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Shuttle Discovery to fly-over DC on April 17
by Perry Klein 09 Apr '12

09 Apr '12

This bulletin just came in from NASA! April 9, 2012 MEDIA ADVISORY: M12-062 SPACE SHUTTLE DISCOVERY TO FLY OVER WASHINGTON METRO AREA APRIL 17 WASHINGTON -- NASA's 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) with space shuttle Discovery mounted atop will fly approximately 1,500 feet above various parts of the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area on Tuesday, April 17. The flight, in cooperation with the Federal Aviation Administration, is scheduled to occur between 10 and 11 a.m. EDT. NASA Television and the agency's web site will provide live coverage. The exact route and timing of the flight depend on weather and operational constraints. However, the aircraft is expected to fly near a variety of landmarks in the metropolitan area, including the National Mall, Reagan National Airport, National Harbor and the Smithsonian's Udvar-Hazy Center. When the flyover is complete, the SCA will land at Dulles International Airport. Discovery completed 39 missions, spent 365 days in space, orbited the Earth 5,830 times, and traveled 148,221,675 miles. NASA will transfer Discovery to the National Air and Space Museum to begin its new mission to commemorate past achievements in space and to educate and inspire future generations of explorers. If the flight must be postponed for any reason, an additional notice will be released. For more information about NASA's transfer of space shuttles to museums, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/transition For information about NASA and agency programs, visit: http://www.nasa.gov -end-

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FW: Space Shuttle Discovery to Land in Virginia
by Kilroy, Patrick L. (GSFC-5680) 30 Mar '12

30 Mar '12

FYI. And talk to Perry W3PK about Space Day on May 5. -N8PK From: GSFC-Communications Sent: Friday, March 30, 2012 11:07 AM To: GSFC-DL-ALL Subject: Space Shuttle Discovery to Land in Virginia Space Shuttle Discovery to Land in Virginia In April, NASA's acclaimed Space Shuttle Discovery will take its final flight aboard a modified Boeing 747 en route to its new home at the National Air and Space Museum's Stephen F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia. In celebration of Discovery's arrival, the Smithsonian Institute, in collaboration with NASA, plans to host a series of inspirational and educational events, exhibits, and activities from Tuesday, April 17 through Sunday, April 22 at the Udvar-Hazy Center. The historic transfer of Discovery to the Smithsonian Institute is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, April 17. The Boeing 747 and its cargo will depart from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida the morning of April 17, weather permitting, flying over parts of the Washington, D.C. area before landing - at Washington-Dulles International Airport in Virginia. The exact path of Discovery on its way to Dulles will not be publicized, but as Discovery approaches, the National Air and Space Museum will update its Web site (http://discovery.si.edu) with Discovery's current location and will provide that information to local radio stations. Smithsonian Activities at the Udvar-Hazy Center, April 17-22 Preparations to demate Discovery from the modified Boeing 747 will begin immediately upon its arrival at Dulles on Tuesday, April 17. There will be no public access to the shuttle on the day of its landing or on Wednesday, April 18, as it will undergo immediate preparations for its induction ceremony two days later at the Udvar-Hazy Center on Thursday, April 19. On Thursday, April 19, the Udvar-Hazy Center will open to the public at 8:00 a.m. for the free "Welcome Discovery" event sponsored by Boeing and Lockheed Martin. The event will take place in an outside area of the Center. Visit the Museum's event Web site for details of the ceremony and subsequent activities. Also access the Web site for information on the additional activities that continue through Sunday, April 22. After the week's activities, Discovery, NASA's longest-serving orbiter that has flown more missions than any other shuttle, will continue to be on permanent display at the Udvar-Hazy Center. Space Shuttle Enterprise, currently on display at the Udvar-Hazy Center, is scheduled to be transferred to the Intrepid Sea, Air, & Space Museum in New York City on Monday, April 23, weather permitting. Additional Information The primary resource for Discovery arrival activity information is at the National Air and Space Museum's special Web site: http://discovery.si.edu. For information on Space Shuttle Discovery, go to: http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/shuttleoperations/orbiters/orbitersdis.…. For information on the National Air and Space Museum's Udvar-Hazy Center, check out: http://www.nasm.si.edu/udvarhazy.

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Enjoy the Hamfest Tomorrow!
by Kilroy, Patrick L. (GSFC-5680) 30 Mar '12

30 Mar '12

The AMSAT booth will be in the Cow Palace. We will have Dave Taylor, W8AAS, and Ken Perko, WA3WHE, staffing the booth with me! Do drop in! See details below. And see Bob WB4APR's message way below too. 73 de Pat Kilroy, N8PK AMSAT Area Coordinator (one of 'em) -------------------------------------------- Greater Baltimore Hamboree and Computerfest Saturday, March 31, 2012 (Now one day only!) Location: Maryland State Fairgrounds 2200 York Road Timonium, Maryland 21093 Served by MD 45 (York Rd), Interstate 83 (I-83), and the Timonium Light Rail stop. Admission $9 per person. The Baltimore Amateur Radio Club (BARC), sponsor of The GBH&C, targets Amateur Radio and electronics enthusiasts of all ages and backgrounds. The Maryland State Fairgrounds is located in the heart of the Mid-Atlantic Region and adjacent to the Chesapeake Bay attracting civilian, government, and military attendees from Maine to Florida every year. The show has one building with Commercial and Flea Market style vendors. It is Saturday ONLY from 7am to 3pm for attendees. No need to worry about rain or inclement weather, the entire show will be indoors, the building will also be heated if necessary. Food will be available for purchase. There is free parking available in the Midway of the Fairgrounds and limited handicapped parking. HANDICAPPED PARKING IS FIRST COME FIRST SERVED! No additional spaces will be reserved. Door prizes will be given throughout the day and you must be present to win. DXCC, WAS and VUCC card checking will be available from 9 am to 12 pm and VE Exams will be held at the nearby Crowne Plaza Hotel. Talk-in on 146.670 MHz- (PL 107.2) The show will be held rain or shine and is one of the largest shows on the East Coast. Even more info at: http://www.gbhc.org Do not miss this event. -------------------------------------------- Copyright (c) 2012 Baltimore Amateur Radio Club -------------------------------------------- -----Original Message----- From: ARRL Members Only Web site [mailto:memberlist@www.arrl.org] Sent: Friday, March 30, 2012 10:33 AM To: Kilroy, Patrick L. (GSFC-5680) Subject: Timonium Hamfest Tomorrow and Info on a Balloon Launch * Greater Baltimore Hamboree and Computerfest * Trackers needed for balloon launch ===> Tomorrow from 7am to 3pm is the Greater Baltimore Hamboree and Computerfest. Card checking will be available for DXCC, WAS, and VUCC from 9am - 12pm. There will a Laurel Amateur Radio Club VE Test Session at the Crowne Plaza Hotel 2004 Greenspring Drive, Timonium, Md beginning at 9am. Saturday, March 31, 2012 Greater Baltimore Hamboree & Computerfest Location: Maryland State Fairgrounds 2200 York Road Timonium, MD Website: www.gbhc.org Sponsor: Baltimore Amateur Radio Club Type: ARRL Hamfest Talk-In: 146.67 (Pl 107.2) Public Contact: Bill Dobson, N3WD PO Box 120 Reisterstown, MD 21136 Phone: 443-590-1444 Email: w3ft67(a)yahoo.com Note: The Maryland Emergency Phone Net, MEPN, will hold it's meeting at this hamfest. The precise location and time is to be announced. Listen at 6:00 PM EST daily on 3820 kHz for details. ******************************* ===> Here's a request from TC Bob Bruninga, WB4APR, for folks to track a balloon launch . . . We are launching a balloon from US Naval Academy tonight Thursday 29 March about 6:30 PM which will have only a CW beacon on 28.223 MHz (Dial USB). We will depend on DF bearings and signal strength to track it. It will only be at about 16,000 feet, no where near the normal height of balloons. But it could last 10 days. See details on http://aprs.org/balloons.html WB4APR, Bob -------------------------------------------------------------------- ARRL Maryland-DC Section Section Manager: James E Cross III, WI3N wi3n(a)arrl.org --------------------------------------------------------------------

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Dick Daniels' Memorial Service
by Martha 20 Feb '12

20 Feb '12

If you are planning to attend Dick Daniels' Memorial Service on Saturday, Please send me an email or phone call (301-589-6062) by Wednesday, February 22nd. -- 73- Martha

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Correction
by Martha 17 Feb '12

17 Feb '12

In my announcement of Dick Daniel's Memorial Service, I named the church Little River Presbyterian Church. Please note that the church is *Little Falls Presbyterian Church.* It is located at 6025 Little Falls Rd, Arlington VA 22207. The service begins at 1:00 PM on Saturday, February 25th. -- 73- Martha

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"Letters"
by Martha 16 Feb '12

16 Feb '12

Please note that all email messages of condolence will be given to Dick's family. -- 73- Martha

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W4PUJ ... SK
by Kilroy, Patrick L. (GSFC-5680) 16 Feb '12

16 Feb '12

This is very sad news. Dick's impact to AMSAT and amateur radio in space was enormous. He will be sadly missed. Dave, AA4KN ----- Original Message ----- From: "Martha" <martha(a)amsat.org> To: "Board of Directors" <bod(a)amsat.org>; "AMSAT Officers" <officers(a)amsat.org>; "AMSAT BB" <amsat-bb(a)amsat.org> Sent: Wednesday, February 15, 2012 11:02 AM Subject: [amsat-bb] W4PUJ > It is with great sadness that I inform you of the death of Dick Daniels, > W4PUJ at 8:00 PM last night. More information to follow. > > 73- Martha > _______________________________________________ > Sent via AMSAT-BB(a)amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author. > Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! > Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb

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Dick Daniels
by Martha 16 Feb '12

16 Feb '12

A memorial service will be held for Dick Daniels, W4PUJ on Saturday, February 25th at 1:00PM . The location is the Little River Presbyterian Church, 6025 Little Falls Rd, Arlington VA 22207. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests a contribution to: Capital Caring, 950 N Glebe Rd #500, Arlington VA 22203. This is the organization that provided hospice care for Dick. -- 73- Martha

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Re: The second USA Science & Engineering Festival
by Daniel Schultz 07 Feb '12

07 Feb '12

I see that ARRL and AMRAD will have displays there. Is it too late to have an Amsat presence? Or should we coordinate something with the ARRL? Dan Schultz N8FGV ------ Original Message ------ Received: Sat, 04 Feb 2012 10:30:11 AM EST From: David Bern <W2LNX(a)aol.com> To: amsat-dc(a)amsat.org Subject: [amsat-dc] The second USA Science & Engineering Festival > All: > > The second USA Science & Engineering Festival is Saturday and Sunday, > April 28- 29, 2012 > > http://www.usasciencefestival.org/ > > > It will include a job fair and a Meet the Scientist/Engineer networking > area. I am going there to look for any ham radio representation. I > plan to wear my W2LNX hat and a Linux tie. > > David, W2LNX > _______________________________________________ > Via the AMSAT-DC mailing list courtesy of AMSAT-NA > AMSAT-DC(a)amsat.org > http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-dc

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ARRL/TAPR 2011 DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS CONFERENCE VIDEOS AVAILABLE
by David Bern 04 Feb '12

04 Feb '12

All: Videos of the ARRL/TAPR 2011 Digital Communications Conference are available for viewing for free at http://arvideonews.com/dcc2011/index.html In particular, take a look at the open source codec2 speech codec presentation at http://arvideonews.com/dcc2011/2011_DCC_CODEC_2.html David, W2LNX

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The second USA Science & Engineering Festival
by David Bern 04 Feb '12

04 Feb '12

All: The second USA Science & Engineering Festival is Saturday and Sunday, April 28- 29, 2012 http://www.usasciencefestival.org/ It will include a job fair and a Meet the Scientist/Engineer networking area. I am going there to look for any ham radio representation. I plan to wear my W2LNX hat and a Linux tie. David, W2LNX

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Re: Symposium on Suborbital and Small Satellite Missions, GWU, March 22
by Daniel Schultz 27 Jan '12

27 Jan '12

Do you think we could bring an Amsat poster? Dan ------ Original Message ------ Received: Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:44:05 AM EST From: Samudra Haque <samudra.haque(a)gmail.com> To: Daniel Schultz <n8fgv(a)usa.net>Cc: amsat-dc(a)amsat.org Subject: Re: [amsat-dc] Symposium on Suborbital and Small Satellite Missions, GWU, March 22 > I'm attending this event from GWU MAE Dept/MpNL Lab, and will have a poster > about my ongoing "Micro Vacuum Arc Thruster applications for LEO Space > Missions" research. > > -samudra N3RDX >

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Symposium on Suborbital and Small Satellite Missions, GWU, March 22
by Daniel Schultz 26 Jan '12

26 Jan '12

Are any Amsat people interested in attending this meeting? If we don't show the flag, they might forget that our ham radio satellites ever existed. Dan Schultz N8FGV ------------------------------------------------------------------ We are pleased to announce an invitation-only symposium on "Suborbital and Small Satellite Missions" that will be held on March 22, 2012 at Marriott Residence Inn next to NASA Headquarters. A copy of the day's agenda and registration information is attached. The event will be held at the Marriott Residence Inn in the Capitol Room at 333 E Street, SW. Please let us know as soon as convenient if you would like to attend. There is no cost to attend, but seating is limited to a maximum of 150 persons. (Our apologies for any duplicate invitations!) We hope you will be able to join us for these timely and important discussion. Marriott Residence Inn - Capitol Room 333 E Street SW Washington, DC 20024 12:50 P.M. Welcome and Introductory Remarks - FRED TARANTINO, President and CEO, USRA - SCOTT PACE, Director, Space Policy Institute 1:10 P.M. Opening Address - MASON PECK, National Aeronautics and Space Administration - RICHARD BEHNKE, National Science Foundation 2:00 P.M. Small Satellite Opportunities - JASON CRUSAN, National Aeronautics and Space Agency - THERESE MORETTO JORGENSEN, National Science Foundation - PASCALE EHRENFREUND, George Washington University - JAMES W. CUTLER, University of Michigan 3:45 P.M. Suborbital and Space Station Opportunities - DAVID L. PIERCE, National Aeronautics and Space Administration - WEBSTER CASH, University of Colorado - JEFFREY MANBER, Nanoracks - STEVE ISAKOWITZ, Virgin Galactic 5:00 P.M. Invitation to USRA Council of Institutions Reception - THOMAS ZURBUCHEN, Chair, USRA Council of Institutions Information/Registration: (202) 994-7292 Register by Fax: (202) 994-1639 http://www.gwu.edu/~spi/symposiumrsvp.cfm

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Don't Miss It: FUNcube Dongle Presentation Video
by Pat Kilroy 17 Jan '12

17 Jan '12

Did you miss it? Here's another chance: See the FUNcube news below and especially the "FUNcube Dongle Presentation Video" and message way below. Have you ordered your FUNcube Dongle Pro receiver from http://www.funcubedongle.com yet? Well, ... Do it soon! Then let's talk. The FUNcube Dongle Pro can receive not only the amateur satellites -- as a general coverage all- mode VHF-UHF receiver -- but also high-altitude balloon experiments like the PICetSat module series as seen at http://simsat.net/carrollsat and beyond. More later. Cheers, Pat Kilroy N8PK MDC Area SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-008.01 ANS-001 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins AMSAT News Service Bulletin 008.01 >From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. January 8, 2012 To All RADIO AMATEURS [snip] --------------------------------------------------------------------- FUNcube - Launch Details and Time Frame Finalized An agreement has now been reached with ISIS Launch Services BV, who are based in Delft in the Netherlands, for them to provide a launch of the FUNcube-1 CubeSat. It is anticipated that FUNcube-1, which has been created by a team of volunteer radio amateurs and other specialists over the past two years, will be launched with a number of other spacecraft from a DNEPR rocket sometime in the third quarter of 2012. The flight is planned to take place from the Yasny launch facility which is in southern Russia near to the Kazakhstan border. The spacecraft needs to be completed by the end of July 2012, ready for shipping from the Netherlands to Russia. The orbit is still to be defined precisely but it is expected to be nearly circular and approximately sun synchronous. This will ensure that the spacecraft has the necessary solar illumination and that it will appear at regular times for educational outreach activities at schools and colleges. The FUNcube-1 spacecraft will transmit signals that can be easily received directly by schools and colleges for educational outreach purposes. This telemetry will give details of the spacecraft's health - battery voltages and temperatures and from this it will be possible to determine its spin rate and attitude by plotting simple graphs. Additionally, experimental data and messages can be displayed in an attractive format and provide stimulation and encouragement for stu- dents to become interested in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects in a unique way. The target audience for this project is students at both primary and secondary levels and a simple and cheap "ground station" - actually it looks just like a USB dongle, for schools to use, has already been developed. In addition to providing educational outreach for schools and colleges around the world, the spacecraft will also provide a U/V linear trans- ponder for radio amateurs during local "night", at weekends and during holiday periods. The IARU amateur satellite frequency coordination panel has announced new frequencies for the FUNcube-1 satellite to take into account other payloads on the same launch. The new frequencies are: FUNcube-1 New Frequencies ------------------------------- Uplink 435.080 - 435.060 MHz Downlink 145.960 - 145.980 MHz Beacon 145.955 MHz CW and BPSK The production and testing of the spacecraft itself has already been funded via a legacy and other sources. It will however really help the project if radio amateurs and other interested supporters could contribute something towards the cost of the actual launch itself. With this in mind a special donation scheme has been setup using the Virgin Giving charity donation website. All donations received from UK tax payers can be "Gift Aided" which will add 20% to the value of your donation. More information about this exciting project will be made available over the coming months at the FUNcube website. Journalist David Meyer interviewed Jim Heck G3WGM for his article on FUNcube-1. Read the article at: http://tinyurl.com/7nr9sec (www.zdnet.co.uk) FUNcube Giving: http://tinyurl.com/funcubegiving/ FUNcube: http://www.funcube.org.uk/ [ANS thanks AMSAT-UK and the FUNcube Team for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- DNEPR Launch Includes Triton-1 and Triton-2 Amateur Satellites AMSAT-UK reported this week that the same DNEPR launch in the third quarter of 2012 carrying FUNcube-1 will also have additional amateur satellite payloads aboard. Triton-1 -------- Comprising of a 3U CubeSat, the Triton-1 mission is a radio science mission which aims to test an experimental advanced AIS (Automatic Identification System) receiver. Telemetry decoding software will be made available which will allow radio amateur operators to listen to periodic downlink broadcasts containing housekeeping telemetry, payload telemetry as well as re- ceived AIS messages. Telemetry downlinks will be 9k6 RC-BPSK on VHF (145MHz). The satellite also includes two similar secondary amateur radio pay- loads, being two single channel mode U/V (435-145MHz) FM to DSB transponders. After the Triton-1 three month science mission is complete plans are to have the satellite continue in the Amateur Satellite Service for as long as possible. The following downlink frequencies have been coordinated for Triton-1: Main Downlink 145.815 MHz Backup Downlink 145.860 MHz Uplink frequencies will be announced by the project team once the satellite becomes available for amateur operations. Triton-2 -------- Comprising of a 3U CubeSat, the Triton-2 mission is a radio science mission which aims to test an experimental advanced AIS (Automatic Identification System) receiver. Telemetry decoding software will be made available which will allow radio amateur operators to listen to periodic downlink broadcasts containing housekeeping telemetry, payload telemetry as well as re- ceived AIS messages. Telemetry downlinks will be 9k6 RC-BPSK on VHF (145MHz) and 38k4 RC-BPSK on S Band (2400MHz). After the Triton-2 three month science mission is complete plans are to have the satellite continue in the Amateur Satellite Service for as long as possible. The satellite includes two secondary amateur radio payloads: + A single channel mode U/V (435-145 MHz) FM to DSB transponder. + A single channel mode U/S (435-2400 MHz) FM to FM transponder. Downlink frequency details will be published shortly. Uplink fre- quencies will be announced by the project team once the satellite becomes available for amateur operations. Power budget permitting, both payloads may be switched on at the same time. In addition to Funcube, Triton-1, and Triton-2 this DNEPR rocket will launch UKube-1, Delfi n3Xt (also carrying a linear amateur U/V linear transponder), Trio-Cinema 1 & 2 and other spacecraft using frequencies in the amateur satellite service. AMSAT-UK published the story at: http://www.uk.amsat.org/3434 [ANS thanks AMSAT-UK for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- FUNcube Dongle Presentation Video The AMSAT-UK FUNcube Dongle is a VHF/UHF (64-1700 MHz) Software Defined Radio (SDR) on a USB Dongle. Howard Long G6VLB traveled from London to the 2011 ARRL/TAPR Digital Communications Conference (DCC) in Baltimore to address the group on this project. He details the trials and tribulations behind designing and manufacturing what turned out to be an extremely popular product. The primary aim of the FUNcube Dongle is to interest young students in science, satellites and radio. The FUNcube itself is a satellite that will be launched specifically to be monitored by all those dongles that have been sold. Watch 2011 DCC – FUNcube Dongle: http://www.uk.amsat.org/2012/01/02/funcube-dongle-presentation-video/ [ANS thanks AMSAT-UK for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- [snip]

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Re: ARISS contact in Laurel [Md], May 14-19
by Kilroy, Patrick L. (GSFC-5680) 12 Jan '12

12 Jan '12

The Waxter grounds are tucked into the SW corner of the BW Pkwy and MD 198 behind the shopping center. Attached is a JPG layout of the property and the immediate vicinity. Note that there is a big water tower to the northwest. Let's go do a site visit in person soon. An obscuration plot is in order once we have a good idea of exactly where the contact will take place and thus the placement of the antennas. I would not delay in assembling the primary stations and putting them through their exercises. I suggest a low to modest gain omni on the back up station, not so much a turnstile or a turnstile over reflector antenna. When can we go? Cheers, Pat -----Original Message----- From: wa3nan Robert.DiRosario(a)avayagov.com Sent: Thursday, January 12, 2012 11:28 AM To: Frank H. Bauer; 'Dave Taylor'; wa3nan(a)lists.nasa.gov Subject: Re: [WA3NAN] ARISS contact in Laurel, May 14-19 I have one of the clubs az-el controllers, but not the cable or rotator. I also have the club's 2m / 70cm Kenwood all mode radio. (Note this is NOT the 711/811 radios, but a single radio that does 2m and 70cm.) I also have two of our Astron 12V power supplies, 20 or 30 Amps I think. In the past when we have done direct SAREX contacts we used the clubs 2m turnstile antenna as a backup to the AZ/EL. I think it's up in the NASA warehouse in Laurel. We should be able to get it out if we need it. (It does not have an ECN tag.) Robert ________________________________________ From: wa3nan Frank H. Bauer [ka3hdo(a)verizon.net] Sent: Wednesday, January 11, 2012 5:06 PM To: 'Dave Taylor'; wa3nan(a)lists.nasa.gov Subject: Re: [WA3NAN] ARISS contact in Laurel, May 14-19 Dave, I might have some equipment to use. I have antennas and could provide a radio, if necessary. I do believe that K6DUE has an extra az/el rotator. Only other thing is the cable. Frank, KA3HDO -----Original Message----- From: wa3nan Dave Taylor Sent: Wednesday, January 11, 2012 4:01 PM To: wa3nan(a)lists.nasa.gov Subject: Re: [WA3NAN] ARISS contact in Laurel, May 14-19 My thanks to those who are willing to support this contact. I understand the GARC equipment is a problem; I'll be contacting the Columbia club about availability of their Field Day satellite station. -- Dave On Jan 11, 2012, at 11:55 AM, Kilroy, Patrick L. (GSFC-5680) wrote: > With apologies to baseball movie fans, . . . > > If you build it (get the VOLUNTEERS to support > the contact) then they (the gear needed for > a direct contact the required back up station) > will come. > > I'm in. > > Cheers, > > Pat > N8PK > > P.S. Marco N5ACR said he and his home station > as a combo are available to support the contact > too. > > -----ORIGINAL Message----- From: wa3nan Daniel Schultz Sent: Thursday, December 15, 2011 12:03 AM To: wa3nan(a)lists.nasa.gov; amsat-dc(a)amsat.org Subject: [WA3NAN] ARISS contact in Laurel, May 14-19 GARC members and local Amsat-DC members: Who is interested and available to support an ARISS contact with Waxter Young Women's Academy in Laurel in May? (The same week as Dayton unfortunately.) Please contact me with a CC: to Dave if you are interested. Dan Schultz N8FGV Dave's email is: dave.w8aas(a)verizon.net -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hi Dan, We are arranging the contact with Waxter Young Women's Academy in Laurel for the week of May 14-19, 2012. Can you check with GARC and confirm that you can support the contact in that week? It is, unfortunately, the week that ends with the Dayton Hamvention (18-20 May), but with luck we can get the contact in before anyone needs to leave. We might also be able to get some assistance from the Columbia club's satellite group, if needed. Thanks. -- Dave

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ARRL and TAPR 2011 DCC videos are available
by David Bern 07 Jan '12

07 Jan '12

All: ARRL and TAPR 2011 Digital Communications Conference videos are available to view for free at http://arvideonews.com/dcc2011/index.html Of particular note, take a look at the open source codec2 speech codec presentation by David Rowe, VK5DGR at http://arvideonews.com/dcc2011/2011_DCC_CODEC_2.html Thank you, David, W2LNX

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AMSAT at BARC Hamfest March 31
by Pat Kilroy 05 Jan '12

05 Jan '12

"The Greater Baltimore Hamboree and Computerfest is one of the largest Amateur Radio and technology shows on the East Coast!" Hi! I'm looking forward to the BARC hamfest on Saturday, March 31, in Timonium, Md. and want to put on a nice display for AMSAT. Even in light of dwindling attendance these days, this now one- day event promises to be lots of fun! In addition to staffing the AMSAT booth in a great location on the grounds, we will also run some demos or offer show-n-tells if we have the local support. Wanna join me? ... YES ! Perhaps we can do some satellite contacts, show off the FUNcube Dongle Pro receiver, give a talk, or anything else you wish. Thoughts? For more info about the hamfest go to their Website at: http://www.gbhc.org/ Then please contact me soon, because I need to register for the tables soon. Thank you! Cheers, Pat Kilroy, N8PK Sykesville, Maryland "The Greater Baltimore Hamboree and Computerfest is one of the largest Amateur Radio and technology shows on the East Coast!"

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Re: ARISS contact in Laurel
by Pat Kilroy 15 Dec '11

15 Dec '11

Hey, Dan, Hope you got my reply. But as for Dave, the cc: to him BOUNCED. Cheers, Pat N8PK -----Original Message----- From: amsat-dc-request(a)amsat.org [mailto:amsat-dc-request@amsat.org] Sent: Thursday, December 15, 2011 03:00 PM To: amsat-dc(a)amsat.org Subject: AMSAT-DC Digest, Vol 6, Issue 33 Send AMSAT-DC mailing list submissions to amsat-dc(a)amsat.org To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-dc or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to amsat-dc-request(a)amsat.org You can reach the person managing the list at amsat-dc-owner(a)amsat.org When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific than "Re: Contents of AMSAT-DC digest..." Today's Topics: 1. ARISS contact in Laurel, May 14-19 (Daniel Schultz) 2. FW: Launch Notification: IGS 7A (Kilroy, Patrick L. (GSFC-5680)) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Message: 1 Date: Thu, 15 Dec 2011 00:03:24 -0500 From: "Daniel Schultz" To: "wa3nan(a)lists.nasa.gov" , Subject: [amsat-dc] ARISS contact in Laurel, May 14-19 Message-ID: <200PLoFcy3824S01.1323925404(a)web01.cms.usa.net> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 GARC members and local Amsat-DC members: Who is interested and available to support an ARISS contact with Waxter Young Women's Academy in Laurel in May? (The same week as Dayton unfortunately.) Please contact me with a CC: to Dave if you are interested. Dan Schultz N8FGV Dave's email is: dave.w8aas(a)verizon.net -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hi Dan, We are arranging the contact with Waxter Young Women's Academy in Laurel for the week of May 14-19, 2012. Can you check with GARC and confirm that you can support the contact in that week? It is, unfortunately, the week that ends with the Dayton Hamvention (18-20 May), but with luck we can get the contact in before anyone needs to leave. We might also be able to get some assistance from the Columbia club's satellite group, if needed. Thanks. -- Dave

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ARISS contact in Laurel, May 14-19
by Daniel Schultz 14 Dec '11

14 Dec '11

GARC members and local Amsat-DC members: Who is interested and available to support an ARISS contact with Waxter Young Women's Academy in Laurel in May? (The same week as Dayton unfortunately.) Please contact me with a CC: to Dave if you are interested. Dan Schultz N8FGV Dave's email is: dave.w8aas(a)verizon.net -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hi Dan, We are arranging the contact with Waxter Young Women's Academy in Laurel for the week of May 14-19, 2012. Can you check with GARC and confirm that you can support the contact in that week? It is, unfortunately, the week that ends with the Dayton Hamvention (18-20 May), but with luck we can get the contact in before anyone needs to leave. We might also be able to get some assistance from the Columbia club's satellite group, if needed. Thanks. -- Dave

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FW: Launch Notification: IGS 7A
by Kilroy, Patrick L. (GSFC-5680) 14 Dec '11

14 Dec '11

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H-IIA Hi everybody! Merry Christmas . . . Happy Hanukkah! Good projects to you thoughout the holiday season. (Let us know about yours!) FYI, the H-IIA is very much like our Delta II expendable launch vehicle (ELV). Read about the successful recent launch below. Cheers, Pat N8PK From: AnalyticalGraphics(a)agi.com [mailto:AnalyticalGraphics@agi.com] Sent: Tuesday, December 13, 2011 3:32 PM To: Kilroy, Patrick L. (GSFC-5680) Subject: Launch Notification: IGS 7A If you're having problems seeing this e-mail, click here<http://links.agi.com/q/A3LnxqwsFzAXsk454WqyGeF8vibcI5W-QWhf_E89332Zlj-Q24eV…> [http://www.agi.com/images/LaunchUpdates/header.jpg] New Launch: 2011 December 12, 0121 UTC Site: Tanegashima Space Center, Japan Launcher: H-2A International Designator(s): 2011-075A SSC Name Owner 37954 IGS 7A JPN [http://www.agi.com/html_mail/launch_updates/images/H2A2024.jpg] "A Japanese radar reconnaissance satellite rode into orbit atop an H-2A rocket Monday, expanding the country's capacity to observe military and civil developments around the world. "The satellite lifted off at 0121 GMT Monday (8:21 p.m. EST Sunday) from the Tanegashima Space Center, Japan's primary space launch base on a remote island at the southern end of the main islands. "Launch was at 10:21 a.m. local time in Japan. "The two-stage H-2A rocket, fitted with two solid rocket boosters, soared into a clear sky and delivered the satellite into orbit about 20 minutes later. "The Japanese space agency, JAXA, announced the launch was a success. It was the 20th flight of the H-2A launcher, and 19 of the missions have been flawless. "Japanese officials have not revealed the capabilities of the satellite, but it carries a synthetic aperture radar instrument designed to see through clouds and take pictures on the night side of the Earth. "Japan has four optical spy satellites in space, including a new craft launched in September which is not yet operational. "The last of Japan's radar satellites failed in orbit last year, leaving the country without an all-weather satellite reconnaissance capability. "Kyodo News reported the development of the new radar satellite cost 39.8 billion yen, or about US$512 million. Kyodo said the launch cost US$132 million. "Japan established the space-based reconnaissance program after North Korea fired a test missile over Japanese territory in 1998. The country's spy satellites have become increasingly more advanced since then, but officials have provided no official specifications on the satellite launched Friday. "The most advanced Japanese reconnaissance satellites likely provide imagery with a resolution less than a meter. "Data from the Japanese spy satellite program is used by the government to keep track of North Korea's nuclear and missile programs, along with other military movements across the globe. The imagery was also crucial in the aftermath of the March earthquake that spawned a devastating tsunami and the following crisis at the Fukushima nuclear power plant." Source: Spaceflight Now, "Japan deploys radar reconnaissance satellite"<http://links.agi.com/q/SFIa8fJxWi3WanF0PVfTzDPPZWGAhgHFnHZTLq3vRR8VtOfGpPPw…> AGI's Launch Notification e-mails will help you stay current with all new spacecraft launches. E-mails are sent after every launch and include key spacecraft information such as: the date, time, launch site, launcher, international number, name, and owner. Get more information on thousands of satellites and other vehicles by viewing STK models, animations, and our encyclopedic "Spacecraft Digest" database at www.agi.com/scdigest<http://links.agi.com/q/PKDytGqaHVMy_mxMU2GRLOdNuuXFMNT7mTdBb1jnPPUb-pFGZUC4…>. [http://www.agi.com/images/LaunchUpdates/bottom.jpg] (c) 2011 Analytical Graphics, Inc. | 220 Valley Creek Blvd. Exton, PA 19341 Quick unsubscribe to launch notifications<http://links.agi.com/q/b3VTN7Jo9m8fcwtKXv7Hs_bCORws8dCMmCIf9KxeiirwYYkB6XgW…>

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Local High-Altitude Balloon Announced
by Kilroy, Patrick L. (GSFC-5680) 20 Oct '11

20 Oct '11

http://www.ftmchenrycap.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=10… High-Altitude Balloon Launch in Maryland this Saturday morning, October 22! Flight director: Josh Neel, KB3VTP Mission designation: CHASE-1 Flight Crew: Civil Air Patrol squadron (youth) "Ft. McHenry" from Catonsville, Md. HERE IS THE LINK from my short presentation last night at the GARC meeting. The balloon callsign is KB3VTP-11. Watch for N8PK-9 chasing it on APRS at http://aprs.fi/?call=n8pk*&mt=roadmap&z=11&timerange=259200&_s=ss_call along with others on the chase and recovery team. You may monitor the GARC repeater, WA3NAN/R on 146.835 MHz FM, any time after 9:00 A.M. EDT to compare notes! >From the launch site ten miles west of Hagerstown, MD, we hope to launch by ten, but it is Josh's and his squadron's first high-altitude balloon, so who knows if we run into any delays. (But then again, the payload is not very "field repairable" so it either works or it doesn't.) The filling operations -- the realtime "On the Job Training" -- will be the driving factor in the actual release time, next to weather conditions at the launch site and down range. Position packets will be received before launch by the nearby N3KTX-4 node, thanks to Mike Garber. The launch coordination repeater will be 442.650+ on the same hilltop as N3KTX-4. While in chase we may switch over to the K3PZN/R in Westminster on 145.410 MHz FM. Flight downlinks: 144.390 MHz FM and 433.920 MHz AM. If you'd like to participate on a chase team then give me a call ASAP. Otherwise, please enjoy watching the events unfold from the comfort of your home. Use the repeaters and Web links as your controls. Happy hunting! Cheers, Pat Kilroy N8PK High-Altitude Experiments Advisor Josh Neel's Balloon CHASE-1 Info Page http://www.ftmchenrycap.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=10… Other Good Links: WEATHER At Launch Site http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/findweather/getForecast?query=21722 or http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?CityName=Clear+Spring&state=MD&sit… WINDS ALOFT (Jet Stream) major contributor to track http://www.wunderground.com/US/Region/US/2xpxJetStream.html VISIBILITY http://www.wunderground.com/US/Region/Northeast/2xpxVisibility.html METAR (Key for launch GO or NO GO) http://www.wunderground.com/Aviation/index.html?query=KFDK#METAR We will watch the METAR for Hagerstown (HGR), Frederick (FDK), Westminster (DMW) and Philadelphia (PHL). The payload is not expected to venture near Baltimore-Washington (BWI). METAR explanation: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/METAR FLIGHT RULES in effect http://www.wunderground.com/US/Region/Northeast/2xFlight.html ----------------------------------------- Mr. Patrick L. Kilroy Flight Systems Integration and Test (I&T) Building 5, Mail Code 568 NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, Maryland 20771 Phone: 301-286-1984 E-mail: Patrick.L.Kilroy(a)nasa.gov ----------------------------------------- "People don't care about how much we know, until they know how much we care." - Jack Vieira Outreach: http://simsat.net/

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FW: Center Director Congratulates Nobel Prize Team
by Kilroy, Patrick L. (GSFC-5680) 07 Oct '11

07 Oct '11

It may be bitter-sweet to you today, Dan, but I must say CONGRATULATIONS. -Pat N8PK From: GSFC-Communications Sent: Friday, October 07, 2011 9:22 AM To: GSFC-DL-ALL Subject: Center Director Congratulates Nobel Prize Team Colleagues: I'm sure most of you heard the news this week that a member of the extended NASA family shared the award for the Nobel Prize in Physics. Dr. Adam Riess, an astronomer at the Space Telescope Science Institute and Krieger-Eisenhower professor in physics and astronomy at The Johns Hopkins University, shared the Prize with teammates Brian Schmidt of the Australian National University and Saul Perlmutter, an astrophysicist at the University of California, Berkeley, and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. They were honored for their groundbreaking work in the detection of the accelerating expansion of the universe, attributed to the mysterious "dark energy" now under vigorous study. What makes this Prize even more significant to us here at Goddard and to the team at the Institute is that the Hubble Space Telescope played an important role in this discovery and related confirming studies. Certainly, ground-based telescopes were vital to this discovery, but critical parts of the work were done with NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. I received a note from the Administrator shortly after the Nobel announcement was made, and he noted the Center, and the entire Hubble Team, should feel justifiably proud of our role in facilitating this incredible recognition, which once again showcases the tremendous value of Hubble to the science community around the world. For more than 20 years, a dedicated team of people here and at the Institute have worked tirelessly to keep Hubble operating at the peak of its capabilities, and the world has been rewarded with a steady string of pioneering science and breath-taking images. As Senator Mikulski likes to say, it has become the 'Nation's telescope." I am enormously proud of our contributions to this prestigious honor, and on behalf of the entire Center extend my congratulations to Dr. Reiss and his colleagues, Dr. Schmidt and Dr. Perlmutter, on their award. They, along with our very own Nobel Laureate Dr. John Mather, take their places at the summit of the scientific world, but stand on the shoulders of a tremendous NASA team that together continue to rewrite the textbooks and expand our knowledge of the Universe. Rob Strain Center Director

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Re: SimSat on Facebook
by Pat Kilroy 28 Sep '11

28 Sep '11

Hi Steve, I'm sorry for the confusion. Thank you for helping me figure out this Facebook operation. Even when using the FB "Help" feature, I cannot discern clearly the difference between the FB Group and the FB Page options. I started with creating a Group, and then later created a Page. But last night I deleted the Group (long story) in favor of giving the Page an opportunity to incubate. Here are my requirements, and maybe you and others can comment: I want it to be public but we want to know who is in the membership, and allow folks to post photos, videos, data/telemetry/documents, all in good taste and relevant to our high-altitude balloon experiments, Amateur Satellite efforts, educational training opportunities, fellow- ship, and community outreach goals. I want it to be totally separate from my personal Facebook page which is, to me, mostly an immediate family thing. It would be nice to have an e-mail "broadcast" capability there too, like for rain scrubs on flight day. (It will be more dynamic than the Web page, which will be used for verbose announcements, displaying key results, reposit important reference documents, publish diagrams/documents, archive stuff and serve to allow the logging of our "history.") So, do these "specs" suggest we need a Group or a Page? Thoughts? For now, I believe the correct URL, as long as it may be, is: https://www.facebook.com/pages/SimSat/190820480964810?sk=wall although I hope we can shorten it soon. Once we get this Facebook tool stable then I will update the simsat.net site. I am open to suggestions. Thanks, Pat N8PK -----Original Message----- From: Stephan Greene [mailto:ks1g04@gmail.com] Sent: Monday, May 9, 2011 10:19 PM To: pat(a)patkilroy.com Cc: amsat-dc(a)amsat.org Subject: Re: [amsat-dc] Re: SimSat on Facebook This it? https://www.facebook.com/pages/SimSat/190820480964810 (forget how I found it) Or this: https://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_209591802406934 ? Might want to add a link on the Simsat web page. To find the 2nd link, I did a search for Simsat (bringing up a ton of people from various parts of the world) then clicked on groups. What I assume is the school group is the 1st link that's listed. What I think is the AMSAT-dc group (I sent a join request) is the 2nd. 73 Steve KS1G On Mon, May 9, 2011 at 4:00 PM, Pat Kilroy <pat(a)patkilroy.com> wrote: That MIGHT be a Page, and NOT a Group from the Facebook perspective. Just search the string "simsat" (without the quotes) once you are logged on to your own page in FB. Hope this helps. 73 de N8PK. -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Steve Greene ks1g04(a)gmail.com <kay ess one gee zero four>@gmail.com -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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HEXAGON (KH-9) Viewing Opportunity, Saturday, September 17, One Day Only
by Daniel Schultz 14 Sep '11

14 Sep '11

HEXAGON (KH-9) Viewing Opportunity, One Day Only Newly Declassified Satellite Saturday, September 17 10:00 am to 5:30 pm Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center Admission: Free, Parking $15 The Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum and the National Reconnaissance Office are hosting a one-day-only viewing opportunity of the newly declassified HEXAGON (KH-9) satellite in the parking lot of the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. This is the first time the public will be able to view this impressive spacecraft, and it will be the only opportunity to see it in the Washington area for some time. Sixty feet long and 10 feet in diameter, the HEXAGONs were the largest spy satellites the United States has ever placed in space. The satellites took photographs of the Soviet Union and other targets around the world from 1971 to the early 1980s. The one-day display is in conjunction with the NRO’s 50th anniversary celebration.

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Re: Deployed?
by Kilroy, Patrick L. (GSFC-5680) 03 Aug '11

03 Aug '11

Hello Benn, Good to meet you on e-mail. If I heard my ears right, the EVA crew deployed ARISSat-1 at 2:43 P.M. EDT from the ISS without the one antenna attached. Yikes! (So much for a cross-band transponder.) There is a big story to be told about that one, and I will be first in line to hear. Obviously, more news to follow. Cheers, Pat Mr. Patrick L. Kilroy Integration & Test Manager NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Building 5, Mail Code 568 Greenbelt, Maryland 20771 Phone: +1-301-286-1984 E-mail: Patrick.L.Kilroy(a)nasa.gov Web: http://simsat.net/ (outreach) -----Original Message----- From: Bennett Kobb [mailto:bkobb@ieee.org] Sent: Wednesday, August 03, 2011 3:14 PM To: Kilroy, Patrick L. (GSFC-5680) Subject: Deployed? Patrick, did they really deploy the satellite? I thought they couldn't find the UHF antenna! Benn AK4AV

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