AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-316
ANS is a free, weekly, news and information service of AMSAT North America, The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS 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.
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In this edition: * Satellite/VHF DX Events * FITSAT-1 5.84 GHZ Downlink Received in USA * Japan Schedules Launch of New Low Cost Epsilon Rocket * FUNcube-1 CubeSat time-lapse video * ARISS Status - 5 November 2012
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-316.01 ANS-316 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 316.01 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. November 11, 2012 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-316.01
Satellite/VHF DX Events
* Yuri, UT1FG/MM, reports having a very rare (Grid FK69ow -> GG24PL) 5217km 144.300 MHz contact with Alberto, ZP9SC, on November 2nd, at 2359z . Yuri monitors 50.110 and 144.300 MHz and is currently in the Atlantic (GL05) headed for the English Channel. When not on 6 and 2 meters, he is working the FM and SSB satellites with his Elk and "CJU" antennas, and an IC706 from rare wet grids.
* Larry, VY0HL, in FP53 is back on the satellites. He favors VO-52 and is in the rare Canadian Territory of Nunavut.
* Daniel, AL7RS, in AP65 and in Teller, Alaska (on the Bearing Sea), likes CW on FO-29. E-mail him for a schedule.
[ANS thanks the Ohio/Penn DX Bulletin for the above information]
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FITSAT-1 5.84 GHZ Downlink Received in USA
The FITSAT-1 CubeSat, developed by students at the Fukuoka Institute of Technology (FIT) in Japan has a CW beacon on 437.250 MHz and a data link on 437.445 MHz. There is also a 5.8 GHz data downlink and an optical LED experiment that will flash Morse code planned to be visible with the unaided eye.
FITSAT-1, also named NIWAKA was one of five cubesats launched on July 21 and loaded aboard the ISS. These were integrated with the J-SSOD small satellite deployer on the the Japanese Experiment Mod- ule, also known as Kibo. They were deployed with the Kibo robotic arm on October 4.
Shortly after deployment into orbit FITSAT-1 was heard with strong signals on its 437 MHz downlinks. FITSAT CW transmits, "HI DE NIWAKA JAPAN" with its telemetry data.
Mike Sequin, N1JEZ in Vermont reported success in copying the 5.8 GHz downlink from NIWAKA. Mike wrote, "Success! I was able to detect NI- WAKA. It was lower in frequency that I expected, but with the Funcube [Dongle], it was easy to spot. The Doppler was huge! and I was moving the dish almost continuous to try and keep up. The 5.84 GHz transmit- ter seemed to come on very close to the set time. First detection was at 12:24:21 UTC."
Mike posted two screen shots. In the first shot, you can see the sig- nal on the left side Doppler shifting down. In the second, a close up of one data burst with Doppler - about 3 seconds or so:
+ http://tinyurl.com/N1JEZ-Screen1 + http://tinyurl.com/N1JEZ-Screen2
Mike's station used a 5.760 DEMI Transverter with a 144 MHz IF. That Is why the HDSDR screen for the FUNcube Dongle is tuned to 224 MHz. His antenna is a 2 foot dish is with a Directive Systems 5.76 G feed.
You can receive a FITSAT-1 QSL card by sending your signal report and your postal address to: fitsat1 at hotmail.co.jp and also cc: to tanaka at fit.ac.jp. A photo of the QSL card is shown at: http://www.fit.ac.jp/~tanaka/fitsat.shtml (This web page will also be updated with information about the status of the LED experiment."
HB9FFH has made a telemetry decoder for FITSAT-1, available at: http://carpcomm.com/satellite/fitsat1
FITSAT students have also developed a similar program for windows: http://turing.cs.fit.ac.jp/~fitsat/CWFM/FITSAT_CW_Analyzer1.zip
Here is a reminder of the FITSAT-1/NIWAKA frequencies: CW Beacon 437.250 MHz, FM Data 437.445 MHz, High speed data 5840.00 MHz
[ANS thanks Mike Seguin, N1JEZ and Takushi Tanaka, JA6AVG for the above information]
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Japan Schedules Launch of New Low Cost Epsilon Rocket
Japan is scheduled to launch its first Epsilon solid-fueled rocket next year, deploying a planetary telescope in orbit while demonstrating new low-cost rocket assembly and control techniques, the Japanese space agency announced last week.
The Epsilon program is designed to cut in half the cost of Japanese small satellite launches. Japan's M-5 rocket, which launched seven times before retiring in 2006, cost $94 million per flight. Engineers designed the Epsilon rocket with a simplified control system, and the vehicle's own computers will autonomously monitor the status of its systems during a countdown. Only a handful of engineers with laptop computers are required on the launch control team, according to JAXA. The Epsilon is also designed to launch after only seven days of assembly on the launch pad, reducing labor and overhead costs.
The Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper reported last week the first launch of an Epsilon rocket is scheduled for August or September of 2013.
[ANS thanks SpaceFlightNow.com for the above information]
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FUNcube-1 CubeSat time-lapse video
A time-lapse video made in the ISIS clean-room showing the integration of the AMSAT-UK amateur radio satellite FUNcube-1 has been released
FUNcube-1 is aiming to launch on a DNEPR rocket from Yasny with 17 other satellites carrying amateur radio payloads in the first half of 2013.
FUNcube is a complete educational single CubeSat project with the goal of enthusing and educating young people about radio, space, physics and electronics. The target audience consists of primary and secondary school pupils and the satellite will feature a 145 MHz telemetry beacon that will provide a strong signal for the pupils to receive.
FUNcube-1 also carries a 435 to 145 MHz linear transponder for SSB/CW communications.
It is being designed and built by AMSAT-UK and AMSAT-NL in collaboration with ISIS Innovative Solutions in Space BV.
Watch FUNcube flight integration time-lapse (full) http://www.youtube.com/embed/sEMoLOcGOOw?rel=0
Other FUNcube-1 videos can be seen at http://www.uk.amsat.org/?p=11333
[ANS thanks South Gate ARC for the above information]
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ARISS Status - 5 November 2012
1. Successful ARISS Contacts Held
On Tuesday, October 30, South Florida Science Museum (SFSM) in West Palm Beach, Florida welcomed county students to participate in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact with Akihiko Hoshide, KE5DNI aboard the ISS. The West Palm Beach Amateur Radio Club, WPBARC, which maintains a ham station within the museum, collaborated with area teachers to provide educational content to students emphasizing NASA, the ISS and amateur radio. The club facilitated the radio connection with the ISS. During the contact, approximately 90 students were present at the radio station site and another 200 were in an adjacent room watching by CCTV. VIPs in attendance included Scott Carpenter - one of the original seven astronauts. The contact was seen by 125,000-187,000 students. The event was broadcast over the air on the Educational Networks channel 23, the PBS station's channel 42.4 (digital), and on 2 local Comcast Cable channels, bringing the estimated live audience to about 250,000 viewers. Others watched the live stream on the internet. Video is available for viewing: https://vodcast.palmbeachschools.org/player/812RZ
An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact was held between students from Southern Tier Catholic and Archbishop Walsh Academy in Olean, New York and astronaut Suni Williams, KD5PLB on the Space Station on Tuesday, October 30 using telebridge station IK1SLD in Italy. An audience of over 100 gathered for the event at the Dresser-Rand Challenger Learning Center at St. Bonaventure University located in Allegany, New York, and listened as Williams answered 19 questions during the 11minute pass over northern Italy. The contact was part of a comprehensive education plan covering Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). The Olean Times Herald covered the event. See: http://www.oleantimesherald.com/news/article_378e5d5e-235e-11e2-9531- 0019bb2963f4.html
Students from Cumberland Elementary School in West Lafayette, Indiana participated in a Q&A session with Kevin Ford, KF5GPP via an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Tuesday, October 30. Over 600 students, parents and teachers listened in as the youths asked their questions. The contact was integrated into a curriculum covering topics on space research, robotics and engineering. WLFI TV 18 and Lafayette Journal Courier provided media coverage. See: http://www.wlfi.com/dpp/news/local/cumberland-elementary-calling-the- international-space-station and http://www.jconline.com/article/20121030/NEWS0401/310300030/West-Lafayette- school-to-space-station-Do-you-copy-?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE
An ARISS contact was held between Primarschule Aesch students in Forch, Switzerland and on-orbit astronaut Sunita Williams, KD5PLB on Friday, November 2. The children had 21 questions answered before the ISS went over the horizon. Around 40 people attended the event which received extensive media coverage including 3 newspapers, one country-wide radio station and one television station. The contact complemented a science curriculum covering astronomy and spaceflight.
2. Public Relations Award Received for ARISS Contact
The ARISS contact held with Flabob Airport Preparatory Academy on April 19, 2012 earned Karen and Clint Bradford an award for an annual competition held by the Public Relations Society of America. For the full story, see: http://ariss.rac.ca/oindex. htm#Special_event_with_astronaut_wins_public_relations_award
[ANS thanks Carol, KB3LKI, for the above information]
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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, Lee McLamb, KU4OS ku4os at amsat dot org