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ANS-030 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins For January 30, 2022
by kd4iz＠frawg.org 29 Jan '22

29 Jan '22

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-030 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: * AMSATs GOLF-TEE CubeSat de-manifested from launch on ELaNa-46 * Weak Signals Heard from Spanish Satellites EASAT-2 and HADES * Svalbard QO-100 Satellite DX-Pedition Announced * Orbital Mechanics for New and Experienced Satellite Operators * Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for January 27, 2022 * ARISS News * Upcoming Satellite Operations * Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events * Satellite Shorts From All Over ANS-030 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins To: All RADIO AMATEURS From: Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation 712 H Street NE, Suite 1653 Washington, DC 20002 DATE 2022 Jan 30 AMSATs GOLF-TEE CubeSat de-manifested from launch on ELaNa-46 NASA has de-manifested GOLF-TEE from the ELaNa-46 mission at the request of AMSAT. ELaNa-46 was expected to launch no earlier than 2022. COVID-related restrictions and supply chain disruptions, affecting both AMSATs vendors and team, have put AMSATs ability to meet the mission integration timeline at high risk. AMSAT Vice-President Engineering Jerry Buxton, N0JY, described some of the reasons for this decision: AMSAT finds itself in a similar situation to what other payloads and space-industry providers are experiencing. The worldwide pandemic and supply chain shortages are threatening everyones ability to properly and successfully deliver for launches. Out of respect for NASA, the launch provider, and other payloads, it is important to withdraw now, rather than later or, even worst, missing a launch integration deadline, which has possible financial penalty implications. GOLF-TEE and GOLF-1 have both been selected to participate in NASAs CubeSat Launch Initiative program, and NASA will continue to look for another launch for GOLF-TEE. AMSATs GOLF program plays an important role in AMSATs return to highly elliptical orbits. In addition to proving the maneuverability capabilities required by current and proposed orbital debris regulations, the GOLF program will work through a series of increasingly capable spacecraft to develop skills and learn systems for which we do not yet have the necessary low-risk experience. Among these are active attitude control, deployable/steerable solar panels, radiation tolerance for Commercial off the Shelf (COTS) components in higher orbits, and propulsion. The TEE designation in GOLF-TEE stands for Technology Exploration Environment and reflects GOLF-TEEs mission goal to test two critical systems needed for higher orbits. The first is an Attitude Determination and Control System (ADCS) that will allow active pointing of high gain satellite antennas, provide accurate attitude adjustments in future missions with maneuverability systems, and allow pointing the fixed solar panel array for best solar power in any given orbit type. The second is the Radiation-Tolerant Integrated Housekeeping Unit (RTIHU), which will allow AMSAT to gain initial orbit and space radiation exposure for radiation event-induced fault tolerant systems designed using COTS components. GOLF-TEEs RTIHU includes a command transceiver, and its design is based on 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 Engineerings 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 Ettus E310 commercial software-defined radio (SDR), as an experimental package, to test the high speed data downlink in the 10 GHz band and a parrot V/x mode linear transponder to provide users with an opportunity to experiment with the 10 GHz microwave downlink. GOLF-TEE will also carry a legacy V/u linear transponder. GOLF-1 will build on technology and lessons learned from the GOLF-TEE mission; however, it will be a return to STEM-based educational missions, including hosted student radiation and imaging experiments in collaboration with AMSATs educational partners. GOLF-1 will require a more comprehensive de-orbiting plan and hardware that are in compliance with NASAs NPR 8715.6 NASA Procedural Requirements for Limiting Orbital Debris in order to be manifested on an ELaNa launch to the high altitude AMSAT is seeking. 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 Robert Bankston, KE4AL, President AMSAT for the above information] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ The 2022 AMSAT President's Club coins have arrived! To commemorate the 50th anniversary of its launch on October 15, 1972, this year's coin features an image of AMSAT-OSCAR 6. Join the AMSAT President's Club today and help Keep Amateur Radio in Space! https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/ +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Weak Signals Heard from Spanish Satellites EASAT-2 and HADES AMSAT-EA (Spain) has said it appears that EASAT-2 and HADES are transmitting, and that weak signals have been heard, but the satellites antennas may not have deployed. We confirm the reception of both EASAT-2 and HADES, as well as the decoding of telemetry and the FM recorded voice beacon with the call sign AM5SAT of the first one. EASAT-2 appears to be working well, except for the deployment of the antennas something that apparently has not yet occurred and causes weak signals, said AMSAT-EA Mission Manager Felix Paez, EA4GQS. However, the AMSAT-EA team confirms that, based on the reception of FSK, CW, the FM voice beacon, and the telemetry data that has been decoded, it can be said that the satellite is working perfectly. In the event of low battery or system malfunction, the onboard computer would not transmit CW messages or the voice beacon call sign, as it would be in [safe mode] with only fast and slow telemetry transmissions. At the request of AMSAT-EA, EASAT-2 has been designated as Spain-OSCAR 114 (SO-114) and HADES as Spain-OSCAR 115 (SO-115). These signals that confirm the operation of both satellites were received by Daniel Estévez, EA4GPZ, at 1807 UTC on Saturday, January 15, using two antennas from the Allen Telescope Array. Doppler observations from the co-launched Delfi-PQ satellite and the amateur radio community have been used to identify the satellites orbits or TLEs. AMSAT-EA reports that Estévez performed a preliminary analysis using just one polarization of one of the Allen Telescope Array satellite dishes. EASAT-2 was detected with a relatively strong signal, close to the Delfi-PQ signal, obtaining voice FM beacon transmissions and FSK, FSK-CW at 50 baud, AMSAT-EA said. The CW beacon clearly shows the message VVV AM5SAT SOL Y PLAYA, which is one of several that both satellites emit, although the call sign AM5SAT confirms that it is EASAT-2, AMSAT-EA said. In the recording made by EA4GPZ, there is also a faint trace confirmed to be from HADES and stronger packets probably from the IRIS-A satellite. AMSAT-EA reports that signals from HADES are weaker than those of EASAT-2, most likely because the onboard computer has not yet managed to deploy the antennas either, although it will continue trying regularly, AMSAT-EA said. The reason the signals are suspected to be weaker at HADES is that the antennas are more tightly folded than those of EASAT-2. In any case, this is great news, since the transmission pattern confirms the proper functioning of the satellite. In the observations, you can see the FSK tones with a deviation of about 5 kHz interspersed with the FM carrier corresponding to the voice beacon of the satellite, which has call sign AM6SAT. The AMSAT-EA team is working to try to decode the telemetry signals and obtain more detailed information on the state of the satellite. AMSAT is asking amateurs with very high-gain antennas to try to receive them especially HADES. If we could decode telemetry, it would be very helpful for us. AMSAT-EA said. Until antennas are deployed, it will be very difficult to use their repeaters or to receive any SSTV camera images from HADES, but we hope that this will happen sooner or later, at least because, even if the computer doesnt succeed applying heat to the resistor where the thread [retaining the antennas] is attached, with time, the thread should break due to the space environment conditions. Details of the decoded telemetry and voice, as well as more details in: https://www.amsat-ea.org/ (Texts are In Spanish) And in the following Twitter threads: EASAT-2 transmissions: https://twitter.com/ea4gpz/status/1482457631566487553 EASAT-2 decodings by Gabriel Otero: https://twitter.com/gaoterop/status/1482758196037050382 HADES transmissions: https://twitter.com/ea4gpz/status/1482696274797338625. [ANS thanks Felix Paez, EA4GQS, AMSAT-EA Mission Manager and AMSAT News Service 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/ +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Svalbard QO-100 Satellite DX-Pedition Announced The very first Svalbard QO-100 Satellite DX-Pedition will take place April 22-24, 2022 from Kapp Linné Isfjord Radio at 78° North. ON4CKM Cedric, ON5UR Max and ON4DCU Patrick will take up the challenge and travel to Kapp Linné and stay there for 3 days, trying to be active 24 hours a day via the Qatar-OSCAR 100 satellite. They will operate two QO-100 satellite stations under the callsigns JW0W and JW100QO, while JW0X will be used by another team for contacts on shortwave. With QO-100 only 3° above the horizon, Kap Linné was the only suitable place in the area with Svalbard at the edge of the satellite footprint. Looking for a suitable location to stay and getting there, is one of the biggest challenges and cost drivers for the team. This is indeed a very unique opportunity to work this rare location and DXCC via satellite. And if they are lucky, they might also be able to contact DP0GVN at the german antarctic research Neumayer-Station III for the North/South distance record via QO-100. The team is seeking donations. Additional information and graphics may be found at: https://bit.ly/3KLZsJI. [ANS thanks Peter Gülzow, DB2OS, President AMSAT-DL for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Orbital Mechanics for New and Experienced Satellite Operators Bob Meyers, WA8FXQ posted a useful link he discovered in the most recent Orbital Index. It is particularly good for those who want a better understanding of fundamental behind GPS. The link's author, Bartosz Ciechanowski, is a blogger who focuses on explorations of physics, math, and engineering. His animations couple with his straight forward explanations to create a clear view of each topic he tackles. His current blog post is focused on the principles behind GPS systems, however in the process of explaining how GPS systems work, he tackles orbital mechnics and the relationship of orbital altitude to radio footprint of satellites. His excellent animations make it possible for him to present the rather complicated mathematics visually and without requiring the viewer to have a strong mathematical background. His blog on the GPS system may be seen at: https://ciechanow.ski/gps/. He is also a Patreon creator and fields questions and discussions on that platform. [ANS thanks Bob Meyers, WA8FXQ and The Orbital Index 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 January 27, 2022 The following satellite has been added to this week's AMSAT TLE Distribution. Grizu-263a - NORAD Cat ID 51025 (Thanks to Space-Track/CelesTrak for the identification.) Still waiting for the SpaceTrack Catalog ID for Tevel-1 thru Tevel-8, EASAT-2, and Hades to be identified. For info on these satellites, see AMSAT News Service Bulletin ANS-023 (January 23.2022) on www.amsat.org Finally, per AMSAT News Service Bulletin ANS-023, AMSAT-EA Receives Two OSCAR Designations: SO-114 & SO-115. Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA, AMSAT VP Operations/OSCAR Number Administrator wrote: "At the request of AMSAT-EA, AMSAT hereby designates EASAT-2 as Spain-OSCAR 114 (SO-114) and HADES as Spain-OSCAR 115 (SO-115). We congratulate AMSAT-EA, thank them for their contribution to the amateur satellite community, and wish them continued success on this and future projects." [ANS thanks Ray Hoad, WA5QGD, AMSAT Orbital Elements Manager, for the above information] -------------------------------------------------------------------- ARISS NEWS: Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2022-01-27 01:30 UTC 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. Lewis Center for Educational Research, Apple Valley, CA, telebridge via K6DUE. The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS. The downlink frequency is presently scheduled to be 145.800 MHz. The scheduled crewmember is Thomas Marshburn KE5HOC. Contact is go for: Mon 2022-01-31 17:47:42 UTC 35 deg Amur State University, Blagoveshchensk, 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 scheduled crewmember is Pyotr Dubrov. Contact is go for Wed 2022-02-02 08:45 UTC Johannes-Kepler-Gymnasium, Lebach, Germany, direct via DLØJKG (***). The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be DPØISS. The downlink frequency is presently scheduled to be 145.800 MHz. The scheduled crewmember is Matthias Maurer KI5KFH. Contact is go for: Fri 2022-02-04 11:37:09 UTC 25 deg The next mode change to voice cross band repeater is expected to occur in late January/early February 2022. 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] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ 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 {Copy directly from https://www.amsat.org/satellite-info/upcoming-satellite-operations/ however, leave out sub-headings for "Major Roves" or "Quick Hits." If time permits, edit out first-person comments such as "I will be going to ...." Make these third-person as news reports.} ISS Is in packet mode as of Jan 11th. 145.825 up and down. Going back to cross band repeater on 1/31. 4A90, MEXICO (Special Event). Members of the Federacion Mexicana de Radio Experimentadores (FMRE)[Mexican Society]are celebrating their 90th anniversary during January, February and March 2022 promoting each of the 31 States and Mexico City with the following 32 different special event callsigns and 4A90FMRE: January 1-15th: 4A90COL, 4A90CMX, 4A90EMX, 4A90GTO, 4A90HGO, 4A90JAL and 4A90MIC January 16-30th: 4A90MOR, 4A90NAY, 4A90PUE, 4A90QRO, 4A90TLX and 4A90VER January 31st-February 14th: 4A90AGS, 4A90BAC, 4A90BCS, 4A90COA, 4A90CHH and 4A90DGO February 15th-March 1st: 4A90NLE, 4A90SLP, 4A90SIN, 4A90SON, 4A90TAM and 4A90ZAC March 2-16th: 4A90CAM, 4A90CHI, 4A90GRO, 4A90OAX, 4A90QUI, 4A90TAB and 4A90YUC Activity will be on various HF bands using CW, SSB, RTTY, FT8/FT4 and the satellites. Awards are available (see QRZ.com for details). For more details on the event, see:http://fmre90.puebladx.org [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 meetings, hamfests, conventions, maker faires, and other events. Clint Bradford, K6LCS, AMSAT Ambassador gave his Getting Started presentation last June to a great club on the east coast - now they want MORE! The club has asked for a speaker to cover working the linear satellites. EME is of interest to them too! Clint would appreciate help finding a Zoom-capable speaker. For further details, please contact Clint Bradford, K6CLS at: Email: clintbradford [at] mac DOT com or 951-533-4984 - cell + ARRL National Convention February 10-13, 2022 DoubleTree by Hilton Orlando at SeaWorld 10100 International Dr, Orlando, FL 32821 + Orlando HamCation February 11-13, 2022 Central Florida Fairgrounds and Expo Park 4603 West Colonial Drive Orlando, Florida 32808 + CubeSat Developers Workshop April 2628, 2022 San Luis Obispo, CA + Hamvention 2022 May 20, 2022 to May 22, 2022 Greene County Fairgrounds and Expo Center 210 Fairground Road Xenia, Ohio 45385 https://www.hamvention.org + 2022 Rocky Mountain ARRL Division Convention October 7, 2022 - October 9, 2022 Event Center at Archer 3921 Archer Pkwy Cheyenne, Wyoming 82007 https://wyhamcon.org/site. Clint Bradford K6CLS, AMSAT Ambassador writes: "I have a really great club needing a speaker specializing in SSB, and touching on EME. They were given my Getting Started presentation last year, and want MORE! An East Coast club meets on Wednesdays Please send me a private email message if youre ready to Zoom!" Write to: Clint Bradford K6LCS Email: clintbradford AT mac DOT com 951-533-4984 - cell [ANS thanks Paul Overn, KE0PBR, AMSAT Events page manager, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Satellite Shorts From All Over + A Martian carbon biosignature? Not content to be overshadowed by the newer, shinier Perseverance, Curiosity has roved and drilled on (for nearly 10 years now). A paper and NASA summary both report (appropriately conservatively) on tantalizing new evidence from the rover of potential biosignatures in Gale crater. Curiositys SAM lab heated 24 different powdered rock samples to 850° C, releasing their solid carbon as methane gas. The onboard Tunable Laser Spectrometer then measured the carbon isotopes in that gas and found more 12C than would be expected based on the 12C-to-13C ratio in the modern Martian atmosphere. On Earth, life preferentially uses 12C over the heavier 13C, bioaccumulating it, so that we observe significantly more 12C than 13C in ancient rocks where life grew. Did ancient Martian microbial methanogenesis concentrate this isotope at Gale crater as it built up complex organic molecules? Maybe. Two other hypotheses offer abiotic explanations: one suggests that UV light could have caused CO2 in the Martian atmosphere to form isotopically enriched carbon monoxide molecules that settled to the surface, the other wonders if the isotopes arrived from space when our solar system drifted through a 13C-depleted giant molecular cloud hundreds of millions of years ago. Its also possible that the Martian atmospheric concentration changed over time for some unknown reason. On Earth, processes that would produce the carbon signal were detecting on Mars are biological, but we dont understand the Martian carbon cycle well enough yet to have any real confidence. As with other tantalizing results about microbial extraterrestrial life, this will probably just turn out to be a physicochemical process we dont yet understand. Or maybe not. See https://go.nasa.gov/35vE0IQ and http://bit.ly/3IIKpyF for details. [ANS thanks NASA and The Orbital Index for the above information] + Reaching the tipping point for 3D printing satellites: The number of 3D-printed parts on board satellites is growing amid advances in additive manufacturing. Satellite shops are embracing the technology to cut costs and accelerate production for increasingly capable spacecraft. Advances are paving the way to a future where satellites can print parts in orbit. But how close is the industry to 3D printing entire satellites? Its a tricky question, not least because the number of parts on a satellite differs greatly depending on its size and complexity, and range from simple foundational structures to intricate semiconductors. Cubesat parts can number in the hundreds of components while larger satellites can range from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands for flagship missions such as the just-launched $10 billion James Webb Space Telescope, said Emile de Rijk, CEO of additive manufacturing specialist Swissto12. But just five years ago, the use of 3D printed structures was largely experimental with very few parts being flown in missions and payloads that had a healthy risk appetite, according to de Rijk. Now, nearly all satellites built today have at least some 3D printed parts, he says, although most are still relatively simple mechanical bracketing systems for keeping a spacecrafts structure together. More information may be found at: https://bit.ly/3g3sWod. [ANS thanks Jason Rainbow at SpaceNews.com for the above information] + SpaceX rocket on collision course with moon: A rocket launched by Elon Musk's space exploration company is on course to crash into the Moon and explode. The Falcon 9 booster was launched in 2015 but after completing its mission, it did not have enough fuel to return towards Earth and instead remained in space. Astronomer Jonathan McDowell told BBC News it will be the first known uncontrolled rocket collision with the Moon, but the effects will be minor. The rocket was abandoned in high orbit seven years ago after it completed a mission to send a space weather satellite on a million-mile journey. It was part of Elon Musk's space exploration programme SpaceX, a commercial company that ultimately aims to get humans living on other planets. See https://bbc.in/3o4bpRa for the full story. [ANS thanks Georgina Rannard of BBC News for the above information] + NASA to name astronauts this year for first Artemis moon mission: NASA will announce later this year the four astronauts who will slingshot around the far side of the moon on the Artemis lunar programs first crew mission, currently scheduled for launch in 2024, the head of the agencys human space exploration division recently said. The crew is expected to include three U.S. fliers and one Canadian astronaut. The Artemis 2 mission will follow two years after NASAs Artemis 1 test flight, an unpiloted pathfinder mission scheduled to launch no earlier than March from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Artemis 1 will be the first flight of NASAs Space Launch System, a heavy-lift rocket designed for lunar missions thats been in development for more than a decade. It will also be first trip by NASAs Orion crew capsule to the moon, following a demonstration flight that orbited Earth in 2014. The goal of NASAs Artemis program is to land astronauts on the moons surface for the first time since the final Apollo lunar mission in December 1972. The Artemis programs first attempt to land a crew on the moon is penciled in for the Artemis 3 mission, scheduled for 2025, with a derivative of the Starship vehicle SpaceXs is developing in South Texas. More info is available at: https://bit.ly/3L0nGQG. [ANS thanks Stephen Clark of Spaceflight Now for the above information] + Two New Satellite Distance Records Claimed: An initial distance record has been claimed on HO-113. A65GC (@farangov) worked @F4DXV on 13-Jan-2022 at 19:52 UTC - a distance of 5,298 km. Earlier in the month a new distance record has been claimed on AO-109. @ES4RM in KO49al completed a SSB QSO with @F4DXV in JN04iu on 22-Dec-2021 at 15:24 UTC - a distance of 2,445 km. See https://amsat.org/satellite-distance-records/. [ANS thanks Paul Stoetzer, N8HM, Executive Vice President of the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT) and ANS Editor for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Join AMSAT today at https://launch.amsat.org/ In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership to: * Societies (a recognized group, clubs or organization). * 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. * Memberships are available for annual and lifetime terms. Contact info [at] amsat.org for additional 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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ANS-023 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins For January 23, 2022
by f.karnauskas＠amsat.org 22 Jan '22

22 Jan '22

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-023 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: * Visit AMSAT at Orlando Hamcation * EASAT-2 and HADES Updates * AMSAT EA Receives Two OSCAR Designations: SO-114 & SO-115 * Amateur Operation in 3.45 – 3.5 GHz Must Cease by April 14, 2022 * Launch of a Wooden Satellite Still Pending * Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for January 20, 2022 * ARISS News * Upcoming Satellite Operations * Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events * Satellite Shorts From All Over ANS-023 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins To: All RADIO AMATEURS From: Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation 712 H Street NE, Suite 1653 Washington, DC 20002 DATE 2022 Jan 23 Visit AMSAT at Orlando Hamcation Hamcation 2022 is scheduled for February 11 - 13, 2022 at the Central Florida Fairgrounds and Expo Center in Orlando, FL. You are invited to visit the AMSAT booth located at the far west end of West Hall. There you can see the SatPC32 and CubeSat Sim demos, ask questions, or just say "Hi." In addition, AMSAT President, Robert Bankston, KE4AL, AMSAT President, will host An AMSAT forum in Classroom 1 on Saturday at 3:00 PM. For more information about Hamcation 2022, including directions, operating hours, vendors, and a complete forum schedule, please visit https://www.hamcation.com/. If you are interested at volunteering at the AMSAT booth, contact Dave Jordan, AA4KN, at aa4kn at amsat dot org. [ANS thanks Dave Jordan, AA4KN, for the above information.] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Join the 2022 President's Club! Score your 2" 4-Color Accent Commemorative Coin. This gold finished coin comes with Full Color Certificate and Embroidered Iron-on AMSAT Logo Patch Donate today at https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/ You won't want to miss it! +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ EASAT-2 and HADES Updates Felix Paez, EA4GQS, AMSAT-EA Mission Manager provided the last information on their satellites as of January 18, 2022. "We confirm the reception of both EASAT-2 and HADES, as well as the decoding of telemetry and the FM recorded voice beacon with the callsign AM5SAT of the first one. EASAT-2 appears to be working well except for the deployment of the antennas, something that apparently has not yet occurred and causes weak signals. However, the AMSAT-EA team confirms that, based on the reception of FSK, CW, the FM voice beacon and the telemetry data that has been decoded, it can be said that the satellite is working perfectly. In the event of low battery or system malfunction, the on-board computer would not transmit CW messages or the voice beacon-callsign, as it would be in a 'safe' state with only fast and slow telemetry transmissions. "These signals that have been able to confirm the operation of both satellites were received by Dr. Daniel Estévez EA4GPZ at 18:07 UTC on Saturday, January 15, using two antennas from the Allen Telescope Array. The TLEs used were obtained from the radio amateur community, with Doppler observations from the Delfi-PQ satellite, deployed together with EASAT-2 and Hades. "TLEs used were these ones: https://github.com/AMSAT-EA/easat2-tle-lottery/blob/main/satnogs-2022-01-16… Daniel, EA4GPZ, performed a preliminary analysis using just one polarization of one of the satellite dishes. EASAT-2 has been detected with a relatively strong signal, close to the Delfi-PQ signal, obtaining said recorded voice FM beacon transmissions and FSK, FSK-CW at 50 baud. "The CW beacon clearly shows the message: VVV AM5SAT SOL Y PLAYA, which is one of several that both satellites emit, although the callsign AM5SAT confirms that it is EASAT-2. "In the recording made by Daniel EA4GPZ there is also a faint trace confirmed to be from Hades and stronger packets probably from the IRIS-A satellite. "HADES, like EASAT-2, is transmitting weak signals, weaker than the ones of EASAT-2, most likely because the on-board computer has not yet managed to deploy the antennas either, although it will continue trying regularly. The reason the signals are suspected to be weaker at Hades is that the antennas are more tightly folded than those of EASAT-2. In any case, this is great news, since the transmission pattern confirms the proper functioning of the satellite. In the observations you can see the FSK tones with a deviation of about 5 kHz interspersed with the FM carrier corresponding to the voice beacon of the satellite, which has callsign AM6SAT. The AMSAT-EA team is working to try to decode the telemetry signals and obtain more detailed information on the state of the satellite. "We kindly ask you, if you have very high gain antennas, to try to receive them, specially Hades. If we could decode telemetry it would be very helpful for us. "Until antennas are deployed it will be very difficult to use their repeaters or to receive any SSTV camera images from Hades, but we hope that this will happen sooner or later, at least because even if the computer doesn't succeed applying heat to the resistor where the thread is attached, with time, the thread should break due to the space environment conditions. Details of the decoded telemetry and voice, as well as more details in: https://www.amsat-ea.org/ (Texts are In Spanish) And in the following Twitter threads: EASAT-2 transmissions: https://twitter.com/ea4gpz/status/1482457631566487553 EASAT-2 decodings by Gabriel Otero: https://twitter.com/gaoterop/status/1482758196037050382 HADES transmissions: https://twitter.com/ea4gpz/status/1482696274797338625." [ANS thanks Felix Paez, EA4GQS, AMSAT-EA Mission Manager for the above information.] --------------------------------------------------------------------- AMSAT EA Receives Two OSCAR Designations: SO-114 & SO-115 On January 13, 2022, the EASAT-2 and HADES satellites were launched on a Falcon 9 launch vehicle from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Developed by AMSAT-EA, both satellites carry FM and digital repeater payloads to provide services to amateur radio enthusiasts around the world. At the request of AMSAT-EA, AMSAT hereby designates EASAT-2 as Spain-OSCAR 114 (SO-114) and HADES as Spain-OSCAR 115 (SO-115). We congratulate AMSAT-EA, thank them for their contribution to the amateur satellite community, and wish them continued success on this and future projects. [ANS thanks Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA, AMSAT VP Operations/OSCAR Number Administrator 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 +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Amateur Operation in 3.45 – 3.5 GHz Must Cease by April 14, 2022 The FCC has established April 14, 2022, as the date by which amateur radio transmissions must stop in the upper 3.45 – 3.5 GHz segment of the amateur secondary 9-centimeter band. Secondary operations are permitted to continue indefinitely in the remainder of the band, 3.3 – 3.45 GHz, pending future FCC proceedings. On January 14 the FCC released DA 22-39, which announces the results of Auction 110 for the 3.45 – 3.55 GHz band. Release of this notice triggered FCC rules adopted last year requiring that amateur radio operations between 3.45 GHz and 3.5 GHz cease within 90 days of the public notice. In October 2021, ARRL President Rick Roderick, K5UR, urged Congress to direct the FCC to preserve Amateur Radio’s secondary use of the 3 GHz band in a written statement responding to H.R. 5378, the Spectrum Innovation Act of 2021, before the US House Commerce Communications and Technology Subcommittee. A chronology of actions responding to amateur access on the 3.5 GHz band can be found on the ARRL website. [ANS thanks the ARRL for the above information.] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Launch of a Wooden Satellite Still Pending Two spacecraft comprised of wood or using wooden framing are hoping to launch this year and next. One will carry an amateur radio payload. WISA Woodsat, a Finnish spacecraft that planned to include an amateur radio payload, was forced to postpone its announced launch target from 2021 to 2022 after the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) Amateur Satellite Frequency Coordination system turned away its request to use amateur radio frequencies. “I regret to inform you that IARU is not in a position to support the WISA Woodsat Coordination request,” the coordinator said. “The main reason is that the primary mission doesn’t seem to be an amateur mission.” As announced last year, WISA Woodsat was designed to accommodate multiple missions — from materials science, space education, and awareness to promoting and facilitating amateur radio communication with and via satellites. No transponder was on board, but the satellite’s sponsors said they had the support of Finland’s IARU member-society, SRAL, to use amateur radio frequencies. They are now reworking the spacecraft to use commercial radio frequencies. “To our great disappointment, we can’t serve the radio amateur community with the LoRa-repeater mission as we had hoped and planned. We will continue to share the pictures and data online, but the technical aspect has been diminished due to this decision,” said WISA Woodsat’s Chief Engineer Samuli Nyman of Arctic Astronautics. Meanwhile, LignoSat, a 1U-sized CubeSat with an outside structure mainly composed of wood, has applied for IARU frequency coordination and hopes to launch from the ISS in 2023. Built by students at Japan’s Kyoto University, LignoSat includes a unique amateur radio payload but not a transponder. The LignoSat application for IARU Satellite Frequency Coordination in December said the CubeSat would carry amateur radio equipment that will extract call signs of amateur radio stations from uplinked FM packet signals and respond to them via the CW downlink and the sender’s call signs to convey thank you messages. The plan proposes UHF downlinks for CW and FM. The satellite’s development team, comprised of Kyoto University and Sumitomo Forestry Company, said it’s aiming to harness the environmental friendliness and the economy of wood in spacecraft development. They say a satellite with a wooden exterior would burn up upon re-entering Earth’s atmosphere at the end of its mission, lessening its burden on the environment. The wooden framework also will permit the satellite’s antennas to be inside the spacecraft. A plan is under way to use an experimental apparatus on the International Space Station to hold wooden sheets of varying hardness, taken from several tree species, attached. These would remain exposed to the space environment for about 9 months to determine their deterioration. The team is headed by Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Tako Doi. Now a Kyoto University professor, Doi was the first JAXA astronaut to take part in spacewalks from the shuttle Columbia in 1997. He said the concept, if successful, could lead the way to “allowing even children who are interested in space to make a satellite.” LignoSat would be deployed from the ISS in July 2023. [ANS thanks the ARRL for the above information.] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for January 20, 2022 The following satellite has been added to this week's AMSAT TLE Distribution: - DELFI-PQ - NORAD Cat ID 51074 (Thanks to Nico Janssen, PA0DLO for the identification) - Still waiting for the SpaceTrack Catalog ID for Tevel-1 thru Tevel-8, EASAT-2, and Hades to be identified. As always, the latest Keps data can be found at https://mailman.amsat.org/hyperkitty/list/keps@amsat.org. [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/ +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ 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. + Quantorium Children's Technopark, Komsomolsk-on-Amur, 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 scheduled crewmember is Anton Shkaplerov. Contact is go for January 25, 2022 at 08:45 UTC + Amur State University, Blagoveshchensk, 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 scheduled crewmember is Pyotr Dubrov. Contact is go for February 2, 2022 at 08:45 UTC 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.] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ 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 + 4A90, MEXICO (Special Event). Members of the Federacion Mexicana de Radio Experimentadores (FMRE)[Mexican Society]are celebrating their 90th anniversary during January, February and March 2022 promoting each of the 31 States and Mexico City with the following 32 different special event callsigns and 4A90FMRE: - January 16-30: 4A90MOR, 4A90NAY, 4A90PUE, 4A90QRO, 4A90TLX and 4A90VER - January 31-February 14: 4A90AGS, 4A90BAC, 4A90BCS, 4A90COA, 4A90CHH and 4A90DGO - February 15-March 1: 4A90NLE, 4A90SLP, 4A90SIN, 4A90SON, 4A90TAM and 4A90ZAC - March 2-16: 4A90CAM, 4A90CHI, 4A90GRO, 4A90OAX, 4A90QUI, 4A90TAB and 4A90YUC Activity will be on various HF bands using CW, SSB, RTTY, FT8/FT4 and the satellites. Awards are available (see QRZ.com for details). For more details on the event, see: http://fmre90.puebladx.org + N5BO – 1/22-26/2022 Justin travels five days to see how many #pota he can activate with a minimum of 50 QSOs at each stop. He will also look to add EL88/87 to his SAT /R at some point. [ANS thanks Paul Overn, KE0PBR, AMSAT rover page manager, for the above information.] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events + ARRL National Convention February 10-13, 2022 DoubleTree by Hilton Orlando at SeaWorld 10100 International Dr, Orlando, FL 32821 + Orlando HamCation February 11-13, 2022 Central Florida Fairgrounds and Expo Park 4603 West Colonial Drive Orlando, Florida 32808 + CubeSat Developers Workshop April 26–28, 2022 San Luis Obispo, CA + Hamvention 2022 May 20, 2022 to May 22, 2022 Greene County Fairgrounds and Expo Center 210 Fairground Road Xenia, Ohio 45385 https://www.hamvention.org + 2022 Rocky Mountain ARRL Division Convention October 7, 2022 - October 9, 2022 Event Center at Archer 3921 Archer Pkwy Cheyenne, Wyoming 82007 https://wyhamcon.org/site. [ANS thanks Paul Overn, KE0PBR, AMSAT Events page manager, for the above information.] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Satellite Shorts From All Over + The January operating schedule shows one remaining date in January for FO-29 operation. That will be January 29 from 00:03 UTC until battery exhaustion. FO-29 will be in full sunshine from January 28 to the end of April. During that time, continuous operation can be expected. [AMSAT thanks Akira Kaneko,JA1OGZ, for the above information.] + The SpaceX Smallsat Rideshare program offers a viable and affordable option to launch up to 200 kg into a sun-synchronous, low Earth orbit. That is why, along with approximately 80-90 other satellites, USC’s Dodona satellite—it’s third ever—hitched a ride on SpaceX’s latest mission, Transporter 3 this week. Dodona is a project out of USC’s Space Engineering Research Center. Part of SERC’s mission is creating hands-on opportunities for students and faculty to build and test advanced space technology, in addition to integrating, launching and operating small satellites. Dodona takes advantage of the space focused curriculum through analysis tools and techniques that are taught at USC through the Astronautical Engineering Department. The complete story can be found at https://www.isi.edu/news/45250/usc-launches-its-3rd-satellite-into-space/. [AMSAT thanks Information Sciences Institute for the above information.] + The very first Svalbard QO-100 Satellite DX-Pedition will take place April 22-24, 2022 from Kapp Linné – Isfjord Radio at 78° North. They will operate two QO-100 satellite stations under the callsigns JW0W and JW100QO, while JW0X will be used by another team for contacts on shortwave. With QO-100 only 3° above the horizon, Kap Linné was the only suitable place in the area with Svalbard at the edge of the satellite footprint. Looking for a suitable location to stay and getting there, is one of the biggest challenges and cost drivers for the team. More information at https://amsat-dl.org/en/svalbard-qo-100-satellite-dx-pedition/. [AMSAT thanks AMSAT-DL for the above information.] + The University of Cambridge has announced the creation of the Raspberry Pi Computing Education Research Centre. With computers and digital technologies increasingly shaping all of our lives, it’s more important than ever that every young person, whatever their background or circumstances, has meaningful opportunities to learn about how computers work and how to create with them. The Raspberry Pi Computing Education Research Centre wants to increase understanding of what works in teaching and learning computing, with a particular focus on young people who come from backgrounds that are traditionally underrepresented in the field of computing or who experience educational disadvantage. MOre information can be found at tinyurl.com/ANS-023-Cambridge. [AMSAT thanks Raspberrypi.org for the above information.] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Join AMSAT today at https://launch.amsat.org/ In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership to: * Societies (a recognized group, clubs or organization). * 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. * Memberships are available for annual and lifetime terms. Contact info [at] amsat.org for additional membership information. 73 and remember to help Keep Amateur Radio in Space! This week's ANS Editor, Frank Karnauskas, N1UW n1uw at amsat dot org

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ANS-016 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins for Jan. 16
by Mark Johns, K0JM 15 Jan '22

15 Jan '22

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-016 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: * SpaceX Rideshare Mission Carries Multiple Amateur Satellites * Tevel Mission Launched on SpaceX Transporter-3 Mission January 13 * EASAT-2 and Hades Satellites with FM Repeaters Are Launched * SpaceX Launches TU Delft Mini-Satellite * AMSAT Awards Update * First Ever Svalbard QO-100 DXpedition JW100QO * Eight U.S. Schools Moved Forward in ARISS Selection Process * ARISS News * Upcoming Satellite Operations * Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events * Satellite Shorts From All Over ANS-016 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins To: All RADIO AMATEURS From: Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation 712 H Street NE, Suite 1653 Washington, DC 20002 DATE 2022 Jan 16 SpaceX Rideshare Mission Carries Multiple Amateur Satellites A SpaceX Falcon 9 placed more than 100 smallsats into orbit on January 13 as the company accelerates the pace of its dedicated rideshare missions. The mission, dubbed Transporter-3, or TR-3, carried a number of Amateur Radio satellites to orbit. The Falcon 9 lifted off from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida at 15:25 UTC. The upper stage reached orbit eight and a half minutes later and, after a second burn 55 minutes after liftoff, deployed its payloads into a 525-kilometer sun-synchronous orbit over the following half-hour. The Falcon 9 first stage landed at the company’s Landing Zone 1 at Cape Canaveral, the first land landing of a Falcon 9 booster since the Transporter-2 rideshare mission in June 2021. The booster was on its tenth flight, having first launched in May 2020 on the Demo-2 commercial crew mission for NASA. It subsequently launched the ANASIS-2 satellite, CRS-21 cargo mission, Transporter-1 and five Starlink missions before Transporter-3. SpaceX is planning up to three more dedicated rideshare launches this year. SpaceX said that the TR-3 launch carried 105 spacecraft. Among them were the long-delayed EASAT-2 and Hades satellites from Spanish satellite organization AMSAT-EA, and the Tevel mission consisting of 8 satellites developed by the Herzliya Science Center in Israel. All ten of these satellites carry FM repeaters, among other function, and are detailed in the following stories. [ANS thanks SpaceNews.com for the above information] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ The 2022 AMSAT President's Club coins have arrived! To commemorate the 50th anniversary of its launch on October 15, 1972, this year's coin features an image of AMSAT-OSCAR 6. Join the AMSAT President's Club today and help Keep Amateur Radio in Space! https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/ +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Tevel Mission Launched on SpaceX Transporter-3 Mission January 13 The Tevel mission consisting of 8 satellites developed by the Herzliya Science Center in Israel, each carrying an FM transponder, was launched on January 13 at 15:25 GMT on the SpaceX Falcon-9 Transporter-3 mission. This mission also carries AMSAT-EA's EASAT-2 and HADES satellites. Tevel-1, Tevel-2 ….Tevel-8 Beacon transmissions on 436.400 MHz, (9600bps BPSK G3RUH) FM transponders uplink frequency: 145.970 MHz| FM transponders downlink frequency: 436.400 MHz All 8 satellites will have the same frequencies, so as long as the footprints are overlapping, only one FM transponder will be activated. The satellites were built by 8 schools in different parts of Israel. Prelaunch TLEs: Deployment number 28 TEVEL-4/TEVEL-5 1 12345U 22-T3TE 22013.69008102 0.00000000 00000-0 00000-0 0 9997 2 12345 97.3652 83.6317 0010843 246.0911 147.6817 15.12493461 06 Deployment number 30 TEVEL-1/TEVEL-2/TEVEL-3 1 12345U 22-T3TE 22013.69038194 0.00000000 00000-0 00000-0 0 9991 2 12345 97.3658 83.6317 0009074 254.1211 141.2940 15.11975594 07 Deployment number 55 TEVEL-6/TEVEL-7/TEVEL-8 1 12345U 22-T3TE 22013.69375000 0.00000000 00000-0 00000-0 0 9991 2 12345 97.3676 83.6318 0009046 252.0606 161.7026 15.11914367 05 Control station will be 4X4HSC at the Herzliya Science Center. [ANS thanks David Greenberg, 4X1DG, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- EASAT-2 and Hades Satellites with FM Repeaters Are Launched The Scottish space broker Alba Orbital has confirmed the launch of the EASAT-2 and Hades satellites in the Falcon-9 vehicle, using the company's AlbaPOD ejector for this purpose. The launch took place as schedule on January 13 at 15:25 UTC (16:25 Spanish peninsular time). Both satellites should have been launched a year ago, but the problems of the Momentus integrator, on whose Vigoride vehicle Alba Orbital's AlbaPod ejectors were to be integrated with the American administration, caused this delay. Momentus was replaced by Exolaunch for the flight. Both satellites offer FM voice communications and data retransmission in FSK or AFSK up to 2400 bps, such as AX.25 or APRS frames. They also emit FM voice beacons with the callsigns AM5SAT and AM6SAT, as well as CW. The EASAT-2 satellite, designed and built jointly by AMSAT-EA and students of the European University of the Degrees in Aerospace Engineering in Aircraft and in Telecommunications Systems Engineering, with contributions from ICAI in the communications part, incorporates as an experimental load Basaltic material from Lanzarote, similar to lunar basalts, provided by the CSIC's research group on meteorites and planetary geosciences at the Institute of Geosciences, IGEO (CSIC-UCM) and which could be used as a construction material on the Moon. This project was promoted and has the collaboration of the ETSICCP (UPM). As for Hades, its payload consists of a miniature camera module that sends the captured images as an audio signal in SSTV mode. The SSTV formats it uses are compatible with Robot36, Robot72, MP73 and MP115. The design is based on the one used in the successful mission of the PSAT2 satellite, an amateur radio satellite of the United States Naval Academy and the Brno University of Technology. This camera has been operational since June 25, 2019: (http://www.aprs.org/psat2.html). The camera chip is the Omnivision OV2640, which provides a resolution of up to 2M pixels and compressed JPEG output. Resolution is limited by the internal memory of the CPU (MCU) that controls the camera to 320x240 (typical) or 640x480 maximum. The MCU selected for control is the STM32F446RET6, which has the smallest footprint possible with connection to DCMI peripheral, necessary for connection to the camera. Images can be stored in 2 MB serial flash memory. The complete SSTV encoder has managed to be implemented on a 4-layer PCB with dimensions of just 38x38mm. The MCU can be fully controlled from ground stations. The firmware allows the sending of live camera images, images previously saved in flash memory or images encoded in ROM. It also provides advance PSK telemetry and imaging schedule with current status (event counters, temperature, voltage, light conditions, etc.) and a brief summary. The described module has been developed and manufactured in the Radioelectronics Department of the Brno University of Technology in the Czech Republic. Both hardware and firmware designs with source codes will be available on Github under the MIT license ( https://github.com/alpov/SatCam). Initially, only the EASAT-2 repeater is active. The Hades one will be activated by telecommand a few days after launch. The frequencies coordinated with IARU for both satellites are as follows: EASAT-2 145.875 MHz uplink, Modes: FM voice (no subtone) and FSK 50 bps, AFSK, AX.25, APRS 1200 / 2400 bps 436.666 MHz downlink, Modes: FM voice, CW, FSK 50 bps, FM voice beacon with AM5SAT callsign Hades 145.925 MHz uplink, Modes: FM voice (no subtone) and FSK 50 bps, AFSK, AX.25, APRS 1200 / 2400 bps 436.888 MHz downlink, Modes: FM voice, CW FSK 50 bps, SSTV Robot 36, FM voice beacon with AM6SAT callsign The description of the transmissions in English can be found in the .pdf document at: https://bit.ly/31VmA6W AMSAT-EA appreciates the reception of telemetry, voice beacons and SSTV images. A paper QSL is sent to those who send their transmissions. It can be done through the following link: http://data.amsat-ea.org Preliminary post-launch Keplerian elements for EASAT-2 and HADES are: 1 99999U 22013.68430556 .00000000 00000-0 50000-4 0 02 2 99999 97.5220 83.8550 0002429 -171.2750 173.6400 15.12786821 04 [ANS thanks Felix Paez, EA4GQS, and AMSAT-EA 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/ +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ SpaceX Launches TU Delft Mini-Satellite During the Transporter-3 satellite launch by SpaceX on 13 January from Cape Canaveral a small satellite from Delft in the Netherlands also traveled into space. The DelfiPQ is one of the smallest satellites in the world. Satellite researchers Alessandra Menicucci, Stefano Speretta and Sevket Uludag from TU Delft designed and built the satellite themselves to demonstrate that technology on such a small scale can actually function in space. Swarms of these small satellites are better able than today's large satellites to observe the earth. They could play an important role in monitoring climate change and in fast wireless broadband connections, among other things. An important goal of these tiny satellites is that they prove that even miniature-scale technology can still function in space. And moreover, that the satellites can be monitored from Earth and can be distinguished from space debris. A big advantage is that the development time is much shorter than for larger satellites, some of which still run on 20-year-old technology. “We can build and launch a whole new generation of instruments every one or two years, so we can always incorporate the latest technology,“ says Speretta. In the future, satellite swarms may even play a role in high-speed wireless broadband connections. The DelfiPQ measures just 5 by 5 by 18 centimetres, making it one of the smallest satellites in the world. The satellite is the third TU Delft satellite to actually go into space. DelfiC3 was the first. This satellite has been in space for over 12.5 years and is still alive. DelfiN3xt was launched in 2013. Contact has recently been re-established with this satellite. University lecturer and project leader Alessandra Menicucci: "Whether the DelfiPQ also comes to life in space is the most exciting of all three. DelfiPQ is eight times smaller than its brothers. And those were already no bigger than a milk carton." The DelfiPQ has UHF downlink for GMSK at up to 19k2. A downlink on 436.650 MHz has been coordinated. [ANS thanks Delft University of Technology for the above information] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- AMSAT Awards Update As we have rolled into 2022, I am posting the awards from the last part of 2021 and a couple from 2022. AMSAT Satellite Communicators Award for making their first satellite QSO John Gesell, KB7JJG Brian Lopeman, KI7WXP Peter Stover, KD4QNA James Gillanders, KG6HXN ------ AMSAT Communications Achievement Award Richard Nolet, VA3VGR #639 ------ AMSAT South Africa Satellite Communications Achievement Award Richard Nolet, VA3VGR #242 ------ AMSAT Robert W. Barbee Jr., W4AMI Award (1,000-4,000) Edward Campagnulol, KN4ZAA #US120 Hector Martinez, W5CBF #US121 4,000 Upgrade Keith Austermiller, KB9STR #US122 Giancarlo Zanella, IK1DOC #US123 Dwight Fletcher, N1RCN #US124 ------ AMSAT Robert W. Barbee Jr., W4AMI Award (5,000) Hector Martinez, W5CBF #39 Mitchell Ahrenstorff, AD0HJ #40 ----- AMSAT Rover Award Rover Call ===== ======== #60 KF6JOQ #61 VA3VGR #62 N6UTC ------ GridMaster Award #33 Dave Chasey, N9FN #34 Douglas Tabor, N6UA ----- Our newest award the Reverse VUCC or VUCC/r #03 James Clary, ND9M Ugrade to 385 #09 Randy Kohlwey, WI7P To see all the awards visit http://www.amsat.org and click on Services then Awards. [ANS thanks Bruce Paige, KK5DO, AMSAT Board Member and Director Contests and Awards, 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, now manifested for launch on NASA's ELaNa 46 mission. Come along for the ride. The journey will be worth it! https://tinyurl.com/ANS-GOLF +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ First Ever Svalbard QO-100 DXpedition JW100QO A DXpedition to Svalbard (78° North) is planned for April 19-26 with the callsign JW0X. In addition to the five HF stations (FT8/FT4/RTTY/SSB/CW) the team will activate the first QO-100 satellite DX Station callsign JW100QO April 22-24. Making the first ever QO-100 calls from Svalbard is the biggest challenge of this DXpedition. ON4CKM Cedric, ON4DCU Patrick and ON5UR Max will make a rugged snowmobile ride of almost 100 km in temperatures of -20° – 25° Celsius to reach their goal. Kapp Linné is the only place in the area that allows a view of the QO-100 satellite at only 3° above the horizon. Svalbard also lies on the edge of the satellite area (footprint), which makes the challenge even greater. We want to give as many radio amateurs as possible the opportunity to work this first QO-100 DXpedition. For this unique challenge we also have a special callsign JW100QO. Further info at: Svalbard QO-100 JW100QO April 22-24 https://www.dx-adventure.com/en/qo-100-our-goal/ Svalbard JW0X April 19-26 https://www.dx-adventure.com/en/svalbard-dx-pedition/ QO-100 geostationary amateur satellite transponder provides coverage from Brazil to Thailand, see https://amsat-uk.org/satellites/geo/eshail-2/ [ANS thanks AMSAT-UK 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 +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Eight U.S. Schools Moved Forward in ARISS Selection Process Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) is pleased to announce the schools/host organizations selected for the July 1 through December 31, 2022, time period. A total of eight of the submitted proposals during the recent proposal window have been accepted to move forward in the processes of planning to host a scheduled amateur radio contact with crew on the ISS. The primary goal of the ARISS program is to engage young people in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) activities and raise their awareness of space communications, radio communications, space exploration, and related areas of study and career possibilities. The ARISS program anticipates that NASA will be able to provide scheduling opportunities for the eight US host organizations during the July 1 through December 31, 2022, time period. They are now at work completing an acceptable equipment plan that demonstrates their ability to execute the ham radio contact. Once their equipment plan is approved by the ARISS Technical Mentors, the final selected schools/organizations will be scheduled as their availability and flexibility match up with the scheduling opportunities offered by NASA. The schools and host organizations are: * Buehler Challenger & Science Center, Paramus, NJ * Eaton Public Library, Eaton, CO * Davis Aerospace Technical High School, Detroit, MI * St. Stephen’s Episcopal School Houston, Houston, TX * Harris Middle School, Spruce Pine, NC * Kopernik Observatory & Science, Vestal, NY * Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, Nashville, TN * Canterbury School of Fort Myers, Ft Myers, FL Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) is a cooperative venture of international amateur radio societies and the space agencies that support the International Space Station (ISS). In the United States, sponsors are the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT), the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), the ISS National Lab-Space Station Explorers, and NASA’s Space communications and Navigation program. The primary goal of ARISS is to promote exploration of science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics topics. ARISS does this by organizing scheduled contacts via amateur radio between crew members aboard the ISS and students. Before and during these radio contacts, students, educators, parents, and communities take part in hands-on learning activities tied to space, space technologies, and amateur radio. For more information, see www.ariss.org [ANS thanks Dave Jordan, AA4KN, ARISS PR 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. The next scheduled contact is with Quantorium Children's Technopark, Komsomolsk-on-Amur, Russia, direct via TBD. The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS, and the scheduled crewmember is Russian Cosmonaut, Anton Shkaplerov. The contact is go for 2022-01-25 08:45 UTC. The next mode change, from APRS digital repeater to FM voice cross band repeater is expected to occur in late January/early February 2022. 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] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ 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 4A90, MEXICO (Special Event). Members of the Federacion Mexicana de Radio Experimentadores (FMRE)[Mexican Society]are celebrating their 90th anniversary during January, February and March 2022 promoting each of the 31 States and Mexico City with the following 32 different special event callsigns and 4A90FMRE: January 16-30th: 4A90MOR, 4A90NAY, 4A90PUE, 4A90QRO, 4A90TLX and 4A90VER January 31st-February 14th: 4A90AGS, 4A90BAC, 4A90BCS, 4A90COA, 4A90CHH and 4A90DGO February 15th-March 1st: 4A90NLE, 4A90SLP, 4A90SIN, 4A90SON, 4A90TAM and 4A90ZAC March 2-16th: 4A90CAM, 4A90CHI, 4A90GRO, 4A90OAX, 4A90QUI, 4A90TAB and 4A90YUC Activity will be on various HF bands using CW, SSB, RTTY, FT8/FT4 and the satellites. Awards are available (see QRZ.com for details). For more details on the event, see: http://fmre90.puebladx.org [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 meetings, hamfests, conventions, maker faires, and other events. Events with a confirmed AMSAT presence: HamCation 2022 - The ARRL National Convention Friday, February 11th, 2022 to Sunday, February 13, 2022 Central Florida Fairgrounds and Expo Park 4603 West Colonial Drive Orlando, Florida 32808 https://www.hamcation.com/ ------ Hamvention 2022 Friday May 20, 2022 to Sunday May 22, 2022 Greene County Fairgrounds and Expo Center 210 Fairground Road Xenia, Ohio 45385 https://hamvention.org/ ------ 2022 Rocky Mountain ARRL Division Convention Friday, October 7th, 2022 to Sunday, October 9th, 2022 Event Center at Archer 3921 Archer Pkwy Cheyenne, Wyoming 82007 https://wyhamcon.org/site ------ Clint Bradford, K6LCS reports: 2022 is starting off with a bang! Presentations set for clubs in … Tennessee South Bay CA New York British Columbia Ontario Canada Victoria BC Sonoma CA Tampa FL Texas Nevada 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 included are overviews of the ARRL, AMSAT, and ARISS. And pre-presentation questions are solicited and welcome. Send an email or call! Clint Bradford K6LCS AMSAT Ambassador, ARRL instructor http://www.work-sat.com 909-999-SATS (7287) [ANS thanks Paul Overn, KE0PBR, AMSAT Events page manager, and Clint Bradford, K6LCS, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Satellite Shorts From All Over + NASA has recognized Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) as a science education and research program. Two images of ARISS activity are among those singled out by the space agency as some of the Best Space Station Science Pictures of 2021. The photos feature "some of the best photos of breakthrough investigations crew members worked on in 2021." The complete gallary of photos can be seen at https://go.nasa.gov/3rdedwh (ANS thanks ARRL and NASA for the above information) + Among the 105 satellites launched on Thursday aboard the SpaceX TR-3 rideshare was the Brazilian satellite PION-BR1, "a radio amateur mission combined with education with the aim of promoting access to space technologies and interaction between students and the radio amateur community.” In addition, “the satellite’s main mission will be a digital experiment in storing and sending messages using the NGHam protocol.” A downlink on 437.300 MHz has been coordinated. (ANS thanks the Internation Amateur Radio Union frequency coordination site for the above information.) + In addition to the SpaceX Falcon 9 Transporter-3 launch on January 13, Virgin Orbit completed another flight of its air-dropped rocket later the same day off the coast of California. The LauncherOne rocket carried seven mini-payloads into low Earth orbit. The Boeing 747 carrier jet took off from the Mojave runway around 2100 GMT) to begin an hour-long flight out to the mission's drop point 35,000 feet (10,700 meters) over the Pacific Ocean. The satellites on-board were from three customers: The U.S. Space Force, SatRevolution of Poland, and Spire. There were no Amateur Radio payloads this time. (ANS thanks Spaceflight Now for the above information) + U.S. space tracking has linked the breakup of Chinese satellite Yunhai-1 (02) to a collision with a small piece of debris from a Russian satellite launch, according to NASA. The Yunhai-1 (02) satellite was developed by the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology and launched in September 2019 into a Sun-synchronous orbit with an altitude of around 783 kilometers. It suffered a breakup event on March 18, 2021, creating a number of pieces of debris. The breakup of Yunhai-1 (02) is the fifth confirmed accidental collision between two cataloged objects, according to the report. A total of 37 fragments from the collision have been cataloged as of 1 October 2021, with four of these having reentered the atmosphere. (ANS thanks SpaceNews.com for the above information) + As widely reported in the media, the ESA/NASA James Web Space Telescope (JWST) has successfully deployed. We can now all breathe out and marvel at how complex it all was. According to NASA, “The unfolding and tensioning of the sunshield involved 139 of Webb’s 178 release mechanisms, 70 hinge assemblies, eight deployment motors, roughly 400 pulleys, and 90 individual cables totaling roughly one quarter of a mile in length.” The telescope now faces approximately six more months of commissioning and calibration before beginning operation. (ANS thanks NASA and The Orbital Index for the above information) + Now that the JWST is deployed and could have a lifespan of 20 years, some are already turning attention to NASA’s next telescope. The wide-field infrared Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope (née WFIRST) is scheduled to launch in 2025. Like JWST, it will also orbit at the Sun-Earth L2 point. The NGRST has two instruments: the Wide Field Instrument, a 300-megapixel camera with a Hubble-class 2.4 m aperture, but 100x the field of view, and the Coronagraph Instrument, for imaging and spectroscopy of nearby exoplanets. It is predicted to find 100,000 transiting exoplanets, expanding far beyond the 4,884 exoplanets discovered so far. (ANS thanks The Orbital Index for the above information) --------------------------------------------------------------------- Join AMSAT today at https://launch.amsat.org/ In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership to: * Societies (a recognized group, clubs or organization). * 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. * Memberships are available for annual and lifetime terms. Contact info [at] amsat.org for additional 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-012 AMSAT News Service Special Bulletin - Tevel Mission to Launch on SpaceX Transporter-3 Mission January 13th
by Paul Stoetzer 12 Jan '22

12 Jan '22

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE SPECIAL BULLETIN ANS-012 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: * Tevel Mission to Launch on SpaceX Transporter-3 Mission January 13th SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-012.01 ANS-012 AMSAT News Service Special Bulletin AMSAT News Service Bulletin 012.01 From AMSAT HQ WASHINGTON, DC DATE January 12, 2022 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-012.01 Tevel Mission to Launch on SpaceX Transporter-3 Mission January 13th The Tevel mission consisting of 8 satellites developed by the Herzliya Science Center in Israel, each carrying an FM transponder, is expected to launch on January 13 at 15:25 GMT on the SpaceX Falcon-9 Transporter-3 mission. This mission also carries AMSAT-EA's EASAT-2 and HADES satellites. Tevel-1, Tevel-2 ….Tevel-8 Beacon transmissions on 436.400 MHz, (9600bps BPSK G3RUH) FM transponders uplink frequency: 145.970 MHz| FM transponders downlink frequency: 436.400 MHz All 8 satellites will have the same frequencies, so as long as the footprints are overlapping, only one FM transponder will be activated. The satellites were built by 8 schools in different parts of Israel. Prelaunch TLEs: Deployment number 28 TEVEL-4/TEVEL-5 1 12345U 22-T3TE 22013.69008102 0.00000000 00000-0 00000-0 0 9997 2 12345 97.3652 83.6317 0010843 246.0911 147.6817 15.12493461 06 Deployment number 30 TEVEL-1/TEVEL-2/TEVEL-3 1 12345U 22-T3TE 22013.69038194 0.00000000 00000-0 00000-0 0 9991 2 12345 97.3658 83.6317 0009074 254.1211 141.2940 15.11975594 07 Deployment number 55 TEVEL-6/TEVEL-7/TEVEL-8 1 12345U 22-T3TE 22013.69375000 0.00000000 00000-0 00000-0 0 9991 2 12345 97.3676 83.6318 0009046 252.0606 161.7026 15.11914367 05 Control station will be 4X4HSC at the Herzliya Science Center. [ANS thanks David Greenberg, 4X1DG, 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-009 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
by Paul Stoetzer 08 Jan '22

08 Jan '22

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-009 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: * The ARRL Foundation Grants an Award for the ARISS *STAR* Keith Pugh Memoriam Project * EASAT-2 and Hades Satellites with FM Repeaters Scheduled for Launch on January 13th * Changes to AMSAT TLE Distribution for January 6, 2022 * ARISS News * Upcoming Satellite Operations * Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events * Satellite Shorts From All Over ANS-009 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins To: All RADIO AMATEURS From: Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation 712 H Street NE, Suite 1653 Washington, DC 20002 DATE 2022 Jan 09 The ARRL Foundation Grants an Award for the ARISS *STAR* Keith Pugh Memoriam Project ARISS‐USA is known for engaging students in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) subjects by arranging live question-and-answer sessions via amateur radio (ham radio) between K‐12 students and astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS). In the last two decades, over 1,400 contacts have connected more than one million youth using amateur radio, with millions more watching and learning. ARISS is constantly pursuing educational opportunities that inspire student interest and outcomes. ARISS-USA is pleased to announce that the ARRL Foundation awarded funding for the first year of a two-year project called the “ARISS *STAR* Keith Pugh Memoriam Project” with *STAR* being the acronym for Space Telerobotics using Amateur Radio. The ARRL Foundation very generously provided $47,533. The project honors the memory of highly-respected Keith Pugh, whose call sign was W5IU (Silent Key, May 2019). He was an expert supporter of ARISS for many years, a star ARISS Technical Mentor assisting schools with their ARISS contacts, finding educators who might be interested in learning about ARISS, and going to schools to lead youth in a variety of lessons about wireless radio technology. ARISS *STAR* (short for ARISS *STAR* Keith Pugh Memoriam Project), is a brand-new education program that will enable US junior high and high school education groups to remotely control robots through digital APRS (Automatic Packet Reporting System) commands using amateur radio. Year 1 focuses on systems development and initial validation of *ARISS* STAR, and Year 2 focuses on evaluation and final validation. Systems development and evaluation will be led by university staff and students who will undertake hands-on-wireless and telerobotics lesson development, learn about Amateur Radio, and support the development of the *STAR* engineering hardware and software. Next, youth teams will be selected to experiment and critique *STAR* telerobotics scenarios along closed courses and radio lessons. Some participating students will want to prepare for, and earn, their amateur radio licenses, using ham radio to learn and practice concepts in radio technology and radio communications. Overarching goals for *STAR* are to improve and sustain ARISS STEAM educational outcomes with youth. Robotics is gaining popularity among youth and adults alike. Telerobotics adds a wireless accent to robotic control. *STAR*, therefore, gives ARISS a new educational dimension to attract the attention of more education groups and their students and educators—outreach that promises to attract new audiences. The ARRL Foundation was established in 1973 by ARRL, The National Association for Amateur Radio ®, and advances the art, science and societal benefits of the Amateur Radio Service by awarding financial grants and scholarships to individuals and organizations in support of their charitable, educational and scientific efforts. ARISS-USA Executive Director Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, praised the ARRL Foundation, saying, “ARISS team member, Keith Pugh, W5IU, poured his energy into inspiring, engaging and educating youth in space and in amateur radio endeavors. What a better way to honor Keith than through the ARISS *STAR* initiative. We thank the ARRL Foundation for their vision to move this initiative forward. Maybe someday one of our ARISS *STAR* students will use their telerobotics skills to control scientific rovers on the Moon or Mars!” [ANS thanks ARISS for the above information] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ The 2022 AMSAT President's Club coins have arrived! To commemorate the 50th anniversary of its launch on October 15, 1972, this year's coin features an image of AMSAT-OSCAR 6. Join the AMSAT President's Club today and help Keep Amateur Radio in Space! https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/ +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ EASAT-2 and Hades Satellites with FM Repeaters Scheduled for Launch on January 13th I just wanted to confirm with you all that the launch of EASAT-2 and Hades satellites is scheduled for this January, 13, 15.25 UTC on SpaceX TR-3 flight, as it has been confirmed to us by Alba Orbital. As it has been noted in older posts, both satellites offer voice communications in FM and data retransmission in FSK or AFSK up to 2400 bps, such as AX.25 or APRS frames. They also transmit voice beacons in FM with the callsigns AM5SAT and AM6SAT, as well as CW, and, in the case of Hades, SSTV live images too. We thank you in advance for trying to receive their signals and of course for trying to use the repeater. EASAT-2 one will be automatically active 30 minutes after the launch although it would be a priority for us trying to have some telemetry frames first to check if all is working properly. I tell you a bit more about the satellites: EASAT-2 has been designed and built jointly by AMSAT-EA and students from the European University of Degrees in Aerospace Engineering in Aircraft and in Telecommunication Systems Engineering, with contributions from ICAI in the communications part, and it incorporates as an experimental load a basalt material from Lanzarote, similar to lunar basalts, provided by the CSIC research group on meteorites and planetary geosciences at the Institute of Geosciences, IGEO (CSIC-UCM) and that could be used as a construction material on the Moon. This project was promoted and has the collaboration of the ETSICCP (UPM). The UNESCO world geopark of Lanzarote and the Chinijo archipelago has been used for different investigations as an analogue of the Moon and Mars, also including the training of ESA astronauts. The selected basalt material meets the requirements to be used as a simulant of the existing basalt on the Moon. The purpose of the experiment is to determine its evolution in space based on periodic measurements of some of its properties. Although the experiment is limited and constitutes the first phase of this type of study, it represents an important milestone as it is the first of its kind to be introduced on such a small satellite. As for Hades, its payload consists of a miniature camera module that outputs the captured images as an audio signal in SSTV mode. The SSTV formats it uses are compatible with Robot36, Robot72, MP73 and MP115. The design of the cam module is based on the one used in the successful mission of the PSAT2 satellite, an amateur radio satellite of the United States Naval Academy and the Brno University of Technology. This camera has been operational since June 25, 2019: (http: // www.aprs.org/psat2.html). The camera chip is the Omnivision OV2640, which provides a resolution of up to 2M pixels and compressed JPEG output. The resolution is limited by the internal memory of the CPU (MCU) that controls the camera to 320x240 (typical) or 640x480 maximum. The MCU selected for the control is the STM32F446RET6, which has the smallest possible footprint with connection to a DCMI peripheral, necessary for the connection with the camera. Images can be stored in 2MB serial flash memory. The complete SSTV encoder has managed to be implemented on a 4 layer PCB with dimensions of only 38x38mm. The MCU can be fully controlled from ground stations. The firmware allows the sending of live camera images, images previously saved in flash memory, or images encoded in ROM. It also provides PSK telemetry and imaging advance scheduling with current status (event counters, temperature, voltage, light conditions, etc.) and a brief summary. The described module has been developed and manufactured in the Department of Radioelectronics of the Brno University of Technology in the Czech Republic. Both hardware and firmware designs with the source codes will be available on Github under the MIT license (https://github.com/alpov/SatCam). As noted, initially only the EASAT-2 repeater is active. Hades one will be activated by remote control a few days after launch. The frequencies coordinated with IARU for both satellites are as follows: EASAT-2 145.875 MHz uplink, Modes: FM voice (no subtone) and FSK 50 bps, AFSK, AX.25, APRS 1200/2400 bps 436.666 MHz downlink, Modes: FM voice, CW, FSK 50 bps, FM voice beacon with AM5SAT callsign HADES 145.925 MHz uplink, Modes: FM voice (no subtone) and FSK 50 bps, AFSK, AX.25, APRS 1200/2400 bps 436.888 MHz downlink, Modes: FM voice, CW FSK 50 bps, SSTV Robot 36, FM voice beacon with callsign AM6SAT The description of the transmissions can be found in the following document. https://www.amsat-ea.org/app/download/12530621/AMSAT+EA+-+EASAT-2+and+HADES… AMSAT-EA appreciates the receipt of telemetry, voice beacons and SSTV images. A paper QSL will be sent to those who submit their transmissions. It can be done through the following link: http://data.amsat-ea.org [ANS thanks Felix Paez, AMSAT-EA Mission 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/ +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Changes to AMSAT TLE Distribution for January 6, 2022 CAMSAT XW-3(CAS-9) is designated Hope-OSCAR 113, HO-113: HO-113 - Cat ID 50446 (Formerly known as XW-3 (CAS-9)) Drew Glasbrenner, AMSAT VP Operations / OSCAR Number Administrator, announced the following OSCAR assignment in AMSAT News Service Bulletin ANS-002 dated January 2, 2022: "At the request of CAMSAT and the XW-3 (CAS-9) team, AMSAT hereby designates XW-3 (CAS-9) as Hope-OSCAR 113 (HO-113). We congratulate the owners and operators of HO-113, thank them for their contribution to the amateur satellite community, and wish them continued success on this and future projects." Also thanks to Joe Fitzgerald, KM1P, for his timely name changing of CAMSAT's new satellite to HO-113 in last week's AMSAT NA webpage TLE distribution of Object Cat ID 50446. [ANS thanks Ray Hoad, WA5QGD, AMSAT Orbital Elements Manager for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- ARISS News No scheduled contacts reported. The next mode change to voice cross band repeater is expected to occur in early January, 2022. 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] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ 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 Events: 4A90, MEXICO (Special Event). Members of the Federacion Mexicana de Radio Experimentadores (FMRE)[Mexican Society]are celebrating their 90th anniversary during January, February and March 2022 promoting each of the 31 States and Mexico City with the following 32 different special event callsigns and 4A90FMRE: January 1st-15th: 4A90COL, 4A90CMX, 4A90EMX, 4A90GTO, 4A90HGO, 4A90JAL and 4A90MIC January 16-30th: 4A90MOR, 4A90NAY, 4A90PUE, 4A90QRO, 4A90TLX and 4A90VER January 31st-February 14th: 4A90AGS, 4A90BAC, 4A90BCS, 4A90COA, 4A90CHH and 4A90DGO February 15th-March 1st: 4A90NLE, 4A90SLP, 4A90SIN, 4A90SON, 4A90TAM March 2nd-16th: 4A90CAM, 4A90CHI, 4A90GRO, 4A90OAX, 4A90QUI, 4A90TAB and 4A90YUC Activity will be on various HF bands using CW, SSB, RTTY, FT8/FT4 and the satellites. Awards are available (see QRZ.com for details). For more details on the event, see: http://fmre90.puebladx.org [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 meetings, hamfests, conventions, maker faires, and other events. Events with a confirmed AMSAT presence: HamCation 2022 - The ARRL National Convention Friday, February 11th, 2022 to Sunday, February 13, 2022 Central Florida Fairgrounds and Expo Park 4603 West Colonial Drive Orlando, Florida 32808 https://www.hamcation.com/ Hamvention 2022 Friday May 20, 2022 to Sunday May 22, 2022 Greene County Fairgrounds and Expo Center 210 Fairground Road Xenia, Ohio 45385 https://hamvention.org/ 2022 Rocky Mountain ARRL Division Convention Friday, October 7th, 2022 to Sunday, October 9th, 2022 Event Center at Archer 3921 Archer Pkwy Cheyenne, Wyoming 82007 https://wyhamcon.org/site Clint Bradford, K6LCS reports: Part of the “job description” for volunteer AMSAT Ambassadors is to “spread the gospel” of working satellites to clubs and conventions. PS 2022 is starting off with a bang! Presentations set for clubs in … Tennessee South Bay CA New York British Columbia Ontario Canada Victoria BC Sonoma CA Tampa FL Texas Nevada 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 included are overviews of the ARRL, AMSAT, and ARISS. And pre-presentation questions are solicited and welcome. Send an email or call! Clint Bradford K6LCS AMSAT Ambassador, ARRL instructor http://www.work-sat.com 909-999-SATS (7287) [ANS thanks Paul Overn, KE0PBR, AMSAT Events page manager, and Clint Bradford, K6LCS, 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 + A new distance record has been claimed on AO-109. ES4RM in KO49al completed a SSB QSO with F4DXV in JN04iu on 22-Dec-2021 at 15:24 UTC - a distance of 2,445 km. With a reported total power output of 8 mW, SSB QSOs over a decent range are quite a challenge. Can anyone do better? + With the recent re-enabling of the AO-73 transponder, Paul Stoetzer, N8HM, has issued the 59th 73 on 73 Award to JA1OJA. This award was completed using CW only. N8HM notes, "AO-73 is a fantastic satellite, but it can be a challenge due to the transponder's frequency drift. With the recent technical issues, we don't know how long it will be available. Get on and make some QSOs so that more operators can receive this award!" More information about the award can be found at https://amsat-uk.org/funcube/73-on-73-award/ + John Brier, KG4AKV, has posted a video regarding HO-113 and some of the issues with working it successfully. The video can be found at https://youtu.be/NglO_WJ2hhc + NASA reports that the James Webb Space Telescope has successfully deployed its sunshade and the full primary mirror. + Abstract Submission for the 2022 CubeSat Developer's Workshop is still open! The deadline is January 14th, 2022! More information about the 2022 CubeSat Developer's Workshop, to be held ar Cal Poly on April 26-28, 2022, can be found at https://www.cubesatdw.org/ + Version 1.11 of the HO-113 (XW-3) User's Manual, mainly adding the test mode telemetry data format. is now available at https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/XW-3_Manual_1.11… --------------------------------------------------------------------- Join AMSAT today at https://launch.amsat.org/ In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership to: * Societies (a recognized group, clubs or organization). * 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. * Memberships are available for annual and lifetime terms. Contact info [at] amsat.org for additional membership information. 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-002 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
by Jack Spitznagel 01 Jan '22

01 Jan '22

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-002 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: * HamSCI invites abstracts for its 2022 Workshop * New QO-100 satellite antenna for DP0GVN * VUCC Awards-Endorsements needs a new author * CAMSAT XW-3(CAS-9)is designated Hope-OSCAR-113, HO-113 * Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for December 30, 2021 * ARISS News * Upcoming Satellite Operations * Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events * Satellite Shorts From All Over ANS-002 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins To: All RADIO AMATEURS From: Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation 712 H Street NE, Suite 1653 Washington, DC 20002 DATE 2022 Jan 02 HamSCI invites abstracts for its 2022 Workshop The ARRL report that HamSCI is soliciting abstracts for the 2022 HamSCI Workshop. The submission deadline is February 1, 2022. The workshop will be a hybrid (in-person and virtual) event from March 18 – 19, 2022, at the US Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama. “The primary objective of the HamSCI workshop is to bring together the amateur radio community and professional scientists,” said HamSCI Lead Nathaniel Frissell, W2NAF, an assistant professor within the Department of Physics and Electrical Engineering at The University of Scranton. “This year’s theme is ‘The Weather Connection,’ with invited speakers Tamitha Skov, WX6SWW, and Jim Bacon, G3YLA.” "Skov and Bacon will present tutorials on the impacts of space and terrestrial weather on the ionosphere. Chen-Pang Yeang, an associate professor and director for the Special Project on Scientific Instruments at the University of Toronto, will deliver the keynote address, “Ham Radio and the Discovery of the Ionosphere.” Additional information is available at: https://bit.ly/3EHDAe5 [ANS thanks ARRL News 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! +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ New QO-100 satellite antenna for DP0GVN On December 29, 2021, our new QO-100 SatCom ground station antenna for DP0GVN arrived intact in Antarctica at Neumayer Station III. This should ensure future operations for the upcoming 2022/2023 over-wintering crew. Securing the operation: Since the 2019/2020 and 2020/2021 over-wintering team, radio contacts with Antarctica via the first amateur geostationary radio satellite Qatar-OSCAR 100 / QO-100 (Es’hail-2) enjoy the greatest popularity. AMSAT-DL provided the appropriate radio equipment for DP0GVN at Neumayer Station III, covering all costs for setup and provision of the required radio equipment and antenna. While amateur radio operations mostly take place during free time, contacts with schools have also been arranged on a regular basis. Similar to ARISS (Amateur Radio on the International Space Station), such contacts in Antarctica are also something very special for the students. This will certainly also arouse interest in scientific or technical professions and, last but not least, amateur radio. During the night of 13/14 August 2021, one of the strongest storms at Neumayer Station III measured average wind speeds of 176 km/h and even more than 207 km/h at peak. This did not remain without consequences and so among other things the satellite antenna for QO-100 was damaged so strongly that with it no more radio operation was possible. DP0GVN via QO-100 so unfortunately QRT until further notice. AMSAT-DL therefore decided at short notice to build a new antenna and to deliver it in less than 2 months construction time in the middle of October for the ship transport to Antarctica. The antenna has now arrived there safely and was immediately transported from the ship at the ice edge to Neumayer Station III. The next step is to hoist the antenna onto the roof of the station by crane and rewire everything. As the team on site has a huge work program at the moment, it can certainly take a few more days and weeks to get DP0GVN up and running via QO-100. Patience is requested until then, but all stars are aligned for a successful 2022 with DP0GVN !!! (ANS thanks Peter Gulzow, DB2OS, President, AMSAT-DL 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/ +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ VUCC Awards-Endorsements is getting a new author Ron Parsons, W5RKN Has announced that he is retiring as the author of the VUCC Awards and Endorsments list. He says: "Jon Goering, N7AZ has offered to take over on February 1. I will pilot on January 1 with Jon as copilot. I was happy to have done the task for the past few years and wish Jon equal pleasure. My method is completely manual, so someone might want to automate. An AMSAT member who wishes help Jon should reach out to him. Many Thanks to Ron who has done a great job of organizing and keeping up with VUCC activities! Ron reports: "Here are the endorsements and new VUCC Satellite Awards issued by the ARRL for the period December 1, 2021 through January 1, 2022. Congratulations to all those who made the list this month! This is my last time preparing this list. Next month it will be done by Jon Goering, N7AG." CALL Dec. January K8TL 1012 1016 WN9Q 710 783 K9UO 675 695 XE1HG 100 639 N5BO 580 635 KN2K 401 450 N6UTC 400 450 EA2AA 396 400 VU2LBW 350 400 N8URE (FM19) 279 326 NA1ME 275 300 K8BL 283 292 RA3DNC 252 276 K3HPA 176 201 M0NKC 200 New WD9EWK (DM23)173 182 DL6KBG 150 175 A65BR New 157 WA7HQD 150 151 K6MX New 134 KG7CW New 115 K9AQ New 109 N6UTC(MOJAVE)New 101 KE6LB New 100 W4GLU New 100 "This list was developed by comparing the ARRL .pdf listings for the two months. 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 a lot of the work! Ron W5RKN" [ANS thanks Ron Parsons, W5RKN, 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, now manifested for launch on NASA's ELaNa 46 mission. Come along for the ride. The journey will be worth it! https://tinyurl.com/ANS-GOLF +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ CAMSAT XW-3(CAS-9)is designated Hope-OSCAR-113 HO-113 Drew Glasbrenner, AMSAT VP Operations / OSCAR Number Administrator, has announced the OSCAR assignment: "On December 26, 2021, the XW-3 (CAS-9) satellite was launched on a CZ-4C launch vehicle from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, China. Also known as Hope-3, XW-3 (CAS-9) was developed by the Chinese Amateur Satellite Group (CAMSAT) in cooperation with the Chinese government's aerospace and education departments, and is used to provide services to amateur radio enthusiasts around the world and to educate students in science and technology. CAMSAT completed the design and manufacture of the amateur radio payload and manages the satellite in-orbit operation. At the request of CAMSAT and the XW-3 (CAS-9) team, AMSAT hereby designates XW-3 (CAS-9) as Hope-OSCAR 113 (HO-113). We congratulate the owners and operators of HO-113, thank them for their contribution to the amateur satellite community, and wish them continued success on this and future projects." Alan Kung, BA1DU announced the launch success and the initial TLE for CAMSAT XW-3 (CAS-9) late last Saturday. Early reports of telemetry and contacts came in quickly. Please see the current TLE for corrected values. Nico Janssen, PA0DLO, Provided additional information: "Doppler measurements show that XW 3 (CAS 9) is object 50466 (2021-131B). Frequency CW beacon: 435.57515 MHz." From the XW-3（CAS-9）Amateur Radio Satellite User's Manual 2 / 21 V1.0 by BA1DU: UHF antenna: 1/4 wavelength whip antenna CW telemetry beacon: Frequency: 435.575MHz ●RF power: 20dBm ●CW rate: 22wpm GMSK telemetry: Frequency: 435.725MHz ●RF power: 23dBm ●Data rate: 4800bps V/U mode linear transponder: Uplink frequency: 145.870MHz ●Downlink frequency: 435.180MHz RF power: 20dBm ●Bandwidth: 30kHz ●Spectrum inverted Photo download should be available in the future. The XW-3 (CAS-9) satellite user manual is available from the AMSAT website:https://bit.ly/3FH8lS2 Mike Sartoretti, KC2YSF has the following reminder for S.A.T. tracker users: "If you are using a sat tracker from CSN technologies we do have the TLE’S and frequencies for this satellite already in place. Just hit your TLE update button and you’re ready to go, XW-3 or CAS-9." Congratulations to CAMSAT for a successful launch. [ANS thanks Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA, AMSAT VP Operations / OSCAR Number Administrator, Alan Kung, BA1DU, Nico Janssen PA0DLO, and Mike Sartoretti, KB2YSI 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 December 30, 2021 The following satellite has decayed from orbit and has removed from this week's AMSAT TLE Distribution: NO-84 (PSAT) - NORAD Cat ID 40654 (The decay date was most likely 12-22-2021) The following satellite has been added to this week's AMSAT TLE Distribution: XW-3 (CAS-9) - NORAD Cat ID 50466 (Thanks to Nico Janssen, PA0DLO for the identification) XW-3 (CAS-9) was launched December 25, 2021 from China’s Complex 9 on a Long March 4C rocket. [ANS thanks Ray Hoad, WA5QGD, TLE Manager 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. Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2021-12-30 Scouts Victoria (Radio and Electronics Team), Mt Waverley, Victoria, Australia, via AB1OC. 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 crewmember is Mark Vande Hei KG5GNP. Contact is go for: Tue 2022-01-04 11:27:32 UTC 60 deg On the AMSAT-BB reflector, VE7JMN noted that the ISS has been tracking differently on websites and several programs. Charlie Sulfana AJ9N of the ARISS Operations Team offered this explanation: "The ISS apparently did a burn over the last day or so. As a result one of the upcoming ARISS contacts is now about 5 minutes sooner than what I originally posted. The latest amsat-bb posting I did this morning has the newest time. Maybe that is what you are seeing." The next mode change to voice cross band repeater is expected to occur in early January, 2022. 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] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ 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/ +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events + 23rd annual Ham Radio University (HRU) educational conference will again be held as a virtual event on January 8, 2022 W2JV, Peter Portanova, will be giving a talk on "The Art of operating thru the FM Amateur Satellites" The goal of this forum is to at minimum give you the tools and the confidence to listen to a few satellite passes as a stepping stone to making contacts. The HRU announcement follows: With Covid19 uncertainties precluding an in-person gathering for a second year, the 23rd annual Ham Radio University (HRU) educational conference will again be held as a virtual event – on Saturday, January 8, 2022 -- 8:00am to 3:00pm EST (12:00– 20:00 UTC) -- as a GoToWebinar on-line video conference. Advance Registration Required -- Starting December 20th 2021 HRU 2022 will be adding five forums, for a total of 19 presentations by experts in a broad range of Amateur Radio activities including: Amateur Radio Emergency Communications; Basics of HF Operating; Ham Radio Contesting and Dxing, Communicating Through Amateur Radio Earth Satellites; Software Defined Radios; HF and VHF Digital Communications; Parks on the Air, Skywarn, Cables & Connectors, and Using RaspberryPi Computers in Amateur Radio. In addition to viewing the presentations, on-line attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions of the presenters. Founded by Phil Lewis, N2MUN, who passed away in March, 2020, HRU also will be the on-line convention of the NYC-Long Island Section of ARRL - The National Association for Amateur Radio® As in years past, participation in HRU 2022 will be free of charge, with an optional suggested donation of $5.00, but advance registration – starting December 20, 2021-- will be required for each presentation. Further information, including the schedule of forums and advance registration starting December 20, 2021, is on line at: http://www.HamRadioUniversity.org +Winterfest, the ARRL Midwest Division Convention Collinsville, IL Jan 22 2022 +ARRL National Convention and Orlando Hamcation Feb 10-13 2022 Registration details at http://www.arrl.org/arrl-expo Updates may be found at: https://www.amsat.org/other-events/ +AMSAT Ambassadors provide presentations, demonstrate communicating through amateur satellites, and host information tables at club meetings, hamfests, conventions, maker faires, and other events. AMSAT Ambassador Clint Bradford, K6LCS, makes online presentations to Amateur Radio clubs and other interested organizations. He reports: "Seven presentations lined up to start the new year so far, including three clubs in Canada, and clubs in Florida, California, New York and Nevada! 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 included are overviews of the ARRL, AMSAT, and ARISS. And pre-presentation questions are solicited and welcome. Contact Clint at http://www.work-sat.com or by phone at 909-999-SATS (7287) to arrange a presentation. [ANS thanks Paul Overn, KE0PBR, AMSAT Events page manager, Pete Portanova, W2JV, and Clint Bradford, K6CLS for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Satellite Shorts From All Over + CNES, French Space Agency Special Callsigns TM60CNES, TO60CNES, TX60CNES and TK60CNES for the 60th anniversary of CNES are activated since December 18, 2021 and until January 2, 2022 on different frequency bands and different modes. To know the activated callsigns (realtime) as well as their mode and frequency consult the AMSAT-F page : https://site.amsat-f.org/. A Google translation may be viewed from https://bit.ly/3HflGkA ANS thanks Christophe Mercier, President AMSAT-F, for the above information) + Starlink satellite’s near-collision with Chinese station puts focus on space jam. First reported by The Guardian, which cited experts as saying the Chinese action was unusual, the incident spotlights the growing risk in space, where orbital room is being crowded out by an astronomical race in which nation-states as well as private companies are increasingly active. Behind it are projects such as the Elon Musk-owned SpaceX’s Starlink constellation and rival Amazon’s Project Kuiper. Both companies want to create a web of low-earth orbit (LEO) spacecraft that will beam down internet connectivity to anywhere on the planet. And then there are several countries – Russia and India being the most recent – that have carried out tests of satellite-killing missiles, generating millions of pieces of debris. More is available at: https://bit.ly/3FFQz1c (ANS thanks Southgate News for the above information) + JWST is on its way to orbit L2! On Christmas Day, JWST launched successfully (video) aboard its Ariane 5 from French Guiana. During its flight, the rocket performed a unique sawtooth maneuver, rotating back and forth 30° to protect JSWT’s instruments from overheating due to direct solar illumination (as opposed to Apollo’s ‘BBQ roll’). After release, the spacecraft deployed its solar array—here’s a video, which likely includes the final close proximity image of the craft. Now beyond the orbit of the Moon, it has successfully performed two course corrections and deployed its gimbaled antenna assembly. Jonathan McDowell has a timeline of JWST's ongoing “30 days of terror” deployment schedule on its way to L2. The sunshield has started its multistep deployment and, in about a week, mirrors will begin unfolding. Check-in on its live mission dashboard to see where it is and what it’s doing, follow it on Twitter, or watch NASA’s Deep Space Network real-time dashboard to see active communications underway. Hopefully, the first images from Webb should be available by next summer. The Planetary Society has an excellet summary of the JWST mission at: https://bit.ly/3pG6045 (ANS thanks The Orbital Index for the above information.) + More JWST Coverage: Over the next two weeks, NASA will provide broadcast coverage and other updates on major deployment milestones for the James Webb Space Telescope, the world’s largest and most powerful space science telescope. Broadcasts of milestone events will air live on NASA TV, the NASA app, and the agency’s website: https://www.nasa.gov/live. NASA provides regular updates on the Webb telescope blog, https://blogs.nasa.gov/webb The public can also follow Webb’s deployments online via a “Where is Webb?” interactive tracker and a Deployments Explorer at https://go.nasa.gov/3eEkGdQ (ANS thanks NASA for the above information) + UVSQ-SAT: Transponder expected to be active on 01/01/2022 from 12:00 UTC. The LATMOS team has programmed the UVSQ-SAT satellite to go into transponder mode on January 1, 2022 at 12:00 UTC. The transponder will be active during 11 consecutive hours. Frequencies used: Telemetry: 437.020 MHz - BPSK - GR3UH 9k6 FM transponder : Uplink frequency : 145.905 MHz Downlink frequency: 437.020 MHz More information on AMSAT Francophone https://site.amsat-f.org/uvsq-sat/ --------------------------------------------------------------------- Join AMSAT today at https://launch.amsat.org/ In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership to: * Societies (a recognized group, clubs or organization). * 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. * Memberships are available for annual and lifetime terms. Contact info [at] amsat.org for additional 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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