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ANS-301 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
by Mark Johns, K0JM 26 Oct '24

26 Oct '24

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-301 In this edition: * AMSAT Board of Directors Elects Officers * 42nd Annual AMSAT Space Symposium Held in Tampa * GridMasterMap Satellite Top 100 Rovers November 2024 Rankings * CatSat Commissioning is Near * Administration Eases Restrictions On Space-Related Exports * Intelsat Satellite Explodes In Orbit * Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution * Reflect Orbital To Sell Sunlight Using In-Space Mirrors * ARISS News * Upcoming Satellite Operations * AMSAT Ambassador Activities * Satellite Shorts From All Over The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and information service of AMSAT, the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS publishes news related to Amateur Radio in Space including reports on the activities of a worldwide group of Amateur Radio operators who share an active interest in designing, building, launching and communicating through analog and digital Amateur Radio satellites. The news feed on http://www.amsat.org publishes news of Amateur Radio in Space as soon as our volunteers can post it. *Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to: ans-editor [at] amsat.org <http://amsat.org>* You can sign up for free e-mail delivery of the AMSAT News Service Bulletins via the ANS List; to join this list see: https://mailman.amsat.org/postorius/lists/ans.amsat.org/ ANS-301 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins To: All RADIO AMATEURS From: Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation 712 H Street NE, Suite 1653 Washington, DC 20002 DATE 2024 Oct 27 AMSAT Board of Directors Elects Officers At its meeting prior to the 2024 AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting, the AMSAT Board of Directors elected their officers for 2024-25. - Robert Bankston, KE4AL, President - Paul Stoetzer, N8HM, Executive Vice President - Jerry Buxton, NØJY, Vice President – Engineering - Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA, Vice President – Operations - Alan Johnston, KU2Y, Vice President – Educational Relations - Frank Karnauskas, N1UW, Vice President – Development - Steve Belter, N9IP, Treasurer - Douglas Tabor, N6UA, Secretary Newly elected First Alternate Director Douglas Tabor, N6UA, has replaced Jeff Davis, KE9V, who stepped down prior to the meeting as AMSAT’s Secretary. The AMSAT Board of Directors expresses its appreciation to Jeff for his work during his tenure as Secretary. The position of Vice President – User Services remains vacant. [ANS thanks the AMSAT Board of Directors for the above information] ------------------------------ *2024 Coins Are Still Available! Help Support GOLF and Fox Plus. Join <https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/> the AMSAT President’s Club today!* ------------------------------ 42nd Annual AMSAT Space Symposium Held in Tampa The 42nd Annual AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting took place from October 25-27, 2024, at the DoubleTree by Hilton Tampa Rocky Point Waterfront in Tampa, Florida. This year’s Symposium focused on the latest developments in amateur radio satellite communications, with a variety of paper sessions and events throughout the weekend. Scheduled presentations included: - AMSAT-UK Payload on Jovian-1 CubeSat, David Bowman, GØMRF - CARD-SAT®: A Step Forward for Satellite Miniaturization by Adrian Totu, YO3HOT - Working QO-100 from Beyond the Nominal Footprint by Graham Shirville, G3VZV - AMSAT & ARISS Over the Past 40 Years by Frank Bauer, KA3HDO - MO-122 (MESAT1) Commissioning Recap by Mark Hammond, N8MH - AMSAT-HB Update by Michael Lipp, HB9WDF - Fox Plus Update by Mike Moore, K4MVM - AMSAT CubeSatSim Education Update and Software Overview by Alan Johnston, KU2Y - Integration of the AMSAT CubeSat Simulator for Education and Research by Rachel Jones, KO4HLC - ARISS Engineering Update – ISS, Lunar, and Commercial Activities by Randy Berger, WAØD - Automation and Remote Control of the Inter-Operable Radio System (IORS) on the ISS by Chris Thompson, VE2TCP/GØKLA - Getting Ready to Receive HamTV from the ISS by Graham Shirville, G3VZV - GOLF-TEE Flight Software and Bus Overview by Burns Fisher, WB1FJ - Determination of Orbiting Spacecraft Space Vectors Solely from In-flight Position Measurements by Joseph DiVerdi, KØNMR - AMSAT Engineering Update by Jerry Buxton, NØJY Burns Fisher, WB1FJ, presenting on GOLF-TEE’s flight software. *[Photo: AMSAT]* In addition, the AMSAT Annual General Meeting & Awards Ceremony was held on Saturday afternoon, and the AMSAT Banquet was to take place on Saturday evening. A breakfast for AMSAT Ambassadors was scheduled for Sunday morning. Symposium Proceedings will be available for members on the AMSAT Member Portal as soon as AMSAT volunteers can process the upload. [ANS thanks Paul Stoetzer, N8HM, AMSAT Executive Vice President, for the above information] ------------------------------ *GridMasterMap Satellite Top 100 Rovers November 2024 Rankings* The November 2024 rankings for the Top 100 Rovers (Mixed LEO/MEO/GEO) in satellite operations, as determined by @GridMasterMap <https://x.com/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: 2024-10-25 1 ND9M 26 KX9X 51 N6DNM 76 LU4JVE 2 NJ7H 27 ON4AUC 52 JK2XXK 77 AA8CH 3 JA9KRO 28 KG5CCI 53 EB1AO 78 VE1VOX 4 UT1FG 29 N5BO 54 SM3NRY 79 FG8OJ 5 N5UC 30 K8BL 55 EA4NF 80 PT9BM 6 DL6AP 31 KE4AL 56 JL3RNZ 81 KJ7NDY 7 OE3SEU 32 KB5FHK 57 XE1ET 82 KI7UXT 8 WI7P 33 VE3HLS 58 AA5PK 83 YUØW 9 DPØPOL 34 KIØKB 59 DF2ET 84 KB2YSI 10 K5ZM 35 KI7UNJ 60 KI7QEK 85 N6UTC 11 N6UA 36 LA9XGA 61 SP5XSD 86 N4DCW 12 HA3FOK 37 PA3GAN 62 F4DXV 87 WA9JBQ 13 WY7AA 38 F4BKV 63 AD7DB 88 JM1CAX 14 N9IP 39 JO2ASQ 64 VE1CWJ 89 VE3GOP 15 W5PFG 40 BA1PK 65 KE9AJ 90 NØTEL 16 AK8CW 41 N7AGF 66 N8RO 91 KG4AKV 17 ADØDX 42 VK5DG 67 VA7LM 92 W8MTB 18 DL2GRC 43 XE3DX 68 KM4LAO 93 KØFFY 19 LU5ILA 44 VA3VGR 69 W1AW 94 CU2ZG 20 F5VMJ 45 KEØWPA 70 W8LR 95 VE7PTN 21 N4AKV 46 PR8KW 71 N4UFO 96 K6VHF 22 WD9EWK 47 K7TAB 72 DL4EA 97 AF5CC 23 NDØC 48 KEØPBR 73 HB9GWJ 98 VE6WK 24 ADØHJ 49 ACØRA 74 PT2AP 99 DK9JC 25 DJ8MS 50 W7WGC 75 M1DDD 100 BG7QIW [ANS thanks @GridMasterMap <https://x.com/GridMasterMap> for the above information] ------------------------------ *Need new satellite antennas? * *Purchase M2 LEO-Packs from the AMSAT Store. * *When you purchase through AMSAT, a portion of the proceeds goes towards* *Keeping Amateur Radio in Space.* *https://amsat.org/product-category/hardware/ <https://amsat.org/product-category/hardware/>* ------------------------------ CatSat Commissioning is Near CatSat, a 6U cubesat, was blasted into orbit on July 4, 2024. After some delay, the microwave transponder should be available soon. The concept was presented at the AMSAT annual symposium on two successive years. The design has not changed significantly since then. See https://catsat.arizona.edu for current info. The project was run by the University of Arizona students with major support by Rincon Research Corp. (onboard DSP and HF electronics) and FreeFall Aerospace (patch, HF whip, and high-gain 10 GHz. inflatable antenna.) The spacecraft bus was supplied by Gomspace. Something strange happened during launch or satellite deployment, and the satellite is believed to be damaged by an unknown mechanism. The UHF command and control antenna appears not to have deployed and the main spacecraft computer reboots an irregular pattern. The student team has done an excellent job of keeping the spacecraft under control while troubleshooting the problems, but this has slowed the commissioning process. CatSat with inflated spherical microwave antenna *[Artist’s rendering: University of Arizona]* *SATELLITE MODES OF PARTICULAR INTEREST TO HAMS* 1. The HF experiment (also known as the WSPR experiment) captures the entire HF band by sampling it with a 50 MHz analog to digital converter. Digital processing in an FPGA creates up to four sub-bands which are stored in CatSat memory. The tuned frequency and bandwidth of these four receivers will likely be changed from time to time on a schedule to be determined. Then the captured pre-detection data will be stored in CatSat’s AstroSDR memory until it can be dumped to our 6.1 meter dish in Tucson. There the sub-band data streams will be extracted and placed on the internet where interested hams will have access. The intent is to provide an opportunity for hams to experiment with ionospheric propagation as viewed by a satellite without having to actually build a ground station. If they work HF stations using FT-8 or WSPR when the satellite is active they will be able to use the internet to access what the satellite was hearing. They may even discover some novel propagation mechanism. 2. At the start of each data capture 32k samples of I-Q data will be captured at 50 MHz sample rate. These data can be Fourier transformed to create a spectral power plot of the entire HF band at that location. 3. The 10 GHz downlink modulation is DVB-S2. At the time of planning the downlink, there was a lot of AMSAT interest in using DVB-S2 as a downlink modulation for proposed high orbit birds. That drove our decision. Receiving this link will be a challenge for most stations, unless the inflatable antenna experiment is successful and we point that antenna at your location. 4. 5.663 GHz to 10.47 GHz transponder with 200 kHz Bandwidth. During design review of CatSat it was realized that there was space for an additional 5 GHz patch antenna on the spacecraft. The AstroSDR could receive 5.663 GHz and translate it to the IF input of the 10.47 GHz transceiver. So a 200 KHz linear transponding mode was added. It is one of the first ham satellites to use these microwave bands. PHOTO OF CATSAT SPECTRUM Oct 20, 2024 at Tech Park 10 GHz Patch used for transmitting generally pointed towards ground station. 6.1 meter AzArray dish for receiving Max elevation 29 degrees LCP on left screen RCP on right screen 2 MHz/div and 10 dB per division Comment: Transmitting 2 MSymbols/per second of DVB-S2 Dummy Frames Strong stable signal smoothly varying with time peaking about 20 dB SNR in 2 MHz band. [ANS thanks Mike Parker, KT7D for the above information] ------------------------------ Administration Eases Restrictions On Space-Related Exports The Biden administration on Oct. 17 eased export restrictions on U.S. commercial space companies to ship certain satellite and spacecraft-related items to allies and partners. The changes are intended to make it easier for the growing U.S. commercial space industry to expand sales while also protecting national security and foreign policy interests. Certain items involving remote sensing spacecraft or space-based logistics assembly, and servicing spacecraft will no longer need licenses for shipment to Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom, the Commerce Department said in the statement. Some less sensitive satellite and spacecraft parts and components will no longer require licenses for shipment to over 40 countries. The countries include Canada, Australia, Japan, South Korea and most of the European Union, a person familiar with the matter said. In addition, the Commerce Department will do away with license requirements for the least sensitive items like electrical connectors for most of the world, but not countries of concern like Russia and China, the person said. A proposed rule also was published regarding the transfer of jurisdiction of certain space-related defense articles from the State Department to the Commerce Department, making it easier to export them to close allies and partners. The rules come after a proposed rulemaking nearly five years ago and a December 2023 National Space Council request. [ANS thanks Reuters for the above information] ------------------------------ Intelsat Satellite Explodes In Orbit An Intelsat communication satellite built by Boeing has exploded and broken up in geostationary orbit. Intelsat confirmed the news in a press release on Oct. 21, declaring the satellite a “total loss.” The U.S. Space Force said it is tracking around 20 associated pieces but “has observed no immediate threats” to other satellites so far (Roscosmos said it was tracking 80 fragments). The cause of the explosion is not yet known, but the news is another blow for Boeing following Starliner’s failed crew test flight, problems with the 737 Max and delays to the 777x. Intelsat said it’s working to move customers to its other satellites or third party spacecraft. “A Failure Review Board has convened to complete a comprehensive analysis of the cause,” the company wrote. The satellite was uninsured, a spokesperson told SpaceNews. EpicNG* [Artist’s rendering: Intelsat]* The explosion fragments could still pose a risk to other satellites. “The problem is that there is a lot of uncertainty regarding the orbits of these fragments at the moment,” said a spokesperson for Spaceflux, a UK company that tracks objects in orbit. “They can be potentially dangerous for other satellites but we do not know that yet.” Intelsat 33e is one of six “EpicNG” satellites built by Boeing, and uses the latter’s 720MP satellite platform equipped with 16 hydrazine-powered engines built by Aerojet Rocketdyne. The type is widely used for telephone, internet and satellite TV/radio broadcast services. It entered service three months late due to an issue with its primary thruster, and another propulsion issue reduced its service life by 3.5 years. The first EpicNG satellite, Intelsat 29e, was declared a total loss in 2019 after just three years in service, reportedly due to a meteoroid impact or wiring flaw. [ANS thanks Engadget for the above information] ------------------------------ *Want to fly the colors on your own grid expedition?* *Get your AMSAT car flag and other neat stuff from our Zazzle store!* *25% of the purchase price of each product goes towards * *Keeping Amateur Radio in Space* *https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear <https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear>* ------------------------------ Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for Oct. 25 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/. None reported. [ANS thanks Joe Fitzgerald, KM1P, AMSAT Orbital Elements Manager for the above information] ------------------------------ Reflect Orbital To Sell Sunlight Using In-Space Mirrors Instead of being constrained by the physical reality that limits the sun to its daily cycle, imagine a future where the sun can be turned on and off like a flashlight. This is the future that Reflect Orbital imagines is possible. The startup is developing satellites that would deploy large mirrors to precisely reflect sunlight onto specific points on the ground. Rings of satellites in sun-synchronous orbit would follow the terminator, or the line that separates night and day, providing additional sunlight before dawn and after dusk. Illustration of illuminated sites* [Image: Reflect Orbital]* According to Reflect’s two co-founders, CEO Ben Nowack and CTO Tristan Semmelhack, this extra sunlight could increase the amount of solar power delivered to the electricity grid. Instead of building more solar farms, the pair thinks we can simply increase the amount of power generated at the ones that already exist. The pair say they are still playing with the final configuration for its production-scale vehicles, like the exact size of the reflective array or the final number of satellites that will make up the constellation. But they are starting small, and the first orbital mission will fly a subscale prototype with a reflector that’s 10 by 10 meters. Many of the debunking videos cite the 10 by 10 meter figure, which is too small to reflect an economically meaningful amount of sunlight on the ground. A news article from earlier this year also said that the constellation will be just 57 satellites. But Semmelhack said these figures are inaccurate; 57 satellites ringing Earth will guarantee a half hour of service twice per day, once in the morning and once in the evening, the minimum to achieve the plans to “extend the day.” The pair also say that 10 by 10 meters is “just a starting point”: Full-scale production vehicles will deploy arrays that are much larger, around 50 by 50 meters or bigger, with the planned constellation growing to “thousands to tens of thousands” of satellites. “The 10 by 10 is our demonstration that will be brighter than a full moon, roughly 400,000 times less bright than the sun at noon,” Nowack explained over email. “Our production service is targeting 1/5 noon sunlight brightness and will use 100’s – 1000’s of larger vehicles focused at one spot. A 50 by 50 satellite is actually on the small end.” But even given these additional details, the satellites would still need to be capable of maintaining highly precise control over their mirrors on orbit, and do this across many thousands of satellites. It will be a huge challenge. [ANS thanks Aria Alamalhodaei and TechCrunch 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:* Magnet Innovation Center, Inlet Beach, FL, direct via WD9GIU The ISS callsign was NA1SS. The crewmember was Nick Hague, KG5TMV. The ARISS mentor was AA4KN Contact was successful: Thu 2024-10-24 15:23:10 UTC 39 degrees maximum elevation Congratulations to the Magnet Innovation Center students, Nick, mentor AA4KN, and ground station WD9GIU! *TO BE RESCHEDULED:* Ceip San Ignacio Del Viar, Alcalá Del Rio, Spain, direct via EG7SIV The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS. The scheduled crewmember is Don Pettit, KD5MDT. The ARISS mentor is IKØUSO Cancelled due to change of crew sleep schedule. ARISS is working very hard to see if this school can be rescheduled for this week. Watch for Livestream at https://www.youtube.com/live/rLyPkJ0MAPE *UPCOMING:* Coastal Community School, Satellite Beach, FL, direct via KD4GPI The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS. The scheduled crewmember is Sunita Williams, KD5PLB. The ARISS mentor is AJ9N Contact is go for: Wed 2024-10-30 13:42:01 UTC 42 deg Colegio Parroquial el Savador, Yerba Buena, Argentina, direct via LU5KHF The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS. The scheduled crewmember is Don Pettit, KD5MDT. The ARISS mentor is VE6JBJ Contact is go for: Wed 2024-10-30 15:32:26 UTC 82 deg The next proposal window for U.S. schools and educational organizations to host an Amateur Radio contact with a crew member on board the ISS opens October 7, 2024 for contacts to be scheduled for July 1, 2025 – December 31, 2025. This proposal window is due to ARISS by November 17, 2024 at 11:59 PM Pacific Time (Nov. 18, 2024, 07:59 UTC). Proposal information and more details such as expectations, proposal guidelines and the proposal form can be found at www.ariss.org. 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). Ham TV and SSTV systems are currently STOWED. 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 Guyana: Aldir, PY1SAD (ZZ1M), operates from Georgetown as 8R1TM between Oct. 12 and Nov. 24 on 160-10m (CW, SSB, digital modes) and via satellites. QSL via LoTW, eQSL, qrz.com. (From DXNL 2427 – October 9, 2024) A growing number of satellite rovers are currently engaged in sharing their grid square activations on https://hams.at. By visiting the website, you gain easy access to comprehensive information about the operators responsible for activating specific grid squares. Additionally, you have the ability to assess the match score between yourself and a particular rover for a given pass, while also being able to identify the upcoming satellite passes that are accessible from your location. [ANS thanks Ian Parsons, K5ZM, AMSAT rover page manager, for the above information] ------------------------------ AMSAT Ambassador Activities AMSAT Ambassadors provide presentations, demonstrate communicating through amateur satellites, and host information tables at club meetings, hamfests, conventions, maker faires, and other events. November 2-3, 2024 Stone Mountain Hamfest, ARRL State Convention Stone Mountain, GA https://stonemountainhamfest.com/ K4RGK November 9, 2024 Oro Valley Amateur Radio Club Marana Middle School 11285 West Grier Rd. Marana, AZ 85653 https://www.tucsonhamradio.org/copy-of-hamfest-2022 N1UW February 20-22, 2025 Yuma HAMCON Yuma, AZ N1UW [ANS thanks Bo Lowrey, W4FCL, Director – AMSAT Ambassador Program, for the above information] ------------------------------ Satellite Shorts From All Over + HADES-D (SO-121) is decaying fast so it will only last a few days. Current height is near 355 km. Control operators are manually turning on the internal amplifier, so some passes could be in high power, depending on the zone. This has to be done each day because the on board computer is resetting this configuration each 24 hours. (ANS thanks Félix Páez, EA4GQS, of AMSAT-EA for the above information.) + In addition to SO-121 (above), UVSQ-Sat, XW-2D and XW-2B are predicted to decay from orbit within days or weeks. (ANS thanks AMSAT-AR [ http://lu7aa.org/reenter.asp] for the above information.) + The ARRL has released LoTW configuration file version 11.29 adding support for QSOs via MESAT-1 (as MO-122) and SONATE-2 (as SONATE). (ANS thanks ARRL for the above information.) + FUNcube (AO-73) is now in Autonomous mode, meaning high power telemetry when in daylight, and transponder in when the satellite is in eclipse. Controllers are watching the effect on its 11 year old batteries. If the batteries suffer badly they will revert to Eclipse mode. All telemetry will be gratefully received — see http://data.amsat-uk.org/ui/fc1-fm for details. (ANS thanks David Johnson, G4DPZ, Honorable Secretary, AMSAT-UK, of the FUNcube Team for the above information.) + Crew-8 members, NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, KCØTOR, Michael Barratt, KD5MIJ, Jeanette Epps, KF5QNU, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin, RZ3DSE, all woke up late on Oct. 21, having shifted their sleep schedules in anticipation of Monday’s departure from the International Space Station. However, they spent the rest of the day continuing their daily exercise routines and standard housekeeping tasks aboard the orbiting lab. NASA and SpaceX officials delayed the undocking until late Wednesday, Oct. 23 due to unfavorable weather conditions near the multiple splashdown zones off the coast of Florida. Splashdown was early Friday, Oct. 25. During routine medical assessments on the recovery ship, an additional evaluation of the crew members was requested out of an abundance of caution. One crew member remained hospitalized Friday evening. (ANS thanks NASA for the above information.) + NASA will use SpaceX’s Crew Dragon for its two crew rotation missions to the International Space Station in 2025 as it continues to evaluate if it will require Boeing to perform another test flight of its Starliner spacecraft. In an Oct. 15 statement, NASA said it will use Crew Dragon for both the Crew-10 mission to the ISS, scheduled for no earlier than February 2025, and the Crew-11 mission scheduled for no earlier than July. Crew-10 will fly NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers along with astronaut Takuya Onishi from the Japanese space agency JAXA and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov. NASA has not yet announced the crew for the Crew-11 mission. (ANS thanks SpaceNews for the above information.) + The Mauritius Amateur Radio Society (MARS) portable team, on Oct. 20, enabled many young Scouts of the Mauritius Scout Association (MSA) to communicate with other Scouts around the World on QO-100 GEO satellite. See photos at https://3b8mars.org/2024/10/21/jota-2024/ (ANS thanks Jean Marc Momple, 3B8DU, 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 mjohns [at] amsat.org Categories AMSAT General News <https://www.amsat.org/category/amsat-general-news/>, AMSAT News <https://www.amsat.org/category/amsat-news/>, AMSAT News Service <https://www.amsat.org/category/amsat-news-service/>, ANS <https://www.amsat.org/category/ans/> ANS-294 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins <https://www.amsat.org/ans-294-amsat-news-service-weekly-bulletins/>

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ANS-294 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
by Mitch Ahrenstorff (AD0HJ) 19 Oct '24

19 Oct '24

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-294 In this edition: * 42nd Annual AMSAT Space Symposium to Proceed After Hurricane Milton * 2024 AMSAT-UK Colloquium: A Weekend of Satellite Innovation and Collaboration * SpaceX Achieves First Super Heavy Booster Catch in Landmark Starship Flight * NASA's Europa Clipper Embarks on Epic Journey to Explore Alien Ocean World * European Spacecraft Launches to Investigate NASA's Asteroid Defense Test * Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for October 18, 2024 * ARISS News * Upcoming Satellite Operations * AMSAT Ambassador Activities * Satellite Shorts From All Over The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and information service of AMSAT, the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS publishes news related to Amateur Radio in Space including reports on the activities of a worldwide group of Amateur Radio operators who share an active interest in designing, building, launching and communicating through analog and digital Amateur Radio satellites. The news feed on https://www.amsat.org publishes news of Amateur Radio in Space as soon as our volunteers can post it. Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to: ans-editor [at] amsat.org<http://amsat.org> You can sign up for free e-mail delivery of the AMSAT News Service Bulletins via the ANS List; to join this list see: https://mailman.amsat.org/postorius/lists/ans.amsat.org/ ANS-294 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins To: All RADIO AMATEURS From: Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation 712 H Street NE, Suite 1653 Washington, DC 20002 DATE 2024 Oct 20 ________________________________ 42nd Annual AMSAT Space Symposium to Proceed After Hurricane Milton The 42nd Annual AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting will take place from October 24-27, 2024, at the DoubleTree by Hilton Tampa Rocky Point Waterfront in Tampa, Florida. Originally at risk due to damage from Hurricane Milton, the hotel has completed repairs, allowing the event to proceed as scheduled. All Symposium activities, including presentations, social events, and the annual banquet, will be held in the same ballroom due to rescheduled events at the venue. While there may be minor schedule adjustments, AMSAT is confident the event will run smoothly. Registration for the Saturday banquet and Sunday breakfast has closed, but attendees who have secured their spots can look forward to a full weekend of activities. The Symposium kicks off with the AMSAT Board of Directors meeting on October 24-25, followed by paper sessions and the AMSAT Annual Meeting and Awards Ceremony on Saturday, October 26. The weekend will conclude with the AMSAT Ambassador Breakfast on Sunday, October 27, offering a relaxed setting for further networking and discussion. This year's Symposium will focus on the latest developments in amateur radio satellite communications, with a variety of paper sessions and events throughout the weekend. The Friday night AMSAT Reception and Auction will provide an informal space for participants to connect and exchange ideas. If you have anything of interest that you can donate for the auction, please bring it along! AMSAT remains excited to host the event despite the challenges posed by Hurricane Milton and looks forward to celebrating the community's passion for space-based communications. More information can be found at https://launch.amsat.org/event-5833792. [ANS thanks AMSAT<https://www.amsat.org/> for the above information] ________________________________ 2024 AMSAT-UK Colloquium: A Weekend of Satellite Innovation and Collaboration The AMSAT-UK Colloquium took place last weekend, bringing together enthusiasts and experts from the amateur satellite community. Held as a dedicated stream within the RSGB Convention, the event featured a range of presentations on the latest advancements in satellite technology and space-related topics. The Colloquium provided an invaluable opportunity for participants to engage with cutting-edge developments and network with fellow amateur radio operators. One of the highlights of the weekend was the AMSAT-UK Annual General Meeting, where key updates and future plans were discussed. In addition to the technical sessions, attendees enjoyed social gatherings, including the AMSAT Gala Dinner, which fostered further collaboration and exchange of ideas. The event continues to serve as a cornerstone for the amateur satellite community, offering both knowledge and inspiration for future projects. Presentations from the 2024 AMSAT-UK Colloquium are available on YouTube. Provided below are links to the individual topics from both Saturday and Sunday. Opening Address Prof Sir Martin Sweeting, G3YJO https://www.youtube.com/live/4ve4q43pdF0?t=860s Getting Started with Satellites Heather Nickalls, MØHMO https://www.youtube.com/live/4ve4q43pdF0?t=1535s Report on Operations via Q0100 from North America Ravi Gopan, MØXUU & Graham Shirville, G3VZV https://www.youtube.com/live/4ve4q43pdF0?t=5340s FUNcube Lite on Jovian-1 David Bowman, GØMRF https://www.youtube.com/live/4ve4q43pdF0?t=9095s Surrey and Space Based Solar Power Professor Craig Underwood, G1WTW https://www.youtube.com/live/4ve4q43pdF0?t=16110s FUNcube Update Dave Johnson, G4DPZ https://www.youtube.com/live/4ve4q43pdF0?t=19735s ARISS-UK Update / 40 years of Amateur Radio on Human Space Flight Ciaran Morgan, MØXTD https://www.youtube.com/live/4ve4q43pdF0?t=24205s An SDR Transponder Update Martin Ling, MØLNG https://www.youtube.com/live/uOHP2G_-ryU?t=345s Automated Reception of FUNcube, APRS and Weather Satellite Pictures Iain Young, G7III https://www.youtube.com/live/uOHP2G_-ryU?t=4930s AMSAT-DL Update Peter Gülzow, DB2OS https://www.youtube.com/live/uOHP2G_-ryU?t=8515s AMSAT-NA Burns Fisher, WB1FJ https://www.youtube.com/live/uOHP2G_-ryU?t=19305s [ANS thanks AMSAT-UK<https://amsat-uk.org/> for the above information] ________________________________ SpaceX Achieves First Super Heavy Booster Catch in Landmark Starship Flight SpaceX successfully launched its fifth Starship vehicle on October 13, 2024, marking a milestone with the unprecedented recovery of the Super Heavy booster at the launch site. The mission, dubbed "Flight 5" by SpaceX, lifted off from Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, at 8:25 a.m. Eastern time. The launch represented a significant step in SpaceX's long-term goal of achieving rapid reusability for its massive Starship/Super Heavy system. The key innovation in this test was the planned recovery of the Super Heavy booster, known as Booster 12. After liftoff, the booster performed a series of precise maneuvers to guide itself back to the launch site. The booster was caught by a pair of mechanical arms-often referred to as "chopsticks"-mounted on the launch tower. About seven minutes after liftoff, the arms closed around the top of the booster, just below its grid fins, successfully completing the first-ever "catch" of a returning booster. [https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/SpaceX-IFT-5-Cho…]<https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/SpaceX-IFT-5-Cho…> Final phases of Flight 5 Booster 12 catch as seen from the top of SpaceX's second Starship tower at Starbase. [Credit: @SpaceX<https://x.com/SpaceX>] SpaceX officials expressed excitement over the achievement, which is critical for the company's vision of rapid reflight capability. The ability to land the booster directly on the launch pad and prepare it for another flight within days or even hours is a key component of SpaceX's goal to make space travel more efficient. "I don't know what to say!" Gwynne Shotwell, SpaceX president and chief operating officer, posted on social media along with a video of the landing, capturing the surprise and enthusiasm following the success. The mission's second stage, Starship, flew on a suborbital trajectory, reaching a peak altitude of 212 kilometers before reentering the atmosphere. Unlike the booster, Starship was not intended to be recovered. It performed a controlled splashdown in the Indian Ocean, where it exploded several seconds after touchdown. SpaceX noted improvements to Starship's heatshield from previous flights, which allowed it to survive reentry in better condition. [https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/SpaceX-IFT-5-Boo…]<https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/SpaceX-IFT-5-Boo…> Super Heavy used its three center Raptor engines to precisely steer into position between the Mechazilla arms. [Credit: SpaceX<https://x.com/SpaceX>] The launch came just hours after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) granted SpaceX an updated launch license. The revised license, issued after concerns about environmental impacts, allows SpaceX to conduct the next flight-Flight 6-without needing a new authorization. The changes to the license included adjustments to the areas where debris, such as the interstage ring, might land, and an analysis of sonic boom impacts from the returning Super Heavy booster. The environmental analysis, a requirement for the revised license, determined that there would be no significant impacts from the mission. However, SpaceX is still required to conduct monitoring and take measures to protect the local wildlife surrounding the Boca Chica site. The FAA granted SpaceX the ability to proceed with Flight 6 under the same conditions, but the company must comply with strict regulations, including submitting monitoring data and environmental reports. [ANS thanks Jeff Foust, SpaceNews.com<https://spacenews.com/>, for the above information] ________________________________ The 2024 AMSAT President's Club coins are here now! Help Support GOLF and Fox Plus [https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2024-Coin-Both_5…] Join the AMSAT President's Club today and help Keep Amateur Radio in Space! https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/ ________________________________ NASA's Europa Clipper Embarks on Epic Journey to Explore Alien Ocean World NASA's highly anticipated Europa Clipper mission officially launched on Monday, October 14, 2024, embarking on a journey to explore Jupiter's moon, Europa. The spacecraft lifted off at 12:06 p.m. Eastern Time aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The launch, described by NASA commentator Derrol Nail as unveiling "the mysteries of an enormous ocean lurking beneath the icy crust of Jupiter's moon Europa," marks the beginning of an ambitious astrobiology mission. The Falcon Heavy's 27 first-stage Merlin engines roared to life as the rocket ascended, with the two side boosters detaching about three minutes into flight. Separation of the second stage occurred shortly afterward, and Europa Clipper was deployed on its interplanetary trajectory nearly an hour later. Mission control successfully established communication with the probe, confirming that the spacecraft's solar arrays had deployed as planned, signaling a smooth start to its mission. [https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/NASA_Europa_Clip…]<https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/NASA_Europa_Clip…> Artist's illustration depicts NASA's Europa Clipper spacecraft in orbit over Jupiter's icy moon Europa. [Credit: NASA<https://x.com/NASA>/JPL-Caltech] Monday's launch faced a slight delay due to Hurricane Milton, which made landfall on Florida's Gulf Coast last week, forcing NASA to close the Kennedy Space Center temporarily. Originally scheduled for October 10, the launch was pushed back while teams secured Europa Clipper inside a SpaceX hangar near Pad 39A. This marked the 11th Falcon Heavy launch and only the second time the rocket has been used for an interplanetary mission. The Europa Clipper mission has faced a long and complex path to the launchpad. Initially, NASA intended to launch the probe using its Space Launch System (SLS), a powerful moon rocket still in development in the mid-2010s. However, repeated delays in the SLS program, along with NASA's commitment to using the early SLS vehicles for its Artemis moon missions, forced the agency to opt for a commercial alternative. A 2021 budget proposal allowed NASA to choose SpaceX's Falcon Heavy, though the shift meant the mission's journey to Jupiter would take nearly six years instead of three. [https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Europa-Clipper-S…]<https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Europa-Clipper-S…> Europa Clipper's massive solar arrays have a span of more than 100 feet (30.5 meters) when unfolded. [Credit: NASA<https://x.com/NASA>/Kim Shiflett] At the heart of the mission is Europa, a moon thought to harbor a vast subsurface ocean beneath its icy crust. Europa has long intrigued scientists as one of the best places in the solar system to search for signs of life. However, NASA emphasizes that Europa Clipper's mission is not to find life directly but to assess the moon's habitability. The spacecraft, carrying a suite of nine science instruments, will study the composition of Europa's ocean, investigate its icy shell, and look for any signs of recent activity. After a journey of nearly six years, Europa Clipper is expected to enter orbit around Jupiter in April 2030, where it will begin an extended series of flybys of Europa. Over the course of its mission, the probe will make close passes to the moon, gathering data that could inform future missions, including a potential lander. The mission is set to conclude in 2034, with NASA planning to crash Europa Clipper into Jupiter's moon Ganymede to avoid contaminating Europa's pristine environment. [ANS thanks Josh Dinner, Space.com<https://www.space.com/> for the above information] ________________________________ European Spacecraft Launches to Investigate NASA's Asteroid Defense Test A European spacecraft, along with two CubeSats, has launched to investigate the aftermath of NASA's first planetary defense mission, known as DART. The European Space Agency's Hera mission took off on October 7, 2024, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from NASA's Kennedy Space Center. The mission aims to study the consequences of NASA's 2022 mission, which deliberately crashed a spacecraft into the asteroid Dimorphos, changing its orbit. The Hera mission, slated to arrive at Dimorphos and its larger companion asteroid Didymos in 2026, is expected to offer a detailed "crash scene investigation," according to European scientists. NASA's DART mission had tested whether a kinetic impact, or crashing a spacecraft into a celestial body at high speeds, could alter the object's trajectory. While neither asteroid poses a threat to Earth, Dimorphos was chosen for the experiment because of its size, which is comparable to asteroids that could potentially be hazardous in the future. [https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Hera-Spacecraft-…]<https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Hera-Spacecraft-…> Hera's main spacecraft undergoes vibration testing at ESA's ESTEC Test Centre in the Netherlands. [Credit: ESA<https://x.com/esa>/SJM Photography] Observations following DART's collision with Dimorphos in September 2022 revealed that the spacecraft succeeded in altering the asteroid's orbital period by about 32 to 33 minutes. However, many questions remain unanswered, such as whether the impact merely left a crater or completely reshaped Dimorphos. The Hera mission is tasked with solving these mysteries by providing detailed data on the structure and composition of both asteroids, which will further refine planetary defense strategies. Hera is scheduled to reach the Didymos system in late 2026, after a mid-March 2025 flyby of Mars to gain the necessary momentum. During the flyby, Hera will test its suite of instruments and observe Mars' moon Deimos, capturing data that will support Japan's upcoming Martian Moons eXploration mission. Once Hera arrives at the Didymos system, it will spend six weeks conducting surveys of both asteroids, using a variety of instruments to study their shapes, masses, and thermal properties. [https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Hera_Milani_Cube…]<https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Hera_Milani_Cube…> The Milani CubeSat will perform close-up mineral prospecting of the Dimorphos asteroid and survey its surrounding dust. [Credit: ESA<https://x.com/esa>] Hera will also release two CubeSats, Juventas and Milani, to conduct more specific investigations. Juventas will use radar to probe the interior of Dimorphos, while Milani will study the mineral composition and dust environment of both asteroids. These CubeSats will communicate their findings to Hera and relay the data back to Earth, providing scientists with unprecedented insights into the double-asteroid system. Ultimately, the Hera mission could end with experimental landings on either Didymos or Dimorphos, further extending its ability to study the asteroids up close. Scientists hope the data collected will deepen understanding of how asteroid deflection technology can be used to protect Earth from future threats. As Patrick Michel, principal investigator of the Hera mission, noted, while DART was a success, Hera will complete the story by offering crucial details that could inspire future planetary defense initiatives. [ANS thanks Ashley Strickland, CNN<https://www.cnn.com/>, for the above information] ________________________________ Need new satellite antennas? Purchase an M2 LEO-Pack from the AMSAT Store!<https://www.amsat.org/shop/> [https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/cm/LEO-Pack1-300x298.png]<https://www.amsat.org/product/m2-leo-pack-antenna-system/> When you purchase through AMSAT, a portion of the proceeds goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space. https://amsat.org/product-category/hardware/ ________________________________ Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for October 18, 2024 Two Line Elements or TLEs, often referred to as Keplerian elements or keps in the amateur community, are the inputs to the SGP4 standard mathematical model of spacecraft orbits used by most amateur tracking programs. Weekly updates are completely adequate for most amateur satellites. TLE bulletin files are updated daily in the first hour of the UTC day. New bulletin files will be posted immediately after reliable elements become available for new amateur satellites. More information may be found at https://www.amsat.org/keplerian-elements-resources/. The following satellites have been added to this week's AMSAT TLE distribution: DORA NORAD Cat ID 61502 IARU coordinated downlink 436.825 MHz CySat-1 NORAD Cat ID 61501 IARU coordinated downlink 436.375 MHz [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 Contacts Istituto Comprensivo "Elena Lucrezua Corner", Fossò, Italy, direct via IQ3RW The ISS callsign was OR4ISS The scheduled crewmember was Sunita Williams KD5PLB The ARISS mentor was IZ2GOJ Contact was successful for: Fri 2024-10-18 09:09:46 UTC Colegio Cervantes, Torreon. Mexico, Telebridge via K6DUE The ISS callsign was NA1SS The scheduled crewmember was Don Pettit KD5MDT The ARISS mentor was VE3TBD Contact was successful for: Fri 2024-10-18 16:59:43 UTC TEACH-NW Charter School, Springfield, OR, direct via KJ7NLL The ISS callsign was NA1SS The scheduled crewmember was Sunita Williams KD5PLB The ARISS mentor was N7GZT Contact was successful for: Fri 2024-10-18 18:27:52 UTC Watch for Livestream at https://www.youtube.com/live/Yarcl0FgiA4?t=1860s + Upcoming Contacts The Robert Drake Primary School, Essex, UK, telebridge via K6DUE The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be TBD The scheduled crewmember is Sunita Williams KD5PLB The ARISS mentor is MØXTD Contact is go for: Mon 2024-10-21 09:42:16 UTC Ceip San Ignacio Del Viar, Alcalá Del Rio, Spain, direct via EG7SIV The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS The scheduled crewmember is Don Pettit KD5MDT The ARISS mentor is IK0USO Contact is go for: Mon 2024-10-21 11:33:54 UTC Magnet Innovation Center, Inlet Beach, FL, direct via WD9GIU The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled crewmember is Nick Hague KG5TMV The ARISS mentor is AA4KN Contact is go for: Thu 2024-10-24 15:23:10 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 Guyana: Aldir, PY1SAD (ZZ1M), operates from Georgetown as 8R1TM between Oct. 12 and Nov. 24 on 160-10m (CW, SSB, digital modes) and via satellites. QSL via LoTW, eQSL, qrz.com<http://qrz.com/>. (From DXNL 2427 - October 9, 2024) A growing number of satellite rovers are currently engaged in sharing their grid square activations on https://hams.at. By visiting the website, you gain easy access to comprehensive information about the operators responsible for activating specific grid squares. Additionally, you have the ability to assess the match score between yourself and a particular rover for a given pass, while also being able to identify the upcoming satellite passes that are accessible from your location. [ANS thanks Ian Parsons, K5ZM, AMSAT rover page manager, for the above information] ________________________________ AMSAT Ambassador Activities AMSAT Ambassadors provide presentations, demonstrate communicating through amateur satellites, and host information tables at club meetings, hamfests, conventions, maker faires, and other events. AMSAT Ambassador Clint Bradford, K6LCS, says, AMSAT Ambassadors delight in spreading the word regarding AMSAT and satellite operations. Think a lively, informative - and FUN - 60-75-minute presentation would be appropriate for YOUR members? I have three Zoom presentations coming up: Southern CA, Maine, and Germany (!). 175 presentations so far ... and each is customized to my audiences. NEVER have I given the exact same show twice! Between 20 and 26 "slides" are unique to each presentation. Clint Bradford K6LCS AMSAT Ambassador ARRL Affiliated Club Coordinator, Legacy Circle member Work-Sat.com +01 951-533-4984 (cell) Pacificon 2024, ARRL Pacific Division Conference - October 18th thru 20th, 2024 San Ramon Marriott 2600 Bishop Drive San Ramon, CA 94583 https://www.pacificon.org/ WU0I 2024 AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting - October 25th thru 27th, 2024 Doubletree by Hilton Tampa Rocky Point Waterfront 3050 N Rocky Point Drive West Tampa, FL 33607 https://www.amsat.org/ SmallSat Education Conference - October 26th thru 27th, 2024 AMF Center for Space Education, Kennedy Space Center - Visitor Center M6-306 405 State Road Kennedy Space Center, FL 32899 http://www.smallsateducation.org Fredric Raab, KK6NOW, will be presenting "Classroom Activities with the AMSAT CubeSat Simulator" showcasing the work by the CubeSatSim Educational Materials Team: Paul Graveline (sk), K1YUB, Alan Johnston, KU2Y, Fredric Raab, KK6NOW, Mark Samis, KD2XS and David White, WD6DRI. Stone Mountain Hamfest, ARRL State Convention - November 2nd and 3rd, 2024 Gwinnett County Fairgrounds 2405 Sugarloaf Parkway Lawrenceville, GA 30042 https://stonemountainhamfest.com/ K4RGK Oro Valley Amateur Radio Club - November 9th, 2024 Marana Middle School 11285 West Grier Road Marana, AZ 85653 https://www.tucsonhamradio.org/copy-of-hamfest-2022 N1UW Yuma HAMCON - February 20th thru 22nd, 2025 Yuma, AZ N1UW [ANS thanks Bo Lowrey, W4FCL, Director - AMSAT Ambassador Program, for the above information] ________________________________ Want to fly the colors on your own grid expedition? Get an AMSAT car flag and other neat stuff from our Zazzle store<https://www.zazzle.com/store/amsat_gear>! 25% of the purchase price of each product goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space [https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/AMSAT-Car-Flag-e…]<https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_car_flag-256716714380264543> Keeping Amateur Radio in Space https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear ________________________________ Satellite Shorts From All Over + On October 4, United Launch Alliance (ULA) successfully launched its second Vulcan rocket, despite one of the solid-propellant strap-on boosters encountering an anomaly 37 seconds after liftoff. The booster emitted sparks and debris, but the rocket continued its ascent and reached orbit. This mission is part of the certification process for the Vulcan rocket, which will soon carry national security payloads for the U.S. Space Force and the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO). ULA included a dummy payload and technology experiments to gather data and validate the rocket's performance. The booster issue is under investigation, but the key mission objectives were met, according to ULA CEO Tory Bruno. The Vulcan rocket, powered by Blue Origin's BE-4 engines, will replace ULA's Delta 4 and Atlas 5 rockets, positioning the company for future success in the competitive space market. (ANS thanks Spaceflight Now<https://spaceflightnow.com/> for the above information) + Four astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) are awaiting their return as mission managers monitor unfavorable weather conditions off the coast of Florida. The Crew-8 mission, which includes NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Mike Barratt, and Jeanette Epps, along with Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin, is nearing its conclusion after seven months in space. While they prepare for their journey home, the crew spent the week relaxing and engaging in pre-departure activities. A weather briefing occurred on Wednesday, October 16, at 11 a.m. EDT, assessing conditions for their splashdown. Mission managers are now targeting a new undocking time of no earlier than 3:05 a.m. EDT on Sunday, October 20. (ANS thanks SciTechDaily<https://scitechdaily.com/> for the above information) + The FAA authorized SpaceX to resume Falcon 9 flights on October 11, following a suspension caused by an upper stage anomaly during the Crew-9 mission on September 28. The anomaly occurred when the Merlin engine burned 500 milliseconds longer than planned, resulting in reentry outside its designated zone. SpaceX conducted an investigation, and the FAA approved their corrective actions, though neither disclosed specific details of the findings. A special exception had been made for the European Space Agency's Hera mission on October 7, as it posed no public safety risk. With the issue resolved, Falcon 9 operations fully resumed on October 15. SpaceX marked its return with a double Starlink mission, launching from both Vandenberg and Cape Canaveral on the same day. (ANS thanks SpaceNews<https://spacenews.com/> for the above information) + Following Hurricane Helene, T-Mobile and Starlink activated their satellite texting service in preparation for Hurricane Milton to ensure Florida residents could stay connected despite potential cellular outages. After the Federal Communications Commission granted emergency approval, the service enabled T-Mobile users to send and receive basic texts, including 911 messages, even if the network went down. Starlink's Direct to Cell satellites were also employed to send emergency alerts to all phones and carriers in the affected areas. Users could determine if their phone connected to a Starlink satellite by the presence of one to two bars of signal and the network name displaying "T-Mobile SpaceX." The satellite service worked best outdoors or near windows, although users sometimes had to retry sending messages if they didn't go through on the first attempt. SpaceX has also delivered over 10,000 Starlink kits in response to Hurricane Helene, as part of ongoing recovery efforts. (ANS thanks Engadget<https://www.engadget.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<https://www.amsat.org> for additional membership information. 73 and remember to help Keep Amateur Radio in Space! This week's ANS Editor, Mitch Ahrenstorff, ADØHJ mahrenstorff [at] amsat.org<https://www.amsat.org>

1 0

ANS-287 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
by Paul Stoetzer 12 Oct '24

12 Oct '24

*AMSAT News Service* *ANS-287* *October 13, 2024* In this edition: - Status Note - 42nd Annual AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting - Final Call for Papers - ARISS SSTV Event Continues Until Monday October 14 - Call for ARISS Proposals From U.S. Educators - Changes to AMSAT TLE Distribution for October 10, 2024 - ARISS News - Upcoming Satellite Operations - AMSAT Ambassador Activities - Satellite Shorts From All Over The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and information service of AMSAT, The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS publishes news related to Amateur Radio in Space including reports on the activities of a worldwide group of Amateur Radio operators who share an active interest in designing, building, launching and communicating through analog and digital Amateur Radio satellites. The news feed on https://www.amsat.org publishes news of Amateur Radio in Space as soon as our volunteers can post it. Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to: ans-editor [at] amsat.org You can sign up for free e-mail delivery of the AMSAT News Service Bulletins via the ANS List; to join this list see: https://mailman.amsat.org/postorius/lists/ans.amsat.org/ ------------------------------ Status Note - 42nd Annual AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting Hurricane Milton impacted the Tampa area on October 9th and 10th. As recovery from the storm continues, the AMSAT Symposium team will be in communication with hotel representatives as soon as possible to determine whether the Symposium will be able to proceed as planned. We will let all registrants know the status as soon as possible. If the in-person Symposium is canceled, we will hold a virtual event on Saturday, October 26th. The 42nd Annual AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting will be held on Friday through Saturday, October 25-26, 2024, at the DoubleTree by Hilton Tampa Rocky Point Waterfront in Tampa, Florida. Highlights of all scheduled events include: - AMSAT Board of Directors Meeting, October 24-25 - 42nd AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting, October 25-26 - Friday Night Social and Auction, October 25 - AMSAT Banquet and Reception, October 26 - AMSAT Ambassador Breakfast (all are welcome), October 27 *Note – if you wish to register guests for the banquet and/or breakfast who are not attending the Symposium sessions, you must register for each event separately and include your guests with your banquet and breakfast tickets.* If you are interested in presenting or submitting a paper for inclusion in the Symposium Proceedings, please see the Call for Papers <https://www.amsat.org/2024-symposium/call-for-papers-2024/>. *IMPORTANT: The deadline for Symposium registrations if you want to include the Saturday evening banquet or Sunday breakfast is Friday, October 18th. Meals cannot be ordered after that date.* Click Here to Register Now <https://launch.amsat.org/event-5833792>Hotel Reservations The rate for a standard room with two Queen beds is $169.00 plus state and local taxes of 14.5%. Rooms may be available for check-in on Wednesday, October 23 and check out Sunday, October 27. Rooms can be reserved at https://www.hilton.com/en/attend-my-event/radioamateursatellite/. Reservations may also be made by phone at 813-888-8800. Reference AMSAT to receive the group rate. *Note: If you are planning on driving to the Symposium or renting a car, parking charges are $20 per night for overnight parking. * We, at AMSAT, are excited to be able to host our 42nd annual Symposium this year. We hope that you can join us in celebrating Amateur Radio in Space. Schedule *Thursday, October 24, 2024* 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM AMSAT Board Meeting 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM Pre-Registration Check-in *Friday, October 25, 2024* 8:00 AM – 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 26, 2024* 8:00 AM – 11:45 AM Registration 8:00 AM – 8:15 AM AMSAT Symposium Welcome 8:15 AM – 12:00 Noon Paper Sessions 1:00 PM – 3:15 PM Paper Sessions 3:30 PM – 4:45 PM AMSAT Annual Meeting & Awards Ceremony 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM Attitude Adjustment (Social), Cash Bar 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM AMSAT Banquet, Cash Bar *Sunday, October 27, 2024* 7:30 AM – 9:00 AM AMSAT Ambassador Breakfast (All are welcome) *[ANS thanks the AMSAT Symposium Committee for the above information]* ------------------------------ Final Call for Papers Papers continue to be accepted for the 42nd annual AMSAT Space Symposium to be held on the weekend of October 25-27, 2024 at the Doubletree by Hilton Tampa Rocky Point Waterfront in Tampa, Florida. Proposals for symposium papers and presentations are invited on any topic of interest to the amateur satellite community. We request a tentative title of your presentation as soon as possible, with final copy submitted by October 18 for inclusion in the symposium proceedings. Abstracts and papers should be sent to Dan Schultz, N8FGV at n8fgv(a)usa.net *[ANS thanks Dan Schultz, N8FGV, AMSAT Symposium Proceedings Editor for the above information]* ------------------------------ ARISS SSTV Event Continues Until Monday October 14 ARISS is planning a Slow Scan Television (SSTV) experiment from the International Space Station started this past Tuesday and is scheduled to run until Monday, October 14, at 14:10 GMT. The transmission frequency will be 145.800 MHz FM, using SSTV mode PD120. The ISS callsign will be RS0ISS. The SSTV transmissions will be made using the station in the Russian ISS Service Module. The equipment used is a Kenwood D710 transceiver running about 25 watts output which provides a very strong signal enabling reception using simple equipment. Images received by amateurs world-wide during previous transmissions can be seen at http://www.spaceflightsoftware.com/ARISS_SSTV. Amateurs can receive the SSTV pictures directly from the space station by connecting the audio output of their two-meter transceiver via a simple interface to the soundcard on a Windows PC or an Apple iOS device. On Windows PC’s the free application MMSSTV can be used to decode the signal, on Apple iOS devices you can use the SSTV app for compatible modes. For Linux systems try QSSTV. The ISS puts out a strong signal so even a 2M handheld with a 1/4 wave antenna will be enough to receive it but one’s chances of success are significantly improved with the use of a handheld beam antenna. The FM transmission uses 5 kHz deviation which is standard in much of the world. Many FM rigs can be switched been wide and narrow deviation FM filters. For best results you should select the filter for wider deviation FM. Handhelds all seem to have a single wide filter fitted as standard. Reports are requested: please send ARISS uploading your decoded pictures in the official ARISS SSTV gallery: https://www.spaceflightsoftware.com/ARISS_SSTV/ An SSTV Award is also available. To get this award one should receive and decode at least one picture in the session. The quality of the received image does not have to be perfect, but good enough to be able to identify. Rules for earning the award are available at https://ariss.pzk.org.pl/sstv/. Useful information to receive the pictures can be found here at https://amsat-uk.org/beginners/iss-sstv/ Follow ARISS on X for official updates during the event https://x.com/ARISS_Intl. *[ANS thanks ARISS and AMSAT-UK for the above information]* ------------------------------ *2024 Coins Are Still Available!Help Support GOLF and Fox Plus.**Join <https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/> the AMSAT President’s Club today!* ------------------------------ Call for ARISS Proposals from U.S. Educators The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) Program is seeking formal and informal education institutions and organizations, individually or working together, to host an Amateur Radio contact with a crew member on board the ISS. ARISS anticipates that the contact would be held between July 1, 2025 and December 31, 2025. Crew scheduling and ISS orbits will determine the exact contact dates. To maximize these radio contact opportunities, ARISS is looking for organizations that will draw large numbers of participants and integrate the contact into a well-developed education plan. The deadline to submit a proposal is November 17th, 2024. Proposal information and more details such as expectations, proposal guidelines and the proposal form can be found at www.ariss.org. An ARISS Introductory Webinar session will be held on Wednesday, October 16 at 7 PM ET. The Zoom link to sign up is: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcpfuqpqzwiGdSZl0IXCPV6XP2OznBnaO… The Opportunity Crew members aboard the International Space Station will participate in scheduled Amateur Radio contacts. These radio contacts are approximately 10 minutes in length and allow students to interact with the astronauts through a question-and-answer session. An ARISS contact is a voice-only communication opportunity via Amateur Radio between astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the space station and classrooms and communities. ARISS contacts afford education audiences the opportunity to learn firsthand from astronauts what it is like to live and work in space and to learn about space research conducted on the ISS. Students also will have an opportunity to learn about satellite communication, wireless technology, and radio science. Because of the nature of human spaceflight and the complexity of scheduling activities aboard the ISS, organizations must demonstrate flexibility to accommodate changes in dates and times of the radio contact. Amateur Radio organizations around the world with the support of NASA and space agencies in Russia, Canada, Japan and Europe present educational organizations with this opportunity. The ham radio organizations’ volunteer efforts provide the equipment and operational support to enable communication between crew on the ISS and students around the world using Amateur Radio. Please direct any questions to education at ariss-usa.org . *[ANS thanks ARISS for the above information]* ------------------------------ Changes to AMSAT TLE Distribution for October 10, 2024 Two Line Elements or TLEs, often referred to as Keplerian elements or keps in the amateur community, are the inputs to the SGP4 standard mathematical model of spacecraft orbits used by most amateur tracking programs. Weekly updates are completely adequate for most amateur satellites. TLE bulletin files are updated 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/ CIRBE NORAD Cat ID 56188 Decayed from orbit on or about 04 October 2024 *[ANS thanks Joe Fitzgerald, KM1P, AMSAT Orbital Elements Manager, for the above information]* ------------------------------ *Need new satellite antennas? Purchase an M2 LEO-Pack from the **AMSAT Store! <https://amsat.org/product-category/hardware/>**When you purchase through **AMSAT, a portion of the proceeds goes towards **Keeping Amateur Radio in Space.* ------------------------------ ARISS News Amateurs and others around the world may listen in on contacts between amateurs operating in schools and allowing students to interact with astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station. The downlink frequency on which to listen is 145.800 MHz worldwide. *Istituto Comprensivo “Elena Lucrezua Corner”, Fossò, Italy, direct via IQ3RW* The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS The scheduled crewmember is Sunita Williams KD5PLB The ARISS mentor is IZ2GOJ Contact is go for: Fri 2024-10-18 09:12:01 UTC 42 deg *Colegio Cervantes, Torreon. Mexico, Telebridge via K6DUE (***)* The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS The scheduled crewmember is Nick Hague KG5TMV The ARISS mentor is VE3TBD Contact is go for: Fri 2024-10-18 17:02:04 UTC 63 deg *TEACH-NW Charter School, Springfield, OR, direct via KJ7NLL* The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled crewmember is Sunita Williams KD5PLB KD5MDT The ARISS mentor is W4NTR Contact is go for: Fri 2024-10-18 18:30:14 UTC 57 deg Watch for Livestream at https://www.youtube.com/@KJ7NLL/streams As always, if there is an EVA, a docking, or an undocking; the ARISS radios are turned off as part of the safety protocol. The crossband repeater continues to be active (145.990 MHz up {PL 67} & 437.800 MHz down), If any crewmember is so inclined, all they have to do is pick up the microphone, raise the volume up, and talk on the crossband repeater. So give a listen, you just never know. Note, all times are approximate. It is recommended that you do your own orbital prediction or start listening about 10 minutes before the listed time. The latest information on the operation mode can be found at https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html The latest list of frequencies in use can be found at https://www.ariss.org/contact-the-iss.html *[ANS thanks Charlie Sufana, AJ9N, one of the ARISS operation team mentors for the above information]* ------------------------------ Upcoming Satellite Operations A growing number of satellite rovers are currently engaged in sharing their grid square activations on https://hams.at. By visiting the website, you gain easy access to comprehensive information about the operators responsible for activating specific grid squares. Additionally, you have the ability to assess the match score between yourself and a particular rover for a given pass, while also being able to identify the upcoming satellite passes that are accessible from your location. Guyana: Aldir, PY1SAD (ZZ1M), operates from Georgetown as 8R1TM between Oct. 12 and Nov. 24 on 160-10m (CW, SSB, digital modes) and via satellites. QSL via LoTW, eQSL, qrz.com. (From DXNL 2427 - October 9, 2024) *[ANS thanks Ian Parsons, K5ZM, AMSAT Rover Page Manager, for the above information]* ------------------------------ * Want to fly the colors on your own grid expedition?* Get an AMSAT car flag and other neat stuff from our Zazzle store <https://www.zazzle.com/store/amsat_gear>! 25% of the purchase price of each product goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space ------------------------------ AMSAT Ambassador Activities AMSAT Ambassadors provide presentations, demonstrate communicating through amateur satellites, and host information tables at club meetings, hamfests, conventions, maker faires, and other events. AMSAT Ambassador Clint Bradford, K6LCS, says, "Think a 75-minute presentation on "working the easy satellites" would be appropriate for your club or event? Let me know by emailing me at k6lcsclint (at) gmail (dot) com or calling me at 909-999-SATS (7287)!" Clint has NEVER given the exact same show twice: EACH of the 150+ presentations so far has been customized/tailored to their audiences. Scheduled Events *Pacificon 2024, ARRL Pacific Division Conference* *October 18-20, 2024* San Ramon, CA WU0I *2024 AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting**October 25-27, 2024* Doubletree by Hilton Tampa Rocky Point Waterfront 3050 N Rocky Point Dr W Tampa, FL 33607 *SmallSat Education ConferenceOctober 26-27, 2024* Kennedy Space Center http://www.smallsateducation.org Fredric Raab, KK6NOW, will be presenting “Classroom Activities with the AMSAT CubeSat Simulator” showcasing the work by the CubeSatSim Educational Materials Team: Paul Graveline (sk), K1YUB, Alan Johnston, KU2Y, Fredric Raab, KK6NOW, Mark Samis, KD2XS and David White, WD6DRI. *Stone Mountain Hamfest, ARRL State Convention* *November 2-3, 2024* Stone Mountain, GA K4RGK *Oro Valley Amateur Radio Club* *November 9, 2024* Marana Middle School 11285 West Grier Rd. Marana, AZ 85653 https://www.tucsonhamradio.org/copy-of-hamfest-2022 N1UW *Yuma HAMCON* *February 20-22, 2025* Yuma, AZ N1UW *[ANS thanks Bo Lowrey, W4FCL, Director – AMSAT Ambassador Program, for the above information]* ------------------------------ Satellite Shorts from All Over + The SONATE-2 digipeater is now operating continuously, though interruptions are possible. Details available at https://www.informatik.uni-wuerzburg.de/en/space-technology/projects/active… (ANS thanks the SONATE-2 team for the information) + MO-122's transponder will be off for a few days to evaluate the battery status. (Thanks to Mark Hammond, N8MH, AMSAT Director and Command Station for the information) + AMSAT has requested that the ARRL add MO-122 and SONATE-2 (as SONATE) to the list of valid satellites for LoTW. ------------------------------ Join AMSAT today at https://launch.amsat.org/ In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership to: - Societies (a recognized group, clubs or organization). - Primary and secondary school students are eligible for membership at one-half the standard yearly rate. - Post-secondary school students enrolled in at least half time status shall be eligible for the student rate for a maximum of 6 post-secondary years in this status. - Memberships are available for annual and lifetime terms. Contact info [at] amsat.org for additional membership information. *73 and remember to help Keep Amateur Radio in Space!* *This week's ANS Editor,* *Paul Stoetzer, N8HM* *n8hm [at] arrl.net <http://arrl.net>* *ANS is a service of AMSAT, the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation, 712 H Street NE, Suite 1653, Washington, DC 20002*

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ANS-280 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
by Frank Karnauskas (N1UW) 05 Oct '24

05 Oct '24

In this edition: * MESAT1 Designated MESAT1-OSCAR 122 (MO-122) * ARISS Slow Scan TV Transmissions Begin Tuesday * SDRplay Announces the nRSP-ST Networked Receiver * VUCC Satellite Standing October 2024 * Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for October 4, 2024 * ARISS News * Upcoming Satellite Operations * AMSAT Ambassador Activities * Satellite Shorts From All Over The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and information service of AMSAT, the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS publishes news related to Amateur Radio in Space including reports on the activities of a worldwide group of Amateur Radio operators who share an active interest in designing, building, launching and communicating through analog and digital Amateur Radio satellites. The news feed on http://www.amsat.org publishes news of Amateur Radio in Space as soon as our volunteers can post it. Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to: ans-editor [at] amsat [dot] org. You can sign up for free e-mail delivery of the AMSAT News Service Bulletins via the ANS List; to join this list see: https://mailman.amsat.org/postorius/lists/ans.amsat.org/ ANS-280 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins To: All RADIO AMATEURS From: Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation 712 H Street NE, Suite 1653 Washington, DC 20002 DATE 2024 OCT 06 MESAT1 Designated MESAT1-OSCAR 122 (MO-122) On July 4, 2024 at 04:04 UTC, the MESAT1 satellite was launched on a Firefly Alpha launch vehicle from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. Developed by the University of Maine, the satellite carries an earth imaging experiment and an AMSAT-provided LTM-1 linear transponder to provide services to amateur radio enthusiasts around the world. The satellite has been commissioned and the transponder is currently active. [cid:[email protected]] At the request of University of Maine, AMSAT hereby designates MESAT1 as MESAT1-OSCAR 122 (MO-122). We congratulate the University of Maine, thank them for their contribution to the amateur satellite community, and wish them continued success on this and future projects. [ANS thanks Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA, AMSAT VP - Operations and OSCAR Number Administrator, for the above information] ________________________________ The 2024 AMSAT President’s Club coins are here now! Help Support GOLF and Fox Plus [cid:[email protected]] Join the AMSAT President's Club today and help Keep Amateur Radio in Space! https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/ ________________________________ ARISS Slow Scan TV Transmissions Begin Tuesday ARISS is planning a Slow Scan Television (SSTV) experiment from the International Space Station, scheduled to start on Tuesday, October 8, at 16:00 GMT and running until Monday, October 14, at 14:10 GMT. [cid:[email protected]] There will be an interruption on Friday, October 11, for planned school contacts over Europe. The transmission frequency will be 145.800 MHz FM, using SSTV mode PD120. The ISS callsign will be RS0ISS. The SSTV transmissions will be made using the station in the Russian ISS Service Module. The equipment used is a Kenwood D710 transceiver running about 25 watts output which provides a very strong signal enabling reception using simple equipment. Images received by amateurs world-wide during previous transmissions can be seen at http://www.spaceflightsoftware.com/ARISS_SSTV. Amateurs can receive the SSTV pictures directly from the space station by connecting the audio output of their two-meter transceiver via a simple interface to the soundcard on a Windows PC or an Apple iOS device. On Windows PC’s the free application MMSSTV can be used to decode the signal, on Apple iOS devices you can use the SSTV app for compatible modes. For Linux systems try QSSTV. The ISS puts out a strong signal so even a 2M handheld with a 1/4 wave antenna will be enough to receive it but one's chances of success are significantly improved with the use of a handheld beam antenna. The FM transmission uses 5 kHz deviation which is standard in much of the world. Many FM rigs can be switched been wide and narrow deviation FM filters. For best results you should select the filter for wider deviation FM. Handhelds all seem to have a single wide filter fitted as standard. Reports are requested: please send ARISS uploading your decoded pictures in the official ARISS SSTV gallery: https://www.spaceflightsoftware.com/ARISS_SSTV/ Useful information to receive the pictures can be found here at https://amsat-uk.org/beginners/iss-sstv/ Follow ARISS on X for official updates during the event https://x.com/ARISS_Intl. [ANS thanks ARISS and AMSAT-UK for the above information.] ________________________________ Registration Deadline Looms for 42nd Annual AMSAT Space Symposium & Annual General Meeting The 42nd Annual AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting will be held on Friday through Saturday, October 25-26, 2024, at the DoubleTree by Hilton Tampa Rocky Point Waterfront in Tampa, Florida. [cid:[email protected]] * Highlights of all scheduled events include: * AMSAT Board of Directors Meeting, October 24-25 * 42nd AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting, October 25-26 * Friday Night Social and Auction, October 25 * AMSAT Banquet and Reception, October 26 * AMSAT Ambassador Breakfast (all are welcome), October 27 If you are interested in presenting or submitting a paper for inclusion in the Symposium Proceedings, please see https://www.amsat.org/2024-symposium/call-for-papers-2024. IMPORTANT: The deadline for Symposium registrations if you want to include the Saturday evening banquet or Sunday breakfast is Friday, October 18th. Meals cannot be ordered after that date. Register now at https://launch.amsat.org/event-5833792. [ANS thanks AMSAT for the above information.] ________________________________ Need new satellite antennas? Purchase M2 LEO-Packs from the AMSAT Store. [cid:[email protected]] When you purchase through AMSAT, a portion of the proceeds goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space. https://amsat.org/product-category/hardware/ ________________________________ SDRplay Announces the nRSP-ST Networked Receiver SDRplay Limited has announced the imminent launch of the nRSP-ST, an all-in-one, plug-and-play networked SDR receiver. The nRSP-ST was demonstrated publicly for the first time at the UK National Hamfest this week. (Editors Note: AMSAT News Service does not typically run new product announcements, but the nRSP-ST seems to provide satellite enthusiasts and operators with a radically new opportunity to deploy multiple stations to collect telemetry over wide-spread areas. This announcement does not constitute an endorsement by ANS.) [cid:[email protected]] This SDR addresses the needs of radio enthusiasts who want a plug-and-play solution for remote reception. In addition to providing this functionality, SDRPlay claims to have addressed typical internet bandwidth limitations with the creation of a novel “IQ Lite” mode, which delivers channels of IQ data more efficiently. The device also introduces the ability to control and store IQ recordings at the remote location. SDRPlay thinks the nRSP-ST will be ideal for anyone wanting a wideband remote receiver without needing computer skills and hours of set-up time and ongoing maintenance at the remote location. The nRSP-ST key features include: * A truly “plug and play” integrated, networked general coverage receiver that combines a receiver, a host computer and other functionality in one box. Apply power and connect to the internet (Ethernet or Wi-Fi) and the nRSP-ST is automatically accessible. * The 14-bit ADC full featured wideband SDR receiver covers all frequencies from 1kHz through VLF, LF, MW, HF, VHF, UHF and L-band to 2GHz with no gaps. * Remotely monitoring of up to 10MHz of spectrum at a time from a choice of 3 antennas. * Multi-platform SDRconnectTM software that supports local operation or remote access on Windows, MacOS or Linux platforms. * Supports multiple client connections with a simultaneous mixture of connection modes. * All modes support visualization of up to 10MHz spectrum bandwidth. * Two remote connection options: use a remote SDRconnect client or use the built-in web-server for remote access from any web browsing capable device, including Android/iOS tablets and phones. * The ability to record IQ and audio files to a NAS (network attached storage) device if available on the LAN. * Flash upgradable for future feature enhancements. * The nRSP-ST with SDRconnectTM is configurable for whatever network bandwidth is available: * In “Full IQ” mode, the nRSP-ST provides IQ data transfer of the visible spectrum bandwidth (e.g.for high-speed LAN or superfast internet connectivity). * In “IQ Lite” mode, the nRSP-ST provides IQ data of channels up to 192kHz wide (e.g. for digital decoding by the client). * In “Compact” mode the nRSP-ST provides compressed audio (ideal for slower internet connections). SDRPlay is aiming to launch the nRSP-ST in the Fall of 2024 with a price of under $500 USD. More information is available at https://tinyurl.com/ANS-280-nRSP-ST [ANS thanks rtl-sdr.com for the above information.] ________________________________ VUCC Satellite Standing October 2024 VUCC Satellite Award/Endorsement Change Summary for September 01, 2024 to October 01, 2024. K8DP 1701 1737 WI7P 1078 1104 JK2XXK 1036 1086 JN2QCV 908 1016 EA2AA 982 1011 W8LR 859 887 JS1LQI 701 808 N8MR 731 755 KS1G 703 754 LY4AA 555 670 XE2YWH 118 595 W9FF 450 525 KO9A 472 524 VA3VGR 352 509 HP2VX 500 508 KA9CFD 283 500 N6PAZ 450 472 K4RGK 362 421 JE3HCZ 103 410 NJ2DX 365 404 K3HPA 300 350 SP7JS 207 253 RA0FF New 211 W2HRO New 192 DH0GSU 152 156 AE5AU 101 153 XE2YWH (DL82 - D 114 119 XE2YWH (DL82) 114 119 YC1RIK New 114 N5YIZ New 100 W4XP New 100 Congratulations to the new VUCC Satellite holders. RA0FF is first VUCC Satellite holder from Asiatic Russia and QN16. YC1RIK is first VUCC Satellite holder from OI33. DXCC Satellite has still not been updated since May [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! [cid:[email protected]] 25% of the purchase price of each product goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear ________________________________ Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for October 4, 2024 Two Line Elements or TLEs, often referred to as Keplerian elements or keps in the amateur community, are the inputs to the SGP4 standard mathematical model of spacecraft orbits used by most amateur tracking programs. Weekly updates are completely adequate for most amateur satellites. TLE bulletin files are updated daily in the first hour of the UTC day. New bulletin files will be posted immediately after reliable elements become available for new amateur satellites. More information may be found at https://www.amsat.org/keplerian-elements-resources/. The following satellite has been removed from this week's AMSAT TLE distribution: * OreSat0 NORAD Cat ID 52017 Decayed from orbit on 29 September 2024. MESAT1 has been redesignated as MO-122. [ANS thanks Joe Fitzgerald, KM1P, AMSAT Orbital Elements Manager, for the above information.] ________________________________ ARISS NEWS Amateurs and others around the world may listen in on contacts between amateurs operating in schools and allowing students to interact with astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station. The downlink frequency on which to listen is 145.800 MHz worldwide. [ARISS News] Upcoming Contacts School No. 2, Veliky Ustyug, Russia direct via TBD. The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS. The scheduled crewmember is Ivan Vagner. The ARISS mentor is RV3DR. Contact is go for Sunday, October 6, 2024 at 10:50 UTC. Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Agama (SMKA) Tengku Ampuan Hajjah Afzan Pahang, Jerantut, Malaysia, direct via 9M2RPN. The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS. The scheduled crewmember is Sunita Williams, KD5PLB. The ARISS mentor is Satoshi Yasuda, 7M3TJZ. Contact is go for: Monday, October 7, 2024 at 11:58 UTC. European School of Varese, Varese, Italy, direct via IQ2XH. The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS. The scheduled crewmember is Sunita Williams, KD5PLB. The ARISS mentor is Ferrario Gianpietro, IZ2GOJ. Contact is go for: Friday, October 11, 2024 at 08:22 UTC. Jaanimmarik Ilinniarvik School, Jaanimmarik Iliniavik, Kuujjuaq, QC, Canada, Telebridge via IK1SLD. The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS The scheduled crewmember is Nick Hague, KG5TMV. The ARISS mentor is Steven McFarlane, VE3TBD. Contact is go for: Friday, October 11, 2024 at 13:13 UTC. Greenville Jr HS, Greenville, IL, direct via AD9OV. The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS. The scheduled crewmember is Don Pettit, KD5MDT. The ARISS mentor is Gordon Scannell, KD8COJ. Contact is go for Friday, October 11, 2024 at 14:32 UTC. The crossband repeater continues to be active (145.990 MHz up {PL 67} & 437.800 MHz down). If any crewmember is so inclined, all they have to do is pick up the microphone, raise the volume up, and talk on the crossband repeater. So give a listen, you just never know. The packet system is also active (145.825 MHz up & down). As always, if there is an EVA, a docking, or an undocking; the ARISS radios are turned off as part of the safety protocol. Note, all times are approximate. It is recommended that you do your own orbital prediction or start listening about 10 minutes before the listed time. The latest information on the operation mode can be found at https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html The latest list of frequencies in use can be found at https://www.ariss.org/contact-the-iss.html [ANS thanks Charlie Sufana, AJ9N, one of the ARISS operation team mentors for the above information.] ________________________________ Upcoming Satellite Operations No operations listed. A growing number of satellite rovers are currently engaged in sharing their grid square activations on https://hams.at. By visiting the website, you gain easy access to comprehensive information about the operators responsible for activating specific grid squares. Additionally, you have the ability to assess the match score between yourself and a particular rover for a given pass, while also being able to identify the upcoming satellite passes that are accessible from your location. [ANS thanks Ian Parsons, K5ZM, AMSAT Rover Page Manager, and Alex Ners, K6VHF, for the above information.] ________________________________ AMSAT Ambassador Activities AMSAT Ambassadors provide presentations, demonstrate communicating through amateur satellites, and host information tables at club meetings, hamfests, conventions, maker faires, and other events. [cid:[email protected]] October 18-20, 2024 Pacificon 2024, ARRL Pacific Division Conference San Ramon, CA WUØI October 25-27, 2004 AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting Double Tree Rocky Point Waterfront Hotel Tampa Bay, FL November 2-3, 2024 Stone Mountain Hamfest, ARRL State Convention Stone Mountain, GA https://stonemountainhamfest.com/ K4RGK November 9, 2024 Oro Valley Amateur Radio Club Marana Middle School 11285 West Grier Rd. Marana, AZ 85653 https://www.tucsonhamradio.org/copy-of-hamfest-2022 N1UW February 20-22, 2025 Yuma HAMCON Yuma, AZ N1UW Interested in becoming an AMSAT Ambassador? AMSAT Ambassadors provide presentations, demonstrate communicating through amateur satellites, and host information tables at club meetings, hamfests, conventions, maker faires, and other events. For more information go to: https://www.amsat.org/ambassador/ [ANS thanks Bo Lowrey, W4FCL, Director – AMSAT Ambassador Program for the above information.] ________________________________ Satellite Shorts From All Over * For those who missed the 2024 CubeSat Developers Workshop at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, California last April, all recorded presentations are now available for viewing at https://www.youtube.com/@cubesat5793/streams. CPCL is Cal Poly’s CubeSat laboratory where the CubeSat standard originated, and where the CubeSat Design Specification is maintained and published. In addition to providing the CDS, CPCL hosts the annual CubeSat Developer’s Workshop in San Luis Obispo, and provides a central point for CubeSat community resources. [ANS thanks cubesat.org for the above information.] * The 2025 SmallSat Conference is scheduled for August 11-13, 2025 at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. The theme for the conference is Reaching New Horizons - New orbit. Same mission. Innovation and growing demand are driving the increased use of small satellites across a diverse global ecosystem. Both government and commercial sectors are pursuing proliferated networked constellations for global monitoring and connectivity. National space agencies and academia use small satellites for exploration, science, and fundamental research. The conference organizers have put out the first call for papers and for exhibitors. Abstracts are due by February 4 at 11:59 PM MT. More information is available at https://smallsat.org. [ANS thanks SmallSat.org for the above information.] * SpaceX is pausing Falcon 9 launches again after the upper stage on the Crew-9 launch experienced an ‘off-nominal deorbit burn’ that led to missing its expected landing zone in the ocean—Crew-9, along with its two empty seats for stranded astronauts Williams and Wilmore, successfully reached the ISS without issue. [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 [dot] org for additional membership information. 73 and remember to help Keep Amateur Radio in Space! This week's ANS Editor, Frank Karnauskas, N1UW f.karnauskas [at] amsat [dot] org

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ANS-276 AMSAT News Service Special Bulletin - MESAT1 Designated MESAT1-OSCAR 122 (MO-122)
by Paul Stoetzer 02 Oct '24

02 Oct '24

*AMSAT News Service Special Bulletin* *ANS-276* *October 2, 2024* In this edition: - MESAT1 Designated MESAT1-OSCAR 122 (MO-122) 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/ ------------------------------ MESAT1 Designated MESAT1-OSCAR 122 (MO-122) On July 4, 2024 at 04:04 UTC, the MESAT1 satellite was launched on a Firefly Alpha launch vehicle from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. Developed by the University of Maine, the satellite carries an earth imaging experiment and an AMSAT-provided LTM-1 linear transponder to provide services to amateur radio enthusiasts around the world. The satellite has been commissioned and the transponder is currently active. At the request of University of Maine, AMSAT hereby designates MESAT1 as MESAT1-OSCAR 122 (MO-122). We congratulate the University of Maine, thank them for their contribution to the amateur satellite community, and wish them continued success on this and future projects. 73, Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA AMSAT VP Operations / OSCAR Number Administrator *[ANS thanks Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA, AMSAT Vice President - Operations and OSCAR Number Administrator, 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 Contributing Editor,* *Paul Stoetzer, N8HM* *n8hm [at] arrl.net <http://arrl.net>* *ANS is a service of AMSAT, the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation, 712 H Street NE, Suite 1653, Washington, DC 20002*

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ANS-273 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
by Mitch Ahrenstorff (AD0HJ) 28 Sep '24

28 Sep '24

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-273 In this edition: * AMSAT-UK to Provide FUNcube Lite Payload for Jovian-1 Satellite * AMSAT-EA HADES-R and HADES-ICM planned for Q1 2025 * NASA Gears Up for Europa Clipper Mission to Jupiter's Icy Moon * Artificial Star Mission Aims to Help Unlock Secrets of the Universe * GridMasterMap Satellite Top 100 Rovers October 2024 Rankings * Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for September 27, 2024 * ARISS News * Upcoming Satellite Operations * AMSAT Ambassador Activities * Satellite Shorts From All Over The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and information service of AMSAT, the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS publishes news related to Amateur Radio in Space including reports on the activities of a worldwide group of Amateur Radio operators who share an active interest in designing, building, launching and communicating through analog and digital Amateur Radio satellites. The news feed on https://www.amsat.org publishes news of Amateur Radio in Space as soon as our volunteers can post it. Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to: ans-editor [at] amsat.org<http://amsat.org> You can sign up for free e-mail delivery of the AMSAT News Service Bulletins via the ANS List; to join this list see: https://mailman.amsat.org/postorius/lists/ans.amsat.org/ ANS-273 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins To: All RADIO AMATEURS From: Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation 712 H Street NE, Suite 1653 Washington, DC 20002 DATE 2024 Sep 29 ________________________________ The 42nd Annual AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting will be held on Friday through Saturday, October 25-26, 2024 DoubleTree by Hilton Tampa Rocky Point Waterfront in Tampa, Florida. Click Here to Register Now<https://launch.amsat.org/event-5833792> [https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/DoubleTree-Tampa…] Rooms can be reserved at https://www.hilton.com/en/attend-my-event/radioamateursatellite/ If you're interested in presenting or submitting a paper, see the Call for Papers<https://www.amsat.org/2024-symposium/call-for-papers-2024/> webpage ________________________________ AMSAT-UK to Provide FUNcube Lite Payload for Jovian-1 Satellite AMSAT-UK has announced it will provide a FUNcube Lite payload for the Jovian-1 satellite, featuring a U/V FM voice transponder. Jovian-1, a 6U CubeSat, is being developed by Space South Central, a space cluster in the UK. The project is a collaboration between industry and academic institutions aimed at supporting the region’s space sector. Jovian-1 is part of the JUPITER program, which stands for Joint Universities Programme for In-Orbit Training, Education, and Research. The program involves the universities of Surrey, Portsmouth, and Southampton and offers students direct experience in the space sector. JUPITER prepares participants for careers in space, with a focus on practical training in satellite design and operations. The FUNcube Lite payload will collect telemetry data from the satellite’s subsystems, including radiation sensor readings and GPS information. The data will be transmitted to schools and colleges using the FUNcube data format. This will help track radiation levels across the satellite’s orbit and assess radiation effects on onboard electronics. [https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Space-South-Cent…]<https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Space-South-Cent…> Space South Central students will have the opportunity to design and launch the Jovian-1 satellite. [Credit: Space South Central] Students from Space South Central will design, build, test, and launch the Jovian-1 satellite. The satellite will use commercial S and X bands for its main communication, through a ground station at Surrey University. The FUNcube Lite payload will operate on UHF and VHF amateur radio frequencies. When not gathering telemetry, it can switch to a U/V mode FM voice transponder, enabling communication for radio amateurs. The project emphasizes the role of regional space clusters in advancing the UK space industry. Space South Central represents over 170 space-related businesses in the region. The mission allows students to conduct satellite operations from the University of Surrey’s ground station, bridging academic study with hands-on experience. More information about the Jovian-1 mission and the FUNcube Lite payload will be shared at the AMSAT-UK Colloquium on October 12-13, 2024. The event will provide detailed updates on the satellite’s development and its technical components, offering insights for anyone interested in amateur radio and satellite communications. For more information: * Space South Central: spacesouthcentral.com<https://www.spacesouthcentral.com/news/universities-launch-pioneering-space…> * University of Surrey: surrey.ac.uk<https://www.surrey.ac.uk/> * University of Portsmouth: port.ac.uk<https://www.port.ac.uk/> * University of Southampton: southampton.ac.uk<https://www.southampton.ac.uk/> [ANS thanks Dave Johnson, G4DPZ, Honorary Secretary, AMSAT-UK<https://amsat-uk.org/> , for the above information] ________________________________ AMSAT-EA HADES-R and HADES-ICM planned for Q1 2025 AMSAT-EA has announced the upcoming launch of two new satellites, HADES-R and HADES-ICM, which will be made available to radio amateurs in early 2025. These satellites are set to replace the current HADES-D (SO-121) satellite in orbit. Unlike HADES-D, which transmits at a power level of 40mW, the new satellites will have variable transmission power, reaching up to theoretical 250mW when fully charged. The HADES-R and HADES-ICM satellites, classified as 1.5p pocketQubes, will be launched by SpaceX on its Transporter-12 and Transporter-13 missions. The launches will utilize D-Orbit's ION orbital transfer vehicle (OTV), with mission management provided by Alba Orbital, a Scottish company specializing in satellite launch solutions. As with previous AMSAT-EA projects, these satellites have been developed with the support of private companies and universities. Both satellites will support a wide range of communications capabilities, including FM voice, FSK, FT-4, and FT-8 modes. They will also be equipped to handle AX.25/APRS communications at both 300 and 1200 bps. The uplink for the satellites will be in the VHF band, while the downlink will operate in the UHF band. Additionally, the satellites will transmit telemetry data, including status updates, voice messages, and CW messages. All communications will be managed through an SDR-based FM and FSK repeater, which will be available at all times, activated by squelch level without the need for a subtone. In addition to their primary communications functions, both satellites will carry a scientific experiment from the Smart IR/Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre (GEIC) at the University of Manchester. This experiment will test a very low-power active radiator under space conditions. HADES-ICM has received sponsorship from IcMercury (Interstellar Communication Holdings), based in Florida, and will feature several challenge messages embedded within the FSK telemetry. While the HADES-R satellite has already been coordinated by the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU), HADES-ICM is still pending approval. [ANS thanks Félix Páez, EA4GQS, President / Mission Manager, AMSAT-EA<https://www.amsat-ea.org/>, for the above information] ________________________________ NASA Gears Up for Europa Clipper Mission to Jupiter's Icy Moon NASA is set to launch the Europa Clipper mission, a groundbreaking effort to explore Jupiter's icy moon, Europa. Slated for liftoff as early as October 10, 2024, the spacecraft will be carried into space by a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The mission aims to uncover the mysteries of Europa’s hidden ocean and assess whether the moon could host conditions favorable for life. Europa Clipper’s journey will take six years to reach the Jupiter system. Once there, it will enter an orbit around Jupiter, performing dozens of flybys of Europa. The spacecraft’s suite of instruments will probe beneath the moon’s icy shell to study its subsurface ocean. By mapping the moon and investigating its potential habitability, NASA hopes to shed light on one of the most intriguing questions in planetary science: whether life could exist on other worlds. [https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Europa-Clipper-P…]<https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Europa-Clipper-P…> NASA reported that Europa Clipper passed its pre-launch review on September 9th. [Credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett] The mission is significant because Europa is thought to possess all the ingredients necessary for life. Beneath its thick ice lies a vast, salty ocean, which may contain more water than all of Earth’s oceans combined. The moon’s subsurface environment could offer the energy, liquid water, and organic compounds required to support life. Although Europa is smaller than Earth’s moon, its potential to harbor a habitable environment makes it a prime target for exploration. To reach Jupiter, Europa Clipper will rely on two gravity assists. In 2025, it will pass within 1,000 kilometers of Mars to adjust its trajectory, followed by a close flyby of Earth in 2026. These maneuvers will boost the spacecraft’s speed and guide it toward the Jupiter system, where it is expected to arrive in 2030. Instead of orbiting Europa directly, the spacecraft will remain in orbit around Jupiter, occasionally dipping into the planet’s intense radiation field for close encounters with Europa. [https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Jupiter-Europa-H…]<https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Jupiter-Europa-H…> View of Jupiter's moon Europa captured by NASA's Galileo spacecraft. [Credit: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona] Once in the Jupiter system, Europa Clipper will conduct over 40 flybys of Europa, approaching as close as 25 kilometers above its surface. The spacecraft’s instruments are designed to withstand the harsh radiation environment, with most being housed in a protective radiation vault. Each flyby will gather detailed data, providing new insights into the moon’s ice-covered ocean and the possibility of life beneath its surface. The spacecraft’s science instruments include ice-penetrating radar to map Europa’s icy shell and magnetic sensors to confirm the presence of its ocean. High-resolution cameras and spectrometers will analyze the moon's surface and search for water vapor plumes that may erupt from below. Although Europa Clipper is not officially a life-detection mission, it promises to transform our understanding of habitability beyond Earth. [ANS thanks Kate Howells, The Planetary Society<https://www.planetary.org/>, for the above information] ________________________________ The 2024 AMSAT President’s Club coins are here now! Help Support GOLF and Fox Plus [https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2024-Coin-Both_5…] Join the AMSAT President's Club today and help Keep Amateur Radio in Space! https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/ ________________________________ Artificial Star Mission Aims to Help Unlock Secrets of the Universe NASA is embarking on an ambitious mission that could reshape our understanding of the universe with the help of a small, human-made satellite. Researchers at George Mason University are leading a $19.5 million NASA-funded project to launch an "artificial star" into space. The goal of this satellite, once it reaches orbit, is to appear as a star to telescopes on Earth, allowing scientists to gather more precise data on stellar brightness. The mission could unlock critical insights into the age, size, and scale of stars, offering fresh clues about the expansion of the universe and even the potential for extraterrestrial life. The so-called artificial star will be positioned in geostationary orbit, approximately 22,236 miles from Earth. While it won’t be visible to the naked eye, telescopes will be able to track the satellite as it moves at the same speed as Earth’s rotation, staying positioned over the U.S. Named in honor of the late astronomer Arlo Landolt, known for his work in stellar calibration, the satellite will spend its first year in space using advanced technology to monitor the brightness of millions of stars. This will allow astronomers to refine existing models for measuring stellar evolution and the universe’s expansion. [https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/NASAs-Landolt-Sa…]<https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/NASAs-Landolt-Sa…> NASA's Landolt mission will help researchers study star brightness. [Credit: George Mason University] Equipped with a sophisticated array of lasers, the satellite will serve as a controlled reference point for researchers on Earth. It will enhance the accuracy of brightness measurements, providing data that cannot be gathered from ground-based telescopes alone. According to Peter Plavchan, the primary investigator of the Landolt NASA Space Mission at George Mason, this mission represents a breakthrough in how stars and even distant supernovae are studied. “Such measurements can only be achieved by a space-based orbiting artificial star,” Plavchan said. The mission, part of NASA’s Pioneers program, marks a significant milestone for George Mason University. This is the university's first time leading such a mission, with NASA providing oversight and key technical support. George Mason is collaborating with the National Institute of Standards and Technology and 10 other universities to develop the satellite, which will face significant engineering challenges in high orbit. “Our team will design, build, and integrate the payload,” said Peter Pachowicz, an engineering professor at George Mason. “It’s an incredibly exciting opportunity.” [https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Arlo-Landolt-Kit…]<https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Arlo-Landolt-Kit…> Astronomer Arlo Landolt had compiled widely used catalogs of stellar brightness. [Credit: NOIRLab] One of the broader goals of the Landolt mission is to contribute to the search for habitable planets. By analyzing how stars influence planetary environments, the satellite could help scientists better understand where in the universe conditions might be suitable for life. Astronomers are particularly interested in so-called habitable or “Goldilocks” zones, where planets could have the right conditions—neither too hot nor too cold—to support liquid water, a key ingredient for life. Understanding how stars affect these zones is essential to identifying planets that may harbor life. While the mission has the potential to revolutionize the field of astronomy, it also poses big challenges. Finding definitive evidence of life beyond Earth requires precise measurements of stellar properties, such as how much energy a star emits and how close a planet is to that star. "There are so many big questions in astronomy: How did we get here? Are there other planets like ours? Do aliens exist?" said Jamie Tayar, an astronomer at the University of Florida, a partner in the mission. With the launch of the artificial star planned for 2029, the team hopes to get one step closer to answering these profound questions. [ANS thanks Eric Lagatta, USA Today<https://www.usatoday.com/>, for the above information] ________________________________ GridMasterMap Satellite Top 100 Rovers October 2024 Rankings The October 2024 rankings for the Top 100 Rovers (Mixed LEO/MEO/GEO) in satellite operations, as determined by @GridMasterMap<https://x.com/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<https://gridmaster.fr> website have been validated by a third party. Grid numbers do not directly reflect the exact number of activations. Satellite operators are encouraged to upload their LoTW satellite contacts to https://gridmaster.fr in order to provide more accurate data. Updated: 2024-09-27 1 ND9M 26 KX9X 51 N6DNM 76 LU4JVE 2 NJ7H 27 ON4AUC 52 JK2XXK 77 AA8CH 3 JA9KRO 28 KG5CCI 53 EB1AO 78 VE1VOX 4 UT1FG 29 N5BO 54 SM3NRY 79 FG8OJ 5 N5UC 30 K8BL 55 EA4NF 80 PT9BM 6 DL6AP 31 KE4AL 56 JL3RNZ 81 KJ7NDY 7 OE3SEU 32 KB5FHK 57 XE1ET 82 KI7UXT 8 WI7P 33 VE3HLS 58 AA5PK 83 YU0W 9 DP0POL 34 KI0KB 59 DF2ET 84 KB2YSI 10 K5ZM 35 KI7UNJ 60 KI7QEK 85 N6UTC 11 N6UA 36 LA9XGA 61 SP5XSD 86 WA9JBQ 12 HA3FOK 37 F4BKV 62 F4DXV 87 N4DCW 13 WY7AA 38 PA3GAN 63 AD7DB 88 JM1CAX 14 N9IP 39 JO2ASQ 64 VE1CWJ 89 VE3GOP 15 W5PFG 40 N7AGF 65 KE9AJ 90 N0TEL 16 AK8CW 41 BA1PK 66 N8RO 91 KG4AKV 17 DL2GRC 42 VK5DG 67 VA7LM 92 K6VHF 18 AD0DX 43 XE3DX 68 KM4LAO 93 K0FFY 19 F5VMJ 44 KE0WPA 69 W1AW 94 CU2ZG 20 N4AKV 45 PR8KW 70 W8LR 95 VE7PTN 21 WD9EWK 46 K7TAB 71 N4UFO 96 AF5CC 22 ND0C 47 KE0PBR 72 DL4EA 97 VE6WK 23 AD0HJ 48 VA3VGR 73 HB9GWJ 98 W8MTB 24 LU5ILA 49 AC0RA 74 PT2AP 99 DK9JC 25 DJ8MS 50 W7WGC 75 M1DDD 100 BG7QIW [ANS thanks @GridMasterMap<https://x.com/GridMasterMap> for the above information] ________________________________ Need new satellite antennas? Purchase an M2 LEO-Pack from the AMSAT Store!<https://www.amsat.org/shop/> [https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/cm/LEO-Pack1-300x298.png]<https://www.amsat.org/product/m2-leo-pack-antenna-system/> When you purchase through AMSAT, a portion of the proceeds goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space. https://amsat.org/product-category/hardware/ ________________________________ Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for September 27, 2024 Two Line Elements or TLEs, often referred to as Keplerian elements or keps in the amateur community, are the inputs to the SGP4 standard mathematical model of spacecraft orbits used by most amateur tracking programs. Weekly updates are completely adequate for most amateur satellites. TLE bulletin files are updated daily in the first hour of the UTC day. New bulletin files will be posted immediately after reliable elements become available for new amateur satellites. More information may be found at https://www.amsat.org/keplerian-elements-resources/. 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. + Recently Completed Contacts Amur State University, Blagoveshchensk, Russia, direct via RKØJ The ISS callsign was RSØISS The scheduled crewmember was Ivan Vagner The ARISS mentor is RV3DR Contact was successful for: Tue 2024-09-24 09:24 UTC Tatarstan, Russia, direct via TBD The ISS callsign was RSØISS The scheduled crewmember was Aleksey Ovchinin The ARISS mentor is RV3DR Contact is successful for: Fri 2024-09-27 13:20 UTC Khazar University, Dunya School, Baku, Azerbaijan, direct via 4K6EH The ISS callsign was OR4ISS The scheduled crewmember was Sunita Williams KD5PLB The ARISS mentor is IN3GHZ Contact was successful for: Sat 2024-09-28 09:13:29 UTC + Upcoming Contacts СОНКО АНО "Clean and Simple" and the Cultural and Leisure Center "Flying Saucer", Shchyolkovo, Russia, direct via TBD The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS The scheduled crewmember is Alexander Gorbunov The ARISS mentor is RV3DR Contact is go for Fri 2024-10-04 10:50 UTC Girlguiding Surrey West County, Shepperton, UK, direct via GB4GGB The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled crewmember is Sunita Williams KD5PLB The ARISS mentor is MØXTD Contact is go for: Sat 2024-10-05 13:06:22 UTC Watch for Livestream at https://live.ariss.org/ Centre de Formation de la Base Aérienne de Payerne, Payerne, Switzerland, direct via HB9SPACE The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS The scheduled crewmember is Mike Barratt KD5MIJ The ARISS mentor is IN3GHZ Contact is go for: Sat 2024-10-05 14:44:48 UTC 213 RCSCC Qu’Appelle (Royal Canadian Sea Cadet Corp), Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, telebridge via K6DUE The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled crewmember is Jeanette Epps KF5QNU The ARISS mentor is VE6JBJ Contact is go for: 2024-10-05 16:06:05 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). APRS is currently online, but may be impacted for an experiment in the Service Module after September 27th. As always, if there is an EVA, a docking, or an undocking; the ARISS radios are turned off as part of the safety protocol. Note, all times are approximate. It is recommended that you do your own orbital prediction or start listening about 10 minutes before the listed time. The latest information on the operation mode can be found at https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html The latest list of frequencies in use can be found at https://www.ariss.org/contact-the-iss.html [ANS thanks Charlie Sufana, AJ9N, one of the ARISS operation team mentors for the above information] ________________________________ Upcoming Satellite Operations None currently listed. A growing number of satellite rovers are currently engaged in sharing their grid square activations on https://hams.at. By visiting the website, you gain easy access to comprehensive information about the operators responsible for activating specific grid squares. Additionally, you have the ability to assess the match score between yourself and a particular rover for a given pass, while also being able to identify the upcoming satellite passes that are accessible from your location. [ANS thanks Ian Parsons, K5ZM, AMSAT rover page manager, for the above information] ________________________________ AMSAT Ambassador Activities AMSAT Ambassadors provide presentations, demonstrate communicating through amateur satellites, and host information tables at club meetings, hamfests, conventions, maker faires, and other events. AMSAT Ambassador Clint Bradford, K6LCS, says, Just completed presenting my satellite show to the Sandton Amateur Radio Club in South Africa - via Zoom. And what a marvelous group they are! Keith ZS6HI was my contact. Great questions throughout from the Zoom audience. From Keith: "Thank you very much Clint and Karen. Wonderful presentation. You did a lot of research and preparation to put a South African spin on the presentation and spent effort on learning about the SARL, Sandton Club and South African Amateur Radio community beforehand." “SARL” is South Africa's “ARRL.” And there is an active AMSAT Chapter there, too! That was Presentation Number 175 … more are scheduled! Think a lively, informative, and fun presentation on working the “easy” satellites with minimal equipment would be appropriate for your club or convention? Clint Bradford K6LCS AMSAT Ambassador ARRL Affiliated Club Coordinator, benefactor work-sat.com<http://work-sat.com> 909-999-SATS (909-999-7287) North Star Radio Convention - October 5th, 2024 Hennepin Technical College (North Campus) 9000 Brooklyn Boulevard Brooklyn Park, MN 55445 https://conv2023.tcfmc.org/ AMSAT Forum and Information Table / KØJM and ADØHJ Central Kentucky Hamfest - October 5th, 2024 Highlands Baptist Church 2032 Parallel Road Lexington, KY 40502 https://www.facebook.com/w9khz/ AMSAT and Educational Satellites Forum and Information Table / AI4SR and W4FCL Radio Society of Tucson - October 5th, 2024 Calvary Tucson Church 8711 East Speedway Boulevard Tucson AZ 85710 https://k7rst.club/2024/07/tucson-autumn-ham-fest-2024/ N1UW Pacificon 2024, ARRL Pacific Division Conference - October 18th thru 20th, 2024 San Ramon Marriott 2600 Bishop Drive San Ramon, CA 94583 https://www.pacificon.org/ WU0I 2024 AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting - October 25th thru 27th, 2024 Doubletree by Hilton Tampa Rocky Point Waterfront 3050 N Rocky Point Drive West Tampa, FL 33607 https://www.amsat.org/ Stone Mountain Hamfest, ARRL State Convention - November 2nd and 3rd, 2024 Gwinnett County Fairgrounds 2405 Sugarloaf Parkway Lawrenceville, GA 30042 https://stonemountainhamfest.com/ K4RGK Oro Valley Amateur Radio Club - November 9th, 2024 Marana Middle School 11285 West Grier Road Marana, AZ 85653 https://www.tucsonhamradio.org/copy-of-hamfest-2022 N1UW Yuma HAMCON - February 20th thru 22nd, 2025 Yuma, AZ N1UW [ANS thanks Bo Lowrey, W4FCL, Director – AMSAT Ambassador Program, for the above information] ________________________________ Want to fly the colors on your own grid expedition? Get an AMSAT car flag and other neat stuff from our Zazzle store<https://www.zazzle.com/store/amsat_gear>! 25% of the purchase price of each product goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space [https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/AMSAT-Car-Flag-e…]<https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_car_flag-256716714380264543> Keeping Amateur Radio in Space https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear ________________________________ Satellite Shorts From All Over + Congratulations are in order for Jerry Oliver, KJ4EU for his impressive accomplishments in earning GridMaster Award #70! This esteemed recognition, initiated by Star Comm Group in 2014 and backed by Damon Runion, WA4HFN, and Rick Tillman, WA4NVM, has now been entrusted to AMSAT for the benefit of the entire amateur satellite community. The GridMaster Award celebrates radio amateurs worldwide who achieve two-way communication via amateur satellite with operators in all 488 Maidenhead grids across the contiguous United States of America. For more details on this distinguished award, visit the AMSAT website at https://www.amsat.org/gridmaster/. Jerry, your achievement is truly commendable—well done! (ANS thanks Bruce Paige, KK5DO, AMSAT Director of Contests and Awards for the above information) + Congratulations to Nina Riethmueller, DL2GRC, for her outstanding achievements in providing satellite contacts! Nina has roved an impressive 102 grid squares, earning her the AMSAT VUCC/r Award #18. The Reverse VUCC or VUCC/r Award, originally introduced by the Central States VHF Society and now carried on by AMSAT, recognizes the dedication of satellite rovers like Nina. For more information about this prestigious award, you can visit the AMSAT website at https://www.amsat.org/reverse-vucc-or-vucc-r-award. Keep on roving, Nina, and continue to inspire others in the AMSAT community with your remarkable achievements! (ANS thanks Bruce Paige, KK5DO, AMSAT Director of Contests and Awards for the above information) + NASA’s Voyager 1 spacecraft, which has been in space since 1977, recently experienced issues with its thrusters due to clogged fuel tubes caused by aging. The thrusters, which are essential for keeping the spacecraft pointed toward Earth, use liquid hydrazine that releases in puffs to adjust its orientation. Engineers discovered that one set of thrusters had become clogged with silicon dioxide from the spacecraft’s fuel tank, necessitating a switch to a different set. However, due to power and temperature constraints, turning on the replacement thrusters required careful planning. The team successfully activated non-essential heaters to warm up the thrusters, making the switch on August 27, 2024. This complex operation ensures Voyager 1 can continue its mission, providing valuable data from interstellar space despite its advanced age and limited power. (ANS thanks NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory<https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/> for the above information) + The International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) recently reached a milestone, processing its 1,000th satellite frequency coordination request. This achievement underscores the IARU’s essential role in managing radio frequencies for amateur satellites, ensuring optimal performance and minimal interference with terrestrial services. Since the late 1990s, the IARU’s Satellite Frequency Coordination Panel has collaborated with satellite developers and regulators to facilitate successful amateur communication and educational satellite missions. The rise of CubeSats and the drop in launch costs have increased the demand for careful spectrum management. The dedication of IARU volunteers and the global amateur radio community has made this possible, ensuring continued opportunities for education, communication, and scientific research. As Earth's orbit becomes more crowded, the IARU’s work in frequency coordination will remain critical for future missions. (ANS thanks IARU<https://www.iaru.org/> for the above information) + NASA astronaut Tracy C. Dyson, along with Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub, successfully returned to Earth on September 23, after landing in Kazakhstan aboard the Soyuz MS-25 spacecraft. Dyson spent 184 days aboard the International Space Station (ISS) as part of Expeditions 70 and 71, completing 2,944 orbits and covering 78 million miles. Chub and Kononenko, who spent 374 days in space, returned after an extensive mission spanning 5,984 orbits and 158.6 million miles. Notably, Kononenko set a record with over 1,111 cumulative days in space across five missions. The crew undocked from the ISS's Prichal module before their parachute-assisted landing southeast of Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan. Following their recovery, Dyson returned to Houston, while Kononenko and Chub headed to Star City, Russia, for post-mission procedures. (ANS thanks SciTechDaily<https://scitechdaily.com/> for the above information) + SpaceX is preparing for a historic test flight of its Starship megarocket, aiming to catch its Super Heavy booster using the "chopstick" arms of the launch tower. This innovative recovery method, practiced at the Starbase site in South Texas, could dramatically reduce refurbishment times compared to traditional landing methods. The company recently showcased these preparations, lifting the booster to its expected catch height. Starship's fifth test flight, slated for late November 2024, follows previous launches where performance has steadily improved. Despite SpaceX's readiness, regulatory delays from the FAA have pushed the launch timeline. SpaceX has expressed frustration with the regulatory process, citing concerns about the pace of environmental impact reviews and modifications assessments. (ANS thanks Space.com<https://www.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<https://www.amsat.org> for additional membership information. 73 and remember to help Keep Amateur Radio in Space! This week's ANS Editor, Mitch Ahrenstorff, ADØHJ mahrenstorff [at] amsat.org<https://www.amsat.org>

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ANS-266 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
by Mark Johns, K0JM 21 Sep '24

21 Sep '24

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-266 In this edition: * Registration Continues for the 42nd Annual AMSAT Space Symposium * AMSAT Symposium Call for Papers * Results of the 2024 AMSAT Board of Directors Election * MESAT1 Telemetry and Testing-Update * GreenCube (IO-117) Ceases Functioning Due to Radiation Damage * Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution * ARISS News * Upcoming Satellite Operations * AMSAT Ambassador Activities * Satellite Shorts From All Over The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and information service of AMSAT, the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS publishes news related to Amateur Radio in Space including reports on the activities of a worldwide group of Amateur Radio operators who share an active interest in designing, building, launching and communicating through analog and digital Amateur Radio satellites. The news feed on http://www.amsat.org publishes news of Amateur Radio in Space as soon as our volunteers can post it. *Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to: ans-editor [at] amsat.org <http://amsat.org>* You can sign up for free e-mail delivery of the AMSAT News Service Bulletins via the ANS List; to join this list see: https://mailman.amsat.org/postorius/lists/ans.amsat.org/ ANS-266 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins To: All RADIO AMATEURS From: Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation 712 H Street NE, Suite 1653 Washington, DC 20002 DATE 2024 Sept. 22 Registration Continues for the 42nd Annual AMSAT Space Symposium & Annual General Meeting The 42nd Annual AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting will be held on Friday through Saturday, October 25-26, 2024, at the DoubleTree by Hilton Tampa Rocky Point Waterfront in Tampa, Florida. Highlights of all scheduled events include: - AMSAT Board of Directors Meeting, October 24-25 - 42nd AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting, October 25-26 - Friday Night Social and Auction, October 25 - AMSAT Banquet and Reception, October 26 - AMSAT Ambassador Breakfast (all are welcome), October 27 *Note – if you wish to register guests for the banquet and/or breakfast who are not attending the Symposium sessions, you must register for each event separately and include your guests with your banquet and breakfast tickets.* If you are interested in presenting or submitting a paper for inclusion in the Symposium Proceedings, please see the Call for Papers <https://www.amsat.org/2024-symposium/call-for-papers-2024/>. *IMPORTANT: The deadline for Symposium registrations if you want to include the Saturday evening banquet or Sunday breakfast is Friday, October 18th. Meals cannot be ordered after that date.* Click Here to Register Now <https://launch.amsat.org/event-5833792> Hotel Reservations The rate for a standard room with two Queen beds is $169.00 plus state and local taxes of 14.5%. Rooms may be available for check-in on Wednesday, October 23 and check out Sunday, October 27. Rooms can be reserved at https://www.hilton.com/en/attend-my-event/radioamateursatellite/. Reservations may also be made by phone at 813-888-8800. Reference AMSAT to receive the group rate. *Note: If you are planning on driving to the Symposium or renting a car, parking charges are $20 per night for overnight parking. * We, at AMSAT, are excited to be able to host our 42nd annual Symposium this year. We hope that you can join us in celebrating Amateur Radio in Space. Schedule *Thursday, October 24, 2024* 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM AMSAT Board Meeting 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM Pre-Registration Check-in *Friday, October 25, 2024* 8:00 AM – 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 26, 2024* 8:00 AM – 11:45 AM Registration 8:00 AM – 8:15 AM AMSAT Symposium Welcome 8:15 AM – 12:00 Noon Paper Sessions 1:00 PM – 3:15 PM Paper Sessions 3:30 PM – 4:45 PM AMSAT Annual Meeting & Awards Ceremony 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM Attitude Adjustment (Social), Cash Bar 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM AMSAT Banquet, Cash Bar *Sunday, October 27, 2024* 7:30 AM – 9:00 AM AMSAT Ambassador Breakfast (All are welcome) *[ANS thanks the AMSAT Symposium Committee for the above information]* ------------------------------ AMSAT Symposium Call for Papers Papers continue to be accepted for the 42nd annual AMSAT Space Symposium to be held on the weekend of October 25-27, 2024 at the Doubletree by Hilton Tampa Rocky Point Waterfront in Tampa, Florida. Proposals for symposium papers and presentations are invited on any topic of interest to the amateur satellite community. We request a tentative title of your presentation as soon as possible, with final copy submitted by October 18 for inclusion in the symposium proceedings. Abstracts and papers should be sent to Dan Schultz, N8FGV at n8fgv(a)usa.net *[ANS thanks Dan Schultz, N8FGV, AMSAT Symposium Proceedings Editor for the above information]* ------------------------------ *2024 Coins Are Still Available! Help Support GOLF and Fox Plus.* *Join <https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/> the AMSAT President’s Club today!* ------------------------------ Results of the 2024 AMSAT Board of Directors Election The 2024 AMSAT Board of Directors Election period ended on September 15, 2024. As a result of the election, Mark Hammond, N8MH, Paul Stoetzer, N8HM, and Bruce Paige, KK5DO, have been duly elected to a two-year term on the Board of Directors. Douglas Tabor, N6UA, and Frank Karnauskas, N1UW, will serve as alternate directors for a term of one year. The results of the voting with 375 ballots cast are as follows: Mark Hammond, N8MH 295 Paul Stoetzer, N8HM 276 Bruce Paige, KK5DO 223 Douglas Tabor, N6UA 163 Frank Karnauskas, N1UW 111 The membership of the AMSAT Board of Directors for 2024-2025 is: Barry Baines, WD4ASW Jerry Buxton, NØJY Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA Mark Hammond, N8MH Zach Metzinger, NØZGO Bruce Paige, KK5DO Paul Stoetzer, N8HM Douglas Tabor, N6UA (1st Alternate) Frank Karnauskas, N1UW (2nd Alternate) Thank you all for participating in this year’s election process. *[ANS thanks Jeff Davis, KE9V, AMSAT Secretary, for the above information]* ------------------------------ MESAT1 Telemetry and Testing-Update The MESAT1 Command and Commissioning Teams wish to thank all that have routinely or even occasionally collected telemetry from MESAT1. Thanks to these reports, the teams are able to make informed and timely decisions about what/when/why/how to do next steps in collaborating with the satellite owners to help with their primary mission. Much is being learned about this new satellite–the University of Maine’s first Cubesat–and AMSAT’s linear transponder onboard. All of the lessons learned will help inform future missions that carry the Linear Transponder Module (or LTM) and the Golf series of satellites. Reports about transponder activities are very helpful, as well. MESAT 1 *[University of Maine]* Amateurs are encouraged to visit this link to see in detail all of the callsigns that have contributed to telemetry collection thus far. It’s a lot of stations, all around the world: https://www.amsat.org/tlm/leaderboard.php?id=10&db=FOXDB&show=all&period=100 Please continue to collect telemetry! We continue to work on taking and downloading earth images from their cameras. In recent days, we are having the satellite send image blocks both in the mornings and evenings. We expect that to continue in the near future. The transmitter could be on for 5 mins, or perhaps even 10 mins, when over the East coast command stations. Every frame helps us to build an image. Testing is intermittent, but it seems to be more regular right now. When the images aren’t being transmitted, MESAT1 is in SAFE mode, sending a couple frames about every 2 minutes. These frames are very important too! *MESAT1 was in HEALTH mode, transmitting telemetry continuously, and the beacon setting is pretty strong as of 11:43z on 19 Sept 2024. The linear transponder was enabled at 0050utc on 20 Sept. 2024. Watch AMSAT-BB for announcements regarding MESAT1 status.* *[ANS thanks Mark Hammond, N8MH, AMSAT Director and Command Station for the above information]* ------------------------------ *Need new satellite antennas?* *Purchase M2 LEO-Packs from the AMSAT Store.* *When you purchase through AMSAT, a portion of the proceeds goes towards* *Keeping Amateur Radio in Space.* *https://amsat.org/product-category/hardware/* <https://amsat.org/product-category/hardware/> ------------------------------ GreenCube (IO-117) Ceases Functioning Due to Radiation Damage The GreenCube satellite, developed by S5LAB, has likely ceased functioning due to radiation damage. After a successful mission that exceeded expectations, the satellite is no longer responding to commands, and its onboard radio is believed to have been compromised by the harsh radiation environment in Medium Earth Orbit (MEO). Approximately ten days ago, GreenCube experienced a reboot, and telemetry data from the event did not indicate any anomalies. However, the S5LAB team now suspects that the satellite’s radio was damaged, leading to the current communication blackout. MEO is notoriously challenging for satellites due to its high radiation levels, and GreenCube was not the only satellite affected. Several other CubeSats launched alongside it only lasted a few days, making GreenCube’s extended mission duration a remarkable achievement. Despite ongoing efforts to send commands and reactivate the satellite, the team remains pessimistic about restoring GreenCube’s functionality. The satellite’s survival in the hostile MEO environment is seen as a testament to its robust design, but the likelihood of recovery is slim. At this time, no successor to GreenCube is planned, primarily due to the infrequency of launch opportunities to MEO. Launches to this orbit are rare, which complicates the prospect of future missions. In response to the satellite’s success and the interest it generated among radio amateurs, S5LAB has promised to host a webinar in collaboration with AMSAT Italia. The event will provide insights into the GreenCube mission, sharing the challenges and triumphs of the satellite’s journey. This is an opportunity for the amateur radio community to learn more about the satellite’s impact and the technical details behind its impressive mission. While GreenCube’s operational life may have ended, its contributions to satellite technology and amateur radio will be remembered as a significant milestone. [Information from Piero IØKPT via Facebooks Greencube Group] *[ANS thanks AMSAT-UK for the above information]* ------------------------------ *Want to fly the colors on your own grid expedition?* *Get your AMSAT car flag and other neat stuff from our Zazzle store!* *25% of the purchase price of each product goes towards* *Keeping Amateur Radio in Space* *https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear* <https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear> ------------------------------ Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for 20 September 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/ No changes have been announced for this week. *[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. [image: ARISS News] *RECENTLY COMPLETED:* Kordylewski Youth Astronomical Observatory in Niepołomice, Niepołomice, Poland, direct via SP9MOA The ISS callsign was OR4ISS The crewmember was Matthew Dominick KCØTOR The ARISS mentor was SP3QFE Contact successful: Thu 2024-09-19 16:18:02 UTC 53 degrees elevation Sailing Event, Moscow, Russia, direct via TBD The ISS callsign was RSØISS The crewmember was Aleksandr Grebyonkin RZ3DSE The ARISS mentor was RV3DR Contact successful: Sat 2024-09-21 16:25 UTC *UPCOMING:* Amur State University, Blagoveshchensk, Russia, direct via TBD The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS The scheduled crewmember is Ivan Vagner The ARISS mentor is RV3DR Contact is go for Tue 2024-09-24 09:25 UTC Tatarstan, Russia, direct via TBD The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS The scheduled crewmember is Aleksey Ovchinin The ARISS mentor is RV3DR Contact is go for Fri 2024-09-27 13:20 UTC Khazar University, Dunya School, Baku, Azerbaijan, direct via 4K6EH The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS The scheduled crewmember is Matthew Dominick KCØTOR The ARISS mentor is IN3GHZ Contact is go for: Sat 2024-09-28 10:50:21 UTC 28 degrees maximum elevation The crossband repeater continues to be *ACTIVE* (145.990 MHz up {PL 67} & 437.800 MHz down). If any crewmember is so inclined, all they have to do is pick up the microphone, raise the volume up, and talk on the crossband repeater. So give a listen, you just never know. The packet system is currently *MISCONFIGURED* (145.825 MHz up & down). Ham TV is currently *STOWED* (2395.00 MHz down). SSTV is currently *STOWED* (145.800 MHz down). As always, if there is an EVA, a docking, or an undocking; the ARISS radios are turned off as part of the safety protocol. *POWERING OFF FOR SOYUZ UNDOCKING ON SEP 23*. Note, all times are approximate. It is recommended that you do your own orbital prediction or start listening about 10 minutes before the listed time. The latest information on the operation mode can be found at https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html The latest list of frequencies in use can be found at https://www.ariss.org/contact-the-iss.html *[ANS thanks Charlie Sufana, AJ9N, one of the ARISS operation team mentors for the above information]* ------------------------------ Upcoming Satellite Operations None currently listed. A growing number of satellite rovers are currently engaged in sharing their grid square activations on https://hams.at. By visiting the website, you gain easy access to comprehensive information about the operators responsible for activating specific grid squares. Additionally, you have the ability to assess the match score between yourself and a particular rover for a given pass, while also being able to identify the upcoming satellite passes that are accessible from your location. *[ANS thanks Ian Parsons, K5ZM, AMSAT rover page manager, for the above information]* ------------------------------ AMSAT Ambassador Activities AMSAT Ambassadors provide presentations, demonstrate communicating through amateur satellites, and host information tables at club meetings, hamfests, conventions, maker faires, and other events. *October 5, 2024* *North Star Radio Convention* Hennepin Technical College (North Campus) Brooklyn Park, Minn. https://conv2023.tcfmc.org/ AMSAT Forum and Information Table KØJM and ADØHJ *October 5, 2024* *Radio Society of Tucson* Calvary Tucson Church 7811 E. Speedway Tucson, AZ https://k7rst.club/2024/07/tucson-autumn-ham-fest-2024/ N1UW *October 18-20, 2024* *Pacificon 2024, ARRL Pacific Division Conference* San Ramon, CA WUØI *October 25-27, 2004* *AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting* Double Tree Rocky Point Waterfront Hotel Tampa Bay, FL *November 2-3, 2024* *Stone Mountain Hamfest, ARRL State Convention* Stone Mountain, GA https://stonemountainhamfest.com/ K4RGK *November 9, 2024* *Oro Valley Amateur Radio Club* Marana Middle School 11285 West Grier Rd. Marana, AZ 85653 https://www.tucsonhamradio.org/copy-of-hamfest-2022 N1UW *February 20-22, 2025* *Yuma HAMCON* Yuma, AZ N1UW *[ANS thanks the AMSAT Events page for the above information]* ------------------------------ Satellite Shorts From All Over + The AMSAT-UK 2024 Colloquium will take place alongside the RSGB Convention at Kents Hill Park Conference Centre, Milton Keynes, MK7 6BZ on the weekend of 12-13 October 2024. Registration for the event is at https://rsgb.org/main/rsgb-2024-convention/ and a limited number of tickets for the AMSAT banquet are on sale via the AMSAT-UK Online Shop https://shop.amsat-uk.org/. Deadline for presentation proposals is imminent — contact Iain Young, G7III, g7iii(a)g7iii.net, if you have a presentation proposal. (ANS thanks Iain Young, G7III, and AMSAT-UK for the above information.) + The FUNcube team are pleased to announce that User Rankings, Realtime Data, and Whole-Orbit Data (WOD) are all now being displayed in FUNcube Data Warehouse after the recent disruption. Access the new site at http://warehouse.funcube.org.uk/. Fitter message display will follow soon as will be the ability to download WOD files. (ANS thanks Dave Johnson, G4DPZ, and the FUNcube Team for the above information.) + NASA astronaut Don Pettit, KD5MDT, alongside Soyuz commander Alexey Ovchinin and cosmonaut Ivan Vagner, arrived at the International Space Station Wednesday, September 11 after launching aboard the Roscosmos Soyuz MS-26 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The trio will join NASA astronauts Tracy C. Dyson, Mike Barratt, KD5MIJ, Matthew Dominick, KCØTOR, Jeanette Epps, KF5QNU, Butch Wilmore, and Suni Williams, KD5PLB, as well as Roscosmos cosmonauts Nikolai Chub, Alexander Grebenkin, and Oleg Kononenko, RN3DX. Expedition 72 will begin Monday, Sept. 23, upon the departure of Dyson, Chub, and off-going station commander Kononenko, completing a six-month stay for Dyson and a year-long expedition for Chub and Kononenko. (ANS thanks NASA for the above information.) + Registration for the 2024 NASA Space Apps Challenge global hackathon (October 5-6) is open and challenges are online at https://www.spaceappschallenge.org/nasa-space-apps-2024/challenges/. (ANS thanks The Orbital Index and NASA for the above information.) + Tracking sleuth Scott Tilley, VE7TIL, has discovered that the orbiter for China’s Chang’e-6 lunar sample return mission is now parked at the second Sun-Earth Lagrange (L2). After delivering the samples to Earth, the orbiter fired its engines to avoid reentering Earth’s atmosphere, setting off on a new trajectory. L2 is located approximately 1.5 million kilometers from Earth, directly on the opposite side of the Earth from the Sun. China’s space authorities have yet to provide an update on the orbiter and its plans. However, the Chang’e-6 orbiter’s voyage fits into a pattern of China using Chang’e spacecraft for extended missions as tests for future endeavors. (ANS thanks Space News 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 mjohns [at] amsat.org

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ANS-260 AMSAT News Service Special Bulletin - Results of the 2024 AMSAT Board of Directors Election
by Paul Stoetzer 16 Sep '24

16 Sep '24

*AMSAT News Service Special Bulletin* *ANS-260* *September 16, 2024* In this edition: - Results of the 2024 AMSAT Board of Directors Election 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/ ------------------------------ Results of the 2024 AMSAT Board of Directors Election The 2024 AMSAT Board of Directors Election period ended on September 15, 2024. As a result of the election, Mark Hammond, N8MH, Paul Stoetzer, N8HM, and Bruce Paige, KK5DO, have been duly elected to a two-year term on the Board of Directors. Douglas Tabor, N6UA, and Frank Karnauskas, N1UW, will serve as alternate directors for a term of one year. The results of the voting with 375 ballots cast are as follows: Mark Hammond, N8MH 295 Paul Stoetzer, N8HM 276 Bruce Paige, KK5DO 223 Douglas Tabor, N6UA 163 Frank Karnauskas, N1UW 111 The membership of the AMSAT Board of Directors for 2024-2025 is: - Barry Baines, WD4ASW - Jerry Buxton, N0JY - Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA - Mark Hammond, N8MH - Zach Metzinger, N0ZGO - Bruce Paige, KK5DO - Paul Stoetzer, N8HM - Douglas Tabor, N6UA (1st Alternate) - Frank Karnauskas, N1UW (2nd Alternate) Thank you all for participating in this year's election process. *[ANS thanks Jeff Davis, KE9V, AMSAT Secretary, 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 Contributing Editor,* *Paul Stoetzer, N8HM* *n8hm [at] arrl.net <http://arrl.net>* *ANS is a service of AMSAT, the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation, 712 H Street NE, Suite 1653, Washington, DC 20002*

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ANS-259 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
by Paul Stoetzer 14 Sep '24

14 Sep '24

*AMSAT News Service* *ANS-259* *September 15, 2024* In this edition: - LAST DAY TO VOTE - AMSAT Board of Directors Election Concludes at 23:59 EDT on September 15th - Registration Continues for the 42nd Annual AMSAT Space Symposium & Annual General Meeting - Call for Papers - F. Brent Abbott, NA7D, Chief Revenue Officer of Rogue Space Systems Corporation, to Keynote AMSAT Space Symposium Banquet - July/August 2024 issue of *The AMSAT Journal *Now Available - Changes to AMSAT TLE Distribution for September 13, 2024 - ARISS News - Upcoming Satellite Operations - AMSAT Ambassador Activities - Satellite Shorts From All Over The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and information service of AMSAT, The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS publishes news related to Amateur Radio in Space including reports on the activities of a worldwide group of Amateur Radio operators who share an active interest in designing, building, launching and communicating through analog and digital Amateur Radio satellites. The news feed on https://www.amsat.org publishes news of Amateur Radio in Space as soon as our volunteers can post it. Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to: ans-editor [at] amsat.org 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/ ------------------------------ LAST DAY TO VOTE - AMSAT Board of Directors Election Concludes at 23:59 EDT on September 15th The nomination period for the 2024 AMSAT Board of Directors Election ended on June 15th. The following candidates have been duly nominated: - Mark Hammond, N8MH - Frank Karnauskas, N1UW - Bruce Paige, KK5DO - Paul Stoetzer, N8HM - Douglas Tabor, N6UA As three seats on the Board of Directors are up for election this year, the three candidates receiving the largest number of votes shall be declared elected to the seats. The two candidates receiving the next largest number of votes shall be declared First Alternate and Second Alternate, respectively. The voting process is now underway and will conclude at 23:59 EDT on September 15th. AMSAT members can find candidate statements and electronic voting information on AMSAT's Wild Apricot Membership Portal <https://launch.amsat.org/2024-BoD-Election>. Results will be announced no later than September 30th. *[ANS thanks Jeff Davis, KE9V, AMSAT Secretary for the above information]* ------------------------------ Registration Continues for the 42nd Annual AMSAT Space Symposium & Annual General Meeting The 42nd Annual AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting will be held on Friday through Saturday, October 25-26, 2024, at the DoubleTree by Hilton Tampa Rocky Point Waterfront in Tampa, Florida. Highlights of all scheduled events include: - AMSAT Board of Directors Meeting, October 24-25 - 42nd AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting, October 25-26 - Friday Night Social and Auction, October 25 - AMSAT Banquet and Reception, October 26 - AMSAT Ambassador Breakfast (all are welcome), October 27 *Note – if you wish to register guests for the banquet and/or breakfast who are not attending the Symposium sessions, you must register for each event separately and include your guests with your banquet and breakfast tickets.* If you are interested in presenting or submitting a paper for inclusion in the Symposium Proceedings, please see the Call for Papers <https://www.amsat.org/2024-symposium/call-for-papers-2024/>. *IMPORTANT: The deadline for Symposium registrations if you want to include the Saturday evening banquet or Sunday breakfast is Friday, October 18th. Meals cannot be ordered after that date.* Click Here to Register Now <https://launch.amsat.org/event-5833792>Hotel Reservations The rate for a standard room with two Queen beds is $169.00 plus state and local taxes of 14.5%. Rooms may be available for check-in on Wednesday, October 23 and check out Sunday, October 27. Rooms can be reserved at https://www.hilton.com/en/attend-my-event/radioamateursatellite/. Reservations may also be made by phone at 813-888-8800. Reference AMSAT to receive the group rate. *Note: If you are planning on driving to the Symposium or renting a car, parking charges are $20 per night for overnight parking. * We, at AMSAT, are excited to be able to host our 42nd annual Symposium this year. We hope that you can join us in celebrating Amateur Radio in Space. Schedule *Thursday, October 24, 2024* 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM AMSAT Board Meeting 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM Pre-Registration Check-in *Friday, October 25, 2024* 8:00 AM – 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 26, 2024* 8:00 AM – 11:45 AM Registration 8:00 AM – 8:15 AM AMSAT Symposium Welcome 8:15 AM – 12:00 Noon Paper Sessions 1:00 PM – 3:15 PM Paper Sessions 3:30 PM – 4:45 PM AMSAT Annual Meeting & Awards Ceremony 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM Attitude Adjustment (Social), Cash Bar 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM AMSAT Banquet, Cash Bar *Sunday, October 27, 2024* 7:30 AM – 9:00 AM AMSAT Ambassador Breakfast (All are welcome) *[ANS thanks the AMSAT Symposium Committee for the above information]* ------------------------------ Call for Papers Papers continue to be accepted for the 42nd annual AMSAT Space Symposium to be held on the weekend of October 25-27, 2024 at the Doubletree by Hilton Tampa Rocky Point Waterfront in Tampa, Florida. Proposals for symposium papers and presentations are invited on any topic of interest to the amateur satellite community. We request a tentative title of your presentation as soon as possible, with final copy submitted by October 18 for inclusion in the symposium proceedings. Abstracts and papers should be sent to Dan Schultz, N8FGV at n8fgv(a)usa.net *[ANS thanks Dan Schultz, N8FGV, AMSAT Symposium Proceedings Editor for the above information]* ------------------------------ F. Brent Abbott, NA7D, Chief Revenue Officer of Rogue Space Systems, to Keynote AMSAT Space Symposium Banquet F. Brent Abbott, NA7D, Chief Revenue Officer of Rogue Space Systems will keynote the AMSAT Space Symposium Banquet, to be held on Saturday, October 26th. Brent has been the Chief Revenue Officer of Rogue Space Systems responsible for growth since July 2022. Before Rogue, Brent stood up the nanosatellite manufacturer NanoAvionics US office and factory as CEO and grew the US business. Before joining NanoAvionics, Brent was the CEO and head of North American operations for AAC/Clyde Space. Prior to that, he helped set up and held several senior roles at Surrey Satellite Technologies US (SST-US). He also started the hosted payload program at SST-US with the world’s first all commercial hosted payload satellite OTB-1 (Orbital Test Bed). Prior to joining Surrey in 2008, Brent served as business development manager at Honeywell Defense & Space and invented their Miniature Momentum Control System using Control Moment Gyros. His background also includes work as an engineer at Honeywell Commercial Aviation. Mr. Abbott is a registered professional engineer and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from Iowa State University. Brent, NA7D, is a member of AMSAT and has been an amateur radio operator since 1992. *[ANS thanks the AMSAT Symposium Team for the above information]* ------------------------------ *2024 Coins Are Still Available!Help Support GOLF and Fox Plus.**Join <https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/> the AMSAT President’s Club today!* ------------------------------ July/August 2024 issue of *The AMSAT Journal *Now Available The July/August 2024 issue of *The AMSAT Journal* is now available for AMSAT members to download on the AMSAT Member Portal <https://launch.amsat.org/The_AMSAT_Journal>. Inside the Current Issue: - Apogee View – Robert Bankston, KE4AL - Paul Graveline, K1YUB (SK) - Update: Decoding The Message from "A Sign in Space": A Year-long Journey - SETI Institute - 2024 AMSAT Field Day Results - Bruce Paige, KK5DO - AMSAT Awards - Bruce Paige, KK5DO - The Effects of Space Weather in Ham Radio Communications - Giselle M. Galván Tejada - Desktop Satellite Tracker - Zeke Wheeler, KN7JLL - The Journal Celebrates AO-7 - Paul Stoetzer, N8HM *[ANS thanks Joe Kornowksi, KB6IGK, AMSAT Journal Editor-in-Chief, for the above information]* ------------------------------ Changes to AMSAT TLE Distribution for September 13, 2024 Two Line Elements or TLEs, often referred to as Keplerian elements or keps in the amateur community, are the inputs to the SGP4 standard mathematical model of spacecraft orbits used by most amateur tracking programs. Weekly updates are completely adequate for most amateur satellites. TLE bulletin files are updated 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/ There are no changes to this week's distribution. *[ANS thanks Joe Fitzgerald, KM1P, AMSAT Orbital Elements Manager, for the above information]* ------------------------------ *Need new satellite antennas? Purchase an M2 LEO-Pack from the **AMSAT Store! <https://amsat.org/product-category/hardware/>**When you purchase through **AMSAT, a portion of the proceeds goes towards **Keeping Amateur Radio in Space.* ------------------------------ ARISS News Amateurs and others around the world may listen in on contacts between amateurs operating in schools and allowing students to interact with astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station. The downlink frequency on which to listen is 145.800 MHz worldwide. *Sailing Event, Moscow, Russia, direct via TBD* The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS The scheduled crewmember is Aleksandr Grebyonkin RZ3DSE The ARISS mentor is RV3DR Contact is go for: Sat 2024-09-21 16:25 UTC *Amur State University, Blagoveshchensk, Russia, direct via TBD * The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS The scheduled crewmember is Ivan Vagner The ARISS mentor is RV3DR Contact is go for: Tue 2024-09-24 09:25 UTC *Tatarstan, Russia, direct via TBD* The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS The scheduled crewmember is Aleksey Ovchinin The ARISS mentor is RV3DR Contact is go for Fri 2024-09-27 13:20 UTC As always, if there is an EVA, a docking, or an undocking; the ARISS radios are turned off as part of the safety protocol. The crossband repeater continues to be active (145.990 MHz up {PL 67} & 437.800 MHz down), If any crewmember is so inclined, all they have to do is pick up the microphone, raise the volume up, and talk on the crossband repeater. So give a listen, you just never know. Note, all times are approximate. It is recommended that you do your own orbital prediction or start listening about 10 minutes before the listed time. The latest information on the operation mode can be found at https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html The latest list of frequencies in use can be found at https://www.ariss.org/contact-the-iss.html *[ANS thanks Charlie Sufana, AJ9N, one of the ARISS operation team mentors for the above information]* ------------------------------ Upcoming Satellite Operations A growing number of satellite rovers are currently engaged in sharing their grid square activations on https://hams.at. By visiting the website, you gain easy access to comprehensive information about the operators responsible for activating specific grid squares. Additionally, you have the ability to assess the match score between yourself and a particular rover for a given pass, while also being able to identify the upcoming satellite passes that are accessible from your location. Jim, *WU0I*, will be conducting a rove until Sep. 22. *Jim does NOT do X so if you need to set up a sked or whatever, please use the email address shown below. hams.at <https://hams.at/> *might be worth monitoring, but there was not direct mention of it in his email. *[ANS thanks Ian Parsons, K5ZM, AMSAT Rover Page Manager, for the above information]* ------------------------------ * Want to fly the colors on your own grid expedition?* Get an AMSAT car flag and other neat stuff from our Zazzle store <https://www.zazzle.com/store/amsat_gear>! 25% of the purchase price of each product goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space ------------------------------ AMSAT Ambassador Activities AMSAT Ambassadors provide presentations, demonstrate communicating through amateur satellites, and host information tables at club meetings, hamfests, conventions, maker faires, and other events. AMSAT Ambassador Clint Bradford, K6LCS, says, "Think a 75-minute presentation on "working the easy satellites" would be appropriate for your club or event? Let me know by emailing me at k6lcsclint (at) gmail (dot) com or calling me at 909-999-SATS (7287)!" Clint has NEVER given the exact same show twice: EACH of the 150+ presentations so far has been customized/tailored to their audiences. Scheduled Events *Central Kentucky Hamfest**October 5, 2024* Lexington, KY AMSAT and Educational Satellites Forum and Information Table AI4SR and W4FCL *North Star Radio Convention**October 5, 2024* Hennepin Technical College (North Campus) Brooklyn Park, Minn. AMSAT Forum and Information Table KØJM and ADØHJ *Radio Society of Tucson* *October 5, 2024* Calvary Tucson Church 7811 E. Speedway Tucson, AZ https://k7rst.club/2024/07/tucson-autumn-ham-fest-2024/ N1UW *Pacificon 2024, ARRL Pacific Division Conference* *October 18-20, 2024* San Ramon, CA WU0I *2024 AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting**October 25-27, 2024* Doubletree by Hilton Tampa Rocky Point Waterfront 3050 N Rocky Point Dr W Tampa, FL 33607 *Stone Mountain Hamfest, ARRL State Convention* *November 2-3, 2024* Stone Mountain, GA K4RGK *Oro Valley Amateur Radio Club* *November 9, 2024* Marana Middle School 11285 West Grier Rd. Marana, AZ 85653 https://www.tucsonhamradio.org/copy-of-hamfest-2022 N1UW *Yuma HAMCON* *February 20-22, 2025* Yuma, AZ N1UW *[ANS thanks Bo Lowrey, W4FCL, Director – AMSAT Ambassador Program, for the above information]* ------------------------------ Satellite Shorts from All Over + PLDSpace is currently offering student satellite launches at no cost. Information can be found at https://spark-program.pldspace.com/en/ (ANS thanks JoAnne, K9JKM, for the tip) + Congratulations to our newest GridMaster! Ryan, KI7QEK, earned award #71. (ANS thanks Bruce Paige, KK5DO, AMSAT Director of Contests & Awards for the information) + Another AMSAT VUCC/r (Reverse VUCC) award was also issued this past week. #17 goes to Leticia, LU5ILA. She has been very active roving in South America with 106 grids activated on satellite. (ANS thanks Bruce Paige, KK5DO, AMSAT Director of Contests & Awards for the information) + AMSAT's Operations team, in coordination with the University of Maine and AMSAT Engineering, continues to work to complete MESAT1's science mission. More telemetry coverage is needed! If you have UHF receive capability, please download FoxTelem <https://www.amsat.org/tlm/> and help us capture more data. (ANS thanks AMSAT for the 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] arrl.net <http://arrl.net>* *ANS is a service of AMSAT, the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation, 712 H Street NE, Suite 1653, Washington, DC 20002*

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ANS-252 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
by Mark Johns, K0JM 07 Sep '24

07 Sep '24

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-252 In this edition: - Registration Continues for the 42nd Annual AMSAT Space Symposium & Annual General Meeting - AMSAT 2024 Space Symposium Call for Papers – A Reminder - One Week Remaining to Vote in AMSAT Board of Directors Election - AMSAT 2024 President’s Club Membership Raises over $36,000 To-Date - FUNcube Data Warehouse Back Online - AMSAT-DL ERMINAZ Mission Postponed to 2025 - Updated Software Available for NOAA Polar and Russian Meteor Weather Satellites - VUCC Satellite Standing September 2024 - Changes to AMSAT TLE Distribution for September 6, 2024 - ARISS News - Upcoming Satellite Operations - AMSAT Ambassador Activities - Satellite Shorts From All Over The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and information service of AMSAT, the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS publishes news related to Amateur Radio in Space including reports on the activities of a worldwide group of Amateur Radio operators who share an active interest in designing, building, launching and communicating through analog and digital Amateur Radio satellites. The news feed on 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-252 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins To: All RADIO AMATEURS From: Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation 712 H Street NE, Suite 1653 Washington, DC 20002 DATE 2024 SEP 08 Registration Continues for the 42nd Annual AMSAT Space Symposium & Annual General Meeting The 42nd Annual AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting will be held on Friday through Saturday, October 25-26, 2024, at the DoubleTree by Hilton Tampa Rocky Point Waterfront in Tampa, Florida. Highlights of all scheduled events include: AMSAT Board of Directors Meeting, October 24-25 42nd AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting, October 25-26 Friday Night Social and Auction, October 25 AMSAT Banquet and Reception, October 26 AMSAT Ambassador Breakfast (all are welcome), October 27 The complete schedule and registration information can be found at https://launch.amsat.org/event-5833792. IMPORTANT: The deadline for Symposium registrations if you want to include the Saturday evening banquet or Sunday breakfast is Friday, October 18th. Meals cannot be ordered after that date. Hotel Reservations The rate for a standard room with two Queen beds is $169.00 plus state and local taxes of 14.5%. Rooms may be available for check-in on Wednesday, October 23 and check out Sunday, October 27. Note: If you are planning on driving to the Symposium or renting a car, parking charges are $20 per night for overnight parking. Rooms can be reserved at h ttps://www.hilton.com/en/attend-my-event/radioamateursatellite/. Reservations may also be made by phone at 813-888-8800. Reference AMSAT to receive the group rate. AMSAT is excited to be able to host its 42nd annual Symposium this year. They hope that you can join us in celebrating Amateur Radio in Space. [ANS thanks AMSAT for the above information.] ------------------------------ *The 2024 AMSAT President’s Club coins are here now!Help Support GOLF and Fox Plus* *Join the AMSAT President’s Club today and helpKeep Amateur Radio in Space!* *https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/* <https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/> ------------------------------ AMSAT 2024 Space Symposium Call for Papers – A Reminder This is a reminder for the first call for papers for the 42nd annual AMSAT Space Symposium to be held on the weekend of October 25-27, 2024 at the Doubletree by Hilton Tampa Rocky Point Waterfront in Tampa, Florida. Proposals for symposium papers and presentations are invited on any topic of interest to the amateur satellite community. We request a tentative title of your presentation as soon as possible, with final copy submitted by October 18 for inclusion in the symposium proceedings. Abstracts and papers should be sent to Dan Schultz, N8FGV at n8fgv [at] usa [dot]net. [ANS thanks Dan Schultz, N8FGV, AMSAT Symposium Proceedings Editor for the above information] ------------------------------ One Week Remaining to Vote in AMSAT Board of Directors Election – LAST CALL Voting for this year’s Board of Directors election ends on September 15, 2014. If you are an AMSAT member and have not already voted, you are encouraged to exercise your voting right and participate in this election. If you have lost your ballot, no worry, you can still vote! Simply log into the membership portal at https://launch.amsat.org/Sys/Login then click on the “2024 BOARD OF DIRECTORS ELECTION” tab and vote. Candidate statements are included with your ballot. Duly nominated candidates, listed in alphabetical order are: Mark Hammond, N8MH Frank Karnauskas, N1UW Bruce Paige, KK5DO Paul Stoetzer, N8HM Douglas Tabor, N6UA As three seats on the Board of Directors are up for election this year, the three candidates receiving the largest number of votes shall be declared elected to the seats. The two candidates receiving the next largest number of votes shall be declared First Alternate and Second Alternate, respectively. The voting period is now open and shall conclude on September 15, 2024. Results will be announced no later than September 30, 2024. [ANS thanks Jeff Davis, KE9V, AMSAT Secretary 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 towardsKeeping Amateur Radio in Space.* *https://amsat.org/product-category/hardware/* <https://amsat.org/product-category/hardware/> ------------------------------ AMSAT 2024 President’s Club Membership Raise over $36,000 To-Date AMSAT would like to recognize those members whose generous gifts to the AMSAT 2024 President’s Club help move its educational and engineering programs to fulfillment. President’s Club members have contributed over $36,000 to-date during the 2024 year. Frank Karnauskas, N1UW, AMSAT VP-Development comments, “It’s really gratifying to see AMSAT membership continue to support AMSAT projects during what some people consider to be ‘quiet years’ – those years following the retirement of some of our most popular satellites and the year or so before our next family of satellites are flight ready. “In fact, things are far from quiet. AMSAT engineering teams for both Fox-Plus and the Golf-Tee are moving quickly so the wait for a new family of birds won’t be all that long. The ASCENT engineering team is also charging ahead with new payloads for packet and SSTV operation. And, to keep AMSAT in the game as satellite licensing becomes more strict, work on propulsion systems for CubeSat-class vehicles is benefitting from the experience of a fresh team of experienced aerospace engineers. A lot is happening behind the scenes.” AMSAT is pleased to recognize the following President’s Club members who have contributed to date: *Titanium ($4,800+)* Barry Baines, WD4ASW Alan Biddle, WA4SCA Williamm Brown, K9LF *Platinum ($2,400+)* Ray Crafton, KN2K Quarter Century Wireless Association *Gold ($1,200+)* Anonymous Burns Fisher, WB1FJ Mark Hammond, N8MH John Kludt, K7SYS Glenn Miller, AA5PK *Silver ($600+)* Donald Coker, KM6TRZ Richard Dittmer, KB7SAT Warren Fugate, W3WE Mark Johns, K0JM Joseph, Lynch,N6CL Bruce Paige, KK5DO Peter Prendergast, W2PP Jason Schwarz, N4JJS *Bronze ($300+)* Keith Baker, KB1SF Edward Krome, K9EK Donald Pettigrew, K9ECT Dave Taylor, W8AAS *Core ($120+)* Oscar Alonzo, N6PAZ David Batzle, N2VDY Robert Beatty, WB4SON Alan Boggs, K7IIV James Gallagher III, KB3SQS George Gallis, AL7BX David Hartrum, WA3YDZ Steven Husey, KB1UOJ Doug Papay, K8DP William Pesci, N4WLP Martin Shinko, KB3AEV Paul Stoetzer, N8HM Owen Trott, KF5BLK Stefan Wagener, VE4SW Wayne Wagner, AG1A Persons interested in joining this elite group of donors can join either through the AMSAT Store at https://www.amsat.org/product-category/amsat-presidents-club-donations/ or by making a donation via the membership portal. Anyone with questions or comments on joining the President’s Club or donating in general are asked to contact Frank at f.karnauskas [at] amsat [dot] org. [ANS thanks Frank Karnauskas, N1UW, AMSAT VP-Development for the above information.] ------------------------------ FUNcube Data Warehouse Back Online Dave Johnson, G4DPZ, reports, “The FUNcube Data Warehouse is now successfully ingesting packets from the FUNcube Dashboards. We are now successfully storing real time, whole orbit data and fitter messages in the warehouse after the move to the new Virtual Machine. The warehouse was shut down on the August 31 and the first packet in the new warehouse was on September 3, during which time we have collected 5382 packets. “Our thanks to all those that left their dashboards connected during the outage and our thanks to the following for their assistance in bringing the warehouse back to life: HB9MFL KC0BMF VK5HI WA7FWF G4BIP TUDelft VK5GU Goonhilly_Earth_Station F1GRR VA3ROM DF7SC K4OZS N8MH DL9DAK PA3WEG N1MIW JJ1WTK “If you collected any bin files during the past 5 days they can be uploaded too. If you are still experiencing errors. Please back up the session to a bin file, stop and start the dashboard and load the bin file. Then restart again if the upload works. “We will continue to work on the UI over the next two days and it is likely that we will restore the ability to download WOD.” Dave also remarks, “FC1 is now nearly 11 years old and is operating in low power telemetry mode with the transponder, in order to manage the battery capacity. “We still encourage ground stations to attempt reception of the telemetry. If you have lost your registration details for your ground station please email operations(a)funcube.org.uk Please watch http://data.funcube.org.uk for updates and the new user interface.” [ANS thanks Dave Johnson, G4DPZ, on behalf of the FUNcube Team for the above information.] ------------------------------ AMSAT-DL ERMINAZ Mission Postponed to 2025 On Monday evening, August 19, 2024, just a few weeks before the planned launch date of the ERMINAZ payload, Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA) conducted a “hot fire” test of the first rocket stage at its launch site at SaxaVord Spaceport on the Shetland Islands, during which all 9 engines were ignited. Unfortunately, this resulted in a serious anomaly that led to the complete loss of the first rocket stage. The repair work, fault analysis, qualification and delivery of a new first rocket stage will take some time, so that RFA now officially expects a launch in 2025. The Erminaz mission is a joint effort between AMSAT-DL, AMSAT-EA and the Libre Space Foundation, with each organization flying its own satellites and jointly using the PicoBus deployer developed by Libre Space in the ERMINAZ mission. Examples of the payloads include UNNE-1 and MARIA-G 1.5P PocketQubes from AMSAT-EA in Spain. They are both based on the HADES-D (SO-121) hardware currently in orbit and provide a repeater service for voice and data communications in FM and FSK modes. They were developed and built by AMSAT-EA in collaboration with private sector companies and with the participation of universities and educational centers. Both satellites will provide licensed radio amateurs around the world with the ability to conduct FM and FSK QSOs, including FT modes such as FT-4 and FT-8 or AX.25/APRS. The satellites will also transmit telemetry with their status, voice messages and CW. Both satellites have the amateur radio special call sign AM1HAD. For detailed information on this ambitious and collaborative mission including the capabilities of all the various satellites included in this project, go to https://amsat-dl.org/en/erminaz-mission-postponed-to-2025/. [ANS thanks AMSAT-DL for the above information.] ------------------------------ Updated Software Available for NOAA Polar and Russian Meteor Weather Satellites Tracking and downloading images from NOAA Polar and Russian Meteor weather satellites are an excellent way to introduce young persons to the world of amateur satellites and radio communications. True, they are not amateur radio satellites. But, they are loud and always on. Using a SDR dongle costing less than $50, a laptop computer that every kid already owns and free software, youth can get their first taste of tracking a satellite across the sky using a smart phone app, recording a downlink and printing out pictures of their own weather in real time. From there it is a simple jump to listening to voice communications and printing APRS packet conversations from the ISS – another easy-to-hear and predictable source of signals from space. Historically, WXtoIMG has been the software of choice for the popular hobby of decoding NOAA APT weather satellite images with RTL-SDR and other SDRs. However, the software has unfortunately been abandoned by its authors for several years, and can now only be found on third-party websites which increases the possibility of downloading a virus. Jacopo Cassinis, IU1QPT, author of SatDump, and Robin Slovacek, OK2AWO, for sharing their thoughts about switching to SatDump which now has full feature parity with WXtoIMG and additional features, too. SatDump is available on Windows, MacOS, Linux, and even on Android. Read their comments at https://www.rtl-sdr.com/. An up-to-date guide for receiving APT pictures with SatDump can be found at https://www.a-centauri.com/articoli/noaa-poes-satellites-reception. Also available to watch on the rtl-sdr website is a short video on setting up a simple v-dipole for NOAA weather satellite reception with the SDR-Dongle. (The video uses the out-of-date WXtoIMG software but the overall procedure for setting up the station is usable.) If you need to get more ideas on weather satellite picture reception, just go to YouTube and search “NOAA weather satellite reception” and be prepared to watch several hours worth of useful videos. Copying NOAA weather satellites is easy to do and a fun way to introduce youngsters to space communications. It could be the first step to getting that Technician ticket! [ANS thanks rtl-sdr.com and AMSAT for the above information.] ------------------------------ VUCC Satellite Standing September 2024 VUCC Satellite Award/Endorsement Change Summary for August 01, 2024 to September 01, 2024. Edit <https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-admin/admin.php?page=tablepress&action=e…> *CALL**Aug**Sept* WC7V 1575 1611 DL5GAC 1413 1576 DL2GRC 1426 1501 N8RO 1461 1490 N9EAT 1029 1127 K9UO 1001 1030 EA2AA 954 982 KQ4DO 906 952 JL1SAM 804 905 JG6CDH 734 777 HB9AOF 725 743 KC4CJ 650 702 N3CAL 653 686 IK7FMQ 626 651 SA0UNX New 617 N5EKO 581 599 KH6WI 400 530 N9ZTS 400 501 PA7RA 409 495 N8URE (FM19) 430 450 W9FF 400 450 JI5USJ 355 425 W3VHF 250 406 JO4JKL 188 401 N8HRZ 298 337 W0PR 276 327 N4QWF 255 325 AA0K 200 253 DF5SF New 217 9A2GA New 202 NK0S 167 169 XE2/CO6LAR New 129 NC0Q New 108 AE5AU New 101 4A2MAX New 100 Congratulations to the new VUCC Satellite holders. NC0Q is first VUCC Satellite holder from EN11 9A2GA is first VUCC Satellite holder from JN75 DXCC Satellite has still not been updated since May [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 towardsKeeping Amateur Radio in Space* *https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear* <https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear> ------------------------------ Changes to AMSAT TLE Distribution for September 6, 2024 Two Line Elements or TLEs, often referred to as Keplerian elements or keps in the amateur community, are the inputs to the SGP4 standard mathematical model of spacecraft orbits used by most amateur tracking programs. Weekly updates are completely adequate for most amateur satellites. TLE bulletin files are updated daily in the first hour of the UTC day. New bulletin files will be posted immediately after reliable elements become available for new amateur satellites. More information may be found at https://www.amsat.org/keplerian-elements-resources/. - The following satellite has been removed from this week’s AMSAT TLE distribution: RoseyCubesat 1 NORAD Cat ID 56212 Decayed from orbit on or about 01 September 2024 - The following satellite has been added to this week’s AMSAT TLE distribution: SR-0 DemoSAT NORAD Cat ID 60455 IARU coordinated downlink 437.400 MHZ 9k6 FSK AX25 , 4FSK SSDV and 38k4 LoRa CosmoGirlSat NORAD Cat ID60953 IARU coordinated downlink 437.120 MHz and 145 825 MHz Sakura NORAD Cat ID 60954 IARU coordinated downlink 145.825 MHz and 437.375 MHz Binar 2 NORAD Cat ID 60956 IARU coordinated downlink 437.700 MHz Binar 3 NORAD Cat ID 60957 IARU coordinated downlink 437.850 MHz Binar 4 NORAD Cat ID 60952 IARU coordinated downlink 437.925 MHz [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. [image: ARISS News] - Upcoming Contacts Instituto de Aplicacao Fernando Rodrigues da Silveira (CAp-UERJ) and The State University of Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, direct via PY1AX. The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS. The scheduled crewmember is Sunita Williams, KD5PLB. The ARISS mentor is Steven McFarlane, VE3TBD. Contact is go for Friday, September 13, 2024 at 17:25:47 UTC. The crossband repeater continues to be active (145.990 MHz up {PL 67} & 437.800 MHz down). If any crewmember is so inclined, all they have to do is pick up the microphone, raise the volume up, and talk on the crossband repeater. So give a listen, you just never know. The packet system is also active (145.825 MHz up & down). As always, if there is an EVA, a docking, or an undocking; the ARISS radios are turned off as part of the safety protocol. Note, all times are approximate. It is recommended that you do your own orbital prediction or start listening about 10 minutes before the listed time. The latest information on the operation mode can be found at https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html The latest list of frequencies in use can be found at https://www.ariss.org/contact-the-iss.html [ANS thanks Charlie Sufana, AJ9N, one of the ARISS operation team mentors for the above information.] ------------------------------ Upcoming Satellite Operations No operations are currently listed. A growing number of satellite rovers are currently engaged in sharing their grid square activations on https://hams.at. By visiting the website, you gain easy access to comprehensive information about the operators responsible for activating specific grid squares. Additionally, you have the ability to assess the match score between yourself and a particular rover for a given pass, while also being able to identify the upcoming satellite passes that are accessible from your location. [ANS thanks Ian Parsons, K5ZM, AMSAT Rover Page Manager, and Alex Ners, K6VHF, for the above information.] ------------------------------ AMSAT Ambassador Activities AMSAT Ambassadors provide presentations, demonstrate communicating through amateur satellites, and host information tables at club meetings, hamfests, conventions, maker faires, and other events. October 5, 2024 North Star Radio Convention Hennepin Technical College (North Campus) Brooklyn Park, MN. https://conv2023.tcfmc.org/ AMSAT Forum and Information Table KØJM and ADØHJ October 5, 2024 Central Kentucky Hamfest Highlands Baptist Church 2032 Parallel Road Lexington, KY 40502 https://www.facebook.com/w9khz/ AMSAT and Educational Satellites Forum and Information Table AI4SR and W4FCL October 5, 2024 Radio Society of Tucson Calvary Tucson Church 7811 E. Speedway Tucson, AZ https://k7rst.club/2024/07/tucson-autumn-ham-fest-2024/ N1UW October 18-20, 2024 Pacificon 2024, ARRL Pacific Division Conference San Ramon, CA WUØI https://www.pacificon.org/ October 25-27, 2004 AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting Double Tree Rocky Point Waterfront Hotel Tampa Bay, FL https://www.amsat.org/2024-symposium/ November 2-3, 2024 Stone Mountain Hamfest, ARRL State Convention Stone Mountain, GA K4RGK November 9, 2024 Oro Valley Amateur Radio Club Marana Middle School 11285 West Grier Rd. Marana, AZ 85653 https://www.tucsonhamradio.org/copy-of-hamfest-2022 N1UW February 20-22, 2025 Yuma HAMCON Yuma, AZ N1UW Interested in becoming an AMSAT Ambassador? AMSAT Ambassadors provide presentations, demonstrate communicating through amateur satellites, and host information tables at club meetings, hamfests, conventions, maker faires, and other events. For more information go to: https://www.amsat.org/ambassador/ [ANS thanks Bo Lowrey, W4FCL, Director – AMSAT Ambassador Program for the above information.] ------------------------------ Satellite Shorts From All Over - Yaesu has announced the upcoming FTX-1F HF/6/144/440 portable transceiver, presumably a replacement for the FT-816/817 series of transceivers that were very popular among satellite operators. The transceiver is said to have two independent SDR receivers that provide simultaneous dual-band operation, whether in the same or in different bands. (Editor’s note: This does not necessarily mean that the transceiver will operate in full duplex mode.) It will provide 6W of power output with the included 5670mAh Lithium-ion battery pack or up to 10W with external power. Average CW/SSB operating time in the VHF/UHF bands is quoted as up to 8 hours. SSB, CW, AM, FM and C4FM operation is available. USB ports support CAT operation, audio input/output and TX control. The FTX-1F has not been formally been released for sale in the United States but should be available early 2025. [ANS thanks Yaesu for the above information.] - JAXA officially ended the mission of SLIM, the country’s first Moon lander, last week. Originally only expected to operate for a single lunar day and then feared to be doomed after it landed in the incorrect orientation after losing an engine bell, the mission managed to survive 3 lunar nights and complete all pre-mission success criteria. SLIM is the first lunar lander to successfully perform a “pinpoint” landing, arriving within 10 meters of its selected landing site. [ANS thanks The Orbital Index for the above information.] - The average age of a GPS satellite is now 13 years, with half of them exceeding their designed lifespan. The USA-132 satellite broke the record for the oldest GPS satellite in history, having completed 27+ years in operation. While the record is an indicator of the reliability and robust engineering of the GPS satellite, it also means that the service still relies on hardware built in the 1990s. 31 GPS satellites are in operation today, down from 36 in 2016. The GPS system was primarily designed for military purposes but was opened up to wide-scale civilian use in 1983. Since then, GPS has grown into one of the most widely used services in the world, with billions of people using GPS on a daily basis today. The overall GPS network still works well. But the aging satellites, coupled with the delays in the launch schedule for new satellites, threaten its competitive edge as international rivals bring into service their own GNSS systems and private companies develop alternatives. (ANS thanks PayloadSpace.com for the above information. Fact-filled full article available at: https://payloadspace.com/rise-and-stall-of-gps-the-average-age-of-gps-satel… . ------------------------------ Join AMSAT today at https://launch.amsat.org/ In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership to: - Societies (a recognized group, clubs or organization). - Primary and secondary school students are eligible for membership at one-half the standard yearly rate. - Post-secondary school students enrolled in at least half time status shall be eligible for the student rate for a maximum of 6 post-secondary years in this status. - Memberships are available for annual and lifetime terms. Contact info [at] amsat [dot] org for additional membership information. 73 and remember to help Keep Amateur Radio in Space! This week’s ANS Editor, Frank Karnauskas, N1UW f.karnauskas [at] amsat [dot] org

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