October 2023 - ANS - mailman.amsat.org

ANS-302 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
by Mitch Ahrenstorff (AD0HJ) 29 Oct '23

29 Oct '23

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-302 In this edition: * 41st AMSAT Space Symposium & Annual General Meeting YouTube Videos Available * ARISS Announces 40th Anniversary Conference at NASA Kennedy Space Center * Upcoming International Space Station Slow Scan TV Transmission Test * ISRO's Gaganyaan Successful Test Flight Sets Stage for Crewed Space Mission * NASA's Voyager Spacecraft Receive Software Patch to Extend Their Mission * Satellite Top 100 Rovers October 2023 Rankings * Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for October 26 * ARISS News * Upcoming Satellite Operations * Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events * Satellite Shorts From All Over 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/ ANS-302 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins To: All RADIO AMATEURS From: Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation 712 H Street NE, Suite 1653 Washington, DC 20002 DATE 2023 OCT 29 41st AMSAT Space Symposium & Annual General Meeting YouTube Videos Available Did you miss the recent AMSAT Space Symposium in Irving, Texas? Were you unable to participate in the Symposium Livestream event? Perhaps you are eager to rewatch a specific presentation. You're in luck because AMSAT has shared more than twelve hours of video recordings on their YouTube page. You can easily find these videos by clicking on the Live tab under The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation channel. Furthermore, YouTube offers Closed Captioning for these recordings; just click on the 'CC' icon in the video player's lower right corner. If you'd prefer, you can also enable subtitles in multiple languages by clicking the gear icon, then choosing Subtitles/CC > Auto-translate and selecting your preferred language. To help you quickly access video from the AMSAT Annual General Meeting along with the sixteen presentations given at this year's AMSAT Symposium, we have included direct links for you below. AMSAT 41st AMSAT Space Symposium Welcome Robert Bankston, KE4AL, AMSAT President https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcO4-h7bbxs&t=380s A Survey of Small Satellite Propulsion Systems Jonathan Brandenburg, KF5IDY, AMSAT Assistant VP Engineering https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcO4-h7bbxs&t=465s Microwave Ambitions for GOLF Satellites Zach Metzinger, N0ZGO, AMSAT Board of Directors https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcO4-h7bbxs&t=2270s AMSAT Engineering Update Jerry Buxton, N0JY, AMSAT VP Engineering https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcO4-h7bbxs&t=3825s ASCENT and Fox-Plus Updates Jonathan Brandenburg, KF5IDY, AMSAT Assistant VP Engineering https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcO4-h7bbxs&t=8575s PACSAT Update and Demonstration Bill Reed, NX5R, PACSAT Project Manager https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcO4-h7bbxs&t=10095s CubeSatSim Update and Demonstration Alan Johnston, KU2Y, AMSAT VP Educational Resources https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzKKHTBxyY8&t=720s ThinSat Project for High Schools Nick Pugh, K5QXY, and Bob Twiggs, KE6QMD https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzKKHTBxyY8&t=4040s AMSAT Youth Initiative Frank Karnauskas, N1UW, AMSAT VP Development https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzKKHTBxyY8&t=6595s Amateur Radio Spectrum Use in the Lunar Environment Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, ARISS-NA Executive Director https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzKKHTBxyY8&t=8650s Amateur Satellite Secondary Payloads Drew Glasbrenner, AMSAT Board of Directors/VP Operations https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzKKHTBxyY8&t=10500s AMSAT-HB Update Michael Lipp, HB9WDF, President, AMSAT-HB https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzKKHTBxyY8&t=12150s AMSAT-UK Update David Bowman, G0MRF, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzKKHTBxyY8&t=13205s ARISS Update Dave Taylor, W8AAS, AMSAT US Delegate to ARISS International https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzKKHTBxyY8&t=18600s 40th Anniversary of Hams in Space & 2024 Anniversary Event Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, ARISS-NA Executive Director https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzKKHTBxyY8&t=21305s Planned Non-AMSAT Amateur Satellites Paul Stoetzer, N8HM, AMSAT Executive Vice President https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzKKHTBxyY8&t=22970s Space Qualified Antennas Kent Britain, WA5VJB https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzKKHTBxyY8&t=23880s AMSAT Annual General Meeting & Awards Ceremony Robert Bankston, KE4AL, AMSAT President https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzKKHTBxyY8&t=27575s [ANS thanks AMSAT for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- ARISS Announces 40th Anniversary Conference at NASA Kennedy Space Center In recognition of the positive impact of amateur radio on human spaceflight, an exciting celebration is on the horizon. Space enthusiasts, astronauts, educators, and amateur radio operators are coming together to commemorate the 40th Anniversary of a groundbreaking event. This pivotal moment occurred when Astronaut Owen Garriott, W5LFL, pioneered amateur radio communication from space during his mission on the STS-9 Space Shuttle Columbia flight, spanning from November 28 to December 8, 1983. Astronaut Garriott, during his free time on the STS-9 mission, became the first person in space to communicate with amateur radio operators on the ground. Moreover, his radio signals were the first ever to be directly heard from space by the public, using nothing more than simple FM receivers and scanners. This milestone forever changed astronaut communication, opening up interaction with amateur radio operators and the public, who previously had limited access to speak with spacefarers. Over the past four decades, Garriott's pioneering mission has paved the way for countless interactions between astronauts and Earthlings through the medium of amateur radio, on the Space Shuttle, Mir space station, and the International Space Station. Over a million people on Earth have directly participated in these astronaut radio contact engagements, with a particular emphasis on educational youth contacts. This initiative, coupled with pre-contact education programs, has ignited the spark of curiosity and interest in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) among youth worldwide. As the 40th anniversary of human spaceflight amateur radio approaches, the ARISS (Amateur Radio on the International Space Station) team is inviting volunteer teams, astronauts, space agency officials, educators, and space and amateur radio enthusiasts to join them in commemorating and celebrating this inspirational journey. The event, titled the "40th Anniversary Celebration of the Positive Impact of Amateur Radio on Human Spaceflight" is scheduled to take place from February 22 to 24, 2024, at the Center for Space Education: Astronauts Memorial Foundation, located adjacent to the NASA Kennedy Space Center Visitors Center in Florida. The conference promises an array of engaging activities, including tours of the NASA Kennedy Space Center Visitors Center, exhibits on human spaceflight amateur radio, networking sessions, STEM education demonstrations, and two days filled with astronaut panel sessions. Attendees can also look forward to presentations by STEM career alumni and recollections shared by educators and volunteer team alumni who supported hardware development, flight operations, and youth STEM engagement for the Shuttle, Mir, and ISS missions. In a special request, the organizers of the event are seeking the stories of students who participated in the SAREX (Shuttle/Space Amateur Radio Experiment), Mir, and ARISS programs over the last 40 years and have since pursued careers in STEM. These students or those who know them are encouraged to get in touch with the organizers through in-person participation, video submissions, emails, or letters. Additionally, educator testimonials regarding the impact of these programs in schools are welcomed. Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) is a collaborative initiative between international amateur radio societies and space agencies supporting the International Space Station (ISS). In the United States, sponsors include the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), Amateur Radio Digital Communications (ARDC), Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT), NASA's Space Communications and Navigation program (SCaN), and the ISS National Lab—Space Station Explorers. The primary goal of ARISS is to foster exploration of science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics topics through organized scheduled contacts between ISS crew members and students via amateur radio. These contacts are accompanied by hands-on learning activities related to space, space technologies, and amateur radio. For registration and special event pricing at local hotels for the 40th Anniversary Conference, visit the event website at https://www.ariss.org and select the "40th Anniversary" tab. [ANS thanks Dave Jordan, AA4KN, ARISS Public Relations, for the above information] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ The 2023 AMSAT President's Club coins are here now! To commemorate the 40th anniversary of its launch on June 16, 1983, this year's coin features an image of AMSAT-OSCAR 10. Join the AMSAT President's Club today and help Keep Amateur Radio in Space! https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/ +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Upcoming International Space Station Slow Scan TV Transmission Test The International Space Station (ISS) is set to conduct a Slow Scan Television (SSTV) transmission test between October 27 and November 1, 2023. The test will serve to verify the performance of replacement SSTV equipment onboard the station. However, the test will be divided into two windows due to an Extra-Vehicular Activity (EVA) taking place during that time frame. The first window for SSTV transmissions will open on Friday, October 27, at 12:15 UTC and will run until Sunday, October 29, at 18:50 UTC. The second window will begin on Tuesday, October 31, at 10:05 UTC and conclude on Wednesday, November 1, at 18:10 UTC. During these windows, the SSTV transmissions will take place on 145.800 MHz using the PD120 format. It's important to note that, similar to the earlier October test, the SSTV transmissions may not be active at all times within the specified windows. Therefore, enthusiasts and radio operators eager to capture these images should monitor the frequencies and times closely. The ARISS (Amateur Radio on the International Space Station) SSTV gallery will be available for individuals to share the images they receive. The gallery can be accessed at https://www.spaceflightsoftware.com/ARISS_SSTV/index.php. For more information on the SSTV images transmitted from the ISS, you can visit the Gallery Website. This website will showcase some of the best SSTV images received during the test period. No ARISS SSTV awards will be given for this event through the https://ariss.pzk.org.pl/sstv/ website. Stay tuned for further updates and don't miss the chance to participate in this unique opportunity to capture images from space. For official updates and notifications related to the SSTV test, individuals are encouraged to follow ARISS on Twitter (@ARISS_Intl). [ANS thanks ARISS (@ARISS_Intl on Twitter) for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- ISRO's Gaganyaan Successful Test Flight Sets Stage for Crewed Space Mission India's space agency, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), has taken a significant step forward in its ambitious Gaganyaan project by successfully conducting the first in a series of test flights. The project aims to send astronauts into space by 2025, making India the fourth country, after the Soviet Union, the United States, and China, to achieve this milestone. The Gaganyaan spacecraft took to the skies at 10:00 local time (04:30 UTC) on Saturday from the Sriharikota launch site. Notably, this was the second attempt on the same day, as the first launch was put on hold just five seconds before its scheduled liftoff. The primary objective of this test flight, known as the Flight Test Vehicle Abort Mission-1 (TV-D1), was to ascertain the spacecraft's ability to safely rescue the crew in the event of a rocket malfunction. This "crew escape system (CES)," a critical component, had to prove its effectiveness during the test. S Somanath, the Chairman of ISRO, announced the success of the mission, eliciting cheers and applause from his colleagues. The positive outcome of this test flight now paves the way for a series of unmanned missions, including sending a robot into space next year. The Gaganyaan project, named after the Sanskrit word for "craft" or "vehicle to the sky," has been developed at a cost of 90 billion rupees ($1 billion; £897 million). Its mission objective is to send a crew of three astronauts into low-Earth orbit, circling at an altitude of 400 kilometers (248 miles), for a duration of three days. Success in this endeavor will position India alongside the elite spacefaring nations. However, before embarking on this monumental mission, ISRO needed to confirm the safe return of the human-carrying capsule. This crucial safety aspect was addressed in the TV-D1 test flight, where the ability to ensure the crew's safety by moving them at least 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) away from the rocket in case of an emergency was demonstrated. As part of the post-launch procedure, a series of parachutes were deployed to guide the module safely to the waters of the Bay of Bengal, approximately 10 kilometers from the Sriharikota coast. The Indian navy, with a ship and a team of divers, was prepared to recover the module and return it to shore. The Gaganyaan test vehicle, equipped with cameras and instruments, collected valuable data and imagery during the mission. ISRO expects that this data will aid in conducting further tests and preparing for the final Gaganyaan mission. With the successful completion of this test, ISRO is set to send a humanoid robot, named Vyommitra (Sanskrit for "space friend"), into space within an unmanned Gaganyaan spacecraft next year. The agency has also been diligently preparing Indian air force pilots, selected to be part of the crew, by subjecting them to a battery of tests, including extensive physical exercise, lab investigations, radiological assessments, clinical tests, and evaluations of their psychological fitness. The Gaganyaan test flight generated substantial interest in India, even though it came more than half a century after astronauts from the Soviet Union and the United States embarked on journeys to low Earth orbit. China became the third nation to achieve spaceflight in 2003. India's recent historic lunar landing near the Moon's south pole in August 2023 and the launch of the Aditya-L1, its first Sun observation mission, have also elevated its space achievements. In a bold vision for the future, India announced plans to establish a space station by 2035 and send an astronaut to the Moon by 2040, reaffirming its commitment to expanding its presence in space exploration. [ANS thanks Geeta Pandey, BBC News, Delhi, 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/ +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ NASA's Voyager Spacecraft Receive Software Patch to Extend Their Mission In an ongoing effort to extend the life of NASA's Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 spacecraft, a team of dedicated engineers and scientists is working diligently to address the myriad challenges posed by the aging deep-space explorers. Launched nearly half a century ago, these iconic vessels have ventured into the far reaches of interstellar space, where their primary mission is to study cosmic rays, the magnetic field, and the plasma environment. These missions, despite their age, continue to provide valuable scientific data. Nevertheless, as the years have gone by, the Voyagers have encountered several technical issues that necessitate creative solutions to ensure their continued functionality. Suzanne Dodd, Voyager project manager at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, emphasized the importance of prolonging the mission's longevity. "These are measures that we're trying to take to extend the life of the mission," Dodd stated. One of the primary challenges faced by the Voyager team is the lack of redundancy in the spacecraft. After more than four decades in space, the Voyagers no longer possess backup systems, meaning that a failure of a single component could jeopardize the entire mission. "Everything on both spacecraft is single-string," Dodd explained. "There are not any backup capabilities left. In some cases, we powered off stuff to save power, just to keep the instruments on." To address recent issues and ensure the continued success of the missions, NASA has taken innovative approaches. Ground controllers at JPL recently uplinked a software patch to Voyager 2, as a test before deploying the same patch to Voyager 1. The patch aims to rectify a computer issue that had persisted since 2022, where the Voyager 1 computer responsible for orienting the spacecraft was sending garbled status reports. Furthermore, engineers have developed a new strategy for operating the spacecraft's thrusters. These thrusters are essential for keeping the main antenna on each probe pointed at Earth, and there is a buildup of propellant residue in the narrow lines that feed hydrazine fuel to the thrusters. While this approach may result in occasional data loss, it will significantly extend the overall mission by preventing the complete blockage of the propellant inlet tubes. "These two spacecraft are still operating, still returning uniquely valuable science data, and every extra day we get data back is a blessing," Dodd emphasized. Another pressing issue is the spacecraft's declining power levels, as they rely on nuclear batteries that gradually produce less electricity each year. The power situation is currently stable and predictable, but as the batteries continue to degrade, NASA anticipates having to deactivate Voyager's science instruments one by one late in the decade. Once the transmitter's power requirements exceed the available power, the mission will come to an end. Nevertheless, the Voyagers continue to push the boundaries of space exploration. Both spacecraft are now in the realm of interstellar space, representing the farthest human-made objects from Earth. These pioneering missions have not only provided an invaluable wealth of scientific knowledge but have also become a testament to the ingenuity and resourcefulness of NASA's engineering and science teams. "If you only look at the power situation, the Voyagers should make it until 2030, and maybe slightly longer," Dodd stated. "But there are a lot of other issues that could pop up and cause a mission to fail." With contact still maintained with the Voyagers, albeit with a small team, it is NASA's hope that these venerable spacecraft will continue their journey and provide insights into the mysteries of the universe for years to come. "They've overcome lots of issues, and the engineers have been very clever in overcoming those issues," Dodd concluded. "I think the focus now is let's get to 50 and have the biggest party we can." [ANS thanks Stephen Clark, Space Reporter at Ars Technica, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Satellite Top 100 Rovers October 2023 Rankings The October 2023 rankings for the Top 100 Rovers (Mixed LEO/MEO/GEO) in satellite operations, as determined by @GridMasterMap on Twitter, has been released. The ranking is determined by the number of grids and DXCC entities activated, taking into account only those grids where a minimum number of QSOs logged on the gridmaster.fr website have been validated by a third party. Grid numbers do not directly reflect the exact number of activations. Satellite operators are encouraged to upload their LoTW satellite contacts to https://gridmaster.fr in order to provide more accurate data. Updated: 2023-10-02 1 ND9M 26 KE4AL 51 AD7DB 76 DF2ET 2 NJ7H 27 LU5ILA 52 KE9AJ 77 OE3SEU 3 N5UC 28 VE3HLS 53 VE1CWJ 78 W8LR 4 JA9KRO 29 KI7UNJ 54 JL3RNZ 79 CU2ZG 5 DL6AP 30 KB5FHK 55 KM4LAO 80 K0FFY 6 HA3FOK 31 F5VMJ 56 N4UFO 81 N0TEL 7 WI7P 32 LA9XGA 57 SM3NRY 82 KB2YSI 8 N9IP 33 N7AGF 58 VA7LM 83 KJ7NDY 9 WY7AA 34 DL2GRC 59 N8RO 84 YU0W 10 N6UA 35 XE3DX 60 KI7QEK 85 VE6WK 11 W5PFG 36 N6DNM 61 PT2AP 86 VE7PTN 12 AD0DX 37 F4BKV 62 W1AW 87 AF5CC 13 K5ZM 38 KE0PBR 63 AA8CH 88 HB9GWJ 14 DP0POL 39 K7TAB 64 VE1VOX 89 PT9ST 15 AK8CW 40 AC0RA 65 M1DDD 90 DK9JC 16 AD0HJ 41 KE0WPA 66 VK5DG 91 VO2AC 17 WD9EWK 42 JO2ASQ 67 FG8OJ 92 DL4EA 18 ON4AUC 43 W7WGC 68 PT9BM 93 KG4AKV 19 KG5CCI 44 JK2XXK 69 VA3VGR 94 LW2DAF 20 KX9X 45 EA4NF 70 LU4JVE 95 JM1CAX 21 ND0C 46 PR8KW 71 XE1ET 96 KC7JPC 22 K8BL 47 AA5PK 72 KI7UXT 97 AB5SS 23 N5BO 48 EB1AO 73 N4DCW 98 A41ZZ 24 DJ8MS 49 SP5XSD 74 WA9JBQ 99 K4DCA 25 UT1FG 50 F4DXV 75 VE3GOP 100 WN9Q [ANS thanks @GridMasterMap for the above information] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Want to fly the colors on your own grid expedition? Get your AMSAT car flag and other neat stuff from our Zazzle store! 25% of the purchase price of each product goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for October 26 Two Line Elements or TLEs, often referred to as Keplerian elements or keps in the amateur community, are the inputs to the SGP4 standard mathematical model of spacecraft orbits used by most amateur tracking programs. Weekly updates are completely adequate for most amateur satellites. TLE bulletin files are updated Thursday evenings around 2300 UTC, or more frequently if new high interest satellites are launched. More information may be found at https://www.amsat.org/keplerian-elements-resources/ The following satellites have been removed from this week's AMSAT-NA TLE distribution: Reaktor Hello World NORAD Cat ID 43743 Decayed from orbit on or about 22 October 2023 Astrocast 0.1 NORAD Cat ID 43798 Does not appear to operate in the Amateur Satellite Service Al Farabi 2 NORAD Cat ID 43805 Probably defunct [ANS thanks AMSAT Orbital Elements page 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. + Recently Completed A. L. Burruss Elementary School, Marietta, GA, direct via K4RGK The ISS callsign was NA1SS The scheduled crewmember was Jasmin Moghbeli, KI5WSL The ARISS mentor was K4RGK Contact was successful: Tue 2023-10-24 16:14:50 UTC Watch the video online at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7Dkz_E1Fug + Upcoming Contacts Walkerston State School, Walkerston, Queensland, Australia, telebridge via K6DUE The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled crewmember is Loral O’Hara, KI5TOM The ARISS mentor is VK4KHZ Contact is go for: Fri 2023-11-03 11:24:58 UTC ARISS planned radio outage this week. In support of the spacewalk by NASA astronauts Jasmin Moghbeli, KI5WSL, and Loral O'Hara, KI5TOM, planned for Mon. 10/30 the Voice Repeater & Digipeater will be off for the event. Current Schedule: Radios Off: Sun. Oct. 29 about 18:50 UTC | 2:50 PM ET Radios On: Tue. Oct. 31 about 10:05 UTC | 6:05 AM ET The crossband repeater continues to be active (145.990 MHz up {PL 67} & 437.800 MHz down). If any crewmember is so inclined, all they have to do is pick up the microphone, raise the volume up, and talk on the crossband repeater. So give a listen, you just never know. The packet system is also active (145.825 MHz up & down). As always, if there is an EVA, a docking, or an undocking; the ARISS radios are turned off as part of the safety protocol. Note, all times are approximate. It is recommended that you do your own orbital prediction or start listening about 10 minutes before the listed time. 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] -------------------------------------------------------------------- Upcoming Satellite Operations YJ, NEW HEBRIDES: YJ0TT will be the callsign for a contest team effort from Efate Island. Operators will also be active before and after (from Oct. 26 until Nov. 3) as YJ0SR (N7JI), YJ0ET (NG7E), YJ0NA (K6VHF via satellites), YJ0UC (W6UC), and YJ0EE (NJ6P, 6m EME). For more information see: https://www.dxobsessed.org/home Ray, KN2K, will be operating in grid square FM27 on November 1st through November 2nd. Watch @KN2K1 on Twitter for rove updates and https://hams.at for pass details. Jonathan, N4AKV, is planning to operate from the EM82/83 gridline in GA on FM, Linears, and GreenCube on November 4th. Passes will be available soon on https://hams.at. A growing number of satellite rovers are currently engaged in sharing their grid square activations on https://hams.at. By visiting the website, you gain easy access to comprehensive information about the operators responsible for activating specific grid squares. Additionally, you have the ability to assess the match score between yourself and a particular rover for a given pass, while also being able to identify the upcoming satellite passes that are accessible from your location. [ANS thanks Ian Parsons, K5ZM, 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. + 40th Anniversary Celebration of the Positive Impact of Amateur Radio on Human Spaceflight Thursday February 22nd through Saturday February 24th, 2024 Center for Space Education: Astronauts Memorial Foundation Kennedy Space Center, M6-306 405 State Road, FL 32899 https://www.ariss.org/overview.html [ANS thanks the AMSAT Events page for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Satellite Shorts From All Over + Congratulations the following individuals on receiving the AMSAT Rover Award for their outstanding achievements in portable satellite operating: Manfred Bester, AG7NR (#081) and Jonathan Eernisse, N4AKV (#082). To qualify for this award, they accumulated a minimum of 25 points by activating grid squares beyond their home grid. Points were earned through various achievements, including activating states, provinces, or DX entities outside their home location via satellite, as well as promoting their grid operations through social media and documenting their activations through photographs and published articles. More information about this award can be found on the AMSAT website at https://www.amsat.org/amsat-rover-award/. Congratulations to our esteemed AMSAT Rover Award recipients! (ANS thanks Bruce Paige, KK5DO, AMSAT Director of Contests and Awards for the above information) + Ray Crafton, KN2K, presents a "Simple, Portable Satellite Tracker" in the ARRL QST November 2023 edition. This tracker utilizes two servo gearboxes, SatPC32 for control, and an Arduino Uno for translation of commands. It is powered by a 13.8 VDC source, typically a 30 Ah lithium iron phosphate battery. The tracker consists of four subsystems: servo mount, adaptable antenna mount, servo control box, and control software interpreting SatPC32 commands. The servo mount includes Stingray-4 and Stingray-9 gearboxes for azimuth and elevation. The antenna mount offers flexibility for accommodating a range of antennas, and the servo control box houses an Arduino Uno along with power converters. For detailed construction notes and updates, the ARRL website https://www.arrl.org/qst-in-depth provides additional resources and information. (ANS thanks Ray Crafton, KN2K and the American Radio Relay League for the above information) + NASA has revealed that it has already processed 70.3 grams of rocks and dust collected by the OSIRIS-REx mission from asteroid Bennu. That means the mission has way exceeded its goal of bringing 60 grams of asteroid samples back to Earth — especially since NASA scientists have yet to open the primary sample container that made its way back to our planet in September. Apparently, they're struggling to open the container and could not remove two of its 35 fasteners using the tools currently available to them. The scientists are processing the samples inside a specialized glovebox with a flow of nitrogen in order to keep them from being exposed to our atmosphere and any contaminants. They can't just use any implement to break the container's fasteners open either: The tool must fit inside the glovebox, and it also must not compromise the samples' integrity. NASA has sealed the primary container sample for now, while it's developing the procedure to be able to open it over the next few weeks. (ANS thanks Engadget for the above information) + SpaceX will launch four European navigation satellites for the ESA due to delays in European launcher development. The agreement entails two Falcon 9 launches in 2024, each carrying two Galileo navigation satellites, pending approval from the European Commission and EU member states. Europe's preference was to use its own rockets, like Ariane 6 and Vega-C, but technical issues led them to seek SpaceX's services. The ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine ruled out the use of Soyuz rockets. These Galileo satellites are crucial for maintaining an independent European global satellite navigation system, and they contain encrypted communication equipment for European military use. This marks the first time in 15 years that Galileo satellites will launch from outside Europe and the first instance of SpaceX launching European satellites with classified equipment. (ANS thanks TechCrunch for the above information) + SpaceX plans to launch 144 missions in the coming year, aiming to increase its already impressive launch frequency. In 2023, the company has already completed 74 orbital missions, breaking its own previous record of 61 set in 2022. SpaceX intends to reach 100 flights this year, requiring a significant acceleration in launch cadence. They aim to achieve approximately 12 flights per month in 2024. Most of these missions will be dedicated to the Starlink internet-satellite megaconstellation. While Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets have dominated SpaceX's missions so far, they are working on their reusable Starship rocket for future exploration, with a second test flight pending approval from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration. SpaceX aims for rapid hardware development through frequent test flights despite regulatory challenges. (ANS thanks Space.com 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, Mitch Ahrenstorff, ADØHJ ad0hj [at] amsat.org

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ANS-295 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
by Mark Johns, K0JM 22 Oct '23

22 Oct '23

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-295 In this edition: * AMSAT Board Appoints Officers, Hears Reports * AMSAT Board Discusses Policies and Procedures * AMSAT Symposium Takes Place in Dallas * ESTCube-2 Fails to Deploy After Launch * Scientists Confirm Ancient Solar Storm * Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for Oct. 19 * EVA Event Upcoming on ISS * ARISS News * Upcoming Satellite Operations * Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events * Satellite Shorts From All Over 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/ ANS-295 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins To: All RADIO AMATEURS From: Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation 712 H Street NE, Suite 1653 Washington, DC 20002 DATE 2023 OCT 22 AMSAT Board Appoints Officers, Hears Reports The AMSAT Board of Directors met on Thursday, Oct. 19 in Dallas, Texas in advance of the annual meeting and Symposium. + Since Board members whose terms were expiring were all re-elected, the Board was as previously constituted. Frank Karnauskas was welcomed as the new Alternate Board member. + All officers were re-appointed by acclamation: President -- Robert Bankston, KE4AL, Dothan, AL Executive Vice President -- Paul Stoetzer, N8HM, Washington, DC Vice President - Engineering -- Jerry Buxton, N0JY, Granbury, TX Vice President - Operations -- Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA, Brooksville, FL Vice President - Educational Relations -- Alan Johnston, KU2Y, Philadelphia, PA Vice President - Development -- Frank Karnauskas, N1UW, Tucson, AZ Treasurer -- Steve Belter, N9IP, West Lafayette, IN Secretary -- Jeff Davis, KE9V, Yorktown, IN + President Robert Bankston gave his President's Report. His focus was on improving transparency and accountability between AMSAT leadership and membership. This would include better reporting of finances, better standards for publishing our accomplishments, more attention to Member Services for member satisfaction, and redesign of the AMSAT website. + Treasurer Steve Belter was not in attendance, but the Treasurer's Report was given on his behalf. The financial status of the organization is healthy. + Alan Johnston, Vice President - Educational Relations, reported that the CubeSat Simulators are getting good use in the amateur community, as well as in universities and high schools. The Simulator circuit boards have been selling well, and the fully built loaners are circulating constantly. An upgraded Simulator board, v.2, is in beta, and testers will be recruited from among builders of version 1. A new v.2 kit should become available next year. + The engineering report by Jerry Buxton, Vice President - Engineering, and Jonathan Brandenburg, KF5IDY, Assistant Vice President - Engineering. The engineering team now consists of more than 35 volunteers, each working 4 to 5 hours per week, on various projects for Fox-Plus, GOLF, ASCENT, and other related efforts. Recruiting of engineering volunteers is ongoing. Engineering challenges include supply chain problems and inflationary pressures. As technology advances quickly, some components become unavailable in the space between planning and construction. Export Administration Regulations (EAR) make international cooperation difficult. The GOLF (Greater Orbit, Larger Footprint) program was approved in 2017 as an incremental development path for return to High Earth Orbit (HEO). Applications for the first two satellites in this program, GOLF-TEE and GOLF-1, have both been accepted by NASA. The satellites are under construction, and the first will be delivered to NASA in late 2025, but there is no time frame for launch at this time. ASCENT (Advanced Satellite Communication and Exploration of New Technology) allows a "sandbox" for future satellite systems to be explored for eventual flight. Some of these projects are being incorporated into GOLF, including the deployable solar panels and the 3U cubesat structure. Fox-Plus, a 1U cubesat, is currently under construction utilizing the Linear Transponder Module similar to those that have been supplied to partners such as HuskySat and MESAT-1. The first Fox-Plus satellite will be completed no earlier than late 2024, with no time frame for launch at this time. + Vice President - Operations, Drew Glasbrenner, gave a rundown on satellites in orbit. We have a number of old satellites that keep chugging along, and the Operations team manages these resources as possible. + Vice President - Development, Frank Karnauskas, reported on plans to celebrate the 50th anniversary of AO-07 and the publicity surrounding it. There was also discussion of the AMSAT News Service bulletins and how they are distributed. + The IT report focused on the availability of @amsat.org email accounts. Costs of maintaining this service have increased immensely, and there have been many problems with spam filters crushing mail sent through this service. + Board Member Bruce Paige, KK5DO, reported on AMSAT Field Day and the awards programs. The AMSAT Store, reached through the amsat.org website, continues to do a brisk business with the SatPC32 tracking program being the best seller. + Export Control and Economic Sanctions Compliance Training was the last item on the agenda. President Bankston briefed the Board on current legal requirements. [ANS thanks AMSAT for the above information] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ The 2023 AMSAT President's Club coins are here now! To commemorate the 40th anniversary of its launch on June 16, 1983, this year's coin features an image of AMSAT-OSCAR 10. Join the AMSAT President's Club today and help Keep Amateur Radio in Space! https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/ +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ AMSAT Board Discusses Policies and Procedures President Robert Bankston reconvened the Board of Directors on Friday morning, Oct. 20. Bankston opened with a discussion of AMSAT’s policies and procedures, specifically the financial policies and procedures. Discussion ensued regarding communicating information regarding Engineering projects and a public release of schedules. In some cases, legal agreements preclude release of specific launch information. Discussion also continued regarding budgeting procedures for Engineering projects. Bankston compiled a list of further items for new business to discuss by the end of the meeting. Further new business discussion followed. Paul Stoetzer raised the issue of a document repository to manage corporate documents for improving management and communication. It was broadly agreed that AMSAT would seek a solution in concert with the IT team. Drew Glasbrenner was recognized to discuss a potential updated satellite tracking software. A concern was raised that more senior AMSAT leadership should attend various conferences and events. It was agreed that there would be an increase in the amount budgeted for attendance at conferences in the 2024 Budget. There was discussion of allocating funds for services would be contracted for user services, since AMSAT no longer has any employees. A discussion also ensued on the AMSAT IP Policy. It was agreed that ideas for updating it would be developed and discussed in January. Alternate Director Frank Karnauskas was recognized to discuss the need to define positions before filling them with volunteers. Some feel that positions need to be flexible in order to fit the willingness of volunteers. Jerry Buxton opened discussion of ITU/FCC satellite authorization. He suggested obtaining external support to handle applications for satellite authorization. Drew Glasbrenner, as the AMSAT licensee, concurred. It was broadly agreed that it would be a benefit. As the 50th anniversary of AO-7 draws near, plans are in the works for celebrating the anniversary. Also discussed were potential locations for the 2024 Symposium. It was broadly agreed that Florida would be the location. President Bankston mentioned his desire for re-engagement with our sister AMSATs around the world on satellite programs. The Board broadly agreed that the President should reach out to international AMSAT leadership and begin discussions. The need was discussed for an updating of the Getting Started Guide and the need for a new editor. President Bankston adjourned the meeting so that all could move on to attending the 41st AMSAT Symposium. [ANS thanks Paul Stoetzer, Acting Secretary, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- AMSAT Symposium Takes Place in Dallas The 41st AMSAT Space Symposium & Annual General Meeting was held October 20-21 in Dallas, Texas. Nearly 60 participants were in attendance. The Symposium sessions will be available for viewing on AMSAT's YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@AMSATNA/ Friday, October 20 + Welcome from Robert Bankston, KE4AL, AMSAT President + A Survey of Small Satellite Propulsion Systems by Jonathan Brandenburg, KF5IDY, AMSAT Assistant VP Engineering + AMSAT Engineering Update from Jerry Buxton, N0JY, AMSAT VP Engineering; Jonathan Brandenburg, KF5IDY, AMSAT Assistant VP Engineering; sZach Metzinger, N0ZGO, AMSAT Board of Directors + PACSAT Update and Demonstration by Bill Reed, NX5R, PACSAT Project Manager, et al Saturday, October 21 + Welcome from Robert Bankston, KE4AL, AMSAT President + CubeSatSim Update and Demonstration by Alan Johnston, KU2Y, AMSAT VP Educational Resources + ThinSat Project for High Schools by Nick Pugh, K5QXY, and Bob Twiggs, KE6QMD + AMSAT Youth Initiative by Frank Karnauskas, N1UW, AMSAT VP Development + Amateur Radio Spectrum Use in the Lunar Environment by Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, ARISS-NA Executive Director + Amateur Satellite Secondary Payloads by Drew Glasbrenner, AMSAT Board of Directors/VP Operations + AMSAT-HB Update from Michael Lipp, HB9WDF, President, AMSAT-HB + ARISS Update from Dave Taylor, W8AAS, AMSAT U.S. Delegate to ARISS International + 40th Anniversary of Hams in Space & 2024 Anniversary Event by Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, ARISS-NA Executive Director + Planned Non-AMSAT Amateur Satellites by Paul Stoetzer, N8HM, AMSAT Executive Vice President + Space Qualified Antennas by Kent Britain, WA5VJB The session was followed by the AMSAT Annual General Meeting & Awards Ceremony, and in the evening, by the AMSAT Symposium Banquet. [ANS thanks AMSAT 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/ +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ ESTCube-2 Fails to Deploy After Launch A pair of payloads that were among 12 carried to orbit aboard the Arianespace-managed Vega VV23 flight failed to be deployed and likely burned up in the atmosphere still attached to the rocket’s upper stage. The Vega VV23 flight was launched on October 9 at 01:36 UTC from the Guiana Space Centre in French Guiana. The rocket carried the THEOS-2 and FORMOSAT-7R/TRITON satellites as its primary payloads and ten smaller satellites as secondary payloads. Following a successful launch, Arianespace published a press release confirming that the two primary payloads and eight of the ten secondary payloads had been deployed. However, the launch services provider added that “the separation of the last 2 cubesats is still to be confirmed.” The launch utilized the Small Spacecraft Mission Service (SSMS) dispenser, which was designed by SAB Aerospace for Avio and is operated by Arianespace with the support of SAB Launch Services. In an email sent by Arianespace to the affected teams that European Spaceflight has seen, the launch services provider explained that the ESTCube-2 and ANSER-Leader cubesats likely failed to separate from their respective deployers. “Following the VEGA VV23 launch last Sunday, ARIANESPACE has now the strong suspicion that your satellites ESTCube-2 and ANSER-Leader were unfortunately not separated from their respective deployers,” said the email. ESTcube-2, a 3U cubesat, was built by the Estonian Student Satellite Foundation and was supposed to carry a 9600bps digipeater similar to the former FalconSat-3, as well as several other amateur-related experiments. [ANS thanks European Spaceflight for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Scientists Confirm Ancient Solar Storm The largest known solar storm struck Earth more than 14,000 years ago, according to a new study of the growth rings in ancient trees. A similar storm striking Earth at present would likely knock out radio communications and satellites while causing widespread blackouts. Carbon-14 (C14), the rarest carbon isotope on the planet, is primarily formed by cosmic rays emitted by the Sun through solar flares and coronal mass ejections interacting with the Earth's atmosphere. The radioactive carbon isotope can eventually be absorbed by living organisms — like trees, plants and animals — throughout their lifetimes. The amount of C14 in certain organisms can reflect how abundant the isotope was in the atmosphere and, by extension, the amount of solar activity present at a given time. A team of scientists discovered evidence of the storm by measuring the levels of C14 in rings of ancient pine trees that lived in the French Alps more than 14,000 years ago. The researchers hypothesized that the abrupt spike was likely from a massive solar storm that was probably two times larger than all other major storms on record. To verify their hypothesis, the researchers turned to ice cores, or cylinders of ice drilled from ice sheets and glaciers. They discovered that the C14 spike in the trees corresponded with an unusual concentration of beryllium-10 from between 14,301 and 14,292 years ago found in a Greenland ice core. Tim Heaton, a professor of applied statistics at the University of Leeds and a co-author of the new study in the journal, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A, noted that, "Extreme solar storms could have huge impacts on Earth. They would also create severe radiation risks to astronauts." [ANS thanks Axios Space 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 Oct. 19 Two Line Elements or TLEs, often referred to as Keplerian elements or keps in the amateur community, are the inputs to the SGP4 standard mathematical model of spacecraft orbits used by most amateur tracking programs. Weekly updates are completely adequate for most amateur satellites. Elements in the TLE bulletin files are updated daily. TLE bulletin files are updated to add or remove satellites as necessary Thursday evenings around 2300 UTC, or more frequently if new high interest satellites are launched. More information may be found at https://www.amsat.org/keplerian-elements-resources/ The following satellites have been removed from this week's AMSAT-NA TLE distribution: Robusta 1B NORAD Cat ID 42792 Decayed from orbit on or about 16 October 2023 LO-87 LUSEX NORAD Cat ID 41557 Decayed from orbit on or about 19 October 2023 [ANS thanks AMSAT Orbital Elements page for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- EVA Event Upcoming on ISS Two NASA astronauts aboard the International Space Station will conduct a spacewalk Monday, Oct. 30, to complete maintenance activities at the orbital complex. Live coverage of the spacewalk begins at 6:30 a.m. EDT on NASA Television, the NASA app<https://www.nasa.gov/apps/>, and the agency’s website< https://www.nasa.gov/nasatv/>. The spacewalk is scheduled to begin about 8:05 a.m., and last about six-and-a-half hours. NASA astronauts Jasmin Moghbeli, KI5WSL, and Loral O’Hara, KI5TOM, will exit the station’s Quest airlock to remove an electronics box called the Radio Frequency Group from a communications antenna on station. They also will replace one of 12 trundle bearing assemblies on a solar alpha rotary joint. The bearings enable the station’s solar arrays to rotate properly to track the Sun as the station orbits the Earth. When looking at the space station, the antenna is on the starboard (right side) truss, and the rotary joint is on the port, or left side. U.S. spacewalk 89 will be the first for both Moghbeli and O’Hara. Moghbeli will serve as extravehicular activity crew member 1 and will wear a suit with red stripes. O’Hara will serve as extravehicular crew member 2 and will wear an unmarked suit. Station managers continue planning for another spacewalk with O’Hara, as well as ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Andreas Mogensen, to collect samples for analysis to see whether microorganisms may exist on the exterior of the orbital complex. That spacewalk, which now is U.S. spacewalk 90, has been postponed to no earlier than December. [As always, if there is an EVA, a docking, or an undocking; the ARISS radios are turned off as part of the safety protocol.] [ANS thanks NASA 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. RECENTLY COMPLETED Valley Stream South High School, Valley Stream, NY, telebridge via IK1SLD The ISS callsign was OR4ISS The crewmember was Andreas Mogensen, KG5GCZ The ARISS mentor was AB1OC Contact was successful: Tue 2023-10-17 12:25:03 UTC 38 deg Congratulations to the Valley Stream South High School students, Andreas, and mentor AB1OC! Watch the video at https://youtube.com/live/g74NbsTEvVw?feature=share St Peter in Thanet CE Junior School, Broadstairs, Kent, United Kingdom, direct via GB4SPT The ISS callsign was NA1SS The crewmember was Loral O’Hara, KI5TOM The ARISS mentor was MØXTD Contact was successful: Wed 2023-10-18 09:57:49 UTC 89 deg Congratulations to the St Peter in Thanet CE Junior School students, Loral, and mentor MØXTD! UPCOMING: A. L. Burruss Elementary School, Marietta, GA, direct via K4RGK The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled crewmember is Jasmin Moghbeli, KI5WSL The ARISS mentor is K4RGK Contact is go for: Tue 2023-10-24 16:14:50 UTC 74 deg Watch for Livestream at www.youtube.com/channel/UCuI4sKDBpERtEFs9bFrRMFA/live The crossband repeater continues to be active (145.990 MHz up {PL 67} & 437.800 MHz down). If any crewmember is so inclined, all they have to do is pick up the microphone, raise the volume up, and talk on the crossband repeater. So give a listen, you just never know. The packet system is Temporarily stowed (145.825 MHz up & down). As always, if there is an EVA, a docking, or an undocking; the ARISS radios are turned off as part of the safety protocol. Note, all times are approximate. It is recommended that you do your own orbital prediction or start listening about 10 minutes before the listed time. 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] -------------------------------------------------------------------- Upcoming Satellite Operations Ray, KN2K, will be in FM17 the morning of Wednesday, 25th October and will be QRV for a number of morning passes. Check hams.at for details. Please submit any additions or corrections to k5zm (at) comcast (dot) net. [ANS thanks Ian Parsons, K5ZM, 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. + 41st AMSAT Space Symposium & Annual General Meeting October 20-21, 2023 Sheraton DFW Airport Hotel 4440 W John Carpenter Fwy, Irving, TX 75063 AMSAT Ambassador Clint Bradford, K6LCS, says, “Think a 75-minute presentation on “working the easy satellites” would be appropriate for your club or event? Let me know by emailing me at k6lcsclint (at) gmail (dot) com or calling me at 909-999-SATS (7287)!” Clint has NEVER given the exact same show twice: EACH of the 150+ presentations so far has been customized/tailored to their audiences. [ANS thanks the AMSAT Events page for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Satellite Shorts From All Over + ARRL has released TQSL v.2.7.1 for Windows, Mac and Linux as of Oct. 17, 2023. Users of Logbook of the World should update to the latest version at their earliest opportunity. (ANS thanks ARRL/LoTW for the above information) + The presentations from the 50th Anniversary AMSAT-DL Satellite Meeting on September 16, 2023 in Bochum are available on the AMSAT-DL YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@amsatdl/videos. Though many are in German, some presentations are in English. (ANS thanks AMSAT-DL for the above information) + The ISS experienced another coolant leak, this time on a radiator circuit that is part of the Russian Nauka module—the crew and station are safe, and there is a spacewalk planned later this month to investigate the root cause. (ANS thanks The Orbital Index for the above information) + Researchers at Purdue University’s College of Science found metals high in Earth’s stratosphere. Those metals are altering the chemistry in our planet’s atmosphere in ways we don’t fully understand, and may be causing damage to the earth's protective ozone layer. The team concluded that the aerosols of over 20 chemical elements, including lithium, aluminum, copper, and lead, come from vapour boiling off of the surfaces of spent boosters and other space debris as it re-enters the atmosphere and burns up. (ANS thanks Universe Today for the above information) + SpaceX filed for a 29,988 satellite W-band network—likely around 71-86 GHz which offers higher data rates but suffers more atmospheric attenuation—this filing is presumably part of SpaceX’s original 42,000 satellite proposed constellation and would quadruple the number of active satellites that humanity has in orbit. (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, KØJM k0jm [at] amsat.org

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ANS-293 AMSAT News Service Special Bulletin - 41st AMSAT Space Symposium & Annual General Meeting Schedule and Livestream Details Announced
by Paul Stoetzer 20 Oct '23

20 Oct '23

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE SPECIAL BULLETIN ANS-293 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: * 41st AMSAT Space Symposium & Annual General Meeting Schedule and Livestream Details Announced SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-293.01 ANS-293 AMSAT News Service Special Bulletin AMSAT News Service Bulletin 293.01 From AMSAT HQ WASHINGTON, DC DATE October 20, 2023 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-293.01 41st AMSAT Space Symposium & Annual General Meeting Schedule and Livestream Details Announced The 41st AMSAT Space Symposium & Annual General Meeting lifts off at 1:00pm Central Daylight Time / 18:00 UTC on Friday, October 20th. If you are not joining us in Dallas this year, we are pleased to offer a live stream of the Symposium sessions on AMSAT's YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@AMSATNA/streams The Symposium schedule and direct livestream links for each day follow. All times are Central Daylight Time (UTC-5). The sessions start at 18:00 UTC on Friday and 13:00 UTC on Saturday. Friday, October 20th YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcO4-h7bbxs 1:00 – 1:15 Welcome Robert Bankston, KE4AL, AMSAT President 1:15 – 1:45 A Survey of Small Satellite Propulsion Systems Jonathan Brandenburg, KF5IDY, AMSAT Assistant VP Engineering 1:45 – 3:00 AMSAT Engineering Update Jerry Buxton, N0JY, AMSAT VP Engineering Jonathan Brandenburg, KF5IDY, AMSAT Assistant VP Engineering Zach Metzinger, N0ZGO, AMSAT Board of Directors 3:00 – 3:15 Break 3:15 – 4:15 PACSAT Update and Demonstration Bill Reed, NX5R, PACSAT Project Manager, et al 4:15 – 5:00 Break-Out Session Member Services Saturday, October 21st YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzKKHTBxyY8 8:00 – 8:15 Welcome Robert Bankston, KE4AL, AMSAT President 8:15 – 9:00 CubeSatSim Update and Demonstration Alan Johnston, KU2Y, AMSAT VP Educational Resources 9:00 – 9:30 ThinSat Project for High Schools Nick Pugh, K5QXY, and Bob Twiggs, KE6QMD 9:30 – 10:00 AMSAT Youth Initiative Frank Karnauskas, N1UW, AMSAT VP Development 10:00 – 10:15 Break 10:15 – 10:45 Amateur Radio Spectrum Use in the Lunar Environment Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, ARISS-NA Executive Director 10:45 – 11:15 Amateur Satellite Secondary Payloads Drew Glasbrenner, AMSAT Board of Directors/VP Operations 11:15 – 11:35 AMSAT-HB Update Michael Lipp, HB9WDF, President, AMSAT-HB 11:35 - 12:00 TBD 12:00 – 1:00 Lunch 1:00 – 1:45 ARISS Update Dave Taylor, W8AAS, AMSAT US Delegate to ARISS International 1:45 - 2:15 40th Anniversary of Hams in Space & 2024 Anniversary Event Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, ARISS-NA Executive Director 2:15 – 2:45 Planned Non-AMSAT Amateur Satellites Paul Stoetzer, N8HM, AMSAT Executive Vice President 2:45 – 3:15 Space Qualified Antennas Kent Britain, WA5VJB 3:30 PM – 4:45 PM AMSAT Annual General Meeting & Awards Ceremony [ANS thanks AMSAT 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-288 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
by Paul Stoetzer 15 Oct '23

15 Oct '23

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-288 In this edition: * Estonia’s ESTCube-2 Digipeater in Orbit * 2023 AMSAT Space Symposium & Annual General Meeting Next Weekend * AMSAT-UK Colloquium Ongoing * Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for September 15, 2023 * ARISS News * Upcoming Satellite Operations * Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events * Satellite Shorts From All Over 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/ ANS-260 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins To: All RADIO AMATEURS From: Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation 712 H Street NE, Suite 1653 Washington, DC 20002 DATE 2023 October 15 Estonia’s ESTCube-2 Digipeater in Orbit ESTCube-2 is a 3U Cubesat largely designed and built by undergraduate students at the University of Tartu, Estonia. It was launched into sun-synchronous orbit as an auxiliary payload on the European Space Agency (ESA) Vega flight VV23 from the Guiana Space Centre at Kourou on October 8 at 01:36 UTC. Among ESTCube-2's several missions, it will conduct in-orbit signal strength mapping in the 2m and 70cm amateur bands, using periodical full band received signal strength indicator (RSSI) measurements in order to check how polluted these two radio amateur bands are in low Earth orbit. In addition, a cross-band AX.25 digipeater mode will be used to allow amateur radio operators to use satellite for two-way digital communication. 9600 bps G3RUH AX.25 data uplink will be in 2m amateur band and transmission of digipeated packet in 70cm amateur radio band. Transmission speed and modulation will be the same as for uplink. [Similar to the now re-entered FalconSat-3.] There are plans to include periodic short audio announcements (similar to FOX-1) to indicate that the digipeater is active. The high-speed communications system is a COTS transmitter system called HiSPiCO from IQ Technologies. It is used when downloading preselected Earth observation scientific camera full-resolution images using the 2.4 GHz amateur radio band. (See https://www.iq-spacecom.com/products/hispico for details.) Data will be downlinked using QPSK modulated up-to 1 Mbps data-rate signal. Software tools (e.g. GNU Radio, web browser- based) will be published before the satellite launch, in order to enable reception of high speed downlink by the amateur radio community. The optional multi-station radio frequency ranging experiment will be used to determine satellite distance to Earth in order to improve accuracy of satellite orbit determination. For the experiment, the 70cm radio amateur band will be used in conjunction with four or more amateur ground stations using SDR-based equipment that can provide stable and accurate frequency and time measurements. The satellite downlink will be listened to from several ground stations at the same time. To educate the next generation of radio amateurs, the satellite will transmit analog messages from space using an NBFM signal containing pre-recorded audio greetings. This activity will infrequently take place according to a schedule published publicly to schools and the AMSAT/HAM community. The transmitted signal will be received by participating Estonian secondary and high schools, using their own built radio antennas and SDR-based receiver systems. This activity is targeted primarily to promote amateur radio and satellite communication (and in general STEM fields) among the younger generation. The Primary transceiver, shared with the amateur payloads, is using the 70 cm amateur radio band for uplink and downlink purposes. It will be used as the housekeeping beacon for a simple overview of the satellite status and as the main transceiver for receiving tele-commands and firmware upgrades. As well transmitting mission data, like telemetry from each subsystem (< 256 bytes per subsystem) and payload data, e.g. compressed, low resolution image thumbnails (~100 KiB), in AX.25 data packet format with 9600 baud data-rate with G3RUH modulated signal. The spacecraft will have experimental capability to change data-rate up-to 38600 baud using 2GFSK (or 4GFSK for testing) different modulation schemes. During the mission, it is planned to transmit a housekeeping telemetry beacon periodically (~1 KiB), typically once per minute, containing telemetry, health data packets from every subsystem. The 70 cm amateur radio band downlink will be used to send Plasma brake tether experiment [link] and housekeeping data of the payload module such as temperature measurements, information about the attitude of satellite, energy production etc. (< 256 bytes). After performing measurements of a material science experiment on corrosion resistant coating, the 70cm amateur radio band downlink will be used to transmit a very small amount of acquired sensor data (~ 200 B per day). The satellite will measure the electrical continuity of the coating material to determine its lifespan after exposure to atomic oxygen in LEO. Proposing UHF 9k6 using GFSK/G3RUH modulation or 38k4 GFSK/4GFSK or, alternatively, FM voice downlinks, and on S Band downlink DQPSK modulation with 1 Mbps data-rate, downlinks on 435.800 MHz and 2425.000 MHz have been coordinated by the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU). The Vega C VV23 launch plan was to put ESTCube-2 into a 555km Sun-Sychronous Orbit (SSO). Actual orbit parameters have yet to be confirmed. More info is at https://www.estcube.eu/projekt/ESTCube-2 and https://www.estcube.eu/blogi/Raadio [ANS thanks IARU, ESA, and the University of Tartu for the above information] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Join us for the 41st Annual AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting October 20-21, 2023 – Dallas, TX More Information at: https://tinyurl.com/41st-AMSAT-Symposium +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ 2023 AMSAT Space Symposium & Annual General Meeting Next Weekend Although the deadline for the banquet and Sunday morning Members' Breakfast has passed, there's still time to join us for the 41st AMSAT Space Symposium & Annual General Meeting next weekend. A livestream of the Symposium Presentations and Annual General Meeting will be available on AMSAT's YouTube page at https://www.youtube.com/amsatna For more information, visit https://www.amsat.org/41st-amsat-annual-space-symposium-and-annual-general-… Schedule (Times CDT) Thursday, October 19, 2023 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM AMSAT Board Meeting 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM Pre-Registration Check-in Friday, October 20, 2023 8:00 – 12:00 Noon AMSAT Board Meeting (Closed Session) 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM Registration 1:00 PM – 1:15 PM AMSAT Symposium Kickoff, President’s Welcome 1:15 PM – 5:00 PM Paper Sessions 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM Informal Dinner on your own 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM AMSAT Reception and Auction, Cash Bar Available Saturday October 21, 2023 8:00 AM – 11:45 AM Registration 8:00 AM – 8:15 AM AMSAT Symposium Welcome 8:15AM – 12:00 Noon Paper Sessions 1:00 PM – 3:15 PM Paper Sessions 3:30 PM – 4:45 PM AMSAT Annual Meeting & Awards Ceremony 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM Attitude Adjustment (Social), Cash Bar 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM AMSAT Banquet, Cash Bar Sunday October 22, 2023 7:30 AM – 9:00 AM AMSAT Member Breakfast [ANS thanks AMSAT for the above information] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ The 2023 AMSAT President's Club coins are here now! To commemorate the 40th anniversary of its launch on June 16, 1983, this year's coin features an image of AMSAT-OSCAR 10. Join the AMSAT President's Club today and help Keep Amateur Radio in Space! https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/ +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ AMSAT-UK Colloquium Ongoing Although the first day of the AMSAT-UK Colloquium has concluded at the time of publication, a livestream of Sunday's presentations is available. Volunteers from the British Amateur Television Club (BATC) are providing a live stream of the presentations from the AMSAT-UK International Space Colloquium which takes place as part of the RSGB Convention on October 14-15. BATC volunteers have been recording and streaming the Colloquium for over 11 years. Watch the AMSAT-UK Colloquium presentations on Sunday from 09:30-15:15 BST (GMT +1) at https://batc.org.uk/live/amsatuk2023 The AMSAT-UK talks are in Lecture Room 5 and PDF’s of the talk schedule can be downloaded from the RSGB site at https://rsgb.org/main/rsgb-2023-convention/2023-convention-lectures/ Further information on the BATC is available at http://batc.org.uk/ Individual videos of Colloquium presentations will also be available on AMSAT-UK's YouTube page (https://www.youtube.com/user/AMSATUK) over the coming weeks. [ANS thanks AMSAT-UK for the above information] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Need new satellite antennas? Purchase an M2 LEO-Pack 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-NA TLE Distribution for October 13, 2023 Two Line Elements or TLEs, often referred to as Keplerian elements or keps in the amateur community, are the inputs to the SGP4 standard mathematical model of spacecraft orbits used by most amateur tracking programs. Weekly updates are completely adequate for most amateur satellites. TLE bulletin files are updated Thursday evenings around 2300 UTC, or more frequently if new high interest satellites are launched. More information may be found at https://www.amsat.org/keplerian-elements-resources/ The following satellites have been removed from this week's AMSAT-NA TLE distribution: AstroBioCubsat NORAD Cat ID 53107 Probably defunct, USSF no longer providing element sets. Aurorasat NORAD Cat ID 56312 Decayed from orbit on or about 9 October 2023 Lightcube NORAD Cat ID 56314 Decayed from orbit on or about 12 October 2023 [ANS thanks Joe Fitzgerald, KM1P, AMSAT Orbital Elements Manager, for the above information] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Want to fly the colors on your own grid expedition? Get your AMSAT car flag and other neat stuff from our Zazzle store! 25% of the purchase price of each product goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ ARISS News 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. Quick list of scheduled contacts and events: Valley Stream South High School, Valley Stream, NY, telebridge via IK1SLD The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS The scheduled crewmember is Andreas Mogensen, KG5GCZ The ARISS mentor is AB1OC Contact is go for: Tue 2023-10-17 12:25:03 UTC 38 deg Watch for livestream at https://youtube.com/live/g74NbsTEvVw?feature=share St Peter in Thanet CE Junior School, Broadstairs, Kent, United Kingdom, direct via GB4SPT The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled crewmember is Loral O’Hara, KI5TOM The ARISS mentor is MØXTD Contact is go for: Wed 2023-10-18 09:57:49 UTC 89 deg Contact is go for: Wed 2023-10-18 09:57:49 UTC 89 deg Comments on making general contacts I have been seeing a lot of traffic on Facebook and I suspect on other social media sites with people asking why they are not hearing the crew make general contacts. First off the crew is very busy on the ISS and they simply may not have the time to just pick up the microphone and talk. Also, one needs to be aware of their normal daily schedule. I have listed below the constraints that we at ARISS have to follow in order to schedule the school contacts. Hopefully this will help you better schedule your opportunities. Typical daily schedule Wakeup to Workday start= 1.5 hours Workday start to Workday end=12 hours Workday end to Sleep= 2 hours Sleep to wakeup= 8.5 hours The crew's usual waking period is 0730 - 1930 UTC. The most common times to find a crew member making casual periods are about one hour after waking and before sleeping, when they have personal time. They're usually free most of the weekend, as well. SSTV events are not that often. So please check out https://www.ariss.org/ for the latest information or watch for the ARISS announcements. And don’t forget that the packet system is active. As always, if there is an EVA, a docking, or an undocking; the ARISS radios are turned off as part of the safety protocol. ARISS Radio Status Columbus Module radios: IORS (Kenwood D710GA) – STATUS - Configured. Default mode is for cross band repeater (145.990 MHz up {PL 67} & 437.800 MHz down). * Powering off for USOS EVA on Oct 19. OFF TBD. ON TBD. * Powering off for ROS EVA on Oct 25. OFF TBD . ON TBD. * Powering off for USOS EVA on Oct 30. OFF TBD. ON TBD. * Powering off for TBD on TBD. OFF TBD . ON TBD. * Capable of supporting USOS scheduled voice contacts, packet and voice repeater ops. Service Module radios: IORS (Kenwood D710GA) – STATUS - Configured. Default mode is fo packet operations (145.825 MHz up & down) * Powering off for TBD on TBD. OFF TBD . ON TBD. * Capable of supporting ROS scheduled voice contacts, packet, SSTV and voice repeater ops. SSTV (Kenwood D710) – STATUS - OFF. Default mode is for scheduled SSTV operations (145.800 MHz down) * Next planned operation date(s) TBD. * Specifically configured for SSTV ops. 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] -------------------------------------------------------------------- Upcoming Satellite Operations Adrian, N8AJM, will be QRV from EM85 (TN) 16th – 20th October. This will be LEO/MEO. Details are available at hams.at [ANS thanks Ian Parsons, K5ZM, 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. + 41st AMSAT Space Symposium & Annual General Meeting October 20-21, 2023 Sheraton DFW Airport Hotel 4440 W John Carpenter Fwy, Irving, TX 75063 AMSAT Ambassador Clint Bradford, K6LCS, says, "Think a 75-minute presentation on "working the easy satellites" would be appropriate for your club or event? Let me know by emailing me at k6lcsclint (at) gmail (dot) com or calling me at 909-999-SATS (7287)!" Clint has NEVER given the exact same show twice: EACH of the 150+ presentations so far has been customized/tailored to their audiences. [ANS thanks Clint Bradford, K6LCS, and AMSAT for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Satellite Shorts From All Over + The first PCBs for AMSAT-UK's next FUNcube satellite arrived this past week. This satellite will provide a Mode U/v linear transponder, an FM transponder with an uplink at 1267 MHz and downlink on 2 meters (Mode L/v), and an experimental QPSK downlink at about 20 kbps. (Thanks to G0MRF for this information) + ITU‑R WP5A meeting #30 could not achieve consensus on the measures needed to protect the RNSS in the 23cm band. (Relating to WRC-23 AI 9.1b) Link to the IARU report on WP5A meeting is at the end of https://www.iaru-r1.org/2023/itu-r-wp5a-meeting-30-could-not-achieve-consen… (Thanks to AMSAT-UK and the IARU for this information) + VU2JO has created a post detailing tips and tricks for working LEO satellites. The blog post is available at https://johnsonfrancis.org/techworld/tips-and-tricks-for-working-leo-satell… (Thanks to VU2JO for this information) + The Psyche mission to all-metal asteroid Psyche successfully lifted off from Kennedy Space Center on October 13, 2023 on a Falcon Heavy. This was NASA's first user of the SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket. https://spacenews.com/nasa-launches-psyche-mission-to-metal-world/ (Thanks to SpaceNews.com for this 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, Paul Stoetzer, N8HM n8hm [at] amsat.org

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ANS-282 AMSAT News Service Special Bulletin
by Mark Johns, K0JM 09 Oct '23

09 Oct '23

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE SPECIAL BULLETIN ANS-282 The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free news and information service of AMSAT, The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS publishes news related to Amateur Radio in Space including reports on the activities of a worldwide group of Amateur Radio operators who share an active interest in designing, building, launching and communicating through analog and digital Amateur Radio satellites. The news feed on http://www.amsat.org publishes news of Amateur Radio in Space as soon as our volunteers can post it. Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to: ans-editor [at] amsat.org You can sign up for free e-mail delivery of the AMSAT News Service Bulletins via the ANS List; to join this list see: https://mailman.amsat.org/postorius/lists/ans.amsat.org/ In this edition: * ARISS SSTV Event Reported in Error ANS-282 AMSAT News Service Special Bulletin To: All RADIO AMATEURS From: Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation 712 H Street NE, Suite 1653 Washington, DC 20002 DATE: 2023 Oct 09 ARISS SSTV Event Reported in Error The announcement in yesterday's AMSAT News Service bulletins concerning an upcoming Slow-Scan Television (SSTV) event transmitted from the International Space Station (ISS) was incorrect. This SSTV activity is a verification test with new hardware uploaded to ISS. This activity was never meant to be an operational SSTV event as some sources have speculated. ARISS International encouraged informing the ham community of the test and encouraged amateurs to post to the SSTV Gallery at https://www.spaceflightsoftware.com/ARISS_SSTV/index.php, only so that the verification test can be fully evaluated. Official ARISS participation certificates will not be issued for this activity, because it is only a verification test. It should be noted that third-party certificates mentioned in the ANS article are not official ARISS awards. Further, the Oct 16-20 dates, described in the ANS article for the SSTV test are not correct because specific dates for this test have not yet been selected or placed in the ISS crew schedule. The ARISS team is working to fit the SSTV event in the crew schedule. Separate U.S. and Russian EVAs to be performed in October will necessitate suspension of amateur radio activity, as always. Further, ARISS school contacts planned in that time period, as well as the normal science investigations that are part of the crew schedule, make it difficult to establish a definite timeline in advance. The Service Module radio system will be down until the SSTV verification test is completed. That means that the 145.825 MHz packet digipeater from the Service Module radio is off for now. Amateurs interested in ARISS activity should consult the official status page at https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html Those interested in receiving SSTV images from the ISS should monitor the ARISS SSTV blog at https://ariss-sstv.blogspot.com/ ANS regrets the publication of incorrect information in the previous bulletin and apologizes for the error. [ANS thanks ARISS 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 issue's ANS Editor, Mark Johns, KØJM k0jm at amsat dot org

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ANS-281 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins for Oct. 8
by Mark Johns, K0JM 08 Oct '23

08 Oct '23

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-281 In this edition: * Symposium Registration Deadlines Drawing Near * ARISS SSTV Event Rescheduled to October 16-20, 2023 * Amateurs Participate in Annular Solar Eclipse Event on October 14 * NEXUS (FO-99) Operation Schedule and JAMSAT DXpedition * Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution * VUCC Satellite Standing October 2023 * ARISS News * Upcoming Satellite Operations * Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events * Satellite Shorts From All Over 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/ ANS-281 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins To: All RADIO AMATEURS From: Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation 712 H Street NE, Suite 1653 Washington, DC 20002 DATE 2023 Oct 08 Symposium Registration Deadlines Drawing Near Persons planning to attend the 41st Annual AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting, October 20-21, 2023 – Dallas, TX should be aware of the upcoming deadlines. + The deadline for Symposium registrations with tickets to the Saturday evening banquet or the Sunday morning members breakfast is Friday, October 13th. MEALS CANNOT BE ORDERED AFTER THAT DATE. + The deadline for the guaranteed group rate has passed but you can call the hotel at 972-929-8400 then press #1. Request “Rodriguez” Reservation Coordinator and ask for rate RADIO AMATEUR SATELLITE. A room at that rate might still be available depending on availability. The rate for a standard room with two Queen beds is $137.00 plus state and local taxes of 15%. Rooms may be available for check-in on Wednesday, October 18 and check out Sunday, October 22. The Sheraton DFW Airport is located adjacent to the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and provides complimentary, scheduled shuttle to and from the airport. Complimentary parking is available for those who drive to the Symposium. The hotel address and phone number is: Sheraton DFW Airport Hotel 4440 W John Carpenter Fwy. Irving, TX 75063 972-929-8400 + The deadline for submitting proposals for presentations at the Symposium is NOW. If you have been entertaining submitting a paper at the Symposium, contact Dan Schultz, N8FGV, AMSAT Symposium Proceedings Editor, immediately at n8fgv [at] amsat [dot] org. We, at AMSAT, are excited to be able to host our 41st annual Symposium this year. We hope that you can join us in celebrating Amateur Radio in Space. Schedule Thursday, October 19, 2023 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM AMSAT Board Meeting 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM Pre-Registration Check-in Friday, October 20, 2023 8:00 – 12:00 Noon AMSAT Board Meeting (Closed Session) 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM Registration 1:00 PM – 1:15 PM AMSAT Symposium Kickoff, President’s Welcome 1:15 PM – 5:00 PM Paper Sessions 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM Informal Dinner on your own 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM AMSAT Reception and Auction, Cash Bar Available Saturday October 21, 2023 8:00 AM – 11:45 AM Registration 8:00 AM – 8:15 AM AMSAT Symposium Welcome 8:15 AM – 12:00 Noon Paper Sessions 1:00 PM – 3:15 PM Paper Sessions 3:30 PM – 4:45 PM AMSAT Annual Meeting & Awards Ceremony 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM Attitude Adjustment (Social), Cash Bar 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM AMSAT Banquet, Cash Bar Sunday October 22, 2023 7:30 AM – 9:00 AM AMSAT Member Breakfast [ANS thanks AMSAT for the above information] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Hungary Lil' Buckaroo? Make Your Reservation for the Symposium Banquet Today! (Deadline is is Friday, October 14) It's a Belt Bustin' Texas Style Barbecue with Smoked BBQ Sliced Brisket and Roasted BBQ Chicken BBQ Baked Beans, Southern Style Potato Salad, Roasted Corn Salad Greens, Corn Bread, Pecan Pie and all the fixin's! More Info At: https://tinyurl.com/AMSAT2023 +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ ARISS SSTV Event Rescheduled to October 16-20, 2023 The transmission of images via the SSTV protocol as part of the experiment “About Gagarin from Space” from the International Space Station is postponed to October 16-20, 2023 due to technical problems. Images will be transmitted from the International Space Station via the SSTV protocol as part of the “About Gagarin from Space” experiment. The topic of the program is the first artificial Earth satellite, amateur radio satellites, school satellites. SSTV images will be transmitted on 145.800 MHz using a Kenwood TM-D710 transceiver. They are expected to use the PD-120 SSTV format. The “Russia ISS SSTV” diploma is awarded to radio amateurs (observers) for receiving SSTV (slow-scan television) broadcasts from aboard the International Space Station (ISS) as part of the space experiment (SE) “About Gagarin from Space.” To receive the “Russia ISS SSTV” Diploma, one must receive and decode three images transmitted over a radio channel from on board the ISS using the SSTV protocol only on the days of the experiment. Each image must be at least 90% complete and of acceptable quality. Information on earning the certificate is available at https://r4uab.ru/diplom-iss-sstv/. AMSAT Argentina is also offering a diploma for reception of ISS SSTV images. Learn more at http://amsat.org.ar/?f=9. [ANS thanks Ignacio Granados Vega, TI3IES, and R4UAB.ru for the above information] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ The 2023 AMSAT President's Club coins are here now! To commemorate the 40th anniversary of its launch on June 16, 1983, this year's coin features an image of AMSAT-OSCAR 10. Join the AMSAT President's Club today and help Keep Amateur Radio in Space! https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/ +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Amateurs Participate in Annular Solar Eclipse Event on October 14 An annular solar eclipse will make its appearance in the skies over parts of North America on October 14, creating a singular spectacle for those in its path — and a rare opportunity for amateurs to contribute to scientific research. The dazzling celestial event will allow millions of people to witness “the awe and the wonder of seeing a beautiful ring of fire eclipse,” said Peg Luce, acting director of the Heliophysics Division at NASA headquarters. The “ring of fire” nickname comes from the appearance of annular solar eclipses, which are like total solar eclipses, except the moon is at the farthest point in its orbit from Earth, so it can’t completely block the sun. Instead, the sun’s fiery light surrounds the moon’s shadow, creating the so-called ring of fire. The annular solar eclipse will begin in the United States at 16:13 UTC (9:13 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time) and pass from the Oregon coast to Texas’ Gulf Coast, appearing in Oregon, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico and Texas. The lunar shadow will also be visible in parts of California, Idaho, Colorado and Arizona. After leaving the U.S., the eclipse will cross Mexico, Belize, Honduras, Panama and Colombia before ending off South America’s Atlantic coast at Natal, Brazil. Weather permitting, a cresecent-shaped partial solar eclipse, where only part of the sun is covered by the moon, will be visible October 14 in all 49 continental US states, including Alaska, according to NASA. Use the agency’s interactive eclipse map to check when the eclipse will pass over your area: https://bit.ly/3rCbSz1 For those unable to see the eclipse, NASA will share a live stream beginning at 11:30 a.m. ET on eclipse day, sharing views from Albuquerque, New Mexico, Kirbyville, Texas, and White Sands, New Mexico, according to Kelly Korreck, eclipse program manager at NASA. “The next annular eclipse seen in this part of the country is actually going to be in 2046,” Korreck said. “It’s going to be a long stretch before we will see this phenomenon again, so we’re really encouraging folks to go out there and observe safely.” It’s never safe to look directly at the sun without using specialized protection, and there is no phase of an annular eclipse that is safe to view with the naked eye because the sun’s light is never completely blocked. To view the annular eclipse, wear certified eclipse glasses or use a handheld solar viewer. Sunglasses won’t work in place of eclipse glasses or solar viewers, which are thousands of times darker and held to an international standard, ISO 12312-2. A Solar Eclipse QSO Party (SEQP) will be held from 1200 - 2200 UTC, and participants may use any band or mode (except WARC bands). Researchers will take the submitted logs and work to derive meaningful observations from the data. All radio amateurs need to do is operate using any mode and any band for all or part of the day, then upload their logs. Participation can be from anywhere; you don't need to be near the path of the eclipse to contribute valuable data. For SEQP contest and rules, visit www.hamsci.org/contest-info. For information on the Gladstone Signal Spotting Challenge using CW, WSPR, and FST4W, go to https://www.hamsci.org/contest-info. ARRL members can find out more about the SEQP by reading "The Solar Eclipse QSO Party: A Fun Way to Support Radio Science" in the September/October 2023 issue of On the Air magazine. [ANS thanks CNN.com and ARRL 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/ +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ NEXUS (FO-99) Operation Schedule and JAMSAT DXpedition The October operating schedule for JAMSAT FO-99 is available at https://www.jamsat.or.jp/?p=2341. However, There is an error in the values shown in the table due to the altitude drop of the satellite. Please use the displayed time as a guide and check “Satellite Tracking” on the JAMSAT website for exact transit times. [ANS thanks Y.Ohtani, JH4DHX/3, of the JAMSAT NEXUS operations team for the above information] JAMSAT also reports that the VK9QO Cocos (Keeling) Island DXpedition coming up in November will include satellite operation on QO-100, IO-117, and RS-44. Unfortunately, there are not likely to be mutual windows when any satellite footprints include the island and North America. However, some amateurs in Hawaii may enjoy brief opportunities for this DX on IO-117. [ANS thanks Mikio Mouri, JA3GEP/VK9QO, and JAMSAT 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 Oct. 6 Two Line Elements or TLEs, often referred to as Keplerian elements or keps in the amateur community, are the inputs to the SGP4 standard mathematical model of spacecraft orbits used by most amateur tracking programs. Weekly updates are completely adequate for most amateur satellites. Elements in the TLE bulletin files are updated daily. TLE bulletin files are updated to add or remove satellites as necessary Thursday evenings around 2300 UTC, or more frequently if new high interest satellites are launched. More information may be found at https://www.amsat.org/keplerian-elements-resources/ The following satellites have been removed from this week's AMSAT-NA TLE distribution: Grizu 263a NORAD Cat ID 51025 Decayed from orbit on or about 01 October 2023 PICSAT NORAD Cat ID 43132 Decayed from orbit on or about 01 October 2023 NUSAT-2 Norad Cat ID 41588 Decayed fromorbit on or about 02 October 2023 Suchai 1 NORAD Cat ID 42788 Decayed from orbit on or about 05 October 2023 [ANS thanks AMSAT Orbital Elements page for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- VUCC Satellite Standing October 2023 ------------------------------------------------------------ VUCC Satellite Award/Endorsement Change Summary for September 01, 2023 to October 01, 2023. ------------------------------------------------------------ AA5PK 1350 1382 N8RO 1342 1356 W5CBF 841 1201 KF7R 1027 1050 N0JE 1000 1025 DF2ET 950 1000 N3GS 932 980 K6FW 825 951 CO6CBF 841 900 XE1L 639 860 EA2AA 800 825 W8LR 783 801 OZ9AAR 700 800 N6UK 707 777 K0JM 601 702 KE8FZT 625 700 N9FN 569 700 KB1HY 521 604 VA7LM 400 600 N8MR 557 581 NM3B 566 572 JL1SAM 410 511 A65BR 455 477 IW7DOL 101 474 HB9GWJ 412 450 KO9A 423 424 N3CAL 352 412 AB1OC 400 407 AG7NR 300 350 F6EQD 130 311 M0SKM 118 300 W1LE New 300 N6PAZ 262 290 CT1ETE New 283 AD2DD 175 261 N9XG 151 252 JR0GAS 140 250 ZS2BK 213 244 JA6SZV 205 207 KH6WI 155 203 JQ1TIV New 201 W6AER 126 201 IK7EOT New 171 K6VHF New 151 JF3MKC 103 150 N7GR 113 141 DJ7NT 100 133 W8XCT New 127 VU2YQ New 125 K9JKM New 114 K2HAT New 103 K2PLL New 102 N6UTC (DM05) New 101 XE1BRX New 100 ------------------------------------------------------------ Congratulations to the new VUCC holders. XE1BRX is first VUCC Satellite holder from DL90 CT1ETE is first VUCC Satellite holder from IN51 IK7EOT is first VUCC Satellite holder from JN80 VU2YQ is first VUCC Satellite holder from MK65 [ANS thanks Jon Goering, N7AZ, 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. RECENTLY COMPLETED CONTACTS: 149 Secondary School, Baku, Azerbaijan, direct via 4K6EH The ISS callsign was OR4ISS The rewmember was Andreas Mogensen KG5GCZ The ARISS mentor was SP3QFE Contact was successful: Fri 2023-10-06 08:29:20 UTC 32 degrees elevation Congratulations to the 149 Secondary School students, Andreas, and mentor SP3QFE! Technological University Dublin, Dublin, Ireland, direct via EI1ISS The ISS callsign was OR4ISS The crewmember was Jasmin Moghbeli KI5WSL The ARISS mentor was EI8BP Contact was successful: Fri 2023-10-06 13:11:32 UTC 49 deg Congratulations to the Technological University Dublin students, Jasmin, and mentor EI8BP! Watch for Livestream at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2E8wZd2gBoo or https://www.youtube.com/@tudublin/ UPCOMING CONTACTS: Belgian Defence (KSOO), Koninklijke School voor Onderofficieren, Sint-Truiden, Belgium, direct via ON4BAF AND telebridge to IEPSCF Colfontaine, Colfontaine, Belgium The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS The scheduled crewmember is Jasmin Moghbeli KI5WSL The ARISS mentor is ON6TI Contact is go for: Tue 2023-10-10 11:36:29 UTC 78 deg Sekolah Kebangsaan Wangsa Maju Seksyen 2, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, direct via 9M2RPN The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS The scheduled crewmember is Andreas Mogensen KG5GCZ The ARISS mentor is 7M3TJZ Contact is go for: Wed 2023-10-11 11:12:42 UTC 78 deg Covenant Christian Academy, West Peabody, MA, direct via N1DQF The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled crewmember is Loral O’Hara KI5TOM The ARISS mentor is AB1OC Contact is go for: Fri 2023-10-13 13:51:42 UTC 39 deg (***) Watch for Livestream at https://vimeo.com/event/3761617 (***) The crossband repeater continues to be active (145.990 MHz up {PL 67} & 437.800 MHz down). If any crewmember is so inclined, all they have to do is pick up the microphone, raise the volume up, and talk on the crossband repeater. So give a listen, you just never know. The packet system is also active (145.825 MHz up & down). As always, if there is an EVA, a docking, or an undocking; the ARISS radios are turned off as part of the safety protocol. Note, all times are approximate. It is recommended that you do your own orbital prediction or start listening about 10 minutes before the listed time. 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] -------------------------------------------------------------------- Upcoming Satellite Operations JW7XK (Svalbard Island) will be activated around October 11th to 16th by Halvard Eriksen, LA7XK, on RS-44 and Greencube IO-117 packet satellite. (ANS thanks AMSAT-UK and DX News for the above information) ****** Jonathan, N4AKV, will be QRV ‘from the EM93/EM94 line and the FM03/FM04 line’ on the afternoon of 13th October and all day on the 14th. This will be a LEO/MEO operation. Check hams.at for passes/times. ****** Alex, N7AGF, says he’ll be in DN02 for the solar eclipse on 14th October. -Ed: this is really all I know at the moment. Best suggestion is to watch his X account or keep an eye on hams.at for additional info. ****** Adrian, N8AJM, will be QRV from EM85 (TN) 16th – 20th October. This will be LEO/MEO. Details are available at hams.at A growing number of satellite rovers are currently engaged in sharing their grid square activations on https://hams.at. By visiting the website, you gain easy access to comprehensive information about the operators responsible for activating specific grid squares. Additionally, you have the ability to assess the match score between yourself and a particular rover for a given pass, while also being able to identify the upcoming satellite passes that are accessible from your location. [ANS thanks Ian Parsons, K5ZM, 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. + ARRL Minnesota State Convention Saturday, October 14 Hennepin Technical College 9000 Brooklyn Blvd. Brooklyn Park, Minnesota http://mnconvention.org + 41st AMSAT Space Symposium & Annual General Meeting October 20-21, 2023 Sheraton DFW Airport Hotel 4440 W John Carpenter Fwy, Irving, TX 75063 https://tinyurl.com/AMSAT2023 + ARRL Pacific Division Convention Friday, October 20 - Sunday, October 22 San Ramon Marriott 2600 Bishop Drive San Ramon, CA 94583 https://www.pacificon.org AMSAT Ambassador Clint Bradford, K6LCS, has spoken to these clubs recently … + Gallatin Ham Radio Club, Montana + London Bridge ARC, Arizona + Sevir Amateur Radio Society, Tennessee + GOTA HAMS, Southern California + Daytona Beach ARA, Florida This month, he'll be informally visiting with hams in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Austria, Germany, and the Netherlands during a personal trip. Think a 75-minute presentation on "working the easy satellites" would be appropriate for your club or event in November or December? Send email to Clint at k6lcsclint (at) gmail (dot) com [ANS thanks the AMSAT Events page and Clint Bradford, K6LCS, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Satellite Shorts From All Over + The International Telecommunications Union has released a 'Handbook on Small Satellites.' The guide was developed in response to the United Nations agency's Resolution ITU-R 68 on “Improving the dissemination of knowledge concerning the applicable regulatory procedures for small satellites, including nanosatellites and picosatellites.” It includes a section (5.4) on what types of satellites should qualify for use of amateur radio frequencies. See https://www.itu.int/hub/publication/r-hdb-65-2023/ (ANS thanks the ITU for the above information) + The Federal Communications Commission has fined Dish Network $150,000 for failing to properly remove a satellite from geostationary orbit, the U.S. regulator said Oct. 2 in a first for its space debris enforcement action. The settlement includes an admission of liability from Dish for leaving EchoStar-7 at 122 kilometers above its operational geostationary arc, less than halfway to where the satellite broadcaster had agreed. (ANS thanks SpaceNews for the above information) + NASA announced on Friday (Sept. 29) that it will extend operations for New Horizons until the spacecraft exits the Kuiper Belt, which is expected in 2028 or 2029. New Horizons launched in January 2006, on a mission to provide the first-ever up-close looks at Pluto, the Kuiper Belt's most famous resident. NASA extended the mission to include a flyby of another Kuiper Belt object (KBO) — the 21-mile-wide (34 kilometers) Arrokoth. Additional extensions are possible. New Horizons has enough nuclear fuel remaining to continue flying through at least 2040, mission team members have said. (ANS thanks Space.com for the above information) + NASA delayed the launch of the Psyche asteroid mission aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy by a week to October 12. The spacecraft will explore the metal-rich asteroid 16 Psyche that orbits between Mars and Jupiter. (ANS thanks The Parabolic Arc for the above information) + Amazon has officially joined the race to build massive constellations of satellites that can blanket the globe in internet connectivity — a move that puts the tech company in direct competition with SpaceX and its Starlink system. The first two prototype satellites for Amazon’s network, called Project Kuiper, launched aboard a United Launch Alliance rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Friday, Oct. 6. + It was a bad week for small satellite launchers with multiple failures: Galactic Energy’s Ceres-1 suffered its first failure in 10 launches on September 21. The failure lowered the solid-fuel booster’s reliability to 90 percent. Galactic Energy has not revealed the cause of the failure. The failure came two days after a Rocket Lab Electron booster fell back to Earth after its second stage failed to ignite properly. It was the fourth failure in 40 launches for the orbital rocket, whose reliability fell to 90 percent as a result. (ANS thanks The Parabolic Arc 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, KØJM k0jm [at] amsat.org

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ANS-274 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins For October 1, 2023
by Frank Karnauskas (N1UW) 01 Oct '23

01 Oct '23

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-274 In this edition: * Apogee View * Twigggs/Pugh Planning 30 ThinSat Launch for Schools * Window for Educational/ARISS Contact Proposals Now Open * SSTV Event Scheduled for ARISS on October 3, 2023 * ARISS News * Upcoming Satellite Operations * Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events * Satellite Shorts From All Over 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 [dot] 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/ ANS-274 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins To: All RADIO AMATEURS From: Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation 712 H Street NE, Suite 1653 Washington, DC 20002 DATE 2023 OCT 01 Apogee View The end of my summer is marked by a trek up north to “the Friendliest Hamfest in the World” - the Huntsville Hamfest, and this year was no exception. I had the pleasure of spending Saturday at the AMSAT booth, assisting the volunteers to answer questions and share the excitement of amateur radio in space. Tim Cunningham, N8DEU, an AMSAT Ambassador, has represented AMSAT at the Huntsville Hamfest for as long as I can remember and has been doing a fabulous job. In addition, it was great working and getting the chance to catch up with Peter Spinnelli, N4YOT, Barry Baines, WD4ASW, Jim McCullers, WA4CWI, and Dr. Alan Biddle, WA4SCA. The following Monday, we got a shout-out on the nationally syndicated radio show, The Rick and Bubba Show. This should not be a surprise as Bill “Bubba” Bussey not only holds the amateur radio call sign, KJ4JJ, but he is also an AMSAT member. With less than two months to go, our team, led by Zach Metzinger, N0ZGO, and Frank Karnauskas, N1UW, are at a full sprint in planning for the 41st AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting, to be held Friday, October 20th through Saturday, October 21st. This year, we will be in Dallas, Texas, at the Sheraton DFW Airport adjacent to the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. The Space Symposium will kick off at 1:00 PM on Friday and break at 5:00 PM for dinner on your own, followed by a Friday Night Social and Auction, starting at 7:00 PM. The symposium presentations will begin Saturday at 8:00 AM and end at 3:15 PM, with an hour break in between for lunch. I look forward to presentations as they give us a glimpse into what everyone is working on within the AMSAT community. Saturday afternoon, we will hold our annual general meeting with our members to report on our progress for the year. Then, we will cap off the symposium Saturday night with our banquet. For those still around Sunday morning, we will have an AMSAT member breakfast to share one last meal before returning home. Our board of directors holds an in-person meeting before each AMSAT Symposium, and this year is no exception. While the agenda has not been finalized yet, our directors will meet all day Thursday and the first half of Friday to elect officers for the coming year, receive reports from AMSAT Officers, be brought up-to-date on the various programs and projects our volunteers are working on, and discuss new proposals as we continue to create new pathways for amateur radio in space. The Board of Directors Meeting is open to all AMSAT members, so if you arrive early, you are welcome to join us. I am excited about this year’s AMSAT Space Symposium and look forward to meeting with all of our members. Please attend if you have the opportunity. Until next time, keep reaching for the stars as we continue our path Onward and Upward! [ANS thanks Robert Bankston, KE4AL, AMSAT President for the above information.] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Hungary Lil' Buckaroo? Make Your Reservation for the Symposium Banquet Today! It's a Belt Bustin' Texas Style Barbecue with Smoked BBQ Sliced Brisket and Roasted BBQ Chicken BBQ Baked Beans, Southern Style Potato Salad, Roasted Corn Salad Greens, Corn Bread, Pecan Pie and all the fixin's! More Info At: https://tinyurl.com/AMSAT2023 +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Twigggs/Pugh Planning 30 ThinSat Launch for Schools Bob Twiggs, KE6QMD, and Nick Pugh, K5QXJ will be partnering with the University of Louisiana and other organizations to apply for a NASA grant to fly a 3 U satellite with approximately 30 small thin sats. This program is designed so high schools and universities with minimal satellite experience can have an opportunity to place satellites in low earth orbit (LEO). This program anticipates schools with budgets of less than $500 to get to space. Bob and Nick will be presenting this initiative at the 41st Annual AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting to be held at the Sheraton DFW Hotel on October 20-21, 2023. See https://amsat.org for more information on the Symposium. If anyone knows of a school who would like to be part of this program, please contact Nick directly at rjtwiggs [at] gmail [dot]com. They are asking for anyone of this list who has experience in obtaining a FCC license for sub 1U satellites. [ANS thanks Nick Pugh, K5QXJ, for the above information.] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Window for Educational/ARISS Contact Proposals Now Open The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) Program is seeking formal and informal education institutions and organizations, individually or working together, to host an Amateur Radio contact with a crew member on board the ISS. ARISS anticipates that the contact would be held between July 1, 2024 and December 31, 2024. Crew scheduling and ISS orbits will determine the exact contact dates. To maximize these radio contact opportunities, ARISS is looking for organizations that will draw large numbers of participants and integrate the contact into a well-developed education plan. The deadline to submit a proposal is November 10, 2023. Proposal information and more details such as expectations, proposal guidelines and the proposal form can be found at www.ariss.org. An ARISS Introductory Webinar session will be held on October 5 2023 at 7 PM ET. The Eventbrite link to sign up is: https://ariss-proposal-webinar-fall-2023.eventbrite.com Crew members aboard the International Space Station will participate in scheduled Amateur Radio contacts. These radio contacts are approximately 10 minutes in length and allow students to interact with the astronauts through a question-and-answer session. An ARISS contact is a voice-only communication opportunity via Amateur Radio between astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the space station and classrooms and communities. ARISS contacts afford education audiences the opportunity to learn firsthand from astronauts what it is like to live and work in space and to learn about space research conducted on the ISS. Students also will have an opportunity to learn about satellite communication, wireless technology, and radio science. Because of the nature of human spaceflight and the complexity of scheduling activities aboard the ISS, organizations must demonstrate flexibility to accommodate changes in dates and times of the radio contact. Amateur Radio organizations around the world with the support of NASA and space agencies in Russia, Canada, Japan and Europe present educational organizations with this opportunity. The ham radio organizations' volunteer efforts provide the equipment and operational support to enable communication between crew on the ISS and students around the world using Amateur Radio. Please direct any questions to education(a)ariss-usa.org. [ANS thanks ARISS for the above information.] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Need new satellite antennas? Purchase 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/ +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ SSTV Event Scheduled for ARISS on October 3, 2023 R4UAB reports that from October 3, 2023 to October 5, 2023 images will be transmitted from the International Space Station via the SSTV protocol as part of the “About Gagarin from Space” experiment. The topic of the program is the first artificial Earth satellite, amateur radio satellites, school satellites. SSTV images will be transmitted on 145.800 MHz using a Kenwood TM-D710 transceiver. They are expected to use the PD-120 SSTV format. The scheduled start of transmission is October 03, 2023 at approximately 14:40 UTC. The end of transmission is scheduled at October 05, 2023 at approximately 18:15 UTC. The date and time may change. The “Russia ISS SSTV” diploma is awarded to radio amateurs (observers) for receiving SSTV (slow-scan television) broadcasts from aboard the International Space Station (ISS) as part of the space experiment (SE) “About Gagarin from Space.” To receive the “Russia ISS SSTV” Diploma, one must receive and decode three images transmitted over a radio channel from on board the ISS using the SSTV protocol only on the days of the SE . Each image must be at least 90% complete and of acceptable quality. Information on earning the certificate is available at https://r4uab.ru/diplom-iss-sstv/. AMSAT Argentina is also offering a diploma for reception of ISS SSTV images. Learn more at http://amsat.org.ar/?f=9. [ANS thanks AMSAT Argentina and R4UAB for the above information.] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Want to fly the colors on your own grid expedition? Get your AMSAT car flag and other neat stuff from our Zazzle store! 25% of the purchase price of each product goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ ARISS NEWS 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. Completed Contacts + Southwest State University (SWSU), Kursk, Russia, direct via UB3WCL. The ISS callsign was RSØISS. The crewmember was Sergey Prokopyev. The ARISS mentor was RV3DR. Contact was successful on September 21, 2023. + Escuela Preparatoria La Salle, Torreon Coah, Mexico, telebridge via IK1SLD. The ISS callsign was OR4ISS. The scheduled crewmember was Jasmin Moghbeli, KI5WSL. The ARISS mentor was VE3TBD. Contact was successful on September 22, 2023. (This was the first ARISS contact with Mexico.) + Colegio Educación del Talento, Yerba Buena, Tucumán, Argentina, direct via LU5KHF. The ISS callsign was NA1SS. The scheduled crewmember was Andreas Mogensen, KG5GCZ, or Jasmin Moghbeli, KI5WSL. The ARISS mentor was VE6JBJ. Contact was successful on September 25, 2023. + MAEI "School No. 16 of Blagoveshchensk, Amur State University, Blagoveshchensk, Russia, direct via RKØJ. The ISS callsign was RSØISS. The crewmember was Oleg Kononenko. The ARISS mentor was RV3DR. Contact was successful on September 28, 2023. Upcoming Contacts + 149 Secondary School, Baku, Azerbaijan, direct via 4K6EH. The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS. The scheduled crewmember is Andreas Mogensen, KG5GCZ. The ARISS mentor is SP3QFE. Contact is go for Friday, October 6, 2023- at 08:31:05 UTC. + Technological University Dublin, Dublin, Ireland, direct via EI1ISS. The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS. The scheduled crewmember is Jasmin Moghbeli, KI5WSL. The ARISS mentor is EI8BP. Contact is go for Friday, October 6, 2023 at 13:13:17 UTC. The crossband repeater continues to be active (145.990 MHz up {PL 67} & 437.800 MHz down). If any crewmember is so inclined, all they have to do is pick up the microphone, raise the volume up, and talk on the crossband repeater. So give a listen, you just never know. The packet system is also active (145.825 MHz up & down). As always, if there is an EVA, a docking, or an undocking; the ARISS radios are turned off as part of the safety protocol. Note, all times are approximate. It is recommended that you do your own orbital prediction or start listening about 10 minutes before the listed time. 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.] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ The 2023 AMSAT President's Club coins are here now! To commemorate the 40th anniversary of its launch on June 16, 1983, this year's coin features an image of AMSAT-OSCAR 10. Join the AMSAT President's Club today and help Keep Amateur Radio in Space! https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/ +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Upcoming Satellite Operations A growing number of satellite rovers are currently engaged in sharing their grid square activations on https://hams.at. By visiting the website, you gain easy access to comprehensive information about the operators responsible for activating specific grid squares. Additionally, you have the ability to assess the match score between yourself and a particular rover for a given pass, while also being able to identify the upcoming satellite passes that are accessible from your location. [ANS thanks Ian Parsons, K5ZM, 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. + ARRL Minnesota State Convention October 14, 2023 Hennepin Technical College 9000 Brooklyn Blvd. Brooklyn Park, Minnesota More information at http://mnconvention.org. + 2023 AMSAT-UK Colloquium & RSGB Convention October 14-15, 2023 Kents Hill Park Conference Centre Milton Keynes MK7 6BZ, United Kingdom More information at https://amsat-uk.org/. + 41st AMSAT Space Symposium & Annual General Meeting October 20-21, 2023 Sheraton DFW Airport Hotel 4440 W John Carpenter Fwy, Irving, TX 75063 More information at https://launch.amsat.org/event-5363188. [ANS thanks AMSAT for the above information.] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Satellite Shorts From All Over + Fredric Raab, KK6NOW, will present the AMSAT CubeSat Simulator in his presentation entitled: "Adopt a Satellite: Using SatNOGS in the Classroom" at the SmallSat Education Conference, Kennedy Space Center, 28-39 October 2023. More information at www.smallsateducation.org. [ANS thanks Fredric Raab, KK6NOW, for the above information.] + WSJT-X has released a beta version with full duplex, ideal for use on RS-44, AO-109, and other linear satellites. It also includes many other useful satellite operating features. Download at https://sourceforge.net/projects/wsjt-x-improv [ANS thanks AMSAT-UK 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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