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ANS-344 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
by Paul Stoetzer 10 Dec '23

10 Dec '23

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-344 In this edition: * Proposal Submitted to ESA for Geostationary Microwave Amateur Payload * ARISS Celebrates 40th Anniversary of Owen Garriott's STS-9 Operation * AMSAT Publishes 2022 Financial Review and IRS Form 990 * Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for December 7, 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-344 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 December 10 Proposal Submitted to ESA for Geostationary Microwave Amateur Payload A proposal has been submitted to the European Space Agency (ESA) by AMSAT-UK, the British Amateur Television Club (BATC), and AMSAT-NA, with input from members of the UK Microwave Group for a geostationary microwave amateur payload with planned coverage of at least part of North America. This proposal was submitted in response to a presentation at the AMSAT-UK Colloquium from Frank Zeppenfeldt, PD0AP, of ESA, who has secured €250,000 in funding to investigate the possibility of an amateur satellite or payload in geostationary orbit. The proposal notes the desire for coverage of all ESA member and cooperating states, but that it is not possible for a satellite in geostationary orbit to cover the entirety of this territory, which ranges from Cyprus at approximately 34 degrees east to western Canada at approximately 141 degrees west and lays out example coverage from three slots: 5 degrees west, 30 degrees west, and 47 degrees west. In a later section, the proposal also discusses two non-geostationary orbit options that could provide the desired coverage: a tundra orbit and a high earth orbit just below the geostationary belt. The amateur radio and educational payload proposed consists of two 5.6 GHz uplink and 10 GHz downlink transponders (Mode C/x) - one 250 kHz wide with 20 watts of output for narrowband modes such as SSB, CW, and narrowband digital mdoes and one 1 MHz wide with 20 watts of output for wideband modes, including amateur television. The transponder design would include an optional SDR block for signal regeneration. Additionally, a 24 GHz receiver would also function as a transponder uplink. The proposal also calls for a 47 or 74 GHz multimode beacon or additional downlink transmitter, an earth-pointing camera with a still image downlink as part of the telemetry or beacon for educational outreach, and a red or near-infrared laser experiment aimed towards Western Europe. All downlink signals would be phase coherent with timing by GPS reference or a chip-scale atomic clock. The full proposal text can be found at https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ESA-GEO-proposal… More information about the ESA opportunity can be found in PD0AP's AMSAT-UK Colloquium presentation at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FTvlEyDa1Y [ANS thanks AMSAT-UK, the British Amateur Television Club (BATC), AMSAT-NA, and the UK Microwave Group for the above information] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ LAST CALL! The 2023 AMSAT President's Club coins are still available! 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 Celebrates 40th Anniversary of Owen Garriott's STS-9 Operation ARISS has been celebrating the 40th anniversary of the first ham in space. On November 28, 1983, the Space Shuttle Columbia lifted off with Owen Garriott, W5LFL. Onboard was a specially customized Motorola MX-340 two meter handheld radio and an antenna that attached to the shuttle's window. Shortly before crossing the west coast on December 1, 1983, Columbia executed a roll manuever that exposed the antenna toward earth and W5LFL began to call CQ. At 02:38 UTC, Lance Collister, WA1JXN, in Frenchtown, MT answered his CQ and made the first amateur radio QSO with a human in space. A rush of QSOs followed over the next several days before Columbia returned to Earth on December 8th. Among the amateur operators in the log were Senator Barry Goldwater, K7UGA, and King Hussein of Jordan, JY1. Videos including QSOs from orbit have been posted to the ARISS YouTube page at https://www.youtube.com/@ARISSlive/videos On December 7th, ARISS hosted a webinar with Owen's son, Richard Garriott, W5KWQ, who later operated the amateur radio station aboard the International Space Station. An archived video of the webinar can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ys0Jjn40Y_A During the webinar, ARISS International Chair Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, announced that Richard Garriott would be the keynote speaker at ARISS's 40th anniversary celebration event in February 2024. Details for this event can be found at https://www.ariss.org/overview.html Additionally, in celebration of the STS-9 mission, ARISS teams worldwide have come together to prepare an SSTV event. SSTV from the ISS will be sent on 145.800 MHz using the PD120 format. Transmissions are scheduled to begin on December 16th at 10:15 UTC and end on December 19th at around 18:00 UTC. Melissa Gaskill, a science author from Austin, Texas, has written a comprehensive review about the 40-year history of amateur radio in space. In her article, "Ham Radio in Space: Engaging with Students Worldwide for 40 Years," Gaskill explores the Shuttle Amateur Radio Experiment (SAREX), which is now known as Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS). The article can be found at https://www.nasa.gov/missions/station/iss-research/ham-radio-in-space-engag… Gaskill said that while she wrote the article, she is not an expert on thesubject but there are many who are including Kenneth Ransom, N5VHO, International Space Station (ISS) Ham Project Coordinator since 2004. Ransom said that amateur radio in space was a possibility even before 1983, when Astronaut Owen Garriott, W5LFL (SK), made history during the STS-9 Space Shuttle Columbia mission with the first amateur radio contact from space. NASA had been looking for ways to bring amateur radio to Skylab (a space station designed as an orbiting workshop for scientific research) and even the moon. [ANS thanks ARISS and the ARRL for the above information] ------------------------------------------------------------------- AMSAT Publishes 2022 Financial Review and IRS Form 990 AMSAT has posted its IRS Form 990 and 2022 Financial Review on the AMSAT website at https://www.amsat.org/audit-and-other-financial-reports/ AMSAT publishes its financial statements as reviewed by an independent accountant as part of its commitment to transparency regarding its financial status with its membership and donors. In 2022, AMSAT had total revenue of $306,801 and total expenses of $129,261. As of December 31, 2022, AMSAT reported net assets totaling $1,494,470. In the decade between 2012 and 2022, AMSAT's reserves increased by nearly 250% while designing, constructing, and launching five Fox-1 satellites and working on several other projects, including GOLF, Fox Plus, the Linear Transponder Module, and the AMSAT CubeSatSim. AMSAT thanks its membership and donors for their generous support over the years. Keeping amateur radio in space is an endeavor that requires significant financial resources. Despite the currently healthy status of AMSAT's finances, spending on hardware acquisitions for construction of GOLF and Fox Plus is expected to ramp up over the coming year, so please consider a donation if you are able. AMSAT is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, so your contributions may be tax deductible. If you need to make a Required Minimum Distribution from a retirement account by the end of the year, please also consider making a donation to AMSAT from your RMD. Donations may be made at https://www.amsat.org/donate/ AMSAT also needs donations of time from interested volunteers with both technical and non-technical skills. Please visit https://www.amsat.org/volunteer-for-amsat/ and consider volunteering for AMSAT. [ANS thanks AMSAT 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 December 7, 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/ HADES-D may not be correctly associated with its object number; use TLEs with caution. The following satellites have been added to this week's AMSAT-NA TLE distribution: EIRSAT-1 NORAD Cat ID 58472 IARU coordinated downlink on 437.100 MHz ENSO NORAD Cat ID 58470 IARU coordinated downlink on 436.500 MHz and beacon at 14.099 MHz The following satellites have been removed from this week's AMSAT-NA TLE distribution: CTIM NORAD Cat ID 52950 Decayed from orbit on or about 4 December 2023 Move-IIb NORAD Cat ID 44398 Decayed from orbit on or about 4 December 2023 [ANS thanks Joe Fitzgerald, KM1P, AMSAT Orbital Elements Manager, for the above information] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Want to fly the colors on your own grid expedition? Get your AMSAT car flag and other neat stuff from our Zazzle store! 25% of the purchase price of each product goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ ARISS News Amateurs and others around the world may listen in on contacts between amateurs operating in schools and allowing students to interact with astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station. The downlink frequency on which to listen is 145.800 MHz worldwide. Quick list of scheduled contacts and events: Harbor Creek School, Harborcreek, PA, direct via KC3SGV The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The downlink frequency is presently scheduled to be 145.800 MHz The scheduled crewmember is Andreas Mogensen KG5GCZ The ARISS mentor is KD8COJ Contact is go for: Mon 2023-12-11 13:45:04 UTC 46 deg Watch for Livestream at https://www.youtube.com/@AdvancedTechnologiesGroup Obninsk, 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 Konstantin Borisov The ARISS mentor is RV3DR Contact is go for Wed 2023-12-13 09:15 UTC Primary School of Zipari Kos, Zipari, Greece, direct via SV5BYR The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS The downlink frequency is presently scheduled to be 145.800 MHz The scheduled crewmember is Andreas Mogensen KG5GCZ The ARISS mentor is IKØWGF Contact is go: Thu 2023-12-14 13:17:31 UTC 26 deg( Watch for Livestream at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVW_nsutRMEfS2e8tURrltw and also at https://linktr.ee/zipariss2023 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). * Capable of supporting USOS scheduled voice contacts, packet and voice repeater ops. Service Module radios: IORS (Kenwood D710GA) – STATUS - Temporarily stowed. Default mode is for packet operations (145.825 MHz up & down) * Capable of supporting ROS scheduled voice contacts, packet, SSTV and voice repeater ops. SSTV (Kenwood D710) – STATUS - OFF. Default mode is for scheduled SSTV operations (145.800 MHz down) * Next planned operation date(s): 40th Anniversary of STS 9 (PD120 mode) - Schedule is Dec. 16 at 10:15 UTC | 5:15 AM ET through Dec. 19 around 1800 UTC | 1:00 PM ET. * Specifically configured for SSTV ops. The latest information on the operation mode can be found at https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html The latest list of frequencies in use can be found at https://www.ariss.org/contact-the-iss.html [ANS thanks Charlie Sufana, AJ9N, one of the ARISS operation team mentors for the above information] -------------------------------------------------------------------- Upcoming Satellite Operations No scheduled operations are listed at this time. A growing number of satellite rovers are currently engaged in sharing their grid square activations on https://hams.at. By visiting the website, you gain easy access to comprehensive information about the operators responsible for activating specific grid squares. Additionally, you have the ability to assess the match score between yourself and a particular rover for a given pass, while also being able to identify the upcoming satellite passes that are accessible from your location. [ANS thanks Ian Parsons, K5ZM, AMSAT rover page manager, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 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 + EB1AO reports the successful telecommand of AMSAT Spain's HADES-D satellite. A test of the FM transponder is expected to follow. + The Russian resupply mission to the International Spacee Station, Progress MS-25, launched on Dec. 1 and then had to be manually docked due to issues with its automated rendezvous system. Cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko, RN3DX, and Nikolai Chub, monitoring the approach from the station's Zvezda module, took over by remote control at the direction of Russian flight controllers and deftly guided the vehicle in for docking early on Dec. 3. (ANS thanks CBS News for the above information) + Hubble temporarily took a break from science operations while NASA investigates faulty readings from one of its gyroscopes, just as the telescope hit 30 years on from STS-61, the mission that corrected its optics and brought the iconic space telescope to full operation. On December 8th, Hubble returned to science operations with all three of its gyroscopes operational and the spacecraft healthy. (ANS thanks The Orbital Index and NASA for the above information) + With moderate coronal mass ejections (CMEs) inbound and our Sun heading into its solar maximum faster than anticipated, it’s an excellent time to watch for auroras. However, the Space Weather Prediction Center of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) warns that the geomagnetic storms pose risks of increased atmospheric drag and other risks for Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites. (ANS thanks The Orbital Index and NOAA 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-337 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins for December 3, 2003
by Frank Karnauskas (N1UW) 03 Dec '23

03 Dec '23

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-337 In this edition: * Update on AMSAT's Participation in ESA Geostationary Project * September/October 2023 Edition of The AMSAT Journal Available * ISS Resupply Will Interrupt ARISS Activity * ISS SSTV Event December 7-8, 2023 * VUCC & DXCC Satellite Standing December 2023 * Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for December 1, 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-337 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 DEC 03 Update on AMSAT's Participation in ESA Geostationary Project Following the recent AMSAT Symposium where David Bowman, G0MRF, presented information on the ESA Geostationary payload investigation, an offer was extended to AMSAT to participate with AMSAT-UK in developing a proposal for submittal to ESA. AMSAT Director and Vice President - Operations Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA, volunteered on short notice to represent AMSAT in these initial discussions. An additional Canadian AMSAT representative is desired and welcome to participate in future meetings and discussions. After a meeting on November 26th, an initial proposal to ESA was being finalized for submittal on December 4th. More information will be forthcoming soon. [ANS thanks AMSAT Director and Vice President - Operations Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA, for the above information.] --------------------------------------------------------------------- September/October 2023 Edition of The AMSAT Journal Available AMSAT members can now go to the member portal (https://launch.amsat.org/) and download the latest edition on The AMSAT Journal. The AMSAT Journal is published online in full-color. This edition is 38 pages jam-packed with the latest updates on key AMSAT projects. Topics in this issue include: - Apogee View - Robert Bankston, KE4AL, AMSAT President - AMSAT Awards Update - Bruce Paige, KK5DO, AMSAT Awards Manager - Education and CubeSat Simulator Update - Alan Johnston, KU2Y, AMSAT VP, Educational Relations - PACSAT BBS Operations - Chris Thompson, G0KLA/AC2CZ/VE2TCP - PACSAT Software Architecture - Chris Thompson, G0KLA/AC2CZ/VE2TCP and Burns Fisher, WB1FJ - ARISS Update - Dave Taylor, W8AAS - Engineering Update - Jerry Buxton, N0JY; Jonathan Brandenburg, KF5IDY; Zach Metzinger, N0ZGO Attention AMSAT members: You should receive an email alert that a new edition of The AMSAT Journal is available. If you are not receiving that email, it means your email is not on file in out membership system. You can add or update your email information by logging in the member portal (https://launch.amsat.org/) and updating your profile. If you have trouble doing this, please write info[at]amsat[dot]org and we will assist you. [ANS thanks AMSAT for the above information.] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ LAST CALL for 2023 AMSAT President's Club Coins! The year is almost over and, when it is, the 2023 coins will no longer be available. 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/ +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ ISS Resupply Will Interrupt ARISS Activity NASA will provide live launch and docking coverage of the Roscosmos Progress 86 cargo spacecraft carrying about three tons of food, fuel, and supplies for the Expedition 70 crew aboard the International Space Station. The unpiloted spacecraft is scheduled to launch on Friday, December 1,2023 at 09:25 UTC (4:25 A.M. EST) on a Soyuz rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. NASA coverage will begin at 4 A.M. on the NASA+ streaming service via the web <https://plus.nasa.gov/> or the NASA app <https://www.nasa.gov/connect/apps.html>. The Progress spacecraft will be placed into a two-day, 34-orbit journey to the station, leading to an automatic docking to the Poisk module at 6:14 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 3. Coverage of rendezvous and docking will begin at 5:30 a.m. on NASA Television and the agency's website. As always, all amateur radio activity 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.] --------------------------------------------------------------------- * ISS SSTV Event December 7-8, 2023 Russian cosmonauts on the International Space Station (ISS) are planning to transmit Slow Scan TV (SSTV) images on 145.800 MHz FM probably using the SSTV mode PD-120. The transmissions are part of the Moscow Aviation Institute SSTV experiment (MAI-75) and will be made from the amateur radio station RS0ISS in the Russian ISS Service module (Zvezda) using a Kenwood TM-D710E transceiver. It appears the theme for this session will highlight one of MAI's cosmonaut graduates - Yuri Usachov. Currently scheduled days and times are: Thu 2023-12-07 08:55 UTC to 14:25 UTC Fri 2023-12-08 08:15 UTC to 14:10 UTC Days and times are subject to change due to the operational requirements of the ISS. Reminder - No ARISS award will be available for this session since it is not transmitted globally. [ANS thanks Charlie Sufana, AJ9N, one of the ARISS operation team mentors 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/ +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ VUCC & DXCC Satellite Standing December 2023 + VUCC Satellite Award/Endorsement Change Summary for November 01, 2023 to December 01, 2023. KO4MA 1933 2000 K8DP 1575 1581 AA5PK 1382 1404 N8RO 1368 1384 DL2GRC 1004 1108 DF2ET 1000 1102 KF7R 1050 1075 PS8ET 925 1000 K9UO 926 950 KE8RJU 905 950 OZ9AAR 800 900 EA2AA 825 856 KQ4DO 808 827 W8LR 818 825 FG8OJ 639 737 HB9AOF 604 725 KS1G 655 703 WA6DNR 457 605 JL1SAM 511 601 W0NBC 437 563 JG6CDH 515 553 A65BR 513 532 XE1UYS 327 505 IK3ITB 400 500 IK7FMQ 453 500 N3CAL 435 471 N6RVI 100 380 SA0UNX 205 362 JR0GAS 250 360 AD2DD 261 356 KG4AKV 254 355 HC2FG 276 350 N6PAZ 326 342 DK3ZL New 319 KB8CR New 301 AL7ID New 261 K6VHF 201 250 N7GR 179 205 K9JKM 114 201 JF3MKC 175 200 JI5RPT/1 101 200 K9AQ 109 200 WD9EWK (DM45) 160 165 N4QX 152 157 AA0DW New 141 N6UTC (DM15) New 126 JF1CDX New 105 KT6CA New 103 W3TI 101 103 NJ2DX New 100 Congratulations to the new VUCC holders. AL7ID is first VUCC Satellite holder from BP64 + DXCC Satellite Award/Endorsement Change Summary for November 01, 2023 to December 01, 2023. OE9DGV 208 210 F6BKI 203 207 YO2CMI 169 173 ZS1LS 153 160 EA2AA 152 154 DL6GBM 125 152 HB9RYZ 137 139 LA6OP 123 136 SP3AU 130 136 DL9RAN 100 125 FG8OJ 111 114 SM2OAN 100 109 CT1ETE New 104 TF1A 100 102 JA0FSB New 101 K9UO 100 101 EA5RM New 100 KB9STR New 100 KN2K New 100 LA0FA New 100 N0JE New 100 Congratulations to the new DXCC Satellite holders. KN2K is first DXCC Satellite holder from VA [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 December 1, 2023 The following satellite has been removed from this week's AMSAT-NA TLE distribution: NEUDOSE NORAD Cat ID 56315 Decayed from orbit on or about 28 November 2023 The following satellites have been added to this week's AMSAT-NA TLE distribution: HADES-D NORAD Cat ID 58294 IARU coordinated downlink on 436.666 MHz VERONIKA NORAD Cat ID 58261 IARU coordinated downlink on 436.680 MHz KAFASAT NORAD Cat ID 58317 IARU coordinated downlinks 435.835 MHz and 2404.400 MHz AMSAT thanks Nico Janssen for positively identifying these spacecraft and associating them with object numbers. 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/ [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. + Upcoming Contacts Carl-Maria-von-Weber-Schule Eutin, Eutin, Germany, direct via DKØOH/Telebridge and Gymnasium in Loekamp, Marl, Germany, telebridge via DKØOH. The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS. The scheduled crewmember is Andreas Mogensen, KG5GCZ. The ARISS mentor is IN3GH. Contact is go for Monday, December 4, 2023 at 11:36 UTC. Orangeburg Christian Academy, Orangeburg, SC, direct via N7GZT. The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS. The scheduled crewmember is Jasmin Moghbeli, KI5WSL. The ARISS mentor is KD8COJ. Contact is go for Tuesday, December 5, 2023 at 15:19 UTC. Watch for Livestream at https://www.facebook.com/orangeburgchristianacademy Obninsk, Russia, direct via TBD. The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS. The scheduled crewmember is Konstantin Borisov. The ARISS mentor is RV3DR. Contact is go for Wednesday, December 13, 2023 at 09:15 UTC. + Completed Contacts Gagarin From Space Performance Of An Amateur Radio Communication Session With Pupils Of Schools Of Aznakaevsky District Of The Republic Of Kazakhstan. Tatarstan, Russia, direct via RC4P. The ISS callsign was RSØISS. The crewmember was Konstantin Borisov. The ARISS mentor was RV3DR. Contact was successful on November 25, 2023 at 14:08 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. As always, if there is an EVA, a docking, or an undocking; the ARISS radios are turned off as part of the safety protocol. Note, all times are approximate. It is recommended that you do your own orbital prediction or start listening about 10 minutes before the listed time. The latest information on the operation mode can be found at https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html The latest list of frequencies in use can be found at https://www.ariss.org/contact-the-iss.html [ANS thanks Charlie Sufana, AJ9N, one of the ARISS operation team mentors for the above information.] -------------------------------------------------------------------- Upcoming Satellite Operations None scheduled at this time. A growing number of satellite rovers are currently engaged in sharing their grid square activations on https://hams.at. By visiting the website, you gain easy access to comprehensive information about the operators responsible for activating specific grid squares. Additionally, you have the ability to assess the match score between yourself and a particular rover for a given pass, while also being able to identify the upcoming satellite passes that are accessible from your location. [ANS thanks Ian Parsons, K5ZM, AMSAT Rover Page Manager, for the above information.] --------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 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 + Eirsat-11 was successfully launched on Friday, December 1, 2023 from Florida aboard a Space X ride. On the first pass over Europe EIRSAT-1 was almost 10 minutes late on the preliminary TLE set and almost 4 minutes early on the projected TLE set. The launch team will try to develop better parameters. Since this was a classified launch, TLEs may not be published by he usual sources, so the team will have to develop its own TLE set. [ANS thanks Nico Janssen, PA0DLO, for the above information.] + A fascinating article describes the development of the CubeSat standard by AMSAT member Bob Twiggs, KE6QMD, and co-inventor Jordi Puig-Suari, an aerospace engineering professor at California Polytechnic State University. Searching for a way to simplify the projects—and cut out build time — Twiggs thought, “What if we made [the satellite] a cube and put solar cells on all sides so no matter which way it rotated, it was going to get charged?” With some spare solar cells from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, he went down to a local shop and found a 4 X 4 X 4-in. transparent box. It was also around that time—in 1999—that an infamous error caught Twiggs’ attention. That year a mix-up between Imperial and metric units by a Lockheed Martin engineering team caused NASA’s Mars Climate Orbiter to burn up in the red planet’s atmosphere, ending the mission early. “I said, ‘It’s about time students learn metric,’” he says. “I wonder what this [4-in. box] is in metric? Well, it turned out to be just almost 10 cm.” Read the entire article at https://tinyurl.com/ANS-337-Twiggs. [ANS thanks Aviation Week Network for the above information.] + An innovative experiment flying aboard NASA’s Psyche mission just hit its first major milestone by successfully carrying out the most distant demonstration of laser communications. The tech demo could one day help NASA missions probe deeper into space and uncover more discoveries about the origin of the universe. The experiment beamed a laser encoded with data from far beyond the moon for the first time. The test data was sent from nearly 10 million miles (16 million kilometers) away and reached the Hale Telescope at the California Institute of Technology’s Palomar Observatory in Pasadena, California. Read the entire article at https://tinyurl.com/ANS-337-Laser. [ANS thanks CNN.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, Frank Karnauskas, N1UW n1uw [at] amsat [dot] org

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ANS-330 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins for Nov.26
by Mark Johns, K0JM 26 Nov '23

26 Nov '23

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-330 In this edition: * Happy 10th Birthday FUNcube-1 (AO-73) * AMSAT Servers Back In Service After Brief Outage * HERON Mk. II Reaches Orbit * Starship Flies Higher * ITU RS-23 Adopts Resolution for Space Spectrum * Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for November 24 * 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-330 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 Nov 26 Happy 10th Birthday FUNcube-1 (AO-73) November 21, 2023, marks the tenth birthday of our very first CubeSat mission, FUNcube-1 (AO-73). A very short time after the launch from Yasny in Russia and within a few minutes from deployment, the very first frame of data from the low power transmitter on board, was detected and decoded by ZS1LS in South Africa. He was able to relay the data over the internet from his Dashboard to the Data Warehouse and the numbers, appeared, as if by magic, at the launch party being held at the RSGB National Radio Centre at Bletchley Park. After a very brief check out, the FUNcube team were able to switch the transmitter to full power, again at the very first attempt, and were quite amazed at the strength of the signal from the 300mW transmitter on 145.935 MHz. The transponder was then switched on and successfully tested, the first contact was between G6LVB and M5AKA who were both operating from the Bletchley Park car park. The team finished the day with a request to AMSAT-NA for an Oscar number and were delighted to receive the AO73 Oscar 73 designation! Since then, FUNcube-1, with a launch mass of less than 1kg, has operated continuously with only a very few interruptions. In excess of 53,500 orbits, 1.3 billion miles travelled, 61 million telemetry data packets transmitted, and with more than 10.9 million unique data packets downloaded and stored in the Data Warehouse. The FUNcube team still receive many requests for Fitter message uploads for school events…please contact us by email to operations(a)funcube.org.uk giving us at least two weeks notice. The FUNcube team continue to be very grateful to all the many stations around the world that continue to upload the telemetry that they receive to our Data Warehouse. They really need this data to provide a continuous resource for educational outreach. FUNcube Data Warehouse and the Dashboard software https://funcube.org.uk/working-documents/funcube-telemetry-dashboard/ FUNcube email group https://groups.io/g/FUNcube FUNcube Website http://www.funcube.org.uk/ [ANS thanks AMSAT-UK 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 Servers Back In Service After Brief Outage At approximately 21:04 UTC Tuesday November 21, our vendor Linode detected a failing disk on the hardware that runs our web, telemetry, source code control and Echolink servers and began to effect emergency data protection operations. AMSAT's Engineering department is clearly working hard, because within 10 minutes they alerted the AMSAT IT department that they were having trouble accessing the server that holds the source code for our satellite projects. Meanwhile Linode proceeded to "evacuate" our servers from the failing hardware, and migrated them to new hardware. All services were restored by approximately 21:20 UTC and the servers appear to be happily settling in to their new home. There is no sign of any data loss, but as always if you see anything out of the ordinary please write webmaster(a)amsat.org [ANS thanks Joe Fitzgerald, KM1P, of the AMSAT IT Team 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/ +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ HERON Mk. II Reaches Orbit The University of Toronto Aerospace Team (UTAT) Space Systems’ HERON Mk. II satellite lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, aboard a Falcon 9 rocket of the SpaceX Transporter-9 mission. As a rideshare mission to space, the Transporter-9 delivered HERON Mk. II — alongside 89 other small satellites — to an orbit approximately 540 kilometres above Earth’s surface. Marking the culmination of nearly a decade of work by student Space Systems engineers, the HERON Mk. II’s path to the launch pad was one of dedication and perseverance. The UTAT are a team composed primarily of engineering students that designs and builds small satellites known as CubeSats. Team’s first satellite, HERON Mk. I — short for Human Experiment Relay On Nanosatellite — was a CubeSat developed from 2014–2016. For various reasons, the project did not end in a launch opportunity, and so HERON Mk. I was retired. Since our team was performing work that required members to be on campus, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted our original spacecraft assembly plans. Any organization wishing to send a satellite into space and communicate with it via radio waves first needs to obtain the appropriate radio frequency (RF) licenses from Innovation Science and Economic Development Canada. Unfortunately, the process of obtaining these licenses for the HERON Mk. II satellite took significantly longer than expected and delayed the launch. Because of the delay, the team was forced to abandon the original biological mission. Therefore, the team decided to shift the primary focus of the HERON Mk. II mission toward validating UTAT Space Systems’ RF communications capabilities and providing amateur radio and satellite operations experience to our members. While waiting for the frequency licenses to be issued, a group of our teammates began designing an amateur ultra-high frequency (UHF) ground station. This is the apparatus that allows us to communicate with HERON Mk. II from the ground, via radio waves at a frequency of 437.12 megahertz. Now fully operational, the ground station currently resides on the sixth-floor roof of the Bahen Centre for Information Technology. In September, a few team members travelled to Spaceflight’s facilities in Bellevue, Washington, where they placed HERON Mk. II inside its deployer that would later be mounted inside the Falcon 9 rocket for the SpaceX Transporter-9 mission. Once the Falcon 9 rocket reached its intended orbit in space, HERON Mk. II was ejected from the rocket at 3:04 pm EST, and soon deployed its UHF antenna. The UHF antenna plays a crucial role in preventing any electromagnetic interference with the other satellites, which might otherwise distort the signals sent between HERON Mk. II and the ground station. During the initial commissioning period, we will be actively trying to establish the first communications via the ground station. Afterward, HERON Mk. II will begin a year of regular operations during which the team will regularly monitor the satellite’s health. The lessons learned from mission operations and monitoring the satellite’s health will inform the development of future satellite missions undertaken by UTAT Space Systems. With the launch of HERON Mk. II, UTAT Space Systems has lowered the barrier to entry for space programs even further by becoming the first organization in Canada to receive the entirety of its satellite development funding from a student levy. This marks yet another paradigm shift in the industry, demonstrating that students are capable of sourcing their own space mission funding, rather than solely relying on government grants or commercial sponsorships. From an educational perspective, the HERON Mk. II mission will enable team members to learn more about satellite operations and amateur radio and to gain knowledge that will carry forward to UTAT Space Systems’ future missions. [ANS thanks The Varsity, student newspaper of the University of Toronto, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Starship Flies Higher Seven long months after Starship’s first integrated flight test in April, Ship 25 launched atop Booster 9 on a second test flight, again targeting a ballistic trajectory with a planned splashdown north of Hawai’i. This time, all 33 Raptor 2 engines on Booster 9 completed a full first-stage burn, producing a 300-meter-long exhaust plume and roughly twice the thrust of any other object flown by humanity. The 121-meter monster rocket also completed what appeared to be a successful hot stage separation, with B9 shutting down all but three of its Raptors (which were throttled to 50%) followed by S25’s six engines starting up to push the ship away from the booster. Hot staging reduces gravity losses and keeps the upper stage continuously under thrust for fuel settling. After stage separation, B9 completed a somewhat vigorous flip and, perhaps due to propellant slosh or damage, had trouble relighting its Raptor engines. (Engines that ingest tank pressurization gas instead of propellant generally end up functioning quite destructively.) After several “high energy” events at the aft end of Booster 9, an explosion originating from its common bulkhead rapidly disassembled the booster. After separation, Starship’s upper stage burned until seconds before entering its planned coast phase—climbing to an altitude of 148 km and over 6.7 km/s, reaching space and very nearly hitting orbital velocity. However, S25 appeared to trigger its automated flight termination system during terminal guidance, possibly due to a leak in its oxygen tank—debris from the explosion were caught on NOAA radar extending past Puerto Rico. The thermal protection system (TPS) made up of 18,000 tiles, appeared to lose a significant number of tiles during the launch, especially ones that were glued on near weld points, making the ship unlikely to have survived reentry even if the flight had made it that far. S28’s TPS tiles are said to have an improved adhesion process that has been tested with a suction cup plus force meter to verify attachment. One additional clear success was the performance of SpaceX’s much improved “stage zero”—the water deluge system appeared undamaged and very little other damage and debris have been spotted by ever-vigilant tank watchers. Due to a complete loss of both stages, the FAA will conduct another mishap investigation, although many hope it will be significantly more streamlined due to the improved FTS functionality and better performance of the launch system—in particular, the Fish and Wildlife Service may not be involved this time. The always-optimistic Musk suggests a next test flight for Starship in 3-4 weeks, and with plenty of hardware waiting in the wings (S28 and B10 are likely up next), the timeline will probably be determined yet again by the mishap investigation and mitigation process. NASA seems keen to get on with it though as the agency believes its lunar lander mission may take up to 20 Starship launches [ANS thanks The Orbital Index for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- ITU RA-23 Adopts Resolution for Space Spectrum The ITU Radiocommunication Assembly 2023 (RA-23), a precursor to the World Radiocommunication Conference, WRC-23, wrapped up on November 17 with a lot of new resolutions covering 6G standards, sustainable usage of space spectrum and gender equality. RA-23, which was held last week in Dubai, adopted the new Recommendation ITU-R M. 2160 on the “IMT-2030 Framework," which sets the basis for development of 6G, a.k.a. IMT-2030. The next phase will be the definition of relevant requirements and evaluation criteria for potential radio interface technologies. The assembly also adopted a a new resolution on space sustainability to facilitate the long-term sustainable use of radio spectrum and associated satellite orbit resources used by space services, in in accordance with Resolution 219 (Bucharest, 2022). The ITU says this resolution will benefit the satellite sector and support further cooperation with other United Nations organizations. RA-23 also finished a new ITU-R Recommendation on the protection of the radio navigation-satellite service and amateur satellite services, and adopted a a new resolution on the use of IMT technologies for fixed wireless broadband. The assembly also agreed to revise ITU-R Resolution 65 to facilitate studies looking at the compatibility of current regulations with potential 6G IMT radio interface technologies for 2030 and beyond. Resolution ITU-R 8-3 was also revised to promote the participation of engineers and scientists from developing countries in radiowave propagation campaigns in tropical and subtropical regions with limited data monitoring. The RA-23 resolutions arrive just ahead of WRC-23, which commenced November 20 in Dubai and will run until 15 December 2023. Hot items on the agenda include the ongoing battle between the satellite and mobile sectors for 5G spectrum, especially as non-terrestrial networks become part of 3GPP’s 5G standards, the development of direct-to-device satellite services, and revisiting rules about satellite power limits for LEO satellites, to name a few. To learn more about the WRC-23, visit https://www.itu.int/wrc-23/about/about-wrcs/. [ANS thanks DevelopingTelecoms.com 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 November 24 Two Line Elements or TLEs, often referred to as Keplerian elements or keps in the amateur community, are the inputs to the SGP4 standard mathematical model of spacecraft orbits used by most amateur tracking programs. Weekly updates are completely adequate for most amateur satellites. TLE bulletin files are updated daily in the first hour of the UTC day. New bulletin files will be posted immediately after reliable elements become available for new amateur satellites. More information may be found at https://www.amsat.org/keplerian-elements-resources/. 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. COMPLETED CONTACT: National Research Lobachevsky State University of Nizhny Novgorod (UNN), Nizhny Novgorod, direct via UB1QBM. The ISS callsign was RSØISS, and the crewmember was Konstantin Borisov. The ARISS mentor was RV3DR. Contact was successful at Wed 2023-11-22 16:40 UTC. Congratulations to the National Research Lobachevsky State University of Nizhny Novgorod students, Konstantin, and mentor RV3DR! Note that due to the recent debris avoidance maneuver, that was performed on Nov. 10, some of the pass times have significantly shifted. It is suggested that you use the very latest Kep data. The crossband repeater continues to be active (145.990 MHz up {PL 67} & 437.800 MHz down). If any crewmember is so inclined, all they have to do is pick up the microphone, raise the volume up, and talk on the crossband repeater. So give a listen, you just never know. The packet system is also active (145.825 MHz up & down). As always, if there is an EVA, a docking, or an undocking; the ARISS radios are turned off as part of the safety protocol. Note, all times are approximate. It is recommended that you do your own orbital prediction or start listening about 10 minutes before the listed time. The latest information on the operation mode can be found at https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html The latest list of frequencies in use can be found at https://www.ariss.org/contact-the-iss.html [ANS thanks Charlie Sufana, AJ9N, one of the ARISS operation team mentors for the above information] -------------------------------------------------------------------- Upcoming Satellite Operations None scheduled at this time. A growing number of satellite rovers are currently engaged in sharing their grid square activations on https://hams.at. By visiting the website, you gain easy access to comprehensive information about the operators responsible for activating specific grid squares. Additionally, you have the ability to assess the match score between yourself and a particular rover for a given pass, while also being able to identify the upcoming satellite passes that are accessible from your location. [ANS thanks Ian Parsons, K5ZM, AMSAT rover page manager, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. None scheduled at this time. [ANS thanks the AMSAT Events page for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Satellite Shorts From All Over + EIRSAT-1 is expected to launch on a Space X Falcon 9 rocket from the Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, USA, on November 29, 2023. It will have a downlink on the IARU coordinated frequency of 437.100 MHz, see https://iaru.amsat-uk.org/finished_detail.php?serialnum=639. Information on the beacon can be found at https://github.com/ucd-eirsat-1/beacon. EIRSAT-1 was built by students from University College Dublin under the framework of ESA Academy’s Fly Your Satellite! programme (FYS). (ANS thanks AMSAT-UK for the above information) + The European Space Agency conducted a long-duration firing of an Ariane 6 prototype Nov. 23, one of the final tests before the agency is ready to set a date for the rocket’s inaugural launch. ESA said Ariane 6 “passed” the test in a statement shortly afterwards, describing it as a “seven-minute full firing” of the engine, rather than the nearly eight minutes advertised beforehand. (ANS thanks SpaceNews.com for the above information) + The tool bag recently lost by NASA astronauts during a spacewalk is now orbiting Earth and is surprisingly visible to stargazers. The object can appear as bright as a 6th-magnitude star. The tool bag changes slightly in brightness, suggesting the object is tumbling as it orbits our planet. Although the tool bag was ahead of the International Space Station (ISS) by about a minute or two shortly after the incident, it is gradually appearing farther ahead of the ISS as it loses altitude. By mid-November, the tool bag should be ahead by about ten minutes. (ANS thanks EarthSky.org for the above information) + With the Sun in the way of our messages, Curiosity and Perseverance, along with Ingenuity, MRO, Odyssey, and MAVEN, are hunkered down during the Mars solar conjunction communication blackout. Curiosity has now spent 4,000 sols exploring the red planet and has driven 32 km. (ANS thanks The Orbital Index for the above information) --------------------------------------------------------------------- Join AMSAT today at https://launch.amsat.org/ In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership to: * Societies (a recognized group, clubs or organization). * Primary and secondary school students are eligible for membership at one-half the standard yearly rate. * Post-secondary school students enrolled in at least half time status shall be eligible for the student rate for a maximum of 6 post-secondary years in this status. * Memberships are available for annual and lifetime terms. Contact info [at] amsat.org for additional membership information. 73 and remember to help Keep Amateur Radio in Space! This week's ANS Editor, Mark Johns, KØJM k0jm [at] amsat.org

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ANS-323 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
by Mitch Ahrenstorff (AD0HJ) 19 Nov '23

19 Nov '23

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-323 In this edition: * 2023 AMSAT Space Symposium & Annual General Meeting Proceedings Now Available * SpaceX Launches Ninth Rideshare Mission: Over 100 Satellites Deployed with Falcon 9 * AMSAT-EA's HADES-D Satellite Awaiting Deployment from ION Orbital Transfer Vehicle * ROM-3 Romanian High School Team's Satellite Soars to Success in Latest SpaceX Launch * Veronika: Spacemanic's Pink CubeSat Successfully Launches Aboard SpaceX Transporter-9 * Satellite Top 100 Rovers November 2023 Rankings * Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for November 17, 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-323 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 NOV 19 2023 AMSAT Space Symposium & Annual General Meeting Proceedings Now Available AMSAT has announced that the 2023 AMSAT Space Symposium & Annual General Meeting Proceedings are now available online. AMSAT members may access both the Symposium Proceedings and Presentations by logging into their AMSAT Membership and Event Portal account (https://launch.amsat.org/), selecting 'Member Resources' from the options on the top of the page, and then 'AMSAT Symposium Proceedings'. Click on the '2023' box to the left of 'Irving, Texas - Sheraton DFW...' to access this year's Symposium Proceedings or the 'Presentations' box to the right of this line to access the Presentations slides in Adobe Acrobat PDF format. For a real blast from the past, check out Symposium Proceedings going all the way back to 1986 under the same 'AMSAT Symposium Proceedings' webpage. Direct links to the Symposium Proceedings, Presentations, and YouTube livestreams were also recently mailed to AMSAT members and are also included below for your convenience. 2023 AMSAT Symposium Proceedings: https://launch.amsat.org/resources/Documents/Proceedings/AMSAT_Proceedings_… 2023 AMSAT Symposium Presentations: https://launch.amsat.org/resources/Documents/Proceedings/AMSAT_Presentation… 2023 AMSAT Symposium Livestream Day One: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcO4-h7bbxs 2023 AMSAT Symposium Livestream Day Two: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzKKHTBxyY8 Thank you to all who attended the 2023 AMSAT Space Symposium & Annual General Meeting. We hope you had a great time at this year's event and look forward to seeing you next fall in Florida. If you could not make it to Texas this year, we hope to see you next year! [ANS thanks AMSAT for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- SpaceX Launches Ninth Rideshare Mission: Over 100 Satellites Deployed with Falcon 9 In another milestone for SpaceX's rideshare program, the aerospace company successfully launched its ninth dedicated smallsat rideshare mission, dubbed Transporter-9, from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on November 11. The Falcon 9 rocket carrying the payload lifted off at 18:49 UTC (10:49 p.m. PST), with the booster making a return to the launch site approximately seven and a half minutes after liftoff. This particular booster had already seen action on eleven previous missions, including Transporter-8 back in June. The mission, lasting around half an hour, saw the deployment of 90 payloads, though initial confirmations of successful deployment were lacking for several satellites. Those payloads included several orbital transfer vehicles that will later deploy their satellites. Overall, the launch added more than 110 satellites to the ever-growing constellation in low Earth orbit. Leading the pack in terms of payload contributions was Planet, with 36 of its Dove imaging CubeSats, collectively named Flock 4Q. It also flew Pelican-1, a tech demo satellite for its future Pelican and Tanager high-resolution and hyperspectral imaging satellites. Spire, specializing in weather and vessel tracking data, joined other satellite constellation operators on Transporter-9. Their satellite set featured three GHGSat satellites, one of which became the first commercial satellite dedicated to tracking carbon dioxide emissions. Additionally, synthetic aperture radar imaging companies Iceye and Umbra were among the participants in this rideshare mission. A notable newcomer to the satellite scene on this mission was Foxconn, the Taiwanese electronics giant known for producing consumer electronics like Apple's iPhone. Foxconn, also known as Hon Hai Technology Group, sent its first two CubeSats, Pearl-1H and Pearl-1C, on the mission to explore LEO (Low Earth Orbit) satellite broadband communications and beyond 5G capabilities. Exolaunch, a rideshare broker, facilitated the launch of nearly three dozen satellites, including Foxconn's, on Transporter-9. Other brokers such as Maverick Space Systems, SEOPS, and Momentus, also contributed payloads to the mission. D-Orbit, a frequent participant in Transporter missions, contributed their ION Satellite Carrier to the payload. Two new orbital transfer vehicle (OTV or space tug) developers, Exotrail and Impulse Space, flew their first space tugs, spacevan-001 and Impulse-1, on the mission. These space tugs play a crucial role in transferring spaceborne cargo between different orbits. Transporter missions have garnered mixed reactions within the commercial space industry. While satellite operators and rideshare brokers applaud their regular and cost-effective access to space, some developers of small launch vehicles argue that these missions undercut their business models by offering services at significantly lower per-kilogram costs. Despite the ongoing debate, SpaceX's Transporter services continue to attract strong demand, as evidenced by the fully booked schedule. The company recently introduced a new line of rideshare missions called Bandwagon, scheduled to begin in 2024, further solidifying its position as a dominant force in the commercial space launch sector. The earliest available opportunity for a Bandwagon mission is set for November 2024, with Transporter missions to sun-synchronous orbits already booked until October 2025. [ANS thanks Jeff Foust, SpaceNews, 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-EA's HADES-D Satellite Awaiting Deployment from ION Orbital Transfer Vehicle The HADES-D satellite achieved a successful launch on November 11 at 18:49 UTC as part of SpaceX's Transporter-9 mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base. Currently housed within D-Orbit's ION orbital transfer vehicle (OTV), the satellite's final deployment is scheduled for around November 20th. Developed concurrently with the URESAT Antonio de Nebrija, HADES-D shares the pocketQubes 1.5P platform. Featuring enhanced solar panels and increased processing capacity, HADES-D can transmit telemetry and repeat signals at higher speeds than its predecessors. One notable feature of HADES-D is its FM repeater for voice communications, which also allows for the retransmission of AX.25/APRS 300/1200 bps messages. The FM/FSK repeater plans to continuously operate, activated by squelch level without the need for a subtone. Telemetry will be provided in FSK, configurable between 50 and 2400 bps, CW and voice beacon in FM. The IARU coordinated frequencies are 145.875 MHz (FM/FSK) for uplink and 436.666 MHz (FM/FSK/CW) for downlink. The expected orbit is Sun-Synchronous between 550 and 600 km altitude. AMSAT-EA is asking the amatuer radio satellite community for assistance in identifying transmissions which will occur soon after the satellite has separated from the D-Orbit's ION SCV-013 OTV (Temporary NORAD ID 99025). This collaborative project, involving the private sector and various universities in Spain, hopes to provide licensed radio-amateurs worldwide an additional resource to relay FM voice and AX.25/APRS 300/1200 bps communications. Check for the latest updates on AMSAT-EA's website https://www.amsat-ea.org/. [ANS thanks AMSAT-EA and IARU for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- ROM-3 Romanian High School Team's Satellite Soars to Success in Latest SpaceX Launch The ROM-3 satellite, a PocketQube crafted by the high school team RomSpace, was launched aboard SpaceX’s ninth dedicated smallsat rideshare program mission, Transporter-9, on November 11th. In collaboration with Alba Orbital, this launch on SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket represents Romania's second venture into satellite missions, following the high school team's initial success with the ROM-2 satellite. ROM-3, a demonstration mission following its predecessor 'Romanian Orbital Mission 2,' enhances RomSpace's pico-satellite design with improved camera resolution and higher efficiency solar panels. With an average team member age ranging from 15 to 18 years old, RomSpace pioneers affordable opportunities for educational institutions, exemplified by the International Computer High School of Bucharest. The ROM-3 satellite, a 50 x 50 x 100mm picosat, sets forth with three primary missions. Its primary function involves acting as an amateur radio digipeater, allowing operators to upload messages for a one-time transmission back to the Earth. The secondary mission entails transmitting a low-resolution SSDV image in GFSK Mode, inviting active participation from amateur radio operators. The tertiary mission includes CW Beacon transmission, aiding in detecting the satellite's presence and measuring signal properties. The UHF downlink (IARU coordinated frequency of 436.235 MHz) with 20 wpm CW, 500bps GFSK telemetry, and 5kbps GFSK SSDV will position ROM-3 as a notable contributor to the amateur radio community. More details are available at ROMSpace's official website https://rom-space.ro/. This success builds on their prior achievement with the ROM-2 satellite and serves as a demonstration mission for upcoming pico-satellite constellations. The collaborative efforts of RomSpace, Alba Orbital, and the broader Romanian space community culminate in the ROM-3 mission, showcasing not only the country's growing prowess in space exploration but also a commitment to fostering technical education and outreach initiatives. As ROM-3 embarks on its operational phase, it stands as a testament to Romania's potential in the evolving landscape of space technology. [ANS thanks Alba Orbital and the IARU for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Veronika: Spacemanic's Pink CubeSat Successfully Launches Aboard SpaceX Transporter-9 Veronika, a 1U CubeSat designed and built by Spacemaniac, was launched on SpaceX's Transporter-9 mission on November 11th. This mission marked the third Slovak satellite to venture into space following the successful skCube and GRBAlpha missions. Boris Procik, a financier from Slovakia, had approached Spacemanic to construct and launch the CubeSat, making it the first "family satellite" of its kind. Veronika, named after Procik's daughter, went beyond being a CubeSat with a personal touch; it was a technologically advanced mission designed to support the Slovak and international amateur radio community. The CubeSat features an array of technical capabilities to serve its primary objectives: 9k6 G3RUH AX.25 telemetry, digipeater, CW beacon, and experimental SSDV transmissions. The IARU coordinated downlink frequency is 436.680 MHz. Satellite telemetry was reported just a few hours after separation from the Falcon 9 rocket. Telemetry data can be viewed on the SatNOGS Veronika Telemetry Dashboard at https://dashboard.satnogs.org/d/abEVHMIIk/veronika. The CubeSat is also equipped with a novel Attitude Determination and Control System (ADCS) subsystem. The ADCS includes electromagnetic actuators and a GNSS receiver, which will facilitate precise satellite identification during its initial days and weeks in orbit. Veronika will be operated by an amateur radio club OM3KSI, which will actively participate in its mission: https://om3ksi.tuke.sk/en/home/. Veronika's mission extends beyond technical objectives, incorporating education and outreach efforts. The satellite plans to engage Slovak grammar and high schools, transmitting special CW and AX.25 messages on various occasions. Czech partners, PLANETUM - Prague Observatory and Planetarium, will also use the satellite for educational purposes. In an unconventional move, Veronika was not only the first-ever family-named satellite but also the first-ever pink satellite, adding a personal and distinctive touch to its appearance. The project received additional support from Deutsche Schule Bratislava, with the initial contact facilitated by the Slovak Space Office. Before its successful launch, Veronika underwent rigorous environmental testing to simulate the harsh conditions of space, ensuring its operational resilience throughout its mission. The CubeSat joined other payloads in Berlin, where it underwent preparations for deployment. Exolaunch, a trusted partner of Spacemanic, oversaw the deployment process, securing its attachment to the Falcon 9 rocket. [ANS thanks Spacemanic and 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/ +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Satellite Top 100 Rovers November 2023 Rankings The November 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: 2023-11-06 1 ND9M 26 UT1FG 51 AD7DB 76 YU0W 2 NJ7H 27 KE4AL 52 KE9AJ 77 W8LR 3 N5UC 28 LU5ILA 53 JL3RNZ 78 VE3GOP 4 JA9KRO 29 KI7UNJ 54 VE1CWJ 79 OE3SEU 5 DL6AP 30 VE3HLS 55 KM4LAO 80 CU2ZG 6 WI7P 31 KB5FHK 56 N4UFO 81 N0TEL 7 HA3FOK 32 LA9XGA 57 SM3NRY 82 K0FFY 8 N9IP 33 DL2GRC 58 VK5DG 83 KB2YSI 9 WY7AA 34 N7AGF 59 KI7QEK 84 KJ7NDY 10 N6UA 35 F4BKV 60 N8RO 85 DL4EA 11 AD0DX 36 XE3DX 61 VA7LM 86 VE6WK 12 W5PFG 37 N6DNM 62 PT2AP 87 PA3GAN 13 K5ZM 38 KE0PBR 63 W1AW 88 AF5CC 14 DP0POL 39 KE0WPA 64 AA8CH 89 HB9GWJ 15 AK8CW 40 JO2ASQ 65 M1DDD 90 VE7PTN 16 AD0HJ 41 K7TAB 66 VE1VOX 91 PT9ST 17 WD9EWK 42 AC0RA 67 VA3VGR 92 DK9JC 18 ON4AUC 43 W7WGC 68 XE1ET 93 JM1CAX 19 KG5CCI 44 PR8KW 69 FG8OJ 94 KG4AKV 20 ND0C 45 JK2XXK 70 KI7UXT 95 VO2AC 21 KX9X 46 EA4NF 71 PT9BM 96 LW2DAF 22 DJ8MS 47 AA5PK 72 LU4JVE 97 KI0KB 23 F5VMJ 48 EB1AO 73 DF2ET 98 N6UTC 24 N5BO 49 SP5XSD 74 WA9JBQ 99 KC7JPC 25 K8BL 50 F4DXV 75 N4DCW 100 A41ZZ [ANS thanks @GridMasterMap for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for November 17, 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 daily in the first hour of the UTC day. New bulletin files will be posted immediately after reliable elements become available for new amateur satellites. More information may be found at https://www.amsat.org/keplerian-elements-resources/. The following satellite has been removed from this week's AMSAT-NA TLE distribution: DO-64 NORAD Cat ID 32789 Decayed from orbit on or about 14 November 2023. The following satellite has been renamed: SO-120 NORAD Cat ID 56992 Renamed after AMSAT Oscar designation. [ANS thanks AMSAT Orbital Elements page for the above information] -------------------------------------------------------------------- ARISS NEWS Amateurs and others around the world may listen in on contacts between amateurs operating in schools and allowing students to interact with astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station. The downlink frequency on which to listen is 145.800 MHz worldwide. + Recently Completed New Heights School & Learning Services, Calgary, AB, Canada, telebridge via IK1SLD The ISS callsign was OR4ISS The scheduled crewmember was Andreas Mogensen, KG5GCZ The ARISS mentor was VE6JBJ Contact was successful: Fri 2023-11-17 17:06:13 UTC + Upcoming Contacts National Research Nizhny Novgorod State University, Nizhny, Novgorod, Russia, direct via TBD The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS The scheduled crewmember is Konstantin Borisov The ARISS mentor is RV3DR Contact is go for Wed 2023-11-22 16:40 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 A growing number of satellite rovers are currently engaged in sharing their grid square activations on https://hams.at. By visiting the website, you gain easy access to comprehensive information about the operators responsible for activating specific grid squares. Additionally, you have the ability to assess the match score between yourself and a particular rover for a given pass, while also being able to identify the upcoming satellite passes that are accessible from your location. [ANS thanks Ian Parsons, K5ZM, AMSAT rover page manager, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events AMSAT Ambassadors provide presentations, demonstrate communicating through amateur satellites, and host information tables at club meetings, hamfests, conventions, maker faires, and other events. + 40th Anniversary Celebration of the Positive Impact of Amateur Radio on Human Spaceflight Thursday February 22nd through Saturday February 24th, 2024 Center for Space Education: Astronauts Memorial Foundation Kennedy Space Center, M6-306 405 State Road, FL 32899 https://www.ariss.org/overview.html [ANS thanks the AMSAT Events page for the above information] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Want to fly the colors on your own grid expedition? Get your AMSAT car flag and other neat stuff from our Zazzle store! 25% of the purchase price of each product goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Satellite Shorts From All Over + Congratulations to Alan Bowker, WA6DNR, for being awarded GridMaster Award # 62! This prestigious award, introduced by Star Comm Group in 2014 and sponsored by Damon Runion, WA4HFN, and Rick Tillman, WA4NVM, is now entrusted to AMSAT for the benefit of the entire AMSAT community. The GridMaster Award recognizes amateurs worldwide who establish two-way communication via amateur satellite with operators in all 488 Maidenhead grids in the contiguous United States of America. More information about this award can be found on the AMSAT website at https://www.amsat.org/gridmaster/. Well done on this remarkable achievement Alan! (ANS thanks Bruce Paige, KK5DO, AMSAT Director of Contests and Awards for the above information) + The SETI Institute has received a $200 million philanthropic gift from the estate of Franklin Antonio, N6NKF, co-founder of Qualcomm and a long-time supporter of SETI's work. AMSAT members likely recognize Antonio as the author of the Instant Track orbital tracking software, sold by AMSAT for many years. Phil Karn, KA9Q, notes that Antonio's personal involvement as an engineering consultant significantly advanced the SETI Institute's efforts in the few years he was engaged. The funding will boost initiatives such as postdoctoral fellowships, global research expansion, educational programs, and innovative observational technologies, impacting all domains of SETI research. Antonio's legacy is expected to provide lasting financial stability and foster new partnerships for the Institute, founded in 1984 to explore the origins of life and intelligence in the universe. (ANS thanks Joe Fitzgerald, KM1P, and SETI for the above information) + Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) and its spin-off, SpaceIn Sdn Bhd, launched Malaysia's first pico satellite, named SpaceANT-D, from the Vandenberg Space Force Base using SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket. The 5cm-wide cube satellite follows the PocketQube standard, intended for universities involved in space science within low earth orbit constellations. Deployed on the Alba Orbital deployer, SpaceANT-D is scheduled to enter orbit in the next 2 to 14 days, transmitting signals to an earthbound station. Developed in collaboration with the Malaysian Amateur Radio Transmitters’ Society, the satellite aims to demonstrate data storage and transmission for Internet of Things (IoT) applications. SpaceIn CEO Dr. Norilmi Amilia Ismail highlighted the potential for cost reductions in small satellite usage, providing diverse opportunities in industries like agriculture, forestry, and oil and gas. Supported by an accelerator program from TERAJU and funds from CRADLE, this project contributes to the establishment of a satellite data center at USM. (ANS thanks Sharil Abdul Rahman, writing for SoyaCincau, for the above information) + Virgin Galactic celebrated its fifth commercial flight on November 2nd as its VSS Unity space plane soared into sub-orbit, marking the sixth such flight for the reusable craft in the past half-year. The mission, dubbed Galactic 05, aimed to fulfill the company's goal of a monthly flight and served as a research mission carrying scientists Kellie Gerardi and Alan Stern, along with an undisclosed third passenger. Gerardi, a mission operations lead for Palantir Technologies, conducted experiments in fluid dynamics, human biometrics, and glucose monitoring to advance healthcare protocols in microgravity. Alan Stern, principal investigator of NASA’s New Horizons mission, focused on physiological performance experiments in microgravity. After reaching an altitude of over 44,000 feet, VSS Unity separated from its mothership, VSS Eve, and traveled approximately 50 miles higher into space before successfully gliding back down to Spaceport America in New Mexico. Virgin Galactic's CEO, Michael Colglazier, expressed the company's commitment to space-based research, emphasizing their dedication to scientific discovery, while the positive outcome saw Virgin Galactic's shares surge by 11.4 percent. (ANS thanks David Ariosto, writing for Parabolic Arc, for the above information) + Discovery Dish is a lightweight 65-cm aluminum satellite dish for real-time weather data reception, priced at $100. It's designed for various weather satellites operating at 1.69 GHz and features a built-in LNA and filter, minimizing noise figure loss. The Qorvo QPL9547 amplifier boosts weak signals. The prototype will be replaced by a neater version after crowdfunding. The dish is versatile, supporting radio astronomy with a 1.42 GHz hydrogen line feed and Inmarsat feed for signals in the 1525 - 1559 MHz bands. Its lightweight design makes it suitable for light-duty antenna rotators, and cabling is simplified. Discovery Dish is compatible with open-source software for satellite decoding. Future plans include tutorials and a lightweight antenna rotator. Comparisons highlight its advantages in price, size, and suitability for a rotator. Manufacturing involves crowdfunding, stamping molds, and production of PCB feeds. Mouser Electronics handles fulfillment. Additional information can be found at https://www.crowdsupply.com/krakenrf/discovery-dish. (ANS thanks Crowd Supply 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-316 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
by Paul Stoetzer 12 Nov '23

12 Nov '23

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-316 In this edition: * Trends in Propulsion Systems for Small Satellites * FO-99 Re-enters * URESAT-1 Designated Spain-OSCAR 120 (SO-120) * New Satellite Distance Records * Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for November 10, 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-316 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 November 12 Trends in Propulsion Systems for Small Satellites Recently AMSAT News Service had the opportunity to interview Jonathan Brandenburg, KF5IDY, AMSAT Assistant VP – Engineering about recent trends in propulsion systems for small satellites. ANS: “Jonathan, we understand you are looking at propulsion systems that might be added to future satellites. What is the impetus for this?” JB: “As we all know, debris is becoming a big issue in space. The amount of debris in space is growing and any of it that hits a satellite can cause significant damage. The European Space Agency estimates that there are more than 35,000 pieces of space debris, 2/3 of which is in LEO. Further, for the first time the FCC has issued a fine to Dish Network because they were not able to move its defunct EchoStar-7 satellite fully into the intended disposal orbit. Dish was supposed to move it 186 miles further from the earth, but it only reached 76 miles because the satellite ran out of fuel. This fine is likely a harbinger of things to come. “The FCC has pending requirements to be able to deorbit on command. Also, we are beginning to hear rumblings that we may have to be able to maneuver satellites to avoid a “conjunction event,” that is a collision. This is just in the conversation stage.” “In addition, we often wish to reach higher orbits with AMSAT’s satellites. With the ability to thrust we can launch into a lower and more accessible orbit then raise our orbit with onboard thrusters. ANS: “That is very crucial capability for AMSAT to add. What is required to do this and how difficult will it be to achieve?” JB: “We need three things: a GNSS – a Global Navigational Space System, an ADCS – an Attitude Determination, and Control System, and a thruster. “A GNSS is needed to determine the exact position of the satellite. We have a current ASCENT project in progress for this. “We have to be able to accurately determine the position and orientation of the satellite so that we know the thrusters are oriented in the correct direction when they are fired. We are currently planning to fly an ADCS on the GOLF-TEE satellite which estimated to be launched in Q2 2025. The plan is to fly an ADCS purchased from CubeSat. “We have a new ASCENT project for small satellite thrusters. This is our topic of discussion here. There are many different types of thruster systems. Examples are: - Solid motor thrusters which are very powerful, - Hall effect thrusters which are popular, large and power hungry but very reliable, - Electrospray thrusters are relatively inexpensive and simple. The propellant can be solid or a liquid which melts down quickly and then is accelerated out of the nozzle with an electric field. It is an affordable technology, and a moderately simple technology. - And pulsed plasma/vacuum arc thrusters which have the advantage of being a very, very simple and affordable technology. It uses an electric arc to ablate the material which becomes the fuel. The fuel material can be a light metal or a high technology plastic. “We’ve recently acquired a demonstration kit for a pulsed plasma type thruster. We are in the early stages of engaging our volunteers to perform an in-depth analysis of this thruster as part of our investigation to determine which thruster is the most appropriate for AMSAT. ANS: ”Interesting. How can we learn more?” JB: “I gave a 20-minute presentation on this at the recent AMSAT Annual Space Symposium, which you can see on YouTube. The presentation includes a short demonstration of a pulse plasma type thruster made by Hypernova Space. The demonstration includes firing the thruster, the control software, and some of the output data.” ANS: Thank you for your time, Jonathan! Link to Jonathan Brandenburg’s presentation is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcO4-h7bbxs&t=465s [ANS thanks Jonathan Brandenburg, KF5IDY, AMSAT Assistant VP – Engineering and Mark Blackwood, KI5AXK 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/ +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ FO-99 Re-enters FO-99 re-entered on November 9, 2023 after nearly five years in orbit. Launched on January 18, 2019 on an Epsilon launch vehicle, the 1U CubeSat, named NEXUS for Next Generation X Unique Satellite, was designed and built by Nihon University in collaboration with JAMSAT. The satellite demonstrated a high speed QPSK transmitter and also sent SSTV transmissions and carried a VHF/UHF linear transponder. [ANS thanks Nihon University, JAMSAT, and AMSAT Orbital Elements Manager Joe Fitzgerald, KM1P, for the above information] ------------------------------------------------------------------- URESAT-1 Designated Spain-OSCAR 120 (SO-120) On June 12, 2023, the URESAT-1 satellite was launched on a Falcon 9 launch vehicle from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. Developed by AMSAT-EA, the satellite carries an SSTV camera, and FM and digital repeater payloads to provide services to amateur radio enthusiasts around the world. Signals have been received with the use of several large dish ground stations, and efforts continue to deploy the spacecraft antennas and improve the downlink strength. At the request of AMSAT-EA, AMSAT hereby designates URESAT-1 as Spain-OSCAR 120 (SO-120). We congratulate AMSAT-EA, thank them for their contribution to the amateur satellite community, and wish them continued success on this and future projects. [ANS thanks Drew Glasbrenner, AMSAT Vice President - Operations and OSCAR Number Administrator for the above information] ------------------------------------------------------------------- New Satellite Distance Records Jérôme LeCuyer, F4DXV, set yet another distance record on October 15th when he worked Scott Richardson, N1AIA, on SO-50. Jérôme was located in JN14ch while Scott was in FN43rh, a distance of 5,645.3 km. This eclipses the previous record of 5,548 km set by KE9AJ and MI0ILE in May. Additionally, Puneit Singh, VU2TUM, claimed the initial distance record on Tevel-2 with a 3,815 km QSO with BA1PK in ON80eb. VU2TUM's QTH was ML88ij. [ANS thanks AMSAT Executive Vice President Paul Stoetzer, N8HM, 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 November 10, 2023 Two Line Elements or TLEs, often referred to as Keplerian elements or keps in the amateur community, are the inputs to the SGP4 standard mathematical model of spacecraft orbits used by most amateur tracking programs. Weekly updates are completely adequate for most amateur satellites. TLE bulletin files are updated Thursday evenings around 2300 UTC, or more frequently if new high interest satellites are launched. More information may be found at https://www.amsat.org/keplerian-elements-resources/ The following satellites have been removed from this week's AMSAT-NA TLE distribution: TY-1 NORAD Cat ID 41844 Decayed from orbit on or about 07 November 2023 Astrocast 0.2 NORAD Cat ID 44083 Does operate in the Amateur Satellite Service FO-99 NORAD Cat ID 43937 Decayed from orbit on 09 November 2023 YukonSat NORAD Cat ID 56316 Decayed from orbit on or about 09 November 2023 [ANS thanks Joe Fitzgerald, KM1P, AMSAT Orbital Elements Manager, for the above information] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Want to fly the colors on your own grid expedition? Get your AMSAT car flag and other neat stuff from our Zazzle store! 25% of the purchase price of each product goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ ARISS News Amateurs and others around the world may listen in on contacts between amateurs operating in schools and allowing students to interact with astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station. The downlink frequency on which to listen is 145.800 MHz worldwide. Quick list of scheduled contacts and events: New Heights School & Learning Services, Calgary, AB, Canada, 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 Andreas Mogensen KG5GCZ The ARISS mentor is VE6JBJ Contact is go for: Fri 2023-11-17 17:06:45 UTC 24 deg National Research Nizhny Novgorod State University, Nizhny, Novgorod, 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 Konstantin Borisov The ARISS mentor is RV3DR Contact is go for Wed 2023-11-22 16:40 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 - Misconfigured. Default mode is for cross band repeater (145.990 MHz up {PL 67} & 437.800 MHz down). * Powering off for Progress undock on November 29. OFF TBD . ON TBD. * Powering off for Progress docking on December 01. OFF TBD . ON TBD. * Capable of supporting USOS scheduled voice contacts, packet and voice repeater ops. Service Module radios: IORS (Kenwood D710GA) – STATUS - Temporarily stowed. Default mode is for packet operations (145.825 MHz up & down) * Capable of supporting ROS scheduled voice contacts, packet, SSTV and voice repeater ops. SSTV (Kenwood D710) – STATUS - OFF. Default mode is for scheduled SSTV operations (145.800 MHz down) * Next planned operation date(s) TBD. * Specifically configured for SSTV ops. The latest information on the operation mode can be found at https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html The latest list of frequencies in use can be found at https://www.ariss.org/contact-the-iss.html [ANS thanks Charlie Sufana, AJ9N, one of the ARISS operation team mentors for the above information] -------------------------------------------------------------------- Upcoming Satellite Operations No scheduled operations are listed at this time. [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 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 + NASA has launched a new no cost, ad-free streaming service featuring live coverage and original video series. Details on the service, called NASA+, can be found at https://plus.nasa.gov/ (ANS thanks NASA for the above information) + Aviation Week has published an article entitled "CubeSats: How How An Accidental Standard Launched A New Space Age" which features quotes from AMSAT's 2023 Symposium keynote speaker Bob Twiggs. https://aviationweek.com/aerospace/commercial-space/cubesats-how-accidental… " + DO-64 (Delfi-C3) is rapidly approaching re-entry. Over 350 frames of telemetry have been submitted by amateur radio operators over the past few days. (ANS thanks Delfi Space for the above information) + Ireland's first satellite - EIRSAT-1 - is scheduled to launch at the end of the month on a SpaceX Falcon 9 from Vandenberg Space Force Base. The satellite's downlink is 437.100 MHz (ANS thanks the EIRSAT-1 team 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-309 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins for November 5, 2023
by Frank Karnauskas (N1UW) 05 Nov '23

05 Nov '23

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-309 In this edition: * AMSAT Member and University of Louisiana Apply for ELaNa Grant * Delfi-C3 - DO64 Deorbiting Soon * VUCC & DXCC Satellite Standing November 2023 * World Radiocommunication Conference to Consider Band Changes * Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for November 3, 2023 * ARISS News * Upcoming Satellite Operations * Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events * Satellite Shorts From All Over The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and information service of AMSAT, the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS publishes news related to Amateur Radio in Space including reports on the activities of a worldwide group of Amateur Radio operators who share an active interest in designing, building, launching and communicating through analog and digital Amateur Radio satellites. The news feed on http://www.amsat.org publishes news of Amateur Radio in Space as soon as our volunteers can post it. Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to: ans-editor [at] amsat [dot] org You can sign up for free e-mail delivery of the AMSAT News Service Bulletins via the ANS List; to join this list see: https://mailman.amsat.org/postorius/lists/ans.amsat.org/ ANS-309 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 NOV 05 AMSAT Member and University of Louisiana Apply for ELaNa Grant Bob Twiggs and the University of Louisiana at Lafayette are applying for an ElaNa grant to fly 20 sub-1U satellites to low earth orbit. These sats are equipped with a two-way transceiver with enough link margin to communicate to a ground station with simple antennas. Included in this frame will be solar panels, batteries, an Arduino clone, a transceiver, and 150 ^ cm for your payload. Please see the YouTube link below for a more detailed description. If the ElaNa grant is approved this will allow the selected schools a very easy path to space. Bob and the University are now accepting application for you to participate in this program. The first five organizations to apply will be free while the remaining applicants must pay ~$200.00 in order to be part of the project. If you have an interest in this exciting opportunity, please contact Nick Pugh, K5QXK at quadpugh [at] bellsouth [dot] net. A detailed description of the project can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/live/DzKKHTBxyY8?si=s400V901Ysz19gcA&t=4039. [ANS thanks Nick Pugh, K5QXJ, 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/ +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Delfi-C3 - DO64 Deorbiting Soon After more than 15 years in orbit, Delfi-C3's mission is about to come to an end. The team predict that re-entry will take place around November 16th 2023. The re-entry date might vary depending on the solar activity, which is very hard to predict accurately. See also @Marco_Langbroek on Twitter for a similar prediction. https://twitter.com/Marco_Langbroek/status/1720110996499349663 Wouter Weggelaar, PA3WEG, says, "We would like to request all amateur radio operators / SWL's / satellite enthusiasts worldwide to listen for Delfi-C3's telemetry downlink on 145.867 MHz, 1200 baud AX.25 BPSK. We will hand out an award certificate to the person submitting the last Delfi-C3 telemetry frame." This can be done either through the RASCAL software (updated version coming), through the SATNOGS network or by sending us decoded telemetry frames with reception time and location via email to Delfi_at_tudelft.nl. On behalf of the entire Delfi-C3 team, we would like to sincerely thank the worldwide amateur radio/SWL/satellite community for assisting the team by forwarding received telemetry and reception reports. Delfi-C3 is a CubeSat satellite constructed by students at the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands. It is a 3U CubeSat launched on April 28, 2008. Wouter recalls, "Back in 2008 we could not imagine the great support received so far and the many first we had, including a successful ground network and flying the first linear transponder in a CubeSat. We strongly believe that Delfi-C3 has paved the way for many follow-on missions, both amateur and commercial, and has been a great step towards maturing CubeSat technology as well as training the next generation of space engineers. Stay tuned for updates!" [ANS thanks Wouter Weggelaar, PA3WEG, for the above information.] --------------------------------------------------------------------- VUCC & DXCC Satellite Standing November 2023 + VUCC Satellite Award/Endorsement Change Summary for October 01, 2023 to November 01, 2023. ------------------------------------------------------------ WA4NVM 1639 1653 K8DP 1555 1575 WC7V 1400 1426 N8RO 1356 1368 W5CBF 1201 1224 N0JE 1025 1057 S57NML 615 1028 F4BKV 900 1000 XE1AO 801 1000 N3GS 980 986 NS3L 851 875 W8LR 801 818 KN2K 804 808 KQ4DO 750 808 VE1VOX 610 731 N0GVK 543 701 XE1MYO 575 650 N8MR 581 617 N6UTC 525 551 KB2YSI 450 531 JG6CDH 468 515 A65BR 477 513 IW7DOL 474 504 JS1LQI 318 436 N3CAL 412 435 KO9A 424 434 N8URE (FM19) 409 430 JN1BPM 314 426 NA1ME 350 383 DL8GAM 301 351 N6PAZ 290 326 CT1ETE 283 323 JR8QFG 105 255 KB3IAI 175 254 KH6WI 203 252 KV4T 219 238 JI5USJ 200 236 DJ7NT 133 234 ZS1TA 152 202 K6VHF 151 201 N7GR 141 179 JF3MKC 150 175 JA1XGI New 174 I1FQH New 173 JL3OUW New 123 KB9RUG New 121 KS4YT 100 113 A65D New 111 KI7WXP New 100 YG3EMH New 100 ------------------------------------------------------------ Congratulations to the new VUCC holders. YG3EMH is first VUCC Satellite holder from Indonesia and OI71. KI7WXP is first VUCC Satellite holder from DN09. A65D is first VUCC Satellite holder from LL74. + DXCC Satellite Award/Endorsement Change Summary for October 01, 2023 to November 01, 2023. ------------------------------------------------------------ YO2KHK 142 151 SV8CS 146 150 YO2RR 136 138 WC7V 100 125 ZS2BK New 106 K0JM New 101 YU0W New 101 F5VMJ New 100 KE8RJU New 100 TF1A New 100 ------------------------------------------------------------ Congratulations to the new DXCC holders. K0JM is first DXCC Satellite holder from MN. YU0W is first DXCC Satellite holder from Serbia. TF1A is first DXCC Satellite holder from Iceland. [ANS thanks Jon Goering, N7AZ, 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/ +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ World Radiocommunication Conference to Consider Band Changes The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) will hold its 2023 World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-23) on November 20 - December 15 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The ITU is the United Nations' specialized agency for information and communication technologies. Based in Geneva, Switzerland, the ITU includes 193 member states and several hundred Sector members and associates. WRC conferences are held every three to four years to review and revise, if necessary, the ITU Radio Regulations, which is the international treaty governing use of the radio frequency spectrum and geostationary satellite and non-geostationary satellite orbits. Among issues of interest to amateur satellite operators is an agenda item to "Review of the amateur service and the amateur-satellite service allocations in the frequency band 1240-1300 MHz to determine if additional measures are required to ensure protection of the radionavigation-satellite (space-to-Earth) service operating in the same band." To learn more about the WRC-23, visit https://www.itu.int/wrc-23/about/about-wrcs/. [ANS thanks the ARRL and ITU 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 November 3, 2023 The following satellites have been removed from this week's AMSAT-NA TLE distribution: Ex-Alta 2 NORAD Cat ID 56313 Decayed from orbit on or about 28 October 2023 ARKSAT 1 NORAD Cat ID 56311 Decayed from orbit on or about 30 October 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/ [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 Walkerston State School, Walkerston, Queensland, Australia, telebridge via K6DUE. The ISS callsign was NA1SS. The crewmember was Loral O'Hara, KI5TOM. The ARISS mentor was VK4KHZ. Contact was successful on Friday, October 3, 2023. + Upcoming Contacts Halls Head College, Mandurah, Western Australia, Australia, telebridge via ZS6JON. The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS. The scheduled crewmember is Loral O'Hara, KI5TOM. The ARISS mentor is VK4KHZ. Contact is go for Monday, November 11, 2023 at 07:52:56 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 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 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 + On Thursday, NASA launched a new app to make it easier than ever to spot the International Space Station in the night sky. NASA has long operated the Spot the Station website, but its new app, available on both iPhone and Android, brings augmented reality features and a handy interface to learn more about the orbiting laboratory. Find the app at the Apple App Store or at Google Play. [ANS thanks Clint Bradford, K6LCS, and JoAnne Maenpaa, K9JKM, for the above information.] + Three Chinese astronauts lifted off on the Shenzhou-17 spacecraft from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center deep in the Gobi Desert on Oct. 26, heading for the Tiangong space station for a six-month stay. This is China's sixth manned mission to its space station since 2021. China has sought to open up its station to collaboration with international partners, including by hosting experiments from other countries. It has promised an amateur radio presence aboard Tiangong, but no amateur activity has been observed thus far. [ANS thanks CNN for the above information.] + SatDump is a popular program that is used with RTL-SDRs and other SDRs for decoding transmissions from a wide array of weather satellites and their various imagers and sensors. Recently SatDump's author Alan Antoine, F4LAU has been working on improving the way projections work. Projections are essentially when the weather satellite image is stretched and skewed to fit correctly over the curved earth. This means now that city markings and border lines should show up in the correct placed in any images received from SatDump. If you're interested, Alan has uploaded blog post on the SatDump website explaining the math, algorithms and problems he found when trying to get projections done right. Read more at https://www.satdump.org/. [ANS thanks rtl-sdr.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, Frank Karnauskas, N1UW. n1uw [at] amsat [dot] org

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

29 Oct '23

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-302 In this edition: * 41st AMSAT Space Symposium & Annual General Meeting YouTube Videos Available * ARISS Announces 40th Anniversary Conference at NASA Kennedy Space Center * Upcoming International Space Station Slow Scan TV Transmission Test * ISRO's Gaganyaan Successful Test Flight Sets Stage for Crewed Space Mission * NASA's Voyager Spacecraft Receive Software Patch to Extend Their Mission * Satellite Top 100 Rovers October 2023 Rankings * Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for October 26 * ARISS News * Upcoming Satellite Operations * Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events * Satellite Shorts From All Over The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and information service of AMSAT, The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS publishes news related to Amateur Radio in Space including reports on the activities of a worldwide group of Amateur Radio operators who share an active interest in designing, building, launching and communicating through analog and digital Amateur Radio satellites. The news feed on http://www.amsat.org publishes news of Amateur Radio in Space as soon as our volunteers can post it. Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to: ans-editor [at] amsat.org You can sign up for free e-mail delivery of the AMSAT News Service Bulletins via the ANS List; to join this list see: https://mailman.amsat.org/postorius/lists/ans.amsat.org/ ANS-302 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins To: All RADIO AMATEURS From: Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation 712 H Street NE, Suite 1653 Washington, DC 20002 DATE 2023 OCT 29 41st AMSAT Space Symposium & Annual General Meeting YouTube Videos Available Did you miss the recent AMSAT Space Symposium in Irving, Texas? Were you unable to participate in the Symposium Livestream event? Perhaps you are eager to rewatch a specific presentation. You're in luck because AMSAT has shared more than twelve hours of video recordings on their YouTube page. You can easily find these videos by clicking on the Live tab under The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation channel. Furthermore, YouTube offers Closed Captioning for these recordings; just click on the 'CC' icon in the video player's lower right corner. If you'd prefer, you can also enable subtitles in multiple languages by clicking the gear icon, then choosing Subtitles/CC > Auto-translate and selecting your preferred language. To help you quickly access video from the AMSAT Annual General Meeting along with the sixteen presentations given at this year's AMSAT Symposium, we have included direct links for you below. AMSAT 41st AMSAT Space Symposium Welcome Robert Bankston, KE4AL, AMSAT President https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcO4-h7bbxs&t=380s A Survey of Small Satellite Propulsion Systems Jonathan Brandenburg, KF5IDY, AMSAT Assistant VP Engineering https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcO4-h7bbxs&t=465s Microwave Ambitions for GOLF Satellites Zach Metzinger, N0ZGO, AMSAT Board of Directors https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcO4-h7bbxs&t=2270s AMSAT Engineering Update Jerry Buxton, N0JY, AMSAT VP Engineering https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcO4-h7bbxs&t=3825s ASCENT and Fox-Plus Updates Jonathan Brandenburg, KF5IDY, AMSAT Assistant VP Engineering https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcO4-h7bbxs&t=8575s PACSAT Update and Demonstration Bill Reed, NX5R, PACSAT Project Manager https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcO4-h7bbxs&t=10095s CubeSatSim Update and Demonstration Alan Johnston, KU2Y, AMSAT VP Educational Resources https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzKKHTBxyY8&t=720s ThinSat Project for High Schools Nick Pugh, K5QXY, and Bob Twiggs, KE6QMD https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzKKHTBxyY8&t=4040s AMSAT Youth Initiative Frank Karnauskas, N1UW, AMSAT VP Development https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzKKHTBxyY8&t=6595s Amateur Radio Spectrum Use in the Lunar Environment Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, ARISS-NA Executive Director https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzKKHTBxyY8&t=8650s Amateur Satellite Secondary Payloads Drew Glasbrenner, AMSAT Board of Directors/VP Operations https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzKKHTBxyY8&t=10500s AMSAT-HB Update Michael Lipp, HB9WDF, President, AMSAT-HB https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzKKHTBxyY8&t=12150s AMSAT-UK Update David Bowman, G0MRF, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzKKHTBxyY8&t=13205s ARISS Update Dave Taylor, W8AAS, AMSAT US Delegate to ARISS International https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzKKHTBxyY8&t=18600s 40th Anniversary of Hams in Space & 2024 Anniversary Event Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, ARISS-NA Executive Director https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzKKHTBxyY8&t=21305s Planned Non-AMSAT Amateur Satellites Paul Stoetzer, N8HM, AMSAT Executive Vice President https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzKKHTBxyY8&t=22970s Space Qualified Antennas Kent Britain, WA5VJB https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzKKHTBxyY8&t=23880s AMSAT Annual General Meeting & Awards Ceremony Robert Bankston, KE4AL, AMSAT President https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzKKHTBxyY8&t=27575s [ANS thanks AMSAT for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- ARISS Announces 40th Anniversary Conference at NASA Kennedy Space Center In recognition of the positive impact of amateur radio on human spaceflight, an exciting celebration is on the horizon. Space enthusiasts, astronauts, educators, and amateur radio operators are coming together to commemorate the 40th Anniversary of a groundbreaking event. This pivotal moment occurred when Astronaut Owen Garriott, W5LFL, pioneered amateur radio communication from space during his mission on the STS-9 Space Shuttle Columbia flight, spanning from November 28 to December 8, 1983. Astronaut Garriott, during his free time on the STS-9 mission, became the first person in space to communicate with amateur radio operators on the ground. Moreover, his radio signals were the first ever to be directly heard from space by the public, using nothing more than simple FM receivers and scanners. This milestone forever changed astronaut communication, opening up interaction with amateur radio operators and the public, who previously had limited access to speak with spacefarers. Over the past four decades, Garriott's pioneering mission has paved the way for countless interactions between astronauts and Earthlings through the medium of amateur radio, on the Space Shuttle, Mir space station, and the International Space Station. Over a million people on Earth have directly participated in these astronaut radio contact engagements, with a particular emphasis on educational youth contacts. This initiative, coupled with pre-contact education programs, has ignited the spark of curiosity and interest in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) among youth worldwide. As the 40th anniversary of human spaceflight amateur radio approaches, the ARISS (Amateur Radio on the International Space Station) team is inviting volunteer teams, astronauts, space agency officials, educators, and space and amateur radio enthusiasts to join them in commemorating and celebrating this inspirational journey. The event, titled the "40th Anniversary Celebration of the Positive Impact of Amateur Radio on Human Spaceflight" is scheduled to take place from February 22 to 24, 2024, at the Center for Space Education: Astronauts Memorial Foundation, located adjacent to the NASA Kennedy Space Center Visitors Center in Florida. The conference promises an array of engaging activities, including tours of the NASA Kennedy Space Center Visitors Center, exhibits on human spaceflight amateur radio, networking sessions, STEM education demonstrations, and two days filled with astronaut panel sessions. Attendees can also look forward to presentations by STEM career alumni and recollections shared by educators and volunteer team alumni who supported hardware development, flight operations, and youth STEM engagement for the Shuttle, Mir, and ISS missions. In a special request, the organizers of the event are seeking the stories of students who participated in the SAREX (Shuttle/Space Amateur Radio Experiment), Mir, and ARISS programs over the last 40 years and have since pursued careers in STEM. These students or those who know them are encouraged to get in touch with the organizers through in-person participation, video submissions, emails, or letters. Additionally, educator testimonials regarding the impact of these programs in schools are welcomed. Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) is a collaborative initiative between international amateur radio societies and space agencies supporting the International Space Station (ISS). In the United States, sponsors include the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), Amateur Radio Digital Communications (ARDC), Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT), NASA's Space Communications and Navigation program (SCaN), and the ISS National Lab—Space Station Explorers. The primary goal of ARISS is to foster exploration of science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics topics through organized scheduled contacts between ISS crew members and students via amateur radio. These contacts are accompanied by hands-on learning activities related to space, space technologies, and amateur radio. For registration and special event pricing at local hotels for the 40th Anniversary Conference, visit the event website at https://www.ariss.org and select the "40th Anniversary" tab. [ANS thanks Dave Jordan, AA4KN, ARISS Public Relations, for the above information] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ The 2023 AMSAT President's Club coins are here now! To commemorate the 40th anniversary of its launch on June 16, 1983, this year's coin features an image of AMSAT-OSCAR 10. Join the AMSAT President's Club today and help Keep Amateur Radio in Space! https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/ +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Upcoming International Space Station Slow Scan TV Transmission Test The International Space Station (ISS) is set to conduct a Slow Scan Television (SSTV) transmission test between October 27 and November 1, 2023. The test will serve to verify the performance of replacement SSTV equipment onboard the station. However, the test will be divided into two windows due to an Extra-Vehicular Activity (EVA) taking place during that time frame. The first window for SSTV transmissions will open on Friday, October 27, at 12:15 UTC and will run until Sunday, October 29, at 18:50 UTC. The second window will begin on Tuesday, October 31, at 10:05 UTC and conclude on Wednesday, November 1, at 18:10 UTC. During these windows, the SSTV transmissions will take place on 145.800 MHz using the PD120 format. It's important to note that, similar to the earlier October test, the SSTV transmissions may not be active at all times within the specified windows. Therefore, enthusiasts and radio operators eager to capture these images should monitor the frequencies and times closely. The ARISS (Amateur Radio on the International Space Station) SSTV gallery will be available for individuals to share the images they receive. The gallery can be accessed at https://www.spaceflightsoftware.com/ARISS_SSTV/index.php. For more information on the SSTV images transmitted from the ISS, you can visit the Gallery Website. This website will showcase some of the best SSTV images received during the test period. No ARISS SSTV awards will be given for this event through the https://ariss.pzk.org.pl/sstv/ website. Stay tuned for further updates and don't miss the chance to participate in this unique opportunity to capture images from space. For official updates and notifications related to the SSTV test, individuals are encouraged to follow ARISS on Twitter (@ARISS_Intl). [ANS thanks ARISS (@ARISS_Intl on Twitter) for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- ISRO's Gaganyaan Successful Test Flight Sets Stage for Crewed Space Mission India's space agency, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), has taken a significant step forward in its ambitious Gaganyaan project by successfully conducting the first in a series of test flights. The project aims to send astronauts into space by 2025, making India the fourth country, after the Soviet Union, the United States, and China, to achieve this milestone. The Gaganyaan spacecraft took to the skies at 10:00 local time (04:30 UTC) on Saturday from the Sriharikota launch site. Notably, this was the second attempt on the same day, as the first launch was put on hold just five seconds before its scheduled liftoff. The primary objective of this test flight, known as the Flight Test Vehicle Abort Mission-1 (TV-D1), was to ascertain the spacecraft's ability to safely rescue the crew in the event of a rocket malfunction. This "crew escape system (CES)," a critical component, had to prove its effectiveness during the test. S Somanath, the Chairman of ISRO, announced the success of the mission, eliciting cheers and applause from his colleagues. The positive outcome of this test flight now paves the way for a series of unmanned missions, including sending a robot into space next year. The Gaganyaan project, named after the Sanskrit word for "craft" or "vehicle to the sky," has been developed at a cost of 90 billion rupees ($1 billion; £897 million). Its mission objective is to send a crew of three astronauts into low-Earth orbit, circling at an altitude of 400 kilometers (248 miles), for a duration of three days. Success in this endeavor will position India alongside the elite spacefaring nations. However, before embarking on this monumental mission, ISRO needed to confirm the safe return of the human-carrying capsule. This crucial safety aspect was addressed in the TV-D1 test flight, where the ability to ensure the crew's safety by moving them at least 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) away from the rocket in case of an emergency was demonstrated. As part of the post-launch procedure, a series of parachutes were deployed to guide the module safely to the waters of the Bay of Bengal, approximately 10 kilometers from the Sriharikota coast. The Indian navy, with a ship and a team of divers, was prepared to recover the module and return it to shore. The Gaganyaan test vehicle, equipped with cameras and instruments, collected valuable data and imagery during the mission. ISRO expects that this data will aid in conducting further tests and preparing for the final Gaganyaan mission. With the successful completion of this test, ISRO is set to send a humanoid robot, named Vyommitra (Sanskrit for "space friend"), into space within an unmanned Gaganyaan spacecraft next year. The agency has also been diligently preparing Indian air force pilots, selected to be part of the crew, by subjecting them to a battery of tests, including extensive physical exercise, lab investigations, radiological assessments, clinical tests, and evaluations of their psychological fitness. The Gaganyaan test flight generated substantial interest in India, even though it came more than half a century after astronauts from the Soviet Union and the United States embarked on journeys to low Earth orbit. China became the third nation to achieve spaceflight in 2003. India's recent historic lunar landing near the Moon's south pole in August 2023 and the launch of the Aditya-L1, its first Sun observation mission, have also elevated its space achievements. In a bold vision for the future, India announced plans to establish a space station by 2035 and send an astronaut to the Moon by 2040, reaffirming its commitment to expanding its presence in space exploration. [ANS thanks Geeta Pandey, BBC News, Delhi, for the above information] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Need new satellite antennas? Purchase Arrows, Alaskan Arrows, and M2 LEO-Packs from the AMSAT Store. When you purchase through AMSAT, a portion of the proceeds goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space. https://amsat.org/product-category/hardware/ +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ NASA's Voyager Spacecraft Receive Software Patch to Extend Their Mission In an ongoing effort to extend the life of NASA's Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 spacecraft, a team of dedicated engineers and scientists is working diligently to address the myriad challenges posed by the aging deep-space explorers. Launched nearly half a century ago, these iconic vessels have ventured into the far reaches of interstellar space, where their primary mission is to study cosmic rays, the magnetic field, and the plasma environment. These missions, despite their age, continue to provide valuable scientific data. Nevertheless, as the years have gone by, the Voyagers have encountered several technical issues that necessitate creative solutions to ensure their continued functionality. Suzanne Dodd, Voyager project manager at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, emphasized the importance of prolonging the mission's longevity. "These are measures that we're trying to take to extend the life of the mission," Dodd stated. One of the primary challenges faced by the Voyager team is the lack of redundancy in the spacecraft. After more than four decades in space, the Voyagers no longer possess backup systems, meaning that a failure of a single component could jeopardize the entire mission. "Everything on both spacecraft is single-string," Dodd explained. "There are not any backup capabilities left. In some cases, we powered off stuff to save power, just to keep the instruments on." To address recent issues and ensure the continued success of the missions, NASA has taken innovative approaches. Ground controllers at JPL recently uplinked a software patch to Voyager 2, as a test before deploying the same patch to Voyager 1. The patch aims to rectify a computer issue that had persisted since 2022, where the Voyager 1 computer responsible for orienting the spacecraft was sending garbled status reports. Furthermore, engineers have developed a new strategy for operating the spacecraft's thrusters. These thrusters are essential for keeping the main antenna on each probe pointed at Earth, and there is a buildup of propellant residue in the narrow lines that feed hydrazine fuel to the thrusters. While this approach may result in occasional data loss, it will significantly extend the overall mission by preventing the complete blockage of the propellant inlet tubes. "These two spacecraft are still operating, still returning uniquely valuable science data, and every extra day we get data back is a blessing," Dodd emphasized. Another pressing issue is the spacecraft's declining power levels, as they rely on nuclear batteries that gradually produce less electricity each year. The power situation is currently stable and predictable, but as the batteries continue to degrade, NASA anticipates having to deactivate Voyager's science instruments one by one late in the decade. Once the transmitter's power requirements exceed the available power, the mission will come to an end. Nevertheless, the Voyagers continue to push the boundaries of space exploration. Both spacecraft are now in the realm of interstellar space, representing the farthest human-made objects from Earth. These pioneering missions have not only provided an invaluable wealth of scientific knowledge but have also become a testament to the ingenuity and resourcefulness of NASA's engineering and science teams. "If you only look at the power situation, the Voyagers should make it until 2030, and maybe slightly longer," Dodd stated. "But there are a lot of other issues that could pop up and cause a mission to fail." With contact still maintained with the Voyagers, albeit with a small team, it is NASA's hope that these venerable spacecraft will continue their journey and provide insights into the mysteries of the universe for years to come. "They've overcome lots of issues, and the engineers have been very clever in overcoming those issues," Dodd concluded. "I think the focus now is let's get to 50 and have the biggest party we can." [ANS thanks Stephen Clark, Space Reporter at Ars Technica, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Satellite Top 100 Rovers October 2023 Rankings The October 2023 rankings for the Top 100 Rovers (Mixed LEO/MEO/GEO) in satellite operations, as determined by @GridMasterMap on Twitter, has been released. The ranking is determined by the number of grids and DXCC entities activated, taking into account only those grids where a minimum number of QSOs logged on the gridmaster.fr website have been validated by a third party. Grid numbers do not directly reflect the exact number of activations. Satellite operators are encouraged to upload their LoTW satellite contacts to https://gridmaster.fr in order to provide more accurate data. Updated: 2023-10-02 1 ND9M 26 KE4AL 51 AD7DB 76 DF2ET 2 NJ7H 27 LU5ILA 52 KE9AJ 77 OE3SEU 3 N5UC 28 VE3HLS 53 VE1CWJ 78 W8LR 4 JA9KRO 29 KI7UNJ 54 JL3RNZ 79 CU2ZG 5 DL6AP 30 KB5FHK 55 KM4LAO 80 K0FFY 6 HA3FOK 31 F5VMJ 56 N4UFO 81 N0TEL 7 WI7P 32 LA9XGA 57 SM3NRY 82 KB2YSI 8 N9IP 33 N7AGF 58 VA7LM 83 KJ7NDY 9 WY7AA 34 DL2GRC 59 N8RO 84 YU0W 10 N6UA 35 XE3DX 60 KI7QEK 85 VE6WK 11 W5PFG 36 N6DNM 61 PT2AP 86 VE7PTN 12 AD0DX 37 F4BKV 62 W1AW 87 AF5CC 13 K5ZM 38 KE0PBR 63 AA8CH 88 HB9GWJ 14 DP0POL 39 K7TAB 64 VE1VOX 89 PT9ST 15 AK8CW 40 AC0RA 65 M1DDD 90 DK9JC 16 AD0HJ 41 KE0WPA 66 VK5DG 91 VO2AC 17 WD9EWK 42 JO2ASQ 67 FG8OJ 92 DL4EA 18 ON4AUC 43 W7WGC 68 PT9BM 93 KG4AKV 19 KG5CCI 44 JK2XXK 69 VA3VGR 94 LW2DAF 20 KX9X 45 EA4NF 70 LU4JVE 95 JM1CAX 21 ND0C 46 PR8KW 71 XE1ET 96 KC7JPC 22 K8BL 47 AA5PK 72 KI7UXT 97 AB5SS 23 N5BO 48 EB1AO 73 N4DCW 98 A41ZZ 24 DJ8MS 49 SP5XSD 74 WA9JBQ 99 K4DCA 25 UT1FG 50 F4DXV 75 VE3GOP 100 WN9Q [ANS thanks @GridMasterMap for the above information] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Want to fly the colors on your own grid expedition? Get your AMSAT car flag and other neat stuff from our Zazzle store! 25% of the purchase price of each product goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for October 26 Two Line Elements or TLEs, often referred to as Keplerian elements or keps in the amateur community, are the inputs to the SGP4 standard mathematical model of spacecraft orbits used by most amateur tracking programs. Weekly updates are completely adequate for most amateur satellites. TLE bulletin files are updated Thursday evenings around 2300 UTC, or more frequently if new high interest satellites are launched. More information may be found at https://www.amsat.org/keplerian-elements-resources/ The following satellites have been removed from this week's AMSAT-NA TLE distribution: Reaktor Hello World NORAD Cat ID 43743 Decayed from orbit on or about 22 October 2023 Astrocast 0.1 NORAD Cat ID 43798 Does not appear to operate in the Amateur Satellite Service Al Farabi 2 NORAD Cat ID 43805 Probably defunct [ANS thanks AMSAT Orbital Elements page for the above information] -------------------------------------------------------------------- ARISS NEWS Amateurs and others around the world may listen in on contacts between amateurs operating in schools and allowing students to interact with astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station. The downlink frequency on which to listen is 145.800 MHz worldwide. + Recently Completed A. L. Burruss Elementary School, Marietta, GA, direct via K4RGK The ISS callsign was NA1SS The scheduled crewmember was Jasmin Moghbeli, KI5WSL The ARISS mentor was K4RGK Contact was successful: Tue 2023-10-24 16:14:50 UTC Watch the video online at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7Dkz_E1Fug + Upcoming Contacts Walkerston State School, Walkerston, Queensland, Australia, telebridge via K6DUE The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled crewmember is Loral O’Hara, KI5TOM The ARISS mentor is VK4KHZ Contact is go for: Fri 2023-11-03 11:24:58 UTC ARISS planned radio outage this week. In support of the spacewalk by NASA astronauts Jasmin Moghbeli, KI5WSL, and Loral O'Hara, KI5TOM, planned for Mon. 10/30 the Voice Repeater & Digipeater will be off for the event. Current Schedule: Radios Off: Sun. Oct. 29 about 18:50 UTC | 2:50 PM ET Radios On: Tue. Oct. 31 about 10:05 UTC | 6:05 AM ET The crossband repeater continues to be active (145.990 MHz up {PL 67} & 437.800 MHz down). If any crewmember is so inclined, all they have to do is pick up the microphone, raise the volume up, and talk on the crossband repeater. So give a listen, you just never know. The packet system is also active (145.825 MHz up & down). As always, if there is an EVA, a docking, or an undocking; the ARISS radios are turned off as part of the safety protocol. Note, all times are approximate. It is recommended that you do your own orbital prediction or start listening about 10 minutes before the listed time. The latest information on the operation mode can be found at https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html The latest list of frequencies in use can be found at https://www.ariss.org/contact-the-iss.html [ANS thanks Charlie Sufana, AJ9N, one of the ARISS operation team mentors for the above information] -------------------------------------------------------------------- Upcoming Satellite Operations YJ, NEW HEBRIDES: YJ0TT will be the callsign for a contest team effort from Efate Island. Operators will also be active before and after (from Oct. 26 until Nov. 3) as YJ0SR (N7JI), YJ0ET (NG7E), YJ0NA (K6VHF via satellites), YJ0UC (W6UC), and YJ0EE (NJ6P, 6m EME). For more information see: https://www.dxobsessed.org/home Ray, KN2K, will be operating in grid square FM27 on November 1st through November 2nd. Watch @KN2K1 on Twitter for rove updates and https://hams.at for pass details. Jonathan, N4AKV, is planning to operate from the EM82/83 gridline in GA on FM, Linears, and GreenCube on November 4th. Passes will be available soon on https://hams.at. A growing number of satellite rovers are currently engaged in sharing their grid square activations on https://hams.at. By visiting the website, you gain easy access to comprehensive information about the operators responsible for activating specific grid squares. Additionally, you have the ability to assess the match score between yourself and a particular rover for a given pass, while also being able to identify the upcoming satellite passes that are accessible from your location. [ANS thanks Ian Parsons, K5ZM, AMSAT rover page manager, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events AMSAT Ambassadors provide presentations, demonstrate communicating through amateur satellites, and host information tables at club meetings, hamfests, conventions, maker faires, and other events. + 40th Anniversary Celebration of the Positive Impact of Amateur Radio on Human Spaceflight Thursday February 22nd through Saturday February 24th, 2024 Center for Space Education: Astronauts Memorial Foundation Kennedy Space Center, M6-306 405 State Road, FL 32899 https://www.ariss.org/overview.html [ANS thanks the AMSAT Events page for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Satellite Shorts From All Over + Congratulations the following individuals on receiving the AMSAT Rover Award for their outstanding achievements in portable satellite operating: Manfred Bester, AG7NR (#081) and Jonathan Eernisse, N4AKV (#082). To qualify for this award, they accumulated a minimum of 25 points by activating grid squares beyond their home grid. Points were earned through various achievements, including activating states, provinces, or DX entities outside their home location via satellite, as well as promoting their grid operations through social media and documenting their activations through photographs and published articles. More information about this award can be found on the AMSAT website at https://www.amsat.org/amsat-rover-award/. Congratulations to our esteemed AMSAT Rover Award recipients! (ANS thanks Bruce Paige, KK5DO, AMSAT Director of Contests and Awards for the above information) + Ray Crafton, KN2K, presents a "Simple, Portable Satellite Tracker" in the ARRL QST November 2023 edition. This tracker utilizes two servo gearboxes, SatPC32 for control, and an Arduino Uno for translation of commands. It is powered by a 13.8 VDC source, typically a 30 Ah lithium iron phosphate battery. The tracker consists of four subsystems: servo mount, adaptable antenna mount, servo control box, and control software interpreting SatPC32 commands. The servo mount includes Stingray-4 and Stingray-9 gearboxes for azimuth and elevation. The antenna mount offers flexibility for accommodating a range of antennas, and the servo control box houses an Arduino Uno along with power converters. For detailed construction notes and updates, the ARRL website https://www.arrl.org/qst-in-depth provides additional resources and information. (ANS thanks Ray Crafton, KN2K and the American Radio Relay League for the above information) + NASA has revealed that it has already processed 70.3 grams of rocks and dust collected by the OSIRIS-REx mission from asteroid Bennu. That means the mission has way exceeded its goal of bringing 60 grams of asteroid samples back to Earth — especially since NASA scientists have yet to open the primary sample container that made its way back to our planet in September. Apparently, they're struggling to open the container and could not remove two of its 35 fasteners using the tools currently available to them. The scientists are processing the samples inside a specialized glovebox with a flow of nitrogen in order to keep them from being exposed to our atmosphere and any contaminants. They can't just use any implement to break the container's fasteners open either: The tool must fit inside the glovebox, and it also must not compromise the samples' integrity. NASA has sealed the primary container sample for now, while it's developing the procedure to be able to open it over the next few weeks. (ANS thanks Engadget for the above information) + SpaceX will launch four European navigation satellites for the ESA due to delays in European launcher development. The agreement entails two Falcon 9 launches in 2024, each carrying two Galileo navigation satellites, pending approval from the European Commission and EU member states. Europe's preference was to use its own rockets, like Ariane 6 and Vega-C, but technical issues led them to seek SpaceX's services. The ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine ruled out the use of Soyuz rockets. These Galileo satellites are crucial for maintaining an independent European global satellite navigation system, and they contain encrypted communication equipment for European military use. This marks the first time in 15 years that Galileo satellites will launch from outside Europe and the first instance of SpaceX launching European satellites with classified equipment. (ANS thanks TechCrunch for the above information) + SpaceX plans to launch 144 missions in the coming year, aiming to increase its already impressive launch frequency. In 2023, the company has already completed 74 orbital missions, breaking its own previous record of 61 set in 2022. SpaceX intends to reach 100 flights this year, requiring a significant acceleration in launch cadence. They aim to achieve approximately 12 flights per month in 2024. Most of these missions will be dedicated to the Starlink internet-satellite megaconstellation. While Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets have dominated SpaceX's missions so far, they are working on their reusable Starship rocket for future exploration, with a second test flight pending approval from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration. SpaceX aims for rapid hardware development through frequent test flights despite regulatory challenges. (ANS thanks Space.com for the above information) --------------------------------------------------------------------- Join AMSAT today at https://launch.amsat.org/ In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership to: * Societies (a recognized group, clubs or organization). * Primary and secondary school students are eligible for membership at one-half the standard yearly rate. * Post-secondary school students enrolled in at least half-time status shall be eligible for the student rate for a maximum of 6 post-secondary years in this status. * Memberships are available for annual and lifetime terms. Contact info [at] amsat.org for additional membership information. 73 and remember to help Keep Amateur Radio in Space! This week's ANS Editor, Mitch Ahrenstorff, ADØHJ ad0hj [at] amsat.org

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

22 Oct '23

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-295 In this edition: * AMSAT Board Appoints Officers, Hears Reports * AMSAT Board Discusses Policies and Procedures * AMSAT Symposium Takes Place in Dallas * ESTCube-2 Fails to Deploy After Launch * Scientists Confirm Ancient Solar Storm * Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for Oct. 19 * EVA Event Upcoming on ISS * ARISS News * Upcoming Satellite Operations * Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events * Satellite Shorts From All Over The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and information service of AMSAT, the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS publishes news related to Amateur Radio in Space including reports on the activities of a worldwide group of Amateur Radio operators who share an active interest in designing, building, launching and communicating through analog and digital Amateur Radio satellites. The news feed on http://www.amsat.org publishes news of Amateur Radio in Space as soon as our volunteers can post it. Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to: ans-editor [at] amsat.org You can sign up for free e-mail delivery of the AMSAT News Service Bulletins via the ANS List; to join this list see: https://mailman.amsat.org/postorius/lists/ans.amsat.org/ ANS-295 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins To: All RADIO AMATEURS From: Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation 712 H Street NE, Suite 1653 Washington, DC 20002 DATE 2023 OCT 22 AMSAT Board Appoints Officers, Hears Reports The AMSAT Board of Directors met on Thursday, Oct. 19 in Dallas, Texas in advance of the annual meeting and Symposium. + Since Board members whose terms were expiring were all re-elected, the Board was as previously constituted. Frank Karnauskas was welcomed as the new Alternate Board member. + All officers were re-appointed by acclamation: President -- Robert Bankston, KE4AL, Dothan, AL Executive Vice President -- Paul Stoetzer, N8HM, Washington, DC Vice President - Engineering -- Jerry Buxton, N0JY, Granbury, TX Vice President - Operations -- Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA, Brooksville, FL Vice President - Educational Relations -- Alan Johnston, KU2Y, Philadelphia, PA Vice President - Development -- Frank Karnauskas, N1UW, Tucson, AZ Treasurer -- Steve Belter, N9IP, West Lafayette, IN Secretary -- Jeff Davis, KE9V, Yorktown, IN + President Robert Bankston gave his President's Report. His focus was on improving transparency and accountability between AMSAT leadership and membership. This would include better reporting of finances, better standards for publishing our accomplishments, more attention to Member Services for member satisfaction, and redesign of the AMSAT website. + Treasurer Steve Belter was not in attendance, but the Treasurer's Report was given on his behalf. The financial status of the organization is healthy. + Alan Johnston, Vice President - Educational Relations, reported that the CubeSat Simulators are getting good use in the amateur community, as well as in universities and high schools. The Simulator circuit boards have been selling well, and the fully built loaners are circulating constantly. An upgraded Simulator board, v.2, is in beta, and testers will be recruited from among builders of version 1. A new v.2 kit should become available next year. + The engineering report by Jerry Buxton, Vice President - Engineering, and Jonathan Brandenburg, KF5IDY, Assistant Vice President - Engineering. The engineering team now consists of more than 35 volunteers, each working 4 to 5 hours per week, on various projects for Fox-Plus, GOLF, ASCENT, and other related efforts. Recruiting of engineering volunteers is ongoing. Engineering challenges include supply chain problems and inflationary pressures. As technology advances quickly, some components become unavailable in the space between planning and construction. Export Administration Regulations (EAR) make international cooperation difficult. The GOLF (Greater Orbit, Larger Footprint) program was approved in 2017 as an incremental development path for return to High Earth Orbit (HEO). Applications for the first two satellites in this program, GOLF-TEE and GOLF-1, have both been accepted by NASA. The satellites are under construction, and the first will be delivered to NASA in late 2025, but there is no time frame for launch at this time. ASCENT (Advanced Satellite Communication and Exploration of New Technology) allows a "sandbox" for future satellite systems to be explored for eventual flight. Some of these projects are being incorporated into GOLF, including the deployable solar panels and the 3U cubesat structure. Fox-Plus, a 1U cubesat, is currently under construction utilizing the Linear Transponder Module similar to those that have been supplied to partners such as HuskySat and MESAT-1. The first Fox-Plus satellite will be completed no earlier than late 2024, with no time frame for launch at this time. + Vice President - Operations, Drew Glasbrenner, gave a rundown on satellites in orbit. We have a number of old satellites that keep chugging along, and the Operations team manages these resources as possible. + Vice President - Development, Frank Karnauskas, reported on plans to celebrate the 50th anniversary of AO-07 and the publicity surrounding it. There was also discussion of the AMSAT News Service bulletins and how they are distributed. + The IT report focused on the availability of @amsat.org email accounts. Costs of maintaining this service have increased immensely, and there have been many problems with spam filters crushing mail sent through this service. + Board Member Bruce Paige, KK5DO, reported on AMSAT Field Day and the awards programs. The AMSAT Store, reached through the amsat.org website, continues to do a brisk business with the SatPC32 tracking program being the best seller. + Export Control and Economic Sanctions Compliance Training was the last item on the agenda. President Bankston briefed the Board on current legal requirements. [ANS thanks AMSAT for the above information] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ The 2023 AMSAT President's Club coins are here now! To commemorate the 40th anniversary of its launch on June 16, 1983, this year's coin features an image of AMSAT-OSCAR 10. Join the AMSAT President's Club today and help Keep Amateur Radio in Space! https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/ +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ AMSAT Board Discusses Policies and Procedures President Robert Bankston reconvened the Board of Directors on Friday morning, Oct. 20. Bankston opened with a discussion of AMSAT’s policies and procedures, specifically the financial policies and procedures. Discussion ensued regarding communicating information regarding Engineering projects and a public release of schedules. In some cases, legal agreements preclude release of specific launch information. Discussion also continued regarding budgeting procedures for Engineering projects. Bankston compiled a list of further items for new business to discuss by the end of the meeting. Further new business discussion followed. Paul Stoetzer raised the issue of a document repository to manage corporate documents for improving management and communication. It was broadly agreed that AMSAT would seek a solution in concert with the IT team. Drew Glasbrenner was recognized to discuss a potential updated satellite tracking software. A concern was raised that more senior AMSAT leadership should attend various conferences and events. It was agreed that there would be an increase in the amount budgeted for attendance at conferences in the 2024 Budget. There was discussion of allocating funds for services would be contracted for user services, since AMSAT no longer has any employees. A discussion also ensued on the AMSAT IP Policy. It was agreed that ideas for updating it would be developed and discussed in January. Alternate Director Frank Karnauskas was recognized to discuss the need to define positions before filling them with volunteers. Some feel that positions need to be flexible in order to fit the willingness of volunteers. Jerry Buxton opened discussion of ITU/FCC satellite authorization. He suggested obtaining external support to handle applications for satellite authorization. Drew Glasbrenner, as the AMSAT licensee, concurred. It was broadly agreed that it would be a benefit. As the 50th anniversary of AO-7 draws near, plans are in the works for celebrating the anniversary. Also discussed were potential locations for the 2024 Symposium. It was broadly agreed that Florida would be the location. President Bankston mentioned his desire for re-engagement with our sister AMSATs around the world on satellite programs. The Board broadly agreed that the President should reach out to international AMSAT leadership and begin discussions. The need was discussed for an updating of the Getting Started Guide and the need for a new editor. President Bankston adjourned the meeting so that all could move on to attending the 41st AMSAT Symposium. [ANS thanks Paul Stoetzer, Acting Secretary, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- AMSAT Symposium Takes Place in Dallas The 41st AMSAT Space Symposium & Annual General Meeting was held October 20-21 in Dallas, Texas. Nearly 60 participants were in attendance. The Symposium sessions will be available for viewing on AMSAT's YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@AMSATNA/ Friday, October 20 + Welcome from Robert Bankston, KE4AL, AMSAT President + A Survey of Small Satellite Propulsion Systems by Jonathan Brandenburg, KF5IDY, AMSAT Assistant VP Engineering + AMSAT Engineering Update from Jerry Buxton, N0JY, AMSAT VP Engineering; Jonathan Brandenburg, KF5IDY, AMSAT Assistant VP Engineering; sZach Metzinger, N0ZGO, AMSAT Board of Directors + PACSAT Update and Demonstration by Bill Reed, NX5R, PACSAT Project Manager, et al Saturday, October 21 + Welcome from Robert Bankston, KE4AL, AMSAT President + CubeSatSim Update and Demonstration by Alan Johnston, KU2Y, AMSAT VP Educational Resources + ThinSat Project for High Schools by Nick Pugh, K5QXY, and Bob Twiggs, KE6QMD + AMSAT Youth Initiative by Frank Karnauskas, N1UW, AMSAT VP Development + Amateur Radio Spectrum Use in the Lunar Environment by Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, ARISS-NA Executive Director + Amateur Satellite Secondary Payloads by Drew Glasbrenner, AMSAT Board of Directors/VP Operations + AMSAT-HB Update from Michael Lipp, HB9WDF, President, AMSAT-HB + ARISS Update from Dave Taylor, W8AAS, AMSAT U.S. Delegate to ARISS International + 40th Anniversary of Hams in Space & 2024 Anniversary Event by Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, ARISS-NA Executive Director + Planned Non-AMSAT Amateur Satellites by Paul Stoetzer, N8HM, AMSAT Executive Vice President + Space Qualified Antennas by Kent Britain, WA5VJB The session was followed by the AMSAT Annual General Meeting & Awards Ceremony, and in the evening, by the AMSAT Symposium Banquet. [ANS thanks AMSAT for the above information] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Need new satellite antennas? Purchase Arrows, Alaskan Arrows, and M2 LEO-Packs from the AMSAT Store. When you purchase through AMSAT, a portion of the proceeds goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space. https://amsat.org/product-category/hardware/ +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ ESTCube-2 Fails to Deploy After Launch A pair of payloads that were among 12 carried to orbit aboard the Arianespace-managed Vega VV23 flight failed to be deployed and likely burned up in the atmosphere still attached to the rocket’s upper stage. The Vega VV23 flight was launched on October 9 at 01:36 UTC from the Guiana Space Centre in French Guiana. The rocket carried the THEOS-2 and FORMOSAT-7R/TRITON satellites as its primary payloads and ten smaller satellites as secondary payloads. Following a successful launch, Arianespace published a press release confirming that the two primary payloads and eight of the ten secondary payloads had been deployed. However, the launch services provider added that “the separation of the last 2 cubesats is still to be confirmed.” The launch utilized the Small Spacecraft Mission Service (SSMS) dispenser, which was designed by SAB Aerospace for Avio and is operated by Arianespace with the support of SAB Launch Services. In an email sent by Arianespace to the affected teams that European Spaceflight has seen, the launch services provider explained that the ESTCube-2 and ANSER-Leader cubesats likely failed to separate from their respective deployers. “Following the VEGA VV23 launch last Sunday, ARIANESPACE has now the strong suspicion that your satellites ESTCube-2 and ANSER-Leader were unfortunately not separated from their respective deployers,” said the email. ESTcube-2, a 3U cubesat, was built by the Estonian Student Satellite Foundation and was supposed to carry a 9600bps digipeater similar to the former FalconSat-3, as well as several other amateur-related experiments. [ANS thanks European Spaceflight for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Scientists Confirm Ancient Solar Storm The largest known solar storm struck Earth more than 14,000 years ago, according to a new study of the growth rings in ancient trees. A similar storm striking Earth at present would likely knock out radio communications and satellites while causing widespread blackouts. Carbon-14 (C14), the rarest carbon isotope on the planet, is primarily formed by cosmic rays emitted by the Sun through solar flares and coronal mass ejections interacting with the Earth's atmosphere. The radioactive carbon isotope can eventually be absorbed by living organisms — like trees, plants and animals — throughout their lifetimes. The amount of C14 in certain organisms can reflect how abundant the isotope was in the atmosphere and, by extension, the amount of solar activity present at a given time. A team of scientists discovered evidence of the storm by measuring the levels of C14 in rings of ancient pine trees that lived in the French Alps more than 14,000 years ago. The researchers hypothesized that the abrupt spike was likely from a massive solar storm that was probably two times larger than all other major storms on record. To verify their hypothesis, the researchers turned to ice cores, or cylinders of ice drilled from ice sheets and glaciers. They discovered that the C14 spike in the trees corresponded with an unusual concentration of beryllium-10 from between 14,301 and 14,292 years ago found in a Greenland ice core. Tim Heaton, a professor of applied statistics at the University of Leeds and a co-author of the new study in the journal, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A, noted that, "Extreme solar storms could have huge impacts on Earth. They would also create severe radiation risks to astronauts." [ANS thanks Axios Space for the above information] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Want to fly the colors on your own grid expedition? Get your AMSAT car flag and other neat stuff from our Zazzle store! 25% of the purchase price of each product goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for Oct. 19 Two Line Elements or TLEs, often referred to as Keplerian elements or keps in the amateur community, are the inputs to the SGP4 standard mathematical model of spacecraft orbits used by most amateur tracking programs. Weekly updates are completely adequate for most amateur satellites. Elements in the TLE bulletin files are updated daily. TLE bulletin files are updated to add or remove satellites as necessary Thursday evenings around 2300 UTC, or more frequently if new high interest satellites are launched. More information may be found at https://www.amsat.org/keplerian-elements-resources/ The following satellites have been removed from this week's AMSAT-NA TLE distribution: Robusta 1B NORAD Cat ID 42792 Decayed from orbit on or about 16 October 2023 LO-87 LUSEX NORAD Cat ID 41557 Decayed from orbit on or about 19 October 2023 [ANS thanks AMSAT Orbital Elements page for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- EVA Event Upcoming on ISS Two NASA astronauts aboard the International Space Station will conduct a spacewalk Monday, Oct. 30, to complete maintenance activities at the orbital complex. Live coverage of the spacewalk begins at 6:30 a.m. EDT on NASA Television, the NASA app<https://www.nasa.gov/apps/>, and the agency’s website< https://www.nasa.gov/nasatv/>. The spacewalk is scheduled to begin about 8:05 a.m., and last about six-and-a-half hours. NASA astronauts Jasmin Moghbeli, KI5WSL, and Loral O’Hara, KI5TOM, will exit the station’s Quest airlock to remove an electronics box called the Radio Frequency Group from a communications antenna on station. They also will replace one of 12 trundle bearing assemblies on a solar alpha rotary joint. The bearings enable the station’s solar arrays to rotate properly to track the Sun as the station orbits the Earth. When looking at the space station, the antenna is on the starboard (right side) truss, and the rotary joint is on the port, or left side. U.S. spacewalk 89 will be the first for both Moghbeli and O’Hara. Moghbeli will serve as extravehicular activity crew member 1 and will wear a suit with red stripes. O’Hara will serve as extravehicular crew member 2 and will wear an unmarked suit. Station managers continue planning for another spacewalk with O’Hara, as well as ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Andreas Mogensen, to collect samples for analysis to see whether microorganisms may exist on the exterior of the orbital complex. That spacewalk, which now is U.S. spacewalk 90, has been postponed to no earlier than December. [As always, if there is an EVA, a docking, or an undocking; the ARISS radios are turned off as part of the safety protocol.] [ANS thanks NASA for the above information] -------------------------------------------------------------------- ARISS NEWS Amateurs and others around the world may listen in on contacts between amateurs operating in schools and allowing students to interact with astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station. The downlink frequency on which to listen is 145.800 MHz worldwide. RECENTLY COMPLETED Valley Stream South High School, Valley Stream, NY, telebridge via IK1SLD The ISS callsign was OR4ISS The crewmember was Andreas Mogensen, KG5GCZ The ARISS mentor was AB1OC Contact was successful: Tue 2023-10-17 12:25:03 UTC 38 deg Congratulations to the Valley Stream South High School students, Andreas, and mentor AB1OC! Watch the video at https://youtube.com/live/g74NbsTEvVw?feature=share St Peter in Thanet CE Junior School, Broadstairs, Kent, United Kingdom, direct via GB4SPT The ISS callsign was NA1SS The crewmember was Loral O’Hara, KI5TOM The ARISS mentor was MØXTD Contact was successful: Wed 2023-10-18 09:57:49 UTC 89 deg Congratulations to the St Peter in Thanet CE Junior School students, Loral, and mentor MØXTD! UPCOMING: A. L. Burruss Elementary School, Marietta, GA, direct via K4RGK The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled crewmember is Jasmin Moghbeli, KI5WSL The ARISS mentor is K4RGK Contact is go for: Tue 2023-10-24 16:14:50 UTC 74 deg Watch for Livestream at www.youtube.com/channel/UCuI4sKDBpERtEFs9bFrRMFA/live The crossband repeater continues to be active (145.990 MHz up {PL 67} & 437.800 MHz down). If any crewmember is so inclined, all they have to do is pick up the microphone, raise the volume up, and talk on the crossband repeater. So give a listen, you just never know. The packet system is Temporarily stowed (145.825 MHz up & down). As always, if there is an EVA, a docking, or an undocking; the ARISS radios are turned off as part of the safety protocol. Note, all times are approximate. It is recommended that you do your own orbital prediction or start listening about 10 minutes before the listed time. The latest information on the operation mode can be found at https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html The latest list of frequencies in use can be found at https://www.ariss.org/contact-the-iss.html [ANS thanks Charlie Sufana, AJ9N, one of the ARISS operation team mentors for the above information] -------------------------------------------------------------------- Upcoming Satellite Operations Ray, KN2K, will be in FM17 the morning of Wednesday, 25th October and will be QRV for a number of morning passes. Check hams.at for details. Please submit any additions or corrections to k5zm (at) comcast (dot) net. [ANS thanks Ian Parsons, K5ZM, AMSAT rover page manager, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events AMSAT Ambassadors provide presentations, demonstrate communicating through amateur satellites, and host information tables at club meetings, hamfests, conventions, maker faires, and other events. + 41st AMSAT Space Symposium & Annual General Meeting October 20-21, 2023 Sheraton DFW Airport Hotel 4440 W John Carpenter Fwy, Irving, TX 75063 AMSAT Ambassador Clint Bradford, K6LCS, says, “Think a 75-minute presentation on “working the easy satellites” would be appropriate for your club or event? Let me know by emailing me at k6lcsclint (at) gmail (dot) com or calling me at 909-999-SATS (7287)!” Clint has NEVER given the exact same show twice: EACH of the 150+ presentations so far has been customized/tailored to their audiences. [ANS thanks the AMSAT Events page for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Satellite Shorts From All Over + ARRL has released TQSL v.2.7.1 for Windows, Mac and Linux as of Oct. 17, 2023. Users of Logbook of the World should update to the latest version at their earliest opportunity. (ANS thanks ARRL/LoTW for the above information) + The presentations from the 50th Anniversary AMSAT-DL Satellite Meeting on September 16, 2023 in Bochum are available on the AMSAT-DL YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@amsatdl/videos. Though many are in German, some presentations are in English. (ANS thanks AMSAT-DL for the above information) + The ISS experienced another coolant leak, this time on a radiator circuit that is part of the Russian Nauka module—the crew and station are safe, and there is a spacewalk planned later this month to investigate the root cause. (ANS thanks The Orbital Index for the above information) + Researchers at Purdue University’s College of Science found metals high in Earth’s stratosphere. Those metals are altering the chemistry in our planet’s atmosphere in ways we don’t fully understand, and may be causing damage to the earth's protective ozone layer. The team concluded that the aerosols of over 20 chemical elements, including lithium, aluminum, copper, and lead, come from vapour boiling off of the surfaces of spent boosters and other space debris as it re-enters the atmosphere and burns up. (ANS thanks Universe Today for the above information) + SpaceX filed for a 29,988 satellite W-band network—likely around 71-86 GHz which offers higher data rates but suffers more atmospheric attenuation—this filing is presumably part of SpaceX’s original 42,000 satellite proposed constellation and would quadruple the number of active satellites that humanity has in orbit. (ANS thanks The Orbital Index for the above information) --------------------------------------------------------------------- Join AMSAT today at https://launch.amsat.org/ In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership to: * Societies (a recognized group, clubs or organization). * Primary and secondary school students are eligible for membership at one-half the standard yearly rate. * Post-secondary school students enrolled in at least half time status shall be eligible for the student rate for a maximum of 6 post-secondary years in this status. * Memberships are available for annual and lifetime terms. Contact info [at] amsat.org for additional membership information. 73 and remember to help Keep Amateur Radio in Space! This week's ANS Editor, Mark Johns, KØJM k0jm [at] amsat.org

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

20 Oct '23

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE SPECIAL BULLETIN ANS-293 The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and information service of AMSAT, The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS publishes news related to Amateur Radio in Space including reports on the activities of a worldwide group of Amateur Radio operators who share an active interest in designing, building, launching and communicating through analog and digital Amateur Radio satellites. The news feed on http://www.amsat.org publishes news of Amateur Radio in Space as soon as our volunteers can post it. Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to: ans-editor at amsat.org. You can sign up for free e-mail delivery of the AMSAT News Service Bulletins via the ANS List; to join this list see: https://mailman.amsat.org/postorius/lists/ans.amsat.org/ In this edition: * 41st AMSAT Space Symposium & Annual General Meeting Schedule and Livestream Details Announced SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-293.01 ANS-293 AMSAT News Service Special Bulletin AMSAT News Service Bulletin 293.01 From AMSAT HQ WASHINGTON, DC DATE October 20, 2023 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-293.01 41st AMSAT Space Symposium & Annual General Meeting Schedule and Livestream Details Announced The 41st AMSAT Space Symposium & Annual General Meeting lifts off at 1:00pm Central Daylight Time / 18:00 UTC on Friday, October 20th. If you are not joining us in Dallas this year, we are pleased to offer a live stream of the Symposium sessions on AMSAT's YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@AMSATNA/streams The Symposium schedule and direct livestream links for each day follow. All times are Central Daylight Time (UTC-5). The sessions start at 18:00 UTC on Friday and 13:00 UTC on Saturday. Friday, October 20th YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcO4-h7bbxs 1:00 – 1:15 Welcome Robert Bankston, KE4AL, AMSAT President 1:15 – 1:45 A Survey of Small Satellite Propulsion Systems Jonathan Brandenburg, KF5IDY, AMSAT Assistant VP Engineering 1:45 – 3:00 AMSAT Engineering Update Jerry Buxton, N0JY, AMSAT VP Engineering Jonathan Brandenburg, KF5IDY, AMSAT Assistant VP Engineering Zach Metzinger, N0ZGO, AMSAT Board of Directors 3:00 – 3:15 Break 3:15 – 4:15 PACSAT Update and Demonstration Bill Reed, NX5R, PACSAT Project Manager, et al 4:15 – 5:00 Break-Out Session Member Services Saturday, October 21st YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzKKHTBxyY8 8:00 – 8:15 Welcome Robert Bankston, KE4AL, AMSAT President 8:15 – 9:00 CubeSatSim Update and Demonstration Alan Johnston, KU2Y, AMSAT VP Educational Resources 9:00 – 9:30 ThinSat Project for High Schools Nick Pugh, K5QXY, and Bob Twiggs, KE6QMD 9:30 – 10:00 AMSAT Youth Initiative Frank Karnauskas, N1UW, AMSAT VP Development 10:00 – 10:15 Break 10:15 – 10:45 Amateur Radio Spectrum Use in the Lunar Environment Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, ARISS-NA Executive Director 10:45 – 11:15 Amateur Satellite Secondary Payloads Drew Glasbrenner, AMSAT Board of Directors/VP Operations 11:15 – 11:35 AMSAT-HB Update Michael Lipp, HB9WDF, President, AMSAT-HB 11:35 - 12:00 TBD 12:00 – 1:00 Lunch 1:00 – 1:45 ARISS Update Dave Taylor, W8AAS, AMSAT US Delegate to ARISS International 1:45 - 2:15 40th Anniversary of Hams in Space & 2024 Anniversary Event Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, ARISS-NA Executive Director 2:15 – 2:45 Planned Non-AMSAT Amateur Satellites Paul Stoetzer, N8HM, AMSAT Executive Vice President 2:45 – 3:15 Space Qualified Antennas Kent Britain, WA5VJB 3:30 PM – 4:45 PM AMSAT Annual General Meeting & Awards Ceremony [ANS thanks AMSAT for the above information] /EX In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership in the President's Club. Members of the President's Club, as sustaining donors to AMSAT Project Funds, will be eligible to receive additional benefits. President's Club donations may be made at https://tinyurl.com/ANS-PresClub. Primary and secondary school students are eligible for membership at one-half the standard yearly rate. Post-secondary school students enrolled in at least half time status shall be eligible for the student rate for a maximum of 6 post-secondary years in this status. Join AMSAT today at https://launch.amsat.org/ 73 and remember to help Keep Amateur Radio in Space, This week's ANS Contributing Editor, Paul Stoetzer, N8HM n8hm at amsat dot org

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ANS-288 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
by Paul Stoetzer 15 Oct '23

15 Oct '23

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-288 In this edition: * Estonia’s ESTCube-2 Digipeater in Orbit * 2023 AMSAT Space Symposium & Annual General Meeting Next Weekend * AMSAT-UK Colloquium Ongoing * Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for September 15, 2023 * ARISS News * Upcoming Satellite Operations * Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events * Satellite Shorts From All Over The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and information service of AMSAT, The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS publishes news related to Amateur Radio in Space including reports on the activities of a worldwide group of Amateur Radio operators who share an active interest in designing, building, launching and communicating through analog and digital Amateur Radio satellites. The news feed on http://www.amsat.org publishes news of Amateur Radio in Space as soon as our volunteers can post it. Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to: ans-editor [at] amsat.org You can sign up for free e-mail delivery of the AMSAT News Service Bulletins via the ANS List; to join this list see: https://mailman.amsat.org/postorius/lists/ans.amsat.org/ ANS-260 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins To: All RADIO AMATEURS From: Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation 712 H Street NE, Suite 1653 Washington, DC 20002 DATE 2023 October 15 Estonia’s ESTCube-2 Digipeater in Orbit ESTCube-2 is a 3U Cubesat largely designed and built by undergraduate students at the University of Tartu, Estonia. It was launched into sun-synchronous orbit as an auxiliary payload on the European Space Agency (ESA) Vega flight VV23 from the Guiana Space Centre at Kourou on October 8 at 01:36 UTC. Among ESTCube-2's several missions, it will conduct in-orbit signal strength mapping in the 2m and 70cm amateur bands, using periodical full band received signal strength indicator (RSSI) measurements in order to check how polluted these two radio amateur bands are in low Earth orbit. In addition, a cross-band AX.25 digipeater mode will be used to allow amateur radio operators to use satellite for two-way digital communication. 9600 bps G3RUH AX.25 data uplink will be in 2m amateur band and transmission of digipeated packet in 70cm amateur radio band. Transmission speed and modulation will be the same as for uplink. [Similar to the now re-entered FalconSat-3.] There are plans to include periodic short audio announcements (similar to FOX-1) to indicate that the digipeater is active. The high-speed communications system is a COTS transmitter system called HiSPiCO from IQ Technologies. It is used when downloading preselected Earth observation scientific camera full-resolution images using the 2.4 GHz amateur radio band. (See https://www.iq-spacecom.com/products/hispico for details.) Data will be downlinked using QPSK modulated up-to 1 Mbps data-rate signal. Software tools (e.g. GNU Radio, web browser- based) will be published before the satellite launch, in order to enable reception of high speed downlink by the amateur radio community. The optional multi-station radio frequency ranging experiment will be used to determine satellite distance to Earth in order to improve accuracy of satellite orbit determination. For the experiment, the 70cm radio amateur band will be used in conjunction with four or more amateur ground stations using SDR-based equipment that can provide stable and accurate frequency and time measurements. The satellite downlink will be listened to from several ground stations at the same time. To educate the next generation of radio amateurs, the satellite will transmit analog messages from space using an NBFM signal containing pre-recorded audio greetings. This activity will infrequently take place according to a schedule published publicly to schools and the AMSAT/HAM community. The transmitted signal will be received by participating Estonian secondary and high schools, using their own built radio antennas and SDR-based receiver systems. This activity is targeted primarily to promote amateur radio and satellite communication (and in general STEM fields) among the younger generation. The Primary transceiver, shared with the amateur payloads, is using the 70 cm amateur radio band for uplink and downlink purposes. It will be used as the housekeeping beacon for a simple overview of the satellite status and as the main transceiver for receiving tele-commands and firmware upgrades. As well transmitting mission data, like telemetry from each subsystem (< 256 bytes per subsystem) and payload data, e.g. compressed, low resolution image thumbnails (~100 KiB), in AX.25 data packet format with 9600 baud data-rate with G3RUH modulated signal. The spacecraft will have experimental capability to change data-rate up-to 38600 baud using 2GFSK (or 4GFSK for testing) different modulation schemes. During the mission, it is planned to transmit a housekeeping telemetry beacon periodically (~1 KiB), typically once per minute, containing telemetry, health data packets from every subsystem. The 70 cm amateur radio band downlink will be used to send Plasma brake tether experiment [link] and housekeeping data of the payload module such as temperature measurements, information about the attitude of satellite, energy production etc. (< 256 bytes). After performing measurements of a material science experiment on corrosion resistant coating, the 70cm amateur radio band downlink will be used to transmit a very small amount of acquired sensor data (~ 200 B per day). The satellite will measure the electrical continuity of the coating material to determine its lifespan after exposure to atomic oxygen in LEO. Proposing UHF 9k6 using GFSK/G3RUH modulation or 38k4 GFSK/4GFSK or, alternatively, FM voice downlinks, and on S Band downlink DQPSK modulation with 1 Mbps data-rate, downlinks on 435.800 MHz and 2425.000 MHz have been coordinated by the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU). The Vega C VV23 launch plan was to put ESTCube-2 into a 555km Sun-Sychronous Orbit (SSO). Actual orbit parameters have yet to be confirmed. More info is at https://www.estcube.eu/projekt/ESTCube-2 and https://www.estcube.eu/blogi/Raadio [ANS thanks IARU, ESA, and the University of Tartu for the above information] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Join us for the 41st Annual AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting October 20-21, 2023 – Dallas, TX More Information at: https://tinyurl.com/41st-AMSAT-Symposium +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ 2023 AMSAT Space Symposium & Annual General Meeting Next Weekend Although the deadline for the banquet and Sunday morning Members' Breakfast has passed, there's still time to join us for the 41st AMSAT Space Symposium & Annual General Meeting next weekend. A livestream of the Symposium Presentations and Annual General Meeting will be available on AMSAT's YouTube page at https://www.youtube.com/amsatna For more information, visit https://www.amsat.org/41st-amsat-annual-space-symposium-and-annual-general-… Schedule (Times CDT) Thursday, October 19, 2023 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM AMSAT Board Meeting 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM Pre-Registration Check-in Friday, October 20, 2023 8:00 – 12:00 Noon AMSAT Board Meeting (Closed Session) 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM Registration 1:00 PM – 1:15 PM AMSAT Symposium Kickoff, President’s Welcome 1:15 PM – 5:00 PM Paper Sessions 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM Informal Dinner on your own 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM AMSAT Reception and Auction, Cash Bar Available Saturday October 21, 2023 8:00 AM – 11:45 AM Registration 8:00 AM – 8:15 AM AMSAT Symposium Welcome 8:15AM – 12:00 Noon Paper Sessions 1:00 PM – 3:15 PM Paper Sessions 3:30 PM – 4:45 PM AMSAT Annual Meeting & Awards Ceremony 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM Attitude Adjustment (Social), Cash Bar 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM AMSAT Banquet, Cash Bar Sunday October 22, 2023 7:30 AM – 9:00 AM AMSAT Member Breakfast [ANS thanks AMSAT for the above information] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ The 2023 AMSAT President's Club coins are here now! To commemorate the 40th anniversary of its launch on June 16, 1983, this year's coin features an image of AMSAT-OSCAR 10. Join the AMSAT President's Club today and help Keep Amateur Radio in Space! https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/ +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ AMSAT-UK Colloquium Ongoing Although the first day of the AMSAT-UK Colloquium has concluded at the time of publication, a livestream of Sunday's presentations is available. Volunteers from the British Amateur Television Club (BATC) are providing a live stream of the presentations from the AMSAT-UK International Space Colloquium which takes place as part of the RSGB Convention on October 14-15. BATC volunteers have been recording and streaming the Colloquium for over 11 years. Watch the AMSAT-UK Colloquium presentations on Sunday from 09:30-15:15 BST (GMT +1) at https://batc.org.uk/live/amsatuk2023 The AMSAT-UK talks are in Lecture Room 5 and PDF’s of the talk schedule can be downloaded from the RSGB site at https://rsgb.org/main/rsgb-2023-convention/2023-convention-lectures/ Further information on the BATC is available at http://batc.org.uk/ Individual videos of Colloquium presentations will also be available on AMSAT-UK's YouTube page (https://www.youtube.com/user/AMSATUK) over the coming weeks. [ANS thanks AMSAT-UK for the above information] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Need new satellite antennas? Purchase an M2 LEO-Pack from the AMSAT Store. When you purchase through AMSAT, a portion of the proceeds goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space. https://amsat.org/product-category/hardware/ +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for October 13, 2023 Two Line Elements or TLEs, often referred to as Keplerian elements or keps in the amateur community, are the inputs to the SGP4 standard mathematical model of spacecraft orbits used by most amateur tracking programs. Weekly updates are completely adequate for most amateur satellites. TLE bulletin files are updated Thursday evenings around 2300 UTC, or more frequently if new high interest satellites are launched. More information may be found at https://www.amsat.org/keplerian-elements-resources/ The following satellites have been removed from this week's AMSAT-NA TLE distribution: AstroBioCubsat NORAD Cat ID 53107 Probably defunct, USSF no longer providing element sets. Aurorasat NORAD Cat ID 56312 Decayed from orbit on or about 9 October 2023 Lightcube NORAD Cat ID 56314 Decayed from orbit on or about 12 October 2023 [ANS thanks Joe Fitzgerald, KM1P, AMSAT Orbital Elements Manager, for the above information] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Want to fly the colors on your own grid expedition? Get your AMSAT car flag and other neat stuff from our Zazzle store! 25% of the purchase price of each product goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ ARISS News Amateurs and others around the world may listen in on contacts between amateurs operating in schools and allowing students to interact with astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station. The downlink frequency on which to listen is 145.800 MHz worldwide. Quick list of scheduled contacts and events: Valley Stream South High School, Valley Stream, NY, telebridge via IK1SLD The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS The scheduled crewmember is Andreas Mogensen, KG5GCZ The ARISS mentor is AB1OC Contact is go for: Tue 2023-10-17 12:25:03 UTC 38 deg Watch for livestream at https://youtube.com/live/g74NbsTEvVw?feature=share St Peter in Thanet CE Junior School, Broadstairs, Kent, United Kingdom, direct via GB4SPT The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled crewmember is Loral O’Hara, KI5TOM The ARISS mentor is MØXTD Contact is go for: Wed 2023-10-18 09:57:49 UTC 89 deg Contact is go for: Wed 2023-10-18 09:57:49 UTC 89 deg Comments on making general contacts I have been seeing a lot of traffic on Facebook and I suspect on other social media sites with people asking why they are not hearing the crew make general contacts. First off the crew is very busy on the ISS and they simply may not have the time to just pick up the microphone and talk. Also, one needs to be aware of their normal daily schedule. I have listed below the constraints that we at ARISS have to follow in order to schedule the school contacts. Hopefully this will help you better schedule your opportunities. Typical daily schedule Wakeup to Workday start= 1.5 hours Workday start to Workday end=12 hours Workday end to Sleep= 2 hours Sleep to wakeup= 8.5 hours The crew's usual waking period is 0730 - 1930 UTC. The most common times to find a crew member making casual periods are about one hour after waking and before sleeping, when they have personal time. They're usually free most of the weekend, as well. SSTV events are not that often. So please check out https://www.ariss.org/ for the latest information or watch for the ARISS announcements. And don’t forget that the packet system is active. As always, if there is an EVA, a docking, or an undocking; the ARISS radios are turned off as part of the safety protocol. ARISS Radio Status Columbus Module radios: IORS (Kenwood D710GA) – STATUS - Configured. Default mode is for cross band repeater (145.990 MHz up {PL 67} & 437.800 MHz down). * Powering off for USOS EVA on Oct 19. OFF TBD. ON TBD. * Powering off for ROS EVA on Oct 25. OFF TBD . ON TBD. * Powering off for USOS EVA on Oct 30. OFF TBD. ON TBD. * Powering off for TBD on TBD. OFF TBD . ON TBD. * Capable of supporting USOS scheduled voice contacts, packet and voice repeater ops. Service Module radios: IORS (Kenwood D710GA) – STATUS - Configured. Default mode is fo packet operations (145.825 MHz up & down) * Powering off for TBD on TBD. OFF TBD . ON TBD. * Capable of supporting ROS scheduled voice contacts, packet, SSTV and voice repeater ops. SSTV (Kenwood D710) – STATUS - OFF. Default mode is for scheduled SSTV operations (145.800 MHz down) * Next planned operation date(s) TBD. * Specifically configured for SSTV ops. The latest information on the operation mode can be found at https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html The latest list of frequencies in use can be found at https://www.ariss.org/contact-the-iss.html [ANS thanks Charlie Sufana, AJ9N, one of the ARISS operation team mentors for the above information] -------------------------------------------------------------------- Upcoming Satellite Operations Adrian, N8AJM, will be QRV from EM85 (TN) 16th – 20th October. This will be LEO/MEO. Details are available at hams.at [ANS thanks Ian Parsons, K5ZM, AMSAT rover page manager, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events AMSAT Ambassadors provide presentations, demonstrate communicating through amateur satellites, and host information tables at club meetings, hamfests, conventions, maker faires, and other events. + 41st AMSAT Space Symposium & Annual General Meeting October 20-21, 2023 Sheraton DFW Airport Hotel 4440 W John Carpenter Fwy, Irving, TX 75063 AMSAT Ambassador Clint Bradford, K6LCS, says, "Think a 75-minute presentation on "working the easy satellites" would be appropriate for your club or event? Let me know by emailing me at k6lcsclint (at) gmail (dot) com or calling me at 909-999-SATS (7287)!" Clint has NEVER given the exact same show twice: EACH of the 150+ presentations so far has been customized/tailored to their audiences. [ANS thanks Clint Bradford, K6LCS, and AMSAT for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Satellite Shorts From All Over + The first PCBs for AMSAT-UK's next FUNcube satellite arrived this past week. This satellite will provide a Mode U/v linear transponder, an FM transponder with an uplink at 1267 MHz and downlink on 2 meters (Mode L/v), and an experimental QPSK downlink at about 20 kbps. (Thanks to G0MRF for this information) + ITU‑R WP5A meeting #30 could not achieve consensus on the measures needed to protect the RNSS in the 23cm band. (Relating to WRC-23 AI 9.1b) Link to the IARU report on WP5A meeting is at the end of https://www.iaru-r1.org/2023/itu-r-wp5a-meeting-30-could-not-achieve-consen… (Thanks to AMSAT-UK and the IARU for this information) + VU2JO has created a post detailing tips and tricks for working LEO satellites. The blog post is available at https://johnsonfrancis.org/techworld/tips-and-tricks-for-working-leo-satell… (Thanks to VU2JO for this information) + The Psyche mission to all-metal asteroid Psyche successfully lifted off from Kennedy Space Center on October 13, 2023 on a Falcon Heavy. This was NASA's first user of the SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket. https://spacenews.com/nasa-launches-psyche-mission-to-metal-world/ (Thanks to SpaceNews.com for this information) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Join AMSAT today at https://launch.amsat.org/ In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership to: * Societies (a recognized group, clubs or organization). * Primary and secondary school students are eligible for membership at one-half the standard yearly rate. * Post-secondary school students enrolled in at least half time status shall be eligible for the student rate for a maximum of 6 post-secondary years in this status. * Memberships are available for annual and lifetime terms. Contact info [at] amsat.org for additional membership information. 73 and remember to help Keep Amateur Radio in Space! This week's ANS Editor, Paul Stoetzer, N8HM n8hm [at] amsat.org

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