- AMSAT-BB - mailman.amsat.org

Satellite log book?
by Bob Hammond 24 Aug '20

24 Aug '20

Any suggestions for a small spiral-bound log book for satellite contacts? Bob W7OTJ

1 0

FOX-1D (AO-92) in safe mode
by John E. Amdor IV 24 Aug '20

24 Aug '20

Today (8/24) at ~4:16 UTC I was attempting to uplink to AO-92 when Veronica announced “FOX-1 Delta, Safe Mode”. Does anyone know what put AO-92 in safe mode, and will this happen every night? KE0NEV

4 4

Re: [amsat-bb] Excel to ADIF
by Roy Dean 24 Aug '20

24 Aug '20

Forgot to mention, I'm running linux exclusively. I could try Wine, but in the past that's led to a bunch of despair (frequent corruption of other stuff while wine tries to get the software to run). I appreciate the advice from everybody, however. I am giving Dave's software a try, for now. --Roy K3RLD > Roy, > > For me the fastest way from pencil and paper to ADIF is Fast Log Entry. You can see it here:https://www.df3cb.com/fle/ > > If your heart is set on a spreadsheet step that is another story. > > 73, > Joe kk0sd > >

2 1

Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2020-08-24 15:00 UTC
by aj9n＠aol.com 24 Aug '20

24 Aug '20

Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2020-08-24 15:00 UTC Quick list of scheduled contacts and events: Information and Technologies Branch, Department of Education-Queensland Government, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, telebridge via AB1OC The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled astronaut is Chris Cassidy KF5KDR Contact was successful: Mon 2020-08-24 09:32:57 UTC 34 deg (***) Thanks to Bob VK4DA, the live audio should be available: Echolink *HAM* 69556 / IRLP 9556 / AllStar 48820 49903 ######################################################################################################################################## 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. 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/ Watch for future COVID-19 related announcements here also. 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) 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 2020-08-24 15:00 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 2020-08-24 15:00 UTC. (***) https://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/Successful_ARISS_schools.rtf The ARISS webpage is at https://www.ariss.org/ Note that there are links to other ARISS websites from this site. The main page for Applying to Host a Scheduled Contact may be found at https://www.ariss.org/apply-to-host-an-ariss-contact.html ARISS Contact Applications (United States) The ARISS webpage is at https://www.ariss.org/ Note that there are links to other ARISS websites from this site. Message to US Educators ARISS Contact Applications (United States) The Proposal Window of February 1, 2020 to March 31, 2020 has now closed. 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. Please direct any questions to ariss.us.education(a)gmail.com. 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. ******************************************************************************* 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 congratulations the following mentors who have now mentored over 100 schools: Francesco IKØWGF with 140 Satoshi 7M3TJZ with 138 Sergey RV3DR with 135 Gaston ON4WF with 123 **************************************************************************** The webpages listed below were all reviewed for accuracy. Out of date webpages were removed, and new ones have been added. If there are additional ARISS websites I need to know about, please let me know. Total number of ARISS ISS to earth school events is 1396. (***) Each school counts as 1 event. Total number of ARISS ISS to earth school contacts is 1329. (***) Each contact may have multiple schools sharing the same time slot. Total number of ARISS supported terrestrial contacts is 48. A complete year by year breakdown of the contacts may be found in the file. https://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/arissnews.rtf Please feel free to contact me if more detailed statistics are needed. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The following US states and entities have never had an ARISS contact: South Dakota, Wyoming, 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, 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. 62 now on orbit Chris Cassidy KF5KDR Anatoli Ivanishin Ivan Vagner **************************************************************************** 73, Charlie Sufana AJ9N One of the ARISS operation team mentors

1 0

Excel to ADIF
by Roy Dean 24 Aug '20

24 Aug '20

So I have 4 pages of contacts I need to log, and I'm dreading it. I figured I may as well do myself a favor and write a spreadsheet that spits out an ADIF file so that I don't have to create the ADIF with TQSL (which I despise). I don't use any other logging software, either - just pen and legal pad (actually it's engineering paper this time). Before I embark on this journey of frustration, has anybody already created a satellite friendly excel (or better - libre office) file that converts multiple contacts into a single ADIF? Otherwise I'll share mine when I'm eventually done (I have found a bunch that are non-satellite friendly). --Roy K3RLD

4 3

Amateur operator courtesy on Satellite
by P. Suryono Adisoemarta 24 Aug '20

24 Aug '20

So where is the amateur operator courtesy on Amateur Satellite ? Apologize I'm going to vent-off after this morning's (23 Aug, 01:20 UTC) SSTV exercise on IO-86 satellite First is a background of IO-86, which is the secondary (amateur radio) payload on Indonesia's LAPAN A2/ORARI that was completely designed by AMSAT-ID team with LAPAN's satellite design team. This amateur payload was designed primarily to assist in disaster communication while regular communication lines are off utilizing only handheld radio (HT) with a simple beam antenna, thus the payload has a high-gain receiver antenna and relatively high power (5W) transmitter. IO-86 has performed flawlessly in several emergency communication (such as earthquake in Lombok, 2017, tsunami in Palu 2018 and flashflood in Masamba, 2020, all using HT). To ensure availability of amateur radio operators ready for future emergency communication, AMSAT-ID has been conducting various communication exercises thru IO-86. On top of Voice and APRS communication, IO-86 also supports SSTV mode where one can transmit pictures of the emergency location, thru the voice FM repeater. So this morning, to mimic an immediate request for SSTV, part of Emergency Readiness component of IO-86, I transmit on IO-86 requesting all stations to standby, several times, to clear the frequency for SSTV transmission. But a high-power station, from a neighboring country, kept overpowering IO-86 with his call for a QSO. Repeated requests to standby are just kept being ignored. So, where is the courtesy of amateur operators of a standby request? To stop transmitting and monitor the frequency as maybe there is another activity being conducted. I'll share the lesson learns from the SSTV thru IO-86 exercise in another email 73 de Yono - YD0NXX AMSAT-ID Jakarta, Indonesia

2 1

IC-9700 Remote Control
by Stephan Greene 23 Aug '20

23 Aug '20

Looking at setting up a remote base satellite station to escape local increasing RFI, foliage, adverse terrain etc... I've been studying successful implementations using TS2000, FlexRadios, etc.and software SatPC32, FLRig, DXCommander, VNC, NX, etc... and may end up going one of those ways. Also looking at IC-9700. If you've successfully used an IC-9700 remotely, please email me direct. What software are you using, remote access method, additional accessories or items you found particularly handy. Thanks in advance! 73 de KS1G

2 1

Next Rocket Lab Launch
by Wendy and Terry Osborne 22 Aug '20

22 Aug '20

Hi Folks, Next Rocket Lab Launch is due Thurs 27th at 03:05 UTC. See: https://twitter.com/RocketLab/status/1296886523212656641 Expect the launch to be streamed as usual. There may be updates on their twitter feed during the week. 73, Terry Osborne ZL2BAC

1 0

ANS-236 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
by KI7UNJ Tucker 22 Aug '20

22 Aug '20

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-236 The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and information service of AMSAT North America, The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS publishes news related to Amateur Radio in space including reports on the activities of a worldwide group of Amateur Radio operators who share an active interest in designing, building, launching and communicating through analog and digital Amateur Radio satellites. The news feed on http://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. In this edition: * Ballot Return Date is September 15 * Two-Minute Engineering Video Update Available * New Distance Records * ORI's Digital Microwave Broadband Communication System Determined to be Free of ITAR * SmallSat 2020 Virtual Conference Proceedings Available Online * Upcoming Satellite Operations * ARISS News * Satellite Shorts from All Over SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-236.01 ANS-236 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins AMSAT News Service Bulletin 236.01 >From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD. August 23, 2020 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-236.01 -------------------------------------------------------------------- Ballot Return Date is September 15 With four weeks of balloting remaining, I think a reminder of procedures is warranted. Ballots for the AMSAT board of directors election must be received by 5 p.m. US Eastern Time on Tuesday, September 15. If you have received your ballot and wish to vote, please mail your ballot with sufficient time to arrive by this time. If you have not received your ballot and were a member of AMSAT on July 1, please email me at brennanprice(a)verizon.net to request a replacement ballot. All such requests that were made by today (Monday, August 17) have been fulfilled no later than today. A note to non-US based members: The printed return envelope does not specify that the return address is in the United States. The design of the envelope (my effort alone) may be fairly criticized on this basis. Several non-US members have added USA to the printed return address and successfully returned the ballot. This is my recommended remedy, but if for whatever reason it's too late for that (and I know of one such case), I will gladly send a replacement (as I have in said case). I am verifying envelopes against the voter list and keeping them unopened until the time of counting, when they will be opened face down and separated from the ballot without immediate counting to maintain secrecy. This is a key part of verifying that each ballot going out generates no more than one ballot coming back in. Presumably out of an understandable but self-defeating desire to ensure the secrecy of the ballot beyond this procedure, about ten members have sought to obscure the return address or use a different envelope, either with no return address or a different return address. In all but one of those cases, the printed address was insufficiently obscured, or the alternate address was traceable to a member who had not yet voted. The attention required to verify the nonconforming envelope in each case substantially exceeded the attention normally necessary, and actually increased the possibility of me inadvertently discerning the contents without opening the envelope through inspection I would ordinarily forego. Nevertheless, these envelopes have been accepted for eventual accounting. [ANS thanks Brennan Price, N4QX, AMSAT Secretary for the above information.] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the AMSAT office is closed until further notice. For details, please visit https://www.amsat.org/amsat-office-closed-until-further-notice/ +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Two-Minute Engineering Video Update Available Jerry Buxton, N0JY, Vice President-Engineering has published a two- minute video update on the progress of AMSAT projects. Among the highlights are: - The RadFxSat-2 / Fox-1E satellite is ready for delivery and integration and is expected to launch by the end of the year. - The University of Maine will use an AMSAT LTM-1 module for command and control of their upcoming CubeSat mission, MESAT-1. The LTM-1 also provides a linear transponder for amateur radio use. AMSAT is in discussions with additional partners about flying LTM-1 modules. - Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, vendors have been delayed in supplying printed circuit boards for the GOLF-TEE project. The impact of the pandemic has also affected the amount of time AMSAT's volunteer engineers have for their hobby work. Completion of GOLF-TEE is expected by the end of June 2021. - Dependent on fulfilling its primary mission, the GOLF-TEE satellite may include a X-band downlink parrot of the V-band uplink and L/S band uplinks which are planned for GOLF-1. - Research is underway to place GOLF-1 into a higher orbit while meeting regulatory requirements. - GOLF-TEE is a candidate for a launch on an upcoming DoD mission. You can view Jerry's update at: https://youtu.be/9H4iM1hoVG4. [ANS thanks Jerry Buxton, N0JY, Vice President-Engineering for the above information.] -------------------------------------------------------------------- New Distance Records Congratulations to Jerome LeCuyer, F4DXV and Joseph Werth, KE9AJ on extending their record distance on AO-7 by another 140 km! The new record stands at 8,204.592 km. KE9AJ was in DM79IQ58 and F4DXV was in JN14CH76. Jerome also claimed two other records during his trip to JN14. First, on 10-Aug-2020, he worked VE1VOX in Nova Scotia on AO-92, a distance of 5,011 km. Three days later, a QSO with Nathan White, N5LEX in FN11 set a new record distance covered of 6,183 km on AO-91. The QSO occurred at 13:37 UTC on 13-Aug-2020. [ANS thanks Paul Stoetzer, N8MH, AMSAT Executive Vice President for the above information.] -------------------------------------------------------------------- ORI's Digital Microwave Broadband Communication System Determined to be Free of ITAR The United States Department of State has ruled favorably on Open Research Institute's commodity jurisdiction request, finding that specified “Information and Software for a Digital Microwave Broadband Communications System for Space and Terrestrial Amateur Radio Use” is not subject to State Department jurisdiction under ITAR, the International Traffic in Arms Regulations. Export regulations divide both technical information and actual hardware into three categories. The most heavily restricted technologies fall under ITAR, which is administered by the State Department. Technologies subject to more routine restrictions fall under EAR, the Export Administration Regulations, administered by the Department of Commerce. Technologies that are not subject to either set of regulations are not restricted for export. On 20 February 2020, Open Research Institute (ORI) filed a Commodity Jurisdiction (CJ) Request with the US State Department, seeking to establish that key technologies for amateur radio are not subject to State Department jurisdiction. “Information and Software for a Digital Microwave Broadband Communications System for Space and Terrestrial Amateur Radio Use” was assigned the case number CJ0003120. On 11 August 2020, the case received a successful final determination: the technology is not subject to State Department jurisdiction. The Final Determination letter can be found at https://tinyurl.com/ANS-236-ORI [ANS thanks Open Research Institute, Inc., for the above information] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ AMSAT's GOLF Program is about getting back to higher orbits, and it all begins with GOLF-TEE - a technology demonstrator for deployable solar panels, propulsion, and attitude control. Come along for the ride. The journey will be worth it! https://tinyurl.com/ANS-GOLF +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ SmallSat 2020 Virtual Conference Proceedings Available Online The 34th Annual Small Satellite Conference was a virtual event hosted by SmallSat.org and Utah State University, Logan, Utah. The event attracted 8,100 participants over three days August 1-3, 2020. With the conference theme, "Space Mission Architectures - Infinite Possibilities", the conference explored the realm of possible space mission architectures and how they can be practically achieved to support the diverse needs of the global space community. Organized along twelve technical tracks, all 162 presentations are available to the public. Additionally, literally hundreds of posters can be downloaded for viewing. Especially useful is a search function on the site that can search keywords to help find presentation and posters that deal with specific topics. For those interested in the future of small satellites, including those in the Amateur Radio Satellite Service, there is one especially pertinent presentation entitled " Small Satellite Regulation in 2020" with attorneys Lynne Montgomery and Christopher Bair of Wilkinson Barker Knauer LLP. In this twelve minute presentation, Ms. Montgomery thoroughly covers the range of regulations affecting small satellite operations, the agencies involved, licensing procedures and what future legal burdens are looming for small satellite operators. The complete collection of presentations and posters can be seen at: https://smallsat.org/. [ANS thanks SmallSat.org 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/ +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Upcoming Satellite Operations * Quick Hits: DM97/98 & EM08/09, 8/29 & 8/30: Super Rover @ADoDX is heading out for the Kansas QSO party and N0E. More to come. * Major Roves: @WA9JBQ is heading out to Idaho DN24,DN25,DN26 DN34, DN16, DN15, and DN14 starting August 15th. Then moving into Montana for DN35,DN36, DN37, DN38 DN49 DN47. He will be out a total of 5-6 weeks. Mostly FM some linear. Will post to twitter details. [ANS thanks Paul Overn, KE0PBR for the above information.] -------------------------------------------------------------------- ARISS News * Upcoming Contacts: Kopernik Observatory & Science Center, Vestal, NY, direct via K2ZRO The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled astronaut is Chris Cassidy KF5KDR Contact is go for: Wed 2020-08-19 18:21:55 UTC 85 deg Watch for live stream starting about 20 to 30 minutes ahead of AOS at: https://youtu.be/1Pwcc2rilz0 [ANS thanks Charlie Sufana, AJ9N for the above information.] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ AMSAT, along with our ARISS partners, is developing an amateur radio package, including two-way communication capability, to be carried on-board Gateway in lunar orbit. Support AMSAT's projects today at https://www.amsat.org/donate/ +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Shorts from All Over * NASA At Home Offerings Updated Regularly As was reported before, NASA continually offers a variety of videos, podcasts, virtual tours, e-books and activities. This service has offerings that are of interest to adults as well as students with an interest in space exploration. The lineup changes weekly so, if you haven't been back in a while, take a moment to see the current assortment at: https://www.nasa.gov/specials/nasaathome/index.html [ANS thanks NASA for the above information.] * Build a Simple ISS Tracker with Raspberry Pi Fancy tracking the ISS’s trajectory? Looking for a project beyond using your smart phone app? All you need is a Raspberry Pi, an e-paper display, an enclosure, and a little Python code. Check out The MagPi Magazine issue #96. The download is free and can be found at: https://magpi.raspberrypi.org/issues/96. [ANS thanks RaspberryPi.org for the above information.] *ARS Technica Review Launch Prospects ARS reviews four smallsat rockets that might launch this year: Astra (this month?), Firefly (November?), Virgin Orbit (EOY?), and ExPace’s Kuaizhou-11 (?). Read it at https://bit.ly/3gkyLv6. [ANS thanks The Orbital Index for the above information] *Faster Than the Speed of Light? If you’re a fan of science fiction, chances are you've encountered spaceships that use a warp drive, “fold space,” or “jump” drive. Unfortunately, the immutable laws of physics tell us that this is simply not possible. Those same laws, however, also tell us that near-light-speed travel comes with all sorts of challenges. Luckily for all of us, NASA addresses these in a recently-released animated video that covers all the basics of interstellar travel! See it at: https://youtu.be/l4u4wV_dOi0 [ANS thanks Universe Today for the above information] *NASA Investigating Air Leak on ISS NASA is tracking down the source of a minor air leak on the International Space Station. Crewmembers of the station's current Expedition 63 are in no immediate danger and will spend the weekend in the orbiting laboratory's Russian segment, inside the Zvezda service module, NASA officials said in an update on Thursday, 20 August. Full story at https://bit.ly/34lVnZZ [ANS thanks Space.com for the above information] -------------------------------------------------------------------- In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership in the President's Club. Members of the President's Club, as sustaining donors to AMSAT Project Funds, will be eligible to receive additional benefits. Application forms are available from the AMSAT office. Primary and secondary school students are eligible for membership at one-half the standard yearly rate. Post-secondary school students enrolled in at least half time status shall be eligible for the student rate for a maximum of six post-secondary years in this status. Contact Martha at the AMSAT office for additional student membership information. 73, This week's ANS Editor, Casey Tucker, KI7UNJ ki7unj at amsat dot org Sent via AMSAT-BB at 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. Not an AMSAT member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program!

1 0

Next steps for open source satellite regulatory relief
by Michelle Thompson 22 Aug '20

22 Aug '20

Greetings all! Next steps for open source satellite regulatory relief, building on the Final Determination letter from the US State Department, began Friday 21 August 2020. 1) A Commodity Classification Request to the US Commerce Department is underway! 2) An Advisory Opinion request that this openly published work ceases to be subject to the EAR will follow the classification request, and is already underway as well. The summary of the Commodity Jurisdiction request will eventually be published by the State Department at https://www.pmddtc.state.gov/?id=ddtc_kb_article_page&sys_id=6ea6afdcdbc363… And, our wonderful law firm says we are now able to publish the DS-4076. Why? 1) info contained is already openly published 2) because the request was successful The first reason is straightforward. Our designs and policies covered are already published. This is not usually the case for a request. It is much more common to have proprietary and confidential information presented for a determination. There are "few to none" submission packets generally published. The second reason is because if a request is not successful then the information contained within it may end up being controlled upon final determination. So, if you publish before the final determination is made, then there is a big risk that you have disclosed controlled information. This was the most pressing reason not to publish the form until the determination was made. The lawyers did not recommend one way or another (let the State Department Summary serve or publish the entire form in addition to the State Department Summary). They left it up to those of us that commissioned the work, which is customary. Since most of the team already wanted to release the documents involved, the lawyers cleared the way, and we think it's a good idea on general principals, it's at https://github.com/phase4ground/documents/tree/master/Regulatory Another part of the discussion with the law firm was how these results can be best used by others. This has significant relevance in industry and academia. Our goal is to make it as easy as possible to use the results. There were three suggestions here. 1) Help people that have the money for it make additional similar filings. 2) Write about it in popular and technical press. 3) Write implementation guidelines and policies for others to adopt. The goal of additional filings is to build a body of Final Determination letters that solidly support open source work. This is somewhat similar to the way patent portfolios work in commercial settings. It's the sort of thing AMSAT can really help with, given the connections and legacy. Writing about the determination helps build momentum and confidence. This includes but is not limited to conference proceedings, newspaper tech sections, and blogs. "How to Comply" checklist and set of policies at a minimum would help technical organizations snap into the zone. Making this accessible through clear guidelines is, to me, a necessary step. The law firm will review them before they are published. This effort gives direct and large benefits to AMSAT in particular. It allows free and open international collaboration, dramatically reduces legal risks, increases the potential volunteer corps, simplifies fundraising, and reduces management burdens. The work applies to orbits besides GEO and technology besides DVB-S2/X. Those that "insist" on extremely narrow final determinations can write their own Commodity Jurisdictions requests and expect to get the same result because they can use this one directly in their request as a reference. As said before, additional filings would be of great benefit to the community because a population of results strengthens the case for open source work. However, additional filings are not strictly necessary to completely reverse the ITAR/EAR situation at AMSAT. The key to using this result, or any like it, is that the public domain carve out is solid and provides a bright path out of a bad place. In order to use it, one has to commit to open source policies and follow the law with regard to what constitutes publishing. You do have to avoid the things we specifically avoided. Those are going to be highlighted in the guidelines. They are things that AMSAT engineering does not do in the first place and will pose no impediment. This final determination letter doesn't relieve anyone of having to file for a license to take hardware out of the country, but that isn't impossibly hard either. The word from experienced commercial and amateur satellite builders is that the heavy lifting has been done and we are in a "very improved" state. There are several organizations that have gotten in touch about this to collaborate and/or take advantage of it. I will do my best to get traction in the commercial and industrial world as well as amateur and academic. I will not give up until we have a situation where there is the absolute minimum regulatory fear and risk for amateur volunteers, and we get the maximum amount of free and open international technical cooperation. This sort of work is the least I can do to pay it forward. Amateur radio was the reason engineering became my vocation. Amateur radio is responsible for a great deal of my personal success. Thank you to those that have supported this effort. To everyone that voted for me for AMSAT Director, this is what I was talking about delivering to you as part of my campaign. I have faith that the organization will take full advantage of it. -Michelle W5NYV

1 0