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ANS-364 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
by Frank Karnauskas (N1UW) 28 Dec '24

28 Dec '24

In this Edition * W2RS Memorial AMSAT CW Activity Day * ARISS SSTV Event Underway * N4AKV Earns AMSAT VUCC Award/r * GridMasterMap Satellite Top 100 Rovers January 2025 Rankings * NASA’s Deep Space Network Upgraded * Changes to AMSAT TLE Distribution for December 27, 2024 * ARISS News * Upcoming Satellite Operations * AMSAT Ambassador Activities * 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-364 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins To: All RADIO AMATEURS From: Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation 712 H Street NE, Suite 1653 Washington, DC 20002 DATE 2024 Dec 29 W2RS Memorial AMSAT CW Activity Day The Annual W2RS Memorial AMSAT CW Activity Day occurs each year on January 1st. The event runs 0000 UTC to 2359 UTC January on New Year's Day. In March 2022, the AMSAT community lost one of our pioneers when Ray Soifer, W2RS, became a silent key. In addition to his numerous contributions to AMSAT and the worldwide amateur satellite community, Ray was also the long time organizer of AMSAT’s CW Activity Day – previously AMSAT Straight Key Night – held in conjunction with the ARRL’s event on New Year’s Day. In recognition of Ray’s long time service to AMSAT and his keen interest in CW operating via satellite, AMSAT’s CW Activity Day is now known as the W2RS Memorial AMSAT CW Activity Day. Send your reports including stations worked and satellites used to info at amsat dot org. [ANS thanks Bruce Paige, KK5DO, AMSAT Director of Contests and Awards for the above information.] ________________________________ ARISS SSTV Event Underway Well underway for the holidays and New Year, ARISS' Slow Scan Television (SSTV) event began on December 25 and will continue until January 5, 2025. [cid:[email protected]] Series 23 consists of 12 pictures celebrating ARISS memories of 2024. Ending time for the transmissions is tentatively January 5 at 14: 20 UTC. On the ISS, the Service Module radio is being used and the ISS callsign is RS0ISS; Images are transmitted on 145.800 MHz FM and the SSTV mode is PD120. [cid:[email protected]] Everyone is invited to upload their decoded images in the ARISS gallery, area “Series 23 Holiday 2025” at: https://ariss-usa.org/ARISS_SSTV. Once you’ve submitted your image, just click on the dedicated button and you can apply for the official ARISS SSTV award. Also, European stations can request the ARISS QSL by contacting the European QSL bureau: https://www.ariss-eu.org/index.php/ariss-station/european-qsl-bureau. To support everyone interested in such events, the European Space Agency released tutorials about how to receive pictures transmitted over amateur radio by the International Space Station: you can find them on https://issfanclub.eu/2024/11/08/esa-tips-how-to-get-pictures-from-the-inte… No two-meter radio? it’s always possible to decode the audio signals coming from the WebSDR at Goonhilly Earth Station https://vhf-goonhilly.batc.org.uk/ Follow @ARISS_intl on X for official updates, since changes can occur. Reminder, the images are sent on a (roughly) 2 minutes on, 2 minutes off schedule. So if you don’t hear anything, give it wait two minutes. Many FM rigs can be switched been wide and narrow deviation FM filters. For best results you should select the filter for wider deviation FM. Handhelds generally have a single wide filter fitted as standard. Free decoding software is available for Android and Apple smartphone. Check your phone's app store by searching SSTV". PC users can download the free RX-SSTV program. You can get predictions for the ISS pass times at https://www.amsat.org/track/ or from a myriad of free smartphone apps. More useful information to receive the pictures can be found at https://amsat-uk.org/beginners/iss-sstv/. [ANS thanks AMSAT-NA and AMSAT-UK for the above information.] ________________________________ The 2024 AMSAT President’s Club Coins Are Almost Gone! ONLY 4 DAYS LEFT! Help Support GOLF and Fox Plus [PC Coin] Join the AMSAT President's Club today and help Keep Amateur Radio in Space! https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/ ________________________________ N4AKV Earns AMSAT VUCC Award/r Congratulations to Jonathan Eernisse, N4AKV, for his outstanding achievements in providing satellite contacts! Jonathan has roved an impressive 102 grid squares, earning him the AMSAT VUCC/r Award #19. The Reverse VUCC or VUCC/r Award, originally introduced by the Central States VHF Society and now carried on by AMSAT, recognizes the dedication of satellite rovers like Jonathan. For more information about this prestigious award, you can visit the AMSAT website at https://www.amsat.org/reverse-vucc-or-vucc-r-award. Keep on roving, Jonathan, and continue to inspire others in the AMSAT community with your remarkable achievements! [ANS thanks Bruce Paige, KK5DO, AMSAT Director of Contests and Awards for the above information.] ________________________________ GridMasterMap Satellite Top 100 Rovers January 2025 Rankings The January 2025 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. Figures updated December 26, 2024. 1 ND9M 26 KX9X 51 W7WGC 76 LU4JVE 2 NJ7H 27 ON4AUC 52 N6DNM 77 AA8CH 3 JA9KRO 28 KG5CCI 53 JK2XXK 78 VE1VOX 4 UT1FG 29 N5BO 54 EA4NF 79 FG8OJ 5 N5UC 30 K8BL 55 SM3NRY 80 YU0W 6 DL6AP 31 KE4AL 56 JL3RNZ 81 PT9BM 7 OE3SEU 32 KB5FHK 57 DF2ET 82 KJ7NDY 8 WI7P 33 VE3HLS 58 XE1ET 83 KI7UXT 9 DP0POL 34 PA3GAN 59 AA5PK 84 N6UTC 10 K5ZM 35 KI0KB 60 KI7QEK 85 KB2YSI 11 F5VMJ 36 KI7UNJ 61 SP5XSD 86 N4DCW 12 N6UA 37 LA9XGA 62 F4DXV 87 WA9JBQ 13 HA3FOK 38 JO2ASQ 63 AD7DB 88 JM1CAX 14 WY7AA 39 F4BKV 64 VE1CWJ 89 AF5CC 15 N9IP 40 BA1PK 65 KE9AJ 90 VE3GOP 16 W5PFG 41 N7AGF 66 DL4EA 91 BG7QIW 17 AK8CW 42 VK5DG 67 N8RO 92 N0TEL 18 DL2GRC 43 VA3VGR 68 VA7LM 93 KG4AKV 19 AD0DX 44 XE3DX 69 KM4LAO 94 W8MTB 20 LU5ILA 45 KE0WPA 70 M1DDD 95 K0FFY 21 N4AKV 46 PR8KW 71 W8LR 96 CU2ZG 22 AD0HJ 47 K7TAB 72 W1AW 97 VE7PTN 23 WD9EWK 48 KE0PBR 73 N4UFO 98 K6VHF 24 ND0C 49 EB1AO 74 HB9GWJ 99 VE6WK 25 DJ8MS 50 AC0RA 75 PT2AP 100 DK9JC [ANS thanks @GridMasterMap for the above information.] ________________________________ Need new satellite antennas? Purchase M2 LEO-Packs from the AMSAT Store. [cid:[email protected]] 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 Deep Space Network Upgraded Installation of the latest antenna took place on Dec. 18, when teams at NASA’s Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex near Barstow, California, installed the metal reflector framework for Deep Space Station 23, a multifrequency beam-waveguide antenna. When operational in 2026, Deep Space Station 23 will receive transmissions from missions such as Perseverance, Psyche, Europa Clipper, Voyager 1, and a growing fleet of future human and robotic spacecraft in deep space. [cid:[email protected]] “This addition to the Deep Space Network represents a crucial communication upgrade for the agency,” said Kevin Coggins, deputy associate administrator of NASA’s SCaN (Space Communications and Navigation) program. “The communications infrastructure has been in continuous operation since its creation in 1963, and with this upgrade we are ensuring NASA is ready to support the growing number of missions exploring the Moon, Mars, and beyond. “With the Deep Space Network, we are able to explore the Martian landscape with our rovers, see the James Webb Space Telescope’s stunning cosmic observations, and so much more,” said Laurie Leshin, director of JPL. “The network enables over 40 deep space missions, including the farthest human-made objects in the universe, Voyager 1 and 2. With upgrades like these, the network will continue to support humanity’s exploration of our solar system and beyond, enabling ground breaking science and discovery far into the future.” Read the complete story at https://tinyurl.com/ANS-364-Deep-Space. [ANS thanks NASA for the above information.] ________________________________ Want to fly the colors on your own grid expedition? Get your AMSAT car flag and other neat stuff from our Zazzle store! [cid:[email protected]] 25% of the purchase price of each product goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear ________________________________ Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for December 27, 2024 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 daily in the first hour of the UTC day. New bulletin files will be posted immediately after reliable elements become available for new amateur satellites. More information may be found at https://www.amsat.org/keplerian-elements-resources/. The following satellites have been removed from this week's AMSAT TLE distribution: SSS-2B Catalog No. 56184: Decayed from orbit on or about 23 December 2024. [ANS thanks Joe Fitzgerald, KM1P, AMSAT Orbital Elements Manager, for the above information.] ________________________________ ARISS News Amateurs and others around the world may listen in on contacts between amateurs operating in schools and allowing students to interact with astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station. The downlink frequency on which to listen is 145.800 MHz worldwide. [ARISS News] Upcoming Contacts ARISS school contacts are currently planned to resume the week of 2025-01-13 to 2025-01-19. The Slow Scan TV experiment continues until January 5, 2025. Transmitting PD120 mode on 145.800 MHz. 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 No operations listed as of December 23, 2024. 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.] ________________________________ AMSAT Ambassador Activities AMSAT Ambassadors provide presentations, demonstrate communicating through amateur satellites, and host information tables at club meetings, hamfests, conventions, maker faires, and other events. [cid:[email protected]] January 8, 2025 West Valley Amateur Radio Association (WVARA) – Monthly Meeting – 7:00 PM “Build A Satellite Roving Station for Your Next Road Trip or POTA Activation” Santa Clara Valley American Red Cross 2731 N. 1st St. San Jose, CA 95134 https://wvara.org/wordpress/ WU0I January 11, 2025 Gwinnett Amateur Radio Society – TechFest Gwinnett County Fairgrounds Expo Center Building 2405 Sugarloaf Pkwy. Lawrenceville, GA 30045 http://www.techfest.info/ K4RGK February 14-15, 2025 Yuma HAMCON and Southwestern Division Convention Yuma County Fairgrounds Yuma, AZ https://www.yumahamfest.com/ N1UW Interested in becoming an AMSAT Ambassador? AMSAT Ambassadors provide presentations, demonstrate communicating through amateur satellites, and host information tables at club meetings, hamfests, conventions, maker faires, and other events. For more information go to: https://www.amsat.org/ambassador/ [ANS thanks Bo Lowrey, W4FCL, Director – AMSAT Ambassador Program for the above information.] ________________________________ Satellite Shorts From All Over Tom Schuessler, N5HYP is looking for volunteers for the upcoming Fort Worth Cowtown Hamfest. "The dates have slipped up on me, but, the hamfest is only three weekends away, January 17 and 18. Cowtown Hamfest, Fort Worth Texas. I have booked table space and at least one presentation for the weekend. Therefore, I Am looking for additional volunteers to help man the table, do demos and just talk amateur radio in space. The Cowtown club was the home of the late Keith Pugh, W5IU, who was an AMSAT Ambassador and ARISS mentor for many years before his passing. The Cowtown club recently dedicated a satellite station at their clubhouse in his honor and with some of his donated hardware. All this to say that the Cowtown Hamfest is a friend of AMSAT and so it is always good for us to make a good showing." Contact Tom Schuessler via tschuessler (at) amsat.org or n5hyp (at) arrl (dot)net for more information or to volunteer. [ANS thanks Tom Schuessler, N5HYP, AMSAT Ambassador for the above information.] The ARRL Teachers Institute on Wireless Technology continues to grow. Fresh off a highly successful YouTube telethon that raised more than $41,000 for the program, some of next year’s dates have been announced. Applications are now open. The program is growing, and educators will have the opportunity to attend sessions around the country. “We love having the teachers here at ARRL Headquarters, but we wanted to bring this program nationwide,” said ARRL Education and Learning Manager Steve Goodgame, K5ATA. Dates and details of the regional sessions are still being determined, but the hope is to touch many areas of the United States. The application process is straightforward. Interested educators can find the web form at www.arrl.org/ti<http://www.arrl.org/ti>. ARRL covers all the costs of the TI, including travel, but there is a $100 application fee if the teacher is accepted. More information available at https://tinyurl.com/ANS-364-Teachers. [ANS thanks the ARRL for the above information.] The 39th Annual Small Satellite Conference is scheduled for August 11-13, 2025. The event will be held at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. Persons wanting to submit an abstract for a talk, poster or flash talk must submit their abstract by February 4, 2025 to be considered. Educators and researchers at universities can also apply for a University Exhibit. Complete information is available at https://smallsat.org/. [ANS thanks SmallSat.org for the above information. ________________________________ Join AMSAT today at https://launch.amsat.org/ In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership to: * Societies (a recognized group, clubs or organization). * Primary and secondary school students are eligible for membership at one-half the standard yearly rate. * Post-secondary school students enrolled in at least half time status shall be eligible for the student rate for a maximum of 6 post-secondary years in this status. * Memberships are available for annual and lifetime terms. Contact info [at] amsat [dot] org for additional membership information. 73 and remember to help Keep Amateur Radio in Space! This week's ANS Editor, Frank Karnauskas, N1UW f.karnauskas [at] amsat [dot] org

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ANS-357 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
by Mark Johns, K0JM 21 Dec '24

21 Dec '24

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-357 In this edition: * Taiwan’s PARUS-T1A Launch Failed * NASA Astronauts Face More Time In Space With Return Delayed * NASA Now Knows Why Its Mars Helicopter Crashed * Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution * ARISS SSTV Event December 25 – January 5 * ARISS News * Upcoming Satellite Operations * AMSAT Ambassador Activities * 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 <http://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-357 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins To: All RADIO AMATEURS From: Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation 712 H Street NE, Suite 1653 Washington, DC 20002 DATE 2024 Dec. 22 Taiwan’s PARUS-T1A Launch Failed Radio Amateurs around the world were anticipating a new FM repeater in space as a Christmas present this year, but it seems they will find only coal in their stockings. The rocket carrying the PARUS T1A satellite failed to reach orbit. Space One, a Japanese space startup, said its second attempt to launch a rocket carrying satellites into orbit had been aborted minutes after liftoff Wednesday and destroyed itself, nine months after the company’s first launch attempt ended in an explosion. Space One’s Kairos No. 2 rocket lifted off from a coastal site in the mountainous prefecture of Wakayama in central Japan. The company said it had aborted the flight after concluding that it was unlikely to complete its mission. “We are very sorry that we could not achieve as far as a final stage of the mission,” Space One President Masakazu Toyoda told a news conference Wednesday. “We don’t consider this a failure because we are getting valuable data that will help our pursuit toward a next challenge.” He said he hoped to find the cause to address the problems as soon as possible to achieve a success next time. Company executive and space engineer Mamoru Endo said the abnormality in the first stage engine nozzle or its control system is likely to have caused an unstable flight of the rocket, which started spiraling in midflight and eventually destroyed itself about three minutes after liftoff, using its autonomous safety mechanism. The Kairos No. 2 rocket was carrying five small satellites, including one from the Taiwanese space agency and several from Japanese startups. The Taiwanese satellite was PARUS-T1A a 3U CubeSat that featured an FM crossband repeater, as well as an APRS digipeater to provide global amateur activities at the same frequency of ISS APRS channel 145.825MHz. A second Taiwanese amateur satellite, PARUS-T1, carrying an APRS store-and-forward system, is still scheduled for launch next month on a SpaceX mission. Both satellites were constructed by students at National Formosa University. Space One said it had fixed the cause of the debut flight failure, which stemmed from a miscalculation of the rocket’s first-stage propulsion. Japan hopes the company can pave the way for a domestic space industry that competes with the United States. [ANS thanks the Associated Press and reporter Mari Yamaguchi for the above information] ------------------------------ *The 2024 AMSAT President’s Club coins are still available!* Only 10 Days Left!!! *Help Support GOLF and Fox Plus* *Join the AMSAT President’s Club today and help* *Keep Amateur Radio in Space!* *https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/* <https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/> ------------------------------ NASA Astronauts Face More Time In Space With Return Delayed NASA announced on Tuesday the latest delay in the homecoming for Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, KD5PLB. Their space mission was extended again. That means they won’t be back on Earth until spring, 10 months after rocketing into orbit on Boeing’s Starliner capsule. The two test pilots planned on being away just a week or so when they blasted off June 5 on Boeing’s first astronaut flight to the International Space Station. Their mission grew from eight days to eight months after NASA decided to send the company’s problem-plagued Starliner capsule back empty in September. Now the pair won’t return until the end of March or even April because of a delay in launching their replacements, according to NASA. *NASA shared a holiday snapshot of astronauts Don Pettit and Suni Williams on Dec. 17. [Credit: NASA Johnson]* NASA’s next crew of four was supposed to launch in February, followed by Wilmore’s and Williams’ return home by the end of that month alongside two other astronauts. But SpaceX needs more time to prepare the brand new capsule for liftoff. That launch is now scheduled for no earlier than late March. Last month, news articles suggesting that Ms. Williams was experiencing health problems during her unplanned extended stay in orbit set off widespread rumors on social media. NASA’s medical chief, Dr. James Polk, assured the public on November 14 that Williams is healthy and not suffering from any medical problems. “I think there’s some rumors around outside there that I’m losing weight and stuff,” Williams said in an interview on November 12. “No, I’m actually right at the same amount. Things shift around quite a bit, you know? ” Not only is she healthy, according to her and NASA, but they made Williams commander of Expedition 72 crew. As KD5PLB, she continues to be an active participant in ARISS contacts during her time aboard the ISS. [ANS thanks The Washington Post, Space.com, and NASA 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/* <https://amsat.org/product-category/hardware/> ------------------------------ NASA Now Knows Why Its Mars Helicopter Crashed Investigating an aircraft crash is no simple task here on Earth. Imagine how much more difficult it would be to diagnose a helicopter accident that took place 69 million miles away with none of the usual data present to help. NASA had to do just that after its Ingenuity Mars Helicopter suffered an accident on Jan. 18, 2024, that has since left it grounded in a crater on Mars. And now, after months of collecting data, the space agency may have finally figured out what happened. On April 19, 2021, the NASA Ingenuity Mars Helicopter made history by lifting off the Jezero Crater’s floor and becoming the first aircraft to fly on a celestial entity other than Earth. The helicopter was supposed to fly only five experimental flights over 30 days to demonstrate that flight on Mars was possible. But it exceeded all expectations, conducting 72 flights over three years, setting all sorts of altitude records in the process, ending with that early 2024 accident. *The wreckage of the Inguity Mars Helicopter as seen by the Mars Rover Perseverance. The helicopter is on the right and the broken rotor is approximately 49 feet away on the left. [Photo: NASA/JPL-Caltech/LANL/CNES/CNRS]* The final moments of the helicopter’s flight were more or less a mystery at first. Ingenuity lifted off like it had 71 times before. Then camera footage showed that it began initiating descent after just 19 seconds of flight. By the time 32 seconds had elapsed, the helicopter was on the Martian surface again and had halted communications. Six days later, the helicopter beamed back images that showed it had sustained severe rotor-blade damage and would no longer be able to fly. Now, NASA believes that the navigation system was ultimately to blame. The navigation system used the helicopter’s downward-facing camera to track visual features on the ground. During this final flight, the helicopter was flying over a portion of the Jezero Crater that is known for textured, featureless sand ripples. The navigation system was thus unable to find any suitable ground features to track for a landing. From there, several things went wrong. NASA says that the helicopter made hard contact with a sand-ripple slope, causing it to pitch and roll. The sudden change in altitude was too much for the rotor blades, and four of them broke off at their weakest points. This caused the rotor system to vibrate excessively, which ripped one of the blades clean off. Finally, the incident generated an excessive power draw that caused communications to fail. *NASA’s graphic depicts the most likely scenario for the accident, in which Ingenuity landed hard on a sand-ripple slope, causing irreparable rotor-blade damage.[NASA/JPL-Caltech]* “When running an accident investigation from 100 million miles away, you don’t have any black boxes or eye witnesses,” said Håvard Grip, Ingenuity’s first pilot and research technologist at JPL Robotics. “While multiple scenarios are viable with the available data, we have one we believe is most likely: Lack of surface texture gave the navigation system too little information to work with.” Nobody expected Ingenuity to last as long as it did. Its flights gave researchers excellent aerial views of our red neighbor. Even now, as it lies in the sands of the Jezero Crater, Ingenuity can no longer fly but still beams back weather and avionics data to NASA. The avionics data along with the flight data from Ingenuity’s 72 flights — combined with Ingenuity’s incredible longevity — are helping NASA develop smaller, lighter avionics for future aircraft on Mars. “Because Ingenuity was designed to be affordable while demanding huge amounts of computer power, we became the first mission to fly commercial off-the-shelf cellphone processors in deep space,” said Ingenuity project manager Teddy Tzanetos. “We’re now approaching four years of continuous operations, suggesting that not everything needs to be bigger, heavier and radiation-hardened to work in the harsh Martian environment.” Tzanetos and his team are already working on another Mars helicopter. It’s approximately 20 times heavier than the Ingenuity and is being designed to carry several pounds of science equipment while autonomously exploring remote locations on Mars. [ANS thanks CNET.com and space reporter Joe Hindy 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* <https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear> ------------------------------ Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for Dec. 20 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 daily in the first hour of the UTC day. New bulletin files will be posted immediately after reliable elements become available for new amateur satellites. More information may be found at https://www.amsat.org/keplerian-elements-resources/ <https://www.amsat.org/keplerian-elements-resources/>. This week there are no additions or deletions to the AMSAT TLE distribution. [ANS thanks Joe Fitzgerald, KM1P, AMSAT Orbital Elements Manager for the above information] ------------------------------ ARISS SSTV Event December 25 – January 5 [ANS thanks ARISS 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:* Zespół Szkół Łączności, Warszawa, Poland, direct via SP5KAB The ISS callsign was presently scheduled to be OR4ISS The scheduled crewmember was Nick Hague, KG5TMV The ARISS mentor was SP3QFE Contact was successful: Mon 2024-12-16 08:35:06 UTC 71 degrees maximum elevation. Congratulations to the Zespół Szkół Łączności students, Nick, mentor SP3QFE, and ground station SP5KAB! Watch for Livestream at https://www.youtube.com/live/DBafZYpxolI Sally Ride Elementary School, Orlando, Florida, direct via K1AA The ISS callsign was presently scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled crewmember was Sunita Williams, KD5PLB The ARISS mentor was AA4KN Contact was successful: Tue 2024-12-17 18:49:38 UTC 30 degrees maximum elevation. Congratulations to the Sally Ride Elementary School students, Sunita, mentor AA4KN, and ground station K1AA! Watch for Livestream at https://youtube.com/live/DuCNyWOPxH0?feature=share *UPCOMING:* ARISS school contacts are currently planned to resume the week of 2025-01-13 to 2025-01-19. Many times a school may make a last minute decision to do a Livestream or run into a last minute glitch requiring a change of the URL but we at ARISS may not get the URL in time for publication. You can always check https://live.ariss.org/ to see if a school is Livestreaming. 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) *until December 25, when the SSTV event begins.* Ham TV – STATUS – *Stowed*. Default mode is for scheduled digital amateur television operations (2395.00 MHz 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. *Powering OFF for U.S. EVA on Jan 23. ON TBD.* 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 None announced at this time. 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] ------------------------------ AMSAT Ambassador Activities AMSAT Ambassadors provide presentations, demonstrate communicating through amateur satellites, and host information tables at club meetings, hamfests, conventions, maker faires, and other events. February 14-15, 2025 Yuma HAMCON and Southwestern Division Convention Yuma County Fairgrounds Yuma, AZ https://www.yumahamfest.com/ N1UW [ANS thanks Bo Lowrey, W4FCL, Director – AMSAT Ambassador Program, for the above information] ------------------------------ Satellite Shorts From All Over + AO-73 (a.k.a. FUNcube 1) has been switched from autonomous mode to continuous transponder mode for the holiday period. This means that the transponder is available for use 24/7. AO-73 is anticipated to revert to autonomous mode sometime after January 5, 2025. In autonomous mode, the transponder is only available when the satellite is in eclipse. (ANS thanks AMSAT-UK for the above information.) + Two Chinese astronauts aboard their country’s orbiting space station spent nine hours working outside in the cold vacuum of space, the longest recorded spacewalk, the Chinese space administration has said. The astronauts on China’s Shenzhou-19 mission, Cai Xuzhe and Song Lingdong, finished their first “extravehicular activities” — spacewalking in popular parlance — this week, apparently nudging past the previous record of eight hours and 56 minutes set by two American astronauts in 2001, according to China’s Manned Space Agency. The feat was another sign of China’s ambitions to project its power and prestige in space. (ANS thanks The New York Times for the above information.) + The internet news site MSN recently published a feature on the history of amateur radio and astronauts in orbit, beginning with Owen Garriott, W5LFL, in 1983 and continuing to the present ARISS program. “How Amateur Radio Is Connecting Astronauts In Space With Kids On Earth” was written by Leonard David. See it at http://bit.ly/4gnfE3y (ANS thanks msn.com for the above information.) + The first Block 2 version of the giant SpaceX Starship, Ship 33, recently rolled out for testing and completed its first static fire test. It will be stacked on Booster 14 before it is targeted to complete the first flight of the Block 2 reusable upper stage in January. This upgraded Ship adds catch hardware and an additional ring, making it 1.8 m taller and now totaling 124.4 m (408 feet) when eventually stacked on top of Booster 14. The added height will allow it to pack 300 tons more propellant. (ANS thanks The Orbital Index for the above information.) + Your AMSAT News Service volunteer editors, Mark Johns, KØJM; Paul Stoetzer, N8HM; Frank Karnauskas, N1UW; and Mitch Ahrenstorff, ADØHJ, wish all of our readers the happiest of holidays. ------------------------------ 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 mjohns [at] amsat.org

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ANS-350 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
by Mitch Ahrenstorff (AD0HJ) 14 Dec '24

14 Dec '24

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-350 In this edition: * Five CubeSats Successfully Deployed from "Kibo" Module on ISS * Celebrate SO-50: Amateur Radio Special Event Marks 22nd Anniversary * ESA’s Proba-3 Satellites Launch to Create Artificial Solar Eclipses * VUCC / DXCC Satellite Standings for December 2024 * Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for December 13, 2024 * ARISS News * Upcoming Satellite Operations * AMSAT Ambassador Activities * 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 https://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<http://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-350 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins To: All RADIO AMATEURS From: Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation 712 H Street NE, Suite 1653 Washington, DC 20002 DATE 2024 Dec 15 ________________________________ Five CubeSats Successfully Deployed from "Kibo" Module on ISS On December 9th, five CubeSats were successfully deployed from the Japanese Experiment Module “Kibo” aboard the International Space Station (ISS). The deployment was part of JAXA’s J-SSOD#30 mission and included DENDEN-01, LignoSat, ONGLAISAT, YODAKA and YOMOGI satellites. Two of these satellites, LignoSat and YOMOGI, have received previous IARU coordination to operate over amateur radio frequencies. LignoSat was developed by Kyoto University and Sumitomo Forestry Co., Ltd. This CubeSat tests the use of wooden materials in space by measuring strain, temperature, and geomagnetism, along with detecting single event upsets (SEU). Amatuer radio satellite enthusiasts were ready to decode telemetry from the satellite this week, but unfortunately there has been no reported reception of either CW or AX.25 packets on the satellite's coordinated frequency of 435.820 MHz. [https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/LignoSat-1U-Wood…]<https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/LignoSat-1U-Wood…> LignoSat, a 1U solar-powered satellite with wood panels, will orbit earth for six months. [Credit: Kyoto University<https://www.kyoto-u.ac.jp/en>] DENDEN-01 was developed by Kansai University and partner institutions. Its mission includes testing advanced nanosatellite technologies, such as temperature-stabilizing devices, thin solar modules, and compact S-band communication systems. The satellite also supports educational activities and data analysis using a compact hyperspectral camera. ONGLAISAT is a 6U CubeSat co-developed by the Taiwan Space Agency, the University of Tokyo, and ArkEdge Space Inc. It features a telescope for high-resolution Earth imaging using Time Delay Integration (TDI) technology. This mission aims to produce clear and high signal-to-noise ratio images for Earth observation. YOMOGI was developed by the Chiba Institute of Technology. Its mission combines environmental monitoring and engineering education. The satellite observes red tide in Tokyo Bay, monitors water pollution in Uganda, and uses APRS to send sensor data to ground stations. Many 4800 baud GMSK telemetry packets have been received and decoded over the last few days indicating that the satellite is functioning well. More information can be found on SatNOGS regarding recent observations: https://db.satnogs.org/satellite/HHVN-9456-4962-8588-2802#data [https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/YOMOGI-1U-APRS-S…]<https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/YOMOGI-1U-APRS-S…> YOMOGI will capture images of the Earth surface using both Bandpass and RGB cameras. [Credit: Chiba Institute of Technology<https://www.it-chiba.ac.jp/english/>] YODAKA was developed by ArkEdge Space Inc. and other collaborators. It features a store-and-forward communication mission, collecting and retransmitting text messages from users on Earth, as well as a camera mission to capture Earth imagery. These activities support educational programs at Iwate Prefectural Hanamaki Kita High School and rural revitalization efforts in Hanamaki City. The deployment highlights collaboration between JAXA, Space BD Inc., Mitsui Bussan Aerospace Co., Ltd., and the J-CUBE program, which fosters academic and commercial utilization of CubeSats. Amateur radio operators and educational institutions are actively participating in tracking and analyzing data from these satellites. [ANS thanks the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency<https://global.jaxa.jp/> (JAXA) for the above information] ________________________________ Celebrate SO-50: Amateur Radio Special Event Marks 22nd Anniversary Saudisat 1C (SO-50) was launched on December 20, 2002, from the Baikonur Cosmodrome by the King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST). For more than two decades, it has been a valuable resource for amateur radio communications and remains operational in low Earth orbit. The satellite is equipped with a mode V/U FM voice repeater, operating on an uplink frequency of 145.850 MHz with a PL tone of 67.0 Hz and a downlink frequency of 436.795 MHz. [https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Saudisat-1C-SO-5…]<https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Saudisat-1C-SO-5…> SO-50 celebrates 22 years of amateur radio satellite operations. [Credit: Saudi Amateur Radio Society<https://sars.sa/en/home-en>] To celebrate the 22nd anniversary of SO-50, the Saudi Amateur Radio Society (SARS) is organizing a global competition, the Saudi Sat SO-50 Event 22. The event will take place from December 13, 2024, at 00:00 UTC to December 22, 2024, at 23:59 UTC, inviting amateur radio operators to make contacts (QSOs) via the satellite during the competition period. Participants in the competition will be eligible for certificates based on the number of successful contacts they make with amateur stations in different Maidenhead grid squares. Five successful contacts will earn a Beginner Satellite Catcher Certificate, while ten successful contacts qualify for an Advanced Satellite Hunter Certificate. Those who achieve twenty successful contacts will be awarded a Professional Satellite Hunter Certificate. Operators who document their contacts with audio or video recordings, including the satellite name, date, and time, will receive a distinguished Amateur Certificate. Certificates will be distributed in PDF format, and the deadline for log submissions is January 10, 2025. [https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/SaudiSAT-SO-50-E…]<https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/SaudiSAT-SO-50-E…> Saudi Sat SO-50 Event 22 will be held from December 13th to December 22nd. [Credit: Saudi Amateur Radio Society<https://sars.sa/en/home-en>] Logs must be submitted to log [at] sars.sa<http://sars.sa>. For technical support or additional information, participants can contact hzldg [at] sars.sa<http://sars.sa>. This competition highlights the enduring success of SO-50 and encourages its continued use in the global amateur radio community. It provides a platform for operators to connect, compete, and celebrate the satellite’s legacy. [ANS thanks the Saudi Amateur Radio Society<https://sars.sa/> and AMSAT-HZ<https://x.com/AMSATHZ> for the above information] ________________________________ The 2024 AMSAT President’s Club coins are here now! Help Support GOLF and Fox Plus [https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2024-Coin-Both_5…] Join the AMSAT President's Club today and help Keep Amateur Radio in Space! https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/ ________________________________ ESA’s Proba-3 Satellites Launch to Create Artificial Solar Eclipses Two European Space Agency (ESA) satellites launched aboard an Indian rocket on December 5th, beginning a mission to study the Sun’s corona and demonstrate new spaceflight technologies. Called the Proba-3 mission, the two spacecraft will conduct formation flying and create artificial solar eclipses to capture images of the Sun's outer atmosphere, which is usually hidden by its brightness. The satellites launched aboard India's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) at 5:34 am EST (10:34 UTC) and were placed into an elliptical orbit with a low point of 356 miles (573 kilometers) and a high point of 37,632 miles (60,563 kilometers). Early next year, the Coronagraph satellite, carrying instruments to image the Sun, and the Occulter satellite, equipped with navigation sensors and thrusters, will separate to begin their experiments. The Occulter will position a disk to block the Sun’s surface, casting a shadow on the Coronagraph satellite. [https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Proba-3-Coronagr…]<https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Proba-3-Coronagr…> Proba-3 completed its final operations tests at Redwire’s Belgium facilities in October [Credit: Redwire Space<https://x.com/RedwireSpace>] This arrangement allows scientists to create artificial eclipses, blocking sunlight to reveal the solar corona. Natural solar eclipses offer only brief observation windows, and traditional coronagraphs on single spacecraft face challenges like diffraction. Proba-3 addresses these limitations by keeping the two satellites 150 meters apart, enabling clearer imaging of the Sun's outer atmosphere. Proba-3 uses advanced navigation technology, including inter-satellite radio links, cameras, and a laser-ranging system. This system maintains millimeter-scale precision between the satellites, allowing them to create artificial eclipses lasting up to six hours. The mission aims to conduct at least 1,000 hours of such observations during its two-year operational phase. [https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Proba-3-Formatio…]<https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Proba-3-Formatio…> Artist rendering of the Proba-3 Coronagraph and Occulter satellites positioned 150 meters apart. [Credit: ESA<https://www.esa.int/> / P. Carril] The mission’s scientific goal is to observe a part of the corona that existing instruments cannot study. This region is critical for understanding solar phenomena such as coronal mass ejections and the acceleration of the solar wind, which affect space weather and Earth. The mission will also capture high-frequency images to study plasma waves and jets that may heat the corona and drive the solar wind. Proba-3 also serves as a test of formation-flying technology. ESA officials hope the techniques demonstrated will be used in future missions, such as Mars Sample Return or space debris removal. "Proba-3 is an important step toward more complex space operations," said Josef Aschbacher, ESA's director general. "This mission shows how smaller spacecraft can work together to achieve goals that were not possible before." [ANS thanks Stephen Clark, Ars Technica<https://arstechnica.com/> for the above information] ________________________________ VUCC / DXCC Satellite Standings for December 2024 VUCC Satellite Award/Endorsement Change Summary for November 01, 2024 to December 01, 2024. Congratulations to the new VUCC Satellite holders! EK/RX3DPK is first VUCC Satellite holder from Armenia and LN20. AC9O 1001 1126 W2GDJ 908 1022 FG8OJ 921 935 KC4CJ 702 751 WD9EWK (DM43) 736 737 KB1HY 648 727 RA3DNC 305 599 AB1OC 407 476 W3TI 103 444 K5WO 200 255 EK/RX3DPK New 200 EA4DEI 100 150 DXCC Satellite Award/Endorsement Change Summary for May 13, 2024 to December 01, 2024. Congratulations to the new DXCC Satellite holders! N8JCM is first DXCC Satellite holder from EN72 DF2ET 100 179 YO2CMI 173 174 LA6OP 143 151 KB8VAO 148 149 EA6VQ 145 147 IK1IYU 138 146 KB1HY 135 142 SP3AU 138 140 HB9GWJ 134 137 FG8OJ 116 120 HB9WDF 101 114 JA0FSB 101 111 EA5RM 108 110 DG7RO 100 103 M0SKM New 100 N8JCM New 100 [ANS thanks Jon Goering, N7AZ<https://x.com/N7AZhikesAZ>, for the above information] ________________________________ Need new satellite antennas? Purchase an M2 LEO-Pack from the AMSAT Store!<https://www.amsat.org/shop/> [https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/cm/LEO-Pack1-300x298.png]<https://www.amsat.org/product/m2-leo-pack-antenna-system/> 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 December 13, 2024 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 daily in the first hour of the UTC day. New bulletin files will be posted immediately after reliable elements become available for new amateur satellites. More information may be found at https://www.amsat.org/keplerian-elements-resources/. AO-123 has been identified as NORAD Cat ID 61781 The following satellites have been removed from this week's AMSAT TLE distribution: CosmoGirlSat NORAD Cat ID 60953 Decayed from orbit on or about 09 December 2024 IDEASSat NORAD Cat ID 47458 Decayed from orbit on or about 09 December 2024 [ANS thanks AMSAT Orbital Elements<https://www.amsat.org/keplerian-elements-resources/> 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 Contacts South-West State University, Kursk, Russia, direct via UB3WCL The ISS callsign was RSØISS The scheduled crewmember was Alexander Gorbunov The ARISS mentor was RV3DR Contact was successful: Mon 2024-12-09 09:29 UTC Congratulations to the South-West State University students, Alexander, mentor RV3DR, and ground station UB3WCL! Chrześcijańska Szkoła Podstawowa Daniel, Warszawa, Poland, direct via SP5POT The ISS callsign was OR4ISS The scheduled crewmember was Don Pettit KD5MDT The ARISS mentor was SP3QFE Contact was successful: Mon 2024-12-09 11:03:48 UTC Congratulations to the Chrześcijańska Szkoła Podstawowa Daniel students, Don, mentor SP3QFE, and ground station SP5POT! Watch the Livestreams at https://www.facebook.com/share/45Mq4px6R9Fnt6tK/ and https://www.youtube.com/live/CDMgY2x5Kwo Scuola Secondaria di I Grado “F.Anzani”, Cantù, Italy, telebridge via VK4KHZ The ISS callsign was NA1SS The scheduled crewmember was Sunita Williams KD5PLB The ARISS mentor was IZ2GOJ Contact was successful: Tue 2024-12-10 09:13:10 UTC Congratulations to the Scuola Secondaria di I Grado “F.Anzani” students, Sunita, mentor IZ2GOJ, and telebridge station VK4KHZ! Watch the Livestream at https://www.youtube.com/live/jU7bSfGfwfI?si=OTL5NoqViOGKZgtI Hillsboro Charter Academy, Purcellville, VA, direct via KQ4MAM The ISS callsign was NA1SS The scheduled crewmember was Sunita Williams KD5PLB The ARISS mentor was AA6TB Contact was successful: Wed 2024-12-11 18:51:41 UTC Congratulations to the Hillsboro Charter Academy students, Sunita, mentor AA6TB, and ground station KQ4MAM! Watch the Livestream at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqKx6ytN96k and also https://live.ariss.org/ + Upcoming Contacts Zespół Szkół Łączności, Warszawa, Poland, direct via SP5KAB The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS The scheduled crewmember is Nick Hague KG5TMV The ARISS mentor is SP3QFE Contact is go for: Mon 2024-12-16 08:35:06 UTC Watch for Livestream at https://www.youtube.com/live/DBafZYpxolI Sally Ride Elementary School, Orlando, Florida, direct via K1AA The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled crewmember is Sunita Williams KD5PLB The ARISS mentor is AA4KN Contact is go for: Tue 2024-12-17 18:49:38 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] ________________________________ Upcoming Satellite Operations None currently posted. 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<https://x.com/k5zm_>, AMSAT rover page manager, for the above information] ________________________________ AMSAT Ambassador Activities AMSAT Ambassadors provide presentations, demonstrate communicating through amateur satellites, and host information tables at club meetings, hamfests, conventions, maker faires, and other events. AMSAT Ambassador Clint Bradford, K6LCS, 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. Central Kentucky Amateur Radio Society - December 19, 2024 CKARS Monthly Meeting 558 S Keeneland Drive Richmond, KY 40475 https://www.ckars.org/home AI4SR Yuma HAMCON - February 20th thru 22nd, 2025 Yuma, AZ N1UW [ANS thanks Bo Lowrey, W4FCL<https://x.com/kyharleyfan>, Director – AMSAT Ambassador Program, for the above information] ________________________________ Want to fly the colors on your own grid expedition? Get an AMSAT car flag and other neat stuff from our Zazzle store<https://www.zazzle.com/store/amsat_gear>! 25% of the purchase price of each product goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space [https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/AMSAT-Car-Flag-e…]<https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_car_flag-256716714380264543> Keeping Amateur Radio in Space https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear ________________________________ Satellite Shorts From All Over + NASA has announced delays to its Artemis moon program, pushing Artemis II, a crewed mission around the moon, to April 2026, with the Artemis III lunar landing planned for mid-2027. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson emphasized that this timeline keeps the U.S. ahead of China's goal to land on the moon by 2030, highlighting the competitive nature of the space race. The delays follow concerns about the Orion capsule’s heat shield, which cracked during reentry after the uncrewed Artemis I test mission in 2022; Artemis II will proceed with adjustments to the capsule’s trajectory, while future missions will feature an upgraded heat shield. Artemis, initiated under former President Trump’s administration, aims not only to return astronauts to the moon but also to establish lunar bases as a stepping stone for Mars exploration, despite rising costs and development delays. The program's reliance on SpaceX’s Starship for lunar landings has raised questions about its cost-effectiveness, especially under the incoming Trump administration. Nelson expressed optimism about Artemis's continuity under NASA’s next administrator, Jared Isaacman, amid ongoing bipartisan and international support for lunar exploration. (ANS thanks The Guardian<https://www.theguardian.com/> for the above information) + Less than a week after its December 5th launch aboard a Vega-C rocket, the Sentinel-1C satellite delivered its first radar images, showcasing its advanced capabilities in environmental monitoring. Equipped with a cutting-edge C-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR), Sentinel-1C operates in all weather and lighting conditions, supporting critical applications like climate change research, disaster response, and environmental management. Early images captured regions such as Svalbard, Norway, highlighting its ability to monitor Arctic ice coverage, the Netherlands, showcasing intricate details for agriculture and water management, and Brussels, Belgium, revealing dense urban landscapes with historical ties to the Sentinel program. These high-resolution radar images, processed flawlessly by the Sentinel-1 Ground Segment, underline the satellite’s potential for actionable insights into soil moisture, urban planning, and polar ecosystems. Sentinel-1C continues the legacy of its predecessors while expanding its role in marine surveillance, ground deformation observation, and global humanitarian aid. Freely available via the Copernicus Data Space Ecosystem, Sentinel-1C’s data ensures robust support for diverse Copernicus services and scientific applications worldwide. (ANS thanks the European Space Agency<https://www.esa.int/> for the above information) + NASA recently awarded SpaceX a $256.6 million contract to launch Dragonfly, a rotorcraft designed to explore Titan, Saturn's largest moon, using a nuclear-powered radioisotope thermoelectric generator (RTG). This marks a milestone for SpaceX, as it will be the company's first time launching a nuclear-powered payload, a domain previously dominated by United Launch Alliance (ULA). The RTG will generate electricity from plutonium-238, chosen because Titan's dim and cloudy atmosphere precludes the use of solar power. Dragonfly will explore Titan's surface by hopping between locations using its eight rotors, investigating organic molecules essential to understanding the building blocks of life. Originally set for a 2026 launch, delays due to redesigns, COVID-19 impacts, and supply chain issues have pushed the timeline to July 2028, with costs escalating to $3.35 billion. This mission, one of NASA's most ambitious robotic endeavors, underscores the transition to new-generation rockets for launching nuclear payloads, with SpaceX's Falcon Heavy beating ULA's Vulcan rocket in competitive bidding for this historic mission. (ANS thanks SpaceNews<https://spacenews.com/> for the above information) + The USC Rocket Propulsion Lab (USCRPL) at the University of Southern California has shattered the international altitude record for amateur rocketry with their Aftershock II rocket, reaching an unprecedented 470,000 feet. This achievement surpasses the previous 20-year record of 380,000 feet set by the Civilian Space Exploration Team in 2004, establishing Aftershock II as the first civilian-built rocket to achieve this altitude. Equipped with the most powerful solid-propellant motor ever fired by students and enhanced thermal protection systems, the rocket endured hypersonic speeds with innovative features like titanium-coated fins and a custom paint system. The launch on October 20th in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert also demonstrated advanced avionics and live data integration, enabling precise tracking and recovery. Building on their milestone 2019 launch of Traveler IV, the first student-designed rocket to cross the Kármán line, USCRPL continues to push the boundaries of amateur rocketry with cutting-edge engineering and teamwork. This remarkable achievement highlights the group’s role as a training ground for future leaders in the space industry, inspiring innovation and excellence among aspiring astronautical engineers. (ANS thanks University of Southern California Viterbi School of Engineering<https://viterbischool.usc.edu/> 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<https://www.amsat.org> for additional membership information. 73 and remember to help Keep Amateur Radio in Space! This week's ANS Editor, Mitch Ahrenstorff, ADØHJ mahrenstorff [at] amsat.org<https://www.amsat.org>

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ANS-343 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
by Paul Stoetzer 07 Dec '24

07 Dec '24

*AMSAT News Service* *ANS-343* *December 8, 2024* In this edition: - AMSAT-OSCAR 7 Featured in YouTube Video - LignoSat ISS Deployment Information - HADES-ICM Offering FM Transponder to Launch Q1 2025 - Gaston Bertels, ON4WF, SK - Changes to AMSAT TLE Distribution for December 6, 2024 - ARISS News - Upcoming Satellite Operations - AMSAT Ambassador Activities - 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 https://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/ ------------------------------ AMSAT-OSCAR 7 Featured in YouTube Video AMSAT-OSCAR 7 celebrated its 50th birthday on November 15th. The YouTube channel Retro Rockets <https://www.youtube.com/@retrorockets6465> recently released an in-depth documentary entitled "AMSAT-OSCAR 7: The Little Satellite That Could. <https://youtu.be/D6XYlq4u2Yg?si=cCXNv1vF7cYQ1ptZ>" This 30 minute documentary covers the satellite's development, launch, and circumstances surrounding its rebirth. Retro Rockets is a YouTube channel focused on covering early and forgotten spacecraft. https://youtu.be/D6XYlq4u2Yg?si=C4NMzw19qPizmI8u *[ANS thanks Retro Rockets for the above information]* ------------------------------ LignoSat ISS Deployment Information LignoSat is a 1U-sized CubeSat whose outside structure is mainly composed of wood. In the development of wooden artificial satellites, we can produce wooden structures by using a familiar material "wood" and the usual manufacturing techniques. This will provide more people with the opportunity to develop amateur satellites at a lower cost. This satellite performs the following missions: 1. Amateur Radio Mission LignoSat will extract call signs of the amateur radio stations from the FM packet data signals uplinked, and respond to them by using the CW downlink and their call signs to send “thank you” messages. This shows the success of the interactive satellite communication using only UHF frequencies. 2. Educational mission Another LignoSat mission is to educate students to learn about the characteristics of the satellite by acquiring its HK data such as the internal temperature, the strain of the wooden structure, and the Earth’s magnetic field and calculating the rotational direction and rate of the satellite as well as observing the effect of the space environment on the wooden structure of LignoSat. Date and time of deployment: December 9, 2024, 20:30 JST/11:30 UTC +-90min Downlink frequency of CW beacon: 435.82MHz +-Doppler Please track the satellite using the orbital elements (TLE) of the ISS for a while after deployment. As time passes, it will gradually fly ahead of the ISS. The first path in Japan is expected to be around 06:30 JST on December 10th The antenna is scheduled to be deployed 30 minutes after deployment, so if the deployment is early, it may be possible to receive the satellite during the first pass in eastern North America (around 12:20 UTC). If the deployment is late, it may be possible to receive the satellite during the first pass in the EU (around 12:37 UTC). A release event is scheduled to take place on the JAXA YouTube channel. Please send your reception reports to jh3bum(a)jamsat.or.jp thank you. *[ANS thanks the Kyoto University LignoSat Support Team and the IARU for the above information]* ------------------------------ HADES-ICM Offering FM Transponder to Launch Q1 2025 The HADES-ICM 1.5p PocketQube recently underwent testing at UPM/IDR University in Madrid. It will offer the amateur radio community a VHF/UHF FM voice repeater as the one of SO-121 (HADES-D) but more powerful. It is scheduled to be launched in Q1 2025 aboard the SpaceX Transporter-13 mission. HADES-ICM 1.5 PQ satellite main mission is to act as a FM voice repeater. It can also repeat FSK derived modes like FT-4 and FT-8. As there is a small empty space available, it will be used to carry an experiment by Smart IR/Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre, GEIC University of Manchester (UK) consisting in a very low power active radiator to be tested on space conditions. The data for this experiment will be transmitted in a specific data packet in the telemetry. This experiment is the same as the one in HADES-R. This experiment will be delivered to AMSAT EA for integration and will be operated by AMSAT-EA, being all its data public and open. Engineering and manufacturing support for this mission is carried out with the help of private sector companies and universities, but AMSAT-EA will be the only operating organization. icMercury is a company also supporting the mission. It will develop ground tracking software for the satellite. Telemetry will send some FSK English formatted text messages, part of a history, to be collected as a challenge. HADES-ICM will offer licensed radio-amateur around the world the opportunity to relay FM voice and AX.25 / APRS 300 / 1200 bps communications. FSK derived transmissions and modes like FT-4 and FT-8 are also supported. As an improvement from previous missions, maximum power is now 0.25W when battery is charged (the amplifier uses battery energy), allowing easier QSOs with handheld antennas like Arrow or Elk and less sensitive receivers. The satellite will also transmit telemetry with its status and CW messages. This all will be achieved by implementing a SDR based repeater. The FM / FSK repeater will be available all time and opened by squelch level without the need of a subtone. As payload, the satellite will carry an experiment by Smart IR/Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre, GEIC University of Manchester (UK) consisting in a very low power active radiator to be tested on space conditions. This experiment is the same as the one in HADES-R satellite with updates and improvements. Also, as a challenge made with icMercury, telemetry will send FSK English formatted text messages, part of a history, to be collected. Launch is expected for February 2025 in SpaceX Transporter-13 mission managed by the space broker Alba Orbital / D-Orbit. The main mission for the satellite is to act as a FM voice repeater although due to its SDR nature it can repeat data too. Users will have the capability of making voice contacts and use FSK derived modes like FT-4 and FT-8. This satellite is based on the hardware of HADES-D (SO-121, currently being used by HAMs worldwide for voice contacts) and the next to launch HADES-R. FM satellites are very demanded and appreciated by the HAM community because they are easy to use, they don’t require of expensive transceivers and allow continental and even transatlantic contacts in some conditions. With this satellite we also put into use the amateur VHF and UHF satellite sub-bands helping to secure them for the community in the future. *[ANS thanks AMSAT-EA for the above information]* ------------------------------ *Last Chance - 2024 Coins Are Still Available!Help Support GOLF and Fox Plus.**Join <https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/> the AMSAT President’s Club today!* ------------------------------ Gaston Bertels, ON4WF, SK *This past week, Frank Bauer KA3HDO ARISS-USA Executive Director and ARISS International Chair passed this along to the ARISS volunteers:* It is with great sorrow that we announce the passing of Gaston Bertels, ON4WF (SK). Gaston died today, December 3, 2024, from cancer. He was 97. Gaston was recently given the title “Elder Statesman” by the ARISS International team. This honor was given because of his monumental role in the formation and operation of the ARISS team. He wrote our ARISS Terms of Reference and participated in numerous discussions, over the years, on how to run a cohesive, results-oriented international team. His in-depth knowledge of amateur radio rules and regulations, particularly his knowledge of licensing and 3rd party traffic, enabled ARISS to develop an operations plan that could support human spaceflight amateur radio operations across the world. His knowledge of radio telecommunications was respected in Europe and elsewhere, allowing him to give presentations on amateur radio in space to members of the European Parliament. His personality radiated an inviting aura to all. He has been a friend, a leader, and an inspiration to all of us. Gaston began his journey in human spaceflight amateur radio by guiding a group of engaging students in a radio contact at a Belgian Space Camp during the 1992 STS-45 Space Shuttle mission. This contact was with Belgium’s first Astronaut, Dirk Frimout ON1AFD. Gaston coordinated the radio contact preparations and operated the radio station during the contact. Gaston was instrumental in convincing ESA to install L/S band antennas on the Columbus module, prior to launch, to support future operations in Columbus. He worked with Professor Pawel Kabacik from the Wroclaw University to design, build and certify the antennas and led a fundraising campaign to pay for the development, test and certification. With HamTV as the first hardware “customer” of these antennas, Gaston led the HTT, the HamTV Technical Team meetings to prepare the HamTV ground stations for operations and to coordinate the on-board HamTV operations. The L/S antennas have also been employed for two flight experiments: MarconISSta with TU Berlin and the upcoming NAVCOM experiment for ASI/Qascom. Gaston will be sorely missed. But the light of his legacy shines in all of us that he has touched—inside and outside of ARISS. Ad Astra Gaston! (To the Stars, Gaston!) *[ANS thanks Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, ARISS International Chair, for the above information]* ------------------------------ *Need new satellite antennas? Purchase an M2 LEO-Pack from the **AMSAT Store! <https://amsat.org/product-category/hardware/>**When you purchase through **AMSAT, a portion of the proceeds goes towards **Keeping Amateur Radio in Space.* ------------------------------ 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. *SWSU, Kursk, Russia, direct via TBD* The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS The scheduled crewmember is Alexander Gorbunov The ARISS mentor is RV3DR Contact is go for Mon 2024-12-09 09:30 UTC *Chrześcijańska Szkoła Podstawowa Daniel, Warszawa, Poland, direct via SP5POT* The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS The scheduled crewmember is Don Pettit KD5MDT The ARISS mentor is SP3QFE Contact is go for: Mon 2024-12-09 11:03:48 UTC 78 deg Watch for Livestreams at https://www.facebook.com/share/45Mq4px6R9Fnt6tK/ and https://www.youtube.com/live/CDMgY2x5Kwo *Scuola Secondaria di I Grado “F.Anzani”, Cantù, Italy, telebridge via VK4KHZ* The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled crewmember is Sunita Williams KD5PLB The ARISS mentor is IZ2GOJ Contact is go for: Tue 2024-12-10 09:13:10 UTC 35 deg via VK4KHZ Watch for Livestream at https://www.youtube.com/live/jU7bSfGfwfI?si=OTL5NoqViOGKZgtI *Hillsboro Charter Academy, Purcellville, VA, direct via KQ4MAM * The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled crewmember is Sunita Williams KD5PLB The ARISS mentor is AA6TB Contact is go for: Wed 2024-12-11 18:51:41 UTC 45 deg Many times a school may make a last minute decision to do a Livestream or run into a last minute glitch requiring a change of the URL but we at ARISS may not get the URL in time for publication. You can always check https://live.ariss.org/ to see if a school is Livestreaming. As always, if there is an EVA, a docking, or an undocking; the ARISS radios are turned off as part of the safety protocol. 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. 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 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. ADØHJ is planning his last 2024 rove to the Missouri Ozarks area between December 5th-8th. Mitch has never been to that area so he is looking to do some sightseeing and activate eight new satellite grid squares. EM26-EM28, EM36-EM39, and EN30. He will be working RS-44 passes in the evenings. See https://hams.at for details. EA4NF is planning to activate IN87 and IN97 in Brittany, France as F5OCE on December 12th-14th. Pass information will be posted at https://hams.at/. <https://hams.at/> *[ANS thanks Ian Parsons, K5ZM, AMSAT Rover Page Manager, for the above information]* ------------------------------ * Want to fly the colors on your own grid expedition?* Get an AMSAT car flag and other neat stuff from our Zazzle store <https://www.zazzle.com/store/amsat_gear>! 25% of the purchase price of each product goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space ------------------------------ AMSAT Ambassador Activities AMSAT Ambassadors provide presentations, demonstrate communicating through amateur satellites, and host information tables at club meetings, hamfests, conventions, maker faires, and other events. AMSAT Ambassador Clint Bradford, K6LCS, 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. Scheduled Events *Central Kentucky Amateur Radio Society**December 19, 2024* CKARS Monthly Meeting 558 S Keeneland Dr. Richmond, KY 40475 https://www.ckars.org/home AI4SR *Yuma HAMCON* *February 20-22, 2025* Yuma, AZ N1UW *[ANS thanks Bo Lowrey, W4FCL, Director – AMSAT Ambassador Program, for the above information]* ------------------------------ Satellite Shorts from All Over + The ARRL has released LoTW configuration file version 11.30, adding support for QSOs made via AO-123. (ANS thanks the ARRL for this information) + A OneDrive <https://onedrive.live.com/?redeem=aHR0cHM6Ly8xZHJ2Lm1zL2YvYy9hN2MzMjI2ZjNmM…> containing all of the tools for AO-123 (ASRTU-1), include LiveCD, Windows decoding software, image calibration tool, offline image decoder, etc, has been made available. (ANS thanks BG2BHC for this information) + The Jovian-1 mission, with an AMSAT-UK U/V FM payload, has taken a giant leap forward as the satellite platform was delivered by GOMSpace on November 27th. (ANS thanks G0MRF for this information) + The Artemis 2 mission, scheduled to carry astronauts around the moon, has been delayed to early 2026 and the Artemis 3 mission, the first moon landing of the Artemis program has been delayed to 2027. (ANS thanks NASA for this information) + President-elect Donald Trump has announced his plan to nominate Jared Isaacman has the next NASA Administrator. Isaacman has flown in space twice, as a private astronaut aboard the SpaceX Inspiration4 mission and on board the Polaris Dawn mission this past September, where he became the first private citizen to perform a space walk. ------------------------------ 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] arrl.net <http://arrl.net>* *ANS is a service of AMSAT, the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation, 712 H Street NE, Suite 1653, Washington, DC 20002*

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ANS-336 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
by Frank Karnauskas (N1UW) 30 Nov '24

30 Nov '24

In this edition: * AMSAT OSCAR-7 50th Anniversary: CodeStore Breaking New Ground * GridMasterMap Satellite Top 100 Rovers December 2024 Rankings * Japan Launches World's First Wooden Satellite to Test Timber in Space * Open-Weather APT: Updates to the Web Based NOAA APT Image Decoder * ARISS News * Upcoming Satellite Operations * AMSAT Ambassador Activities * 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-336 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins To: All RADIO AMATEURS From: Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation 712 H Street NE, Suite 1653 Washington, DC 20002 DATE 2024 Dec 01 AMSAT OSCAR-7 50th Anniversary: CodeStore Breaking New Ground There has always been a fascination among radio amateurs in digital modes of communications. In thinking about where this spacecraft sits in electronic history, it is all too easy to forget that it was designed at least three years before the appearance of the first 8-bit microprocessor. The notion of packet communications was still nearly 10 years into the future. The team wanted to demonstrate that they could store data at-will on a spacecraft in transit across the sky and then download it at another location. They wanted to demonstrate non-real-time digital communications to themselves and to the world. Jan King, W3GEY, AMSAT OSCAR-7 Project Manager explains, “Thinking in retrospect, that experiment wasn’t the best it could have been. However, it was simple and it proved our resolve. The entry in 1972 on AO-6 and, then again, in 1974 on-board AO-7 was a demonstration experiment we called CodeStore. And, it did lead to far more ambitious packetized, store-and-forward data satellites in our future. “It probably wasn’t the best choice at the time, but we chose the command frequency for the uplink. This meant we didn’t have to implement yet another receiver. However, this made the experiment far less accessible to hams than it could have. AMSAT did not want to share the knowledge of the command frequency and codes with anyone who didn’t have a need to know them. Thus, CodeStore was not an experiment that was shared with everyone as were the communications transponders. It could realistically only be used by authorized command stations. We had hoped for a universal store-and-forward demonstration, but what was in fact created was a broadcast tool and in that regard CodeStore was very successful.” CodeStore was the brainchild of and was designed and fabricated by John Goode, W5CAY. In one small module, he housed an AFSK decoding system, which allowed uplink data to be clocked into a “long” shift register containing 896 bits. This was done with the memory IC's of the day. What one could manage then was 14 IC's each containing 64 bits of serial data storage. The contents of the shift register was sequentially downlinked first-in-first-out (FIFO) to the selected beacon when CodeStore was commanded to the RUN mode. This number of bits is divisible by 8 so one might have expected that a downlinked message of 112 8-bit words. No, this was 1974 so Morse Code messages were downlinked. The idea was more individuals can copy a broadcast message if they don’t need specialized decoding equipment. King adds, “No one can deny that we could have made a better go of it if the notion of a remote terminal digital communications goal had remained pure. It did not.” “Ultimately, its highest value was discovered to be to store the spacecraft’s NORAD TLEs as well as any critical AO-7 operating schedule modifications, which might be of importance to the users. CodeStore was already available for use on AO-6. So, users were already expecting this feature, which appeared regularly on the beacons.” While CodeStore was used on both AO-6 and AO-7 to demonstrate non-real-time communications via satellite, it was never used by independent remotely located stations to demonstrate two-way communications in that way. The memory facilities required on-board and the lack of any firmware that even approached the capabilities of a file handling system did not exist in 1972-74. That would have to wait for another day when, once again, four AMSAT spacecraft in a small constellation would demonstrate a proper store-and-forward packet handling system. That was to occur in 1990. CodeStore went into service as a broadcast device allowing users to receive, in Morse Code, the latest, (then) NORAD TLEs. CodeStore was a complete success. It saved command stations a tremendous amount of work, avoiding the need for a global network of operators who would otherwise be needed to relay the same data. Persons wanting to read more about the life and history of AMSAT OSCAR-7 are invited to visit https://www.amsat.org/amsat-ao-7-a-fifty-year-anniversary/. [ANS thanks Jan King, W3GEY, AMSAT OSCAR-7 Project Manager for the above information.] ________________________________ GridMasterMap Satellite Top 100 Rovers December 2024 Rankings The December 2024 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 QSO's 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: 2024-11-29 1 ND9M 26 KX9X 51 N6DNM 76 LU4JVE 2 NJ7H 27 ON4AUC 52 JK2XXK 77 AA8CH 3 JA9KRO 28 KG5CCI 53 EB1AO 78 VE1VOX 4 UT1FG 29 N5BO 54 EA4NF 79 FG8OJ 5 N5UC 30 K8BL 55 SM3NRY 80 PT9BM 6 DL6AP 31 KE4AL 56 JL3RNZ 81 KJ7NDY 7 OE3SEU 32 KB5FHK 57 DF2ET 82 KI7UXT 8 WI7P 33 VE3HLS 58 XE1ET 83 YU0W 9 DP0POL 34 KI0KB 59 AA5PK 84 KB2YSI 10 K5ZM 35 KI7UNJ 60 KI7QEK 85 N6UTC 11 F5VMJ 36 LA9XGA 61 SP5XSD 86 N4DCW 12 N6UA 37 PA3GAN 62 F4DXV 87 WA9JBQ 13 HA3FOK 38 JO2ASQ 63 AD7DB 88 JM1CAX 14 WY7AA 39 F4BKV 64 VE1CWJ 89 VE3GOP 15 N9IP 40 BA1PK 65 KE9AJ 90 N0TEL 16 W5PFG 41 N7AGF 66 DL4EA 91 KG4AKV 17 AK8CW 42 VK5DG 67 N8RO 92 W8MTB 18 DL2GRC 43 VA3VGR 68 VA7LM 93 K0FFY 19 AD0DX 44 XE3DX 69 KM4LAO 94 CU2ZG 20 LU5ILA 45 KE0WPA 70 M1DDD 95 VE7PTN 21 N4AKV 46 PR8KW 71 W8LR 96 K6VHF 22 WD9EWK 47 K7TAB 72 W1AW 97 AF5CC 23 ND0C 48 KE0PBR 73 N4UFO 98 VE6WK 24 AD0HJ 49 AC0RA 74 HB9GWJ 99 DK9JC 25 DJ8MS 50 W7WGC 75 PT2AP 100 BG7QIW [ANS thanks @GridMasterMap for the above information.] ________________________________ Only four Weeks Left! And the 2024 AMSAT President’s Club Coins Are Gone! Help Support GOLF and Fox Plus [cid:[email protected]] Join the AMSAT President's Club today and help Keep Amateur Radio in Space! https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/ ________________________________ Japan Launches World's First Wooden Satellite to Test Timber in Space Japanese researchers launched the world’s first wooden satellite, LignoSat, into space, marking an ambitious step toward exploring the viability of timber for lunar and Martian construction. This pioneering satellite, developed collaboratively by Kyoto University and Sumitomo Forestry, was sent to the International Space Station aboard a SpaceX mission from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on November 4, 2024. Once at the ISS, LignoSat will be released into orbit approximately 400 kilometers (250 miles) above Earth. [cid:[email protected]] LignoSat, a 1U-sized CubeSat, carries an Amateur Radio mission that will extract callsigns from the FM packet data signals uplinked, and respond to them by using the CW downlink with their call signs. An educational mission is to educate students to learn about the characteristics of the satellite by acquiring its housekeeping data such as the internal temperature, the strain of the wooden structure, and the Earth’s magnetic field and calculating the rotational direction and rate of the satellite as well as observing the effect of the space environment on the wooden structure. The satellite, whose name derives from the Latin word for "wood," is a compact, palm-sized structure. LignoSat’s mission is to demonstrate the potential of wood as a sustainable and durable material for space exploration. Takao Doi, a former astronaut and a current researcher at Kyoto University, expressed that using timber could pave the way for constructing habitats that support human life and work in space indefinitely. “With timber, a material we can produce by ourselves, we will be able to build houses, live, and work in space forever,” Doi said. Doi’s team is working under a 50-year vision of building timber structures on the Moon and Mars, planting the seeds for future space-based infrastructure. The researchers opted for Honoki, a type of magnolia tree native to Japan traditionally used for sword sheaths, after conducting a 10-month experiment on the ISS. Honoki proved its resilience, leading to its selection as the core material for LignoSat. The satellite was constructed using a traditional Japanese craft technique without screws or glue, showcasing innovation steeped in heritage. One of LignoSat’s key roles in its six-month orbit will be to measure the endurance of wood against extreme space temperatures, which oscillate from -100 to 100 degrees Celsius (-148 to 212 degrees Fahrenheit) every 45 minutes as the satellite shifts from sunlight to darkness. The onboard sensors will also monitor how well wood mitigates space radiation’s impact on semiconductors, information that could be pivotal for designing data centers and other space-based structures. Kenji Kariya of Sumitomo Forestry emphasized the cutting-edge nature of this research, noting that despite appearing old-fashioned, wood could be integral to future space technology. The environmental benefits of using wood in space are significant. Unlike conventional metal satellites that produce polluting aluminum oxide particles upon re-entry, wooden satellites would disintegrate more cleanly in Earth’s atmosphere. “A wooden satellite burns up with much less pollution compared to metal ones,” Doi stated. This feature could be an advantage as the space industry grapples with sustainability and the proliferation of space debris. [cid:[email protected]] The team behind LignoSat is optimistic that their experiment could spur wider adoption of timber in space exploration. Doi even hinted at the potential for future partnerships, saying, “If we can prove our first wooden satellite works, we want to pitch it to Elon Musk’s SpaceX.” The successful deployment of LignoSat could mark the beginning of a new era where traditional materials meet advanced space technology, reinvigorating the timber industry and pushing the boundaries of sustainable innovation in space exploration. A downlink on 435.820 MHz has been coordinated for CW, 4k8 GMSK AX25 telemetry and FM. More info at https://space.innovationkyoto.org/amateur-radio-operators/ [ANS thanks Kantaro Komiya and Irene Wang, Reuters, for the above information.] ________________________________ Open-Weather APT: Updates to the Web Based NOAA APT Image Decoder Dr. Sasha Engelmann and Sophie Dyer, the team behind the Open-Weather project have recently announced the launch of their new version of open-weather app, a web-based NOAA APT image decoder. The web-based program accepts a WAV file containing a NOAA satellite APT recording, demodulates and decodes it, and displays the resulting weather satellite image. Sasha writes, "…Open-weather apt is the only public, maintained, browser-based decoder for Automatic Picture Transmissions (APT) from satellites NOAA-19, NOAA-18 and NOAA-15. It was developed to improve access to satellite signal decoding for all practitioners. [cid:[email protected]] "We are excited to share a new and improved version available here! The new version includes the following updates and additional features: * Improved accuracy in decoding and finding sync positions (locates more sync positions than other comparable decoders) * Upload a WAV file of any sample rate (no more re-sampling with Audacity!) * Option to see the ‘raw’ image without syncing, and to ‘Find the Syncs’ * Option to Rotate 180 degrees, often useful for viewing images from nighttime passes * Go deeper in your analysis: explore Signal Value and Image Value Histograms * Upload directly from open-weather apt to the Public Archive "Open-weather apt is co-developed by open-weather with Rectangle (Lizzie Malcolm and Dan Powers), Bill Liles (NQ6Z) and Grayson Earle." Complete information at https://open-weather.community/decode/. [ANS thanks RTL-SDR.com for the above information.] ________________________________ Need new satellite antennas? Purchase M2 LEO-Packs from the AMSAT Store. [cid:[email protected]] When you purchase through AMSAT, a portion of the proceeds goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space. https://amsat.org/product-category/hardware/ ________________________________ Changes to AMSAT TLE Distribution for November 29, 2024 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 daily in the first hour of the UTC day. New bulletin files will be posted immediately after reliable elements become available for new amateur satellites. More information may be found at https://www.amsat.org/keplerian-elements-resources/. The following satellite has been added to this week's AMSAT TLE distribution: AO-123 Provisional catalog number 99130 IARU coordinated downlink 435.4000 MHz. [ANS thanks Joe Fitzgerald, KM1P, AMSAT Orbital Elements Manager, for the above information.] ________________________________ Want to fly the colors on your own grid expedition? [cid:[email protected]] 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. [ARISS News] Upcoming Contacts South Carolina RWAs (Regional Workforce Advisors), Columbia, SC, direct via N4EE. The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS. The scheduled crewmember is Nick Hague, KG5TMV. The ARISS mentor is Don Hopson, K4CF. Contact is go for Monday, December 2, 2024 at 16:22 UTC. Watch for Livestream at https://dew.sc.gov/. Simferopol College of Radio Electronics, Simferopol, Russia, direct via TBD. The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS. The scheduled crewmember is Ivan Vagner. The ARISS mentor is RV3DR . Contact is go for Monday, December 2, 2024 at 15:15 UTC. CEIP INDAUTXUKO ESKOLA HLHI, Bilbao, Spain, telebridge via ON4ISS. The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS. The scheduled crewmember is Sunita Williams, KD5PLB. The ARISS mentor is Marcelo Teruel, IK0USO. Contact is go for: Wednesday, December 4, 2024 at 11:47 UTC. State Budgetary Educational Institution "Vorobyovy Gory", Moscow, Russia, direct via TBD. The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS. The scheduled crewmember is Alexander Gorbunov. The ARISS mentor is RV3DR. Contact is go for Thursday, December 5, 2024 at 11:00 UTC. Shchyolkovo, Russia, direct via TBD. The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS. The scheduled crewmember is Aleksey Ovchinin. The ARISS mentor is RV3DR. Contact is go for Friday, December 6, 2024 at 10:10 UTC. Publiczna Szkola Podstawowa im. Walentego Stefanskiego w Bodzechowie, Bodzechow, Poland, direct via SP7POS. The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS. The scheduled crewmember is Don Pettit, KD5MDT. The ARISS mentor is Armand Budzianowski, SP3QFE. Contact is go for Friday, December 6, 2024 at 11:49 UTC. Completed Contacts Colegio do Castanheiro, Ponta Delgada, Azores, direct via CQ8CDC. The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS. The scheduled crewmember is Don Pettit, KD5MDT. The ARISS mentor is Marcelo Teruel,IK0USO. Contact was successful on Tuesday, November 26, 2024 at 14:57 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.] ________________________________ Upcoming Satellite Operations * ADØHJ is planning his last 2024 rove to the Missouri Ozarks area between December 5-8, 2024. Mitch has never been to that area so he is looking to do some sightseeing and activate eight new satellite grid squares. EM26-EM28, EM36-EM39, and EN30. He will be working RS-44 passes in the evenings. See https://hams.at for details. 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, and Alex Ners, K6VHF, for the above information.] ________________________________ AMSAT Ambassador Activities AMSAT Ambassadors provide presentations, demonstrate communicating through amateur satellites, and host information tables at club meetings, hamfests, conventions, maker faires, and other events. [cid:[email protected]] December 19, 2024 Central Kentucky Amateur Radio Society CKARS Monthly Meeting 558 S Keeneland Dr. Richmond, KY 40475 https://www.ckars.org/home AI4SR February 14-15, 2025 Yuma HAMCON and Southwestern Division Convention Yuma County Fairgrounds Yuma, AZ https://www.yumahamfest.com/ N1UW Interested in becoming an AMSAT Ambassador? AMSAT Ambassadors provide presentations, demonstrate communicating through amateur satellites, and host information tables at club meetings, hamfests, conventions, maker faires, and other events. For more information go to: https://www.amsat.org/ambassador/ [ANS thanks Bo Lowrey, W4FCL, Director – AMSAT Ambassador Program for the above information.] ________________________________ Satellite Shorts From All Over * NASA has confirmed that one of its greatest ever missions, Voyager 1, is back in business with communications restored following an incident in October that had led to the veteran spacefarer losing its voice. When engineers commanded Voyager 1 to switch on one of its heaters to give the instruments a gentle thermal massage, a safety feature was tripped because of low power levels. It automatically switched off non-essential systems. The fault protection system took it upon itself to switch off the main X-band transmitter and activate the lower-power S-band transmitter instead. Because of the great distance between Voyager 1 and Earth, however, transmissions on the S-band antenna could not be heard by NASA's Deep Space Network, meaning that Voyager 1 had effectively fallen silent. NASA engineers were able to resolve the problem early in November, and X-band communication resumed on Nov. 18, with the spacecraft once again returning data from its four remaining instruments. Read the complete story at https://tinyurl.com/ANS-336-Voyager-1. [ANS thanks Space.com for the above information.] * In addition to all the AMSAT OSCAR-7 publicity in the news this few weeks, AMSAT also received nice exposure about the ARISS program putting kids in contact with astronauts. Read the complete story at https://tinyurl.com/ANS-336-ISS. [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 [dot] org for additional membership information. 73 and remember to help Keep Amateur Radio in Space! This week's ANS Editor, Frank Karnauskas, N1UW f.karnauskas [at] amsat [dot] org

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