*AMSAT *News Service*ANS-063* *March 3, 2024*
In this edition:
- ARISS 40th Anniversary Celebration Held at Kennedy Space Center - AMSAT-Francophone Hosts 7th Amateur Radio Space Meeting (RSR) March 16th and 17th - VUCC & DXCC Satellite Standing as of March 1, 2024 - Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for March 1, 2024 - ARISS News - Upcoming Satellite Operations - Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events - Satellite Shorts From All Over
The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and information service of AMSAT, 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 https://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
You can sign up for free e-mail delivery of the AMSAT News Service Bulletins via the ANS List; to join this list see: https://mailman.amsat.org/postorius/lists/ans.amsat.org/ ------------------------------ ARISS 40th Anniversary Celebration Held at Kennedy Space Center
ARISS held their 40th Anniversary Celebration of the Positive Impact of Amateur Radio on Human Spaceflight at Kennedy Space Center on February 22-24.
Highlights of the event included a surprise live telebridge contact with the ISS via K6DUE where students present at the conference were able to ask questions of Astronauts Loral O'Hara and Jasmin Moghbeli aboard the ISS.
It was also announced that the repaired HamTV module will launch on the SpaceX-30 resupply mission, scheduled for launch on March 12th. HamTV sends a 2.3 GHz amateur television video signal from the ISS to support student contacts and other projects.
Discussions were held regarding the Amateur Radio Exploration (AREx) initiative with plans for amateur radio aboard Lunar Gateway. Teams are currently working with spectrum planners for frequencies between 2.4 and 10.5 GHz and the CAVIAR prototype on-station radio was demonstrated.
Lou McFadin, W5DID, received a special achievement award. Lou has been active in amateur radio in human spaceflight since STS-9.
The keynote speaker for the weekend was Richard Garriott, W5KWQ. His conference keynote was a retrospective of his father's amateur radio efforts entitled "Owen Garriott, W5LFL, Ham Radio Pioneer" and he also delieved a banquet keynote entitled "Exploration Endeavors in Space: Experiences and Leadership as a Private Astronaut and in Space Communication in LEO, to the Moon and Beyond."
Stay tuned to ANS for further reports from this event.
*[ANS thanks ARISS for the above information]* ------------------------------ AMSAT-Francophone Hosts 7th Amateur Radio Space Meeting (RSR) March 16th and 17th The *AMSAT-Francophone* is organizing the* seventh Amateur Radio Space Meeting (RSR)* on *March 16 and 17, 2024* in Nanterre. This event, held within the framework of its general assembly, aims to bring together both amateur radio satellite users and the designers of these satellites (whether they are amateurs, students, or academics). The goal is to share and exchange ideas about their passion and projects.
Here are the formats of activities that will be offered during these two days:
- Conferences: These will last between 20 to 30 minutes. - Working sessions on predefined topics. - Unconference, where you get to define the topic.
Admission to the conferences is free, and on-site catering will be available for your convenience.
In addition, here are some additional details:
- More than 20 conferences will be part of the program. - Participatory moments will take place (in a Grid format). - Over 17 speakers will share their knowledge and experiences. - The conferences will be broadcast on QO100 and Twitch - All conference are in French
For more information, you can visit the AMSAT-Francophone website (AMSAT Francophone | L'activité radioamateur par satellite (amsat-f.org) https://site.amsat-f.org/)
*[ANS thanks AMSAT-Francophone for the above information]* ------------------------------
*The 2024 Coins Are Here Now!Help Support GOLF and Fox Plus.**Join https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/ the AMSAT President’s Club today!*
------------------------------ VUCC & DXCC Satellite Standing as of March 1, 2024VUCC Satellite Award/Endorsement Change Summary February 01, 2024 to March 01, 2024 *Call* *1-Feb* *1-Mar* WC7V 1457 1550 AA5PK 1426 1450 N8RO 1423 1444 DF2ET 1200 1300 MI6GTY 970 1201 N0JE 1100 1175 KF7R 1100 1128 F4BKV 1000 1100 VE6WQ 814 1007 YO2CMI 820 1003 WI7P 882 975 N8JCM 917 952 JK2XXK 503 903 EA2AA 883 892 KQ4DO 853 880 KK4YEL 674 728 N8MR 675 684 JG6CDH 605 677 VE7PTN 301 635 IK3ITB 500 604 LA6OP 458 600 N7ZO 501 600 N3CAL 525 580 DL6KBG 500 550 VE4MM 536 550 WB7QXU 500 550 HP2VX 496 500 I3BUI New 500 JA1GZK 435 500 F6EQD 311 420 PA7RA 300 408 ZS2BK 305 405 KH6WI 300 400 N6PAZ 369 386 JI5USJ 301 355 LA9KY New 347 K6VHF 276 300 K7OGW New 300 DL5KUA 128 266 KB9DAK 171 255 JF3MKC 200 250 BX1AD New 237 KB2MFS New 215 PU5DDC 200 213 N2WLS 104 205 W6CZ 103 200 WD9EWK (DM42) 183 189 7J1ADJ New 164 KJ7SXR New 151 N4UFO New 150 BD8CBU New 132 KA9CFD New 126 HB9BIN New 119 BI1QGX New 102 N2YZH New 101 AA0K New 100 AG1A New 100 LZ3SV New 100 VK5DG New 100
Congratulations to the new VUCC holders!
LZ3SV is first VUCC Satellite holder from Bulgaria and KN21 BX1AD is first VUCC Satellite holder from Taiwan and PL04 KJ7SXR is first VUCC Satellite holder from CN86 HB9BIN is first VUCC Satellite holder from JN37 LA9KY is first VUCC Satellite holder from JP65 BI1QGX is first VUCC Satellite holder from ON80 7J1ADJ is first VUCC Satellite holder from PL36 VK5DG is first VUCC Satellite holder from QF02 DXCC Satellite Award/Endorsement Change Summary February 01, 2024 to March 01, 2024 *Call* *1-Feb* *1-Mar* OE9DGV 210 212 SM3NRY 171 174 G4WFQ 143 173 RA3S 101 161 YO2KHK 151 156 OZ9AAR 151 153 DK9JC 100 152 ZS4TX 128 152 UX0FF 135 147 YO2RR 138 142 F6AOJ 129 139 SP3AU 137 138 PA7RA 113 133 IK5CBE New 131 IW7DOL 122 127 K8DP 122 125 XE1MEX 115 122 FG8OJ 114 116 LA0FA 109 112 UW7LL New 107 NS3L 100 104 EA5RM 101 103 DL5KUA New 101 AC9O New 100
Congratulations to the new DXCC Satellite holders!
IK5CBE is first DXCC Satellite holder from JN53 DL5KUA is first DXCC Satellite holder from JO53
*[ANS thanks Jon Goering, N7AZ, for the above information]* ------------------------------ Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for March 1, 2024
Two Line Elements or TLEs, often referred to as Keplerian elements or keps in the amateur community, are the inputs to the SGP4 standard mathematical model of spacecraft orbits used by most amateur tracking programs. Weekly updates are completely adequate for most amateur satellites. TLE bulletin files are updated Thursday evenings around 2300 UTC, or more frequently if new high interest satellites are launched. More information may be found at https://www.amsat.org/keplerian-elements-resources/
The following satellite has been removed from this week's AMSAT-NA TLE distribution:
IT-SPINS NORAD Cat ID 49017 Decayed from orbit on or about 25 February 2024
*[ANS thanks Joe Fitzgerald, KM1P, AMSAT Orbital Elements Manager, for the above information]* ------------------------------
*Need new satellite antennas? Purchase an M2 LEO-Pack from the **AMSAT Store! https://amsat.org/product-category/hardware/**When you purchase through **AMSAT, a portion of the proceeds goes towards **Keeping Amateur Radio in Space.*
------------------------------ ARISS News
Amateurs and others around the world may listen in on contacts between amateurs operating in schools and allowing students to interact with astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station. The downlink frequency on which to listen is 145.800 MHz worldwide.
*“IES Pedro Simón” Abril High School, Alcaraz, Spain, telebridge via K6DUE*
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled crewmember is Loral O’Hara KI5TOM The ARISS mentor is IKØUSO
Contact is go for: Mon 2024-03-04 11:21:02 UTC 70 deg Watch for Livestream at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Xgk4YZT5w4
As always, if there is an EVA, a docking, or an undocking; the ARISS radios are turned off as part of the safety protocol.
The crossband repeater continues to be active (145.990 MHz up {PL 67} & 437.800 MHz down), If any crewmember is so inclined, all they have to do is pick up the microphone, raise the volume up, and talk on the crossband repeater. So give a listen, you just never know.
Note, all times are approximate. It is recommended that you do your own orbital prediction or start listening about 10 minutes before the listed time.
The latest information on the operation mode can be found at https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html
The latest list of frequencies in use can be found at https://www.ariss.org/contact-the-iss.html
*[ANS thanks Charlie Sufana, AJ9N, one of the ARISS operation team mentors for the above information]* ------------------------------ Upcoming Satellite OperationsQuick Hits:
From…me! (K5ZM) I’ll be heading back to SGU for some sorely needed R & R and will be there from *Saturday, 2 Mar* through *Saturday, 9 Mar* and leaving on the morning of the 10th. Rove-wise, the main objectives are reactivations of the *DM46/DM47 & DM56/DM57 gridlines*, plus a trip just a bit farther south for the *DM44/DM45 gridline* -that will be new /r for me. Given the windshield time involved, I’m thinking these will take the form of a Mon/Wed/Fri scenario, but that’s not set in stone. I don’t necessarily care about the order in which I do them. Let me know your thoughts. I’ll probably hit DM36 (and of course DM37) and maybe another grid or two in between. Major Roves:
*NOIRMOUTIER ISLAND SAT DXPEDITION 2024*
*F4DXV* Jérôme (@F4DXV https://twitter.com/f4dxv) and *EA4NF* Philippe ( @EA4NF_SAT https://twitter.com/ea4nf_sat) announce that they will be actívating Noirmoutier island EU-064 IN86 from April 1 to 4, 2024 with the special callsign *TM4J* In an exciting initiative, Jérôme F4DXV and Philippe EA4NF are preparing for an exceptional expedition to the island of Noirmoutier from 1 to 4 April 2024. Bearing the special call sign TM4J, this experienced team will devote themselves entirely to exploring satellite possibilities, offering a unique opportunity to radio enthusiasts the world over.
This international expedition will focus entirely on the LEO, GEO (QO-100) and MEO (GREENCUBE IO-117) satellites, with a variety of modes and operators. Jérôme and Philippe, experts in the field of portable satellite communications, will provide 24-hour coverage over several days, offering an unrivalled experience from this picturesque island in the Vendée.
This International DXpedition is the 1st 100% SAT from this French island. Jérôme F4DXV:
120 DXCC LEO SAT 6 international DX expeditions by satellite 24 world distance records on LEO SAT
Philippe EA4NF:
126 DXCC LEO SAT 16 international DX expeditions by satellite 1 world distance record on LEO SAT
Captivating videos of their performances are available on YouTube, offering a glimpse of their expertise in amateur satellite communications in portable situations.
The main objective of this expedition is to maximise contacts with various countries during the 3-day activation, while offering operators around the world the rare opportunity to contact the highly coveted IN86 grid, in addition to accumulating DXCC and IOTA contacts.
Funded entirely by the two operators, the expedition will benefit from state-of-the-art technical resources, enabling uninterrupted activity 24 hours a day.
This initiative also aims to raise awareness of amateur radio among the general public, by highlighting satellite communication both to visitors on site and through the media.
Jérôme and Philippe will be happy to answer any questions you may have about amateur radio communication via satellite.
Some picture are available on : Expédition Satellite sur l’Île de Noirmoutier en 2024 | AMSAT Francophone (amsat-f.org) https://site.amsat-f.org/2024/02/29/expedition-satellite-sur-lile-de-noirmoutier-en-2024/
*Updates available on @TM4J_SAT https://twitter.com/tm4j_sat*
*[ANS thanks Ian Parsons, K5ZM, AMSAT Rover Page Manager, for the above information]* ------------------------------ * Want to fly the colors on your own grid expedition?* Get an AMSAT car flag and other neat stuff from our Zazzle store https://www.zazzle.com/store/amsat_gear! 25% of the purchase price of each product goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space
------------------------------ Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events
AMSAT Ambassadors provide presentations, demonstrate communicating through amateur satellites, and host information tables at club meetings, hamfests, conventions, maker faires, and other events.
AMSAT Ambassador Clint Bradford, K6LCS, says,
"Think a 75-minute presentation on "working the easy satellites" would be appropriate for your club or event? Let me know by emailing me at k6lcsclint (at) gmail (dot) com or calling me at 909-999-SATS (7287)!"
Clint has NEVER given the exact same show twice: EACH of the 150+ presentations so far has been customized/tailored to their audiences. Scheduled Events
*2024 CubeSat Developer’s Workshop* April 23-25, 2024 San Luis Obispo, CA https://www.cubesatdw.org/
*Dayton Hamvention 2024* Friday May 17th through Sunday May 19th, 2024 Greene County Fairgrounds and Expo Center 120 Fairground Road Xenia, OH 45385 https://hamvention.org
*[ANS thanks Clint Bradford, K6LCS, and AMSAT for the above information]* ------------------------------ Satellite Shorts from All Over
+ Longtime satellite operator and AMSAT member George Carr, WA5KBH, became a silent key on Sunday, February 25, 2024. His obituary can be found at https://www.johnsonfuneralhome.net/obits/deacon-george-k-carr-ii/. George was a frequent and friendly presence on amateur satellites for many years. AMSAT extends our condolences to George's family and friends.
+ Bob Heil, K9EID, became a silent key this past week after a battle with cancer. From the Heil Facebook page:
* "Our beloved founder, Dr. Bob Heil, K9EID, is now a Silent Key. Bob fought a valiant, year-long battle with cancer, and passed peacefully surrounded by his family. Bob’s lifelong passion for amateur radio was clear to everyone involved in the hobby. Everything Bob did for the betterment and growth of amateur radio - from his instructional handbooks and countless presentations to his support of the ARRL and youth programs - was based on the foundation and spirit of service. Bob was an Elmer to all of us. While Bob’s presence will dearly be missed, his impact on the hobby and everyone in it will forever be felt. On behalf of Bob to all ham radio operators worldwide, 73."*
Dr. Heil was a longtime friend of AMSAT and we extend our condolences to his family and friends.
(ANS thanks Heil for the above information.)
+ After spending over a decade on a mission in space, a defunct 5,000 pound satellite returned to Earth on Feb. 21, splashing down in the Pacific Ocean somewhere between Alaska and Hawaii. After tracking the dead satellite for most of the day, the European Space Agency confirmed the satellite had returned to earth by about 19:30 UTC. ERS-2 launched in 1995 and was initially planned to serve the ESA for three years. However, it remained in operation until 2011, providing data for over 5,000 projects, including tracking Earth's shrinking polar ice, sea levels and atmospheric make-up. The majority of the 2.5 ton satellite disintegrated in Earth's atmosphere, though remaining debris likely landed in the north Pacific. (ANS thanks USA Today for the above information.)
+ The International Space Station (ISS) took more than a quarter-century, 42 space launches, and $150 billion to build. Voyager Space is cooperating with multiple companies and space agencies, including Europe's Airbus, American defense contractor Northrop Grumman, and -- intriguingly -- Hilton Hotels, to build a "Starlab" commercial space station to replace the aging ISS. On Jan. 31, the Starlab space station team announced that it had hired SpaceX to launch its entire Starlab space station to Low Earth Orbit "in a single mission prior to the decommissioning of the International Space Station." SpaceX will use its new Starship megarocket for this mission. Furthermore, "Starlab will ... be fully outfitted on the ground, and ready to permanently host four crew members in LEO to conduct microgravity research and advanced scientific discovery," say the companies. (ANS thanks Yahoo! Finance and the Motley Fool for the above information.)
+ India has unveiled four Air Force pilots who have been shortlisted to travel on the country's maiden space flight scheduled for next year. The Gaganyaan mission aims to send three astronauts to an orbit of 400km and bring them back after three days. India's space agency, ISRO, has been carrying out a number of tests to prepare for the flight. The officers were introduced as Group Captain Prashanth Balakrishnan Nair, Group Captain Ajit Krishnan, Group Captain Angad Pratap and Wing Commander Shubhanshu Shukla. If it succeeds, India will become only the fourth country to send a human into space after the Soviet Union, the U.S. and China. (ANS thanks the BBC for the above information.)
+ SLIM, the wrong-side-up Japanese lander, which had been hibernating through the two-week-long, -130 °C lunar night and the following week of unfavorable illumination angles (due to its aforementioned tipsy state), has somewhat surprisingly responded to commands from JAXA. The mission was not originally designed to survive the frigid night time temperatures. However, in a bit of situational irony, the agency had to shut the lander down again almost immediately due to overheating of the communications equipment in the 100 °C+ lunar mid-day. (ANS thanks the Orbital Index for the above information.) ------------------------------
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*73 and remember to help Keep Amateur Radio in Space!*
*This week's ANS Editor,*
*Paul Stoetzer, N8HM* *n8hm [at] amsat.org http://amsat.org*
*ANS is a service of AMSAT, the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation, 712 H Street NE, Suite 1653, Washington, DC 20002*