AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-188
The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and infor- mation 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://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.
In this edition:
* Last Reminder for AMSAT Field Day Summary results * FITSAT-1 (NIWAKA) Decays * ISS Ham Radio Slow Scan TV active * Sending Your Own Spacecraft to the Moon * 2013 AMSAT-UK International Space Colloquium starts July 19 * OPS-SAT opportunity for Radio Amateurs * Dutch Amateur Radio Satellite User Meeting September 28th 2013 * ARISS News * Satellite Shorts From All Over
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-188.01 ANS-188 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 188.01
From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
DATE July 7, 2013 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-188.01
Last Reminder for AMSAT Field Day Summary results
Just a quick reminder that you must have your AMSAT Field Day results received by me no later than Monday, July 8, 2013 at 23:59 PM Central Time. If I do not receive them, your group will not be listed in the AMSAT Field Day story in the journal and they will be mad at you. We have had 14 submissions so far, last year we had 19. I hope we beat that number.
Even if your group made one contact, turn it in. That shows you participated in AMSAT Field Day and succeeded in the feat of getting through the mess to complete your contact. A lot of groups were unable to accomplish one.
[ANS thanks Bruce KK5DO, kk5do at arrl dot net, for the above information]
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FITSAT-1 (NIWAKA) Decays
FITSAT-1 (NIWAKA) decayed on 4th July 2013. The last signal was received by JA0CAW at 03:07(UT).
I appreciate all hams who joined our experiments, helped our operations, and sent me many reports.
I could make many friends in the world and enjoyed through FITSAT-1. Though FITSAT-1 became a shooting star, I am very happy now. Thank you very much again all Ham friends.
Very Best 73, de Takushi -- Takushi Tanaka, JA6AVG FITSAT-project Fukuoka Institute of Technology
[ANS thanks Takushi Tanaka, JA6AVG for the above information]
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ISS Ham Radio Slow Scan TV active
The Slow Scan TV (SSTV) experiment on the International Space Station (ISS) was active on July 2-3, on 145.800 MHz FM
The MAI-75 experiment worked very well producing some stunning images.
All you need to do to receive the SSTV pictures from the space station is to connected the audio output of a scanner or amateur rig via a simple interface to the soundcard on a Windows PC or an Apple iOS device, and tune in to 145.800 MHz FM. You can even receive pictures by holding an iPhone next to the radio's loudspeaker.
On Windows PC's the free application MMSSTV can be used to decode the signal, on Apple iOS devices you can use the SSTV app. The ISS Fan Club website will show you when the space station is in range.
MMSSTV http://hamsoft.ca/pages/mmsstv.php
iOS SSTV App https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/sstv/id387910013
For more on Slow Scan Television SSTV, see this article SSTV - The Basics http://www.essexham.co.uk/sstv-the-basics
How to be successful with the ISS Slow Scan Television (SSTV) imaging system http://www.marexmg.org/fileshtml/howtoisssstv.html
Information on the MAI-75 SSTV experiment http://www.energia.ru/eng/iss/researches/education-26.html
IZ8BLY Vox Recoder, enables you to record the signals from the ISS on 145.800 MHz while you're away at work http://antoninoporcino.xoom.it/VoxRecorder/
For the latest status of amateur radio activity on the ISS and real time tracking see http://www.issfanclub.com/
[ANS thanks Trevor M5AKA and Southgate ARN for the above information]
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Sending Your Own Spacecraft to the Moon
A new project to give thousands of people the opportunity to design, build and launch personalised spacecraft and send them to the moon has begun.
Now anyone can become a citizen space explorer and take part in a mission to send their own Pocket Spacecraft to the moon. At a cost of just GBP 99 (~EUR119/JPY15499/USD159), explorers who back the project will be able to personalise their own spacecraft by adding a picture or message direct from their favourite social media or game profile or create their own unique design. They can do this from their smartphone or web browser and will be able to monitor progress throughout their mission with their own Pocket Mission Control app. Users will be able to track the progress of their spacecraft as it is designed, built in the lab and travels through space. More technical explorers will be able to write software and even customise the on-board hardware enabling them to conduct their own unique experiments whether mapping the solar wind or playing laser tag - in space!
Pocket Spacecraft are disks with flexible electronics, smaller than a CD and as thin as a piece of paper, that will be loaded into an Interplanetary CubeSat mothership to hitch a ride into space on a commercial rocket. The mothership will then set off to the moon and when it arrives many months later, the fleet of Pocket Spacecraft will be photographed as they are released to land on the moon to complete their mission.
Anyone can take part in the mission via the crowd-funding site Kickstarter (search for ‘Pocket Spacecraft‘ or visit PocketSpacecraft.com ). Since launch in 2009, Kickstarter has raised more than $500 million for various projects from over 3 million individuals. Pocket Spacecraft only needs support from 2000 or more people to allow the mission to go ahead.
The global team of scientists, engineers and designers behind Pocket Spacecraft have already created two dozen open space projects for the mission since 2009, supported by more than a hundred volunteers from twenty countries (and counting) led by co-ordinators in Europe (Bristol, UK) and America (Pasadena, CA, USA).
Michael Johnson, founder of Pocket Spacecraft, co-created the first space mission funded on KickStarter (KickSat - due to be launched by NASA later this year), and influential workshops such as the Interplanetary CubeSat Workshop at MIT, and the Keck Institute for Space Studies Small Satellites: A Revolution in Space Science workshop at Caltech.
“By backing this mission people will revolutionise space exploration and space science” enthuses Michael. “By democratising interplanetary space exploration we will create a generation of young explorers who can use the same affordable methods to explore Mars, Venus and beyond. We’re building tools so that one day every child will be able to send their own spacecraft on a robotic field trip in space”.
The campaign will run for 60 days and end on August 26, 2013. Detailed information regarding the campaign is available on the KickStarter website:
MEDIA RELATIONS: media@PocketSpacecraft.com | PHONE +44 117 230 2060 / +1 626 768 2050
Helen White (Media Relations) helen@PocketSpacecraft.com
Michael Johnson (Founder) michael@PocketSpacecraft.com
Seth Jackson (Partnership enquiries) seth@PocketSpacecraft.com
[ANS thanks Helen White for the above information]
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2013 AMSAT-UK International Space Colloquium starts July 19
The 2013 AMSAT-UK International Space Colloquium will start late afternoon on Friday, July 19 and will run through until the afternoon on Sunday, July 21 at the Holiday Inn, Guildford, GU2 7XZ, UK.
It will be preceded by a "Hands-on" CubeSat Workshop. This free workshop will take place at the nearby University of Surrey on Friday, July 19 and this will be followed, at the hotel, by the usual Colloquium "Beginners Session" in the late afternoon.
The Holiday Inn, Guildford It is anticipated that both the FUNcube-1 and FUNcube-2 missions will be launched later this year and the FUNcube team will be on hand to talk about the missions and the planned educational outreach.
A full demonstration of the Engineering Model, which has been performing flawlessly for almost a year, will also be provided.
Further details and booking information at http://amsat-uk.org/colloquium/colloquium-2013/
[ANS thanks Trevor, M5AKA for the above information]
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OPS-SAT opportunity for Radio Amateurs
The ESA OPS-SAT CubeSat provides a rare opportunity for testing new amateur radio software for use on a CubeSat actually in space.
The 3U CubeSat has deployable solar arrays and plans to launch in 2016 into a Low Earth Orbit (LEO).
Although the formal closing dates for expressions of interest from potential experimenters for this project has now closed, contact has been made with Dave Evans at ESA-ESOC who has confirmed that they would be very interested to receive proposals from an AMSAT team to develop a novel use of this spacecraft for amateur radio purposes.
In addition to an X Band downlink and S Band uplinks and downlinks, the spacecraft will carry a simplex transceiver operating with 4k8/9k6 telemetry using GMSK on the 435 MHz band.
It s understood that experimenters will have access to an onboard processor running Linux/Java at 500 to 800 MHz.
The project is open to teams led by a group from any ESA member country (this includes Canada) and initial info is shown here although the detailed design is being rapidly iterated..
It is emphasised that this is a very open project which will require lots of interaction between the contributing groups.
Bright ideas are needed from our software experts and If there is sufficient interest it may be possible to host a Skype conference about this opportunity during the AMSAT-UK International Space Colloquium over the weekend of July 20-21.
It is not proposed that this should be an AMSAT-UK led project, but Graham Shirville G3VZV is happy to provide some initial coordination!
OPS-SAT Evolving Software Technology for Spacecraft Operations http://tinyurl.com/nrlzsbg
[ANS thanks Southgate ARN for the above information]
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Dutch Amateur Radio Satellite User Meeting September 28th 2013
On September 28th, 2013 there will be an amateur radio meeting (in Dutch: "Interessedag Amateursatellieten") held for everyone who is interested in amateur radio satellites. It will be held in Paasloo, in the Northern part of The Netherlands. We are very pleased to join this day with the annual VHF day held by the Dutch amateur radio society VERON.
There will be a series of presentations concerning amateur radio satellites. Amongst others, the following topics will be included: a portable radio setup, the support radio amateurs provide give to the scientific community, beginners sessions, and last but not least, the latest news about two new satellites to be launched soon: the FUNcube- 1 and the Delfi-N3xT satellites (by their project representatives)! Besides these presentations, it is of course a great opportunity to meet other amateurs who are interested in satellites, and make plans for future meetings!
While the main language will be Dutch (including the presentations), non-Dutch guests are of course welcome to join as well. If you need assistance with signing up, do not hesitate to ask either PA1IVO or PA3GUO (both callsign AT amsat.org) for help.
The latest information about this event can be found on this webpage: http://ivok.home.xs4all.nl/other/SatDay2013.html (Dutch language with a summary in English)
Ivo Klinkert, PA1IVO and Henk Hamoen, PA3GUO Dutch Amateur Radio Satellite User Meeting 2013
[ANS thanks Henk PA3GUO for the above information]
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ARISS News
Successful ARISS Contacts
+ A Successful contact was made between Ruder Boskovic Technical School, Zagreb, Croatia and Astronaut Luca Parmitano, KF5KDP using callsign OR4ISS. The contact began 17:31 UTC 2013-06-26 and lasted about nine and a half minutes. Contact was direct via 9A1A.
Ruder Boskovic Technical School in Zagreb is a secondary school with more than a sixty year tradition. Even since it was founded in 1948, it has been one of the highest rated schools in northwestern part of Croatia,on the present county of Grad Zagreb. It was named in honour to famous Croatian 18th century mathematician, astronomer, physicist, philosopher and theologian Ruder Boskovic who was born in Dubrovnik. There are 44 classes divided in 4 grades and 4 school educational programs : IT technician, electronics technician, mechatronics technician and optician. There are approximately 1.100 students aged 15 to 19, and more then 110 professors.
+ A Successful contact was made between Scuola Secondaria 1° grado "Arturo Toscanini", Capiago Intimiano, Italy and Astronaut Luca Parmitano, KF5KDP using callsign IRØISS. The contact began 11:50:23 UTC 2013-06-29 and lasted about nine and a half minutes. Contact was both dirct and telebridged because of the mountainous terrain around with the contact, starting with IK1SLD, then proceeding to IZ2WLC and finished back with IK1SLD. This school contact was in made in conjunction with the one from Scuola Media Massimiliano Kolbe.
Scuola Secondaria 1° grado "Arturo Toscanini", Capiago Intimiano, Italy The school is located in Capiago Intimiano, a small town in the north part of Italy, 7 km far from Como. Como and the surrounding area can be clearly seen from space due to the unique shape of Lario lake (like a Y upside down). It takes the name from "Arturo Toscanini", a famous musician and conductor lived across the end of 19th century and early 20th. There are 10 classes and the students are from 11 years old to 14.
+ A Successful contact was made between Scuola Media Massimiliano Kolbe, Vercurago, Lecco, Italy and Astronaut Luca Parmitano, KF5KDP using callsign OR4ISS. The contact began 11:50:23 UTC 2013-06-29 and lasted about nine and a half minutes. Contact was both dirct and telebridged because of the mountainous terrain around with the contact, starting with IK1SLD, then proceeding to IZ2WLC and finished back with IK1SLD. This school contact was in made in conjunction with the one from Scuola Secondaria 1° grado "Arturo Toscanini"
Scuola Media Massimiliano Kolbe, Vercurago, Lecco, Italy is a Local secondary school with students aged from 10 to 14. It's located in a building, built in 1950 by the government, originally used as a sanatorium converted into school in late 1970. Vercurago is a small town not far from Lecco, built on the shores of Garlate's lake (as it comes out of Lario lake and become Adda river).
+ A Successful contact was made between Association Intercultura Onlus, Frascati, Italy, and Astronaut Luca Parmitano, KF5KDP using callsign NA1SS. The contact began 17:02:30 UTC 2013-07-06 and lasted about nine and a half minutes. Contact was telebridged via W6SRJ.
Intercultura is the Italian representative of AFS Intercultural Programs (New York), an international, no profit, voluntary based organization that provides intercultural learning opportunities and cultural exchange programs throughout more than 60 different countries in the world, involving every year 13,000 students and an equivalent number of families and schools. In Italy, Intercultura is a no profit organization (ONLUS) recognized by the Italian government, under the patronage of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The professional staff of Intercultura is made by 40 people who work in the headquarters of Colle Val d’Elsa (Siena) or in the PR offices based in Milan and Rome. The 4,000 affiliated volunteers are organized in 140 local chapters and offer they voluntary work to promote international school based exchange programs.
Upcoming ARISS Contacts
+ Scout Canada Jamboree, Sylvan Lake, Alberta, Canada, telebridge via VK5ZAI Contact is a go for: Mon 2013-07-08 16:31:11 UTC 36 deg
+ Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesu’, Rome, State of Vatican City, direct via HV2VO Contact is a go for: Wed 2013-07-10 12:36:28 UTC 66 deg
ARISS is requesting listener reports for the above contacts. Due to issues with the Kenwood radio that are not fully understood at present, the Ericsson radio is going to be used for these contacts. ARISS thanks everyone in advance for their assistance.
[ANS thanks Charlie, AJ9N for the above information]
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Satellite Shorts From All Over
+ 432 and Above EME Newsletter
The July issue of the free amateur radio 432 MHz and Above EME Newsletter is now available
The newsletter can be downloaded in Word or PDF formats from http://www.nitehawk.com/rasmit/em70cm.html
Previous newsletters are at http://www.nitehawk.com/rasmit/em70cm_arc.html
[ANS thanks Southgate ARN for the above information]
+ G4HYG RELEASES NEW APRS MESSENGER ANDROID APP
Chris Moulding, G4HYG, says that he has just released a new APRS app for Android phones and tablets. This so that radio amateurs can send APRS position beacons and messages from an Android equipped phone or tablet over a 3G or Wi-Fi link to the APRS-IS internet system. It can also link by Bluetooth to the new Bluetooth version of the APRS TNC Digi Tracker.
G4HYG notes that there is a small charge for the app to help pay for the development tool licensing fee. More information on the web at tinyurl.com/aprs-android-app. (G4HYG)
[ANS thanks Amateur Radio Newsline™ for the above information]
+ Google Project Loon Interference Concerns
It has been reported that concerns have been raised with Google about the interference their 2400 MHz and 5800 MHz Project Loon balloons could cause, see
[ANS thanks Trevor M5AKA and AMSAT-UK for the above information]
+ This Week in Space History
July 7 1998 First Satellite Launched from Submarine 2003 Mars Rover Opportunity Launched
June 8 1994 STS-65 Columbia Launched 2011 STS-135 Atlantis Launched - Final Shuttle Mission
June 9 1945 White Sands Missle Range opened 1979 Voyager 2 flies past Jupiter
June 10 1962 Telstar Launched allowing transatlantic TV Transmission 1992 Biotto spave craft flies past Comet Grigg-Skjellerup
June 11 1962 NASA picks lunar orbit rendezvous method for lunar landings 1979 Skylab Re-enters Atmosphere
June 12 2000 Zvezda Service Module Launched to ISS 2001 STS-104 Atlantis Launched
June 13 1995 STS 70 Discovery Launched
[ANS thanks The Planetary Society for the above information]
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/EX
In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership in the President's Club. Members of the President's Club, as sustaining donors to AMSAT Project Funds, will be eligible to receive addi- tional 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 stu- dent rate for a maximum of 6 post-secondary years in this status. Contact Martha at the AMSAT Office for additional student membership information.
73, This week's ANS Editor, EMike McCardel, KC8YLD kc8yld at amsat dot org