ARISS News Release No. 21-20
Dave Jordan, AA4KN
ARISS PR
aa4kn(a)amsat.org
FORIMMEDIATE RELEASE
ARISS Contactfor Students at The School of Information Technology
&Mathematical Sciences, Southern Hemisphere Space Studies Program 2021
Mawson Lakes, SA, Australia
April 4, 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 Astronaut Shannon Walker, amateurradio call sign KD5DXB. Englishis the language that will be used for this contact. The downlink frequency for this contact is145.800 MHz.
TheARISS team in Portland, OR will use call sign NA7V to serve as the ARISS relayamateur radio ground station.
The ARISS radio contact isscheduled for April 6, 2021 at 8:57 pm ACST (Salisbury), (11:27 UTC, 7:27 am EDT, 6:27am CDT, 5:27 am MDT and, 4:27 am PDT).
The School ofInformation Technology & Mathematical Sciences, Southern Hemisphere SpaceStudies Program is a large (765 students) R-7 primary school located in aMawson Lakes suburb in the City of Salisbury. The school’s Space StudiesProgram is jointly organizedby the International Space University and the University of South Australia. It is a unique, five-week live-inexperience focusing on an international, intercultural and interdisciplinaryeducational philosophy. In addition, the school’s STEM program (including the AdvancedTechnology Program) incorporates space-related studies that include theirISS-astronaut project, offering students a chance to understand how the ISSfunctions, how astronauts live and work in space, and student activities that investigatesmall satellites using the CubeSat classroom kit through HEPTA (Hands-on Education Program for Technical Advancement).HEPTA is a hands-on study with intensive practical lessons of small satellitedesign and engineering. The hands-on activity focuses on establishing theknowledge of systems engineering by going through the whole process of systemintegration.
The public is invited to watch the live stream https://tinyurl.com/ISSLINKUP2021
Astime allows, students will ask these questions:
1.What do you do to entertain yourself in such a small space for a long time withso few people?
2.Do you have travel sickness or feel suffocated while you are in there?
3.How do you protect against radiation on the ISS?
4.Have you seen any suspicious activity (like extraterrestrial creatures)?
5.Are there any health risks when you are in outer space?
6.How long do you think that it would take to discover another universe?
7.Does space debris affect the ISS?
8.When Is space radiation more harmful to astronauts?
9.Is the possibility of a fire on the ISS more terrifying when you are on the ISSor when you are training and preparing to be on the ISS.
10.How long can the present International Space Station (ISS) be used for?
11.What are the benefits of exercising in space?
12.What is your workout routine?
13.How does it smell in there?
14.What does it feel like in microgravity, especially when brushing teeth or hairor even having a shower?
15.What inspired you to be an astronaut?
16.Can you tell us some more information about the ISS?
17.Does warp speed exist?
18.What simple tasks on Earth requires the most work in space – and what, otherthan floating, can be done easily in space but is difficult on Earth.
19. While in the ISS if someone gets sick, willnormal earth medicine work in micro gravity?
20.Have you done any Covid-19 related research on ISS?
21. Can we see the far side of the Moon from ISS?Or will we be able to see it from the new planned station orbiting near themoon?
22.How do you get rid of the smell in the space station
23.How serious is the problem of space debris and what is being done about it?
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, sponsorsare the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT), the American Radio RelayLeague (ARRL), the ISS National Lab-Space Station Explorers, and NASA’s SpaceCommunications and Navigation program. The primary goal of ARISS is to promoteexploration of science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematicstopics by organizing scheduled contacts via amateur radio between crew membersaboard the ISS and students. Before and during these radio contacts, students,educators, parents, and communities learn about space, space technologies, andamateur 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 and@ARISS_status.
Howdy gang,
I was on XW-2D the entire pass and called CQ. I heard VE6UM and had a nice QSO. Bird was strong from AOS 3 degrees and LOS 3 degrees. I did not hear it chop at all so she is sounding good.
Bill K7MT DN46 Helena, Mt
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(a)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:
* 2021 AMSAT Field Day
* VUCC Awards-Endorsements for April 1 2021
* WOUB Spotlight: Broadcast Operations Supervisor Terry Douds, N8KI
* NASA TV to Air First US Commercial Crew Port Relocation on ISS
* Perseverance rover begins steps to deploy Mars helicopter
* Launch Watch: Upcoming in April
* Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for April 1, 2021
* ARISS News
* Upcoming Satellite Operations
* Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events
* Satellite Shorts From All Over
ANS-094 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 094.01
To: All RADIO AMATEURS
From: Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation
712 H Street NE Suite 1653
Washington, DC 20002
DATE 2021 April 04
2021 AMSAT Field Day
It’s that time of year again; summer and Field Day! Each year the American
Radio Relay League (ARRL) sponsors Field Day as a “picnic, a campout,
practice for emergencies, an informal contest and, most of all, FUN!” The
event takes place during a 23-hour period on the fourth weekend of June.
For 2021 the event takes place during a 27-hour period from 1800 UTC on
Saturday June 26, 2021 through 2100 UTC on Sunday June 27, 2021. Those who
set up prior to 1800 UTC on June 26 can operate only 24 hours. The Radio
Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT) promotes its own version of Field Day
for operation via the amateur satellites, held concurrently with the ARRL
event.
This year should be as easy as last year since we have more than 10
transponders and repeaters available. Users should check the AMSAT status
page at http://www.amsat.org/status/ and the pages at
https://www.amsat.org/two-way-satellites/ for what is available in the
weeks leading up to field day. To reduce the amount of time to research
each satellite, see the current FM satellite table at:
https://www.amsat.org/fm-satellite-frequency-summary/
and the current linear satellite table at:
https://www.amsat.org/linear-satellite-frequency-summary/
Additional information is found at: https://www.amsat.org/field-day/
[ANS thanks Bruce Paige, KK5DO, AMSAT Director Contests and Awards and Paul
Stoetzer, N8HM, ANS editor for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
VUCC Awards-Endorsements for April 1 2021
Here are the endorsements and new VUCC Satellite Awards issued by the ARRL
for the period March 1, 2021 through April 1, 2021. Congratulations to all
those who made the list this month!
CALL Mar Mar
N9EAT 784 843
NS3L 650 681
W7QL 510 563
KJ4EU 471 506
VA3NNA 300 504
K0JM 403 500
N1PEB (EL98) 255 500
MI6GTY 460 461
KB9STR 353 431
KC9UQR 400 427
KS1G 360 413
WA4HFN 102 413
K5TA 302 400
W8LR 353 400
VE4MM 279 304
WB7QXU 252 303
VU2LBW 260 300
W4ALF 200 300
K4RGK 214 278
NA1ME 200 225
KN2K 155 200
N7ZO 116 200
XE2YWH 137 187
LW2DAF 166 182
NK1K New 179
DL6KBG 125 150
N8MR New 115
N2CJ 100 103
AF5D New 102
W7KRS New 101
AC9DX New 100
W3FGP New 100
If you find errors or omissions. please contact me off-list at
<mycall>@<mycall>.com and I'll revise the announcement. 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 most of the work! - Ron W5RKN
[ANS thanks Ron Parsons, W5RKN for the above information]
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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!
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WOUB Broadcast Operations Supervisor Terry Douds, N8KI, AMSAT-NA member is
honored.
ATHENS, OH – During Broadcast Operations Supervisor Terry Douds nearly 16
years working at WOUB Public Media, there have been many changes in regard
to technology and how the station runs. But, Douds has rolled with the
changes and couldn’t be more proud of the work he is doing.
“I was originally hired as a broadcast technician and was promoted to
broadcast operations supervisor in 2008,” said Douds. “At that time, the
Engineering Department oversaw Master Control. We worked 24/7 to insure
that WOUB stayed on the air. Later that part of operations shifted to the
Traffic Department, so now we’re doing ‘regular’ engineering tasks, such as
design of systems, installation of new equipment, and overseeing what we
call ‘In-House Engineering’; another team within Engineering handles field
work and our transmitter sites.”
“A big part of the training for me for this job came from amateur radio. I
became a ‘Ham Operator’ in November 1968, when I was in 7th grade,” said
Douds. “I later became active in amateur satellite work, another part of
amateur radio where we designed satellites and have them launched into
space.” More at: https://bit.ly/3rKpBxI
[ANS thanks Mark Johns, K0JM, AMSAT News Service Editor and WOUB.org for
the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
NASA TV to Air First US Commercial Crew Port Relocation on Space Station
NASA's SpaceX Crew-1 astronauts aboard the International Space Station will
mark another first for commercial spaceflight Monday, April 5, when the
four astronauts will relocate the Crew Dragon spacecraft to prepare for the
arrival of new crew members in late April and the upcoming delivery of new
solar arrays this summer.
Live coverage will begin at 1000z on NASA Television, the NASA app, and the
agency's website.
NASA astronauts Mike Hopkins, KF5LJG, Victor Glover, KI5BKC, and Shannon
Walker, KD5DXB, along with Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)
astronaut Soichi Noguchi, KD5TVP, will undock Crew Dragon Resilience from
the forward port of the station's Harmony module at 1029z and dock to the
space-facing port at 1115z.
The relocation will free Harmony's forward port for the docking of Crew
Dragon Endeavour, set to carry four crew members to the station on NASA's
SpaceX Crew-2 mission. NASA astronauts Shane Kimbrough, KE5HOD, and Megan
McArthur, JAXA astronaut Akihiko Hoshide, KE5DNI, and ESA (European Space
Agency) astronaut Thomas Pesquet, KG5FYG, are scheduled to launch to the
station Thursday, April 22, from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space
Center in Florida.
[ANS thanks NASA for the above information.]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Perseverance Rover Begins Steps To Deploy Mars Helicopter
NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter is being lowered from the belly of the
Perseverance rover this week as ground teams run through a choreographed
long-distance command sequence to safely release the $80 million rotorcraft
onto the surface of Mars.
The slow, step-by-step deployment is projected to take around six days,
assuming everything goes as planned. The first command uplinked from
engineers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory was to release a launch lock
that kept the Ingenuity helicopter firmly attached to the belly of the
Perseverance rover during the journey to Mars. Additional information may
be found at: https://bit.ly/3dv06vv
[ANS thanks Stephen Clark of SpaceFlightNow.com for the above information]
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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/
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Launch Watch: Upcoming in April
There will be several notable launches this month. Unfortunately there are
no new amateur satellites in the immediate offing. A Falcon 9/Starlink #23
launch is scheduled for April 7 from Cape Canaveral. April 9, The new
command crew for the ISS will be launched from Baikonur to start Mission
65. On April 22, SpaceX/NASA commercial Crew Flight #2 is scheduled for
launch on the reused Falcon 9 from the Crew-1 mission and the Crew Dragon
capsule from the Endeavor Demo-2 mission. The Crew-1 astronauts will return
shortly thereafter.
[ANS thanks SpaceX, NASA, and ROSCOMOS for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
[ANS thanks for the above information]
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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. Come along for the ride. The
journey will be worth it!
https://tinyurl.com/ANS-GOLF
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Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for April 1, 2021
The following satellites have been added to this week's AMSAT-NA TLE
Distribution:
Maya-2 - NORAD Cat ID 47929.
OPUSAT-II - NORAD Cat ID 47930.
CubeSX-Sirius-HSE - NORAD Cat ID 47951
Thanks to Nico Janssen, PA0DLO for the identification of these satellites.
The following satellites have been removed from this week's AMSAT-NA TLE
Distribution:
OBJECT B - NORAD Cat ID 47310
OBJECT D - NORAD Cat ID 47312
OBJECT E - NORAD Cat ID 47313
OBJECT G - NORAD Cat ID 47315
OBJECT J - NORAD Cat ID 47317
OBJECT K - NORAD Cat ID 47318
OBJECT M - NORAD Cat ID 47320
OBJECT N - NORAD Cat ID 47345
The above objects are non-amateur radio satellites associated with a launch
carrying amateur radio satellites. As the amateur radio satellites have
been identified from that launch, these objects are no longer of interest.
[ANS thanks Ray Hoad, WA5QGD, AMSAT Orbital Elements Manager, for the above
information]
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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
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--------------------------------------------------------------------
ARISS NEWS: Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of April 4, 2021
The School of Information Technology & Mathematical Sciences, Southern
Hemisphere Space Studies Program 2021, Mawson Lakes, SA, Australia,
telebridge via NA7V
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
astronaut is Shannon Walker KD5DXB Contact is go for: Tue 2021-04-06
11:27:49 UTC 34 deg via IK1SLD. Watch for livestream at
https://tinyurl.com/ISSLINKUP2021
Kaluga Regional schools, Kaluga, 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 astronaut is Sergey Kud-Sverchkov. Watch for Tue 2021-04-06
13:10 UTC
St. Petersburg, 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
astronaut is Sergey Ryzhikov. Watch for Wed 2021-04-07 12:20 UTC
[ANS thanks Charlie Sufana, AJ9N, one of the ARISS operation team mentors
for the above information]
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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/
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Upcoming Satellite Operations
Quick Hits:
DN58 – look for #NO7G on SSB sats over the next week (3/25 – 4/4)
AA5PK: Thinking a trip to EM01 Saturday (4/3) is in order.
N3CRT: Activating ***Delaware*** via satellite -FM and Linear- at Fort Mott
State Park FM29fo this Saturday April 3rd 12z-20z and possibly later.
WL7T: Had to cancel Maine. Too expensive to change flights this close to
departure. EL58 is rescheduled for April 11. Will be driving from EM26 to
EL59, so might be stopping along the way for a few contacts starting a day
or two before April 11.
Major Roves:
CM93 Possibility: N6DNM Very long shot, but might want to put it on your
calendar for May 15th, if you can figure out where it is and for #SOTA
folks, that would be W6/SC-336, Santa Rosa Island, activated only once
before.
Please submit any additions or corrections to Ke0pbr (at) gmail.com
Updated 03/31/2021
[ANS thanks Paul Overn, KE0PBR, AMSAT rover page manager for the above
information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events
From Larry Manaev, RN3AG: "We invite your members to take part in the Yuri
Gagarin International DX Contest 2021. Date: from 21.00 UTC on April 10
till 21.00 UTC on April 11, 2021. Modes: CW only.
Satellite categories:
SAT - Single operator - Satellite QSOs.
SAT-GS - Single operator - Geostationary Satellite QSOs (QO-100).
Contest rules: http://gc.qst.ru/en/section/32"
AMSAT Ambassador, Tom Zimmerman W9TTY, will be exhibiting at the DeKalb
Hamfest, Sandwich, Illinois on May 2, 2021. This hamfest SW of Chicago will
feature a presentation for hams curious about Amateur Radio in Space and
how to work the easy sats. Info on Kishwaukee Amateur Radio Club Webpage
www.kare-club.org
AMSAT Ambassador Clint Bradford K6CLS is planning a presentation on 06/15
to a club in East Massachusetts.
Think a 90-minute lively, informative, and fun “How to Work the Easy
Satellites” Zoom presentation would be appropriate for your convention or
club? Always includes are overviews of the ARRL, AMSAT, and ARISS … and
pre-presentation questions are solicited and welcome. Send Clint an email
or call!
Clint Bradford K6LCS, http://www.work-sat.com. Tel:909-999-SATS (7287)
[ANS thanks Paul Overn, KE0PBR, AMSAT Events page manager, Larry Manaev,
RN3AG, and Clint Bradford, K6CLS AMSAT Ambassador for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Satellite Shorts From All Over
+ AMSAT Vice President - Engineering Jerry Buxton, N0JY, appeared on the
April 1, 2021 episode of Ham Talk Live to discuss the latest status of
AMSAT satellite development. A replay of the episode can be heard at
https://www.spreaker.com/user/hamtalklive/episode-253-amsat-satellite-engin…
[ANS thanks AMSAT for the above information]
+ Frank Garofalo, WA2NDV sends a thank you note to all who participated in
the Last Man Standing special event. He says "I had the pleasure to work
111 contacts as W6S over the course of the week. If you made at least one
contact you can download a certificate in around 4 weeks time. Just check
the QRZ page for information. The official numbers are not yet in but there
were approximately 60 thousand contacts made across all frequencies and
modes." He continues: "I was also very careful not to interfere with any
rover operations during the event."
[ANS thanks Frank Garofalo, WA2NDV for the above information]
+ SpaceX’s latest high-altitude Starship test flight ends in another
explosion. SpaceX’s latest Starship test flight apparently ended with
another explosion Tuesday in South Texas, but dense fog obscured clear
views of the launch and failed landing. The Federal Aviation Administration
said late Tuesday it is working with SpaceX to determine if light debris
reported in a nearby town came from the Starship test rocket.
[ANS thanks Stephen Clark of SpaceFlightNow.com for the above information]
+Biden administration renews mandate for National Space Council. President
Biden will renew the National Space Council, a space policy group revived
by the Trump White House after 25 years of dormancy, to assist in
“generating national space policies, strategies, and synchronizing
America’s space activities,” an administration spokesman said Monday. A
spokesman for the National Security Council said the Biden administration
is renewing the National Space Council “at a time of unprecedented activity
and opportunity generated by America’s activities in space.”
[ANS thanks Stephen Clark of SpaceFlightNow.com 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 additional benefits.
Application forms are available from the AMSAT Store.
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. Contact info [at]
amsat.org for additional student membership information.
73 and Remember to help keep amateur radio in space,
This week's ANS Editor, Jack Spitznagel, KD4IZ
kd4iz at frawg dot org
AMSAT NEWS SERVICE
ANS-094
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(a)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:
* 2021 AMSAT Field Day
* VUCC Awards-Endorsements for April 1 2021
* WOUB Spotlight: Broadcast Operations Supervisor Terry Douds, N8KI
* NASA TV to Air First US Commercial Crew Port Relocation on ISS
* Perseverance rover begins steps to deploy Mars helicopter
* Launch Watch: Upcoming in April
* Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for April 1, 2021
* ARISS News
* Upcoming Satellite Operations
* Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events
* Satellite Shorts From All Over
ANS-094 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 094.01
To: All RADIO AMATEURS
From: Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation
712 H Street NE Suite 1653
Washington, DC 20002
DATE 2021 April 04
2021 AMSAT Field Day
Its that time of year again; summer and Field Day! Each year the American
Radio Relay League (ARRL) sponsors Field Day as a picnic, a campout,
practice for emergencies, an informal contest and, most of all, FUN! The
event takes place during a 23-hour period on the fourth weekend of June.
For 2021 the event takes place during a 27-hour period from 1800 UTC on
Saturday June 26, 2021 through 2100 UTC on Sunday June 27, 2021. Those who
set up prior to 1800 UTC on June 26 can operate only 24 hours. The Radio
Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT) promotes its own version of Field Day
for operation via the amateur satellites, held concurrently with the ARRL
event.
This year should be as easy as last year since we have more than 10
transponders and repeaters available. Users should check the AMSAT status
page at http://www.amsat.org/status/ and the pages at
https://www.amsat.org/two-way-satellites/ for what is available in the weeks
leading up to field day. To reduce the amount of time to research each
satellite, see the current FM satellite table at:
https://www.amsat.org/fm-satellite-frequency-summary/
and the current linear satellite table at:
https://www.amsat.org/linear-satellite-frequency-summary/
Additional information is found at: https://www.amsat.org/field-day/
[ANS thanks Bruce Paige, KK5DO, AMSAT Director Contests and Awards and Paul
Stoetzer, N8HM, ANS editor for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
VUCC Awards-Endorsements for April 1 2021
Here are the endorsements and new VUCC Satellite Awards issued by the ARRL
for the period March 1, 2021 through April 1, 2021. Congratulations to all
those who made the list this month!
CALL Mar Mar
N9EAT 784 843
NS3L 650 681
W7QL 510 563
KJ4EU 471 506
VA3NNA 300 504
K0JM 403 500
N1PEB (EL98) 255 500
MI6GTY 460 461
KB9STR 353 431
KC9UQR 400 427
KS1G 360 413
WA4HFN 102 413
K5TA 302 400
W8LR 353 400
VE4MM 279 304
WB7QXU 252 303
VU2LBW 260 300
W4ALF 200 300
K4RGK 214 278
NA1ME 200 225
KN2K 155 200
N7ZO 116 200
XE2YWH 137 187
LW2DAF 166 182
NK1K New 179
DL6KBG 125 150
N8MR New 115
N2CJ 100 103
AF5D New 102
W7KRS New 101
AC9DX New 100
W3FGP New 100
If you find errors or omissions. please contact me off-list at
<mycall>@<mycall>.com and I'll revise the announcement. 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 most of the work! - Ron W5RKN
[ANS thanks Ron Parsons, W5RKN 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!
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
WOUB Broadcast Operations Supervisor Terry Douds, N8KI, AMSAT-NA member is
honored.
ATHENS, OH During Broadcast Operations Supervisor Terry Douds nearly 16
years working at WOUB Public Media, there have been many changes in regard
to technology and how the station runs. But, Douds has rolled with the
changes and couldnt be more proud of the work he is doing.
I was originally hired as a broadcast technician and was promoted to
broadcast operations supervisor in 2008, said Douds. At that time, the
Engineering Department oversaw Master Control. We worked 24/7 to insure that
WOUB stayed on the air. Later that part of operations shifted to the Traffic
Department, so now were doing regular engineering tasks, such as design
of systems, installation of new equipment, and overseeing what we call
In-House Engineering; another team within Engineering handles field work
and our transmitter sites.
A big part of the training for me for this job came from amateur radio. I
became a Ham Operator in November 1968, when I was in 7th grade, said
Douds. I later became active in amateur satellite work, another part of
amateur radio where we designed satellites and have them launched into
space. More at: https://bit.ly/3rKpBxI
[ANS thanks Mark Johns, K0JM, AMSAT News Service Editor and WOUB.org for the
above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
NASA TV to Air First US Commercial Crew Port Relocation on Space Station
NASA's SpaceX Crew-1 astronauts aboard the International Space Station will
mark another first for commercial spaceflight Monday, April 5, when the four
astronauts will relocate the Crew Dragon spacecraft to prepare for the
arrival of new crew members in late April and the upcoming delivery of new
solar arrays this summer.
Live coverage will begin at 1000z on NASA Television, the NASA app, and the
agency's website.
NASA astronauts Mike Hopkins, KF5LJG, Victor Glover, KI5BKC, and Shannon
Walker, KD5DXB, along with Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)
astronaut Soichi Noguchi, KD5TVP, will undock Crew Dragon Resilience from
the forward port of the station's Harmony module at 1029z and dock to the
space-facing port at 1115z.
The relocation will free Harmony's forward port for the docking of Crew
Dragon Endeavour, set to carry four crew members to the station on NASA's
SpaceX Crew-2 mission. NASA astronauts Shane Kimbrough, KE5HOD, and Megan
McArthur, JAXA astronaut Akihiko Hoshide, KE5DNI, and ESA (European Space
Agency) astronaut Thomas Pesquet, KG5FYG, are scheduled to launch to the
station Thursday, April 22, from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space
Center in Florida.
[ANS thanks NASA for the above information.]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Perseverance rover begins steps to deploy Mars helicopter
NASAs Ingenuity helicopter is being lowered from the belly of the
Perseverance rover this week as ground teams run through a choreographed
long-distance command sequence to safely release the $80 million rotorcraft
onto the surface of Mars.
The slow, step-by-step deployment is projected to take around six days,
assuming everything goes as planned. The first command uplinked from
engineers at NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory was to release a launch lock
that kept the Ingenuity helicopter firmly attached to the belly of the
Perseverance rover during the journey to Mars. Additional information may be
found at: https://bit.ly/3dv06vv
[ANS thanks Stephen Clark of SpaceFlightNow.com 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/
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Launch Watch: Upcoming in April
There will be several notable launches this month. Unfortunately there are
no new amateur satellites in the immediate offing. A Falcon 9/Starlink #23
launch is scheduled for April 7 from Cape Canaveral. April 9, The new
command crew for the ISS will be launched from Baikonur to start Mission 65.
On April 22, SpaceX/NASA commercial Crew Flight #2 is scheduled for launch
on the reused Falcon 9 from the Crew-1 mission and the Crew Dragon capsule
from the Endeavor Demo-2 mission. The Crew-1 astronauts will return shortly
thereafter.
[ANS thanks SpaceX, NASA, and ROSCOMOS for the above information]
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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. Come along for the ride. The
journey will be worth it!
https://tinyurl.com/ANS-GOLF
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Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for April 1, 2021
The following satellites have been added to this week's AMSAT-NA TLE
Distribution:
Maya-2 - NORAD Cat ID 47929.
OPUSAT-II - NORAD Cat ID 47930.
CubeSX-Sirius-HSE - NORAD Cat ID 47951
Thanks to Nico Janssen, PA0DLO for the identification of these satellites.
The following satellites have been removed from this week's AMSAT-NA TLE
Distribution:
OBJECT B - NORAD Cat ID 47310
OBJECT D - NORAD Cat ID 47312
OBJECT E - NORAD Cat ID 47313
OBJECT G - NORAD Cat ID 47315
OBJECT J - NORAD Cat ID 47317
OBJECT K - NORAD Cat ID 47318
OBJECT M - NORAD Cat ID 47320
OBJECT N - NORAD Cat ID 47345
The above objects are non-amateur radio satellites associated with a launch
carrying amateur radio satellites. As the amateur radio satellites have been
identified from that launch, these objects are no longer of interest.
[ANS thanks Ray Hoad, WA5QGD, AMSAT Orbital Elements Manager, for the above
information]
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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
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--------------------------------------------------------------------
ARISS NEWS: Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of April 4, 2021
The School of Information Technology & Mathematical Sciences, Southern
Hemisphere Space Studies Program 2021, Mawson Lakes, SA, Australia,
telebridge via NA7V
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
astronaut is Shannon Walker KD5DXB Contact is go for: Tue 2021-04-06
11:27:49 UTC 34 deg via IK1SLD. Watch for livestream at
https://tinyurl.com/ISSLINKUP2021
Kaluga Regional schools, Kaluga, 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 astronaut is Sergey Kud-Sverchkov. Watch for Tue 2021-04-06
13:10 UTC
St. Petersburg, 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
astronaut is Sergey Ryzhikov. Watch for Wed 2021-04-07 12:20 UTC
[ANS thanks Charlie Sufana, AJ9N, one of the ARISS operation team mentors
for the above information]
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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/
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Upcoming Satellite Operations
Quick Hits:
DN58 look for #NO7G on SSB sats over the next week (3/25 4/4)
AA5PK: Thinking a trip to EM01 Saturday (4/3) is in order.
N3CRT: Activating ***Delaware*** via satellite -FM and Linear- at Fort Mott
State Park FM29fo this Saturday April 3rd 12z-20z and possibly later.
WL7T: Had to cancel Maine. Too expensive to change flights this close to
departure. EL58 is rescheduled for April 11. Will be driving from EM26 to
EL59, so might be stopping along the way for a few contacts starting a day
or two before April 11.
Major Roves:
CM93 Possibility: N6DNM Very long shot, but might want to put it on your
calendar for May 15th, if you can figure out where it is and for #SOTA
folks, that would be W6/SC-336, Santa Rosa Island, activated only once
before.
Please submit any additions or corrections to Ke0pbr (at) gmail.com
Updated 03/31/2021
[ANS thanks Paul Overn, KE0PBR, AMSAT rover page manager for the above
information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events
From Larry Manaev, RN3AG: "We invite your members to take part in the Yuri
Gagarin International DX Contest 2021. Date: from 21.00 UTC on April 10 till
21.00 UTC on April 11, 2021. Modes: CW only.
Satellite categories:
SAT - Single operator - Satellite QSOs.
SAT-GS - Single operator - Geostationary Satellite QSOs (QO-100).
Contest rules: http://gc.qst.ru/en/section/32"
AMSAT Ambassador, Tom Zimmerman W9TTY, will be exhibiting at the DeKalb
Hamfest, Sandwich, Illinois on May 2, 2021. This hamfest SW of Chicago will
feature a presentation for hams curious about Amateur Radio in Space and how
to work the easy sats. Info on Kishwaukee Amateur Radio Club Webpage
www.kare-club.org
AMSAT Ambassador Clint Bradford K6CLS is planning a presentation on 06/15 to
a club in East Massachusetts.
Think a 90-minute lively, informative, and fun How to Work the Easy
Satellites Zoom presentation would be appropriate for your convention or
club? Always includes are overviews of the ARRL, AMSAT, and ARISS and
pre-presentation questions are solicited and welcome. Send Clint an email or
call!
Clint Bradford K6LCS, http://www.work-sat.com. Tel:909-999-SATS (7287)
[ANS thanks Paul Overn, KE0PBR, AMSAT Events page manager, Larry Manaev,
RN3AG, and Clint Bradford, K6CLS AMSAT Ambassador for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Satellite Shorts From All Over
+ AMSAT Vice President - Engineering Jerry Buxton, N0JY, appeared on the
April 1, 2021 episode of Ham Talk Live to discuss the latest status of AMSAT
satellite development. A replay of the episode can be heard at
https://www.spreaker.com/user/hamtalklive/episode-253-amsat-satellite-engine
ering-
[ANS thanks AMSAT for the above information]
+ Frank Garofalo, WA2NDV sends a thank you note to all who participated in
the Last Man Standing special event. He says "I had the pleasure to work 111
contacts as W6S over the course of the week. If you made at least one
contact you can download a certificate in around 4 weeks time. Just check
the QRZ page for information. The official numbers are not yet in but there
were approximately 60 thousand contacts made across all frequencies and
modes." He continues: "I was also very careful not to interfere with any
rover operations during the event."
[ANS thanks Frank Garofalo, WA2NDV for the above information]
+ SpaceXs latest high-altitude Starship test flight ends in another
explosion. SpaceXs latest Starship test flight apparently ended with
another explosion Tuesday in South Texas, but dense fog obscured clear views
of the launch and failed landing. The Federal Aviation Administration said
late Tuesday it is working with SpaceX to determine if light debris reported
in a nearby town came from the Starship test rocket.
[ANS thanks Stephen Clark of SpaceFlightNow.com for the above information]
+Biden administration renews mandate for National Space Council. President
Biden will renew the National Space Council, a space policy group revived by
the Trump White House after 25 years of dormancy, to assist in generating
national space policies, strategies, and synchronizing Americas space
activities, an administration spokesman said Monday. A spokesman for the
National Security Council said the Biden administration is renewing the
National Space Council at a time of unprecedented activity and opportunity
generated by Americas activities in space.
[ANS thanks Stephen Clark of SpaceFlightNow.com 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 additional benefits.
Application forms are available from the AMSAT Store.
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. Contact info [at]
amsat.org for additional student membership information.
73 and Remember to help keep amateur radio in space,
This week's ANS Editor, Jack Spitznagel, KD4IZ
kd4iz at frawg dot org
It was hectic. Chaotic, even ...
BUT IT IS WONDERFUL - AO-91 is BACK!
And as you all work her and enter your reception reports ...
https://www.amsat.org/status/index.php
... hit that DONATE button and send AMSAT a couple bucks!
Clint K6LCS
Http://www.work-sat.com
Sent from my iPhone
Currently SatPC32 does not list the Icom IC-705 as a supported radio. I
emailed Erich and he said the Icom commands are pretty much the same and to
try some of the other rigs that are listed.
It is my goal to work AO7 in mode A with the 10 meter downlink. Plus I'm
looking for an excuse to purchase a 705.
An additional question, do 10 meter hamsticks as a dipole work for an
antenna for the 10 meter downlink work?
I'm slowly getting there....
73 de Tim K4SHF
Hi all!
I am roving to the state of Delaware, Grid FM29 tomorrow APR 3rd from 12
UTC until 20 UTC and possibly later into the evening.
I have planned a list of passes, frequencies, and coverage areas and will
be providing updates on Twitter via the pinned tweet on my profile.
https://twitter.com/charlieray
Here is the list of passes I am planning to work:
http://n3crt.net/files/amsatrovers/FM29fo_Delaware_12zAPR3_02zAPR4.Txt
Hope to work you from the elusive state of Delaware!
73
N3CRT
Charles Reiche