AMSAT NEWS SERVICE
ANS-181
The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and infor-
mation service of AMSAT North America, The Radio Amateur Satellite
Corporation. ANS publishes news related to Amateur Radio in Space
including 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.
The news feed on http://www.amsat.org publishes news of Amateur
Radio in Space as soon as our volunteers can post it.
Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to:
ans-editor at amsat.org.
In this edition:
* ESA Education Office announce six CubeSats chosen for Phase 1 Initiative
* 13 Colonies Special Event Includes Satellite Operations
* 2013 AMSAT-UK International Space Colloquium Starts July 19, 2013
* Two Lithuanian Amateur Radio CubeSats Plan 2013 Launch To ISS
* July Space Station Spacewalks To Be Previewed And Broadcast On NASA TV
* Upcoming ARISS Contacts
* Satellite Shorts From All Over
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-181.01
ANS-181 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 181.01
From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
June 30, 2013
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-181.01
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ESA Education Office announce six CubeSats chosen for Phase 1 Initiative
Six student teams and their supervisors have gathered at ESA's ESTEC
centre in The Netherlands for the kick-off of the new Fly Your Satellite!
Programme under the ESA Education Office.
On June 26-28, ESA experts will introduce the objectives and present
the activities to be performed during the first phase of the programme.
In January, ESA's Education Office announced the 'Fly Your
Satellite!' initiative. This is aimed at offering student teams the
opportunity to become familiar with good engineering practice to
build and perform satellite testing in order to increase the chances
of a successful mission. The 2013 edition of the programme is however
only focusing on testing selected university-built satellites that
are already at an advanced stage of development.
'Fly Your Satellite!' builds on the success of the 'CubeSats for the
Vega Maiden Flight' pilot programme. This culminated in 2012 with the
launch of seven student-built CubeSats on the first flight of the new
ESA Vega launcher.
The focus of the kick-off meeting will consist of coordinating the
activity to be performed during the first phase of Fly Your
Satellite! enabling the teams to complete the construction of their
satellite. This will include extensive satellite testing in ambient
conditions under the supervision of ESA specialists who will decide
which satellites should participate in the next phase of the
programme.
The second phase will see the satellites tested in the simulated
conditions of outer space and in those the satellites will experience
at launch. These will include vibration and thermal-vacuum tests.
The six CubeSats chosen for Phase 1 are:
Robusta-1B from France will validate a radiation test methodology
for specific transistor components.
Oufti-1 from Belgium will demonstrate the D-STAR digital
communication protocol and validate high-efficiency solar cells.
ConSat-1 from Canada will analyse radiation characteristics in the
South-Atlantic Anomaly, and test technology payloads.
[email protected] from Italy will test an Active-Attitude Determination
Control System.
AAUSAT4 from Denmark will test an improved version of student built
AIS (Automated Identification System) receivers.
Politech.1 from Spain will carry a student built C-band
communication system, a "GEODEYE" Earth Observation camera for
academic purposes, and solar wind experiments.
Read the full ESA article at
http://www.esa.int/Education/ESA_and_student_teams_kick-off_Fly_Your_Satell…
Fly Your Satellite! initiative
http://www.esa.int/Education/Students_are_you_ready_to_fly_your_satellites_…
space
[ANS thanks AMSAT-UK for the above information]
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13 Colonies Special Event Includes Satellite Operations
The 13 Colonies Special Event Stations will be active on the air
for Independence Week, July 1-6, 2013. Get all of the details at
http://www.13colonies.info/
On the high frequency amateur bands the 13 Colonies stations will
operate from 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Savings Time (1300Z), on
July 1st, to 12:00 PM (midnight) Eastern Daylight Savings Time,
July 6 (0400Z, July 7).
The 13 Colonies Satellite Stations will be active as shown in
the table below:
STATE SE CALL STATION CALL OPERATOR
----- ------- ------------ --------
NY K2A WB2OQQ Pete
VA K2B NL7VX Steve
CT K2D WA8SME Mark
DE K2E KB2M Jeffrey
MD K2F WA3SWJ Bruce
MA K2H KB1PVH David
NJ K2I KB2M Jeffrey
NC K2J N8MH Mark
SC K2L K4YYL Art
PA K2M WB3U Elizabeth (FM Birds Only)
K3BFS Richard (Linear Birds Only)
Any satellite station can work the 13 Colonies states off the birds.
Please indicate your contacts are Satellite. More information can be
found at http://www.13colonies.info/Satellites.htm
[ANS thanks the 13 Colonies Special Event for the above information]
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2013 AMSAT-UK International Space Colloquium Starts July 19, 2013
The 2013 AMSAT-UK International Space Colloquium will start late
afternoon on Friday, July 19 and will run through until the afternoon
on Sunday, July 21 at the Holiday Inn, Guildford, GU2 7XZ, UK.
It will be preceded by a "Hands-on" CubeSat Workshop. This free
workshop will take place at the nearby University of Surrey on Friday,
July 19 and this will be followed, at the hotel, by the usual
Colloquium "Beginners Session" in the late afternoon.
It is anticipated that both the FUNcube-1 and FUNcube-2 missions will
be launched later this year and the FUNcube team will be on hand to
talk about the missions and the planned educational outreach. A full
demonstration of the Engineering Model, which has been performing
flawlessly for almost a year, will also be provided.
Further details and booking information at
http://amsat-uk.org/colloquium/colloquium-2013/
[ANS thanks Trevor, M5AKA for the above information]
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Two Lithuanian Amateur Radio CubeSats Plan 2013 Launch To ISS
It is hoped that two Lithuanian satellites will be among the
CubeSats sent by Nanoracks LLC to the International Space Station
(ISS) on the SpaceX CRS-3 mission in November, 2013. They will be
deployed from the ISS by the JEM Small Satellite Orbital Deployer (J-
SSOD) of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).
The Kaunas University of Technology is developing LituanicaSAT-1
while the Lithuanian Space Federation is working on LitSat-1.
2013 is the 80th anniversary of the historic flight by Lithuanian
pilots Steponas Darius and Stasys Gire.nas in the airplane Lituanica.
On July 15, 1933, they took off from Floyd Bennett Field in New York
and flew across the Atlantic Ocean, covering a distance of 6,411
kilometers without landing, in 37 hours and 11 minutes. Tragically
they crashed by the village of Kuhdamm, near Soldin, Germany just 650
km from their destination of Kaunas in Lithuania.
LituanicaSAT-1 plans to carry a VGA camera, GPS receiver, 9k6 AX25
FSK telemetry beacon and a 150 mW V/U FM voice transponder.
Links:
• Google English web http://tinyurl.com/KosmonautaiLituanicaSAT-1
• Google English Wiki http://tinyurl.com/WikiLituanicaSAT-1
• Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Lituanicasat1
LitSat-1 is understood to be planning a U/V linear transponder for
SSB/CW communications.
Links:
• Lithuanian Space Association in Google English
http://tinyurl.com/LithuanianSpaceAssociation
• Facebook https://www.facebook.com/palydovas
• Google English article http://tinyurl.com/LitSat-1-Article
Google English article on the two Lithuanian CubeSats
http://tinyurl.com/LithuanianCubeSats
1933 Lituanica flight http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithuanica
[ANS thanks AMSAT-UK for the above information]
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JULY SPACE STATION SPACEWALKS TO BE PREVIEWED AND BROADCAST ON NASA TV
WASHINGTON -- Two Expedition 36 astronauts will venture outside the
International Space Station twice in July on spacewalks to prepare
for a new Russian module and perform additional installations on the
station's backbone.
NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston will host a NASA Television
briefing to preview the spacewalks at 2 p.m. EDT Tuesday, July 2.
Reporters may attend the briefing at Johnson and other participating
NASA centers, or ask questions by calling Johnson's newsroom at
281-483-5111 no later than 1:45 p.m. Tuesday.
Briefers will include:
-- David Korth, NASA spacewalk flight director
-- Ernest Bell, Spacewalk 22 spacewalk officer
-- Karina Eversley, Spacewalk 23 spacewalk officer
Flight Engineers Chris Cassidy of NASA and Luca Parmitano of the
European Space Agency will conduct the spacewalks July 9 and July 16
from the station's Quest airlock. Each spacewalk is scheduled to last
6 1/2 hours. Cassidy and Parmitano will replace a space-to-ground
communications receiver and wireless video equipment and install
power and cables for a Russian multipurpose laboratory module that
will be launched later this year. The new module will serve as a
research facility, docking port and airlock for future Russian
spacewalks and will replace the Pirs module.
Cassidy, who is designated EV1 for the spacewalks, will wear a U.S.
extravehicular mobility suit bearing red stripes. The spacewalks will
be the fifth and sixth of Cassidy's career. Parmitano, who is
designated EV2, will wear a spacesuit with no stripes and will be
making the first two spacewalks of his career. He will become the
first Italian astronaut to walk in space. Both spacewalkers will wear
helmet cameras to provide up close views of their work.
NASA TV coverage of the spacewalks will begin at 7 a.m. on both July 9
and July 16. Both spacewalks are scheduled to begin at 8:10 a.m.
For NASA TV streaming video, schedule and downlink information, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/ntv
For more information about the International Space Station and its
crew, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/station
[ANS thanks NASA for the above information]
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Upcoming ARISS contact with Scuola Secondaria grado "Arturo Toscanini",
Capiago Intimiano, Italy and Scuola Media Massimiliano Kolbe, Vercurago,
Lecco, Italy
An International Space Station school contact has been planned with
participants at Scuola Secondaria 1? grado "Arturo Toscanini",
Capiago Intimiano, Italy and Scuola Media Massimiliano Kolbe,
Vercurago, Lecco, Italy on 29 June. The event is scheduled to begin
at approximately 11:50 UTC.
The duration of the contact is approximately 9 minutes and 30
seconds. The contact will be a combination of direct and telebridge
with the contact starting with IK1SLD, then proceeds to IZ2WLC and
finishes back with IK1SLD . The contact should be audible over Italy.
Interested parties are invited to listen in on the 145.80 MHz
downlink. The contact is expected to be conducted in Italian.
Scuola Secondaria 1? grado "Arturo Toscanini", Capiago Intimiano,
Italy
The school is located in Capiago Intimiano, a small town in the
north part of Italy, 7 km far from Como. Como and the surrounding
area can be clearly seen from space due to the unique shape of Lario
lake (like a Y upside down). It tooks the name from "Arturo
Toscanini", a famous musician and conductor lived across the end of
19th century and early 20th.
There are 10 classes and the students are from 11 years old to 14.
Scuola Media Massimiliano Kolbe, Vercurago, Lecco, Italy
Local secondary school with students aged from 10 to 14. It's
located in a building, built in 1950 by the government, originally
used as a sanatorium converted into school in late 1970.
Vercurago is a small town not far from Lecco, built on the shores of
Garlate's lake (as it comes out of Lario lake and become Adda river).
Participants will ask as many of the following questions as time
allows:
1. Why did you decide to become an astronaut?
2. How do you recycle water?
3. How did you feel on your first day in space?
4. What are the main characteristics of the Earth seen from space?
5. What was your first impression of the ISS?
6. How the northern lights appear from space?
7. How is life in space for six months with only five other people?
8. What is the most difficult activity you've carried out in space?
9. When you see the Earth from the space, what do you think?
10. How do you treat waste?
11. Is the Sun different seen from the space?
12. How do you shave in space?
13. What do you usually do in your free time?
14. How does life in orbit influence vital functions?
15. When you'll come back to the Earth, what will be the first thing
you'll do?
16. When the Earth is in the dark, which are the brightest cities?
17. Can you see pollution on the Earth from the ISS?
18. What kind of studies did you attend to become an astronaut?
19. Which was the strongest emotion you felt when you passed quickly
from the Earth to space?
20. What is the human construction visible from the space station?
21. How hard was the training before departure?
22. What do you eat in space?
23. What did you miss more from the earth?
24. Have you ever experimented how spiders build webs in space?
25. Have you ever had any serious technical problems on the ISS?
26. What kind of experiments are you carrying out?
27. What do you like most about your job?
28. What is the most ambitious project for the future?
PLEASE CHECK THE FOLLOWING FOR MORE INFORMATION ON ARISS UPDATES:
Information about the upcoming ARISS contacts can be obtained by
subscribing to the SAREX maillist. To subscribe, go to
http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/tools/maillist/ and choose "How to
Subscribe".
Visit ARISS on Facebook. We can be found at Amateur Radio on the
International Space Station (ARISS).
To receive our Twitter updates, follow @ARISS_status
Next planned event(s):
1. Association Intercultura Onlus, Frascati, Italy, telebridge
Sat, 06July2013, 17:02 UTC 40 deg via W6SRJ
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
participating countries.
ARISS offers an opportunity for students to experience the
excitement 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 crewmembers on ISS
can energize youngsters' interest in science, technology, and
learning. Further information on the ARISS program is available on
the website http://www.ariss.org/ (graciously hosted by the Radio
Amateurs of Canada).
(ANS thanks David Jordan, AA4KN for this ARISS update)
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Satelite Shorts From All Over
Kevin, N4UFO reported on June 25 he was able to work three
transatlantic contacts via AO-7. The stations he contacted included
EA8HB, CT3FM, and G7BTA. Kevin noted, "I must say... three QSOs in one
pass, WOW! That was a lot of fun! AO-7 is a grand old bird, long may
she live! I just had to share how exciting it was!" (via N4UFO on
starcomm-bb)
In the July 2013 edition of the ARRL publication of QST, ARRL Chief
Executive Officer, David Sumner, K1ZZ, presents a feature on CubeSats.
Steve Ford, WB8IMY, presents a column, Eclectic Technology, titled
"More Satellites on the Way", a listing of the 7 satellites due to be
launched in 2013. (via www.arrl.org )
A CubeSat presentation was given by AMSAT Francophone to a
scientific conference held by the Radio Club of Paris F6KVP on May
29, 2013.
A video of the presentation has been made available on the web.
AMSAT-Francophone site in Google English:
http://tinyurl.com/AMSAT-Francophone
Radio Club of Paris F6KVP in Google English:
http://tinyurl.com/RadioClubParis
F6KVP on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/F6KVP
(via AMSAT-UK)
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/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,
Joe Spier, K6WAO
k6wao at amsat dot org
AMSAT NEWS SERVICE
ANS-209
The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and infor-
mation service of AMSAT North America, The Radio Amateur Satellite
Corporation. ANS publishes news related to Amateur Radio in Space
including 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.
The news feed on http://www.amsat.org publishes news of Amateur
Radio in Space as soon as our volunteers can post it.
Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to:
ans-editor at amsat.org.
In this edition:
* AMSAT Submits Comments to the US Government on ITAR Transition
* ARISS Leadership from AMSAT and ARRL to be on-hand for EAA
Airventure ARISS contact
* July/August AMSAT Journal is Ready
* 2013 AMSAT-NA Board of Directors Ballot Has Been Mailed
* STRaND-1 Heard After 113 Days of Silence
* Slime Mold Satellite gets into the media
* QB50: Ham Radio transponder payloads to launch 2014
* AMSAT-UK Colloquium videos now available
* AMSAT members wave at Cassini
* ARISS News
* Satellite Shorts From All Over
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-209.01
ANS-209 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 209.01
>From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
DATE July 28, 2013
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-209.01
AMSAT Submits Comments to the US Government on ITAR Transition
On May 24, 2013 the Department of State's Directorate of Defense
Trade Controls (DDTC) released proposed changes to the US Munitions
List (USML) Category XV ("Spacecraft Systems and Related Articles"),
redefining what constitutes satellites that would remain under the
USML. Satellites removed from USML will be transferred to the
Department of Commerce's Commerce Control List (CCL). Consequently,
the Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS)
also released proposed changes on May 24, 2013 regarding
modifications to the Commerce Control List, creating a separate
category for satellites that were formerly controlled under ITAR
(International Traffic in Arms Regulations).
AMSAT President Barry Baines, WD4ASW and AMSAT Congressional Liaison
Peter Portanova, WB2OQQ took on the task of drafting comments in
response to the combined 105 pages of "bureaucratize" drafted by the
DDTC and the BIS. Former AMSAT President Bill Tynan, W3XO crafted
initial comments that provided a starting point. Peter, using
various points of contact in Washington to help gauge how AMSAT might
submit remarks, made recommendations on the crafting of AMSAT's
response. Barry then wrote two different drafts, one addressed to
the DDTC in response to the USML changes, requesting confirmation
that Amateur Satellite Service spacecraft and associated equipment
will be removed from the USML. The other document is addressed to
the BIS in response to the proposed changes to the CCL, suggesting
that Amateur Satellite Service spacecraft and associated equipment be
separately categorized and controlled given the significant
differences between Commercial and Amateur Satellite Service
spacecraft. Both drafts were initially reviewed by the AMSAT Board
of Directors with the final versions submitted on 6 JUL 13.
If you would like to review both submissions they have been placed
on the AMSAT website (www.amsat.org). In addition, AMSAT's
submission to BIS (along with the comments of others) may be viewed
at: http://tinyurl.com/k75u2go
AMSAT's submission to the DDTC along with other interested parties
may be found here: http://tinyurl.com/lxobvxh
Note that this PDF contains "all" comments received; AMSAT's
comments start on page 138.
Both DDTC and BIS will now review the comments received and
presumably make modifications to the original proposals. It will
likely take several months before both agencies respond to the
comments that they've received.
[ANS thanks Barry WD4ASW for the above information]
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ARISS Leadership from AMSAT and ARRL to be on-hand for EAA
Airventure ARISS contact
ARISS International Chair and AMSAT V.P. for Human Spaceflight,
Frank Bauer, KA3HDO and ARISS U.S. delegate for the ARRL, Rosalie
White, K1STO, will be supporting this week’s ARISS Contact in Oshkosh
Wisconsin at Airventure, the Experimental Aircraft Association’s
(EAA) annual airshow and convention, which normally hosts 500,000
visitors each year. Possessing private pilot and amateur radio
licenses, Frank and Rosalie independently planned to attend
Airventure this year, long before the ARISS contact was planned. “My
wife Janet and I have attended Airventure 3 years straight,” Frank
stated. “It is an outstanding opportunity for us to immerse
ourselves in all things aviation. And it enables me to hone one of
my other passions, amateur photography. When Rosalie and I heard
that a contact was planned for Airventure and we learned that we were
both planning a trip to Airventure, we jumped at the chance to mentor
the EAA team.”
While they will plan to keep a bustling agenda of “all-things
aviation,” Frank, Janet and Rosalie will be focused on the ARISS
contact. Planned for 12:01 CT on August 1, the contact will be
conducted using the telebridge station AH6NM at the Sacred Hearts
School in Hawaii. ISS astronaut Luca Parmitano, KF5KDP, plans to be
at the microphone during the contact. The ARISS contact will be held
as part of EAA’s Science, Technology Engineering and Math (STEM)
initiative, where the focus on August 1 is space—past present and the
future. Students attending the contact will include 125 women and
their mentors from the EAA’s Women Sour group and students from
Flabob Airport High School and Lakeland Aviation High School.
Several former astronauts will also on-hand for the contact,
including Charlie Precourt, KB5YSQ, who supported SAREX (STS-55 & STS-
71), Jim Voss, who supported ARISS (Expedition 2) and Kent Rominger.
They will share their experiences as former astronauts and leaders in
NASA’s Commercial Crew program. They will also provide the students
a unique view of what it is like to perform SAREX and ARISS contacts
from orbit.
ARISS is an international STEM outreach program that is jointly
sponsored in the U.S. by NASA, ARRL and AMSAT-NA.
[ANS thanks Frank KA3HDO for the above information]
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July/August AMSAT Journal is Ready
The July/August 2013 AMSAT Journal has been sent to the print shop.
They are getting geared up for the production printing run. It should
arrive at your QTH in a few weeks. Thanks for all the help from the
Journal's editorial team: Bernhard VA6BMJ, Mike K4ERA, and Douglas
KA2UPW/5.
In this issue you will find:
+ Apogee View Column by AMSAT President Barry Baines
+ AMSAT-Rochester Institute of Technology Academic Team Complete
Fox-2 MPPT Prototype
+ Fox-1 Attitude Determination Experiment Simulator
+ A Full-Duplex VHF-UHF Satellite System Using SDR
+ NASA-Built Nanosatellite Launch Adaptor System Ready for Flight
+ AMSAT Forum at the 2013 Dayton Hamvention
+ 2013 AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting Announcement
+ AMSAT on Campus - Development of the Penn State
Supercapacitor Power System
+ Thanks to AMSAT's 2013 Dayton Hamvention Volunteers!
+ Photo Gallery: AMSAT at the 2013 Dayton Hamvention
[ANS thanks JoAnne K9JKM for the above information]
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2013 AMSAT-NA Board of Directors Ballot Has Been Mailed
Ballots were mailed to members in good standing by July 15th, and
must be returned to the AMSAT-NA office no later than the close of
business on September 15th, 2013. If you have not received your ballot
by August 5th, please contact the AMSAT Office. Ballots sent to
members outside North America are automatically sent via air mail. It
is suggested that they be returned the same way.
This year there are eight candidates running for the AMSAT-NA Board of
Directors. The four candidates receiving the highest number of votes
will be seated as voting Board Members with two year terms. The two
candidates receiving the next highest number of votes will be
non-voting Alternate Board Members with terms of one year. Please
vote for no more than four candidates.
AMSAT-NA Board candidates in alphabetical order by last name:
Barry Baines, WD4ASW
Alan Biddle, WA4SCA
Steve Coy, K8UD
Frank Griffin, K4FEG
Mark Hammond, N8MH
Brian Klofas, KF6ZEO
JoAnne Maenpaa, K9JKM
Tony Monteiro, AA2TX
[ANS thanks the AMSAT Office for the above information]
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STRaND-1 Heard After 113 Days of Silence
Graham Shirville, G3VZV, announced on the AMSAT-BB that Mike DK3WN
has just reported hearing STRaND-1 and decoding telemetry this
evening. The spacecraft has been silent since March 31st so this is
really good news.
I am certain that the project leader, Dr Chris Bridges, who
presented a paper about STRaND-1 at the AMSAT-UK Colloquium last
Sunday, would be really pleased to receive any and all reports from
other amateurs around the world.
Mike has an info page about this spacecraft here:
http://www.dk3wn.info/sat/afu/sat_strand.shtml
STRaND-1 transmits on frequency of 437.568 MHz (+/- 10 kHz Doppler)
Please send your reports to C.P.Bridges at surrey.ac.uk
A video of the presentation on STRaND-1 given on July 21 by Chris
Bridges M6OBC / M0GKK to the AMSAT-UK International Space Colloquium
can be seen via:
http://amsat-uk.org/2013/07/23/uk-strand-1-cubesat-is-back/
Download the video by right-clicking on
http://www.batc.tv/vod/strand.flv
See the report from Mike Rupprecht DK3WN
http://www.dk3wn.info/p/?p=35582
STRaND-1 information
http://amsat-uk.org/satellites/strand-1/
How to decode the telemetry
http://amsat-uk.org/satellites/strand-1/strand-1-telemetry/
[ANS thanks Graham G3VZV, Mike DK3WN and Trevor M5AKA for the above
information]
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Slime Mold Satellite gets into the media
A brief mention of the Slime Mold CubeSat posted last March on the
AMSAT-UK and Southgatearc.org sites has been picked up by one of the
Space.Com website writers, Leonard David, who has written a good
article which retained a mention of amateur radio.
It's Summer in the northern hemisphereand media outlets can be short
of stories at this time of year so Leonards story has in turn been
picked up by a few other news outlets and hopefully that will spread.
I guess the thought of Slime in Space captures the imagination.Most
of the resulting stories seem to have retained the mention of amateur
radio.
You can read Leonard David's article at
http://www.space.com/21982-space-slime-grows-mold-tiny-satellite.html
March AUK mention
http://amsat-uk.org/2013/03/15/teikyosat-3-slime-mold-from-space/
[ANS thanks Trevor M5AKA for the above information]
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QB50: Ham Radio transponder payloads to launch 2014
It was announced during the QB50 presentation at the AMSAT-UK
International Space Colloquium that
two CubeSats, carrying SSB/CW and FM voice transponders should be
launched into a 600 km orbit in the first half of 2014
The QB50 project team has announced that on July 19, 2013 they
signed a Memorandum of Understanding with AMSAT-UK, AMSAT-
Francophone, and AMSAT-NL to enable two amateur radio payloads to fly
on two 2-Unit CubeSats in the first half of 2014.
These precursor CubeSats, which have still to be named, will be
placed into a conventional 600 km 98o orbit in advance of the main
mission. This allows for the testing of key satellite and payload
components ahead of the full QB50 mission.
In addition, the precursor mission allows for experimentation and
validation of operational concept of the QB50 mission. Next to these
objectives the amateur radio payloads will be operated as well. At
the beginning of the mission, the various payloads onboard the
spacecraft will be operated in an alternating fashion, whilst the
amateur radio payloads will be operated as the primary payload of the
spacecraft once all QB50 related experimentation has been concluded.
The main mission of QB50 has the scientific objective to study in
situ the temporal and spatial variations of a number of key
constituents and parameters in the lower thermosphere (90-320 km)
with a network of about 40 double CubeSats.
These, university built, CubeSats will be launched into a 320km
circular orbit, will be separated by a few hundred kilometres and
carry identical science sensors. The sensors will monitor parameters
that will greatly increase our knowledge and understanding of this
little explored region of the E and F layers of the Ionosphere.
QB50 will also study the re-entry process by measuring a number of
key parameters during re-entry and by comparing predicted and actual
CubeSat trajectories and orbital lifetimes.
The AMSAT-Francophone (AMSAT-F) payload for one of the satellites
will be an FM voice relay with VHF uplink and UHF downlink. It will
also transmit FX25 telemetry at 9.6kbit. This secondary payload will
be also used in several satellites in the main constellation as their
main receiver and transmitter.
The AMSAT-NL payload, on the other precursor satellite, will
incorporate an SDR based, linear, V/U, transponder core and is being
designed to allow the uploading of firmware updates to enable
enhanced performance and functionality. It will also provide a
telemetry downlink at 1.2kbit using FUNcube compatible BPSK
modulation.
The QB50 spacecraft in the main, short duration, mission will,
generally, have downlinks operating on frequencies in the 435-438 MHz
Amateur Satellite Service allocation and some are expected to use
2.4GHz.
They will be notified to the ITU as a Belgian network after having
been coordinated by the IARU Frequency Coordination Panel. Some of
these will also, on occasions, act as FM voice relays during their
missions.
Watch the video of the QB50 Presentation at the 2013 AMSAT-UK
International Space Colloquium
http://www.batc.tv/streams/amsat1308
Direct video download http://www.batc.tv/vod/qb50.flv
More information about the QB50 project can be found at
http://www.qb50.eu/
[ANS thanks AMSAT-UK for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
AMSAT-UK Colloquium Videos Now Available
Thanks to the hard work of volunteers from the British Amateur
Television Club (BATC) videos of the presentations given to the AMSAT-
UK International Space Colloquium held in Guildford July 20-21, 2013
are now available to view online or download to your PC.
To access them follow these steps:
• Go to http://www.batc.tv/
• Click on the ‘Film Archive’ icon
• Select ‘AMSAT-UK 2013' from the Category drop down menu
• Click ‘Select Category’
• Select the video you wish to watch
• Click on ‘Select Stream’
• Click the play icon ‘>’ on the player
• Clicking on the icon to the left of the player volume control will
give you full screen display.
You can also download a video file to your PC by right-clicking on
the ‘Click Here’ link under the player.
[ANS thanks Trevor M5AKA and AMSAT-UK for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
AMSAT members wave at Cassini
NASA asked people to wave at the Cassini space probe which was
taking pictures from near Saturn. Attendees at the AMSAT-UK
International Space Collquium responded enthusiastically
On Friday, July 19 between 21:27 and 21:47 UT NASA's Cassini
spacecraft took images of Saturn, with the planet Earth in the
background nearly 1.5 billion kilometers away. NASA encouraged the
public to look and wave in the direction of Saturn at the time of the
portrait and share their pictures via the Internet.
AMSAT-UK International Space Colloquium attendees were among the
many world-wide who did just that.
NASA Interplanetary Probes to Take Pictures of Earth From Space
http://tinyurl.com/np6v38g
JPLers Wave at Saturn as Part of Worldwide Campaign
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?release=2013-228
[ANS thanks Southgate Amateur Radio News for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
ARISS News
Recent Successful Contacts
+ A Successful contact was made between Boy Scouts of America, 2013
National Jamboree, Mount Hope, WV, USA and Astronaut Luca Parmitano,
KF5KDP, using callsign NA1SS. The contact began 2013-07-20 15:34 UTC
and lasted about nine and a half minutes. Contact was direct via
K2BSA. The ARISS mentor for the contact was W2CYK.
+ A Successful contact was made between Colegio Urugua, El Pinar,
Uruguay and Astronaut Luca Parmitano, KF5KDP, using callsign NA1SS.
The contact began 2013-07-20 19:05 UTC and lasted about nine and a
half minutes. Contact was telebridged via LU8YY. The ARISS mentors
for the contact were IKØWGF and IKØUSO.
+ A Successful contact was made between Scuola Italiana di
Montevideo (SIM), Montevideo, Uruguay and Astronaut Luca Parmitano,
KF5KDP using callsign NA1SS. The contact began 2013-07-22 11:39 UTC
and lasted about nine and a half minutes. Contact was telebridged via
VK5ZAI. The ARISS mentors for the contact were IKØWGF and IKØUSO.
+ A Successful contact was made between ESA Space Camp 2013,
Radstadt, Austria, and Astronaut Luca Parmitano, KF5KDP using
callsign NA1SS. The contact began 2013-07-24 11:44 UTC and lasted
about nine and a half minutes. Contact was telebridged via VK4KHZ.
The ARISS mentor for the contact were IN3GHZ.
+ A Successful simulation contact was made between Radioclub of
Leuven, Leuven, Belgium and Alexander Gerst KF5ONO. The contact
ocurred 2013-07-22 between 18:30 and 19:30 UTC. Contact was direct
via ON4CP. This terrestrial contact served as a training session for
Alexander Gerst KF5ONO, who is expected to serve as a Flight Engineer
with Expedition 40 scheduled to launch in April 2014.
+ A Successful simulation contact was made between Radioclub of
Leuven, Leuven, Belgium and Reid Wiseman KF5LKT. The contact ocurred
2013-07-22 between 18:30 and 19:30] UTC and lasted about ten minutes.
Contact was direct via ON4CP. This terrestrial contact serves as a
training session for Reid Wiseman KF5LKT, who is expected to serve as
a Flight Engineer with Expedition 40 scheduled to launch in April
2014.
Upcoming Contacts
+Italian Bilingual School, Leichhardt (Sydney), NSW, Australia,
telebridge via VK5ZAI
Contact is a go for: Tue 2013-07-30 08:26:02 UTC
OR
Contact is a go for: Wed 2013-07-31 07:37:40 UTC
+Oshkosh Air Venture Air Show, Oshkosh, Wisconsin, telebridge via
AH6NM
Contact is a go for: Thu 2013-08-01 17:01:31 UTC
+Space Jam 7 at the Octave Chanute Aerospace Museum, Rantoul, IL,
telebridge via LU8YY
Contact is a go for: Sat 2013-08-03 20:46:15
ARISS is requesting listener reports for the above contacts. Due
to issues with the Kenwood radio that are not fully understood at
present, the Ericsson radio is going to be used for these contacts.
ARISS thanks everyone in advance for their assistance.
Looking for something new to do? How about receiving DATV from the
ISS? If interested, then please review the document provided by
Gaston Bertels ON4WF, the ARISS-Europe Chairman.
http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/HamTV.pdf
Crew members currently onboard the ISS
Exp. 35/36 on orbit
Pavel Vinogradov RV3BS
Aleksandr Misurkin
Christopher J. Cassidy KF5KDR
Exp. 36/37 on orbit
Fyodor Yurchikhin RN3FI
Karen L. Nyberg
Luca Parmitano KF5KDP
[ANS thanks ARISS, Charlie AJ9N and Dave AA4KN for the above
information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Satellite Shorts From All Over
+++ Satellite Operation from Guernsey
>From Peter Goodhall via AMSAT-BB
Hi All,
Just a quick note to say that from the 24th of July till the 30th of
July, I will be active sporadically on satellite passes from Guernsey
(IN89RL) as 2U0SQL.
I shall be focusing on FO-29 and SO-50 passes but no firm pass times,
but hopefully will have internet access and will try posting on
Twitter (@2E0SQL) when I'll be on.
Due to this being camping I will be battery powered using a FT-817 and
an Arrow antenna.
If anyone needs a QSL Card its direct to 2E0SQL or bureau.
+++ iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch 'Satellite Explorer Pro' app
>From Tom Doyle via AMSAT-BB
iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch 'Satellite Explorer Pro' app is available
in the Apple app store. It is free.
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRM16bIucQ8
+++ Gospodin Murphy was right!
>From Alan WA4SCA via AMSAT-BB
An interesting article on the recent launch failure of a Proton-M:
http://preview.tinyurl.com/kt5x9hw
The latest in a long line of bizarre, expensive errors in the world
launch business.
+++ D-STAR AMSAT User's Net
D-STAR AMSAT User's Net meets Thursday Evenings @ 01:00 UTC / 20:00
CDT, Reflector 60B
https://sites.google.com/site/memphisdstar/d-satellite-amsat-net
If you do not have a d star radio or dv dongle ,you can still
checkin using drats , The down load is on the above link Meet us in
the "dratsamsat" chat room. For more information contact
Damon WA4HFN, wa4hfn at comcast dot net
+++ July/August Issue of SatMagazine Is Now Online
Download it in PDF format from http://www.satmagazine.com/
+++ DARPA Seeks to Eliminate GPS Dependence
The same impulse that led to the invention of GPS now has engendered
a drive to beget non-GPS. Because of vulnerability to jamming,
spoofing, and other intentional or unintentional modifications of
position, orientation, and time information, DARPA has put forth a
new goal "to completely eliminate dependence on GPS or any other
external signals during the mission and rely solely on self-contained
solutions such as inertial navigation."
Read more at http://tinyurl.com/ms8t6yz
[ANS Thanks Alan Cameron and GPS World for the above information]
+++ AMSAT Mentions in the Press
World Radio Online August 2013
Carole Perry's WB2MPG article "Great Expectations Fulfilled" is
about presenters at Dayton's Youth Forum. In his forum presentation,
"Getting Started with Amateur Radio Satellites" Young Ben Jacobs
KC9RO recommends "... http://amsat.org as the best resource for more
information."
In his column "Amateur Satellites" Terry Douds N8KI mentions AMSAT's
YouTube Channel, the upcoming AMSAT Space Symposium in Houston, and
the Fox-1 launch announcement.
CQ VHF Spring 2013
CQ VHF many articles related amateur radio satellites. Catch Hector
Martinez's CO6CBF "Working Satellites with a Homebrew Setup Cuban
Style" He retools his presentation from last year's Symposium.
In Christopher Friesen's VE4CWF "Building The Slap Shot - A
HockeyStick Satellite Antenna" He suggests "... with AMSAT working on
two satellites, and plans to depoly them in the next few years, now
is the time to build a satellite antenna and begin operating."
Keith Pugh W5IU offers "What to do While Waiting for the Next
Satellite or the next Band Opening". Amongs other activities he
mentions the Dayton Hamvention Forums, the Houston AMSAT Space
Symposium November 1, the AMSAT UK Space Colloqium which just
finished up and makes an appeal to continue to "... support AMSAT's
plans for the future of amateur radio satellites," as well as
refering to AMSAT's newly designed web page at http://www.amsat.org.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
/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-188
The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and infor-
mation service of AMSAT North America, The Radio Amateur Satellite
Corporation. ANS publishes news related to Amateur Radio in Space
including 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.
The news feed on http://www.amsat.org publishes news of Amateur
Radio in Space as soon as our volunteers can post it.
Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to:
ans-editor at amsat.org.
In this edition:
* Last Reminder for AMSAT Field Day Summary results
* FITSAT-1 (NIWAKA) Decays
* ISS Ham Radio Slow Scan TV active
* Sending Your Own Spacecraft to the Moon
* 2013 AMSAT-UK International Space Colloquium starts July 19
* OPS-SAT opportunity for Radio Amateurs
* Dutch Amateur Radio Satellite User Meeting September 28th 2013
* ARISS News
* Satellite Shorts From All Over
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-188.01
ANS-188 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 188.01
>From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
DATE July 7, 2013
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-188.01
Last Reminder for AMSAT Field Day Summary results
Just a quick reminder that you must have your AMSAT Field Day
results received by me no later than Monday, July 8, 2013 at 23:59 PM
Central Time. If I do not receive them, your group will not be listed
in the AMSAT Field Day story in the journal and they will be mad at
you. We have had 14 submissions so far, last year we had 19. I hope
we beat that number.
Even if your group made one contact, turn it in. That shows you
participated in AMSAT Field Day and succeeded in the feat of getting
through the mess to complete your contact. A lot of groups were
unable to accomplish one.
[ANS thanks Bruce KK5DO, kk5do at arrl dot net, for the above
information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
FITSAT-1 (NIWAKA) Decays
FITSAT-1 (NIWAKA) decayed on 4th July 2013.
The last signal was received by JA0CAW at 03:07(UT).
I appreciate all hams who joined our experiments,
helped our operations, and sent me many reports.
I could make many friends in the world and enjoyed
through FITSAT-1. Though FITSAT-1 became a shooting
star, I am very happy now.
Thank you very much again all Ham friends.
Very Best 73,
de Takushi
--
Takushi Tanaka, JA6AVG
FITSAT-project
Fukuoka Institute of Technology
[ANS thanks Takushi Tanaka, JA6AVG for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
ISS Ham Radio Slow Scan TV active
The Slow Scan TV (SSTV) experiment on the International Space
Station (ISS) was active on July 2-3, on 145.800 MHz FM
The MAI-75 experiment worked very well producing some stunning images.
All you need to do to receive the SSTV pictures from the space
station is to connected the audio output of a scanner or amateur
rig via a simple interface to the soundcard on a Windows PC or an
Apple iOS device, and tune in to 145.800 MHz FM. You can even receive
pictures by holding an iPhone next to the radio's loudspeaker.
On Windows PC's the free application MMSSTV can be used to decode
the signal, on Apple iOS devices you can use the SSTV app. The ISS
Fan Club website will show you when the space station is in range.
MMSSTV
http://hamsoft.ca/pages/mmsstv.php
iOS SSTV App
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/sstv/id387910013
For more on Slow Scan Television SSTV, see this article SSTV - The
Basics
http://www.essexham.co.uk/sstv-the-basics
How to be successful with the ISS Slow Scan Television (SSTV)
imaging system
http://www.marexmg.org/fileshtml/howtoisssstv.html
Information on the MAI-75 SSTV experiment
http://www.energia.ru/eng/iss/researches/education-26.html
IZ8BLY Vox Recoder, enables you to record the signals from the ISS
on 145.800 MHz while you're away at work
http://antoninoporcino.xoom.it/VoxRecorder/
For the latest status of amateur radio activity on the ISS and real
time tracking see
http://www.issfanclub.com/
[ANS thanks Trevor M5AKA and Southgate ARN for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Sending Your Own Spacecraft to the Moon
A new project to give thousands of people the opportunity to design,
build and launch personalised spacecraft and send them to the moon has
begun.
Now anyone can become a citizen space explorer and take part in a
mission to send their own Pocket Spacecraft to the moon. At a cost of
just GBP 99 (~EUR119/JPY15499/USD159), explorers who back the project
will be able to personalise their own spacecraft by adding a picture
or message direct from their favourite social media or game profile or
create their own unique design. They can do this from their smartphone
or web browser and will be able to monitor progress throughout their
mission with their own Pocket Mission Control app. Users will be able
to track the progress of their spacecraft as it is designed, built in
the lab and travels through space. More technical explorers will be
able to write software and even customise the on-board hardware
enabling them to conduct their own unique experiments whether mapping
the solar wind or playing laser tag - in space!
Pocket Spacecraft are disks with flexible electronics, smaller than a
CD and as thin as a piece of paper, that will be loaded into an
Interplanetary CubeSat mothership to hitch a ride into space on a
commercial rocket. The mothership will then set off to the moon and
when it arrives many months later, the fleet of Pocket Spacecraft will
be photographed as they are released to land on the moon to complete
their mission.
Anyone can take part in the mission via the crowd-funding site
Kickstarter (search for ‘Pocket Spacecraft‘ or visit
PocketSpacecraft.com ). Since launch in 2009, Kickstarter has raised
more than $500 million for various projects from over 3 million
individuals. Pocket Spacecraft only needs support from 2000 or more
people to allow the mission to go ahead.
The global team of scientists, engineers and designers behind Pocket
Spacecraft have already created two dozen open space projects for the
mission since 2009, supported by more than a hundred volunteers from
twenty countries (and counting) led by co-ordinators in Europe
(Bristol, UK) and America (Pasadena, CA, USA).
Michael Johnson, founder of Pocket Spacecraft, co-created the first
space mission funded on KickStarter (KickSat - due to be launched by
NASA later this year), and influential workshops such as the
Interplanetary CubeSat Workshop at MIT, and the Keck Institute for
Space Studies Small Satellites: A Revolution in Space Science workshop
at Caltech.
“By backing this mission people will revolutionise space exploration
and space science” enthuses Michael. “By democratising interplanetary
space exploration we will create a generation of young explorers who
can use the same affordable methods to explore Mars, Venus and beyond.
We’re building tools so that one day every child will be able to send
their own spacecraft on a robotic field trip in space”.
The campaign will run for 60 days and end on August 26, 2013. Detailed
information regarding the campaign is available on the KickStarter
website:
http://tinyurl.com/q8nbj6j
MEDIA RELATIONS: media(a)PocketSpacecraft.com | PHONE +44 117 230 2060
/ +1 626 768 2050
Helen White (Media Relations)
helen(a)PocketSpacecraft.com
Michael Johnson (Founder)
michael(a)PocketSpacecraft.com
Seth Jackson (Partnership enquiries)
seth(a)PocketSpacecraft.com
[ANS thanks Helen White for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
2013 AMSAT-UK International Space Colloquium starts July 19
The 2013 AMSAT-UK International Space Colloquium will start late
afternoon on Friday, July 19 and will run through until the afternoon
on Sunday, July 21 at the Holiday Inn, Guildford, GU2 7XZ, UK.
It will be preceded by a "Hands-on" CubeSat Workshop.
This free workshop will take place at the nearby University of
Surrey on Friday, July 19 and this will be followed, at the hotel, by
the usual
Colloquium "Beginners Session" in the late afternoon.
The Holiday Inn, Guildford
It is anticipated that both the FUNcube-1 and FUNcube-2 missions
will be launched later this year and the FUNcube team will be on hand
to talk about the missions and the planned educational outreach.
A full demonstration of the Engineering Model, which has been
performing
flawlessly for almost a year, will also be provided.
Further details and booking information at
http://amsat-uk.org/colloquium/colloquium-2013/
[ANS thanks Trevor, M5AKA for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
OPS-SAT opportunity for Radio Amateurs
The ESA OPS-SAT CubeSat provides a rare opportunity for testing new
amateur radio software for use on a CubeSat actually in space.
The 3U CubeSat has deployable solar arrays and plans to launch in
2016 into a Low Earth Orbit (LEO).
Although the formal closing dates for expressions of interest from
potential experimenters for this project has now closed, contact has
been made with Dave Evans at ESA-ESOC who has confirmed that they
would be very interested to receive proposals from an AMSAT team to
develop a novel use of this spacecraft for amateur radio purposes.
In addition to an X Band downlink and S Band uplinks and downlinks,
the spacecraft will carry a simplex transceiver operating with
4k8/9k6 telemetry using GMSK on the 435 MHz band.
It s understood that experimenters will have access to an onboard
processor running Linux/Java at 500 to 800 MHz.
The project is open to teams led by a group from any ESA member
country (this includes Canada) and initial info is shown here
although the detailed design is being rapidly iterated..
It is emphasised that this is a very open project which will require
lots of interaction between the contributing groups.
Bright ideas are needed from our software experts and If there is
sufficient interest it may be possible to host a Skype conference
about this opportunity during the AMSAT-UK International Space
Colloquium over the weekend of July 20-21.
It is not proposed that this should be an AMSAT-UK led project, but
Graham Shirville G3VZV is happy to provide some initial coordination!
OPS-SAT Evolving Software Technology for Spacecraft Operations
http://tinyurl.com/nrlzsbg
[ANS thanks Southgate ARN for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Dutch Amateur Radio Satellite User Meeting September 28th 2013
On September 28th, 2013 there will be an amateur radio meeting (in
Dutch: "Interessedag Amateursatellieten") held for everyone who is
interested in amateur radio satellites. It will be held in Paasloo,
in the Northern part of The Netherlands. We are very pleased to join
this day with the annual VHF day held by the Dutch amateur radio
society VERON.
There will be a series of presentations concerning amateur radio
satellites. Amongst others, the following topics will be included: a
portable radio setup, the support radio amateurs provide give to the
scientific community, beginners sessions, and last but not least, the
latest news about two new satellites to be launched soon: the FUNcube-
1 and the Delfi-N3xT satellites (by their project representatives)!
Besides these presentations, it is of course a great opportunity to
meet other amateurs who are interested in satellites, and make plans
for future meetings!
While the main language will be Dutch (including the presentations),
non-Dutch guests are of course welcome to join as well. If you need
assistance with signing up, do not hesitate to ask either PA1IVO or
PA3GUO (both callsign AT amsat.org) for help.
The latest information about this event can be found on this webpage:
http://ivok.home.xs4all.nl/other/SatDay2013.html
(Dutch language with a summary in English)
Ivo Klinkert, PA1IVO and Henk Hamoen, PA3GUO
Dutch Amateur Radio Satellite User Meeting 2013
[ANS thanks Henk PA3GUO for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
ARISS News
Successful ARISS Contacts
+ A Successful contact was made between Ruder Boskovic Technical
School, Zagreb, Croatia and Astronaut Luca Parmitano, KF5KDP using
callsign OR4ISS. The contact began 17:31 UTC 2013-06-26 and lasted
about nine and a half minutes. Contact was direct via 9A1A.
Ruder Boskovic Technical School in Zagreb is a secondary school with
more than a sixty year tradition. Even since it was founded in 1948,
it has been one of the highest rated schools in northwestern part of
Croatia,on the present county of Grad Zagreb. It was named in honour
to famous Croatian 18th century mathematician, astronomer, physicist,
philosopher and theologian Ruder Boskovic who was born in Dubrovnik.
There are 44 classes divided in 4 grades and 4 school educational
programs : IT technician, electronics technician, mechatronics
technician and optician. There are approximately 1.100 students aged
15 to 19, and more then 110 professors.
+ A Successful contact was made between Scuola Secondaria 1° grado
"Arturo Toscanini", Capiago Intimiano, Italy and Astronaut Luca
Parmitano, KF5KDP using callsign IRØISS. The contact began 11:50:23
UTC 2013-06-29 and lasted about nine and a half minutes. Contact was
both dirct and telebridged because of the mountainous terrain around
with the contact, starting with IK1SLD, then proceeding to IZ2WLC and
finished back with IK1SLD. This school contact was in made in
conjunction with the one from Scuola Media Massimiliano Kolbe.
Scuola Secondaria 1° grado "Arturo Toscanini", Capiago Intimiano,
Italy The school is located in Capiago Intimiano, a small town in the
north part of Italy, 7 km far from Como. Como and the surrounding
area can be clearly seen from space due to the unique shape of Lario
lake (like a Y upside down). It takes the name from "Arturo
Toscanini", a famous musician and conductor lived across the end of
19th century and early 20th. There are 10 classes and the students
are from 11 years old to 14.
+ A Successful contact was made between Scuola Media Massimiliano
Kolbe, Vercurago, Lecco, Italy and Astronaut Luca Parmitano, KF5KDP
using callsign OR4ISS. The contact began 11:50:23 UTC 2013-06-29 and
lasted about nine and a half minutes. Contact was both dirct and
telebridged because of the mountainous terrain around with the
contact, starting with IK1SLD, then proceeding to IZ2WLC and finished
back with IK1SLD. This school contact was in made in conjunction with
the one from Scuola Secondaria 1° grado "Arturo Toscanini"
Scuola Media Massimiliano Kolbe, Vercurago, Lecco, Italy is a Local
secondary school with students aged from 10 to 14. It's located in a
building, built in 1950 by the government, originally used as a
sanatorium converted into school in late 1970. Vercurago is a small
town not far from Lecco, built on the shores of Garlate's lake (as it
comes out of Lario lake and become Adda river).
+ A Successful contact was made between Association Intercultura
Onlus, Frascati, Italy, and Astronaut Luca Parmitano, KF5KDP using
callsign NA1SS. The contact began 17:02:30 UTC 2013-07-06 and lasted
about nine and a half minutes. Contact was telebridged via W6SRJ.
Intercultura is the Italian representative of AFS Intercultural
Programs (New York), an international, no profit, voluntary based
organization that provides intercultural learning opportunities and
cultural exchange programs throughout more than 60 different
countries in the world, involving every year 13,000 students and an
equivalent number of families and schools. In Italy, Intercultura is
a no profit organization (ONLUS) recognized by the Italian
government, under the patronage of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The professional staff of Intercultura is made by 40 people who work
in the headquarters of Colle Val d’Elsa (Siena) or in the PR offices
based in Milan and Rome. The 4,000 affiliated volunteers are
organized in 140 local chapters and offer they voluntary work to
promote international school based exchange programs.
Upcoming ARISS Contacts
+ Scout Canada Jamboree, Sylvan Lake, Alberta, Canada, telebridge via
VK5ZAI
Contact is a go for: Mon 2013-07-08 16:31:11 UTC 36 deg
+ Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesu’, Rome, State of Vatican City,
direct via HV2VO
Contact is a go for: Wed 2013-07-10 12:36:28 UTC 66 deg
ARISS is requesting listener reports for the above contacts. Due
to issues with the Kenwood radio that are not fully understood at
present, the Ericsson radio is going to be used for these contacts.
ARISS thanks everyone in advance for their assistance.
[ANS thanks Charlie, AJ9N for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Satellite Shorts From All Over
+ 432 and Above EME Newsletter
The July issue of the free amateur radio 432 MHz and Above EME
Newsletter is now available
The newsletter can be downloaded in Word or PDF formats from
http://www.nitehawk.com/rasmit/em70cm.html
Previous newsletters are at
http://www.nitehawk.com/rasmit/em70cm_arc.html
[ANS thanks Southgate ARN for the above information]
+ G4HYG RELEASES NEW APRS MESSENGER ANDROID APP
Chris Moulding, G4HYG, says that he has just released a new APRS app
for Android phones and tablets. This so that radio amateurs can
send APRS position beacons and messages from an Android equipped
phone or tablet over a 3G or Wi-Fi link to the APRS-IS internet
system. It can also link by Bluetooth to the new Bluetooth version
of the APRS TNC Digi Tracker.
G4HYG notes that there is a small charge for the app to help pay for
the development tool licensing fee. More information on the web at
tinyurl.com/aprs-android-app. (G4HYG)
[ANS thanks Amateur Radio Newsline™ for the above information]
+ Google Project Loon Interference Concerns
It has been reported that concerns have been raised with Google
about the interference their 2400 MHz and 5800 MHz Project Loon
balloons could cause, see
http://tinyurl.com/m23fjqp
[ANS thanks Trevor M5AKA and AMSAT-UK for the above information]
+ This Week in Space History
July 7
1998 First Satellite Launched from Submarine
2003 Mars Rover Opportunity Launched
June 8
1994 STS-65 Columbia Launched
2011 STS-135 Atlantis Launched - Final Shuttle Mission
June 9
1945 White Sands Missle Range opened
1979 Voyager 2 flies past Jupiter
June 10
1962 Telstar Launched allowing transatlantic TV Transmission
1992 Biotto spave craft flies past Comet Grigg-Skjellerup
June 11
1962 NASA picks lunar orbit rendezvous method for lunar landings
1979 Skylab Re-enters Atmosphere
June 12
2000 Zvezda Service Module Launched to ISS
2001 STS-104 Atlantis Launched
June 13
1995 STS 70 Discovery Launched
[ANS thanks The Planetary Society for the above information]
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/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