ANS
Threads by month
- ----- 2024 -----
- November
- October
- September
- August
- July
- June
- May
- April
- March
- February
- January
- ----- 2023 -----
- December
- November
- October
- September
- August
- July
- June
- May
- April
- March
- February
- January
- ----- 2022 -----
- December
- November
- October
- September
- August
- July
- June
- May
- April
- March
- February
- January
- ----- 2021 -----
- December
- November
- October
- September
- August
- July
- June
- May
- April
- March
- February
- January
- ----- 2020 -----
- December
- November
- October
- September
- August
- July
- June
- May
- April
- March
- February
- January
- ----- 2019 -----
- December
- November
- October
- September
- August
- July
- June
- May
- April
- March
- February
- January
- ----- 2018 -----
- December
- November
- October
- September
- August
- July
- June
- May
- April
- March
- February
- January
- ----- 2017 -----
- December
- November
- October
- September
- August
- July
- June
- May
- April
- March
- February
- January
- ----- 2016 -----
- December
- November
- October
- September
- August
- July
- June
- May
- April
- March
- February
- January
- ----- 2015 -----
- December
- November
- October
- September
- August
- July
- June
- May
- April
- March
- February
- January
- ----- 2014 -----
- December
- November
- October
- September
- August
- July
- June
- May
- April
- March
- February
- January
- ----- 2013 -----
- December
- November
- October
- September
- August
- July
- June
- May
- April
- March
- February
- January
- ----- 2012 -----
- December
- November
- October
- September
- August
- July
- June
- May
- April
- March
- February
- January
- ----- 2011 -----
- December
- November
- October
- September
- August
- July
- June
- May
- April
- March
- February
- January
- ----- 2010 -----
- December
- November
- October
- September
- August
- July
- June
- May
- April
- March
- February
- January
- ----- 2009 -----
- December
- November
- October
- September
- August
- July
- June
- May
- April
- March
- February
- January
- ----- 2008 -----
- December
- November
- October
- September
- August
- July
- June
- May
- April
- March
- February
- January
- ----- 2007 -----
- December
- November
- October
- September
- August
- July
- June
- May
- April
- March
- February
- January
- ----- 2006 -----
- December
- November
- October
- September
- August
December 2018
- 4 participants
- 7 discussions
AMSAT NEWS SERVICE
ANS-364
The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and
information 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://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:
* AMSAT CW Activity Day January 1, 2019 In Memory Of W3XO
* Soyuz Flight Deploys Amateur Radio Satellites
* In-Orbit Test (IOT) of Es’hail-2 AMSAT P4-A transponders
* Changes to the AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for December 27, 2018
* Ham Talk Live Podcast Featuring KO4MA
* Multiple Flight Projects Selected by International Space Station
U.S. National Laboratory
* AMSAT Awards Update
* Upcoming Satellite Operations
* Satellite Shorts from All Over
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-364.01
ANS-364 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 364.01
>From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD.
December 30, 2018
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-364.01
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
AMSAT relies on your donations to Keep Amateur Radio in Space
Please consider a one-time or recurring donation today at
https://www.amsat.org/donate/
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
AMSAT CW Activity Day January 1, 2019 In Memory Of W3XO
You are cordially invited to participate in AMSAT's third annual CW
Activity Day. It will be held from 0001 to 2400 UTC on
January 1,2019.
This year's event is being held in memory of AMSAT past president
Bill Tynan, W3XO. Bill operated primarily SSB, but would always
come back to my CW call. Bill's experience reminds us that one need
not be a CW specialist to enjoy the mode.
CW Activity Day rules are very simple: there aren't any. Just
operate CW through any amateur radio satellite. Straight keys and
"bugs" are encouraged, but not required. The important thing is to
get on the air and have fun, as Bill did.
[ANS thanks Ray Soifer, W2RS for the above information.]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Soyuz Flight Deploys Amateur Radio Satellites
The Soyuz flight on December 27th carrying a pair of Kanopus V remote
sensing satellites also deployed two German Orbital Systems D-Star
ONE satellites: D-Star ONE - Sparrow and D-Star ONE - iSat.
Beacons have been successfully received. These satellites carry a
D-STAR parrot repeater that will be available for use by amateur
radio operators. The uplink is 437.325 MHz and the downlink is
435.525 MHz.
The flight also deployed the UWE-4 1U CubeSat carrying an electric
propulsion experiment and a 70cm 9k6 AX.25 digipeater. The uplink and
downlink frequency is 437.375 MHz. The digipeater will be active
after the Launch and Early Operations Phase (LEOP)
More information on the launch and other payloads deployed can be
found at http://russianspaceweb.com/kanopus-v5-v6.html
[ANS thanks Russian Space Web, German Orbital Systems and the IARU
for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
In-Orbit Test (IOT) of Es’hail-2 AMSAT P4-A transponders
AMSAT-DL notes that the In-Orbit testing (IOT) of the P4-A ham radio
transponders on Es’hail-2 have started.
In a statement regarding the status of the transponders for amateur
radio use AMSAT-DL said, "However: Please be reminded, that under no
circumstances uplink attempts should be done! Like everyone, we are
very excited by the received signals so far and we do appreciate any
monitoring and receiving reports from the amateur radio community. We
are happy to see how much interest and enthusiasm this satellite
already created in our community."
And continuing, "Any unsolicited transmissions will delay the commis-
sioning and maybe even worse, might influence our good relation with
Es’hailSat during this project.
When a new satellite is launched, a number of tests are performed to
verify that the stress loads imposed by the launch have not affected
the on-board systems. An RF in-orbit test (IOT) is conducted to verify
the performance of communication payloads. These operations are typic-
ally performed by the manufacturer of the satellite, in this case by
MELCO engineers. These operations also include both AMSAT P4-A trans-
ponders on-board Es’hail-2. Such acceptance tests are part of the
commercial contract and usually consists of Power, Frequency and other
measurements like: Gain transfer, EIRP, In-Band and Out-Band response,
receive & transmit antenna cross-polarization isolation, antenna gain,
Gain-to-temperature ratio (G/T), Gain adjustments, TWT settings,
Spacecraft spurious signal search, intermodulation, LO and beacon
frequency stability and much more…
When all IOT tests are successful performed, the satellite will be
moved to it’s final position at 26°E and handed-over to it’s owner
Es’hailSat.
Please understand that AMSAT-DL is not authorized to give any details
of the above operations in advance.
[ANS thanks AMSAT-DL for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Changes to the AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for December 27, 2018
The identification of the 64 satellites launched by SpaceX SSO-A
mission on December 3, 2018 continues. As noted last week, the
consensus is that the spacing between unidentified satellites is
STILL not to a point where positive identification is possible. In
the past, two weeks after launch has been the time when distance
between cubesats increases enough to identify most individual sat-
ellites. But, this time, we must wait for more separation.
There are no major changes to the previous AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution
(Thursday, December 20, 2018) for the IDENTIFIED SSO-A launch objects
at this time except for the following comments:
(1) There is a disagreement between this week's TLE distribution
(Thursday, December 27, 2018) and the Space-Track data of the same
date. Space-Track shows PWSat 2 as OBJECT 43814, but detailed doppler
analysis suggests that PWSat 2 is object 43775 or 43779. Hopefully
this will be resolved in the coming week. In the mean time, all three
objects 43775, 43779, and 43814 are included in this week's
distribution with PWSat 2 shown as CAT ID 43775.
(2) Space-Track has decided that OBJECT 43769 is now FLOCK 3S 1 (a
commercial satellite). OBJECT 43769 was the object that we had used
last week for AO 95. So, we are now going to use OBJECT 43771 for
AO-95. OBJECT 43771 is the other object we think may be AO-95.
Remember these objects are still too close together so we must wait
for more separation. Patience!
(3) Also we are still awaiting greater separation for JO 97
(ex JY1Sat). JO-97 is shown as OBJECT 43803 but may be 43801. The
downlink is 145.839085 MHz.
(4) The following objects have been identified as non-amateur radio
satellites and have been removed from this week's distribution:
EXCITE - CAT ID 43758 (identified by Space-Track, non-amateur)
KAZSTSAT - CAT ID 43783 (identified by Space-Track, non-amateur)
FLOCK 3S 3 - NORAD CAT ID 43788 (identified by Space-Track, non-
amateur)
FLOCK 3S 2 - NORAD CAT ID 43821 (identified by Space-Track, non-
amateur)
Thanks to Nico Janssen, PA0DLO, and Alan Biddle, WA4SCA, for this
week's update details.
[ANS thanks Ray Hoad, WA5QGD for the above information.]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Ham Talk Live Podcast Featuring KO4MA
If you missed the Ham Talk Live show featuring Drew Glasbrenner,
KO4MA, on December 27 you can play back a recording of this episode
at: https://www.spreaker.com/show/ham-talk-live then select
Episode 146 - Making the Most of Satellite Time 27 Dec
Drew and Neil discussed getting the most out of satellite time. They
talked about what to say, when to say it, and other etiquette and
protocol issues so that you can make the most of your satellite
operation!
Ham Talk Live is also available as a podcast on nearly all podcast
sites: Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Play, SoundCloud, and iHeart
Podcasts; and it's also available on YouTube.
[ANS thanks Neil Rapp, WB9VPG, and Ham Talk Live for the above
information]
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
For a limited time, new and renewing AMSAT members
will receive a free digital copy of
"Getting Started with Amateur Satellites"
Join or renew your AMSAT membership today at
https://www.amsat.org/product-category/amsat-membership/
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
Multiple Flight Projects Selected by International Space Station U.S.
National Laboratory
The International Space Station (ISS) U.S. National Laboratory today
announced multiple flight projects stemming from a variety of
scientific and educational concepts that are in development to launch
to the orbiting national laboratory. Each of the investigations
selected for the ISS National Lab will benefit life on Earth by
exploiting unique advantages of research in space. These projects
represent a diverse mixture of scientific objectives and interests
from commercial partners, academic investigations, and education
initiatives to inspire the next generation of scientists and
engineers. Below is an overview of recently selected investigations by
the ISS National Lab:
Blast Off! Story Time From Space: Engaging Young Learners in STEM and
Literacy
Twin Cities Public Broadcasting Service
PI: Rita Karl and Patricia Tribe
Blast Off! is a multiplatform initiative dedicated to engaging young
learners (ages 2-8) in reading and hands-on science. Twin Cities PBS
and Story Time From Space are developing Blast Off! as a pilot project
for PBS. This program has the potential to reach millions of viewers,
providing information on living and working in space and on
microgravity's effects on science. This project is being done in
partnership with the Story Time From Space educational program.
[ANS thanks Spaceref.com for this information.]
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
AMSAT and ARISS are currently supporting a FundRazr campaign
to raise $150,000 for critical radio infrastructure upgrades
on ISS. The upgrades are necessary to enable students to
continue to talk to astronauts in space via Amateur Radio.
We have reached a great milestone with $16,695 raised
or about 10% towards our goal. This would not have been
possible without your outstanding generosity!!
For more information and to DONATE TODAY visit:
https://fundrazr.com/arissnextgen?ref=ab_e7Htwa_ab_47IcJ9
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
AMSAT Awards Update
Here we are, the last half of 2018, in fact the end of 2018, I have
been posting all the Rover Awards on my Twitter account and tagging
@AMSAT. I will include all the Rover Awards here for those that do
not have Twitter.
What will you be doing for AMSAT's 50th Anniversary in 2019. Stay
tuned for some operating awards we have for you, AMSAT Members and
Non-AMSAT Members.
------
AMSAT Satellite Communicators Award for making their first satellite
QSO
Mike Lozano, KI7WIB
Harry Mueller, W1HMM
Kirk Miller, W0KM
Dennis Madarang, KD2QET
Colbie Dison, KN4NIM
Nathan Binder, BSA Troop 738
Jeffrey Howell, KO9P
Alex Van Patten, KC3LPC
Martin Gibson, VK2GIB
Tom Zimmerman, W9TTY
Michael Barry, KN4CFD
Billy Penley, KN4MKB
Bentley Skibell, WM1K
Rich Olson, W9TIT
Tom Snowden, KI7SNW
------
AMSAT Communications Achievement Award
Brad Brooks, WF7T, #585
Brennan Price, N4QX, #586
Michael Lozano, KI7WIB, #587
------
AMSAT South Africa Satellite Communications Achievement Award
Brad Brooks, WF7T, #US209
Brennan Price, N4QX, #US210
------
AMSAT Robert W. Barbee Jr., W4AMI Award
Charles Reiche, N3CRT, #96
------
AMSAT Rover Award (New for 2018)
Rover Call
===== ========
028 K4FTP
029 KB2YSI
030 N3CRT
031 N2WLS
032 K2MTS
033 AI6DO
034 KD8RTT
035 AD7DB
036 AB5SS
037 W9TWJ
038 WN9Q
039 KM6NJL
040 KM4LAO
To see all the awards visit http://www.amsat.org and click on
Services then Awards.
[ANS thanks Bruce Paige, KK5DO, AMSAT Director of Contests and Awards
for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Upcoming Satellite Operations
+ Oahu (BL01, BL11) – December 28 to January 1, 2019
Gabe, AL6D willbe heading to Oahu, Hawaii, at the end of the year.
Plan is to operate from BL01 and BL10, linears and FM. Trip is
dependent on availability of cockpit jumpseat, so subject to cancel-
lation. Keep an eye on the @AL6D_Alaska Twitter for further updates
https://twitter.com/AL6D_Alaska
+ Azores (HM58) – December 30 to January 2, 2019
Pedro, CU2ZG, will spend the long New Year’s weekend in HM58. Pedro
will operate holiday style on FM and linears. Skeds are accepted and
preferred, but keep in mind that being a family trip availability
constrains might occur. Confirmations via LoTW using plain CU2ZG
will be uploaded the following week, and any direct QSL will get a
proper reply. Updates posted on Twitter and publicly viewable at
https://twitter.com/pdsousa.
+ Point Pelee National Park, Canada (EN81) – January 1, 2019
Ron, AD0DX, and Mike, W8LID plan to active Point Pelee National Park
on New Year’s Day to kick of the Canadian National Parks on the Air
(CNPOTA) event. Keep an eye on their Twitter accounts for further
updates: https://twitter.com/ad0dx and https://twitter.com/w8lid
+ Central California (CM95, CM96, DM05, DM06) – January 5, 2019
Ron, AD0DX will activate the CM95, CM96, DM05, DM06 grid corner on
January 5th. Keep an eye on the @ad0dx Twitter feed for more updates
https://twitter.com/ad0dx
+ Central California (CM95, CM96, DM05, DM06) – January 12, 2019
David, AD7DB, will be in the area of Kettleman City CA near a conver-
gence of four grids, operating on FM satellites. Grids (maybe grid-
lines) will depend on the satellite passes. Operation expected from
1700 UTC through 2300 UTC. Updates will be on Twitter as the time
approaches: https://twitter.com/ad7db
+ Quartzfest Arizona (DM23) – January 19-27, 2019
John, N7JY, will be operating FM satellites on a holiday schedule. He
may also visit some adjoining grids. There will likely be other hams
operating from the event, located a few miles south of Quartzsite AZ.
QSL via LOTW, or you can send your card with SASE
+ Las Vegas NV and Northwest AZ (DM25, DM26, DM36) – January 20-22, 2019
David, AD7DB, will be in Las Vegas at DM25/26 line, operating on FM
satellites on a holiday schedule. In addition, weather permitting,
sometime on Monday 01/21/19 he will make a side trip to Beaver Dam AZ
to activate from DM36aw. Updates will be on Twitter as the time
approaches: https://twitter.com/ad7db
[ANS Thanks Robert Bankston, KE4AL, for the above information]
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Satellite Shorts from All Over
+ PW-Sat2 Sail Deployment
PW-Sat2 has deployed its deorbiting sail experiment ahead of
schedule. See PWSat2 on Twitter for more information
https://twitter.com/PWSat2 (PWSat2 on Twitter)
+ NJ4Y Worked All States
Congratulations to Matt, NJ4Y for earning the ARRL Worked All
States - Satellite award #367. Matt tweeted, "This is probably
the toughest radio award I've ever worked towards, and one of
my favorites. Thanks especially to AC0RA, K8BL, and AL6D for my
last 4 states over the past year, Oregon, Mississippi, Alaska,
and Hawaii! (NJ4Y via Twitter)
+ NPR Highlights Cubesats
National Public Radio posted an article on December 26th entitled
"What's Next for Tiny Satellites." The article may be found at
https://tinyurl.com/ANS-364-NPR
---------------------------------------------------------------------
/EX
In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership in the
President's Club. Members of the President's Club, as sustaining
donors to AMSAT Project Funds, will be eligible to receive
additional benefits. Application forms are available from the
AMSAT office.
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
student rate for a maximum of six post-secondary years in this
status.
Contact Martha at the AMSAT office for additional student
membership information.
Happy New Year and 73,
This week's ANS Editor,
Paul Stoetzer, N8HM
n8hm at amsat dot org
1
0
AMSAT NEWS SERVICE
ANS-357
The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and
information 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://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:
* AO-85 Update as of December 19, 2018
* Changes to the AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for December 20, 2018
* UWE-4 Satellite Ready to Launch
* New Amateur Radio Packet Gear Awaits Unpacking, Installation on
Space Station
* Successful "AMSAT on the Queen Mary" Operation
* AMSAT CW Activity Day January 1, 2019 In Memory Of W3XO
* ELaNa-XIX Successfully Launched
* AMSAT Awards
* Upcoming Satellite Operations
* ARISS News
* Satellite Shorts from All Over
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-357.01
ANS-357 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 357.01
>From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD.
December 23, 2018
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-357.01
AO-85 Update as of 12/19/2018
Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA, Vice-President Operations published the
following on AO-85's status as of December 19, 2018:
"As you probably know, AO-85 has had issues recently with the
batteries dropping precariously low during eclipse. We think it's
likely the batteries suffered degradation due to heat during previous
periods of no eclipses. This has made it difficult to keep the
satellite available for use without endangering the batteries. Today
the nominally 3.6v pack was down to 2.8v at the end of the eclipse.
That is dangerously low.
"In an effort to extend the useable life of the satellite, this
evening we turned both the IHU and the transmitter off. This ceases
all transmissions, including the beacons every two minutes in both
sunlit and eclipsed parts of the orbit. We will periodically turn
the satellite back on for an orbit or two, in order to gather
telemetry. If all goes as planned, we will turn the repeater back on
during the next period of no eclipses beginning around January 24th.
"In the meantime, it is important to leave AO-85 tracked in your
FoxTelem setups, in order for us to gather telemetry and keep tabs
on the situation. If you do happen to hear a Veronica beacon, or
either the normal repeater or the COR/no telemetry repeater, please
let the list know, or send me an email or message directly.
"We appreciate your understanding and cooperation as we try to make
the most of the situation. Please consider supporting the AMSAT
GOLF project with your membership, and one-time or recurring
donations at:
https://www.amsat.org/product-category/amsat-membership/
or
https://www.amsat.org/donate/"
[ANS thanks Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA for the above information.]
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Changes to the AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for December 20, 2018
The identification of the 64 satellites launched by SpaceX SSO-A
mission on December 3, 2018 continues. The consensus is that the
spacing between unidentified satellites is growing to a point where
positive identification may now be possible. In the past, two weeks
after launch has been the time when distance between CubeSats
increases enough to identify most individual satellites. We will see.
There are no major changes to the previous AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution
(Monday, December 17, 2018) for the IDENTIFIED SSO-A launch objects
at this time except for the following comments:
(1) There is a disagreement between this week's TLE distribution
(Thursday, December 20, 2018) and the Space-Track data of the same
date. Space-Track shows PWSat 2 as OBJECT 43814, but detailed
Doppler analysis suggests that PWSat 2 is object 43775 or 43779.
Hopefully this will be resolved in the next week. In the meantime,
all three objects 43775, 43779, and 43814 are included in this week's
distribution with PWSat 2 shown as CAT ID 43775.
(2) The following satellites still await greater separation:
- AO 95 (ex Fox 1Cliff) is shown as OBJECT 43769 but may be 43771;
- JO 97 (ex JY1Sat) is shown as OBJECT 43803 but may be 43801,
downlink 145.839085 MHz.
(3) The following objects have been identified as non-amateur radio
satellites and have been removed from this week's distribution:
- ICEYE-X2 1 - CAT ID 43761 (identified by Space-Track, non-amateur)
- STPSAT-5 - CAT ID 43762 (identified by Space-Track, non-amateur)
- CORVUS BC4 - NORAD CAT ID 43767 (identified by Space-Track,
non-amateur)
- NEXTSAT-1 - NORAD CAT ID 43811 (identified by Space-Track,
non-amateur)
- GLOBAL-2 - NORAD CAT ID 43812 (identified by Space-Track,
non-amateur)
Finally, the following satellites have been added to this week's TLE
distribution:
- Reaktor Hello World is NORAD CAT ID 43743 (Downlink: 437.77527)
- CHOMPTT is NORAD CAT ID 43855 (Downlink: 437.55895)
AMSAT thanks to Nico Janssen, PA0DLO, and Alan Biddle, WA4SCA, two
very diligent "telemetry fans" and to everyone else for their
patience in this process.
[ANS thanks Ray Hoad, WA5QGD for the above information.]
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
For a limited time, new and renewing AMSAT members
will receive a free digital copy of
"Getting Started with Amateur Satellites"
Join or renew your AMSAT membership today at
https://www.amsat.org/product-category/amsat-membership/
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
UWE-4 Satellite Ready to Launch
The University of Wuerzburg's UWE-4 1U CubeSat is ready for launch on
December 27, 2018 at 02:07:18 UTC on Soyuz-2 from Russia's Vostochny
Launch Site.
The UWE-4 mission will demonstrate and characterize to enable
attitude and orbit control using an electric propulsion system.
Uplink: 437.385 MHz (when amateur digipeater is enabled)
Downlink: 437.385 MHz 9K6 FSK AX.25 science data and digipeater
Callsign: DP0UWH
UWE-4 beacons are transmitted periodically every 60s. The beacon
definition is provided in a file available at:
tinyurl.com/ANS-357-UWE-4-Beacon
Data recordings can also be forwarded to:
uwe4(a)informatik.uni-wuerzburg.de
After the scientific mission has been completed, a digipeater service
on board the satellite will be activated, which is open to all radio
amateurs. This service will not be active right after launch in order
to avoid large radio interference at the satellite during payload
operations.
More information is available at:
https://amsat-uk.org/2018/12/20/uwe-4-satellite/
or
tinyurl.com/ANS-357-UWE-4-Satellite
A live stream of the Soyuz Launch with UWE-4 CubeSat on board will
be available online on December 27, 2018 at 02:06 GMT at:
Livestream: http://www.russian.space/306/
Livestream: http://online.roscosmos.ru/
[ANS thanks the University of Wuerzburg, AMSAT-UK, and the IARU
for the above information]
--------------------------------------------------------------------
New Amateur Radio Packet Gear Awaits Unpacking, Installation on
Space Station
New Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) packet
equipment awaits unpacking and installation on board the station
after arriving in November as part of the cargo transported via a
Russian 71P Progress resupply vehicle. The new packet module for
NA1SS will replace the current packet gear, which has been
intermittent over the past year.
"With the arrival of Progress complete, the crew has to find free
time
to unpack Progress, uninstall the intermittent module, and then set
up and test the replacement packet module," explained Dan Barstow,
KA1ARD, senior education manager of the ISS National Laboratory
(CASIS), an ARISS sponsor.
The ISS packet system was reported to have gone down in July 2017,
although it unexpectedly came back to life the following summer. At
the time of the failure, NASA ISS Ham Radio Project Engineer
Kenneth Ransom, N5VHO, said the revived system would fill the gap
until the replacement packet module was launched and installed. The
packet system operates on 145.825 MHz. ARISS hardware team members
on the ground were able to locate a functional duplicate of the ISS
packet module that has been in use on the ISS for 17 years. ARISS
said the subsequent installation will depend on the crew's busy
schedule.
In an email to ARISS and other groups CASIS supports, Barstow
pointed out that ARISS is an official back-up system for astronauts
to talk with Mission Control in the unlikely failure of the
station's primary communication systems.
Barstow said that in 2017, hams relayed nearly 89,000 packet messages
via the ISS - an average of 243 every day. The statistic so
intrigued and amazed Barstow that he decided to get his Amateur
Radio license and gear to join in the activity.
[ANS thanks the ARRL for the above information.]
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
AMSAT and ARISS are currently supporting a FundRazr campaign
to raise $150,000 for critical radio infrastructure upgrades
on ISS. The upgrades are necessary to enable students to
continue to talk to astronauts in space via Amateur Radio.
We have reached a great milestone with $15,895 raised
or about 10% towards our goal. This would not have been
possible without your outstanding generosity!!
For more information and to DONATE TODAY visit:
https://fundrazr.com/arissnextgen?ref=ab_e7Htwa_ab_47IcJ9
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
Successful "AMSAT on the Queen Mary" Operation
Patrick Stoddard, WD9EWK filed the following report after a day of
satellite operation board the Queen Mary anchored in Long Beach,
California:
"After a few months of planning, the "AMSAT on the Queen Mary" event
on December 15, 2018 was a success. Many months of planning led to
the day-long satellite activity on the Verandah Deck of the
Queen Mary, where the ship's club call sign W6RO was heard on several
different satellites (AO-7, AO-91, AO-92, FalconSat-3, FO-29, ISS,
and SO-50) during the day. There were two operators for the satellite
activity - Endaf Buckley, N6UTC, and Patrick Stoddard, WD9EWK. The
Associated Radio Amateurs of Long Beach, the club that operates the
W6RO station, was represented by David Akins N6HHR, the W6RO
Wireless Room Manager.
"The W6RO club station has its own Wireless Room near the bow of the
Queen Mary. Unfortunately, a deck in that area was being used for a
small ice rink, so the satellite operation had to take place at the
other end of the ship. Not a big deal, as the Verandah Deck is a
large open area. This was the first satellite operation by W6RO in
almost 3 years, and the first time W6RO was used on the ship from a
location other than the Wireless Room.
"The satellite activity was like a Field Day station, working with
portable equipment (HTs, FT-817s, and handheld antennas). Being on a
ship which is part museum and part hotel, there were tours passing
by during the day, along with others who were curious about our
event. There were flyers on a table, along with 3D-printed models of
CubeSat satellites including a model of the AO-91 satellite.
"After the 8-hour event, 50 QSOs were logged with stations across
North America, and the log sheets were given to David N6HHR so they
could be filed with the rest of the W6RO logs. The Associated Radio
Amateurs of Long Beach will be happy to answer QSL requests with a
QSL card. The QSL procedure is listed on W6RO's QRZ.com entry, with
one exception - the QSO number referenced on the QRZ.com entry is
not required for satellite QSOs made during "AMSAT on the Queen Mary.
"Some thank-you's are in order, starting with Endaf Buckley N6UTC.
Endaf started talking with the Associated Radio Amateurs of Long
Beach about the possibility of having an amateur satellite event on
the Queen Mary a few months ago. The W6RO Wireless Room Manager,
David Akins N6HHR, worked with the Queen Mary management to get the
approvals needed for this event to take place on the ship. Without
their hard work this event wouldn't have taken place. We also had
additional help from ARALB member Ron Frank N3HI during the day."
[ANS thanks Patrick Stoddard, WD9EWK for the above information.]
--------------------------------------------------------------------
AMSAT CW Activity Day January 1, 2019 In Memory Of W3XO
You are cordially invited to participate in AMSAT's third annual CW
Activity Day. It will be held from 0001 to 2400 UTC on
January 1,2019.
This year's event is being held in memory of AMSAT past president
Bill Tynan, W3XO. Bill operated primarily SSB, but would always
come back to my CW call. Bill's experience reminds us that one need
not be a CW specialist to enjoy the mode.
CW Activity Day rules are very simple: there aren't any. Just
operate CW through any amateur radio satellite. Straight keys and
"bugs" are encouraged, but not required. The important thing is to
get on the air and have fun, as Bill did.
[ANS thanks Ray Soifer, W2RS for the above information.]
--------------------------------------------------------------------
ELaNa-XIX Successfully Launched
Rocket Lab launched its Electron rocket December 16, 2018 at
06:33 UTC with a host of CubeSats for NASA's Educational Launch of
Nanosatellites (ELaNa) program.
The Electron rocket injected the CubeSats into a 500 km circular
orbit at an inclination of 85 degrees. Liftoff occurred from Rocket
Lab's private Launch Complex 1 (LC-1) on the Mahia Peninsula in New
Zealand. Of the 13 Cubesats launched, 10 were sponsored by NASA or
educational institutions from the United States:
- ALBUS - NASA Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, OH
- CeREs - NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD
- CHOMPTT - University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
- CubeSail - University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL
- DaVinci - North Idaho STEM Charter Academy, Rathdrum, Idaho
- ISX - SRI International/ California Polytechnic University,
Menlo Park, CA
- NMTSat - New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, Socorro, NM
- RSat - United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD
- Shields-1 - NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA
- STF-1 - West Virginia University / NASA IV&V, Morgantown, WV
A narrated video of the launch can be viewed at
youtube.com/watch?v=F7Kr3664hJs
[ANS thanks Terry Osborne, ZL2BAC and Spaceflight.com for the
above information.]
--------------------------------------------------------------------
AMSAT Awards
+ Congratulations to Ruth Willet, KM4LAO for earning AMSAT Rover
Award #040
[ANS thanks Bruce Paige, KK5DO for the above information.]
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Upcoming Satellite Operations
+ Oahu (BL01, BL11) - December 28 to January 1, 2019
Gabe, AL6D will be heading to Oahu, Hawaii, at the end of the year.
Plan is to operate from BL01 and BL10, linears and FM. Trip is
dependent on availability of cockpit jump seat, so subject to
cancellation. Keep an eye on the @AL6D_Alaska Twitter for further
updates at https://twitter.com/AL6D_Alaska
+ Azores (HM58) - December 30 to January 2, 2019
Pedro, CU2ZG, will spend the long New Year's weekend in HM58. Pedro
will operate holiday style on FM and linears. Skeds are accepted
and preferred, but keep in mind that being a family trip availability
constrains might occur. Confirmations via LoTW using plain CU2ZG
will be uploaded the following week, and any direct QSL will get a
proper reply. Updates posted on Twitter and publicly viewable at
https://twitter.com/pdsousa.
+ Point Pelee National Park, Canada (EN81) - January 1, 2019
Ron, AD0DX, and Mike, W8LID plan to active Point Pelee National Park
on New Year's Day to kick of the Canadian National Parks on the Air
(CNPOTA) event. Keep an eye on their Twitter accounts for further
updates at https://twitter.com/ad0dx and https://twitter.com/w8lid
+ Central California (CM95, CM96, DM05, DM06) - January 5, 2019
Ron, AD0DX will activate the CM95, CM96, DM05, DM06 grid corner on
January 5th. Keep an eye on the @ad0dx Twitter feed for more updates
at https://twitter.com/ad0dx
+ Central California (CM95, CM96, DM05, DM06) - January 12, 2019
David, AD7DB, will be in the area of Kettleman City CA near a
convergence of four grids, operating on FM satellites. Grids (maybe
gridlines) will depend on the satellite passes. Operation expected
from 1700 UTC through 2300 UTC. Updates will be on Twitter as the
time approaches at https://twitter.com/ad7db
+ Quartzfest Arizona (DM23) - January 19-27, 2019
John, N7JY, will be operating FM satellites on a holiday schedule. He
may also visit some adjoining grids. There will likely be other
hams operating from the event, located a few miles south of
Quartzsite AZ. QSL via LOTW, or you can send your card with SASE.
[ANS thanks Robert Bankston, KE4AL for the above information.]
--------------------------------------------------------------------
ARISS News
+ ARISS Contacts for 2018 Concluded
The next ARISS contact is expected to be during the week of
January 14th, 2019.
[ANS thanks ARISS for the above information.]
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Satellite Shorts from All Over
+AMSAT Office Closed for the Holidays
The AMSAT Office will be closed from 20:00 UTC December 21, 2018
until January 4, 2019. Voice mail and email will not be checked.
Orders placed, will be processed when the office reopens.
[ANS thanks Martha Saragovitz for the above information.]
+ AO-95 Trivia: Who is "Veronica"?
While circling the earth, a female voice, referred to as "Veronica"
announces that AO-95 is in Safe Mode. The message repeats every
two minutes. As for the voice you're hearing deliver it, that's a
young woman named Veronica who is the daughter of Tony Monteiro,
AA2TX. Tony had been AMSAT's vice president of engineering and an
unwavering advocate for the FOX series of satellites. Tony became a
Silent Key in 2014 but now it is his daughter who is spreading the
word that another satellite is making its way across the sky.
[ANS thanks Amateur Radio Newsline for the above information.]
+ WD9EWK Wins the December QST Cover Plaque Award
The winning article for the December 2018 QST Cover Plaque award was
"Making Digital Contacts Through the ISS" by Patrick Stoddard,
WD9EWK. The QST Cover Plaque Award, given to the author or authors
of the
most popular article in each issue, is determined by a vote of ARRL
members on the QST Cover Plaque Poll web page.
[ANS thanks the ARRL for the above information.]
+ Satellite Field Operations Photos Wanted
Frank Garofalo, WA2NDV is hosting a forum at Ham Radio University
to help those who may be interested in getting involved with
satellite communications. While putting his presentation together
he thought it might be nice to see what fellow sat ops are using to
work the sats. He'll be discussing various rigs/antenna/rotator/
tracking systems and has stock photos but he thinks it would be fun
to see what others are running in the real world.
If you care to share some photos please send them to Frank at
wa2ndv(a)gmail.com and use HRU PIC in the subject line. Photo credits
will be given if you like.
Ham Radio University is a completely voluntary function, there are no
vendors or swap meet. It's all about education and fellowship. More
information is available at:
http://hamradiouniversity.org/
[ANS thanks the Frank Garofalo, WA2NDV for the above information.]
+ Keith Baker, KB1SK Interviewed on QSO Today
Eric, 4Z1UG interviews the eloquent and informative Keith Baker,
KB1SF on a little bit of history, a little bit of AMSAT behind the
scenes
and a little bit of future opportunities of Amateur Radio space
operations. You can listen to the 1-hour interview at:
tinyurl.com/ybe3j2tj
[Editor's Note: This is a concise, no-frill interview full of
interesting information.]
[ANS thanks Eric, 4Z1UG for the above information.]
+ AMSAT-DL & Qatar Television Showcase Es'hailSat
AMSAT Deutschland is at Es'hailSat, the Qatar Satellite Company at
Doha, Qatar. A must see for all Es'hail-2 / AMSAT P4-A fans, Qatar
Television produced a beautifully made documentation about
Es'hail-1 & Es'hail-2 launch campaigns. In the second half you can
see the Es'hail-2 satellite which includes the history making first
geostationary amateur radio transponders. Even if you don't
understand the language, just enjoy the pictures and try to spot
the antennas for the AMSAT transponder. Watch it at:
tinyurl.com/ANS-357-EshailSat-Video
[ANS thanks AMSAT-DL for the above information.]
+ Interactive Grid Square Map Available
Robert Bankston, KE4AL originally published his 488-Grid Square Map
in March 2018. It has become a popular way for amateur radio
satellite operators to keep track of grid squares they have worked or
confirmed.
Now, Chris Tabor, K7TAB has transformed the original map (requiring
manual input, Excel coloring book) into a more sophisticated, semi-
automated GridMaster tracking tool.
More information on the new and improved Gridmaster Map and the free
download is available at:
ke4al.wordpress.com/2018/06/29/new-and-improved-gridmaster-map/
[ANS thanks Robert Bankston, KE4AL for the above information.]
+ Dramatic power reduction on 23cm Proposed for Belgium Radio Hams
The Belgium regulator BIPT has proposed cutting to just 20 watts the
permitted power level for the Amateur and Amateur-Satellite
allocations in 1260-1300 MHz which is to be used by the Galileo
GNSS / GPS constellation. More information at:
tinyurl.com/ANS357-Belgium-23CM
[ANS thanks AMSAT-UK for the above information.]
+ View a Cubesat Launch from Inside the ISS
Check out what CubeSat deployment from the ISS Kibo module looks like.
This short but interesting video can be viewed at:
twitter.com/i/web/status/1075695199685369856
[ANS thanks the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs for
the above information.]
+ KNACKSAT Makes Headlines in Thailand
KNACKSAT, an acronym for KMUTNB Academic Challenge of Knowledge
Satellite, was one of 64 satellites launched on the SpaceX Falcon 9
rocket SSO mission on December 3, 2018. It received positive news
coverage from the Bangkok Post. Read the article at:
tinyurl.com/ANS-357-KNACKSAT
[ANS thanks AMSAT for the above information.]
+ ESA Kids Website Updated
The ESA Education office is proud to launch the new and improved ESA
Kids website, the online home of Paxi, the ESA Education mascot. With
the new design and organization, ESA Kids is the one-stop shop for
all space-related information, resources, multimedia, and activities
for children. The ESA Kids platform has a new look and feel that
enables users easier access to space-inspired Science, Technology,
Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) content geared toward primary-
school aged children (5-12 years) in English, German, Dutch, Spanish,
French, and Italian. More information at:
http://www.esa.int/Education/New_and_improved_ESA_Kids_website
or
https://www.esa.int/kids/en/home
[ANS thanks the European Space Agency for the above information.]
--------------------------------------------------------------------
/EX
In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership in the
President's Club. Members of the President's Club, as sustaining
donors to AMSAT Project Funds, will be eligible to receive
additional benefits. Application forms are available from the
AMSAT office.
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
student rate for a maximum of six post-secondary years in this
status.
Contact Martha at the AMSAT office for additional student
membership information.
Happy Holidays Around the World and 73,
This week's ANS Editor,
Frank Karnauskas, N1UW
n1uw at amsat dot org
Sent via AMSAT-BB(a)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 member? Join now to support the amateur satellite
program!
Subscription settings: http://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
1
0
AMSAT NEWS SERVICE
ANS-343
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:
* Fox-1Cliff/AO-95 Commissioning Status
* Fox-1Cliff Launched, Initial Telemetry Received
* Fox-1Cliff Designated AMSAT-OSCAR 95 (AO-95)
* ExseedSat Granted VO-96 OSCAR Number
* JY1Sat Now Jordan-OSCAR 97 (JO-97)
* Remind Me Again? What is Going On With Fox-1Cliff?
* Updates to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for 12-6-2018
* Changes to FUNcube Warehouses
* RadFxSat-2 / Fox-1E Launch Date NET March 2019
* Satellites Activation From The Queen Mary On December 15
* Help Wanted: Radio Amateurs Requested to Monitor Cubesat Downlinks
* KG5FYI and RN3DX Join KG5TMT and KF5ONO Aboard the ISS
* AMSAT Web Adds Donation Portal
* Upcoming Satellite Operations
* ARISS News
* Shorts From All Over
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-343.01
ANS-343 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 343.01
>From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD.
December 9, 2018
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-343.01
Fox-1Cliff/AO-95 Commissioning Status
Following the launch of Fox-1Cliff/AO-95 AMSAT Engineering began the
commissioning process, with the help of AMSAT Operations, on Tuesday
December 4. Satellite telemetry indicates that the bird is healthy,
and I thank all of the stations who have captured and relayed the
telemetry that enabled us to monitor and determine the health of the
various systems on board. Fox-1Cliff required an extended period
monitoring battery and power levels due to the anomaly and fix that
was applied back in February of 2016 during environmental testing,
and the result of that is positive.
However, during the next steps of commissioning we discovered an
anomaly with her receive capability. After a few days of tests,
analysis, and discussion, it appears that Fox-1Cliff/AO-95 will not
be commissioned as our fourth Fox-1 amateur radio satellite.
AMSAT Engineering will continue to evaluate and test Fox-1Cliff/AO-
95 for solutions to the anomaly and your continued help in providing
telemetry is appreciated so that we can have data throughout her
daily orbits rather than limited data over our U.S. stations. The
data, analysis, and testing could lead to a positive solution but at
the very least will be important to AMSAT's satellite programs in
providing information that would help us and others, as we do freely
share our successes and failures, to avoid similar situations with
future missions.
I would like to thank all of the AMSAT Fox Engineering volunteers
who made Fox-1Cliff possible and continue to build our new
satellites, becoming even better as we move forward.
I will provide more information on the anomaly and any determination
we make regarding the possible cause or causes as well as information
on the possibility of recovery, over time. Please be patient
regarding that. Many of you have probably built a project and had to
troubleshoot it on your bench, we are in a troubleshooting situation
here with the additional challenge of being 600 km away from our
bench.
[ANS thanks Jerry Buxton, N0JY, AMSAT Vice President of Engineering
for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Fox-1Cliff Launched, Initial Telemetry Received
Fox-1Cliff was successfully launched on Spaceflight's SSO-A: SmallSat
Express mission on a SpaceX Falcon 9 from Vandenberg Air Force Base
at 18:34:05 UTC on December 3, 2018. Following deployment, the space-
craft was activated on schedule at 23:54:27 UTC.
At approximately 00:30 UTC on December 4th, several stations in
Brazil, including PS8MT, PT9BM, and PT2AP, reported hearing the voice
beacon "Fox-1Cliff Safe Mode," confirming that the satellite was
alive. Just before 00:40 UTC, AMSAT Fox-1 Team Member Burns Fisher,
WB1FJ, was the first to submit telemetry to AMSAT servers. Initial
telemetry values show the satellite to be in good health.
Thanks to the 29 different stations that contributed telemetry during
Fox-1Cliff's initial orbits. At press time this week over 130 stations
have received telemetry and uploaded their data to AMSAT's servers.
All stations are encouraged to please continue collecting telemetry
during the commissioning process and are reminded not to transmit on
the uplink frequencies until AMSAT opens the satellite for general
use. The commissioning process is expected to take approximately 7-10
days.
[ANS thanks AMSAT for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Fox-1Cliff Designated AMSAT-OSCAR 95 (AO-95)
On December 3rd, 2018, Fox-1Cliff was launched on a Falcon 9
vehicle from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Part
of Spaceflight's SSO-A: Smallsat Express launch, Fox-1Cliff
was named after long time AMSAT supporter Cliff Buttschardt,
K7RR (SK). In the 48 hours after launch, more than 110
amateur radio operators around the world have successfully
received and submitted telemetry from the satellite.
Following in our long tradition of naming amateur satellites,
AMSAT hereby designates Fox-1Cliff as AMSAT-OSCAR 95 (AO-95).
Thank you to those who have supported this mission with their
time, talent, and financial support for the benefit of amateur
radio operators worldwide.
73,
Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA
AMSAT VP Operations / OSCAR Number Administrator
[ANS thanks Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA, AMSAT VP Operations /
OSCAR Number Administrator for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
ExseedSat Granted VO-96 OSCAR Number
On December 3rd, 2018, ExseedSat was launched on a Falcon 9 vehicle
from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Part of Spaceflight's
SSO-A: Smallsat Express launch, ExseedSat was built by a team of
Indian radio hams including Ashhar Farhan (VU2ESE), George Phillips
(VU2GT), Gurudutta Panda (VU3GDP), Sasi Bhusan (VU3ELR), and Nitin
Mutin (VU3TYG). Initial telemetry has been received around the world.
At the request of Exseed Space, AMSAT hereby designates ExseedSat as
VUsat-OSCAR 96 (VO-96). We congratulate the owners and operators of
VO-96, thank them for their contribution to the amateur satellite
community, and wish them continued success on this and future
projects.
73,
Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA
AMSAT VP Operations / OSCAR Number Administrator
[ANS thanks Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA, AMSAT VP Operations / OSCAR
Number Administrator for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
JY1Sat now Jordan-OSCAR 97 (JO-97)
On December 3rd, 2018, JY1Sat was launched on a Falcon 9 vehicle
from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Part of Spaceflight's
SSO-A: Smallsat Express launch, JY1Sat is a project of the Crown
Prince Foundation of Jordan. Telemetry has been received and decoded
around the world since the launch.
At the request of the Crown Prince Foundation, AMSAT hereby desig-
nates JY1Sat as Jordan-OSCAR 97 (JO-97). We congratulate the owners
and operators of JO-97, thank them for their contribution to the
amateur satellite community, and wish them continued success on this
and future projects.
73,
Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA
AMSAT VP Operations / OSCAR Number Administrator
[ANS thanks Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA, AMSAT VP Operations /
OSCAR Number Administrator for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
For a limited time, new and rewewing AMSAT members
will receive a free digital copy of
"Getting Started with Amateur Satellites"
Join or renew your AMSAT membership today at
https://www.amsat.org/product-category/amsat-membership/
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Remind Me Again? What is Going On With Fox-1Cliff?
Jerry Buxton, N0JY, AMSAT Vice President-Engineering, and the Fox
Engineering Team remind you of the post-launch testing activities
for Fox-1Cliff.
+ Capturing Initial Telemetry is the Most Important Task
+ Safe Mode/Beacon Mode Operation on Start Up
+ On-Orbit Checklist Activities
+ Activation for Amateur Radio Access
+ Fox-1Cliff Technical Details
Capturing Initial Telemetry is the Most Important Task
-------------------------------------------------------
Following the successful launch and deployment of Fox-1Cliff, all
amateur radio satellite enthusiasts can play an important part in the
commissioning of the new satellite. Telemetry helps us tremendously,
starting ASAP after startup (~59 minutes after deployment*) and for
the next 72-96 hours at least (for the life of the satellite is
preferred!) as we look for successful startup, watch the general
health and function as the satellite begins to acclimate to space,
and start to perform the on orbit checkout. The first station to
successfully receive and submit telemetry to the AMSAT server will
receive a special 3D printed QSL card acknowledging their
contribution.
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 Fox-1Cliff tremendously, by capturing
Fox-1Cliff telemetry.
Safe Mode/Beacon Mode Operation on Start Up
-------------------------------------------
In the initial Safe Mode after startup, which we actually call Beacon
Mode, the transmitter is limited to 10 seconds on time then does the
two minutes off cycle. 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. You will hear Veronica announcing
"Fox-1Cliff Safe Mode" while in Beacon Mode.
We will likely leave the satellite in Beacon Mode for 24 hours to
observe power telemetry. If we are seeing good readings from what you
gather, when it comes over the U.S. for the first good pass after
that holding period we will command it from Beacon Mode to normal
Safe Mode. That puts Fox-1Cliff 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.
On-Orbit Checklist Activities
-----------------------------
We will begin the rest of the in orbit checklist activities at that
time, and it is expected to take 7 to 10 days.
Help your friends and all of our satellite ham friends get on the air
and have fun sooner by being polite and patient!
The in orbit checkout procedure is similar to Fox-1D and could be
completed in as little as 7 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 cannot stress enough, the importance of this
cooperation not just for us but also for all users, simply having a
little patience so we can conduct the tests as quickly and accurately
as possible.
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
Do not attempt to access this satellite until the activation
announcement from AMSAT Engineering and AMSAT Operations Teams
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
Activation for Amateur Radio Access
-----------------------------------
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 do not assume that it is open for general use -
check our website, Facebook, Twitter, to be sure you are not
accidentally jumping in with and unwittingly causing interference as
well.
Many hams put thousands of volunteer hours of their time into making
Fox-1Cliff happen. Just like any ham radio project you might
undertake, we build satellites. We do it because we like to, and when
we are done, we freely share our project with hams everywhere as is
the spirit of amateur radio. I have to say though, that the incidents
we have experienced in the past with stations intentionally
disregarding the command stations requests to keep the frequency
clear during testing not only delays the commissioning, but also
negatively impacts the enthusiasm that our volunteers feel toward
handing over a new bird to the members and users as soon as possible.
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 Fox-1Cliff in orbit and operating for
all of you.
Fox-1Cliff Technical Details
----------------------------
Uplink: 435.300 MHz / 1267.300 MHz** with 67 Hz CTCSS Tone
Downlink: 145.920 MHz
** Uplinks switched by command station, not operational
simultaneously
Nominal operating frequencies may vary slightly after launch.
Ground stations need to adjust your transmit frequency for Doppler
Shift. One suggested approach includes programming 5 uplink fre-
quencies into memory channels and stepping through the channels
depending on Fox-1Cliff's relative position to you. (Fc in the
table below is the nominal uplink center frequency = 435.300 MHz).
Full duplex operation is recommended to allow you to hear if you
are tuned on-frequency and also avoids interfering if another
station is transmitting.
ADJUSTING YOUR UPLINK FREQUENCY to TRACK DOPPLER SHIFT
------------------------------------------------------
AOS (Memory Channel 1) Fc - 10 KHz 435.290 MHz
Approaching (Memory Channel 2) Fc - 5 KHz 435.295 MHz
Nearest (Memory Channel 3) Fc 435.300 MHz
Departing (Memory Channel 4) Fc + 5 KHz 435.305 MHz
LOS (Memory Channel 5) Fc + 10 KHz 435.310 MHz
Access the Fox-1 Operating Guide on-line at:
https://www.amsat.org/station-and-operating-hints/
Find all of AMSAT Fox-1 frequencies on-line at:
https://www.amsat.org/fm-satellite-frequency-summary/
SatPC32 users can find updated *.SQF files at:
http://tinyurl.com/ANS-336-SatPC32files
[ANS thanks Jerry Buxton, N0JY, AMSAT Vice President-Engineering for
the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Updates to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for 12-6-2018
Fox-1Cliff has been renamed AMSAT-OSCAR 95 (AO-95) per ANS Special
Bulletin
339.01, December 5, 2018.
The following Satellites have been added to this week's AMSAT-NA TLE
Distribution.
>From the India ISRO PSLV-C43 launch on November 29, 2018:
FacSat 1 - NORAD CAT ID 43721
Reaktor H W - NORAD CAT ID 43728 (Reaktor Hello World, CAT ID per
owner)
InnoSat 2 - NORAD CAT ID 43738
3CAT 1 - NORAD CAT ID 43721 (CAT ID per owner)
Thanks to Nico Janssen, PA0DLO, for ID's on FactSat 1 and InoSat 2)
>From the SpaceX Falcon 9 SSO-A launch on December 3,2018:
OBJECT A - NORAD CAT ID 43758
JY1Sat - NORAD CAT ID 43759
ITASat 1 - NORAD CAT ID 43760
OBJECT D - NORAD CAT ID 43761
OBJECT E - NORAD CAT ID 43762
ESEO - NORAD CAT ID 43763
OBJECT G - NORAD CAT ID 43764
OBJECT H - NORAD CAT ID 43765
OBJECT J - NORAD CAT ID 43766
OBJECT K - NORAD CAT ID 43767
OBJECT L - NORAD CAT ID 43768
AO-95 - NORAD CAT ID 43774 (Fox-1Cliff renamed AO-95)
MOVE-II - NORAD CAT ID 43775
PWSat 2 - NORAD CAT ID 43776
Thanks to Nico Janssen,PA0DLO, for the ID's on JY1-Sat, ITASAT 1,
ESEO, MOVE-II, PWsat 2, and AO-95 (Fox-1Cliff).
Note: The Falcon 9 SSO-A 12/3/2018 launch includes 64 spacecraft (15
microsats and 49 cubesats). The 14 objects listed above are those
objects with TLEs currently listed by Space-Track.org. The objects
are very close together at this time. More CAT IDs probably will be
added and some satellites may change their CAT ID. Right now Cat ID
43774 is the best match for AO-95. I recommend patience. More later.
The following satellite has decayed from orbit and has been removed
from the distribution:
UNSW-EC0 - NORAD CAT ID 42723 - Decayed December 3, 2018
i-INSPIRE II - NORAD CAT ID 42731 - Decayed November 24, 2018
SFERA 2 - NORAD CAT ID 42913 - Decayed November 29, 2018
Thanks to Nico Janssen, PA0DLO
[ANS thanks Ray Hoad WA5QGD for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Changes to FUNcube Warehouses
The FUNcube team are busy commissioning JY1Sat and assisting with
ESEO.
To this end we have instigated a new data warehouse which will
aggregate all the data generated by FUNcube payloads.
This can be found at http://data.amsat-uk.org and is currently
supporting NAYIF-1, JY1Sat & ESEO. (The Dashboard warehouse URL for
these satellites is the same)
The existing warehouse at http://warehouse.funcube.org.uk will
continue to support FUNcube-1 and hold data for UKube-1 and it's
Dashboard warehouse URL remains http://data.funcube.org.uk
We appreciate that this may be a little confusing as we transition
but please bear with us.
We be transferring all your points from the existing warehouse to
the new one in the next few days when the commissioning dust settles.
For those wishing to register or have lost there upload credentials,
please visit: http://data.amsat-uk.org/registration
A 'lost credentials' link has been added to the page.
We still have forum.funcube.org.uk available for general discussions.
Dave also mentions that in answer to "how do you handle change of
callsigns?" that they have the ability to put in an alias for the
ranking display which does not affect the dashboard credentials.
This should be done by emailing me at operations(a)funcube.org.uk
This is the first bulk email we have sent using the database. If,
under the rules of GDPR, please let us know if you would like your
account marked as not wishing to receive emails.
[ANS thanks Dave G4DPZ for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
RadFxSat-2 / Fox-1E Launch Date NET March 2019
NASA's CubeSat Launch Initiative has posted upcoming ELaNa Cubesat
Launches on their website https://www.nasa.gov/content/upcoming-elana-
cubesat-launches.
AMSAT's RadFXSat-2/Fox-1E is among the satellites onboard the ELaNa
XX launch set for NET March 2019.
The ELaNa XX Mission will feature the flight of Virgin Orbit Flight
2 LauncherOne from Mojave, California
The 11 CubeSat Missions scheduled to be deployed include:
CACTUS-1 - Capitol Technology University, Laurel, Maryland
CAPE-3 - University of Louisiana Lafayette, Louisiana
EXOCUBE-2 - California Polytechnic University, San Louis Obispo,
California
INCA - New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico
MicroMas-2b - Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Lexington,
Massachusetts
MiTEE - University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
PICS - Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah
PolarCube - University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, Colorado
Q-PACE - University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida
RadFXSat-2 - Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
TechEdSat-7 - NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett, California
[ANS thanks NASA for alerting us to this information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Satellites Activation From The Queen Mary On December 15
Patrick WD9EWK will be part of a day of satellite operating from a
deck on the RMS Queen Mary, docked at Long Beach in southern
California, Saturday 15 December 2018. Operations will be
portable, almost like a Field Day, and should include FM, SSB, and
possibly packet. All operations from the Queen Mary will be as W6RO,
the call sign for the wireless room on the ship operated by the
Associated Radio Amateurs of Long Beach. Depending on staffing in the
W6RO wireless room, there may also be HF activity during the
satellite operation.
Amateur radio has a long history on the Queen Mary, including a
special-event station GB5QM that operated as the ship made its final
voyage from England to Long Beach in 1967, and in almost 4 decades
with the W6RO operations from Long Beach. More about the history of
amateur radio on the Queen Mary is available at:
https://queenmary.com/history/amateur-radio/
http://aralb.org/club-station-w6ro/
Patrick had the pleasure of working AO-7 from W6RO in March 2016. An
article covering this quick operation appeared in the AMSAT Journal,
and is available from the "Articles" folder in my Dropbox space:
http://dropbox.wd9ewk.net/
as well as an AMSAT-BB posting after that activation:
http://amsat.org/pipermail/amsat-bb/2016-March/057636.html
QSLing for the W6RO satellite activation will be handled per the
procedure on W6RO's QRZ page:
http://www.qrz.com/db/W6RO
with one exception: no QSO numbers will be given during the
satellite operation. Satellite QSOs from W6RO will be done in the
normal manner, with an exchange of call signs and grid locators. W6RO
is located in grid DM03. W6RO does not use Logbook of the World, so
all QSL requests will need to be mailed directly to the W6RO address
in QRZ.
Thanks to Endaf Buckley N6UTC, the Associated Radio Amateurs of Long
Beach and the ARALB's W6RO Wireless Room Manager (David Akins N6HHR),
and the Queen Mary management for their work in arranging this event.
I look forward to another opportunity to work satellites from the
Queen Mary.
[ANS thanks Patrick WD9EWK for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Help Wanted: Radio Amateurs Requested to Monitor Cubesat Downlinks
In addition to Fox-1Cliff, the SSO-A mission carried several other
amateur radio satellites, including FUNcube on ESEO, JY1SAT, K2SAT,
and ExseedSat.
JY1SAT Signals Heard
---------------------
Data is being received by many stations around the globe and
being uploaded to the data warehouse http://data.amsat-uk.org .
AMSAT-UK has provided Dashboard Software to decode JY1SAT:
https://download.funcube.org.uk/JY1Sat_Dashboard_v1178.msi
The first signals were picked up in Australia approximately 6 min-
utes after deployment. Commissioning of the spacecraft is continu-
ing and there will be some periods when the telemetry being trans-
mitted is not valid. This will show up with invalid data collec-
tion flags in the dashboard.
The spacecraft is presently in safe mode so the TX power is
approximately 30mW only! More up to date news and details can be
found on the https://funcube.org.uk/ website.
Frequencies for the JY1SAT FUNcube-6 transponder include:
Uplink: 435.100 - 435.120 MHz CW, LSB
Downlink: 145.855 - 145.875 MHz CW, USB
Telemetry: 145.840 MHz (FUNcube BPSK format, new Dashboard software
will be made available)
JYISAT will transmit pre-stored images of the Kingdom which have been
selected by a national competition. These images will be downlinked
using a SSDV digital format.
Exseedsat-1 Heard Intermittently
--------------------------------
Please listen to Exseedsat RTTY telemetry on 145.900 FM and send
reports directly to Nitin Muttin VU3TYG, vu3tyg at yahoo.co.in.
Jerry Buxton, N0JY requests stations with large antennas listen
for a possibly weak signal from the satellite.
The telemetry downlink frequency is 145.900 MHz, and is transmitted
as five short ASCII words in RTTY. You can use any RTTY software to
receive the telemetry. Set the center frequency of RTTY to 2344. The
RTTY is sent as 45.45 baud, 7-bit ASCII with one start bit, two stop
bits and no parity. We recommend fldigi for receiving the telemetry
on PCs. The telemetry decoder is at:
http://amsatindia.org/exseeedsat-rtty-telemetry-decoder/
The satellite sends out a beacon "V" followed by the RTTY telemetry
every minute.
Uplink: 435.340 MHz FM voice with 67 Hz CTCSS tone
and APRS digipeater
Downlink: 145.900 MHZ FM voice, APRS digipeater, telemetry
ESEO (FUNcube 4)
----------------
Signals and telemetry continue to be received from ESEO from the
main platform transmitter on 437.00 MHz. The are bursts of 9k6
data transmitted every one minute. Full details of these trans-
missions, including the telemetry equations, can now be found at
https://www.esa.int/Education/ESEO. Daniel Estévez, EA4GPZ, com-
mented that the beacon at 437.000 MHz it is not standard FSK AX.25,
and it cannot be decoded with direwolf, UZ7HO or similar.
The AMSAT payload transmitter on 145.895MHz has not yet been act-
ivated and it seems likely to be sometime before this occurs.
Uplink: 1263.500 MHz FM voice with 67Hz CTCSS tone
Downlink: 145.895 MHz FM voice and telemetry
Telemetry: 145.875 MHz Use ESEO Dashboard from AMSAT-UK
https://download.funcube.org.uk/ESEO_Dashboard_v1177.msi
See also the AMSAT-UK summary of mission descriptions and
frequencies at:
https://amsat-uk.org/2018/11/14/ssoa-amateur-radio-satellites/
[ANS thanks the satellite teams for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
KG5FYI and RN3DX Join KG5TMT and KF5ONO Aboard the ISS
Three astronauts - including two radio amateurs - have docked at
the International Space Station (ISS) on the first crewed Soyuz
vehicle launch since a dramatic failure in October. The astronauts
from the US, Canada, and Russia, left Kazakhstan at 1130 UTC on
December 3, and the Russian space agency Roscomos confirmed their
successful docking at the station. On board were David Saint-Jacques,
KG5FYI, a Canadian engineer, astrophysicist, and medical doctor;
space veteran Oleg Kononenko, RN3DX, of Russia, and Anne McClain,
of the US.
The three-person crew's mission was originally set for later this
month, but officials moved up the date to avoid leaving the space
station unstaffed, when the current ISS crew of cosmonaut Sergey
Prokopyev and astronauts Serena Auñón-Chancellor, KG5TMT, and Alex-
ander Gerst, KF5ONO, return to Earth on December 20.
Meanwhile, NASA astronaut Nick Hague, KG5TMV, who was on the aborted
October 11 Soyuz launch, is getting ready for another try. Hague,
NASA astronaut Christina Hammock Koch, and cosmonaut Alexey Ovchinin
are scheduled to launch from Baikonur Cosmodrome on February 28
aboard the Russian Soyuz MS-12 spacecraft.
[ANS thanks the ARRL for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
AMSAT Web Adds Donation Portal
AMSAT relies on your donations to Keep Amateur Radio in Space.
Please consider a donation to the AMSAT General Fund, the GOLF
Program, or ARISS today!
Access the Donation Portal on the AMSAT front page
http://www.amsat.org --> Select Donate from the main menu bar
-or- visit https://www.amsat.org/donations/ for direct access to
the page.
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
For a limited time, new and rewewing AMSAT members
will receive a free digital copy of
"Getting Started with Amateur Satellites"
Join or renew your AMSAT membership today at
https://www.amsat.org/product-category/amsat-membership/
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
[ANS thanks AMSAT for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Upcoming Satellite Operations as of December 6, 2018
Oahu and Maui (BL01, BL10, BL11) - December 3-14, 2018
John, N7AME, will be in Hawaii December 3-14. John hopes to rove
BL01, BL10 and BL11, but the Hawaiian Islands appear to have ten (10)
different grids, and he hopes he can work all of them. John can only
work FM satellites AO-91 and AO-92.
Haleakala, HI (BL10, BL11, BL20) - December 8-11, 2018
Gabe, AL6D, has been approved for a flight deck training trip to
Hawaii, December 8-11. Planned flight lands mid-afternoon at OCG on
Dec 8th and departs late on Dec 11th. Gabe will rent a car and
activate BL10/11/20, ultra-distance passes from Haleakala. Trip is
dependent on availability of cockpit jumpseat, so subject to
cancellation. Keep an eye on the @AL6D_Alaska Twitter for further
updates https://twitter.com/AL6D_Alaska
Greenburg, PA (FN00) - December 10-12, 2018
Tanner, W9TWJ, will be travelling for business the week of December
10th-12th, to Greensburg, PA (FN00). He will attempt to be active on
FM evening passes and hopefully not freeze! Specific pass
announcements will be posted to Twitter: https://twitter.com/twjones85
RMS Queen Mary (DM03) - December 15, 2018
Patrick , WD9EWK, will be part of a day of satellite operating from
a deck on the RMS Queen Mary, docked at Long Beach in southern
California, on Saturday 15 December 2018. Operations will be
portable, almost like a Field Day, and should include FM, SSB, and
possibly packet. All operations from the Queen Mary will be as W6RO,
the call sign for the wireless room on the
ship operated by the Associated Radio Amateurs of Long Beach.
Depending on staffing in the W6RO wireless room, there may also be HF
activity during the satellite operation.
QSLing for the W6RO satellite activation will be handled per the
procedure on W6RO's QRZ page: http://www.qrz.com/db/W6RO
Oahu (BL01, BL11) - December 28 thru January 1, 2019,2018
Gabe, AL6D willbe heading to Oahu, Hawaii, at the end of the year.
Plan is to operate from BL01 and BL10, linears and FM. Trip is
dependent on availability of cockpit jumpseat, so subject to
cancellation. Keep an eye on the @AL6D_Alaska Twitter for further
updates https://twitter.com/AL6D_Alaska
Please submit any additions or corrections to ke4al (at) amsat.org
For updated information see:
https://www.amsat.org/satellite-info/upcoming-satellite-operations/
[ANS thanks Robert KE4AL for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
ARISS News
The ARISS-US program's education proposal window open Oct. 1 - Nov.
30, 2018 has now closed. The next window should go open in the
spring of 2019.
Recent
Successful ARISS Contacts
+ Wed 2018-12-05 14:20 UTC between Alexander Gerst KF5ONO using ISS
callsign DPØISS and Realschule & Gymnasium Weingarten, Weingarten,
Germany. Contact was direct via DN1RMG. ARISS Mentor was Peter
IN3GHZ.
+ Wed 2018-12-05 14:20 UTC between Alexander Gerst KF5ONO using ISS
callsign DPØISS and Robert-Mayer-Gymnasium, Heilbronn, Germany.
Contact was direct via DN1RMG. ARISS Mentor was Peter IN3GHZ.
+ Fri 2018-12-07 18:48:30 UTC between Serena Aunon-Chancellor
KG5TMT using ISS callsign NA1SS and Hudson Memorial School,
Hudson, NH. Contact was direct via N1FD. ARISS Mentor was Dave
AA4KN
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
AMSAT and ARISS are currently supporting a FundRazr campaign
to raise $150,000 for critical radio infrastructure upgrades
on ISS. The upgrades are necessary to enable students to
continue to talk to astronauts in space via Amateur Radio.
We have reached a great milestone with $15,895 raised
or about 10% towards our goal. This would not have been
possible without your outstanding generosity!!
For more information and to DONATE TODAY visit:
https://fundrazr.com/arissnextgen?ref=ab_e7Htwa_ab_47IcJ9
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule
Hudson Memorial School, Hudson, NH, direct via N1FD
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS
The scheduled astronaut is Serena Aunon-Chancellor KG5TMT
Contact was successful: Fri 2018-12-07 18:48:30 UTC
[ANS thanks ARISS, Charlie AJ9N and David AA4KN for the above
information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Shorts From All Over
+ Dr. T.S. Kelso @TSKelso tweeted: Just a note, but we only update
TLEs every two hours on CelesTrak, so if you are checking or down-
loading files more than a dozen times a day, you are wasting band-
width for the other ~350,000 daily users. Please review your
scripts and adjust accordingly. Thanks! (@TSKelso via twitter)
+ Congratulations to Wyatt Dirks, AC0RA, for placing first place
as Rover station AC0RA/R, Limited Rover earning him a score of
121,264 points in the ARRL September VHF Contest. Wyatt's score
set a new record for W/VE stations, 1st place W/VE, and 1st place
in the Minnesota Section. (ARRL)
+ Any update on AO-85?
Many have asked about the staus of AO-85, with it recently being
placed into safe mode.
Burns Fisher notes, "...(we) have not had any time to look at it
trying to deal with the launch and testing of AO-95 (Fox-1Cliff).
We let it turn into safe mode when it had some odd behavior.
However, the safe mode telemetry seems to be fine. I'm surprised
that the power seems low to you. It should be sending two strong
frame of telemetry and then "resting" for two minutes, then
repeating.
[ANS thanks Burns W2BFJ For the above information]
+ NASA TV to Air 'Spirit of Apollo' Tribute from National Cathedral.
This month marks the 50th anniversary of NASA's Apollo 8 mission,
which was the first to bring humans to another world as they
orbited the Moon on Christmas Eve, 1968. To commemorate this
historic event in human spaceflight and NASA's history,
Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum will present "Spirit of
Apollo," a program celebrating the milestone Apollo 8 mission,
which brought humanity together and pushed the limits of
exploration. The event will take place at 8 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 11
(UTC-5), at Washington National Cathedral.
It will air live on NASA Television and the agency's website. (NASA)
+ The Ham Talk Live podcast episode 143 featured an interview with
Keith Baker, KB1SF, AMSAT Treasurer, Neil discussed AMSAT's history
With Keith. You can listen to a recording of the podcast at:
https://www.spreaker.com/show/ham-talk-live (via AMSAT)
+ Middle School and High School cubesats fly on SSO-A with Cliff
https://tinyurl.com/ANS343-SchoolSats
+ AO-96 First Signals Heard
AO-96 First Signals were as listed on https://www.amsat.org/fox-
1cliff-launched-initial-telemetry-received/ including Burns Fisher
as first data. This was first DUV received and arriving at the
AMSAT Server. Plus the Brazilian stations listed on that web page
heard the voice beacon.
N1JEZ said "Heard [voice beacon] about 7:39 PM [0039 UTC] here in
FN34im Burlington, VT. Very low pass. DUV came on, but not enough to
grab a packet"
N3CRT reported 2018-12-04 at 0215-fox1cliff received 1 frame TLM
(The above information if a synopsis of reports]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
/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
1
0
ANS-341.02 AMSAT News Service Special Bulletin - JY1SAT now Jordan-OSCAR 97 (JO-97)
by JoAnne K9JKM 07 Dec '18
by JoAnne K9JKM 07 Dec '18
07 Dec '18
AMSAT NEWS SERVICE SPECIAL BULLETIN
ANS-341.02
In this Special Bulletin:
* JY1Sat now Jordan-OSCAR 97 (JO-97)
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-341.02
ANS-341.02 AMSAT News Service Special Bulletin JY1Sat now
Jordan-OSCAR 97 (JO-97)
AMSAT News Service Special Bulletin 341.02
From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD
DATE December 7, 2018
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-341.02
On December 3rd, 2018, JY1Sat was launched on a Falcon 9 vehicle
from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Part of Spaceflight’s
SSO-A: Smallsat Express launch, JY1Sat is a project of the Crown
Prince Foundation of Jordan. Telemetry has been received and decoded
around the world since the launch.
At the request of the Crown Prince Foundation, AMSAT hereby desig-
nates JY1Sat as Jordan-OSCAR 97 (JO-97). We congratulate the owners
and operators of JO-97, thank them for their contribution to the
amateur satellite community, and wish them continued success on this
and future projects.
73,
Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA
AMSAT VP Operations / OSCAR Number Administrator
[ANS thanks Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA, AMSAT VP Operations /
OSCAR Number Administrator for the above information]
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
For a limited time, new and rewewing AMSAT members
will receive a free digital copy of
"Getting Started with Amateur Satellites"
Join or renew your AMSAT membership today at
https://www.amsat.org/product-category/amsat-membership/
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
/EX
In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers life memberships,
and sustaining donors to AMSAT Project Funds, will be eligible to
receive additional 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
student rate for a maximum of 6 post-secondary years in this status.
Contact Martha at the AMSAT Office for additional student membership
information.
73 and Remember to help keep Amateur Radio in space,
This week's ANS Contributing Editor,
JoAnne Maenpaa, K9JKM
k9jkm at amsat dot org
1
0
ANS-341 AMSAT News Service Special Bulletin - ExseedSat Granted VO-96 OSCAR Number
by JoAnne K9JKM 07 Dec '18
by JoAnne K9JKM 07 Dec '18
07 Dec '18
AMSAT NEWS SERVICE SPECIAL BULLETIN
ANS-341.01
In this Special Bulletin:
* ExseedSat Granted VO-96 OSCAR Number
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-341.01
ANS-341 AMSAT News Service Special Bulletin ExseedSat Granted
VO-96 OSCAR Number
AMSAT News Service Special Bulletin 341.01
From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD
DATE December 7, 2018
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-341.01
On December 3rd, 2018, ExseedSat was launched on a Falcon 9 vehicle
from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Part of Spaceflight's
SSO-A: Smallsat Express launch, ExseedSat was built by a team of
Indian radio hams including Ashhar Farhan (VU2ESE), George Phillips
(VU2GT), Gurudutta Panda (VU3GDP), Sasi Bhusan (VU3ELR), and Nitin
Mutin (VU3TYG). Initial telemetry has been received around the world.
At the request of Exseed Space, AMSAT hereby designates ExseedSat as
VUsat-OSCAR 96 (VO-96). We congratulate the owners and operators of
VO-96, thank them for their contribution to the amateur satellite
community, and wish them continued success on this and future projects.
73,
Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA
AMSAT VP Operations / OSCAR Number Administrator
[ANS thanks Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA, AMSAT VP Operations /
OSCAR Number Administrator for the above information]
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
For a limited time, new and rewewing AMSAT members
will receive a free digital copy of
"Getting Started with Amateur Satellites"
Join or renew your AMSAT membership today at
https://www.amsat.org/product-category/amsat-membership/
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
/EX
In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers life memberships,
and sustaining donors to AMSAT Project Funds, will be eligible to
receive additional 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
student rate for a maximum of 6 post-secondary years in this status.
Contact Martha at the AMSAT Office for additional student membership
information.
73 and Remember to help keep Amateur Radio in space,
This week's ANS Contributing Editor,
JoAnne Maenpaa, K9JKM
k9jkm at amsat dot org
1
0
ANS-339 AMSAT News Service Special Bulletin - Fox-1Cliff Designated AMSAT-OSCAR 95 (AO-95)
by JoAnne K9JKM 05 Dec '18
by JoAnne K9JKM 05 Dec '18
05 Dec '18
AMSAT NEWS SERVICE SPECIAL BULLETIN
ANS-339.01
In this Special Bulletin:
* Fox-1Cliff Designated AMSAT-OSCAR 95 (AO-95)
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-339.01
ANS-339 AMSAT News Service Special Bulletin
AMSAT News Service Special Bulletin 339.01
From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD
DATE December 5, 2018
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-339.01
On December 3rd, 2018, Fox-1Cliff was launched on a Falcon 9
vehicle from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Part
of Spaceflight’s SSO-A: Smallsat Express launch, Fox-1Cliff
was named after long time AMSAT supporter Cliff Buttschardt,
K7RR (SK). In the 48 hours after launch, more than 110
amateur radio operators around the world have successfully
received and submitted telemetry from the satellite.
Following in our long tradition of naming amateur satellites,
AMSAT hereby designates Fox-1Cliff as AMSAT-OSCAR 95 (AO-95).
Thank you to those who have supported this mission with their
time, talent, and financial support for the benefit of amateur
radio operators worldwide.
73,
Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA
AMSAT VP Operations / OSCAR Number Administrator
[ANS thanks Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA, AMSAT VP Operations /
OSCAR Number Administrator for the above information]
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
For a limited time, new and rewewing AMSAT members
will receive a free digital copy of
"Getting Started with Amateur Satellites"
Join or renew your AMSAT membership today at
https://www.amsat.org/product-category/amsat-membership/
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
/EX
In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers life memberships,
and sustaining donors to AMSAT Project Funds, will be eligible to
receive additional 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
student rate for a maximum of 6 post-secondary years in this status.
Contact Martha at the AMSAT Office for additional student membership
information.
73 and Remember to help keep Amateur Radio in space,
This week's ANS Contributing Editor,
JoAnne Maenpaa, K9JKM
k9jkm at amsat dot org
1
0
AMSAT NEWS SERVICE
ANS-336
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.
You can sign up for free e-mail delivery of the AMSAT News Service
Bulletins via the ANS List; to join this list see:
http://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/ans
In this edition:
* Fox-1Cliff Launch Targeted for December 2nd
* AMSAT Web Adds Donation Portal
* Amateur Radio Contest for Receiving PW-Sat2 Telemetry
* Additional Amateur Radio Communication Cubesats Launch on SSO-A
* AMSAT-DL Provides Update for Es'hail-2/P4A Geosynchronous Orbit
* Nihon University NEXUS VU-mode Linear Transponder Launch Announcement
* AMSAT Rover Award Updates
* VUCC Awards-Endorsements for November 2018
* Upcoming Satellite Operations Reported by KE4AL
* ESA and RaspberryPi.org Collaborate on Astro Pi Mission Zero
* MarCo Cubesats Relay NASA's InSight Mars Lander Touchdown
* Happy 20th Anniversary to the International Space Station
* Satellite Shorts From All Over
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-336.01
ANS-336 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 336.01
From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD.
DATE December 2, 2018
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-336.01
Fox-1Cliff Launch Targeted for December 2nd
SpaceX has announced that the SSO-A: SmallSat Express mission
carrying Fox-1Cliff is now targeted for launch on Sunday,
December 2, 2018 at 18:33 UTC.
In addition to Fox-1Cliff, the SSO-A mission will carry several other
amateur radio satellites, includingF UNcube on ESEO, JY1-SAT, K2SAT,
and ExseedSat.
The launch window opens at 18:31:47 UTC and extends for approximately
30 minutes.
At press time less than 24 hours remain until the scheduled launch
of Fox-1Cliff! The SpaceX video feed of the launch and a live blog
of the launch events can be found on the AMSAT website:
https://www.amsat.org/fox-1cliff-launch-live-blog/
Some amateur operators choose to participate in an unofficial
on-line chat (Internet Relay Chat) at:
https://webchat.freenode.net/ then enter your callsign as your
Nickname; enter #cubesat as the Channel. You do not need to
'Auth to services' so leave that unchecked. Verify you are not
a robot and then Connect.
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
Do not attempt to access this satellite until the activation
announcement from AMSAT Engineering and AMSAT Operations Teams
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
Here is what to expect after launch:
+ Capturing Initial Telemetry is the Most Important Task
+ Safe Mode/Beacon Mode Operation on Start Up
+ On-Orbit Checklist Activities
+ Activation for Amateur Radio Access
+ Fox-1Cliff Technical Details
Capturing Initial Telemetry is the Most Important Task
-------------------------------------------------------
Following the successful launch and deployment of Fox-1Cliff, all
amateur radio satellite enthusiasts can play an important part in the
commissioning of the new satellite. Telemetry helps us tremendously,
starting ASAP after startup (~59 minutes after deployment*) and for
the next 72-96 hours at least (for the life of the satellite is
preferred!) as we look for successful startup, watch the general
health and function as the satellite begins to acclimate to space,
and start to perform the on orbit checkout. The first station to
successfully receive and submit telemetry to the AMSAT server will
receive a special 3D printed QSL card acknowledging their
contribution.
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 Fox-1Cliff tremendously, by capturing
Fox-1Cliff telemetry.
Safe Mode/Beacon Mode Operation on Start Up
-------------------------------------------
In the initial Safe Mode after startup, which we actually call Beacon
Mode, the transmitter is limited to 10 seconds on time then does the
two minutes off cycle. 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. You will hear Veronica announcing
"Fox-1Cliff Safe Mode" while in Beacon Mode.
We will likely leave the satellite in Beacon Mode for 24 hours to
observe power telemetry. If we are seeing good readings from what you
gather, when it comes over the U.S. for the first good pass after
that holding period we will command it from Beacon Mode to normal
Safe Mode. That puts Fox-1Cliff 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.
On-Orbit Checklist Activities
-----------------------------
We will begin the rest of the in orbit checklist activities at that
time, and it is expected to take 7 to 10 days.
Help your friends and all of our satellite ham friends get on the air
and have fun sooner by being polite and patient!
The in orbit checkout procedure is similar to Fox-1D and could be
completed in as little as 7 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 cannot stress enough, the importance of this
cooperation not just for us but also for all users, simply having a
little patience so we can conduct the tests as quickly and accurately
as possible.
Activation for Amateur Radio Access
-----------------------------------
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 do not assume that it is open for general use -
check our website, Facebook, Twitter, to be sure you are not
accidentally jumping in with and unwittingly causing interference as
well.
Many hams put thousands of volunteer hours of their time into making
Fox-1Cliff happen. Just like any ham radio project you might
undertake, we build satellites. We do it because we like to, and when
we are done, we freely share our project with hams everywhere as is
the spirit of amateur radio. I have to say though, that the incidents
we have experienced in the past with stations intentionally
disregarding the command stations requests to keep the frequency
clear during testing not only delays the commissioning, but also
negatively impacts the enthusiasm that our volunteers feel toward
handing over a new bird to the members and users as soon as possible.
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 Fox-1Cliff in orbit and operating for
all of you.
Fox-1Cliff Technical Details
----------------------------
Uplink: 435.300 MHz / 1267.300 MHz** with 67 Hz CTCSS Tone
Downlink: 145.920 MHz
** Uplinks switched by command station, not operational
simultaneously
Nominal operating frequencies may vary slightly after launch.
Ground stations need to adjust your transmit frequency for Doppler
Shift. One suggested approach includes programming 5 uplink fre-
quencies into memory channels and stepping through the channels
depending on Fox-1Cliff's relative position to you. (Fc in the
table below is the nominal uplink center frequency = 435.300 MHz).
Full duplex operation is recommended to allow you to hear if you
are tuned on-frequency and also avoids interfering if another
station is transmitting.
ADJUSTING YOUR UPLINK FREQUENCY to TRACK DOPPLER SHIFT
------------------------------------------------------
AOS (Memory Channel 1) Fc - 10 KHz 435.290 MHz
Approaching (Memory Channel 2) Fc - 5 KHz 435.295 MHz
Nearest (Memory Channel 3) Fc 435.300 MHz
Departing (Memory Channel 4) Fc + 5 KHz 435.305 MHz
LOS (Memory Channel 5) Fc + 10 KHz 435.310 MHz
Access the Fox-1 Operating Guide on-line at:
https://www.amsat.org/station-and-operating-hints/
Find all of AMSAT Fox-1 frequencies on-line at:
https://www.amsat.org/fm-satellite-frequency-summary/
SatPC32 users can find updated *.SQF files at:
http://tinyurl.com/ANS-336-SatPC32files
[ANS thanks Jerry Buxton, N0JY, AMSAT Vice President-Engineering for
the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
AMSAT Web Adds Donation Portal
AMSAT relies on your donations to Keep Amateur Radio in Space.
Please consider a donation to the AMSAT General Fund, the GOLF
Program, or ARISS today!
Access the Donation Portal on the AMSAT front page
http://www.amsat.org --> Select Donate from the main menu bar
-or- visit https://www.amsat.org/donations/ for direct access to
the page.
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
For a limited time, new and rewewing AMSAT members
will receive a free digital copy of
"Getting Started with Amateur Satellites"
Join or renew your AMSAT membership today at
https://www.amsat.org/product-category/amsat-membership/
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
[ANS thanks AMSAT for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Amateur Radio Contest for Receiving PW-Sat2 Telemetry
PW-Sat2, the second Polish student satellite, also launched on the
SpaceX Falcon 9 SSO-A flight with AMSAT Fox-1Cliff, is a student pro-
ject with the goal to test a new deorbit sail. A team formed of over
30 students from many different faculties of Warsaw University of
Technology started working on a new satellite in 2013. For more
information visit:
https://github.com/PW-Sat2/HAMRadio/wiki
Amateur radio operators are invited to take part in a multi-faceted
contest. How to take part in the contests? It's easy! Register on the
website: https://radio.pw-sat.pl/ - then - use the application for
HAM radio, to receive, decode and upload PW-Sat2 frames to our cloud
based service. Just after completing of the PW-Sat2 satellite mission,
the team will announce the winners and send prizes!
On the ham radio contest web page https://pw-sat.pl/en/ham-contest/
you'll find several categories to participate:
+ QSL cards - for a correctly received and decoded frame
+ The first received and uploaded frame - First come, first served!
+ The last received and uploaded frame - During the deorbit sail
deployment sequence!
+ The largest number of uploaded frames
PW-Sat2 will transmit on 435.275 MHz using 1k2-9k6 BPSK AX25.
[ANS thanks the PW-Sat2 team for the above information]
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
Purchase AMSAT Gear on our Zazzle storefront.
25% of the purchase price of each product goes
towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space
https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
Additional Amateur Radio Communication Cubesats Launch on SSO-A
JY1SAT is a one unit CubeSat, dedicated to the memory of His Majesty
the late King Hussein, the first founder of the HAM Radio in Jordan
and holder of call sign JY1. This will be Jordan's first satellite.
JY1SAT contains the AMSAT-UK FUNcube-6 communications transponder
with expanded capabilities 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.
Frequencies for the JY1SAT FUNcube-6 transponder include:
Uplink: 435.100 - 435.120 MHz CW, LSB
Downlink: 145.855 - 145.875 MHz CW, USB
Telemetry: 145.840 MHz (FUNcube BPSK format, new Dashboard software
will be made available)
JYISAT will transmit pre-stored images of the Kingdom which have been
selected by a national competition. These images will be downlinked
using a SSDV digital format.
The SpaceX Falcon-9 v1.2 launch from Vandenberg also includes 40+
cubesat passengers, notably ExseedSat 1 from India, the European Student
Earth Orbiter - ESEO (FUNcube 4) and AMSAT-NA Fox 1Cliff.
Exseedsat-1
-----------
Uplink: 435.340 MHz FM voice with 67 Hz CTCSS tone
and APRS digipeater
Downlink: 145.900 MHZ FM voice, APRS digipeater, telemetry
ESEO (FUNcube 4)
----------------
Uplink: 1263.500 MHz FM voice with 67Hz CTCSS tone
Downlink: 145.895 MHz FM voice and telemetry
See also the AMSAT-UK summary of mission descriptions and
frequencies at:
https://amsat-uk.org/2018/11/14/ssoa-amateur-radio-satellites/
[ANS thanks the satellite teams for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
AMSAT-DL Provides Update for Es'hail-2/P4A Geosynchronous Orbit
Es'hail-2 with the P4A transponder is currently in a temporary GEO
slot at ~24°E. After testing the satellite will be moved to the
location planned to be at 26°E.
Peter Guelzow, DB2OS, explained the current testing and commis-
sioning procedures, "During the next 1-2 month Es'hail-2 will
undergo fine tuning and extensive In-Orbit-Testing (IOT). The
current orbital position is selected to not interfere with other
GEO satellites nearby. Once testing is finished, the satellite
will slowly be drifting to and stationed at the final position."
The checkout and inauguration of the both AMSAT transponders will
be performed after the IOT phase is finished as explained at:
https://amsat-dl.org/p4a-positionining-and-iot
Peter reported several "hunters" have already spotted the Engineer-
ing beacon from Es'hail-2, so obviously everything looks good and
is going according to plan.
Stay tuned for latest news on https://amsat-dl.org and the official
Es'hail-2 / P4-A discussion forum on:
https://forum.amsat-dl.org/index.php?board/3-es-hail-2-amsat-phase-4-a/
The AMSAT Phase 4-A transponder on Es’hail-2 is a joint project by
the Qatar Satellite Company (Es’hailSat), the Qatar Amateur Radio
Society (QARS) and AMSAT Deutschland (AMSAT-DL).
Recent Keplerian Elements for Es'hail-2 are:
ES'HAIL 2
1 43700U 18090A 18331.74832885 .00000138 00000-0 00000+0 0 9994
2 43700 0.0937 247.5840 0001194 359.8609 112.5666 1.00272646 252
Pedro, LU7ABF says that the tracking site on the AMSAT-Argentina web
provides visualization of the current satellite location and footprint:
http://amsat.org.ar/pass?satx=ESHAIL
[ANS thanks Peter Guelzow, DB2OS, AMSAT-DL for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Nihon University NEXUS VU-mode Linear Transponder Launch Announcement
Mikio Mouri, JA3GEP, JAMSAT, announced the Japan Aerospace Exploration
Agency (JAXA) plans to launch RAPIS-1(RAPid Innovative Payload Demon-
stration Satellite) and three small satellites (Micro-Dragon, RISESAT,
ALE-1) and three CubeSats (OrigamiSat-1, Aoba VELOX-IV, NEXUS) on
January 16, 2019 at 00:50 UTC (January 17, 2019 at 09:50 JST) from the
JAXA Uchinoura Space Center.
NEXUS(NExt generation X Unique Satellite) is designed and manufact-
ured by Nihon University, and it includes a VU-mode(mode-J) Linear
Transponder:
+ Uplink: 145.930 MHz - 145.900 MHz
+ Downlink: 435.880 MHz - 435.910 MHz
+ Telemetry: 437.075 MHz 0.1W CW
Nihon University has published more information about NEXUS:
http://sat.aero.cst.nihon-u.ac.jp/nexus/1_Nexus.html
(using google translate may help)
OrigamiSat-1 will have downlinks on 5840.000 MHz (115kbps data rate)
and 437.505 MHz (1k2 AFSK and CW)
Aoba VELOX-IV will have a downlink on 437.225 MHz (9k6 GMSK AX25)
Access the JAXA launch announcement press release at:
http://global.jaxa.jp/press/2018/11/20181130_epsilon4.html
[ANS thanks Mikio Mouri, JA3GEP, JAMSAT for the above information]
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
AMSAT and ARISS are currently supporting a FundRazr campaign
to raise $150,000 for critical radio infrastructure upgrades
on ISS. The upgrades are necessary to enable students to
continue to talk to astronauts in space via Amateur Radio.
We have reached a great milestone with $15,645 raised
or about 10% towards our goal. This would not have been
possible without your outstanding generosity!!
For more information and to DONATE TODAY visit:
https://fundrazr.com/arissnextgen?ref=ab_e7Htwa_ab_47IcJ9
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
AMSAT Rover Award Updates
AMSAT Director of Contests and Awards, Bruce Paige, KK5DO, says that
congratulations are in order for the newest Rover Award operators:
Since the last Rover Award announcement in ANS-266 the following
stations have qualified for the award:
Number Callsign Award Date
------ -------- ----------
035 AD7DB 26 Sep 2018
036 AB5SS 24 Nov 2018
037 W9TWJ 26 Nov 2018
The AMSAT Rover award is granted to stations who achieve a combined
25 points using any combination of the defined criteria posted at:
https://www.amsat.org/amsat-rover-award.
Points can be earned for each grid square activated outside of your
home grid square using the FM, linear, and digital satellites. While
FM contacts count for 1 point each multiplier points are available
for contacts via the linear and digital satellites.
Additional points are available for photographs, publicity, social
media promotion, and AMSAT Journal articles. The options are numerous
so please refer to the Rover Award Website for all of the details.
[ANS thanks AMSAT Director of Contests and Awards, Bruce Paige, KK5DO
for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
VUCC Awards-Endorsements for November 2018
Here are the endorsements and new VUCC Satellite
Awards issued by the ARRL for the period
November 1, 2018 through December 1, 2018.
Congratulations to all those who made the list this month!
CALL 01Nov 01Dec
KD8CAO 1253 1262
N0JE 562 569
WD9EWK 500 513
KE4AL 480 502
NM3B 416 481
AA8CH 351 406
AE5B 295 300
N3GS 277 300
KE8FZT 254 275
W7JSD 239 257
N4YHC 175 250
PT2AP 200 221
PS8ET 201 211
K3RRR New 200
AD0HJ 100 175
WW8W 128 152
K9UO New 150
WA7HQD 138 148
PU8RFL 125 134
PS8MT New 130
K7ULS New 119
CU2ZG New 101
PU8RJI New 101
If you find errors or omissions. please contact me
off-list at <mycall>@<mycall>.com
and I'll revise the announcement.
This list was developed by comparing the ARRL .pdf
listings for November 1, 2018 and December 1, 2018.
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 Ronald Parsons, W5RKN for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Upcoming Satellite Operations Reported by KE4AL
+ Yuri UT1FG/MM will be going into port at Santos Brazil during
the week of November 26-30 to unload. It should take 3-4 days.
His next port will be in Argentina where he will load cargo and
then proceed to the Baltic Sea. Lots of new grids are anticipated
along the way. He has been active on all of the SSB and FM birds
and reports contacts with V51 and ZS on AO-7.
(via K8YSE on amsat-bb)
+ James WX4TV wrote, "Watch the DX Clusters for N4P." This will be
for the Dry Tortugas National Park DXpedition that we are doing
from December 14-17. They will be on 80m, 40m, 20m, 17m, and the FM
satellites. (WX4TV via Facebook)
+ Switzerland (FN30, JN36, JN47) – November 28 – December 7, 2018
Brennan, N4QX, fall ASMAT roving plans:
* JN36 as HB9/N4QX & from 4U1ITU November 28 – December 7
as work permits
* JN47 as HB9/N4QX & HB0/N4QX December 1-2
For now, FM only. Watch Twitter for pass announcements.
https://twitter.com/BrennanTPrice. QSLs *exclusively* via
Logbook of the World.
+ Brazil (GH62,GH63,GH72,GH73) – November 30, 2018
PP2CC, PT2AZ amd PT2AP will activate 4 grids in Brazil on
30 November. Specific passes should be announced on Twitter
https://twitter.com/PT2AP
+ Oahu and Maui (BL01, BL10, BL11) – December 3-14, 2018
John, N7AME, will be in Hawaii December 3-14. John hopes to
rove BL01, BL10 and BL11, but the Hawaiian Islands appear
to have ten (10) different grids, and he hopes he can work
all of them. John can only work FM satellites AO-91 and AO-92.
+ Greenburg, PA (FN00) – December 10-12, 2018
Tanner, W9TWJ, will be travelling for business the week of
December 10-12, to Greensburg, PA (FN00). He will attempt to
be active on FM evening passes and hopefully not freeze!
Specific pass announcements will be posted to Twitter:
https://twitter.com/twjones85
+ RMS Queen Mary (DM03) – December 15, 2018
Patrick , WD9EWK, will be part of a day of satellite operating
from a deck on the RMS Queen Mary, docked at Long Beach in southern
California, on Saturday 15 December 2018. Operations will be port-
able, almost like a Field Day, and should include FM, SSB, and
possibly packet. All operations from the Queen Mary will be as
W6RO, the call sign for the wireless room on the ship operated by
the Associated Radio Amateurs of Long Beach. Depending on staffing
in the W6RO wireless room, there may also be HF activity during
the satellite operation. QSLing for the W6RO satellite activation
will be handled per the procedure on W6RO’s QRZ page:
http://www.qrz.com/db/W6RO
Please submit any additions or corrections to ke4al (at) amsat.org
[ANS thanks Robert, KE4AL for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
ESA and RaspberryPi.org Collaborate on Astro Pi Mission Zero
The European Space Agency announced the official launch the of
Astro Pi Mission Zero, part of the 2018-2019 European Astro Pi
Challenge. This is an ESA Education programme run in collabora-
tion with RaspberryPi.org. In this challenge, students and young
people get the chance to have their computer programs run in
space on the International Space Station!
Read the full entry details and get the latest program resources
on-line at:
https://www.raspberrypi.org/blog/mission-zero-2018-19/
Students and young people will have until 20 March 2019 to form
teams and write a simple program to display their personal mes-
sage to the astronauts onboard. The Mission Zero activity can
be completed in a couple of hours with just a computer and an
internet connection. You don't need any special equipment or
prior coding skills, and all participants that follow the
guidelines are guaranteed to have their programs run in space.
[ANS thanks ESA and RaspberryPi.org for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
MarCo Cubesats Relay NASA's InSight Mars Lander Touchdown
Riding along with NASA's InSight Mars Lander were two CubeSats,
the first of this kind of spacecraft to fly to deep space. The
twin communications-relay CubeSats, built by NASA's Jet Propulsion
Laboratory, Pasadena, California, constitute a technology demon-
stration called Mars Cube One (MarCO).
Visit the MarCo web pages and watch a mission video at:
https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/cubesat/missions/marco.php -and-
https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=7295
During InSight's entry, descent and landing (EDL) operations, the
lander transmitted information in the UHF radio band to NASA's Mars
Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) flying overhead. MRO would then forward
EDL information to Earth using a radio frequency in the X band, but
cannot simultaneously receive information over one band while trans-
mitting on another. Confirmation of a successful landing could be
received by the orbiter more than an hour before it's relayed to
Earth.
The two CubeSats separated from the Atlas V booster after InSight's
launch, then travelled along their own trajectories to Mars. After
release from the launch vehicle, MarCO's deployed two radio antennas
and two solar panels. The high-gain, X-band antenna is a flat panel
engineered to direct radio waves the way a parabolic dish antenna
does. MarCO navigated to Mars independently of the InSight space-
craft, with its own course adjustments on the way.
The successful MarCO cubesat demonstration mission it could allow
for additional communications relay option for use by future Mars
missions in the critical few minutes between Martian atmospheric
entry and touchdown.
[ANS thanks NASA for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Happy 20th Anniversary to the International Space Station
The largest and most complex international construction project in
space began on the steppes of Kazakhstan 20 years ago this month.
Atop its Proton rocket, on Nov. 20, 1998, the Zarya Functional Cargo
Block (FGB) thundered off its launch pad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome
into cold wintry skies. Zarya was built by the Khrunichev in Moscow
and served as a temporary control module for the nascent ISS.
On Dec. 4, Space Shuttle Endeavour on the STS-88 mission roared off
Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, carrying the
Unity Node 1 module in its cargo bay. Built by The Boeing Corporation
at a facility at the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville,
Alabama, Unity was the first American component of the ISS.
A collection of interesting ISS historical articles begins at:
https://www.nasa.gov/feature/20-years-ago-iss-construction-begins
[ANS thanks NASA for the above information.]
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
2019 is AMSAT's 50th Anniversary!
Watch this space for announcements of special events coming in 2019
Get ready to help celebrate with us at the Hamvention
Symposium 2019 promises to be a special event
Stand by for 50th anniversary operating events and awards
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
Satellite Shorts From All Over
+ The 20th annual Ham Radio University event will be held on Saturday
January 5, 2019 at LIU/Post Hillwood Commons Student Center in
Brookville, NY. Frank Garofalo, WA2NDV will host the "Satellite
Operations for Beginners" forum scheduled for 9:00 AM. Find the
full details at: http://hamradiouniversity.org/
+ The European Space Agency published a timelapse video of the
Russian Progress MS-10 cargo spacecraft launched on 16 November
2018 at 18:14 GMT from Baikonur cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, taken
by ESA astronaut Alexander Gerst from the International Space
Station:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouBfzCgXHgk&feature=youtu.be
The Progress spacecraft delivered food, fuel and supplies,
including about 750 kg of propellant, 75 kg of oxygen and air and
440 liters of water. Also on-board was the replacement #ARISS
packet module. Some notable moments in this video are:
00:07 Soyuz-FG rocket booster separation.
00:19 Core stage separation.
00:34:05 Core stage starts burning in the atmosphere as it returns
to Earth after having spent all its fuel.
00:34:19 Progress spacecraft separates from rocket and enters orbit
to catch up with the International Space Station.
(most of the action occurs on the top-right portion of the screen)
+ Listen for amateur radio clubs at NASA facilities as they partici-
pate in the NASA On The Air activity to commemorate the 50th anni-
versary of the Apollo 8 mission that spanned launch December 21,
1968, to splashdown on December 27, 1968. The 50th anniversary
event will start on 0000 UTC December 21, 2018 through 2359 UTC
December 27, 2018. 14.271 MHz and other bands depending on condi-
tions with spotting announcements on DX clusters, facebook, and
twitter. QSL and a certificate with information available on QRZ.com
under the callsign of the stations contacted. This will mark the
concluding event of the year-long NASA On the Air celebration of
60th anniversary of NASA. See https://nasaontheair.wordpress.com/
+ Congratulations to Jharwin, DW2JHA on apparently the first
IGATED ISS packet from the Philippines. He built his own TNC
to digipeat packets using his FT-60 radio. His IGATE is based
on a Raspberry Pi Zero, DireWolf packet software, and an RTL-SDR
dongle. (via DW2JHA on AMSAT-NA facebook)
+ F1NNI maintains the AAR29 Satellite Status Page at:
http://aar29.free.fr/sat/indexlogin.html
+ AMSAT-UK explains their software series of FUNcube Payload
Telemetry Dashboards - Each satellite with a FUNcube payload
has a dedicated dashboard and we have created a one page PDF
summary of those dashboards, their current version number
and a dedicated download link, see:
https://amsat-uk.org/2018/12/01/funcube-payload-telemetry-dashboards/
+ A number of free technical items have crossed the editorial
desk this past week:
- Rhode & Schwartz has a free Wireless Communications Standards
Poster for download: http://tinyurl.com/ANS-336-RhodeSchwartz
- AMSAT-DL found a source for rocket paper models:
http://tinyurl.com/ANS-336-RocketModels
- A book Wi-Fi paradigm shift with 802.11ax is available at:
https://content.aerohive.com/802.11ax_dummies_book
- A book Visualize the Relationships in Your Connected Data.
Download the O'Reilly Graph Databases Ebook for Free:
https://neo4j.com/lp/book-graph-databases-fb
+ Registration for the 2019 CubeSat Developers Workshop Sponsor
& Exhibitor is now open. This year the cubesat workshop will be
held April 23-25, 2019 at the Cal Poly Performing Arts Center,
San Luis Obispo, CA. Register at:
https://calpoly.irisregistration.com/Register?code=cubesat-sponsors-2019
Their e-mail is cubesat-workshop(a)calpoly.edu. Join the mailing
list at: http://www.cubesat.org/mailinglist/ or follow on Twitter
@CalPolyCubeSat for the latest Workshop updates! #CubeSatDW
+ India launched a PSLV flight on Thursday, November 29 that included
four CubeSats which are using 70cm downlink frequencies that have
been coordinated by the IARU:
- FacSat-1 - 9k6 GMSK downlink
- 3CAT1 - 9k6 FSK downlink
- InnoSat-2 - 50kHz wide telemetry using AX25 proprietary
packet format
- Hello World - 9k6 packet 2GFSK for telemetry & 1Mbps MSK
downlink on S Band
For more details of these cubesats see the IARU pages at:
see http://www.amsatuk.me.uk/iaru/finished.php
See also the AMSAT-UK summary at:
https://amsat-uk.org/2018/11/27/ham-radio-satellites-launch-from-india/
(Graham Shirville, G3VZV)
[ANS thanks everyone for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
/EX
In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership in the
President's Club. Members of the President's Club, as sustaining
donors to AMSAT Project Funds, will be eligible to receive addi-
tional benefits. Application forms are available from the AMSAT
Office.
Primary and secondary school students are eligible for membership
at one-half the standard yearly rate. Post-secondary school students
enrolled in at least half time status shall be eligible for the stu-
dent rate for a maximum of 6 post-secondary years in this status.
Contact Martha at the AMSAT Office for additional student membership
information.
73 and remember to behave, and do your part to help Keep Amateur Radio
In Space,
This week's ANS Editor,
JoAnne Maenpaa, K9JKM
k9jkm(a)amsat.org
1
0