AMSAT NEWS SERVICE
ANS-057
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(a)amsat.org
In this edition:
* AMSAT Theme at Dayton 2012: Running with Fox
* ARISS School Events Now Number Over 700
* ESA Reports Vega Cubesat Success
* MASAT-1 (MO-72) Team Releases Software and Web Page Updates
* Dedicated CubeSat Radio Spectrum Discussed at WRC-12
* Arizona Centennial Event K7UGA Station Reports 122 Satellite QSOs
* AA5UK Announces Plans for Hawaii Satellite Operation
* Satellite DX: XF1AA on Isabel Island
* Volunteers Needed for AMSAT at Timonium, MD on March 31
* ARISS Status Report - 20 February 2012
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-057.01
ANS-057 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 036.01
From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
February 5, 2012
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-036.01
AMSAT Theme at Dayton 2012: Running with Fox
The 2012 Dayton Hamvention will be held this year on 18 - 20 May 2012.
As has been the case for the many years Hamvention will be at the Hara
Arena Complex on the north side of Dayton. AMSAT will occupy the same
booths (444-449) in Ball Arena, right across from the ARRL area and
just inside the door from the Satellite Demonstration area.
The AMSAT theme for 2012 is "Running with Fox". We will have multipe
exhibits of the new AMSAT satellite on display.
Visit AMSAT's Dayton Hamvention page for all details on activities:
http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/hamvention/2012/Dayton.php
Some of the activities will include:
+ Life size Fox models will be on display as well as diagrams of
the modules inside the 10cm square satellite.
+ Operational prototype of ARISSat-1 on display.
+ AMSAT Thursday Night Get-together at the Tickets Pub & Eatery.
+ The sixth annual AMSAT/TAPR Banquet will be Friday night May 18
at the Kohler Banquet Center. The price for the Banquet is $30.
Seating is limited and reservations are required. Follow the
links on AMSAT's Dayton page.
+ The AMSAT Forum will be on Saturday May 19.
AMSAT has a limited block of rooms reserved at the Country Inn &
Suites in Fairborn, OH. Please contact Martha at the AMSAT office
for room price and availability during Hamvention. Priority for
rooms will be given to those volunteering to work in the AMSAT booth
for multiple 2 hour shifts during Hamvention. The hotel web page is:
http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/hamvention/2012/Hotel.php
The phone number for the AMSAT office is 301-589-6062. Other hotels
in the immediate area of the Country inn & Suites include the Fair-
field Inn, Ramada Inn, Hampton Inn, Fairborn Holiday Inn, Red Roof
Inn and the Homewood Suites if additional accommodations are needed.
Further information on Hamvention 2012, including advance ticket sales
and motel accommodations, can be found at http://www.hamvention.org.
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ARISS School Events Now Number Over 700
ARISS Operation Team Mentor Charlie Sufana, AJ9N reports that the
total number of ARISS ISS-to-Earth school events is now at 701.
ARISS offers an opportunity for students to experience the excite-
ment of Amateur Radio by talking directly with crewmembers on-board
the International Space Station.
Teachers, parents and communities see, first hand, how Amateur Radio
and crew members on ISS can energize youngsters' interest in science,
technology, and learning.
ARISS is an international educational outreach program partnering the
participating space agencies, NASA, Russian Space Agency, ESA, CNES,
JAXA, and CSA, with the AMSAT and IARU organizations from participa-
ting countries. Further information on the ARISS program is available
on the website http://www.ariss.org/ (graciously hosted by the Radio
Amateurs of Canada).
The 700th school event was with The Academy@Shawnee City in Louisville,
Kentucky via a telebridge contact with ON4ISS on February 14. ARISS
says the special John Glenn event to commemorate the 50th anniversary
of Perth, City of Lights was successful on February 20. This marked
event number 701.
Planned school contacts for this coming week include:
+ ESA-ESTEC, Noordwijk, Netherlands, telebridge via IK1SLD. The
schools that are involved are: American school of The Hague,
International School of Amsterdam, and The British School in
the Netherlands on Monday, February 27 at 12:45:29 UTC.
+ Parkside Elementary, Atlanta, GA, telebridge via K6DUE on Friday,
March 3 at 16:42:29 UTC.
+ 5th Geniko Lykeio Katerinis, Katerini, Greece, direct via SX2ISS on
Friday, March 3 at 17:03:52 UTC.
Each contact may have multiple schools sharing the same time slot.
A list of all of the ARISS School Events can be found at:
http://tinyurl.com/ARISS-Events
[ANS thanks ARISS Operation Team Mentor Charlie Sufana, AJ9N for
the above information]
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ESA Reports Vega Cubesat Success
The ESA provided a summary of the success of the cubesats launched
on the Vega mission on February 13. The web report said, "Shortly
after the seven ESA student CubeSats started their adventure in space
on board the Vega launcher yesterday, the university teams and radio
amateurs all around the world pointed their 'ears' towards space and
started to receive the first signs of life from the tiny spacecraft."
+ The Spanish XaTcobeo CubeSat was heard a couple of hours after
launch (13 February 2012, 11:00 CET) during its first pass over
the University of Vigo's ground station, and its signal was also
tracked by many radio amateurs. The first data received show that
the satellite's batteries are properly charged and that telemetry
and telecommand systems work well, representing a very promising
start for the mission.
+ The Hungarian team received the first signals from Masat-1 from a
radio amateur in Florida less than two hours after launch, and by
many others shortly after. A couple of hours later the team's ground
station in Budapest gathered the first 'official' satellite data
which confirmed that the spacecraft is in perfect shape.
+ PW-Sat, the Polish student CubeSat, was also heard loud and clear
only a few hours after the launch. The signals have been heard both
by the team's ground station and by several radio amateurs from the
UK, India, Germany and the Netherlands.
+ The Italian UniCubeSat-GG team heard the first signals from the
satellite, although they have not been decoded yet, shortly after
launch, first from a Kentucky (US) ground station and then from the
dedicated Rome ground station.
+ Initially weak signals were reported from the Italian e-st@r. On
February 15 the e-st@r team reported signals from their CubeSat
heard by their control ground station and other ham radio stations.
+ Weak signals have been received so far from the Romanian Goliat
and the French Robusta CubeSats. These teams currently believe
that their spacecraft may not have yet achieved a stable orient-
ation after separation and sufficient battery charge level in order
for their communication systems and antennas to transmit properly
to the ground station. The situation will evolve in the course of
the next several days, and further attempts to establish good
communications links with those satellites will continue.
A joint effort from all CubeSat teams and radio amateurs from the
AMSAT network has now started, in order to be able to clearly detect
the satellites.
The full ESA report can be found on-line at:
http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Education/SEMR2ZYXHYG_0.html
[ANS thanks the ESA for the above information]
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MASAT-1 (MO-72) Team Releases Software and Web Page Updates
The MASAT-1 team said this week that updated client software for
telemetry reception and decoding is available on their web at:
http://cubesat.bme.hu/en/radioamatoroknek/kliens-szoftver/
Some of the upgrades include:
+ The "Offline" label removed, the status of the automatic
packet reporting is displayed.
+ Battery voltage constant (on the EPS panel) updated.
+ User selection between 626/1250 bps decoding.
+ The waterfall display shows tracks for the 0, CW and 1. The
decoder has been reported to be most successful if tuning is
set upward by 50-100 Hz from the tuning indicators. User
experiences are invited to be sent to mezei(a)cubesat.bme.hu.
The automated received packet upload from the client software has
been updated to accept ham(a)cubesat.bme.hu or a(a)a.a as mail address
for those not wishing to send their actual address. Users can change
the e-mail address by editing the registration.txt file in the pro-
gram folder of the software package.
A statistics web page reporting on the numbers of packets forwarded
by amateur radio operators has been added:
http://cubesat.bme.hu/en/radioamatoroknek/veteli-statisztika/
The site has successfully received over 50000 packets from around
the world. The latest updates to the web and client software should
address initial concerns that 'no packets' have been received.
The MASAT-1 team thanks amateur radio operators for your outstanding
support. The MASAT-1 Important News for Radio Amateurs page is at:
http://cubesat.bme.hu/en/2012/02/19/fontos-hirek-radioamatoroknek/
The MASAT-1 mission home page is: http://cubesat.bme.hu
[ANS thanks the MASAT-1 Team for the above information]
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Dedicated CubeSat Radio Spectrum Discussed at WRC-12
AMSAT-UK reports on their web that the recently concluded WRC-12
conference agreed to a resolution by the SmallSat, CubeSat, and
NanoSatellite community for dedicated spectrum allocation outside
of the 435 to 437 MHz amateur satellite band.
Wouter Jan Ubbels, PE4WJ with the Dutch space development company
ISIS says he was able to introduce a resolution at WRC-12 sub-
mitted by a number of countries, led by the Netherlands to pro-
pose an agenda item for WRC-2015 to conduct studies to identify
the spectrum needs of nano-and picosatellites, and furthermore to
study the associated regulatory constraints.
After the discussions at WRC-12, the resolution received partial
acceptance to begin study of the regulatory aspects for WRC-2018.
Wouter concluded, "This is very good news, and could mean that the
ITU notification process for nano-and picosatellites can become
greatly simplified in the future. We first of all would like to
thank all the supporting administrations for their support and
would like to invite the community to, through their administrations,
participate in the studies, so that the outcome will be as much as
possible line with the needs of the community. We will continue to
work on this subject and keep you updated through these lists and
at the various small / nano / picosatellite conferences and work-
shops."
The full news item can be viewed on the AMSAT-UK web at:
http://www.uk.amsat.org/4950
[ANS thanks Wouter Jan Ubbels, PE4WJ and AMSAT-UK for the above
information]
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Arizona Centennial Event K7UGA Station Reports 122 Satellite QSOs
Arizona AMSAT Area Coordinator, Patrick Stoddard, WD9EWK/VA7EWK and
Tom Kramer, NQ7R provided the satellite contacts for the K7UGA spec-
ial-event station. K7UGA was sponsored by the Central Arizona DX
Association in its commemoration of the Arizona statehood centennial.
Patrick reported, "Between Tom NQ7R and myself, we made 122 satellite
contacts. Tom worked his passes from his home in Casa Grande AZ (grid
DM42). For passes I worked at the start of the week through Thursday
afternoon, I operated from DM43 in the Phoenix area. For the passes I
worked Friday and Saturday, I was at the Yuma Hamfest. On Sunday morn-
ing, I parked next to the Yuma Territorial Prison State Historic
Park overlooking the Colorado River. Both Yuma sites are in grid DM22."
Patrick posted videos of his K7UGA operation:
+ SO-50 pass on Friday (17 February) morning at 1751 UTC:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKaIKgjuSMM
+ AO-27 pass on Friday afternoon at 2032 UTC:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIA_VANTdpQ
+ AO-27 pass on Saturday (18 February) afternoon at 2004 UTC:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YiXTjgD5nD8
+ VO-52 pass on Sunday (19 February) morning at 1538 UTC:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0AAB3A7Xy4
The K7UGA page on QRZ.com states that all QSL card requests be sent
with SASE to: K7BHM, 1623 N. Los Altos Ct., Chandler, AZ 85224-8357.
[ANS thanks Arizona AMSAT Area Coordinator, Patrick Stoddard,
WD9EWK/VA7EWK for the above information]
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AA5UK Announces Plans for Hawaii Satellite Operation
Adrian Engele, AA5UK says he will be traveling to Hawaii between
March 21 and April 4. This is primarily a vacation trip for sight-
seeing and scuba diving but satellite operation is also planned.
He will try to get on the satellites as often as his schedule permits
within vacation activities. His primary focus will be on FO-29, VO-52
and AO-7 Mode B passes. SO-50 and AO-27 may be attempted if conditions
permit.
+ March 21 - Fly from Chicago to Honolulu and Hilo.
+ March 22-25 - Operation from south of Hilo.
+ March 26 - April 1 - Kailua-Kona, Big Island in Hawaii.
+ April 2 - April 4: Oahu, Waikiki beach.
Adrian invites you to stay tuned via AMSAT-BB and his Twitter feed
@AA5UK for latest schedule information. He will also update his page
on QRZ.com in the coming weeks with additional information.
[ANS thanks Adrian Engele, AA5UK for the above information]
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Satellite DX: XF1AA on Isabel Island
The OPDX Bulletin 1050 is reporting that a team of 10 operators,
from the Aguas-Calientes Amateur Radio Club will activate Isabel
Island, grid DL71, using the callsign XF1AA. The planned dates are
March 16th through the 21st.
Ismael, XE1AY, is one of the operators and is active on the satel-
lites. If you should hear Ismael on the birds, please give him the
airtime to work as many as he can. Good luck with the operation!
[ANS thanks John Papay, K8YSE for the above information]
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Volunteers Needed for AMSAT at Timonium, MD on March 31
Pat Kilroy, N8PK says that volunteers are needed to staff the AMSAT
display and for satellite operating demonstrations at the Greater
Baltimore Hamboree and Computerfest on Saturday, March 31 in Timonium,
Maryland. This event is one of the largest Amateur Radio and technology
shows on the East Coast.
In addition to the AMSAT display and satellite demonstrations Pat is
planning to show the FUNcube Dongle and present show'n'tell talks for
visitors to the AMSAT booth.
Please contact Pat soon by e-mail (pat(a)patkilroy.com) if you can help!
For more info about the hamfest visit: http://www.gbhc.org/
[ANS thanks Pat Kilroy, N8PK for the above information
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ARISS Status Report - 20 February 2012
1. Kochi Youth Radio ISS Astronaut
Kochi Gakuen Kochi Junior High School in Kochi, Japan experienced a
successful Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS)
contact on Monday, February 13. Students asked Dan Burbank, KC5ZSX,
11 questions about living in space. The contact was integrated into
the science curriculum. Media coverage included three television
stations and three newspapers.
2. Astronaut Dan Burbank Speaks with Louisville Students
On Tuesday, February 14, youth attending The Academy @ Shawnee par-
ticipated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station
(ARISS) contact with on-orbit astronaut Dan Burbank, KC5ZSX via
telebridge station ON4ISS in Belgium. The contact took place at
the Challenger Learning Center in Louisville, Kentucky with the
assistance of the Louisville Astronomical Society. Approximately 40
people were in attendance and listened as Burbank chatted with stu-
dents about experiments on board the ISS and the effect space has on
the human body, among other topics. The Academy, an inner city high
school of 500 students, has been designated as the Aerospace Magnet
School for Jefferson County Public Schools. The contact was part of
a comprehensive education plan to pique students' interest in Sci-
ence, Technology, Engineering and Math.
3. Astronaut Training Status
Astronaut Alexander Gerst passed his amateur radio license exam on
February 13 and is waiting for his callsign to be assigned. He is
scheduled to fly with Expedition 40 in May 2014.
An introductory session is planned for Gregory Wiseman, KF5LKT (Expe-
dition 40, May 2014) on Monday, February 27 and a preflight session
is scheduled for Expedition 32 astronauts Sunita Williams, KD5PLB
and Akihiko Hoshide, KE5DNI on Monday, March 5. Williams and Hosh-
ide will fly later this year.
[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,
Lee McLamb, KU4OS
ku4os at amsat dot org
AMSAT NEWS SERVICE
ANS-050
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(a)amsat.org
In this edition:
* NASA Press Release for 3rd Round of Cubesat Space Mission Candidates
* Dick Daniels (W4PUJ) - SK, 1932 - 2012
* AMSAT Awards Announcement & New Postal Rates Notice
* AMSAT Preparations for Dayton Hamvention 2012
* Vega Launch Success - Cubesats Heard
* MASAT-1 Designated MagyarSat-OSCAR-72 (MO-72)
* Satellite Shorts From All Over
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-050.01
ANS-050 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 050.01
>From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
February 19, 2012
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-050.01
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NASA Press Release for 3rd Round of Cubesat Space Mission Candidates
On February 14, 2012 NASA issued a press release officially listing
AMSAT-NA and all of the other 32 small satellites selected to fly in
2013 and 2014 as auxiliary payloads.
The proposed CubeSats come from universities across the country, the
Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation, NASA field centers and Depart-
ment of Defense organizations.
After launch, the satellites will conduct technology demonstrations,
educational research or science missions. The selected spacecraft
are eligible for flight after final negotiations and an opportunity
for flight becomes available. The satellites come from the following
organizations:
-- Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
-- Air Force Research Lab, Wright-Patterson AFB
-- California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
-- Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y.
-- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge
-- Montana State University, Bozeman
-- Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, Calif. (2 CubeSats)
-- NASA's Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif.
-- NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
-- NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, in partnership with the
California Institute of Technology, Pasadena (2 CubeSats)
-- NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral, Fla.
-- The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation, Silver Spring, Md.
-- Saint Louis University, St. Louis
-- Salish Kootenai College, Pablo, Mont.
-- Space and Missile Defense Command, Huntsville, Ala. (2 CubeSats)
-- Taylor University, Upland, Ind.
-- University of Alabama, Huntsville
-- University of California, Berkeley
-- University of Colorado, Boulder (2 CubeSats)
-- University of Hawaii, Manoa (3 CubeSats)
-- University of Illinois, Urbana (2 CubeSats)
-- University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
-- University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, N.D.
-- University of Texas, Austin
-- US Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
-- Virginia Tech University, Blacksburg
Thirty-two CubeSat missions have been selected for launch in the
previous two rounds of the CubeSat Launch Initiative. Eight CubeSat
missions have been launched (including five selected via the CubeSat
Launch Initiative) to date via the agency's Launch Services Program
Educational Launch of Nanosatellite, or ELaNa, program.
The full text of the NASA Press Release can be read on-line at:
http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2012/feb/HQ_12-050_CubeSats.htmlSpaceDaily.com published a related story at:
http://tinyurl.com/Cubesats
For additional information on NASA's CubeSat Launch Initiative
program, visit: http://go.usa.gov/Qbf
Please make your donation to AMSAT's Fox-1 Fund at:
http://www.amsat.org
[ANS thanks NASA for the above information]
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Dick Daniels (W4PUJ) - SK, 1932 - 2012
By Jan A. King W3GEY/VK4GEY
One of AMSAT's most important, admired and well loved members, Dick
Daniels, W4PUJ, ex WA4DGU, died on February 14, 2012. He lost his
battle with lung cancer, diagnosed only at Christmas time 2011. Dick
achieved so much working for AMSAT that it is virtually impossible to
enumerate his individual accomplishments. And we cannot overestimate
the importance of his sustained support. Dick was many things to us
but, among them he was our record keeper, photographic recorder, and
the de facto AMSAT historian. So, his loss also represents the loss
of many memories of the things we did and the places we've gone as
an organization, which simply can't be recorded or kept except in
a mind. So, our loss is huge! The records of our earlier spacecraft
developments, starting with Australis-OSCAR-5 and continuing to pre-
sent, amount to over 6,000 individual (non-duplicate) 35 mm slides.
These have since been digitized. These were all kept and maintained
by him. Many of the photos were his own.
Dick was born in Cincinnati, Ohio on May 19, 1932. He received a BBA
degree from the University of Cincinnati in Business Management in
1956 and an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania Wharton Graduate
School in 1957. He joined NASA HQ in 1961 where he remained until his
retirement in 1994. Dick became a licensed radio amateur in 1959. He
was involved with the formation of AMSAT in 1970 and served on the
AMSAT Board of Directors from 1992 to 2003.
Dick was one of the initial AMSAT members and was Life Member 11. His
first major contribution to amateur radio was his work to obtain per-
mission from the NASA Administrator (then James Fletcher) and the
NOAA Administrator (then Jack Townsend) for the launch of Australis-
OSCAR-5. It was Dick who pushed our AMSAT letter proposal for the
launch of AO-5 through the NASA and NOAA systems. Dick was also heav-
ily involved in our efforts to license AO5 with the FCC. That was a
much bigger deal back in 1970 than it is today. Few will appreciate
the resistance we had within the system from the TIROS project office
at NASA/GSFC and what had to be done to overcome it. Few will also
remember the support we had from places we didn't expect, but, with
Dick's help and all of us pushing - we were in "business" - the
"business" of building satellites for free.
Dick became AMSAT-NA's primary mechanical designer and technician,
having helped design and then assemble just about every spacecraft
structure we launched starting with AMSAT-OSCAR-6. At the beginning
of the Phase-3 era it became clear that AMSAT needed to go into the
propulsion business if we were going to get to higher orbits and
Dick took on the role of chief propulsion expert, in addition to
his mechanical technician duties. Dick and I installed the Thiokol
solid propellant kick motor into the ill-fated Phase-3A satellite
once it arrived in French Guiana and it was Dick, working with MBB
who loaded the bi-propellant fuels (UDMH or AZ-50 and N2O4) on-board
AO-10, AO-13 and AO-40 (all very dangerous compounds). Even though
the rocket motor each time was pure German technology, Dick was the
one we all trusted to handle the exacting task of propellant loading.
He also developed, assembled and tested all of the PFAs (propellant
flow assembly) units that controlled the fuel flow and pressurization
of each of the propulsion systems. He also contributed significantly
to their design details. The utilization of real, high performance
propulsion systems on small satellites is still something no other
small satellite organization other than AMSAT has successfully
achieved. Few have even attempted to follow in our footsteps. We've
had our difficulties with rocket motors (and what organization that
has tried to use them has not?) but, at least AO-13 was perfect. No
professional organization has ever done much better than the perform-
ance of that propulsion system. And, in large measure, the success
of that system can be credited to Dick Daniels. The other P3 satel-
lites, at least had partially successful motor firings, except for
Phase-3A which was lost due to a launch vehicle failure, hence we
never had a chance to fire our solid rocket motor.
Dick constructed the AO-6 2M/10M repeater (or transponder) designed
by Perry Klein (W3PK) and Karl Meinzer (DJ4ZC). He also constructed
the follow-on unit flown on AO-7. He assembled major portions of the
receiver units forming both the command system and packet communica-
tions system developed by Tom Clark (W3IWI) for the four Microsat
spacecraft launched in 1990. Dick assembled so much hardware that if
you were to look at each individual sub-assembly that he built or
worked on - as they exist in our master photo set - and you viewed
each slide for 10 seconds, it would take over an hour to view all
of them! That is a lot of space flight hardware.
Dick loved space flight, he loved the challenge represented by the
amateur satellite program and he loved working with our many friends
around the world. Together we accomplished something that will take
years before others reproduce. More importantly, with Dick's huge
support we actually created a new industry. Few lives can claim to
have done that. The Small Satellite Industry is very alive and well
and, as a sector of all space commerce it is now the fastest growing
area. If Dick had not made his contributions, AMSAT would have had a
very different history but, because of him and others who worked so
hard to get things started, AMSAT is at the root of all of today's
small satellite technology. This is a fact, not wishful thinking.
Dick also loved nature and the outdoors. We spent many happy times
hiking in the mountains of Virginia, using the "famous" Daniels
"cabin" as a base camp. We had great times chasing butterflies and
watching sea turtles in French Guiana. Dick has a wonderful family
and even though AMSAT took a significant fraction of his free time
his daughter Kathy and his son Robert are proud of his accomplish-
ments. Like all AMSAT "widows" Jackie supported Dicks "hobby" with
enthusiasm and never complained about her time alone when Dick was
integrating AMSAT spacecraft on the night shift (sometimes at home
and sometimes with me at the AMSAT lab). His family will miss him
terribly as he was not just an average father and husband.
Dick spent a lot of time working on the gantry level of many launch
vehicles, installing AMSAT spacecraft on Delta and Ariane launchers
and, as a NASA-HQ employee, he built more space flight hardware in
his basement than anyone working for NASA in Washington, D.C. ever
even saw in a lifetime. He loved life and he made his count. And he
made a huge difference to the outcome of our hobby and our belief
in what an individual can do in space.
So, we've lost someone that meant a lot to us all and someone who
will be impossible to replace. History may repeat itself but, it
will be a long time before someone like Dick Daniels, with his uni-
que set of skills comes our way again. So, W4PUJ is SK. This is a
sad day for amateur radio and to the small satellite space commun-
ity and even more for those of us who loved him.
Dick, you made a difference and it will be a long time still before
others reach where you have been. What you did wasn't just worthwhile
- IT WAS FANTASTIC! I'll never forget our time working together! It
was an amazing hobby, really! An amazing LIFE!
Jan A. King, W3GEY/VK4GEY
A memorial service will be held for Dick Daniels, W4PUJ on Saturday,
February 25 at 1:00PM at Little Falls 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.
Donations in memory of Dick can also be made on-line:
http://www.capitalcaring.org/donate-online
E-mail messages of condolence sent to martha(a)amsat.org will be given
to Dick's family.
For those planning to attend Dick Daniels Memorial Service from out
of the Washington DC area, a block of rooms has been reserved by the
family. Reservations must be made by Tuesday at 4:00 PM EST. Go to:
http://tinyurl.com/Daniels-AMSAT (Holiday Inn)
[ANS thanks Jan King, W3GEY/VK4GEY for the above information]
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AMSAT Awards Announcement & New Postal Rates Notice
AMSAT Director Contests and Awards, Bruce Paige, KK5DO says congrat-
ulations are in order for our latest AMSAT Awards recipients.
The following have entered into the Satellite Communicators Club for
making their first satellite QSO:
+ Ben Jacobs, KC9ROI
The following have earned the AMSAT Communications Achievement Award:
+ Hector Luis Martinez Sis, CO6CBF, #547
+ I Made Sudarsana SE, YB9AY, #548
The following have earned the South Africa Satellite Communications
Achievement Award:
+ Hector Luis Martinez Sis, CO6CBF, #US178
The following have earned their Robert W. Barbee, Jr. W4AMI Award:
+ Hector Luis Martinez Sis, CO6CBF #76
+ Jim Adams, K0BAM upgrade to 2,000
The following have earned their Robert W. Barbee, Jr. W4AMI 5000
Award:
+ Mariusz Kocot SQ9MES, #29
To see all the awards visit http://www.amsat.org or
http://www.amsatnet.com
Postage Rate Increase Drives New Cost of Awards:
------------------------------------------------
The AMSAT Awards web page (http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/awards/)
will be updated with the new postage rate information. Please note
that new U.S. Postage rates in effect January, 2012 now require en-
velopes with stiffeners in them (as AMSAT Awards are packaged) to
be sent as first class small packages. Postage is now $2.00 within
the U.S. and $5.00 for overseas.
[ANS thanks AMSAT Director Contests and Awards, Bruce Paige, KK5DO
for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
AMSAT Preparations for Dayton Hamvention 2012
AMSAT Vice-President of User Services, Gould Smith, WA4SXM says that
planning is underway and the AMSAT Dayton team is busy preparing for
our presence at the Hamvention, May 18-20, 2012.
AMSAT will be found in the same booths (444-449) in Ball Arena, right
across from the ARRL area and just inside the door from the Satel-
lite Demonstration area. Plan to visit all of the AMSAT activities!
+ AMSAT satellite prototypes
+ AMSAT Thursday Night Get-together
+ AMSAT Forum planned for Saturday morning
+ AMSAT/TAPR Banquet
AMSAT reserves a block of hotel rooms with priority given for those
volunteering to work in the AMSAT booth for multiple 2 hour shifts
during the Hamvention. More information will be released when this
is finalized.
Additional information via ANS and the AMSAT web site Dayton area
will be updated soon. Keep an eye on:
http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/hamvention/2012/Dayton.php
[ANS thanks Gould Smith, WA4SXM for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Vega Launch Success - Cubesats Heard
The European Space Agency Vega first flight was launched successfully
on Monday, February 13 at 1000 UTC from the ESA Spaceport at Kourou
in French Guiana. A YouTube video playback of the launch can be seen
at: http://tinyurl.com/Vega-Launch
Following the launch signals had been reported from AlmaSat-1, Goliat,
Masat-1, PW-Sat, UniCubeSat and XaTcobeo by amateur radio operators
around the world.
Details of the satellite radio frequency and modulation type have
been published on the web, see:
http://www.amsat.orghttp://www.uk.amsat.org/4657http://www.ne.jp/asahi/hamradio/je9pel/esa9cubf.htm
The Cubesats have received IARU Coordination for operation on the
following frequencies:
+ AlmaSat-1 437.465 MHz 1200 bps FSK, 2407.850 MHz
- E-St@r 437.445 MHz 1200 bps AFSK (no reception report)
+ Goliat 437.485 MHz 1200 bpx AFSK
+ Masat-1 437.345 MHz 625/1250 bps GFSK, CW
+ PW-Sat 145.900 MHz 1200 bps BPSK AX25, CW
- Robusta 437.325 MHz 1200 bps FM (no reception report)
+ UniCubeSat 437.305 MHz 9600 bps FSK
+ XaTcobeo 437.365 MHz FFSK with AX.25
AMSAT-Francophone has posted a windows and linux version of a tele-
metry decoder for the French student ROBUSTA amateur satellite at:
http://www.amsat-f.org/site/spip.php?article24
When PW-Sat has finished its primary scientific mission it will be
reconfigured as a 435/145 MHz FM to DSB transponder for general
amateur radio communications. The FM to Double Sideband transponder
was first pioneered by amateurs on the satellite AO-16.
The Masat-1 satellite team have made available software to decode
their 437.345 MHz GFSK telemetry data via a PC sound card. The soft-
ware can be downloaded from:
http://cubesat.bme.hu/en/foldi-allomas/kliens-szoftver/
XaTcobeo got a mention on Spanish TV news, see:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdVt8P1gzfY (in Spanish)
[ANS thanks the Vega Cubesat Teams, AMSAT-UK, and radio amateurs
worldwide for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
MASAT-1 Designated MagyarSat-OSCAR-72 (MO-72)
OSCAR Number Administrator Bill Tynan, W3XO reports, "Congratula-
tions on the successful launch of the MaSat-1 Cubesat that the team
at Budapest University of Technology and Economics have been respon-
sible for designing, building and testing. Since you have met all
of the requirements for being issued an OSCAR number, including
coordination through IARU and requesting an OSCAR number, I, under
authority vested in me by the President of AMSAT-NA, do hereby name
MaSat-1 as MagyarSat-OSCAR-72 or MO-72."
Bill concludes, "I, and all at AMSAT-NA wish MagyarSat-OSCAR-72 great
success in fulfilling all of its mission objectives."
[ANS thanks OSCAR Number Administrator Bill Tynan, W3XO for the
above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Satellite Shorts From All Over
+ Congratulations to John Papay K8YSE for reaching 1006 confirmed
grids for his satellite VUCC award!
+ Joseph Armbruster, KJ4JIO is working on an analysis of ARISSat-1
keplerian element data. He has posted his initial graphic plots
of the data at: http://tinyurl.com/KJ4JIO-Analysis
Joe plans to extend this analysis in the future to include correl-
ation of orbit with temperature, eclipses, etc.
+ ARISS news is available on Twitter. The ARISS twitter account
ARISS_status has just surpassed the 1000 followers mark.
See: http://twitter.com/ARISS_status
+ Special John Glenn ARISS Contact with Perth, Australia to cele-
brate the 50th Anniversary of "The City of Lights" will carried
live via internet streaming, Monday, February 20 at 10:23 UTC:
- EchoLink *AMSAT* (101377) and *JK1ZRW* (277208) servers
- IRLP Node 9010 Discovery Reflector
+ AMSAT-DL received a certificate of appreciation from Japan's
UNITEC-1 flight to Venus together with AKATSUKI (Venus Climate
Orbiter): http://tinyurl.com/UNITEC-Award (amsat.org).
+ Reminder that the QSL Manager for the K7UGA Barry Goldwater
Special Event stations sponsored by CADXA is Bob Davies, K7BHM
(qrz.com) with an SASE. A video showing K7UGA satellite operation
has been posted by Patrick WD9EWK at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=790OQThYtX0
+ Yuri, UT1FG/MM has been making satellite contacts in range of North
America. John, K8YSE has prepared an excellent "working Yuri" pri-
mer for those trying to make a contact with UT1FG/MM:
http://www.papays.com/sat/general.html (scroll down about 1/4 way
down the web page).
+ AMSAT Keeper of the Keps, Ray Hoad, WA5QGD says that SumbandilaSat
(SO-67, Cat# 35870) has been added back into the Keplerian Element
set distribution in light of published plans of recovery of SO-67
for amateur radio operation.
+ The 2012 AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual Meeting dates have been
set for Oct 26-28, 2012 at the Holiday Inn Orlando Airport. More
details as they become available.
+ NASA and the American Physical Society have entered into a part-
nership to share unique videos from the International Space Station
with students, educators and science fans around the world. NASA
astronaut Don Pettit will use everyday objects from Earth to demon-
strate physics through the "Science off the Sphere" video series.
Watch the first video at http://www.physicscentral.com/explore/sots/
(NASA Education Express)
+ Astronaut Nicole Stott posted an image of Egypt on her Twitter
account: http://tinyurl.com/pyramids-from-ISS. If you can spot the
Great Pyramids at Giza in this small image, you've pretty good eye-
sight! Click the image for a larger version of the image if can't
find them. (UniverseToday.com)
+ DX News Reports say that Gabon, TR, will be activated by Sebastien,
F4EIH, who will be in Gabon for at least three years starting on
1 February. He plans to operate SSB, PSK31 and JT65 on the HF and
VHF (EME and Satellite) bands. (425 DX News)
+ Enjoy the view out the window aboard the ISS as you fly over the
US East Coast at night: http://tinyurl.com/ISS-Over-EastCoast. At
the end of the video you can click on the icons to fly over other
places. (UniverseToday.com)
+ Cornell/JA/MIT are organizing the 1st Interplanetary CubeSat Work-
shop. The conference will be held at the end of May this year at
MIT. Abstracts are now being accepted for technical talks. The
event website describing keynote speakers, program details and
other information can be accessed at: http://www.iCubeSat.org
+ Historical Note: 26 years ago on February 19, 1986 the Mir Space
Station was launched. It was assembled in orbit from 1986 to 1996.
It was deorbited on March 21, 2001.
[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,
please keep in mind the size of the universe: Light from the sun takes
8 minutes to reach you. When you look at the Andromeda galaxy the light
you are seeing took 2.3 million years to reach you. If the sun were the
size of a dot on an ordinary-sized letter 'i', then the nearest star
would be 10 miles away.
73,
This week's ANS Editor,
JoAnne Maenpaa, K9JKM
K9JKM at amsat dot org
AMSAT NEWS SERVICE
ANS-043
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(a)amsat.org
In this edition:
* AMSAT Fox-1 Cubesat Selected for NASA ELaNa Launch Collaboration
* Vega Launch on February 13 With Eight Amateur Band Cubesats
* ARISS Contact to Celebrate 50th Anniversary John Glenn Over Perth
* Open Mission Control Software for CubeSat Project Teams
* NASA astronaut Janice Voss, KC5BTK Passes
* SumbandilaSat SO-67 Amateur Transponder Recovery Work in Progress
* AMSAT Notes:
* International Space Station (ARISS) Status Report February 6, 2012
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-043.01
ANS-043 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 043.01
From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
February 12, 2012
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-043.01
AMSAT Fox-1 Cubesat Selected for NASA ELaNa Launch Collaboration
Project ELaNa, NASA's "Educational Launch of NanoSat" managed by the
Launch Services Program at the Kennedy Space Center, announced on
February 10 that the AMSAT Fox-1 cubesat has been selected to join the
program.
NASA will work with AMSAT in a collaborative agreement where NASA will
cover the integration and launch costs of satellites deemed to have
merit in support of their strategic and educational goals.
AMSAT teamed with the ARRL to write and deliver the 159 page educa-
tional proposal to NASA. Letters documenting the importance of AMSAT's
satellites in the education programs at the ARRL and also at the Clay
Center for Science and Technology at the Dexter and Southfield schools
in Brookline, MA, were important parts of our proposal.
AMSAT President Barry Baines, WD4ASW said, "The ELaNA Launch opportunity
marks AMSAT's return to space after the conclusion of the successful
ARISSat-1/KEDR flight. We need to get the flight Fox-1, along with an
operational flight backup satellite, built, integrat- ed, tested, and
delivered. Our ability to provide a spacecraft and get it launched is
dependent upon the active support of our donors who wish to see Fox-1
fly."
AMSAT Vice-President of Engineering, Tony Monteiro, AA2TX noted this
will provide a launch opportunity for AMSAT's next generation of FM
repeater satellites with features and operation beyond the experience of
AO-51. AMSAT's Fox-1 Engineering Team is making progress developing the
advanced satellite that will provide these features:
+ Fox-1 is designed to operate in sunlight without batteries once
the battery system fails. This applies lessons learned from AO-51
and ARISSat-1 operations.
+ In case of IHU failure Fox-1 will continue to operate its FM
repeater in a basic, 'zombie sat' mode, so that the repeater
remains on-the-air.
+ Fox-1 is designed as the immediate replacement for AO-51. Its U/V
(Mode B) transponder will make it even easier to work with modest
equipment.
+ From the ground user's perspective, the same FM amateur radio
equipment used for AO-51 may be used for Fox-1.
+ Extending the design, Fox-2 will benefit from the development work
of Fox-1 by adding more sophisticated power management and Software
Defined Transponder (SDX) communications systems.
The Fox-1 Project presents an opportunity to literally put your call-
sign on the Fox hardware. AMSAT is looking for major donations to help
underwrite the cost of solar cells/panels, one of the more significant
expenses of the project.
These solar cells are needed for the flight unit as well as for the a
flight spare. As Fox-1 will have solar cells on all six sides of the
spacecraft and given the relatively small surface area available on each
side (at most 4" by 4" per side), AMSAT needs to invest in high
efficiency solar cells to gain as much power as possible to operate the
spacecraft.
Several opportunities to make your donation to keep amateur radio in
space include:
+ Return the form sent with the letter to reply with your donation
for the Fox-1 Project.
- All donations over $40 will receive a Fox pin.
- Donations of $120 or more qualify you for AMSAT President's Club
+ Call Martha at the AMSAT Office +1-888-FB AMSAT (1-888-322-6728)
+ Paypal donation widget on the main page at: http://www.amsat.org
+ Paypal donation widget for Project Fox at:
http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/fox/
+ You can also go to the Paypal site and send your donation to
martha(a)amsat.org.
+ The AMSAT Store: http://www.amsat-na.com/store/categories.php
Project Fox web site provide a good overview of the technical progress
of the new satellite: http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/fox/
[ANS thanks AMSAT President Barry Baines, WD4ASW, AMSAT Vice-President
of Engineering, Tony Monteiro, AA2TX and AMSAT's Project Fox Engineering
team for the above information]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------
ESA Vega Launch Includes 8 Amateur Band Satellites
Vega is scheduled to launch on February 13, at 1000 UTC with eight
student built amateur radio satellites. Internet video streaming of the
launch will be available at:
http://www.videocorner.tv/index.htm
The launcher will first deploy the main payload LARES, the Laser
relativity Spacecraft and will then make an additional firing of the
final OVUM stage before deploying the secondary cubesat payloads. The
planned timing for these deployments, in order of ejection, are as
follows:
= T0+ 4245.30secs 1st PPOD, with XatCobeo, e-st@r, and Goliat.
= T0+ 4255.30secs 2nd PPOD, with Robusta, MaSat-1 and PW-Sat.
= T0+ 4265.30secs 3rd PPOD, with UniCubeSat.
= T0+ 4275.30secs AlmaSat-1.
The Cubesats will not deploy their antennas until >1800 seconds after
they leave their PODS.It is not known how soon AlmaSat-1 will start
transmitting after deployment.
Vega Launch Cubesat Amateur Band Frequencies:
+ AlmaSat-1 437.465 MHz 1200 bps FSK, 2407.850 MHz
+ E-St@r 437.445 MHz 1200 bps AFSK
+ Goliat 437.485 MHz 1200 bpx AFSK
+ MaSat-1 437.345 MHz GFSK 625/1250 bps, CW
+ PW-Sat 435.020 MHz FM uplink, 145.990 MHz DSB downlink
+ Robusta 437.325 MHz 1200 bps FM telemetry
+ UniCubeSat 437.305 MHz 9600 bps FSK
+ XaTcobeo 437.365 MHz FFSK with AX.25
Links to the home pages of the satellite teams are included on the
http://www.amsat.org page. Extensive coverage of the launch and the
satellites can also be found on the AMSAT-UK web:
http://www.uk.amsat.org/
An ESA video of all of the satellites aboard the Vega Maiden Flight can
be viewed on YouTube at: http://tinyurl.com/ESA-Vega-Cubesats
The university cubesat teams welcome reception reports. All observ- ers
are invited to submit reports via amsat-bb and to also join the CubeSat
Internet Relay Chat channel to pass on their news and com- ments in
realtime. You will need an IRC client such as the ChatZilla addon for
FireFox or mIRC to join the cubesat chat:
1. Connect to the irc.freenode.net server.
2. Once connected to the server the /join #cubesat command will
bring you into the channel.
3. Many users set their chat nickname to "name_callsign".
ChatZilla AddOn for Firefox:
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/chatzilla/
mIRC
http://www.mirc.com/
[ANS thanks the CubeSat Teams for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
ARISS Contact to Celebrate 50th Anniversary John Glenn Over Perth
On the 20th of February 1962 a Mercury-Atlas 6 spacecraft called
"Friendship 7" was launched. In the hot-seat was Astronaut, John Glenn.
The objective was to place a man into earth orbit, observe his reactions
to the space environment and safely return him to earth to a point where
he could be readily found.
During the first orbit of three, the spacecraft came into radio range of
the Muchea Tracking Station where the first Australian space radio
contact was made by Gerry O'Connor who spoke with John Glenn as he
passed overhead.
One of the questions that was posed for this flight was "Can you see the
cities of Earth from space?" To help answer that question, the people of
the City of Perth all turned their lights on as John Glenn flew over.
The answer to the question was a resounding "YES!", and Perth was
nicknamed "The City of Light".
Fifty years later on February 20, 2012 young people from Western
Australia will have the chance to ask a question of an astronaut or
cosmonaut currently residing on the International Space Station.
There will be a live radio and video connection to the space station at
the Northbridge Piazza in Perth, Western Australia. Ten lucky winners of
the student competition, selected from primary and secon- dary schools,
will get to ask questions, and receive their answers in real time as the
space station flies overhead.
>From a technical perspective, ARISS will configure a direct amateur
radio link between the ISS and ham operator, Dick Flagg, AH6NM, in
Honolulu. In Perth, members of the Hills Amateur Radio Group will
provide a phone link between AH6NM and Northbridge Piazza so the stu-
dents can converse with the astronaut. Tony Hutchison, VK5ZAI, ARISS
Mentor for Australia is conducting the behind the scenes preparation.
The event begins at 17:00PM Perth time (0900 UTC) on February 20. The
currently scheduled contact time is approximately at 10:22 UTC, sub-
ject to last minute change depending upon events aboard the ISS or orbit
changes.
In addition to the ARISS contact, web-streaming and other space act-
ivities such as a radio telescope, optical telescopes, museum exhibi-
tions, an address by the Lord Mayor of Perth, a video message from John
Glenn and a presentation by the Western Australia Chief Scientist are
planned.
The press release of the City of Lights ARISS event, issued by the
Government of Western Australia can be read on=line at:
http://tinyurl.com/WA-PressRelease
Web pages with more information of the event can be found at:
http://harg.org.au/ariss/http://museum.wa.gov.au/city-lights
[ANS thanks Richard, G4TUT and David Jordan, AA4KN, ARISS Public
Relations, Australia ARISS Coordinator Tony Hutchison, VK5ZAI for the
above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Open Mission Control Software for CubeSat Project Teams
CubeSat developers may be interested in learning more about the Open
Mission Control software, an open source, open access software for
monitoring and controlling small spacecraft. The software is designed to
provide an application and framework that can be adapted quickly and
easily to support a variety of spacecraft including CubeSats,
myPocketQubs and NanoLab experiments, and sounding rocket and high
altitude balloon experiments. The team include students, space pro-
fessionals, educators and enthusiasts from around the world, all working
together to build a great mission control application for small
spacecraft projects.
The Open Mission Control framework consists of the application and
graphical user interface which contain the basic structure of the
program, and the Open Mission Control toolbox, which provides a number
of ready to use functions typically required for mission control
applicationa.
The Open Mission Control application and graphical user interface can be
adapted to a project quickly and easily, by populating them with
elements from the Open Mission Control toolbox and other stan- dard
library elements. This approach allows also users with limited
programming experience to create sophisticated mission control soft-
ware by building on a solid basic implementation.
Use and verification.
Designed to work with any spacecraft project, the first flight mis- sion
that is expected to use Open Mission Control is myPocketQub 442.
myPocketQub 442 was selected to fly as a pocket spacecraft attached to
UKube-1, the first United Kingdom Space Agency CubeSat. It is expected
to be the first mission controlled by Open Mission Control and to
demonstrate and verify various use cases:
+ The first use case is for professional monitoring, command and
control of a real spacecraft.
+ The second use case involves schools and universities using Open
Mission Control to upload their virtual payloads for their Open-
Space365 projects, monitor their experiments as they run and down-
load the data for analysis.
+ The third use case involves the use of Open Mission Control as
monitoring software for the various scientific and engineering
sub-payloads that will fly on myPocketQub 442. The students con-
ducting these experiments will use Open Mission Control to access
and store the data from these payload experiments for analysis
and research.
+ The fourth use case is communication with engineering models of
the real spacecraft which will be made available on the Internet.
These engineering models are duplicates of the flight hardware and
allow Open Mission Control to command and monitor them and their
sub-payloads in real time and to simulate different critical mis-
sion phases under real conditions.
Additional information and links are available on the Open Mission
Control webpage at: http://openmissioncontrol.wordpress.com/
[ANS thanks the Open Mission Control Team for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
NASA astronaut Janice Voss, KC5BTK Passes
NASA astronaut Janice Voss passed away from cancer overnight. One of
only six women who have flown in space five times, Voss' career was
highlighted by her work and dedication to scientific payloads and
exploration. Janice supported SAREX during her flights on the Space
Shuttle. She was a phone-in speaker during one of AMSAT's multi-media
Dayton Forum presentations with Roy Neal as MC. Janice held the callsign
KC5BTK.
Voss began her career with NASA in 1973 while a student at Purdue
University. She returned to NASA in 1977 to work as an instructor,
teaching entry guidance and navigation to space shuttle crews. After
completing her doctorate in 1987, she worked within the aerospace
industry until she was selected as an astronaut in 1990.
Voss' first spaceflight mission was STS-57 in 1993, the first flight of
the Spacehab module. She next flew on STS-63 in 1995, a mission to the
Mir space station, and third flight of Spacehab. She also flew as a
payload commander on STS-83 in 1997 with the Microgravity Science
Laboratory, but the mission was cut short due to problems with one of
the orbiter's three fuel power generation units. Voss, the crew and MSL
flew again as the STS-94 MSL-1 Spacelab mission, focused on materials
and combustion science research in microgravity.
Her last mission was STS-99 in 2000, a flight to the International Space
Station as part of the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission which mapped
more than 47 million square miles of the Earth's land surface.
In total, Voss spent more than 49 days in space.
Peggy Whitson, chief of the Astronaut Office said, "By improving the way
scientists are able to analyze their data, and establishing the
experimental methods and hardware necessary to perform these unique
experiments, Janice and her crew ensured that our space station would be
the site of discoveries that we haven't even imagined."
For Voss' complete biography, please visit:
http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/voss-jan.html
[ANS thanks Frank Bauer, KA3HDO and SpaceRef.com for the above
information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
SumbandilaSat SO-67 Amateur Transponder Recovery Work in Progress
It would appear that prior reports on the demise of South Africa's
SumbandilaSat were 'greatly exagerated' (with apologies to author Mark
Twain).
A report on the Southern African AMSAT website says partial recov- ery
is possible for Amateur Radio Operation to possibly resume in March
2012.
"We have not given up on our efforts to get SumbandilaSat working again
even if it is only partially", said Johan Lochner ZR1CBC who is spending
much time on the recovery process and many nights burn- ing the midnight
oil working on new and more intelligent algorithms.
He and his colleagues are making every effort to get the satellite
working again.
SumbandilaSat experienced a corruption in the programme memory of one of
the power switches. This is the interface unit which con- trols a robust
orientation control implementation system which is using output from the
magnetic sensors to point the solar panels to- wards the sun in a safe
mode scenario when for example communica- tions with the ground segment
was not possible for a few days.
The corruption of the program memory prevented the magnetic inter- face
unit from automatically switching on after power-up and thus
preventing access to measurements taken by the magnetometer.
Johann said, "As a result of the malfunction of the magnetic control
unit the satellite started to slowly point away from the sun with
intermittent sun eclipses. When there was no power flowing from the
solar cells the batteries drained and we could not in a safe way
communicate with the satellite, so we backed off. Once we determined
this pattern we stopped communicating with the satellite when we did
not see sufficient charge on the batteries. At other times we had good
communication when could diagnose what was going on. Dur- ing good
communication windows that could last 2 or 3 days we tried to diagnose
the exact nature of the problem in the same way as we had done before
and we started to implement a fix. The particular power switch that
failed was already the redundant one so we were in a worse state than
before."
SumbandilaSat controllers implemented automated ground segment soft-
ware to make contact with the satellite from both SANSA Space Opera-
tions and the Electronic Systems labs at SU. The objective was to
contact the satellite automatically and to try to implement the recovery
procedure and also notify the team if any contact was made.
Johann continued, "By mid-November 2011 we again made contact with
SumbandilaSat and set in place a planned recovery procedure. Within
3-4 days we came to the conclusion that the main battery had failed.
Earlier the intermittent contact was because the battery could not be
fully charged and that satellite power bus was too low for the
processors and transmitter to function. We surmised that during the
month that we had no contact that the battery must have gone open
circuit. With the battery no longer on the power bus, the voltage on the
bus would rise to 28.5 volts and supply enough current to support
operations when SumbandilaSat was in full sunlight."
The SumbandilaSat concludes, "We are determined to get this working and
to maintain the scientific value of the satellite as much as possible.
Johann's focus is now on getting the amateur radio trans- ponder
working, which with the loss of AO-51 will be a great asset to amateur
radio satellite activity. By the end of February we hope to achieve
this!"
Uplink: 145.875 MHz (no tone required)
Downlink: 435.345 MHz
See: http://www.amsatsa.org.za/SumbandilaSat.htm for full coverage of
this news.
[ANS thanks SA AMSAT and Johan Lochner, ZR1CBC for the above
information]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
----
AMSAT Notes:
AMSAT Fox Project Flyer
Patrick Stoddard, WD9EWK has put together a nice 4 page pdf description
of the Fox project. This is available directly from this URL:
http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/fox/AMSAT_Fox-20120206.pdf or the link
can be found midway down the Fox page on the AMSAT Web site.
More detailed information about the Fox project can be found in the Fox
area of the AMSAT Web site.
AMSAT Annual Meeting dates set
The 2012 AMSAT Annual Meeting and Symposium will be held Oct 26-28,2011
at the Holiday Inn Orlando Airport. More details as they become
available.
AMSAT at Dayton 2012
The AMSAT Dayton team is busy preparing for the AMSAT presence at this
years Hamvention - May 18-20, 2012. Same booth spaces next the the ARRL
area, outdoor satellite demonstration area and it looks like the AMSAT
Forum will be Saturday morning. Additional information and web site area
soon.
[ANS Thanks Gould, WA2SXM, for this information]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------
Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) Status Report
February 6, 2012
1. Upcoming School Contacts
An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact was
successful for Inuksuk High School, Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada on
Wednesday, February 8 at 15:18 UTC via telebridge station AH6NM in
Hawaii. The school has formed a space club through which students are
learning about the ISS via videos, the internet and guest speakers. They
are learning how to track the ISS and are completing space-related
projects. Radio usage and protocol have been discussed. First Air and
the Makivik Corporation are the sponsors that ensure ARISS contacts are
supported in the remote areas of Northern Canada.
Soumuta Elementary School, located in Kagoshima, Japan scheduled for an
Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on
Saturday, February 11 at 10:33 UTC was successful. The school was
established in 1972 and has a current enrollment of 479 students.
Students are learning about the mission of the ISS and will experience
amateur radio concepts through their contact.
2. Polish Students Experience Successful ARISS Contact
On Saturday, February 4, students attending the Zespol Szkol nr 8 in
Walbrzych, Poland participated in an Amateur Radio on the International
Space Station (ARISS) contact with Don Pettit, KD5MDT on the ISS. Radio
station W6SRJ in California provided the telebridge connection.
Greetings were exchanged and students were able to get through all the
space-related questions they had prepared. The contact was integrated
into a curriculum covering electronics, microprocessor systems and
English and drew interest from the school's robotics and amateur radio
clubs. Contact audio was fed into EchoLink and IRLP (Internet Radio
Linking Project). Representatives from radio and television stations
provided media coverage.
3. ARISS-U.S. to Review Proposals Submitted
The NASA Teaching From Space office received over 100 inquiries about
the U.S. proposal process for ARISS contacts that will be scheduled
during the July 2012 - January 2013 time frame. Twenty-three schools met
the January 30 deadline and submitted proposals. The next step is for
the U.S. Selection Committee to review the proposals and select the U.S.
schools in about one month. Another window of opportunity for U.S.
schools and organizations to submit proposals will open later in the
year.
4. AMSAT News Service on ARISS
The February 5 AMSAT (Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation) News Service
bulletin (ANS-036) included an item about the successful amateur radio
satellite, SuitSat, titled, "Remembering Mr. Smith - SuitSat-1 February
3, 2006." Another piece covered the recent ARISS contact with El Dorado
County students. To view the articles, see:
http://amsat.org/pipermail/ans/2012/000589.html
5. Amateur Radio Newsline Covers ARISS
On February 3, Amateur Radio Newsline posted the winners of the ARISSat
Chicken Little Contest in its report #1799. To read, "Ham Radio in
Space: Winners of ARISSat-1 Chicken Little Contest Announced," see:
ftp://ftp.arnewsline.org/quincy/News/news.txt
/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
AMSAT NEWS SERVICE
ANS-041 Special Bulletin
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-041.01
ANS-041 AMSAT Fox-1 Cubesat Selected for NASA ELaNa Launch Collaboration
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 041.01
>From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
February 10, 2012
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-041.01
Project ELaNa, NASA's "Educational Launch of NanoSat" managed by the
Launch Services Program at the Kennedy Space Center, announced on
February 10 that the AMSAT Fox-1 cubesat has been selected to join
the program.
NASA will work with AMSAT in a collaborative agreement where NASA
will cover the integration and launch costs of satellites deemed to
have merit in support of their strategic and educational goals.
Watch for full details to be published in the AMSAT Journal.
AMSAT teamed with the ARRL to write and deliver the 159 page educa-
tional proposal to NASA. Letters documenting the importance of AMSAT's
satellites in the education programs at the ARRL and also at the Clay
Center for Science and Technology at the Dexter and Southfield schools
in Brookline, MA, were important parts of our proposal.
AMSAT President Barry Baines, WD4ASW said, "The ELaNA Launch oppor-
tunity marks AMSAT's return to space after the conclusion of the
successful ARISSat-1/KEDR flight. We need to get the flight Fox-1,
along with an operational flight backup satellite, built, integrat-
ed, tested, and delivered. Our ability to provide a spacecraft and
get it launched is dependent upon the active support of our donors
who wish to see Fox-1 fly."
AMSAT Vice-President of Engineering, Tony Monteiro, AA2TX noted this
will provide a launch opportunity for AMSAT's next generation of FM
repeater satellites with features and operation beyond the experience
of AO-51. AMSAT's Fox-1 Engineering Team is making progress developing
the advanced satellite that will provide these features:
+ Fox-1 is designed to operate in sunlight without batteries once
the battery system fails. This applies lessons learned from AO-51
and ARISSat-1 operations.
+ In case of IHU failure Fox-1 will continue to operate its FM
repeater in a basic, 'zombie sat' mode, so that the repeater
remains on-the-air.
+ Fox-1 is designed as the immediate replacement for AO-51. Its U/V
(Mode B) transponder will make it even easier to work with modest
equipment.
+ From the ground user's perspective, the same FM amateur radio
equipment used for AO-51 may be used for Fox-1.
+ Extending the design, Fox-2 will benefit from the development work
of Fox-1 by adding more sophisticated power management and Software
Defined Transponder (SDX) communications systems.
The Fox-1 Project presents an opportunity to literally put your call-
sign on the Fox hardware. AMSAT is looking for major donations to help
underwrite the cost of solar cells/panels, one of the more significant
expenses of the project.
These solar cells are needed for the flight unit as well as for the a
flight spare. As Fox-1 will have solar cells on all six sides of the
spacecraft and given the relatively small surface area available on
each side (at most 4" by 4" per side), AMSAT needs to invest in high
efficiency solar cells to gain as much power as possible to operate
the spacecraft.
Several opportunities to make your donation to keep amateur radio in
space include:
+ Return the form sent with the letter to reply with your donation
for the Fox-1 Project.
- All donations over $40 will receive a Fox pin.
- Donations of $120 or more qualify you for AMSAT President's Club
+ Call Martha at the AMSAT Office +1-888-FB AMSAT (1-888-322-6728)
+ Paypal donation widget on the main page at: http://www.amsat.org
+ Paypal donation widget for Project Fox at:
http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/fox/
+ You can also go to the Paypal site and send your donation to
martha(a)amsat.org.
+ The AMSAT Store: http://www.amsat-na.com/store/categories.php
Project Fox web site provide a good overview of the technical progress
of the new satellite: http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/fox/
[ANS thanks AMSAT President Barry Baines, WD4ASW, AMSAT Vice-President
of Engineering, Tony Monteiro, AA2TX and AMSAT's Project Fox Engineering
team for the above information]
/EX
AMSAT NEWS SERVICE
ANS-036
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(a)amsat.org
In this edition:
* Vega Launch on February 13 With Eight Amateur Band Cubesats
* SKN On OSCAR 2012 Best Fist Winners
* Remembering Mr. Smith - SuitSat-1 February 3, 2006
* New Version HamSatDroid App is Available
* Budapest University Masat-1 Telemetry Decoder Software Released
* February Arizona Centennial Special Event Plans Satellite Operation
* Can It Already Be That Time of Year For Field Day Planning?
* NASA Extends Deadline for Student Summer Internships
* Successful ARISS Contact with El Dorado County Students
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-036.01
ANS-036 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 036.01
From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
February 5, 2012
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-036.01
Vega Launch on February 13 With Eight Amateur Band Cubesats
Vega is scheduled to launch on Monday, February 13, at
1000 UTC with eight student built amateur radio satellites. The
launcher will first deploy the main payload, the LARES the Laser
relativity Spacecraft and will then make an additional firing of
the final OVUM stage before deploying the secondary cubesat payloads.
The planned timing for these deployments are as follows:
= T0+ 4245.30secs first PPOD, with (in order of ejection) XatCobeo,
e-st@r, and Goliat
= T0+ 4255.30secs second PPOD, with (in order of ejection) Robusta,
MaSat-1 and PW-Sat
= T0+ 4265.30secs third PPOD, with UniCubeSat only
(These Cubesats will not deploy their antennas until >1800 seconds
after they leave their PODS.)
= T0+ 4275.30secs AlmaSat-1 - it is not known how soon this space-
craft will start transmitting after deployment
Frequencies for the satellites on the Vega Launch are:
+ ALMASat-1 - University of Bologna, Italy 437.465 MHz 1200 bps FSK
and 2407.850 MHz
+ Xatcobeo (a collaboration of the University of Vigo and INTA,
Spain) to demonstrate software-defined radio and solar panel
deployment. 437.365 MHz FFSK with AX.25 and 145.940 MHz SSR
+ Robusta (University of Montpellier 2, France) to test and evaluate
radiation effects (low dose rate) on bipolar transistor electronic
components. 437.325 MHz 1200 bps FM telemetry with one data burst
of 20 seconds every 3 minutes.
+ e-st@r (Politecnico di Torino, Italy) to demonstration of an
active 3-axis Attitude Determination and Control system including
an inertial measurement unit. 437.445 MHz 1200 bps AFSK.
+ Goliat (University of Bucharest, Romania) to provide imaging of
the Earth surface using a digital camera and in-situ measurement
of radiation dose and micrometeoroid flux. 437.485 MHz 1200 bps
AFSK.
+ PW-Sat (Warsaw University of Technology, Poland) to test a deploy-
able atmospheric drag augmentation device for de-orbiting CubeSats.
PW-Sat carries an FM to DSB amateur radio transponder with an FM
input on 435.020 MHz and DSB output on 145.900 MHz. There are 5
modes of operation:
- Receive only - no downlink
- CW Beacon CW - On-Off Keying (OOK) CW 12 WPM 435.020 MHz
- BPSK Beacon - BPSK 1200 bps AX25 (1 frame on 20 sec) 435.020 MHz
- Control communication mode. Downlink BPSK 1200 bps AX25 435.020 MHz
- Voice Repeater mode (aka "AO-16 mode) - uplink 435.020 MHz FM and
downlink 145.900 MHz DSB
+ MaSat-1 (Budapest University of Technology and Economics): to dem-
onstrate various spacecraft avionics, including a power condition-
ing system, transceiver and on-board data handling. 437.345 MHz
GFSK 625/1250 bps, CW. See the related article in these bulletins
describing the downloadable GFSK demodulator software.
+ UniCubeSat GG - (University of Rome): The UNICubeSat mission goal
is the in situ measurement of atmospheric density. Downlink fre-
quencies are 437.305 MHz or 437.345 MHz 9k6 FSK.
Mineo Wakita, JE9PEL provides complete coverage of the Vega launch
on his 'ESA CubeSats Update' web pages. You'll find an overview of
each of the satellite missions, frequencies, modulation/protocols,
and links to the developers home web pages posted at:
http://www.ne.jp/asahi/hamradio/je9pel/esa9cubf.htm
AMSAT-UK covers the Vega launch at:
http://www.uk.amsat.org/4180
An ESA time-lapse showing the full assembly of the first Vega launch-
er at the launch pad at the ESA Spaceport in Kourou is posted at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=YaUMSLU0aig
The university cubesat teams have requested reception reports. All
observers are being encouraged to join the CubeSat IRC chat channel
to pass on their news and comments in realtime. You will need an IRC
client such as ChatZilla or mIRC to join the cubesat chat. Use the
irc.freenode.net server. Then join the #cubesat channel. Many users
set their chat nickname to "name_callsign".
[ANS thanks the cubesat teams, Mineo Wakita, JE9PEL, and AMSAT-UK
for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
SKN On OSCAR 2012 Best Fist Winners
Many thanks to all who participated in AMSAT's Straight Key Night
on OSCAR 2012, held in memory of Don Brown, W1JSM. Activity was
down this year, owing largely to there being only two satellites
available for use: AMSAT-OSCAR 7 -- which remained in Mode A
throughout the event -- and VUSAT-OSCAR 52.
Eight participants each received at least one Best Fist nomination:
AA5PK, N4ZQ, N6EV, WA6ARA, WB2SIH, WB4LHD, WB8TGY, and WC7V.
Congratulations to 2012's Best Fist winners, and we'll see you
in 2013!
[ANS thanks Ray Soifer, W2RS for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Remembering Mr. Smith - SuitSat-1 February 3, 2006
February 3 marks the sixth anniversary of the first ARISS satellite,
SuitSat-1, which captured the imagination of students, radio amateurs,
and people all around the world.
During a scheduled EVA outside the International Space Station, Val-
ery Tokarev and Bill McArthur, KC5ACR deployed a retired Russian Orlan
spacesuit with a radio transmitter and battery stuffed inside and
antenna mounted on its helmet. The deployment took place just after
23:05 UTC on February 3, 2006. Transmissions were soon heard on
145.990 MHz.
SuitSat-1, also known as Mr. Smith, Ivan Ivanovich, RadioSkaf, Radio
Sputnik and AMSAT-OSCAR 54, was an idea proposed by the ARISS-Russia
team as a commemorative gesture celebrating the 175th anniversary of
the Moscow State Technical University.
SuitSat-1 was programmed to continuously transmit recorded voice
messages in several languages from students around the world. The
signal began transmission approximately 15 minutes after SuitSat-1
was jettisoned. The downlink signal was noted to be weaker than ex-
pected, possibly due to a mechanical problem with the antenna.
SuitSat-1 re-entered the Earth's atmosphere on September 7, 2006, at
16:00 UTC about 1400 km south-southwest of Western Australia.
SuitSat-2 was planned following the public relations success of the
first suit. Originally, it was to have solar cells strapped to the
outside of the suit to provide charge for internal batteries and ex-
tend its life during orbit. When the Orlan suit planned to be used
for this mission was no longer available, SuitSat-2 was redesigned
into a satellite built into a deployable spaceframe with the solar
cells and cameras for Slow Scan Television (SSTV) mounted on the
outside of the box. The spacecraft was named ARISSat-1/KEDR which
recently completed its successful mission.
[ANS thanks the ARISS and AMSAT archives for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
New Version HamSatDroid App is Available
Dave Johnson, G4DPZ announced a new version of the free HamSatDroid
app now available on the Android Market.
Upates to the app include:
+ tracking algorithm uses Dave's SGP4 implementation, as GENSO.
+ plot three orbits ahead on the map
+ plot the footprint
+ take keps from Celestrak
Dave says, "Thanks to the feedback we've had from the existing
users, I've got quite a few more changes in development. Opinions
are sought about making a small charge and paying the income into
satellite building funds and supporting a server which might be
introduced to improve functionality of the app."
See the HamSatDroid web page at:
https://sites.google.com/site/hamsatdroid/
Dave is the FUNcube Data Warehouse Developer and is also an AMSAT-NA
Life Member and AMSAT-UK Committee Member.
[ANS thanks Dave Johnson, G4DPZ for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Budapest University Masat-1 Telemetry Decoder Software Released
Dr. Bandi Gschwindt HA5WH, Project Director of the Masat-1 CubeSat,
the first Hungarian satellite, built in Hungary by students at the
Budapest University of Technology and Economics, reports that their
satellite is expected to be launched on the Vega maiden flight on
February 9 with a planned deployment window between 10:00-13:00 UTC.
Masat-1's website is at: http://cubesat.bme.hu/?lang=en
The students are looking for hams to help with the reception of tele-
metry data on 437.345 MHz at 625/1250 bps baud rate GFSK, especially
in the first two weeks after launch. The satellite's callsign is
HA5MASAT.
The Masat-1 amateur radio webpage is at:
http://cubesat.bme.hu/radioamatoroknek/?lang=en
You can register on that page.
The Masat-1 Ground Station Client Software was prepared to process
the 437.345 MHz GFSK 625/1250 bps transmission received from the
satellite. The software provides the following functions:
+ Audio demodulation
+ Packet decoding
+ Packet data visualization
+ Frequency waterfall plot to aid radio tuning
Download the software and a test WAV file from:
http://cubesat.bme.hu/en/foldi-allomas/kliens-szoftver/
Planned orbit will be 300x1500 km, inclination 70deg. Launch will
be by ESA from Kourou. A video showing Masat-1's elliptical orbit
is posted online at: http://www.uk.amsat.org/4119
[ANS thanks Dr. Bandi Gschwindt, HA5WH and Perry Klein, W3PK for
the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
February Arizona Centennial Special Event Plans Satellite Operation
The Central Arizona DX Association (CADXA) is very pleased to
announce their special event operation in celebration of the
Arizona Centennial during the week of February 13-19th, 2012.
K7UGA Satellite Operation
-------------------------
Using the callsign of the late Senior Senator, Barry M. Goldwater,
K7UGA, CADXA members will be operating from stations located
throughout Arizona during that week. Special operating locations
from Tucson, Prescott and Phoenix will be on the air celebrating
the 100th anniversary on Tuesday, February 14, 2012. They will be
on all amateur bands (160-2 meters) and will be using CW, SSB,
RTTY, PSK31 and Satellite modes.
Arizona's AMSAT Field Ops coordinator Patrick Stoddard, WD9EWK/VA7EWK
announced satellite operations using the K7UGA callsign:
+ Watch for announcements on amsat-bb for the specific passes WD9EWK
plans to operate using the K7UGA callsign on February 14.
+ Patrick plans to use the K7UGA call sign for his on-air satellite
demonstrations from the Yuma, Arizona Hamfest on February 17-18,
2012. More information about this is on AMSAT's online calendar
of events:
http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/fieldops/eventDetail.php?eID=629
+ Also refer to http://www.qrz.com/db/k7uga for additional info.
All K7UGA QSL requests go to Bob Davies - K7BHM (qrz.com) with an
SASE. Additional information is posted on the CADXA Web site at:
http://www.cadxa.org
Thunderbird Amateur Radio Club W7A Satellite Operation
------------------------------------------------------
Rick Tejera, K7TEJ says the Thunderbird Amateur Radio Club will be
operating a special event station for the Arizona Centennial as well
the weekend of Feb 11-12, 2012. Rick plans to operating on as many
FM satellite passes as possible during the event using the W7A call.
[ANS thanks Patrick Stoddard, WD9EWK/VA7EWK and Rick Tejera, K7TEJ
for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Can It Already Be That Time of Year For Field Day Planning?
AMSAT Director Contests and Awards, Bruce Paige, KK5DO reminds you
that time of year is once again approaching - Field Day!
Each year the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) sponsors Field Day
as an emergency preparedness exercise. The event takes place during
a 24-hour period on the fourth weekend of June. For 2012 the event
takes place during a 27-hour period between 1800 UTC on Saturday,
June 23, 2012 and 2100 UTC on Sunday June 24, 2012. Those who set up
prior to 1800 UTC on June 23 can operate only 24 hours.
The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT) promotes its own ver-
sion of Field Day for operation via the amateur satellites, held con-
currently with the ARRL event.
With the loss of AO-51 and SO-67 field day this year is going to be
most challenging. If you are considering ONLY the FM voice satellites
like AMRAD-OSCAR-27 or SaudiSat-Oscar-50 for your primary AMSAT Field
Day focus: Don't, unless you are simply hoping to make one contact
for the ARRL rules bonus points.
The congestion on FM LEO satellites was so intense in prior years
that we must continue to limit their use to one-QSO-per-FM-satellite.
This includes the International Space Station. You will be allowed
one QSO if the ISS is operating Voice. You will also be allowed one
digital QSO with the ISS or any other digital, non-store-and-forward,
packet satellite (if operational).
If you have worked the satellites on Field Day in recent years, you may have
noticed a lot of good contacts can be made on some of the less-populated,
low-earth-orbit satellites like VUSat OSCAR-52,Fuji-OSCAR 29 (may or may not be
operational), AMSAT-OSCAR 7. During Field Day the transponders come alive like
20 meters on a weekend. The good news is that the transponders on these
satellites will support multiple simultaneous contacts. The bad news
is that you
can't use FM, just low dutycycle modes like SSB and CW.
The AMSAT Field Day 2012 event is open to all Amateur Radio operators.
Amateurs are to use the exchange as specified in ARRL rules for Field
Day. The AMSAT competition is to encourage the use of all amateur sat-
ellites, both analog and digital.
For the complete listing of the AMSAT Field Day Rules please refer to
the documents posted on-line at:
http://www.amsatnet.com/fd2012.dochttp://www.amsatnet.com/fd2012.pdf
[ANS thanks AMSAT Director Contests and Awards, Bruce Paige, KK5DO
for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
NASA Extends Deadline for Student Summer Internships
College Level Internships Deadline Extended
-------------------------------------------
NASA says they will continue accepting applications for college
level summer internship positions among several NASA Centers around
the country until March 16, 2012.
Students can view opportunities and apply for them all in one place.
To start, the prospective student should go to:
http://intern.nasa.gov/ then Student Opportunities tab then select
Internships which will bring you to the OSSI:SOLAR page describing
the program.
Using the Search Tab on the OSSI:SOLAR page selecting Goddard in
Maryland, Internship, Summer 2012, Engineering - Electrical Eng.,
or Engineering - Computer Eng., and a keyword search using "PICetSat"
reveals an opportunity titled "PICetSat Module Development." which
will develop a high-altitude balloon experiment module and related
ground station components. This internship is open for Junior, Sen-
ior, and Masters level students. A description of this particular
internship opportunity can be found at:
http://simsat.net/Internship-PICetSatModuleDevelopment-PKilroy.pdf
as sponsored by Pat Kilroy, N8PK, an AMSAT member and engineer at
NASA in Greenbelt, Maryland.
High School Level Internships Applications Now Open
---------------------------------------------------
On February 1, NASA opened the application process for high school
students to apply for a summer internship. The application page is
at: https://education.gsfc.nasa-telophase.com/ The deadline for high
school student applications is March 2, 2012.
Click on "Browse Available Projects" for students in the greater
Maryland/DC/Northern Virginia area. An opportunity exists for a
high school student/intern to also participate on the SimSat high-
altitude balloon experiment sponsored by Pat Kilroy, N8PK. The
direct link for this internship is:
http://tinyurl.com/NASA-PICetSat-Internship
The application process must be completed at the NASA intern web
site. Students do not specify a specific internship program when
they submit an application. The NASA Education community will de-
termine which internship programs you are eligible for according
to the information you provide in your application.
[ANS thanks NASA for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Successful ARISS Contact with El Dorado County Students
On Tuesday, January 24, on-orbit astronaut Dan Burbank, KC5ZSX participated in
an ARISS contact with students from El Dorado County in Placerville,
California.
The students, who came from several schools within the county, were able to get
answers to many of their questions about space. Approximately 250
people were in
attendance and another 160 watched as the contact was streamed over the
internet. The radio connection was provided by telebridge station W6SRJ in
California. The station, located on the campus of Santa Rosa Junior College
(SRJC), hosted another 15 observers. In addition, the college sent a reporter
and photographer from its newspaper, The Oak Leaf, to cover the event. The
ARISS contact was part of a comprehensive education plan used to
pique students'
interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).
More on the
event, including video and photos may be found on the El Dorado
County Web site.
See: http://general.edcoe.org/nasaqa/default.html
[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,
Lee McLamb, KU4OS
ku4os at amsat dot org