AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-144

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:

* Successful CubeSat Launch * AMSAT Announces 2009 Space Symposium * AMSAT Awards * Join Regional AMSAT Nets via Echolink * ON1DWN to Become ISS Commander * Satellite Shorts From All Over

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-144.01 Successful CubeSat Launch

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 144.01

From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.

May 24, 2009 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-144.01

This week Orbital Sciences successfully launched its Minotaur I rocket carrying the Tactical Satellite-3 (TacSat-3) for the U.S. Air Force from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) launch facility at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility on Wallops Island, VA.

Also aboard the May 19 launch were several CubeSats:

Satellite USA Operator Downlink Mode ----------- --------------------------------- -------- ------------ PharmaSat-1 NASA, Stanford University 437.465 1200bps AFSK CP-6 CalPoly 437.365 1200bps AFSK HawkSat-1 Hawk Institute for Space Sciences 437.345 Unknown AeroCube-3 Aerospace Corporation Unknown Unknown (thanks Mineo JE9PEL)

PharmaSat is a 10 x 10 x 30 cm. spacecraft that houses an advanced biological laboratory as its payload. This laboratory will measure the influence of microgravity upon yeast resistance to an antifungal agent. The PharmaSat mission website at http://www.pharmasat.org

The primary mission of CP6 is to implement an attitude control system using only magnetic torquers embedded within the side panels. Attitude determination is performed using two-axis magnetometers on each side panel as well as observation imagers on the payload face.

Once the primary objectives have been met, a command will be sent to deploy the secondary payload that consists of a series of spring steel tapes. The data will be used to guide the future design of an electro- dynamic tether. More info at: http://polysat.calpoly.edu/CP6.php

CalPoly CPX Data Capture and Decoder: http://moredbs.atl.calpoly.edu/downloads/cpxdd

A description of the CalPoly telemetry database is at: http://moredbs.atl.calpoly.edu/

At press time the only information available regarding the mission of HawkSat-1 comes from their web page stating, "HawkSat-I will be the first satellite designed, integrated, tested and flown entirely from the Eastern Shore. In addition to accomplishing our own scientific and engineering objectives HawkSat-I is also providing a platform for experimental research funded by a major aerospace firm." See: http://www.hawkspace.org/projects.html for additional information.

The architecture of HawkSat-1 is based around a Pumpkin Incorporated CubeSat kit, and carries a technology demonstration payload, primarily as a proof-of-concept mission, testing command, data and power subsys- tems, as well as solar panels and communications.

The AeroCube-3 is a non-Amateur Radio CubeSat carrying technology development experiments. The primary systems being demonstrated are a two-axis solar tracker, and an Earth tracker, which could be used in the guidance systems of future satellites. It also carries a 2 foot diameter balloon which will be used for tracking tests, and to increase drag, increasing the satellite's orbital decay, after its mission has been completed.

The primary payload, TacSat-3 is a 12-month mission is to demonstrate capability to conduct imaging that is responsive to the needs of the U.S. military. It contains a unique bus architecture which enables rapid integration and modular packaging of both bus and payload com- ponents. This will allow future Operationally Responsive Space (ORS) missions enabling a seven-day call-up requirement for specialized mil-sats.

Objects associated with this launch have been added to the AMSAT KEPS. They are called Object A, Object B, Object C, Object D, and Object E. Refer to: http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/tools/keps.php

[ANS thanks SpaceDaily Express and the CubeSat Teams for the above information]

/EX

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-144.02 AMSAT Announces 2009 Space Symposium

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 144.02

From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.

May 24, 2009 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-144.02

AMSAT announces the 2009 AMSAT Space Symposium and ARISS Operations Team Meeting will be held on Friday, October 9th through Sunday, October 11th. The ARISS Operations Team Meeting will take place on Sunday and Monday.

This year we have selected the Four Points Sheraton hotel that is on the Baltimore-Washington Airport property. There is a free shuttle bus from the airport to the hotel. From this location, you can visit Wash- ington DC, the inner harbor in Baltimore and Annapolis. You can use public transportation to Washington and Baltimore. Visiting Annapolis will require a car. Within 5 minutes of the hotel is the the National Electronics Museum. Also close by are the National Cryptologic Museum and the National Vigilance Park.

The room rate is $115 for Wednesday and Thursday. It then drops to $90 for Friday and Saturday. Sunday and Monday it goes back to $115.

Watch http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/symposium/2009/index.php for more news as it becomes available.

[ANS thanks AMSAT's 2009 Symposium Committee for the above information]

/EX

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-144.03 AMSAT Awards

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 144.03

From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.

May 24, 2009 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-144.03

AMSAT Director Contests and Awards, Bruce Paige, KK5DO reports the AMSAT Satellite Communications Achievement Award has been issued to

John Papay, K8YSE #489 Who will receive #500? Stay tuned.

To join the Satellite Communicators' Club all you need to do is to make one satellite contact. Send the report of your contact, plus $1.00 for AMSAT members or $2.00 for non-members to the AMSAT-NA Director of Awards and Contests.

The OSCAR Satellite Communications Achievement Award requires satellite contacts with 20 different U.S. states or Canadian call areas or DXCC countries.

The South Africa AMSAT Satellite Communications Achievement Award requires working 25 different stations on phase 2 satellites. Satellites that qualify for this award are AO-7, Fuji-Oscar 29, AO-21, AO-27, VO-52 and AO-51 as well as future satellites that are LEO.

The OSCAR Sexagesimal Award requires satellite contacts with 60 different U.S. states or Canadian call areas or DXCC countries.

The OSCAR Century Award requires satellite contacts with 100 different U.S. states or Canadian call areas or DXCC countries.

The Robert W. Barbee Jr., W4AMI Satellite Operator Achievement Award requires 1000 two-way contacts with any station on any satellite (OSCAR-6 or later). Endorsements are issued for 2000, 3000, and 4000 contacts, and a special certificate is issued for 5000 or more contacts.

Please note, eQSL cards are not valid for AMSAT or ARRL awards. Email confirmations of a QSO is also not acceptable. To see all the awards visit http://www.amsat.org

[ANS thanks Bruce, KK5DO for the above information]

/EX

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-144.04 Join Regional AMSAT Nets via Echolink

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 144.04

From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.

May 24, 2009 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-144.04

The Houston AMSAT Net is now being carried live every week on the *AMSAT* Echolink conference on Tuesday 8PM Central Time. This is Wednesday 0100z during USA daylight saving time and 0200z during USA Standard Time. ARISS contacts using the AMSAT conference will preempt the Houston Net. Effective June 1, 2009 the Houston Crew will no longer feed their net over the SkyScanner Satellite Radio Network. Their podcast and mp3 files will continue to be available after the net is complete at http://www.amsatnet.com/

The next Hudson Valley Satcom group net is Thursday, May 28 at 8PM (EDT / UTC-4) on the Mt. Beacon ARC 2 Meter Repeater. This net is also available on the n2eyh-l node on Echolink. This net meets on alternate Thursdays which includes the 2nd and 4th Thursday of June. More information can be found by clicking the "HV Satcom" link at http://www.wr2abb.org. Past nets are archived at this site.

[ANS thanks Bruce, KK5DO and Stu, WA2BSS for the above information]

/EX

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-144.05 ON1DWN to Become ISS Commander

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 144.05

From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.

May 24, 2009 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-144.05

Amateur Radio Newsline reports that Frank De Winne, ON1DWN, is set to become the first European Space Agency astronaut to oversee the International Space Station.

De Winne is currently at Russia's cosmonaut training center outside of Moscow. He will leave there later this week and fly to neighboring Kazakhstan, where a Soyuz rocket is being prepared to carry him, Russian cosmonaut Roman Romanenko and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Robert Thirsk, VA3CSA, to the orbiting space outpost. That launch is currently scheduled for May 27 .

The arrival of these three space adventurers which will bring the total number of crew on the ISS to six for the first time. For the first four months De Winne, who is from Belgium, will be a Flight Engineer as a member of the Expedition 20 Crew. With the next crew rotation ON1DWN will take over as Commander of Expedition 21 and will serve in that position until his return to Earth in November. This will mark the first time that someone other than a Russian or an American has held that post. More is on-line at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8037431.stm

[ANS thanks Amateur Radio Newsline for the above information]

/EX

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-144.06 Satellite Shorts From All Over

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 144.06

From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.

May 24, 2009 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-144.06

+ The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) President Joel Harrison presented past Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) Chairman Frank Bauer, KA3HDO with the ARRL President's Award. This award is voted on by the Board of Directors and given out every 7 or 8 years to honor someone's outstanding work.

+ Matthias, DD1US reported he has recently updated his "Sounds from Space" collection of satellite signals at http://www.dd1us.de.

+ Congratulations are in order to Joe, K3SZH having logged over 9000 contacts via AO-7.

+ The AMSAT INDIA May 2009 newsletter is available for download at http://www.amsatindia.org/Newsletter/AmsatIndia-News-May-09.pdf

+ AMSAT India Secretary Nitin, VU3TYG reports the free VO-52 operating award certificates have been printed and will be mailed shortly. AMSAT India is closing the free certificate availability but the award will be available for a fee whose details will be announced at a later date. The list of the award winners can be found at: http://www.amsatindia.org/awards/VO-52-award-Final.bmp

+ If you have photos of the AMSAT booth and Owen and Richard Garriott during Dayton please send them to AMSAT-NA VP User Services, Gould, WA4SXM (wa4sxm@amsat.org).

+ A fun activity for young visitors to your satellite shack can be found at: http://www.eduweb.com/portfolio/designsatellite/

[ANS thanks everyone 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. And with that keep in mind you know you are getting older when you wake up looking like your driver's license picture.

73, This week's ANS Editor, JoAnne Maenpaa, K9JKM K9JKM at amsat dot org