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ANS-119 AMSAT News Service Special Bulletin - ARISS-USA Volunteer Search
by Paul Stoetzer 29 Apr '21
by Paul Stoetzer 29 Apr '21
29 Apr '21
AMSAT NEWS SERVICE SPECIAL BULLETIN
ANS-119
The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and information
service of AMSAT, The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS publishes
news related to Amateur Radio in Space including reports on the activities
of a worldwide group of Amateur Radio operators who share an active
interest in designing, building, launching and communicating through analog
and digital Amateur Radio satellites.
The news feed on http://www.amsat.org publishes news of Amateur Radio in
Space as soon as our volunteers can post it.
Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to: ans-editor at
amsat.org.
You can sign up for free e-mail delivery of the AMSAT News Service
Bulletins via the ANS List; to join this list see:
https://mailman.amsat.org/postorius/lists/ans.amsat.org/
In this edition:
* ARISS-USA Volunteer Search
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-119.01
ANS-119 AMSAT News Service Special Bulletin
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 119.01
From AMSAT HQ WASHINGTON, DC
DATE April 29, 2021
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-119.01
ARISS-USA Volunteer Search
Amateur Radio on the International Space Station, Inc. (ARISS-USA) is
seeking volunteers to support our mission:
To provide and operate Amateur Radio systems on International Space Station
(ISS) and elsewhere to inspire, educate, and engage youth and communities
in science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) and to
support ISS backup communications. ARISS-USA, is a 501 (c) (3) charitable,
educational and scientific non-profit that was recently incorporated in the
state of Maryland in the USA.
We are seeking volunteers with a can-do, collaborative attitude who can
work effectively as part of a team to support a variety of functions and
roles. We have volunteer openings in several senior leadership roles,
including:
Associate Director
Treasurer
Secretary
Director of Business Development
Director of Volunteer Resources
Director of Public Engagement
Director of Engineering
We also have openings for volunteers who would support functions within the
above teams as well as openings within the ARISS-USA Operations,
Engineering and Education teams.
Descriptions of each of these roles are given in Article 8.6 of the
ARISS-USA bylaws that can be referenced at:
https://ariss-usa.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/ARISS-USA-Bylaws-Web-Site.…
Candidates accepted into senior leadership positions will be required to
first serve in a six-month probationary period. All candidates for senior
leadership positions must be U.S. citizens.
If you are interested in making a difference as an ARISS-USA team member,
please send your resume or CV to candidates at ariss-usa.org. Include a
cover letter that explains what position you are interested in supporting.
We thank everyone for your interest and support to ARISS!
Ad Astra! (To the Stars!)
Frank H. Bauer, KA3HDO
ARISS-USA Executive Director
ARISS-USA is an Equal Opportunity Organization and will not discriminate on
the basis of gender identity, age, race, color, national origin, religion,
physical handicap, disability or any other legally protected status
For more information about ARISS, see ariss.org
[ANS thanks ARISS-USA for the above information]
/EX
In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership in the
President's Club. Members of the President's Club, as sustaining donors to
AMSAT Project Funds, will be eligible to receive additional benefits.
President's Club donations may be made at https://tinyurl.com/ANS-PresClub.
Primary and secondary school students are eligible for membership at
one-half the standard yearly rate. Post-secondary school students enrolled
in at least half time status shall be eligible for the student rate for a
maximum of 6 post-secondary years in this status.
Join AMSAT today at https://launch.amsat.org/
73 and remember to help Keep Amateur Radio in Space,
This week's ANS Contributing Editor,
Paul Stoetzer, N8HM
n8hm at amsat dot org
1
0
AMSAT NEWS SERVICE
ANS-115
The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and information service of AMSAT North America, 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://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.
In this edition:
* AMSAT Bylaws Amendment
* Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for April 22, 2021
* Smithsonian Magazine Features Amateur Radio Aboard the ISS
* FO-29 Operation Schedule for May 2021
* CubeSat Developers Workshop Virtual Conference April 27–29, 2021
* Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events
* Upcoming Satellite Operations
* ARISS News
* Satellite Shorts from All Over
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-115.01
ANS-115 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 115.01
From AMSAT HQ PO Box 27, Washington, DC 20044-0027
April 25, 2021
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-115.01
AMSAT Bylaws Amendment
The AMSAT Board of Directors approved an amendment to our Bylaws on March 2, 2021. As required by our Bylaws, a notice of the amendment was mailed to all members. AMSAT members may also view the documents by logging on to the Member Portal. Along with a copy of the Bylaws Committee Report to our Board of Directors, members will find a "red-line" version of the changes that will allow you to see exactly what has been added and what has been removed.
To view each document, please click the following links:
"Red-Line" version of our Bylaws, as approved by the AMSAT Board of Directors during a Special Meeting, held on March 2, 2021.
https://launch.amsat.org/resources/Documents/Bylaws_Amended_Draft_Redline.p…
Report of the AMSAT Bylaws Committee: Recommended Revisions to the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation Bylaws
https://launch.amsat.org/resources/Documents/Report%20of%20the%20Bylaws%20C…
In accordance with Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation Bylaws, as amended in 1989, Article IV requires AMSAT to provide written notice to all members of the approved amendments to our Bylaws. This approved amendment will be effective thirty days from the mailing of this letter, unless written objection is received from at least ten percent of the Members, in which case a vote shall be conducted by the Secretary in the manner specified for election of Directors.
Written notice was mailed on April 9, 2021. As such, any objection should be sent to AMSAT, PO Box 27, Washington, DC 20044-0027 and must be received by May 9, 2021. I apologize for requiring you to mail in your objections, but this is a requirement of our Bylaws (as amended in 1989) and exactly why we feel it is necessary to bring our Bylaws into the 21st Century.
As part of our modernization efforts, we felt a review and update of our Bylaws was essential to ensure AMSAT's continued success. A summary of those changes is listed below.
* The Bylaws have been amended to allow for electronic communications with our members, voting in our elections, and the conduct of meetings.
* The Bylaws have been amended to clarify the member application process, the grace period for lapses in membership, and the membership inclusion date for establishing election roles.
* The Bylaws have been amended to further define the duties and responsibilities of the Officers.
* The Bylaws have been amended to require three years of continuous membership for nominees for the position of Director and that Directors be required to remain in good standing throughout their elected term.
[ANS thanks Robert Bankston, KE4AL, AMSAT President, for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-
Join the 2021 President's Club!
Score your 2" 4-Color Accent Commemorative Coin with Polished Gold Finish,
Full Color Certificate and Embroidered "Remove Before Flight" Key Tag
By donating today at
https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/
You won't want to miss it!
-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-
Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for April 22, 2021
Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA (OSCAR Number Administrator) announced April 18, 2021 in AMSAT News Service Bulletin ANS-108 that SMOG-1 has been designated Magyar-OSCAR 110 or MO-110. Thus, SMOG-1 (NORAD Cat ID 47964) is now shown as MO-110 in this week's TLE distribution.
The following satellite has been added to this week's AMSAT-NA TLE
Distribution:
GRBAlpha - NORAD Cat ID 47959 (Thanks to Nico Janssen, PA0DLO)
In the Credit Where Credit Is Due Department:
Ray Hoad, WA5QGD reports, "Last week David Williams, G7GQW noted that GRIFEX (NORAD Cat ID 40379) is still active after I had dropped it from the TLE distribution. I forgot to credit him for that observation. Thanks, David."
As always, the current and all previous Keps elements can be viewed at
https://mailman.amsat.org/hyperkitty/list/[email protected].
[ANS thanks Ray Hoad, WA5QGD for the above information.]
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Smithsonian Magazine Features Amateur Radio Aboard the ISS
The April issue of the Smithsonian magazine ran a feature on how ISS crew members spend their leisure time. The story began with a bit of detail on early space crews’ heavy workloads and needing time off. The writer moved to now, with space crews continuing to be more productive when schedules include relaxing—with making music being quite popular. The story cited the importance of ham radio as an engaging onboard leisure activity, as Doug Wheelock realized during his 2010 ISS mission. Speaking about the myriad of radio signals he heard from Earth’s ham operators, Doug said, “That started a trend for me where I made thousands of contacts across the world. That really became part of my connection back to the planet.” Referring to deep space missions, he said, “I can’t imagine doing a long-duration mission without that connection to the planet. It’s a huge psychological hurdle that we’re going to have to figure out.” The article is at
tinyurl.com/ANS-115-Smithsonian.
A post about the story was added to the ISS Ham Twitter page and to ARISS Facebook and Twitter pages.
[ANS thanks ARISS for the above information.]
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Need new satellite antennas? Purchase Arrows, Alaskan Arrows,
and M2 LEO-Packs from the AMSAT Store. When you purchase through
AMSAT, a portion of the proceeds goes towards
Keeping Amateur Radio in Space.
https://amsat.org/product-category/hardware/
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
FO-29 Operation Schedule for May 2021
The JARL has published the FO-29 operation schedule for May 2021:
May 2021 (UTC)
1st 00:06- 01:50-
2nd 00:55- 02:41-
3rd 00:03- 01:45-
4th 00:50- 02:36-
5th 01:40- 03:27-
8th 23:47-
9th 01:31-
15th 01:16- 03:02-
16th 00:21- 02:06-
22nd 00:07- 01:51-
23rd 00:56- 02:42-
29th 00:42- 02:27- 23:48-
30th 01:32-
The UTC time represents the start time for each operating period. The satellite will remain in operation until the battery voltage falls to a preset level.
[ANS thanks Hideo Kambayashi, JH3XCU for the above information.]
--------------------------------------------------------------------
CubeSat Developers Workshop Virtual Conference April 27–29, 2021
This year's virtual workshop features a mix of pre-recorded and live events. Before Workshop begins on April 27, pre-recorded presentations from the Live Q&A panelists will be released. Registrants will have time before the Live Q&A Panels to watch the pre-recorded presentations. Then, based on the published schedule, registrants can listen and ask questions to the panelists about their presentation in real-time. There will also be dedicated times before and after Live Q&A Panels for registrants to visit and network with our amazing Exhibitors and Sponsors through virtual exhibit booths and side meetings.
AMSAT will have a virtual booth and poster presentation at the workshop. The virtual booth will be staffed by Executive Vice President Paul Stoetzer, N8HM, Vice President of Engineering Jerry Buxton, N0JY, and Vice President of Operations Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA. AMSAT's poster presentation examines the impact of proposed orbital debris mitigation regulations on CubeSat development and STEM education."
Registration for the 2021 Virtual CubeSat Developers Workshop is free for all interested individuals. For complete information on the conference, visit https://www.cubesatdw.org.
[ANS thanks Cubesat.org for the above information.]
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AMSAT's GOLF Program is about getting back to higher orbits, and it all
begins with GOLF-TEE - a technology demonstrator for deployable solar
panels, propulsion, and attitude control. Come along for the ride. The
journey will be worth it!
https://tinyurl.com/ANS-GOLF
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Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events
None reported.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Upcoming Satellite Operations
EM86; April 17 - May 2, 2021
WY7AA operating vacation style FM and SSB. "I plan to have a day trip to EM85, but I will plan that and advertise when I get there."
DM05 - EM04; ~May 17, 2021
N6AJ will be headed to OK from CA around May 17, 2021. "DM74 AND DM75 are on the list for sure. I will be on FM and SSB. As it closer I hope to have a schedule."
Please submit any additions or corrections to ke0pbr at gmail dot com.
[ANS thanks Paul Overn, KE0PBR for the above information.]
--------------------------------------------------------------------
ARISS News
+ Upcoming Contacts
St Scholastica's College, Glebe, NSW, Australia, telebridge via ON4ISS.
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS.
The downlink frequency is presently scheduled to be 145.800 MHz.
The scheduled astronaut is Victor Glover, KI5BKC.
Contact is go for Monday, April 6, at 08:34:51 UTC.
St. Margaret's School, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, telebridge via IK1SLD.
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS.
The downlink frequency is presently scheduled to be 145.800 MHz.
The scheduled astronaut is Shannon Walker, KD5DXB.
Contact is go for Monday, April 26, 2021 at 10:12:59 UTC.
Watch for live stream at: www.ariotti.com.
The latest information on the ISS operation mode can be found at
https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html.
+ Completed Contacts
Winmalee Public School, Blue Mountains, NSW, Australia, telebridge via ON4ISS.
The ISS callsign was OR4ISS.
The downlink frequency was 145.800 MHz
The astronaut was Victor Glover, KI5BKC.
Contact was successful: Tuesday, April 20, 2021 at 08:28:39 UTC.
[ANS thanks Charlie Sufana, AJ9N for the above information.]
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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
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Satellite Shorts from All Over
+ Young Mauritians Introduced to Satellite/Space Technology
The Mauritius Research and Innovation Council (MRIC) organized a series of training workshops for secondary school students on the building of a simplified antenna for satellite data reception. The aim was to initiate young Mauritians to Satellite/Space Technology and create awareness of these fields’ numerous possibilities for the Republic of Mauritius. The specific objectives were to provide hands-on training on the building of antenna for satellite data reception, data reception and communication with Low Earth Orbiting (LEO) satellites and ground-station operation using specific software. Read the complete story at https://africanews.space.
[ANS thanks Space in Africa for the above information.]
+ International Special Events Stations on Satellites
- Italy: Members of AMSAT Italia commemorate Gagarin's flight into space until the end of the year with the callsign II0SAT on HF and via satellite.
- Spain: AM500MMM draws attention to Fernando de Magellan's voyage and the explorer's death on the island Mactan. QRV between April 24 and May 1 on HF (CW, SSB, digital modes) and via satellite.
- Chichi/ Haha/ Muko Islands (aka Bonin Islands): Takio/JH3QFL activates Komagari Chichijima Island between April 23 and April 30 as JD1BQA. QRV on HF and RS-44 on CW.
[ANS thanks JoAnne Maenpaa, K9JKM and the DX Newsletter for the above information.]
+ Radio Amateur G3YJO on BBC Radio
Professor Sir Martin Sweeting, G3YJO was the guest on the Radio 4 show The Life Scientific that was broadcast on Tuesday, April 20, 2021. Sweeting pioneered the original SmallSats revolutions with the UOSAT-1 and UOSAT-2 spacecraft that carried Amateur Radio payloads and launched in the early 1980’s. They led to the founding of Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL) of which he is Executive Chairman. You can listen to an MP3 recording of the BBC show which mentions Amateur Radio and AMSAT from the BBC website at https://bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000v7pb.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Not an AMSAT member? Join now at https://launch.amsat.org/
In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership in the President's Club. Members of the President's Club, as sustaining donors to AMSAT Project Funds, will be eligible to receive additional benefits. President's Club donations may be made at https://tinyurl.com/ANS-PresClub.
Primary and secondary school students are eligible for membership at one-half the standard yearly rate. Post-secondary school students enrolled in at least half-time status shall be eligible for the student rate for a maximum of six post-secondary years in this status. Contact info at the amsat dot org for additional student membership information.
73,
This week's ANS Editor,
Frank Karnauskas, N1UW
n1uw at amsat dot org
Sent via AMSAT-BB(a)amsat.org. AMSAT-NA makes this open forum available to all interested persons worldwide without requiring membership. Opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not reflect the official views of AMSAT-NA.
To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings see https://www.amsat.org/mailing-list-faq/.
1
0
AMSAT NEWS SERVICE
ANS-108
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(a)amsat.org
You can sign up for free e-mail delivery of the AMSAT News Service
Bulletins via the ANS List; to join this list see:
https://mailman.amsat.org/postorius/lists/ans.amsat.org/
In this edition:
* AMSAT's GOLF-TEE CubeSat Manifested for Launch on ELaNa-46
* SMOG-1 Designated Magyar-OSCAR 110 (MO-110)
* AMSAT FTP Site Retired
* TO-108 Operational Update
* CAMSAT Applies for Frequency Coordination for CAS-9 (XW-3)
* Changes to AMSAT TLE Distribution for April 15, 2021
* ARISS News
* Upcoming Satellite Operations
* Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events
* Satellite Shorts From All Over
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 108.01
To: All RADIO AMATEURS
From: Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation
712 H Street NE Suite 1653
Washington, DC 20002
DATE 2021 Apr 18
-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-
Join the 2021 President's Club!
Score your 2" 4-Color Accent Commemorative Coin with Polished Gold
Finish,
Full Color Certificate and Embroidered "Remove Before Flight" Key Tag
By donating today at
https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/
You won't want to miss it!
-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-
AMSAT's GOLF-TEE CubeSat Manifested for Launch on ELaNa-46
AMSAT's GOLF-TEE CubeSat has been manifested for launch on NASA's ELaNa-46
mission.
GOLF-TEE is the first satellite in AMSAT's "Greater Orbit, Larger
Footprint" or GOLF program. The goal of the GOLF program is to work by
steps through a series of increasingly capable spacecraft to learn to
develop systems and skills needed to achieve successful high orbit
missions. Among these are active attitude control and the ability to
command attitude changes, deployable/steerable solar panels, radiation
tolerance for commercial off the shelf (COTS) components in higher orbits,
and propulsion. The eventual goal of the GOLF program is a satellite in
Highly Elliptical Orbit (HEO) similar to AO-10, AO-13, and AO-40, but at a
currently affordable cost combined with significantly enhanced
capabilities, which in turn will allow the use of much less complex ground
stations.
The -TEE designation in GOLF-TEE stands for "Technology Exploration
Environment" reflecting GOLF-TEE's mission testing two primary systems
needed for higher orbits. First, an Attitude Determination and Control
(ADAC) system will be tested to allow active pointing of the satellites
antennas, which will have significant gain. The other primary goal of
GOLF-TEE is to gain initial orbit and space radiation exposure for
radiation event-induced fault tolerant systems designed using COTS
components. GOLF-TEE will carry an Integrated Housekeeping Unit (IHU) /
command transceiver designed using the Hercules line of ARM
architecture-based microcontrollers.
GOLF-TEE will also evaluate a low-cost, deployable, fixed attitude, solar
panel array design as part of AMSAT Engineering's exploration of fixed
panel arrays that allow for outfitting a variable number of "wings" in
order to best match the power requirements of various CubeSat missions.
Additionally, GOLF-TEE will carry a modified commercial software-defined
radio (SDR), the Ettus E310, as an experimental package to test high speed
data downlink in the 10 GHz band.
GOLF-TEE will also be a fully-functional LEO VHF/UHF amateur satellite
carrying conventional backup systems, including a linear transponder,
similar to those flown on AO-109.
A significant amount of funding is necessary to complete the development
and construction of the GOLF series of CubeSats. Please consider a donation
today. Donations designated for the AMSAT GOLF program may be made at
https://www.amsat.org/donations/amsat-golf-program-donations/
[ANS thanks AMSAT Engineering for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
SMOG-1 Designated Magyar-OSCAR 110 (MO-110)
On March 22, 2021, the Budapest University of Technology and Economics
SMOG-1 PocketQube was launched on a Soyuz-2-1a Fregat launch vehicle from
the Baikonur, Kazakhstan. SMOG-1 carries RF spectrum monitoring and total
ionizing radiation experiments. Further information is available at
https://gnd.bme.hu/smog
At the request of the Budapest University of Technology and Economics,
AMSAT hereby designates SMOG-1 as Magyar-OSCAR 110 (MO-110). We
congratulate the owners and operators, thank them for their contribution to
the amateur satellite community, and wish them a long mission and continued
success on this and future projects.
More information about OSCAR numbers can be found at
https://www.amsat.org/oscar-numbers-policy/
[ANS thanks Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA, OSCAR Number Administrator, for the
above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
AMSAT FTP Site Retired
The AMSAT File Transport Protocol (FTP) server has been retired as of 15
April 2021. Content formerly hosted on that server is now available at
https://www.amsat.org/amsat/ftp/
The FTP server provided an important service for distributing software,
bulletins and other information going back to at least the early 1990's
when internet access started to become available to the general public.
Over time the overwhelming success of the web and ubiquitous use of the web
browser have evolved to provide the same capability, and today even heavy
internet users are unfamiliar with FTP. The decision was made to stop
spending scarce volunteer resources maintaining this seldom used service.
[ANS thanks Joe Fitzgerald, KM1P, AMSAT IT Team Leader, for the above
information]
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
Need new satellite antennas? Purchase Arrows, Alaskan Arrows,
and M2 LEO-Packs from the AMSAT Store. When you purchase through
AMSAT, a portion of the proceeds goes towards
Keeping Amateur Radio in Space.
https://amsat.org/product-category/hardware/
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
TO-108 Operational Update
TO-108 (CAS-6) was launched in December 2019 and carries a 20 kHz wide
UHF/VHF linear transponder. When originally made available for amateur
radio use in June 2020, the transponder operated only intermittently,
approximately 2 seconds on and 5 seconds off.
On April 12, 2021, EI2IP posted a video on Twitter where he calls CQ for a
few minutes on the satellite. Later tests by European stations including
SA2KNG and DO1AM showed that the transponder is still only operational
intermittently, but now the transponder is on for minutes at a time instead
of only a couple of seconds.
TO-108's linear transponder's uplink passband is 435.270 MHz - 435.290 MHz
and the downlink passband is 145.915 MHz - 145.935 MHz. The CW beacon is at
145.910 MHz and 4.8k GMSK telemetry at 145.890 MHz. Observations indicate
that the transponder is operational when the beacon is transmitting
continuously.
[ANS thanks various sources for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
CAMSAT Applies for Frequency Coordination for CAS-9 (XW-3)
CAMSAT has applied for frequency coordination for their CAS-9 satellite,
also known as Hope-3 or XW-3. CAS-9 will be a 6U CubeSat carrying a 30 kHz
VHF/UHF linear transponder.
In addition to the linear transponder, there will be a UHF CW beacon and
UHF 4.8k/9.6k AX.25 GMSK telemetry downlink.
Launch is planned for December 15, 2021 from Jiuquan Satellite Launch
Center into a 770 km circular orbit with an inclination of 98.58 degrees.
Application details can be found at
http://www.amsatuk.me.uk/iaru/formal_detail.php?serialnum=804
[ANS thanks the IARU for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Changes to AMSAT TLE Distribution for April 15, 2021
The following satellites have been added to this week's AMSAT-NA TLE
Distribution:
GRIFEX - NORAD Cat ID 40379 (Reported as active and returned to TLE list.)
Orbicraft-Zorkiy - NORAD Cat ID 47960 (per Nico Janssen, PA0DLO)
STECCO - NORAD Cat ID 47962. (per Nico Janssen, PA0DLO)
[ANS thanks Ray Hoad, WA5QGD, AMSAT Orbital Elements Manager, for the above
information]
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
AMSAT's GOLF Program is about getting back to higher orbits, and it all
begins with GOLF-TEE – a technology demonstrator for deployable solar
panels, propulsion, and attitude control. Come along for the ride. The
journey will be worth it!
https://tinyurl.com/ANS-GOLF
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
ARISS News
Winmalee Public School, Blue Mountains, NSW, Australia, telebridge via
ON4ISS
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS
The downlink frequency is presently scheduled to be 145.800 MHz
The scheduled astronaut is Victor Glover KI5BKC
Contact is go for: Tue 2021-04-20 08:28:39 UTC 81 deg
The latest information on the operation mode can be found at
https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html
The latest list of frequencies in use can be found at
https://www.ariss.org/contact-the-iss.html
[ANS thanks Charlie Sufana, AJ9N, one of the ARISS operation team mentors,
for the above information]
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
Want to fly the colors on your own grid expedition?
Get your AMSAT car flag and other neat stuff
from our Zazzle store!
25% of the purchase price of each product goes
towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space
https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
Upcoming Satellite Operations
ND9M: I’m doing another tour on my merchant marine ship. We’ll be leaving
the States (EM90) in a few days to head for the western Pacific by way of
the Panama Canal. I’ve got my FT857 / FT817 with an Elk although I don’t
hear RS-44’s downlink all that well. (AO-27’s downlink on the same band is
great though.) I’m planning to be active on as many satellite passes that
I can fit in around job duties; since I’m a staff of 1, working all seven
days and being on call 24/7 can get in the way. My internet connection on
board is marginal at best and will become virtually nil for several days as
we approach Panama and then hit the Pacific. I’ll post likely grids a day
or two in advance to the AMSAT-BB and will hit Twitter (@ND9M) when I’ve
got a web connection.
WY7AA: April 17th – May 2 EM86 vacation style FM and SSB. I will have a day
trip to EM85, but I will plan that and advertise when I get there.
Major Roves:
CM93 Possibility: N6DNM Very long shot, but might want to put it on your
calendar for May 15th, if you can figure out where it is and for SOTA
folks, that would be W6/SC-336, Santa Rosa Island, activated only once
before.
I, Italy:
Loriano/IZ5RHU and the ARI section Grosseto commemorate the
Chernobyl disaster between April 18 and May 9 as II5RCH on 80-2m
(CW, SSB, digital modes) and via satellite. QSL via IZ5RHU (d/B).
(via DX Newsletter DXNL 2245 Apr 14, 2021)
[ANS thanks Paul Overn, KE0PBR, AMSAT rover page manager, for the above
information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events
AMSAT Ambassador Clint Bradford, K6LCS, reports these upcoming
presentations scheduled for …
04/26 - Livonia, Michigan
05/18 - Puget Sound
05/26 - South New Jersey
06/01 - University of Arizona
06/09 - San Jose
06/15 - East Massachusetts
10/21 - Conejo Valley CA
… and dates for Roseland NJ, Austin TX, Maine, and NH to be firmed up!
Think a lively, entertaining, AND educational 75-minute presentation to
YOUR club or organization on “Working the Easy Sateliites” would be
appropriate for your club? Send me a message or call!
Clint Bradford K6LCS
AMSAT Ambassador, ARRL instructor
http://www.work-sat.com
k6lcs AT work-sat DOT info
(909) 999-SATS (7287)
[ANS thanks Clint Bradford, K6LCS, AMSAT Ambassador, and Paul Overn,
KE0PBR, AMSAT Events Page Manager, for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Satellite Shorts From All Over
+ Congratulations Kell Bodholt, KI7UXT, on completing the AMSAT GridMaster
Award by working all 488 maidenhead grid squares in the continental United
States. Kell is the 29th recipient of this award. More information on the
AMSAT GridMaster award can be found at https://www.amsat.org/gridmaster/
+ A new distance record has been claimed on the ISS VHF digipeater. 9G5AR
completed a 4,032 km QSO with EA3BAX on 11-Apr-2021 at 09:07 UTC. More
records can be found at https://www.amsat.org/satellite-distance-records
+ FG8OJ has developed a quick script to display your VUCC credits on a
world map.
1/ Connect to LoTW
2/ Go to your VUCC favorite award page and select "All credits"
3/ Copy the page with CTRL+A and CTRL+C
4/ Go to https://fg8oj.com/lotwgrid2map/
5/ Paste in the form's text area CTRL+V
6/ Enjoy
+ The spring issue of OSCAR News is now available for download for AMSAT-UK
members at https://amsat-uk.org/2021/04/13/spring-oscar-news-2/
+ Several new products are available on the AMSAT Zazzle store, including a
set of coasters, a watch, a t-shirt featuring the AMSAT round logo, and
more. Check out the new items! 25% of the purchase price goes towards
Keeping Amateur Radio in Space. https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear
+ All issues of The AMSAT Journal dating back to 2014 are now available to
AMSAT members on AMSAT’s new membership portal. The 1969-2013 archive will
be added at a later date. All editions of AMSAT’s Symposium Proceedings are
also available for members. If you’re a current AMSAT member, get logged on
today. If you are not yet a member, consider joining today at
https://launch.amsat.org/
+ The 2020 edition of AMSAT’s Getting Started with Amateur Satellites is
now available on the AMSAT store. A perennial favorite, Getting Started is
updated every year with the latest amateur satellite information, and is
the premier primer of satellite operation. The book is presented in
DRM-free PDF format, in full color, and covers all aspects of making your
first contacts on a ham radio satellite. The digital download is available
for $15 at https://tinyurl.com/2020GettingStarted. The print edition is $30
plus shipping and is available at https://tinyurl.com/GS2020Print
---------------------------------------------------------------------
In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership in the
President’s Club. Members of the President’s Club, as sustaining donors to
AMSAT Project Funds, will be eligible to receive additional benefits.
President’s Club donations may be made at
https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/
Primary and secondary school students are eligible for membership at
one-half the standard yearly rate. Post-secondary school students enrolled
in at least half time status shall be eligible for the student rate for a
maximum of 6 post-secondary years in this status.
Join AMSAT today at https://launch.amsat.org/
73 and remember to help Keep Amateur Radio in Space,
This week’s ANS Editor,
Paul Stoetzer, N8HM
n8hm at amsat dot org
1
0
AMSAT NEWS SERVICE
ANS-101
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(a)amsat.org
You can sign up for free e-mail delivery of the AMSAT News Service
Bulletins via the ANS List; to join this list see:
https://mailman.amsat.org/postorius/lists/ans.amsat.org/
In this edition:
* ARISS-USA Now a Non-profit Organization
* Contests On QO-100 Allowed In Time For Yuri Gagarin Contest
* Fun While It Lasted, Falcon 9 Telemetry Now Encrypted
* AMSAT SA Call For Papers
* NASA Invites Public to Take Flight With Ingenuity Mars Helicopter
* Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for April 8, 2021
* Busy month of crew rotations on tap at International Space Station
* ARISS News
* Upcoming Satellite Operations
* Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events
* Satellite Shorts From All Over
ANS-101 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 101.01
To: All RADIO AMATEURS
From: Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation
712 H Street NE Suite 1653
Washington, DC 20002
DATE 2021 April 11
ARISS-USA Now a Non-profit Organization
ARISS-USA, a Maryland not-for-profit corporation, is now recognized by the
United States Internal Revenue Service as a Section 501(c)(3) charitable,
scientific, and educational organization. ARISS-USA is the US segment of
the ARISS (Amateur Radio on the International Space Station) international
working group. With this IRS determination, donations to ARISS-USA become
tax-deductible in the US, retroactive to the ARISS-USA incorporation on May
21, 2020. This change in status allows ARISS-USA to solicit donations and
grants.
As a new entity, ARISS-USA will continue to promote student involvement
with the astronauts on the International Space Station via amateur radio.
Working with educational organizations, ARISS provides exciting
opportunities to inspire, engage and educate our next generation of space
explorers through STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math)
activities and content. ARISS-USA Executive Director, Frank Bauer,
commented, “The educational scope and reach of what ARISS accomplishes has
grown significantly since our beginnings in 1996. We are actively working
to extend student’s reach even further. This, through the pursuit of
potential student opportunities on human spaceflight missions beyond low
Earth orbit, as part of our Amateur Radio Exploration (AREx) Program.
First AREx destination: the Moon!”
ARISS-USA continues its collaborative work with ARISS International and US
sponsors, partners, and interest groups. The ARISS-USA TEAM remains deeply
indebted to its partners ARRL and AMSAT, who enabled the birth of ARISS,
and to its steadfast sponsors, NASA Space Communication and Navigation
(SCaN) and the ISS National Lab (INL).
Gifts from those wishing to support ARISS-USA goals are tax-deductible to
the extent allowed by law and can be made by going to the ARISS website:
www.ariss.org The ARISS-USA team thanks its sustaining donors for their
continuing support!
(ANS thanks Dave Jordan, AA4KN, of ARISS PR for the above information)
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
Join the 2021 President's Club!
Score your 2" 4-Color Accent Commemorative Coin.
This gold finished coin comes with
Full Color Certificate and Embroidered "Remove Before Flight" Key Tag
Donate today at
https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/
You won't want to miss it!
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
Contests On QO-100 Allowed In Time For Yuri Gagarin Contest
AMSAT-DL announced, on April 4, the opening of the QO-100 NB satellite
transponder to general contest operation in the upper mixed-mode range.
QO-100 is a Qatari satellite, launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on
November 15, 2018. It operates at 26° East longitude along a geostationary
orbit, which means that the satellite's footprint covers Europe, Africa,
and Asia, but excludes North America and most of South America.
This weekend (April 10-11) will see the Yuri Gagarin contest. The contest
area on the QO-100 geostationary satellite NB transponder for both CW and
SSB is:
Uplink area 2400.370 – 2400.490 MHz
Downlink area 10489.870 – 10489.990 MHz
Of course, the usual QO-100 NB transponder guidelines also apply here.
Therefore, the bandwidth should still be limited to 2.7 kHz and the
transmitting power should be reduced to the necessary level, i.e. only as
much power as necessary should be used.
Read the AMSAT-DL announcement at
https://amsat-dl.org/en/contests-on-qo-100-allowed/
The Yuri Gagarin International DX Contest 2021 is dedicated to the memory
of Yuri Gagarin, who realized the first human flight to space, on April 12,
1961.
It runs from 2100 GMT on April 10 until 2100 GMT on April 11, 2021, and the
categories include:
• SAT Single operator – Satellite QSOs
• SAT-GS Single operator – Geostationary Satellite QSOs
Contest rules are at http://gc.qst.ru/en/section/32
[ANS thanks AMSAT-UK for the above information]
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Need new satellite antennas? Purchase Arrows, Alaskan Arrows,
and M2 LEO-Packs from the AMSAT Store. When you purchase through
AMSAT, a portion of the proceeds goes towards
Keeping Amateur Radio in Space.
https://amsat.org/product-category/hardware/
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
Fun While It Lasted, Falcon 9 Telemetry Now Encrypted
A few weeks back Hackaday reported that Reddit users [derekcz] and [Xerbot]
had managed to receive the 2232.5 MHz telemetry downlink from a Falcon 9
upper stage and pull out some interesting plain-text strings. With further
software fiddling, the vehicle’s video streams were decoded, resulting in
some absolutely breathtaking shots of the rocket and its payload from low
Earth orbit.
Unfortunately, it looks like those heady days are now over, as [derekcz]
reports the downlink from the latest Falcon 9 mission was nothing but
unintelligible noise. Since the hardware and software haven’t changed on
his side, the only logical conclusion is that SpaceX wasn’t too happy about
radio amateurs listening in on their rocket and decided to employ some form
of encryption.
[ANS thanks Hackaday.com for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
AMSAT SA Call For Papers
AMSAT SA has announced the date for the 2021 Space Symposium. In view of
the continuing uncertainty about the Covid - 19 pandemic the conference
will be a virtual event on the BlueJeans platform. The date is Saturday 10
July 2021 starting at 08:00 UTC. The theme of the symposium is "Unlocking
Amateur Space Technology." The symposium will focus on amateur satellites,
weak signal communication, space weather and allied sciences.
SARL has issued a first call for paper proposals. Prospective authors are
invited to submit proposals in the form of a brief description of the
subject to be covered in their paper by no later than 15 May 2021. Submit
proposals in word format to admin(a)amsatsa.org.za. Authors will be advised
on 20 May of the acceptance of their paper. The final paper will be
required by 30 June 2021.
[ANS thanks SARL and JoAnne Maenpaa, K9JKM for the above information]
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
AMSAT's GOLF Program is about getting back to higher orbits, and it all
begins with GOLF-TEE – a technology demonstrator for deployable solar
panels, propulsion, and attitude control. Come along for the ride. The
journey will be worth it!
https://tinyurl.com/ANS-GOLF
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
NASA Invites Public to Take Flight With Ingenuity Mars Helicopter
NASA is targeting no earlier than Sunday, April 11, for Ingenuity Mars
Helicopter's first attempt at powered, controlled flight on another planet.
To mark a month of Ingenuity flights, the agency will host several events
to bring people along for the ride.
A livestream confirming Ingenuity's first flight is targeted to begin
around 3:30 a.m. EDT (07:30z) Monday, April 12, on NASA Television, the
NASA app, and the agency's website, and will livestream on multiple agency
social media platforms, including the JPL YouTube, and Facebook channels.
Ingenuity arrived at Mars' Jezero Crater Feb. 18, attached to the belly of
NASA's Perseverance rover. The helicopter is a technology demonstration
with a planned test flight duration of up to 31 days (30 Mars days, or
sols). The rover will provide support during flight operations, taking
images, collecting environmental data, and hosting the base station that
enables the helicopter to communicate with mission controllers on Earth.
The flight date may shift as engineers work on the deployments, preflight
checks, and vehicle positioning of both Perseverance and Ingenuity. Timing
for events will be updated as needed, and the latest schedule will be
available on the helicopter's Watch Online webpage:
https://mars.nasa.gov/technology/helicopter/#Watch-Online
[ANS thanks NASA for the above information]
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
Want to fly the colors on your own grid expedition?
Get your AMSAT car flag and other neat stuff
from our Zazzle store!
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 April 8, 2021
The following satellites have been added to this week's AMSAT-NA TLE
Distribution:
GuaraniSat-1 - NORAD Cat ID 47931 (per Celestrak)
KSU-CubeSat - NORAD Cat ID 47954 (per Nico Janssen, PA0DLO)
DIY-1 - NORAD Cat ID 47963. (per Nico Janssen, PA0DLO)
SMOG - NORAD Cat ID 47964. (per Nico Janssen, PA0DLO)
The following satellites have been removed from this week's AMSAT-NA TLE
Distribution:
TISAT - NORAD Cat ID 36799
JUGNU - NORAD Cat ID 37839
AO-71 - NORAD Cat ID 37854
HORYU-2 - NORAD Cat ID 38340
BEESAT-3 - NORAD Cat ID 39135
BEESAT-2 - NORAD Cat ID 39136
TRITON-1 - NORAD Cat ID 39427
DUCHIFAT-1 - NORAD Cat ID 40021
NANOSATCBR1 - NORAD Cat ID 40024
ANTELSAT - NORAD Cat ID 40034
VELOX-1 - NORAD Cat ID 40057
DAURIA DX 1 - NORAD Cat ID 40071
CHUBUSAT-1 - NORAD Cat ID 40300
QSAT-EOS - NORAD Cat ID 40301
GRIFEX - NORAD Cat ID 40379
DEORBITSAIL - NORAD Cat ID 40719
NUDT-PHONESAT - NORAD Cat ID 40900
LQSat - NORAD Cat ID 40958
OUFTI-1 - NORAD Cat ID 41458
Swayam - NORAD Cat ID 41607
AlSat 1N - NORAD Cat ID 41789
ScatSat - NORAD Cat ID 41790
Pegasus-1 - NORAD Cat ID 41846
UCLSat - NORAD Cat ID 42765
LituanicaSAT 2- NORAD Cat ID 42768
The above objects are inactive and have been removed. If you think a
satellite is still active contact Ray Hoad, WA5QGD on AMSAT-BB.
[ANS thanks Ray Hoad, WA5QGD, AMSAT Orbital Elements Manager, for the above
information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Busy month of crew rotations on tap at International Space Station
Seven astronauts and cosmonauts are gearing up for launches April 9 and
April 22 to the International Space Station, replacing seven outgoing crew
members set to land in Kazakhstan and off the coast of Florida on April 17
and April 28.
The back-to-back crew rotations will make for a busy month on the orbiting
research complex, and multiple instances when ARISS operation will be
suspended during crew operations. Preparations for the arrival of the fresh
crew members are already underway on the space station.
The first step was relocation of a SpaceX Crew Dragon spaceship to a new
docking port on the space station April 5. NASA astronaut Mike Hopkins,
KF5LJG, commander of the Crew Dragon “Resilience” spaceship, was joined by
crewmates Victor Glover, KI5BKC, Soichi Noguchi, KD5TVP, and Shannon
Walker, KD5DXB, for the fully automated 45-minute relocation maneuver.
The Dragon astronauts, who launched Nov. 15 as part of SpaceX’s “Crew-1”
mission, were aboard the Crew Dragon Resilience spacecraft and suited up
for re-entry, just in case the capsule had trouble linking up with the new
docking port and needed to return to Earth.
Next was the launch of a Russian Soyuz MS-18 spacecraft with commander Oleg
Novitskiy, cosmonaut Pyotr Dubrov, and NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei,
KG5GNP. The Soyuz crew launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan
on Friday, April 9 at 3:42 a.m. EDT (0742 GMT).
The crew on the space station will temporarily swell to 10 people until the
outgoing Soyuz MS-17 crew departs the research lab one week later.
Undocking of the Soyuz MS-17 spacecraft with commander Sergey Ryzhikov,
flight engineer Sergey Kud-Sverchkov, and NASA astronaut Kate Rubins,
KG5FYJ, is scheduled for 9:33 p.m. EDT on April 16 (0133z on April 17). The
Soyuz capsule is scheduled to parachute to a landing on the steppes of
Kazakhstan at 12:56 a.m. EDT (0456 GMT) on April 17. Ryzhikov,
Kud-Sverchkov, and Rubins launched Oct. 14 from Baikonur. Their return to
Earth on April 17 will wrap up a 185-day mission.
With the Soyuz crew rotation complete, SpaceX and NASA will be cleared to
launch the second operational Crew Dragon mission to the space station on
April 22.
NASA astronaut Shane Kimbrough, KE5HOD, pilot Megan McArthur, Japanese
astronaut Akihiko Hoshide, KE5DNI, and French-born European Space Agency
astronaut Thomas Pesquet, KG5FYG, will fly on the Crew-2 mission.
Assuming the Crew-2 mission takes off April 22, Kimbrough and his crewmates
will reach the space station for an automated docking at 5:29 a.m. EDT
(0929 GMT) on April 23.
Their arrival will start a five-day handover with the Crew-1 astronauts,
when the space station will briefly host 11 crew members.
The Crew-1 astronauts are scheduled to board their Crew Dragon Resilience
spacecraft and undock from the space station April 28 at 5 a.m. EDT (0900
GMT). The Crew Dragon capsule will fire its Draco thrusters to target a
parachute-assisted splashdown off the coast of Florida at 12:35 p.m. EDT
(1635 GMT) the same day.
[ANS thanks Stephen Clark of Spacefilight Now 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.
Recent ARISS contacts:
The School of Information Technology & Mathematical Sciences, Southern
Hemisphere Space Studies Program 2021, Mawson Lakes, SA, Australia,
conducted a telebridge via IK1SLD on Tuesday, April 6. Shannon Walker,
KD5DXB, was the astronaut. The contact was successful.
Gagarin From Space performed an amateur radio session with NILAK DOSAAF Llc
in Kaluga, Kaluga Regional schools, Kaluga, Russia, direct contact via RK3X
on April 6. Cosmonaut Sergey Kud-Sverchkov participated. The contact was
successful.
Gagarin From Space conducted a radio amateur session with students of the
St. Petersburg school, St. Petersburg, Russia, direct via R1AIT on April 7.
The contact was successful.
Upcoming contacts: TBD
The latest information on the operation mode of the ARISS modules can be
found at https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html
[ANS thanks Charlie Sufana, AJ9N, one of the ARISS operation team mentors
for the above information]
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AMSAT, along with our ARISS partners, is developing an amateur
radio package, including two-way communication capability, to
be carried on-board Gateway in lunar orbit.
Support AMSAT's projects today at https://www.amsat.org/donate/
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
Upcoming Satellite Operations
WY7AA: April 17th – May 2 EM86 vacation style FM and SSB. I will have a day
trip to EM85, but I will plan that and advertise when I get there.
Major Roves:
CM93 Possibility: N6DNM Very long shot, but might want to put it on your
calendar for May 15th, if you can figure out where it is and for #SOTA
folks, that would be W6/SC-336, Santa Rosa Island, activated only once
before.
Please submit any additions or corrections to Ke0pbr (at) gmail.com
[ANS thanks Paul Overn, KE0PBR, AMSAT rover page manager, for the above
information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events
AMSAT Ambassador Clint Bradford, K6LCS, reports these upcoming
presentations scheduled for …
04/26 - Livonia, Michigan
05/18 - Puget Sound
05/26 - South New Jersey
06/01 - University of Arizona
06/09 - San Jose
06/15 - East Massachusetts
10/21 - Conejo Valley CA
… and dates for Roseland NJ, Austin TX, Maine, and NH to be firmed up!
Think a lively, entertaining, AND educational 75-minute presentation to
YOUR club or organization on “Working the Easy Sateliites” would be
appropriate for your club? Send me a message or call!
Clint Bradford K6LCS
AMSAT Ambassador, ARRL instructor
http://www.work-sat.com
k6lcs AT work-sat DOT info
(909) 999-SATS (7287)
[ANS thanks Paul Overn, KE0PBR, AMSAT Events page manager, for the above
information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Satellite Shorts From All Over
+ LightCube, an educational mission by Arizona State University, Tempe, to
allow a CubeSat in low-Earth orbit (LEO) to be easily operable by members
of the general public, has been approved by NASA as one of the 12th CubeSat
Launch Initiative (CSLI) projects for 2022-2025. The LightCube CubeSat will
provide a platform that increases the number of individuals who can
participate in space activities. Specifically, anyone with appropriate
amateur radio licensing within their jurisdiction and commercial radio
equipment available for purchase for less than fifty dollars will be able
to telecommand LightCube. The LightCube CubeSat will respond with a flash
visible to the naked eye of the commander. In the process of operating
LightCube, the user will inevitably learn important science, technology,
engineering, and math (STEM) concepts in areas such as telecommunications,
spacecraft design, atmospheric and climate science, and orbital mechanics.
(ANS thanks NASA, JoAnne Maenpaa, K9JKM, Harry Bloomberg, W3YJ, and Rick
Lindquist, WW1ME, for the above information.)
+ Jean Marc Momple, 3B8DU and an AMSAT Ambassador published an article in
the Institution of Engineers Mauritius (IEM) Journal, March 2021, to
promoted HAM radio satellite operation worldwide, as the paper was
circulated in all affiliated Engineers association globally but the focus
was on the regional operation. The link to obtain the document is
https://bit.ly/3uHFFCv or go to https://www.iemauritius.com and register
to download the March 21 edition of the Journal. (ANS thanks Jean Marc
Momple, 3B8DU, for the above information.)
+ GOES-T, NOAA’s latest generation geosynchronous satellite, recently
completed vibration, vacuum, and acoustic testing ahead of its December
launch. GOES-T packs upgraded traditional weather observation instruments
(see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WQAwQ0SGkc for a video intro),
including the 16 channel ABI imager (up from 5 channels on the previous
generation) with 0.5km - 2km resolution (4x the previous gen). This
generation also includes a Geostationary Lightning Mapper, the first
lightning mapping system flown in geostationary orbit, which should
increase lead time for severe storm warnings and decrease false positives.
See https://www.goes-r.gov/spacesegment/glm.html for an overview of the
system. (ANS thanks the Orbital Index for the above information.)
+ SpaceX launched 60 more of the company's Starlink Internet communications
satellites into orbit from Florida on Wednesday, April 7. A Falcon 9 rocket
carrying the spacecraft lifted off as planned at 12:34 p.m. EDT (16:34z).
SpaceX recovered the first-stage booster for the rocket by landing it on a
barge in the Atlantic Ocean. The satellites deployed to their intended
orbit a little more than an hour after launch. (ANS thanks Space Daily for
the above information.)
+ A rather fascinating disassembly and analysis of the digital clock from a
Soyuz spacecraft can be found at
http://www.righto.com/2020/01/inside-digital-clock-from-soyuz.html The
mid-1980s vintage clock was judged to be 8 to 10 years behind U.S. space
technology of the time, with more that 100 integrated circuits on ten
circuit boards. (ANS thanks the Orbital Index for the above information.)
+ Open Research Institute has posted several new YouTube videos updating
their work. See https://www.openresearch.institute/ for links. (ANS thanks
AMSAT Board Member Michelle Thompson, W5NYV, for the above information.)
+ AO-91 remains operational in COR or "repeater mode." Reminder: Please
use only in sunlight and do not use while in eclipse (which "generally"
means, if it's dark at your local QTH do not use!). Remember that the
current status of most operational satellites can be found at
https://www.amsat.org/status/ (ANS thanks AMSAT Board and Fox Command Team
Member Mark Hammond, N8MH, for the above information.)
---------------------------------------------------------------------
/EX
In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership in the
President's Club. Members of the President's Club, as sustaining donors to
AMSAT Project Funds, will be eligible to receive additional benefits.
Application forms are available from the AMSAT Store.
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. Contact info [at]
amsat.org for additional student membership information.
73 and Remember to help keep amateur radio in space,
This week's ANS Editor, Mark Johns, K0JM
k0jm at amsat dot org
1
0
AMSAT NEWS SERVICE
ANS-094
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(a)amsat.org
You can sign up for free e-mail delivery of the AMSAT News Service Bulletins
via the ANS List; to join this list see:
https://mailman.amsat.org/postorius/lists/ans.amsat.org/
In this edition:
* 2021 AMSAT Field Day
* VUCC Awards-Endorsements for April 1 2021
* WOUB Spotlight: Broadcast Operations Supervisor Terry Douds, N8KI
* NASA TV to Air First US Commercial Crew Port Relocation on ISS
* Perseverance rover begins steps to deploy Mars helicopter
* Launch Watch: Upcoming in April
* Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for April 1, 2021
* ARISS News
* Upcoming Satellite Operations
* Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events
* Satellite Shorts From All Over
ANS-094 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 094.01
To: All RADIO AMATEURS
From: Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation
712 H Street NE Suite 1653
Washington, DC 20002
DATE 2021 April 04
2021 AMSAT Field Day
Its that time of year again; summer and Field Day! Each year the American
Radio Relay League (ARRL) sponsors Field Day as a picnic, a campout,
practice for emergencies, an informal contest and, most of all, FUN! The
event takes place during a 23-hour period on the fourth weekend of June.
For 2021 the event takes place during a 27-hour period from 1800 UTC on
Saturday June 26, 2021 through 2100 UTC on Sunday June 27, 2021. Those who
set up prior to 1800 UTC on June 26 can operate only 24 hours. The Radio
Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT) promotes its own version of Field Day
for operation via the amateur satellites, held concurrently with the ARRL
event.
This year should be as easy as last year since we have more than 10
transponders and repeaters available. Users should check the AMSAT status
page at http://www.amsat.org/status/ and the pages at
https://www.amsat.org/two-way-satellites/ for what is available in the weeks
leading up to field day. To reduce the amount of time to research each
satellite, see the current FM satellite table at:
https://www.amsat.org/fm-satellite-frequency-summary/
and the current linear satellite table at:
https://www.amsat.org/linear-satellite-frequency-summary/
Additional information is found at: https://www.amsat.org/field-day/
[ANS thanks Bruce Paige, KK5DO, AMSAT Director Contests and Awards and Paul
Stoetzer, N8HM, ANS editor for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
VUCC Awards-Endorsements for April 1 2021
Here are the endorsements and new VUCC Satellite Awards issued by the ARRL
for the period March 1, 2021 through April 1, 2021. Congratulations to all
those who made the list this month!
CALL Mar Mar
N9EAT 784 843
NS3L 650 681
W7QL 510 563
KJ4EU 471 506
VA3NNA 300 504
K0JM 403 500
N1PEB (EL98) 255 500
MI6GTY 460 461
KB9STR 353 431
KC9UQR 400 427
KS1G 360 413
WA4HFN 102 413
K5TA 302 400
W8LR 353 400
VE4MM 279 304
WB7QXU 252 303
VU2LBW 260 300
W4ALF 200 300
K4RGK 214 278
NA1ME 200 225
KN2K 155 200
N7ZO 116 200
XE2YWH 137 187
LW2DAF 166 182
NK1K New 179
DL6KBG 125 150
N8MR New 115
N2CJ 100 103
AF5D New 102
W7KRS New 101
AC9DX New 100
W3FGP New 100
If you find errors or omissions. please contact me off-list at
<mycall>@<mycall>.com and I'll revise the announcement. This list was
developed by comparing the ARRL .pdf listings for the two months. It's a
visual comparison so omissions are possible. Apologies if your call was not
mentioned. Thanks to all those who are roving to grids that are rarely on
the birds. They are doing most of the work! - Ron W5RKN
[ANS thanks Ron Parsons, W5RKN for the above information]
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
Join the 2021 President's Club!
Score your 2" 4-Color Accent Commemorative Coin.
This gold finished coin comes with
Full Color Certificate and Embroidered "Remove Before Flight" Key Tag
Donate today at
https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/
You won't want to miss it!
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
WOUB Broadcast Operations Supervisor Terry Douds, N8KI, AMSAT-NA member is
honored.
ATHENS, OH During Broadcast Operations Supervisor Terry Douds nearly 16
years working at WOUB Public Media, there have been many changes in regard
to technology and how the station runs. But, Douds has rolled with the
changes and couldnt be more proud of the work he is doing.
I was originally hired as a broadcast technician and was promoted to
broadcast operations supervisor in 2008, said Douds. At that time, the
Engineering Department oversaw Master Control. We worked 24/7 to insure that
WOUB stayed on the air. Later that part of operations shifted to the Traffic
Department, so now were doing regular engineering tasks, such as design
of systems, installation of new equipment, and overseeing what we call
In-House Engineering; another team within Engineering handles field work
and our transmitter sites.
A big part of the training for me for this job came from amateur radio. I
became a Ham Operator in November 1968, when I was in 7th grade, said
Douds. I later became active in amateur satellite work, another part of
amateur radio where we designed satellites and have them launched into
space. More at: https://bit.ly/3rKpBxI
[ANS thanks Mark Johns, K0JM, AMSAT News Service Editor and WOUB.org for the
above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
NASA TV to Air First US Commercial Crew Port Relocation on Space Station
NASA's SpaceX Crew-1 astronauts aboard the International Space Station will
mark another first for commercial spaceflight Monday, April 5, when the four
astronauts will relocate the Crew Dragon spacecraft to prepare for the
arrival of new crew members in late April and the upcoming delivery of new
solar arrays this summer.
Live coverage will begin at 1000z on NASA Television, the NASA app, and the
agency's website.
NASA astronauts Mike Hopkins, KF5LJG, Victor Glover, KI5BKC, and Shannon
Walker, KD5DXB, along with Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)
astronaut Soichi Noguchi, KD5TVP, will undock Crew Dragon Resilience from
the forward port of the station's Harmony module at 1029z and dock to the
space-facing port at 1115z.
The relocation will free Harmony's forward port for the docking of Crew
Dragon Endeavour, set to carry four crew members to the station on NASA's
SpaceX Crew-2 mission. NASA astronauts Shane Kimbrough, KE5HOD, and Megan
McArthur, JAXA astronaut Akihiko Hoshide, KE5DNI, and ESA (European Space
Agency) astronaut Thomas Pesquet, KG5FYG, are scheduled to launch to the
station Thursday, April 22, from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space
Center in Florida.
[ANS thanks NASA for the above information.]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Perseverance rover begins steps to deploy Mars helicopter
NASAs Ingenuity helicopter is being lowered from the belly of the
Perseverance rover this week as ground teams run through a choreographed
long-distance command sequence to safely release the $80 million rotorcraft
onto the surface of Mars.
The slow, step-by-step deployment is projected to take around six days,
assuming everything goes as planned. The first command uplinked from
engineers at NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory was to release a launch lock
that kept the Ingenuity helicopter firmly attached to the belly of the
Perseverance rover during the journey to Mars. Additional information may be
found at: https://bit.ly/3dv06vv
[ANS thanks Stephen Clark of SpaceFlightNow.com for the above information]
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
Need new satellite antennas? Purchase Arrows, Alaskan Arrows,
and M2 LEO-Packs from the AMSAT Store. When you purchase through
AMSAT, a portion of the proceeds goes towards
Keeping Amateur Radio in Space.
https://amsat.org/product-category/hardware/
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
Launch Watch: Upcoming in April
There will be several notable launches this month. Unfortunately there are
no new amateur satellites in the immediate offing. A Falcon 9/Starlink #23
launch is scheduled for April 7 from Cape Canaveral. April 9, The new
command crew for the ISS will be launched from Baikonur to start Mission 65.
On April 22, SpaceX/NASA commercial Crew Flight #2 is scheduled for launch
on the reused Falcon 9 from the Crew-1 mission and the Crew Dragon capsule
from the Endeavor Demo-2 mission. The Crew-1 astronauts will return shortly
thereafter.
[ANS thanks SpaceX, NASA, and ROSCOMOS for the above information]
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
AMSAT's GOLF Program is about getting back to higher orbits, and it all
begins with GOLF-TEE a technology demonstrator for deployable solar
panels, propulsion, and attitude control. Come along for the ride. The
journey will be worth it!
https://tinyurl.com/ANS-GOLF
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for April 1, 2021
The following satellites have been added to this week's AMSAT-NA TLE
Distribution:
Maya-2 - NORAD Cat ID 47929.
OPUSAT-II - NORAD Cat ID 47930.
CubeSX-Sirius-HSE - NORAD Cat ID 47951
Thanks to Nico Janssen, PA0DLO for the identification of these satellites.
The following satellites have been removed from this week's AMSAT-NA TLE
Distribution:
OBJECT B - NORAD Cat ID 47310
OBJECT D - NORAD Cat ID 47312
OBJECT E - NORAD Cat ID 47313
OBJECT G - NORAD Cat ID 47315
OBJECT J - NORAD Cat ID 47317
OBJECT K - NORAD Cat ID 47318
OBJECT M - NORAD Cat ID 47320
OBJECT N - NORAD Cat ID 47345
The above objects are non-amateur radio satellites associated with a launch
carrying amateur radio satellites. As the amateur radio satellites have been
identified from that launch, these objects are no longer of interest.
[ANS thanks Ray Hoad, WA5QGD, AMSAT Orbital Elements Manager, for the above
information]
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
Want to fly the colors on your own grid expedition?
Get your AMSAT car flag and other neat stuff
from our Zazzle store!
25% of the purchase price of each product goes
towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space
https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
--------------------------------------------------------------------
ARISS NEWS: Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of April 4, 2021
The School of Information Technology & Mathematical Sciences, Southern
Hemisphere Space Studies Program 2021, Mawson Lakes, SA, Australia,
telebridge via NA7V
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS. The downlink frequency
is presently scheduled to be 145.800 MHz. The latest information on the
operation mode can be found at
https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html. The scheduled
astronaut is Shannon Walker KD5DXB Contact is go for: Tue 2021-04-06
11:27:49 UTC 34 deg via IK1SLD. Watch for livestream at
https://tinyurl.com/ISSLINKUP2021
Kaluga Regional schools, Kaluga, Russia direct via TBD. The ISS callsign is
presently scheduled to be RSØISS. The downlink frequency is presently
scheduled to be 145.800 MHz. The latest information on the operation mode
can be found at https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html
The scheduled astronaut is Sergey Kud-Sverchkov. Watch for Tue 2021-04-06
13:10 UTC
St. Petersburg, Russia direct via TBD. The ISS callsign is presently
scheduled to be RSØISS. The downlink frequency is presently scheduled to be
145.800 MHz. The latest information on the operation mode can be found at
https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html. The scheduled
astronaut is Sergey Ryzhikov. Watch for Wed 2021-04-07 12:20 UTC
[ANS thanks Charlie Sufana, AJ9N, one of the ARISS operation team mentors
for the above information]
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
AMSAT, along with our ARISS partners, is developing an amateur
radio package, including two-way communication capability, to
be carried on-board Gateway in lunar orbit.
Support AMSAT's projects today at https://www.amsat.org/donate/
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
Upcoming Satellite Operations
Quick Hits:
DN58 look for #NO7G on SSB sats over the next week (3/25 4/4)
AA5PK: Thinking a trip to EM01 Saturday (4/3) is in order.
N3CRT: Activating ***Delaware*** via satellite -FM and Linear- at Fort Mott
State Park FM29fo this Saturday April 3rd 12z-20z and possibly later.
WL7T: Had to cancel Maine. Too expensive to change flights this close to
departure. EL58 is rescheduled for April 11. Will be driving from EM26 to
EL59, so might be stopping along the way for a few contacts starting a day
or two before April 11.
Major Roves:
CM93 Possibility: N6DNM Very long shot, but might want to put it on your
calendar for May 15th, if you can figure out where it is and for #SOTA
folks, that would be W6/SC-336, Santa Rosa Island, activated only once
before.
Please submit any additions or corrections to Ke0pbr (at) gmail.com
Updated 03/31/2021
[ANS thanks Paul Overn, KE0PBR, AMSAT rover page manager for the above
information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events
From Larry Manaev, RN3AG: "We invite your members to take part in the Yuri
Gagarin International DX Contest 2021. Date: from 21.00 UTC on April 10 till
21.00 UTC on April 11, 2021. Modes: CW only.
Satellite categories:
SAT - Single operator - Satellite QSOs.
SAT-GS - Single operator - Geostationary Satellite QSOs (QO-100).
Contest rules: http://gc.qst.ru/en/section/32"
AMSAT Ambassador, Tom Zimmerman W9TTY, will be exhibiting at the DeKalb
Hamfest, Sandwich, Illinois on May 2, 2021. This hamfest SW of Chicago will
feature a presentation for hams curious about Amateur Radio in Space and how
to work the easy sats. Info on Kishwaukee Amateur Radio Club Webpage
www.kare-club.org
AMSAT Ambassador Clint Bradford K6CLS is planning a presentation on 06/15 to
a club in East Massachusetts.
Think a 90-minute lively, informative, and fun How to Work the Easy
Satellites Zoom presentation would be appropriate for your convention or
club? Always includes are overviews of the ARRL, AMSAT, and ARISS
and
pre-presentation questions are solicited and welcome. Send Clint an email or
call!
Clint Bradford K6LCS, http://www.work-sat.com. Tel:909-999-SATS (7287)
[ANS thanks Paul Overn, KE0PBR, AMSAT Events page manager, Larry Manaev,
RN3AG, and Clint Bradford, K6CLS AMSAT Ambassador for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Satellite Shorts From All Over
+ AMSAT Vice President - Engineering Jerry Buxton, N0JY, appeared on the
April 1, 2021 episode of Ham Talk Live to discuss the latest status of AMSAT
satellite development. A replay of the episode can be heard at
https://www.spreaker.com/user/hamtalklive/episode-253-amsat-satellite-engine
ering-
[ANS thanks AMSAT for the above information]
+ Frank Garofalo, WA2NDV sends a thank you note to all who participated in
the Last Man Standing special event. He says "I had the pleasure to work 111
contacts as W6S over the course of the week. If you made at least one
contact you can download a certificate in around 4 weeks time. Just check
the QRZ page for information. The official numbers are not yet in but there
were approximately 60 thousand contacts made across all frequencies and
modes." He continues: "I was also very careful not to interfere with any
rover operations during the event."
[ANS thanks Frank Garofalo, WA2NDV for the above information]
+ SpaceXs latest high-altitude Starship test flight ends in another
explosion. SpaceXs latest Starship test flight apparently ended with
another explosion Tuesday in South Texas, but dense fog obscured clear views
of the launch and failed landing. The Federal Aviation Administration said
late Tuesday it is working with SpaceX to determine if light debris reported
in a nearby town came from the Starship test rocket.
[ANS thanks Stephen Clark of SpaceFlightNow.com for the above information]
+Biden administration renews mandate for National Space Council. President
Biden will renew the National Space Council, a space policy group revived by
the Trump White House after 25 years of dormancy, to assist in generating
national space policies, strategies, and synchronizing Americas space
activities, an administration spokesman said Monday. A spokesman for the
National Security Council said the Biden administration is renewing the
National Space Council at a time of unprecedented activity and opportunity
generated by Americas activities in space.
[ANS thanks Stephen Clark of SpaceFlightNow.com for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
/EX
In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership in the
President's Club. Members of the President's Club, as sustaining donors to
AMSAT Project Funds, will be eligible to receive additional benefits.
Application forms are available from the AMSAT Store.
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. Contact info [at]
amsat.org for additional student membership information.
73 and Remember to help keep amateur radio in space,
This week's ANS Editor, Jack Spitznagel, KD4IZ
kd4iz at frawg dot org
1
0
AMSAT NEWS SERVICE
ANS-087
The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and information service of AMSAT North America, 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://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.
In this edition:
* Soyuz-2.1a Launch – Amateur Radio Satellites Deployed
* Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for March 25, 2021
* FUNcube-1 Transponder Status
* Amateur Radio Gets a Partial Reprieve on 3.5 GHz
* FO-29 Operation Schedule for April 2021
* DIY-1 Argentine Pocketqube Deployed
* Last Man Standing Special Event Station W6S in Space
* Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events
* Upcoming Satellite Operations
* ARISS News
* Satellite Shorts from All Over
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-087.01
ANS-087 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 087.01
From AMSAT HQ, 712 H Street NE, Ste 1653, Washington DC 20002
March 28, 2021
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-087.01
Soyuz-2.1a Launch – Amateur Radio Satellites Deployed
The Soyuz-2.1a LV was launched from Baikonur in Kazakhstan on March 22, 2021. The following satellites, operating in frequency bands allocated to the amateur satellite service have been coordinated by the IARU Satellite Frequency Coordination Panel:
• Beesat-5
• Beesat-6
• Beesat-7
• Beesat-8
• FEES
• SMOG
• GRBAlpha
• KSU_Cubesat
• DIY-1
• STECCO
• CubeSX-HSE
• CubeSX-Sirius-HSE
• Orbicraft-Zorkiy
• NanoSatC-BR2
Operating in frequency bands allocated to the Amateur Satellite Service without IARU frequency coordination is KMSL. Additional satellites may follow. Operating in frequency bands allocated to the amateur satellite service while the IARU Satellite Frequency Coordination Panel has declined coordination are UNISAT-7 and WildTrackCube-Simba.
Further information including the IARU coordinated frequencies at http://amsat.org.uk/iaru/
[ANS thanks AMSAT-UK for the above information.]
-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-
Join the 2021 President's Club!
Score your 2" 4-Color Accent Commemorative Coin with Polished Gold Finish,
Full Color Certificate and Embroidered "Remove Before Flight" Key Tag
By donating today at
https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/
You won't want to miss it!
-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-
Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for March 25, 2021
The following satellites have been added to this week's AMSAT-NA TLE
Distribution:
RSP-01 - NORAD Cat ID 47925 (Thanks to Nico Janssen, PA0DLO).
TAUSAT-1 - NORAD Cat ID 47926 (Thanks to Nico Janssen, PA0DLO).
Tsuru - NORAD Cat ID 47927 (Thanks to Celestrak).
STARS-EC - NORAD Cat ID 47928 (Thanks to Nico Janssen, PA0DLO).
The latest and complete set of AMSAT orbital elements for Amateur satellites in NASA format are always available at:
https://mailman.amsat.org/hyperkitty/list/[email protected]
[ANS thanks Ray Hoad, WA5QGD for the above information.]
WA5QGD
--------------------------------------------------------------------
FUNcube-1 Transponder Status
Dave Johnson, G4DPZ reports that the FUNcube team put FUNcube-1 (AO-73) into full time high power telemetry mode on March 9 2021. The move was made to test the response of the battery and power amplifier temperatures as the satellite starts to enter an eclipse period. This has thrown up some interesting thermal responses within the satellite, but nothing threatening. The battery temperatures have gone down in response to the power amplifier consuming and dissipating more energy.
The team will be reviewing the move back to transponder mode in the next few days and will publish the timeline here and on other social media channels. Dave adds, "As always we should like to express our thanks to all those who capture data packets and upload them to the data warehouse." The data warehouse can be accessed at http://data.funcube.org.uk/ui/fc1-fm.
[ANS thanks Dave Johnson, G4DPZ for the above information.]
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
Need new satellite antennas? Purchase Arrows, Alaskan Arrows,
and M2 LEO-Packs from the AMSAT Store. When you purchase through
AMSAT, a portion of the proceeds goes towards
Keeping Amateur Radio in Space.
https://amsat.org/product-category/hardware/
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
Amateur Radio Gets a Partial Reprieve on 3.5 GHz
Pending future FCC action, amateur radio secondary use of the 3.3 – 3.45 GHz band segment may continue indefinitely. The FCC, as part of a lengthy Second Report and Order (R&O) for commercial licensing of 3.45 – 3.55 GHz adopted on March 17, agreed with ARRL that continued access by amateur radio to 3.3 – 3.45 GHz should be allowed until consideration of the 3.1-3.45 GHz spectrum in a later proceeding. The FCC action in WT Docket 19-348 represents a partial — and temporary — reprieve from the FCC’s December 2019 proposal to remove amateur radio from the entire band, and it makes available an additional 50 megahertz than an FCC proposal last fall to allow amateur temporary use of 3.3 – 3.4 GHz.
This allows “amateur operations to continue in the lower portion of the band while the [FCC and federal government users] continue to analyze whether that spectrum can be reallocated for flexible use,” the FCC said. The FCC had proposed splitting the band at 3.4 GHz, permitting amateur use in 100 megahertz of spectrum “while also providing a buffer to protect flexible-use operations at the lower edge of the 3.45 GHz band.”
Amateur secondary operation in the 3.45 – 3.50 GHz band must cease 90 days after public notice that the spectrum auction has closed and licensing has begun. That is expected to happen early in 2022. The FCC announced the opening of 3.45 – 3.55 GHz for auction to commercial 5G interests on March 17.
“There is no expectation that such operations will be accommodated in future planning for commercial wireless operations in this spectrum, or that amateur operators will receive more than a short period of notice before their operations must cease,” the FCC said.
Read the entire story at tinyurl.com/ANS-087-Reprieve.
[ANS thanks the ARRL for the above information.]
--------------------------------------------------------------------
FO-29 Operation Schedule for April 2021
The times shown in the table below are the start times. Due to its low battery, the transponder is activated by schedule in Japan. It remains active until the voltage drops to a safe level.
April 2021 (UTC)
3rd 01:20- 03:05-
4th 00:25- 02:10-
10th 00:10- 01:55-
11th 01:00- 02:45-
17th 00:45- 02:30-
18th 01:35- 03:20-
24th 01:20- 03:05-
25th 00:25- 02:10-
[ANS thanks Hideo-JH3XCU for the above information.]
--------------------------------------------------------------------
DIY-1 Argentine Pocketqube Deployed
Gustavo Carpignano, LW2DTZ reports that the DIY-1 pocketqube satellite was deployed from the UNISAT-7 platform on the morning of March 24, 2021.
The UNISAT-7 platform was launched with a Soyuz-2 rocket on March 22,2021 from Baikonur in a rideshare mission.
Currently, DIY-1 is transmitting in 437.125 MHz in RTTY 100 baud at 7N2 with a shift of 450 Hz in USB.
TLE 2021-22F or 2021-22J can be used for track.
Once we see its status the robot mode will be activated shortly.
Telemetry reports are appreciated.
[ANS thanks Gustavo Carpignano, LW2DTZ for the above information.]
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AMSAT's GOLF Program is about getting back to higher orbits, and it all
begins with GOLF-TEE - a technology demonstrator for deployable solar
panels, propulsion, and attitude control. Come along for the ride. The
journey will be worth it!
https://tinyurl.com/ANS-GOLF
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Last Man Standing Special Event Station W6S in Space
Frank Garofalo, WA2NDV will be operating W6S from FN30 as one of many special event stations for the finale of the TV show Last Man Standing. This show's main character portrayed an Amateur Radio operator and had an actual working station on the set. Amateur Radio was woven into several episodes in a positive light. The show's Executive Producer is also a ham.
The event is across all bands and modes and ends on March 30, 2021 at 23:59 GMT. Certificates can be downloaded after he event concludes.
Frank will be operating on linear and FM satellites. On FM sats Frank reports that he will not transmit if there is a rover active on the pass and will not make more than 5 contacts a pass as to not monopolize an FM satellite.
For more info please see http://www.gsbarc.org/lms/
[ANS thanks Frank Garofalo, WA2NDV for the above information.]
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Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events
Want to see AMSAT in action or learn more about amateur radio in space? 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 and ARRL registered instructor Clint Bradford, K6LCS has the following presentation scheduled:
04/01 – Orem, Utah
For more information contact Clint Bradford, K6LCS
http://www.work-sat.com
909-999-SATS (7287)
[ANS thanks AMSAT for the above information.]
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Upcoming Satellite Operations
EL58 - April 1, 2021
W7LT: EL58 on April 1 then more to come. Thinking Maine for the first weekend in April. Taking requests.
EM96 - March 29, 2021
K4DCA:If anyone needs EM96, he’ll be there the week of March 29 operating vacation style. Linear and FM with Twitter updates.
EN01 - April 3, 2021
KE0WPA and ND0C: There is a rumor going around that they (@kylee_ke0wpa and I) may do a quick rove down to EN01 on Saturday, April 3. Linears and FM. I know some of our friends need that one and it is sitting at 46%.
DN58 – March 25 - April 4, 2021
#NO7G will be on SSB sats over the next week
[ANS thanks Paul Overn, KE0PBR for the above information.]
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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
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ARISS News
+ Upcoming Contacts
Republic of Tatarstan, Russia, direct via TBD.
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS.
The downlink frequency is presently scheduled to be 145.800 MHz.
The scheduled astronaut is Sergey Kud-Sverchkov.
Contact is go for Sunday, March 28 at 15:30 UTC.
Ufa, Russia, direct via TBD.
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS.
The downlink frequency is presently scheduled to be 145.800 MHz.
The scheduled astronaut is Sergey Ryzhikov.
Contact is go for Monday, March 29, 2021 at 14:40 UTC.
Lipetsk, Russia, direct via TBD.
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS.
The downlink frequency is presently scheduled to be 145.800 MHz.
The scheduled astronaut is Sergey Kud-Sverchkov.
Contact is go for Tuesday, March 30, 2021 at 15:25 UTC.
Amur State University, Blagoveshchensk, Russia, direct via TBD.
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS.
The downlink frequency is presently scheduled to be 145.800 MHz.
The scheduled astronaut is Sergey Ryzhikov.
Contact is go for Wednesday, March 31, 2021 at 08:25 UTC.
High School in Kaluga, Kaluga, Russia direct via TBD.
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS.
The downlink frequency is presently scheduled to be 145.800 MHz.
The scheduled astronaut is Sergey Kud-Sverchkov.
Watch for Monday, April 5, 2021 at 12:20 UTC.
Kaluga Regional schools, Kaluga, Russia direct via TBD.
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS.
The downlink frequency is presently scheduled to be 145.800 MHz.
The scheduled astronaut is Sergey Kud-Sverchkov.
Watch for Tuesday, April 6, 2021 at 13:10 UTC.
St. Petersburg, Russia direct via TBD.
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS.
The downlink frequency is presently scheduled to be 145.800 MHz.
The scheduled astronaut is Sergey Ryzhikov.
Watch for Wednesday, April 7, 2021 at 12:20 UTC.
+ Previously Scheduled Contacts
Oakwood School, Morgan Hill, CA, Multi-point Telebridge via IK1SLD.
The ISS callsign was scheduled to be OR4ISS.
The downlink frequency was scheduled to be 145.800 MHz.
The scheduled astronaut was Shannon Walker KD5DXB.
Contact was successful on Monday, March 22, 2021 at 18:27:49 UTC.
The School of Information Technology & Mathematical Sciences, Southern Hemisphere Space Studies Program 2021, Mawson Lakes, SA, Australia, telebridge via NA7V.
The ISS callsign scheduled was NA1SS.
The downlink frequency was scheduled to be 145.800 MHz.
The scheduled astronaut was Mike Hopkins KF5LJG.
Contact was unsuccessful on Wednesday, March 24, 2021 at 07:51:16 UTC.
This was due to unavailability of Mike at the last minute as he had to attend to operational matters.
The contact will be rescheduled.
A multi-point telebridge contact means that each student will be on the telebridge from their own home.
The latest information on the operation mode can be found at:
https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html
[ANS thanks Charlie Sufana, AJ9N for the above information.]
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Satellite Shorts from All Over
+ AMSAT-EA English Language Newsletter Available
Spain's amateur satellite organization AMSAT-EA has released the English language PDF version of their newsletter for March 2021 for free download. It features:
o UVSQ-SAT
o EASAT-2 and HADES satellites
o 3D modeling of a satellite tracking system
o First EA-SM contact on FT4 via RS-44 satellite
You can download the PDF from:
https://amsat-ea.org/app/download/12682823/AMSAT-EA-Newsletter_03-2021.pdf.
[ANS thanks Southgate ARC for the above information.]
+ Ham Radio Live! Show 163 on Amateur Radio Satellite Service
Larry Deyoe, K7HN hosts a podcast on YouTube targeted at potential hams and new hams and his latest episode is focused on Amateur Radio satellites.
He includes a video of Larry Shaunce, WD0AKX working astronaut Serena Auñón-Chancellor on the ISS as well as a video of a hamfest demo in which John Brier, KG4AKV made 18 QSOs over AO-91. Watch the complete video at:
https://youtu.be/QF_HaMBEOLM?t=1318
[ANS thanks John Brier, KG4AKV for the above information.]
+ RSGB Radio Surfer Award Includes Space Challenges
The RSGB has announced its new Radio Surfer Award aimed at young people but open to everyone regardless of age, there's no need to even be an RSGB member. The idea is to pick challenges from a list and gain sufficient points to match your age. Among the space related challenges are:
- Get a message from space (satellite, EME, ISS)
- Pull images off a satellite / ISS
Find out more about the Radio Surfer Award at:
https://rsgb.org/main/operating/amateur-radio-awards/youth-award/radio-surf…
[ANS thanks JoAnne Maenpaa, K9JKM and the RSGB for the above information.]
+ K0FFY Interactive QSL for FalconSAT-3
Adam Whitney, K0FFY, has posted an "Interactive QSL" to the FalconSAT-3 BBS in the form of a Commodore 64 binary suitable for running on emulators or real vintage hardware. For a screen shot of the program running see the following tweet from Scott Chapman, K4KDR:
(https://twitter.com/K0FFY_Radio/status/1375169922469396480)
Download your copy from the FalconSAT-3 BBS today!
[ANS thanks Paul Stoetzer, N8HM for the above information.]
+ Astroscale Sends its First Space-Sweeper to Orbit
Astroscale, the Japanese startup that wants to remove dangerous clutter from an already congested space environment, reached a critical milestone with the successful launch of its ELSA-D debris removal spacecraft early Monday morning. Once in orbit and activated, the ELSA-D will conduct a six-month “End-of-Life” on-orbit servicing demonstration. Astroscale said the mission, which is licensed by the UK Space Agency, is the world’s first commercial mission to demonstrate the core technologies necessary for space debris docking and removal. Read the full story at:
tinyurl.com/ANS-087-Sweeper.
[ANS thanks SatteliteToday.com for the above information.]
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Not an AMSAT member? Join now at https://launch.amsat.org/
In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership in the President's Club. Members of the President's Club, as sustaining donors to AMSAT Project Funds, will be eligible to receive additional benefits. President's Club donations may be made at https://tinyurl.com/ANS-PresClub.
Primary and secondary school students are eligible for membership at one-half the standard yearly rate. Post-secondary school students enrolled in at least half-time status shall be eligible for the student rate for a maximum of six post-secondary years in this status. Contact info at the amsat dot org for additional student membership information.
73,
This week's ANS Editor,
Frank Karnauskas, N1UW
n1uw at amsat dot org
Sent via AMSAT-BB(a)amsat.org. AMSAT-NA makes this open forum available to all interested persons worldwide without requiring membership. Opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not reflect the official views of AMSAT-NA.
To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings see https://www.amsat.org/mailing-list-faq/.
1
0
AMSAT NEWS SERVICE
ANS-080
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(a)amsat.org
You can sign up for free e-mail delivery of the AMSAT News Service
Bulletins via the ANS List; to join this list see:
https://mailman.amsat.org/postorius/lists/ans.amsat.org/
In this edition:
* January/February 2021 Issue of The AMSAT Journal Now Available
* Apogee View - January/February 2021
* AMSAT Vice President - Engineering Jerry Buxton, N0JY, Presents at JAMSAT
Symposium
* ARISS Columbus Radio Station Once Again Operational!
* Houston AMSAT Net #1400 and 28 Years
* Soyuz Launch Carrying Several Amateur Radio Payloads Delayed
* Changes to AMSAT TLE Distribution for March 18, 2021
* ARISS News
* Upcoming Satellite Operations
* Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events
* Satellite Shorts From All Over
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 080.01
To: All RADIO AMATEURS
From: Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation
712 H Street NE Suite 1653
Washington, DC 20002
DATE 2021 Mar 21
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Join the 2021 President's Club!
Score your 2" 4-Color Accent Commemorative Coin with Polished Gold
Finish,
Full Color Certificate and Embroidered "Remove Before Flight" Key Tag
By donating today at
https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/
You won't want to miss it!
-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-
January/February 2021 Issue of The AMSAT Journal Now Available
The January/February 2021 issue of The AMSAT Journal is now available to
AMSAT members on AMSAT’s Member Portal.
The AMSAT Journal is a bi-monthly digital magazine for amateur radio in
space enthusiasts, published by the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation
(AMSAT). Each issue is your source for hardware and software projects,
technical tips, STEM initiatives, operational activities, and news from
around the world.
Inside the Current Issue:
* Apogee View – Robert Bankston, KE4AL
* For Beginners — Amateur Radio Satellite Primer IX – Keith Baker,
KB1SF/VA3KSF
* The Yolinda Lindenblad: A Wideband Omnidirectional Circularly-polarized
Antenna – Lapo Pieri, IK5NAX
* Martha Saragovitz Retires – Keith Baker, KB1SF/VA3KSF & Joe Kornowski,
KB6IGK
AMSAT members can access the Journal at
https://launch.amsat.org/The_AMSAT_Journal. Not a member? Join today at
https://launch.amsat.org/
[ANS thanks AMSAT for the above information]
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Apogee View - January/February 2021
These past two months have certainly been an emotional rollercoaster, with
the launch and then silence from RadFxSat-2 (Fox-1E). Getting a front row
seat at Virgin Orbit’s virtual launch event was a thrilling event for me.
I only wish they would have allowed us to share that opportunity with all
of you. The excitement of another AMSAT satellite in space, however, faded
quickly, with each passing orbit and no beacon reception report. As
disheartening as this was, I was never more proud of our Engineering and
Operations teams, working together in an attempt to command RadFxSat-2.
While all this was going on, Brad Schumacher, W5SAT, reported hearing his
own CW signal through RadFxSat-2’s transponder, on January 27th. Our
Engineering and Operations team were able to duplicate Brad’s efforts and
confirm that RadFxSat-2’s transponder was partially functioning, although
at an extremely reduced power. Having satisfied the requirements for OSCAR
designation, RadFxSat-2 (Fox-1E) was designated AMSAT-OSCAR 109 (AO-109).
Our attempts to determine what is keeping AO-109 from functioning properly
continues to this day. Receiving the beacon is still our top priority, as
one frame of telemetry will give us a much needed look on the health of
each subsystem. We know the signal is going to be weak and will require a
big antenna system to hear it. Any assistance you can provide would be
greatly appreciated; however, we continue to ask that amateur satellite
operators not attempt to use the transponder until further notice, as this
may draw available power away from the beacon.
I want to personally thank all of our volunteers on the engineering and
operations team for all of their hard work, our friends at Vanderbilt
University’s Institute for Space and Defense Electronics for sharing this
dream with us, and each of you for your patience and understanding as we
seek to overcome this challenge.
Will There Be a Fox-2?
AO-109 (RadFxSat-2/Fox-1E) marks the last of the planned Fox-1 series of
CubeSats. At the same time, while SO-50 continues to operate in LEO, AMSAT
finds itself without a continuously operational FM-mode satellite in
space. Since AO-51, the so-called “EasySats,” have been the most popular
amateur satellites. AO-85, AO-91, and AO-92 have proven that offering an
easy-to-use and easily accessible satellite, requiring only a handheld
transceiver and a small, handheld directional beam, is essential both for
those just getting started on amateur satellites and seasoned operators.
In addition, these EasySats play a critical role in introducing amateur
satellite communication and extending our educational outreach.
It is imperative that we find a way to provide a sustained presence of FM
crossband repeaters in low Earth orbit, without taking away from our
current plans to return to high Earth orbits, and I will be making such a
proposal to our Board of Directors in the coming months.
If the challenges and shortened lives of AMSAT’s Fox-1 series of satellites
has taught us anything, it is that trying to shoehorn all of the required
subsystems and experiments into a spacecraft no bigger than a softball is
no easy feat. We must simplify our designs yet add robustness and
redundancy. By chance, AO-7 rose from the dead when its batteries
shorted. We need this capability designed into our electrical power
system, so, when the batteries fail, the radios are still powered by the
solar panels when the satellite is not in eclipse. In addition, we need to
ensure no single point of failure jeopardizes our mission. Including
redundancy and failsafes in our design will provide added assurance.
Another challenge for us is that AMSAT does not have another FM crossband
repeater in its inventory to use for a future satellite, because the
necessary components have been discontinued. AMSAT is working on procuring
a new, open design for not only our needs but to share with the rest of the
world. More information on our plans to accomplish this will follow in a
few months.
Running more than one satellite project at the same time will be
challenging. With limited volunteer and financial resources, we must make
smart decisions. GOLF-TEE and GOLF-1 are still our primary projects, as we
continue our march upward to HEO, so we must find ways to recruit
additional volunteer engineers, use commercial, off-the-shelf components,
outsource construction, and/or a combination thereof.
We have a great opportunity before us, but it is only possible with your
support. Your continued membership in AMSAT, purchases in the AMSAT Store,
and generous donations, combined with the cost-cutting measures I have
recently enacted will help us get there. Please join us in our journey
Onward and Upward.
[ANS thanks Robert Bankston, KE4AL, AMSAT President, for the above
information]
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AMSAT Vice President - Engineering Jerry Buxton, N0JY, Presents at JAMSAT
Symposium
AMSAT Vice President Jerry Buxton, N0JY, gave a presentation detailing some
of the challenges and work being done to return to HEO at the 2021 JAMSAT
Symposium on March 20th.
A replay of the presentation can be viewed at
https://youtu.be/b8K3k1RnJMQ?t=3440
[ANS thanks Jerry Buxton, N0JY, AMSAT Vice President - Engineering for the
above information]
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Need new satellite antennas? Purchase Arrows, Alaskan Arrows,
and M2 LEO-Packs from the AMSAT Store. When you purchase through
AMSAT, a portion of the proceeds goes towards
Keeping Amateur Radio in Space.
https://amsat.org/product-category/hardware/
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ARISS Columbus Radio System Once Again Operational!
The ARISS Columbus Radio is back on-the-air! This, after it was rendered
non-operational following a January 27 EVA (spacewalk) which was conducted
to install a cable for the Bartolomeo commercial platform. During the
January 27 spacewalk, the Bartolomeo HMU-601 cable, described in the March
10 ARISS Press conference (
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hm4h4rBE9k&t=2214s), was installed in
series with the ARISS antenna cable (HMU-895).
As part of a spacewalk conducted yesterday, March 13, Astronaut Michael
Hopkins successfully completed the installation of three PAPOS connectors
for the new Bartolomeo platform on the Columbus Module. After this task,
Hopkins started the ARISS task. He moved to the opposite side of Columbus,
where he removed the HMU-601 cable from the APCU J02 connector and
reinstalled the ARISS antenna cable (HMU-895) connector back into the APCU
J02 connector. This returned the ARISS system back to its pre-January 27
configuration.
At around 1200 UTC today, the astronauts turned on the ARISS radio system
in Columbus. It was placed in PM3, or Packet Mode. PM3 employs a downlink
frequency of 145.825 MHz. Shortly after radio startup, APRS signals were
heard in California, Utah, and Idaho as the ISS passed along the USA West
Coast. ARISS Team member, Christy Hunter, KB6LTY, confirmed she digipeated
through the ARISS radio system, NA1SS, during this pass. With confirmation
from additional stations in South America and the Middle East, the ARISS
team has declared the radio system again operational.
On behalf of the ARISS International Team, our heartfelt thanks to all that
helped ARISS work through the cable anomaly investigation, troubleshooting
and ultimate repair. Special shout-outs go to the ISS crew, the operations
and engineering teams at NASA, ESA and Airbus, and ARISS-Russia leader
Sergey Samburov, RV3DR, whose quick actions allowed ARISS to maintain our
school contact operations via the ARISS Service Module radio system. Our
deepest appreciation also goes out to the ARISS International hardware and
operations teams that worked so diligently to analyze, troubleshoot,
develop operations procedures, move school contact operations, and inform
the team and the public.
The ARISS team would also like to congratulate the ESA/Airbus Bartolomeo
team! With the successful installation of 3 of the PAPOS connectors, as
part of yesterday’s spacewalk, Bartolomeo is now operational!
Yesterday was a great day for all!
Ad Astra!
[ANS thanks Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, ARISS International Chair and ARISS-USA
Executive Director, for the above information]
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Houston AMSAT Net #1400 and 28 Years
It has been some 28 years since I first became involved with the Houston
AMSAT Net. Andy, W5ACM, (then WA5ZIB), Marty, WV5Y, (then WD5DZC) and I
were staples on the net. Ed, N5EM, was the host back then. Ed backed off
and Andy took over. Andy and Marty were doing the net many years prior to
my joining. I started numbering the nets in 1993. If you missed this
special net, you can stream it from my website http://www.amsatnet.com
click on Our Audio and select Net #1400. You can also listen as a podcast
at the iTunes store by searching for KK5DO or AMSAT. Andy has been under
the weather and not able to join us for this net.
We have had fun over the years and we have done many different things. I
did a little history from the beginning until today. If you have a chance
take a listen.
[ANS thanks Bruce Paige, KK5DO, AMSAT Director, for the above information]
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Soyuz Launch Carrying Several Amateur Radio Payloads Delayed
A Soyuz rocket carrying several amateur payloads was scrubbed from its
planned launch at 06:07 UTC on March 20, 2021. The launch is now planned
for 06:07 UTC on March 22, 2021. This launch carries several amateur radio
payloads. Details below are compiled from AMSAT-BB posts over the past
several days.
DIY-1:
On 03/22/2021 between 11:55 and 11:58 UTC, three radio amateur pocketqubes
will be deployed from the mothership UNISAT-7: DIY-1, SMOG-1 and STECCO.
DIY-1 / ARDUIQUBE (ARGENTINA):
Frequency: 437.125 MHz USB/CW
Power: 25/50/100 mW.
Telemetry: RTTY 100BD 7N2, 15 ppm CW.
ROBOT CW autotransponder, (like RS-5 / RS-7 / RS10-11 soviet satellites)
Antenna: dipole
At the time of deployment DIY will be in low power until verifying the
status of the battery and will be sending only telemetry in an RTTY
sentence. It is recommended to receive it with the FLDIGI-HAB program. Once
the operation and battery charge are verified, the ROBOT will be activated
and we hope it will be the delight of the CW enthusiasts. Much more info
once in orbit. I appreciate the reception reports.
(Gustavo Carpignano, LW2DTZ)
BCCSAT-1:
Editor's Note: BCCSAT-1 has not been coordinated by the IARU.
BCCSAT-1 is an educational multi-spectral Cubesat 1U developed by the
cooperation between Bangkok Christian College and the King’s Mongkut
university of technology north Bangkok. http://bccsat.bcc.ac.th/
Schedule When our cubesat is completely finished it will be launched into
space in March 22,2021 06.07 AM UTC at Russia with the Soyuz-2.1 rocket by
UNISAT-7 GAUSS SRL to the low earth orbit at 575 km.
http://en.roscosmos.ru/21973/ and https://www.roscosmos.ru/30285/
Downlink Frequency
Beacon 435.635 MHz CW https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPpSTEf3PUI
Slow Scan Digital Video SSDV Data 435.635 MHz AFSK 1.2 kbps
Telemetry Data 435.635 MHz GMSK 9.6 kbps
After launch into space if AMSAT member receives the CW signal of BCCSAT-1
satellite. please send information to our team directly an email to:
bccsat1(a)gmail.com
BCCSAT-1 is a technology demonstration satellite in Thailand. High school
students in Bangkok Cristian College in collaboration with King Mongkut’s
University of Technology (KMUTNB) and the Radio Amateur Society of Thailand
(RAST) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEcg5q7ZBw0 are building the
satellite.
The project aims to build capacity on systems engineering, space education,
and radio communication technology to students. During the project,
students will learn about communication technology through amateur radio
activities. It also encourages other interested people to receive the
satellite signal.
The main missions of BCCSAT-1 include: (1) testing in-house developed
satellite transceiver and antenna in orbit (2) experiment of Slow-Scan
Digital Video (SSDV) transmission from the satellite (3) take pictures of
Earth by cameras onboard satellite
BCCSAT-1 communication subsystem is an in-house developed transceiver and
antennas. It has the capability to transmit GMSK modulation signal at 9.6
kbps, FSK for SSDV at 1.2 kbps and receive AFSK signal at 1.2 kbps. The
transceiver will send its parameter such as RSSI and temperature to the
ground station.
BCCSAT-1 will carry four cameras onboard the satellite and aim to capture
images of the Earth in different wavelengths: red, green, blue, NIR, and
Red Edge band.
We hope to process the images acquired for the Normalized Difference
Vegetation Index (NDVI) and widely used in Science education. The images
will be widely distributed among amateur radio community via the experiment
of SSDV transmission system and GMSK packets downlink. Moreover, BCCSAT-1
will be able to transmit pre-stored images chosen by high school students.
BCCSAT-1 will provide the multi spectral images by having the total of 5
cameras on board; Red, Green, Blue, NIR, and Red Edge bands. The images we
get from these cameras will be used to process for the Normalized
difference vegetation index (NDVI), that will significantly provides huge
advantage on analyzing the terrain of the country.
(Tanan Rangseeprom, HS1JAN)
STECCO:
In July 2020 AMSAT Italy and the School of Aerospace Engineering (SIA) of
the University "La Sapienza" in Rome, represented respectively by Dr.
Emanuele D'Andria and Dr. Paolo Teofilatto, signed an agreement to
collaborate in a synergic way to achieve common objectives including the
development of satellites and the study of related disciplines in the space
field.
And it is within this agreement that was born the collaboration for the
development of the STECCO satellite, acronym for Space Travelling
Egg-Controlled Catadioptric Object. The satellite aims to test an
innovative attitude control device and at the same time to implement an
amateur radio digipeater. The repeater will be always active simultaneously
with the other functions of the satellite. STECCO will operate both in
uplink and downlink at the frequency of 435.800 Mhz, 9600 baud FSK
modulation, G3RUH coding, AX.25 protocol. Beacon and telemetry info are
available on the project web site [1]
STECCO will be launched together with other satellites on March 22, 2021 at
6:07 am GMT from the Bajkonur cosmodrome, Kazakistan, on a Soyuz-2 rocket,
in heliosynchronous orbit. Preliminary TLEs calculated on the estimated
launch parameters are available on the same project web site. [1]
The amateur radio community is also invited to share the satellite
telemetry sending the data to the AMSAT Italia secretariat [segreteria] at [
amsat.it].
IARU coordination info are available at
http://www.amsatuk.me.uk/iaru/formal_detail.php?serialnum=782
[1]
https://sites.google.com/uniroma1.it/stecco-sia/radio-amateurs?authuser=0
(Fabrizio IU5GEZ on behalf of AMSAT Italia)
[ANS thanks the sources listed for the above information]
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Changes to AMSAT TLE Distribution for March 18, 2021
The following satellite has been added BACK to this week's AMSAT TLE
Distribution:
Delfi-N3xt - NORAD Cat ID 39428.
This satellite has come back to life after seven years of silence.
(Remember AO-07 coming back after 21 years of silence?)
Thanks to AMSAT News Service Bulletin 073 (Mark Johns, K0JM) for this very
good news.
The following satellite has decayed from orbit and has been removed from
this week's AMSAT TLE Distribution:
Delphini - NORAD Cat ID 44030 (Decayed 3-14-2021 per Space-Track).
(I am pretty sure it won't come back!)
[ANS thanks Ray Hoad, WA5QGD, AMSAT Orbital Elements Manager, for the above
information]
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AMSAT's GOLF Program is about getting back to higher orbits, and it all
begins with GOLF-TEE – a technology demonstrator for deployable solar
panels, propulsion, and attitude control. Come along for the ride. The
journey will be worth it!
https://tinyurl.com/ANS-GOLF
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ARISS News
The next contacts are probably going to be via the Kenwood TM-D710E radio
located in the Service Module. You may or may not notice a difference in
signal when compared to the Kenwood TM-710GA that is in the Columbus module.
Goodwood Primary School, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia, telebridge
via NA7V
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS
The downlink frequency is presently scheduled to be 145.800 MHz
The latest information on the operation mode can be found at
https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html
The scheduled astronaut is Shannon Walker KD5DXB (***)
Contact was successful: Wed 2021-03-17 08:32:31 UTC 33 deg (***)
Oakwood School, Morgan Hill, CA, Multi-point Telebridge via IK1SLD
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS
The downlink frequency is presently scheduled to be 145.800 MHz
The latest information on the operation mode can be found at
https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html
The scheduled astronaut is Shannon Walker KD5DXB
Contact is go for: Mon 2021-03-22 18:27:49 UTC 66 deg
The School of Information Technology & Mathematical Sciences, Southern
Hemisphere Space Studies Program 2021, Mawson Lakes, SA, Australia,
telebridge via NA7V
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS
The downlink frequency is presently scheduled to be 145.800 MHz
The latest information on the operation mode can be found at
https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html
The scheduled astronaut is Shannon Walker KD5DXB
Contact is go for: Wed 2021-03-24 07:51:16 UTC 45 deg
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]
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Want to fly the colors on your own grid expedition?
Get your AMSAT car flag and other neat stuff
from our Zazzle store!
25% of the purchase price of each product goes
towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space
https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
Upcoming Satellite Operations
****Watch Twitter, there are lots pop-up roves happening lately, and I
can’t keep this page updated with all of them.****
EL58: WL7T: EL58 happening April 1 … more to come. And then thinking Maine
for the first weekend in April. Taking requests …
EA5GX: Hi guys in 22/3/21 I will be in the RS44 7:41 in the morning pass
and in afternoon 13:22 UTC around 345.645 from IM99 to Anyone want try qso.
he will also be: Hi guys in 22/3/21 I will be in the RS44 7:41 in the
morning pass and in afternoon 13:22 UTC around 345.645 from 4 grid IM99,
JN00, JM09, IN90
Major Roves:
CM93 Possibility: N6DNM Very long shot, but might want to put it on your
calendar for May 15th, if you can figure out where it is and for #SOTA
folks, that would be W6/SC-336, Santa Rosa Island, activated only once
before.
Please submit any additions or corrections to Ke0pbr (at) gmail.com
[ANS thanks Paul Overn, KE0PBR, AMSAT rover page manager, for the above
information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events
AMSAT Ambassador and ARRL registered instructor Clint Bradford, K6LCS, is
certainly keeping busy!
He reports these upcoming satellite presentation dates …
04/01 - Orem, Utah
06/15 - East Massachusetts
… and more being scheduled.
Think a 90-minute lively, informative, and fun “How to Work the Easy
Satellites” Zoom presentation would be appropriate for your convention or
club? Always includes are overviews of the ARRL, AMSAT, and ARISS … and
pre-presentation questions are solicited and welcome.
Send Clint an email or call!
Clint Bradford K6LCS
http://www.work-sat.com
909-999-SATS (7287)
[ANS thanks Clint Bradford, K6LCS, AMSAT Ambassador, and Paul Overn,
KE0PBR, AMSAT Events Page Manager, for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Satellite Shorts From All Over
+ AMSAT congratulates long-time satellite operator John Papay, K8YSE, on 60
years of being a licensed radio amateur. He has been operating as K8YSE/60
to celebrate the milestone. (Via Bob Liddy, K8BL)
+ Some hams in Europe were able to receive Falcon 9 launch telemetry at
2232.5 MHz with a HackRF and 1.2m dish and then demodulate it with GNU
Radio. Impressive work, and somewhat surprising that the data isn’t
encrypted. They were able to decode live video streams from the upper
stage’s engineering cameras, including one of free-floating fuel in the LOX
tank, which SpaceX livestream editors tend to switch away from. (ANS thanks
The Orbital Index and reddit for the above information)
+ A published paper by a pair of actual physicists at Cornell University,
handily entitled “Warp drive basics,” theorizes about warp drives (as in
Star Trek). Their calculations require hypothetical negative mass-energy,
but at least the ship as a whole can have positive finite mass.
Unfortunately, the necessary relativistic bubble would isolate the ship
from the outside world, so the ship cannot create or control its own warp
bubble—this would have to be done externally. Meanwhile, a second paper by
another Cornell physicist, proposes a warp drive solution that avoids the
negative-mass problem, but currently still requires an “astronomical amount
of energy.” Who says that science fiction can't be a serious catalyst for
actual research? (ANS thanks The Orbital Index for the above information)
+ A SpaceX bid on a NASA CubeSat launch appeared to offer a vehicle other
than Falcon 9 or Falcon Heavy (Perhaps Starship). More details at
https://spacenews.com/spacex-bid-on-launch-of-nasa-cubesat-mission/
+ The rtl-sdr.com blog features an article on receiving the SMOG-P and
ATL-1 nanosatellites with an rtl-sdr. Check it out at
https://www.rtl-sdr.com/receiving-smog-p-and-atl-1-nano-satellites-with-an-…
+ Several new products are available on the AMSAT Zazzle store, including a
set of coasters, a watch, a t-shirt featuring the AMSAT round logo, and
more. Check out the new items! 25% of the purchase price goes towards
Keeping Amateur Radio in Space. https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear
+ All issues of The AMSAT Journal dating back to 2014 are now available to
AMSAT members on AMSAT’s new membership portal. The 1969-2013 archive will
be added at a later date. All editions of AMSAT’s Symposium Proceedings are
also available for members. If you’re a current AMSAT member, get logged on
today. If you are not yet a member, consider joining today at
https://launch.amsat.org/
+ The 2020 edition of AMSAT’s Getting Started with Amateur Satellites is
now available on the AMSAT store. A perennial favorite, Getting Started is
updated every year with the latest amateur satellite information, and is
the premier primer of satellite operation. The book is presented in
DRM-free PDF format, in full color, and covers all aspects of making your
first contacts on a ham radio satellite. The digital download is available
for $15 at https://tinyurl.com/2020GettingStarted. The print edition is $30
plus shipping and is available at https://tinyurl.com/GS2020Print
---------------------------------------------------------------------
In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership in the
President’s Club. Members of the President’s Club, as sustaining donors to
AMSAT Project Funds, will be eligible to receive additional benefits.
President’s Club donations may be made at
https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/
Primary and secondary school students are eligible for membership at
one-half the standard yearly rate. Post-secondary school students enrolled
in at least half time status shall be eligible for the student rate for a
maximum of 6 post-secondary years in this status.
Join AMSAT today at https://launch.amsat.org/
73 and remember to help Keep Amateur Radio in Space,
This week’s ANS Editor,
Paul Stoetzer, N8HM
n8hm at amsat dot org
1
0
AMSAT NEWS SERVICE
ANS-073
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(a)amsat.org
You can sign up for free e-mail delivery of the AMSAT News Service
Bulletins via the ANS List; to join this list see:
https://mailman.amsat.org/postorius/lists/ans.amsat.org/
In this edition:
* Spacewalk Addresses ARISS Equipment Issue
* Eight Amateur Radio Satellites to Deploy From ISS On March 14
* Delfi-N3xt Back To Life After 7 Years Of Silence
* First Contact Via UVSQ-Sat FM Transponder
* Another Achievement For Explorer Richard Garriott
* Renewal of Orbital Data Request for TLE Redistribution by AMSAT
* News Conference Details ARISS Efforts
* ARISS News
* Upcoming Satellite Operations
* Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events
* Satellite Shorts From All Over
ANS-073 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 073.01
To: All RADIO AMATEURS
From: Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation
712 H Street NE Suite 1653
Washington, DC 20002
DATE 2021 Mar 14
Spacewalk Addresses ARISS Equipment Issue
International Space Station Expedition 64 U.S. Spacewalk #73 to Continue
Station Upgrades took place on Saturday, March 13 beginning at
approximately 12:30z. Astronaunts Victor Glover, KI5BKC, and Mike Hopkins,
KF5LJG, undertook a number of tasks left incomplete when a previous
spacewalk had to be terminated early.
One of those tasks was a re-connection of four cables on the Bartolomao
platform which is attached to the Columbus Module of the space station.
Columbus is the home of the primary ARISS amateur radio station, which is
used for school contacts and other ARISS activities.
After an extended effort to complete some cable connections on the
Bartolomao platform, Hopkins moved on to the ARISS VHF/UHF antenna on the
"Earth side" of the Columbus Module at approximately 18:15z, roughly five
hours into the spacewalk, and successfully removed a jumper cable between
Columbus and the antenna. Hopkins raised a question concerning a sharp bend
in the cable near the connector. However, no adjustments were possible.
Because NASA safety protocols require the ARISS radios to be powered down
during spacewalks, there will be no opportunity to check the success of the
cable re-configurations until Sunday, March 14. The Columbus Module ARISS
radios are expected to be powered up in the VHF packet mode at about 12:00z
on that day.
[ANS thanks NASA TV and Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, ARISS Chair, for the above
information]
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Join the 2021 President's Club!
Score your 2" 4-Color Accent Commemorative Coin.
This gold finished coin comes with
Full Color Certificate and Embroidered "Remove Before Flight" Key Tag
Donate today at
https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/
You won't want to miss it!
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Eight Amateur Radio Satellites to Deploy From ISS On March 14
Eight satellites, all coordinated by the IARU Satellite Frequency
Coordination Panel, are planned to be deployed from the International Space
Station on Sunday, March 14.
The deployment should be streamed live on YouTube, watch from 09:15 GMT at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLltILh8SLw
The CubeSats being deployed are:
• OPUSAT-II
• GuaraniSat-1 (BIRDS-4)
• Maya-2 (BIRDS-4)
• Tsuru (BIRDS-4)
• RSP-01
• WARP-01
• TAUSAT-1
• STARS-EC
It is understood the BIRDS-4 satellites are carrying digipeaters and
TAUSAT-1 has an FM transponder. Further information including the IARU
coordinated frequencies are at http://amsat.org.uk/iaru/
[ANS thanks AMSAT-UK for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Delfi-N3xt Back To Life After 7 Years Of Silence
Recently, a signal was picked up from the Delfi-n3Xt, the satellite of the
TU Delft with which contact was lost in 2014. This came as a big surprise
to all involved. Delfi-n3Xt is the second satellite launched by TU Delft,
as part of the Delfi Program, which develops very small satellites. Now
that the satellite is transmitting again, steps are being taken to further
the mission. The first Delfi satellite, Delfi-C3, is still working as well.
The Delfi-n3Xt project started in 2007 and the satellite was launched in
November 2013. The satellite operated successfully for three months,
fulfilling its main mission objectives and achieving mission success.
Unfortunately, in February 2014 contact with the satellite was lost after
an experiment with the linear transponder. The satellite was not heard
since and was considered silent.
Three weeks ago, on February 9th, an automatic email notification was
received from the satellite's ground station, indicating that a signal from
the Delfi-n3Xt had been picked up. “I always considered the possibility
that the satellite might still be working but just not transmitting for
some unknown reason. I programmed the ground station software such that it
would still continue to track Delfi-n3Xt every single day and send me an
email notification if it ever would come back to life,” says Nils von
Storch, student and operator on the project in 2013 and technical
responsible at the ground station since. Carrying out relevant checks and
analysing the received telemetry frames prove the satellite is transmitting
again.
The cause of the sudden silence has never been determined, and now the big
question is how Delfi-n3Xt could come ‘back to life.' There are hypotheses:
the software might have caused the problem and a bit may have ‘flipped’
recently. This can occur when charged high energy particles hit electronic
components in space. Or perhaps a component caused a short circuit, and
after being exposed to the extreme conditions in space for years it may
have broken off. “Of course, in the past we have looked for all kinds of
explanations, and we also had theories about how the contact could ever
come back. But after so long, I hadn't counted on it anymore. Whether we
will ever find out exactly how it happened, I doubt it,” says Jasper
Bouwmeester, project manager of the mission since 2007.
Bouwmeester is confident that the satellite can still be of use to science.
“We can learn how the satellite and its technologies and systems have held
up after seven years in space. Testing systems such as the propulsion
system, is relevant too, and using the Delfi-n3Xt for educational purposes
is another possibility.” Before any research can be carried out, a number
of steps have to be taken. A lot depends on whether the satellite can still
be controlled. Also, the ground station at the EEMCS faculty is temporarily
inaccessible and some of the software from 2014 no longer works on modern
computers. At the same time, a formal process is necessary, as permits and
insurance have expired. "But I am sure that we will be able to find
solutions," says Stefano Speretta, managing operations. "If we don't lose
the signal again, there are interesting times ahead."
[ANS thanks Delft University of Technology for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
First Contact Via UVSQ-Sat FM Transponder
The first contact was made via the FM transponder on the UVSQ-Sat CubeSat
on Friday, March 5, 2021.
Michel Mahé, F4DEY, of the F6KRK radio club carried out the transponder
test from the Latmos ground station near Paris. The first contact was with
Peter Goodhall, 2M0SQL, in Elgin, Scotland.
After the contact Michel tweeted "Very happy to have been able to operate
the Latmos station and do #F6KRKR/P validate the transponder #UVSQSat "on
#space" after validation of the satellite at the Lab of #Latmos in October
2020!"
Peter tweeted "Fantastic to be QSO #1 on UVSQ-SATs FM transponder wish the
@uvsqsat good luck in their commissioning and it being available more often
:)"
UVSQ-Sat
http://uvsq-sat.projet.latmos.ipsl.fr/?ong=Ham-Radio
https://twitter.com/uvsqsat
Michel Mahé F4DEY https://twitter.com/F4DEY_78
Peter Goodhall 2M0SQL
https://www.2m0sql.com/
https://twitter.com/2m0sql
As part of the ham radio mission, the UVSQ-SAT one-unit CubeSat embeds a
radio transponder which will be accessible to the community in parallel of
the other scientific objectives according to the power budget. The UVSQ-SAT
team will provide an availability of the transponder up to 20% (schedule 7
to 15 days in advance with a distribution via the project's website and /
or Twitter account).
[ANS thanks AMSAT-UK and LATMOS for the above information]
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Need new satellite antennas? Purchase Arrows, Alaskan Arrows,
and M2 LEO-Packs from the AMSAT Store. When you purchase through
AMSAT, a portion of the proceeds goes towards
Keeping Amateur Radio in Space.
https://amsat.org/product-category/hardware/
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Another Achievement For Explorer Richard Garriott
British-born Richard Garriott, W5KWQ, has become the first explorer to have
been to both poles, orbited the Earth and reached the bottom of the deepest
ocean.
On February 28, 2021, he traveled to the bottom of the Mariana Trench, at
11,034 metres (36,201 ft) the deepest oceanic trench on the planet.
He is not the first astronaut to make the descent to the bottom of the
Mariana Trench, former-NASA astronaut Kathy Sullivan ex-N5YYV did that in
2020 but Richard is the first person to also have visited the North Pole
(2018) and the South Pole (2000).
Richard's US amateur radio callsign W5KWQ recently expired but in a tweet
sent March 7 he said he would be renewing his license as soon as possible
https://twitter.com/RichardGarriott/status/1368523553881006082
He made many amateur radio contacts during his space mission in 2008
including one to pupils at Budbrooke Primary School in Warwick, UK. You can
watch the video of that contact at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNIct1g26DQ
Richard's father was astronaut Owen K. Garriott W5LFL who in 1983, during
the STS-9 Columbia mission, made the first amateur radio contacts from
space, see
https://amsat-uk.org/2012/05/09/vintage-video-of-sts-9-columbia-mission-and…
2008 Richard Garriott, W5KWQ, Gets Busy from Space
http://www.arrl.org/news/richard-garriott-w5kwq-gets-busy-from-space
Richard Garriott https://richardgarriott.com/
[ANS thanks Southgate ARC for the above information]
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AMSAT's GOLF Program is about getting back to higher orbits, and it all
begins with GOLF-TEE – a technology demonstrator for deployable solar
panels, propulsion, and attitude control. Come along for the ride. The
journey will be worth it!
https://tinyurl.com/ANS-GOLF
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Renewal of Orbital Data Request for TLE Redistribution by AMSAT
I am pleased to announce that AMSAT-NA's request to re-distribute TLE
elements from Space-Track website has been approved for the period April 1,
2021 to April 1, 2022. Our ODR (Orbital Data Request) to distribute the
Space-Track TLEs was approved by Air Force 18 SPCS, Vandenburg AFB on March
12, 2021.
Thanks to Air Force 18 SPCS, Perry Klein (W3PK), Paul Stoetzer (N8HM) and
Joe Fitzgerald (KM1P) for their help in this yearly process.
We are "good to go" for another year.
[ANS thanks Ray Hoad, WA5QGD, AMSAT Orbital Elements Manager, for the above
information]
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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
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
News Conference Details ARISS Efforts to Return ISS Ham Station to the Air
At a March 10 news conference, Amateur Radio on the International Space
Station (ARISS) reported that, so far, all efforts to determine what's
keeping the ham station in the ISS Columbus module off the air have been
unsuccessful. It appears that the radio equipment is working, but no signal
appears to be reaching the external ARISS antenna. The station, typically
operated as NA1SS, has not been usable since new RF cables were installed
during a January 27 spacewalk (EVA) to support the commissioning of the
Bartolomeo payload hosting platform installed last spring. During the
January EVA, the coax feed line installed 11 years ago was replaced with
another built by the European Space Agency (ESA) and Airbus. Responding to
a question during the news conference, ARISS International Chair Frank
Bauer, KA3HDO, did not rule out a fault in the radio equipment.
"There is still that possibility that there might be a problem with the
radio," he said. Bauer listed three possible problem areas: The HMU-898
cable inside the cabin may have a break due to a previous tight turn, a
connector may be installed improperly, or an HMU-601 cable installation or
workmanship anomaly. During the January 27 EVA, the HMU-601 cable was
installed in series with the ARISS antenna cable.
During a March 13 spacewalk (EVA), astronauts Mike Hopkins, KF5LJG, and
Victor Glover, KI5BKC, plan to return the ARISS antenna feed line cabling
to its configuration prior to the January 27 spacewalk.
The news conference covered details of the cable troubleshooting already
conducted. Bauer said the ARISS team has been working closely with NASA and
the ESA to identify what may have caused the "radio anomaly" keeping the
ISS Columbus module ham station off the air. He thanked ARISS-Russia's
Sergey Samburov, RV3DR, for allowing ARISS to use the ham station in the
service module to continue its contact schedule.
This past week, astronauts on the ISS performed troubleshooting tests on
all four new feed lines installed on the Columbus module. One cable was
earmarked for the ARISS station, while the other three are for Bartolomeo.
ARISS reported over the weekend, however, that it was unable to establish
communication using any of the feed line cables connected to the ARISS
radio system, which was tested in APRS mode.
The plan to return the ARISS cabling to its original configuration was a
"contingency task" for a March 5 spacewalk, but the astronauts ran out of
time.
ARISS became aware of the station problem after a contact with a school in
Wyoming, between ON4ISS on Earth and Hopkins at NA1SS, had to abort when no
downlink signal was heard. For the time being, ARISS school and group
contacts with crew members have been conducted using the ham station in the
ISS service module.
A recording of the news conference is available for viewing on YouTube at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hm4h4rBE9k
[ANS thanks ARRL and Dave Jordan, AA4KN, ARISS operation team member, 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.
A contact with Goodwood Primary School, Adelaide, South Australia,
Australia, is scheduled for Wed 2021-03-17 08:32:31 UTC. The scheduled
astronaut is Victor Glover KI5BKC, using the space station callsign of
NA1SS. This will be a telebridge contact via NA7V, so it will be heard over
North America. Maximum elelvation will be 33 degrees. The latest
information on the operation mode can be found at
https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html
[ANS thanks Charlie Sufana, AJ9N, ARISS operation team member, for the
above information]
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AMSAT, along with our ARISS partners, is developing an amateur
radio package, including two-way communication capability, to
be carried on-board Gateway in lunar orbit.
Support AMSAT's projects today at https://www.amsat.org/donate/
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Upcoming Satellite Operations
Quick Hits:
****Watch Twitter, there are lots pop-up roves happening lately, and I
can’t keep this page updated with all of them.****
EN55/EN56: KC9BKA Hoping to hit up the EN55/56 grid line on Friday, March
19 for mid day passes. I haven’t checked the pass lineup yet. Would anyone
need EN55/56
@AK7DD and Ledger: We will be headed to DN41 on the 14th of March. My plan
is to hit DN30 on the way up. Our plans are to be in the area there until
around the 24th of March, and we will hit a few of our normal activation
grids on the way home, DN30, DM39 & DM49, etc. Anyhow, once we have landed
in DN41, we will be doing a handful of roves in Utah and Idaho as time
allows.
EL58: W7LT: EL58 happening April 1 … more to come. And then thinking Maine
for the first weekend in April. Taking requests …
EM68/68: WB9VPG: Upcoming trip to EM67/68 and 58/68 possible on Wednesday,
March 17. I’ll post more when I know more.
FN44: N1AIA I plan to operate from FN44 Thu 11 March 1400-1500z. SO-50,
maybe AO-27, RS-44
Major Roves:
CM93 Possibility: N6DNM Very long shot, but might want to put it on your
calendar for May 15th, if you can figure out where it is and for #SOTA
folks, that would be W6/SC-336, Santa Rosa Island, activated only once
before.
Please submit any additions or corrections to Ke0pbr (at) gmail.com
[ANS thanks Paul Overn, KE0PBR, AMSAT rover page manager, for the above
information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events
AMSAT Ambassadors provide presentations, demonstrate communicating through
amateur satellites, and host information tables at club meetings, hamfests,
conventions, maker faires, and other events.
One of the AMSAT Ambassadors, and an ARRL registered instructor, is Clint
Bradford, K6LCS. Clint has the following presentations scheduled, with more
on the way:
03/16 – Palm Springs, CA
03/20 – Bonham, Texas
04/01 – Orem, Utah
06/15 – East Massachusetts
If a 90-minute lively, informative, and fun “How to Work the Easy
Satellites” Zoom presentation would be appropriate for your convention or
club, contact Clint, or one of the other Ambassadors:
Clint Bradford K6LCS
http://www.work-sat.com
909-999-SATS (7287)
[ANS thanks Paul Overn, KE0PBR, AMSAT Events page manager, for the above
information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Satellite Shorts From All Over
+ If you enjoy seeing things blow up (and who doesn't like good fireworks?)
there is a glorious slow-motion video of the "Rapid Unplanned Disassembly"
of the SpaceX SN10 test flight at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIZOcsu8tWk&t=120s The explosion, which
occurred after what appeared to be a successful landing, was probably
caused by malfunctioning landing legs on the rocket. But fear not, SpaceX
already has SN11 on the pad for another attempt. If at first you don't
succeed.... (ANS thanks The Orbital Index for the above information).
+ Continuing a high-tempo launch cadence, a SpaceX Falcon 9 launched a new
set of Starlink satellites and landed the booster March 11. The launch
brings the total number of Starlink satellites launched to 1,265, although
more than 60 of them have since deorbited. In a Feb. 22 filing with the
Federal Communications Commission, SpaceX requested to modify its FCC
license, allowing it to move satellites into lower orbits. Several other
satellite operators oppose the request, primarily on concerns that the
modified constellation will interfere with their systems. The FCC has not
indicated when it will rule on SpaceX’s request. (ANS thanks SpaceNews.com
and SpaceflightNow.com for the above information)
+ NASA has assigned astronaut Mark Vande Hei, KG5GNP, to an upcoming
mission to the International Space Station as a flight engineer and member
of the Expedition 64/65 crew. Vande Hei, along with cosmonauts Oleg
Novitskiy and Pyotr Dubrov of the Russian space agency Roscosmos, are
scheduled to launch Friday, April 9, on the Soyuz MS-18 spacecraft from the
Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. They will be joined on the ISS by
astronauts Shane Kimbrough, KE5HOD, Megan McArthur, Akihiko Hoshide,
KE5DNI, and Thomas Pesquet, KG5FYG, who will arrive on the SpaceX Crew
Dragon “Endeavour” spacecraft now scheduled for launch on April 22. (ANS
thanks NASA for the above information)
+ NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope resumed observations March 11 after a
software error placed it in a protective safe mode several days earlier,
but the incident is a reminder of the telescope’s mortality. The spacecraft
was launched in April 1990 and serviced by the space shuttle five times,
most recently in May 2009. With the shuttle long since retired, astronomers
know that, at some point, Hubble will suffer an unrecoverable failure that
will end its historic mission. (ANS thanks SpaceNews.com for the above
information)
+ Three residents of the International Space Station will take a spin
around their orbital neighborhood in the Soyuz MS-17 on Friday, March 19,
relocating the spacecraft to prepare for the arrival of the next set of
crew members. Live coverage on NASA Television, the NASA app, and the
agency’s website will begin at 16:15 UTC. Expedition 64 Flight Engineer
Kate Rubins of NASA and Commander Sergey Ryzhikov and Sergey Kud-Sverchkov,
both of the Russian Space Agency Roscosmos, will undock from the
Earth-facing port of the station’s Rassvet module at 16:38z and dock again
at the space-facing Poisk docking port at 17:07z (ANS thanks NASA for the
above information)
+ The largest asteroid predicted to pass by our planet in 2021 will be at
its closest on March 21, providing astronomers a rare opportunity to get a
good look at a rocky relic that formed at the dawn of our solar system.
Called 2001 FO32, the near-Earth asteroid will make its closest approach at
a distance of about 1.25 million miles (2 million kilometers) - or 5 1/4
times the distance from Earth to the Moon. There is no threat of a
collision with our planet, even though that distance is "close" in
astronomical terms. (ANS thanks Space Daily for the above information)
---------------------------------------------------------------------
/EX
In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership in the
President's Club. Members of the President's Club, as sustaining donors to
AMSAT Project Funds, will be eligible to receive additional benefits.
Application forms are available from the AMSAT Store.
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. Contact info [at]
amsat.org for additional student membership information.
73 and Remember to help keep amateur radio in space,
This week's ANS Editor, Mark Johns, K0JM
k0jm at amsat dot org
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I apologize for missing an ARISS news item that was repeated from a past
edition of the ANS news #066. The item for the ANS News should be as
follows:
--------------------------------------------------------------------
ARISS NEWS: Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of March 3, 2021
Avoca State School, Bundaberg, QLD, Australia, direct via VK4BW (Mike
Hopkins KF5LJG). Thu 2021-03-11 07:56:51 UTC 60 deg
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.
[ANS thanks Charlie Sufana, AJ9N, one of the ARISS operation team mentors
for the above information]
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Thanks for your patience.
Jack Spitznagel - KD4IZ
Assistant Editor - AMSAT News Service
kd4iz(a)arrl.net
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AMSAT NEWS SERVICE
ANS-066
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(a)amsat.org
You can sign up for free e-mail delivery of the AMSAT News Service Bulletins
via the ANS List; to join this list see:
https://mailman.amsat.org/postorius/lists/ans.amsat.org/
In this edition:
* AMSAT Ambassadors to Speak at QSO Today Virtual Ham Expo
* Revised QO-100 WB Transponder Bandplan and Operating Guidelines
* Rubins and Noguchi assemble solar array fixtures outside ISS.
* VUCC Awards-Endorsements for March 1 2021
* India, Brazil Launch Amazônia-1 On PSLV Rocket
* IARU Region 1 Participates in ITU WRC-23, Prep for 23cm Allocations
* Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for February 4, 2021
* ARISS News
* Upcoming Satellite Operations
* Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events
* Satellite Shorts From All Over
ANS-066 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 066.01
To: All RADIO AMATEURS
From: Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation
712 H Street NE Suite 1653
Washington, DC 20002
DATE 2021 March 07
AMSAT Ambassadors to Speak at QSO Today Virtual Ham Expo
Several AMSAT Ambassadors are scheduled to speak at the QSO Today Virtual
Ham Expo on Saturday, March 13, 2021. The QSO Today Virtual Ham Expo to be
held on March 12-14, 2021 features many speakers over a wide range of
technical and operating topics. Among the speakers will be two AMSAT
Ambassadors presenting in the Space Auditorium on Saturday March 13, 2021:
Working the Easy FM Amateur Satellites
Clint Bradford, K6LCS
1200-1300 EST
From getting licensed to finding local clubs to working the easy FM
amateur satellites with minimal investment! Well cover all the basics for
you with plenty of ways to submit any questions you may have afterwards.
Let's get you working the birds ASAP!
Clint Bradford has been a ham since 1994, and is also involved in the
commercial side of the communications industry. His How to Work the Amateur
Satellites With Your HT presentation has informed and delighted more than
100 audiences over the past few years - clubs, conventions, and hamfests
not only in Southern California, but also clubs across North America and
Canada. He is an ARRL educator, AMSAT Ambassador, and member of several
AMSAT chapters across the planet.
Getting on the air with Amateur Radio Satellites
Tom Schuessler, N5HYP
1700-1800 EST
Tom will provide an introduction to what you need to know to become active
on FM satellites and beyond.
Tom was licensed in 1985. Although he was aware of Amateur Radio space
communications, he thought it was just too far beyond the means of the
average ham. In 2009, he caught the bug from the late Keith Pugh, W5IU. The
realization that he already had a radio that would work with the then
existing FM satellites was all he needed. He now not only actively enjoys
communicating through the current fleet of Amateur Radio satellites, but
loves to communicate his passion and experience to those who have never yet
experienced the thrill. Professionally, Tom Has worked in the broadcast
television and video fields as a production and systems engineer.
Also scheduled to present are AMSAT's Human Space partners at ARISS:
How to Enjoy Amateur Radio Contacts with the International Space Station
Frank Bauer, KA3HDO & Rosalie White, K1STO
1600-1700 EST
You can enjoy ham radio contacts through the ARISS radios on the
International Space Station. Well explain how you can have fun trying ARISS
packet, SSTV and repeater mode. Intermediate level & even beginners learn
how to try off-the-planet hamming.
Frank H. Bauers aerospace career spans over 40 years within NASA and
private industry. Mr. Bauers primary research interests include space borne
applications of the Global Positioning System (GPS) and space vehicle
formation flying. He was the principal investigator of 4 spaceflight GPS and
formation flying experiments including the AMSAT-OSCAR-40 GPS experiment,
investigating the use of GPS above the constellation. His hobbies include
astronomy, amateur radio, and flying. Hes the founder of ARISS-USA, which
enables amateur radio on the ISS.
Rosalie White is an ARISS-US Delegate to the International Space Station
(supported by NASA). Her specialties are STEM, Aerospace, NASA, Amateur
Radio, and Aviation.
Complete information is available at https://www.qsotodayhamexpo.com.
[ANS thanks QSO Today Virtual Ham Expo for the above information.
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Join the 2021 President's Club!
Score your 2" 4-Color Accent Commemorative Coin.
This gold finished coin comes with
Full Color Certificate and Embroidered "Remove Before Flight" Key Tag
Donate today at
https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/
You won't want to miss it!
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QO-100 WB Transponder Bandplan and Operating Guidelines
Version 3 February 2021 The following updated DATV (DVB-S2) bandplan and
guidelines are designed to enable the most efficient use of the QO-100
wideband transponder (WB) for all amateur radio satellite users. Please
make sure that you understand the guidelines and follow them accordingly.
The use of DVB-S2 as the most efficient transmission mode is advised.
Additional information and graphics may be found at: https://bit.ly/2NXQYqm
[ANS thanks Peter Gülzow, DB2OS of AMSAT-DL for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Rubins and Noguchi assemble solar array support fixtures outside ISS.
NASA astronaut Kate Rubins and Soichi Noguchi, a Japanese astronaut who last
walked in space more than 15 years ago, ventured outside the International
Space Station Friday and completed assembly of two solar array support
fixtures, part of a $100 million power system upgrade.
After handling multiple struts and bolts, Rubins reported a small pin-prick
hole in one of her gloves and while there was no leakage and no emergency,
she expressed concern about moving too far from Noguchi for additional work.
Theres a hole in my right index finger through the RTV (insulation), she
told astronaut Frank Rubio in mission control. Its unchanged in
appearance. And we have a middle finger peeling, my right middle finger, and
gaps in the RTV on my left middle finger.
With installation of the solar array support fixtures complete, Rubio asked
how she felt about leaving Noguchi, moving back to the space station airlock
to drop off tools and then heading out to the European Columbus laboratory
module to complete electrical connections for a recently installed
experiment platform.
This is kind of a pinprick hole versus RTV peeling, Rubins replied. So
Im mildly concerned about going real far from Soichi.
Rubins suit maintained the proper pressure throughout, but given time lost
earlier assembling the solar array supports, flight controllers opted to
call it a day without pressing ahead with work to finish wiring up the
experiment platform. Additional Information at:https://bit.ly/3bmvUmf
[ANS thanks William Harwood of SpaceflightNow.com for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
VUCC Awards-Endorsements for March 1 2021
Here are the endorsements and new VUCC Satellite Awards issued by the ARRL
for the period February 1, 2021 through March 1, 2021. Congratulations to
all those who made the list this month!
CALL Feb Mar
XE2AT 899 946
W5RKN 739 740
N3GS 679 687
NS3L 625 650
N1AIA 494 604
PS8ET 450 550
N5BO 500 525
AF5CC 461 477
N4DCW 450 476
AK7DD 390 400
VE1VOX 170 400
W8LR 328 353
KE0WPA 229 345
N6RFM 276 302
VE4MM 263 279
K8BL 274 278
AB1OC 264 267
DF2ET 129 250
F6GLJ 103 220
N8URE (FM19)186 214
F4BKV 100 200
WD9EWK(DM23)152 166
KN2K New 155
N8URE (EL95)113 134
DL6KBG 111 125
M0SKN New 108
KC5TT New 100
N2CJ New 100
If you find errors or omissions. please contact me off-list
at<mycall>@<mycall>.com and I'll revise the announcement.
This list was developed by comparing the ARRL .pdf listings for the two
months. It's a visual comparison so omissions are possible. Apologies if
your call was not mentioned. Thanks to all those who are roving to grids
that are rarely on the birds. They are doing most of the work! Ron W5RKN
[ANS thanks Ron Parsons, W5RKN for the above information]
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Need new satellite antennas? Purchase Arrows, Alaskan Arrows,
and M2 LEO-Packs from the AMSAT Store. When you purchase through
AMSAT, a portion of the proceeds goes towards
Keeping Amateur Radio in Space.
https://amsat.org/product-category/hardware/
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India, Brazil Launch Amazônia-1 On PSLV Rocket
The Indian Space Research Organization has launched their first mission of
2021 with a flight of their Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) to deliver
Brazils Amazônia-1 satellite, along with 18 co-passengers, into
Sun-synchronous orbit.
Liftoff from First Launch Pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at
Sriharikota, India, occurred Sunday, 28 February at 10:24 IST at the launch
site which is 04:54 UTC, or Saturday, 27 February at 23:54 EST.
Amazônia-1 is the first Earth observation satellite designed, built, tested,
and operated completely by Brazil and is the first of three such satellites
planned by the National Institute of Space Research (INPE), a Brazils space
research and exploration company.
The 18 co-passengers, included 12 SpaceBEEs, SAI-1 Nanoconnect-2, Sindhu
Netra, UNITYsat, and SDSat.
The SpaceBEEs satellites, developed by Swarm Technologies Inc., will be used
for two-way satellite communication and data relay while the SAI-1
Nanoconnect-2 satellite, developed and funded by the Space Instrumentation
Laboratory of the National University of Mexico, will examine the use of the
GlobalStar satellite phone network as a secondary communication channel for
nano-satellites.
Sindhu Netra is an Indian-developed AIS-based (automatic identification
system) marine traffic monitoring satellite built by students at the
Peoples Education Society Universitys Crucible for Research and Innovation
wing. Funding was provided by the Defense Research and Development
Organization of India.
Joining its other co-passengers is the UNITYSat mission which itself
contains the JITsat, GHRCESat, and SriShakthiSat satellites. The trio of
satellites will form an amateur radio and IoT (Internet of Things) service
satellite. The mission was developed by the Jeppiaar Institute of
Technology, G. H. Raisoni College of Engineering, and the Sri Shakthi
Institute of Engineering and Technology. [No amateur frequency coordination
records appear in the IARU satellite database for these satellites -- Ed.]
SDSat (Satish Dhawan Satellite), named after the Chairman and founding
father of the Indian Space Program, was developed by SpaceKidz India to
measure magnetic fields and space radiation. The satellite also carries
25,000 names designed to create awareness and educate the general public
about space sciences.
This was the 53rd mission for the PSLV rocket and marks the first dedicated
PSLV commercial mission for New Space India Limited, an Indian government
company under the Department of Space and the commercial arm of the Indian
Space Research Organization.
[ANS thanks Spaceflight.com for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
IARU Region 1 Participates in ITU WRC-23 Preparation for 23cm Allocations
The Chair of IARU Region 1 Spectrum Affairs, Barry Lewis, G4SJH reports a
meeting of the ITU-R Working Party 4C (WP4C) was held between February
15 and 19 which discussed the amateur radio allocation at 1240 1300 MHz.
During the week 15 to 19 February, the preparatory work for WRC-23 agenda
item 9.1b continued in ITU-R Working Party 4C (WP4C). The WRC agenda item
has initiated technical studies on coexistence between the radio navigation
satellite service (RNSS) and the amateur services in the 23 cm band. As
usual, the IARU participated in the meeting and delivered key information on
amateur activities in this important microwave band. This information is
vital to ensure the amateur services are realistically represented in the
studies as they move forward.
To assist with this the IARU Region 1 is developing supporting material that
Member Societies can refer to when addressing the topic with their National
Regulator. The work on this topic will continue throughout the year and
beyond, both in ITU-R and in the regional telecommunications organisations,
and the IARU is committed to ensure every organisation understands the
amateur position on this important microwave band.
[ANS thanks JoAnne Maenpaa and the South African Radio League SARL News 28
February 2021 for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
JAMSAT Symposium 2021 Information Posted: March 2, 2021
From Google Translate: JAMSAT will hold the annual meeting and JAMSAT
Symposium 2021 as follows. This year, due to the influence of the new
corona, it will be held online. The annual general meeting is for members
only, and the symposium and the social gathering after the symposium are
open to anyone who is interested in satellite communications. We posted the
"Symposium 2021 Holding Information" earlier, but we will post it again,
including the social gathering.
Date and time:
Saturday, March 20th, General Assembly (members only)
Saturday, March 20th, 9: 00-9: 45 (Reception: Posted in newsletter)
Symposium: Saturday, March 20th, 10:00 ~ 17: 45
Social gathering: Saturday, March 20th, 18: 00 ~
Venue: ZOOM, ZOOM, free of charge, symposium
More information in Japanese available at: https://bit.ly/3uUlXEf
[ANS thanks Nao Goto of JAMSAT for the above information]
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AMSAT's GOLF Program is about getting back to higher orbits, and it all
begins with GOLF-TEE a technology demonstrator for deployable solar
panels, propulsion, and attitude control. Come along for the ride. The
journey will be worth it!
https://tinyurl.com/ANS-GOLF
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Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for March 4, 2021
The following satellite has decayed from orbit and has been removed from
this week's AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution:
TW-1C - NORAD Cat ID 40926 (Decayed 2-27-2021 per Space-Track).
[ANS thanks Ray Hoad, WA5QGD, AMSAT Orbital Elements Manager, for the above
information]
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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
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--------------------------------------------------------------------
ARISS NEWS: Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2021-03-01 22:00 UTC
Sterling MS, Ashburn, VA, multi-point telebridge via ON4ISS
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS. The downlink frequency
is presently scheduled to be 145.800 MHz. The latest information on the
operation mode can be found at
https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html. The scheduled
astronaut is Shannon Walker KD5DXB.
Contact is go for: Tue 2021-02-09 14:44:48 UTC 66 deg
Watch for live stream at https://youtu.be/qVhBweqjCo4
Red Hill Lutheran, Tustin, CA, telebridge via NA7V
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS
The downlink frequency is presently scheduled to be 145.800 MHz. The latest
information on the operation mode can be found at
https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html.
The scheduled astronaut is Mike Hopkins KF5LJG. Contact is go for: Wed
2021-02-10 18:26:15 UTC 65 deg.
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.
[ANS thanks Charlie Sufana, AJ9N, one of the ARISS operation team mentors
for the above information]
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AMSAT, along with our ARISS partners, is developing an amateur
radio package, including two-way communication capability, to
be carried on-board Gateway in lunar orbit.
Support AMSAT's projects today at https://www.amsat.org/donate/
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Upcoming Satellite Operations
Quick Hits:
Spring Training Rove! KX9X will be heading down to Ft Myers, FL the week of
March 7 for some sun and baseball. Will activate EL86 & 96 holiday style for
sure, possibly a couple other grids as well. Linear/FM. Details soon.
@K8BL will be in EM54 3/4 3/7.
@AK7DD and Ledger: We will be headed to DN41 on the 14th of March. My plan
is to hit DN30 on the way up. Our plans are to be in the area there until
around the 24th of March, and we will hit a few of our normal activation
grids on the way home, DN30, DM39 & DM49, etc. Anyhow, once we have landed
in DN41, we will be doing a handful of roves in Utah and Idaho as time
allows.
Major Roves:
W7LT: DN04/05/14/15/24/25/27/28/34/35/37/38/47/48 schedule
subject to
change due to weather and other unforeseen circumstances. Will try to stick
to it as best I can. Click here for details: https://bit.ly/3q783ew
CM93 Possibility: N6DNM Very long shot, but might want to put it on your
calendar for May 15th, if you can figure out where it is and for #SOTA
folks, that would be W6/SC-336, Santa Rosa Island, activated only once
before.
Please submit any additions or corrections to Ke0pbr (at) gmail.com
Updated 03/3/2021
[ANS thanks Paul Overn, KE0PBR, AMSAT rover page manager, and JoAnne
Maenpaa, K9JKM for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events
Want to see AMSAT in action or learn more about amateur radio in space?
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 and registered ARRL instructor Clint Bradford K6LCS AMSAT
Ambassador and ARRL registered instructor Clint Bradford, K6LCS, is
certainly keeping busy!
Think a 90-minute lively, informative, and fun How to Work the Easy
Satellites Zoom presentation would be appropriate for your convention or
club? Always includes are overviews of the ARRL, AMSAT, and ARISS
and
pre-presentation questions are solicited and welcome.
Cliff reports these upcoming satellite presentation dates:
03/10 Trenton, New Jersey
03/11 Clearwater, Florida
03/13 QSO TODAY 2021 Virtual Convention. See: https://bit.ly/2OkDRiV
03/16 Palm Springs, CA
03/20 Bonham, Texas
04/01 Orem, Utah
06/15 East Massachusetts
Send Clint an email message, and book a date! Contact:
Clint Bradford K6LCS
k6lcs at ham-sat dot info
909-999-SATS (7287)
[ANS thanks Paul Overn, KE0PBR, AMSAT Events page manager, for the above
information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Satellite Shorts From All Over
+Getting It Right: JAGSAT CubeSat Sponsor
Last week's ANS-059 AMSAT Weekly Bulletin incorrectly reported that the 2U
Cubesat JAGSAT was a project of the University of Alabama. Everyone who
knows the difference between Southern grits and Minnesota lutefisk can tell
you that the University of Alabama's mascot is an elephant named "Big Al."
JAGSAT is a project of the University of Southern Alabama whose mascot is,
of course, a Jaguar named Southpaw. ANS-059 Rotating Editor Frank
Karnauskas, N1UW apologizes for the error.
[ ANS thanks John Klingelhoeffer, WB4LNM for catching this error.]
+ Humor and News...
+ Rocket Labs CEO eats his hat because he once said he would not fly a
reusable rocket. Then came Neutron... Watch on YouTube:
https://bit.ly/3c2ErtA
[ANS thanks Orbital Index and Rocket Lab for the above information]
+ SpaceX ends 3rd Starship landing attempt in flaming success before
exploding minutes later
Third time's a charm? Not so for SpaceX, whose unmanned rocket exploded on
the ground Wednesday after carrying out what had seemed to be a successful
flight and landing -- fresh on the heels of two fiery crashes. It was yet
another flub involving a prototype of the Starship rocket, which SpaceX
hopes one day to send to Mars. "A beautiful soft landing," a SpaceX
commentator said on a live broadcast of the test flight, although flames
were coming out at the bottom and crews were trying to put them out. The
rocket exploded a few minutes later, lurching into the air and crashing back
to the ground.
More information may be found at: https://bit.ly/3v0x4vJ
[ANS thanks to the SpaceDaily.com staff writers for the above information]
+SpaceX sticks 75th Falcon rocket landing after launching 60 more Starlink
satellites
March 4, 2021
Launching through a blanket of low-hanging clouds and light mist, a SpaceX
Falcon 9 rocket thundered into the sky over Floridas Space Coast early
Thursday and delivered 60 more Starlink internet satellites to orbit. The
rockets first stage touched down on SpaceXs floating landing platform in
the Atlantic Ocean to complete its eighth trip to space and back. Additional
information at: https://bit.ly/3uTFSmX
[ANS thanks to Stephen Clark of SpaceFlightNow.com for the above
information]
AMSAT Thanks AmazonSmile Shoppers
AmazonSmile shoppers who designated Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation as
their charity have made a difference during the past holiday shopping
season. AmazonSmile reports that it has deposited a total of $498.31 to the
AMSAT coffers for purchases made between October 1 and December 31, 2020.
You can join the crowd and help AMSAT earn even more. Go to
https://smile.amazon.com to create your account and designate "Radio Amateur
Satellite Corporation" as your charity. Just remember, when you go shopping
start with AmazonSmile so your purchases are credited to AMSAT. Thank you,
shoppers!
[ANS thanks AMSAT for the above information.]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
/EX
In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership in the
President's Club. Members of the President's Club, as sustaining donors to
AMSAT Project Funds, will be eligible to receive additional benefits.
Application forms are available from the AMSAT Store.
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. Contact info [at]
amsat.org for additional student membership information.
73 and Remember to help keep amateur radio in space,
This week's ANS Editor, Jack Spitznagel, KD4IZ
kd4iz at frawg dot org
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