February 2017 - AMSAT-BB - mailman.amsat.org

ANS-057 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
by Joseph Spier 25 Feb '17

25 Feb '17

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-057 The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and infor- mation service of AMSAT North America, The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS publishes news related to Amateur Radio in Space including reports on the activities of a worldwide group of Amateur Radio operators who share an active interest in designing, building, launching and communicating through analog and digital Amateur Radio satellites. The news feed on http://www.amsat.org publishes news of Amateur Radio in Space as soon as our volunteers can post it. Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to: ans-editor at amsat.org. In this edition: * OSCAR Number EO-88 for Nayif-1 * Two projects with AMSAT ties selected for NASA launches * ARISS Equipment on SpaceX Launch * VEGA Flight Opportunity for Multiple Small Satellites * Satellite Changes in AMSAT Keplerian Element Distribution * LUSAT LO-19 Calls Home * Expect More from Amateur BY70-1 Youth Space Program * AMSAT Events * ARISS News * Satellite Shorts from All Over SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-057.01 ANS-057 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins AMSAT News Service Bulletin 057.01 >From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD. DATE Febuary 26, 2017 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-057.01 --------------------------------------------------------------------- OSCAR Number EO-88 for Nayif-1 In accordance with the request sent to the AMSAT-NA Board of Directors for an OSCAR number for the UAE CubeSat, Nayif-1, and the statement that all of the conditions for an OSCAR number have been met, I hereby by the authority vested in me by the AMSAT-NA president, do convey on Nayif-1 the designation Emirates Oscar 88 or EO-88. Along with the rest of the Amateur Radio satellite community, I hope that EO- 88 will meet all of its objectives. I wish you and your group the best of luck in this and future endeavors to keep Amateur Radio in space. [ANS thanks William A. (Bill) Tynan, W3XO, OSCAR Number Administrator for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Two projects with AMSAT ties selected for NASA launches Two cubesat missions with ties to AMSAT have been selected as part of the eighth round of the NASA CubeSat Launch Initiative. These spacecraft are eligible for placement on a launch manifest after final negotiations, depending on the availability of a flight opportunity. TJREVERB is a CubeSat from Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, in Alexandria, Virginia. This satellite will include an AMSAT Fox mode U/v FM radio system, and will be capable of serving as an analog FM repeater. HuskySat-1 from the University of Washington in Seattle will carry a mode V/u linear transponder and 1200 baud BPSK beacon similar to RadFXsat-2. The satellite will demonstrate plasma propulsion and high gain telemetry in advance of a larger CubeSat lunar mission. The complete list of satellites selected may be found at on the NASA web page. https://www.nasa.gov/feature/nasa-announces-eighth-class-of-candidates-for- launch-of-cubesat-space-missions http://www.amsat.org/?p=5795 [ANS thanks Drew, KO4MA, AMSAT Vice-President for Operations for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- ARISS Equipment on SpaceX Launch Included as part of the successful launch of the SpaceX Dragon vehicle to ISS is an ARISS Ericsson 2 meter VHF radio. This radio will replace the Ericsson radio that failed a few months ago. The VHF radio is used for school group contacts and amateur packet radio in the Columbus module. Once the Dragon vehicle is berthed to ISS, the Ericsson will be unstowed and, at some point, installed in Columbus, replacing the UHF radio that is now supporting APRS packet and some school contacts. The unmanned cargo ship packed with food and supplies for astronauts arrived safely at the International Space Station Thursday, 2/23/2017. The Dragon cargo ship was grabbed by the station's robotic arm at 5:44 am (1044 GMT). Our thanks to SpaceX on an outstanding and historic flight from Kennedy Space Center's Launch Pad 39A, where many Space Shuttle missions and nearly all the Apollo moon missions were launched. We also would like to thank our ARISS benefactors-NASA and CASIS, the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space. And, of course, our amateur radio long-time sponsors-our national amateur radio organizations around the world, including the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) in the US, and our international AMSAT organizations, including AMSAT-NA. ARISS is also making great progress on the development of the new interoperable radio system that we hope to use to replace our aging radio infrastructure in the Columbus module and the Service module. The hard (and expensive) part of this effort is just beginning, with testing and human certification on the horizon. We thank all that have donated to the cause thus far. We hope you continue to help ARISS move forward through your support, including your volunteer time and talent and, of course, financial contributions through the AMSAT web site donate button. [ANS thanks Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, ARISS International Chair, AMSAT-NA V.P. for Human Spaceflight for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- VEGA Flight Opportunity for Multiple Small Satellites Europe’s Vega small launcher is set to demonstrate its extended capability to deploy multiple light satellites using its new versatile Small Satellites Mission Service (SSMS) dispenser, in the second half of 2018. This demonstration provides the first of the launch opportunities under the new Light satellite, Low-cost Launch opportunity (LLLor L3) Initiative initiated at the ESA Council Meeting at Ministerial Level in December 2016 with the aim to provide low-cost and regular launch services for European Institutional light satellites through full exploitation of the Ariane 6 and Vega C launch systems’ capabilities. This first proof-of-concept flight using the current Vega launch system will demonstrate and validate standard innovative services for light satellites. The SSMS dispenser with its modular design enables Vega to provide launch opportunities for light satellites with an overall mass ranging from 1 kg CubeSats up to 400 kg minisats with different alternative configurations and relevant combinations under a ‘rideshare’ concept. Potential customers, be they European public-sector organizations or other entities, are invited to respond to the joint ESA and European Commission Announcement of Opportunity, which can be downloaded together with its questionnaire, by 31 March. http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Launchers/Vega_flight_opportunity_for_ multiple_small_satellites (including links for the application process due by March 31) [ANS thanks the European Space Agency for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Satellite Changes in AMSAT Keplerian Element Distribution The following five satellites/object numbers have been deleted: SATELLITE NORAD CAT ID REASON BY70-1 41909 Deorbit 2-18-2017 OBJECT 41930 41930 Not Amateur Sat-ISS Launch EGG 41933 Not Amateur Sat-ISS Launch OBJECT 41934 41934 Not Amateur Sat-ISS Launch TuPOD 41936 41936 Batteries Dead-ISS Launch Thanks to Nico Janssen for his work in predicting BY70-1's deorbit. As noted last week, Nayif-1 was launched with 103 other satellites on 2-15-2017. The cloud of satellites is beginning to spread and Nico Janssen, PA0DLO, has developed a TLE set that many on AMSAT-BB say is very accurate. I have included it in this week's distribution. Thanks again to a very busy Nico for his excellent work. Detailed doppler measurements show that Nayif 1 is object 42017, 2017-008BX. Keith Pugh, W5IU, suggested that I include Nayif-1 in the regular distribution so those using apps like PocketSat would be able to track it. Good idea Keith. (I have PocketSat myself!) [ANS thanks AMSAT's Keeper of the Keps Ray Hoad, WA5QGD for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- LUSAT LO-19 Calls Home On Feb-20 15:45z LUSAT LO-19 on Orbit 141493 had been heard with strong carrier on 437.125 ± Doppler. LUSAT had been in space last 27 years and still emits it's CW carrier un-modulated with 900 mW. Now and then the satellite comes alive, it is useful to test reception and demonstrate Doppler, check antennas, etc. Please try to listen, on http://amsat.innova-red.net/pass you will find an easy way to locate, receive, and thank you if reported. [ANS thanks Pedro, LU7ABF for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Expect More from Amateur BY70-1 Youth Space Program In announcing the end of a successful mission the students who built the amateur radio FM transponder satellite BY70-1 say “We hope more Amateur youth space program will be brought to you in the near future!” The 2U CubeSat BY70-1 was built by students from the Beijing Bayi High School and carried into a 524 x 212 km orbit on a CZ-2D rocket launched from the Taiyuan Space Launch Center on December 28, 2016. On February 17, 2017, as the satellite was about to burn up on its re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere, this end of mission statement was posted on the school’s website. Dear friends of BY70-1: Satellite BY70-1 has completed all designed missions. For the amateurs who completed 2-way QSO using the repeater onboard, received effective satellite telemetry, or obtained satellite camera photos, we would like to invite you sending connection data package (audio or video evidence), satellite telemetry data or photos received to Email: 6015(a)bayims.cn. So that we can keep statistics records and deliver our appreciation toward you in public. We would be pleased to exchange QSL card for QSO users, and some souvenirs for the telemetry or camera photos users. We hope more Amateur youth space program will be brought to you in the near future! E-mail Address: 6015 @bayims.cn Post Address: Mr Xiangming TAOBeijing Bayi School, 29# Suzhou Street, Haidian Dist, Beijing, China P.O. 100080 http://www.bayims.cn/article-16881.html BY70-1 FM transponder satellite https://amsat-uk.org/2016/12/27/by70-1-fm-transponder-satellite/ BY70-1 FM contact video https://amsat-uk.org/2016/12/30/by70-1-fm-transponder-contact/ See BY70-1 page on Roland PY4ZBZ website http://www.qsl.net/py4zbz/by70.htm [ANS thanks AMSAT-UK for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- AMSAT Events Information about AMSAT activities at other important events around the country. Examples of these events are radio club meetings where AMSAT Area Coordinators give presentations, demonstrations of working amateur satellites, and hamfests with an AMSAT presence (a table with AMSAT literature and merchandise, sometimes also with presentations, forums, and/or demonstrations). *Saturday and Sunday, 11-12 March 2017 – ScienceCity in Tucson AZ *Saturday, 18 March 2017 – Scottsdale SpringFest in Scottsdale AZ *Friday through Sunday, 31 March–2 April 2017, NVCON in Las Vegas NV *Wednesday, 5 April 2007 – presentation for Scottsdale Amateur Radio Club in Scottsdale AZ *Friday and Saturday, 7-8 April 2017, Green Country Hamfest in Claremore OK *Saturday, 6 May 2017 – Cochise Amateur Radio Association hamfest in Sierra Vista AZ *19-21 May 2017, HamVention in the Greene County Fairgrounds and Expo Center, Dayton, Ohio *Friday and Saturday, 9-10 June 2017, HAM-COM in Irving TX *Saturday, 10 June 2017 – Prescott Hamfest in Prescott AZ [ANS thanks AMSAT-NA for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- ARISS News Successful Contacts * Collège André Malraux, Chatelaillon-Plage, France, telebridge via ON4ISS The ISS callsign was scheduled to be FXØISS The scheduled astronaut was Thomas Pesquet KG5FYG Contact was successful Mon 2017-02-13 14:00:35 UTC 67 deg. Astronaut Thomas Pesquet, KG5FYG answered 19 questions prepared by students for an audience 190 students and guests. HamTV downlinked Pesquet live throughout the entire contact thanks to British Amateur TV Club merging 2 HamTV ground stations’ received signals. The live-stream was seen by 230 of the general public via BATC connections. Watch a recording of the live-streamed HamTV downlink: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Byp8JadKjPOmOUFCeDdZMFhSMm8/view?usp=shari… Watch France's national television's report at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bb7amhLMgA8&feature=em-upload_owner * John Glenn Middle School, Maplewood MN, direct via KØJDD The ISS callsign was scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled astronaut was Shane Kimbrough KE5HOD Contact was successful: Wed 2017-02-22 18:47:59 UTC 25 deg All 16 questions answered with a 73 round. Students, teachers and parents came to 900 individuals. One television station and four print media outlets were also in attendance. They reported full quieting for the entire pass. * Ecole primaire Elie Desplan, Boissières, France and Marie Castang, Saint Dionisy, France, direct via F4HHV The ISS callsign was scheduled to be FXØISS The scheduled astronaut was Thomas Pesquet KG5FYG Contact was successful: Sat 2017-02-25 13:14:15 UTC 58 deg Successful contact between the 2 schools of Boissieres and Saint Dionisy with Thomas Pesquet. All 20 questions answered, clear audio all the way long (Normal and acceptable UHF noise at the beginning and at the end) Reported 350 people present in the gymnasium. Also success for the Ham video transmission through BATC, but also through the local Ham-Video Ground Station. Press and media presence: 1 national TV (BFM) -> scheduled broadcasted 2/25 2 Regional TVs (France 3), TV TV-Sud 1 Regional radio (France Bleu) Several Regional newspapers including Le Midi Libre Upcoming Contacts * 3rd Junior High School, Komotini, Greece, direct via SV7APQ The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS The scheduled astronaut is Shane Kimbrough KE5HOD The contact will be rescheduled for a later date. * ABOUT GAGARIN FROM SPACE, Space Odyssey Project, Krasnoyarsk, Russia, direct via RVØADW The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS The scheduled astronaut is Andrei Borisenko Contact is a go for Sat 2017-02-25 08:36 UTC * ABOUT GAGARIN FROM SPACE, Raduga Space Communication Center of St. Petersburg, Russia, direct via RA1AJN The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS The scheduled astronaut is Sergey Ryzhikov Contact is a go for Sun 2017-02-26 09:15 UTC * Student Space Technology Association, Knoxville, TN, direct via AA4UT The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled astronaut is Shane Kimbrough KE5HOD Contact is a go for: Wed 2017-03-01 19:08:03 UTC 49 deg **************************************************************************** ARISS is always glad to receive listener reports for the above contacts. ARISS thanks everyone in advance for their assistance. Feel free to send your reports to aj9n(a)amsat.org or aj9n(a)aol.com. **************************************************************************** Message to US Educators Amateur Radio on the International Space Station Contact Opportunity Call for Proposals Proposal Window February 15 – April 15, 2017 The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) Program is seeking formal and informal education institutions and organizations, individually or working together, to host an Amateur Radio contact with a crew member on board the ISS. ARISS anticipates that the contact would be held between January 1, 2018 and June 30, 2018. Crew scheduling and ISS orbits will determine the exact contact dates. To maximize these radio contact opportunities, ARISS is looking for organizations that will draw large numbers of participants and integrate the contact into a well-developed education plan. The deadline to submit a proposal is April 15, 2017. Proposal information and documents can be found at www.arrl.org/hosting-an-ariss-contact. The Opportunity Crew members aboard the International Space Station will participate in scheduled Amateur Radio contacts. These radio contacts are approximately 10 minutes in length and allow students to interact with the astronauts through a question-and-answer session. An ARISS contact is a voice-only communication opportunity via Amateur Radio between astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the space station and classrooms and communities. ARISS contacts afford education audiences the opportunity to learn firsthand from astronauts what it is like to live and work in space and to learn about space research conducted on the ISS. Students also will have an opportunity to learn about satellite communication, wireless technology, and radio science. Because of the nature of human spaceflight and the complexity of scheduling activities aboard the ISS, organizations must demonstrate flexibility to accommodate changes in dates and times of the radio contact. Amateur Radio organizations around the world, NASA, and space agencies in Russia, Canada, Japan and Europe sponsor this educational opportunity by providing the equipment and operational support to enable direct communication between crew on the ISS and students around the world via Amateur Radio. In the US, the program is managed by AMSAT (Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation) and ARRL (American Radio Relay League) in partnership with NASA and CASIS (Center for the Advancement of Science in Space). More Information Interested parties can find more information about the program at www.ariss.org and www.arrl.org/ARISS. For proposal information and more details such as expectations, proposal guidelines and proposal form, and dates and times of Information Sessions go to http://www.arrl.org/hosting-an-ariss-contact. Please direct any questions to ariss(a)arrl.org. **************************************************************************** ARISS is always glad to receive listener reports for the above contacts. ARISS thanks everyone in advance for their assistance. Feel free to send your reports to aj9n(a)amsat.org or aj9n(a)aol.com. Listen for the ISS on the downlink of 145.8Ø MHz. **************************************************************************** All ARISS contacts are made via the Kenwood radio unless otherwise noted. **************************************************************************** Several of you have sent me emails asking about the RAC ARISS website and not being able to get in. That has now been changed to http://www.ariss.org/ Note that there are links to other ARISS websites from this site. **************************************************************************** Looking for something new to do? How about receiving DATV from the ISS? If interested, then please go to the ARISS-EU website for complete details. Look for the buttons indicating Ham Video. http://www.ariss-eu.org/ If you need some assistance, ARISS mentor Kerry N6IZW, might be able to provide some insight. Contact Kerry at kbanke(a)sbcglobal.net **************************************************************************** ARISS congratulations the following mentors who have now mentored over 100 schools: Satoshi 7M3TJZ with 123 Gaston ON4WF with 123 Francesco IKØWGF with 119 **************************************************************************** The webpages listed below were all reviewed for accuracy. Out of date webpages were removed and new ones have been added. If there are additional ARISS websites I need to know about, please let me know. Note, all times are approximate. It is recommended that you do your own orbital prediction or start listening about 10 minutes before the listed time. All dates and times listed follow International Standard ISO 8601 date and time format YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS The complete schedule page has been updated as of 2017-02-23 05:00 UTC. Here you will find a listing of all scheduled school contacts, and questions, other ISS related websites, IRLP and Echolink websites, and instructions for any contact that may be streamed live. http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/arissnews.rtf http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/arissnews.txt Total number of ARISS ISS to earth school events is 1116. Each school counts as 1 event. Total number of ARISS ISS to earth school contacts is 1080. Each contact may have multiple schools sharing the same time slot. Total number of ARISS supported terrestrial contacts is 47. A complete year by year breakdown of the contacts may be found in the file. http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/arissnews.rtf Please feel free to contact me if more detailed statistics are needed. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The following US states and entities have never had an ARISS contact: Arkansas, Delaware, South Dakota, Wyoming, American Samoa, Guam, Northern Marianas Islands, and the Virgin Islands. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ QSL information may be found at: http://www.ariss.org/qsl-cards.html ISS callsigns: DPØISS, IRØISS, NA1SS, OR4ISS, RSØISS **************************************************************************** The successful school list has been updated as of 2017-02-23 05:00 UTC. http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/Successful_ARISS_schools.rtf Frequency chart for packet, voice, and crossband repeater modes showing Doppler correction as of 2005-07-29 04:00 UTC http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/ISS_frequencies_and_Doppler_correction .rtf Listing of ARISS related magazine articles as of 2006-07-10 03:30 UTC. http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/ARISS_magazine_articles.rtf Check out the Zoho reports of the ARISS contacts https://reports.zoho.com/ZDBDataSheetView.cc?DBID=412218000000020415 **************************************************************************** Exp. 49 on orbit Shane Kimbrough KE5HOD Andrei Borisenko Sergey Ryzhikov Exp. 50 on orbit Peggy Whitson Thomas Pesquet KG5FYG Oleg Novitskiy **************************************************************************** Watch http://www.ariss.org/upcoming-contacts.html for information about upcoming contacts as they are scheduled. [ANS thanks ARISS and Charlie, AJ9N for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- /EX In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership in the President's Club. Members of the President's Club, as sustaining donors to AMSAT Project Funds, will be eligible to receive addi- tional benefits. Application forms are available from the AMSAT Office. Primary and secondary school students are eligible for membership at one-half the standard yearly rate. Post-secondary school students enrolled in at least half time status shall be eligible for the stu- dent rate for a maximum of 6 post-secondary years in this status. Contact Martha at the AMSAT Office for additional student membership information. 73, This week's ANS Editor, Joe Spier, K6WAO k6wao at amsat dot org

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Solid State conversion (tube equivalents)?
by Robert Bruninga 25 Feb '17

25 Feb '17

About 40 years ago, the topic of tube-to-FET conversions was popular for making 1-for-1 conversions of old tube stuff to solid state. Anyone feel good at doing this these days? Or am I just wallowing in nostalgia...? Today at a small hamfest, (40 tables only) there were at least 4 of the old high quality FREQ meters (9" cube boxes) that could give frequency accuracy to 0.01% anywhere from 125 KHz to 20 MHz. https://www.pa3esy.nl/military/us/meet/LM20/pics/LM20-front.jpg Going rate was about $10. What an absolutely astonishing piece of 1930 engineering when you open it up. , with 3 tubes. (6A7, 76 and a 77) I can do just about anything with bi-polar transistors... (my coming of age...) but I PRE-dated FET's which are good direct substitutes for tubes since they are both transconductance devices . There is an excellent 1969 QST article on doing tube conversions, but it assumes one already knows more about it than I do. And one of the tubes is a penta-grid tube which does oscillator and mixer all in one... http://www.qsl.net/kh6grt/page4/tubesters/MOSFETs%20for%20Tubes.pdf I would have thought that a solid state conversion of this simple 3 tube but very useful device would be out there somewhere... But haven't even found a schematic on line... Thought I'd ask before all the old fuds are gone... Bob, Wb4APR

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Re: [amsat-bb] Inmarsat & AVI's Satellite Data-Relay Service (and APRS)
by Robert Bruninga 25 Feb '17

25 Feb '17

> Interesting concept of GEO and LEO integration. > http://www.space.com/35801-satellite-data-relay-service-exit s-stealth-mode.html <http://www.space.com/35801-satellite-data-relay-service-exits-stealth-mode.…> For what it is worth, APRS is doing something somewhat similar (but the reverse) on Ham radio (and of course, free).... We have a Ham APRS channel on 3 GEO Inmarsat birds giving us outbound delivery everywhere on Earth with a simple raspberry pi receiver (except upper alaska) Then we use the 3 APRS LEO satellites to give the return channel to any ham anwyere on earth with his APRS handheld radio. A neat system, ... though, looking for an application .... as usuall ;-) See http://aprs.org/outnet.html Bob, WB4APR

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Inmarsat & AVI's Satellite Data-Relay Service
by Joe Leikhim 25 Feb '17

25 Feb '17

Interesting concept of GEO and LEO integration. http://www.space.com/35801-satellite-data-relay-service-exits-stealth-mode.… -- Joe Leikhim Leikhim and Associates Communications Consultants Oviedo, Florida JLeikhim(a)Leikhim.com 407-982-0446 WWW.LEIKHIM.COM

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NAYIF-1 doppler.sqf file?
by Bob- W7LRD 25 Feb '17

25 Feb '17

I need the doppler.sqf file for NAYIF-1 73 Bob W7LRD

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Ecole primaire Elie Desplan, Boissières, France and Marie Castang, Saint Dionisy, France
by n4csitwo＠bellsouth.net 25 Feb '17

25 Feb '17

IMPORTANT UPDATE: THIS ARISS PRESS RELEASE SUPERSEDES THE INITIAL ONE SENT ON 2-24-2017 AT 03:48 UTC CORRECTION: THE DOWNLINK FREQUENCY WILL BE 437.525 MHZ INSTEAD OF 145.800 MHZ. An International Space Station school contact has been planned with participants at Ecole primaire Elie Desplan, Boissières, France and Marie Castang, Saint Dionisy, France on 23 Feb. The event is scheduled to begin at approximately 08:31 UTC. The duration of the contact is approximately 9 minutes and 30 seconds. The contact will be direct between FX0ISS and F4HHV. The contact should be audible over France and adjacent areas. Interested parties are invited to listen in on the 437.525 MHz downlink. The contact is expected to be conducted in French. We are two small schools in pretty twin villages in the South of France, Boissières and Saint-Dionisy. Enjoying very beautiful surroundings, we are located just 15 km from Nîmes and 40 km from Montpellier, in the Occitanie region, on the threshold of the Camargue wetlands and the Cevennes mountain range. Our villages are nestled at the foot of a hillside covered with evergreen oak trees, juniper bushes, thyme, "capitelles" (dry-stone cabins) and with a well-preserved "oppidum" (iron-age settlement) at its summit. >From the top, one can marvel at the splendid view over the plain of Vaunage (stretching between Caveirac and Calvisson), the Pic Saint Loup and the Mediterranean Sea on the horizon, and to the recognisable architecture of the Grande Motte (seaside town). On a clear day, one can even discern the peaks of Mont Lozère, Mont Aigoual and Mont Ventoux. Our two little schools, served by a single school-bus-run, work closely together within an inter-town educational grouping ("Regroupement Pédagogique Intercommunal") and maintain a privileged relationship with all of the children. The Boissières school welcomes 61 pupils from infants ("maternelle") to first grade ("Cours Préparatoire") - in three classes and the Saint-Dionisy school receives daily 73 children from second grade ("Cours Elémentaire 1re Année") up to fifth grade ("Cours Moyen 2e Année") - also in three classes. The pupils are delighted to work together on a common theme between the two schools. They are charmed by this wonderful project of being able to communicate with Thomas Pesquet from space. They have been carrying out lots of learning work and are making discoveries about astronomy, the International Space Station and communication. We can be sure that many are already dreaming of becoming the next Thomas Pesquet! Participants will ask as many of the following questions as time allows: 1. Est-ce qu'il fait nuit dans l'espace? 2. Qu'est-ce qui a été le plus difficile dans ta préparation? 3. Est-ce que la Terre est belle vue de l'espace? 4. A quoi as-tu pensé juste avant le décollage? 5. Est-ce que tu manges bien? 6. Tu réalises ton rêve. alors à quoi rêves-tu là-haut? 7. Est-ce que c'est bien d'être dans l'espace? 8. Un des plus beaux cadeaux de notre enfance serait que tu viennes nous voir : penses-tu pouvoir réaliser notre rêve? 9. Qu'as-tu fait pendant le trajet jusqu'à la station spatiale? 10. Est-ce difficile de vivre en apesanteur? 11. Est-ce qu'il pleut parfois? 12. Quelles émotions ressens-tu lorsque tu travailles à l'extérieur de l'ISS? 13. Avais-tu un sapin de Noël dans l'ISS? 14. Pourquoi fais-tu des expériences sur les végétaux dans l'ISS? 15. Y a-t-il des radiateurs dans l'ISS? 16. Est-ce qu'il y a de la vie dans l'espace? 17. Est-ce que tu peux manger glacé ou chaud? 18. Es-tu pressé de revenir sur Terre? 19. Comment es-tu habillé dans la station? 20. As-tu déjà vu passer une météorite par une fenêtre de l'ISS? Translated: 1. Is it dark in space? 2. What was the hardest thing in your training? 3. Is the Earth beautiful from space? 4. What did you think just before liftoff? 5. Do you eat well? 6. You fulfilled your dream...so what do you dream about up there? 7. Is it good to be in space? 8. The greatest gift of our childhood would be to have you visit us: do you think our dream might come true? 9. What did you do during the trip to the Space Station? 10. Is it difficult to live without gravity? 11. Does it rain sometimes? 12. What emotions do you feel when you work outside the ISS? 13. Did you have a Christmas tree in the ISS? 14. Why do you do experiments on plants in the ISS? 15. Are there heaters on the ISS? 16. Is there life out in space? 17. Can you eat cold or hot things? 18. Are you in a hurry to come back to Earth? 19. What do you wear in the station? 20. Have you already seen a meteorite from through the window of the ISS? PLEASE CHECK THE FOLLOWING FOR MORE INFORMATION ON ARISS UPDATES: Visit ARISS on Facebook. We can be found at Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS). To receive our Twitter updates, follow @ARISS_status Next planned event(s): TBD About ARISS: Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) is a cooperative venture of international amateur radio societies and the space agencies that support the International Space Station (ISS). In the United States, sponsors are the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT), the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS) and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The primary goal of ARISS is to promote exploration of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) topics by organizing scheduled contacts via amateur radio between crew members aboard the ISS and students in classrooms or informal education venues. With the help of experienced amateur radio volunteers, ISS crews speak directly with large audiences in a variety of public forums. Before and during these radio contacts, students, teachers, parents, and communities learn about space, space technologies, and amateur radio. For more information, see www.ariss.org, www.amsat.org, and www.arrl.org. Thank you & 73, David - AA4KN --- This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. https://www.avast.com/antivirus

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Accurate Nayif 1 TLE set
by Nico Janssen 25 Feb '17

25 Feb '17

All, While waiting for a TLE set for Nayif 1 from the JSpOC, I constructed a TLE set based on measurements on a number of passes since launch. This set is accurate to within 2 seconds and should remain accurate in the coming days. NAYIF 1 1 60000U 17008XX 17051.92295152 .00001762 00000-0 80428-4 0 9993 2 60000 97.5107 113.5513 0006476 260.5747 99.4743 15.22401676 842 This TLE set can also be downloaded here: http://hamsat1.home.xs4all.nl/NAYIF1.txt The actual frequency of the telemetry beacon of Nayif 1 is 145.9385 MHz. There is virtually no temperature drift on the beacon frequency. 73, Nico PA0DLO

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NAYIF-1 TLE
by Wouter Weggelaar 25 Feb '17

25 Feb '17

Hi All, JSpOC has released a new set of TLEs, which now contains additional objects. Doppler and TCA measurements on several ground stations indicate the best fitting object is 2017-008-BX, catalog number 42017 Over the coming days, we will be checking the performance of this object, and we will be in touch with the other teams on this launch that have satellites that are close to this object. Happy tracking and thanks for all observations! Wouter PA3WEG

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Nayif-1 Orbit Predictions on Data Warehouse
by David Johnson 25 Feb '17

25 Feb '17

Hi, With thanks to Chip, N2YO, we now have graphical orbit predictions for Nayif-1: http://data.amsat-uk.org/nayif1/satpos.html <http://data.amsat-uk.org/nayif1/satpos.html> 73 Dave, G4DPZ

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K8BL --> EL28
by R.T.Liddy 24 Feb '17

24 Feb '17

SAT OPs, I'm attending an event south of Houston this weekendand am close enough to venture to EL28 for an activation. Not knowing the exact schedule for the event activities, I can't specify which passes I would be on. The best times appear to be for FO29 and SO50 early & late Saturday. 73/GL, Bob K8BL

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