October 2017 - ANS - mailman.amsat.org

ANS-302 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
by E.Mike McCardel 29 Oct '17

29 Oct '17

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-302 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-NA Announces GOLF CubeSat Program * AMSAT-NA Board of Directors Elects Joe Spier, K6WAO, President * Jordan’s first satellite – JY1-SAT * APRS Satellites QIKCOM-1 Deployed * FalconSat-3 Video w/ WiSP File Upload/Download * Special Membership Offer for RadFxSat Launch * Pope Asks Spacemen Life's Big Questions In ISS Live Chat * AMSAT-NA Board of Directors Elects Joe Spier, K6WAO, President * ARISS News * Satellite Shorts From All Over SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-302.01 ANS-302 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins AMSAT News Service Bulletin 302.01 >From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD. October 28, 2017 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-302.01 AMSAT-NA Announces GOLF CubeSat Program At the AMSAT-NA Annual General Meeting in Reno, NV, AMSAT-NA President Joe Spier, K6WAO, announced the next phase of AMSAT’s CubeSat program: GOLF. GOLF, an acronym for “Greater Orbit, Larger Footprint,” is a crucial step towards fulfilling AMSAT’s strategic goals involving high altitude, wide access satellite missions. As an initial step in the GOLF program, the AMSAT-NA Board of Directors approved the submission of a NASA CubeSat Launch Initiative proposal for the GOLF-T satellite project. The GOLF-T project will serve as a rapidly deployable Low Earth Orbit (LEO) testbed for technologies necessary for a successful CubeSat mission to a wide variety of orbits, including LEO, Medium Earth Orbit (MEO), Geosynchronous Orbit (GEO), Highly Elliptical Orbit (HEO), or beyond. AMSAT-NA Vice-President Engineering Jerry Buxton, N0JY, said “The GOLF-T project tees off the next phase of our CubeSat program. GOLF-T provides AMSAT hardware and knowledge for Attitude Determination and Control (ADAC) capability and the opportunity to develop a 3U spaceframe with deployable solar panels that can be used in LEO or HEO missions, two of the major systems required in future GOLF and HEO missions.” In addition, GOLF-T provides the opportunity for rapid deployment and on orbit testing of the AMSAT’s Advanced Satellite Communications and Exploration of New Technology (ASCENT )program’s technology, including radiation tolerant transponder and Integrated Housekeeping Unit (IHU) technologies that will lead the way for low cost commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) systems that can function in the MEO and HEO radiation environments. GOLF-T will also provide for the development of “Five and Dime” Field-Programmable Gate Array Software Defined Radio (FPGA SDR) transponders for use on a variety of missions and orbits. [ANS thanks the AMSAT-NA Board of Directors and our Engineering Team for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- AMSAT-NA Board of Directors Elects Joe Spier, K6WAO, President At it’s annual meeting, held at the Silver Legacy Resort Hotel in Reno, NV, the AMSAT-NA Board of Directors elected Joe Spier, K6WAO, of Reno, NV, President, succeeding Barry Baines, WD4ASW, who has retired after nine years of service as AMSAT’s President. Joe is a Life Member of AMSAT-NA and has previously served as Executive Vice President and Vice-President Educational Relations. He also has Life Memberships in the ARRL, SARA (Society of Amateur Radio Astronomers) and the AFA (Air Force Association). He holds an Extra Class license as well as commercial licenses. Immediate Past President Barry Baines, WD4ASW, said “It has been an honor to serve as President for the past nine years and as a board member since 1999. I’m confident that the successes of the past nine years while serving as President will lead to new opportunities in AMSAT’s future as Joe assumes the helm working with the new Senior Leadership Team. I’m also thrilled that Paul Stoetzer, N8HM, and Clayton Coleman, W5PFG, are new voting members on the Board, including the assumption of my former slot. I’m excited that the new Board combined with the new Senior Leadership Team will bring insight, enthusiasm, energy and commitment to move AMSAT forward.” Other officers elected by the Board were: * Paul Stoetzer, N8HM, of Washington, DC, as Executive Vice President * Jerry Buxton, N0JY, of Granbury, TX, as Vice-President Engineering * Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA, of New Port Richey, FL, as Vice-President Operations * Clayton Coleman, W5PFG, of Granbury, TX, as Secretary * Keith Baker, KB1SF/VA3KSF, of Corunna, ON, as Treasurer * Martha Saragovitz of Silver Spring, MD, as Manager [ANS thanks the AMSAT-NA Board of Directors for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Jordan’s first satellite – JY1-SAT During the final satellite integration training for Jordan’s first satellite, JY1-SAT, the team was supported for the final stages of integration by His Royal Highness Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II. The spacecraft has been given to students of the Masar Initiative at the Jordan University of Science and Technology as part of the JY1- SAT mission support and training program under the Crown Prince Foundation given by ISIS – Innovative Solutions In Space and AMSAT-UK and AMSAT Netherlands. The JY1-SAT mission was proposed by Jordanian students who participated in the first batch of the cooperation program with NASA, after which the interns had suggested the design and launch of the first Jordanian satellite CubeSat. To build up the capability to design and develop such a first mission, the Crown Prince Foundation signed a support agreement with ISIS – Innovative Solutions In Space and the AMSAT Radio Amateur Societies of the UK and the Netherlands, for hardware and training support, building on ISIS’ and AMSAT’s experience with FUNcube radio amateur transponder missions. As a special development for the JY1-SAT mission, AMSAT has expanded the capabilities of the FUNcube transponder to be able to transmit stored images reflecting the Jordanian culture and its historical heritage, along with a voice message recorded by the Crown Prince to be transmitted in space to receivers around the world. The launch of the JY1-SAT, scheduled during the first half of next year, is in memory of His Majesty the late King Hussein, the first founder of the HAM Radio in Jordan and holder of call sign JY1. JY1-SAT will have a linear, inverting, transponder downlinking between 145.855 & 145.875 MHz with the uplink between 435.100 & 435.120 MHz. The telemetry downlink will be on 145.840 MHz and be FUNcube compatible. A new Dashboard will be made available before the launch of JY1-SAT. The Jordan Times – Crown Prince puts final touch on mini satellite project http://tinyurl.com/ANS302-JY1-Sat [ANS thanks AMSAT-UK for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- APRS Satellites QIKCOM-1 Deployed QIKCOM-1 was deployed from the ISS Friday at 0915 UTC attached to the SIMPL spacecraft. It is an APRS digipeater just like the ISS. Whereas it also supports the same ARISS alias as the ISS digipeater, please use the ALIAS of APRSAT on your uplinks instead of ARISS so that you only hit QIKCOM-1 for these first few passes with your test uplinks (once a minute).. Or you can be specific via QIKCOM-1 callsign. At 4 Watts, it will be 10 dB stronger than PSAT(84) and about the same power level as ISS and should be easy to receive on the 145.825 downlink. We ask all potential IGates to check your ground stations and make sure they are ready to IGate packets during those initial orbits from all over the globe. If you do not have an IGate, just capture packets and email them to qikcom1 at gmail.com until we see that everything is making it to the APRS-IS. The downlink should be available on the original http://pcsat.findu.com and also on http://59.167.159.165/satreporter/index2.html Being released from ISS, QIKCOM-1 will of course have the same Elements and tracking info as ISS until they begin to separate. This means passes over the USA every 90 minutes beginning at 0630 EDT in the Southeast and ending after 1440 PDT in Southern California. Web page: http://aprs.org/qikcom-1.html As usual, QIKCOM-1 is not intended for UNATTENDED BEACONS. It is designed for Live Operations and experiments only. For the initial passes, do not attempt 2-way contacts. Just set your STATUS text to indicate your TX power and antenna type and transmit at 1m intervals ATTENDED as described on the web page during these first few orbits. So we can get sttistices on uplink quality. [ANS thanks Bob, WB4APR for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- FalconSat-3 Video w/ WiSP File Upload/Download If anyone would like to see how the WiSP software handles uploading & downloading files to FalconSat-3, I made a video of the highest elevation pass tonight: https://youtu.be/9spO1e8NVj0 ... I don't understand it all yet, but am seeing some uploads & downloads. I keep UISS open and ready in case anyone is active w/ APRS packets, but on this pass I didn't transmit from UISS to give the MSPE program from WiSP maximum time to work. There's a little explanation in the notes below the video on YouTube if you click "SHOW MORE" on that page. Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA, has scanned and posted the chapter on WISP from Gould Smith's 2005 Digital Satellite & Telemetry Guide to the FalconSAT-3 page on amsat.org. He hopes it is helpful to everyone diving back into this excellent program from the past. It can be found near the bottom of the page at https://www.amsat.org/falconsat-3/ [ANS thanks Scott, K4KDR and Drew KO4MA for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Special Membership Offer for RadFxSat Launch As part of the preparations for the launch of RadFxSat on November 10th, AMSAT is making our “Getting Started With Amateur Satellites” book available for a limited time as a download with any paid new or renewal membership purchased via the AMSAT Store. This offer is only available with purchases completed online, and for only a limited time. A perennial favorite, Getting Started is updated every year with the latest amateur satellite information, and is the premier primer of satellite operation. The 182 page book is presented in PDF format, in full color, and covers all aspects of making your first contacts on a ham radio satellite. Please take advantage of this offer today by visiting the AMSAT store at https://www.amsat.org/shop/ and selecting any membership option. While there, check out our other items, including the M2 LEOpack antenna system, Arrow antennas, AMSAT shirts, and other swag. Thank you, and see you soon on RadFxSat! [ANS thanks Paul N8HM for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Pope Asks Spacemen Life's Big Questions In ISS Live Chat Pope Francis chatted with six astronauts at the International Space Station (ISS) on Thursday, kicking off the rare interview with a philosophical question on "man's place in the universe". Italian Paolo Nespoli, 60, admitted that despite the bird's eye view of Earth he too remained "perplexed", while American Mark Vande Hei said seeing the planet from space made them "realise how fragile we are". The Argentine pontiff sat at a Vatican desk, facing a wide-screen television on which the astronauts from America, Russia and Italy could be seen floating together in their blue suits. "Good afternoon... or good evening. I imagine time passes differently at the space station, right?" the pope quipped. "Astronomy makes us think about the universe's boundless horizons, and prompts questions such as 'where do we come from, where are we going?'" he mused. A 30-second delay in the satellite feed gave Nespoli, Vande Hei, Americans Randolph (Randy) Bresnik and Joseph Acaba, and Russians Sergej Nikolaevic Rjazanskij and Alexandr Misirkin time to weigh up life's biggest questions. "Our aim here is to spread knowledge, (but) the more we learn, the more we realise we do not know," admitted Nespoli, who is on his third trip into space. "I would like people like you, theologians, philosophers, poets, writers, to come to space to explore what it means to be a human in space," he said, as Francis nodded and smiled. US mission commander Bresnik told the Argentine that from the visible thinness of the planet's atmosphere shows how fragile life is on earth. - 'Future of humanity' - But the pope had not finished: what, he wanted to know, was their opinion of love as a force that moves the universe? What was their source of joy up in the space station, and how did a life without gravity change their view of the world? The crew took it in turns to get their philosophical caps on, and not even a technical hitch which temporarily interrupted the interview, or the lack of a Russian translator, could throw the space travellers off course. "I get the most joy by looking outside every day and seeing God's creation, maybe a little bit from his perspective," Bresnick said. Far from wars, famines, pollution or human folly, he said "the future of humanity looks better from up here". Bresnik, 50, a former Marine Corps aviator who goes by the nickname "Komrade", made his fifth career excursion outside the space station this month to carry out crucial repairs to the ISS's robotic arm with NASA colleague Acaba. Acaba, 50, the first person of Puerto Rican heritage to become an astronaut, cheerfully said hello to the pope in Spanish before tackling the question on how the men deal with 'up' and 'down' losing their meaning in space. Francis is not the only Roman Catholic leader to have put in a call to the star-covered heavens. The first pope to get on the line to space was Benedict XVI in 2011, who rang the ISS -- which has been continuously occupied since 2000 -- when Nespoli was once again among the crew. [ANS thanks Ella IDE via Space Daily for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- ARISS News + A Successful contact was made between Istituto Scolastico Comprensivo “Nardi”, Porto San Giorgio, Italyand Astronaut Paolo Nespoli IZØJPA using Callsign IRØISS. The contact began 2017-10-21 09:31 UTC and lasted about nine and a half minutes. Contact was Direct/Telebridge via I6KZR and IQ5VR.HamTV was active. ARISS Mentor was Francesco IKØWGF. + A Successful contact was made between I.C. Michelangelo Buonarroti, Marina di Carrara, Italyand Astronaut Paolo Nespoli IZØJPA using Callsign IRØISS. The contact began 2017-10-21 09:31 UTC and lasted about nine and a half minutes. Contact was Direct/Telebridge via I6KZR and IQ5VR. HamTV was active. ARISS Mentor was Francesco IKØWGF. + A Successful contact was made between Istituto Comprensivo “Tauro Viterbo”, Castellana Grotte (Ba), Italy and Astronaut Paolo Nespoli IZØJPA using Callsign IRØISS. The contact began 2017-10-21 14:23 UTC and lasted about nine and a half minutes. Contact was Direct via IZ7RTN. HamTVC was active. ARISS Mentor was Francesco IKØWGF. Event location: Cittadella Mediterranea della Scienza, Bari, Italy + A Successful contact was made between “A.Gramsci-N.Pende”, Noicattaro, Italy and Astronaut Paolo Nespoli IZØJPA using Callsign IRØISS. The contact began 2017-10-21 14:23 UTC and lasted about nine and a half minutes. Contact was Direct via IZ7RTN. ARISS Mentor was Francesco IKØWGF. HamTVC was active. Event location: Cittadella Mediterranea della Scienza, Bari, Italy + A Successful contact was made between Chiddix Junior High School, Normal, IL, USA and Astronaut Joe Acaba KE5DAR using Callsign NA1SS. The contact began 2017-10-23 15:31 UTC and lasted about nine and a half minutes. Contact was Direct via W9AML ARISS Mentor was Joe K6WAO. + A Successful contact was made between Beaconsfield State School, Mackay, Queensland, Australia and Astronaut Paolo Nespoli IZØJPA using Callsign IRØISS. The contact began 2017-10-26 08:23 UTC and lasted about nine and a half minutes. Contact was Telebridge via IK1SLD ARISS Mentor was Shane VK4KHZ. + A Successful contact was made between Colegiul National Calistrat Hogas Piatra Neamt, Piatra Neamt, Romania and Astronaut Joe Acaba KE5DAR using Callsign OR4ISS. The contact began 2017-10-26 09:55 UTC and lasted about nine and a half minutes. Contact was Telebridge via EI1ISS. ARISS Mentor was Armand SP3QFE. + A Successful contact was made between Glanmire Community College, Cork, Ireland and Astronaut Joe Acaba KE5DAR using Callsign OR4ISS. The contact began 2017-10-26 09:55 UTC and lasted about nine and a half minutes. Contact was Direct via EI1ISS. ARISS Mentor was Seamus EI8BP. + A Successful contact was made between Istituto Tecnico Tecnologico “Enzo Ferrari”, Borgo A Mozzano, Italy and Astronaut Paolo Nespoli IZØJPA using Callsign IRØISS. The contact began 2017-10-28 08:13:31 UTC. Contact was Direct via IQ5LU and IQ1SM. ARISS Mentor was Francesco IKØWGF. + A Successful contact was made between Liceo Statale “G. D. Cassini”, Sanremo, Italy and Astronaut Paolo Nespoli IZØJPA using Callsign IRØISS. The contact began 2017-10-28 08:13:31 UTC. Contact was Direct via IQ5LU and IQ1SM. ARISS Mentor was Gianpietro IZ2GOJ. Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule + Primaria e Secondaria di primo grado Istituto comprensivo Via XVI settembre, Civitavecchia, Italy direct via IKØWGF The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be IRØISS The scheduled astronaut is Paolo Nespoli IZØJPA Contact is a go for: Mon 2017-10-30 11:20:34 UTC Watch for HamTV to be operative. + Asociación Civil Instituto Maria Montessori, San Cristóbel, Venezuela, direct via YY2CMR The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled astronaut is Joe Acaba KE5DAR Contact is a go for: Tue 2017-10-31 18:23:28 UTC + Liceo Scientifico ‘Francesco Cecioni”, Livorno, Italy and Liceo Artistico Melotti, Lomazzo, Italy, direct via IQ5LI. The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be IRØISS The scheduled astronaut is Paolo Nespoli IZØJPA Contact is a go for: Fri 2017-11-03 09:27:26 UTC Watch for HamTV to be operative. + Istituto di Istruzione Superiore “Leonardo Da Vinci”, Lanusei, Italy, direct via ISØBWM The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS The scheduled astronaut is Paolo Nespoli IZØJPA Contact is a go for: Sat 2017-11-04 10:12:16 UTC Watch for HamTV to be operative. [ANS thanks ARISS, Charlie AJ9N and David AA4KN for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Satellite Shorts From All Over + Daylight saving time 2017 in the United Kingdom ends at 02:00 on Sunday, 29 October [ANS thanks Southgate ARN for the above information.] + Curious about when Daylight Savings time begins and ends around the world? Thank goodness for UTC. Visit https://www.timeanddate.com/time/dst/2017.html [ANS thanks EMike AA8EM for the above information] + RUSSIAN WAR GAMES SPARK 'BLUE AURORAS' Around the Arctic Circle, people see green auroras almost every night. It's nothing to write home about. Blue auroras, on the other hand, are very unusual. Photos and more information are highlighted on Spaceweather.com. [ANS thanks Spaceweather.com via Southgate ARN 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, AA8EM aa8em at amsat dot org

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ANS-301.01 AMSAT News Service Special Bulletin - AMSAT-NA Announces GOLF CubeSat Program
by JoAnne K9JKM 28 Oct '17

28 Oct '17

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE SPECIAL BULLETIN ANS-301.01 In this Special Bulletin: * AMSAT-NA Announces GOLF CubeSat Program SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-301.01 ANS-301 AMSAT News Service Special Bulletin AMSAT News Service Special Bulletin 301.01 From AMSAT SYMPOSIUM, RENO, NV DATE October 28, 2017 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-301.01 At the AMSAT-NA Annual General Meeting in Reno, NV, AMSAT-NA President Joe Spier, K6WAO, announced the next phase of AMSAT’s CubeSat program: GOLF. GOLF, an acronym for “Greater Orbit, Larger Footprint,” is a crucial step towards fulfilling AMSAT’s strategic goals involving high altitude, wide access satellite missions. As an initial step in the GOLF program, the AMSAT-NA Board of Directors approved the submission of a NASA CubeSat Launch Initiative proposal for the GOLF-T satellite project. The GOLF-T project will serve as a rapidly deployable Low Earth Orbit (LEO) testbed for technologies necessary for a successful CubeSat mission to a wide variety of orbits, including LEO, Medium Earth Orbit (MEO), Geosynchronous Orbit (GEO), Highly Elliptical Orbit (HEO), or beyond. AMSAT-NA Vice-President Engineering Jerry Buxton, N0JY, said “The GOLF-T project tees off the next phase of our CubeSat program. GOLF-T provides AMSAT hardware and knowledge for Attitude Determination and Control (ADAC) capability and the opportunity to develop a 3U spaceframe with deployable solar panels that can be used in LEO or HEO missions, two of the major systems required in future GOLF and HEO missions.” In addition, GOLF-T provides the opportunity for rapid deployment and on orbit testing of the AMSAT’s Advanced Satellite Communications and Exploration of New Technology (ASCENT )program’s technology, including radiation tolerant transponder and Integrated Housekeeping Unit (IHU) technologies that will lead the way for low cost commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) systems that can function in the MEO and HEO radiation environments. GOLF-T will also provide for the development of “Five and Dime” Field-Programmable Gate Array Software Defined Radio (FPGA SDR) transponders for use on a variety of missions and orbits. [ANS thanks the AMSAT-NA Board of Directors and our Engineering Team for the above information] /EX

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ANS-299 AMSAT News Service Special Bulletin - AMSAT-NA Board of Directors Elects Joe Spier, K6WAO, President
by JoAnne K9JKM 26 Oct '17

26 Oct '17

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE SPECIAL BULLETIN ANS-299 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-NA Board of Directors Elects Joe Spier, K6WAO, President SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-299.01 ANS-299 AMSAT News Service Special Bulletin AMSAT News Service Special Bulletin 299.01 From AMSAT SYMPOSIUM, RENO, NV DATE October 26, 2017 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-299.01 AMSAT-NA Board of Directors Elects Joe Spier, K6WAO, President At it’s annual meeting, held at the Silver Legacy Resort Hotel in Reno, NV, the AMSAT-NA Board of Directors elected Joe Spier, K6WAO, of Reno, NV, President, succeeding Barry Baines, WD4ASW, who has retired after nine years of service as AMSAT’s President. Joe is a Life Member of AMSAT-NA and has previously served as Executive Vice President and Vice-President Educational Relations. He also has Life Memberships in the ARRL, SARA (Society of Amateur Radio Astronomers) and the AFA (Air Force Association). He holds an Extra Class license as well as commercial licenses. Immediate Past President Barry Baines, WD4ASW, said “It has been an honor to serve as President for the past nine years and as a board member since 1999. I’m confident that the successes of the past nine years while serving as President will lead to new opportunities in AMSAT’s future as Joe assumes the helm working with the new Senior Leadership Team. I’m also thrilled that Paul Stoetzer, N8HM, and Clayton Coleman, W5PFG, are new voting members on the Board, including the assumption of my former slot. I’m excited that the new Board combined with the new Senior Leadership Team will bring insight, enthusiasm, energy and commitment to move AMSAT forward.” Other officers elected by the Board were: * Paul Stoetzer, N8HM, of Washington, DC, as Executive Vice President * Jerry Buxton, N0JY, of Granbury, TX, as Vice-President Engineering * Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA, of New Port Richey, FL, as Vice-President Operations * Clayton Coleman, W5PFG, of Granbury, TX, as Secretary * Keith Baker, KB1SF/VA3KSF, of Corunna, ON, as Treasurer * Martha Saragovitz of Silver Spring, MD, as Manager [ANS the AMSAT-NA Board of Directors for the above information] /EX

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ANS-295 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
by Lee McLamb 22 Oct '17

22 Oct '17

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-295 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 Describes RadFxSat/Fox-1B Commissioning Plans * CAS-4A and CAS-4B Amateur Radio Linear Transponders Activated * Caution Urged in Using High Duty Cycle Digital Modes via Satellite * ARISS International Chair Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, Wins G3AAJ Trophy * AMSAT-UK YouTube Channel Updated with 2017 Colloquium Recordings * Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2017-10-19 * Satellite Shorts From All Over SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-295.01 ANS-295 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins AMSAT News Service Bulletin 295.01 From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD. DATE October 22, 2017 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-295.01 AMSAT Describes RadFxSat/Fox-1B Commissioning Plans AMSAT Vice-President Engineering, Jerry Buxton, NØJY wrote what to initially expect when the AMSAT RadFxSat/Fox-1B cubesat is launched as a passenger on NASA's ELaNa XIV mission on Friday, Nov. 10, from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. Liftoff will be aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket from Space Launch Complex 2 and is targeted for 1:47 a.m. PT (4:47 a.m. ET, 9:47 am UTC) at the opening of a 65-second launch window. Launch cov- erage will begin on NASA Television and the agency’s website at 1:15 a.m. PT. RadFxSat/Fox-1B will automatically come up in Beacon Mode, transmitting a beacon and voice ID (Veronica saying "RadFxSat Safe Mode") every two minutes, starting about 50 minutes after deployment. The AMSAT command stations will want to see voltage and current data to determine that it's healthy and conduct various tests before opening it up for general use. Telemetry makes the engineering and operations teams very happy, starting ASAP after startup (~55 minutes after deployment) and for the next 72-96 hours at least as we look for successful startup, watch the general health and function as the satellite begins to acclimate to space, and perform the on orbit checkout. Ground stations are also invited to continue uploading received telemetry for the life of the satellite. If you are capturing telemetry with FoxTelem please be sure that "Upload to Server" is checked in your settings, and your Ground Station Params are filled in as well. You can help AMSAT and everyone waiting to get on the air with RadFxSat tremendously, by capturing RadFxSat telemetry. In the initial Beacon Mode, the transmitter is limited to 10 seconds on time then does the two minutes off cycle as Paul pointed out. For those of you capturing telemetry, that means that you will only see Current frames and no High or Low frames because the High and Low are truncated as it takes just over 10 seconds to send two frames. Veronica may also be cut off before she gets to say her whole ID string. If Veronica is speaking, "RadFxSat Fox-1B Safe Mode" which is the full ID, if it's cut off then we're still in Beacon Mode. If we are seeing good data from user telemetry data, it is likely when it comes over the U.S. for the first good pass we will command it from Beacon Mode to normal Safe Mode, which then puts RadFxSat in full (still Safe Mode though) operation and transmits a full two frames of telemetry which is one Current frame followed by, and alternating each ID cycle, a High or a Low frame. Veronica now has time to make the whole ID announcement, in Safe Mode. YOUR HELP IS NEEDED! -------------------- Jerry, NØJY commented further ... Help your friends and all of our satellite ham friends get on the air and have fun sooner by being polite and patient! The on orbit checkout procedure is similar to Fox-1A/AO-85 and could be completed in as little as a few days if we have the cooperation of the users. It is very important, not to mention just plain good Amateur Operating Practice, to refrain from using the transponder uplink so we can do the on orbit tests, including when we turn on transponder mode for testing. I can't stress enough, the importance of this cooperation not just for us but for all users, simply having a little patience so we can conduct the tests as quickly and accurately as possible. AMSAT will make it broadly known when the tests are complete and the transponder is available for all to use. If you hear someone on the transponder, please don't assume that it is open for general use - check the AMSAT website, Facebook, Twitter, to be sure you're not accidentally jumping in with and unwittingly interfering with the commissioning process. Lots of hams put thousands of volunteer hours of their time into making RadFxSat happen. Just like any ham radio project you might undertake, we build satellites. We do it because we like to, and when we're done we freely share our project with hams everywhere as is the spirit of amateur radio. I am asking all satellite hams to contribute just a little bit of your time to the fun now, by being patient and just gathering telemetry, not using the transponder uplink, and helping us complete the last few days of getting RadFxSat in orbit and operating for all of you. Thank you very much, see you on the bird! [ANS thanks AMSAT Vice-President Engineering, Jerry Buxton, NØJY, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- CAS-4A and CAS-4B Amateur Radio Linear Transponders Activated On Wednesday, October 18, 2017 the amateur radio linear (SSB/CW) transponders on the CAS-4A and CAS-4B satellites were activated. CAMSAT’s amateur radio payloads piggybacked on the optical remote sensing micro- satellites ZHUHAI-1 01 (OVS-1A / CAS-4A) and ZHUHAI-1 02 (OVS-1B / CAS-4B) that were launched at 0300 GMT on Thursday, June 15, 2017 from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, on the CZ-4B launch vehicle. The primary payload of the launch was a hard X-ray modulation telescope satellite (HXMT). CAS-4A Amateur Radio Payload: Call sign: BJ1SK VHF Antenna: one 1/4? monopole antenna with max. 0 dBi gain located at +Z side UHF Antenna: one 1/4? monopole antenna with max. 0 dBi gain located at -Z side CW Telemetry Beacon: 145.855 MHz 17 dBm AX.25 4.8k Baud GMSK Telemetry: 145.835 MHz 20 dBm U/V Linear Transponder Downlink: 145.870 MHz 20 dBm, 20 kHz bandwidth, Inverted U/V Linear Transponder Uplink: 435.220 MHz CAS-4B Amateur Radio Payload: Call sign: BJ1SL VHF Antenna: one 1/4? monopole antenna with max. 0 dBi gain located at +Z side UHF Antenna: one 1/4? monopole antenna with max. 0 dBi gain located at -Z side CW Telemetry Beacon: 145.910 MHz 17 dBm AX.25 4.8k Baud GMSK Telemetry: 145.890 MHz 20 dBm U/V Linear Transponder Downlink: 145.925 MHz 20 dBm, 20 kHz bandwidth, Inverted U/V Linear Transponder Uplink: 435.280 MHz [ANS thanks Alan, BD1DU, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Caution Urged in Using High Duty Cycle Digital Modes via Satellite A report in ANS-288 discussed an experiment operating with the WSJT-X FT8 via satellite. Satellite operators have gained more experience with this mode over this past week. As a result of on-the-air observation other satellite users planning to try FT8 or MSK144 modes via satellite are encouraged use caution using these modes and possibly avoid their use completely in light of problems. Dave, KG5CCI wrote, "He noticed a very hard time getting into the transponder. The pass was nearly overhead, and the 3w-4w that is normally sufficient was barely cutting it. I also noticed it was 'up and down' alot, whereas some moments it was easy to get in, then it would be nearly impossible. There were also pockets of 'noise' all over the transponder, that sounded somewhat digital, but I just couldn't place them." Further investigation revealed that an MSK144 signal in the transponder passband was causing the problems. Matthew, NJ4Y noted, "Experimentation isn’t the problem, too much power is. It’s bad enough on SSB, worse with CW, and killer on constant duty cycle modes like FT8." To gain a full understanding of the situation readers are encouraged to follow the amsat-bb message thread which can be accessed at: http://www.amsat.org/pipermail/amsat-bb/2017-October/064896.html [ANS acknowledges the comments submitted via amsat-bb from W5RKN, KG5CCI, KB1PVH, W5PFG, and others] --------------------------------------------------------------------- ARISS International Chair Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, Wins G3AAJ Trophy ARISS International Chair Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, has been honored with the Ron Broadbent, G3AAJ, Trophy. The presentation came during the AMSAT-UK International Space Colloquium this past weekend. “AMSAT-UK totally shocked me yesterday at the colloquium with the Ron Broadbent Trophy,” Bauer reacted. “I was nearly speechless when asked to come up and receive the trophy for ARISS work. I mentioned that, early on, Ron was a phenomenal supporter and contributor to ARISS, with his sage advice and guidance.” The G3AAJ trophy is awarded annually by AMSAT-UK to an individual or group for outstanding service to the Amateur Satellite service. The trophy was donated to AMSAT-UK by the late Ron Broadbent, G3AAJ. ARISS received the G3AAJ trophy last year in recognition of the ARISS UK team’s dedication in working with the UK Space Agency to facilitate the Principia Mission of astronaut Tim Peake, KG5BVI, aimed at engaging students in 10 UK schools in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects. [ANS thanks ARRL for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- AMSAT-UK YouTube Channel Updated with 2017 Colloquium Recordings AMSAT-UK has begun uploading recordings of all talks from the 2017 Colloquium, October 14-15 to the AMSAT-UK YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/AMSATUK Some of the videos have already been uploaded; refresh your screen occasionally to to catch additional 2017 Colloquium uploads. 2017: An introduction to Amateur satellites - David Johnson, G4DPZ and Carlos Eavis G3VHF https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Tj2rUsNpPs&t=1039s 2017: Es'hail-2 Geostationary Amateur Satellite - Peter Guelzow DB2OS (AMSAT-DL) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L67pza0hCZw 2017: The Goonhilly project (aka playing with big boys toys) - Noel Matthews G8GTZ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzrcLFFEq74 [ANS thanks AMSAT-UK for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2017-10-19 Chiddix Junior High School, Normal, IL, direct via W9AM The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled astronaut is Joe Acaba KE5DAR (***) Contact is a go for: Mon 2017-10-23 15:31:15 UTC 27 deg (***) Beaconsfield State School, Mackay, Queensland, Australia, telebridge via IK1SLD (***) The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be IRØISS (***) The scheduled astronaut is Paolo Nespoli IZØJPA (***) Contact is a go for: Thu 2017-10-26 08:23:02 UTC 40 deg (***) Glanmire Community College, Cork, Ireland, direct via EI5CRC and Colegiul National Calistrat Hogas Piatra Neamt, Piatra Neamt, Romania, telebridge via EI5CRC The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS The scheduled astronaut is Joe Acaba KE5DAR (***) Contact is a go for: Thu 2017-10-26 09:55:45 UTC 68 deg (***) Istituto Tecnico Tecnologico “Enzo Ferrari”, Borgo A Mozzano, Italy and Liceo Statale “G. D. Cassini”, Sanremo, Italy direct via IQ5LU and IQ1SM The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be IRØISS The scheduled astronaut is Paolo Nespoli IZØJPA Contact is a go for: Sat 2017-10-28 08:13:31 UTC 24 deg (***) Watch for Ham TV (***) [ANS thanks Charlie, AJ9N, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Satellite Shorts From All Over + Valdir Lima, PY5/PW8PM and Dave Swanson, KG5CCI completed a 7763km contact via AO-7. During his activation of the GG35 and GG36 grids Valdir also made contact with PT9BM PU2NGB PT2AP LW2DAF NJ4Y KO4MA K4FEG KG5CCI. Video of the contacts can be found on YouTube: https://youtu.be/L2m0byYTxug (via Valdir Lima, PY5/PW8PM) + Sean Kutzko KX9X was interviewed on Ham Talk Live Episode 86. The topic was Getting Started with Satellites with KX9X Listen to the podcast at: https://www.spreaker.com/user/hamtalklive/episode-86-getting-started-with- satellit_1 /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, Lee McLamb, KT4TZ kt4tz at amsat dot org

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ANS - 281.01
by Chris Bradley 08 Oct '17

08 Oct '17

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-281.01 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 dot org. In this edition: * ARISS One Step Closer to Flying New Equipment to ISS * VUCC Awards/Endorsements for September 2017 * Sputnik Replica - The Transmitter * PE1ITR Posts Impressions and Photos From AMSAT-DL Annual Meeting * AMSAT Phase 4 Groundstation Report for the Week 3 October 2017 * COMET Program Training * Get Ready for the 2017 AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual Meeting * Satellite Shorts From All Over + Congratulations to Alex N7AGF + Daily DX Report + Gérard Auvray, F6FAO Slient Key SB SUN @ AMSAT $ANS-281.01 ANS-253.01 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins AMSAT News Service Bulletin 281.01 >From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD. September 10, 2017 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-281.01 ARISS One Step Closer to Flying New Equipment to ISS On behalf of the ARISS International team, I am proud to announce that on Friday September 29th the ARISS team submitted the InterOperable Radio System (IORS) Safety Data Package to NASA for review! Our next step in this process is the Safety Review, which is planned for November 2. Submitting this was a phenomenal accomplishment!! Particularly since the entire Safety Data Package was developed exclusively by our ARISS volunteers---something we have never done before. Prior to this submittal, all safety packages---from Owen Garriott's in the early 1980s to today--were developed with contractors from NASA, ESA or Energia. And might I say at substantial expense. I am pleased that the ARISS team did it ourselves! Why is this important? Two reasons: 1) This is a very major IORS milestone. We cannot get to orbit without successfully completing the safety review process and getting our hardware certified for flight. 2) Developing the safety package exclusively with volunteers is an innovative and gutsy approach to keep costs down and get the hardware flown sooner. Otherwise we probably would have to slip launch 1-2 years while we acquired additional funding to get this done. NASA Human Spaceflight Safety Certification is a four-step process--- Phase 0, Phase 1, Phase 2 and Phase 3. The material we submitted covers the first three of the four phases. As part of Phases 0, 1 and 2, we need to make sure NASA understands our design. And we need to show NASA that we understand all the potential hazards that our hardware systems could introduce to ISS and how we have mitigated (or prevented) these hazards. One example is to demonstrate to NASA that our IORS was designed with electrical wiring and circuit breakers that possess adequate features and sufficient margin to prevent an electrical shock or fire on-board the ISS. Critically important stuff! The final phase (Phase 3) will be complete when we have completed all testing and NASA inspection of our flight hardware and NASA deems it flight worthy. At that point the IORS will be flight certificated and we can fly! Currently we are looking to March-May 2018 for flight readiness. For those not following ARISS hardware development very closely, we are developing the IORS to replace most of the on-board radio hardware. It is called "interoperable" because it is being designed to be operated anywhere on ISS. But specifically, it will be used in the two areas with ISS Ham legacy antennas: the Columbus Module and the Russian Service Module. Interoperability allows us to leverage existing ISS power cables, it can be moved between modules in the event of on-orbit failures, and it supports common training and operations. The IORS is the most complex in-cabin hardware system we have ever designed, built, tested and flown as a volunteer team. We will remove the 3 watt Ericsson handheld radio system, initially certified for flight in 1999, and the Packet module--both of which have recently had issues-and install a brand-new, specially modified 25 watt JVC Kenwood D710GA radio to enable a multitude of new or improved capabilities on ISS, including voice repeater and be tter APRS operations. A key development is the Multi-Voltage Power Supply (MVPS), which interfaces with multiple electric outlet connection types on ISS and provides a multitude of power output capabilities for our current and future ARISS operations and amateur radio experimentation. It will also allow our Ham Video system to have a dedicated power outlet, eliminating the outlet sharing we have now, which shuts down Ham Video at times. This effort would not be possible without the dedication and persistence of our IORS development team of volunteers. They have been working tirelessly behind the scenes to provide an outstanding amateur radio experience for all. Our IORS development team includes: Lou McFadin, W5DID, our Chief Engineer; Kerry Banke, N6IZW, the MVPS lead designer; Bob Davis, KF4KSS, the MVPS Mechanical enclosure designer; Ed Krome, K9EK, supporting IORS thermal control and cabin noise dissipation; Dave Taylor, W8AAS, our JVC Kenwood D- 710 development liaison; Bob Bruninga, WB4APR, our APRS and D-710 operations expert; Shin Aota, JL1IBD, and Phil Parton, N4DRO for all their phenomenal support from JVC Kenwood; Kenneth Ransom, N5VHO, our operations lead; and our safety package team-Ken Ernandes, N2WWD, and Gordon Scannell, KD8COJ. Kudos to all on a fantastic effort! Designing, building and testing the IORS is a huge undertaking and *very* expensive. We need to build ten (10!) units to support flight hardware, flight spares, testing, and training across the international team. Hardware parts, development tools, fabrication, testing, and expenses to certify the IORS are expected to cost approximately $150,000. And the hard part (i.e. most expensive part) is just now starting. So please consider making a donation to ARISS to take our hardware system from dream to reality. You can donate to ARISS directly through the AMSAT web site at: http://www.ariss.org/donate.html. ALL donations go directly to ARISS. Thank you for all your support to inspire, engage and educate our youth to consider wireless communications and amateur radio, and to pursue STEAM careers through our exciting human space exploration and amateur radio endeavor! [ANS thanks Frank Bauer KA3HDO for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- VUCC Awards/Endorsements for September 2017 The VUCC Standings for September 30th are still not without problems. Totals that changed a few up or down are still not corrected. A few more callsigns are missing. Below are the totals that changed on 8 September 2017 which were in the last posting. The 30 September pdf dropped N1AIA and AK4WQ(EN34). AI6GS and K7TAB are still missing. Previous Callsigns missing on 08Sep2017: AI6GS (230) K7TAB (100) New Callsigns Missing on 30Sep2017: N1AIA (216) AK4WQ(EN34) (107) (was 106 01Aug2017) Callsigns with totals that went DOWN: KO4MA 1564 -1562 AC0RA 1143 -1142 K8TL 974 -973 AA5PK 876 -875 W6ZQ 561 -560 K4XP 102 -101 Callsigns with totals that only went UP by a few: K6FW 603 -606 KK4FEM 476 -480 (now NJ4Y at 502) KL7CN/W6 249 -250 KX9X 158 -159 AK4WQ(EN34) 106 -107 VA3NNA 100 -102 (The above callsigns could be legitimate endorsements.) Here are the apparent endorsements and new VUCC Satellite Awards issued by the ARRL for the period September 8, 2017 through September 30, 2017. Congratulations to all those who made the list this month! CALL GRIDS KB1RVT 1524 K4FEG 818 NJ4Y 502 W4FS 482 W0DHB 400 K5ND 351 NS3L 225 W6ZQ(DM42) 202 (NEW VUCC) NR0T 200 WA7HQD 138 PT2AP 102 (NEW VUCC) PS8ET 101 (NEW VUCC) K4RGK 100 (NEW VUCC) This list was developed by comparing the ARRL .pdf listings for September 8th and September 30th, 2017. It's a visual comparison so omissions are possible. Apologies if your call was not mentioned. Thanks to all those who are roving to grids that are rarely on the birds. They are doing most of the work! [ANS thanks John K8YSE for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Sputnik Replica - The Transmitter Stefan's Radio Blog posted at: http://www.radio.cc/post/franks-sputnik-transmitter Frank's Sputnik Replica - The Transmitter In the January edition of the RAZzies magazine Frank Waarsenburg PA3CNO continued to report about building a replica of the original Sputnik 1 transmitter. In his interesting article he writes about the difficulties and obstacles he faced: Missing data for winding the coils, errors in 2p19b datasheets and a critical bug in the schematics. He des- cribed his approaches to tackle these problems. (See the blog page for a photo of the project.) I think for everyone who is interested in understanding the Sputnik 1 transmitter or who wants even to build a replica Frank's article is a must read. Please note that the RAZzies is a Dutch HAM magazine. If you don't understand Dutch simply use the Google translator or similar tools in order to get a translation. Access Razzie's Magazine at: https://www.pi4raz.nl/razzies/razzies201601.pdf [ANS thanks Stephan's Radio Blog for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- PE1ITR Posts Impressions and Photos From AMSAT-DL Annual Meeting http://pe1itr.com/satellite/verslag-amsat-dl-jahreshauptversammlung- 2017.htm (Ed. note - Google translate helps) On September 30th I visited with Jack, PA0BOJ, the AMSAT-DL Jahreshauptvers- ammlung 2017. We left Bochum at 7:15 am and at 8:00 we were home again. It was a long and interesting day, revealing that it was a blast of activities. In addition to the usual administrative issues, the central theme of the annual meeting was the developments of and around the future Es'hail- 2 satel- lite. The expectation is now that the satellite will be launched in Q2 2018. There were lectures on the construction of the various ground stations and their current status. It was nice to see that in the command, ground stations built in extensive switching options, which also included space for experiments. Also the well-known LEILA is built in custom form and there will be a websdr available to monitor the downlink signal. There was special attention to the digital television capabilities of this satellite. In this context I found the reading of Thomas, DG5NGI, interest- ing, in which he told me about the DVB-S2 mode that one wants to use. And even talked about DVB-S2X as a possible next step afterwards. I had not heard of DVB-S2 before, but now I understand that DVB-S2 is more packet oriented than DVB-S, so there are more opportunities in the data stream build-up. Spoken was about FEC, Modulation, BBFRAMES, Dynamic Coding and Transport Capability. It was also clear that for experimenting with datv on the wideband trans- ponder, coordination between users is needed. The BATC is developing a website that provides more information in this performance. There was also a dummy S/X band P4A transponder at the meeting. Jack had taken his DVB-S S-band television transmitter and X-band receiver. And I'm my ssb/cw S/X band equipment. With this we thoroughly tested the dummy transponder. I even made my first qso about this phase4a style S/X band dummy transponder with Achim DH2VA, which was on the other side of the room. We have therefore exchanged 59 +++ reports. And we were again a nice experience richer. [ANS thanks Rob, PE1ITR, and AMSAT-DL for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- AMSAT Phase 4 Groundstation Report for the Week 3 October 2017 Michelle Thompson, W5NYV, has released the Weekly Report for the AMSAT Groundstation Team. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcefTXTj9b0&feature=youtu.be Her full report, including notes are posted with the video (click on 'See More'). This week Michelle discusses our simplified pi/2 BPSK decoder, working under the assumption that symbol timing and phase have already been resolved to a single sample per symbol. This work fits into the much larger picture of acquiring phase, timing of symbols, demodulation, decoding, and correlation to the fixed patterns of the Start of Frame field in the physical layer header that helps define each DVB-S2 frame. The DVB-S2 physical layer header is sent using a modulation scheme called pi/2 BPSK. This scheme is defined in the standard. Since we're using GNU Radio as our reference design, we decided to make a custom block in GNU Radio to do this. This block will evolve to include our specific type of correlation for the Start of Frame as well. We started with the definition in the specification where, "SOF shall correspond to the sequence 18D2E82HEX (01-1000-....-0010 in binary notation, the left-side bit being the MSB of the PLHEADER)" 90 degree BPSK, so in complex notation, it's…"The PLHEADER, represented by the binary sequence (y1, y2,...y90) shall be modulated into 90 p/2BPSK symbols according to the rule: I sub 2i-1 = Q sub 2i-1 = (1/v2) (1-2y sub 2i-1), I sub 2i = - Q sub 2i = - (1/v2) (1-2y sub 2i) for i = 1, 2, ..., 45 " [Ed. note: examples and explanation are in the video] Assuming that the demodulation is correct, the next step from here is to take our start of frame and look for received patterns that match it. When this happens, we will produce a tag. Tags in GNU Radio are synchronized chunks of information that are attached to samples. It is like metadata that can be used by other blocks. For this block, we are going to follow the conventions in the general correlation estimation block. This means that there will be several tags that can be used by downstream blocks that need them. Those downstream blocks have already implemented functions that consume the tags, so if we produce them, it makes for more useful flow graphs.? [ANS thanks Michelle Thompson, W5NYV for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- COMET Program Training The COMET Program is pleased to announce the publication of the new lesson, "Communicating Winter Weather Surface Impacts <https://www.meted.ucar.edu/training_module.php?id=1320>". This lesson will introduce National Weather Service (NWS) forecasters to the benefits of pre-season coordination in understanding the critical needs of decision-makers, particularly the state and local Departments of Transportation (DOTs). The strategies used by DOTs to mitigate road impacts during the winter and how the NWS can best support their needs are also discussed. Learners will gain insight into the common methods of collaboration between the NWS and DOT, and the different types of winter weather events in which they work together. Learners will also practice communicating winter weather forecast information that best support the concerns of DOT, including working through a simulation to see the effects of their communication choices on DOT decisions. The lesson will take about an hour to complete (not including the quiz). The intended audience for "Communicating Winter Weather Surface Impacts <https://www.meted.ucar.edu/training_module.php?id=1320>" includes operational forecasters in U.S. NWS Weather Forecast Offices, and others with general interest in communicating weather information. NWS forecast offices could use the lesson in their training programs in preparation for the winter weather season. For best viewing of content on the MetEd website, please ensure that you have a browser updated to its latest version with JavaScript enabled. For technical support, please visit our Registration and Support FAQs <https://www.meted.ucar.edu/resources_faq.php>. We welcome any comments or questions you may have regarding the content, instructional approach, or use of this lesson. Please e-mail your comments or questions to Vanessa Vincente (vincente ATucar.edu) or Tsvetomir Ross-Lazarov (tlazarov AT ucar.edu). [ANS thanks Lloyd Colston, KC5FM for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Get Ready for the 2017 AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual Meeting Everything you need to know and get done today Here is a summary of what you need to do to get ready for the 2017 AMSAT-NA Space Symposium and Annual Meeting, October 27-29, 2017 at the Silver Legacy Resort Hotel, Reno, NV. 2017 Annual AMSAT Symposium important deadlines. ----------------------------------------------------------- The last day to reserve a meal at the Saturday Evening Banquet is Sunday, October 8, 2017. The last day to register online at the Silver Legacy with the guaranteed rate is Friday, October 12, 2017. The last day to register online is Friday, October 20, 2017. The last day to reserve a seat at the Area Coordinators Breakfast is Wednesday, October 25, 2017. If you miss the Registration Deadline, you may still show up at the door and pay $55. There will be no late orders for the Banquet or Breakfast as this has to do with the rooms and tables necessary. Complete Your Symposium Registration in the AMSAT Store ------------------------------------------------------- You can register for the 2017 Space Symposium, the Saturday Evening Banquet, the Sunday Morning Area Coordinators breakfast, the Sunday afternoon tour to Virginia City, and the Monday tour to Lake Tahoe in the AMSAT store: https://www.amsat.org/shop/ Symposium Registration (including a copy of the Proceedings) + Starting September 15 -- $50 + At the door -- $55 Make Your Reservations for the Symposium Hotel in Reno ------------------------------------------------------ You must make your hotel reservations at the Silver Legacy at this link: https://www.amsat.org/symposium-hotel/ (block code ISAMSAT) The hotel phone number is 1-800-687-8733. TO GUARANTEE OUR RATES PLEASE MAKE YOUR RESERVATIONS BEFORE OCTOBER 12, 2017. The Silver Legacy is a 4-star Resort/Hotel/Casino which is an iconic 42-story hotel with its massive round dome and spires centered in downtown Reno. 2017 AMSAT-NA Space Symposium Schedule Announced ------------------------------------------------------------ The Schedule for the 2017 AMSAT-NA Space Symposium and Annual Meeting, October 27-29, 2017 at the Silver Legacy Resort Hotel, Reno, NV. Check the Symposium Web Page for updates and new information as it becomes available: https://www.amsat.org/symposium-schedule/ 2017 AMSAT-NA Space Symposium Tours Announced --------------------------------------------- The 2017 AMSAT Space Symposium will be held Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, Oct 27-29 in Reno. There will be two tours of the sights around Reno offered after the Symposium ends on Sunday morning. The first tour is offered on Sunday October 29, 10:00AM to 4:00PM This tour will visit Historical Virginia City. Tour cost is $46 per person. Lunch will be on your own. The second tour is offered on Monday October 30, 8:30AM to 5:30PM This tour will Discover Truckee, the Donner Party, Lake Tahoe & Genoa. The tour cost is $80 per person. There is an optional Lake Tahoe Cruise on a paddle-wheel ship available. The tour cost with the Lake Tahoe Cruise is $147 per person. Lunch is provided with either tour option. A description of the tours has been posted at https://www.amsat.org/symposium-tours/ Complete tour information is available by paging through each tour description and a link to purchase the tour through the AMSAT Store is provided below the description. You may also purchase all Symposium events at the AMSAT Store. https://www.amsat.org/product-category/amsat-symposium/ Introducing Banquet Keynote Speaker Garrett L. Skrobot, NASA Cubesat Launch Initiative Program, Kennedy Space Center -------------------------------------------------------------- Garrett was born in Myrtle Beach, S.C., but moved to West Cocoa, Florida at the age of six months. Immediately after graduating from Cocoa High School in 1980, Garrett began a four-year tour of duty in the United States Marine Corp that took him around the world. In 1988 Garrett earned a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering from the University of Tennessee; he later received his master's degree in space systems from the Florida Institute of Technology in 1992. Garrett joined the NASA team at Kennedy Space Center in 2000 as an Integration Engineer for the Launch Services Program. Prior to his work with NASA, Garrett was employed by General Dynamics as a System Engineer for the Atlas/Centaur booster program. Dur- ing his tenure with General Dynamics, Garret participated in more than 50 launches while working in the Electrical, Ground Instru- mentation, Payload Mission Integration, Telemetry and Project Management divisions. Garrett continues to live in Cocoa with his wife and their three daughters. In his free time, Garrett enjoys nature photography, fishing, and actively supporting his daughters in their sports. Garrett himself is also an accomplished athlete, having earned a black belt in karate. [ANS thanks the 2017 AMSAT-NA Symposium Committee for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Satellite Shorts From All Over Congratulations to Alex N7AGF? for earning his VUCC Satellite Award. Alex wrote, "It took almost a year. Thanks to all the operators/rovers who helped me get there!" Alex was licensed in 1992. He is a digital and satellite enthusiast. He is a life member of AMSAT and the ARRL. [ANS thanks AMSAT Twitter for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- The Daily DX has reported that RI1F has been reported on 14.040 and 10.127 MHz CW. Members of the Russian Robinson Club (RRC) had announced plans for activity on 160-10 meters, including the WARC bands, VHF and UHF. Operations will be on CW, SSB, the Digital modes, EME (dates are October 3-7) and the satellites. (via the Daily DX) [ANS thanks The Daily DX for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Gérard Auvray, F6FAO, passed away on 17 October 2017. Gerard was Amsat-F president. He was very involved in the Hamradio satellite community and contributed to several satellites that were launched in space : Arsène, Spoutnik 40, Spoutnik 41, Idefix 1 et 2, cubesat like Robusta, QB50 P2, X-cubesat et Spacecube. He also shared his passion with many students, and hamradio operators. He has contributed to other projects / activities such as providing help during 1985 Mexico City earthquake, promoting experimental balloons and solar balloons… He was also involved in Big Jump project. [ANS thanks AMSAT dot org 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, Chris Bradley,AA5EM aa5em at amsat dot org --------------------------------------------------------------------- Sent via AMSAT-BB at amsat.org. AMSAT-NA makes this open forum available to all interested persons worldwide without requiring membership. Opinions expressed are solely those of the author, and do not reflect the official views of AMSAT-NA. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb

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ANS-274 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
by Joe Spier 01 Oct '17

01 Oct '17

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-274 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. The AMSAT News Service Bulletins are delivered weekly to your e-mail address. The subscription form can be accessed at: http://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/ans In this edition: * Get Ready for the 2017 AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual Meeting Everything you need to know and get done today * Last Call for 2017 AMSAT Space Symposium Papers * International Space Station Astronauts are Calling CQ Students - ARISS-US program education proposal deadline is November 15, 2017 * Daniel "Nick" Kucij, KB1RVT, Silent Key * AMSAT Pioneer Patrick J. A. Gowen, G3IOR, Silent Key * AMSAT Phase4 weekly report - User Input for Remote Operation * ARISS News * Satellite Shorts From All Over SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-274.01 ANS-274 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins AMSAT News Service Bulletin 274.01 >From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD. DATE October 1, 2017 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-274.01 --------------------------------------------------------------------- Get Ready for the 2017 AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual Meeting Everything you need to know and get done today Here is a summary of what you need to do to get ready for the 2017 AMSAT-NA Space Symposium and Annual Meeting, October 27-29, 2017 at the Silver Legacy Resort Hotel, Reno, NV. 2017 Annual AMSAT Symposium important deadlines. ----------------------------------------------------------- The last day to reserve a meal at the Saturday Evening Banquet is Sunday, October 8, 2017. The last day to register online at the Silver Legacy with the guaranteed rate is Friday, October 12, 2017. The last day to register online is Friday, October 20, 2017. The last day to reserve a seat at the Area Coordinators Breakfast is Wednesday, October 25, 2017. If you miss the Registration Deadline, you may still show up at the door and pay $55. There will be no late orders for the Banquet or Breakfast as this has to do with the rooms and tables necessary. Complete Your Symposium Registration in the AMSAT Store ------------------------------------------------------- You can register for the 2017 Space Symposium, the Saturday Evening Banquet, the Sunday Morning Area Coordinators breakfast, the Sunday afternoon tour to Virginia City, and the Monday tour to Lake Tahoe in the AMSAT store: https://www.amsat.org/shop/ Symposium Registration (including a copy of the Proceedings) + Starting September 15 -- $50 + At the door -- $55 Make Your Reservations for the Symposium Hotel in Reno ------------------------------------------------------ You must make your hotel reservations at the Silver Legacy at this link: https://www.amsat.org/symposium-hotel/ (block code ISAMSAT) The hotel phone number is 1-800-687-8733. TO GUARANTEE OUR RATES PLEASE MAKE YOUR RESERVATIONS BEFORE OCTOBER 12, 2017. The Silver Legacy is a 4-star Resort/Hotel/Casino which is an iconic 42-story hotel with its massive round dome and spires centered in downtown Reno. 2017 AMSAT-NA Space Symposium Schedule Announced ------------------------------------------------------------ The Schedule for the 2017 AMSAT-NA Space Symposium and Annual Meeting, October 27-29, 2017 at the Silver Legacy Resort Hotel, Reno, NV. Check the Symposium Web Page for updates and new information as it becomes available: https://www.amsat.org/symposium-schedule/ 2017 AMSAT-NA Space Symposium Tours Announced --------------------------------------------- The 2017 AMSAT Space Symposium will be held Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, Oct 27-29 in Reno. There will be two tours of the sights around Reno offered after the Symposium ends on Sunday morning. The first tour is offered on Sunday October 29, 10:00AM to 4:00PM This tour will visit Historical Virginia City. Tour cost is $46 per person. Lunch will be on your own. The second tour is offered on Monday October 30, 8:30AM to 5:30PM This tour will Discover Truckee, the Donner Party, Lake Tahoe & Genoa. The tour cost is $80 per person. There is an optional Lake Tahoe Cruise on a paddle-wheel ship available. The tour cost with the Lake Tahoe Cruise is $147 per person. Lunch is provided with either tour option. A description of the tours has been posted at https://www.amsat.org/symposium-tours/ Complete tour information is available by paging through each tour description and a link to purchase the tour through the AMSAT Store is provided below the description. You may also purchase all Symposium events at the AMSAT Store. https://www.amsat.org/product-category/amsat-symposium/ Introducing Banquet Keynote Speaker Garrett L. Skrobot, NASA Cubesat Launch Initiative Program, Kennedy Space Center -------------------------------------------------------------- Garrett was born in Myrtle Beach, S.C., but moved to West Cocoa, Florida at the age of six months. Immediately after graduating from Cocoa High School in 1980, Garrett began a four-year tour of duty in the United States Marine Corp that took him around the world. In 1988 Garrett earned a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering from the University of Tennessee; he later received his master's degree in space systems from the Florida Institute of Technology in 1992. Garrett joined the NASA team at Kennedy Space Center in 2000 as an Integration Engineer for the Launch Services Program. Prior to his work with NASA, Garrett was employed by General Dynamics as a System Engineer for the Atlas/Centaur booster program. Dur- ing his tenure with General Dynamics, Garret participated in more than 50 launches while working in the Electrical, Ground Instru- mentation, Payload Mission Integration, Telemetry and Project Management divisions. Garrett continues to live in Cocoa with his wife and their three daughters. In his free time, Garrett enjoys nature photography, fishing, and actively supporting his daughters in their sports. Garrett himself is also an accomplished athlete, having earned a black belt in karate. [ANS thanks the 2017 AMSAT-NA Symposium Committee for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Last Call for 2017 AMSAT Space Symposium Papers This is the last call for papers for the 2017 AMSAT Annual Meeting and Space Symposium to be held on the weekend of October 27, 28, 29, 2017 at the Silver Legacy Resort, Reno, Nevada. Proposals for papers, symposium presentations and poster presentations are invited on any topic of interest to the amateur satellite community. We request a tentative title of your presentation as soon as possible, with final copy to be submitted by October 6 for inclusion in the printed proceedings. Abstracts and papers should be sent to Dan Schultz N8FGV at n8fgv at amsat.org [ANS thanks Dan, N8FGV, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- International Space Station Astronauts are Calling CQ Students - ARISS-US program education proposal deadline is November 15, 2017 September 18, 2017: The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program is seeking proposals from U.S. schools, museums, science centers and community youth organizations to host radio contacts with an orbiting crew member aboard the International Space Station (ISS) between July 1 and December 31, 2018. Each year, ARISS provides tens of thousands of students with oppor- tunities to learn about space technologies and space communications through the exploration of Amateur Radio. The program provides learning opportunities by connecting students to astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) through a partnership between NASA, the American Radio Relay League, the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation and other Amateur Radio organizations and worldwide space agencies. The program’s goal is to inspire students worldwide, to pursue interests and careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) through Amateur Radio. Educators overwhelmingly report that student participation in the ARISS program inspires an interest in STEM subjects and in STEM careers. Ninety-two percent of educators who have participated in the program have indicated that ARISS provided ideas for encourag- ing student exploration, discussion, and participation, and 78 percent said that ARISS was effective in stimulating student interest in STEM. ARISS is looking for organizations that will draw large numbers of participants and integrate the contact into a well-developed education plan. Students can learn about satellite communications, wireless technology, science research conducted on the space station, what it is like to work in space, radio science, and any related STEM subject. Students learn to use Amateur Radio to talk directly to an astronaut and ask their STEM-related questions. ARISS will help educational organizations locate Amateur Radio groups who can assist with equipment for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for students. The proposal deadline for 2018 contacts is November 15, 2017. The ARISS website has additional details on expectations, proposal guidelines, and the proposal form. See: http://www.ariss.org/hosting-an-ariss-contact-in-the-us.html --- About ARISS Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) is a coop- erative venture of international amateur radio societies and the space agencies that support the International Space Station (ISS). In the United States, sponsors are the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT), the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), the Center for the Advancement of Science in space (CASIS) and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The primary goal of ARISS is to promote exploration of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) topics by organizing scheduled contacts via amateur radio between crew members aboard the ISS and students in classrooms or public forms. Before and during these radio contacts, students, educators, parents, and communities learn about space, space technologies, and amateur radio. For more information, see www.ariss.org. Also join us on Facebook: Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS). Follow us on Twitter: ARISS_status [ANS thanks ARISS for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Daniel "Nick" Kucij, KB1RVT, Silent Key It is with a sad heart that I am writing this email, Nick, KB1RVT's, family contacted me and asked me to relay this information: Nick, while riding a bicycle trail in Vermont over the weekend, suffered a fall, he apparently suffered some head injuries resulting in hemorrhaging in the brain and passed away suddenly, local paramedics were quickly on the scene & worked vigorously to tend to his injuries. The family is still in the process of contacting people & asked me to reach out to the satellite community. Any details about the arrangements should be in the local Burlington Free Press newspaper, http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/burlingtonfreepress/obituary.aspx?n= daniel-nicholas-kucij&pid=186774388 As I receive any additional information I will post it to the various BB's. Please pass any information along any of the other social media conveyances. Nick will be missed by the satellite community. [ANS thanks Frank, K4FEG for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- AMSAT Pioneer Patrick J. A. Gowen, G3IOR, Silent Key Pat Gowen, G3IOR, of Norwich, Norfolk, passed away on August 17, after a long illness. He was 85. The amateur-satellite world has lost one of its true pioneers. Pat was a co-founder of AMSAT-UK, and was elected to the board of directors of AMSAT-NA in 1974. He was also the longtime satellite columnist of Practical Wireless, as well as a frequent contributor to The AMSAT Journal and Oscar News. He was the first to work 100 DXCC entities via satellite (all LEOs), and received Satellite DXCC No. 4 when his QSL cards arrived. Fluent in Russian, Pat enjoyed conversing with the cosmonauts aboard MIR and ISS. He and I made the first transatlantic QSO between two handheld transceivers, in 1991. More recently, Pat was the first to discover the “re-birth” of AMSAT- OSCAR 7 when its battery returned to life in sunlight. In addition to his work with AMSAT and satellites, Pat was a prominent HF operator and DXer. He had confirmed QSOs with all DXCC entities and had also been a member of the First Class CW Operators Club (FOC), as well as a leading member of the Norfolk Amateur Radio Club. Literally hundreds of new amateurs obtained their licenses as a result of Pat’s NARC training classes. Martin Sweeting, G3YJO, Chairman of AMSAT-UK and founder of Surrey Satellite Technology, Ltd. (SSTL) remembered Pat this way, "If my memory serves me well, I first met Pat G3IOR sometime in the mid- 1970’s when I became interested in space and naturally amateur radio satellites - starting with OSCAR-6. In 1975, Pat was a founding member and sometime Chairman of AMSAT-UK along with other stalwarts such as Roy Stevens G2BVN, Arthur Gee G2UK and Richard Limebear G3RWL and had a strong interest in not only the OSCAR series but also especially the RS satellites from the then Soviet Union. Starting in late 1973, Pat produced the first editions of OSCAR News as a typed newsletter providing essential orbit tracking information for the new OSCAR-6 satellite (at a time before easy access via the internet!) and contributed more timely updates and observations via the AMSAT-UK 80- metre net each Sunday morning - along with a news round-up each month transmitted by G3RWL. Pat attended and contributed to the early AMST- UK Colloquia at Surrey. In June 21, 2002 Pat surprised the AMSAT community by detecting CW signals from the long-believed defunct OSCAR-7 satellite whose batteries had failed in 1981 but came back to life after the batteries eventually went open circuit enabling operations in sunlight to this day! Pat was passionate about amateur radio, amateur satellites and the environment; he contributed much over his long life to each of these and will be sadly missed. " Professionally, Pat was a biochemist, retired from the University of East Anglia. He had also served as a magistrate in the Norfolk courts, the youngest in England at the time. No mention of Pat would be complete without noting his decades of work in cleaning up the beaches and waters of his beloved Norfolk. He leaves his wife Norma, a noted landscape artist. [ANS thanks Ray Soifer, W2RS for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- AMSAT Phase4 weekly report - User Input for Remote Operation AMSAT's Ground Station Lead Michelle Thompson, W5NYV has posted the video for the Phase4 weekly report at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvuadtqp_k0 Remote operation is one of the most talked about and most requested feature in amateur radio. Remote operation enables performance improvements (one can put the radio closer to the antenna and put the antenna in the best possible location), allows more comfortable and flexible operating positions (operate from your iPad by the pool), and dramatically increases potential coverage area (remote stations can be located where they provide more public service). Remote operations are a great way to learn about radio, network- ing, reliability, and protocols. They are a big educational win. The problem is easily defined and arguably the performance can be easily measured, but there is plenty more to be done to improve the current state of the art in remote operations. We want to define what we're doing for remote operations that doesn't reinvent the wheel or hold us back. Linux has several time-tested tools and applications. There are some proprietary solutions. There's a lot of DIY remote opera- tions. A lot of you have experience setting up remote operations. Here's where we want to start. + What works? What is solvable? What is not currently solvable? + What should necessarily be included in Phase 4 Ground radios for successful remote operations? Steve Conklin (https://twitter.com/sconklin) is our linux plat- form lead and is very interested in getting this right. Please help him with your feedback and input. [ANS thanks Michelle Thompson, W5NYV for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- ARISS News Recent Contacts Colegio Nueva Concepcion, San Miguel de Tucuman, Argentina, direct via LU1KCQ The ISS callsign was scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled astronaut was Joe Acaba KE5DAR Contact was successful: Thu 2017-09-28 17:51:00 UTC 37 deg Heart of America Council Boy Scouts of America, Kansas City, MO, telebridge via W6SRJ The ISS callsign was scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled astronaut was Paolo Nespoli IZØJPA Contact was successful: Sat 2017-09-23 12:03:49 UTC 26 deg Boston Red Sox Outreach to School Groups, Boston, MA, telebridge via W6SRJ The ISS callsign was scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled astronaut was Paolo Nespoli IZØJPA Contact was successful: Thu 2017-09-14 15:03:58 UTC 56 deg Beenleigh State High School, Beenleigh, Queensland, Australia, telebridge via K6DUE The ISS callsign was scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled astronaut was Paolo Nespoli IZØJPA Contact was successful: Mon 2017-09-11 12:58:34 UTC 77 deg Meadows Elementary School, Manhattan Beach, CA, direct via KM6BWB The ISS callsign was scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled astronaut was Paolo Nespoli IZØJPA Contact was successful: Fri 2017-09-08 17:05:30 UTC 67 deg (***) Live streamed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRsKV6gBmGU West Virginia University, Lane Dept. of Computer Science & Electrical Engineering, Morgantown, WV, direct via W8CUL The ISS callsign was scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled astronaut was Paolo Nespoli IZØJPA Contact was successful Mon 2017-09-04 15:50:05 UTC 79 deg Upcoming Contacts: Kugluktuk High School, Kugluktuk Nunavut, Canada, telebridge via IK1SLD. The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be IRØISS The scheduled astronaut is Paolo Nespoli IZØJPA Contact is a go for Option #5: Tue 2017-10-03 15:32:57 UTC 30 deg [ANS thanks ARISS and Charlie, AJ9N for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Satellite Shorts From All Over High Altitude Test Flight Scheduled for AMSAT SA Kletskous CubeSat South Africa AMSAT wrote, "We have some exciting news! Our Kletskous CubeSat is scheduled to fly on BACAR High Altitude Balloon flight on the 21 October 2017." The AMSAT SA Kletskous team is putting the final touches on the CubeSat to be tested on the BACAR flight this October. The team is integrating the electrical power system (EPS), the stabilizer board, the on-board computer system, the transponder and antennas into the new space frame. No solar panels will be flown on balloon flight configuration. Kletskous will only be powered by its batteries. BACAR is scheduled to be launched at 9am from an airfield near Secunda, South Africa which is south east of Johannesburg. Kletskous is one of many payloads to be flown. The transponder frequencies are as follows: Uplink: 435,135 - 435,165 MHz Downlink: 145,850 – 145,880 MHz Kletskous is a crowd funded project. Please become part of the project by donating to the Kletskous fund. Details and regular updates can be found on www.amsatsa.org.za. All donors are acknowledged on the website. [ANS thanks AMSAT SA for the above information] Australis Oscar 5 recalled at a book launch (From the WIA-The Wireless Institute of Australia with additional audio and interviews at https://vimeo.com/191605076) Australia’s first ‘home grown’ satellite was built in 1966, then sent to the USA for launch, but unfortunately this did not take place until January 1970 on a Delta rocket from the Vandenberg Air Force Base. Australis Oscar 5, or AO-5, was the product of a keen group of enthusiasts from Melbourne University, together with a number of local radio amateurs, and the WIA providing some assistance, finance, and guidance. The late Bill Rice VK3ABP, who was the Victorian tracking co-ordinator and long-time Amateur Radio magazine editor, recalls those days in an audio played on the VK1WIA broadcast. In it he told of how the satellite reached the USA ready for launch, but had to wait until 1970 after AMSAT the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation was formed, taking over from the then defunct OSCAR Association. The satellite did not have a translator, noted Bill VK3ABP, but its telemetry was the most advanced for an amateur satellite of the time. It could be turned on and off by ground stations, and this was mostly done by Les Jenkins VK3ZBJ. A book on those times was launched recently, before a number of guests including the WIA, in the building where the Melbourne University Astronautical Society met to discuss the possibility of a satellite and building it. In introducing the author was Richard Tonkin, who built the satellite along with a very talented radio amateur Les Jenkins VK3ZBJ (sk). Mr Tonkin noted that a professor told a student to “stop this silly satellite stuff”. The team which realized no-one had built a satellite in Australia, just got on with it. Book author Dr Owen Mace talked about how fitting the room was for the launch because it had been used by the satellite team. At the time, sophisticated electronic measurements were necessary on the satellites stabilization system, and access to a laboratory at the university helpful. WIA Historian Peter Wolfenden VK3RV says many radio amateurs were involved, a few on the design side, others associated with command and many with tracking it during its six week life. These included Les Jenkins VK3ZBJ, Michael Owen VK3KI, David Rankin VK3QV, Ray Naughton VK3ATN, and Bill Rice VK3ABP - all silent keys. There were also many local Australian, Japanese, New Zealander and Malaysian coordinators, and some recordings were taken of the AO-5 telemetry. A fuller story is being prepared for publication in the WIA journal Amateur Radio magazine. Meantime, University of Melbourne students are now well advanced to build a nano-satellite, with the Wireless Institute of Australia (WIA) assisting in the IARU frequency and other coordination processes. Through the Melbourne Space Program affiliated with the University of Melbourne, the nano-satellite is due to be handed over in November and launched in early 2018. Also there has been a strong link on space matters with National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), but now it has been formally announced Australia will have its own space agency. An event which mostly went unnoticed was in Adelaide last Wednesday it was a presentation called " How we built Australia's first satellite" again by Richard Tonkin and Dr Owen Mace. Those who were lucky enough to have been notified heard how two young University students in the 1950's, fascinated with space, built Australia's first satellite. [ANS thanks the Wireless Institute of Australia VK1WIA News October 1, 2017 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, Joe Spier, K6WAO k6wao at amsat dot org

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