July 2023 - AMSAT-BB - mailman.amsat.org

TEVEL-7
by david.greenberg＠bezeqint.net 11 Jul '23

11 Jul '23

Hello All, TEVEL-7 FM transponders has been activated, starting from today, 11.07.23 08:45U for 72 hours. 73, David 4X1DG

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Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2023-07-11 04:30 UTC
by aj9n＠aol.com 10 Jul '23

10 Jul '23

Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2023-07-11 04:30 UTC Quick list of scheduled contacts and events: YOTA 2023, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada, telebridge via IK1SLD (***) The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS (***) 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 TBD The ARISS mentor is VE3TBD Contact is go for: Tue 2023-07-18 18:42:54 UTC 76 deg (***) Camp William B. Snyder, Haymarket, VA, telebridge via IK1SLD (***) The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS (***) 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 Sultan Al Neyadi KI5VTV (***) The ARISS mentor is AJ9N Contact is go for: Fri 2023-07-21 17:54:29 UTC 54 deg (***) The crossband repeater continues to be active. If any crewmember is so inclined, all they have to do is pick up the microphone, raise the volume up, and talk on the crossband repeater. So give a listen, you just never know. Note, all times are approximate. It is recommended that you do your own orbital prediction or start listening about 10 minutes before the listed time. All dates and times listed follow International Standard ISO 8601 date and time format YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS The complete schedule page has been updated as of 2023-07-11 04:30 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 2023-06-23 03:30 UTC. https://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/Successful_ARISS_schools.rtf ####################################################################################################################################### Comments on making general contacts I have been seeing a lot of traffic on Facebook and I suspect on other social media sites with people asking why they are not hearing the crew make general contacts. First off the crew is very busy on the ISS and they simply may not have the time to just pick up the microphone and talk. Also, one needs to be aware of their normal daily schedule. I have listed below the constraints that we at ARISS have to follow in order to schedule the school contacts. Hopefully this will help you better schedule your opportunities. Typical daily schedule Wakeup to Workday start= 1.5 hours Workday start to Workday end=12 hours Workday end to Sleep= 2 hours Sleep to wakeup= 8.5 hours The crew's usual waking period is 0730 - 1930 UTC. The most common times to find a crew member making casual periods are about one hour after waking and before sleeping, when they have personal time. They're usually free most of the weekend, as well. SSTV events are not that often. So please check out https://www.ariss.org/ for the latest information or watch for the ARISS announcements. And don’t forget that the packet system is active. As always, if there is an EVA, a docking, or an undocking; the ARISS radios are turned off as part of the safety protocol. 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 **************************************************************************************************************************************** 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) Call for Proposals The next proposal window for US schools and educational organizations to host an Amateur Radio contact with a crew member on board the ISS opens February 20, 2023 for contacts to be scheduled for January 1, 2024 – June 30, 2024. This proposal is due to ARISS by March 31, 2023 at 11:59 PM Pacific Time. Find more information and proposal instructions, visit the ARISS-USA website at: https://ariss-usa.org/hosting-an-ariss-contact-in-the-usa/ 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 213 Francesco IKØWGF with 150 Satoshi 7M3TJZ with 148 Gaston ON4WF with 124 Peter IN3GHZ with 115 Steve VE3TBD with 104 **************************************************************************** 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 1646. (***) Each school counts as 1 event. Total number of ARISS ISS to earth school contacts is 1554. (***) 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. 68 on orbit Sergey Prokopyev Francisco Rubio Dimitri Petelin SpaceX Crew-6 on orbit Steve Bowen KI5BKB Warren Hoburg KB3HTZ Sultan Al Neyadi KI5VTV Andrey Fediaev **************************************************************************** 73, Charlie Sufana AJ9N One of the ARISS operation team mentors

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New England High Altitude Balloon launch attempt as soon as 16 July.
by Joseph B. Fitzgerald 10 Jul '23

10 Jul '23

A remarkable group of young hams and science enthusiasts have formed the New England Weather Balloon Society and will be launching "HABGab 2023" on an upcoming weekend. In addition to an amateur FM repeater, HABGab payloads include several student built aeronautical experiments. Presently the weather forecast looks good for Sunday 16 July and a large fraction of the US States of Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island are expected to be line of sight to the experiment for use of the crossband 2m up/70cm down FM repeater. Keep an eye on https://nescitech.org/clubs/newbs/habgab-launch/ for updates on the specifics of the launch time as well as details of the frequencies to use for the repeater. This effort is supported by the New England Science and Technology STEM education center as well as the ARRL Foundation. de KM1P Joe

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SpaceX Satellites Are Ruining Observations With "Unintended" Radiation
by Mark Thompson 09 Jul '23

09 Jul '23

SpaceX Satellites Are Ruining Observations With "Unintended" Radiation https://futurism.com/the-byte/spacex-satellites-ruining-observations-radiat…

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ANS-190 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
by Mitch Ahrenstorff (AD0HJ) 08 Jul '23

08 Jul '23

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-190 In this edition: * 2023 AMSAT Space Symposium First Call for Papers * Ariane 5 Rockets into Retirement: Europe's Workhorse Completes Final Mission * CubeSats Deploy from ISS: Nanoracks Mission Advances Science and Education * ROSCOSMOS Successfully Deploys Forty-Three Satellites in Latest Soyuz 2.1b Launch * Meteor-M2-3 Weather Imaging Satellite Now in Orbit and Transmitting Images * UMKA-1 School Satellite Sets Out to Explore the Skies * Satellite LEO Top 100 Rovers July 2023 Rankings * VUCC Satellite Standings as of July 1 2023 * Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for July 7 2023 * ARISS News * Upcoming Satellite Operations * Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events * Satellite Shorts From All Over 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/ ANS-190 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins To: All RADIO AMATEURS From: Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation 712 H Street NE, Suite 1653 Washington, DC 20002 DATE 2023 July 9 2023 AMSAT Space Symposium First Call for Papers This is the first call for papers for the 41st annual AMSAT Space Symposium to be held on the weekend of October 20-21, 2023 at the Sheraton DFW Airport in Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas Proposals for symposium papers and presentations are invited on any topic of interest to the amateur satellite community. We request a tentative title of your presentation as soon as possible, with final copy submitted by October 12 for inclusion in the symposium proceedings. Abstracts and papers should be sent to Dan Schultz, N8FGV at n8fgv (at) amsat (dot) org. [ANS thanks Dan Schultz, N8FGV for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Ariane 5 Rockets into Retirement: Europe's Workhorse Completes Final Mission Europe's workhorse rocket has completed its final mission, launching two satellites into orbit before retiring after an illustrious 27-year career. The Ariane 5, known for its power and reliability, took off from Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana on July 5, marking its 117th and last orbital liftoff. The mission commenced at 6 p.m. EDT (2200 GMT), with the Ariane 5's 103-foot tall solid rocket boosters separating from the core stage approximately 2.5 minutes into flight. The core stage, powered by a single engine, continued its ascent, carrying the two satellites onboard. At around nine minutes after liftoff, the core stage shut down, and the upper stage separated to initiate its own burn. About 30 minutes into the flight, the first satellite, Heinrich-Hertz, was released into geostationary transfer orbit. Shortly after, the second payload, Syracuse 4B, followed suit. Stéphane Israël, CEO of Arianespace, the France-based company operating the rocket, hailed the Ariane 5's flawless performance during the launch webcast. Israël described the rocket as a "legendary launcher" that had completed its work perfectly. Heinrich-Hertz, an experimental communications satellite managed by the German space agency (DLR), will serve as a test platform for new hardware and conduct scientific and technical experiments in collaboration with universities and public sector organizations. This satellite represents Germany's first dedicated technology demonstration and communications research spacecraft. Syracuse 4B, joining its predecessor Syracuse 4A launched in 2021, was built by Airbus Defence and Space for the French government. Both satellites are military communication relays, replacing Syracuse satellites 3A and 3B. To reach geostationary orbit, located approximately 22,200 miles (35,800 kilometers) above Earth, Heinrich-Hertz and Syracuse 4B will perform a series of engine burns. The retirement of Ariane 5 draws the curtain on its nearly 30-year operational career, during which it outperformed its predecessors, making it the most successful Ariane rocket to date. The European Space Agency (ESA) highlighted the rocket's technical prowess and reliability, describing it as a major asset for Europe's autonomous access to space. Arianespace, in collaboration with ESA and the French space agency CNES, operated the two-stage Ariane 5, which was built by Airbus Defence and Space. Over the years, the rocket underwent several upgrades and operated in five different configurations. The most recent versions, Ariane 5 EC/A and ES, started operating in 2009, succeeding the Ariane G5, which flew from 2005 to 2009 after the brief G+ version and the original Ariane 5 G. Although the Ariane 5 encountered an initial failure during its debut launch in 1996, failing to reach orbit and initiating an auto-destruct abort mid-flight, it went on to become one of the most reliable launchers worldwide. According to ESA, the rocket achieved a 96% success rate across its 117 missions and delivery of 239 payloads to orbit. The development of the Ariane 5's successor, the Ariane 6, has been in progress for over a decade. The new rocket aims to be more flexible, cost-efficient, and capable of serving various types of launches compared to its predecessor. It will come in two configurations: A62, with two solid rocket boosters, and A64, with four. Originally slated for a 2020 debut, the Ariane 6 has faced delays, with the current estimate pointing to alate 2023 launch. This delay leaves Europe with a temporary gap in launch options until the Ariane 6 becomes operational. To ensure continuity in European programs, the European Space Agency (ESA) has explored alternative launcher options from a technical, schedule, and security standpoint. In April, there were reports that the European Commission was considering using a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket to launch some of the European Union's Galileo navigation satellites, rather than waiting for the Ariane 6. However, ESA officials emphasized that Ariane 6 remains the preferred launch option for European missions requiring a heavy launch vehicle, and they are working diligently to ensure its inaugural flight. The final mission of the Ariane 5 was initially scheduled for June 16 but faced delays. The first attempt was scrubbed due to issues with the solid rocket boosters' pyrotechnical transmission lines, while the second attempt on July 4 was hindered by unfavorable weather conditions. As Europe bids farewell to the Ariane 5, the spotlight now shifts to the eagerly anticipated Ariane 6, which promises to usher in a new era of flexibility and cost efficiency in space launches. In the meantime, efforts continue to bridge the launch gap and maintain the continuity of European space programs. [ANS thanks Josh Dinner, Writing for Space.com for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- CubeSats Deploy from ISS: Nanoracks Mission Advances Science and Education NASA astronaut Stephen Bowen successfully deployed six CubeSats into low-Earth orbit outside the ISS Kibo module airlock on July 6th. The deployment was made possible by Nanoracks, a leading provider of commercial space services, who had been preparing for this mission named NRCSD-26. Sponsored by the ISS National Lab, the mission carried five CubeSats developed by Canadian universities, as well as a groundbreaking project by The Aerospace Corporation. Nanoracks, in collaboration with the Canadian Space Agency, handles the integration and deployment of these satellites from the ISS. The six CubeSats were transported to the ISS on SpaceX's CRS-28 mission. This deployment marks an important milestone for the Canadian CubeSat Project (CCP), a collaboration between Nanoracks and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA). The objective of the CCP is to launch a CubeSat from each province and territory in Canada. The deployment of these CubeSats serves scientific purposes while also promoting hands-on experience and generating interest in STEM studies and careers. The selected CubeSats for the NRCSD-26 mission represent a diverse range of scientific objectives, showcasing the capabilities and interests of Canadian universities. One of the CubeSats, RADSAT-SK developed by the University of Saskatchewan, aims to test a radiation detection system and evaluate the effectiveness of radiation protection using a purified form of melanin, a natural pigment found in various organisms. Another CubeSat, ESSENCE from York University, focuses on monitoring solar storms, arctic ice, permafrost thaw, and forests in the Canadian Arctic region. It also aims to demonstrate satellite attitude recovery in the event of a failure in one of its actuators. Ukpik-1, developed by Western University, carries a virtual reality (VR) camera to capture 360-degree images and videos of Northern Canada. This CubeSat not only contributes to scientific research but also facilitates educational outreach and public engagement in Ontario and Nunavut. The University of Manitoba's CubeSat, IRIS, is designed to observe the weathering of geological samples under direct solar and background cosmic radiation, aiming to detect any visually detectable changes that may occur over short time scales. SC-ODIN, developed by Concordia University, has the primary mission of collecting data on dust storms in Argentina and Namibia. Additionally, it monitors radiation received inside and outside the satellite over a period, providing valuable insights into radiation exposure in space. In addition to the Canadian CubeSats, Nanoracks also deployed Moonlighter, built by The Aerospace Corporation. Moonlighter is a 3U CubeSat and holds the distinction of being the world's first hacking sandbox in space. Its purpose is to advance the understanding of cybersecurity as it pertains to space systems. The CubeSat will be utilized at the DEFCON conference by the Air Force/Space Force, where cybersecurity professionals will be challenged to hack a real-life satellite. For more information on Moonlighter and the Hack-a-Sat challenge, visit the official website at https://hackasat.com/. [ANS thanks NASA and Nanoracks for the above information] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ The 2023 AMSAT President's Club coins are here now! To commemorate the 40th anniversary of its launch on June 16, 1983, this year's coin features an image of AMSAT-OSCAR 10. Join the AMSAT President's Club today and help Keep Amateur Radio in Space! https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/ +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ ROSCOSMOS Successfully Deploys Forty-Three Satellites in Latest Soyuz 2.1b Launch ROSCOSMOS successfully launched the Meteor-M2-3 meteorological satellite and a cluster of 42 accompanying satellites on June 27, 2023. The launch took place at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in the Amur Oblast region of Russia, marking the 14th launch from this site. The Meteor-M2-3 satellite is part of the Meteor-M series, which aims to modernize Russia's national meteorological satellite system. Developed by NPP VNIIEM and sponsored by ROSCOSMOS, the series is designed to enable climate and environmental monitoring, exploration of Earth's natural resources, surveillance of solar activity, and data acquisition from automated data collection platforms. The satellite also features the COSPAS-SARSAT search and rescue system. Meteor-M2-3 is equipped with advanced instruments, including an onboard radar complex based on an active phased array antenna, a shortwave reflected radiation meter, and a radio frequency mass spectrometer. These instruments enable all-weather radar surveillance of the Northern Sea Route and broaden the range of monitored parameters. The satellite has a lifespan of five years and is equipped with two deployable solar arrays. In addition to the Meteor-M2-3 satellite, the mission carried various accompanying satellites. Sixteen CubeSats from the Space-Pi project were deployed into orbit as part of an agreement between ROSCOSMOS and the Innovation Promotion Fund of Russia. Nine satellites from the UniverSat program, led by ROSCOSMOS, were also launched, along with seventeen SmallSats for commercial customers. The launch vehicle used for this mission was the Soyuz 2.1b rocket, belonging to the Soyuz 2 rocket family. The Soyuz rocket has been a reliable workhorse of the Soviet/Russian space program since its introduction in 1966. The Soyuz 2.1b variant stands approximately 152 feet (46.3 meters) tall and has a diameter of 9 feet (2.95 meters). It consists of three stages, all of which are expendable. The first stage of the Soyuz 2.1b rocket includes four side boosters powered by RD-107A engines. These boosters perform the iconic "Korolev cross" pattern during separation. The center core stage is propelled by a single RD-108A engine, while the upper stage is equipped with a single RD-0124 engine. Both engines run on rocket-grade kerosene (RP-1) and liquid oxygen (LOx). The mission did not involve the recovery of the first stage or fairings, as the Soyuz rocket does not possess such capabilities. The first stage of the rocket landed in the Zeysky District of Amur Oblast, Russia. This launch marked several milestones: it was the 115th flight of an upper stage from the Fregat family, the first launch of a Soyuz 2.1b rocket in 2023, the 80th launch of a Soyuz 2.1b variant, and the 96th orbital launch attempt of 2023. With the successful launch of the Meteor-M2-3 satellite and its accompanying payloads, ROSCOSMOS continues to enhance Russia's meteorological satellite system and expand its capabilities in climate monitoring, resource exploration, and search and rescue operations. [ANS thanks Mariia Kiseleva, writing for Everyday Astronaut, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Meteor-M2-3 Weather Imaging Satellite Now in Orbit and Transmitting Images The latest addition to the Meteor-M satellite series, Meteor-M2-3, has successfully reached orbit and is already transmitting images of Earth. The Russian-owned weather imaging satellite was launched on a Soyuz-21.b rocket on June 27th. Previous iterations of the Meteor-M satellites faced premature mission terminations due to technical glitches or collisions with micro-meteorites. Meteor-M satellites operate in a polar orbit, capturing and transmitting weather images in the LRPT format at a frequency of 137 MHz. This frequency range makes the reception of their signals as accessible as that of the older NOAA APT satellites. To receive these images, an appropriate 137 MHz satellite antenna is required, such as a V-Dipole, Turnstile, or QFH, along with a compatible software-defined radio (SDR) receiver like the popular RTL-SDR. One of the recommended software options for receiving images from the Meteor-M2-3 satellite is SatDump. This user-friendly software offers binary releases for Windows and Android platforms, downloadable from SatDump GitHub Releases page: https://github.com/SatDump/SatDump/releases. Linux users can consult the SatDump Readme for a comprehensive build guide. It is worth noting that the SatDump graphical user interface has been reported to perform well on an Orange Pi 5, providing a convenient and portable solution for image reception. To determine when the satellite is over your location you can use satellite tracking software such as Gpredict for Linux and Mac users, or Orbitron for Windows users. When utilizing Orbitron, it is important to run the software as an Administrator and update the Two-Line Elements (TLEs) to include the tracking data for the Meteor-M2-3 satellite found in the weather.txt TLE file. Consult the Meteor-M2-3 TLE (Two-Line Elements) available on Celestrak's website for precise tracking and monitoring. Many satellite enthusiasts have already shared their successful reception of Meteor-M2-3's images to Twitter. The author of SatDump has revealed that work is underway to finalize projections for Meteor M2-3, and this should be ready to use in SatDump shortly. SDR++ software has now also integrated a Meteor Demodulator, further expanding the options available to those interested in receiving data from Meteor-M2-3. Recent updates on Meteor-M2-3's progress from Happysat (https://github.com/happysat) indicate that telemetry data received on July 3rd suggests that the satellite's LRPT antenna might not have unfolded correctly, resulting in weaker-than-expected signals. It has also been reported that the satellite switched from transmitting on a frequency of 137.900 MHz to 137.100 MHz on July 4th, 2023. [ANS thanks rtl-sdr.com and Happysat for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- UMKA-1 School Satellite Sets Out to Explore the Skies The UMKA-1 satellite, developed by schoolchildren from the Moscow Regional Educational Institution Secondary School No. 29 named after P.I. Zabrodin (Podolsk) in collaboration with SPUTNIKS LLC, was successfully launched into orbit on June 27, 2023. As part of the "Space-π" program and with the support of the Innovation Assistance Fund, UMKA-1 aims to train young students in spacecraft design, programming, and assembly, while also conducting astronomical observations using its high-aperture telescope, Leptonar-20955K. The UMKA-1 satellite is a 3U+ CubeSat equipped with a Leptonar-20955K optical telescope and an astronomical digital camera called PlayerOne Saturn-C SQR. This compact satellite operates in two frequency bands, with telemetry transmission taking place on the UHF downlink frequency of 437.625 MHz, using GMSK USP modulation scheme at a rate of 2400 baud. Additionally, the transmission of data from the telescope occurs on the S band at a frequency of 2402 MHz. On June 18th, 2023, UMKA-1, known by its designated callsign RS40S, obtained its IARU Amateur Satellite Frequency Coordination. Named after a beloved Soviet cartoon character, UMKA-1 carries the spirit of adventure and discovery. The mission team plans to share the main course of their mission, interesting events from the ground segment, and a transmission schedule on the S band with the wider community. Once the satellite is fully operational, a schedule will be published, and opportunities will be provided for the reception of images from the telescope. Despite some minor setbacks during the installation process, the UMKA-1 team remains dedicated to the success of their mission. The initial format installation confusion has been addressed, and the satellite is currently undergoing testing. The team expects the telescope to be fully operational by the end of July, following which a transmission schedule will be made available. Alexey Shafiev, RA3PPY, expressed gratitude to SPUTNIX for their support and guidance throughout the project. He acknowledged the enthusiasm and efforts of the young schoolchildren and students who form the bulk of the team. Their passion for space exploration is evident, and they have been actively involved in every aspect of the project. In the past week, the telemetry transmission format was updated to use GMSK USP 2400 baud. The Mission Control Center (MCC) team will next focus on stabilizing the spacecraft and ensure the proper functioning of the guidance system. Subsequently, a two-week testing period for the payload will commence before UMKA-1 can fulfill its educational mission. The UMKA-1 team assures the community that updates on their progress will be provided as soon as possible. Despite their current work rush, they value the interest and support from all those following their mission. Alexey, on behalf of the team, promises to respond to all the emails received thus far in the near future. As of July 4, 2023, UMKA-1 remains operational in orbit, transmitting telemetry data pertaining to the satellite's operation. The team has made available a tool for decoding S band dump transmissions from the spacecraft, allowing enthusiasts to access the images collected by UMKA-1. For radio amateurs keen on participating in the mission, the UMKA-1 team offers a QSL card as recognition for receiving telemetry from the satellite. To qualify, individuals must receive three packets of telemetry data and upload the collected information to the QSL card application form found at https://r4uab.ru/diplomnye-programmy-i-qsl/mka-umka-1/ within 24 hours of receiving the last telemetry package. The required software for receiving the telemetry information, such as "SoundModem USP" and "AGW Client R4UAB," is available to facilitate the process. The UMKA-1 mission is an exciting endeavor that combines education, amateur radio, and scientific exploration. By encouraging young minds to explore the wonders of space, this project aims to inspire the next generation of scientists, engineers, and astronomers. The UMKA-1 team invites everyone to join them on this incredible journey as they unlock the secrets of the universe through their school telescope satellite. More detailed information about the UMKA-1 satellite is available at https://sputnik.school29.ru/radio/. Individuals can visit the project's GitHub repository at https://github.com/radio-satellites/UmKa-1/ to obtain the software needed to decode the S band dump transmissions, which contain high resolution imagery from the telescope on board the satellite. [ANS thanks Alexey Shafiev, RA3PPY and R4UAB.ru 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/ +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Satellite LEO Top 100 Rovers July 2023 Rankings The July 2023 rankings for the Top 100 Rovers in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite operations, as determined by @GridMasterMap on Twitter, has been released. The ranking is determined by the number of grids and DXCC entities activated, taking into account only those grids where a minimum number of QSOs logged on the gridmaster.fr website have been validated by a third party. Grid numbers do not directly reflect the exact number of activations. Satellite operators are encouraged to upload their LoTW satellite contacts to https://gridmaster.fr in order to provide more accurate data. Updated: 2023-07-01 1 N5UC 26 LA9XGA 51 VA7LM 76 5H3SE 2 ND9M 27 KG5CCI 52 JK2XXK 77 PT9BM 3 NJ7H 28 ON4AUC 53 AA8CH 78 KB2YSI 4 JA9KRO 29 DJ8MS 54 VE1VOX 79 XE1ET 5 DPØPOL 30 N6DNM 55 KM4LAO 80 DL4EA 6 N6UA 31 KEØPBR 56 VE3GOP 81 ACØRA 7 DL6AP 32 K8BL 57 AM1SAT 82 AB5SS 8 HA3FOK 33 XE3DX 58 AD7DB 83 LU4JVE 9 WY7AA 34 JO2ASQ 59 KD8RTT 84 VK5DG 10 ADØHJ 35 EA4NF 60 F5VMJ 85 KØFFY 11 AK8CW 36 OE3SEU 61 FG8OJ 86 EC3TZ 12 K5ZM 37 SP5XSD 62 N4UFO 87 VE6WK 13 ADØDX 38 VE1CWJ 63 N4DCW 88 CU2ZG 14 N5BO 39 WI7P 64 PT2AP 89 KG4AKV 15 N9IP 40 PR8KW 65 KJ7NDY 90 KC7JPC 16 WD9EWK 41 EB1AO 66 AF5CC 91 K4DCA 17 W5PFG 42 W7WGC 67 NØTEL 92 WN9Q 18 NDØC 43 F4DXV 68 VO2AC 93 DK9JC 19 KB5FHK 44 JL3RNZ 69 KI7QEK 94 V55QO 20 KX9X 45 KEØWPA 70 KI7UXT 95 KF6JOQ 21 VE3HLS 46 K7TAB 71 W8LR 96 N6UTC 22 LU5ILA 47 KE9AJ 72 WA9JBQ 97 PP2RON 23 KE4AL 48 AA5PK 73 A41ZZ 98 VO1FUA 24 N7AGF 49 DL2GRC 74 HB9GWJ 99 VA3VGR 25 KI7UNJ 50 M1DDD 75 PT9ST 100 WI4T [ANS thanks @GridMasterMap for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- VUCC Satellite Standings as of July 1 2023 VUCC Satellite Award/Endorsement Change Summary for June 01, 2023 to July 1, 2023. WA4NVM 1632 1639 WC7V 1351 1383 N8RO 1258 1298 N0JE 914 950 N3GS 873 932 DL2GRC 800 842 K7TAB 708 814 EA2AA 686 730 KQ4DO 675 710 WA4HFN 636 676 HB9AOF 500 604 OZ9AAR 500 600 N8MR 509 528 AC9DX 427 525 WB7QXU 451 500 JN2QCV New 428 HB9GWJ 363 412 LU3FCA 310 406 JG6CDH 353 401 AB1OC 291 371 VA3VGR 302 352 EA3TA 301 350 JL1SAM 300 350 LU4FTA 268 346 AA9VI 122 336 JH0BBE 314 321 XE1BJ New 304 DL8GAM 275 301 JA1GZK 256 300 PA7RA 245 299 AD5JK 263 296 JS1LQI 155 259 JE1TNL 225 250 N6PAZ 223 233 N9ZTS 201 231 IK1SLD 200 225 PU5DDC 151 181 ZS2BK New 170 JE2UFF 100 158 DH0GSU 100 152 GM0WDD New 115 EA4DEI New 100 Congratulations to the new VUCC holders. GM0WDD is first VUCC Satellite holder from Scotland and IO85. [ANS thanks Jon Goering, N7AZ for the above information] -------------------------------------------------------------------- Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for July 7 2023 Two Line Elements or TLEs, often referred to as Keplerian elements or keps in the amateur community, are the inputs to the SGP4 standard mathematical model of spacecraft orbits used by most amateur tracking programs. Weekly updates are completely adequate for most amateur satellites. Elements in the TLE bulletin files are updated daily. TLE bulletin files are updated to add or remove satellites as necessary Thursday evenings around 2300 UTC, or more frequently if new high interest satellites are launched. More information may be found at https://www.amsat.org/keplerian-elements-resources/ This week there are no additions or deletions to the weekly AMSAT TLE distribution. [ANS thanks AMSAT Orbital Elements page 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 +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ ARISS NEWS 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. UPCOMING: Due to summer school holidays, no contacts currently scheduled. The crossband repeater continues to be active (145.990 MHz up {PL 67} & 437.800 MHz down). If any crewmember is so inclined, all they have to do is pick up the microphone, raise the volume up, and talk on the crossband repeater. So give a listen, you just never know. The packet system is also active (145.825 MHz up & down). As always, if there is an EVA, a docking, or an undocking; the ARISS radios are turned off as part of the safety protocol. 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. 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] -------------------------------------------------------------------- Upcoming Satellite Operations Mitch AD0HJ will be roving six Western Kansas grids from July 14 through July 16. Look for him on the DM99/EM09 grid line on Friday, DM97/DM98 grid line on Saturday, and the EM07/EM08 grid line on Sunday. The best chance for contacts will be the afternoon RS-44 passes (1900Z to 2330Z) but he will also work the late shift with QSOs on the activated TEVEL satellites in the evenings (0230Z to 0500Z) except for Sunday where he will work the noon time (1600Z to 1800Z) TEVEL passes. Follow Mitch @AD0HJ on Twitter for updated rove information, https://aprs.fi/AD0HJ to track his location, and https://hams.at for the latest pass schedule. To include your satellite roving plans in the AMSAT News Service Weekly bulletins, send them to Ian, K5ZM at k5zm (at) comcast (dot) net at least a couple of weeks in advance. Upcoming satellite operations are updated weekly on the AMSAT Upcoming Satellite Operations page but may expire before the next AMSAT News Service bulletin is released. You can watch for the latest roving information to become available at https://www.amsat.org/satellite-info/upcoming-satellite-operations/. A growing number of satellite rovers are currently engaged in sharing their grid square activations on https://hams.at. By visiting the website, you gain easy access to comprehensive information about the operators responsible for activating specific grid squares. Additionally, you have the ability to assess the match score between yourself and a particular rover for a given pass, while also being able to identify the upcoming satellite passes that are accessible from your location. [ANS thanks Ian Parsons, K5ZM, 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. + Small Satellite Conference August 5-10, 2023 Utah State University, Logan, UT More information at: https://smallsat.org/ + 41st AMSAT Space Symposium & Annual General Meeting October 20-21, 2023 Sheraton DFW Airport Hotel 4440 W John Carpenter Fwy, Irving, TX 75063 AMSAT Ambassador Clint Bradford, K6LCS, says, “Think a 75-minute presentation on “working the easy satellites” would be appropriate for your club or event? Let me know by emailing me at k6lcsclint (at) gmail (dot) com or calling me at 909-999-SATS (7287)!” [ANS thanks the AMSAT Events page for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Satellite Shorts From All Over + Congratulations to our latest GridMaster Award winners: Steve Nordahl, NS3L (#58) and Bill Attwood, VE6WK (#59). The GridMaster Award, AMSAT's most prestigious recognition, is available to amateur radio operators worldwide who establish two-way satellite communication with all 488 maidenhead grids within the contiguous United States. Contacts must be made from the same location or from locations within a 100-kilometer radius of a single location. Written confirmation, such as QSL cards or Logbook of the World (LoTW), is required. The GridMaster application and certificate fees have been underwritten by an anonymous donor. More information about this award can be found on the AMSAT website at https://www.amsat.org/gridmaster/. Congratulations again to Bill VE6WK and Steve NS3L for their remarkable accomplishments! (ANS thanks Bruce Paige, KK5DO, AMSAT Director of Contests and Awards for the above information) + Congratulations the following individuals on receiving the AMSAT Rover Award for their outstanding achievements in portable satellite operating: Olivier Tymkiw HB9GWJ (#077), Erwin Vink PA3GAN (#078), Doug Keech VA7LM (#079), and Bruce Patten VE7PTN (#080). To qualify for this award, they accumulated a minimum of 25 points by activating grid squares beyond their home grid. Points were earned through various achievements, including activating states, provinces, or DX entities outside their home location via satellite, as well as promoting their grid operations through social media and documenting their activations through photographs and published articles. More information about this award can be found on the AMSAT website at https://www.amsat.org/amsat-rover-award/. Congratulations to our esteemed AMSAT Rover Award recipients! (ANS thanks Bruce Paige, KK5DO, AMSAT Director of Contests and Awards for the above information) + Quetzal-1, a 1U CubeSat developed by Universidad del Valle de Guatemala operated successfully for two hundred and eleven days in-orbit a few years ago. The project just released a massive trove of open-source design documents, the software that ran on the satellite and ground station, and all the captured telemetry from the flight. It’s the ultimate bootstrap for anyone else designing a CubeSat, and hopefully provides enough clues to avoid some of the same issues. And if you want the details on the Quetzal-1 design, and what went wrong with the electrical system, two PDF papers have been released. Seeing more open source in space is an encouraging development, and one that should continue to grow as the cost of payloads to orbit continues to fall. Information on Quetzal-1 CubeSat can be found at http://github.com/Quetzal-1-CubeSat-Team. (ANS thanks Hackaday.com for the above information) + Youth on the Air Camp 2023 is a camp for young amateur radio operators in North, Central and South America. Campers will operate the special event station VE3YOTA while camp is in session with a special focus on satellite operations occurring Wednesday, July 19 from 1400Z to 1700Z (10 a.m. to 1 p.m. EDT). Additionally, an ARISS contact with the International Space Station is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, July 18 at 1842Z (2:42 p.m. EDT). For more information about the camp, please visit YouthOnTheAir.org or contact Camp Director Neil Rapp at director(a)youthontheair.org. (ANS thanks Neil Rapp, WB9VPG 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, Mitch Ahrenstorff, ADØHJ ad0hj [at] amsat.org

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TEVEL-3,4,7
by david.greenberg＠bezeqint.net 07 Jul '23

07 Jul '23

Hello All, TEVEL-3,4,7 FM transponders have been activated, starting from today, 07.07.23 18:42U for 72 hours. 73, David 4X1DG

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IO-117/GreenCube Digi ON
by Eduardo PY2RN 07 Jul '23

07 Jul '23

S5Lab@S5LabUpdates from the OPS Room: GREENCUBE DIGI now on. Thanks a lot for your patience! 73 EdPY2RN

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vOLUNTEERS FOR "mOON dAY" AT fRONTIERS OF fLIGHT, jULY 22ND.
by tjschuessler＠verizon.net 06 Jul '23

06 Jul '23

Hello all, Looking for amateur satellite enthusiasts in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, to help talk Amateur Radio in space to a mostly non-ham audience of all ages at the 2023 edition of an event called "Moon Day" at the Frontiers of Flight Museum, Love Field, Dallas, TX. Event is 10A-4P with Setup at 8. Mostly indoor, but we will have a number of satellite passes to work, cubesat simulators to show off, The FOX Engineering model, and other cool things to show off. If you can help/participate, I need to hear from you via email, n5hyp(a)arrl.net <mailto:[email protected]> pretty soon, so I can get you details. <https://www.flightmuseum.com/moon-day/> https://www.flightmuseum.com/moon-day/ FOR MORE INFORMATION. Tom Schuessler, N5HYP

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La Habra, CA Antenna Project
by Clint Bradford 06 Jul '23

06 Jul '23

Friend to the hobby and all-around excellent human being, N6VNI George Jacob, needs assistance for less than an hour THIS SATURDAY at 8am to erect an antenna. His tele is 562-544-7373. Any problems getting a message to him, please call me at 951-533-4984. He is facing medical issues - the latest is a spinal problem affecting use of both hands. Clint K6LCS Sent from my iPhone

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Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2023-07-07 01:00 UTC
by aj9n＠aol.com 06 Jul '23

06 Jul '23

Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2023-07-07 01:00 UTC Quick list of scheduled contacts and events: TBD The crossband repeater continues to be active. If any crewmember is so inclined, all they have to do is pick up the microphone, raise the volume up, and talk on the crossband repeater. So give a listen, you just never know. Note, all times are approximate. It is recommended that you do your own orbital prediction or start listening about 10 minutes before the listed time. All dates and times listed follow International Standard ISO 8601 date and time format YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS The complete schedule page has been updated as of 2023-07-07 01:00 UTC. (***) Here you will find a listing of all scheduled school contacts, and questions, other ISS related websites, IRLP and Echolink websites, and instructions for any contact that may be streamed live. 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 2023-06-23 03:30 UTC. https://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/Successful_ARISS_schools.rtf ####################################################################################################################################### Comments on making general contacts I have been seeing a lot of traffic on Facebook and I suspect on other social media sites with people asking why they are not hearing the crew make general contacts. First off the crew is very busy on the ISS and they simply may not have the time to just pick up the microphone and talk. Also, one needs to be aware of their normal daily schedule. I have listed below the constraints that we at ARISS have to follow in order to schedule the school contacts. Hopefully this will help you better schedule your opportunities. Typical daily schedule Wakeup to Workday start= 1.5 hours Workday start to Workday end=12 hours Workday end to Sleep= 2 hours Sleep to wakeup= 8.5 hours The crew's usual waking period is 0730 - 1930 UTC. The most common times to find a crew member making casual periods are about one hour after waking and before sleeping, when they have personal time. They're usually free most of the weekend, as well. SSTV events are not that often. So please check out https://www.ariss.org/ for the latest information or watch for the ARISS announcements. And don’t forget that the packet system is active. As always, if there is an EVA, a docking, or an undocking; the ARISS radios are turned off as part of the safety protocol. 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 **************************************************************************************************************************************** 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) Call for Proposals The next proposal window for US schools and educational organizations to host an Amateur Radio contact with a crew member on board the ISS opens February 20, 2023 for contacts to be scheduled for January 1, 2024 – June 30, 2024. This proposal is due to ARISS by March 31, 2023 at 11:59 PM Pacific Time. Find more information and proposal instructions, visit the ARISS-USA website at: https://ariss-usa.org/hosting-an-ariss-contact-in-the-usa/ 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 213 Francesco IKØWGF with 150 Satoshi 7M3TJZ with 148 Gaston ON4WF with 124 Peter IN3GHZ with 115 Steve VE3TBD with 104 **************************************************************************** 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 1646. (***) Each school counts as 1 event. Total number of ARISS ISS to earth school contacts is 1554. (***) 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. 68 on orbit Sergey Prokopyev Francisco Rubio Dimitri Petelin SpaceX Crew-6 on orbit Steve Bowen KI5BKB Warren Hoburg KB3HTZ Sultan Al Neyadi KI5VTV Andrey Fediaev **************************************************************************** 73, Charlie Sufana AJ9N One of the ARISS operation team mentors

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Re: Cubesat deployments from the ISS, July 6
by Nico Janssen 06 Jul '23

06 Jul '23

The six Cubesats have been deployed from the ISS today. SC-ODIN at 09:55 UTC, MoonLighter at 10:05 UTC, RADSAT-SK and Ukpik-1 at 11:30 UTC, IRIS and ESSENCE at 11:40 UTC. 73, Nico PA0DLO On 04-07-2023 15:06, Nico Janssen via AMSAT-BB wrote: > > On 2023-07-06 six small satellites are to be deployed from the > ISS Kibo module, using NanoRacks CubeSat Deployer-26: > > SC-ODIN, 436.525 MHz > RADSAT-SK, 435.400 MHz (with FM repeater) > Ukpik-1, 437.160 MHz > ESSENCE, 435.775 MHz (not IARU coordinated) > IRIS, 436.250 MHz(not IARU coordinated) > MoonLighter, 914.700 and 2225.0 MHz. > > Live deployment on Youtube: > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzv81nIvT8A > > 73, > Nico PA0DLO > > > > ----------------------------------------------------------- > > 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 athttps://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 athttps://mailman.amsat.org

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Re: launch 🚀 holiday
by Daniel Schultz 06 Jul '23

06 Jul '23

Hi Stephen, Upcoming space launches are listed on: https://spaceflightnow.com/launch-schedule/ and https://www.spacelaunchschedule.com/ Projected launch dates are always subject to change, sometimes even at the last second. Launches in the US occur at Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, and Wallops Island in Virginia. Both the Kennedy Space Center and Johnson Space Center in Texas have very large visitor complexes with guided tours. Admission prices are comparable to what they charge at Disney World in nearby Orlando, which is to say not inexpensive. Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland offers free tours, other NASA centers have limited or no public access, inquire with the center you want to visit. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California does offer occasional public lectures in the Von Karman Auditorium on campus. The National Air and Space Museum in Washington DC and the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia (near Dulles Airport) have historical exhibits, including the retired Space Shuttle Discovery in Chantilly. Space shuttle Endeavour is at the California Science Center in Los Angeles, Atlantis is at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Enterprise, which never flew in space, is at the Intrepid Sea Air & Space Museum in New York City. The U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama has many exhibits on the Apollo program and the Saturn V rocket. The Kansas Cosmosphere in Hutchinson, Kansas is also noteworthy but somewhat out of the way. The US Air Force Museum in Dayton, Ohio has a declassified Hexagon Reconnaissance (spy) Satellite. Have a good trip. Dan Schultz N8FGV ------ Original Message ------ Received: Thu, 06 Jul 2023 09:32:13 AM EDT From: Stephen Thornber <skthornber(a)mac.com> To: Daniel Schultz <n8fgv(a)usa.net>Cc: amsat-bb(a)amsat.org Subject: [AMSAT-BB] launch 🚀 holiday > I’m looking to travel to US in March. Thought might be a good idea to check out a launch. Anyone got information on something happening around then that might be worth a visit. > > Space center visit etc. > > Stephen G6SGA

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launch 🚀 holiday
by Stephen Thornber 06 Jul '23

06 Jul '23

I’m looking to travel to US in March. Thought might be a good idea to check out a launch. Anyone got information on something happening around then that might be worth a visit. Space center visit etc. Stephen G6SGA Sent from my iPhone > On 6 Jul 2023, at 15:15, Daniel Schultz via AMSAT-BB <amsat-bb(a)amsat.org> wrote: > > This is the first call for papers for the 41st annual AMSAT Space Symposium to > be held on the weekend of October 20-21, 2023 at the Sheraton DFW Airport in > Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas > > Proposals for symposium papers and presentations are invited on any topic of > interest to the amateur satellite community. We request a tentative title of > your presentation as soon as possible, with final copy submitted by October 12 > for inclusion in the symposium proceedings. Abstracts and papers should be > sent to Dan Schultz, N8FGV at n8fgv(a)amsat.org > > 73, Dan Schultz N8FGV > > > ----------------------------------------------------------- > > 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

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First call for papers for 2023 AMSAT Space Symposium
by Daniel Schultz 06 Jul '23

06 Jul '23

This is the first call for papers for the 41st annual AMSAT Space Symposium to be held on the weekend of October 20-21, 2023 at the Sheraton DFW Airport in Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas Proposals for symposium papers and presentations are invited on any topic of interest to the amateur satellite community. We request a tentative title of your presentation as soon as possible, with final copy submitted by October 12 for inclusion in the symposium proceedings. Abstracts and papers should be sent to Dan Schultz, N8FGV at n8fgv(a)amsat.org 73, Dan Schultz N8FGV

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SatPC32 versions -- I'm confused
by Keith E. Brandt, WD9GET 04 Jul '23

04 Jul '23

The version numbers and dates on SatPC32 have me confused.... The website for the program starts off with "What's New in *Vers 12.10*, Release *January. 2023*?" The version available for download says "SatPC32 Demo *V. 12.10*, 46 MB, released *Nov, 2022*" When I install it, the info screen says "SatPC32 V. *12.10* Released *March, 2022*" The version numbers and dates don't seem to consistent at all. I think I have the latest and greatest version, but it's really hard to tell. -- Keith E Brandt, *WD9GET* District 1 DEC STX *This message transmitted with 100% recycled DHMO-free electrons xb

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Re: TEVEL-6
by Paulo PV8DX 04 Jul '23

04 Jul '23

Hi David et all - GM TEVEL 6 Active. FB Contact with FG8OJ and HK3Z. https://twitter.com/i/status/1676238421826625537 TNX 73 de Paulo PV8DX FJ92pt Em ter., 4 de jul. de 2023 às 03:54, david.greenberg--- via AMSAT-BB < amsat-bb(a)amsat.org> escreveu: > Hello All, > > > > Using a remote station, I have tried to activate TEVEL-6 transponder, but > was not able to verify. > > I will check the AMSAT status page. > > > > 73, > > David 4X1DG > > ----------------------------------------------------------- > > 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 > -- *73 Paulo PV8DX* LABRE/ARRL AMSAT-UK member ITU 12 - GRID FJ92pt www.labre-rr.org pv8dx(a)labre-rr.org pv8dx(a)arrl.net

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Cubesat deployments from the ISS, July 6
by Nico Janssen 04 Jul '23

04 Jul '23

On 2023-07-06 six small satellites are to be deployed from the ISS Kibo module, using NanoRacks CubeSat Deployer-26: SC-ODIN, 436.525 MHz RADSAT-SK, 435.400 MHz (with FM repeater) Ukpik-1, 437.160 MHz ESSENCE, 435.775 MHz (not IARU coordinated) IRIS, 436.250 MHz(not IARU coordinated) MoonLighter, 914.700 and 2225.0 MHz. Live deployment on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzv81nIvT8A 73, Nico PA0DLO

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TEVEL-6
by david.greenberg＠bezeqint.net 04 Jul '23

04 Jul '23

Hello All, Using a remote station, I have tried to activate TEVEL-6 transponder, but was not able to verify. I will check the AMSAT status page. 73, David 4X1DG

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EO-88 Re-entry competition
by David G0MRF 04 Jul '23

04 Jul '23

It's July 4th ! and the last day for entries for the EO-88 re-entry competition. Just send a one line mail with the date and time you think EO-88 will re-enter to: EO88(a)amsat-uk.org EO-88 currently has a perigee of 286km. A few weeks ago it was 335km.The winner will receive a framed certificate from AMSAT-UK Good luck in the competition :) ....and goodbye EO-88 :(

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ANS-183 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins for July 2
by Mark Johns, K0JM 01 Jul '23

01 Jul '23

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-183 In this edition: * AMSAT Announces Candidates for 2023 Board of Directors Election * Updated "For Beginners" Compilation Available on the AMSAT Website * TX5S DXpedition to Clipperton Island to Include Satellite Operations * 2023 AMSAT Field Day Preliminary Report * Communication Problems on the Moon * The Big Bang Theory Antenna Lives On * Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution * ARISS News * Upcoming Satellite Operations * Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events * Satellite Shorts From All Over 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/ ANS-183 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins To: All RADIO AMATEURS From: Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation 712 H Street NE, Suite 1653 Washington, DC 20002 DATE 2023 July 2 AMSAT Announces Candidates for 2023 Board of Directors Election The nomination period for the 2023 AMSAT Board of Directors Election ended on June 15th. The following candidates have been duly nominated: Zach Metzinger, N0ZGO Jerry Buxton, N0JY Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA Barry Baines, WD4ASW Frank Karnauskas, N1UW As four seats on the Board of Directors are up for election this year, four of these candidates will be seated on the Board, along with one alternate when the voting period concludes on September 15th. The election will be held via AMSAT's Wild Apricot membership system. Instructions for voting will be emailed to all members in good standing as of July 1st by July 15th. Biographies of the candidates will be available for review online and published in the next issue of The AMSAT Journal. [ANS thanks Jeff Davis, KE9V, AMSAT Secretary, for the above information] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ The 2023 AMSAT President's Club coins are here now! To commemorate the 40th anniversary of its launch on June 16, 1983, this year's coin features an image of AMSAT-OSCAR 10. Join the AMSAT President's Club today and help Keep Amateur Radio in Space! https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/ +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Updated "For Beginners" Compilation Now Available on the AMSAT Website An updated freely downloadable compilation of “getting started” articles written by Keith Baker, KB1SF/VA3KSF, is now available on the AMSAT website. These articles originally appeared in The AMSAT Journal from 2019 to 2021. Check out the compilation at https://www.amsat.org/introduction-to-working-amateur-satellites/ Unfortunately, because both satellites and URLs change over time, the currentness of information such as this can quickly be overcome by events. However, the tools and techniques outlined in Keith’s beginner series are still very much applicable to operating on current and future AMSAT satellites. For the latest information about satellites currently in orbit, please consult the AMSAT Communications Satellites page. More detailed information can be found in AMSAT's Getting Started with Amateur Satellites book which can be purchased on the AMSAT store. [ANS thanks Keith Baker, KB1SF/VA3KSF, Past AMSAT President, and Joe Kornowski, KB6IGK, AMSAT Journal Editor-In-Chief, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- TX5S DXpedition to Clipperton Island to Include Satellite Operations The TX5S DXpedition to Clipperton Island, scheduled for January 2024, has announced that it will include satellite operations. The satellite station manager, Andreas, N6NU, reports the following preparation activities for the TX5S DXpedition to Clipperton Island: Andreas has made his first QSO’s made on the IO-117 (GreenCube) Satellite. This satellite has passes that last over an hour and has a huge footprint since it is in an almost 6,000 KM orbit. He has an 11 Element 70CM antenna, RAS Mini AZ/EL rotator with Green Heron Controller, Icom IC-9100H, Rigblaster TI-5000 and Icom AG-35 mast mounted pre-amp. The 6ft mast uses a home brew base. The next step is to configure an Icom IC-9700 as backup. Then on to RS-44 and 6m and 23 cm EME. He appreciates the help and advice offered by several AMSAT members. For more information on the TX5S DXpedition, visit https://clip.pdxg.net/ [ANS thanks the Perseverance DX Group 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/ +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ 2023 AMSAT Field Day Preliminary Report The 2023 AMSAT Field Day is over, and early data shows how the satellites were utilized. It has been many years since there were more than one or two AMSAT Field Day submissions from outside North America. This year, immediately after of Field Day ended, there were two submissions from Japan. The satellites worked well. The FM Tevel family of satellites and GreenCube seemed to be popular. SO-50, AO-91, and the International Space Station were also busy with their FM single channels. RS-44 was quite tame, with plenty of bandwidth for many to make contacts, whether they were sitting on a frequency and calling CQ or using the hunt-and-pounce method. More data is on the way. For updates, visit the AMSAT website. [ANS thanks Bruce Paige, KK5DO, AMSAT Awards Manager, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Communication Problems on the Moon The chilly relationship between the U.S. and China on Earth could raise safety risks in space and the specter of competition on the Moon as both nations aim to send people to the lunar surface in the coming years. China and the U.S. — the two most dominant players in space today — do not generally collaborate on space research and exploration, and they have limited communication in orbit and beyond. But both nations are separately sending missions to the Moon. NASA expects its astronauts will be back on the surface of the Moon as early as 2025, and China has plans for its taikonauts to land on the lunar surface by around 2030. The Chinese military is refusing to use established communications channels that could help to prevent an unintended crisis on Earth. Recent close calls between U.S. and Chinese crafts at sea and in the air underscore the risk. Lack of transparency into activities has framed the U.S-China relationship in space for decades, with some key exceptions, including coordinating orbiters at Mars and NASA collaborating with China during one of the nation's robotic Moon missions. The Chinese government has a fundamentally different way of engaging in the world that makes open communication difficult, Dean Cheng, a China analyst, tells Axios. The government is "not accustomed to thinking of alliance structures and cooperation," he added. NASA will likely miss its 2025 Artemis landing date, with technical and budgetary delays pushing the first crewed landing to later in the decade. China, however, "will put a human crew on the Moon by 2030," Cheng said. "If that is their intent, then it will happen." Communication could be particularly important on the lunar surface because China and the U.S. are both planning to land missions in the same part of the Moon, at the lunar south pole. While those initial landing zones will likely be widely separated, future missions could lead to new questions about space traffic management, communications satellites and even the primary language used in those activities at the Moon. [ANS thanks Axios Space for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- The Big Bang Theory Antenna Lives On An antenna that holds an important place in scientific history sits on a small parcel of land on Crawford Hill in Holmdel Township, New Jersey. The antenna is known as the Holmdel Horn Antenna, and it was built in 1959 by Bell Labs (now Nokia Bell Labs) researchers. It was originally designed to bounce radio signals off of reflective satellite balloons for long-distance communication. It worked, and the Holmdel Horn Antenna was no longer needed. Two Bell Labs astronomer employees, Arno A. Penzias and Robert W. Wilson, received permission in 1965 to use the antenna to search for radio transmissions in outer space. They pointed the antenna toward what was considered a quiet area, but what they discovered was anything but quiet. They discovered Cosmic Microwave Background radiation, which provided evidence for the Big Bang Theory. Now, there is a historical marker at the site, but there has been some dispute as to who owns the antenna and surrounding land. In mid-June 2023, the Holmdel Township Committee voted unanimously to approve resolutions that will begin the process of acquiring two of the three parcels that make up the Crawford Hill property. The township committee is leaving the third parcel to be part of the redevelopment toward preserving Crawford Hill as a public park to celebrate the horn antenna's place in scientific history. Visit the https://bit.ly/3rbnKaR to learn more. [ANS thanks The ARRL Letter 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 +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for 2023 30 June Two Line Elements or TLEs, often referred to as Keplerian elements or keps in the amateur community, are the inputs to the SGP4 standard mathematical model of spacecraft orbits used by most amateur tracking programs. Weekly updates are completely adequate for most amateur satellites. Elements in the TLE bulletin files are updated daily. TLE bulletin files are updated to add or remove satellites as necessary Thursday evenings around 2300 UTC, or more frequently if new high interest satellites are launched. More information may be found at https://www.amsat.org/keplerian-elements-resources/ This week there are no additions or deletions to the weekly AMSAT-NA TLE distribution. [ANS thanks AMSAT Orbital Elements page for the above information] -------------------------------------------------------------------- ARISS NEWS 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. COMPLETED: Mohammad Bin Rashid Space Centre, Dubai, UAE, direct via A68MBR. The ISS callsign was OR4ISS, and the crewmember was Sultan Al Neyadi, KI5VTV. The ARISS mentor was ON6TI. Contact was successful: Thursday, 2023-06-22 08:38:52 UTC with 51 degrees maximum elevation. Congratulations to the Mohammad Bin Rashid Space Centre students, Sultan Al Neyadi KI5VTV, and mentor ON6TI! UPCOMING: Due to summer school holidays, no contacts currently scheduled. The crossband repeater continues to be active (145.990 MHz up {PL 67} & 437.800 MHz down). If any crewmember is so inclined, all they have to do is pick up the microphone, raise the volume up, and talk on the crossband repeater. So give a listen, you just never know. The packet system is also active (145.825 MHz up & down). As always, if there is an EVA, a docking, or an undocking; the ARISS radios are turned off as part of the safety protocol. 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. 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] -------------------------------------------------------------------- Upcoming Satellite Operations To include your satellite roving plans in the AMSAT News Service Weekly bulletins, send them to Ian, K5ZM at k5zm (at) comcast (dot) net at least a couple of weeks in advance. Upcoming satellite operations are updated weekly on the AMSAT Upcoming Satellite Operations page but may expire before the next AMSAT News Service bulletin is released. You can watch for the latest roving information to become available at https://www.amsat.org/satellite-info/upcoming-satellite-operations/ Mitch Ahrenstorff, AD0HJ, has a satellite rove planned over the July 4th weekend in the hopes of joining the exclusive Western Roving Coalition. Look for him to activate Montana grid squares DN57, DN67, DN77, DN87, DN97, DN56, DN66, DN76, DN86, DN96, DN55, DN65, AND DN64 between June 30th and July 3rd. Planned passes are available at http://hams.at OR on Twitter @GridMasterHeat Jim DeLoach, WU0I, with XYL, KK6DZS, just started a 6-week road trip. Along the way, they hope to activate a number of rarer grid squares on the FM birds on the way to the Four-Corners area of the Southwest from the Michigan UP, through Western Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and Idaho. A growing number of satellite rovers are currently engaged in sharing their grid square activations on https://hams.at. By visiting the website, you gain easy access to comprehensive information about the operators responsible for activating specific grid squares. Additionally, you have the ability to assess the match score between yourself and a particular rover for a given pass, while also being able to identify the upcoming satellite passes that are accessible from your location. [ANS thanks Ian Parsons, K5ZM, 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. + Small Satellite Conference August 5-10, 2023 Utah State University, Logan, UT More information at: https://smallsat.org/ + AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting October 20-21, 2013 Dallas, Texas AMSAT Ambassador Clint Bradford, K6LCS, says, “Think a 75-minute presentation on “working the easy satellites” would be appropriate for your club or event? Let me know by emailing me at k6lcsclint (at) gmail (dot) com or calling me at 909-999-SATS (7287)!” [ANS thanks the AMSAT Events page for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Satellite Shorts From All Over +The 15th annual 13 Colonies Special Event will take place July 1 - July 7, 2023, and will include satellite operations, primarily on the linear transponder satellites. All 13 colonies are covered by satops this year making a clean sweep possible. See http://www.13colonies.us/ for more details. (ANS thanks Ant Lefebvre, NU1U, for the above information) + In a highly anticipated and globally coordinated announcement on Wednesday, June 28, teams of scientists worldwide reported the discovery of the "low pitch hum" of cosmic waves flowing through the Milky Way. While astronomers don't definitively know what's causing the hum, the detected signal is "compelling evidence" and consistent with theoretical expectations of gravitational waves emerging from pairs of "the most massive black holes in the entire universe" weighing as much as billions of suns. (ANS thanks Space.com for the above information) + ESA announced the Zero Debris Charter at the Paris Air Show, by which they mean that they will figure out their plans for generating zero space debris (hopefully) by the end of the year, to be implemented by 2030. (ANS thanks The Orbital Index for the above information) + Gamma Ray Burst 221009A, a supernova with its energetic jet pointed directly at Earth, was first observed last October. While it was 2.4 billion light-years away, it still managed to disturb Earth’s ionosphere, produced 18 tera-electron-volt photons, and saturated spacecraft X-ray and gamma-ray sensors. This explosion is now referred to as the BOAT (Brightest of All Time) and is thought to be a once-in-a-10,000-year occurrence. It also illuminated dust clouds in our galaxy, allowing their distances and properties to be measured with unprecedented accuracy. (ANS thanks The Orbital Index for the above information) + Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic launched its first commercial space flight Thursday, June 29, sending three Italian researchers, two company pilots and an astronaut trainer on a high-speed thrill ride to the edge of space aboard a winged rocketplane. (ANS thanks SpaceflightNow for the above information) + A SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft left the International Space Station on Thursday, June 29, to return to Earth. The spacecraft is carrying more than 3,600 pounds of equipment, supplies and scientific experiments, some of which have been on the space station for nearly six years and which had their final in-orbit tests completed earlier this year. (ANS thanks Space Daily for the above information) + The European Space Agency’s Euclid spacecraft launched on July 1 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Euclid features a telescope 1.2 meters across equipped with a camera operating at visible wavelengths and a near-infrared spectrometer and photometer. The two-ton spacecraft will operate at the Earth-sun L-2 point also used by the James Webb Space Telescope 1.5 million kilometers from Earth, generating the largest and most accurate 3-D map of the universe to date. Astronomers hope that Euclid’s observations will shed light on two of the biggest mysteries in cosmology: the nature of both dark energy and dark matter that, combined, comprise 95% of the universe. (ANS thanks SpaceNews 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, KØJM k0jm [at] amsat.org

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Historical Space Tour on the Thursday before Orlando Hamcation
by Bruce Perens 01 Jul '23

01 Jul '23

In the past, tours through Kennedy Space Center accessed historical space sites from the youth of many AMSAT members, including the Mercury launches and early uncrewed missions. Sadly, the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Center stopped offering these tours a few years ago, and I think the two tours they still offer stay on KSC rather than venturing onto Canaveral. I have arranged for a Canaveral tour on the Thursday before Orlando Hamcation at 10 AM through 2 PM, lunch or snacks will be offered between the sites. Only 9 people can be accomodated, US Citizens only and there will be a _required_ ID process before the tour, cost will be about $60 each, so reserve your spot now via email to bruce(a)perens.com . We will go to: * LC-26, LC-5, and LC-6: the (adjacent) launch sites for much early space exploration including the first crewed flights of Alan Shepard and Gus Grissom. Besides walking around the pads and seeing a number of historical space exhibits there, you will be able to access the firing room and the Space Force Missile Museum. * Hangar C, where there are many restored historical space vehicles and missiles, and the Canaveral lighthouse. We will _not_ have access to the Mercury Memorial, LC-14 (restored uncrewed flights firing room), and LC-34 (mostly-torn-down site of the Apollo 1 fire), which were (at times) on the old Rise to Space tour. This is probably why Delaware North, operator of the KSC Visitor Center and its tours, no longer offers this tour. Activity on the base can force us to cancel or can change or curtail the itinerary. You may wish to tip the guide/driver, but that's up to you and not required. You may, in addition, wish to visit Kennedy Space Center and their exhibits, and the two tours they still offer; and the Sands Space History Center, which is just before the entrance to Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. -- Bruce Perens K6BP

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VUCC Satellite Standing July 2023
by Jon Goering 01 Jul '23

01 Jul '23

VUCC Satellite Award/Endorsement Change Summary for June 01, 2023 to July 1, 2023. ------------------------------------------------------------ WA4NVM 1632 1639 WC7V 1351 1383 N8RO 1258 1298 N0JE 914 950 N3GS 873 932 DL2GRC 800 842 K7TAB 708 814 EA2AA 686 730 KQ4DO 675 710 WA4HFN 636 676 HB9AOF 500 604 OZ9AAR 500 600 N8MR 509 528 AC9DX 427 525 WB7QXU 451 500 JN2QCV New 428 HB9GWJ 363 412 LU3FCA 310 406 JG6CDH 353 401 AB1OC 291 371 VA3VGR 302 352 EA3TA 301 350 JL1SAM 300 350 LU4FTA 268 346 AA9VI 122 336 JH0BBE 314 321 XE1BJ New 304 DL8GAM 275 301 JA1GZK 256 300 PA7RA 245 299 AD5JK 263 296 JS1LQI 155 259 JE1TNL 225 250 N6PAZ 223 233 N9ZTS 201 231 IK1SLD 200 225 PU5DDC 151 181 ZS2BK New 170 JE2UFF 100 158 DH0GSU 100 152 GM0WDD New 115 EA4DEI New 100 ------------------------------------------------------------ Congratulations to the new VUCC holders. GM0WDD is first VUCC Satellite holder from Scotland and IO85 73 Jon N7AZ

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