AMSAT NEWS SERVICE SPECIAL BULLETIN
ANS-022
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-022.01
ANS-022 ANS Special Bulletin - AMSAT-NA Website Down
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 022.01
>From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
January 22, 2013
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-022.01
On or about 20 January 2013, AMSAT-NA's main web site www.amsat.org
was compromised by an attacker, with the contents of the supporting
database, including non-public information, posted on other publicly
available web sites.
It is likely that the attacker gained enough access to the site to
post arbitrary and possibly illegal content, so out of an abundance
of caution the main site was shut down.
Neither the AMSAT store nor the Fox project web site were affected
by this breach. Mail services remain operational.
The main site was developed roughly 10 years ago by a AMSAT volun-
teers under a more benign Internet threat environment. The team that
built that site is no longer associated with AMSAT, so work has been
underway over the last several months to move to a modern, maintain-
able, secure infrastructure. This recent breach will accelerate that
activity. In the interim, www.amsat.org will have limited content.
[ANS thanks AMSAT's User Services Team for the above information]
/EX
AMSAT NEWS SERVICE
ANS-020
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:
* SKN on OSCAR 2013 Best Fist Nominations Due
* AMSAT-DC Workshop on Portable Satellite Ground Stations
* WIA Reports Australian Given an AMSAT Accolade
* WA8SME Preamps Back in Stock - ARRL SatCat for FT-817 Kit on Sale
* ARISS News, Successful Contacts, Proposal Window Closes Jan 28
* NASA Announces Student Internships for Summer
* Unilever Buys 22 Flights On XCOR Lynx Suborbiter For AXE Campaign
* Satellite Shorts From All Over
* European student codes reach ISS
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-020.01
ANS-020 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 020.01
>From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
DATE, 2012
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-020.01
SKN on OSCAR 2013 Best Fist Nominations Due
Many thanks to all who participated in AMSAT's Straight Key Night on
OSCAR 2013. If you have not already done so, please take a moment to
nominate someone you worked for Best Fist. Remember, your nominee
need not have the best fist of those you heard, only of those you
worked. Send your nomination to w2rs at amsat.org.
This year's event is dedicated to the memory of John Thompson,
W1BIH/PJ9JT, who passed away in 2012, aged 96. Although known
primarily as an HF DXer and contester, John was also active on OSCAR,
mostly on CW.
Those nominated will be recognized in an ANS bulletin in early Feb-
ruary, and in The AMSAT Journal.
[ANS thanks Ray Soifer, W2RS for the above information]
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AMSAT-DC Workshop on Portable Satellite Ground Stations
The AMSAT-DC Group is planning for a Spring Workshop 2013, to take
place on Saturday, March 23, at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
in Greenbelt, Maryland. It will be a nearly all-day event.
This is a workshop for those who wish to learn more about satellite
operations and develop their own portable ground station. Partici-
pants will bring their wares to assemble, show, and explain to others
that which will feature one or more of the following:
+ One's own laptop computer, with appropriate software installed,
such as for satellite tracking, SDR receiver control, antenna
control (optional), audio recording, time stamp track, and any
of many other apps.
+ The FUNcube Dongle Pro receiver or equivalent. We will emphasize
receiving only, and not the transmit side at this particular time.
+ One or more antennas for 146 MHz and 436 MHz, Arrow, Elk, or
homebrew on a camera tripod, small mast, homebrew PVC, or hand-
held.
+ Everything, or almost everything, ought to be designed to be
powered from a regulated 12-volt DC source of your choosing.
A table will be provided with a shared 120VAC wall outlet with-
in about 50 feet.
Volunteers are invited to join the planning committee (contact Pat
at n8pk(a)amsat.org.) Registration information will be announced by
February 15 via the AMSAT News Service (ANS), and on the AMSAT Cal-
endar of Events under http://www.amsat.org
The workshop cost is expected to be low (for incidental items) or
free to AMSAT members. Any non-US citizen who would like to attend
must contact Pat by February 15 at the latest.
To volunteer or ask questions contact Pat at n8pk(a)amsat.org.
Links for antenna ideas:
http://arrowantennas.com/http://www.elkantennas.com/http://www.g6lvb.com/homebrewarrow.htmhttp://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/information/faqs/crow/index.phphttp://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/echo/Az_El_Pos.pdfhttp://www.wa5vjb.com/references/Cheap%20Antennas-LEOs.pdfhttp://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/tools/downloads/iROTOR.pdfhttp://www.arrl.org/shop/The-ARRL-Satellite-Handbook/http://ac6v.com/antprojects.htm
Links for software ideas:
http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/tools/software.phphttp://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/tools/http://www.moetronix.com/spectravue.htmhttp://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/information/faqs/resguide.pdfhttp://sdrsharp.com/
Links for receiver ideas:
http://www.funcubedongle.com/http://www.amsat.org/amsat/intro/sats_faq.htmlhttp://tinyurl.com/cdo9tyo (Spectravue Configuration)
http://sdrsharp.com/
AMSAT-DC
http://patkilroy.com/amsat-dc/
[ANS thanks Pat Kilroy, N8PK, AMSAT Area Coordinator, Maryland-DC
for the above information]
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WIA Reports Australian Given an AMSAT Accolade
It was a very humble Tony Hutchison VK5ZAI who received an award
from AMSAT North America for the voluntary work he has done for
the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) pro-
gram.
In accepting the award, Tony VK5ZAI said it was a very nice hon-
our which made him feel humble.
"I look at it as a combined effort for all those that have helped
over the last 20 years because I couldn't have done it alone," he
said.
In praise of ARISS, Tony VK5ZAI said, "They're a great group to work
with and he has made many friends through it and amateur radio."
He is the Australian ARISS Coordinator and a Telebridge Earth Station
involved in many contacts between the ISS and schools.
The Channel 7 Today Tonight show interviewed Tony VK5ZAI in early
2012, when he gave some great insights as to how Amateur Radio can
provide support for NASA, as well as raise public awareness through
the ARISS schools program.
The segment has been posted to YouTube and NOW features as a prelude
to many Australian school contacts with the ISS.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=fUsoo_oaNkw
AMSAT's Award Citation to Tony stated, "For your support and leader-
ship to ARISS as the key coordinator and mentor of all the ARISS
schools in Australia. AMSAT also commends you for your sustained sup-
port as the premier ARISS telebridge station operator. Your efforts
and can-do spirit are an inspiration to us all."
[ANS thanks the Wireless Institute of Australia and AMSAT-NA for the
above information]
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WA8SME Preamps Back in Stock - ARRL SatCat for FT-817 Kit on Sale
One of the AMSAT Store guys, Alan Biddle, WA4SCA reports the initial
run of broadband preamps were sold out. This week Alan wrote, "The
AMSAT Store now has the popular broadband preamps back in stock. They
can be found on the top page at: http://store.amsat.org/catalog/
Thanks to all who have ordered them, and by doing so supported AMSAT
operations!"
The QST October 2012 SatCat Interface for FT-817 is now on sale by
the ARRL. The satellite computer aided tuning interface described
in October, 2012 QST (pp. 40-43) for use with SatPC32 and the Yaesu
FT-817 radio is being offered for sale by the ARRL Education & Tech-
nology Program (ETP).
The interface was developed by Mark Spencer, WA8SME, as part of re-
source development for the ARRL ETP and is priced to recover cost
plus a small increment toward development as well as a cost share
donation to AMSAT.
For more details of the kit, and to place your order go to:
http://www.arrl.org/news/ft-817-satellite-interface-available-as-a-kit
[ANS thanks Alan Biddle, WA4SCA and the ARRL for the above
information]
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ARISS News
Recent succesful ARISS contacts include
Ecole Les Muriers, Saint Maur Des Fosses, France on 07 Jan.
The contact was direct between OR4ISS and F6KMX/p.
Saint-Maur-des-Fossés is a small city (77,000 people) located at
about 15 km South-East of PARIS, separated from the capital by the
large Vincennes Forest, and located on the top of a loop formed by
the river Marne. The name of the city is inspired from the Chateau of
Saint Maur, which was frequently visited by the queen Marie de
Medicis in the 16th Century. The school Les Muriers is educating
about 500 children in 17 classrooms, aged from 8 to 11 and preparing
their access to Middle school. The children's of a classroom of 22
(CM2/ 5th grade) developed with their teacher, the dream of a direct
contact, via ham radio, with an astronaut of the ISS. This year, the
children are studying the life in space, working on the comprehension
of the Space Station and are participating to science and ham-radio
activities organized by the Radio-club station of St-Maur (F6KMX).
+++++++++++++++++
Missoula Family YMCA, Missoula, MT on 08 Jan.
Missoula Family YMCA hosted an ARISS contact January 8, 2013 at
16:14 UTC at Target Range School in Missoula, Montana. It was
conducted in English and was direct between NA1SS and W7PX. Students
talked to the crew aboard the ISS with the assistance of the Hellgate
Amateur Radio Club and asked a pool of questions generated from the
student winners of an essay contest. The students represent grades 3
- 9 and attend the following Missoula county schools; Target Range,
Loyola, St. Josesph's, Russell, Hellgate Elementary, Lowell and Chief
Charlo. The Missoula Family YMCA has been committed to incorporating
academic programs to help students figure out their place in the
world. We think of the ARISS contact as the real world application
of our students' studies of science, technology, engineering and math
(STEM). Our participation in the ARISS event can help us achieve this
goal and continue to excite the interest in our youth and to promote
NASA STEM activities. Missoula is located along the Clark Fork and
Bitterroot rivers in Western Montana and at the convergence of five
mountain ranges. Thus is often described as being the "Hub of Five
Valleys". The 2010 Census put the population of Missoula at 66,788
and has been the second largest city in Montana. The city is also
home to four high schools, five middle schools, sixteen elementary
schools, two private schools and The University of Montana.
+++++++++++++++++
An International Space Station school contact was completed by Royal
Canadian Air Cadets- Newfoundland Cadet Detachment, St. John's,
Newfoundland, Canada on 12 Jan. The contact was conducted in English
and was direct between NA1SS and VO1BZM.
In preparation for the upcoming ARISS Contact Event, the cadets of
515 Air Cadets along with the local Air Cadet Squadrons focused on the
aerospace portion of their training program. The Squadron's training
staff added in extra classes in this subject area including lessons
focused around various Canadian Astronauts to help familiarize the
cadets with Chris Hadfield's career and background. We also
encouraged the cadets in the squadrons to check out Col Hadfield's
Facebook page and Twitter feed along with looking at various websites
with lots of information about the International Space Station. We
have canvassed the cadets over the last few weeks to develop the
questions they will get to ask and in the coming weeks. They
conducted a practice run through with those selected to ask
questions. Everyone involved in this event was very enthusiastic and
enjoyed the opportunity of participating in this as once in a life
time learning event.
+++++++++++++++++
An International Space Station school contact was successful with
participants at Saint Rose Elementary School, Saint John, New
Brunswick, Canada on 17 Jan. The contact was direct between NA1SS and
VE9LC and was conducted in English.
Students in grades three to five from Saint Rose School excitedly
prepared for their upcoming communication with International Space
Station Canadian Commander, Chris Hadfield. In preparation for this
educational event, they took part in a Saint John Astronomy Club
presentation by Kurt Nason. A kick-off assembly with special guest
Greg D'Entremont in Novemeber. At this assembly, SRS students met
their ten Barnhill Memorial School partners who will be asking
Commander Hadfield student created questions. In the month of
December, each class worked on space projects linked to curriculum
outcomes. Some classroom projects linked to the K-2 curriculum, You
and Your World, while some students in grades 3-5 worked on Science
connections individually, in small group, or as a class. Event day
saw some of the projects highlighted. Their final lead-up event of
the 2012 calendar year was December 17th when students enjoyed a
presentation by UNBSJ Space Studies Professor, Phil Backman. The
"Saint Rose School Space Walk" took place on January 9th. Students
walked from classroom to classroom to observe projects, ask
questionsof project creators, and selected the projects highlighted
on eventday. The week culminated with the Science East Planetarium
in the gymnasium that all students visited throughout the day for
class presentations.
A video of the contact can be found at
http://tinyurl.com/a5fv8qk
The video is under “LifeStyle”,
Then, within LifeStyle, select “Misc.”
The title is “Students talk to Space Station”.
+++++++++++++++++
NASA Teaching from Space is currently accepting proposals for ARISS
contacts to be scheduled May-November 2013. Find details on
requirements and submitting a proposal below. The current proposal
window closes January 28.
US Hams, don’t forget that there is a new process for US school
proposals. For US schools to have an ARISS contact, they must fill
out a proposal, submit it to NASA, and see if they are approved or
not. Once a school is approved and put on the list, an ARISS mentor
will be assigned to assist the school.
NASA will have two open windows a year for schools to submit a
proposal.You must go through NASA to get the proposal material.
Contact Teaching From Space, a NASA Education office, at JSC-TFS-
ARISS(a)mail.nasa.gov or by calling them at (281) 244-2320.
The following US states and entities have never had an ARISS
contact: Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Kansas, Louisiana, North
Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia, Wyoming,
American Samoa, Guam, Northern Marianas Islands, and the Virgin
Islands.
[ANS thanks ARISS and the ARRL for the above information]
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NASA Announces Student Internships for Summer
College Level Internships
NASA says they are accepting applications for college level summer
internship positions among several NASA field centers. "But don't
wait until the deadline," advises NASA mentor and fellow AMSAT
member, Pat Kilroy, N8PK. "The opportunities to work on a CubeSat
team, for example, are exciting but pretty competitive."
It is thought that students who know the "AMSAT way" and who have an
Amateur Radio license and some hands on experience have a distinct
advantage in the midst of such competition.
"That worked for me," said Pat.
Students can view opportunities and apply for them in one place. To
start, the prospective student should go to:
https://intern.nasa.gov/
then click the Student Opportunities tab then select Internships,
which will bring you to the OSSI:NIFS page describing the overall
internship program.
Using the Search Opportunities tab from there, scroll down to the
bottom for the "Enter keywords" box and enter "cubesat" without the
quotes to view the variety of different opportunities in this field.
Pat Kilroy will be the lead mentor for two of the opportunities
described. The first, under the title of "CubeSat Engineering Design
Team Project," applicants are called to develop a CubeSat spacecraft
bus (i.e., the solar panel and battery charging, power regulation and
distribution "EPS" subsystem, the RF communications "COM" subsystem,
the command and data handling/processing avionics "C&DH" subsystem,
the attitude determination and control "ADAC" subsystem, and the
mechanical structures "MECH" subsystem) and one instrument (i.e., a
camera/telescope payload). Hardware and software skills will be well
represented. The team will need a student Systems Engineer as well.
Each intern will consult with a NASA engineer in their area of
specialty throughout the summer.
In the second, under the title "PICetSat Module Development," one or
two student interns are called to perform any of a number of tasks,
including one to develop a "dual-use" ground station for CubeSats and
high-altitude balloon and sounding rocket experiments. This task
will involve satellite and balloon tracking, RF systems, test
equipment and antennas and antenna control automation.
Additional details are available on the OSSI:NIFS site including how
to contact the lead mentor for technical questions, and the procedure
on how to apply for one of these Goddard Greenbelt positions as well
as many others.
High School Internship Applications at NASA
The application process for high school students to apply for a
summer internship can be found on the same OSSI:NIFS Web site as
given above for the summer at one of many locations around the
country. As noted in the opportunity description already mentioned,
up to two local high school seniors will be selected to participate
on the CubeSat team in Greenbelt.
[ANS thanks NASA for the above information.]
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Unilever Buys 22 Flights On XCOR Lynx Suborbiter For AXE Campaign
by Staff Writers
Mojave CA (SPX) Jan 15, 2013
Commercial spaceflight is entering the main stream and looking (and
smelling) quite good! United Kingdom-based Unilever Group, and Space
Expedition Corporation (SXC) announced a 22 flight purchase on XCOR
Aerospace's Lynx Mark II suborbital spacecraft for Unilever's
space-themed AXEApollo campaign for the AXE brand of men's cologne,
body spray, shower gels and other personal care products.
Unilever will award the first flight to a lucky winner selected from a
drawing just after the Super Bowl on February 3rd, and the 21 other
winners will come from a year long, 60 country promotional campaign.
That larger campaign includes a 100+ person December 2013 space camp
for early stage winners in Orlando called the AXE Apollo Space Academy
(A.A.S.A.).
The campaign also includes legendary Apollo astronaut Buzz Aldrin and
a 30 second Super Bowl advertisement. For a chance to win, register at
www.AXEApollo.com.
"When a global brand leader like Unilever makes a significant
commitment to a product like our Lynx, it is a clear sign that
commercial spaceflight has entered the main stream of worldwide
commerce and truly is the Next Big Thing," stated Andrew Nelson, Chief
Operating Officer of XCOR Aerospace, "Expect to keep seeing more good
news from SXC as they ramp up in 2013!"
[ANS thanks space-travel.com for the above information]
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European student codes reach ISS
European finalists.
Operating droids in space was no obstacle for a German-Italian
alliance to reach the finish line of the Zero Robotics tournament.
The European winners commanded mini-robots to dodge virtual dust
clouds and rendezvous with disabled satellites, all in the
weightlessness of the International Space Station.
This year's competition gave over 130 high-school students from
across Europe the opportunity to operate droids in space by coding
software.
Six alliances made of teams from Italy, Germany, Spain and Portugal
witnessed how their computer codes worked in the Space Station from
ESA's ESTEC space research and technology centre in the Netherlands
The RetroSpheres space game involved two mini-robots racing through
a course using the least amount of fuel. During the three-minute
programmed dance, the volleyball-sized spheres moved using 12 squirts
of compressed gas.
Competitors could collect extra fuel from decommissioned satellites
and deorbit the satellites for extra points while navigating through
their opponent's dust clouds.
"It is really special to see what these students have created and
get to operate their algorithms in space," said NASA's Kevin Ford on
the Station. The astronaut, together with crewmate Tom Marshburn, set
up the matches from Japan's Kibo laboratory.
The team with the most fuel left over in the European finals was the
BEER alliance - the Brotherhood of Esteemed European Researchers.
German and Italian high-school students developed the software that
calculated the winning path for their robot in an exciting final game
that demonstrated Newton's laws of motion.
Robotic future
The challenge to control these robots remotely began in the United
States, where an adventurous professor from the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology found inspiration from the Star Wars saga.
The mini-spacecraft have been used on the Station since 2006 to try
out manoeuvres.
ESA astronaut Andre Kuipers, who ran the competition from the
Station last year, hosted the event from ESTEC. "Europe is embarking
on robotic-related missions. Robots are and will be of great help in
space," he noted.
Spacecraft fuel consumption - carbon dioxide in this case - was a
programming issue for the students. "Most of us knew nothing about
computer science before this competition. Teamwork and creative
strategies helped us to succeed," explained Jaime Sevilla, one of the
Spanish players.
Teachers were pleased to see their pupils learn to communicate with
each other, gaining technical knowledge and boosting their enthusiasm.
[ANS thanks Space Daily for the above information]
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Satellite Shorts From All Over
+ Tom, K8TL reports a successful December 27 contact with Jari OH2FQV
via FO-29. At 7170 km distance this may be a new distance record
for this satellite. Tom noted was about a minute between AOS and
LOS between the two stations.
+ Luis, EC4TR reports a successful contact between Spain and Brazil
with Paulo, PV8DX via AO-7 mode B on January 11.
+ AMSAT-India invites interested satellite operators to view the A-I
President's Message and 2012 Accomplishments in a presentation at:
http://amsatindia.org/reports/AI-2012.pdf (via Nitin, VU3TYG)
+ The latest TAPR PSR Digital Journal for Autumn 2012 is now avail-
able at: http://www.tapr.org/psr/psr120.pdf
+ Ivo Klinkert, PA1IVO, has posted his article, "A Multi-purpose
Portable Setup," on his web at:
http://ivok.home.xs4all.nl/pa1ivo/portable_satellite_setup.html
The article already appeared in the March 2012 issue of the AMSAT-DL
Journal and later in two issues of OSCAR NEWS (July and September
2012), but the on-line version includes more images.
+ In Series Five, Episode Twenty-Six, of the ICQ Amateur/Ham Radio
Podcast Martin M1MRB reviews the Raspberry Pi Linux-based single
board computer's uses for Amateur Radio:
http://tinyurl.com/ICQ-Podcasts-Pi
+ Here is a WebSDR receiver, located in Playa de Muchavista - Camp-
ello (Alicante - Spain), operated by EA5CV & EA5DOM which allows
you to tune two microwave bands: 10.3 GHz and 2320 MHz:
http://maxiplaya.dyndns.org:8901/ (via Michel, F6HTJ)
+ Soyuz rockets will be taking Americans to ISS
http://tinyurl.com/baabs67 (via Space Daily)
+ China to launch 20 spacecrafts in 2013
http://tinyurl.com/al62yml (via Space Daily)
[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 addi-
tional benefits. Application forms are available from the AMSAT
Office.
Primary and secondary school students are eligible for membership
at one-half the standard yearly rate. Post-secondary school students
enrolled in at least half time status shall be eligible for the stu-
dent rate for a maximum of 6 post-secondary years in this status.
Contact Martha at the AMSAT Office for additional student membership
information.
73,
This week's ANS Editor,
EMike McCardel, KC8YLD
kc8yld at amsat dot org
AMSAT NEWS SERVICE
ANS-006
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 communicat-
ing through analog and digital Amateur Radio satellites.
Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to:
ans-editor at amsat.org
In this edition:
* Reminder -- AMSAT Receives $25,000 Matching Funds Challenge
* SKN on OSCAR 2013 Best Fist Nominations Due
* Proposal Window for U.S. ARISS Contacts Open until January 28
* AMSAT Awards
* PhoneSat CubeSat Now Rescheduled for February Launch from Wallops
* TAPR DCC Videos Available Online
* STRaND-1 CubeSat Filmed by BBC Stargazing Live
* Help Wanted: AMSAT News Service Rotating Editor Positions Available
* First 24 GHz Contact Between USA and Japan
* Kline School Posts AMSAT Announcement
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-006.01
ANS-006 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 006.01
>From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
January 6, 2013
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-006.01
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Reminder -- AMSAT Receives $25,000 Matching Funds Challenge
Now is the time to take advantage of this opportunity to double your
donation.
There are several ways you can double your donation to keep Amateur
Radio in Space:
+ Members have received a form in the mail to fill out and return.
Please do so today!
+ Go the AMSAT Store and make a donation
+ Donate via a PayPal donation sent to martha at amsat.org or click on
our PayPal widget at http://www.amsat.org.
Your generous contribution to AMSAT to support AMSAT and Project Fox
now will help ensure that our common dream of keeping amateur radio
in space will, indeed, become a reality.
Fox-1A's design goals include:
+ Fox-1 includes a U/V (mode B) FM analog transponder. It's 2 meter
downlink should be even easier to hear than AO-51.
+ Fox-1 is being designed so you can work it with just a dual-band
HT and an "arrow" antenna.
+ The telemetry data from Fox-1 will be sent on the voice downlink
in the frequencies below the audible band as low-speed FSK with
forward error correction.
+ Fox-1 will provide an on-orbit test of a new high speed digital
data mode for use on future missions.
+ A free telemetry decode program, FoxTLM, will be available to
decode and display the low-speed telemetry and the high speed
data downlink.
+ Fox-1 is designed to host a significant science payload to support
future science missions that help us to get a free launch. This
capability is fully utilized in our second ELaNa proposal to fly
Fox-1B.
+ Fox-1 is designed to keep the FM transponder active using it solar
cells in the event of on-orbit battery charging problems.
[ANS thanks the AMSAT Office for the above information]
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SKN on OSCAR 2013 Best Fist Nominations Due
Many thanks to all who participated in AMSAT's Straight Key Night on
OSCAR 2013. If you have not already done so, please take a moment to
nominate someone you worked for Best Fist. Remember, your nominee
need not have the best fist of those you heard, only of those you
worked. Send your nomination to w2rs at amsat.org.
This year's event is dedicated to the memory of John Thompson,
W1BIH/PJ9JT, who passed away in 2012, aged 96. Although known
primarily as an HF DXer and contester, John was also active on OSCAR,
mostly on CW.
Those nominated will be recognized in an ANS bulletin in early Feb-
ruary, and in The AMSAT Journal.
[ANS thanks Ray Soifer, W2RS for the above information]
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Proposal Window for U.S. ARISS Contacts Open until January 28
NASA's Teaching from Space program says their application window for
schools and suitable public venues in the United States is open until
January 28, 2013.
To be considered for an ARISS contact with crew members aboard the
International Space Station the application process consists of sub-
mission of an educational proposal describing incorporation of sci-
ence, technology, engineering and math (STEM) subjects into the cur-
riculum.
The ARISS program is a cooperative venture of NASA, ARRL and AMSAT
and other international space agencies that organizes scheduled con-
tacts via Amateur Radio between astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the
ISS and classrooms and communities.
One of the ARISS partners, the American Radio Relay League (ARRL),
posted information of the proposal process on their web at:
http://www.arrl.org/ariss-proposal-requirements
The NASA Teaching From Space web site has all of the instructions
and links to downloadable forms posted at:
http://tinyurl.com/NASA-TFS-JanuaryWindow (nasa.gov)
Proposals accepted during January are for ARISS contacts that would
take place in the U.S. between June 2013 and November 2013.
A variety of public forums considered for ARISS contacts include:
+ School assemblies
+ Science museums
+ Scout camporees and jamborees and space camps
+ Large group audiences where students, teachers, parents, and
communities learn about space and space technologies and Ama-
teur Radio.
[ANS thanks NASA Teaching From Space, ARRL, and ARISS for the above
information]
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AMSAT Awards
AMSAT Director Contests and Awards, Bruce Paige, KK5DO says congratu-
lations are in order for our latest AMSAT Awards recipients:
The following have entered into the Satellite Communicators Club for
making their first satellite QSO.
+ Joseph Fouquet, N5JF
+ Mark Gearis, KG4JAG
The following have earned the AMSAT Communications Achievement Award.
+ Costantino Montella, IK8YSS, #551
+ Joseph Fouquet, N5JF, #552
+ Anthony Sirianni, KD8OEE, #553
The following have earned the South Africa Satellite Communications
Achievement Award.
+ Costantino Montella, IK8YSS, #US180
+ Arnel Nebrida, DU2XXA, #US181
+ Anthony Sirianni, KD8OEE, #US182
+ Mark Gearis, KG4JAG, #US183
To see all the awards visit http://www.amsat.org. Bruce says this
will finish up the AMSAT Awards for 2012. Get on the air and earn
your AMSAT Award during 2013!
[ANS thanks AMSAT Director Contests and Awards, Bruce Paige, KK5DO
for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
PhoneSat CubeSat Now Rescheduled for February Launch from Wallops
The PhoneSat cubesat, originally planned for a December 2012 launch,
now looks like it will fly aboard a new commercial rocket from Orbit-
al Sciences Corp. Orbital's initial flight of the Antares-110 vehicle
will carry PhoneSat into low earth orbit. The vehicle will be launch-
ed from a new launch pad LA-0A at Wallops Island, where the former
Conestoga launch pad was located.
Phonesat carries an amateur radio payload on 437.425 MHz, has been
chosen as one of the winners in the Aerospace category for the Pop-
ular Science magazine "Best of What's New 2012" awards.
PhoneSat is a technology demonstration mission consisting of three
1U CubeSats intended to prove that a smartphone can be used to per-
form many of the functions required of a spacecraft bus.
The satellite is built around the Nexus smartphone which will be run-
ning the Android operating system and will be enclosed in a standard
1U cubesat structure. The main function of the phone is to act as the
Onboard Computer, but the mission will also utilize the phone's SD
card for data storage, 5MP camera for Earth Observation, and 3-axis
accelerometer and 3-axis magnetometer for attitude determination.
One of the nanosatellites, powered by the HTC Nexus One smartphone,
will send back pictures of Earth. The other two, running on the Sam-
sung Nexus S, will have two-way S-band radio allowing them to be
controlled from Earth.
With a short lifetime of only about one week, the satellites have
no solar cells and operate on battery only.
Also planned for this launch is the commercial DOVE-1 satellite for
a technology demonstration nanosatellite based on the triple CubeSat
form factor. It's mission consists of:
+ Build a low-cost imaging satellite with non-space, COTS components.
+ Show that a bus constrained to the 3U cubesat form factor can via-
bly host a small camera payload.
+ Demonstrate the ability to design, produce and operate satellites
on short schedules and low cost.
Dove-1 plans to transmit its telemetry and image data to the ground
on a proposed frequency of 145.825 MHz in the amateur radio band al-
though this is a commercial mission.
[ANS thanks NASA, Gunter's Space Page, and AMSAT-UK for the above
information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
TAPR DCC Videos Available Online
Gary Pearce, KN4AQ, says HamRadioNow (http://arvideonews.com/hrn/)
recorded all of the 2012 Atlanta ARRL & TAPR Digital Communications
Conference. The videos are posted in this link above.
The HamRadioNow netcasts appear in newest to oldest order on the
web page. Scroll down to find these episodes from the 2012 DCC:
+ Episode 33 is a talk with TAPR President Steve Bible, N7HPR, about
what TAPR is today (and what it's been), the DCC.
+ Episode 34 is Steve again with his lead-off talk on the ARISSat
project's user survey.
+ Episode 35 has Scotty Cowling, WA2DFI, and Jeremy McDermond, NH6Z,
reviewing this year's hardware and software updates to HPSDR -
High Performance Software Defined Radio.
+ Episode 36 is more than a primer on SDR and FlexRadio's new 6000
series by FlexRadio's Stephen Hicks, N5AC.
+ Episode 37 has NW Digital Radio's Bryan Hoyer, K7UDR, and John
Hays, K7VE, updating a pair of old ideas: a packet-hailing channel
and AMPRNet44.
+ Episode 38 features Hessu Hannikainen OH7LZB, developer of the
APRS.FI website describing development of an open-source server
for the APRS-IS network that distributes APRS data worldwide.
Episode 44, added on December 27 is a video from the DCC presenting
the design of a Handheld SDR by Chris Testa, KD2MBH.
TAPR says the DCC videos will also be viewable on the YouTube TAPR
Digital Videos Channel:
http://www.youtube.com/user/TAPRDigitalVideo
[ANS thanks Gary Pearce, KN4AQ and TAPR for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
STRaND-1 CubeSat Filmed by BBC Stargazing Live
AMSAT-UK reports on http://www.uk.amsat.org/?p=12039 about the BBC
filming at the Surrey Space Centre (SSC) and Surrey Satellite Tech-
nology Limited (SSTL) for an item on the STRaND-1 CubeSat mission
for the "Stargazing Live" program to be broadcast January 8-10.
Volunteers from the SSC and SSTL built STRaND-1 in their spare time.
The STRaND-1 spacecraft will carry an Amateur Radio AX.25 packet
radio payload on 437.575 MHz. It will be the UK's first "PhoneSat"
carrying a Nexus Android Smartphone that will run a number of Space
Apps. In addition it will have both a Resistojet and a Pulsed Plasma
Thruster (PPT) module.
The 'STRaND Data' App, one of the Space Apps that will run on the
Smartphone was a spin-off of the work done by the AMSAT-UK FUNcube
team. This App will collect satellite telemetry from within the sat-
ellite and display it graphically on the Nexus One Display. The dis-
play is observed by an on-board camera and the images transmitted to
earth on Amateur Radio frequencies.
Pictures taken during the BBC filming can be seen at
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Surrey-Space-Centre/147861435274871
STRaND-1 on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/nanosats
[ANS thanks AMSAT-UK for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Help Wanted: AMSAT News Service Rotating Editor Positions Available
The AMSAT News Service (ANS) is responsible for researching, writing,
editing, and publishing the weekly amateur satellite news bulletins.
With the addition of a couple of volunteers this would generally
involve taking a turn about every 3 to 4 weeks.
At present we a looking for interested satellite enthusiasts to join
the ANS editorial team. Professional writing/editing experience is
NOT a requirement. Your interest and enthusiasm in following and
reporting on amateur radio in space will get you started! The ANS
Editor team helps each other by rounding up items of interest. Plus
we receive submitted items for publication ... so you won't be left
all alone!
If you can commit to working on the bulletins for a week on a rotat-
ing basis please reply via e-mail to AMSAT News Service Editor
Lee McLamb, KU4OS via ku4os at amsat.org.
[ANS thanks AMSAT Vice-President User Services, Gould Smith, WA4SXM
for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
First 24 GHz Contact Between USA and Japan
Al, W5LUA and Shichirou, JA6CZD made the first 24 GHz EME contact
between the USA and Japan on January 2 at 1430Z. The two stations
had about an hour of common window where each had 15 to 20 degrees
of elevation.
JA6CZD uses a 2.4 M offset fed dish with a 22 watt SSPA. W5LUA uses
a 2.4M offset fed dish and a TWT mounted on the feed support provid-
ing 100 watts at the feed. JA6CZD sent Al a 559 signal report and Al
gave Shichirou a 449 report.
Both stations use linear polarity and must compensate for the 70
degrees of spatial offset between their locations. JA6CZD was used
horizontal and Al used vertical polarization. The noise figure at
both stations was under 2 dB.
Al measured his Doppler Shift with his return echoes at 51 KHz at
the start of the contact. The mutual Doppler Shift placed both at
about 24048.108 MHz based on a center frequency of 24048.100 MHz.
This shifted down in frequency as the schedule took place.
W5LUA was GPS locked and JA6CZD uses an OCXO and a Rubidium standard
to control frequency.
[ANS thanks Al Ward, W5LUA for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Kline School Posts AMSAT Announcement
The Kline School "Out of This World Experience" Raises $6500 for
AMSAT Fox story, originally announced in the ANS-351 bulletins,
now has some photos to accompany this event.
(See: http://amsat.org/pipermail/ans/2012/000675.html)
In conjunction with Kline School's ARISS contact on December 6 the
students launched a Spell-A-Thon and raised $6,500 dollars for solar
panels on Fox-1.
Kline School posted coverage of AMSAT's write-up at:
https://sites.google.com/a/klineschool.com/return-to-space/highlightshttps://www.facebook.com/pages/Kline-School/153838291839
(plus you get a preview of page 5 of the January/February 2013 AMSAT
Journal under production.)
[ANS thanks Kline School and The AMSAT Journal 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 addi-
tional benefits. Application forms are available from the AMSAT
Office.
Primary and secondary school students are eligible for membership
at one-half the standard yearly rate. Post-secondary school students
enrolled in at least half time status shall be eligible for the stu-
dent rate for a maximum of 6 post-secondary years in this status.
Contact Martha at the AMSAT Office for additional student membership
information. And with that, please keep in mind when Christmas was
over Rudolph had a chance to do something he had wanted to do for a
long time. He made an appointment with a plastic surgeon because he
was so sensitive about his looks. However, it wasn't his glowing pro-
boscis that he wanted changed. He was proud of his nose and the help
he had given Santa because of it. No, he was sensitive about his
long ears which were much more prominent than the ears of the aver-
age reindeer. So one week after Christmas, he underwent reconstruc-
tive surgery, and since that time, January 1st has been celebrated
as ... New Ears Day.
73,
This week's ANS Editor,
JoAnne Maenpaa, K9JKM
K9JKM at amsat dot org
SB SAT @ AMSAT W8ISS $WSR-007.S4
WSR 007 Part 4 01/07/2013
AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 007.S4
FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD, January 07, 2013
TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $WSR-007.S4
THE FOLLOWING SATELLITES HAVE RE-ENTERED OR HAVE BEEN RETURNED SAFELY:
ARISSat-1
Catalog number: 37772
Launch date: August 03, 2011 1843z
Launch site: International Space Station
Status: Re-entered January 05, 2012
Callsign: RS01S
Current Mode(s):
Linear Transponder: U/v
Uplink: 435.758 to 435.742 MHz CW/LSB
Downlink: 145.922 to 145.938 MHz CW/USB
FM Telemetry/SSTV/Messages/ID:
Downlink: 145.950 MHz FM
Telemetry/Beacon:
Downlink: 145.939 MHz CW1
145.919 MHz CW2
145.920 MHz 1k BPSK USB
145.920 MHz 400b BPSK USB
Official Webpage:http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/ARISSat/ARISSat.php
IARU coordination status page:
http://www.amsatuk.me.uk/iaru/informal_detail.php?serialnum=89
[01052012]
=====
CAERUS
Catalog Number:
Launch Date: December 08, 2010 15:43:00 UTC
Launch site: Kennedy Space Center, Titusville, Florida, USA
Status: Re-entered December 22, 2010
Uplink:
Downlink: 437.600 MHz 1k2 AX.25
Beacon: 437.600 MHz CW
Callsign: KJ6FIX
URL:
http://www2.isi.edu/research/prj-serc/prj-serc_projects/prj-serc_projects-8…
IARU coordination status page:
[11102011]
=====
CO-56 CUTE-1.7 + APD
Catalog number: 28941
Launch date: February 21, 2006
Status: Re-entered
Re-entered: October 25, 2009
Uplink: 1268.5000 MHz GMSK 9600 BPS
Downlink: 437.4700 MHz 1200 FM ax25 or SRLL (ACTIVE only near Japan?)
Telemetry Beacon: 437.3850 CW
Callsign: JQ1YPC
Information webpage:
http://lss.mes.titech.ac.jp/ssp/spacerium/cute1blog/
IARU coordination status page:
http://www.amsatuk.me.uk/iaru/finished_detail.php?serialnum=56
[09062010]
=====
BEVO-1 (DRAGONSAT-1)
Catalog Number: 35690
Launch Date: May 19, 2009
Status: Re-entered
Re-entered:
Downlink: 437.325 MHz 9k6 GMSK
437.325 MHz CW 20wpm
IARU coordination status page:
http://www.amsatuk.me.uk/iaru/finished_detail.php?serialnum=117
[07312009]
=====
AggieSat2 (DRAGONSAT-2)
Catalog Number: 35690
Launch Date: May 19, 2009
Status: Re-entered
Re-entered:
Downlink: 436.250 MHz 9k6 FHSS
[11112009]
=====
Pollux
Catalog Number: 35693
Launch Date: July 31, 2009
Status: Re-entered
Re-entered:
Callsign: POLLUX-1
Downlink: 145.825MHz 1k2 AX.25
IARU coordination status page:
http://www.amsatuk.me.uk/iaru/finished_detail.php?serialnum=139
[09062010]
=====
Castor (ANDE-2)
Catalog Number: 35694
Launch Date: July 31, 2009
Status: Re-entered
Re-entered:
Callsign: KD4HBO-1
Downlink: 145.825 MHz 1k2 AX.25
IARU coordination status page:
http://www.amsatuk.me.uk/iaru/finished_detail.php?serialnum=144
[09062010]
=====
NO-62 FCAL
Catalog Number: 29667
Launch Date: December 21, 2006
Status: Re-Entered
Re-entered: July 28, 2008
Downlink: 437.385 Mhz APRS AX25
Downlink ID: KD4HBO
Website: http://eng.usna.navy.mil/~bruninga/fcal.html
IARU coordination status page:
http://www.amsatuk.me.uk/iaru/finished_detail.php?serialnum=59
[01012009]
=====
NO-61 ANDE
Catalog Number: 29664
Launch Date: December 21, 2006
Status: Re-Entered
Re-entered: December 25, 2007
Uplink/Downlink: 145.825 Mhz FM APRS AX25
[01032008]
=====
NO-60 RAFT-1
Catalog Number: 29661
Launch Date: December 21, 2006
Status: Re-Entered
Re-entered: May 30, 2007
Main Downlink: 145.825 Mhz FM APRS AX25
APRS Uplink: 145.825 MHz FM APRS AX25
Voice/PSK31 Uplink: 28.120 MHz
Packet to Voice ID: RAFT
[06112007]
=====
GENESAT-1
Catalog Number: 29655
Launch Date: December 16, 2006
Status: Re-Entered
Re-entered date: August 8, 2010
Current Mode: /u
Callsign: KE7EGC
Telemetry Beacon Downlink: 437.0695 MHz AFSK 1200 BPS
Official webpage: http://www.crestnrp.org/genesat1/ahc.html
[08082010]
=====
HO-59 HITSat
Catalog number: 29484
Launch date: September 22, 2006
Status: Re-Entered
Re-entered: June 18, 2008
Telemetry Downlink: 437.4250 MHz AFSK 1200 BPS
Beacon: 437.2750 MHz CW
Callsign: JR8YJT
[01012009]
=====
SO-43 Starshine 3
Catalog Number: 26929
Launch Date: September 30, 2001
Status: Re-Entered
Re-entered: January 21, 2003
Beacon: 145.825Mhz
[02212009]
NNNN
/EX
ANS is released worldwide via the AMSAT ANS e-mail reflector and a live
radiocast on the AMSAT-NA 20-meter net held each Sunday on 14.282 MHz.
Pre-net operations start at 18:00 UTC, with current ANS bulletins trans-
mitted to the eastern U.S. at 19:00 UTC and to the western U.S. at 19:30
UTC.
Information on AMSAT-NA is available at the following URL:
http://www.amsat.org
Mailing address:
AMSAT-NA
850 Sligo Avenue, Suite 600
Silver Spring, Maryland 20910-4703
Voice: 301-589-6062
888-322-6728
FAX: 301-608-3410
Currently, AMSAT-NA supports the following (free) mailing lists:
* AMSAT News Service (ANS)
* General satellite discussion (AMSAT-BB)
* Orbit data (KEPS)
* Manned space missions (SAREX)
* District of Columbia area (AMSAT-DC)
* New England area (AMSAT-NE)
* AMSAT Educational Liaison mailing list (AMSAT-EDU)
* AMSAT K-12 Educational Liaison mailing list (AMSAT-K12)
A daily digest version is available for each list.
To subscribe, or for more list information, visit the following URL:
http://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/ans
In addition to regular membership, AMSAT-NA 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-NA Office.
This week's Weekly Satellite Report Editor is James French, W8ISS.
ANS is always dedicated to past ANS editor 'BJ' Arts, WT0N, and to
the memory of longtime AMSAT supporters Werner Haas, DJ5KQ, Dennis
Kitchen, G0FCL and John Branegan GM4IHJ.
Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to: ans-editor{at}
amsat.org
NNNN
/EX