AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-238.01
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 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: http://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/ans
In this edition:
* AMSAT 2018 Symposium Second Call for Papers * Reports Indicate ARISS Packet Module Operational Again * AMSAT Board of Director Elections Corrected Ballots Due September 15, 2018 * JAMSAT NEXUS CubeSat Scheduled to Launch * Upcoming Satellite Operations * ARISS News * Satellite Shorts From All Over
SB SUN @ AMSAT $ANS-238.01 ANS-238.01 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 238.01
From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD.
August 26, 2018 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-238.01
AMSAT 2018 Symposium Second Call for Papers
AMSAT has issued the second call for papers for the 2018 AMSAT-NA Annual Meeting and Space Symposium to be held at the US Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, AL on the weekend of November 2-4. Proposals for papers, symposium presentations, and poster presentations are invited on any topic of interest to the amateur satellite community. Prospects should send a tentative title of their presentation as soon as possible. The final copy must be submitted by October 15th for inclusion in the printed proceedings. Abstracts and papers should be sent to Dan Schultz at n8fgv at amsat.org
[ANS thanks Dan Schultz, N8FGV for the above information.]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Reports Indicate ARISS Packet Module Operational Again After engaging several sources, it appears ISS packet is currently working again at 145.825 MHz. No replacement gear has been delivered to the ISS yet, so we are still working with the current equipment. We may still experience off times until the current equipment is replaced. A replacement module is expected to fly to the International Space Station on a Progress 71 resupply mission in November.
ARISS will continue to update you as reports are received.
[ANS thanks Dave Jordan, AA4KN, ARISS for the above information.]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
AMSAT Board of Director Elections Corrected Ballots Due September 15, 2018
Corrected ballots were mailed and members should have received them. The new ballots, labeled "CORRECTED BALLOT 7/20/2018" are printed on yellow-colored cardstock.
Using the Yellow Ballots, please vote for no more than three of the 2018 candidates:
Tom Clark, K3IO Mark Hammond, N8MH Scott Harvey, KA7FVV Bruce Paige, KK5DO Peter Portanova, W2JV
Candidate biographies can be viewed at: https://www.amsat.org/bios2018/
The Directors positions will go to the three candidates receiving the highest number of votes. In addition, there will be two alternate members chosen, based on the next highest number of votes received.
Ballots must be received at the AMSAT office by September 15, 2018 in order to be counted. Those sent outside North America were sent via air mail. If you have not received your ballot package in a reasonable time for your location, please contact the AMSAT office. Completed ballots should be returned as promptly as possible, and those from outside North America preferably by air mail.
[ANS thanks AMSAT-NA for the above information.]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
JAMSAT NEXUS CubeSat Scheduled to Launch
The Japan AMSAT Association (JAMSAT) and students at the Nippon University are jointly developing a CubeSat called NEXUS which will have a 145 to 435 MHz (Mode-J) transponder and a 38 kbps data downlink.
Nippon University students have previously developed the SEEDS and SPROUT satellites. NEXUS is an achronym of “Next Education X (cross) Unique Satellite”, it will be 1U CubeSat with a mass of between 1 and 1.5 kg.
The NEXUS team hope to: + Provide amateur radio communications via the 145/435 MHz transponder and SSTV + Download pictures from the 640×480 pixel camera + Operate the data downlink at 38400 bps QPSK + Compare the performance of the data downlink when using AFSK, GMSK and QPSK modes
A launch opportunity has been identified by the end of this year or early next year by Epsilon rocket.
NEXUS website in Google English http://tinyurl.com/NEXUS-Satellite
NEXUS Blog http://tinyurl.com/NEXUS-Sat-Blog
JAMSAT in Google English http://tinyurl.com/JAMSAT
[ANS thanks JAMSAT and AMSAT-UK for the above information.]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Upcoming Satellite Operations as of 8/24/2018
+ Svalbard (JQ78tf) – August 20-23 and 27-30, 2018
Raffaello, OH8FKS, will be operating from Svalbard August 20-23 and 27-30, using the callsign JW/OH8FKS/P. He will be active in the evening starting from approximately 1900z on FM and SSB satellites. Raffaello is operating 1/2 duplex, using an FT-817 and Arrow II. Look for him on M satellites AO-91/AO-92/AO-85/SO-50 and SSB FO-29/AO-7/XW-n. On SSB satellites, Raffaello will be operating on a fixed uplink frequency 10 KHz above center. QSL information available on QRZ. Geneva Switzerland – August 20-29, 2018
+ Brennan, N4QX, will be visiting Geneva Switzerland August 19-29, operating under the call HB9/N4QX. This will be a holiday style, FM only trip. Specific pass and grid activations will be posted on his Twitter page, publicly viewable at https://twitter.com/BrennanTPrice
+ North Edwards, CA (DM15) – August 25-31, 2018
David, AD7DB, will be in DM15 Saturday, August 25th. This will be an FM only activation. Planned passes are : AO85 1758z; AO92 1835z; AO91 1923z; AO85 1939z. Contacts will be logged to LOTW, or card QSL with your’s and SASE. Keep an eye on David’s Twitter page for updates, publicly viewable at https://twitter.com/ad7db
+ Lawrence, KS (EM28, EM29) – August 26-28, 2018
Greg, N4KGL, will be in activating the EM28/EM29 gridline, while in Lawrence Kansas. More specific plans are forthcoming.
+ Kansas QSO Party (DM97) – August 26
Ron will be participating in the Kansas QSO Party from DM97. Updates will be posted on Twitter, publicly viewable at https://twitter.com/ad0dx
+ Eastern Sierra (DM07, DM08) – August 27, August 31, and September 1, 2018
I will be in the Eastern Sierra next week working from DM-07. I plan to work AO-85, AO-91 & AO-92 passes on 8/27 at 11:55 10:59 & 13:12 PDT respectively. I also plan to work the same satellites from the DM-07/08 line on 8/31 at 10:39, 13:25 and 10:50 respectively. Then again on Saturday 9/1 from the same location for the late morning/afternoon passes. However, if the fish are biting, I will most likely be holding my fishing pole instead of my antenna pole! Hope to catch some of you on the birds. -73, Bob, N6REK
+ DM56, DM57, DM58, DM59 – September 1-3, 2018
Ron, AD0DX, is heading out again. This time, he will be operating in DM56, DM57, DM58, and DM59. Updates will be posted on Twitter, publicly viewable at https://twitter.com/ad0dx
Please submit any additions or corrections to ke4al (at) yahoo.com Updated August 24, 2018
[ANS thanks Robert, KE4AL for the above information.]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
ARISS News
+ Shri Timli Vidyapeet, Devikhet, India, telebridge via ON4ISS The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS The scheduled astronaut is Ricky Arnold KE5DAU Contact is a go for: Mon 2018-08-27 08:06:33 UTC 88 deg via ON4ISS
+ Kopernik Observatory & Science Center, Vestal, NY, direct via K2ZRO The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled astronaut is Serena Aunon-Chancellor KG5TMT Contact is a go for: Tue 2018-08-28 16:41:36 UTC 88 deg
+ Integrierte Gesamtschule Osterholz-Scharmbeck, Osterholz – Scharmbeck, Germany and Gymnasium Soltau, Soltau, Germany, direct via DN3HB and DN5ABG The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be DPØISS The scheduled astronaut is Alexander Gerst KF5ONO Contact is a go for: Sat 2018-09-01 08:36:33 UTC 32 deg
[ANS thanks Charles Sufana, AJ9N for the above information.]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Satellite Shorts From All Over
+ There will be an AMSAT village at EMFcamp. The Electromagnetic Field event takes place at Eastnor Castle Deer Park, Herefordshire Aug 31-Sept 2. Electromagnetic Field (EMF) is a non-profit UK camping festival for those with an inquisitive mind or an interest in making things: hackers, geeks, scientists, engineers, artists, and crafters.
[ANS thanks AMSAT-UK for the above information.]
+ The FCC has issued call sign WJ2XLT to LeoLabs for satellite and space debris tracking from Menlo Park CA at 2.9-3 GHz with a transmission power of 2,500,000 W. The licensee requested that details be withheld from the public for 10 years.
[ANS thanks Experimental Radio Service for the above information.]
+ Chinese state missile maker CASIC and its commercial space subsidiary Expace is preparing to launch its Kuaizhou-1A (Y8) solid rocket before the end of September, carrying the Centispace-1-1S test satellite into 700 km SSO.
This mission will be additional to the approximately 35 being planned by main space contractor CASC for 2018.This means that together with CASC, emerging players like Expace, Landspace and potentially OneSpace, there could be around 40 Chinese launches in 2018.
[ANS thanks AMSAT-UK and Andrew Jones for the above information.]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
/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 and Remember to help keep Amateur Radio in space, For EMike, AA8EM This week's Contributing ANS Editor, Joe Spier, K6WAO k6wao at amsat dot org