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December 2024
- 30 participants
- 55 discussions
Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2024-12-03 05:00 UTC
Quick list of scheduled contacts and events:
Simferopol College of Radio Electronics, Simferopol, Russia, direct via R7KBR (***)
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS
The downlink frequency is presently scheduled to be 145.800 MHz
The latest information on the operation mode can be found at https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html
The scheduled crewmember is Ivan Vagner
The ARISS mentor is RV3DR
Contact was successful for Mon 2024-12-02 15:15 UTC (***)
Congratulations to the Simferopol College of Radio Electronics students, Ivan, mentor RV3DR, and ground station R7KBR (***)
South Carolina RWAs (Regional Workforce Advisors), Columbia, SC, direct via N4EE
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS
The downlink frequency is presently scheduled to be 145.800 MHz
The latest information on the operation mode can be found at https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html
The scheduled crewmember is Nick Hague KG5TMV
The ARISS mentors are K4CF and AA6TB (***)
Contact was successful: Mon 2024-12-02 16:22:26 UTC 42 deg (***)
Congratulations to the South Carolina RWAs students, Nick, mentors K4CF and AA6TB, and ground station N4EE! (***)
CEIP INDAUTXUKO ESKOLA HLHI, Bilbao, Spain, telebridge via ON4ISS
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 Sunita Williams KD5PLB
The ARISS mentor is IKØUSO
Contact is go for: Wed 2024-12-04 11:47:48 UTC 60 deg
Watch for Livestream at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlwWxPnO6Ic
State Budgetary Educational Institution "Vorobyovy Gory", Moscow, Russia, direct via TBD
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS
The downlink frequency is presently scheduled to be 145.800 MHz
The latest information on the operation mode can be found at https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html
The scheduled crewmember is Alexander Gorbunov
The ARISS mentor is RV3DR
Contact is go for Thu 2024-12-05 11:00 UTC
Shchyolkovo, Russia, direct via TBD
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS
The downlink frequency is presently scheduled to be 145.800 MHz
The latest information on the operation mode can be found at https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html
The scheduled crewmember is Aleksey Ovchinin
The ARISS mentor is RV3DR
Contact is go for Fri 2024-12-06 10:10 UTC
Publiczna Szkoła Podstawowa im. Walentego Stefańskiego w Bodzechowie, Bodzechów, Poland, direct via SP7POS
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 Don Pettit KD5MDT
The ARISS mentor is SP3QFE
Contact is go for: Fri 2024-12-06 11:49:23 UTC 77 deg
Watch for Livestream at https://youtube.com/live/1Ch_r219Tvk
SWSU, Kursk, Russia, direct via TBD (***)
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS
The downlink frequency is presently scheduled to be 145.800 MHz
The latest information on the operation mode can be found at https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html
The scheduled crewmember is Alexander Gorbunov (***)
The ARISS mentor is RV3DR
Contact is go for Mon 2024-12-09 09:30 UTC (***)
Chrześcijańska Szkoła Podstawowa Daniel, Warszawa, Poland, direct via SP5POT
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 Don Pettit KD5MDT (***)
The ARISS mentor is SP3QFE
Contact is go for: Mon 2024-12-09 10:58:47 UTC 79 deg (***)
Scuola Secondaria di I Grado “F.Anzani”, Cantù, Italy, telebridge via VK4KHZ (***)
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS (***)
The downlink frequency is presently scheduled to be 145.800 MHz
The latest information on the operation mode can be found at https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html
The scheduled crewmember is Sunita Williams KD5PLB (***)
The ARISS mentor is IZ2GOJ
Contact is go for: Tue 2024-12-10 09:07:46 UTC 42 deg (***)
Hillsboro Charter Academy, Purcellville, VA, direct via KQ4MAM
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS
The downlink frequency is presently scheduled to be 145.800 MHz
The latest information on the operation mode can be found at https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html
The scheduled crewmember is Sunita Williams KD5PLB (***)
The ARISS mentor is AA6TB
Contact is go for: Wed 2024-12-11 18:45:46 UTC 40 deg (***)
Many times a school may make a last minute decision to do a Livestream or run into a last minute glitch requiring a change of the URL but we at ARISS may not get the URL in time for publication. You can always check https://live.ariss.org/ to see if a school is Livestreaming.
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 2024-12-03 05:00 UTC. (***)
Here you will find a listing of all scheduled school contacts, and questions, other ISS related websites, IRLP and Echolink websites, and instructions for any contact that may be streamed live.
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 2024-12-03 04:00 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 07:30 – 19:30 UTC. The most common times to find a crew member making casual periods are about one hour after waking up and about an hour 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 sometimes active. Check the status at https://www.ariss.org/ or http://www.issfanclub.eu to see if the packet system is active or not.
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
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ARISS Contact Applications (United States)
Call for Proposals
The proposal window for US schools and educational organizations to host an Amateur Radio contact with a crew member on board the ISS has closed for contacts to be scheduled for July 1, 2025 – December 31, 2025.
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.
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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)
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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/
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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 is back on board but awaiting re-installation. 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 252 (***)
Francesco IKØWGF with 154
Satoshi 7M3TJZ with 154
Gaston ON4WF with 124
Steve VE3TBD with 124
Peter IN3GHZ with 122
****************************************************************************
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 1799. (***)
Each school counts as 1 event.
Total number of ARISS ISS to earth school contacts is 1690. (***)
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.
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The following US states and entities have never had an ARISS contact:
South Dakota, American Samoa, Guam, Northern Marianas Islands, and the Virgin Islands.
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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
****************************************************************************
Boeing CFT on orbit
Sunita Williams KD5PLB
Barry Wilmore
SpaceX Crew-9 on orbit
Nick Hague KG5TMV
Alexander Gorbunov
****************************************************************************
73,
Charlie Sufana AJ9N
One of the ARISS operation team mentors
1
0
*ARISS News Release
No. 24-86*
*Dave Jordan, AA4KN *
*ARISS PR*
*dave <aa4kn(a)amsat.org>.jordan(a)ariss-usa.org <jordan(a)ariss-usa.org>*
*FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*
*ARISS Contact is Scheduled with Students at *
*CEIP INDAUTXUKO ESKOLA HLHI, Bilbao, Spain*
December 2, 2024—Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS)
has received schedule confirmation for an ARISS radio contact between an
astronaut aboard the International Space Station (ISS) and students at CEIP
INDAUTXUKO ESKOLA HLHI located in Bilbao, Spain. ARISS conducts 60-100 of
these special amateur radio contacts each year between students around the
globe and crew members with ham radio licenses aboard the ISS.
Indautxuko School, founded in 1918, is a Pre-Primary and Primary Education
Centre (2-12 years old) located in Bilbao, in an urban environment with 625
students and 91 educational professionals. It is a multilingual school
(Basque - Spanish co-official language, English and Spanish). The school is
hosting this ARISS contact for their students in 5th and 6th grade (10-12
years old). Members of the Asociación EuskoByte Elkartea amateur radio club
(EA2RKE) are supporting the school for this event.
This will be a telebridge Contact via Amateur Radio allowing students to
ask their questions of astronaut Sunita Williams, amateur radio call sign
KD5PLB. The downlink frequency for this contact is 145.800 MHz and may be
heard by listeners that are within the ISS-footprint that also encompasses
the telebridge station.
The ARISS amateur radio ground station (telebridge station) for this
contact is in Aartselaar, Belgium. The amateur radio volunteer team at the
ground station will use the callsign ON4ISS, to establish and maintain the
ISS connection.
The ARISS radio contact is scheduled for December 4, 2024 at 12:47:48 pm
CET (Bilbao, Spain) (11:47:48 UTC, 6:47 am EST, 5:47 am CST, 4:47 am MST,
3:47 am PST).
The public is invited to watch the live stream at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlwWxPnO6Ic
*_______________________________*
As time allows, students will ask these questions:
1. What studies should an astronaut have?
2. How do you feel inside the ISS?
3. How does the ISS move? Does anyone pilot it?
4. What project are you currently working on?
5. What physical and psychological characteristics should an ISS crew
member have?
6. If you had an emergency, what would you do?
7. Are your routines always the same?
8. How do the Earth and the Moon look like from the ISS?
9. Would you be willing to travel to Mars?
10. What did you feel the first time you went into space?
11. How do you cook your food on the ISS?
12. How do you maintain hygiene?
13. Do you find sleeping in space comfortable?
14. How do you communicate with your families?
15. What do you do in your free time to avoid getting bored?
16. How do you know if you are face up or face down?
17. Do you get dizzy or sick in space?
18. Where does your toilet waste go?
19. Is space scary?
20. What have you brought to remember your family?
*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 ISS. In the United States, sponsors are the American Radio
Relay League (ARRL), Amateur Radio Digital Communications (ARDC), Radio
Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT), NASA’s Space Communications and
Navigation program (SCaN) and the ISS National Lab—Space Station Explorers.
The primary goal of ARISS is to promote exploration of science, technology,
engineering, the arts, and mathematics topics. ARISS does this by
organizing scheduled contacts via amateur radio between crew members aboard
the ISS and students. Before and during these radio contacts, students,
educators, parents, and communities take part in hands-on learning
activities tied to space, space technologies, and amateur radio. For more
information, see http://www.ariss.org.
Media Contact:
Dave Jordan, AA4KN
ARISS PR
Find us on social media at:
X: ARISS_Intl
Facebook: facebook.com/ARISSIntl
Instagram: ariss_intl
Mastodon: ariss_intl(a)mastodon.hams.social
Check out ARISS on Youtube.com.
1
0
VUCC Satellite Standing December 2024
------------------------------------------------------------
VUCC Satellite Award/Endorsement Change Summary for
November 01, 2024 to December 01, 2024.
------------------------------------------------------------
AC9O 1001 1126
W2GDJ 908 1022
FG8OJ 921 935
KC4CJ 702 751
WD9EWK (DM43) 736 737
KB1HY 648 727
RA3DNC 305 599
AB1OC 407 476
W3TI 103 444
K5WO 200 255
EK/RX3DPK New 200
EA4DEI 100 150
------------------------------------------------------------
Congratulations to the new VUCC Satellite holders.
EK/RX3DPK is first VUCC Satellite holder from Armenia and LN20
DXCC Satellite Standing December 2024
------------------------------------------------------------
DXCC Satellite Award/Endorsement Change Summary for
May 13, 2024 to December 01, 2024.
------------------------------------------------------------
DF2ET 100 179
YO2CMI 173 174
LA6OP 143 151
KB8VAO 148 149
EA6VQ 145 147
IK1IYU 138 146
KB1HY 135 142
SP3AU 138 140
HB9GWJ 134 137
FG8OJ 116 120
HB9WDF 101 114
JA0FSB 101 111
EA5RM 108 110
DG7RO 100 103
M0SKM New 100
N8JCM New 100
------------------------------------------------------------
Congratulations to the new DXCC Satellite holders.
N8JCM is first DXCC Satellite holder from EN72
73 Jon N7AZ
1
0
*ARISS News Release
No. 24-85*
*Dave Jordan, AA4KN *
*ARISS PR*
*dave.jordan(a)ariss-usa.org <dave.jordan(a)ariss-usa.org>*
*FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*
*ARISS Contact is Scheduled with Students at *
*Woodland Middle School, Columbia, South Carolina, USA*
November 30, 2024—Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS)
has received schedule confirmation for an ARISS radio contact between an
astronaut aboard the International Space Station (ISS) and students at
Woodland Middle School located in Columbia, SC. ARISS conducts 60-100 of
these special amateur radio contacts each year between students around the
globe and crew members with ham radio licenses aboard the ISS.
South Carolina Regional Workforce Advisors are hosting this ARISS contact
for students at Woodland Middle School. Woodland Middle School opened in
the summer of 2024, is part of Dorchester School District 4, and was
created by merging two schools, Harleyville-Ridgeville Middle and St.
George Middle. This consolidation enables Woodland Middle School to
optimize resources and provide students with expanded access to modern
technology, academic programs, and extracurricular activities. This unified
approach allows students to explore a wider curriculum, gain exposure to
diverse fields, and develop essential skills for high school and beyond,
all within a single, state-of-the-art facility.
Woodland Middle School participates in the district’s ROVER program, an
initiative that brings mobile STEM learning labs directly to students.
Through hands-on activities and real-world applications, the ROVER program
expands students’ learning opportunities in science, technology,
engineering, and math. This ARISS contact is being supported by members of
the Trident Amateur Radio Club (N4EE).
This will be a direct contact via Amateur Radio allowing students to ask
their questions of astronaut Nick Hague, amateur radio call sign KG5TMV.
The downlink frequency for this contact is 145.800 MHz and may be heard by
listeners that are within the ISS-footprint that also encompasses the relay
ground station.
The amateur radio ground station for this contact is in Columbia, SC.
Amateur radio operators using call sign N4EE, will operate the ground
station to establish and maintain the ISS connection.
The ARISS radio contact is scheduled for December 2, 2024 at 11:22:26 am
EST (SC, USA) (16:22:26 UTC, 10:22 am CST, 9:22 am MST, 8:22 am PST).
*_______________________________*
As time allows, students will ask these questions:
1. I have read where you are doing experiments to help Alzheimer's, how is
that working?
2. How do you creatively solve problems when traditional tools or resources
on Earth aren’t available on the ISS?
3. What advice do you have for aspiring astronauts?
4. How would you describe your daily life now compared to your life when
you were on earth?
5. What are necessities people normally think you wouldn't need on a
spacecraft but actually need?
6. What experiments have you done in space so far that have had a different
result on Earth?
7. What unique skills or knowledge did you gain from your training that
surprised you the most?
8. What is your scariest experience you had being in space so far, and how
did you handle that situation?
9. What drove you to become an astronaut and explore the wonders of space?
10. What is the most enjoyable part of researching and experimenting in
microgravity, exposure to space, and our unique orbit?
11. What project are you currently working on in space?
12. Makalia, Aubri (grade 8): Is there a place on board the space station
where the astronauts go to protect themselves from Radiation or Space
Debris?
13. What new things have you discovered?
14. Have you ever had to make a scientific breakthrough or discovery based
on an accidental observation in microgravity?
15. Can you describe the procedure of when there is an emergency on board
the space station?
16. What is the best part of a spacewalk?
17. Are there any moments when zero-gravity works in your favor?
18. How does the constant view of Earth from space change your perception
of distance, time, or even human culture?
19. If you could research more about space, would you and what would you
research about?
20. What is the maximum amount of time you can stay up in space?
*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 ISS. In the United States, sponsors are the American Radio
Relay League (ARRL), Amateur Radio Digital Communications (ARDC), Radio
Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT), NASA’s Space Communications and
Navigation program (SCaN) and the ISS National Lab—Space Station Explorers.
The primary goal of ARISS is to promote exploration of science, technology,
engineering, the arts, and mathematics topics. ARISS does this by
organizing scheduled contacts via amateur radio between crew members aboard
the ISS and students. Before and during these radio contacts, students,
educators, parents, and communities take part in hands-on learning
activities tied to space, space technologies, and amateur radio. For more
information, see http://www.ariss.org.
Media Contact:
Dave Jordan, AA4KN
ARISS PR
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In this edition:
* AMSAT OSCAR-7 50th Anniversary: CodeStore Breaking New Ground
* GridMasterMap Satellite Top 100 Rovers December 2024 Rankings
* Japan Launches World's First Wooden Satellite to Test Timber in Space
* Open-Weather APT: Updates to the Web Based NOAA APT Image Decoder
* ARISS News
* Upcoming Satellite Operations
* AMSAT Ambassador Activities
* 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 [dot] 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-336 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
To: All RADIO AMATEURS
From: Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation
712 H Street NE, Suite 1653
Washington, DC 20002
DATE 2024 Dec 01
AMSAT OSCAR-7 50th Anniversary: CodeStore Breaking New Ground
There has always been a fascination among radio amateurs in digital modes of communications. In thinking about where this spacecraft sits in electronic history, it is all too easy to forget that it was designed at least three years before the appearance of the first 8-bit microprocessor. The notion of packet communications was still nearly 10 years into the future. The team wanted to demonstrate that they could store data at-will on a spacecraft in transit across the sky and then download it at another location. They wanted to demonstrate non-real-time digital communications to themselves and to the world.
Jan King, W3GEY, AMSAT OSCAR-7 Project Manager explains, “Thinking in retrospect, that experiment wasn’t the best it could have been. However, it was simple and it proved our resolve. The entry in 1972 on AO-6 and, then again, in 1974 on-board AO-7 was a demonstration experiment we called CodeStore. And, it did lead to far more ambitious packetized, store-and-forward data satellites in our future.
“It probably wasn’t the best choice at the time, but we chose the command frequency for the uplink. This meant we didn’t have to implement yet another receiver. However, this made the experiment far less accessible to hams than it could have. AMSAT did not want to share the knowledge of the command frequency and codes with anyone who didn’t have a need to know them. Thus, CodeStore was not an experiment that was shared with everyone as were the communications transponders. It could realistically only be used by authorized command stations. We had hoped for a universal store-and-forward demonstration, but what was in fact created was a broadcast tool and in that regard CodeStore was very successful.”
CodeStore was the brainchild of and was designed and fabricated by John Goode, W5CAY. In one small module, he housed an AFSK decoding system, which allowed uplink data to be clocked into a “long” shift register containing 896 bits. This was done with the memory IC's of the day. What one could manage then was 14 IC's each containing 64 bits of serial data storage. The contents of the shift register was sequentially downlinked first-in-first-out (FIFO) to the selected beacon when CodeStore was commanded to the RUN mode.
This number of bits is divisible by 8 so one might have expected that a downlinked message of 112 8-bit words. No, this was 1974 so Morse Code messages were downlinked. The idea was more individuals can copy a broadcast message if they don’t need specialized decoding equipment. King adds, “No one can deny that we could have made a better go of it if the notion of a remote terminal digital communications goal had remained pure. It did not.”
“Ultimately, its highest value was discovered to be to store the spacecraft’s NORAD TLEs as well as any critical AO-7 operating schedule modifications, which might be of importance to the users. CodeStore was already available for use on AO-6. So, users were already expecting this feature, which appeared regularly on the beacons.”
While CodeStore was used on both AO-6 and AO-7 to demonstrate non-real-time communications via satellite, it was never used by independent remotely located stations to demonstrate two-way communications in that way. The memory facilities required on-board and the lack of any firmware that even approached the capabilities of a file handling system did not exist in 1972-74. That would have to wait for another day when, once again, four AMSAT spacecraft in a small constellation would demonstrate a proper store-and-forward packet handling system. That was to occur in 1990.
CodeStore went into service as a broadcast device allowing users to receive, in Morse Code, the latest, (then) NORAD TLEs. CodeStore was a complete success. It saved command stations a tremendous amount of work, avoiding the need for a global network of operators who would otherwise be needed to relay the same data.
Persons wanting to read more about the life and history of AMSAT OSCAR-7 are invited to visit https://www.amsat.org/amsat-ao-7-a-fifty-year-anniversary/.
[ANS thanks Jan King, W3GEY, AMSAT OSCAR-7 Project Manager for the above information.]
________________________________
GridMasterMap Satellite Top 100 Rovers December 2024 Rankings
The December 2024 rankings for the Top 100 Rovers (Mixed LEO/MEO/GEO) in 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 QSO's 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: 2024-11-29
1
ND9M
26
KX9X
51
N6DNM
76
LU4JVE
2
NJ7H
27
ON4AUC
52
JK2XXK
77
AA8CH
3
JA9KRO
28
KG5CCI
53
EB1AO
78
VE1VOX
4
UT1FG
29
N5BO
54
EA4NF
79
FG8OJ
5
N5UC
30
K8BL
55
SM3NRY
80
PT9BM
6
DL6AP
31
KE4AL
56
JL3RNZ
81
KJ7NDY
7
OE3SEU
32
KB5FHK
57
DF2ET
82
KI7UXT
8
WI7P
33
VE3HLS
58
XE1ET
83
YU0W
9
DP0POL
34
KI0KB
59
AA5PK
84
KB2YSI
10
K5ZM
35
KI7UNJ
60
KI7QEK
85
N6UTC
11
F5VMJ
36
LA9XGA
61
SP5XSD
86
N4DCW
12
N6UA
37
PA3GAN
62
F4DXV
87
WA9JBQ
13
HA3FOK
38
JO2ASQ
63
AD7DB
88
JM1CAX
14
WY7AA
39
F4BKV
64
VE1CWJ
89
VE3GOP
15
N9IP
40
BA1PK
65
KE9AJ
90
N0TEL
16
W5PFG
41
N7AGF
66
DL4EA
91
KG4AKV
17
AK8CW
42
VK5DG
67
N8RO
92
W8MTB
18
DL2GRC
43
VA3VGR
68
VA7LM
93
K0FFY
19
AD0DX
44
XE3DX
69
KM4LAO
94
CU2ZG
20
LU5ILA
45
KE0WPA
70
M1DDD
95
VE7PTN
21
N4AKV
46
PR8KW
71
W8LR
96
K6VHF
22
WD9EWK
47
K7TAB
72
W1AW
97
AF5CC
23
ND0C
48
KE0PBR
73
N4UFO
98
VE6WK
24
AD0HJ
49
AC0RA
74
HB9GWJ
99
DK9JC
25
DJ8MS
50
W7WGC
75
PT2AP
100
BG7QIW
[ANS thanks @GridMasterMap for the above information.]
________________________________
Only four Weeks Left!
And the 2024 AMSAT President’s Club Coins Are Gone!
Help Support GOLF and Fox Plus
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Join the AMSAT President's Club today and help
Keep Amateur Radio in Space!
https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/
________________________________
Japan Launches World's First Wooden Satellite to Test Timber in Space
Japanese researchers launched the world’s first wooden satellite, LignoSat, into space, marking an ambitious step toward exploring the viability of timber for lunar and Martian construction. This pioneering satellite, developed collaboratively by Kyoto University and Sumitomo Forestry, was sent to the International Space Station aboard a SpaceX mission from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on November 4, 2024. Once at the ISS, LignoSat will be released into orbit approximately 400 kilometers (250 miles) above Earth.
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LignoSat, a 1U-sized CubeSat, carries an Amateur Radio mission that will extract callsigns from the FM packet data signals uplinked, and respond to them by using the CW downlink with their call signs.
An educational mission is to educate students to learn about the characteristics of the satellite by acquiring its housekeeping data such as the internal temperature, the strain of the wooden structure, and the Earth’s magnetic field and calculating the rotational direction and rate of the satellite as well as observing the effect of the space environment on the wooden structure.
The satellite, whose name derives from the Latin word for "wood," is a compact, palm-sized structure. LignoSat’s mission is to demonstrate the potential of wood as a sustainable and durable material for space exploration. Takao Doi, a former astronaut and a current researcher at Kyoto University, expressed that using timber could pave the way for constructing habitats that support human life and work in space indefinitely. “With timber, a material we can produce by ourselves, we will be able to build houses, live, and work in space forever,” Doi said.
Doi’s team is working under a 50-year vision of building timber structures on the Moon and Mars, planting the seeds for future space-based infrastructure. The researchers opted for Honoki, a type of magnolia tree native to Japan traditionally used for sword sheaths, after conducting a 10-month experiment on the ISS. Honoki proved its resilience, leading to its selection as the core material for LignoSat. The satellite was constructed using a traditional Japanese craft technique without screws or glue, showcasing innovation steeped in heritage.
One of LignoSat’s key roles in its six-month orbit will be to measure the endurance of wood against extreme space temperatures, which oscillate from -100 to 100 degrees Celsius (-148 to 212 degrees Fahrenheit) every 45 minutes as the satellite shifts from sunlight to darkness. The onboard sensors will also monitor how well wood mitigates space radiation’s impact on semiconductors, information that could be pivotal for designing data centers and other space-based structures. Kenji Kariya of Sumitomo Forestry emphasized the cutting-edge nature of this research, noting that despite appearing old-fashioned, wood could be integral to future space technology.
The environmental benefits of using wood in space are significant. Unlike conventional metal satellites that produce polluting aluminum oxide particles upon re-entry, wooden satellites would disintegrate more cleanly in Earth’s atmosphere. “A wooden satellite burns up with much less pollution compared to metal ones,” Doi stated. This feature could be an advantage as the space industry grapples with sustainability and the proliferation of space debris.
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The team behind LignoSat is optimistic that their experiment could spur wider adoption of timber in space exploration. Doi even hinted at the potential for future partnerships, saying, “If we can prove our first wooden satellite works, we want to pitch it to Elon Musk’s SpaceX.” The successful deployment of LignoSat could mark the beginning of a new era where traditional materials meet advanced space technology, reinvigorating the timber industry and pushing the boundaries of sustainable innovation in space exploration.
A downlink on 435.820 MHz has been coordinated for CW, 4k8 GMSK AX25 telemetry and FM. More info at https://space.innovationkyoto.org/amateur-radio-operators/
[ANS thanks Kantaro Komiya and Irene Wang, Reuters, for the above information.]
________________________________
Open-Weather APT: Updates to the Web Based NOAA APT Image Decoder
Dr. Sasha Engelmann and Sophie Dyer, the team behind the Open-Weather project have recently announced the launch of their new version of open-weather app, a web-based NOAA APT image decoder. The web-based program accepts a WAV file containing a NOAA satellite APT recording, demodulates and decodes it, and displays the resulting weather satellite image.
Sasha writes, "…Open-weather apt is the only public, maintained, browser-based decoder for Automatic Picture Transmissions (APT) from satellites NOAA-19, NOAA-18 and NOAA-15. It was developed to improve access to satellite signal decoding for all practitioners.
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"We are excited to share a new and improved version available here! The new version includes the following updates and additional features:
* Improved accuracy in decoding and finding sync positions (locates more sync positions than other comparable decoders)
* Upload a WAV file of any sample rate (no more re-sampling with Audacity!)
* Option to see the ‘raw’ image without syncing, and to ‘Find the Syncs’
* Option to Rotate 180 degrees, often useful for viewing images from nighttime passes
* Go deeper in your analysis: explore Signal Value and Image Value Histograms
* Upload directly from open-weather apt to the Public Archive
"Open-weather apt is co-developed by open-weather with Rectangle (Lizzie Malcolm and Dan Powers), Bill Liles (NQ6Z) and Grayson Earle."
Complete information at https://open-weather.community/decode/.
[ANS thanks RTL-SDR.com for the above information.]
________________________________
Need new satellite antennas?
Purchase M2 LEO-Packs from the AMSAT Store.
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When you purchase through AMSAT, a portion of the proceeds goes towards
Keeping Amateur Radio in Space.
https://amsat.org/product-category/hardware/
________________________________
Changes to AMSAT TLE Distribution for November 29, 2024
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. TLE bulletin files are updated daily in the first hour of the UTC day. New bulletin files will be posted immediately after reliable elements become available for new amateur satellites. More information may be found at https://www.amsat.org/keplerian-elements-resources/.
The following satellite has been added to this week's AMSAT TLE distribution:
AO-123 Provisional catalog number 99130 IARU coordinated downlink 435.4000 MHz.
[ANS thanks Joe Fitzgerald, KM1P, AMSAT Orbital Elements Manager, for the above information.]
________________________________
Want to fly the colors on your own grid expedition?
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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.
[ARISS News]
Upcoming Contacts
South Carolina RWAs (Regional Workforce Advisors), Columbia, SC, direct via N4EE.
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS.
The scheduled crewmember is Nick Hague, KG5TMV.
The ARISS mentor is Don Hopson, K4CF.
Contact is go for Monday, December 2, 2024 at 16:22 UTC.
Watch for Livestream at https://dew.sc.gov/.
Simferopol College of Radio Electronics, Simferopol, Russia, direct via TBD.
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS.
The scheduled crewmember is Ivan Vagner.
The ARISS mentor is RV3DR .
Contact is go for Monday, December 2, 2024 at 15:15 UTC.
CEIP INDAUTXUKO ESKOLA HLHI, Bilbao, Spain, telebridge via ON4ISS.
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS.
The scheduled crewmember is Sunita Williams, KD5PLB.
The ARISS mentor is Marcelo Teruel, IK0USO.
Contact is go for: Wednesday, December 4, 2024 at 11:47 UTC.
State Budgetary Educational Institution "Vorobyovy Gory", Moscow, Russia, direct via TBD.
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS.
The scheduled crewmember is Alexander Gorbunov.
The ARISS mentor is RV3DR.
Contact is go for Thursday, December 5, 2024 at 11:00 UTC.
Shchyolkovo, Russia, direct via TBD.
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS.
The scheduled crewmember is Aleksey Ovchinin.
The ARISS mentor is RV3DR.
Contact is go for Friday, December 6, 2024 at 10:10 UTC.
Publiczna Szkola Podstawowa im. Walentego Stefanskiego w Bodzechowie, Bodzechow, Poland, direct via SP7POS.
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS.
The scheduled crewmember is Don Pettit, KD5MDT.
The ARISS mentor is Armand Budzianowski, SP3QFE.
Contact is go for Friday, December 6, 2024 at 11:49 UTC.
Completed Contacts
Colegio do Castanheiro, Ponta Delgada, Azores, direct via CQ8CDC.
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS.
The scheduled crewmember is Don Pettit, KD5MDT.
The ARISS mentor is Marcelo Teruel,IK0USO.
Contact was successful on Tuesday, November 26, 2024 at 14:57 UTC.
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
* ADØHJ is planning his last 2024 rove to the Missouri Ozarks area between December 5-8, 2024. Mitch has never been to that area so he is looking to do some sightseeing and activate eight new satellite grid squares. EM26-EM28, EM36-EM39, and EN30. He will be working RS-44 passes in the evenings. See https://hams.at for details.
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, and Alex Ners, K6VHF, for the above information.]
________________________________
AMSAT Ambassador Activities
AMSAT Ambassadors provide presentations, demonstrate communicating through amateur satellites, and host information tables at club meetings, hamfests, conventions, maker faires, and other events.
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December 19, 2024
Central Kentucky Amateur Radio Society
CKARS Monthly Meeting
558 S Keeneland Dr.
Richmond, KY 40475
https://www.ckars.org/home
AI4SR
February 14-15, 2025
Yuma HAMCON and Southwestern Division Convention
Yuma County Fairgrounds
Yuma, AZ
https://www.yumahamfest.com/
N1UW
Interested in becoming an AMSAT Ambassador? AMSAT Ambassadors provide presentations, demonstrate communicating through amateur satellites, and host information tables at club meetings, hamfests, conventions, maker faires, and other events. For more information go to: https://www.amsat.org/ambassador/
[ANS thanks Bo Lowrey, W4FCL, Director – AMSAT Ambassador Program for the above information.]
________________________________
Satellite Shorts From All Over
* NASA has confirmed that one of its greatest ever missions, Voyager 1, is back in business with communications restored following an incident in October that had led to the veteran spacefarer losing its voice. When engineers commanded Voyager 1 to switch on one of its heaters to give the instruments a gentle thermal massage, a safety feature was tripped because of low power levels. It automatically switched off non-essential systems. The fault protection system took it upon itself to switch off the main X-band transmitter and activate the lower-power S-band transmitter instead. Because of the great distance between Voyager 1 and Earth, however, transmissions on the S-band antenna could not be heard by NASA's Deep Space Network, meaning that Voyager 1 had effectively fallen silent. NASA engineers were able to resolve the problem early in November, and X-band communication resumed on Nov. 18, with the spacecraft once again returning data from its four remaining instruments. Read the complete story at https://tinyurl.com/ANS-336-Voyager-1. [ANS thanks Space.com for the above information.]
* In addition to all the AMSAT OSCAR-7 publicity in the news this few weeks, AMSAT also received nice exposure about the ARISS program putting kids in contact with astronauts. Read the complete story at https://tinyurl.com/ANS-336-ISS. [ANS thanks Space.com 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 [dot] org for additional membership information.
73 and remember to help Keep Amateur Radio in Space!
This week's ANS Editor, Frank Karnauskas, N1UW
f.karnauskas [at] amsat [dot] org
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