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ANS-267 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
by Mitch Ahrenstorff (AD0HJ) 23 Sep '23

23 Sep '23

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-267 In this edition: * 2023 AMSAT Symposium Keynote Speakers Announced * 41st Annual AMSAT Space Symposium Call for Papers * Russian Soyuz MS-24 Launches Crew to International Space Station * Imperial College Develops Miniature Rocket Thruster for CubeSats * GOES-U Successfully Completes Environmental Testing for 2024 Launch * Sentinel-1 Satellite Reveals Shifts from Morocco Earthquake * Satellite Top 100 Rovers September 2023 Rankings * Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for September 21, 2023 * ARISS News * Upcoming Satellite Operations * Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events * Satellite Shorts From All Over The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and information service of AMSAT, the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS publishes news related to Amateur Radio in Space including reports on the activities of a worldwide group of Amateur Radio operators who share an active interest in designing, building, launching and communicating through analog and digital Amateur Radio satellites. The news feed on http://www.amsat.org publishes news of Amateur Radio in Space as soon as our volunteers can post it. Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to: ans-editor [at] amsat.org You can sign up for free e-mail delivery of the AMSAT News Service Bulletins via the ANS List; to join this list see: https://mailman.amsat.org/postorius/lists/ans.amsat.org/ ANS-267 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins To: All RADIO AMATEURS From: Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation 712 H Street NE, Suite 1653 Washington, DC 20002 DATE 2023 September 24 2023 AMSAT Symposium Keynote Speakers Announced Bob Twiggs, KE6QMD, considered to be the “father” of the CubeSat form factor, will be a keynote speaker at the 41st Annual AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting banquet. Bob is a retired professor of Astronautics and Space Science at Morehead State University. He is responsible, along with Jordi Puig-Suari of California Polytechnic State University, for co-inventing the CubeSat reference design for miniaturized satellites which became an industry standard for design and deployment of the satellites. Twiggs earned a Bachelor of Science in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from the University of Idaho in 1961 and a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering with a concentration in microwave devices from Stanford University in 1964. From 1985 to 1994, Twiggs was the director of the Weber State University Center for Aerospace Technology. He served as a consulting professor in the Stanford University Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics from 1994 to 2008. At Stanford, he established the Space Systems Development Laboratory. Bob Twiggs became a professor at Morehead State University in 2009 in an effort to push the PocketQube standard leveraging the university's large aperture (21m) space tracking system, and to help develop a space economy in the state of Kentucky. In 2019, Twiggs designed and proposed another smaller, simpler satellite form factor called ThinSat which could enable high school students to design and build satellites. Joining Bob in the presentation will be Nick Pugh, K5QXJ. A native of Lafayette, Louisiana, Nick is credited with establishing the first microwave loop in the Gulf of Mexico just two years after his graduation from University of Southwestern Louisiana (now the University of Louisiana at Lafayette). His pioneering leadership with telecommunications technology in and around the Gulf of Mexico over the years has spurred regional economic development. Nick is also a longtime community volunteer. He directed University of Louisiana Lafayette’s successful effort to become the first college team in Louisiana to build and launch satellites. He also advised the David Thibodaux STEM Magnet Academy’s high school student team, which placed a biological experiment on the International Space Station. Nick is also a member of the Acadiana Area Radio Association and the Lafayette Computer Club, and a founding member of Acadiana Open Channel. Nick has served as chair of Habitat for Humanity Lafayette. He was a member of Leadership Lafayette Class XXVII and is a 1998 graduate of Harvard’s Owner/President Management program. He is also the founder of the Pugh Family Foundation, a philanthropic venture focused on helping to create a world-class public education system in the Acadiana region. [ANS thanks AMSAT and Wikipedia for the above information.] --------------------------------------------------------------------- 41st Annual AMSAT Space Symposium Call for Papers Papers are now being accepted for the 41st annual AMSAT Space Symposium to be held on the weekend of October 20-21, 2023 at the Sheraton DFW Airport in Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas. Proposals for Symposium papers and presentations are invited on any topic of interest to the amateur satellite community. We request a tentative title of your presentation as soon as possible, with final copy submitted by October 12 for inclusion in the symposium proceedings. Abstracts and papers should be sent to Dan Schultz, N8FGV at n8fgv at amsat.org. [ANS thanks Dan Schultz, N8FGV, AMSAT Symposium Proceedings Editor, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Russian Soyuz MS-24 Launches Crew to International Space Station Russian spacecraft Soyuz MS-24, carrying two Russian cosmonauts and a U.S. astronaut, successfully blasted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Friday, September 15th, with live TV footage capturing the launch. This mission marked the 85th launch of the Soyuz 2.1a in 2023 and the 6th launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in the same year, contributing to the 149th orbital launch attempt of 2023. The Soyuz MS-24 mission, also known as Expedition 70/71, had initially been scheduled for March 16, 2023. However, due to technical issues with the docked Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft, the crewed mission was reassigned to Soyuz MS-24. The spacecraft, designated Soyuz MS-24, carried American astronaut Loral O'Hara along with Russian cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub. The mission launched under the auspices of the Russian space agency, ROSCOSMOS, utilizing the Soyuz 2.1a launch vehicle. The lift-off took place from Launch Complex 31/6 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome. The spacecraft's destination was the International Space Station (ISS), situated in a low Earth orbit approximately 400 kilometers above Earth's surface at a 51.66° inclination. The crew of Soyuz MS-24, upon reaching the ISS, would join the existing station crew members, which included NASA astronauts Frank Rubio and Jasmin Moghbeli, KI5WSL, Russian cosmonauts Dmitry Petelin, Konstantin Borisov, Sergei Prokopyev, as well as Denmark's Andreas Mogensen, KG5GCZ, and Japan's Satoshi Furukawa, KE5DAW. The Soyuz MS-24 crew was composed of Commander Oleg Kononenko, Flight Engineer 1 Nikolai Chub from ROSCOSMOS, and Flight Engineer 2 Loral O'Hara from NASA. Commander Oleg Kononenko, RN3DX, had previously completed four spaceflights and accumulated 916 days in space, exceeding the previous record of 878 days held by Gennady Padalka. Nikolai Chub, on the other hand, was embarking on his first journey to space as Flight Engineer 1, having been selected as a Roscosmos cosmonaut in 2012. Loral O'Hara, KI5TOM, Flight Engineer 2, was an astronaut candidate with NASA's 2017 Astronaut Candidate Class, making Soyuz MS-24 her maiden spaceflight. Soyuz, introduced in 1966, has long served as the multi-use medium-lift launch vehicle for the Soviet/Russian space program. Its versatile capabilities encompass launching civilian and military satellites, cargo, and crewed missions to the ISS. The Soyuz-2 rocket stands approximately 46.3 meters tall, with a diameter of 2.95 meters, and a total lift-off mass of about 312,000 kilograms. Its payload capacity to low-Earth orbit ranges from 6,600 to 7,400 kilograms. The Soyuz MS spacecraft, in this case, Soyuz MS-24, is the latest iteration of Russia's renowned three-person spacecraft. Although its external appearance has remained relatively consistent since its first flight in the 1960s, internal systems and capabilities have been modernized over time. The spacecraft consists of three sections: the orbital module, the descent module, and the service module. The orbital module is where the crew primarily resides while in orbit and docks with the ISS. The descent module is the section that returns to Earth intact, carrying the crew during launch and reentry. The service module houses the main engine for orbital maneuvers, thrusters for docking, and life support systems. The Soyuz MS-24 mission docked with the ISS approximately three hours and 15 minutes after liftoff, adding to the station's international crew and enabling further scientific research in the unique environment of space. [ANS thanks Mariia Kiseleva, writing for Everyday Astronaut for the above information] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Reserve Your Symposium Hotel Room Now! Symposium Guaranteed Room Rates End Tuesday, September 26th Make Your Reservations While our Special Group Rate is in Effect! More Info At: https://tinyurl.com/AMSAT +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Imperial College Develops Miniature Rocket Thruster for CubeSats Researchers at Imperial College have designed a miniature rocket thruster so small that it can only be fabricated using techniques originally intended for creating silicon microchips. Named the "Iridium Catalysed Electrolysis CubeSat Thruster" or ICE-Cube Thruster, this innovation holds the promise of revolutionizing the propulsion systems for small satellites, particularly CubeSats, by offering a compact, efficient, and eco-friendly solution. Satellites weighing under 10 kilograms, constituting approximately 90% of today's satellite launches, present a unique set of challenges when it comes to developing components for them. Among the most critical challenges is designing rocket thrusters tailored to the limitations of CubeSats. These thrusters must not only be diminutive in size but also uncomplicated, unpressurized, low-power, and devoid of toxic materials. Funded by the European Space Agency (ESA), the ICE-Cube Thruster meets these stringent criteria, with its primary attribute being its diminutive size. The entire thruster chip, comparable in length to a human fingernail, features a combustion chamber and nozzle measuring a mere 1 millimeter. It demands a mere 20 watts of electric current to operate. A test campaign achieved 1.25 millinewtons of thrust at a specific impulse of 185 seconds. To provide a sense of scale, this thrust output is roughly half a billion times less powerful than the engines used on the Space Shuttle. However, the true innovation of the ICE-Cube Thruster lies in its propellant choice, ordinary water. Water, known for its non-explosive and non-flammable properties, is utilized as the propellant of choice. An onboard electric current induces electrolysis within the thruster, breaking down the water into hydrogen and oxygen. These gases are then fed into the combustion chamber, where they ignite, producing the necessary thrust to maneuver the CubeSat. This utilization of water as propellant not only aligns with sustainability goals but also reduces overall payload requirements. The absence of the need for pressurization in storing the propellant streamlines storage and handling systems, making them lighter and more straightforward. However, the challenge lay in fabricating the combustion chamber and nozzle for the thruster, a task that required adopting a technique akin to microelectronics. The researchers utilized Micro-Electrical Mechanical Systems (MEMS) techniques, typically used for machining silicon wafers for processors to sub-micrometer tolerances. The successful testing of the ICE-Cube Thruster was conducted through an ESA General Support Technology Programme De-Risk activity, validating its feasibility in a controlled laboratory environment. The data acquired during this testing phase will serve as a vital guide in the development of a flight-representative "Engineering Model" of the propulsion system, including the electrolyser. This development is slated to be led by URA Thrusters in collaboration with Imperial College. [ANS thanks the European Space Agency for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- GOES-U Successfully Completes Environmental Testing for 2024 Launch NOAA's upcoming satellite, GOES-U, the final addition to the GOES-R Series of advanced geostationary satellites, has completed a rigorous battery of tests to ensure its readiness for the challenges of launch and its mission in space. The year-long testing process concluded with GOES-U proving its resilience to the harsh conditions of space, situated 22,236 miles above Earth. The testing regimen, which commenced in November 2022, involved subjecting GOES-U to extreme temperatures ranging from a scorching 188 degrees Fahrenheit (87 degrees Celsius) to a bone-chilling minus 67 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 55 degrees Celsius). This thermal vacuum testing aimed to simulate the harsh temperature fluctuations during both launch and its mission in the space environment. Following this, in February 2023, the satellite underwent vibration testing to ensure its structural integrity during the stresses of launch. It then faced the intense sounds of 138.4 decibels during acoustic testing, replicating the noise levels experienced during launch. March 2023 witnessed the successful completion of shock testing, confirming GOES-U's ability to withstand the separation from the launch vehicle and the deployment of its solar panels. Subsequently, in August 2023, electromagnetic interference and compatibility (EMI/EMC) testing ensured that the satellite's operations would remain unaffected by various forms of electromagnetic radiation. Notably, GOES-U's large five-panel solar array, initially folded during launch, was verified to deploy correctly upon reaching geostationary orbit. These solar panels will serve as the primary source of power, converting sunlight into electricity to operate the satellite's instruments, computers, data processors, sensors, and telecommunications equipment. The exhaustive testing program was conducted at Lockheed Martin's facility in Littleton, Colorado, where GOES-U was built. Simultaneously, as the satellite was being prepared for the rigors of launch and space, the GOES-U mission operations team engaged in critical rehearsals to test launch procedures and communication systems between the satellite and ground facilities. These rehearsals encompassed a wide range of scenarios, including normal operations and contingency procedures in case of unexpected events. The team also conducted tests for compatibility with the Compact Coronagraph-1 (CCOR-1) instrument, which will monitor the sun's corona as part of NOAA's Space Weather Follow-On mission. GOES-U remains on schedule for its planned April 2024 launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, utilizing a Falcon Heavy launch vehicle. Following its successful journey to geostationary orbit, it will be renamed GOES-19 and undergo a series of on-orbit instrument and systems checkouts, followed by the validation of its data products. The GOES-R Series is hailed as the Western Hemisphere's most advanced weather and environmental monitoring system. Comprising four satellites, the program includes GOES-R (GOES-16), GOES-S (GOES-17), GOES-T (GOES-18), and GOES-U. These satellites play a pivotal role in providing crucial data for weather forecasts, environmental hazard detection, and monitoring solar activity and space weather. The GOES-R Series is set to operate into the 2030s. In parallel, NOAA and NASA are collaboratively working on the Geostationary Extended Observations (GeoXO) mission, ushering in the next generation of geostationary satellites to address future environmental challenges for U.S. weather, ocean, and climate operations. This collaborative effort between NOAA and NASA continues to advance environmental monitoring and scientific research from space. [ANS thanks NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center for the above information] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Hungary Lil' Buckaroo? Make Your Reservation for the Symposium Banquet Today! It's a Belt Bustin' Texas Style Barbecue with Smoked BBQ Sliced Brisket and Roasted BBQ Chicken BBQ Baked Beans, Southern Style Potato Salad, Roasted Corn Salad Greens, Corn Bread, Pecan Pie and all the fixin's! More Info At: https://tinyurl.com/AMSAT2023 +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Sentinel-1 Satellite Reveals Shifts from Morocco Earthquake In the wake of the devastating earthquake that struck Morocco on September 8th, satellite data is proving to be a vital asset for emergency response teams. The International Charter 'Space and Major Disasters,' which offers rapid support during major crises, quickly deployed Earth observation assets to assist rescue efforts. Additionally, radar measurements from Europe's Copernicus Sentinel-1 satellite mission are being utilized to assess ground shifts caused by the earthquake. This information not only aids in planning reconstruction efforts but also advances scientific research. The powerful 6.8 magnitude earthquake hit the Atlas Mountains, about 75 kilometers from Marrakesh, Morocco in an area rarely affected by such seismic events. Tragically, the earthquake resulted in significant loss of life, building collapses, and infrastructure damage. The impact was felt as far as the country's northern coast. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, along with the United Nations Institute for Training and Research, invoked the International Charter Space & Major Disasters. This initiative allows for the swift provision of satellite imagery to define the extent of the disaster, enhancing rescue operations. Satellites play a crucial role in rapid damage assessment and disaster management. Recognizing this, the European Space Agency (ESA) and France's CNES space agency established the International Charter Space and Major Disasters in 1999 to foster international collaboration in disaster response. In alignment with this collaboration, the Copernicus Emergency Mapping Service was activated to share satellite data in response to the Moroccan earthquake. High-resolution images from France's Pléiades satellites were used to create detailed damage maps, aiding rescue teams in their operations. These maps assist in identifying safe routes and bridges, ensuring the safety of responders. Philippe Bally, ESA representative of the International Charter, emphasized the urgency of delivering satellite data promptly to support relief efforts. While the response to Morocco's disaster continues, scientists are using measurements from the Copernicus Sentinel-1 mission to assess ground changes using a technique called 'interferometry.' This helps to understand the earthquake's impact and potential future hazards. The Copernicus Sentinel-1 mission's radar capabilities allow scientists to observe and analyze the precise effects of earthquakes on the land surface. This information is crucial for post-disaster restoration efforts. As Morocco works toward recovery, international space agencies and initiatives like the International Charter, alongside satellite missions such as Sentinel-1, are playing a crucial role in easing the burden on emergency responders and advancing our understanding of seismic events. These efforts contribute significantly to global disaster mitigation. [ANS thanks the European Space Agency for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Satellite Top 100 Rovers September 2023 Rankings The September 2023 rankings for the Top 100 Rovers (Mixed LEO/MEO/GEO) in satellite operations, as determined by @GridMasterMap on Twitter, has been released. The ranking is determined by the number of grids and DXCC entities activated, taking into account only those grids where a minimum number of QSOs logged on the gridmaster.fr website have been validated by a third party. Grid numbers do not directly reflect the exact number of activations. Satellite operators are encouraged to upload their LoTW satellite contacts to https://gridmaster.fr in order to provide more accurate data. Updated: 2023-09-08 1 ND9M 26 KE4AL 51 OE3SEU 76 DF2ET 2 NJ7H 27 LU5ILA 52 KE9AJ 77 N0TEL 3 N5UC 28 VE3HLS 53 VE1CWJ 78 KB2YSI 4 JA9KRO 29 KI7UNJ 54 JL3RNZ 79 KJ7NDY 5 DL6AP 30 KB5FHK 55 KM4LAO 80 CU2ZG 6 HA3FOK 31 LA9XGA 56 N4UFO 81 VE6WK 7 N9IP 32 N7AGF 57 VA7LM 82 VK5DG 8 WY7AA 33 XE3DX 58 N8RO 83 VE7PTN 9 WI7P 34 N6DNM 59 SM3NRY 84 AF5CC 10 N6UA 35 F4BKV 60 FG8OJ 85 YU0W 11 AD0DX 36 DL2GRC 61 PT2AP 86 W1AW 12 W5PFG 37 KE0PBR 62 AA8CH 87 PT9ST 13 DP0POL 38 K7TAB 63 AM1SAT 88 DK9JC 14 K5ZM 39 KE0WPA 64 F5VMJ 89 VO2AC 15 AD0HJ 40 W7WGC 65 KI7QEK 90 W8LR 16 AK8CW 41 JO2ASQ 66 VE1VOX 91 DL4EA 17 WD9EWK 42 EA4NF 67 M1DDD 92 KG4AKV 18 ON4AUC 43 AC0RA 68 VA3VGR 93 LW2DAF 19 KX9X 44 PR8KW 69 LU4JVE 94 HB9GWJ 20 KG5CCI 45 AA5PK 70 KI7UXT 95 KC7JPC 21 N5BO 46 JK2XXK 71 N4DCW 96 XE1ET 22 DJ8MS 47 EB1AO 72 PT9BM 97 AB5SS 23 ND0C 48 F4DXV 73 WA9JBQ 98 A41ZZ 24 K8BL 49 SP5XSD 74 VE3GOP 99 K4DCA 25 UT1FG 50 AD7DB 75 K0FFY 100 WN9Q [ANS thanks @GridMasterMap for the above information] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Want to fly the colors on your own grid expedition? Get your AMSAT car flag and other neat stuff from our Zazzle store! 25% of the purchase price of each product goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for September 21, 2023 Two Line Elements or TLEs, often referred to as Keplerian elements or keps in the amateur community, are the inputs to the SGP4 standard mathematical model of spacecraft orbits used by most amateur tracking programs. Weekly updates are completely adequate for most amateur satellites. Elements in the TLE bulletin files are updated daily. TLE bulletin files are updated to add or remove satellites as necessary Thursday evenings around 2300 UTC, or more frequently if new high interest satellites are launched. More information may be found at https://www.amsat.org/keplerian-elements-resources/ This week there are no additions or deletions to the AMSAT TLE distribution. [ANS thanks AMSAT Orbital Elements page for the above information] -------------------------------------------------------------------- ARISS NEWS Amateurs and others around the world may listen in on contacts between amateurs operating in schools and allowing students to interact with astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station. The downlink frequency on which to listen is 145.800 MHz worldwide. + Upcoming Contacts Colegio Educación del Talento, Yerba Buena, Tucumán, Argentina, direct via LU5KHF The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled crewmember is Andreas Mogensen KG5GCZ or Jasmin Moghbeli KI5WSL The ARISS mentor is VE6JBJ Contact is for: Mon 2023-09-25 15:08:45 UTC Amur State University, Blagoveshchensk, Russia, direct via TBD The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS The scheduled crewmember is Oleg Kononenko The ARISS mentor is RV3DR Contact is for: Thu 2023-09-28 08:45 UTC ARISS planned radio outage next week. In support of the Soyuz undocking planned for Wed. 9/27 the Voice Repeater & Digipeater will be off for the event. Current Schedule: Radios off: Tue. Sep. 26 about 12:20 UTC | 8:20 AM ET Radios on: Thu. Sep. 28 about 07:45 UTC | 3:45 AM ET The crossband repeater continues to be active (145.990 MHz up {PL 67} & 437.800 MHz down). If any crewmember is so inclined, all they have to do is pick up the microphone, raise the volume up, and talk on the crossband repeater. So give a listen, you just never know. The packet system is also active (145.825 MHz up & down). As always, if there is an EVA, a docking, or an undocking; the ARISS radios are turned off as part of the safety protocol. Note, all times are approximate. It is recommended that you do your own orbital prediction or start listening about 10 minutes before the listed time. The latest information on the operation mode can be found at https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html The latest list of frequencies in use can be found at https://www.ariss.org/contact-the-iss.html [ANS thanks Charlie Sufana, AJ9N, one of the ARISS operation team mentors for the above information] -------------------------------------------------------------------- Upcoming Satellite Operations K5Z will be active on IO-117 from DL88 on September 25-27. See the updated pass schedule at https://www.qrz.com/db/KI0KB/P. Doug, VA7LM will be active on IO-117 for the final time this year from CO44 on 24th September at 0102z. A growing number of satellite rovers are currently engaged in sharing their grid square activations on https://hams.at. By visiting the website, you gain easy access to comprehensive information about the operators responsible for activating specific grid squares. Additionally, you have the ability to assess the match score between yourself and a particular rover for a given pass, while also being able to identify the upcoming satellite passes that are accessible from your location. [ANS thanks Ian Parsons, K5ZM, AMSAT rover page manager, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events AMSAT Ambassadors provide presentations, demonstrate communicating through amateur satellites, and host information tables at club meetings, hamfests, conventions, maker faires, and other events. + ARRL Minnesota State Convention October 14, 2023 Hennepin Technical College 9000 Brooklyn Blvd. Brooklyn Park, Minnesota http://mnconvention.org + 2023 AMSAT-UK Colloquium & RSGB Convention October 14-15, 2023 Kents Hill Park Conference Centre Milton Keynes MK7 6BZ, United Kingdom + 41st AMSAT Space Symposium & Annual General Meeting October 20-21, 2023 Sheraton DFW Airport Hotel 4440 W John Carpenter Fwy, Irving, TX 75063 [ANS thanks AMSAT for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Satellite Shorts From All Over + Virgin Galactic successfully completed its third commercial suborbital spaceflight, known as "Galactic 03," on September 8, carrying three private astronauts. The VSS Unity spaceplane, attached to the VMS Eve mothership, took off from Spaceport America in New Mexico and reached an altitude of 88.6 kilometers before landing back at the spaceport. Unlike previous flights, the company kept the identities of the private astronauts secret until after the landing, revealing them as Ken Baxter, Timothy Nash, and Adrian Reynard. Virgin Galactic did not provide a webcast of the mission but updated the public via social media. The company plans to continue its monthly cadence of missions with "Galactic 04" in early October. [ANS thanks The Orbital Index for the above information.] + The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has announced an end of critical phases for two of its recently launched space missions. The Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) has concluded its critical operation phase, demonstrating the normal functionality of its equipment through telemetry data. SLIM will now transition to an Earth orbit phase, where it will further test its onboard systems before embarking on its lunar journey. Simultaneously, the X-ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission (XRISM) also completed its critical phase, with normal operations in power generation, communication, and attitude control. XRISM is now entering a commissioning period to verify its onboard equipment's functions. These missions, launched on September 6, 2023, mark Japan's ambitious foray into lunar exploration with SLIM and its deep space investigations with XRISM, advancing our understanding of both the Moon and the universe. [ANS thanks the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency for the above information.] + ESTCube-2 is set to launch aboard Vega C flight VV23 in the coming weeks, marking Europe's final launch of 2023. This 3U CubeSat is a joint project between the Estonian Student Satellite Foundation and UT Tartu Observatory. It will test Coulomb drag propulsion, specifically E-sails, by using a positively charged wire to deflect solar wind protons and generate thrust. Additionally, it will experiment with a plasma brake to accelerate satellite deorbiting. ESTCube-2 will also conduct tests in low Earth orbit (LEO) on an electron emitter to prepare for future deep space missions. The mission includes Earth observation (EO) payloads and materials testing for LEO's atomic oxygen environment. The team is planning a lunar mission for actual E-sailing. The Vega C launch will carry a Thai EO satellite, a Taiwanese weather satellite, and various smallsats for diverse missions such as water monitoring, tech demonstrations, IoT, and more. [ANS thanks SpaceNews for the above information.] + NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission is gearing up for a historic moment on September 24, 2023, when it will return valuable samples from asteroid Bennu to Earth, with the landing scheduled for 10 a.m. EDT (1400Z) in Utah. Launched in 2016, the mission faced unexpected challenges as Bennu's surface differed from predictions, requiring reprogramming for a successful sample collection in 2020. Inside the descent capsule is a trove of precious asteroid material. As the spacecraft enters Earth's atmosphere at high speed, it will deploy parachutes to ensure a controlled landing. This event marks the culmination of OSIRIS-REx's 7-year mission, promising crucial insights into the solar system's history and composition. [ANS thanks Space.com for the above information.] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Join AMSAT today at https://launch.amsat.org/ In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership to: * Societies (a recognized group, clubs or organization). * Primary and secondary school students are eligible for membership at one-half the standard yearly rate. * Post-secondary school students enrolled in at least half-time status shall be eligible for the student rate for a maximum of 6 post-secondary years in this status. * Memberships are available for annual and lifetime terms. Contact info [at] amsat.org for additional membership information. 73 and remember to help Keep Amateur Radio in Space! This week's ANS Editor, Mitch Ahrenstorff, ADØHJ ad0hj [at] amsat.org

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ANS-260 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
by Paul Stoetzer 16 Sep '23

16 Sep '23

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-260 In this edition: * Results of the 2023 AMSAT Board of Directors Election * July/August 2023 Issue of The AMSAT Journal Now Available * 2023 AMSAT Symposium Call for Papers * Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for September 15, 2023 * ARISS News * Upcoming Satellite Operations * Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events * Satellite Shorts From All Over The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and information service of AMSAT, The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS publishes news related to Amateur Radio in Space including reports on the activities of a worldwide group of Amateur Radio operators who share an active interest in designing, building, launching and communicating through analog and digital Amateur Radio satellites. The news feed on http://www.amsat.org publishes news of Amateur Radio in Space as soon as our volunteers can post it. Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to: ans-editor [at] amsat.org You can sign up for free e-mail delivery of the AMSAT News Service Bulletins via the ANS List; to join this list see: https://mailman.amsat.org/postorius/lists/ans.amsat.org/ ANS-260 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins To: All RADIO AMATEURS From: Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation 712 H Street NE, Suite 1653 Washington, DC 20002 DATE 2023 September 17 Results of the 2023 AMSAT Board of Directors Election The 2023 AMSAT Board of Directors Election period ended on September 15, 2023. As a result of the election, Barry Baines, WD4ASW, Jerry Buxton, N0JY, Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA, and Zach Metzinger, N0ZGO, have been duly elected to a two-year term on the Board of Directors. Frank Karnauskas, N1UW, will serve as an alternate director for a term of one year. The results of the voting with 388 ballots cast are as follows: Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA - 348 Barry Baines, WD4ASW - 347 Jerry Buxton, N0JY - 331 Zach Metzinger, N0ZGO - 295 Frank Karnauskas, N1UW - 131 The membership of the AMSAT Board of Directors for 2023-2024 is: Barry Baines, WD4ASW Jerry Buxton, N0JY Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA Mark Hammond, N8MH Zach Metzinger, N0ZGO Bruce Paige, KK5DO Paul Stoetzer, N8HM Frank Karnauskas, N1UW (Alternate) Thank you all for participating in this year's election process. [ANS thanks Jeff Davis, KE9V, AMSAT Secretary, for the above information] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Join us for the 41st Annual AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting October 20-21, 2023 – Dallas, TX More Information at: https://tinyurl.com/41st-AMSAT-Symposium +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ July/August 2023 Issue of The AMSAT Journal Now Available The July/August 2023 issue of The AMSAT Journal is now available to members on AMSAT’s Member Portal. Download your copy at https://launch.amsat.org/The_AMSAT_Journal The AMSAT Journal is a bi-monthly digital magazine for amateur radio in space enthusiasts, published by the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT). Each issue is your source for hardware and software projects, technical tips, STEM initiatives, operational activities, and news from around the world. Inside the Current Issue: * Apogee View – Robert Bankston, KE4AL * Educational Relations Update - Alan Johnston, KU2Y * AMSAT Field Day Results - Bruce Paige, KK5DO * A Summer Redesigning a CubeSat - Olivia Belian * IO-117 Antenna Testing Update - Dave Fisher, KG0D * Ground Stations for Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Satellites: Advancements in Low-Cost Electronics and Open-Source Software - Omar Álvarez-Cárdenas, XE1AO; Margarita G. Mayoral-Baldivia, XE1BMG; Gilles Arfeuille, VE7VOL [ANS thanks AMSAT for the above information] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ The 2023 AMSAT President's Club coins are here now! To commemorate the 40th anniversary of its launch on June 16, 1983, this year's coin features an image of AMSAT-OSCAR 10. Join the AMSAT President's Club today and help Keep Amateur Radio in Space! https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/ +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ 2023 AMSAT Symposium Call for Papers Papers are now being accepted for the 41st annual AMSAT Space Symposium to be held on the weekend of October 20-21, 2023 at the Sheraton DFW Airport in Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas Proposals for Symposium papers and presentations are invited on any topic of interest to the amateur satellite community. We request a tentative title of your presentation as soon as possible, with final copy submitted by October 12 for inclusion in the symposium proceedings. Abstracts and papers should be sent to Dan Schultz, N8FGV at n8fgv at amsat.org [ANS thanks Dan Schultz, N8FGV, AMSAT Symposium Proceedings Editor, for the above information] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Need new satellite antennas? Purchase an M2 LEO-Pack from the AMSAT Store. When you purchase through AMSAT, a portion of the proceeds goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space. https://amsat.org/product-category/hardware/ +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for September 15, 2023 Two Line Elements or TLEs, often referred to as Keplerian elements or keps in the amateur community, are the inputs to the SGP4 standard mathematical model of spacecraft orbits used by most amateur tracking programs. Weekly updates are completely adequate for most amateur satellites. TLE bulletin files are updated Thursday evenings around 2300 UTC, or more frequently if new high interest satellites are launched. More information may be found at https://www.amsat.org/keplerian-elements-resources/ This week there are no additions or deletions to the weekly AMSAT TLE distribution. [ANS thanks Joe Fitzgerald, KM1P, AMSAT Orbital Elements Manager, for the above information] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Want to fly the colors on your own grid expedition? Get your AMSAT car flag and other neat stuff from our Zazzle store! 25% of the purchase price of each product goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ ARISS News Amateurs and others around the world may listen in on contacts between amateurs operating in schools and allowing students to interact with astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station. The downlink frequency on which to listen is 145.800 MHz worldwide. Quick list of scheduled contacts and events: Escuela Preparatoria La Salle, Torreon Coah, Mexico, telebridge via IK1SLD The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS The downlink frequency is presently scheduled to be 145.800 MHz The scheduled crewmember is Jasmin Moghbeli KI5WSL The ARISS mentor is VE3TBD Contact is go for: Fri 2023-09-22 16:19:45 UTC 80 deg Watch for Livestream starting about 15 minutes before AOS at www.ariotti.com (***) Amur State University, Blagoveshchensk, Russia, direct via TBD The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS The downlink frequency is presently scheduled to be 145.800 MHz The scheduled crewmember is Oleg Kononenko The ARISS mentor is RV3DR Contact is go for Thu 2023-09-28 08:45 UTC Comments on making general contacts I have been seeing a lot of traffic on Facebook and I suspect on other social media sites with people asking why they are not hearing the crew make general contacts. First off the crew is very busy on the ISS and they simply may not have the time to just pick up the microphone and talk. Also, one needs to be aware of their normal daily schedule. I have listed below the constraints that we at ARISS have to follow in order to schedule the school contacts. Hopefully this will help you better schedule your opportunities. Typical daily schedule Wakeup to Workday start= 1.5 hours Workday start to Workday end=12 hours Workday end to Sleep= 2 hours Sleep to wakeup= 8.5 hours The crew's usual waking period is 0730 - 1930 UTC. The most common times to find a crew member making casual periods are about one hour after waking and before sleeping, when they have personal time. They're usually free most of the weekend, as well. SSTV events are not that often. So please check out https://www.ariss.org/ for the latest information or watch for the ARISS announcements. And don’t forget that the packet system is active. As always, if there is an EVA, a docking, or an undocking; the ARISS radios are turned off as part of the safety protocol. ARISS Radio Status Columbus Module radios: IORS (Kenwood D710GA) – STATUS - Configured. Default mode is for cross band repeater (145.990 MHz up {PL 67} & 437.800 MHz down). * Powering off for Soyuz undocking on Sep. 27. OFF Sep. 26 about 12:20 UTC. ON Sep. 28 about 07:45 UTC. * Powering off for USOS EVA on Oct 12. OFF TBD . ON TBD. * Powering off for USOS EVA in Oct (TBD). OFF TBD . ON TBD. * Powering off for Russian EVA on Oct 25. OFF TBD . ON TBD. * Capable of supporting USOS scheduled voice contacts, packet and voice repeater ops. Service Module radios: IORS (Kenwood D710GA) – STATUS - Configured. Default mode is fo packet operations (145.825 MHz up & down) * Powering off for Soyuz undocking on Sep. 27. OFF Sep. 26 about 12:20 UTC. ON Sep. 28 about 07:45 UTC. * Powering off for USOS EVA on Oct 12. OFF TBD . ON TBD. * Powering off for USOS EVA in Oct (TBD). OFF TBD . ON TBD. * Powering off for Russian EVA on Oct 25. OFF TBD . ON TBD. * Capable of supporting ROS scheduled voice contacts, packet, SSTV and voice repeater ops. The latest information on the operation mode can be found at https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html The latest list of frequencies in use can be found at https://www.ariss.org/contact-the-iss.html [ANS thanks Charlie Sufana, AJ9N, one of the ARISS operation team mentors for the above information] -------------------------------------------------------------------- Upcoming Satellite Operations KI0KB/P will be active on IO-117 (‘GreenCube’) from DM86 in Oklahoma for two passes: 16th September at 0617z & 1034z ****** Doug, VA7LM will be active on IO-117 for the final time this year from CO44 on 24th September at 0102z ****** The K5Z crew (is it a crew, or just one op?) will be active on IO-117 from DL88 on 25th September at 1517z. I’m sure this is just one of several passes on his/her/their list, but it’s all I know about ATM. [ANS thanks Ian Parsons, K5ZM, AMSAT rover page manager, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events AMSAT Ambassadors provide presentations, demonstrate communicating through amateur satellites, and host information tables at club meetings, hamfests, conventions, maker faires, and other events. + 41st AMSAT Space Symposium & Annual General Meeting October 20-21, 2023 Sheraton DFW Airport Hotel 4440 W John Carpenter Fwy, Irving, TX 75063 + ARRL Minnesota State Convention Saturday, October 14 Hennepin Technical College 9000 Brooklyn Blvd. Brooklyn Park, Minnesota http://mnconvention.org AMSAT Ambassador Clint Bradford, K6LCS, says, "Think a 75-minute presentation on "working the easy satellites" would be appropriate for your club or event? Let me know by emailing me at k6lcsclint (at) gmail (dot) com or calling me at 909-999-SATS (7287)!" Clint has NEVER given the exact same show twice: EACH of the 150+ presentations so far has been customized/tailored to their audiences. [ANS thanks Clint Bradford, K6LCS, and AMSAT for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Satellite Shorts From All Over + The space industry has a labor problem that could keep it from reaching its full potential. Space companies are hiring en force. Also, the existing workforce is aging. One study found that only 17% of NASA's workers are under age 35. Competition is ramping up at a time when the number of people graduating with engineering degrees is dropping in the U.S. Welders, machinists and other technical jobs that don't necessarily require advanced degrees are also in demand for companies building rockets and spacecraft. (ANS thanks Axios Space for the above information) + The FAA said on Friday, Sept. 8 that SpaceX needs to complete 63 corrective actions identified after the Starship launch mishap in April. Multiple Raptor engines on the rocket's Super Heavy booster failed, and the vehicle lost its steering. An autonomous self-destruct system issued a command to blow up the rocket, but it took longer than expected for Starship to break apart. The rocket finally disintegrated in a ball of flame, but the launch impacted the surrounding area, scattering debris over a wide area. (ANS thanks ARS Technica for the above information) + Astronaut Frank Rubio, forced to spend an extra six months aboard the International Space Station because of trouble with his Russian ride home, set a new U.S. single-flight endurance record on Monday, Sept. 11. Launched last September 21, Rubio and cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitri Petelin originally planned to come home in March. But their Soyuz capsule suffered a massive coolant leak in December, presumably due to a micrometeoroid impact. The three now plan to return to Earth aboard a replacement Soyuz ferry ship on September 27 to close out a marathon 371-day stay in space — the first flight longer than a full year by an American astronaut. (ANS thanks CBS News for the above information) + The Mars Oxygen In-Situ Resource Utilization Experiment, or MOXIE, on NASA's Perseverance rover has successfully completed a project to produce oxygen from the Martian atmosphere. MOXIE produced 12 grams of oxygen an hour at 98% purity or better, which is twice as much as NASA’s goals for the instrument. On August 7, MOXIE operated for the 16th and final time, having completed all its requirements. The thin Martian atmosphere is 96% carbon dioxide. MOXIE works by separating the oxygen molecules and emits carbon monoxide as a waste product. Bigger and better versions of something such as MOXIE in the future could supply life support systems with breathable air and convert and store oxygen needed for rocket fuel used to launch on a return trip to Earth. (ANS thanks CNN Science newsletter for the above information) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Join AMSAT today at https://launch.amsat.org/ In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership to: * Societies (a recognized group, clubs or organization). * Primary and secondary school students are eligible for membership at one-half the standard yearly rate. * Post-secondary school students enrolled in at least half time status shall be eligible for the student rate for a maximum of 6 post-secondary years in this status. * Memberships are available for annual and lifetime terms. Contact info [at] amsat.org for additional membership information. 73 and remember to help Keep Amateur Radio in Space! This week's ANS Editor, Paul Stoetzer, N8HM n8hm [at] amsat.org

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ANS-253 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins for September 10, 2023
by Frank Karnauskas (N1UW) 09 Sep '23

09 Sep '23

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-253 In this edition: * 2023 AMSAT Board of Directors Election Voting Ends Friday * World Radio Conference 2023 Will Impact Amateur Satellite Service * ARISS USA Team Names Director of Education * Updated AMSAT Tri-Fold Brochure Now Available * Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for September 8, 2023 * ARISS News * Upcoming Satellite Operations * Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events * Satellite Shorts From All Over The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and information service of AMSAT, the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS publishes news related to Amateur Radio in Space including reports on the activities of a worldwide group of Amateur Radio operators who share an active interest in designing, building, launching and communicating through analog and digital Amateur Radio satellites. The news feed on http://www.amsat.org publishes news of Amateur Radio in Space as soon as our volunteers can post it. Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to: ans-editor [at] amsat[dot]org. You can sign up for free e-mail delivery of the AMSAT News Service Bulletins via the ANS List; to join this list see: https://mailman.amsat.org/postorius/lists/ans.amsat.org/ ANS-253 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins To: All RADIO AMATEURS From: Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation 712 H Street NE, Suite 1653 Washington, DC 20002 DATE 2023 SEP 10 2023 AMSAT Board of Directors Election Voting Ends Friday There is less than a week remaining to participate in the 2023 AMSAT Board of Directors Election. The voting process will conclude on September 15, 2023. To access candidate statements and the online Election Ballot, you can visit AMSAT’s membership portal at https://launch.amsat.org/2023-BoD-Election. In this year’s election, four seats on the Board of Directors are open for consideration. Once the voting period concludes on September 15th, four of the candidates will take their places on the Board, along with an alternate member. The following individuals have been officially nominated: Barry Baines, WD4ASW Jerry Buxton, N0JY Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA Zach Metzinger, N0ZGO Frank Karnauskas, N1UW Upon clicking the poll link, you will be directed to your ballot or poll question. After selecting your preferred choices, simply click the Submit button to cast your vote. Unlike typical online polls, the results of previous votes up until your vote will not be visible. Each AMSAT member is entitled to one vote only. If you attempt to access the poll link again after casting your vote, you will receive a message confirming your vote has been submitted. The outcomes of the Board of Directors Election, including the total number of ballots cast, the vote count for each candidate, and the names of the newly elected Board of Directors members, will be publicly announced a few days following the conclusion of the election. [ANS thanks Jeff Davis, KE9V, AMSAT Secretary, for the above information] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Join us for the 41st Annual AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting October 20-21, 2023 – Dallas, TX More Information at: https://tinyurl.com/41st-AMSAT-Symposium +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ World Radio Conference 2023 Will Impact Amateur Satellite Service The World Radio Conference in 2023, WRC-23, will take place on November 20 - December 15 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Some decisions made during the conference will affect Amateur Radio and the Amateur Satellites service. Representing Amateur Radio at the conference is the IARU, the International Amateur Radio Union, The two most pressing issues affecting the Amateur Satellite Service are: Additional measures to protect the radionavigation-satellite (space-to-Earth) in the 1240 - 1300 MHz band from amateur interference. As in most microwave allocations, the Amateur Service is secondary and must avoid interfering with primary services operating in the band, even if they are introduced later. An ITU Radiocommunication sector Recommendation that contains guidance for administrations is in the final stage of development. If an agreement is reached prior to WRC-232, it should complete work on the item. Identification of the 10 - 10.5 GHz band for International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT) in ITU Region 2, including a primary allocation to the mobile service. The IARU opposes the introduction of IMT in the band and has some allies among administrators within and outside of Region 2. [ANS thanks QST for the above information.] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ The 2023 AMSAT President's Club coins are here now! To commemorate the 40th anniversary of its launch on June 16, 1983, this year's coin features an image of AMSAT-OSCAR 10. Join the AMSAT President's Club today and help Keep Amateur Radio in Space! https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/ +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ ARISS USA Team Names Director of Education Tanya C. Anderson has been selected as Director of Education for Amateur Radio on the International Space Station, Inc. (ARISS-USA). Tanya has been a classroom educator for 18 years, the last 16 years teaching middle school science at St. Joan of Arc in Lisle, Illinois. Her science curricula cover earth and space science, life science, and physical science. Her career focus has been curriculum development in various fields of science. In addition to her responsibilities as a middle school educator, Tanya has shown her passion as a results-oriented leader in a myriad of science, technology engineering, arts, and math (STEAM) initiatives such as NASA HEAT 2022 where she helped develop and test science curriculum for teaching heliophysics and system science. She also has served as a team leader in NASA's Teaching from Space Microgravity Education Program, working with students to create an experiment that was tested on NASA's microgravity aircraft. Tanya is also a NASA Airborne Astronomy Ambassador and a Space Foundation International Teacher Liaison. She received the 2015 Civil Air Patrol Aerospace Educator of the Year. When informed of her selection, Tanya exclaimed, "I am excited to be a part of the ARISS organization and cannot wait to see what the future holds for amateur radio as commercial space stations are built and lunar exploration evolves. I look forward to sharing my passion for STEAM and space education with other educators while we work together to inspire, engage, and educate the next generation." Tanya currently holds a Technician Class amateur radio license, with the callsign KD9BQZ, and has attended the ARRL Teacher Institute on Wireless Technology Workshop. In 2014, Ms. Anderson organized and held a successful ARISS contact involving the entire student body at St. Joan of Arc School. For the ARISS contact, she developed an extensive curriculum preparing students for their ham radio connection with Astronaut Alexander Gerst. Her first-ever ham radio contact was with Astronaut Gerst on the ISS. Tanya's passion for education and ham radio continued outside the classroom as a troop leader for 6 years with the Boy Scouts of America. Tanya used her educational and amateur radio abilities to immerse the scouts in STEAM as well as help facilitate scout participation in Jamboree on the Air and radio merit badge classes. ARISS-USA Executive Director, Frank Bauer remarked on Tanya's selection, "Competition for this position was extensive and selection was challenging, given the number of truly outstanding candidates. We are thrilled to welcome Tanya to our ARISS leadership team. Her leadership experience, passion and educational prowess will serve ARISS well, guiding our education volunteers and supporting the implementation of the ARISS 2.0 vision--to develop more comprehensive educational outcomes for youth and life-long learners." [ANS thanks ARISS for the above information.] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Need new satellite antennas? Purchase M2 LEO-Packs from the AMSAT Store. When you purchase through AMSAT, a portion of the proceeds goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space. https://amsat.org/product-category/hardware/ +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Updated AMSAT Tri-Fold Brochure Now Available Originally created by JoAnne Maenmpaa, K9JKM, the AMSAT tri-fold brochure has always been a favorite handout for use at hamfests and club presentations. Over the past few years, many things have changed at AMSAT and with the satellites we operate. Unfortunately, we did not update the brochure to keep up with the times. But, now with the pandemic largely behind us, in-person hamfests and club meetings are in full swing and the need for an update to the brochure was apparent. Happily, the brochure has been updated and available for viewing and downloading. You will find on the AMSAT website under "Get Involved/AMSAT Ambassador Program" from the top menu. You will find the link to the file in the "What resources are provided to AMSAT Ambassadors?" section of that page. Looking for more information to share? The electronic brochure "This is AMSAT" is also available for download at https://tinyurl.com/This-is-AMSAT. "This is AMSAT is 18 pages jam-packed with information about our youth and education programs, engineering activities and member services. It's only 1 Mb big so its easy to share with your friends by email, and its mostly jargon-free so everyone can understand what they're reading! [ANS thanks AMSAT for the above information.] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Want to fly the colors on your own grid expedition? Get your AMSAT car flag and other neat stuff from our Zazzle store! 25% of the purchase price of each product goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for September 8, 2023 Two Line Elements or TLEs, often referred to as Keplerian elements or keps in the amateur community, are the inputs to the SGP4 standard mathematical model of spacecraft orbits used by most amateur tracking programs. Weekly updates are completely adequate for most amateur satellites. Elements in the TLE bulletin files are updated daily. TLE bulletin files are updated to add or remove satellites as necessary Thursday evenings around 2300 UTC, or more frequently if new high interest satellites are launched. More information may be found at https://www.amsat.org/keplerian-elements-resources/ The following satellite has decayed from orbit and has been removed from this week's AMSAT-NA TLE distribution: AAUSAT 4 NORAD Cat ID 41460 Decayed from orbit 06 September 2023 [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. + ESPRIT: Private Higher School of Engineering and Technology, Little Ariana, Tunisia, telebridge via K6DUE. The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS. The scheduled crewmember is Andreas Mogensen, KG5GCZ. The ARISS mentor is ON6TI. Contact is go for Tuesday, September 12, 2023-09-12 at 09:01 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 No operations reported. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events AMSAT Ambassadors provide presentations, demonstrate communicating through amateur satellites, and host information tables at club meetings, hamfests, conventions, maker faires, and other events. + 2023 AMSAT SA Space Symposium (online only) Saturday, 23 September 2023 Registration at https://bit.ly/45SynOJ + 2023 AMSAT-UK Colloquium & RSGB Convention October 14-15, 2023 Kents Hill Park Conference Centre Milton Keynes MK7 6BZ, United Kingdom + ARRL Minnesota State Convention Saturday, October 14 Hennepin Technical College 9000 Brooklyn Blvd. Brooklyn Park, Minnesota http://mnconvention.org + 41st AMSAT Space Symposium & Annual General Meeting October 20-21, 2023 Sheraton DFW Airport Hotel 4440 W John Carpenter Fwy, Irving, TX 75063 More information at: https://launch.amsat.org/event-5363188 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. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Satellite Shorts From All Over + S5Lab, the owner of the Greencube IO-117 satellite have posted a user survey. More information and link to the survey are on Twitter: https://twitter.com/S5Lab/status/1699039391467901219 [ANS thanks the S5LAB Greencube Team for the above information.] + Ironic: Clearspace-1, an ESA mission developed by a Swiss startup firm, is planned to demonstrate a system for deorbiting space junk. Its target is VESPA, a payload adapter left over from a 2013 Vega launch. But before Clearspace-1 could launch and reach its target, VESPA was hit by... you guessed it -- a piece of space junk. Clearspace-1 will still attempt to reach and deorbit the largest remaining chunk of VESPA. But perhaps a better plan than after-the-fact debris removal is to equip satellites and rocket stages with technology to deorbit themselves after mission completion? [ANS thanks The Orbital Index for the above information.] + A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39A on Sept. 3, marking an historic 62nd orbital launch this calendar year. The mission broke the company's own orbital launch record that it set in 2022 when it launched 61 orbital missions for the full year. [ANS thanks Spaceflight Now for the above information.] + After two weather delays in previous weeks, Japan launched its Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) mission and the X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission (XRISM) satellite on September 6 at 7:42:11 PM EDT (23:42:11 UTC). SLIM will test precision landing on the Moon and deploy a lunar rover and lunar hopper. XRISM will look into deep space to study the formation of the universe and search for dark matter. [ANS thanks the Parabolic Arc for the above information.] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Join AMSAT today at https://launch.amsat.org/ In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership to: * Societies (a recognized group, clubs or organization). * Primary and secondary school students are eligible for membership at one-half the standard yearly rate. * Post-secondary school students enrolled in at least half time status shall be eligible for the student rate for a maximum of 6 post-secondary years in this status. * Memberships are available for annual and lifetime terms. Contact info [at] amsat.org for additional membership information. 73 and remember to help Keep Amateur Radio in Space! This week's ANS Editor, Frank Karnauskas, N1UW n1uw [at] amsat [dot] org

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ANS-246 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins for Sept.3
by Mark Johns, K0JM 02 Sep '23

02 Sep '23

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-246 In this edition: * Astronaut Hams Complete ISS Crew Transition * AMSAT SA Space Symposium to be Held Online * All South African Grids Roved on Satellite * VUCC Satellite Standings -- September 2023 * Japan Scrubs Launch of X-Ray Telescope and Moon Lander * India's Lunar Lander Sparks Interest in the Moon * ARISS News * Upcoming Satellite Operations * Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events * Satellite Shorts From All Over The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and information service of AMSAT, the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS publishes news related to Amateur Radio in Space including reports on the activities of a worldwide group of Amateur Radio operators who share an active interest in designing, building, launching and communicating through analog and digital Amateur Radio satellites. The news feed on http://www.amsat.org publishes news of Amateur Radio in Space as soon as our volunteers can post it. Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to: ans-editor [at] amsat.org You can sign up for free e-mail delivery of the AMSAT News Service Bulletins via the ANS List; to join this list see: https://mailman.amsat.org/postorius/lists/ans.amsat.org/ ANS-246 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins To: All RADIO AMATEURS From: Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation 712 H Street NE, Suite 1653 Washington, DC 20002 DATE 2023 Sep 03 Astronaut Hams Complete ISS Crew Transition The eleven orbital residents aboard the International Space Station (ISS) spent this week gearing up for a crew split as the four newest members continue to settle into their daily routines in weightlessness and four other Expedition 69 crew members prepare for their ride home to Earth. Two crews are in the process of swapping places as NASA astronauts Woody Hoburg, KB3HTZ, and Stephen Bowen, KI5BKB, along with UAE (United Arab Emirates) Flight Engineer Sultan Alneyadi, KI5VTV, and Roscosmos Flight Engineer Andrey Fedyaev, spent most of their time handing over responsibilities, including training new crew members on station procedures and the use of station exercise equipment. Sunday, August 27 saw the arrival of NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, KI5WSL, Danish ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen, KG5GCZ, JAXA astronaut Satoshi Furukawa, KE5DAW, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov to the station as the SpaceX Dragon Endurance Spacecraft docked to the Harmony module. The international quartet is quickly adjusting to orbital tasks and spent some of Thursday on the firsts of many science and maintenance activities they’ll perform in microgravity during their six-month stay. The four Crew-6 members -- Hoburg, Bowen, Alneyadi and Fedyaev -- are nearing the end of their six-month research mission and spent the afternoon prepping and packing SpaceX’s Dragon Endeavour spacecraft for departure no earlier than Sept. 2. This will bring the space station’s population down to seven before further crew swaps take place in September. [As always, amateur radio operations on the ISS are suspended during docking and undocking maneuvers, as well as during spacewalks (EVAs). Amateurs on earth should expect interruptions of the ARISS FM repeater and ARISS digipeater this weekend.] Astronaught Frank Rubio, and cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dimitri Petelin will soon reach a year in space after arriving to the station on Sept. 21, 2022, and are gearing up for their trek home in late September. The three long-time station residents continued to help with crew handover activities on Thursday and completed some station maintenance tasks of their own. [ANS thanks NASA for the above information] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ The 2023 AMSAT President's Club coins are here now! To commemorate the 40th anniversary of its launch on June 16, 1983, this year's coin features an image of AMSAT-OSCAR 10. Join the AMSAT President's Club today and help Keep Amateur Radio in Space! https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/ +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ AMSAT SA Space Symposium to be Held Online AMSAT South Africa has announced that the 2023 AMSAT SA Space Symposium will be held on Saturday, 23 September 2023. It will be a virtual event opening participation to people anywhere in the world. The event will be hosted on the Bluejeans platform from 09:00 – 15:00 SAST (07:00 - 13:00 UTC). Those registered will receive an email with logon details. The aim of the AMSAT SA Space symposium is to take amateur radio into space, encourage more amateur satellite operation, development, and research. Registration is required and will be free but a donation to the AMSAT SA managed SARL Next Generation Beacon fund would be appreciated. Registration opened 24 August at bit.ly/45SynOJ Call for papers Proposals for papers are invited. Send a summary of the proposed paper in MS word to admin(a)amsatsa.org.za. The closing date for paper proposals is 4 September 2023. The final programme will be published on on 6 September 2023. [ANS thanks AMSAT SA for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- All South African Grids Roved on Satellite Tom Ambrose, ZS1TA, has done one of those difficult roves that took several years to complete. He has worked All South African Grids which has never been done before on any band or mode let alone satellite. Although there is no award, he has roved from 83 different ZS grids. Tom roved from the mountains to the sea and coast to coast. He used various antennas in including small Yagi's and dual band verticals. The satellites PRIMARILY used were AO-91 and AO-92, with occasional contacts on SO-50, using FM to encourage new satellite operators. FO-29 and AO-07 also featured in the mix. There are not that many satellite operators in ZS however, when he started operating many old and new hams got on to make a contact and follow him on his trips. Now comes the more difficult part. In order to receive VUCC/r, Tom has to go to another country to do some roves. Tom is looking at going through Namibia for that. Congratulations to Tom for this feat and looking forward to processing his VUCC/r which will be a first for a ZS station. [ANS thanks Bruce Paige, KK5DO, AMSAT Board Member and Director Contests and Awards, for the above information] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Need new satellite antennas? Purchase Arrows, Alaskan Arrows, and M2 LEO-Packs from the AMSAT Store. When you purchase through AMSAT, a portion of the proceeds goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space. https://amsat.org/product-category/hardware/ +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ VUCC Satellite Standings -- September 2023 VUCC Satellite Award/Endorsement Change Summary for August 01, 2023 to September 01, 2023. ------------------------------------------------------------ Aug. Sept. K8DP 1500 1555 WC7V 1383 1400 N8RO 1323 1342 KF7R 1000 1027 DL2GRC 842 1004 N0JE 975 1000 DF2ET 862 950 K9UO 875 926 KE8RJU 825 905 AA8CH 855 876 YO2CMI 502 820 EA2AA 778 800 W8LR 751 783 W2GDJ 465 705 KG0D 600 700 OZ9AAR 600 700 FG8OJ 635 639 VU2LBW 513 603 KJ7DZ 500 600 JN2QCV 428 507 JH8FIH 214 505 N5EKO 349 500 JG6CDH 401 468 IK7FMQ 426 453 KO9A 321 423 N8URE (FM19) 389 409 EA3TA 350 400 F6GLJ 312 400 IK3ITB 300 400 N3CAL 270 352 JA1GZK 300 350 JH0BBE 321 322 JS1LQI 259 318 N9ZTS 231 302 K3HPA 275 300 W7YED 254 300 HC2FG 239 276 N6PAZ 247 262 KC9ELU 251 254 OE7BJT 200 250 ZS4TX New 241 XE1YDK 100 217 JE1LFX New 216 ZS2BK 186 213 ON4CCN New 208 XE2YWH/1 New 207 JA6SZV 110 205 DL1BM 100 202 JI5USJ 152 200 PU5DDC 181 200 N8URE (EL95) 163 179 AD2DD 150 175 KP4MV 100 175 NK0S 164 167 KH6WI 102 155 ZS1TA New 152 JA9OJM 100 128 N8URE (EN61) 102 121 XE1BMG New 120 N7GR New 113 N2UO New 108 JF3MKC New 103 KE1IU New 102 DJ7NT New 100 HB9HZC New 100 ------------------------------------------------------------ Congratulations to the new VUCC holders. ON4CCN is first VUCC Satellite holder from Belgium ZS1TA is first VUCC Satellite holder from JF95 DJ7NT is first VUCC Satellite holder from JO30 JF3MKC is first VUCC Satellite holder from PM74 ZS4TX is first VUCC Satellite holder from KG30 [ANS thanks Jon Goering, N7AZ, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Japan Scrubs Launch of X-Ray Telescope and Moon Lander JAXA, the Japanese space agency, is attempting to launch two very different space missions from one rocket: a new X-ray telescope that will look at some of the hottest spots in our universe, and a small experimental robotic moon lander. But the missions have had difficulty getting off the ground. The telescope is called X-ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission, or XRISM for short (pronounced like the word “chrism”). The lunar mission is called Smart Lander for Investigating Moon, or SLIM. XRISM and SLIM were expected to launch from an H-IIA rocket from Japan’s Tanegashima Space Center on Monday, August 28 at 00:26 UTC. But less than 30 minutes before the scheduled launch, JAXA announced that the launch had been canceled for the day “due to inclement weather.” While JAXA had moments before said the weather appeared “calm,” winds at higher altitudes above the launch site were too severe for a safe launch according to a social media post by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, which built and operates the rocket that is being used for the flight. Poor weather had also led to an earlier postponement of the flight on Saturday. The Japanese space agency has not yet announced when the next launch attempt would occur. But it has a reserved launch period through Sept. 15. XRISM is a telescope about the size of a bus. JAXA is collaborating with NASA on the mission, with additional participation from the European Space Agency. XRISM will study cosmic X-rays, which unlike other wavelengths of light can only be detected from above Earth’s atmosphere, which shields us from the harmful radiation. SLIM is a compact robotic moon lander that weighs more than 1,500 pounds at launch. The lander’s mission is not primarily scientific. Rather, it is to demonstrate a pinpoint navigation system, aiming to set down within about the length of a football field of a targeted landing site. Developing better landing technology would enable future spacecraft to land closer to rugged terrain that is of scientific interest. The space telescope will be placed in an orbit approximately 350 miles above Earth. Once there, researchers will spend the next few months turning the instruments on and running tests of their performance. Science operations will begin in January, and initial results from this data are expected in about a year. SLIM is headed toward the Shioli crater on the moon’s near side. The spacecraft will be taking a long, roundabout journey of at least four months that requires less propellant. SLIM will take several months to reach lunar orbit, then spend a month circling the moon before attempting to set down on the surface. [ANS thanks The New York Times for the above information] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Want to fly the colors on your own grid expedition? Get your AMSAT car flag and other neat stuff from our Zazzle store! 25% of the purchase price of each product goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for Sept. 1 Two Line Elements or TLEs, often referred to as Keplerian elements or keps in the amateur community, are the inputs to the SGP4 standard mathematical model of spacecraft orbits used by most amateur tracking programs. Weekly updates are completely adequate for most amateur satellites. Elements in the TLE bulletin files are updated daily. TLE bulletin files are updated to add or remove satellites as necessary Thursday evenings around 2300 UTC, or more frequently if new high interest satellites are launched. More information may be found at https://www.amsat.org/keplerian-elements-resources/ This week there are no additions or deletions to the AMSAT TLE distribution. [ANS thanks Joe Fitzgerald, KM1P, AMSAT Orbital Elements page manager, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- India's Lunar Lander Sparks Interest in the Moon Chandrayaan-3’s lander and rover are safely on the Moon and their scientific work has begun. On August 23, the Vikram lander completed a successful autonomous descent and landing to touch down near the Moon’s south pole, only about 350 meters away from its target. On August 26, the Pragyan successfully rolled onto the lunar surface and navigated its first small crater. With this success, India became the fourth nation (after the U.S., Soviet Russia, and China) to soft-land on the Moon. Not only is this mission a success for India, but is humanity’s closest landing to the lunar south pole -- an area of great interest to science, as there is speculation that water ice may be found in this area of the moon. Landing a bit after sunrise on a lunar day, the Vikram lander with its four science payloads, and its onboard six-wheeled Pragyan rover with an additional two 2 payloads, have 14 Earth days to do some serious science together. All payloads have now been switched on, including ChaSTE onboard the lander, which measures the change in temperature with depth -- from ~50° C at the surface to -10° C over a depth of 8 cm in an initial test. India's successful landing took place just days after Luna 25, Russia’s first post-Soviet lunar lander, suffered an anomaly during an orbit-lowering maneuver and crashed into the Moon. That leaves scientist eager for data from the Chandrayaan-3 mission. [ANS thanks The Orbital Index 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. COMPLETED CONTACTS Augusta Preparatory Day School, Augusta, GA, direct via K4RGK The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled crewmember is Steve Bowen KI5BKB The ARISS mentor is AA4KN Contact was successful: Thu 2023-08-31 13:51:28 UTC 64 degrees maximum elevation Congratulations to the Augusta Preparatory Day School students, Steve, K4RGK, and mentor AA4KN! UPCOMING CONTACTS Egemen Yildiz Secondary School, İzmir, Turkey, telebridge via K6DUE The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled crewmember is Jasmin Moghbeli KI5WSL The ARISS mentor is IZ2GOJ Contact is go for: Wed 2023-09-06 10:35:27 UTC 73 degrees maximum elevation 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 rovers have reported any upcoming operations. To include your satellite roving plans in the AMSAT News Service Weekly bulletins, send them to Ian, K5ZM at k5zm (at) comcast (dot) net at least a couple of weeks in advance. Upcoming satellite operations are updated weekly on the AMSAT Upcoming Satellite Operations page but may expire before the next AMSAT News Service bulletin is released. You can watch for the latest roving information to become available at https://www.amsat.org/satellite-info/upcoming-satellite-operations. A growing number of satellite rovers are currently engaged in sharing their grid square activations on https://hams.at. By visiting the website, you gain easy access to comprehensive information about the operators responsible for activating specific grid squares. Additionally, you have the ability to assess the match score between yourself and a particular rover for a given pass, while also being able to identify the upcoming satellite passes that are accessible from your location. [ANS thanks Ian Parsons, K5ZM, AMSAT rover page manager, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events AMSAT Ambassadors provide presentations, demonstrate communicating through amateur satellites, and host information tables at club meetings, hamfests, conventions, maker faires, and other events. + AMSAT-DL Festive Conference & Symposium (50 Years) September 15-17, 2023 Bochum Observatory Blankensteiner Str. 200A, 44797 Bochum, Germany + 2023 AMSAT SA Space Symposium (online only) Saturday, 23 September 2023 Registration at https://bit.ly/45SynOJ + 2023 AMSAT-UK Colloquium & RSGB Convention October 14-15, 2023 Kents Hill Park Conference Centre Milton Keynes MK7 6BZ, United Kingdom + ARRL Minnesota State Convention Saturday, October 14 Hennepin Technical College 9000 Brooklyn Blvd. Brooklyn Park, Minnesota http://mnconvention.org + 41st AMSAT Space Symposium & Annual General Meeting October 20-21, 2023 Sheraton DFW Airport Hotel 4440 W John Carpenter Fwy, Irving, TX 75063 AMSAT Ambassador Clint Bradford, K6LCS, says, "Think a 75-minute presentation on "working the easy satellites" would be appropriate for your club or event? Let me know by emailing me at k6lcsclint (at) gmail (dot) com or calling me at 909-999-SATS (7287)!" Clint has NEVER given the exact same show twice: EACH of the 150+ presentations so far has been customized/tailored to their audiences. [ANS thanks Clint Bradford, K6LCS, and AMSAT for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Satellite Shorts From All Over + Congratulations to Jérôme Lecuyer, F4DXV in JN04JR35PD, and Bill Attwood, VE6WK in DO20WV58DO, on setting the new FO-29 distance record on August 26, eclipsing the prior record set by KE9AJ and EB1AO by 46 km! See https://www.amsat.org/satellite-distance-records/ for the complete list of current satellite distance records. (ANS thanks Paul Stoetzer, N8HM, AMSAT Executive VP and Records Manager, for the above information) + Since satellite operators all have VHF and UHF equipment and antennas of some sort, you might try aiming at the horizon for a while on the weekend of September 9-11, and seeing what contacts can be made without a bird overhead. The ARRL Septmeber VHF Contest begins at 1800z on Saturday and ends at 0259z on Monday (actually, Sunday night in North America). There is even a category for FM only. For details, see https://www.arrl.org/september-vhf?_zs=s8mxl&_zl=lcFg2 (ANS thanks ARRL for the above information) + Curbing methane release is crucial to slowing climate change and requires detecting methane leaks via space and air-based sensors, and holding emitters accountable. This week, Orbital Sidekick utilized its hyperspectral satellite constellation GHOSt to detect methane plumes from oil well pads. And, data from JPL’s EMIT sensor on the ISS spotted 22 methane plumes released during an extreme heat wave in Texas. There are more methane sleuthing satellites on the horizon: GHGSat is adding 4 more satellites to their constellation that monitor facility leaks with ~25m spatial resolution today, and MethaneSat, set to launch in early 2024, is planning to observe state-sized areas to identify specific sources of methane from anywhere in the world, and will also freely release the data, where it can be post-processed by AI. (ANS thank The Orbital Index for the above information) + Virgin Galactic's announced on August 28 that it is targeting Friday, Sept. 8 for the launch of Galactic 03, its third commercial spaceflight and eighth space mission overall. Galactic 03 will take three paying customers to and from suborbital space from Spaceport America in New Mexico. Virgin Galactic hasn't identified those passengers yet, but we know they've been ticket-holders for a long time. They'll fly with Colin Bennett, one of Virgin Galactic's astronaut instructors. (ANS thanks Space.com for the above information) + NASA officials sounded an alarm Tuesday, August 29, about the agency's Deep Space Network, a collection of antennas in California, Spain, and Australia used to maintain contact with missions scattered across the Solar System. Everything from NASA's Artemis missions to the Moon to the Voyager probes in interstellar space rely on the Deep Space Network (DSN) to receive commands and transmit data back to Earth. There are currently around 40 missions that rely on the DSN's antennas to stay in communication with controllers and scientists back on Earth. Another 40-plus missions will join the roster over the next decade or so, and many of the 40 missions currently using time on the network will likely still be operating over that time. “We have reached a really critical point on the DSN’s aging infrastructure," said Sandra Cauffman, deputy director of NASA's astrophysics division. (ANS thanks ARS Technica for the above informaton) --------------------------------------------------------------------- Join AMSAT today at https://launch.amsat.org/ In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership to: * Societies (a recognized group, clubs or organization). * Primary and secondary school students are eligible for membership at one-half the standard yearly rate. * Post-secondary school students enrolled in at least half time status shall be eligible for the student rate for a maximum of 6 post-secondary years in this status. * Memberships are available for annual and lifetime terms. Contact info [at] amsat.org for additional membership information. 73 and remember to help Keep Amateur Radio in Space! This week's ANS Editor, Mark Johns, KØJM k0jm [at] amsat.org

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ANS-239 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
by Mitch Ahrenstorff (AD0HJ) 26 Aug '23

26 Aug '23

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-239 In this edition: * Cast Your Vote: 2023 AMSAT Board of Directors Election Ending Soon * Registration Now Open for Upcoming International AMSAT Conferences * Chandrayaan-3 Makes Historic Soft Landing on Moon's South Pole * SpaceX Launches Crew-7 Mission aboard Crew Dragon Endurance * Teams Hack U.S. Air Force Satellite in Space Cybersecurity Contest * Satellite Top 100 Rovers August 2023 Rankings * Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for August 25, 2023 * ARISS News * Upcoming Satellite Operations * Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events * Satellite Shorts From All Over The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and information service of AMSAT, the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS publishes news related to Amateur Radio in Space including reports on the activities of a worldwide group of Amateur Radio operators who share an active interest in designing, building, launching and communicating through analog and digital Amateur Radio satellites. The news feed on http://www.amsat.org publishes news of Amateur Radio in Space as soon as our volunteers can post it. Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to: ans-editor [at] amsat.org You can sign up for free e-mail delivery of the AMSAT News Service Bulletins via the ANS List; to join this list see: https://mailman.amsat.org/postorius/lists/ans.amsat.org/ ANS-239 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins To: All RADIO AMATEURS From: Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation 712 H Street NE, Suite 1653 Washington, DC 20002 DATE 2023 Aug 27 Cast Your Vote: 2023 AMSAT Board of Directors Election Ending Soon There is less than a three-week window remaining to participate in the 2023 AMSAT Board of Directors Election. The voting process will conclude on September 15, 2023. To access candidate statements and the online Election Ballot, you can visit AMSAT's Wild Apricot membership portal at https://launch.amsat.org/2023-BoD-Election. In this year's election, four seats on the Board of Directors are open for consideration. Once the voting period concludes on September 15th, four of the candidates will take their places on the Board, along with an alternate member. The following individuals have been officially nominated: Barry Baines, WD4ASW Jerry Buxton, N0JY Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA Zach Metzinger, N0ZGO Frank Karnauskas, N1UW Upon clicking the poll link, you will be directed to your ballot or poll question. After selecting your preferred choices, simply click the Submit button to cast your vote. Unlike typical online polls, the results of previous votes up until your vote will not be visible. Each AMSAT member is entitled to one vote only. If you attempt to access the poll link again after casting your vote, you will receive a message confirming your vote has been submitted. The outcomes of the Board of Directors Election, including the total number of ballots cast, the vote count for each candidate, and the names of the newly elected Board of Directors members, will be publicly announced a few days following the conclusion of the election. [ANS thanks Jeff Davis, KE9V, AMSAT Secretary, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Registration Now Open for Upcoming International AMSAT Conferences + AMSAT-DL was founded in 1973, so this year we can look back on 50 years of space exploration. We have taken this as an opportunity to put this year’s symposium in a special setting. Ticket sales are now available at https://shop.amsat-dl.org. The Festive Conference and Symposium will be held Friday, September 15 to Sunday, September 17, 2023. With a view to the 50-year history of AMSAT-Germany and its mission of promoting amateur radio via satellites, the celebratory conference “From OSCAR 10 to OSCAR 100: 50 years of AMSAT-DL in service to science, research and education” will take place at the Bochum Observatory radome. Accommodations are limited, and the booking of the overnight stays is only possible via the AMSAT-DL store. See https://amsat-dl.org/en/ticket-sales-festive-conference-50-years-amsat-dl for more information. + AMSAT-UK is pleased to announce that the 2023 Colloquium will take place alongside the RSGB Convention at Kents Hill Park Conference Centre, Milton Keynes on the weekend of 14/15th October 2023. Full details of the Colloquium will be made available nearer the time on the AMSAT-UK website at https://amsat-uk.org. As in previous years, the AMSAT-UK Colloquium will run as a separate stream within the RSGB Convention and will include presentations on a variety of satellite and space related topics. Entrance to the RSGB Convention is managed by the RSGB and you will be required to purchase Day Tickets for the Saturday and/or Sunday to attend the AMSAT-UK Colloquium. These can be booked via the RSGB website at https://rsgb.org/main/rsgb-2023-convention. Early bird discounts are being offered by the RSGB via their website. + AMSAT will hold their 41st Annual AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting on October 20-21, 2023 at the Sheraton DFW Airport Hotel in Irving, Texas. The schedule will encompass an array of activities, including an AMSAT Board of Directors Meeting, AMSAT Space Symposium, AMSAT Annual General Meeting, AMSAT Banquet and Reception, AMSAT Member Breakfast, as well as the Friday Night Social and Auction. You can register online for individual events or all events at: https://launch.amsat.org/event-5363188. Rooms are available for check-in on Wednesday, October 18, with check-out on Sunday, October 22. The Standard room with a single King bed is currently SOLD OUT; act quickly to secure your reservations. Alternatively, the Standard room with two Queen beds is priced at $137.00* (excluding state and local taxes of 15%). To make phone reservations, call 972-929-8400 and request the RADIO AMATEUR SATELLITE rate. For online reservations, visit https://www.marriott.com/event-reservations/reservation-link.mi?id=16899566…. [ANS thanks AMSAT, AMSAT-UK, and AMSAT-DL for the above information] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ The 2023 AMSAT President's Club coins are here now! To commemorate the 40th anniversary of its launch on June 16, 1983, this year's coin features an image of AMSAT-OSCAR 10. Join the AMSAT President's Club today and help Keep Amateur Radio in Space! https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/ +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Chandrayaan-3 Makes Historic Soft Landing on Moon's South Pole In a momentous achievement, the Chandrayaan-3 mission by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) successfully executed a lunar landing, establishing India as the fourth nation to accomplish this feat. Amid palpable tension followed by jubilant cheers at the ISRO mission control center, the Chandrayaan-3 mission's robotic lander, known as Vikram, made a triumphant touchdown on the moon's surface near its southern pole at 12:33 P.M. UTC on August 23. The mission, launched on July 14, marked ISRO's determined return to lunar landing endeavors after the Chandrayaan-2 mission's unfortunate crash in 2019. With the safe landing of the spacecraft, India joins the ranks of the former Soviet Union, the United States, and China as countries that have successfully executed soft landings on the moon. A critical aspect of Chandrayaan-3's landing was its complete autonomy during lunar descent. Due to the three-second signal delay between the lander and Earth, Earth-bound engineers couldn't guide the landing in real-time. Vikram was tasked with reducing its orbital velocity to virtually zero, aligning with the intended trajectory for a secure landing. This required precise coordination of its engines based on continuous measurements of distance, velocity, and orientation. Learning from the lessons of Chandrayaan-2, ISRO incorporated increased redundancies and safeguards into Chandrayaan-3. The mission carried extra fuel and an improved guidance, navigation, and control system, capable of correcting significant deviations from the intended path. In-depth ground tests using helicopters and cranes further validated the changes made to 21 subsystems. The success of Chandrayaan-3 is particularly significant given the recent history of lunar landing attempts. Out of the past six attempts in the last five years, only four were successful. Notably, Russia's Luna-25 spacecraft crashed on August 19, joining the ranks of unsuccessful landers from Israel, India, and Japan. Chandrayaan-3's achievement aligns with the accomplishments of China's Chang'e 4 and Chang'e 5 landers, which have also found success in recent times. Sankaran Muthusamy, director of the U. R. Rao Satellite Center, ISRO's center responsible for the Chandrayaan-3 mission, stressed the responsibility to inspire both India and the world through this historic landing. Chandrayaan-3's intricate lunar descent involved four primary phases. The "rough braking" phase initiated when the craft was 30 kilometers above the lunar surface. It fired its four main engines for approximately 12 minutes, reducing its horizontal velocity by about 80 percent. A critical "attitude hold" phase followed, wherein smaller thrusters stabilized the lander to ensure accurate sensor readings. Chandrayaan-3 relied on redundant altimeters, one using lasers and another using microwaves, to determine its height. Microwave altimeters, with their wider coverage, enhanced the mission's accuracy. The successful mission is expected to propel India's lunar ambitions further. By signing the Artemis Accords, a framework for collaborative lunar exploration led by the United States, India has opened avenues for enhanced partnerships with other signatory countries. The success of Chandrayaan-3 also paves the way for India's potential collaboration with Japan in its upcoming LUPEX rover mission. This partnership aims to study water ice on the moon's south pole, contributing valuable data to future endeavors, including NASA's Artemis program. [ANS thanks Jatan Mehta, writing for ScientificAmerican.com for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- SpaceX Launches Crew-7 Mission aboard Crew Dragon Endurance SpaceX successfully launched the Crew-7 mission on August 26, 2023. Lift-off occurred precisely at 07:27 UTC (3:27 AM EDT) from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The mission, also known as United States Crew Vehicle mission 7 (USCV-7), was orchestrated by SpaceX, the launch provider, for their customer, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). With this launch, SpaceX demonstrated its prowess in space technology, deploying its Falcon 9 Block 5 rocket and Booster B1081-1 for the mission. This launch was no ordinary event. It marked the 250th launch of a Falcon 9 rocket, accompanied by the 220th successful booster landing. Notably, it extended SpaceX's record for consecutive booster landings to an impressive 146. Moreover, Crew-7 marked SpaceX's 11th crewed mission, solidifying the company's position as a frontrunner in human spaceflight endeavors. The total number of humans launched by SpaceX totals 42 – the answer to everything! The Crew-7 mission aimed to bridge the gap between nations and space agencies. The spacecraft, aptly named "Endurance," carried a diverse crew from four different countries and space organizations: Commander Jasmin Moghbeli (KI5WSL): Raised in Baldwin, New York, by Iranian parents who emigrated in 1979, she holds a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering from MIT. Commissioned as a U.S. Marine Corps officer, Moghbeli served as an AH-1 Super Cobra pilot, completing 150 combat missions. She earned a master’s degree in aerospace engineering from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School and became a helicopter test pilot at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma. Chosen for NASA Astronaut Group 22 in 2017, Moghbeli's journey led her to become the Commander of Crew-7 in 2022. Pilot Andreas Enevold Mogensen (KG5GCZ): ESA astronaut with a diverse background. He earned a master’s degree in aeronautical engineering from Imperial College London in 1999. Mogensen's professional journey saw him working as an engineer in various global locations, including offshore oil rigs in Africa and wind turbine control systems in Denmark. He was selected as an ESA astronaut in 2009 while contributing to spacecraft guidance and navigation research. Mogensen's space journey began with Soyuz TMA-18M in 2015, making him the first Danish citizen in space. Mission Specialist Satoshi Furukawa (KE5DAW): Distinguished astronaut with a medical background. Graduating from the University of Tokyo with a Doctor of Medicine in 1989 and a PhD in Medical Science in 2000, Furukawa practiced as an anesthetist and surgeon before his selection as an astronaut candidate in 1999. His medical expertise took him on his first space journey aboard Soyuz TMA-02M in 2011. As a veteran, he returns to space as a Mission Specialist for Crew-7 in 2023, contributing his medical insights to the international team. Mission Specialist Konstantin Sergeyevich Borisov: Cosmonaut with a diverse educational journey. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in Economics from the Russian Academy of Economics in 2005 and pursued a master’s degree in Operations Research and Systems Analysis at Warwick University, UK. Borisov's passion for aviation led him to complete a master's program in Life Support Systems for Aircraft at the Moscow Aviation Institute. Selected as a cosmonaut in 2018, Borisov's dedication culminated in his assignment as a Mission Specialist for Crew-7 in 2023. The Crew Dragon spacecraft, "Endurance," embarked on a journey to rendezvous with the International Space Station (ISS) in an orbit approximately 400 km above Earth. This mission further solidified SpaceX's commitment to reusability, with the booster for Crew-7, Booster B1081-1, being a new addition to the roster, demonstrating the company's capability to successfully launch humans using an unused booster for the fifth time. [ANS thanks Florian Kordina and Trevor Sesnic, writing for EverydayAstronaut.com for the above information] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Need new satellite antennas? Purchase Arrows, Alaskan Arrows, and M2 LEO-Packs from the AMSAT Store. When you purchase through AMSAT, a portion of the proceeds goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space. https://amsat.org/product-category/hardware/ +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Teams Hack U.S. Air Force Satellite in Space Cybersecurity Contest The United States Air Force has successfully concluded its pioneering Hack-A-Sat competition, with three teams claiming victory and substantial cash prizes. The competition, which took place as part of the annual DEF CON hacking convention in Las Vegas from August 11 to August 14, centered on the task of hacking into an active satellite in orbit. This was a new level of challenge compared to previous editions that relied on simulated ground-based satellites. The spotlight shone on the small CubeSat christened "Moonlighter," collaboratively developed by the Aerospace Corporation and the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory. This formidable space contender was launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on June 5, 2023, concurrently with cargo bound for the International Space Station. Five determined teams squared off in the Hack-A-Sat contest, each striving to outsmart the defenses of Moonlighter and reap both prestige and monetary rewards. Emerging triumphant was the Italian consortium "mHACKeroni," a fusion of five Italian cyber research teams, whose accomplishment netted them the coveted first-place position and a princely sum of $50,000. Following closely in second place was the "Poland Can Into Space" squad hailing from Poland, pocketing $30,000 for their impressive performance. The third spot on the podium was clinched by the collaborative British-American force known as "jmp fs:[rcx]," whose strategic prowess earned them $20,000 in cash winnings. The essence of the competition was the penetration of Moonlighter's protective layers, enabling participants to override the satellite's predetermined scope of observation targets. Successful teams then wielded the power to direct the satellite's lens towards desired focal points on the Earth's surface, capturing images that were subsequently relayed back to ground stations. The significance of such competitions resonates in their contribution to fortifying the security of satellite systems. Col. Neal Roach, representing the Space Systems Command of the U.S. Air Force, emphasized the broader impact of the Hack-A-Sat initiative. "Hack-A-Sat has raised public awareness on the importance of space cybersecurity and has helped to strengthen the industry, security, and government partnership that we need to build more resilient space systems that will keep our nation and our world secure," he stated. The urgency surrounding satellite cybersecurity has grown in recent years, exacerbated by real-world incidents. In a troubling revelation, Elon Musk disclosed that SpaceX's Starlink satellites faced repeated cyberattacks, coinciding with Russia's actions in Ukraine. The history of cyber intrusions into satellite systems traces back to 2011 when two U.S. government satellites reportedly fell victim to suspected Chinese military hacking endeavors. [ANS thanks Brett Tingley, Editor for Space.com for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Satellite Top 100 Rovers August 2023 Rankings The August 2023 rankings for the Top 100 Rovers (All Satellites) in satellite operations, as determined by @GridMasterMap on Twitter, has been released. The ranking is determined by the number of grids and DXCC entities activated, taking into account only those grids where a minimum number of QSOs logged on the gridmaster.fr website have been validated by a third party. Grid numbers do not directly reflect the exact number of activations. Satellite operators are encouraged to upload their LoTW satellite contacts to https://gridmaster.fr in order to provide more accurate data. Updated: 2023-08-05 1 N5UC 26 KE4AL 51 JK2XXK 76 AC0RA 2 ND9M 27 N7AGF 52 DL2GRC 77 PT9BM 3 NJ7H 28 ON4AUC 53 M1DDD 78 A41ZZ 4 JA9KRO 29 KG5CCI 54 AD7DB 79 HB9GWJ 5 DP0POL 30 K8BL 55 VE1VOX 80 PT9ST 6 N6UA 31 N6DNM 56 AA8CH 81 5H3SE 7 DL6AP 32 KE0PBR 57 LU4JVE 82 KB2YSI 8 AD0HJ 33 WI7P 58 KM4LAO 83 9J2SEU 9 WY7AA 34 JO2ASQ 59 VE3GOP 84 DL4EA 10 HA3FOK 35 XE3DX 60 AM1SAT 85 DK9JC 11 K5ZM 36 EA4NF 61 KD8RTT 86 K4DCA 12 AK8CW 37 OE3SEU 62 FG8OJ 87 AB5SS 13 AD0DX 38 SP5XSD 63 N4UFO 88 PA3GAN 14 N5BO 39 VE1CWJ 64 N4DCW 89 K0FFY 15 N9IP 40 PR8KW 65 PT2AP 90 EC3TZ 16 WD9EWK 41 W7WGC 66 KJ7NDY 91 KF6JOQ 17 W5PFG 42 EB1AO 67 AF5CC 92 VE6WK 18 ND0C 43 F4DXV 68 N0TEL 93 CU2ZG 19 LU5ILA 44 JL3RNZ 69 VO2AC 94 KG4AKV 20 KX9X 45 KE0WPA 70 KI7UXT 95 KC7JPC 21 KB5FHK 46 K7TAB 71 KI7QEK 96 VE7PTN 22 LA9XGA 47 VA7LM 72 W8LR 97 YU0W 23 VE3HLS 48 AA5PK 73 XE1ET 98 VA3VGR 24 KI7UNJ 49 KE9AJ 74 WA9JBQ 99 WN9Q 25 DJ8MS 50 F5VMJ 75 VK5DG 100 V55QO [ANS thanks @GridMasterMap for the above information] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Want to fly the colors on your own grid expedition? Get your AMSAT car flag and other neat stuff from our Zazzle store! 25% of the purchase price of each product goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for August 25, 2023 Two Line Elements or TLEs, often referred to as Keplerian elements or keps in the amateur community, are the inputs to the SGP4 standard mathematical model of spacecraft orbits used by most amateur tracking programs. Weekly updates are completely adequate for most amateur satellites. Elements in the TLE bulletin files are updated daily. TLE bulletin files are updated to add or remove satellites as necessary Thursday evenings around 2300 UTC, or more frequently if new high interest satellites are launched. More information may be found at https://www.amsat.org/keplerian-elements-resources. This week there are no additions or deletions to the weekly AMSAT TLE distribution. [ANS thanks AMSAT Orbital Elements page for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- ARISS NEWS Amateurs and others around the world may listen in on contacts between amateurs operating in schools and allowing students to interact with astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station. The downlink frequency on which to listen is 145.800 MHz worldwide. + Upcoming Contacts Bowman Middle School, Bakersville, NC, direct via W4GUZ The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled crewmember is Warren Hoburg KB3HTZ The ARISS mentor is AA6TB Contact is go for: Mon 2023-08-28 14:38:46 UTC Augusta Preparatory Day School, Augusta, GA, direct via K4RGK The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be TBD The scheduled crewmember is Steve Bowen KI5BKB The ARISS mentor is AA4KN Contact is go for: Thu 2023-08-31 13:51:28 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 TF/DL2GRC: Got an email from Nina stating that she & the family will be heading to Iceland with operations scheduled to begin on Friday (18th). From Nina: We will do a trip around the Island and hope to be active on MEO, LEO and GEO: family, equipment, satellites and weather permitting. Operations can be expected between August 18th to 30th. Please keep in mind, it will be a family holiday and no DX-pedition. Look out for TF/DL4BEN, TF/DL8SCU and TF/DL2GRC. Stay tuned! To include your satellite roving plans in the AMSAT News Service Weekly bulletins, send them to Ian, K5ZM at k5zm (at) comcast (dot) net at least a couple of weeks in advance. Upcoming satellite operations are updated weekly on the AMSAT Upcoming Satellite Operations page but may expire before the next AMSAT News Service bulletin is released. You can watch for the latest roving information to become available at https://www.amsat.org/satellite-info/upcoming-satellite-operations. A growing number of satellite rovers are currently engaged in sharing their grid square activations on https://hams.at. By visiting the website, you gain easy access to comprehensive information about the operators responsible for activating specific grid squares. Additionally, you have the ability to assess the match score between yourself and a particular rover for a given pass, while also being able to identify the upcoming satellite passes that are accessible from your location. [ANS thanks Ian Parsons, K5ZM, AMSAT rover page manager, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events AMSAT Ambassadors provide presentations, demonstrate communicating through amateur satellites, and host information tables at club meetings, hamfests, conventions, maker faires, and other events. + AMSAT-DL Festive Conference & Symposium (50 Years) September 15-17, 2023 Bochum Observatory Blankensteiner Str. 200A, 44797 Bochum, Germany + 2023 AMSAT-UK Colloquium & RSGB Convention October 14-15, 2023 Kents Hill Park Conference Centre Milton Keynes MK7 6BZ, United Kingdom + 41st AMSAT Space Symposium & Annual General Meeting October 20-21, 2023 Sheraton DFW Airport Hotel 4440 W John Carpenter Fwy, Irving, TX 75063 AMSAT Ambassador Clint Bradford, K6LCS, says, "Think a 75-minute presentation on "working the easy satellites" would be appropriate for your club or event? Let me know by emailing me at k6lcsclint (at) gmail (dot) com or calling me at 909-999-SATS (7287)!" Clint has NEVER given the exact same show twice: EACH of the 150+ presentations so far has been customized/tailored to their audiences. [ANS thanks Clint Bradford, K6LCS, and AMSAT for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Satellite Shorts From All Over + Russia's Luna-25 mission, launched from Vostochny Cosmodrome on August 10, has encountered failure as its spacecraft crashed into the Moon's surface during an attempt to land at the lunar south pole. This marks Russia's first lunar mission since 1976. The intended target was the Boguslawsky Crater near the south pole, and the spacecraft was equipped with instruments, including a robotic arm, to search for water ice up to 50 centimeters below the surface. The failure occurred after a command was sent to lower the craft's orbit, resulting in a loss of communication on August 19. Roscosmos confirmed the craft's collision with the lunar surface on August 20. Roscosmos plans to follow Luna-25 with a lunar orbiter, called Luna-26, and then two more landing missions: Luna-27, which will send a drilling rig to the lunar surface; and Luna-28, a sample-collection mission that aims to return material from the moon's polar regions to Earth. [ANS thanks Elizabeth Howell, Staff Writer for Spaceflight.com, for the above information] + On August 23, 2023, the Progress MS-24 cargo ship launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome carrying 2.5 tons of cargo for the International Space Station (ISS). This mission marked the third out of four Progress cargo ships planned for 2023. The cargo ship, designated as Progress MS-24, was launched using a Soyuz-2-1a rocket from Launch Pad 6 at Site 31 in Baikonur. It followed a sequence of stages, with successful booster separations, fairing jettisoning, and third-stage ignition, ultimately inserting the cargo ship into an initial parking orbit. Progress MS-24 arrived at the International Space Station’s aft port of the Zvezda service module at 11:45 p.m. EDT on August 24. The spacecraft will remain at the orbiting laboratory for approximately six months, then undock for a destructive but safe re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere to dispose of trash loaded by the crew. [ANS thanks RussianSpaceWeb.com for the above information] + Brown University students successfully demonstrated a low-cost solution to address space debris by reentering their cube satellite, SBUDNIC, into Earth's atmosphere. The satellite, developed by an academically diverse team, including undergraduates led by alumni Marco Cross and faculty member Rick Fleeter, deployed a plastic drag sail made from Kapton polyimide. This sail, acting like an umbrella, aided the satellite's descent and contributed to its early reentry. SBUDNIC was launched aboard SpaceX's Transporter 5 mission and reentered the atmosphere after just 445 days, about five years earlier than planned. The project's success highlights the potential for cost-effective measures to combat space junk and reduce the risk it poses to space vehicles. [ANS thanks Brown University for the above information] + NASA’s Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory-A spacecraft (STEREO-A), launched in October 2006, far outlived its mission life span of two years. Its orbital trajectory around the sun meant that it had a chance to do what very few other NASA spacecraft could: eventually make its way back toward home. This month, when STEREO-A passes between the sun and the Earth for the first time since its launch, it will be used to perform new research on the sun, aided by newer NASA satellites that have been developed more recently. When STEREO-A was launched, it viewed the sun during a solar minimum. That limited the number of coronal mass ejections and other phenomena that the spacecraft initially observed. This year, STEREO-A’s return has coincided with a period of intense solar activity. Earthbound instruments can only ever observe one Earth-facing slice of the sun at a time, while the rest of the rapidly changing solar surface remains obscured. The STEREO spacecraft, from its offset position, allowed scientists to capture a 360-degree view of the sun for the first time, research that is ongoing as long as this old bird continues to perform. (ANS thanks the Washington Post for the above information) --------------------------------------------------------------------- Join AMSAT today at https://launch.amsat.org/ In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership to: * Societies (a recognized group, clubs or organization). * Primary and secondary school students are eligible for membership at one-half the standard yearly rate. * Post-secondary school students enrolled in at least half-time status shall be eligible for the student rate for a maximum of 6 post-secondary years in this status. * Memberships are available for annual and lifetime terms. Contact info [at] amsat.org for additional membership information. 73 and remember to help Keep Amateur Radio in Space! This week's ANS Editor, Mitch Ahrenstorff, ADØHJ ad0hj [at] amsat.org

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ANS-232 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
by Paul Stoetzer 19 Aug '23

19 Aug '23

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-232 In this edition: * Registration Open for 41st Annual AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting * 2023 AMSAT Symposium Call for Papers * Amateur Radio Operator Contacts Spacecraft * Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for August 18, 2023 * ARISS News * Upcoming Satellite Operations * Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events * Satellite Shorts From All Over The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and information service of AMSAT, The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS publishes news related to Amateur Radio in Space including reports on the activities of a worldwide group of Amateur Radio operators who share an active interest in designing, building, launching and communicating through analog and digital Amateur Radio satellites. The news feed on http://www.amsat.org publishes news of Amateur Radio in Space as soon as our volunteers can post it. Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to: ans-editor [at] amsat.org You can sign up for free e-mail delivery of the AMSAT News Service Bulletins via the ANS List; to join this list see: https://mailman.amsat.org/postorius/lists/ans.amsat.org/ ANS-232 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins To: All RADIO AMATEURS From: Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation 712 H Street NE, Suite 1653 Washington, DC 20002 DATE 2023 August 20 Registration Open for 41st Annual AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting The 41st Annual AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting will be held on Friday through Saturday, October 20-21, 2023 at the Sheraton DFW Airport Hotel in Irving, Texas. Highlights of all scheduled events include: – AMSAT Board of Directors Meeting, October 19-20 – 41st AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting, October 20-21 – Friday Night Social and Auction, October 20 – AMSAT Banquet and Reception, October 21 – AMSAT Member Breakfast, October 22 Prices for the Symposium, the Banquet and the Member Breakfast remain the same as last year: – Friday and Saturday Symposium and General Meeting $75 – Saturday Evening Banquet $55 – Sunday Morning Member Breakfast $15 EVENT REGISTRATION You can register online for individual events or all events at: https://launch.amsat.org/event-5363188. HOTEL ROOM RESERVATIONS The Sheraton DFW Airport is located adjacent to the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and provides complimentary, scheduled shuttle to and from the airport. Complimentary parking is available for those who drive to the Symposium. The hotel address and phone number is: Sheraton DFW Airport Hotel 4440 W John Carpenter Fwy. Irving, TX 75063 972-929-8400 Rooms are available for check-in on Wednesday, October 18 and check out Sunday, October 22. – Standard room with single King bed is **SOLD OUT** ACT FAST! GET YOUR RESERVATIONS NOW! – Standard room with two Queen beds is $137.00* * Rate does not include state and local taxes of 15% For Phone Hotel Reservations: Call 972-929-8400. Ask for rate RADIO AMATEUR SATELLITE. For Online Hotel Reservations click on this link: https://www.marriott.com/event-reservations/reservation-link.mi?id=16899566… Please send your Symposium questions or comments to info [at] amsat [dot] com. We, at AMSAT, are excited to be able to host our 41st annual Symposium this year. We hope that you can join us in celebrating Amateur Radio in Space. [ANS thanks AMSAT for the above information] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ The 2023 AMSAT President's Club coins are here now! To commemorate the 40th anniversary of its launch on June 16, 1983, this year's coin features an image of AMSAT-OSCAR 10. Join the AMSAT President's Club today and help Keep Amateur Radio in Space! https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/ +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ 2023 AMSAT Symposium Call for Papers Papers are now being acceptedfor the 41st annual AMSAT Space Symposium to be held on the weekend of October 20-21, 2023 at the Sheraton DFW Airport in Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas Proposals for Symposium papers and presentations are invited on any topic of interest to the amateur satellite community. We request a tentative title of your presentation as soon as possible, with final copy submitted by October 12 for inclusion in the symposium proceedings. Abstracts and papers should be sent to Dan Schultz, N8FGV at n8fgv at amsat.org [ANS thanks Dan Schultz, N8FGV, AMSAT Symposium Proceedings Editor, for the above information] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Need new satellite antennas? Purchase an M2 LEO-Pack from the AMSAT Store. When you purchase through AMSAT, a portion of the proceeds goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space. https://amsat.org/product-category/hardware/ +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Amateur Radio Operator Contacts Spacecraft The headlines are sensational, although a bit exaggerated: "Ham Radio 'hacks' NASA Satellite". While the phrase is eye-catching for social media, the truth is just as exciting. Amateur radio astronomer Scott Tilley, VE7TIL, has made contact with NASA's STEREO-A spacecraft, which passed Earth for the first time in 17 years. The STEREO-A (Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatory) spacecraft was launched on October 25, 2006, from Cape Canaveral, Florida, with its twin sister ship, STEREO-B. Both spacecraft were on a mission to circle behind the and send images back to Earth so scientists could make 3D models of solar activity. In 2014, STEREO-B failed and was not heard from again. "I'm having fun with STEREO-A," Tilley reported to Spaceweather.com. "The spacecraft is close to Earth this summer, and I can now receive its signal using a small 26-inch dish in my backyard." Scott Tilley's, VE7TIL, dish antenna for receiving NASA STEREO-A spacecraft. [Photo courtesy of Scott Tilley] Tilley began hearing rumors that other radio operators were picking up signals from STEREO-A on 8443.580 MHz. He decided to check it out. "The central carrier is very loud, almost 30 dB above the noise," he said. "I also noticed data sidebands, which are unusual to see on such a distant object for my small antenna." Tilley was able to decode and demodulate STEREO-A's signal using a special program written by Alan Antonie, F4LAU, known as SatDump, and now, he is monitoring almost all of STEREO-A's science instruments, including its Extreme Ultraviolet Imager (EUVI), two coronagraphs (COR1 and COR2), the heliospheric imager (HI), and a solar radio burst receiver (S/WAVES). STEREO-A's closest approach to Earth was scheduled to occur on August 17, 2023. Amateur radio operators who would like to monitor STEREO-A can check out Tilley's technical blog for more information. [Thanks to Spaceweather.com and NASA for updated information in this story]] [ANS thanks the ARRL for the above information] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Want to fly the colors on your own grid expedition? Get your AMSAT car flag and other neat stuff from our Zazzle store! 25% of the purchase price of each product goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for August 18, 2023 Two Line Elements or TLEs, often referred to as Keplerian elements or keps in the amateur community, are the inputs to the SGP4 standard mathematical model of spacecraft orbits used by most amateur tracking programs. Weekly updates are completely adequate for most amateur satellites. TLE bulletin files are updated Thursday evenings around 2300 UTC, or more frequently if new high interest satellites are launched. More information may be found at https://www.amsat.org/keplerian-elements-resources/ This week there are no additions or deletions to the weekly AMSAT TLE distribution. [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. Quick list of scheduled contacts and events: STEMforGIRLS, St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, telebridge via K6DUE (***) The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The downlink frequency is presently scheduled to be 145.800 MHz The scheduled crewmember is Steve Bowen KI5BKB The ARISS mentor is VE6JBJ Contact is go for: Wed 2023-08-23 15:24:59 UTC 47 deg (***) Australian Air League - South Australia Group, Salisbury, South Australia, Australia, telebridge via IK1SLD The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS The scheduled crewmember is Warren Hoburg KB3HTZ The ARISS mentor is VK4KHZ Contact is go for: Fri 2023-08-25 09:11:46 UTC 51 deg Comments on making general contacts I have been seeing a lot of traffic on Facebook and I suspect on other social media sites with people asking why they are not hearing the crew make general contacts. First off the crew is very busy on the ISS and they simply may not have the time to just pick up the microphone and talk. Also, one needs to be aware of their normal daily schedule. I have listed below the constraints that we at ARISS have to follow in order to schedule the school contacts. Hopefully this will help you better schedule your opportunities. Typical daily schedule Wakeup to Workday start= 1.5 hours Workday start to Workday end=12 hours Workday end to Sleep= 2 hours Sleep to wakeup= 8.5 hours The crew's usual waking period is 0730 - 1930 UTC. The most common times to find a crew member making casual periods are about one hour after waking and before sleeping, when they have personal time. They're usually free most of the weekend, as well. SSTV events are not that often. So please check out https://www.ariss.org/ for the latest information or watch for the ARISS announcements. And don’t forget that the packet system is active. As always, if there is an EVA, a docking, or an undocking; the ARISS radios are turned off as part of the safety protocol. ARISS Radio Status Columbus Module radios: IORS (Kenwood D710GA) – STATUS - Configured. Default mode is for cross band repeater (145.990 MHz up {PL 67} & 437.800 MHz down). * SPECIAL SSTV experiment July 26, 2023. Transmissions are scheduled to begin at 20:05 UTC (16:05 ET) and ending at 20:20 UTC (16:20 ET). If necessary, a backup window will be 21:40 UTC (17:40 ET) to 21:55 UTC (17:55 ET). Requesting a clear uplink during this time frame. * Powering off for Russian EVA on Aug. 09. * Capable of supporting USOS scheduled voice contacts, packet and voice repeater ops. Service Module radios: IORS (Kenwood D710GA) – STATUS - Configured. Default mode is fo packet operations (145.825 MHz up & down) * Powering off for Russian EVA on Aug. 09. OFF TBD . ON TBD. * Capable of supporting ROS scheduled voice contacts, packet, SSTV and voice repeater ops. The latest information on the operation mode can be found at https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html The latest list of frequencies in use can be found at https://www.ariss.org/contact-the-iss.html [ANS thanks Charlie Sufana, AJ9N, one of the ARISS operation team mentors for the above information] -------------------------------------------------------------------- Upcoming Satellite Operations TF/DL2GRC: Got an email from Nina stating that she & the family will be heading to Iceland with operations scheduled to begin on Friday (18th). From Nina: We will do a trip around the Island and hope to be active on MEO, LEO and GEO: family, equipment, satellites and weather permitting. Operations can be expected between August 18th to 30th. Please keep in mind, it will be a family holiday and no DX-pedition. Look out for TF/DL4BEN, TF/DL8SCU and TF/DL2GRC. Stay tuned! [ANS thanks Ian Parsons, K5ZM, AMSAT rover page manager, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events AMSAT Ambassadors provide presentations, demonstrate communicating through amateur satellites, and host information tables at club meetings, hamfests, conventions, maker faires, and other events. AMSAT Ambassador Mitch Ahrenstorff, AD0HJ will be at the Northern Plains Regional Radio Council (NPRRC) Hamfest in Brewster, Minnesota on Saturday, August 26, 2023. You can expect to find him engaging in discussions about amateur radio satellite operations at the AMSAT table or presenting live satellite demonstrations just across the street at Brewster City Park. Targeted demonstration passes will be on linear satellite RS-44 at 1434Z (fixed uplink 145.945 MHz) and the TEVEL FM satellites between 1630Z and 1700Z. Visit https://www.facebook.com/groups/NPRRC for additional information about the NPRRC Hamfest. + Northeast HamXposition and ARRL New England Division Convention August 25-27, 2023 Best Western Royal Plaza Hotel Marlboro, MA https://hamxposition.org/ + 41st AMSAT Space Symposium & Annual General Meeting October 20-21, 2023 Sheraton DFW Airport Hotel 4440 W John Carpenter Fwy, Irving, TX 75063 AMSAT Ambassador Clint Bradford, K6LCS, says, "Think a 75-minute presentation on "working the easy satellites" would be appropriate for your club or event? Let me know by emailing me at k6lcsclint (at) gmail (dot) com or calling me at 909-999-SATS (7287)!" Clint has NEVER given the exact same show twice: EACH of the 150+ presentations so far has been customized/tailored to their audiences. [ANS thanks Clint Bradford, K6LCS, and AMSAT for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Satellite Shorts From All Over + RS-44 has returned to service after a multi-day outage this past week. There is no definitive word on the cause of the outage. + Woody Hoburg, KB3HTZ, was active as NA1SS from the ISS, utilizing the FM repeater, on Monday, August 14th around 1900 UTC and Wednesday, August 16th around 2100 UTC (ANS thanks ARISS for the above information) + NASA released its updated Software Catalog for 2023-2024, containing more than 1,000 programs for mission analysis, disaster response, spacecraft testing, data analytics, and more. Access restrictions apply to some software that may be limited to use by U.S. citizens or for U.S. government purposes only. Review the catalog online at: http://software.nasa.gov (ANS thanks The Orbital Index and NASA for the above information) + NASA will provide live launch and docking coverage of the Roscosmos Progress 85 cargo spacecraft carrying about three tons of food, fuel, and supplies for the Expedition 69 crew aboard the International Space Station (ISS). The unpiloted spacecraft is scheduled to launch at 01:08 UTC on Wednesday, Aug. 23 on a Soyuz rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The Progress spacecraft will be placed into a two-day, 34-orbit journey to the station, leading to an automatic docking to the Zvezda module at 03:50 UTC Friday, Aug. 25. As always, amateur radio operation aboard the ISS is suspended during docking maneuvers. The spacecraft will remain at the orbiting laboratory for approximately six months, then undock for a destructive but safe re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere to dispose of trash loaded by the crew. (ANS thanks NASA for the above information) + India's Chandrayan-3 moon lander completed another lunar-orbit reduction burn and entered a 100 km circular polar lunar orbit ahead of a landing attempt next week. It is projected that the Indian craft will land two days after Russia's Luna-25 lander. (ANS thanks The Orbital Index for the above information) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Join AMSAT today at https://launch.amsat.org/ In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership to: * Societies (a recognized group, clubs or organization). * Primary and secondary school students are eligible for membership at one-half the standard yearly rate. * Post-secondary school students enrolled in at least half time status shall be eligible for the student rate for a maximum of 6 post-secondary years in this status. * Memberships are available for annual and lifetime terms. Contact info [at] amsat.org for additional membership information. 73 and remember to help Keep Amateur Radio in Space! This week's ANS Editor, Paul Stoetzer, N8HM n8hm [at] amsat.org

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ANS-225 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins for Aug. 13
by Mark Johns, K0JM 12 Aug '23

12 Aug '23

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-225 In this edition: * AM1SAT Satellite Contest, September 2023 * Registration Open for 41st Annual AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting * International AMSAT Conferences Taking Place * Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution * SpaceX Crew 8 Mission to Include Three U.S. Radio Amateurs * ARISS News * Upcoming Satellite Operations * Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events * Satellite Shorts From All Over The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and information service of AMSAT, the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS publishes news related to Amateur Radio in Space including reports on the activities of a worldwide group of Amateur Radio operators who share an active interest in designing, building, launching and communicating through analog and digital Amateur Radio satellites. The news feed on http://www.amsat.org publishes news of Amateur Radio in Space as soon as our volunteers can post it. Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to: ans-editor [at] amsat.org You can sign up for free e-mail delivery of the AMSAT News Service Bulletins via the ANS List; to join this list see: https://mailman.amsat.org/postorius/lists/ans.amsat.org/ ANS-225 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins To: All RADIO AMATEURS From: Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation 712 H Street NE, Suite 1653 Washington, DC 20002 DATE 2023 Aug 13 AM1SAT Satellite Contest, September 2023 AMSAT-EA will be on the air on all available satellites with the callsigns AM1SAT and AM2023SAT from September 4th to 17th, 2023 to celebrate the fourth edition of the AM1SAT trophy contest as part of the URE activities within the IberRadio 2023 event, the largest one in the world of amateur radio in Spain and Portugal (http://www.iberradio.es), and which will open its doors during the weekend of 16-17 in Avila, a city near Madrid, capital of Spain. The AMSAT-EA operators will activate the aforementioned callsigns from the different states and autonomous cities of Spain during the said period of time and with the objective in this edition to promote contacts with the maximum number of them. As part of this activity and to encourage participation, SILVER and GOLD diplomas will be available for the different modalities of satellites according to their footprint and orbital height, LEO, MEO (IO-117 satellite) and GEO (QO-100 satellite), as well as a trophy for the station that works the greatest number of states in the total number of available satellites and another trophy for the one that contacts the greatest number of states on the satellite with the largest footprint and coverage (in this case, IO-117). These trophies will be physically sent at no cost to the winners. The third edition of the AM1SAT satellite contest, in 2021, finished with 1327 QSOs including GEO and LEO contacts, with 57 different radio-countries, using 20 satellites and with the participation of 419 different competitors (callsigns). Full rules can be found here: https://www.amsat-ea.org/app/download/13570625/AM1SAT+CONTEST+2023+-+RULES.… [ANS thanks Félix Páez, EA4GQS, AMSAT-EA President, for the above information] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ The 2023 AMSAT President's Club coins are here now! To commemorate the 40th anniversary of its launch on June 16, 1983, this year's coin features an image of AMSAT-OSCAR 10. Join the AMSAT President's Club today and help Keep Amateur Radio in Space! https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/ +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Registration Open for 41st Annual AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting The 41st Annual AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting will be held on Friday through Saturday, October 20-21, 2023 at the Sheraton DFW Airport Hotel in Irving, Texas. Highlights of all scheduled events include: - AMSAT Board of Directors Meeting, October 19-20 - 41st AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting, October 20-21 - Friday Night Social and Auction, October 20 - AMSAT Banquet and Reception, October 21 - AMSAT Member Breakfast, October 22 Prices for the Symposium, the Banquet and the Member Breakfast remain the same as last year: - Friday and Saturday Symposium and General Meeting $75 - Saturday Evening Banquet $55 - Sunday Morning Member Breakfast $15 EVENT REGISTRATION You can register online for individual events or all events at: https://launch.amsat.org/event-5363188. HOTEL ROOM RESERVATIONS The Sheraton DFW Airport is located adjacent to the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and provides complimentary, scheduled shuttle to and from the airport. Complimentary parking is available for those who drive to the Symposium. The hotel address and phone number is: Sheraton DFW Airport Hotel 4440 W John Carpenter Fwy. Irving, TX 75063 972-929-8400 Rooms are available for check-in on Wednesday, October 18 and check out Sunday, October 22. - Standard room with single King bed is **SOLD OUT** ACT FAST! GET YOUR RESERVATIONS NOW! - Standard room with two Queen beds is $137.00* * Rate does not include state and local taxes of 15% For Phone Hotel Reservations: Call 972-929-8400. Ask for rate RADIO AMATEUR SATELLITE. For Online Hotel Reservations click on this link: https://www.marriott.com/event-reservations/reservation-link.mi?id=16899566… Please send your Symposium questions or comments to info [at] amsat [dot] com. We, at AMSAT, are excited to be able to host our 41st annual Symposium this year. We hope that you can join us in celebrating Amateur Radio in Space. [ANS thanks AMSAT for the above information.] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Need new satellite antennas? Purchase Arrows, Alaskan Arrows, and M2 LEO-Packs from the AMSAT Store. When you purchase through AMSAT, a portion of the proceeds goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space. https://amsat.org/product-category/hardware/ +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ International AMSAT Conferences Taking Place + AMSAT-UK is pleased to announce that the 2023 Colloquium will take place alongside the RSGB Convention at Kents Hill Park Conference Centre, Milton Keynes on the weekend of 14/15th October 2023. Full details of the Colloquium will be made available nearer the time on the AMSAT-UK website at https://amsat-uk.org As in previous years, the AMSAT-UK Colloquium will run as a separate stream within the RSGB Convention and will include presentations on a variety of satellite and space related topics. Entrance to the RSGB Convention is managed by the RSGB and you will be required to purchase Day Tickets for the Saturday and/or Sunday to attend the AMSAT-UK Colloquium. These can be booked via the RSGB website at https://rsgb.org/main/rsgb-2023-convention/ Early bird discounts are being offered by the RSGB via their website. + AMSAT-DL was founded in 1973, so this year we can look back on 50 years of space exploration. We have taken this as an opportunity to put this year’s symposium in a special setting. Ticket sales are now available at https://shop.amsat-dl.org/. The festive conference and symposium will be held Friday, September 15 to Sunday, September 17, 2023. With a view to the 50-year history of AMSAT-Germany and its mission of promoting amateur radio via satellites, the celebratory conference “From OSCAR 10 to OSCAR 100: 50 years of AMSAT-DL in service to science, research and education” will take place at the Bochum Observatory radome. Accomodations are limited, and the booking of the overnight stays is only possible via the AMSAT-DL store. See https://amsat-dl.org/en/ticket-sales-festive-conference-50-years-amsat-dl/ for more information. [ANS thanks AMSAT-UK and AMSAT-DL for the above information] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Want to fly the colors on your own grid expedition? Get your AMSAT car flag and other neat stuff from our Zazzle store! 25% of the purchase price of each product goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for August 11 Two Line Elements or TLEs, often referred to as Keplerian elements or keps in the amateur community, are the inputs to the SGP4 standard mathematical model of spacecraft orbits used by most amateur tracking programs. Weekly updates are completely adequate for most amateur satellites. Elements in the TLE bulletin files are updated daily. TLE bulletin files are updated to add or remove satellites as necessary Thursday evenings around 2300 UTC, or more frequently if new high interest satellites are launched. More information may be found at https://www.amsat.org/keplerian-elements-resources/ The following satellite has decayed from orbit and has been removed from this week's AMSAT-NA TLE distribution: ATHENOXAT-1 NORAD Cat ID 41168 decayed from orbit on 8 August 2023 [ANS thanks Joe Fitzgerald, KM1P, AMSAT Orbital Elements Manager for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- SpaceX Crew 8 Mission to Include Three U.S. Radio Amateurs Four crew members now are assigned to launch on NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission for a long-duration stay aboard the International Space Station. NASA made the announcement on August 4. NASA astronauts Commander Matthew Dominick, KC0TOR; Pilot Michael Barratt, KD5MIJ; and Mission Specialist Jeanette Epps, KF5QNU; along with Roscosmos cosmonaut Mission Specialist Alexander Grebenkin, will join Expedition 70 and 71 crew members aboard the station in early 2024 to conduct a wide-ranging set of operational and research activities. This will be the first spaceflight for Dominick, who became a NASA astronaut in 2017. He is from Wheat Ridge, Colorado, and earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of San Diego, California, and a master’s in systems engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California. He is an active-duty U.S. Navy astronaut. He graduated from the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School in Patuxent River, Maryland, and then served as a test pilot specializing in testing landing on and catapult launches from U.S. Navy aircraft carriers. This will be Barratt’s third trip to the space station. In 2009, Barratt served as a flight engineer for Expeditions 19 and 20 as the station transitioned its standard crew complement from three to six, and performed two spacewalks. He flew aboard the space shuttle Discovery in 2011 on STS-133, which delivered the Permanent Multipurpose Module and fourth Express Logistics Carrier. He has spent a total of 212 days in space. Born in Vancouver, Washington, he Considers Camas, Washington, to be his hometown. Barratt earned a bachelor’s in zoology from the University of Washington, Seattle, and a doctor of medicine from Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois. He completed residencies in internal medicine at Northwestern and aerospace medicine along with a master’s degree at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio. After nine years as a NASA flight surgeon and project physician, Barratt joined the astronaut corps in 2000. This also will be Epps’ first trip to the space station. She is from Syracuse, New York, and earned a bachelor’s in physics from LeMoyne College in Syracuse, New York, and a master’s in science and a doctorate in aerospace engineering from the University of Maryland, College Park. Prior to joining NASA, she worked at Ford Motor Company and the Central Intelligence Agency. She was selected as an astronaut in July 2009, and has served on the Generic Joint Operation Panel working on space station crew efficiency, as a crew support astronaut for two expeditions, and as lead capsule communicator in the Mission Control Center at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. Epps previously was assigned to NASA’s Boeing Starliner-1 mission. NASA reassigned Epps to allow Boeing time to complete development of Starliner while also continuing plans for astronauts to gain spaceflight experience for future mission needs. Grebenkin, who graduated from Irkutsk High Military Aviation School, Irkutsk, Russia, majoring in engineering, maintenance, and repair of aircraft radio navigation systems, also is flying on his first mission. He graduated from Moscow Technical University of Communications and Informatics with a degree in radio communications, broadcasting, and television. This is the eighth rotational mission to the space station under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, which works with the American aerospace industry to provide safe, reliable, and cost-effective transportation to and from the orbital outpost on American-made rockets and spacecraft launching from American soil. [ANS thanks NASA and 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. No contacts are currently scheduled due to summer school holidays. 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 Lyle, WB7VUF will be in CN73 –and possibly CN83- 12th-13th Aug. Email or DM for skeds. Phillipe, EA4NF will be QRV as KE4NF from EL94 10th-13th Aug; then EL95 21st-22nd Aug. Pass details as they become available. Nina, DL2GRC, and family will do a 2 weeks Iceland holiday. Operations can be expected between August 18th to 30th. Please keep in mind, it will be a family holiday and no DX-pedition. Look out for TF/DL4BEN, TF/DL8SCU and TF/DL2GRC. [ANS thanks Ian Parsons, K5ZM, AMSAT rover page manager, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events AMSAT Ambassadors provide presentations, demonstrate communicating through amateur satellites, and host information tables at club meetings, hamfests, conventions, maker faires, and other events. + Huntsville Hamfest August 19 & 20, 2023 Von Braun Center South Hall 700 Monroe St SW, Huntsville, AL 35801 More information at: https://hamfest.org/ + Northeast HamXposition and ARRL New England Division Convention August 25-27, 2023 Best Western Royal Plaza Hotel Marlboro, MA More information at: https://hamxposition.org/ + 41st AMSAT Space Symposium & Annual General Meeting October 20-21, 2023 Sheraton DFW Airport Hotel 4440 W John Carpenter Fwy, Irving, TX 75063 More information at: https://launch.amsat.org/event-5363188 [ANS thanks the AMSAT Events page for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Satellite Shorts From All Over + Crew members who will soon fly aboard NASA’s SpaceX Crew-7 mission will enter quarantine Friday in one of the major milestones before they head to the launch site in Florida to start their mission to the International Space Station. The process of flight crew health stabilization is a routine part of final preparations for all missions to the space station. Spending the final two weeks before liftoff in quarantine will help ensure Crew-7 members are healthy, as well as protect the astronauts already on the space station. Commander Jasmin Moghbeli, KI5WSL; Danish ESA pilot Andreas Mogensen, KG5GCZ; JAXA mission specialist Satoshi Furukawa, KE5DAW; and cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov are now scheduled to launch to the International Space Station on August 25. (ANS thanks NASA for the above information) + Two Russian Cosmonauts conducted a spacewalk on August 9 Wednesday to to attach three debris shields to the Rassvet module on the International Space Station. Cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitri Petelin also tested the sturdiness of a work platform that will be affixed to the end of the European robotic arm attached to the Nauka multipurpose laboratory module. NASA livestreamed the seven hour spacewalk on YouTube, its website and on the NASA app. As always, ARISS amateur radio operations were suspended during the EVA. (ANS thanks Space Daily for the above information) + Russia reignited its moon exploration program on August 10, sending a lander toward Earth's nearest neighbor. The Luna-25 mission lifted off at 23:10 GMT after being delayed for nearly two years. The launch picked up where the former Soviet Union left off in 1976, when Luna-24 successfully delivered about 6.2 ounces (170 grams) of moon samples to Earth. But that was then. Luna-25 is the first domestically produced moon probe in modern Russian history. If all goes according to plan, Luna-25 will spend the next five days journeying to the moon, then circle the natural satellite for another five to seven days. The spacecraft will then set down in the moon's south polar region, near Boguslawsky Crater. Once down safe and sound, Luna-25 will work on the lunar surface for at least one Earth year. (ANS thanks Space.com for the above information) + Also in the race to land on the moon, India's Chandrayaan-3 lunar lander has returned its first images from the moon after entering orbit around our nearest neighbor. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) released the images on Sunday, August 6, showing that the spacecraft had reached its destination ahead of a lunar landing attempt expected on Aug. 23. If it's successful, India will join the United States, the former Soviet Union and China as the only nations to perform a soft lunar landing. (ANS thanks Space.com for the above information) + Virgin Galactic conducted its second-ever commercial mission on August 10, setting a number of spaceflight records in the process. The company launched its "Galactic 02" flight, sending six people to suborbital space and back. Four of them were women, setting a new mark for most women on a single spaceflight, according to Virgin Galactic. They included the first mother-daughter duo (one of whom became the youngest-ever spaceflyer), as well as the first former Olympian, to reach space. (ANS thanks Space.com for the above information) --------------------------------------------------------------------- Join AMSAT today at https://launch.amsat.org/ In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership to: * Societies (a recognized group, clubs or organization). * Primary and secondary school students are eligible for membership at one-half the standard yearly rate. * Post-secondary school students enrolled in at least half time status shall be eligible for the student rate for a maximum of 6 post-secondary years in this status. * Memberships are available for annual and lifetime terms. Contact info [at] amsat.org for additional membership information. 73 and remember to help Keep Amateur Radio in Space! This week's ANS Editor, Mark Johns, KØJM k0jm [at] amsat.org

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ANS-218 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins for August 6, 2023
by Frank Karnauskas (N1UW) 05 Aug '23

05 Aug '23

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-218 In this edition: * Registration Open for 41st Annual AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting * AMSAT at Huntsville Hamfest August 19-20, 2023 * IARU Coordinates Two Digipeating Satellites * VUCC Satellite Standing August 2023 * Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for August 4, 2023 * ARISS News * Upcoming Satellite Operations * Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events * Satellite Shorts From All Over The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and information service of AMSAT, the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS publishes news related to Amateur Radio in Space including reports on the activities of a worldwide group of Amateur Radio operators who share an active interest in designing, building, launching and communicating through analog and digital Amateur Radio satellites. The news feed on http://www.amsat.org publishes news of Amateur Radio in Space as soon as our volunteers can post it. Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to: ans-editor [at] amsat.org You can sign up for free e-mail delivery of the AMSAT News Service Bulletins via the ANS List; to join this list see: https://mailman.amsat.org/postorius/lists/ans.amsat.org/ ANS-218 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins To: All RADIO AMATEURS From: Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation 712 H Street NE, Suite 1653 Washington, DC 20002 DATE 2023 Aug 06 Registration Open for 41st Annual AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting The 41st Annual AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting will be held on Friday through Saturday, October 20-21, 2023 at the Sheraton DFW Airport Hotel in Irving, Texas. Highlights of all scheduled events include: - AMSAT Board of Directors Meeting, October 19-20 - 41st AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting, October 20-21 - Friday Night Social and Auction, October 20 - AMSAT Banquet and Reception, October 21 - AMSAT Member Breakfast, October 22 Prices for the Symposium, the Banquet and the Member Breakfast remain the same as last year: - Friday and Saturday Symposium and General Meeting $75 - Saturday Evening Banquet $55 - Sunday Morning Member Breakfast $15 EVENT REGISTRATION You can register online for individual events or all events at: https://launch.amsat.org/event-5363188. HOTEL ROOM RESERVATIONS The Sheraton DFW Airport is located adjacent to the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and provides complimentary, scheduled shuttle to and from the airport. Complimentary parking is available for those who drive to the Symposium. The hotel address and phone number is: Sheraton DFW Airport Hotel 4440 W John Carpenter Fwy. Irving, TX 75063 972-929-8400 Rooms are available for check-in on Wednesday, October 18 and check out Sunday, October 22. - Standard room with single King bed is $137.00* - Standard room with two Queen beds is $137.00* * Rate does not include state and local taxes of 15% For Phone Hotel Reservations: Call 972-929-8400. Ask for rate RADIO AMATEUR SATELLITE. For Online Hotel Reservations click on this link: https://www.marriott.com/event-reservations/reservation-link.mi?id=16899566… Please send your Symposium questions or comments to info [at] amsat [dot] com. We, at AMSAT, are excited to be able to host our 41st annual Symposium this year. We hope that you can join us in celebrating Amateur Radio in Space. [ANS thanks AMSAT for the above information.] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ The 2023 AMSAT President's Club coins are here now! To commemorate the 40th anniversary of its launch on June 16, 1983, this year's coin features an image of AMSAT-OSCAR 10. Join the AMSAT President's Club today and help Keep Amateur Radio in Space! https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/ +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ AMSAT at Huntsville Hamfest August 19-20, 2023 Planning to attend the Huntsville Hamfest later this month? Be sure to find the AMSAT folks and say "Hello!" Attending the Hamfest will be AMSAT President Robert Bankston, KE4AL. Robert will be pleased to share the latest news about the progress on major programs such as the Fox-Plus series of LEO satellites and the GOLF series of HEO satellites. Robert should have an assortment of antennas and AMSAT bling available. Thinking of joining AMSAT or do you need to renew your membership? You can take care of that at Huntsville, too. The Huntsville Hamvention will be held August 19-20, 2023 at the Von Braun Center South Hall, 700 Monroe St SW, Huntsville, AL 35801. [ANS thanks Robert Bankston, KE4AL, AMSAT President for the above information.] --------------------------------------------------------------------- IARU Coordinates Two Digipeating Satellites The IARU has recently coordinated frequencies for two European digipeating satellites scheduled for launch later in 2023. + Veronika From the Technical University of Kosice, Veronika is a 1U CubeSat scheduled for launch on a Falcon 9 launcher on the Transporter 9 mission in October 2023. The satellite will be equipped with a 24/7 digipeater on two different bands, as well as experimental SSDV transmissions. The satellite also has an education and outreach mission in that it is planned to involve Slovak grammar and high schools and to transmit special CW and AX.25 messages on several special occasions. From a platform perspective, the satellite will be equipped with a novel ADCS subsystem, including electromagnetic actuators and a GNSS receiver. This will also help to identify the satellite during the first days and weeks. The satellite will communicate o using Spacemanic's well-known Murgas transceivers (BDSat-1, BDSat-2, Planetum-1). Altogether, Veronika will provide: AX.25 telemetry; a CW beacon; a digipeater; AX.25 & CW messages on special occasions for community engagement; Experimental SSDV transmissions; and SATNOGS integration, decoder and dashboard. A downlink on 436.680 MHz has been coordinated and will use 9k6 G3RUH AX.25 and a CW beacon. Planning a SpaceX launch on Transporter 9 mission in Q4 2023 to a 500/600km polar orbit . More info at https://om3ksi.tuke.sk/en/home/. + ROM-3 From the Romanian Radioamateur Federation, ROM-3 is a 50 x 50 x100mm picosat with three missions and objectives. Its primary mission is to act as a digital amateur radio repeater. Its secondary mission is to transmit low-resolution SSDV images in a GFSK Mode. The tertiary mission is to transmit a CW beacon that will help amateur radio operators detect the presence of the satellite and measure basic properties of the signals such as its strength, fading due to spin, Doppler to measure speed, etc. A downlink on 436.235 MHz has been coordinated for 20 wpm CW, 500bps GFSK telemetry and 5kbps GFSK SSDV. Planning a SpaceX launch in October or November 2023 into a 500km polar orbit. More info at https://rom-space.ro/. [ANS thanks the IARU for the above information.] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Need new satellite antennas? Purchase Arrows, Alaskan Arrows, and M2 LEO-Packs from the AMSAT Store. When you purchase through AMSAT, a portion of the proceeds goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space. https://amsat.org/product-category/hardware/ +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ VUCC Satellite Standing August 2023 VUCC Satellite Award/Endorsement Change Summary for July 01, 2023 to August 01, 2023. AA5PK 1324 1350 N8RO 1317 1323 N0JE 950 975 PS8ET 726 925 F4BKV 800 900 DF2ET 752 862 KN2K 750 804 EA2AA 756 778 KQ4DO 710 750 WD9EWK (DM43) 727 734 AF5CC 644 646 FG8OJ 600 635 XE1MYO 525 575 N8MR 528 557 VE4MM 508 536 A65BR 436 455 IK7FMQ 304 426 AB1OC 371 400 K8BL 297 300 PA7RA 299 300 N3CAL 247 270 N6PAZ 241 247 W7BMD 100 208 ZS2BK 176 186 JE2UFF 158 185 KB9DAK 164 171 AG4W New 161 N9XG New 151 JI1SIE New 107 Congratulations to the new VUCC holders. AG4W is first VUCC Satellite holder from EM64 [ANS thanks Jon Goering, N7AZ, for the above information.] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Want to fly the colors on your own grid expedition? Get your AMSAT car flag and other neat stuff from our Zazzle store! 25% of the purchase price of each product goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for August 4, 2023 Two Line Elements or TLEs, often referred to as Keplerian elements or keps in the amateur community, are the inputs to the SGP4 standard mathematical model of spacecraft orbits used by most amateur tracking programs. Weekly updates are completely adequate for most amateur satellites. Elements in the TLE bulletin files are updated daily. TLE bulletin files are updated to add or remove satellites as necessary Thursday evenings around 2300 UTC, or more frequently if new high interest satellites are launched. More information may be found at https://www.amsat.org/keplerian-elements-resources/ The following satellites have decayed from orbit and have been removed from this week's AMSAT-NA TLE distribution: Shaonian Xing NORAD Cat ID 43199 decayed from orbit on 30 July 2023 FIREBIRD FU3 NORAD Cat ID 40377 decayed from orbit on 31 July 2023 FIREBIRD FU4 NORAD Cat ID 40378 decayed from orbit on 01 August 2023 [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. + Completed Contacts Baltasi airfield school in the Baltasinsky district of the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia, direct via RC4P. The ISS callsign was RSÃ˜ISS. The crewmember was Andrei Fedyaev . The ARISS mentor was RV3DR. Contact was successful on Sunday, July 30, 2023 at 14:02 UTC. Mohammad Bin Rashid Space Centre, Dubai, UAE, direct via A68MBR. The ISS callsign was OR4ISS. The crewmember was Al Neyadi, KI5VTV. The ARISS mentor was ON6TI. Contact was successful on Monday, July 31, 2023 at 08:16 UTC. Karasuyama Residents Center, Setagaya, Japan, direct via JA1ZSH. The ISS callsign was OR4ISS. The crewmember was Sultan Al Neyadi, KI5VTV. The ARISS mentor was 7M3TJZ. Contact was successful on Thursday, August 3, 2023 at 09:26 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 EN67 & EN56; August 4-12, 2023 N8MR will be in EN57 roving to EN67 and EN56 August 4-12. Mike says to listening for DX. He prefers linear satellites. Skeds posted via @GridMasterHeat Sked depends on wx, etc. All QSOs to LoTW using N8MR (no /p, /r). FK87 & FK88; August 6, 2023 FG8OJ, Burt will begin his Caribbean rove of FJ/PJ6/FS and PJ7 on August 6. Additional info will be available on hams.at. [ANS thanks Ian Parsons, K5ZM, AMSAT Rover Page Manager, for the above information.] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events AMSAT Ambassadors provide presentations, demonstrate communicating through amateur satellites, and host information tables at club meetings, hamfests, conventions, maker faires, and other events. + Small Satellite Conference August 5-10, 2023 Utah State University, Logan, UT More information at: https://smallsat.org/ + Huntsville Hamfest August 19 & 20, 2023 Von Braun Center South Hall 700 Monroe St SW, Huntsville, AL 35801 More information at: https://hamfest.org/ + Northeast HamXposition and ARRL New England Division Convention August 25-27, 2023 Best Western Royal Plaza Hotel Marlboro, MA More information at: https://hamxposition.org/ + 41st AMSAT Space Symposium & Annual General Meeting October 20-21, 2023 Sheraton DFW Airport Hotel 4440 W John Carpenter Fwy, Irving, TX 75063 More information at: https://launch.amsat.org/event-5363188 --------------------------------------------------------------------- Satellite Shorts From All Over + Scott Tilley, VE7TIL, is tracking Chandrayan 3, India's lunar lander in its highly eccentric orbit. Follow him live at https://www.youtube.com/live/UYJ1x9NUYTU?feature=share [ANS thanks Ashhar Farhan, VU2ESE, for the above information.] + SpaceX launched the world's heaviest commercial communications satellite atop a Falcon Heavy rocket on Friday. The triple-core rocket lifted off from Kennedy Space Center's pad 39A with the Jupiter 3/EchoStar 24 satellite at 11:04 p.m. EDT. The booster carried EchoStar's Jupiter-3 (EchoStar-24) communications satellite, which weighs in at over 9,000 kg (198,416 lb.). It is the largest communication satellite ever launched to geostationary orbit. Jupiter-3, which was built by Maxar Technologies, will support Internet connectivity across North and South America, in-flight Wi-Fi, community Wi-Fi services, maritime connections, enterprise networks, and backhaul for mobile network operators. [ANS thanks parabolicarc.com for the above information.] + Voyager 2 has reestablished communication with Earth and is operating normally. NASA's long-running Voyager 2 mission, which launched from Earth in 1977 and is currently about 12.4 billion miles from Earth, lost contact with our planet after a set of commands accidentally moved Voyager 2's antenna two degrees away from Earth on July 28. A "heartbeat" signal was picked up on Tuesday, August 1. according to NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), letting mission controllers know the probe was still healthy despite being unable to communicate fully with it. Voyager 2 is programmed to automatically reset its orientation a few times a year in case of troubles like this, but the next window would have been in October. On Friday, August 4, JPL announced in a mission update that NASA's Deep Space Network facility in Canberra, Australia was able to send a command into interstellar space that reoriented the spacecraft and pointed its antenna back towards Earth. Mission controllers had to wait 37 hours to learn if the command was successful. And it was. "The spacecraft began returning science and telemetry data, indicating it is operating normally and that it remains on its expected trajectory," JPL said in the statement. [ANS thanks space.com for the above information.] + The ISS briefly lost communication with ground control due to a power outage at Johnson Space Center and had to use its backup control systems for the first time. A power outage at NASA's building in Houston disrupted communication between mission control and the International Space Station (ISS) on Tuesday, July 25. Space station program manager Joel Montalbano said neither the astronauts nor station were ever in any danger and that backup control systems took over to restore normal communications within 90 minutes. "It wasn't an issue on board. That was purely a ground problem," he said. "At no time was the crew or the vehicle in any danger." [ANS thanks The Orbital Index and The Guardian for the above information.] + The U.S. House of Representatives rejected a satellite spectrum licensing reform bill after House Science Committee leadership did not want to grant the FCC authority to regulate space debris/traffic management, since, in their opinion, doing so would divert from its primary responsibility of spectrum allocation. [ANS thanks The Orbital Index for the above information.] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Join AMSAT today at https://launch.amsat.org/ In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership to: * Societies (a recognized group, clubs or organization). * Primary and secondary school students are eligible for membership at one-half the standard yearly rate. * Post-secondary school students enrolled in at least half time status shall be eligible for the student rate for a maximum of 6 post-secondary years in this status. * Memberships are available for annual and lifetime terms. Contact info [at] amsat.org for additional membership information. 73 and remember to help Keep Amateur Radio in Space! This week's ANS Editor, Frank Karnauskas, N1UW n1uw [at] amsat [dot] org

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ANS-211 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
by Mitch Ahrenstorff (AD0HJ) 29 Jul '23

29 Jul '23

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-211 In this edition: * 2023 AMSAT-UK Colloquium Set for Weekend of October 14th * CubeSat: Celebrating 20 Years of Transforming Space Access * ARRL Releases LoTW Configuration 11.25 with LEDSAT Support * FO-29 Operation Schedule for August 2023 * Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for July 28, 2023 * ARISS News * Upcoming Satellite Operations * Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events * Satellite Shorts From All Over The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and information service of AMSAT, the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS publishes news related to Amateur Radio in Space including reports on the activities of a worldwide group of Amateur Radio operators who share an active interest in designing, building, launching and communicating through analog and digital Amateur Radio satellites. The news feed on 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/ ANS-211 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins To: All RADIO AMATEURS From: Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation 712 H Street NE, Suite 1653 Washington, DC 20002 DATE 2023 July 30 2023 AMSAT-UK Colloquium Set for Weekend of October 14th AMSAT-UK is pleased to announce the 2023 AMSAT-UK Colloquium, scheduled to run alongside the Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB) Convention at Kents Hill Park Conference Centre in Milton Keynes, United Kingdom on October 14th and 15th, 2023. The 2023 AMSAT-UK Colloquium will be part of the RSGB Convention and will feature presentations on satellite and space-related topics, continuing the tradition from previous years. Full details of the Colloquium will be made available nearer the time on the AMSAT-UK website (https://amsat-uk.org). During the 2023 AMSAT-UK Colloquium, the Annual General Meeting of AMSAT-UK will take place, with the calling notice to be issued once the event's program is finalized. AMSAT-UK will host an AMSAT Gala Dinner at the Marriott Delta Hotel on Trimbold Drive, Kents Hill, Milton Keynes on the evening of Saturday, October 14th. Tickets for the dinner can be purchased online at the AMSAT-UK Online Shop (https://shop.amsat-uk.org) and include a three-course meal with tea and coffee at its conclusion. AMSAT-UK has reserved a limited number of rooms at the Marriott Delta for the night of October 14th, 2023, including breakfast on Sunday, October 15th. The rooms are available for single occupancy at £84 or double occupancy at £95. Bookings for the Hotel and Gala Dinner can be made through the AMSAT-UK Online Shop. Interested participants are advised to book early, as the Hotel and Gala Dinner bookings will close on October 1st, 2023, or when sold out. For access to the AMSAT-UK Colloquium, attendees are required to purchase Day Tickets for the RSGB Convention's Saturday and/or Sunday events. Early bird discounts are available through the RSGB website (https://rsgb.org/main/rsgb-2023-convention/). The 2023 AMSAT-UK Colloquium will be a gathering of satellite and space enthusiasts, providing an opportunity to learn, network, and explore the latest developments in satellite technology. [ANS thanks Barry Sankey G7RWY and Dave Johnson G4DPZ, AMSAT-UK Joint Secretaries for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- CubeSat: Celebrating 20 Years of Transforming Space Access Twenty years ago, an invention emerged from the labs of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo that would change the face of space exploration forever. The CubeSat, a tiny satellite with the dimensions of a square tissue box, revolutionized access to space, making it more affordable and achievable for researchers and students alike. The brainchild of professors Jordi Puig-Suari and Bob Twiggs, the CubeSat was born out of the need to solve a crucial problem. While universities aimed to train students through hands-on experience, getting their satellites into space was a daunting challenge due to the limited access to rockets and the high costs associated with launches. The innovative solution was simple yet effective, the CubeSat. They designed a standardized, risk-containment mechanism where all the risk of potential failure would be confined within the small box. This not only addressed the rocket providers' concerns about carrying student-built satellites but also reduced the cost and time required to send satellites into orbit. The CubeSat's impact was profound and far-reaching. Almost every rocket launched into space today carries CubeSats on board. The small satellite became an open standard, meaning anyone could use it without any charges, promoting uniformity and standardization across the industry. Unlike traditional satellites that could take years and cost hundreds of millions of dollars to build, CubeSats presented a cost-effective alternative. Building a CubeSat was a fraction of the expense, and the standard's versatility allowed various scientific missions, ranging from Earth observation and mapping to space exploration. The CubeSat opened the doors to space for many countries that launched their first-ever satellites, including Colombia, Switzerland, Hungary, Vietnam, and more. Private companies also capitalized on the CubeSat revolution, stepping in as intermediaries between satellite creators and rocket providers. Companies like Maverick Space Systems acted as "Uber for satellites," arranging rides for satellites of various sizes, including CubeSats, on rockets for commercial and government clients. The CubeSat's impact also extended to educational institutions. Cal Poly's CubeSat Lab provided students with hands-on experience, allowing them to design, build, and even launch CubeSats. The educational aspect of CubeSats became so popular that high school students at Grace Brethren High School in Simi Valley also had a class on spacecraft engineering, learning about CubeSats and building AMSAT CubeSat Simulators (CubeSatSim). The CubeSatSim Project, led by Dr. Alan Johnston, KU2Y, AMSAT Vice President Educational Relations, is an initiative sponsored by AMSAT. It involves the development of a low-cost satellite emulator called CubeSatSim, designed with solar panels, rechargeable batteries, and UHF radio telemetry transmission capabilities. The CubeSatSim features a 3D printed frame and can be expanded with additional sensors and modules. The project aims to provide an accessible platform for educational purposes. Detailed documentation and build instructions are available on the project's Wiki at https://github.com/alanbjohnston/CubeSatSim. As the CubeSat celebrates its 20th anniversary, it stands as a testament to the power of innovation and the impact of an open standard in transforming an entire industry. What began as a solution to a niche problem has now become an integral part of space exploration, enabling researchers, students, and commercial ventures to access space like never before. The CubeSat's legacy is imprinted in space, as these tiny satellites continue to leave their mark on missions, both in orbit and beyond. [ANS thanks Michelle Loxton, writing for KCLU, and Dr. Alan Johnston, KU2Y, AMSAT Vice President Educational Relations for the above information] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ The 2023 AMSAT President's Club coins are here now! To commemorate the 40th anniversary of its launch on June 16, 1983, this year's coin features an image of AMSAT-OSCAR 10. Join the AMSAT President's Club today and help Keep Amateur Radio in Space! https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/ +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ ARRL Releases LoTW Configuration 11.25 with LEDSAT Support The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) has recently unveiled the latest version of the Logbook of The World (LoTW) configuration file, version 11.25, which includes support for LEDSAT, an educational 1U CubeSat developed by students from Sapienza University in Rome's S5Lab research team, with backing from AMSAT Italia. LEDSAT's primary objective is to demonstrate a LED-based payload for ground-based optical tracking. One of the notable features of LEDSAT is its digipeater capability, which allows it to store and retransmit digital messages sent to the satellite, effectively acting as a transponder for long-distance communication. When opening ARRL's TQSL (Trusted QSL) application, an "Update Available" dialog box will display if a newer configuration file is available. Simply click the 'OK' button to install the latest configuration file. You can easily determine whether a new version of TQSL or its Configuration Data is available by selecting the "Help" menu and clicking on "Check for Updates...". The latest version of TQSL (version 2.6.5) can be downloaded from https://www.arrl.org/tqsl/tqsl-2.6.5.msi. Additionally, the GreenCube Terminal program developed by Carsten Groen, OZ9AAR, now includes support for communications with the LEDSAT digipeater by utilizing the "Soundmodem for GreenCube" TNC application created by Andy Kopanchuk, UZ7HO. The latest release of the GreenCube Terminal program version 1.0.0.62 was provided on July 22, 2023. More information can be found at https://moonbounce.dk/hamradio/greencube-terminal-program.html. [ANS thanks the American Radio Relay League and Carsten Groen, OZ9AAR for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- FO-29 Operation Schedule for August 2023 Regarding Fuji No. 3 (FO-29), the period of continuous operation in full sunshine has ended, and continuous operation is not possible. After being switched on, the satellite will remain in operation until the onboard low-voltage trigger turns it off again when the satellite is no longer in sunlight. In addition, regarding the recent situation of Fuji No. 3, it will continue to be difficult to receive commands in the morning laps in Japan, so please be aware that it may take some time before it is turned on. Scheduled time to turn on the Fuji-3 analog transmitter (UTC) (posted on July 24, 2023) August 2023 5th 05:12-20:00- 6th 06:00~ 11th 04:55-06:40- 12th 05:45-07:35-20:30- 13th 04:50-06:35- 19th 06:20~ 20th 05:25-07:17- 26th 05:10-06:55-20:00- 27th 06:00-07:50- * Estimated time indicates the time to start sending commands. Please be aware that it may take some time for the repeater to turn on due to antenna pointing due to the attitude of the satellite, disturbances in the ionosphere, interference, power supply conditions of the satellite, etc. Fuji 3 has been in an unstable situation for more than a quarter of a century since its launch, as we have already reported. Please use Fuji No. 3 after understanding when using it. [ANS thanks JARL, the Japan Amateur Radio League, for the above information] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Need new satellite antennas? Purchase Arrows, Alaskan Arrows, and M2 LEO-Packs from the AMSAT Store. When you purchase through AMSAT, a portion of the proceeds goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space. https://amsat.org/product-category/hardware/ +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for July 28, 2023 Two Line Elements or TLEs, often referred to as Keplerian elements or keps in the amateur community, are the inputs to the SGP4 standard mathematical model of spacecraft orbits used by most amateur tracking programs. Weekly updates are completely adequate for most amateur satellites. Elements in the TLE bulletin files are updated daily. TLE bulletin files are updated to add or remove satellites as necessary Thursday evenings around 2300 UTC, or more frequently if new high interest satellites are launched. More information may be found at https://www.amsat.org/keplerian-elements-resources/. The following satellite has been added to this week's AMSAT-NA TLE distribution: MRC-100 NORAD Cat ID 56993 IARU Coordinated Frequency: 436.720 MHz. (Thanks to Nico Janssen, PA0DLO for identification). The following satellite has decayed from orbit and has been removed from this week's AMSAT-NA TLE distribution: DO-111 (ARDUIQUBE/DIY-1) NORAD Cat ID 47963 decayed from orbit on 21 July 2023 per Space-Track.org [ANS thanks AMSAT Orbital Elements page for the above information] -------------------------------------------------------------------- ARISS NEWS Amateurs and others around the world may listen in on contacts between amateurs operating in schools and allowing students to interact with astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station. The downlink frequency on which to listen is 145.800 MHz worldwide. + Upcoming Contacts School in the Baltasinsky district of the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia, direct via TBD The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS The scheduled crewmember is Andrei Fedyaev The ARISS mentor is RV3DR Contact is go for: Sun 2023-07-30 14:05:00 UTC Mohammad Bin Rashid Space Centre, Dubai, UAE, direct via A68MBR The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS The scheduled crewmember is Sultan Al Neyadi KI5VTV The ARISS mentor is ON6TI Contact is go for: Mon 2023-07-31 08:16:45 UTC Karasuyama Residents Center, Setagaya, Japan, direct via JA1ZSH The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS The scheduled crewmember is Sultan Al Neyadi KI5VTV The ARISS mentor is 7M3TJZ Contact is go for: Thu 2023-08-03 09:26:18 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] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Want to fly the colors on your own grid expedition? Get your AMSAT car flag and other neat stuff from our Zazzle store! 25% of the purchase price of each product goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Upcoming Satellite Operations From Wayne, W7WGC: POTA K-2816 activation in grid square CN73 on Sunday, July 30 AO-91 @ 16:15Z & 17:50Z JO-97 @ 17:36Z & 19:11Z RS-44 @ 19:03Z & 20:56Z SO-50 @ 21:34Z ARISS @ 21:37Z AO-7 @ 21:54Z (Mode B) Several good low Eastern passes! From John, KC7JPC: I will be back in DN19 on August 9th and 10th. Will get on fm/linear while there. Evenings for sure but maybe some early morning passes as well. Will also be in dn29,dn39, dn36, and dn19 again the next week. August 14-18. Fm only and more than likely just the evening Tevel passes. Still need to do a pack up of gear on the motorcycle to make sure the radio fits in with the gear. From Mike, N8MR - I will be in EN57 roving to EN56 and EN67 Aug 4 - 12. On Aug 4, will activate EN66 on RS-44 during the 1713z pass, and may be on other adjacent sat passes. Prefer linear sats, but will be on FM sats. Skeds posted mainly via Twitter @MikeN8MR. Sked depends on wx, etc. All QSOs will be posted LoTW, using N8MR (no /p, /r). [ANS thanks Ian Parsons, K5ZM, AMSAT rover page manager, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events AMSAT Ambassadors provide presentations, demonstrate communicating through amateur satellites, and host information tables at club meetings, hamfests, conventions, maker faires, and other events. + Small Satellite Conference August 5-10, 2023 Utah State University, Logan, UT More information at: https://smallsat.org/ + Northeast HamXposition and ARRL New England Division Convention August 25-27, 2023 Best Western Royal Plaza Hotel Marlboro, MA https://hamxposition.org/ + 41st AMSAT Space Symposium & Annual General Meeting October 20-21, 2023 Sheraton DFW Airport Hotel 4440 W John Carpenter Fwy, Irving, TX 75063 [ANS thanks AMSAT for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Satellite Shorts From All Over + The AMSAT 41st Annual Symposium & Annual Meeting will take place in Dallas/Ft. Worth on October 20-21. Attendees can book rooms at the Sheraton DFW Airport Hotel at a discounted group rate of $137.00 per night for a standard room with a single King bed or two Queen beds. State and local taxes of 15% are not included in the rate. Rooms are available for check-in from October 18 and check-out until October 22. Phone and online reservations are available, and attendees should mention "RADIO AMATEUR SATELLITE" when booking. The hotel is conveniently located at DFW International Airport and offers free parking for attendees. For any inquiries, email info(a)amsat.org. [ANS thanks AMSAT for the above information] + The Moonlighter CubeSat has successfully reached its planned low earth orbit in preparation for the upcoming in-space hacking competition, known as the Space Security Challenge: Hack-A-Sat 4. This competition, run by the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory, aims to enhance security researcher knowledge and skills in securing space systems. The finals of the Hack-A-Sat event will take place in Las Vegas in August, with the winner having a chance to win a cash prize of $50,000. The competition provides an opportunity for hackers, researchers, and space enthusiasts to tackle space systems cyber security challenges. [ANS thanks Alun Williams, writing for ElectronicsWeekly.com, for the above information] + On July 23, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station with 22 additional satellites for the Starlink communications constellation. During the launch, the rocket created a temporary hole in the ionosphere, also known as a rocket exhaust depletion (RED), by releasing exhaust that interacts with charged oxygen atoms, creating a reddish patch. Although the damage is not permanent and mainly affects amateur radio signals, the increasing frequency of such occurrences due to the growing number of satellite launches has raised concerns among scientists about the potential impact on the ozone layer, as rocket exhaust releases various toxic chemicals into the atmosphere. Stricter controls for the launch services industry have been called for to address this issue. [ANS thanks Aditya Madanapalle, writing for News9 Live, for the above information] + The preparation for Ariane 6's inaugural flight is going well, as the teams completed a launcher preparation and countdown sequence successfully at Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana on 18th July. The test included various critical tasks such as removing the mobile gantry, chilling down fluidic systems, and filling the tanks with liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen. The launch chronology was also completed up to the ignition of the Vulcain 2.1 engine. During the 26-hour exercise, degraded and contingency modes were tested, demonstrating the launcher and launch base's proper functioning. Although the ignition of the Vulcain 2.1 engine had to be postponed to a later session, the overall performance of the full launch system was excellent. The teams are confident about the progress of the test campaign and are preparing for a long duration hot firing test in the summer. [ANS thanks the European Space Agency for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Join AMSAT today at https://launch.amsat.org/ In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership to: * Societies (a recognized group, clubs or organization). * Primary and secondary school students are eligible for membership at one-half the standard yearly rate. * Post-secondary school students enrolled in at least half-time status shall be eligible for the student rate for a maximum of 6 post-secondary years in this status. * Memberships are available for annual and lifetime terms. Contact info [at] amsat.org for additional membership information. 73 and remember to help Keep Amateur Radio in Space! This week's ANS Editor, Mitch Ahrenstorff, ADØHJ ad0hj [at] amsat.org

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ANS-204 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
by Paul Stoetzer 22 Jul '23

22 Jul '23

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-204 In this edition: * AMSAT 41st Annual Symposium & Annual Meeting Rooms Now Available * EO-88 (Nayif-1) Reenters * URESAT-1 Update * May/June 2023 Edition of The AMSAT Journal Now Available * Special ARISS SSTV Experiment Scheduled for ARRL Teacher's Institute * Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for July 20, 2023 * ARISS News * Upcoming Satellite Operations * Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events * Satellite Shorts From All Over The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and information service of AMSAT, The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS publishes news related to Amateur Radio in Space including reports on the activities of a worldwide group of Amateur Radio operators who share an active interest in designing, building, launching and communicating through analog and digital Amateur Radio satellites. The news feed on http://www.amsat.org publishes news of Amateur Radio in Space as soon as our volunteers can post it. Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to: ans-editor [at] amsat.org You can sign up for free e-mail delivery of the AMSAT News Service Bulletins via the ANS List; to join this list see: https://mailman.amsat.org/postorius/lists/ans.amsat.org/ ANS-204 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins To: All RADIO AMATEURS From: Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation 712 H Street NE, Suite 1653 Washington, DC 20002 DATE 2023 July 23 AMSAT 41st Annual Symposium & Annual Meeting Rooms Now Available Planning on attending the AMSAT 41st Annual Symposium and General Meeting in Dallas/Ft. Worth on October 20-21? Of course you are! Rooms at the discounted group rate are now available. We suggest you make your reservations right away because only a limited number of rooms are available. The hotel and room rate information is as follows: Sheraton DFW Airport Hotel 4440 W John Carpenter Fwy. Irving, TX 75063 972-929-8400 Rooms are available for check-in on Wednesday, October 18 and check out Sunday, October 22. Standard room with single King bed is $137.00* Standard room with two Queen beds is $137.00* * Rate does not include state and local taxes of 15% For Phone Reservations: 972-929-8400 Ask for rate RADIO AMATEUR SATELLITE. For Online Reservations: https://www.marriott.com/event-reservations/reservation-link.mi?id=16899566… (Make sure you enter the dates you want before clicking on the "Check Availability" button. The hotel is conveniently located at the DFW International Airport for those flying to the event. The hotel offers free parking for those driving. If you have questions or comments, please send your email to info [at] amsat [dot] org. [ANS thanks AMSAT for the above information] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ The 2023 AMSAT President's Club coins are here now! To commemorate the 40th anniversary of its launch on June 16, 1983, this year's coin features an image of AMSAT-OSCAR 10. Join the AMSAT President's Club today and help Keep Amateur Radio in Space! https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/ +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ EO-88 (Nayif-1) Reenters EO-88, with its 70cm to 2m linear transponder, having spent a trouble free 6 years and 5 months in space, finally re-entered the Earth’s atmosphere and burned up on Tuesday, 18th July. Having originally been launched into a 500km orbit, EO-88 has reduced in altitude rapidly over the past year due to the increased level of solar activity. Remarkably, some of the last frames of telemetry were captured as the 1U CubeSat passed over the South Western United States. The final 90 seconds show a rapid rise in temperature across all the satellites sub systems. The last frame of data was captured by David WB0IZO in New Mexico at 18:18:54 UTC showing the antenna temperatures operating about 40 degrees above normal. During the past 2 weeks, 86 stations have contributed EO-88 telemetry to the FUNcube Data Warehouse and this has given us the opportunity to study the behaviour of a functioning CubeSat as it makes its return from Space. Thank you all for your support. Having provided the last frame of data, David WB0IZO, wins the telemetry section of the AMSAT-UK re-entry competition and will receive a framed certificate of achievement. The prediction for the date and time of re-entry was very close with Paul N8HM predicting the 17th July and Larry N1MIW calculating the 21st. However, the winning entry was made by Thomas HB9SKA who correctly predicted the 18th July. Thomas also wins a framed certificate. RIP EO-88. GOODBYE AND THANKS FOR THE FUN! [ANS thanks AMSAT-UK for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- URESAT-1 Update This is an update about our satellite URESAT-1, launched with SpaceX on June 12th (Transporter-8 mission from Vanderberg) and using Alba Orbital as our space broker. First of all, URESAT-1 is a small pocketQube 1.5P (8x5x5 cm), much smaller than a Cubesat. The satellite was expelled from the D-Orbit Orbital Transfer Vehicle (OTV) ION ten days after the launch, on June 22th at 12.10 UTC, along with MRC-100 and ROM-2 satellites. Soon after, using the OTV TLE available for pointing, signals from MRC-100 and ROM-2 were received but not ours... This made us think we again had a problem with the deployment of the antennas. Fortunately Daniel EA4GPZ could receive the URESAT-1 on June 26th using the ATA radio telescope at 22.03 UTC. The pattern of the transmissions matched and, using the IQs from the two antennas used, with two polarities, we could decodify telemetry, showing that the satellite was performing well with no resets or events. The battery was almost fully charged but the antennas were not deployed, as it was shown in the status packet received. We worked hard to improve the deployment system from our previous satellites but something hasn't gone well again. Satellite seems to be cold even in sunlight but we performed tests using temperatures as low as 20 C below zero so this should not be a problem... Doing a lot of analysis (after the ATA observation we found that our satellite was 20-30 seconds ahead of MRC-100) and with a lot of help from the Satnogs thread regarding that launch, we managed to conclude that our satellite should be NORAD object 56992. The team at Dwingeloo radio telescope on Netherlands has confirmed this with several observations these days https://network.satnogs.org/observations/7877553/ https://network.satnogs.org/observations/7881183/ https://network.satnogs.org/observations/7883687/ Using the IQs of these recordings (available here https://data.camras.nl/satnogs/) we have been able to decode new telemetry, CW and even a SSTV image from the satellite image bank. After more than three weeks in orbit the satellite is performing well and we hope that the antennas will deploy at some moment. The plan now is sending the satellite commands to try to deploy the antennas, although we are going to need a lot of power because the received signal without a proper antenna will be low. If you have a powerful station for transmitting on VHF and want to help us, please let me know. We want to thank Daniel EA4GPZ, the ATA radio telescope, PE0SAT, the Dwingeloo staff, especially Tammo Jan, and Satnogs staff for their kind help in identifying the URESAT and the reception of their signals. It has provided very valuable data on the status of the satellite. Decoded telemetry, CW and the SSTV image is available in our web (sorry, it is in spanish) and also in the Satnogs thread about the Transporter-8 mission: https://www.amsat-ea.org/ https://community.libre.space/t/spacex-f9-transporter-8-2023-06-12-21-35-ut… [ANS thanks Félix Páez, EA4GQS, AMSAT-EA President for the above information] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Need new satellite antennas? Purchase an M2 LEO-Pack from the AMSAT Store. When you purchase through AMSAT, a portion of the proceeds goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space. https://amsat.org/product-category/hardware/ +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ May/June 2023 Edition of The AMSAT Journal Now Available The May/June 2023 edition of The AMSAT Journal is now available to AMSAT members on the AMSAT Member Portal ( https://launch.amsat.org/The_AMSAT_Journal). The AMSAT Journal is a bi-monthly digital magazine for amateur radio in space enthusiasts, published by the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT). Each issue is your source for hardware and software projects, technical tips, STEM initiatives, operational activities, and news from around the world. Join AMSAT today at launch.amsat.org to get immediate access to the latest issue and archived issues of The AMSAT Journal. Inside this issue: * Apogee View – Robert Bankston, KE4AL * Educational Relations Update - Alan Johnston, KU2Y * Engineering Update - Jerry Buxton, N0JY * 2023 AMSAT Board of Directors Election * Interview with CubeSatSim Builder Bruce Semple, WA3SWJ - Paul Graveline, K1YUB * A Satellite Etiquette Primer - Keith Baker, KB1SF/VA3KSF * IO-117 Antenna Testing - Dave Fisher, KG0D [ANS thanks AMSAT for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Special ARISS SSTV Experiment Scheduled for ARRL Teacher's Institute Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) in collaboration with the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), plan to carry out a special Slow Scan TV (SSTV) experiment from the ISS on Wednesday, July 26, 2023. During the event, the Columbus Module Repeater, transmitting at 437.800 MHz, will carry a message to be received by teachers attending the ARRL Teacher’s Institute class. The pass will be over the Mid-Atlantic / New England area with transmissions scheduled to begin at 20:05 UTC (16:05 ET) and ending at 20:20 UTC (16:20 ET). If necessary, a backup window will be 21:40 UTC (17:40 ET) to 21:55 UTC (17:55 ET). Radio enthusiasts are welcome to download the message and follow along with the event, but we ask that all hams please refrain from using the repeater for voice contacts during the event. Please understand this is a special experiment conducted through ARISS and the ARRL. All regular operation of the repeater should continue to take place in voice mode only. Check ARISS Social Media for any updates. [ANS thanks ARISS for the above information] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Want to fly the colors on your own grid expedition? Get your AMSAT car flag and other neat stuff from our Zazzle store! 25% of the purchase price of each product goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for July 20, 2023 Two Line Elements or TLEs, often referred to as Keplerian elements or keps in the amateur community, are the inputs to the SGP4 standard mathematical model of spacecraft orbits used by most amateur tracking programs. Weekly updates are completely adequate for most amateur satellites. TLE bulletin files are updated Thursday evenings around 2300 UTC, or more frequently if new high interest satellites are launched. More information may be found at https://www.amsat.org/keplerian-elements-resources/ The following satellites have been added to this week's AMSAT-NA TLE distribution: CUbeBel 2 (EU11S) NORAD Cat ID 57175 IARU Coordinated Frequency: 436.99 MHz. (Thanks to Nico Janssen, PA0DLO for identification) URESAT-1 NORAD Cat ID 56992 IARU Coodinated Frequency: 436.888 MHz (Thanks to Felix Paez, EA4GQS AMSAT EA President for identification) The follwing satellite has decayed from orbit and has been removed from this week's AMSAT-NA TLE distribution: EO-88 (Nayif 1) NORAD Cat ID 42017 "[R]e entered over North America. The last frame of data was provided by WB0IZO in NM" according to David Bowman G0MRF AMSAT-UK [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. Quick list of scheduled contacts and events: Mohammad Bin Rashid Space Centre, Dubai, UAE, direct via A68MBR The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS The downlink frequency is presently scheduled to be 145.800 MHz The scheduled crewmember is Sultan Al Neyadi KI5VTV The ARISS mentor is ON6TI Contact is go for: Thu 2023-07-27 09:57:42 UTC 88 deg The crossband repeater continues to be active. 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. Comments on making general contacts I have been seeing a lot of traffic on Facebook and I suspect on other social media sites with people asking why they are not hearing the crew make general contacts. First off the crew is very busy on the ISS and they simply may not have the time to just pick up the microphone and talk. Also, one needs to be aware of their normal daily schedule. I have listed below the constraints that we at ARISS have to follow in order to schedule the school contacts. Hopefully this will help you better schedule your opportunities. Typical daily schedule Wakeup to Workday start= 1.5 hours Workday start to Workday end=12 hours Workday end to Sleep= 2 hours Sleep to wakeup= 8.5 hours The crew's usual waking period is 0730 - 1930 UTC. The most common times to find a crew member making casual periods are about one hour after waking and before sleeping, when they have personal time. They're usually free most of the weekend, as well. SSTV events are not that often. So please check out https://www.ariss.org/ for the latest information or watch for the ARISS announcements. And don’t forget that the packet system is active. As always, if there is an EVA, a docking, or an undocking; the ARISS radios are turned off as part of the safety protocol. ARISS Radio Status Columbus Module radios: IORS (Kenwood D710GA) – STATUS - Configured. Default mode is for cross band repeater (145.990 MHz up {PL 67} & 437.800 MHz down). * SPECIAL SSTV experiment July 26, 2023. Transmissions are scheduled to begin at 20:05 UTC (16:05 ET) and ending at 20:20 UTC (16:20 ET). If necessary, a backup window will be 21:40 UTC (17:40 ET) to 21:55 UTC (17:55 ET). Requesting a clear uplink during this time frame. * Powering off for Russian EVA on Aug. 09. * Capable of supporting USOS scheduled voice contacts, packet and voice repeater ops. Service Module radios: IORS (Kenwood D710GA) – STATUS - Configured. Default mode is fo packet operations (145.825 MHz up & down) * Powering off for Russian EVA on Aug. 09. OFF TBD . ON TBD. * Capable of supporting ROS scheduled voice contacts, packet, SSTV and voice repeater ops. The latest information on the operation mode can be found at https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html The latest list of frequencies in use can be found at https://www.ariss.org/contact-the-iss.html [ANS thanks Charlie Sufana, AJ9N, one of the ARISS operation team mentors for the above information] -------------------------------------------------------------------- Upcoming Satellite Operations From David, N9KT: I’ll be at the Philmont Scout Ranch activating DM76 on all the satellites from July 19-28 using voice and digital. I’ll be doing demonstrations and training for Radio Merit Badge and hope to be very active on the birds every day. (Ed: David doesn’t appear to be active on Twitter. I’ve suggested hams.at as an outlet for more detailed info as the date(s) draw closer.) I’ll also be trying to activate some grids on the trip out (July 17-18) and back (July 29-30) between Indianapolis and the Philmont Scout Ranch. BI1NJI will be QRV as BI1NJI/3 from ON83 24th through 27th July. FM and IO-117. This is all I know at the moment. He does do Twitter (@YankaiP) and has said that details will follow. [ANS thanks Ian Parsons, K5ZM, AMSAT rover page manager, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events AMSAT Ambassadors provide presentations, demonstrate communicating through amateur satellites, and host information tables at club meetings, hamfests, conventions, maker faires, and other events. + Small Satellite Conference August 5-10, 2023 Utah State University, Logan, UT More information at: https://smallsat.org/ +Northeast HamXposition and ARRL New England Division Convention August 25-27, 2023 Best Western Royal Plaza Hotel Marlboro, MA https://hamxposition.org/ + 41st AMSAT Space Symposium & Annual General Meeting October 20-21, 2023 Sheraton DFW Airport Hotel 4440 W John Carpenter Fwy, Irving, TX 75063 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. [ANS thanks Clint Bradford, K6LCS, and AMSAT for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Satellite Shorts From All Over + From Bruce Paige, KK5DO, (kk5do at arrl.net) "July 25 at 11:59pm is the deadline to get your summary sheets to be scored for this years AMSAT Field Day. I have received very few scores and even fewer pictures this year. Even if you have already submitted your entry, drop me a picture or two with a description." + Philippine cubesats May-5 and Maya-6 have been deployed. The satellites were launched to the International Space Station on June 5 aboard the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) Small Satellite Orbital Deployer-26, and were released from the ISS on July 19. The primary mission of Maya-5 and Maya-6 CubeSats is to provide digital message relay service to the amateur radio community by means of an APRS (Automatic Packet Reporting System) digipeater onboard. The APRS digipeater onboard the CubeSats will use 145.825 MHz for both receive and transmit. Another mission of the cubesats is to demonstrate a data/message store-and-forward (S&F) system in line with the Universal Amateur Radio Text and E-mail messaging. The CubeSats will also carry Commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) cameras which will take images of the participating countries from space for promotional and educational awareness. A downlink on 437.375 MHz and APRS activities on 145.825 MHz have been coordinated. (ANS thanks The Philippine Daily Inquirer and IARU for the above information) + The Order of Malta's Italian Relief Corps (CISOM) Amateur Radio Station - 1A0C will be activated from July 26th to August 2nd at the Magistral Villa on the Aventine (Rome). The Sovereign Military Order of Malta is a separate DXCC entity. Satellite operations are expected on LEO satellites and QO-100. Details to follow (ANS thanks the 1A0C team for the above information) + The Sun's activity is defying forecasts and highlighting how difficult it is to predict the machinations of Earth's nearest star. Space weather can shorten the lifespans of satellites, cause radio blackouts and, in extreme solar storms, bring down power grids. Predictions from 2020 suggested the Sun would reach the peak of its 11-year solar cycle in 2025, and its intensity would be on par with the last cycle. But current observations show its activity could now peak as early as 2024. The current cycle is also on track to be more extreme, with more solar flares, sunspots and activity than the previous one, though not as big as others on record. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is planning to fly two new instruments to space that should help them keep an eye on the Sun in the coming years. A Sun-focused instrument is slated to launch on the GOES-U weather satellite next year, and another instrument will fly in 2025. (ANS thanks Axios Space for the above information) + Congratulations to Joel Weiner, VE6WQ, the 60th recipient of the AMSAT GridMaster Award. The AMSAT GridMaster is awarded to those operators who confirm QSOs with all 488 maidenhead grid squares located within the continental United States. https://www.amsat.org/gridmaster/ (ANS thanks Bruce Paige, KK5DO, AMSAT Director of Contests and Awards for the above information) --------------------------------------------------------------------- Join AMSAT today at https://launch.amsat.org/ In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership to: * Societies (a recognized group, clubs or organization). * Primary and secondary school students are eligible for membership at one-half the standard yearly rate. * Post-secondary school students enrolled in at least half time status shall be eligible for the student rate for a maximum of 6 post-secondary years in this status. * Memberships are available for annual and lifetime terms. Contact info [at] amsat.org for additional membership information. 73 and remember to help Keep Amateur Radio in Space! This week's ANS Editor, Paul Stoetzer, N8HM n8hm [at] amsat.org

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