I think the words “walked off” is harsh and not true. So please refrain from using that language regarding any discussion about the relationship between ARISS-USA and AMSAT-NA.
Several of you have requested more details on the recent entity birth of ARISS-USA, I suggest you read the press release on ariss.org. From an historic perspective here are a few more details:
ARISS has grown and matured. When we started this program 24 years ago, ARISS was a working group and most of our efforts were funded by NASA. Funding support changed subtlety in 2006 and abruptly in 2014. From 2014 on, ARISS had to garner all funding necessary to keep the program alive and sustained. As many know, critical in program sustainment is setting up agreements and garnering sponsors for the program. Today, ARISS has a much bigger portfolio on ISS (thanks to the steadfast support of AMSAT-NA). We now have new, emerging radio systems on ISS (which the ham community will benefit from soon). And the evolution of the next-gen radio system will provide more impactful education. In addition to this, the landscape on ISS is expanding rapidly with commercial crew astronauts now on-board, tourists on-board ISS in the future and commercial modules to support these tourist astronauts as housing, enabling them to perform research, enjoying Earth views, and, hopefully, using an on-board ham radio system. In addition, as the space agencies are expanding into deep space, to the moon, we leading the ham radio efforts on the Lunar Gateway. All these current and future initiatives need myriad of agreements, etc. This, coupled with the fact that we kept getting questions from our sponsors asking why we had not become our own separate entity, we started the discussions to become an entity in February 2019 finalized this as an entity in late May. I hope this historic perspective helps all understand why we transformed ARISS-USA into an entity.
As the Executive Director for ARISS-USA, I want to say emphatically, in all the endeavors described above, ARISS-USA wants to continue its long-term, outstanding relationship with AMSAT-NA.
Ad astra!
73, Frank Bauer, KA3HDO
ARISS-USA Executive Director
AMSAT V.P. for Human Spaceflight Operations
From: Bruce Perens bruce@perens.com Sent: Thursday, July 16, 2020 2:09 PM To: Fernando Ramirez framirezferrer@gmail.com Cc: ka3hdo@gmail.com; AMSAT BB amsat-bb@amsat.org Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] ISS and AMSAT?
Until I am told otherwise, I am going to assume that in addition to the Phase 4 project having walked off of AMSAT and formed ORI, ARISS has now walked off and is also functioning as an independent entity.
Bob MgGwier N4HY is someone we can trust, and an eminent space scientist of long duration and impeccable credentials, but I would much rather hear first-hand from Frank Bauer. I don't know him.
ORI now has a lot more missions than just Phase 4. It would be nice for all of these former-AMSAT-projects to return to AMSAT.
Thanks
Bruce