April 2021 - ANS - mailman.amsat.org

ANS-119 AMSAT News Service Special Bulletin - ARISS-USA Volunteer Search
by Paul Stoetzer 29 Apr '21

29 Apr '21

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE SPECIAL BULLETIN ANS-119 The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and information 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 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: https://mailman.amsat.org/postorius/lists/ans.amsat.org/ In this edition: * ARISS-USA Volunteer Search SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-119.01 ANS-119 AMSAT News Service Special Bulletin AMSAT News Service Bulletin 119.01 From AMSAT HQ WASHINGTON, DC DATE April 29, 2021 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-119.01 ARISS-USA Volunteer Search Amateur Radio on the International Space Station, Inc. (ARISS-USA) is seeking volunteers to support our mission: To provide and operate Amateur Radio systems on International Space Station (ISS) and elsewhere to inspire, educate, and engage youth and communities in science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) and to support ISS backup communications. ARISS-USA, is a 501 (c) (3) charitable, educational and scientific non-profit that was recently incorporated in the state of Maryland in the USA. We are seeking volunteers with a can-do, collaborative attitude who can work effectively as part of a team to support a variety of functions and roles. We have volunteer openings in several senior leadership roles, including: Associate Director Treasurer Secretary Director of Business Development Director of Volunteer Resources Director of Public Engagement Director of Engineering We also have openings for volunteers who would support functions within the above teams as well as openings within the ARISS-USA Operations, Engineering and Education teams. Descriptions of each of these roles are given in Article 8.6 of the ARISS-USA bylaws that can be referenced at: https://ariss-usa.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/ARISS-USA-Bylaws-Web-Site.… Candidates accepted into senior leadership positions will be required to first serve in a six-month probationary period. All candidates for senior leadership positions must be U.S. citizens. If you are interested in making a difference as an ARISS-USA team member, please send your resume or CV to candidates at ariss-usa.org. Include a cover letter that explains what position you are interested in supporting. We thank everyone for your interest and support to ARISS! Ad Astra! (To the Stars!) Frank H. Bauer, KA3HDO ARISS-USA Executive Director ARISS-USA is an Equal Opportunity Organization and will not discriminate on the basis of gender identity, age, race, color, national origin, religion, physical handicap, disability or any other legally protected status For more information about ARISS, see ariss.org [ANS thanks ARISS-USA 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. 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 student 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-115 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
by n1uw＠gokarns.com 24 Apr '21

24 Apr '21

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-115 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 Bylaws Amendment * Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for April 22, 2021 * Smithsonian Magazine Features Amateur Radio Aboard the ISS * FO-29 Operation Schedule for May 2021 * CubeSat Developers Workshop Virtual Conference April 27–29, 2021 * Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events * Upcoming Satellite Operations * ARISS News * Satellite Shorts from All Over SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-115.01 ANS-115 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins AMSAT News Service Bulletin 115.01 From AMSAT HQ PO Box 27, Washington, DC 20044-0027 April 25, 2021 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-115.01 AMSAT Bylaws Amendment The AMSAT Board of Directors approved an amendment to our Bylaws on March 2, 2021. As required by our Bylaws, a notice of the amendment was mailed to all members. AMSAT members may also view the documents by logging on to the Member Portal. Along with a copy of the Bylaws Committee Report to our Board of Directors, members will find a "red-line" version of the changes that will allow you to see exactly what has been added and what has been removed. To view each document, please click the following links: "Red-Line" version of our Bylaws, as approved by the AMSAT Board of Directors during a Special Meeting, held on March 2, 2021. https://launch.amsat.org/resources/Documents/Bylaws_Amended_Draft_Redline.p… Report of the AMSAT Bylaws Committee: Recommended Revisions to the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation Bylaws https://launch.amsat.org/resources/Documents/Report%20of%20the%20Bylaws%20C… In accordance with Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation Bylaws, as amended in 1989, Article IV requires AMSAT to provide written notice to all members of the approved amendments to our Bylaws. This approved amendment will be effective thirty days from the mailing of this letter, unless written objection is received from at least ten percent of the Members, in which case a vote shall be conducted by the Secretary in the manner specified for election of Directors. Written notice was mailed on April 9, 2021. As such, any objection should be sent to AMSAT, PO Box 27, Washington, DC 20044-0027 and must be received by May 9, 2021. I apologize for requiring you to mail in your objections, but this is a requirement of our Bylaws (as amended in 1989) and exactly why we feel it is necessary to bring our Bylaws into the 21st Century. As part of our modernization efforts, we felt a review and update of our Bylaws was essential to ensure AMSAT's continued success. A summary of those changes is listed below. * The Bylaws have been amended to allow for electronic communications with our members, voting in our elections, and the conduct of meetings. * The Bylaws have been amended to clarify the member application process, the grace period for lapses in membership, and the membership inclusion date for establishing election roles. * The Bylaws have been amended to further define the duties and responsibilities of the Officers. * The Bylaws have been amended to require three years of continuous membership for nominees for the position of Director and that Directors be required to remain in good standing throughout their elected term. [ANS thanks Robert Bankston, KE4AL, AMSAT President, for the above information] ---------------------------------------------------------------------+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+- Join the 2021 President's Club! Score your 2" 4-Color Accent Commemorative Coin with Polished Gold Finish, Full Color Certificate and Embroidered "Remove Before Flight" Key Tag By donating today at https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/ You won't want to miss it! -+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+- Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for April 22, 2021 Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA (OSCAR Number Administrator) announced April 18, 2021 in AMSAT News Service Bulletin ANS-108 that SMOG-1 has been designated Magyar-OSCAR 110 or MO-110. Thus, SMOG-1 (NORAD Cat ID 47964) is now shown as MO-110 in this week's TLE distribution. The following satellite has been added to this week's AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution: GRBAlpha - NORAD Cat ID 47959 (Thanks to Nico Janssen, PA0DLO) In the Credit Where Credit Is Due Department: Ray Hoad, WA5QGD reports, "Last week David Williams, G7GQW noted that GRIFEX (NORAD Cat ID 40379) is still active after I had dropped it from the TLE distribution. I forgot to credit him for that observation. Thanks, David." As always, the current and all previous Keps elements can be viewed at https://mailman.amsat.org/hyperkitty/list/keps@amsat.org. [ANS thanks Ray Hoad, WA5QGD for the above information.] -------------------------------------------------------------------- Smithsonian Magazine Features Amateur Radio Aboard the ISS The April issue of the Smithsonian magazine ran a feature on how ISS crew members spend their leisure time. The story began with a bit of detail on early space crews’ heavy workloads and needing time off. The writer moved to now, with space crews continuing to be more productive when schedules include relaxing—with making music being quite popular. The story cited the importance of ham radio as an engaging onboard leisure activity, as Doug Wheelock realized during his 2010 ISS mission. Speaking about the myriad of radio signals he heard from Earth’s ham operators, Doug said, “That started a trend for me where I made thousands of contacts across the world. That really became part of my connection back to the planet.” Referring to deep space missions, he said, “I can’t imagine doing a long-duration mission without that connection to the planet. It’s a huge psychological hurdle that we’re going to have to figure out.” The article is at tinyurl.com/ANS-115-Smithsonian. A post about the story was added to the ISS Ham Twitter page and to ARISS Facebook and Twitter pages. [ANS thanks ARISS 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/ +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ FO-29 Operation Schedule for May 2021 The JARL has published the FO-29 operation schedule for May 2021: May 2021 (UTC) 1st 00:06- 01:50- 2nd 00:55- 02:41- 3rd 00:03- 01:45- 4th 00:50- 02:36- 5th 01:40- 03:27- 8th 23:47- 9th 01:31- 15th 01:16- 03:02- 16th 00:21- 02:06- 22nd 00:07- 01:51- 23rd 00:56- 02:42- 29th 00:42- 02:27- 23:48- 30th 01:32- The UTC time represents the start time for each operating period. The satellite will remain in operation until the battery voltage falls to a preset level. [ANS thanks Hideo Kambayashi, JH3XCU for the above information.] -------------------------------------------------------------------- CubeSat Developers Workshop Virtual Conference April 27–29, 2021 This year's virtual workshop features a mix of pre-recorded and live events. Before Workshop begins on April 27, pre-recorded presentations from the Live Q&A panelists will be released. Registrants will have time before the Live Q&A Panels to watch the pre-recorded presentations. Then, based on the published schedule, registrants can listen and ask questions to the panelists about their presentation in real-time. There will also be dedicated times before and after Live Q&A Panels for registrants to visit and network with our amazing Exhibitors and Sponsors through virtual exhibit booths and side meetings. AMSAT will have a virtual booth and poster presentation at the workshop. The virtual booth will be staffed by Executive Vice President Paul Stoetzer, N8HM, Vice President of Engineering Jerry Buxton, N0JY, and Vice President of Operations Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA. AMSAT's poster presentation examines the impact of proposed orbital debris mitigation regulations on CubeSat development and STEM education." Registration for the 2021 Virtual CubeSat Developers Workshop is free for all interested individuals. For complete information on the conference, visit https://www.cubesatdw.org. [ANS thanks Cubesat.org 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 +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events None reported. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Upcoming Satellite Operations EM86; April 17 - May 2, 2021 WY7AA operating vacation style FM and SSB. "I plan to have a day trip to EM85, but I will plan that and advertise when I get there." DM05 - EM04; ~May 17, 2021 N6AJ will be headed to OK from CA around May 17, 2021. "DM74 AND DM75 are on the list for sure. I will be on FM and SSB. As it closer I hope to have a schedule." Please submit any additions or corrections to ke0pbr at gmail dot com. [ANS thanks Paul Overn, KE0PBR for the above information.] -------------------------------------------------------------------- ARISS News + Upcoming Contacts St Scholastica's College, Glebe, NSW, Australia, telebridge via ON4ISS. The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS. The downlink frequency is presently scheduled to be 145.800 MHz. The scheduled astronaut is Victor Glover, KI5BKC. Contact is go for Monday, April 6, at 08:34:51 UTC. St. Margaret's School, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, telebridge via IK1SLD. The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS. The downlink frequency is presently scheduled to be 145.800 MHz. The scheduled astronaut is Shannon Walker, KD5DXB. Contact is go for Monday, April 26, 2021 at 10:12:59 UTC. Watch for live stream at: www.ariotti.com. The latest information on the ISS operation mode can be found at https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html. + Completed Contacts Winmalee Public School, Blue Mountains, NSW, Australia, telebridge via ON4ISS. The ISS callsign was OR4ISS. The downlink frequency was 145.800 MHz The astronaut was Victor Glover, KI5BKC. Contact was successful: Tuesday, April 20, 2021 at 08:28:39 UTC. [ANS thanks Charlie Sufana, AJ9N 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 +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Satellite Shorts from All Over + Young Mauritians Introduced to Satellite/Space Technology The Mauritius Research and Innovation Council (MRIC) organized a series of training workshops for secondary school students on the building of a simplified antenna for satellite data reception. The aim was to initiate young Mauritians to Satellite/Space Technology and create awareness of these fields’ numerous possibilities for the Republic of Mauritius. The specific objectives were to provide hands-on training on the building of antenna for satellite data reception, data reception and communication with Low Earth Orbiting (LEO) satellites and ground-station operation using specific software. Read the complete story at https://africanews.space. [ANS thanks Space in Africa for the above information.] + International Special Events Stations on Satellites - Italy: Members of AMSAT Italia commemorate Gagarin's flight into space until the end of the year with the callsign II0SAT on HF and via satellite. - Spain: AM500MMM draws attention to Fernando de Magellan's voyage and the explorer's death on the island Mactan. QRV between April 24 and May 1 on HF (CW, SSB, digital modes) and via satellite. - Chichi/ Haha/ Muko Islands (aka Bonin Islands): Takio/JH3QFL activates Komagari Chichijima Island between April 23 and April 30 as JD1BQA. QRV on HF and RS-44 on CW. [ANS thanks JoAnne Maenpaa, K9JKM and the DX Newsletter for the above information.] + Radio Amateur G3YJO on BBC Radio Professor Sir Martin Sweeting, G3YJO was the guest on the Radio 4 show The Life Scientific that was broadcast on Tuesday, April 20, 2021. Sweeting pioneered the original SmallSats revolutions with the UOSAT-1 and UOSAT-2 spacecraft that carried Amateur Radio payloads and launched in the early 1980’s. They led to the founding of Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL) of which he is Executive Chairman. You can listen to an MP3 recording of the BBC show which mentions Amateur Radio and AMSAT from the BBC website at https://bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000v7pb. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Not an AMSAT member? Join now at https://launch.amsat.org/ 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. 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 student rate for a maximum of six post-secondary years in this status. Contact info at the amsat dot org for additional student membership information. 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. To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings see https://www.amsat.org/mailing-list-faq/.

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ANS-108 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
by Paul Stoetzer 17 Apr '21

17 Apr '21

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-108 The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and information 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 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(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: https://mailman.amsat.org/postorius/lists/ans.amsat.org/ In this edition: * AMSAT's GOLF-TEE CubeSat Manifested for Launch on ELaNa-46 * SMOG-1 Designated Magyar-OSCAR 110 (MO-110) * AMSAT FTP Site Retired * TO-108 Operational Update * CAMSAT Applies for Frequency Coordination for CAS-9 (XW-3) * Changes to AMSAT TLE Distribution for April 15, 2021 * ARISS News * Upcoming Satellite Operations * Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events * Satellite Shorts From All Over AMSAT News Service Bulletin 108.01 To: All RADIO AMATEURS From: Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation 712 H Street NE Suite 1653 Washington, DC 20002 DATE 2021 Apr 18 -+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+- Join the 2021 President's Club! Score your 2" 4-Color Accent Commemorative Coin with Polished Gold Finish, Full Color Certificate and Embroidered "Remove Before Flight" Key Tag By donating today at https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/ You won't want to miss it! -+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+- AMSAT's GOLF-TEE CubeSat Manifested for Launch on ELaNa-46 AMSAT's GOLF-TEE CubeSat has been manifested for launch on NASA's ELaNa-46 mission. GOLF-TEE is the first satellite in AMSAT's "Greater Orbit, Larger Footprint" or GOLF program. The goal of the GOLF program is to work by steps through a series of increasingly capable spacecraft to learn to develop systems and skills needed to achieve successful high orbit missions. Among these are active attitude control and the ability to command attitude changes, deployable/steerable solar panels, radiation tolerance for commercial off the shelf (COTS) components in higher orbits, and propulsion. The eventual goal of the GOLF program is a satellite in Highly Elliptical Orbit (HEO) similar to AO-10, AO-13, and AO-40, but at a currently affordable cost combined with significantly enhanced capabilities, which in turn will allow the use of much less complex ground stations. The -TEE designation in GOLF-TEE stands for "Technology Exploration Environment" reflecting GOLF-TEE's mission testing two primary systems needed for higher orbits. First, an Attitude Determination and Control (ADAC) system will be tested to allow active pointing of the satellites antennas, which will have significant gain. The other primary goal of GOLF-TEE is to gain initial orbit and space radiation exposure for radiation event-induced fault tolerant systems designed using COTS components. GOLF-TEE will carry an Integrated Housekeeping Unit (IHU) / command transceiver designed using the Hercules line of ARM architecture-based microcontrollers. GOLF-TEE will also evaluate a low-cost, deployable, fixed attitude, solar panel array design as part of AMSAT Engineering's exploration of fixed panel arrays that allow for outfitting a variable number of "wings" in order to best match the power requirements of various CubeSat missions. Additionally, GOLF-TEE will carry a modified commercial software-defined radio (SDR), the Ettus E310, as an experimental package to test high speed data downlink in the 10 GHz band. GOLF-TEE will also be a fully-functional LEO VHF/UHF amateur satellite carrying conventional backup systems, including a linear transponder, similar to those flown on AO-109. A significant amount of funding is necessary to complete the development and construction of the GOLF series of CubeSats. Please consider a donation today. Donations designated for the AMSAT GOLF program may be made at https://www.amsat.org/donations/amsat-golf-program-donations/ [ANS thanks AMSAT Engineering for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- SMOG-1 Designated Magyar-OSCAR 110 (MO-110) On March 22, 2021, the Budapest University of Technology and Economics SMOG-1 PocketQube was launched on a Soyuz-2-1a Fregat launch vehicle from the Baikonur, Kazakhstan. SMOG-1 carries RF spectrum monitoring and total ionizing radiation experiments. Further information is available at https://gnd.bme.hu/smog At the request of the Budapest University of Technology and Economics, AMSAT hereby designates SMOG-1 as Magyar-OSCAR 110 (MO-110). We congratulate the owners and operators, thank them for their contribution to the amateur satellite community, and wish them a long mission and continued success on this and future projects. More information about OSCAR numbers can be found at https://www.amsat.org/oscar-numbers-policy/ [ANS thanks Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA, OSCAR Number Administrator, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- AMSAT FTP Site Retired The AMSAT File Transport Protocol (FTP) server has been retired as of 15 April 2021. Content formerly hosted on that server is now available at https://www.amsat.org/amsat/ftp/ The FTP server provided an important service for distributing software, bulletins and other information going back to at least the early 1990's when internet access started to become available to the general public. Over time the overwhelming success of the web and ubiquitous use of the web browser have evolved to provide the same capability, and today even heavy internet users are unfamiliar with FTP. The decision was made to stop spending scarce volunteer resources maintaining this seldom used service. [ANS thanks Joe Fitzgerald, KM1P, AMSAT IT Team Leader, 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/ +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ TO-108 Operational Update TO-108 (CAS-6) was launched in December 2019 and carries a 20 kHz wide UHF/VHF linear transponder. When originally made available for amateur radio use in June 2020, the transponder operated only intermittently, approximately 2 seconds on and 5 seconds off. On April 12, 2021, EI2IP posted a video on Twitter where he calls CQ for a few minutes on the satellite. Later tests by European stations including SA2KNG and DO1AM showed that the transponder is still only operational intermittently, but now the transponder is on for minutes at a time instead of only a couple of seconds. TO-108's linear transponder's uplink passband is 435.270 MHz - 435.290 MHz and the downlink passband is 145.915 MHz - 145.935 MHz. The CW beacon is at 145.910 MHz and 4.8k GMSK telemetry at 145.890 MHz. Observations indicate that the transponder is operational when the beacon is transmitting continuously. [ANS thanks various sources for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- CAMSAT Applies for Frequency Coordination for CAS-9 (XW-3) CAMSAT has applied for frequency coordination for their CAS-9 satellite, also known as Hope-3 or XW-3. CAS-9 will be a 6U CubeSat carrying a 30 kHz VHF/UHF linear transponder. In addition to the linear transponder, there will be a UHF CW beacon and UHF 4.8k/9.6k AX.25 GMSK telemetry downlink. Launch is planned for December 15, 2021 from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center into a 770 km circular orbit with an inclination of 98.58 degrees. Application details can be found at http://www.amsatuk.me.uk/iaru/formal_detail.php?serialnum=804 [ANS thanks the IARU for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Changes to AMSAT TLE Distribution for April 15, 2021 The following satellites have been added to this week's AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution: GRIFEX - NORAD Cat ID 40379 (Reported as active and returned to TLE list.) Orbicraft-Zorkiy - NORAD Cat ID 47960 (per Nico Janssen, PA0DLO) STECCO - NORAD Cat ID 47962. (per Nico Janssen, PA0DLO) [ANS thanks Ray Hoad, WA5QGD, AMSAT Orbital Elements Manager, 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 News Winmalee Public School, Blue Mountains, NSW, Australia, telebridge via ON4ISS The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS The downlink frequency is presently scheduled to be 145.800 MHz The scheduled astronaut is Victor Glover KI5BKC Contact is go for: Tue 2021-04-20 08:28:39 UTC 81 deg The latest information on the operation mode can be found at https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html The latest list of frequencies in use can be found at https://www.ariss.org/contact-the-iss.html [ANS thanks Charlie Sufana, AJ9N, one of the ARISS operation team mentors, 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 +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Upcoming Satellite Operations ND9M: I’m doing another tour on my merchant marine ship. We’ll be leaving the States (EM90) in a few days to head for the western Pacific by way of the Panama Canal. I’ve got my FT857 / FT817 with an Elk although I don’t hear RS-44’s downlink all that well. (AO-27’s downlink on the same band is great though.) I’m planning to be active on as many satellite passes that I can fit in around job duties; since I’m a staff of 1, working all seven days and being on call 24/7 can get in the way. My internet connection on board is marginal at best and will become virtually nil for several days as we approach Panama and then hit the Pacific. I’ll post likely grids a day or two in advance to the AMSAT-BB and will hit Twitter (@ND9M) when I’ve got a web connection. WY7AA: April 17th – May 2 EM86 vacation style FM and SSB. I will have a day trip to EM85, but I will plan that and advertise when I get there. Major Roves: CM93 Possibility: N6DNM Very long shot, but might want to put it on your calendar for May 15th, if you can figure out where it is and for SOTA folks, that would be W6/SC-336, Santa Rosa Island, activated only once before. I, Italy: Loriano/IZ5RHU and the ARI section Grosseto commemorate the Chernobyl disaster between April 18 and May 9 as II5RCH on 80-2m (CW, SSB, digital modes) and via satellite. QSL via IZ5RHU (d/B). (via DX Newsletter DXNL 2245 Apr 14, 2021) [ANS thanks Paul Overn, KE0PBR, AMSAT rover page manager, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events AMSAT Ambassador Clint Bradford, K6LCS, reports these upcoming presentations scheduled for … 04/26 - Livonia, Michigan 05/18 - Puget Sound 05/26 - South New Jersey 06/01 - University of Arizona 06/09 - San Jose 06/15 - East Massachusetts 10/21 - Conejo Valley CA … and dates for Roseland NJ, Austin TX, Maine, and NH to be firmed up! Think a lively, entertaining, AND educational 75-minute presentation to YOUR club or organization on “Working the Easy Sateliites” would be appropriate for your club? Send me a message or call! Clint Bradford K6LCS AMSAT Ambassador, ARRL instructor http://www.work-sat.com k6lcs AT work-sat DOT info (909) 999-SATS (7287) [ANS thanks Clint Bradford, K6LCS, AMSAT Ambassador, and Paul Overn, KE0PBR, AMSAT Events Page Manager, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Satellite Shorts From All Over + Congratulations Kell Bodholt, KI7UXT, on completing the AMSAT GridMaster Award by working all 488 maidenhead grid squares in the continental United States. Kell is the 29th recipient of this award. More information on the AMSAT GridMaster award can be found at https://www.amsat.org/gridmaster/ + A new distance record has been claimed on the ISS VHF digipeater. 9G5AR completed a 4,032 km QSO with EA3BAX on 11-Apr-2021 at 09:07 UTC. More records can be found at https://www.amsat.org/satellite-distance-records + FG8OJ has developed a quick script to display your VUCC credits on a world map. 1/ Connect to LoTW 2/ Go to your VUCC favorite award page and select "All credits" 3/ Copy the page with CTRL+A and CTRL+C 4/ Go to https://fg8oj.com/lotwgrid2map/ 5/ Paste in the form's text area CTRL+V 6/ Enjoy + The spring issue of OSCAR News is now available for download for AMSAT-UK members at https://amsat-uk.org/2021/04/13/spring-oscar-news-2/ + 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. https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear + 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. The print edition is $30 plus shipping and is available at https://tinyurl.com/GS2020Print --------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. President’s Club donations may be made at https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/ 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. 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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ANS-101 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins for April 11
by Mark Johns, K0JM 10 Apr '21

10 Apr '21

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-101 The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and information 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 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(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: https://mailman.amsat.org/postorius/lists/ans.amsat.org/ In this edition: * ARISS-USA Now a Non-profit Organization * Contests On QO-100 Allowed In Time For Yuri Gagarin Contest * Fun While It Lasted, Falcon 9 Telemetry Now Encrypted * AMSAT SA Call For Papers * NASA Invites Public to Take Flight With Ingenuity Mars Helicopter * Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for April 8, 2021 * Busy month of crew rotations on tap at International Space Station * ARISS News * Upcoming Satellite Operations * Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events * Satellite Shorts From All Over ANS-101 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins AMSAT News Service Bulletin 101.01 To: All RADIO AMATEURS From: Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation 712 H Street NE Suite 1653 Washington, DC 20002 DATE 2021 April 11 ARISS-USA Now a Non-profit Organization ARISS-USA, a Maryland not-for-profit corporation, is now recognized by the United States Internal Revenue Service as a Section 501(c)(3) charitable, scientific, and educational organization. ARISS-USA is the US segment of the ARISS (Amateur Radio on the International Space Station) international working group. With this IRS determination, donations to ARISS-USA become tax-deductible in the US, retroactive to the ARISS-USA incorporation on May 21, 2020. This change in status allows ARISS-USA to solicit donations and grants. As a new entity, ARISS-USA will continue to promote student involvement with the astronauts on the International Space Station via amateur radio. Working with educational organizations, ARISS provides exciting opportunities to inspire, engage and educate our next generation of space explorers through STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) activities and content. ARISS-USA Executive Director, Frank Bauer, commented, “The educational scope and reach of what ARISS accomplishes has grown significantly since our beginnings in 1996. We are actively working to extend student’s reach even further. This, through the pursuit of potential student opportunities on human spaceflight missions beyond low Earth orbit, as part of our Amateur Radio Exploration (AREx) Program. First AREx destination: the Moon!” ARISS-USA continues its collaborative work with ARISS International and US sponsors, partners, and interest groups. The ARISS-USA TEAM remains deeply indebted to its partners ARRL and AMSAT, who enabled the birth of ARISS, and to its steadfast sponsors, NASA Space Communication and Navigation (SCaN) and the ISS National Lab (INL). Gifts from those wishing to support ARISS-USA goals are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law and can be made by going to the ARISS website: www.ariss.org The ARISS-USA team thanks its sustaining donors for their continuing support! (ANS thanks Dave Jordan, AA4KN, of ARISS PR for the above information) +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Join the 2021 President's Club! Score your 2" 4-Color Accent Commemorative Coin. This gold finished coin comes with Full Color Certificate and Embroidered "Remove Before Flight" Key Tag Donate today at https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/ You won't want to miss it! +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Contests On QO-100 Allowed In Time For Yuri Gagarin Contest AMSAT-DL announced, on April 4, the opening of the QO-100 NB satellite transponder to general contest operation in the upper mixed-mode range. QO-100 is a Qatari satellite, launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on November 15, 2018. It operates at 26° East longitude along a geostationary orbit, which means that the satellite's footprint covers Europe, Africa, and Asia, but excludes North America and most of South America. This weekend (April 10-11) will see the Yuri Gagarin contest. The contest area on the QO-100 geostationary satellite NB transponder for both CW and SSB is: Uplink area 2400.370 – 2400.490 MHz Downlink area 10489.870 – 10489.990 MHz Of course, the usual QO-100 NB transponder guidelines also apply here. Therefore, the bandwidth should still be limited to 2.7 kHz and the transmitting power should be reduced to the necessary level, i.e. only as much power as necessary should be used. Read the AMSAT-DL announcement at https://amsat-dl.org/en/contests-on-qo-100-allowed/ The Yuri Gagarin International DX Contest 2021 is dedicated to the memory of Yuri Gagarin, who realized the first human flight to space, on April 12, 1961. It runs from 2100 GMT on April 10 until 2100 GMT on April 11, 2021, and the categories include: • SAT Single operator – Satellite QSOs • SAT-GS Single operator – Geostationary Satellite QSOs Contest rules are at http://gc.qst.ru/en/section/32 [ANS thanks AMSAT-UK 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/ +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Fun While It Lasted, Falcon 9 Telemetry Now Encrypted A few weeks back Hackaday reported that Reddit users [derekcz] and [Xerbot] had managed to receive the 2232.5 MHz telemetry downlink from a Falcon 9 upper stage and pull out some interesting plain-text strings. With further software fiddling, the vehicle’s video streams were decoded, resulting in some absolutely breathtaking shots of the rocket and its payload from low Earth orbit. Unfortunately, it looks like those heady days are now over, as [derekcz] reports the downlink from the latest Falcon 9 mission was nothing but unintelligible noise. Since the hardware and software haven’t changed on his side, the only logical conclusion is that SpaceX wasn’t too happy about radio amateurs listening in on their rocket and decided to employ some form of encryption. [ANS thanks Hackaday.com for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- AMSAT SA Call For Papers AMSAT SA has announced the date for the 2021 Space Symposium. In view of the continuing uncertainty about the Covid - 19 pandemic the conference will be a virtual event on the BlueJeans platform. The date is Saturday 10 July 2021 starting at 08:00 UTC. The theme of the symposium is "Unlocking Amateur Space Technology." The symposium will focus on amateur satellites, weak signal communication, space weather and allied sciences. SARL has issued a first call for paper proposals. Prospective authors are invited to submit proposals in the form of a brief description of the subject to be covered in their paper by no later than 15 May 2021. Submit proposals in word format to admin(a)amsatsa.org.za. Authors will be advised on 20 May of the acceptance of their paper. The final paper will be required by 30 June 2021. [ANS thanks SARL and JoAnne Maenpaa, K9JKM 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 +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ NASA Invites Public to Take Flight With Ingenuity Mars Helicopter NASA is targeting no earlier than Sunday, April 11, for Ingenuity Mars Helicopter's first attempt at powered, controlled flight on another planet. To mark a month of Ingenuity flights, the agency will host several events to bring people along for the ride. A livestream confirming Ingenuity's first flight is targeted to begin around 3:30 a.m. EDT (07:30z) Monday, April 12, on NASA Television, the NASA app, and the agency's website, and will livestream on multiple agency social media platforms, including the JPL YouTube, and Facebook channels. Ingenuity arrived at Mars' Jezero Crater Feb. 18, attached to the belly of NASA's Perseverance rover. The helicopter is a technology demonstration with a planned test flight duration of up to 31 days (30 Mars days, or sols). The rover will provide support during flight operations, taking images, collecting environmental data, and hosting the base station that enables the helicopter to communicate with mission controllers on Earth. The flight date may shift as engineers work on the deployments, preflight checks, and vehicle positioning of both Perseverance and Ingenuity. Timing for events will be updated as needed, and the latest schedule will be available on the helicopter's Watch Online webpage: https://mars.nasa.gov/technology/helicopter/#Watch-Online [ANS thanks NASA 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 April 8, 2021 The following satellites have been added to this week's AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution: GuaraniSat-1 - NORAD Cat ID 47931 (per Celestrak) KSU-CubeSat - NORAD Cat ID 47954 (per Nico Janssen, PA0DLO) DIY-1 - NORAD Cat ID 47963. (per Nico Janssen, PA0DLO) SMOG - NORAD Cat ID 47964. (per Nico Janssen, PA0DLO) The following satellites have been removed from this week's AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution: TISAT - NORAD Cat ID 36799 JUGNU - NORAD Cat ID 37839 AO-71 - NORAD Cat ID 37854 HORYU-2 - NORAD Cat ID 38340 BEESAT-3 - NORAD Cat ID 39135 BEESAT-2 - NORAD Cat ID 39136 TRITON-1 - NORAD Cat ID 39427 DUCHIFAT-1 - NORAD Cat ID 40021 NANOSATCBR1 - NORAD Cat ID 40024 ANTELSAT - NORAD Cat ID 40034 VELOX-1 - NORAD Cat ID 40057 DAURIA DX 1 - NORAD Cat ID 40071 CHUBUSAT-1 - NORAD Cat ID 40300 QSAT-EOS - NORAD Cat ID 40301 GRIFEX - NORAD Cat ID 40379 DEORBITSAIL - NORAD Cat ID 40719 NUDT-PHONESAT - NORAD Cat ID 40900 LQSat - NORAD Cat ID 40958 OUFTI-1 - NORAD Cat ID 41458 Swayam - NORAD Cat ID 41607 AlSat 1N - NORAD Cat ID 41789 ScatSat - NORAD Cat ID 41790 Pegasus-1 - NORAD Cat ID 41846 UCLSat - NORAD Cat ID 42765 LituanicaSAT 2- NORAD Cat ID 42768 The above objects are inactive and have been removed. If you think a satellite is still active contact Ray Hoad, WA5QGD on AMSAT-BB. [ANS thanks Ray Hoad, WA5QGD, AMSAT Orbital Elements Manager, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Busy month of crew rotations on tap at International Space Station Seven astronauts and cosmonauts are gearing up for launches April 9 and April 22 to the International Space Station, replacing seven outgoing crew members set to land in Kazakhstan and off the coast of Florida on April 17 and April 28. The back-to-back crew rotations will make for a busy month on the orbiting research complex, and multiple instances when ARISS operation will be suspended during crew operations. Preparations for the arrival of the fresh crew members are already underway on the space station. The first step was relocation of a SpaceX Crew Dragon spaceship to a new docking port on the space station April 5. NASA astronaut Mike Hopkins, KF5LJG, commander of the Crew Dragon “Resilience” spaceship, was joined by crewmates Victor Glover, KI5BKC, Soichi Noguchi, KD5TVP, and Shannon Walker, KD5DXB, for the fully automated 45-minute relocation maneuver. The Dragon astronauts, who launched Nov. 15 as part of SpaceX’s “Crew-1” mission, were aboard the Crew Dragon Resilience spacecraft and suited up for re-entry, just in case the capsule had trouble linking up with the new docking port and needed to return to Earth. Next was the launch of a Russian Soyuz MS-18 spacecraft with commander Oleg Novitskiy, cosmonaut Pyotr Dubrov, and NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei, KG5GNP. The Soyuz crew launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Friday, April 9 at 3:42 a.m. EDT (0742 GMT). The crew on the space station will temporarily swell to 10 people until the outgoing Soyuz MS-17 crew departs the research lab one week later. Undocking of the Soyuz MS-17 spacecraft with commander Sergey Ryzhikov, flight engineer Sergey Kud-Sverchkov, and NASA astronaut Kate Rubins, KG5FYJ, is scheduled for 9:33 p.m. EDT on April 16 (0133z on April 17). The Soyuz capsule is scheduled to parachute to a landing on the steppes of Kazakhstan at 12:56 a.m. EDT (0456 GMT) on April 17. Ryzhikov, Kud-Sverchkov, and Rubins launched Oct. 14 from Baikonur. Their return to Earth on April 17 will wrap up a 185-day mission. With the Soyuz crew rotation complete, SpaceX and NASA will be cleared to launch the second operational Crew Dragon mission to the space station on April 22. NASA astronaut Shane Kimbrough, KE5HOD, pilot Megan McArthur, Japanese astronaut Akihiko Hoshide, KE5DNI, and French-born European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Pesquet, KG5FYG, will fly on the Crew-2 mission. Assuming the Crew-2 mission takes off April 22, Kimbrough and his crewmates will reach the space station for an automated docking at 5:29 a.m. EDT (0929 GMT) on April 23. Their arrival will start a five-day handover with the Crew-1 astronauts, when the space station will briefly host 11 crew members. The Crew-1 astronauts are scheduled to board their Crew Dragon Resilience spacecraft and undock from the space station April 28 at 5 a.m. EDT (0900 GMT). The Crew Dragon capsule will fire its Draco thrusters to target a parachute-assisted splashdown off the coast of Florida at 12:35 p.m. EDT (1635 GMT) the same day. [ANS thanks Stephen Clark of Spacefilight Now for the above information] -------------------------------------------------------------------- ARISS NEWS 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. Recent ARISS contacts: The School of Information Technology & Mathematical Sciences, Southern Hemisphere Space Studies Program 2021, Mawson Lakes, SA, Australia, conducted a telebridge via IK1SLD on Tuesday, April 6. Shannon Walker, KD5DXB, was the astronaut. The contact was successful. Gagarin From Space performed an amateur radio session with NILAK DOSAAF Llc in Kaluga, Kaluga Regional schools, Kaluga, Russia, direct contact via RK3X on April 6. Cosmonaut Sergey Kud-Sverchkov participated. The contact was successful. Gagarin From Space conducted a radio amateur session with students of the St. Petersburg school, St. Petersburg, Russia, direct via R1AIT on April 7. The contact was successful. Upcoming contacts: TBD The latest information on the operation mode of the ARISS modules can be found at https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html [ANS thanks Charlie Sufana, AJ9N, one of the ARISS operation team mentors 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 WY7AA: April 17th – May 2 EM86 vacation style FM and SSB. I will have a day trip to EM85, but I will plan that and advertise when I get there. Major Roves: CM93 Possibility: N6DNM Very long shot, but might want to put it on your calendar for May 15th, if you can figure out where it is and for #SOTA folks, that would be W6/SC-336, Santa Rosa Island, activated only once before. 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 Ambassador Clint Bradford, K6LCS, reports these upcoming presentations scheduled for … 04/26 - Livonia, Michigan 05/18 - Puget Sound 05/26 - South New Jersey 06/01 - University of Arizona 06/09 - San Jose 06/15 - East Massachusetts 10/21 - Conejo Valley CA … and dates for Roseland NJ, Austin TX, Maine, and NH to be firmed up! Think a lively, entertaining, AND educational 75-minute presentation to YOUR club or organization on “Working the Easy Sateliites” would be appropriate for your club? Send me a message or call! Clint Bradford K6LCS AMSAT Ambassador, ARRL instructor http://www.work-sat.com k6lcs AT work-sat DOT info (909) 999-SATS (7287) [ANS thanks Paul Overn, KE0PBR, AMSAT Events page manager, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Satellite Shorts From All Over + LightCube, an educational mission by Arizona State University, Tempe, to allow a CubeSat in low-Earth orbit (LEO) to be easily operable by members of the general public, has been approved by NASA as one of the 12th CubeSat Launch Initiative (CSLI) projects for 2022-2025. The LightCube CubeSat will provide a platform that increases the number of individuals who can participate in space activities. Specifically, anyone with appropriate amateur radio licensing within their jurisdiction and commercial radio equipment available for purchase for less than fifty dollars will be able to telecommand LightCube. The LightCube CubeSat will respond with a flash visible to the naked eye of the commander. In the process of operating LightCube, the user will inevitably learn important science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) concepts in areas such as telecommunications, spacecraft design, atmospheric and climate science, and orbital mechanics. (ANS thanks NASA, JoAnne Maenpaa, K9JKM, Harry Bloomberg, W3YJ, and Rick Lindquist, WW1ME, for the above information.) + Jean Marc Momple, 3B8DU and an AMSAT Ambassador published an article in the Institution of Engineers Mauritius (IEM) Journal, March 2021, to promoted HAM radio satellite operation worldwide, as the paper was circulated in all affiliated Engineers association globally but the focus was on the regional operation. The link to obtain the document is https://bit.ly/3uHFFCv or go to https://www.iemauritius.com and register to download the March 21 edition of the Journal. (ANS thanks Jean Marc Momple, 3B8DU, for the above information.) + GOES-T, NOAA’s latest generation geosynchronous satellite, recently completed vibration, vacuum, and acoustic testing ahead of its December launch. GOES-T packs upgraded traditional weather observation instruments (see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WQAwQ0SGkc for a video intro), including the 16 channel ABI imager (up from 5 channels on the previous generation) with 0.5km - 2km resolution (4x the previous gen). This generation also includes a Geostationary Lightning Mapper, the first lightning mapping system flown in geostationary orbit, which should increase lead time for severe storm warnings and decrease false positives. See https://www.goes-r.gov/spacesegment/glm.html for an overview of the system. (ANS thanks the Orbital Index for the above information.) + SpaceX launched 60 more of the company's Starlink Internet communications satellites into orbit from Florida on Wednesday, April 7. A Falcon 9 rocket carrying the spacecraft lifted off as planned at 12:34 p.m. EDT (16:34z). SpaceX recovered the first-stage booster for the rocket by landing it on a barge in the Atlantic Ocean. The satellites deployed to their intended orbit a little more than an hour after launch. (ANS thanks Space Daily for the above information.) + A rather fascinating disassembly and analysis of the digital clock from a Soyuz spacecraft can be found at http://www.righto.com/2020/01/inside-digital-clock-from-soyuz.html The mid-1980s vintage clock was judged to be 8 to 10 years behind U.S. space technology of the time, with more that 100 integrated circuits on ten circuit boards. (ANS thanks the Orbital Index for the above information.) + Open Research Institute has posted several new YouTube videos updating their work. See https://www.openresearch.institute/ for links. (ANS thanks AMSAT Board Member Michelle Thompson, W5NYV, for the above information.) + AO-91 remains operational in COR or "repeater mode." Reminder: Please use only in sunlight and do not use while in eclipse (which "generally" means, if it's dark at your local QTH do not use!). Remember that the current status of most operational satellites can be found at https://www.amsat.org/status/ (ANS thanks AMSAT Board and Fox Command Team Member Mark Hammond, N8MH, 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 Store. 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 info [at] amsat.org for additional student membership information. 73 and Remember to help keep amateur radio in space, This week's ANS Editor, Mark Johns, K0JM k0jm at amsat dot org

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ANS-094 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
by kd4iz＠frawg.org 03 Apr '21

03 Apr '21

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-094 The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and information 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 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(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: https://mailman.amsat.org/postorius/lists/ans.amsat.org/ In this edition: * 2021 AMSAT Field Day * VUCC Awards-Endorsements for April 1 2021 * WOUB Spotlight: Broadcast Operations Supervisor Terry Douds, N8KI * NASA TV to Air First US Commercial Crew Port Relocation on ISS * Perseverance rover begins steps to deploy Mars helicopter * Launch Watch: Upcoming in April * Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for April 1, 2021 * ARISS News * Upcoming Satellite Operations * Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events * Satellite Shorts From All Over ANS-094 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins AMSAT News Service Bulletin 094.01 To: All RADIO AMATEURS From: Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation 712 H Street NE Suite 1653 Washington, DC 20002 DATE 2021 April 04 2021 AMSAT Field Day Its that time of year again; summer and Field Day! Each year the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) sponsors Field Day as a picnic, a campout, practice for emergencies, an informal contest and, most of all, FUN! The event takes place during a 23-hour period on the fourth weekend of June. For 2021 the event takes place during a 27-hour period from 1800 UTC on Saturday June 26, 2021 through 2100 UTC on Sunday June 27, 2021. Those who set up prior to 1800 UTC on June 26 can operate only 24 hours. The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT) promotes its own version of Field Day for operation via the amateur satellites, held concurrently with the ARRL event. This year should be as easy as last year since we have more than 10 transponders and repeaters available. Users should check the AMSAT status page at http://www.amsat.org/status/ and the pages at https://www.amsat.org/two-way-satellites/ for what is available in the weeks leading up to field day. To reduce the amount of time to research each satellite, see the current FM satellite table at: https://www.amsat.org/fm-satellite-frequency-summary/ and the current linear satellite table at: https://www.amsat.org/linear-satellite-frequency-summary/ Additional information is found at: https://www.amsat.org/field-day/ [ANS thanks Bruce Paige, KK5DO, AMSAT Director Contests and Awards and Paul Stoetzer, N8HM, ANS editor for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- VUCC Awards-Endorsements for April 1 2021 Here are the endorsements and new VUCC Satellite Awards issued by the ARRL for the period March 1, 2021 through April 1, 2021. Congratulations to all those who made the list this month! CALL Mar Mar N9EAT 784 843 NS3L 650 681 W7QL 510 563 KJ4EU 471 506 VA3NNA 300 504 K0JM 403 500 N1PEB (EL98) 255 500 MI6GTY 460 461 KB9STR 353 431 KC9UQR 400 427 KS1G 360 413 WA4HFN 102 413 K5TA 302 400 W8LR 353 400 VE4MM 279 304 WB7QXU 252 303 VU2LBW 260 300 W4ALF 200 300 K4RGK 214 278 NA1ME 200 225 KN2K 155 200 N7ZO 116 200 XE2YWH 137 187 LW2DAF 166 182 NK1K New 179 DL6KBG 125 150 N8MR New 115 N2CJ 100 103 AF5D New 102 W7KRS New 101 AC9DX New 100 W3FGP 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! - Ron W5RKN [ANS thanks Ron Parsons, W5RKN for the above information] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Join the 2021 President's Club! Score your 2" 4-Color Accent Commemorative Coin. This gold finished coin comes with Full Color Certificate and Embroidered "Remove Before Flight" Key Tag Donate today at https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/ You won't want to miss it! +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ WOUB Broadcast Operations Supervisor Terry Douds, N8KI, AMSAT-NA member is honored. ATHENS, OH During Broadcast Operations Supervisor Terry Douds nearly 16 years working at WOUB Public Media, there have been many changes in regard to technology and how the station runs. But, Douds has rolled with the changes and couldnt be more proud of the work he is doing. I was originally hired as a broadcast technician and was promoted to broadcast operations supervisor in 2008, said Douds. At that time, the Engineering Department oversaw Master Control. We worked 24/7 to insure that WOUB stayed on the air. Later that part of operations shifted to the Traffic Department, so now were doing regular engineering tasks, such as design of systems, installation of new equipment, and overseeing what we call In-House Engineering; another team within Engineering handles field work and our transmitter sites. A big part of the training for me for this job came from amateur radio. I became a Ham Operator in November 1968, when I was in 7th grade, said Douds. I later became active in amateur satellite work, another part of amateur radio where we designed satellites and have them launched into space. More at: https://bit.ly/3rKpBxI [ANS thanks Mark Johns, K0JM, AMSAT News Service Editor and WOUB.org for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- NASA TV to Air First US Commercial Crew Port Relocation on Space Station NASA's SpaceX Crew-1 astronauts aboard the International Space Station will mark another first for commercial spaceflight Monday, April 5, when the four astronauts will relocate the Crew Dragon spacecraft to prepare for the arrival of new crew members in late April and the upcoming delivery of new solar arrays this summer. Live coverage will begin at 1000z on NASA Television, the NASA app, and the agency's website. NASA astronauts Mike Hopkins, KF5LJG, Victor Glover, KI5BKC, and Shannon Walker, KD5DXB, along with Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Soichi Noguchi, KD5TVP, will undock Crew Dragon Resilience from the forward port of the station's Harmony module at 1029z and dock to the space-facing port at 1115z. The relocation will free Harmony's forward port for the docking of Crew Dragon Endeavour, set to carry four crew members to the station on NASA's SpaceX Crew-2 mission. NASA astronauts Shane Kimbrough, KE5HOD, and Megan McArthur, JAXA astronaut Akihiko Hoshide, KE5DNI, and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Thomas Pesquet, KG5FYG, are scheduled to launch to the station Thursday, April 22, from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. [ANS thanks NASA for the above information.] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Perseverance rover begins steps to deploy Mars helicopter NASAs Ingenuity helicopter is being lowered from the belly of the Perseverance rover this week as ground teams run through a choreographed long-distance command sequence to safely release the $80 million rotorcraft onto the surface of Mars. The slow, step-by-step deployment is projected to take around six days, assuming everything goes as planned. The first command uplinked from engineers at NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory was to release a launch lock that kept the Ingenuity helicopter firmly attached to the belly of the Perseverance rover during the journey to Mars. Additional information may be found at: https://bit.ly/3dv06vv [ANS thanks Stephen Clark of SpaceFlightNow.com 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/ +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Launch Watch: Upcoming in April There will be several notable launches this month. Unfortunately there are no new amateur satellites in the immediate offing. A Falcon 9/Starlink #23 launch is scheduled for April 7 from Cape Canaveral. April 9, The new command crew for the ISS will be launched from Baikonur to start Mission 65. On April 22, SpaceX/NASA commercial Crew Flight #2 is scheduled for launch on the reused Falcon 9 from the Crew-1 mission and the Crew Dragon capsule from the Endeavor Demo-2 mission. The Crew-1 astronauts will return shortly thereafter. [ANS thanks SpaceX, NASA, and ROSCOMOS 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 +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for April 1, 2021 The following satellites have been added to this week's AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution: Maya-2 - NORAD Cat ID 47929. OPUSAT-II - NORAD Cat ID 47930. CubeSX-Sirius-HSE - NORAD Cat ID 47951 Thanks to Nico Janssen, PA0DLO for the identification of these satellites. The following satellites have been removed from this week's AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution: OBJECT B - NORAD Cat ID 47310 OBJECT D - NORAD Cat ID 47312 OBJECT E - NORAD Cat ID 47313 OBJECT G - NORAD Cat ID 47315 OBJECT J - NORAD Cat ID 47317 OBJECT K - NORAD Cat ID 47318 OBJECT M - NORAD Cat ID 47320 OBJECT N - NORAD Cat ID 47345 The above objects are non-amateur radio satellites associated with a launch carrying amateur radio satellites. As the amateur radio satellites have been identified from that launch, these objects are no longer of interest. [ANS thanks Ray Hoad, WA5QGD, AMSAT Orbital Elements Manager, 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: Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of April 4, 2021 The School of Information Technology & Mathematical Sciences, Southern Hemisphere Space Studies Program 2021, Mawson Lakes, SA, Australia, telebridge via NA7V The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS. The downlink frequency is presently scheduled to be 145.800 MHz. The latest information on the operation mode can be found at https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html. The scheduled astronaut is Shannon Walker KD5DXB Contact is go for: Tue 2021-04-06 11:27:49 UTC 34 deg via IK1SLD. Watch for livestream at https://tinyurl.com/ISSLINKUP2021 Kaluga Regional schools, Kaluga, Russia direct via TBD. The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS. The downlink frequency is presently scheduled to be 145.800 MHz. The latest information on the operation mode can be found at https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html The scheduled astronaut is Sergey Kud-Sverchkov. Watch for Tue 2021-04-06 13:10 UTC St. Petersburg, Russia direct via TBD. The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS. The downlink frequency is presently scheduled to be 145.800 MHz. The latest information on the operation mode can be found at https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html. The scheduled astronaut is Sergey Ryzhikov. Watch for Wed 2021-04-07 12:20 UTC [ANS thanks Charlie Sufana, AJ9N, one of the ARISS operation team mentors 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: DN58 look for #NO7G on SSB sats over the next week (3/25 4/4) AA5PK: Thinking a trip to EM01 Saturday (4/3) is in order. N3CRT: Activating ***Delaware*** via satellite -FM and Linear- at Fort Mott State Park FM29fo this Saturday April 3rd 12z-20z and possibly later. WL7T: Had to cancel Maine. Too expensive to change flights this close to departure. EL58 is rescheduled for April 11. Will be driving from EM26 to EL59, so might be stopping along the way for a few contacts starting a day or two before April 11. Major Roves: CM93 Possibility: N6DNM Very long shot, but might want to put it on your calendar for May 15th, if you can figure out where it is and for #SOTA folks, that would be W6/SC-336, Santa Rosa Island, activated only once before. Please submit any additions or corrections to Ke0pbr (at) gmail.com Updated 03/31/2021 [ANS thanks Paul Overn, KE0PBR, AMSAT rover page manager for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events From Larry Manaev, RN3AG: "We invite your members to take part in the Yuri Gagarin International DX Contest 2021. Date: from 21.00 UTC on April 10 till 21.00 UTC on April 11, 2021. Modes: CW only. Satellite categories: SAT - Single operator - Satellite QSOs. SAT-GS - Single operator - Geostationary Satellite QSOs (QO-100). Contest rules: http://gc.qst.ru/en/section/32" AMSAT Ambassador, Tom Zimmerman W9TTY, will be exhibiting at the DeKalb Hamfest, Sandwich, Illinois on May 2, 2021. This hamfest SW of Chicago will feature a presentation for hams curious about Amateur Radio in Space and how to work the easy sats. Info on Kishwaukee Amateur Radio Club Webpage www.kare-club.org AMSAT Ambassador Clint Bradford K6CLS is planning a presentation on 06/15 to a club in East Massachusetts. Think a 90-minute lively, informative, and fun How to Work the Easy Satellites Zoom presentation would be appropriate for your convention or club? Always includes are overviews of the ARRL, AMSAT, and ARISS and pre-presentation questions are solicited and welcome. Send Clint an email or call! Clint Bradford K6LCS, http://www.work-sat.com. Tel:909-999-SATS (7287) [ANS thanks Paul Overn, KE0PBR, AMSAT Events page manager, Larry Manaev, RN3AG, and Clint Bradford, K6CLS AMSAT Ambassador for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Satellite Shorts From All Over + AMSAT Vice President - Engineering Jerry Buxton, N0JY, appeared on the April 1, 2021 episode of Ham Talk Live to discuss the latest status of AMSAT satellite development. A replay of the episode can be heard at https://www.spreaker.com/user/hamtalklive/episode-253-amsat-satellite-engine ering- [ANS thanks AMSAT for the above information] + Frank Garofalo, WA2NDV sends a thank you note to all who participated in the Last Man Standing special event. He says "I had the pleasure to work 111 contacts as W6S over the course of the week. If you made at least one contact you can download a certificate in around 4 weeks time. Just check the QRZ page for information. The official numbers are not yet in but there were approximately 60 thousand contacts made across all frequencies and modes." He continues: "I was also very careful not to interfere with any rover operations during the event." [ANS thanks Frank Garofalo, WA2NDV for the above information] + SpaceXs latest high-altitude Starship test flight ends in another explosion. SpaceXs latest Starship test flight apparently ended with another explosion Tuesday in South Texas, but dense fog obscured clear views of the launch and failed landing. The Federal Aviation Administration said late Tuesday it is working with SpaceX to determine if light debris reported in a nearby town came from the Starship test rocket. [ANS thanks Stephen Clark of SpaceFlightNow.com for the above information] +Biden administration renews mandate for National Space Council. President Biden will renew the National Space Council, a space policy group revived by the Trump White House after 25 years of dormancy, to assist in generating national space policies, strategies, and synchronizing Americas space activities, an administration spokesman said Monday. A spokesman for the National Security Council said the Biden administration is renewing the National Space Council at a time of unprecedented activity and opportunity generated by Americas activities in space. [ANS thanks Stephen Clark of SpaceFlightNow.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 additional benefits. Application forms are available from the AMSAT Store. 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 info [at] amsat.org 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 frawg dot org

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