AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-055

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.

Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to:

ans-editor@amsat.org

In this edition: * AMSAT Keplerian Data Approval * Current AMSAT Awards/AMSAT Journal * Call For European CubeSats on the Vega Maiden Flight * ARISS Status - 18 February 2008 * OSCAR-11 Report

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-055.01 AMSAT Keplerian Data Approval

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 055.01 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. February 24, 2008 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-055.01

I am pleased to announce that AMSAT's 2008-2009 request to re-distribute Keplerian elements from US Air Force Space Command (AFSPC) Space-Track web site has been approved. Our USSTRATCOM Form 1 request to re-distribute the Keps was approved as of February 21, 2008.

This means that AMSAT will continue to distribute the NASA verbose and the two line format keplerian data for another year. Thanks to AFSPC for their help.

[ANS thanks Ray Hoad for the above information]

/EX

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-055.02 Current AMSAT Awards/AMSAT Journal

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 055.02 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. February 24, 2008 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-055.02

We would like to welcome the following to the satellite community. They have made their first satellite contact and are now members of the AMSAT Satellite Communicators Club.

Keith Schlottman, KR7RK Kevin Hartley, VE7OVY Jim Sullivan, WB6TNF

To see all the awards visit http://www.amsat.org or http://www.amsatnet.com

Bruce Paige, KK5DO

AMSAT Director Contests and Awards

ARRL Awards Manager (WAS, 5BWAS, VUCC), VE

Also, The JAN/FEB Journal was sent to the printer on 2/22/08. Ed, WA4SWJ, does an excellent job of putting together this publication and we thank him for his continuing efforts.

[ANS thanks Bruce, KK5DO & Ed Long, WA4SWJ, for the above information]

/EX

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-055.03 Call For European CubeSats on the Vega Maiden Flight

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 055.03 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. February 24, 2008 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-055.03

Call For European CubeSats on the Vega Maiden Flight

The European Space Agency (ESA) Education Office has the pleasure in issuing a Call For CubeSat Proposals to universities in ESA Member and Cooperating States to participate as an educational payload on the Maiden Flight of the Vega Launcher.

The ESA Education Office recognises the growing importance of CubeSat projects as a key tool in providing university students with a valuable hands-on practical education across all space engineering disciplines from end-to-end through the complete space project lifecycle.

The launch opportunity on the Vega Maiden Flight is offered free of charge for up to 6 CubeSats, with an additional 2 backup CubeSats on stand-by.

Proposals are solicited from interested universities with CubeSat projects of sufficient maturity level to be able to meet the Vega Maiden Flight schedule (current target launch date of December 2008).

Proposals (max. 15 pages) must be submitted via e-mail to: education@esa.int in PDF or MS Word format by the deadline of 17 March 2008.

Proposals will be evaluated by the ESA Selection Board and the selected CubeSats will be announced on the ESA Education web portal by 15 April 2008.

Details can be found on-line at: http://www.esa.int/esaED/SEMSJ8QR4CF_index_0.html

[ANS thanks the European Space Agency for the above information]

/EX

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-055.04 OSCAR-11 Report

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 055.04 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. February 24, 2008 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-055.04

OSCAR-11 Copied But Signal Becomes Intermittent

OSCAR-11 was heard from 22 January to 01 February and from 11 February to 15 February. Signals have been very variable in strength sometimes very strong, sometimes undetectable, even at high elevations. Low signal strength was particularly noticeable at AOS and LOS, and also towards the end of the transmission periods. OSCAR-11 is expected to switch back on under control of its on-board timer around 07 March.

There should be a short period of transmissions before permanent eclipses start in mid March. After March it is unlikely that the satellite will support any sustained period of operation, and will only transmit for a short time, possibly less than a single orbit, every 21 days.

Many thanks to Peter ZL3TC, Chris M0DQO, Tobias DG3LV, Edward BX1AD, Mark KU7Z, Gene WA4UKX, SWL Mark in CM87, Ron G4PGY, Julian WB9YIG and John KB2HSH for their reports.

OSCAR-11 beacon frequency is on 145.826 MHz, AFSK FM ASCII Telemetry.

See http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/clivew/ for additional information.

[ANS thanks Clive, G3CWV for the above information]

/EX

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-055.05 ARISS Status - 18 February 2008

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 055.05 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. February 24, 2008 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-055.05

ARISS Status Report for the Week of February 18, 2008

1. Upcoming School Contacts

Robespierre Elementary School in Rueil Malmaison, France had an ARISS contact on Thursday, February 21 at 14:21 UTC. Two hundred fifty-six students in grades 1-5 are enrolled at the school. ESA astronaut Léopold Eyharts, FX0STD/KE5FNO, participated in this contact which will was conducted in French.

An ARISS contact is planned for College Reydellet in Saint-Denis, Ile de La Réunion on Monday, February 25 at 14:44 UTC. Approximately 550 students, ages 10-17, attend the school. Students contacted Victor Afanassiev on MIR from Tsup, Moscow in September 1999 and the College welcomed Victor Poliakov and Pavel Vinogradov who threw the space model from MIR, and Jean-Lou Chretien , Jean-Pierre and Claudie Haignere. ESA astronaut Léopold Eyharts, FX0STD/KE5FNO, plans to participate in this contact which will be conducted in French.

2. Shukor Debrief Scheduled

An ARISS crew debrief has been scheduled with Dr. Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor, 9W2MUS, on Tuesday, February 26. The first Malaysian space visitor, Shukor participated in 5 ARISS contacts with students in Malaysia while onboard the ISS.

3. ARRL Covers Columbus News

The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) posted a W1AW bulletin and a Web story on the Columbus module with the ARISS antennas. To view t he story, see: http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2008/02/14/101/?nc=1

On Friday, February 15, The ARRL Letter also posted the article, "Astronauts Work on Columbus Lab on the ISS." See: http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/08/0215/

4. Amateur Radio Newsline Articles on ARISS

Amateur Radio Newsline's Report 1592, posted on February 15, 2008 ran two ARISS related articles: "Ham Radio in Space: ISS Repeater Contacts Good for JAMSAT Award," and "Ham Radio in Space: New ARISS Antennas Now on the ISS." To view these articles, go to: www.arnewsline.org.

[ANS thanks Carol, KB3LKI, 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 additional benefits. Application forms are available from the AMSAT Office.

73, This week's ANS Editor, Dee Interdonato, NB2F nb2f at amsat dot org