October 2020 - ANS - mailman.amsat.org

ANS-299 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins for Oct. 25
by Mark Johns, K0JM 24 Oct '20

24 Oct '20

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-299 The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and infor- mation service of AMSAT, 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 commun- icating 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(a)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: * AMSAT Virtual Symposium Replay Available on YouTube * AMSAT Board of Directors Elects Robert Bankston, KE4AL, President * Satellite Acronyms Wiki Established * New Satellite Distance Records Claimed * Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for October 22 * FO-29 operation schedule for Nov. 2020 * ARISS News * Upcoming Satellite Operations * Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events * Satellite Shorts From All Over SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-299.01 ANS-299 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins AMSAT News Service Bulletin 299.01 >From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD. DATE 2020 October 25 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-299.01 AMSAT Virtual Symposium Replay Available on YouTube The 2020 AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting was held via a Zoom Webinar on October 17, 2020 with over 200 AMSAT members in attendance. If you were not able to attend, a complete replay is available on the AMSAT YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/EHDgrI_w8hY The YouTube video is divided into chapters to make it easy to find the specific presentation you are looking for: 0:00:00 Welcome 0:02:07 AMSAT GOLF-TEE System Overview and Development Status 0:43:02 GOLF IHU Coordination 1:19:10 GOLF Downlink Coordination 1:50:15 FUNcube Next 2:13:50 LunART - Luna Amateur Radio Transponder 2:45:35 CatSat HF Experiment Overview 3:13:30 Neutron-1 CubeSat 3:39:58 Progress and Development of Open Source Electric Propulsion for Nanosats and Picosats 4:15:00 AMSAT Education 5:14:00 ARISS (Amateur Radio on the International Space Station) / AREx (Amateur Radio Exploration) 6:14:00 AMSAT Engineering 7:21:16 AMSAT Annual General Meeting AMSAT members may download the 2020 Symposium Proceedings at https://launch.amsat.org/Proceedings. The 2021 AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting is expected to be held in the Minneapolis area in October 2021. [ANS thanks the 2020 AMSAT Symposium Team for the above information] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the AMSAT office is closed until further notice. For details, please visit https://www.amsat.org/amsat-office-closed-until-further-notice/ +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ AMSAT Board of Directors Elects Robert Bankston, KE4AL, President At its annual meeting, the AMSAT Board of Directors elected Robert Bankston, KE4AL, of Dothan, AL, President, succeeding Clayton Coleman, W5PFG. Bankston is a Life Member of AMSAT and has previously served as Treasurer and Vice-President User Services, as well as volunteering in several other capacities for AMSAT, including the development and launch of AMSAT’s online member portal and chairing the 2018 AMSAT Space Symposium held at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center, in Huntsville, Alabama. He also is an ARRL Life Member and holds an Extra Class license. Immediate Past President Clayton Coleman, W5PFG, said “It has been both a joy and privilege to serve as President of AMSAT in 2020. In what has been a rather difficult year for many individuals in amateur radio, AMSAT, through its many supportive members, volunteers, and donors, has continued course on our vision of Keeping Amateur Radio in Space. With our initiatives such as modernizing the AMSAT office with a self-service member portal and the Linear Transponder Module, the organization has moved forward. With the talented and capable individuals sitting on AMSAT’s new Board and its Officers, I am confident in a bright future ahead for AMSAT and the amateur radio satellite service.“ Other officers elected by the Board were: • Paul Stoetzer, N8HM, of Washington, DC, as Executive Vice President • Jerry Buxton, N0JY, of Granbury, TX, as Vice-President - Engineering • Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA, of Brooksville, FL, as Vice President - Operations • Jeff Davis, KE9V, of Muncie, IN, as Secretary • Steve Belter, N9IP, of West Lafayette, IN, as Treasurer • Martha Saragovitz, of Silver Spring, MD, as Manager • Alan Johnston, KU2Y, of Philadelphia, PA, as Vice President - Educational Relations • Frank Karnauskas, N1UW, of Burnsville, MN, as Vice President - Development [ANS thanks the AMSAT Board of Directors for the above information] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Need new satellite antennas? Purchase Arrows, Alaskan Arrows, and M2 LEO-Packs from the AMSAT Store. When you purchase through AMSAT, a portion of the proceeds goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space. https://amsat.org/product-category/hardware/ +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Satellite Acronyms Wiki Established As with any specialized or technical endeavor, the language of amateur satellites is filled with terms, abbreviations, shorthands, and acro- nyms that become second nature to those who use them daily, but can be obscure to newcomers -- or even to old hands who begin to explore new aspects of satellite construction or operation. This became abundantly clear during the recent AMSAT Symposium, in which some of our hobby's top experts presented projects to the general memebership. In response to inquiries from Symposium participants, John Brier, KG4AKV, and Brad Brooks, WF7T, have initiated a wiki page for listing, and briefly explaining, the technical jargon of our field. When con- fused by an unfamilar batch of "alphabet soup," consult the wiki at: http://sats.wikidot.com/acronyms [ANS thanks John Brier, KG4AKV, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- New Satellite Distance Records Claimed Casey Tucker, KI7UNJ, and Jérôme LeCuyer, F4DXV, have set a new record via RS-44. They completed an 8,402 km QSO between DN32 in Idaho and JN15 in France on October 19th at 07:15 UTC. This exceeds the prior record of 8,357 km set by W5CBF and DL4EA in late May. F4DXV also set another record during his trip to JN15. Shortly after setting the record on RS-44, Jérôme worked Michael Styne, K2MTS, in FN22 via AO-27. This QSO covered a distance of 5,904 km, eclipsing the prior record of 5,682 km set by E21EJC and R9LR on June 9th. In addition to these two new records, McKinley Henson, KE4AZZ, claimed the record for the NO-84 digipeater for a 3,439 km QSO with Christy Hunter, KB6LTY, on April 22, 2019. For more distance records, see the AMSAT Satellite Distance Records page at https://www.amsat.org/satellite-distance-records/ [ANS thanks Paul Stoetzer, N8HM, AMSAT Executive Vice President, for the above information] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Want to fly the colors on your own grid expedition? Get your AMSAT car flag and other neat stuff from our Zazzle store! 25% of the purchase price of each product goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for October 22 The following satellite has decayed from orbit and has been removed from this week's AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution: EnduroSat One - Cat ID 43551 - decay epoch is 2020-10-15 per Space- Track. [ANS thanks Ray Hoad, WA5QGD, AMSAT Orbital Elements Manager, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- FO-29 operation schedule for Nov. 2020 Time in UTC Nov. 1 03:15- Nov. 3 01:30- 03:10- Nov. 7 01:15- 03:00- Nov. 8 03:50- Nov.14 01:50- 03:35- Nov.15 02:40- 04:28- Nov.21 02:25- 04:10- Nov.22 03:15- 05:05- Nov.23 02:20- 04:05- Nov.28 01:15- 03:00- Nov.29 02:05- 03:50- https://www.jarl.org/Japanese/3_Fuji/fuji3-201907.htm [ANS thanks Hideo Kambayashi, JH3XCU, for the above information] -------------------------------------------------------------------- ARISS NEWS ARISS is seeking alumni from Luther Burbank School, Burbank, IL. Stu- dents, families or staff who participated in the hamradio contact with Bill Shepherd on Dec. 21 2000, are asked to contact Charlie Sufana, AJ9N (aj9n at aol.com). This was ARISS school contact #1, and this is the 20th year since that event. ARISS would like to celebrate! Amateurs and others around the world may listen in on contacts between amateurs operating in schools and allowing students to interact with astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station. The downlink frequency on which to listen is 145.800 MHz worldwide. No school contacts are scheduled in the coming week. ARISS is very aware of the impact that COVID-19 is having on schools and the public in general. As such, there may be last minute cancella- tions or postponements of school contacts. As always, ariss.org will try to provide near-real-time updates. [ANS thanks Charlie Sufana, AJ9N, one of the ARISS operation team men- tors for the above information] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ AMSAT, along with our ARISS partners, is developing an amateur radio package, including two-way communication capability, to be carried on-board Gateway in lunar orbit. Support AMSAT's projects today at https://www.amsat.org/donate/ +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Upcoming Satellite Operations Upcoming Roves: DL88: The K5Z DL88 expeditions is heading out!!!! @Ad0dx and @N6ua are heading out on 10/25. Weather looks great, and there is even a chance at some passes on the 26th. This is a daytime activation only because the Talley campground is closed currently. Head on over to QRZ.com and check out the K5Z page for all the details. Or, visit: https://www.amsat.org/satellite-info/upcoming-satellite-operations/ Quick Hits: KH67,: 7Q7RU, AO-7, RS-44, QO-100, 11/11 thru 11/21. FN01: @K8BL will run over to PA tomorrow and I’ll have a chance to ac- tivate the EN91/FN01 Line. Not sure of the timing, but I’ll pop up on a few FM & Linear SATs. All Qs will be on LoTW a day or so afterward. KP44: OH8FKS is in KP44 until Sunday 10/25. Please submit any additions or corrections to Ke0pbr (at) gmail.com [ANS thanks Paul Overn, KE0PBR, AMSAT rover page manager, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events AMSAT Ambassadors provide presentations, demonstrate communicating through amateur satellites, and host information tables at club meet- ings, hamfests, conventions, maker faires, and other events. Rick Tejera K7TEJ from the Thunderbird Amateur Radio Club (TBARC) will be giving a presentation and demonstration of Satellite operations to the Northwest Christian School in Glendale, AZ on Nov. 11th 2020. The demo will be on SO-50 at 2323UT. I will be using our Club call WB7TBC and the church is in Grid DM33wp. I may try to get a student on the air. Please keep an ear out for us and respond to our call, the kids will appreciate it. I’ll send outa reminder as the date gets closer. Clint Bradford K6LCS has booked his “Work the FM Voice Satellites With Minimal Equipment” presentation for the clubs: 10/27/2020 – Cherryland ARC / Traverse Bay ARC TBD – Antelope Valley (CA) ARC TBD – A private presentation for a Boy Scout troop in Danville, Penn. These will be Zoom presentations. Everyone is asked to update their copies of the Zoom application – by directly visiting Zoom.us. [ANS thanks Paul Overn, KE0PBR, AMSAT Events page manager, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Satellite Shorts From All Over + After 196 days living and working in Earth's orbit aboard the Inter- national Space Station, NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy, KF5KDR, re- turned from his third space mission Wednesday, Oct. 21, with cosmo- nauts Ivan Vagner and Anatoly Ivanishin of the Russian space agency Roscosmos. Cassidy formally turned the station over to cosmonaut Ser- gey Ryzhikov on Tuesday, handing him a ceremonial “key” to the lab complex. Ryzhikov, Sergei Kud-Sverchkov and Kate Rubins, KG5FYJ, ar- rived at the station last Wednesday aboard their own Soyuz ship. (ANS thanks Spaceflight Now for the above information) + NASA’s Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security, Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) spacecraft unfurled its ro- botic arm Tuesday, Oct. 20, and in a first for the agency, briefly touched an asteroid to collect dust and pebbles from the surface for delivery to Earth in 2023. This well-preserved, ancient asteroid, known as Bennu, is currently more than 200 million miles from Earth. Bennu offers scientists a window into the early solar system as it was first taking shape billions of years ago and flinging ingredients that could have helped seed life on Earth. If Tuesday’s sample col- lection event, known as “Touch-And-Go” (TAG), provided enough of a sample, mission teams will command the spacecraft to begin stowing the precious primordial cargo to begin its journey back to Earth in March 2021. Otherwise, they will prepare for another attempt in Jan- uary. (ANS thanks www.asteroidmission.org for the above information) + China is building a new rocket to fly its astronauts to the moon. An- nounced at the 2020 China Space Conference last month, the vehicle could deliver 25 metric tons into a trans-lunar injection. The rocket consists of three, 5-meter (16.4') boosters and is 87 meters (285') tall. Liftoff mass will be ~2,200 metric tons, which is about three times that of the Long March 5 (the current heavy lifter in China’s rocket lineup). (ANS thanks The Orbital Index for the above informa- tion) + Most of the aerospace world watched the skies over Antarctica and New Zealand for portions of Thursday night/Friday morning. Earlier this week, LeoLabs Inc, a company that tracks objects in Low Earth Orbit, issued a statement regarding two large objects which posed a “high risk” of collision at 00:56:40 UTC on 16 October 2020. Roughly one hour after the time of possible collision, LeoLabs confirmed “No in- dication of collision” via a statement on Twitter. The two objects held a greater than 10% chance of colliding 991 km above Antarctica. (ANS thanks nasaspaceflight.com for the above information) + The website, Hackaday recently featured an article about David Prut- chi, Ph.D., N2QG, and his home station that is capable of copying telemetry from deep-space satellites. Read the article at: https://bit.ly/2HqZMSb or read David's paper directly at: https://bit.ly/2FRSXs9 (ANS thanks hackaday.com for the above infor- mation) + The University of Western Australia (UWA) is set to install an opti- cal communications station capable of receiving high-speed data transmissions from space. The communications station will be able to receive data from spacecraft from anywhere between low-Earth orbit to as far away as the surface of the moon - about 384,000km away. Dr. Sascha Schediwy, Astrophotonics Group leader at UWA and the Interna- tional Centre for Radio Astronomy (ICRAR), said optical communica- tions are an emerging alternative to radio waves and are expected to drastically improve data transfer capabilities from space. (ANS thanks AMSAT-UK and IT News of Australia for the above information) + Nokia says it has been tapped by NASA to build the first cellular communications network on the moon. The Finnish telecommunications equipment maker said Monday, Oct. 19, that its Nokia Bell Labs divi- sion will build a 4G communications system to be deployed on a lunar lander to the moon’s surface in late 2022. Nokia’s network will pro- vide critical communications capabilities for tasks astronauts will need to carry out, like remote control of lunar rovers, real-time navigation and high-definition video streaming, the company said. (ANS thanks apnews.com 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 help keep amateur radio in space, This week's ANS Editor, Mark D. Johns, K0JM k0jm at amsat dot org

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ANS-292.02 AMSAT News Service Special Bulletin - AMSAT Board of Directors Elects Robert Bankston, KE4AL, President
by Paul Stoetzer 18 Oct '20

18 Oct '20

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE SPECIAL BULLETIN ANS-292.02 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: SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-292.02 ANS-292.02 AMSAT News Service Special Bulletin AMSAT News Service Bulletin 292.02 From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD. DATE October 18, 2020 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-292.02 * AMSAT Board of Directors Elects Robert Bankston, KE4AL, President At its annual meeting, the AMSAT Board of Directors elected Robert Bankston, KE4AL, of Dothan, AL, President, succeeding Clayton Coleman, W5PFG. Bankston is a Life Member of AMSAT and has previously served as Treasurer and Vice-President User Services, as well as volunteering in several other capacities for AMSAT, including the development and launch of AMSAT’s online member portal and chairing the 2018 AMSAT Space Symposium held at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center, in Huntsville, Alabama. He also is an ARRL Life Member and holds an Extra Class license. Immediate Past President Clayton Coleman, W5PFG, said “It has been both a joy and privilege to serve as President of AMSAT in 2020. In what has been a rather difficult year for many individuals in amateur radio, AMSAT, through its many supportive members, volunteers, and donors, has continued course on our vision of Keeping Amateur Radio in Space. With our initiatives such as modernizing the AMSAT office with a self-service member portal and the Linear Transponder Module, the organization has moved forward. With the talented and capable individuals sitting on AMSAT’s new Board and its Officers, I am confident in a bright future ahead for AMSAT and the amateur radio satellite service.“ Other officers elected by the Board were: • Paul Stoetzer, N8HM, of Washington, DC, as Executive Vice President • Jerry Buxton, N0JY, of Granbury, TX, as Vice-President - Engineering • Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA, of Brooksville, FL, as Vice President - Operations • Jeff Davis, KE9V, of Muncie, IN, as Secretary • Steve Belter, N9IP, of West Lafayette, IN, as Treasurer • Martha Saragovitz, of Silver Spring, MD, as Manager • Alan Johnston, KU2Y, of Philadelphia, PA, as Vice President - Educational Relations • Frank Karnauskas, N1UW, of Burnsville, MN, as Vice President - Development [ANS thanks the AMSAT Board of Directors 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. President's Club donations may be made at https://tinyurl.com/ANS-PresClub. 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. Join AMSAT today at https://launch.amsat.org/ 73 and remember to help Keep Amateur Radio in Space, This week's ANS Contributing Editor, Paul Stoetzer, N8HM n8hm at amsat dot org

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ANS-292 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
by kd4iz＠frawg.org 17 Oct '20

17 Oct '20

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-292 The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and infor- mation service of AMSAT, 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 commun- icating 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(a)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: * ARRL Comments in Orbital Debris Mitigation Proceeding * Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for October 15, 2020 * * * PREDICT-2.2.7 for Linux, Unix, Android, and Raspberry Pi Platforms * ARISS News * Upcoming Satellite Operations * Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events * Satellite Shorts From All Over * Tips for the New Operator SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-292.01 ANS-271 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins AMSAT News Service Bulletin 292.01 >From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD. DATE 2020 September 27 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-290.01 ARRL Comments in Orbital Debris Mitigation Proceeding 10/13/2020 In comments to the FCC, ARRL targeted two specific areas of concern regarding a Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (FNPRM) in IB Docket 18-313 - mitigation of orbital debris in the new space age. In an earlier phase of the proceeding, ARRL filed comments and met with FCC staff to discuss the proposed rules. In comments filed on October 9, ARRL focused on the areas of indemnification and maneuverability/propul- sion. Indemnification places the liability for any possible damage from a satellite on an individual or entity. ARRL reiterated its assertion that, as a practical matter, an indemnification requirement "would seriously impair the ability of amateur and university experimenters to launch and operate satellites under US auspices" due to the potential liability and high insurance cost. Additional information is available at the ARRL Web Site: https://bit.ly/3iZiGwj [ANS thanks ARRL News for the above information] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the AMSAT office is closed until further notice. For details, please visit https://www.amsat.org/amsat-office-closed-until-further-notice/ +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for October 15, 2020 The following satellites have decayed from orbit and have been removed from this week's AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution: MO-106 - Cat ID 44830 (decay epoch = 2020-10-09 per Space-Track). TRSI-Sat - Cat ID 44831 (decay epoch = 2020-10-11 per Space-Track). The following satellite has an estimated decay epoch determined by Space- Track as follows: EnduroSat One - Cat ID 43551 - estimated decay epoch = 2020-10-15 per Space-Track). (Still in orbit as of 2020-10-15 at 04:53 UTC.) An updated set of Orbital Elements for October 15, 2020 have been dis- tributed via the AMSAT /keps list and are available at the AMSAT website: https://www.amsat.org/keplerian-elements-resources/ [ANS thanks Ray Hoad, WA5QGD, AMSAT Orbital Elements Manager, for the above information] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Need new satellite antennas? Purchase Arrows, Alaskan Arrows, and M2 LEO-Packs from the AMSAT Store. When you purchase through AMSAT, a portion of the proceeds goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space. https://amsat.org/product-category/hardware/ +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ PREDICT-2.2.7 for Linux, Unix, Android, and Raspberry Pi Platforms John Maglicane, KD2BD, has announced the release of PREDICT version 2.2.7, an Open Source satellite tracking / orbital prediction applic- ation for Linux and Unix computing environments, including PCs, laptops, and Raspberry PIs. New in this release is a version of PREDICT that operates on Android platforms under a Termux environment. Now you can carry your smartphone in your shirt pocket while voice announcements made by PREDICT's "vocalizer" tell you where to locate the ISS, Hubble, or other visible satellites in the night sky! There's even an alarm to alert the observer when the spacecraft enters into eclipse or into sunlight. Android screenshots are available here: https://www.qsl.net/kd2bd/SingleTrack-Android.jpg https://www.qsl.net/kd2bd/MultiTracking-Android.jpg The Linux/Unix version of PREDICT-2.2.7 is available here: https://www.qsl.net/kd2bd/predict-2.2.7.tar.gz And the Android/Termux release is available here: https://www.qsl.net/kd2bd/predict-2.2.7-termux.tar.gz Both versions are source code releases. An included "configure" script will configure and compile PREDICT and its associated utilities for your specific platform while you wait. Termux is an Android terminal emulator and Linux environment application that is available at no cost through Google Play. Further details are available at: https://termux.com/ Further details on PREDICT are available at: https://www.qsl.net/kd2bd/predict.html Stay safe, stay well, and Happy Tracking! 73 de John, KD2BD [ANS thanks John Magliacane, KD2BD for the above information] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Want to fly the colors on your own grid expedition? Get your AMSAT car flag and other neat stuff from our Zazzle store! 25% of the purchase price of each product goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ -------------------------------------------------------------------- ARISS NEWS (awaiting update from AJ9N) Amateurs and others around the world may listen in on contacts between amateurs operating in schools and allowing students to interact with astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station. The downlink frequency on which to listen is 145.800 MHz worldwide. Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2020-10-14 18:00 UTC Quick list of scheduled contacts and events: Ramona Lutheran School, Ramona, CA, direct via N6ROR The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The downlink frequency is presently scheduled to be 145.800 MHz The scheduled astronaut is Chris Cassidy KF5KDR Contact was successful: Wed 2020-10-14 16:26:13 UTC ARISS is very aware of the impact that COVID-19 is having on schools and the public in general. As such, we may have last minute cancellations or postponements of school contacts. As always, I will try to provide everyone with near-real-time updates. The following schools have now been postponed or cancelled due to COVID-19: Postponed: No new schools Cancelled: No new schools The ARISS webpage is at https://www.ariss.org/ Watch for future COVID-19 related announcements here also. Note that there are links to other ARISS websites from this site. The main page for Applying to Host a Scheduled Contact may be found at https://www.ariss.org/apply-to-host-an-ariss-contact.html ARISS Contact Applications (United States) Note, all times are approximate. It is recommended that you do your own orbital prediction or start listening about 10 minutes before the listed time. All dates and times listed follow International Standard ISO 8601 date and time format YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS [ANS thanks Charlie Sufana, AJ9N, one of the ARISS operation team men- tors for the above information] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ AMSAT, along with our ARISS partners, is developing an amateur radio package, including two-way communication capability, to be carried on-board Gateway in lunar orbit. Support AMSAT's projects today at https://www.amsat.org/donate/ +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Upcoming Satellite Operations Quick Hits: Jerome, F4DXV, is plans to operate from a 1500 meter summit in JN15jo on Monday, 19October. He will be on RS-44 beginning at 2000utc specifically for North America. The footprint covers much of eastern NA. This is a difficult operation after dark and Jerome hopes that many will take advantage of the opportunity to work this very rare grid. RS-44 will be around 1430km. DN13/23 and DN22: @KI7UNJ, 10/16 - 10/19: No pass list, just follow Twitter, BEACON APRS KI7UNJ-9 KI7UNJ-IOS 16th DN13/23 Line 17th DN22 18th DN22 19th DN13/23 Line KQ2RP is heading to FN44/54 again. Will be on FM birds from FN54 with occasional FN44/54 line. FN53 possible. Oct 11-16th. Logging as KQ2RP/1. EL Grids, @N1PEB 10/10 -10-14: 10/10 EL95 Key Largo, 10/11 EL94 Key West, 10/12 EL84 Dry Tortuga, 10/13 EL94 Key West, 10/14 TBD >From TI2BSH: October 16, 2020 I will be working in EK71 and will go out on the satellites: AO-91 at 04: 22z,05:57z, 16:38z SO-50 at 04: 48z, 15:16z If you hear me and want that grid call in international phonetic code. 73s Major Roves: Doug N6UA and Ron AD0DX are planning to activate DL88 on Sunday Oct 25th. This will be a daytime activation only because the Talley Campground is currently closed. We will be on FM and Linear satellites. Thanks to everyone that donated back in April before the COVID restrictions. K5Z on qrz.com has more details including passes:https://www.qrz.com/db/K5Z Currently the weather looks good and we will be monitoring the weather throughout the week. If there is a chance of rain in the forecast we will have to find another date. We are looking forward to giving out this rare grid! 73 Ron AD0DX and Doug N6UA Please submit any additions or corrections to Ke0pbr (at) gmail.com [ANS thanks Paul Overn, KE0PBR, AMSAT rover page manager, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events Clint Bradford, K6LCS will give his "Work the FM Voice Satellites With Minimal Equipment" Zoom presentation on the following dates for: 10/27/2020 - Cherryland ARC / Traverse Bay ARC Additional presentations are in the planning stage: TBD - Antelope Valley (CA) ARC and a private presentation for a Boy Scout troop in Danville, Pennsylvania Club Groups are asked to update their copies of the Zoom application prior to the scheduled session by directly downloading it from https://zoom.us/ [ANS thanks Clint Bradford, K6CLS for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Satellite Shorts From All Over + NASA will provide live coverage of the return to Earth for agency astronaut Chris Cassidy, KF5KDR, and two Russian cosmonauts Wednes- day, Oct. 21, after six months aboard the International Space Sta- tion. Cassidy, the Expedition 63 commander, and cosmonauts Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner of Roscosmos, will close the hatch to their Soyuz MS-16 spacecraft at 20:10 UTC Wednesday. Their Soyuz will un- dock at 23:32z. A parachute-assisted landing is set for 02:55z on Oct. 22 on the steppe of Kazakhstan. Complete coverage of the return will be available on NASA TV and the agency's website, https://www.nasa.gov/nasalive (ANS thanks NASA for the above information) + Joe Werth, KE9AJ Tweets about a new distance record set for AO-7 Mode A: "Amazing QSO with Olivier, @F5RRO on AO-7 MODE A. Breaking a 40 year old AMSAT distance record at 6,879 km. Olivier used a MA5B Yagi and I used my Moxon..... Thanks Olivier!" The path map may be seen at: https://bit.ly/2SUSeJM (ANS thanks Joe Werth, KE9AJ for passing along the above information) + GNU Radio Project (@gnuradio) tweeted at 3:52 PM on Tue, Oct 13, 2020: Wylie Standage-Beier's @thewyliestcoyot workshop on Writing GNU Radio Blocks is up on YouTube! A hands on intro to blocks, flowgraphs, and systems from simple Python simulation of a phase shift keyed signal in white noise to a functioning communications system. Link to Twitter Feed and Youtube link: https://t.co/XldgMCJeLy (ANS thanks JoAnn Maenpaa, K9JKM for relaying the above information from Twitter) + OSIRIS-REx, which launched in 2016 and has been orbiting the asteroid Bennu in microgravity since 2018, is going to try its first Touch And Go (TAG) maneuver next week. This maneuver involves autonomously des- cending toward the asteroid with the craft's sample arm extended, briefly making contact, using nitrogen gas to blow loose material in- to a sample collection head, and returning to orbit. The pristine sample should arrive back on Earth in September 2023. Visualization at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjlGYHJ2560&feature=youtu.be (ANS thanks The Orbital Index for the above information) + Blue Origin's reusable suborbital New Shepard flew on October 13 for the first time since December 2019, completing its 13th flight, and seventh reuse for this booster. The mission successfully carried sev- eral NASA experiments, including a "microgravity LilyPond"--a hydro- ponic chamber for growing edible aquatic plants in space--and a sys- tem for precise planetary landing that uses both terrain relative navigation (for high altitude use, soon to be used for landing by Mars 2020) and LiDAR (for final propulsive landing), with a planned application to upcoming lunar landing missions. (ANS thanks The Orbital Index for the above information) + Tweeted on October 13: Premier signers of Virgin Orbit's payload wall, @AMSAT RadFxSat-2/Fox-1E is out of our hands and in the hands of @Virgin_Orbit to fly as part of Launcher One's first payload. Great fun sharing in their new experience and first integration. And tours of their facilities to boot! https://twitter.com/n0jy/status/1315878009371422720?s=27 (ANS thanks Jerry Buxton, N0JY, AMSAT VP Engineering, for the above information) + Soyuz crew docks with International Space Station: In a mission marking the end of an era, NASA astronaut and former virus hunter Kate Rubins, using NASA's last currently contracted seat on a Russian Soyuz spacecraft, rocketed into orbit Wednesday with two cosmonaut crewmates on a record-setting flight to the International Space Station. Celebrating her 42nd birthday, Rubins' launch came just two weeks before 20th anniversary of the arrival of the station's first crew on Nov. 2, 2000. Since then, the lab complex has been continuously staffed by rotating crews, or expeditions, of American, Russian, Japanese, European and Canadian fliers along with a handful of space tourists. Additional information is avalable at: https://bit.ly/31brNUw (ANS thanks Spaceflight Now and CBS News for the above information) + Oxygen supply fails on Russian segment of ISS, crew not in danger (Oct 15, 2020) The oxygen supply system has failed in a module on the Russian segment of the International Space Station (ISS) but the crew is in no danger, Russian space agency Roscosmos said Thursday. The oxygen supply system on the Zvezda module on the orbital lab failed late on Wednesday but a second system on the American segment is operating normally, a Roscosmos spokesperson told AFP. "Nothing threatens the security of the crew and the ISS," said the spokesperson, adding this repair work to fix the issue would be carried out on Thursday. The issue arose after three new crew -- two Russian cosmonauts and an American astronaut -- reached the ISS on Wednesday to bring the number of current crew on board to six. Additional information at:https://bit.ly/31aO596 (ANS thanks Spacetravel and AFP for the above information) --------------------------------------------------------------------- Tips for the New Satellite Operator [Tentative Add-on FOR CONSIDERATION] This is the first of a what I hope to be a monthly New Satellite Opera- tors Corner. I will offer AMSAT New Operator tips and links to AMSAT resources for new operators and posts from various interest groups where useful info is published. This weeks tip comes from Rick, WA6NDR via TH-D74A(a)groups.io. I hope you find this as useful as I have. Jack, KD4IZ, Editor, AMSAT News Service. Tip of the month: TH-D74A ISS APRS settings From: Rick - WA6NDR "I was able to make an ISS APRS contact today with just the TH-D74A and an Arrow antenna (details at the end). I started with a video from Don W6GPS and documented what I ended up doing including minor changes. Change the call sign and email address to yours. "Personal preference" settings are optional. The reasoning behind most of the settings is given in Don's video. I am using TH-D74A firmware v1.10 (with v1.11 released 8/26/2020 but not seeming worth the installation time)." . Menu 800 = SD Card, Export, Config Data (FOR LATER IMPORT AND NORMAL OPERATION). . Menu 999 = Config, System, Full Reset . [F]DUAL to set A band only. . Menu 900 = Config, Display, Backlight Control = On . Menu 404 = GPS, Basic Settings, Battery Saver = Off . Menu 500 = APRS, Basic Settings, My Callsign = WA6NDR-7 . Menu 503 = APRS, Basic Settings, Status Text = 1/1, "VIA ISS WA6NDR(a)ARRL.NET" . Menu 504 = APRS, Basic Settings, Packet Path = Others1, "ARISS" . Menu 507 = APRS, Basic Settings, DCD Sense = Detect Data . Menu 511 = APRS, Beacon TX Control, Initial Interval = 30 min. . Menu 512 = APRS, Beacon TX Control, Decay Algorithm = Off . Menu 513 = APRS, Beacon TX Control, Prop. Pathing = Off . Menu 514 = APRS, Beacon TX Control, Speed = Off . Menu 903 = Config, Display, Power-on Message = "WA6NDR ISS" . Menu 904 = Config, Display, Single Band Display = GPS(GS) . Menu 920 = Config, Battery, Battery Saver = Off . Menu 921 = Config, Battery, Auto Power Off = Off . Menu 950 = Config, Date & Time, Setting = <local>, UTC -7:00 . VFO, set frequency to 145.825 MHz . [F]APRS (see "APRS 12" on the top display, GPS info on bottom). . Personal preference, for SD Card recording and save to PC. o Menu 941 = Config, Auxiliary, PF2 = Recording (on/off) o Menu 944 = Config, Auxiliary, PF3 (Mic) = Screen Capture o Menu 980 = Config, Interface, USB Function = Mass Storage . Menu 800 = SD Card, Export, Config Data (FOR ISS OPERATION). . Operation o Arrow 146/437-10WBP antenna: Use only the 2m 3-element part. o Open squelch: [F]MONI, KNOB CCW, ENT. Listen, watch... o BCON to send a beacon. BCON again (off). Repeat. (ANS thanks Rick Nungester, WA6NDR for this 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 help keep amateur radio in space, This week's ANS Editor, Jack Spitznagel, KD4IZ kd4iz at amsat dot org

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ANS-278 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
by Paul Stoetzer 03 Oct '20

03 Oct '20

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-278 The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and infor- mation service of AMSAT, 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 commun- icating 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: * Virtual AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting - October 17 * AMSAT-UK Colloquium Online - October 11 * ARISS Worldwide SSTV Event - October 4-8 * Happy 27th Birthday, AMRAD-OSCAR 27 * FCC Deletes 3.4 GHz Amateur Satellite Service Allocation * Chinese Amateur Radio Satellite Launches Delayed * VUCC Awards-Endorsements for October 2020 * Message to US Educators: ARISS Contact Opportunity - Call For Proposals * Changes to AMSAT TLE Distribution for October 1, 2020 * Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events * AMSAT Awards News * Upcoming Satellite Operations * Satellite Shorts from All Over SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-278.01 ANS-278 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins AMSAT News Service Bulletin 278.01 From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD. DATE October 4, 2020 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-278.01 +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the AMSAT office is closed until further notice. For details, please visit https://www.amsat.org/amsat-office-closed-until-further-notice/ +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Virtual AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting - October 17 Learn more about AMSAT's GOLF program, ARISS, AREx, the AMSAT CubeSat Simulator and other exciting projects taking place in the amateur satellite world. The 2020 Virtual AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting will be held on Saturday, October 17th from 9:00am CDT – 5:00pm CDT (UTC-5). Symposium presentations will be a combination of pre-recorded video segments along with question and answer sessions held via a Zoom meeting. The Symposium will be made available for free live on AMSAT’s YouTube channel. Registered attendees will receive a digital copy of the AMSAT Symposium Proceedings and will be entitled to join the Zoom meeting. Only registered attendees will be able to participate in the question and answer sessions. Registered attendees will also be entered into prize drawings. Registration is free and available only for AMSAT members at launch.amsat.org. Registration will close on Friday, October 16th at 5:00pm CDT. Final papers for the Symposium Proceedings must be submitted by October 5, 2020 to Dan Schultz, N8FGV, n8fgv at usa.net. Symposium presentations should be limited to 15 minutes of pre- recorded video. Video presentations must be submitted by October 10, 2020 to Paul Stoetzer, N8HM, n8hm at arrl.net. We ask that presenters be available to take questions via Zoom following the airing of their pre-recorded video. Tentative Schedule 9:00am CDT - Opening Remarks 9:15am CDT – 12:45pm CDT - General Presentations 1:00pm CDT – 2:00pm CDT - AMSAT Education / CubeSat Simulator 2:00pm CDT – 3:00pm CDT - ARISS (Amateur Radio on the International Space Station) / AREx (Amateur Radio Exploration) -ARISS: 2020 Update -Next Generation Radio System – First Element Operations and Future System Plans -AREx/Lunar Gateway and Other Lunar Opportunities 3:00pm CDT – 4:00pm CDT - AMSAT Engineering 4:00pm CDT – 5:00pm CDT - 2020 AMSAT Annual General Meeting [ANS thanks the 2020 AMSAT Symposium 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 +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ AMSAT-UK Colloquium Online - October 11 The Online AMSAT-UK Convention takes place on Sunday, October 11, from 11am BST (10:00 GMT) to approximately 5pm, with a break for lunch, and several short breaks during the day. You don’t have to be a member of AMSAT-UK to participate, and the event is free of charge but please register at https://tinyurl.com/ANS-278-AUK ASAP. Those who are registered will be entered for a number of free raffles which will take place during the event. Among the many talks and demonstrations during the day are: 1100 BST (1000 GMT) Official opening by Martin Sweeting G3YJO 1105-1125 Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) Update by Ciaran Morgan M0XTD 1135-1200 Decoding Mars spacecraft – Bits and pieces you can learn from spacecraft telemetry by Daniel Estévez EA4GPZ 1210-1230 Tevel FM transponder satellite constellation by David Greenberg 4X1DG 1240-1300 LUNART – A Lunar Amateur Radio Transponder Project by Peter Gülzow DB2OS 1400-1420 FUNcube next, to boldly go… creating an open platform in space by Phil Ashby M6IPX 1430-1450 QO-100 Demonstration by Mike Willis G0MJW 1500-1520 Getting Goonhilly’s 32m antenna ready to support ESA missions by Matt Cosby Director of Space Engineering at Goonhilly Earth Station Ltd 1530-1550 AMSAT North America Engineering Update by Jerry Buxton N0JY 1600-1620 LEO Sat demonstration by Drew Glasbrenner KO4MA Please register online at http://tinyurl.com/amsatukreg2020 Schedule of the day’s events https://tinyurl.com/ANS-278-AUKProg AMSAT-UK Colloquium Page https://amsat-uk.org/colloquium/ [ANS thanks AMSAT-UK for the above information] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ AMSAT's GOLF Program is about getting back to higher orbits, and it all begins with GOLF-TEE – a technology demonstrator for deployable solar panels, propulsion, and attitude control. Come along for the ride. The journey will be worth it! https://tinyurl.com/ANS-GOLF +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ ARISS Worldwide SSTV Event - October 4-8 An ARISS Slow Scan TV (SSTV) event is scheduled from the International Space Station (ISS) for early October. The event is scheduled to begin on October 4 at 14:00 UTC for setup and operation and continue until October 8 ending at 19:15 UTC. Dates and times subject to change due to ISS operational adjustments. Images will be downlinked at 145.8 MHz +/- 3 KHz for Doppler shift and the expected SSTV mode of operation is PD 120. The main theme of this collection of images will be Satellites. Radio enthusiasts participating in the event can post and view images on the ARISS SSTV Gallery at https://www.spaceflightsoftware.com/ARISS_SSTV/ After your image is posted at the gallery, you can acquire a special award by linking to https://ariss.pzk.org.pl/sstv/ and follow directions for submitting a digital copy of your received image. [ANS thanks Dave Jordan, AA4KN, ARISS PR, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Happy 27th Birthday, AMRAD-OSCAR 27 Happy 27th birthday to AMRAD-OSCAR 27, still alive and operating today! For an amateur radio satellite operator in the early 1990s, working on a satellite project based on the AMSAT Microsat design was a dream job! The hams on the team (including Dino Lorenzini, Mark Kanawati, Steve Greene and Mike Wyrick) couldn't help but include an amateur radio payload, and were successful with the help of fellow amateurs and the local Vienna, Virginia Amateur Research and Development (AMRAD) group: Paul Renaldo, Andre Castillot, Dave Rogers, Glenn Baumgartner, Sandy Sanders, Matt Butcher, Randy Mays, and Terry Fox, and with help from AMSAT’s Lyle Johnson, Chuck Green, and Jim White, among many others. EYESAT-1/AO-27 launched (with the amateur payload and an extra UHF antenna for the downlink) at 0145 UTC September 26, 1993. [Ariane-4 V59 also launched amateur satellites KO-25, IO-26, and PO-28, SSTL’s Healthsat-2, the Stella research satellite, and the Spot-3 earth observation satellite.] The satellite was commanded on during the next orbit and the first QSO on the amateur payload was made the following morning on September 27, 1993. (We think – does anyone have an archive of amsat-bb emails from 1993 who can check?) AO-27 was the first FM “bent pipe” satellite and proved to be easy to work with a strong downlink and sensitive receiver. The amateur FM repeater has served many Hams worldwide and was one of the first “Easy Sats”. AO-27 was later used for the first successful D-Star mode satellite QSO. The 800km orbit provides continent-spanning coverage. At least one station is known to have worked 49 states solely via AO-27! And here we are today, the 27th of September, 2020, celebrating the 27th birthday of AO-27! Thanks to Mike Wyrick N3UC who babysat the spacecraft for the last 27 years. And thanks to all those who helped. There are many untold stories and photos we hope to share in the near future. Current information on AO-27’s operating schedule is at www.ao27.net [ANS thanks Mark Kanawati, N4TPY, Mike Wyrick, N3UC, and Steve Greene, KS1G, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- FCC Deletes 3.4 GHz Amateur Satellite Service Allocation At its open meeting on September 30, 2020, the Federal Communications Commission adopted a Report and Order that sunsets amateur use of the 3.3-3.5 GHz band. This spectrum includes the 3.40-3.41 GHz amateur satellite service allocation. AMSAT had previously filed comments opposing the FCC's proposal to delete this spectrum. The adopted Report and Order can be found at https://tinyurl.com/ANS-278-FCC [ANS thanks Paul Stoetzer, N8HM, AMSAT Executive Vice President, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Chinese Amateur Radio Satellite Launches Delayed CAMSAT says the CAS-7A launch has been postponed until next May, and CAS-5A until next June. “Because of COVID-19, many things have been delayed,” CAMSAT’s Alan Kung, BA1DU, told ARRL. He said an announcement would be made closer to the announced launches. CAMSAT said last spring that CAS-7A would launch in mid-September; the launch has been postponed multiple times since first announced. CAS-5A was predicted to launch in October. Both satellites will carry two transponders that include HF, in a configuration similar to that of the Russian RS satellites decades ago. CAS-7A will be placed into a sun-synchronous orbit with an inclination of 98° at 500 kilometers above Earth. The transponders will have a bandwidth of 30 kHz. According to the IARU amateur satellite frequency coordination page, the HF/HF linear transponder will uplink on 15 meters — 21.245–21.275 MHz, and downlink on 10 meters — 29.435-21.465 MHz. A CW beacon will transmit on 29.425 MHz. The HF/UHF transponder will uplink at 21.3125–21.3275 MHz, and downlink at 435.3575–435.3725 MHz. A CW beacon for that transponder will transmit on 435.430 MHz. The CAS-5A nanosatellite, with a 6U form factor, carries two HF transponders and two VHF/UHF transponders. While in orbit, it will deploy the tiny CAS-5B femtosatellite, which will weigh just 0.5 kilogram. The array of CAS-5A linear transponders will include HF/HF, HF/UHF, and VHF/UHF with 30-kHz passbands (except 15 kHz for the HF/UHF transponder). CAS-5A will include CW telemetry beacons on HF and UHF. The HF CW beacon will be at 29.465 MHz, and a UHF telemetry beacon will be at 435.57 MHz. Other beacons include the HF/HF transponder beacon at 29.490 MHz; the HF/UHF transponder beacon at 435.505 MHz, and the VHF/ UHF transponder beacon at 435.540 MHz. Telemetry will be transmitted at 435.650 MHz. The V/U linear transponder will uplink at 145.820 MHz; the V/U FM transponder will uplink at 145.925 MHz. Terrestrial stations will access the transponders at 21.385 – 21.415 MHz. [ANS thanks ARRL for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- VUCC Awards-Endorsements for October 2020 Here are the endorsements and new VUCC Satellite Awards issued by the ARRL for the period September 1, 2020 through October 1, 2020. Congratulations to all those who made the list this month! WOW! Long list again this month! Almost a record. CALL Sept October K8YSE 1935 2007 Only 30393 to go! N8HM 1102 1127 N8RO 1070 1075 K8YSE/7 671 842 W5RKN 721 732 WD9EWK (DM43) 617 623 K9UO 575 600 AD0HJ 478 500 KE8FZT 450 475 MI6GTY 459 460 N7EGY 456 457 W4ZXT 327 431 KJ4EU 261 404 XE2RV 262 385 KC9UQR 351 377 KC9VGG 336 374 AC9O 204 359 K5CIS 250 300 WB7QXU 204 252 KF6JOQ 201 251 KB9STR 138 229 PU4JOE 150 210 AA8CH/N8R 113 206 K5TA 101 202 W8LR 149 175 KJ4M 170 171 N5EKO 108 152 N7AME 148 150 N1PEB (FN42) New 138 W7YED New 127 KO4AQF 104 126 WB9VPG New 116 K1ECU 100 115 N5BLY New 106 KC3KJQ New 103 K2KA New 102 N8SGZ New 100 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 the two months. 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 Ron Parsons, W5RKN, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Message to US Educators: ARISS Contact Opportunity - Call For Proposals The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) Program is seeking formal and informal education institutions and organizations, individually or working together, to host an Amateur Radio contact with a crew member on board the ISS. ARISS anticipates that the contact would be held between July 1, 2021 and December 30, 2021. Crew scheduling and ISS orbits will determine the exact contact dates. To maximize these radio contact opportunities, ARISS is looking for organizations that will draw large numbers of participants and integrate the contact into a well-developed education plan. The deadline to submit a proposal is November 24th, 2020. Proposal information and more details such as expectations, proposal guidelines and the proposal form can be found at www.ariss.org. An ARISS Introductory Webinar session will be held on October 8, 2020 at 8 PM ET. The Eventbrite link to sign up is: https://ariss-proposal-webinar-fall-2020.eventbrite.com The Opportunity Crew members aboard the International Space Station will participate in scheduled Amateur Radio contacts. These radio contacts are approximately 10 minutes in length and allow students to interact with the astronauts through a question-and-answer session. An ARISS contact is a voice-only communication opportunity via Amateur Radio between astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the space station and classrooms and communities. ARISS contacts afford education audiences the opportunity to learn firsthand from astronauts what it is like to live and work in space and to learn about space research conducted on the ISS. Students also will have an opportunity to learn about satellite communication, wireless technology, and radio science. Because of the nature of human spaceflight and the complexity of scheduling activities aboard the ISS, organizations must demonstrate flexibility to accommodate changes in dates and times of the radio contact. Amateur Radio organizations around the world with the support of NASA and space agencies in Russia, Canada, Japan and Europe present educational organizations with this opportunity. The ham radio organizations’ volunteer efforts provide the equipment and operational support to enable communication between crew on the ISS and students around the world using Amateur Radio. Please direct any questions to ariss.us.education at gmail.com. [ANS thanks Dave Jordan, AA4KN, ARISS PR, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Changes to AMSAT TLE Distribution for October 1, 2020 The following satellite has decayed from orbit and has been removed from this week's AMSAT TLE Distribution: MO-105 - Cat ID 44832 (decay epoch = 2020-09-28 0:00 UTC per Space- Track). The UTC time is an approximation. Note: The decay epoch predicted by Space-Track for MO-106 - Cat ID 44830 is 2020-10-15. [ANS thanks Ray Hoad, WA5QGD, AMSAT Orbital Elements Manager, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events Want to see AMSAT in action or learn more about amateur radio in space? AMSAT Ambassadors provide presentations, demonstrate communicating through amateur satellites, and host information tables at club meetings, hamfests, conventions, maker faires, and other events. Due to COVID-19, many hamfest and events around the United States have been canceled or postponed. While we make every effort to ensure the information contained below is correct, there may be some that we missed. Clint Bradford K6LCS has booked his “Work the FM Voice Satellites With Minimal Equipment” presentation for various clubs. 10/27/2020 – Cherryland ARC / Traverse Bay ARC TBD – Antelope Valley (CA) ARC TBD – A private presentation for a Boy Scout troop in Danville, Pennsylvania These will be Zoom presentations. Everyone is asked to update their copies of the Zoom application – by directly visiting Zoom.us. [ANS thanks Robert Bankston, KE4AL, AMSAT Vice President - User Services, for the above information] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Need new satellite antennas? Purchase Arrows, Alaskan Arrows, and M2 LEO-Packs from the AMSAT Store. When you purchase through AMSAT, a portion of the proceeds goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space. https://amsat.org/product-category/hardware/ +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ AMSAT Awards News Gerry Krebs, N0JE, and Paul Stoetzer, N8HM, are the latest recipients of AMSAT's GridMaster Award. This award was first introduced by Star Comm Group in 2014. AMSAT thanks Damon Runion, WA4HFN, and Rick Tillman, WA4NVM, for not only sponsoring this award since its inception, but, also, entrusting AMSAT with the honor of carrying on this important award for the benefit of the entire AMSAT community. The GridMaster award is available to all amateurs worldwide who submit proof with written confirmation of contacts with each of the 488 maidenhead grids located within the contiguous United States of America. More information about this award can be found at https://www.amsat.org/gridmaster/ [ANS thanks Bruce Paige, KK5DO, AMSAT Director of Contests and Awards, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Upcoming Satellite Operations JQ78, JW7xK, 10/7 – 10/12 JW7XK (or maybe LA7XK) will be active on RS-44 on as many passes as possible His focus is to work NA and maybe also JA, when/if it is possible. Our QTH will be in JQ78. He is using an Arrow Antenna 10el. on 70 and 4 el on 2 mounted on a tripod with a small homemade antenna rotor. I am using filters and preamps on both 2m and 70cm. link frequency 435660 +/- Doppler. EM05/06 and EM04/14, @KL7TN, 10/4 and 10/5 DK78/ DK79, @XE1HG will be there on Oct 12th so going to activate DK78 and DK79, Holiday style on FM until now, If I have the chance to carry some brick will be on linears too. More to confirm as soon as the date get closer. CN76/77 10/3 and 10/4 @AD0DX Just booked tickets for beautiful Ocean Shores, WA… CN76/CN77 grid line Sat Oct 3 approx 0000z to Sun Oct 4th approx 1700z, pass details closer to the trip EL Grids, @N1PEB 10/10 -10-14: 10/10 EL95 Key Largo, 10/11 EL94 Key West, 10/12 EL84 Dry Tortuga, 10/13 EL94 Key West, 10/14 TBD Please submit any additions or corrections to ke0pbr at gmail.com [ANS thanks Paul Overn, KE0PBR, for the above information] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ AMSAT, along with our ARISS partners, is developing an amateur radio package, including two-way communication capability, to be carried on-board Gateway in lunar orbit. Support AMSAT's projects today at https://www.amsat.org/donate/ +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Satellite Shorts From All Over + AO-7 is now in constant sunlight and the 24 hour timer is switching the satellite between Mode A and Mode B. The exact time of the switch has not yet been determined, but it appears that it is currently in Mode A on odd-numbered days and Mode B on even-numbered days. + The Moscow Aviation Institute's MAI-75 ISS SSTV activity occurred on September 30 and October 1. Images received can be viewed at https://www.spaceflightsoftware.com/ARISS_SSTV/ + A Russian Soyuz rocket carrying 22 satellites, some transmitting on amateur bands, successfully launched on September 28. More information on this launch can be found at https://tinyurl.com/ANS-278-Soyuz + The independent accountant's review of AMSAT's 2019 financial statements is now available on the AMSAT website. https://amsat.org/audit-and-other-financial-reports/ + Several new products are available on the AMSAT Zazzle store, including a set of coasters, a watch, a t-shirt featuring the AMSAT round logo, and more. Check out the new items! 25% of the purchase price goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space. + AMSAT Remove Before Flight keychains are again available on the AMSAT store. Purchases help Keep Amateur Radio in Space! https://www.amsat.org/product/amsat-remove-before-flight-keychain/ + All issues of The AMSAT Journal dating back to 2014 are now available to AMSAT members on AMSAT's new membership portal. The 1969-2013 archive will be added at a later date. All editions of AMSAT's Symposium Proceedings are also available for members. If you're a current AMSAT member, get logged on today. If you are not yet a member, consider joining today at https://launch.amsat.org/ + The 2020 edition of AMSAT’s Getting Started with Amateur Satellites is now available on the AMSAT store. A perennial favorite, Getting Started is updated every year with the latest amateur satellite information, and is the premier primer of satellite operation. The book is presented in DRM-free PDF format, in full color, and covers all aspects of making your first contacts on a ham radio satellite. The digital download is available for $15 at https://tinyurl.com/2020GettingStarted --------------------------------------------------------------------- /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. President's Club donations may be made at https://tinyurl.com/ANS-PresClub. 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. Join AMSAT today at https://launch.amsat.org/ 73 and remember to help Keep Amateur Radio in Space, This week's ANS Editor, Paul Stoetzer, N8HM n8hm at amsat dot org

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