I too am very thankful for Tony and his efforts. Working with him was the beginning of the AMSAT/VT relationship when I was still a graduate student and my first exposure to AMSAT (outside of Bob N4HY). I remember that very very first side meeting with Bob and Tony at the AMSAT symposium (I think the 2013 Orlando one). Bob asked Tony...what kind of student payload do you want for the Foxes....Tony said how about a camera? Bob said 'you got it'....then turned to me and said...'your gonna build some cameras'....and I said 'OK' (I knew absolutely nothing about spaceflight hardware or cameras at the time).
...Fast forward to the very first piece of VT student built hardware launched to orbit....our camera on AO-92. There were at least twenty or so students alone involved in that effort, from concept to prototype to flight units to orbit to that first image downlinked.....I ran a victory lap up down the Hume Center halls whooping (I think I startled some folks)....and then taped up the image all over the building.
So in a very real way, Tony got VT to orbit.....I can't even begin to itemize what that effort has done for VT work in the area of smallsats/cubesats/etc. and the trickledown effect for the students. Space is hard, and a tough nut to crack.....Tony was instrumental in getting us on the path to success, he has a legacy at VT.
Very thankful to Tony, Bob, all the AMSAT Volunteers (too many names to list...hopefully you know who you are :-) ), and many others that helped us get there. Thanks for this note Mark, good memories and thoughts of Tony from Blacksburg! I have no official authority on this, but in my book....honorary Hokie!
73s
-Zach, KJ4QLP
--
Research Associate
Aerospace & Ocean Systems Lab
Ted & Karyn Hume Center for National Security & Technology
Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University
Work Phone: 540-231-4174
Cell Phone: 540-808-6305
-----Original Message-----
From: AMSAT-BB
amsat-bb-bounces@amsat.org On Behalf Of Mark L. Hammond via AMSAT-BB
Sent: Friday, August 14, 2020 2:43 PM
To: Amsat - BBs
amsat-bb@amsat.org
Subject: [amsat-bb] Thinking and thanking...Tony AA2TX
About a week ago, Facebook alerted me that it was Tony AA2TX Monteiro's birthday. I'll admit it caught me off guard, yet it was really fun thinking about the wonderful work he did for us, AMSAT, as the "father of
the Fox satellite family." He was such a neat and brilliant guy. So over
the past several days I have been thinking of him, and being thankful for him. It brought back memories of a HamRadioNow.TV interview from Dayton Hamvention in 2013, where Tony was VP for Engineering, and I was the first
VP for Educational Relations. This is before any of the Fox birds were
built and buttoned up for launch. If you're curious, and you never had
the chance to meet Tony (or even if you did!!) you might enjoy watching the video and hearing about the vision and planning; note that the interview
starts about 5 mins into the recording. It was touching for me,
personally.
https://www.amsat.org/hamradionow-amsat-fox-1-interview-now-online/
It took Jerry N0JY Buxton as the "new VP" and friends stepping up to
fulfill Tony's vision. So I'm thankful for all of you that did all of
this. Far too many to count. And the "bonus bird" Fox-1E wasn't even part of Tony's original vision...but I can't wait to have that one flown and operational "someday soon" as well!
If you work AO-91 or AO-92 this weekend, maybe you'll also be "thinking and thanking" Tony AA2TX, too!
73,
Mark L. Hammond [N8MH]
AMSAT Director and Command Station
_______________________________________________
Sent via AMSAT-BB@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-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program!
Subscription settings:
https://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
