PSAT2 preps for delivery (maybe June launch)
As of tonight, PSAT2 finally has some photos as it prepares for final testing in our long arduous 3 year campaign.
The Status is that the FCC still has not processed our 2 y ear pending API notice as an Amateur Satellite because they claim there is some Federal "mission". But they have not said what they perceive that Federal mission is? Maybe its because our undergraduate students are "DoD employees" even though the satellite is 100% Amateur Radio with four transponders including AX.25, DTMF, Voice Synthesizer, PSK31, SSTV and HF,VHF and UHF amateur bands built as an undergraduate senior engineering project purely for hands on education in the radio art.
Even the construction used only surplus student senior project electronics from student bins and any purchases used non-DoD and no-federal GIFT funds.
We have tried every argument in the book, but because the FCC is sensitized to some past abuses of some Federal Labs in crossing the line, we are being tossed into the same dirty bathwater.
Oh well. We have 2 weeks to resolve this long going 2 year SNAFU with the FCC or lose this long awaited launch.
Oh, and it is going up on the next SpaceX HEAVY launch.... Either to space or the ocean... or into the closet if the FCC does not act favorably
Bob, WB4APR
Do you want us to ship friendly letters to the FCC :-)
How about an address/contact?
Stefan, VE4NSA
On Wed, Feb 7, 2018 at 7:37 PM, Robert Bruninga bruninga@usna.edu wrote:
As of tonight, PSAT2 finally has some photos as it prepares for final testing in our long arduous 3 year campaign.
The Status is that the FCC still has not processed our 2 y ear pending API notice as an Amateur Satellite because they claim there is some Federal "mission". But they have not said what they perceive that Federal mission is? Maybe its because our undergraduate students are "DoD employees" even though the satellite is 100% Amateur Radio with four transponders including AX.25, DTMF, Voice Synthesizer, PSK31, SSTV and HF,VHF and UHF amateur bands built as an undergraduate senior engineering project purely for hands on education in the radio art.
Even the construction used only surplus student senior project electronics from student bins and any purchases used non-DoD and no-federal GIFT funds.
We have tried every argument in the book, but because the FCC is sensitized to some past abuses of some Federal Labs in crossing the line, we are being tossed into the same dirty bathwater.
Oh well. We have 2 weeks to resolve this long going 2 year SNAFU with the FCC or lose this long awaited launch.
Oh, and it is going up on the next SpaceX HEAVY launch.... Either to space or the ocean... or into the closet if the FCC does not act favorably
Bob, WB4APR _______________________________________________ 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: http://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
No, everyone leave it be. Im just informing you of the status. We have involved everyone already from the ARRL, AMSAT, etc. The FCC does seem to want to act favorably, its just that they want the DoD/NTIA process to be involved too.
But just saying that is one thing, but moving the DoD and the Federals is more than a mountain.
This forces us to go through the same DoD process that takes YEARS and tons of paperwork for their billion dollar satellites, and those very busy people are being asked to process a $5k student Amateur Radio project when they have billon dollar projects on their desks. And there is no precedent. Nothing to go on.
Striking all new ground…
Again, we get the impression that the FCC is trying to “help”…
So we just have to wait it out.
Bob Bruninga
*From:* Stefan Wagener [mailto:wageners@gmail.com] *Sent:* Wednesday, February 07, 2018 8:50 PM *To:* Robert Bruninga bruninga@usna.edu *Cc:* Amsat BB AMSAT-BB@amsat.org *Subject:* Re: [amsat-bb] PSAT2 preps for delivery (maybe June launch)
Do you want us to ship friendly letters to the FCC :-)
How about an address/contact?
Stefan, VE4NSA
On Wed, Feb 7, 2018 at 7:37 PM, Robert Bruninga bruninga@usna.edu wrote:
As of tonight, PSAT2 finally has some photos as it prepares for final testing in our long arduous 3 year campaign.
The Status is that the FCC still has not processed our 2 y ear pending API notice as an Amateur Satellite because they claim there is some Federal "mission". But they have not said what they perceive that Federal mission is? Maybe its because our undergraduate students are "DoD employees" even though the satellite is 100% Amateur Radio with four transponders including AX.25, DTMF, Voice Synthesizer, PSK31, SSTV and HF,VHF and UHF amateur bands built as an undergraduate senior engineering project purely for hands on education in the radio art.
Even the construction used only surplus student senior project electronics from student bins and any purchases used non-DoD and no-federal GIFT funds.
We have tried every argument in the book, but because the FCC is sensitized to some past abuses of some Federal Labs in crossing the line, we are being tossed into the same dirty bathwater.
Oh well. We have 2 weeks to resolve this long going 2 year SNAFU with the FCC or lose this long awaited launch.
Oh, and it is going up on the next SpaceX HEAVY launch.... Either to space or the ocean... or into the closet if the FCC does not act favorably
Bob, WB4APR _______________________________________________ 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: http://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
participants (2)
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Robert Bruninga -
Stefan Wagener