AMSAT-BB November 2021

69 participants
81 discussions

Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2021-11-09 17:30 UTC

by aj9n＠aol.com

Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2021-11-09 17:30 UTC Quick list of scheduled contacts and events: South Yarra Primary School, South Yarra, Victoria, Australia, telebridge via K6DUE The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The downlink frequency is presently scheduled to be 145.800 MHz The latest information on the operation mode can be found at https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html The scheduled crewmember is Mark Vande Hei KG5GNP Contact was successful: Tue 2021-11-09 09:58:23 UTC 75 deg (***) Congratulations to the South Yarra Primary School students and Mark! (***) Watch for livestream at: https://bit.ly/31yQldr Ural State University of Railways and Communications, Yekaterinburg, Russia, direct via TBD The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS The downlink frequency is presently scheduled to be 145.800 MHz The latest information on the operation mode can be found at https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html The scheduled crewmember is Pyotr Dubrov Contact is go for 2021-11-11 16: 00 UTC SpaceX-Crew 2 back on earth (***) Congratulations for a job well done! (***) Meghan McArthur (Behnken) Akihiko Hoshide KE5DNI Thomas Pesquet KG5FYG Shane Kimbrough KE5HOD The next mode change to packet is expected to occur in early December. The latest information on the operation mode can be found at https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html The latest list of frequencies in use can be found at https://www.ariss.org/contact-the-iss.html ######################################################################################################################################## A multi-point telebridge contact means that each student will be on the telebridge from their own home. **************************************************************************************************************************************** ARISS is very aware of the impact that COVID-19 is having on schools and the public in general. As such, we may have last minute cancellations or postponements of school contacts. As always, I will try to provide everyone with near-real-time updates. Watch for future COVID-19 related announcements at https://www.ariss.org/ The following schools have now been postponed or cancelled due to COVID-19: Postponed: No new schools Cancelled: No new schools **************************************************************************************************************************************** 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 2021-11-09 17:30 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. https://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/arissnews.rtf https://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/arissnews.txt The successful school list has been updated as of 2021-11-09 14:30 UTC. (***) https://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/Successful_ARISS_schools.rtf The ARISS webpage is at https://www.ariss.org/ Note that there are links to other ARISS websites from this site. The main page for Applying to Host a Scheduled Contact may be found at https://www.ariss.org/apply-to-host-an-ariss-contact.html +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ARISS Contact Applications (United States) Sept. 11, 2021 --- 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 July 1, 2022 and December 31, 2022. 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 November 24th, 2021. Proposal information and more details such as expectations, proposal guidelines and the proposal form can be found at https://ariss-usa.org/hosting-an-ariss-contact-in-the-usa/. An ARISS Introductory Webinar session will be held on October 7th, 2021 at 8 PM ET. The Eventbrite link to sign up is: https://ariss-proposal-webinar-fall-2021.eventbrite.com 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 with the support of NASA and space agencies in Russia, Canada, Japan and Europe present educational organizations with this opportunity. The ham radio organizations’ volunteer efforts provide the equipment and operational support to enable communication between crew on the ISS and students around the world using Amateur Radio. Please direct any questions to ariss.us.education(a)gmail.com. For future proposal information and more details such as expectations, proposal guidelines and proposal form, and dates and times of Information Webinars, go to www.ariss.org. 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 ISS National Lab and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The primary goal of ARISS is to promote exploration of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEAM) topics by organizing scheduled contacts via amateur radio between crew members aboard the ISS and students in classrooms or public forms. Before and during these radio contacts, students, educators, parents, and communities learn about space, space technologies, and amateur radio. For more information, see www.ariss.org. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ARISS Contact Applications (Europe, Africa and the Middle East) Schools and Youth organizations in Europe, Africa and the Middle East interested in setting up an ARISS radio contact with an astronaut on board the International Space Station are invited to submit an application from September to October and from February to April. Please refer to details and the application form at www.ariss-eu.org/school-contacts. Applications should be addressed by email to: school.selection.manager(a)ariss-eu.org ARISS Contact Applications (Canada, Central and South America, Asia and Australia and Russia) +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Organizations outside the United States can apply for an ARISS contact by filling out an application. Please direct questions to the appropriate regional representative listed below. If your country is not specifically listed, send your questions to the nearest ARISS Region listed. If you are unsure which address to use, please send your question to the ARISS-Canada representative; they will forward your question to the appropriate coordinator. For the application, go to: https://www.ariss.org/ariss-application.html. ARISS-Canada and the Americas, except USA: Steve McFarlane, VE3TBD email to: ve3tbd(a)gmail.com ARISS-Japan, Asia, Pacific and Australia: Satoshi Yasuda, 7M3TJZ email to: ariss(a)iaru-r3.org, Japan Amateur Radio League (JARL) https://www.jarl.org/ ARISS-Russia: Soyuz Radioljubitelei Rossii (SRR) https://srr.ru/ +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 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 unless otherwise noted. ******************************************************************************* 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 https://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? Please note that the HamTV system has been brought back to earth for troubleshooting. Please monitor ARISS-EU or ARISS-ON for the very latest news on the troubleshooting efforts. 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 The HamTV webpage: https://www.amsat-on.be/hamtv-summary/ **************************************************************************** ARISS congratulates the following mentors who have now mentored over 100 schools: Sergey RV3DR with 155 Satoshi 7M3TJZ with 142 Francesco IKØWGF with 140 Gaston ON4WF with 123 **************************************************************************** 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. Total number of ARISS ISS to earth school events is 1478. (***) Each school counts as 1 event. Total number of ARISS ISS to earth school contacts is 1405. (***) Each contact may have multiple schools sharing the same time slot. Total number of ARISS supported terrestrial contacts is 48. Please feel free to contact me if more detailed statistics are needed. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The following US states and entities have never had an ARISS contact: South Dakota, American Samoa, Guam, Northern Marianas Islands, and the Virgin Islands. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ QSL information may be found at: https://www.ariss.org/qsl-cards.html ISS callsigns: DPØISS, FXØISS, GB1SS, IRØISS, NA1SS, OR4ISS, RSØISS (***) **************************************************************************** Frequency chart for packet, voice, and crossband repeater modes showing Doppler correction as of 2005-07-29 04:00 UTC https://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/ISS_frequencies_and_Doppler_correcti… Check out the Zoho reports of the ARISS contacts https://reports.zoho.com/ZDBDataSheetView.cc?DBID=412218000000020415 **************************************************************************** Exp. 64 on orbit Oleg Novitskiy Pyotr Dubrov Mark Vande Hei KG5GNP SpaceX-Crew 2 back on earth (***) Congratulations for a job well done! (***) Meghan McArthur (Behnken) Akihiko Hoshide KE5DNI Thomas Pesquet KG5FYG Shane Kimbrough KE5HOD **************************************************************************** 73, Charlie Sufana AJ9N One of the ARISS operation team mentors

9 months, 1 week

Z-Sat Copy & Tracking

by Pedro Converso

Hi, Z-Sat CW 11/09 14:00z 2º pass over Buenos Aires http://amsat.org.ar/zsat.mp3 Tracking: http://amsat.org.ar/pass?satx=Z-Sat,Nanodragon,Kosen,Teiky Congrats for excellent launch and operation ! 73, lu7abf, Pedro

9 months, 1 week

2021.11.9　50kg microsatellite Z-Sat　Launch date update ／ 2021年11月9日に再設定　超小型衛星　Z-Sat 打ち上げ

by Yasutaka Narusawa (JR2XEA)

JAMSAT-BBメンバー各位小牧アマチュアSATCOM倶楽部の成澤です。イプシロンロケット5号機によるZ-Sat衛星の打ち上げ日が11月9日に再設定されましたのでご案内いたします。 https://www.jaxa.jp/press/2021/11/20211106-3_j.html いまのところ、投入軌道のTLEに変更はありません。是非ともZ-Satにご注目くださるよう宜しくお願い申し上げます。小牧アマチュアSATCOM倶楽部成澤泰貴(JR2XEA) jr2xea(a)nagoya.so-net.jp https://twitter.com/KOMAKI_AMSATCOM Dear all AMSAT-BB members, The launch date of Z-Sat by Epsilon Rocket #5 has been reset to November 9. Launch date: Tuesday, November 9, 2021 Launch time: 9:48 to 9:59 (Japan Standard Time) So far, there is no change in the Z-Sat TLE. We look forward to your attention to Z-Sat. Best regards, Yasutaka Narusawa (JR2XEA) Komaki Amateur SATCOM Club jr2xea(a)nagoya.so-net.jp https://twitter.com/KOMAKI_AMSATCOM

9 months, 1 week

ISS Crossband

by Clint Bradford

Last night at 11:31pm local time: Only two hams accessed the ISS on a magnificent pass directly over the most populous region of the US' most populous state. And me with one arm immobilized, recovering from shoulder surgery … And so it goes. Clint K6LCS

9 months, 1 week

ARISS News Release No. 21-58

by David Jordan

ARISS News Release No. 21-58 Dave Jordan, AA4KN ARISS PR aa4kn(a)amsat.org FORIMMEDIATE RELEASE ARISS ContactScheduled for Students at South Yarra Primary School South Yarra,Victoria, Australia November 07, 2021—AmateurRadio on the International Space Station (ARISS) has received scheduleconfirmation for an ARISS radio contact with astronauts. ARISS is the groupthat puts together special amateur radio contacts between students around theglobe and crew members with ham radio licenses on the International Space Station (ISS). This will be a telebridge contact via amateur radio and students will take turnsasking their questions of Mark Vande Hei, amateurradio call sign KG5GNP. LocalCovid-19 protocols are adhered to as applicable for each ARISS contact. The downlink frequency for this contact is145.800 MHZ and may be heard by listeners that are within the ISS-footprintthat also encompasses the telebridge relay station. AmateurRadio Operators in Silver Spring, MD willuse call sign K6DUE to serve as the ARISSrelay amateur radio groundstation. The ARISS radio contact isscheduled for November 9, 2021 at 8:58 pm AEDT (South Yarra,AU), (9:58 UTC,4:58 am EST, 3:58 am CST, 2:58 am MST and 1:58 am PST). South YarraPrimary School, established in 1854, is one of only a few schools within theCity of Melbourne. The school has focused on their students in grades 3 and 4in preparation for this ARISS contact, however all students in levels Prep –Year 6 have been invited to participate. Prior to this contact, students’courses have been modified to be made relevant to the context of this ARISScontact, and have included essay writing competition, poster drawing, and growinga space kitchen-garden. The public is invited to watch the live stream at: https://bit.ly/31yQldr _____________________________ Astime allows, students will ask these questions: 1.Do you think electro-magnetic rockets would benefit space travel and how faroff are we from launching them? 2.If you were to tell your younger self that in 2021 you would be going to space,how would you have reacted and why? 3.What do you look forward the most each day on the International Space Station? 4.What is the most interesting thing you have seen or experienced in space? 5.How does micro gravity feel in space and how does it affect you? 6.How long have you been on the International Space Station and what is yourfavourite thing to do there? 7.What are your main thoughts about space knowing that you should expect theunexpected? 8.As experts on space exploration, do you think Space exploration is a good ideaand do you think space tourism is a good idea? 9.What are the best and the worse things about being in Space? 10.What fascinates you about being onboard the International Space Station? 11.What is the scariest thing in space that you have experienced? 12.What do you miss the most about being on Earth? 13.What kind of experiments are happening on the International Space Station thatcan help in the prevention of extinction of animal and plant life on Earth? 14.What information about space are the astronauts on the ISS hoping to find in 10years? 15.How many experiments are happening on the ISS and how do you choose whichexperiments will take place? 16.What does a day on the Space Station look like for you? 17.What inspired you to become an Astronaut? 18.How do you become an Astronaut? 19.How has it been for you to isolate from the rest of the world and what have youdone to cope? 20.Have you done a space walk and if yes, how does it feel? 21.What is your purpose on the International Space Station at the moment? 22.Does food taste different in space and can you describe the difference? 23.What do you do to keep yourself occupied and not get bored while in space? 24.What was it like when you saw Earth from space for the first time? ARISS – Celebrating 20 Years of Amateur RadioContinuous Operations on the ISS About ARISS: Amateur Radio on the InternationalSpace Station (ARISS) is a cooperative venture of international amateur radiosocieties and the space agencies that support the International Space Station(ISS). In the United States, sponsors are the Radio Amateur SatelliteCorporation (AMSAT), the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), the ISS NationalLab-Space Station Explorers, and NASA’s Space Communications and Navigationprogram. The primary goal of ARISS is to promote exploration of science,technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics topics. ARISS does this byorganizing scheduled contacts via amateur radio between crew members aboard theISS and students. Before and during these radio contacts, students, educators,parents, and communities take part in hands-on learning activities tied tospace, space technologies, and amateur radio. For more information, see www.ariss.org . MediaContact: DaveJordan, AA4KN ARISSPR Likeus on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter. Search on Amateur Radio on the ISS [email protected]_status. Checkout ARISS on Youtube.com.

9 months, 1 week

Re: Looking to HEO

by Daniel Schultz

We are living in a new commercial space era, where there are no more free rides to orbit. Spaceflight has become a fully commercialized venture and if you can't pay, you can't play. Since our service is specifically chartered "without pecuniary interest", we don't have a business model to use satellites to generate revenue as all of the other "new space" players plan to do. We can pursue free Cubesat launches through NASA, but I have not seen any offers from NASA for sponsored 6U or larger Cubesat launches to higher orbits, and we need to pack some kind of science or technology payload into an already too-small satellite to qualify for a free launch through NASA. For the kind of HEO mission that we want, a 6U is the smallest satellite that can produce the necessary solar energy and provide the necessary thermal control, a subject that is all but ignored by most of the Cubesat community. The professional space community still views Cubesats as little more than educational toys which don't need to reach high orbits or perform a serious mission lasting more than six months before reentry. If we want a HEO satellite we need to raise the money, hopefully by more reliable methods than buying lottery tickets, which my high school math teacher used as a classic example of a poor way to invest your money. I have seen articles in QST describing DX-peditions costing a half million dollars to active remote islands, and many of us have no trouble finding money for a new radio or to travel to Dayton once a year, so I know that the ham community is not impoverished, but we seem to be allergic to writing a check to AMSAT. The QO-100 mission was funded by royal patronage, which is lacking in our hemisphere, so we must follow our capitalist heritage where everything that is worth doing has a price. 73, Dan Schultz N8FGV ------ Original Message ------ Received: Fri, 05 Nov 2021 11:21:42 AM EDT From: David G0MRF via AMSAT-BB <amsat-bb(a)amsat.org> To: "amsat-bb(a)amsat.org" <amsat-bb(a)amsat.org> Subject: [AMSAT-BB] Re: Looking to HEO > It is an interesting set of challenges which are several orders of magnitude greater than a 1U with a Z axis magnet in LEO. > Of course there is a de-risking strategy where the 25yr orbital debris rule can be mitigated by flying an elliptical orbit. e.g Geostationary transfer orbit.. Then just wait for perigee reduction to do your re-entry for you.V+U band will work with omni antennas. Modern digital modes will work nicely at apogee, while simple ground stations can use the lower part of the orbit. - What an incentive to improve your station! > > If you really need S C or X band with directional antennas on the satellite, then the attitude can be adjusted with magnetorquers during perigee. > No fuel required.....If you can identify a launch with a perigee that's high enough. If not, then a 1/2U pulsed plasma thruster may be able to nudge it up a little every apogee. > > Good luck. It's a tough assignment. > David G0MRF > > New and proposed U.S. regulatory restrictions are creating significant obstacles (and in some cases, barriers ) in our path. In addition, the de facto CubeSat form factor requires us to downsize and even shoehorn many of the necessary systems into a spacecraft no larger than a loaf of bread (3U) or small briefcase (6U). As an example, finding a micro-propulsion system that will satisfy our delta-v budget for achieving attitude and orbit control, orbital transfers, and end-of-life deorbiting or a move-away-and-stay-away storage solution, is one such challenge. If that’s not enough, we have to find a propellant safe enough to satisfy launch provider restrictions. > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Robert Bankston via AMSAT-BB <amsat-bb(a)amsat.org> > To: AMSAT BB <amsat-bb(a)amsat.org> > Sent: Fri, 5 Nov 2021 0:27 > Subject: [AMSAT-BB] Looking to HEO > > Returning to higher Earth orbits (HEO) is proving to be more complicated than past AMSAT’s missions. New and proposed U.S. regulatory restrictions are creating significant obstacles (and in some cases, barriers ) in our path. In addition, the de facto CubeSat form factor requires us to downsize and even shoehorn many of the necessary systems into a spacecraft no larger than a loaf of bread (3U) or small briefcase (6U). As an example, finding a micro-propulsion system that will satisfy our delta-v budget for achieving attitude and orbit control, orbital transfers, and end-of-life deorbiting or a move-away-and-stay-away storage solution, is one such challenge. If that’s not enough, we have to find a propellant safe enough to satisfy launch provider restrictions. I know that doing more with less has always been the unofficial motto of AMSAT, but this was generally in reference to our project funding. Now, we have to take that same approach to our design of CubeSat sub-systems, capable of operating in higher Earth orbits. > > A ride-share opportunity (similar to AMSAT-DL’s amateur radio integration aboard Es'hail 2 / QO-100) would certainly make our return to HEO easier. Unfortunately, finding a geostationary prospect over the Western Hemisphere has proven to be harder than we hoped. Absent a gift from the satellite gods, we need to press on with designing, building, and operating our own HEO spacecraft. > > NASA JPL’s Mars Cube One (MarCO) CubeSats could offer invaluable design cues for our own HEO-bound spacecraft. In 2018, NASA launched two, 6U CubeSats to Mars, to serve as communication-relays in support of NASA’s InSight Mars lander mission. These CubeSats featured deployable solar panels, X-band communications, a deployable reflectarray antenna, and a cold-gas micro-propulsion system. Additionally, each CubeSats' attitude-control system combined a star tracker, Sun sensors, gyroscopes, and three-axis reaction wheels for monitoring and adjusting orientation. > > The total cost of NASA’s Mars Cube One mission was $18 million. Hopefully, our return to HEO will be a fraction of that cost. > > > 73, > > Robert Bankston, KE4AL > President > Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT) > > ----------------------------------------------------------- > > Sent via AMSAT-BB(a)amsat.org. AMSAT-NA makes this open forum available > to all interested persons worldwide without requiring membership. Opinions expressed > are solely those of the author, and do not reflect the official views of AMSAT-NA. > Acceptable Use and Privacy Policies available at https://www.amsat.org/about-amsat/ > > View archives of this mailing list at > https://mailman.amsat.org/hyperkitty/list/[email protected] > To unsubscribe send an email to amsat-bb-leave(a)amsat.org > Manage all of your AMSAT-NA mailing list preferences at https://mailman.amsat.org > > ----------------------------------------------------------- > > Sent via AMSAT-BB(a)amsat.org. AMSAT-NA makes this open forum available > to all interested persons worldwide without requiring membership. Opinions expressed > are solely those of the author, and do not reflect the official views of AMSAT-NA. > Acceptable Use and Privacy Policies available at https://www.amsat.org/about-amsat/ > > View archives of this mailing list at > https://mailman.amsat.org/hyperkitty/list/[email protected] > To unsubscribe send an email to amsat-bb-leave(a)amsat.org > Manage all of your AMSAT-NA mailing list preferences at https://mailman.amsat.org

9 months, 1 week

ANS-311 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins for Nov. 7

by Mark Johns, K0JM

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-311 The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and information service of AMSAT, 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 You can sign up for free e-mail delivery of the AMSAT News Service Bulletins via the ANS List; to join this list see: https://mailman.amsat.org/postorius/lists/ans.amsat.org/ In this edition: * AMSAT Seeks Qualified Volunteers For A Number Of Positions * VUCC/r Award Announced * W4AMI Award Qualifications Have Changed * VUCC Awards-Endorsements for November 2021 * Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for November 4 * Results of Artemis 2 Proposal Opportunity * ARDC Grant Award for the ARISS-USA STEREO Education Project * ARISS School Contacts * Upcoming Satellite Operations * Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events * Satellite Shorts From All Over ANS-311 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins To: All RADIO AMATEURS From: Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation 712 H Street NE, Suite 1653 Washington, DC 20002 DATE 2021 Nov 7 AMSAT Seeks Qualified Volunteers For A Number Of Positions Keeping Amateur Radio in Space is a team effort and the work of AMSAT is carried out entirely by volunteers. AMSAT needs people with a wide range of technical and non-technical skills. In short, WE NEED YOU! There is no pay, but a great deal of satisfaction in knowing that you are helping make something happen. Volunteers are being sought in the following areas: * Satellite Development Technical Experience If you have hardware or software technical skills, and proven experience directly applicable to satellite design, please contact the AMSAT Vice President of Engineering, Jerry Buxton, N0JY. Due to International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), positions involving space flight hardware or software require US citizenship or permanent resident status. Ground station development is open to all qualified persons regardless of citizenship. * ARISS Development and Support AMSAT's Human Space Flight Team is looking for volunteers to help with development and support of the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) project. ARISS needs both technical volunteers for hardware development, as well as technical mentors to assist with scheduled school contacts. To volunteer, contact Frank H. Bauer, KA3HDO, ARISS-USA Executive Director. * AMSAT Educational Relations AMSAT's Educational Relations Team needs volunteers with a background in education and classroom lesson development. Contact Alan Johnston, KU2Y, Vice President - Educational Relations * AMSAT News and Communications Communications through the AMSAT News Service [this weekly bulletin] and AMSAT Journal are essential in keeping both our members and the wider public informed. If you have good writing and editing skills and are interested, please contact AMSAT News Service Senior Editor Mark Johns, K0JM, or AMSAT Journal Editor Joe Kornowski, KB6IGK. * General AMSAT Support AMSAT is an organization of self starters. While we sometimes have tasks which we can assign, our most important contributions come from someone who sees a need, has the skills to solve the problem, and then goes ahead and does so. So pick an area that you think needs improvement and explain what you will do to make it better. Contact Paul Stoetzer, N8HM, Executive Vice President or email info [AT] amsat.org [ANS thanks AMSAT for the above information] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Join the 2021 President's Club! Score your 2" 4-Color Accent Commemorative Coin. This gold finished coin comes with Full Color Certificate and Embroidered "Remove Before Flight" Key Tag Donate today at https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/ You won't want to miss it! +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ VUCC/r Award Announced At the 2021 AMSAT Dr. Tom Clark, K3IO, Memorial Space Symposium & Annual General Meeting on Oct. 30, a new AMSAT award program was announced. This program is to recognize the contribution of rover station operators to the world of grid hunting. Rovers are folks operating while mobile in motion or temporarily parked to give out grids to fixed stations. The award is called the Reverse VUCC Award. The abbreviation is VUCC/r. It is not an easy award to earn. The award is very similar to the ARRL’s VUCC, but rather than contact a set number of grids on a frequency band, the goal is to make contacts FROM a set number of grids per band. AMSAT took over the issuance of this award from the Central States VHF Society in September, 2021. The number of grids coincides with the ARRL award. Certificates will be awarded as well as endorsement stickers. QSL cards are required and will be verified by the program administrator. Awards will be presented with a unique serial number. This award will be a step beyond, and a greater challenge than the AMSAT Rover Award. For more information on VUCC/r see https://www.amsat.org/reverse-vucc-or-vucc-r-award/ [ANS thanks Bruce Paige, KK5DO, AMSAT Director Contests and Awards, for the above information] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Need new satellite antennas? Purchase Arrows, Alaskan Arrows, and M2 LEO-Packs from the AMSAT Store. When you purchase through AMSAT, a portion of the proceeds goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space. https://amsat.org/product-category/hardware/ +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ W4AMI Award Qualifications Have Changed Effective November 01, 2021 no FM contacts will be accepted towards the Robert W. Barbee Jr., W4AMI Award. Contacts made prior to November 01, 2021 will be accepted. The decision was reached by a concensus of the AMSAT Board of Directors at their virtual meeting on Oct. 29 out of concern for the demands being placed on the limited resource or our satellite FM repeaters. "I really don't know if there are people making contacts with five of their friends on every single pass just to get enough QSOs for this award, but if there is anything we can do to lighten the load on our FM satellites and extend their lifetime, we need to do so," said one Board member. The Robert W. Barbee Jr., W4AMI Satellite Operator Achievement Award. It is awarded for the submission of 1,000 satellite contacts on OSCAR-6 or later satellites. There is an endorsement for each additional 1,000 and a special certificate at 5,000. To receive the award, see https://www.amsat.org/amsat-robert-w-barbee-jr-w4ami-award/ and contact AMSAT Director of Contests and Awards, Bruce Paige, KK5DO. [ANS thanks Bruce Paige, KK5DO, AMSAT Director Contests and Awards, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- VUCC Awards-Endorsements for November 2021 Here are the endorsements and new VUCC Satellite Awards issued by the ARRL for the period October 1, 2021 through November 1, 2021. Congratulations to all those who made the list this month! CALL Oct. November WA4NVM 1568 1579 N8HM 1127 1139 AA5PK 1115 1132 N8RO 1111 1124 W5CBF 723 841 AA8CH 775 800 N0JE 681 734 N3GS 705 729 N6UK 687 707 VE1VOX 510 610 AF5CC 547 582 VE6WK 512 564 N7EGY 501 559 K5ND 526 530 G0ABI 454 478 KN2K 350 401 VE4MM 376 401 EA2AA 375 382 WB7QXU 303 325 NA1ME 250 275 RA3DNC 200 252 VE3KY 201 227 XE1GK New 209 KC1MEB 168 207 AB0XE 100 200 KE7RTB 150 200 WD9EWK (DM23) 166 173 WD9EWK (DM31) 156 162 WD9EWK (DM54) 145 153 KE4BKL 125 150 KP4RV+KP3V New 139 LA9XGA 100 129 JK2XXK 100 125 XE1ZD New 109 MU0FAL New 102 WA2ZQX New 101 If you find errors or omissions. please contact me off-list at <W5RKN> [AT] <W5RKN> .com. This list was developed by comparing the ARRL .pdf listings for the two months. It's a visual comparison so omissions are possible. Apologies if your call was not mentioned. Thanks to all those who are roving to grids that are rarely on the birds. They are doing a lot of the work! [ANS thanks Ron Parsons, W5RKN, for the above information] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ AMSAT's GOLF Program is about getting back to higher orbits, and it all begins with GOLF-TEE – a technology demonstrator for deployable solar panels, propulsion, and attitude control, now manifested for launch on NASA's ELaNa 46 mission. Come along for the ride. The journey will be worth it! https://tinyurl.com/ANS-GOLF +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for November 4 The following satellite has decayed from orbit and has been removed from the AMSAT TLE Distribution: CP-9 - NORAD Cat ID 44360 (Decay Epoch 10-28-2021) [ANS thanks Ray Hoad, WA5QGD, AMSAT Orbital Elements Manager, for the above information] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Want to fly the colors on your own grid expedition? Get your AMSAT car flag and other neat stuff from our Zazzle store! 25% of the purchase price of each product goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Results of Artemis 2 Proposal Opportunity In January this year the Amateur Radio Exploration (AREx) team of ARISS and AMSAT submitted a no-cost proposal to fly hardware and cameras on NASA’s Artemis II mission to the moon to bring “The Excitement and Inspiration of Artemis Journeys to a Worldwide Audience through Interactive Amateur Radio Experiences.” Artemis 2 is the first planned human spaceflight mission to the moon. Like the Apollo 8 mission, it plans to orbit the moon and return to Earth. Recently we got word that we were not competitively selected for the mission. I just found out who won the competition. The winners, National Geographic and Disney, were, in my opinion, unbeatable challengers for documenting and sharing truly historic events -- especially the return of humans to the moon. https://www.space.com/national-geographic-nasa-artemis-moon-mission-show Despite this loss, the AREx team learned a great deal in the development of the proposal and were able to significantly refine our lunar payload design concept. A concept that can now meet Gateway payload requirements. This new design will position our amateur radio team for future lunar opportunity requests as well as to communicate our readiness to fly as a payload on the Lunar Gateway mission. On behalf of the AREx team, my thanks to all that supported the maturation of our Lunar design and the development and submit of the proposal. [ANS thanks Frank H. Bauer, KA3HDO, ARISS-USA Executive Director, ARISS International Chair, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- ARDC Grant Award for the ARISS-USA STEREO Education Project ARISS-USA is pleased to announce that Amateur Radio Digital Communications (ARDC) awarded a 5-year grant for a project called, “Student and Teacher Education via Radio Experimentation and Operations” (STEREO). Total grant funding over five years is nearly $1.3 million. This ARDC grant will fund three distinct initiatives that enable ARISS to sustain and improve STEAM educational outcomes: Part 1: ARISS is developing a wireless electronics technology kit called “SPARKI”, short for “Space Pioneers Amateur Radio Kit Initiative” for use with middle and high school students. This ARDC grant will take SPARKI from prototype to operational and then deploy these kits into a selected set of ARISS formal and informal education organizations that are planning their ARISS radio contacts. Part 2: To be successful, ARISS must “Educate the Educator” by creating awareness of ARISS, amateur radio and SPARKI to prospective formal and informal educators in the USA. ARISS‐USA will conduct educator workshops for a selected set of educators to aid them in seamlessly employing SPARKI in their education environment and for ARISS to receive their feedback and ideas. Part 3: The grant will support some of the costs of ARISS contact operations between students and astronauts aboard the ISS over the five-year grant period. ARISS-USA Executive Director Frank Bauer welcomed this news by saying, “ARISS-USA is so excited about this new 5-year initiative. It will be a STEAM education game changer and represents a key element of our ARISS 2.0 vision. Most importantly, it brings wireless technologies and amateur radio into our ARISS formal and informal classrooms. We thank ARDC for their interest and support and look forward to working with them on this incredible initiative!” ARDC’s mission is to support, promote, and enhance digital communication and broader communication science and technology, to promote Amateur Radio, scientific research, experimentation, education, development, open access, and innovation in information and communication technology. ARDC makes grants to projects and organizations that follow amateur radio’s practice and tradition of technical experimentation in both amateur radio and digital communication science. Such experimentation has led to broad advances for the benefit of the general public – such as the mobile phone and wireless internet technology. ARDC envisions a world where all such technology is available through open-source hardware and software, and where anyone has the ability to innovate upon it. [ANS thanks ARISS for the above information] -------------------------------------------------------------------- ARISS School Contacts Amateurs and others around the world may listen in on contacts between amateurs operating in schools and allowing students to interact with astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station. The downlink frequency on which to listen is 145.800 MHz worldwide. South Yarra Primary School, South Yarra, Victoria, Australia, telebridge via K6DUE The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled crewmember is Mark Vande Hei KG5GNP Contact is go for: Tue 2021-11-09 09:58:23 UTC 75 deg Watch for livestream at: https://bit.ly/31yQldr Ural State University of Railways and Communications, Yekaterinburg, Russia, direct via TBD The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS The scheduled crewmember is Pyotr Dubrov Contact is go for 2021-11-11 16: 00 UTC The latest information on the operation mode can be found at https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html The latest list of frequencies in use can be found at https://www.ariss.org/contact-the-iss.html [ANS thanks Charlie Sufana, AJ9N, one of the ARISS operation team mentors for the above information] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ AMSAT, along with our ARISS partners, is developing an Amateur Radio package, including two-way communication capability, to be carried on-board Gateway in lunar orbit. Support AMSAT's projects today at https://www.amsat.org/donate/ +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Upcoming Satellite Operations KC1MEB & Nu1U are going to be roving in FN10 in PA this Sunday afternoon (11/7) A more definite schedule of passes for that grid will be announced. NA-008. (Zone 2) After being silent for 18 months, operators Alex/VE1RUS and Pierre/VE3TKB will once again be active as VY0ERC from the Eureka Weather station this October. This station is operated by the Eureka Amateur Radio Club [probably the most northerly located amateur radio club in the world] from Eureka, Nunavut. The VY0ERC team (VE1RUS and VE3KTB) is now in preparation to be active from the Polar Environment Atmospheric Research Laboratory between October 12th and November 22nd, (time and weather conditions permitting). They plan to participate in CQWW DX SSB and the ARRL Sweepstakes Contests. Outside of the contests, the suggested bands are 40 and 20 meters (possibly 80m), as well as FM satellites (from ER60, EQ79) using SSB, the Digital modes (FT8 and RTTY) and very slow CW. Activity will be limited to their spare time. QSL via M0OXO, OQRS or direct. For updates, see: https://twitter.com/vy0erc [ANS thanks Paul Overn, KE0PBR, AMSAT rover page manager, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events AMSAT Ambassadors provide presentations, demonstrate communicating through amateur satellites, and host information tables at club meetings, hamfests, conventions, maker faires, and other events. Ambassador Clint Bradford, K6LCS, is scheduling Zoom presentations for these locales in the next few weeks: Longmont, Colorado Las Vegas, Nevada St. Catherines, Ontario, Canada To schedule, contact Clint at: http://www.work-sat.com Email: clintbradford AT mac DOT com (909) 999-SATS (7287) - voicemail/message [ANS thanks Paul Overn, KE0PBR, AMSAT Events page manager, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Satellite Shorts From All Over + AMSAT President Robert Bankston, KE4AL, has expressed appreciation to members of the Board of Directors, and to Virtual Symposium Team: Paul Stoetzer, N8HM and Frank Karnauskas, N1UW, and to Dan Schultz N8FGV, Symposium Proceedings editor, on a phenomenal job of carrying out the Symposium on Oct. 30. The Proceedings are available to members at https://launch.amsat.org/ (ANS thanks AMSAT President Robert Bankston, KE4AL, for the above information) + Did you miss the 2021 AMSAT Dr. Tom Clark, K3IO, Memorial Space Symposium & Annual General Meeting? A replay of the event is available on YouTube. https://youtu.be/RTvcceM7Tz0 (ANS thanks AMSAT for the above information) + NASA has ruled out a weekend launch for a SpaceX Crew Dragon carrying four astronauts to the International Space Station due to expected bad weather. Given an uncertain forecast, the mission managers have opted instead to bring four station astronauts — Crew-2 — back to Earth first, delaying the Crew-3 launch to later next week. The Crew Dragon spacecraft, named Endeavour, is scheduled to undock from the International Space Station at 1:05z on Sunday, Nov. 7, to begin the journey home. Splashing down on Monday will be Shane Kimbrough, KE5HOD, Megan McArthur, Akihiko Hoshide, KE5DNI, and Thomas Pesquet, KG5FYG. The Crew-3 astronauts awaiting launch are all licensed amateurs: Raja Chari, KI5LIU, Tom Marshburn, KE5HOC, Matthias Maurer, KI5KFH, and Kayla Barron, KI5LAL. That crew was originally scheduled to launch on Oct. 31. (ANS thanks SpaceFlightNow and NASA for the above information) + NASA missions have primarily relied on radio frequency communications for this transfer of information. But this fall, NASA's Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD) will launch and showcase laser communications. LCRD's ground stations, known as Optical Ground Station (OGS) -1 and -2, are located on Table Mountain, California, and Haleakala, Hawaii. These remote, high-altitude locations were chosen for their clear weather conditions. While laser communications can provide increased data transfer rates, atmospheric disturbances - such as clouds and turbulence - can disrupt laser signals as they enter Earth's atmosphere. (ANS thanks SpaceDaily for the above information) + A new distance record of 4978.0 km on CAS-4A has been claimed by Joe Werth, KE9AJ, from the Colorado mountain summit in DM79iq, with Bertrand Demarcq, FG8OJ, in FK96hg in Guadeloupe. Congratulations! Distance records are published at https://www.amsat.org/satellite-distance-records/ (ANS thanks Joe Werth, KE9AJ, for the above information) --------------------------------------------------------------------- Join AMSAT today at https://launch.amsat.org/ In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership to: * Societies (a recognized group, clubs or organization). * 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 student rate for a maximum of 6 post-secondary years in this status. * Memberships are available for annual and lifetime terms. Contact info [at] amsat.org for additional membership information. 73 and remember to help Keep Amateur Radio in Space! This week's ANS Editor, Mark Johns, K0JM k0jm at amsat dot org

9 months, 2 weeks

Ham Radio Deluxe question

by Dr. Michael Carper, WA9PIE

Greetings all. I'm new to this email list. I searched the archive for "HRD" (Ham Radio Deluxe) related posts and I've seen a few. I don't want to turn this into a commercial for HRD. That's not my intention. I'm happy to take a topic offline (outside the email group). Here's my question... For those who use Ham Radio Deluxe, what problems are you having (recently) with satellite operations using the software? [FWIW - a lot of what I've gotten recently when I've asked seems to be 2nd-hand stories or memories of problems that occurred in the distant past. A few things have been changed recently that I hope clears some past problems.] I'm looking for some first-hand recent feedback about using Ham Radio Deluxe for satellites so I can scope out the improvements that need to be made. Additionally, I'm looking for someone who can help verify the Doppler calculations that control the frequency changes in the radio. In-particular, if you have experience in C++, I'm happy to let you view the code. What I really want to do is to make Ham Radio Deluxe the best possible satellite app. I've acquired my own satellite gear and I expect to be "eating my own dog food." So I want this to be great. Email me direct or comment here. Thanks. -- Mike Carper, WA9PIE <https://www.qrz.com/lookup/wa9pie> VK4EIE <https://www.qrz.com/db/vk4eie> CEO/HRD Software, LLC mike(a)hrdsoftwarellc.com Makers of Ham Radio Deluxe www.HamRadioDeluxe.com Support <https://support.hamradiodeluxe.com> | Key Retrieval <https://keyretrieval.hamradiodeluxe.com> | Forums <https://forums.hamradiodeluxe.com> | Release Notes <https://releasenotes.hamradiodeluxe.com> | Manual <https://wiki.hamradiodeluxe.com> Facebook <https://www.Facebook.com/HamRadioDeluxe> | YouTube <https://www.YouTube.com/HamRadioDeluxe> | Twitter <https://www.Twitter.com/HamRadioDeluxe> | Instagram <https://www.Instagram.com/HamRadioDeluxe>

9 months, 2 weeks

Next Rocket lab launch

by Wendy and Terry Osborne

The next Rocket Lab launch has a window starting Thursday 11th November at 4:25 UTC They will be doing a webcast as usual. See: https://www.rocketlabusa.com/missions/next-mission/ 73, Terry Osborne ZL2BAC

9 months, 2 weeks

Contacts from FK52

by Nathan Wood

ATTN Grid chasers! I just returned from Bonaire PJ4 (FK52). I operated a few passes as a test for my portable equipment. I made a total of 26 contacts over 5 passes; FM and SSB. I’ve already received several emails asking “Did I make it into your log?” And “will you be confirming in LOTW?” Below are the call signs that I have in my log. These contacts will be uploaded to LOTW as soon as I get my TQSL certificate. If you believe that we made a contact but you don’t see your call sign here, email me (direct) with the details of our contact and I’ll research it. If you have recordings of that contact, please include that as well. KF7R/KP4, N1PEB, PY2HZ, CO8TW, N1PEB, WA2ZQX, N4RJ, K3RRR, VE1CWJ, AA8CH, VE1VOX, N3GS, W8EH, N8RO, K9UO, CO7TW, CO7CW, N4RG, W8MTB, K4RGK When you submit your QSO to LOTW, please note my call sign as “PJ4/K4NHW”. Hopefully I’ll be heading back to PJ4 (and maybe others) next year. I’ll announce that trip and will be able to work more passes. Thanks! Nathan, K4NHW

9 months, 2 weeks

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