[ANS thanks Michelle Thompson, W5NYV, AMSAT Board Member for the\nabove information]\n\n---------------------------------------------------------------------\n\nNASA TV To Air Cygnus Departure From Space Station\n\nNearly three months after delivering several tons of supplies and sci-\nentific experiments to the International Space Station, Northrup Grum-\nman’s unpiloted Cygnus cargo craft is scheduled to depart the Inter-\nnational Space Station on Monday, May 11.\n\nLive coverage of the spacecraft’s release will air on NASA Television\nand the agency’s website beginning at 11:45 a.m. EDT, with release\nscheduled for noon.\n\nDubbed the “SS Robert H. Lawrence,” Cygnus arrived at the station on\nFebruary 18. Within 24 hours of its release, Cygnus will begin its\nsecondary mission, hosting the Spacecraft Fire Safety Experiment – IV\n(Saffire-IV), which provides an environment to safely study fire in\nmicrogravity. It also will deploy a series of payloads. Northrop Grum-\nman flight controllers in Dulles, Virginia, will initiate Cygnus’ de-\norbit to burn up in Earth’s atmosphere Monday, May 25.\n\nMore information on Cygnus’ mission and the International Space Sta-\ntion can be found at: http://www.nasa.gov/station\n\n[ANS thanks Southgate ARC for the above information]\n\n---------------------------------------------------------------------\n\nOnline Amateur Radio Satellite Talk on Zoom\n\nRobin Moseley, G1MHU, will give a talk on Zoom titled “Introduction\nto amateur satellites, meteor scatter, EME and ISS” on Wednesday,\nMay 13, at 1830z\n\nThe presentation is being organised by the Denby Dales Amateur Radio\nSociety and being on Zoom it’ll be viewable on any Tablet or Smartphone\nwith the Zoom App or from a Windows PC or Laptop.\n\nThe Zoom meeting ID is 278 609 9353 https://zoom.us/j/2786099353\n\n[ANS thanks AMSAT-UK for the above information]\n\n---------------------------------------------------------------------\n\nSatellite Distance Records Set\n\nSatellite operators are rapidly pushing towards the 7,942 km theoret-\nical maximum range on RS-44. The 7,859 km record held by KI7UNJ and\nJA0CAW was eclipsed on 06-May-2020 at 19:00 UTC with a QSO between\nEA4CYQ and UA0STM, a distance of 7,894 km. On 09-May-2020, this record\nfell again when W5CBF in Louisiana, USA worked LA7XK in Norway, a\ndistance of 7,916 km.\n\nAnother claimed DX record was also claimed on May 6. This time it was\non PO-101 (Diwata2PH). EA4SG reports working R9LR at 23:03 UTC. The\ndistance between the two stations is 5,128 km.\n\nDistance records for all satellites are maintained at:\nhttps://www.amsat.org/satellite-distance-records/\n\nPlease email n8hm [at] amsat.org if you wish to claim a new record,\nlonger distance QSO not yet documented, or records for any other sat-\nellite/transponder not yet listed. Please note that if a satellite\ncarries multiple transponders or supports multiple frequency bands,\nrecords on each transponder/band may be claimed, such as Mode A and B\non AO-7 or Mode U/S, L/S, U/K, etc, on AO-40. This includes the ISS\nand records may be claimed for the packet digipeater and crossband re-\npeater, but does not include different operating modes on the same\ntransponder (such as CW or SSB on AO-7 Mode B).\n\n[ANS thanks Paul Stoetzer, N8HM, AMSAT Executive VP, for the above\ninformation]\n\n---------------------------------------------------------------------\n\nUpcoming Satellite Operations\n\nMitch, AD0HJ, has decided to \"go check on the tree\" in North Dakota.\nHe has also said he will be activating a bunch of grids:\n 5/20 UTC DN96/97\n 5/21 UTC DN78/88\n 5/22 UTC DN76/77\n 5/23 UTC DN86/87\n 5/24 UTC EN06/16\nDetails on his Twitter page, @ad0hj\n\nRon, AD0DX, and Doug, N6UA, are making another run at the elusive DL88\nin Big Bend National Park, Texas. They tried this grid back in March,\nand due to the mud couldn’t get to the grid, so never ones to quit, off\nthey go again. The tentative date is Sunday May 31, 2020. They will be\nusing the K5Z call sign. More information is available at the K5Z QRZ\nPage.\n\nPlease submit any additions or corrections to ke0pbr (at) gmail.com\n\n[ANS thanks Paul Overnfor, KE0PBR, the *NEW* AMSAT rover page manager(!)\nfor the above information. Welcome aboard, Paul.]\n\n+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+\n\n Want to fly the colors on your own grid expedition?\n Get your AMSAT car flag and other neat stuff\n from our Zazzle store!\n 25% of the purchase price of each product goes\n towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space\n https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear\n\n+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+\n\nARISS News\n\nAmateurs and others around the world may listen in on contacts between\namateurs operating in schools and allowing students to interact with\nastronauts and cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station. The\ndownlink frequency on which to listen is 145.800 MHz worldwide.\n\nAirdrie Space Science Club, Airdrie, AB, Canada, Multi-point tele-\nbridge via ZS6JON. The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS\nand the scheduled astronaut is Chris Cassidy, KF5KDR. The contact is\ngo for Friday 2020-05-15 15:10:28 UTC with 55 degrees over South\nAfrica.\n\nARISS is very aware of the impact that COVID-19 is having on schools\nand the public in general. As such, we may have last minute cancella-\ntions or postponements of school contacts. As always, ARISS will try\nto provide everyone with near-real-time updates at the ARISS webpage:\nhttps://www.ariss.org/\n\n[ANS thanks Charlie Sufana, AJ9N, one of the ARISS operation team men-\ntors for the above information]\n\n\n+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+\n\n AMSAT, along with our ARISS partners, is developing an amateur\n radio package, including two-way communication capability, to\n be carried on-board Gateway in lunar orbit.\n\n Support AMSAT's projects today at https://www.amsat.org/donate/\n\n+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+\n\nHamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events\n\nWant to see AMSAT in action or learn more about amateur radio in space?\nAMSAT Ambassadors provide presentations, demonstrate communicating\nthrough amateur satellites, and host information tables at club meet-\nings, hamfests, conventions, maker faires, and other events.\n\nDue to COVID-19, many hamfest and events around the United States have\nbeen cancelled or postponed. While we make every effort to ensure the\ninformation contained below is correct, there may be some that we\nmissed. We wish all of you safekeeping and hope to be at a hamfest\nnear you soon.\n\nCurrent schedule:\n No scheduled events\n\nThe following events scheduled to have an AMSAT presence have been\nCANCELED:\n May 8-9, 2020 Prescott Hamfest, Prescott, AZ\n May 15-17, Hamvention, Xenia, OH\n June 12-13, 2020, Ham-Com, Plano, TX\n\nA copy of the AMSAT hamfest brochure is available for download from:\nhttps://bit.ly/2ygVFmV This color brochure is designed to be printed\ndouble-sided and folded into a tri-fold handout.\n\nTo include your upcoming AMSAT presentation and/or demonstration,\nplease send an email to ambassadors (at) amsat (dot) org.\n\n[ANS thanks Robert Bankston, KE4AL, AMSAT VP-User Services for the\nabove information]\n\n---------------------------------------------------------------------\n\nSatellite Shorts From All Over\n\n+ Virgin Orbit tweets that it is celebrating a big win this week after\n the successful completion of a wet dress rehearsal with LauncherOne\n just in time for #NationalSpaceDay! Wet dress rehearsals with all\n commodities loaded is one of the last major events before launch.\n (ANS thanks @Virgin_Orbit for the above information)\n\n+ A new version of the North American Overlay Mapper program: v4.0.0.0\n has been released for Windows 7 and 10, with many new features. The\n 'NAOMI' program can import ADIF logs, Cabrillo logs, and a variety\n of lists, and then georeference them from the latest FCC and ISED\n databases, and then plot North American QSOs, Grid Locators, and\n Counties, onto 47 maps at 1:2,000,000 scale, 2 North American over-\n view maps at 1:20,000,000 scale, a zoomable Online Map with a choice\n of map-providers, a full-screen World Map, and a Great Circle Map\n with a choice of 16 different backgrounds. You can edit logs, check\n for errors, parse for counties, export data in different formats,\n search and browse the databases, overlay a variety of lists, export\n the maps for use in other applications, or to share online. NAOMI is\n available at: https://www.mapability.com/ei8ic/naomi/index.php\n (ANS thanks Southgate ARC for the above information)\n\n+ NASA will pay a staggering $146 million for each SLS rocket engine,\n with 4 needed per SLS flight. These Space Shuttle main engines were\n intended to be reused, but SLS will throw them away. Other things\n you could buy for $146 million: two basic Atlas V rocket launches,\n three Falcon 9 launches, or a fully expendable Falcon Heavy launch,\n with 2/3 the lift capacity at 1/20th the cost.\n (ANS thanks The Orbital Index for the above information)\n\n+ A study has found that all 1,078 commercially-launched smallsats in\n the last five years experienced delays, with a median delay of 128\n days. The largest delay categories: 11% of delays were administra-\n tive, 13% were ISS manifest changes (for ISS-deployed sats), 20%\n were due to delays in launch vehicle development, and 40% were due\n to primary payload delays affecting their rideshares. Full report\n at https://bit.ly/3fuw1Mz\n (ANS thanks The Orbital Index for the above information)\n\n+ A satellite built by Air Force Academy cadets will launch into space\n May 16 aboard the X-37B, Orbital Test Vehicle sponsored by the De-\n partment of the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office and built by\n Boeing. This is the first time a satellite built and designed by ca-\n dets will catch a ride into space aboard the X-37B. FalconSAT-8 will\n carry five experimental payloads, and members of the Cadet Space\n Operations Squadron will operate it. There was no mention of amateur\n radio connected with this satellite, nor has there been a request\n for IARU frequency coordination in the amateur radio satellite ser-\n vice, although previous FalconSats have had amateur radio payloads.\n (ANS thanks U.S. Air Force Academy for the above information)\n\n+ When a new crew member arrives on the International Space Sta-\n tion, the population of humans living in space changes, of course.\n But so, too, does the population of microbes. As we have all learned\n in this time of Covid-19, countless types of microorganisms inhabit\n our bodies, inside and out, and when an astronaut arrives on the\n station, they bring their specific collection of microbial \"hitch-\n hikers\" with them. A new study shows that the microorganisms living\n on surfaces inside the space station so closely resembled those on\n an astronaut's skin that scientists could tell when this new crew\n member arrived and departed, just by looking at the microbes left\n behind. Many of the microorganisms living in and around us are harm-\n less or even essential for good health, but some can cause disease\n or damage structures in built environments. https://bit.ly/3dlEobi\n (ANS thanks spacedaily.com for the above information)\n\n\n---------------------------------------------------------------------\n\n/EX\n\nIn addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership in the\nPresident's Club. Members of the President's Club, as sustaining\ndonors to AMSAT Project Funds, will be eligible to receive addi-\ntional benefits. Application forms are available from the AMSAT\nOffice.\n\nPrimary and secondary school students are eligible for membership\nat one-half the standard yearly rate. Post-secondary school students\nenrolled in at least half time status shall be eligible for the stu-\ndent rate for a maximum of 6 post-secondary years in this status.\nContact Martha at the AMSAT Office for additional student membership\ninformation.\n\n73 and Remember to help keep amateur radio in space,\nThis week's ANS Editor, Mark D. Johns, K0JM\n\nk0jm at amsat dot org\n", "attachments": [] }