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ANS-245 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
by Mark Johns, K0JM 31 Aug '24

31 Aug '24

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-245 In this edition: * Seven Cubesats Deploy From ISS * AMSAT Mail Alias Service to End — FINAL NOTICE! * Japanese Company Takes First Step Toward Removing Space Junk * Halibut Electronics Releases New EggNOGS Kit for Satellite Antennas * UNNE-1 and MARIA-G Launch Delayed Until 2025 * Paul D. Graveline, K1YUB, Silent Key * Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution * ARISS News * Upcoming Satellite Operations * AMSAT Ambassador Activities * Satellite Shorts From All Over The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and information service of AMSAT, the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS publishes news related to Amateur Radio in Space including reports on the activities of a worldwide group of Amateur Radio operators who share an active interest in designing, building, launching and communicating through analog and digital Amateur Radio satellites. The news feed on http://www.amsat.org publishes news of Amateur Radio in Space as soon as our volunteers can post it. *Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to: ans-editor [at] amsat.org <http://amsat.org>* You can sign up for free e-mail delivery of the AMSAT News Service Bulletins via the ANS List; to join this list see: https://mailman.amsat.org/postorius/lists/ans.amsat.org/ ANS-245 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins From: Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation DATE: 2024 Sept 01 *The 42nd Annual AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting will be held on Friday through Saturday, October 25-26, 2024* *DoubleTree by Hilton Tampa Rocky Point Waterfront in Tampa, Florida. Click Here to Register Now <https://launch.amsat.org/event-5833792>* *Rooms can be reserved at https://www.hilton.com/en/attend-my-event/radioamateursatellite/ <https://www.hilton.com/en/attend-my-event/radioamateursatellite/>* *If you’re interested in presenting or submitting a paper, see the Call for Papers webpage <https://www.amsat.org/2024-symposium/call-for-papers-2024/>* Seven Cubesats Deploy From ISS Seven CubeSats deployed from Japanese Experiment Module “Kibo” on Thursday, August 29. According to the IARU Amateur Satellite Frequency Coordination, six of these satellites, CosmoGirl-Sat, SaganSat0, SAKURA, Binar2, Binar3 and Binar4, operate on the amateur bands. Three of them carry APRS digipeaters operating on the world-wide APRS frequency of 145.825 MHz. *Image by Cosmo Girls Amateur Radio Club* *CosmoGirl-Sat* 145.825MHz, 437.120MHz APRS VHF, callsign JS1YOI CW, 4k8 GMSK UHF A 1U cubesat built by Cosmo Girls Amateur Radio Club, a group of Japanese women established under the theme of “Getting closer to the universe.” The satellite also carries a high-resolution camera for earth imaging, as well as a short message UHF store-and-forward system. *SaganSat0* 145.825MHz, 437.050MH APRS VHF GMSK 4k8, CW UHF A 1U cubesat built by students at various high schools in the Saga Prefecture of Japan. The satellite also carries an infrared camera and gamma ray detector. *SAKURA* 145.825MHz, 437.375MHz APRS VHF GMSK 4k8 UHF A 1U cubesat built by the Chiba Institute of Technology, a university in Narashino, Japan. The satellite also carries experiments designed to monitor sunspots and solar flares, as well as to assess environmental damage on earth. *Binar-2* 437.700MHz, *Binar-3* 437.850MHz, *Binar-4* 437.925MHz CW, OQPSK 100/38.4kbps, GFSK 19.2/9.6/1.2kbps Three cubesats built by Curtin University in Australia designed to test radiation shielding materials and modeling of re-entry data from LEO. Info from 7 CubeSats were deployed from “Kibo” on Thursday, August 29, 2024. https://humans-in-space.jaxa.jp/en/biz-lab/news/detail/004129.html <https://humans-in-space.jaxa.jp/en/biz-lab/news/detail/004121.html> [ANS thanks Masa Arai, JN1GKZ, for the above information.] ------------------------------ *The 2024 AMSAT President’s Club coins are here now!* *Help Support GOLF and Fox Plus* *Join the AMSAT President’s Club today and help* *Keep Amateur Radio in Space!* *https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/* <https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/> ------------------------------ AMSAT Mail Alias Service to End — FINAL NOTICE! A long-standing member service, the AMSAT Mail Alias Service was scheduled to end on August 31, 2024, but a day or two of grace period has been added. Members should understand that the email alias service, the news and bulletin board subscription lists and the membership portal are three separate systems. *Persons using the Mail Alias Service should immediately migrate to a different email account so they do not lose receipt of personal emails. Notify your friends and business accounts of the change.* *Persons wishing to continue to receive AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins and AMSAT-BB posts or official messages from AMSAT itself should update their subscription addresses at *https://mailman.amsat.org/ *Members are especially asked to make sure they are NOT using a callsign(a)amsat.org <callsign(a)amsat.org> as their registered email address in the AMSAT membership portal. Members can easily change their registered member email address by logging into the portal and updating their profile at *https://mailman.amsat.org/. A mail alias on AMSAT.ORG permitted people to send an email to members without knowing their actual internet email address. They just needed to know their amateur radio callsign. Unfortunately, the unchecked rise in domain name hacking and email account high-jacking has made it impossible to sustain this service at a cost-effective level. The number of callsign(a)amsat.org email accounts that had been hijacked and converted to zombie spam accounts over the years had led many internet service providers and gateway centers to ban all @ amsat.org email addresses, including those business accounts of AMSAT officers and officials. The tireless efforts of AMSAT’s all volunteer IT staff has worked for years to repair much of the damage, but AMSAT still get complaints from members who are not getting their personal emails, ANS bulletins or AMSAT-BB posts because of persistent delivery problems. It has come to the point where the AMSAT volunteer IT staff can no longer keep up with the maintenance requirements to keep the alias mail list clean and to work with email gateways to remove blocks. And, after considerable investigation into alternative paid email services, AMSAT leadership decided that the money required to keep an email alias system alive would be better spent on building and flying satellites for its members. [ANS thanks the AMSAT IT Team for the above information] ------------------------------ Japanese Company Takes First Step Toward Removing Space Junk There are more than 2,000 mostly intact dead rockets circling the Earth, but until this year, no one ever launched a satellite to go see what one looked like after many years of tumbling around the planet. In February, a Japanese company named Astroscale sent a small satellite into low-Earth orbit on top of a Rocket Lab launcher. A couple of months later, Astroscale’s ADRAS-J (Active Debris Removal by Astroscale-Japan) spacecraft completed its pursuit of a Japanese rocket stuck in orbit for more than 15 years. ADRAS-J photographed the upper stage of an H-IIA rocket from a range of several hundred meters and then backed away. This was the first publicly released image of space debris captured from another spacecraft using rendezvous and proximity operations. *Astroscale’s ADRAS-J spacecraft captured these views of the H-IIA rocket upper stage on July 15. [Credit: Astroscale]* Since then, Astroscale has pulled off more complex maneuvers around the H-IIA upper stage, which hasn’t been controlled since it deployed a Japanese climate research satellite in January 2009. Astroscale attempted to complete a 360-degree fly-around of the H-IIA rocket last month, but the spacecraft triggered an autonomous abort one-third through the maneuver after detecting an attitude anomaly. ADRAS-J is the first mission to approach a piece of space debris, which comes with more challenges. The H-IIA upper stage lacks laser reflectors and targeting aids that would help an approaching spacecraft navigate its way closer. A few years ago, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) cinched a public-private partnership with Astroscale to demonstrate technologies the private sector could use to remove large pieces of space debris littering low-Earth orbit. The same robotic technologies could also apply to satellite servicing or refueling missions. With more financial assistance from JAXA, Astroscale is developing a follow-on mission called ADRAS-J2 to dock with the same H-IIA rocket visited by the ongoing mission, then steer it on a trajectory to reenter the atmosphere. Astroscale hopes a successful demonstration of this capability on the ADRAS-J2 mission will lead to more contracts from commercial or government operators to remote large pieces of space junk from orbit. An H-IIA upper stage similar to the one visited by Astroscale’s demo mission broke apart in 2019, creating more than 70 new debris fragments in low-Earth orbit. A predicted close flyby by one of the pieces from the H-IIA upper stage prompted the International Space Station to fire its engines to move out of its path in 2020. [ANS thanks Ars Technica for the above information. Read the full article at https://bit.ly/4cFO0vW.] ------------------------------ *Need new satellite antennas?* *Purchase M2 LEO-Packs from the AMSAT Store.* *When you purchase through AMSAT, a portion of the proceeds goes towards* *Keeping Amateur Radio in Space.* *https://amsat.org/product-category/hardware/ <https://amsat.org/product-category/hardware/>* ------------------------------ Halibut Electronics Releases New EggNOGS Kit for Satellite Antennas Halibut Electronics has announced the release of its latest product, the EggNOGS kit, designed to facilitate the construction of Egg Beater antennas. This kit is aimed at amateur radio enthusiasts and satellite operators who wish to enhance their communication capabilities, particularly with the SatNOGS network. Priced at $79.00, EggNOGS is available for purchase through Halibut Electronics’ website at https://electronics.halibut.com/product/eggnogs/. The EggNOGS kit is engineered to address the complexity of building Egg Beater antennas, which are known for their use in satellite communications. The kit includes a range of specialized components that are not typically available at local hardware stores. These components feature a band-specific phasing board that creates a 90-degree phase shift, a critical element in the construction of effective quadrature-fed antennas. *The parts kit. [Credit: Halibut Electronics]* Currently, the EggNOGS kit supports several frequency bands: 137.5MHz, 145.9MHz, 388.0MHz, 401.0MHz, and 436.5MHz. However, due to high demand, the kits for the 137.5MHz and 145.9MHz bands are temporarily out of stock and are expected to be back in inventory by August 28th. Customers can place back orders for these bands in the interim. The EggNOGS kit is designed to be versatile, compatible with various types of quadrature-fed antennas beyond just Egg Beaters. It can be used with turnstiles, helicals, and other balanced VHF/UHF antennas. Additionally, it works with any radio system, including low-power transmitters, making it a flexible option for a range of communication needs. *Antenna closeup [Credit: Halibut Electronics]* The kit includes essential parts such as circuit boards for signal routing and phasing, a common mode current choke, and stainless steel mounting hardware. Builders will need to source additional materials, such as a section of PVC pipe and materials for the aerial loops and ground plane, from local hardware stores. The default feed point connector is SMA, but there is an option to upgrade to BNC or Type-F connectors. The EggNOGS kit is capable of handling moderate transmit power, with the upper limit still being determined but expected to range between 15W and 50W. The kit is confirmed to handle up to 10W without issues. Halibut Electronics invites feedback from users who may need phasing boards for additional frequencies not currently offered, with the possibility of expanding the product line based on customer demand. [ANS thanks Halibut Electronics, for the above information] ------------------------------ UNNE-1 and MARIA-G Launch Delayed Until 2025 Due to the significant damage to the RFA’s One launcher stage during the static firing test at SaxaVord’s spaceport in the Shetland Islands, Scotland (UK) on August 19th, AMSAT-EA’s UNNE-1 and MARIA-G satellites launch will be delayed. They were originally planned for launch on September 30th, and now it is not expected before 2025. Video of the BBC’s coverage of the incident is available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DgEn6-8ekJQ UNNE-1 and MARIA-G are both based on the currently orbiting HADES-D (SO-121) hardware, providing a repeater service for voice and data communications in FM and FSK-derived modes. They have been designed and built by AMSAT-EA together with private sector companies and with the collaboration of Universities and educational centres. Both satellites will offer licensed radio amateurs around the world the opportunity to make FM and FSK QSOs, including FT modes, such as FT-4 and FT-8, or AX.25/APRS. The satellites will also transmit telemetry with their status, voice messages and CW. UNNE-1 includes an Arduino-based board with software from Nebrija University of Madrid. The students have developed a small decoding game with a space story as a background. The satellite sends a clue each week in its FSK telemetry so that radio amateurs can solve the challenge. This game will be detailed on the AMSAT EA website and on the Nebrija University one. MARIA-G also includes two CW reception games/challenges implemented by students from the María Guerrero high school in Collado Villalba, also from the region of Madrid. One of the games consists of receiving the coordinates of a significant place on Earth (for example a city, a monument…) and the other about receiving a code that will correspond to a question about Science. Both games will have a dedicated web page. MARIA-G also includes a small experiment, developed by the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft research center in Germany. It consists of a proof of concept for the transmission of a TS-UNB waveform from a low Earth orbit. Therefore, it will transmit a TS-UNB message according to the ETSI-TS-103-357 standard. It is intended solely as a research and development project with no commercial intention. The ITU modulation classification would be 100K W2DWW but the bandwidth will be reduced. The operation of this experiment will be carried out by AMSAT-EA. The UNNE-1 and MARIA-G satellites are part of the Erminaz mission, a joint effort of AMSAT-DL, AMSAT-EA and LibreSpace Foundation, each organization flying its own satellites and using LibreSpace’s PicoBus deployer. The mission management with the German Space Agency (DLR) and the launcher (RFA), as well as with the UK authorities, has been carried out jointly, with AMSAT DL leading it. [ANS thanks Felix Páez, EA4GQS, AMSAT EA, for the above information.] ------------------------------ Paul D. Graveline, K1YUB, Silent Key With heavy hearts, AMSAT and The AMSAT Journal mourn the passing of Journal assistant editor, Paul D. Graveline, K1YUB, on August 19, 2024. Paul served as an assistant editor for the past seven years, starting with the July/August 2017 issue. In addition to his editing and authoring contributions to the Journal, Paul also served as an active member of the CubeSatSim Educational Materials Team for AMSAT’s Educational Relations program. Here is how Paul described his ham radio exploits: “Like many future hams in the 1960s, I became interested in radio by listening to shortwave stations on my grandfather’s old huge Philco radio. “In 1960, I got a Hallicrafters S120 short wave receiver for Christmas, and I was hooked. A year later, K1DEN got me interested in ham radio. I was issued KN1YUB as a novice, and in 1963, I upgraded to General and K1YUB, which I still use today. Most of my ham operating has been using CW. “By 1973, I passed my Advanced and Extra which required 20 wpm skills. “In the 1980s, I worked and taught Novice and General license courses at Tufts Radio in Medford, MA. My time at Tufts included numerous ham conventions from Denver to Clearwater. “Along with K1TW, I helped reestablish the shortwave focused Boston Area DXers which met on the third Friday of every month. Nearly 35 years later, we still do! “More recently, I have been spending time in activities to support ham radio. “For a number of years, I’ve been an Assistant Editor for The AMSAT Journal as well as being engaged, along with KU2Y, KD2XS , KK6NOW and WD6DRI, on an AMSAT project developing the CubeSat Simulator as a learning tool. “I began following the space weather bulletins from Dr. Tamitha Skov, WX6SWW, better known as “The Space Weather Woman,” a few years back and now am a member of her steering committee, as well as being the Coordinator for her new Super Community project with the objective of sharing space weather knowledge across stakeholder communities like Aurora Chasers and Ham Radio operators. I did a cover story of Dr. Skov in The AMSAT Journal.” Paul’s good humor, dedication, enthusiasm and many contributions to AMSAT and the larger amateur radio community will be greatly missed. [ANS thanks Joe Kornowski, KB6IGK, AMSAT Journal Editor-in-Chief, for the above information] ------------------------------ *Want to fly the colors on your own grid expedition?* *Get your AMSAT car flag and other neat stuff from our Zazzle store!* *25% of the purchase price of each product goes towards* *Keeping Amateur Radio in Space* *https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear <https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear>* ------------------------------ Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution Two Line Elements or TLEs, often referred to as Keplerian elements or keps in the amateur community, are the inputs to the SGP4 standard mathematical model of spacecraft orbits used by most amateur tracking programs. Weekly updates are completely adequate for most amateur satellites. TLE bulletin files are updated daily in the first hour of the UTC day. New bulletin files will be posted immediately after reliable elements become available for new amateur satellites. More information may be found at https://www.amsat.org/keplerian-elements-resources/. No changes have been announced for this week. [ANS thanks Joe Fitzgerald, KM1P, AMSAT Orbital Elements Manager for the above information] ------------------------------ ARISS NEWS Amateurs and others around the world may listen in on contacts between amateurs operating in schools and allowing students to interact with astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station. The downlink frequency on which to listen is 145.800 MHz worldwide. Would your group like to have an ARISS contact? Here are some upcoming deadlines for be aware of: For U.S. contacts, proposals are due by 6-Sept. Contacts would be in the first half of 2025. For Europe, Africa, and the Middle East applications are due by 27-October for second half of 2025. See https://www.ariss.org/apply-to-host-an-ariss-contact.html for details. *COMPLETED:* Fasta Villa Eucaristica School, Cordoba City, Argentina, direct via LU1HKO The ISS callsign was presently scheduled to be NA1SS The crewmember was Jeanette Epps, KF5QNU. The ARISS mentor was VE3TBD. Contact was successful: Fri 2024-08-30 15:29:39 UTC 42 degrees maximum elevation. Congratulations to the Fasta Villa Eucaristica School students, Jeanette, mentor VE3TBD, and ground station LU1HKO! Livestream URL was provided to ARISS https://youtube.com/live/2oQkA6vqdu4?feature=share The crossband repeater continues to be active (145.990 MHz up {PL 67} & 437.800 MHz down). If any crewmember is so inclined, all they have to do is pick up the microphone, raise the volume up, and talk on the crossband repeater. So give a listen, you just never know. The packet system is also active (145.825 MHz up & down). The HamTV system (2395 MHz down), and the SSTV system (145.800 MHz down) are both currently STOWED and not in operation. As always, if there is an EVA, a docking, or an undocking; the ARISS radios are turned off as part of the safety protocol. Note, all times are approximate. It is recommended that you do your own orbital prediction or start listening about 10 minutes before the listed time. The latest information on the operation mode can be found at https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html The latest list of frequencies in use can be found at https://www.ariss.org/contact-the-iss.html [ANS thanks Charlie Sufana, AJ9N, one of the ARISS operation team mentors for the above information] ------------------------------ Upcoming Satellite Operations Tom, KB5FHK, will be heading home to Mississippi on Labor Day weekend. His main focus is EM41. He already posted a couple of passes on hams.at. Mitch, AD0HJ, will be heading up to Fargo/Grand Forks over Labor Day weekend “for some more gridline fun.” Look for him to activate EN06 EN07 EN08 EN16 EN17 EN18 on RS-44. Pass schedule is available on hams.at. Zach, K8ZRY, will be doing a POTA activation on the EN83/EN84 gridline over the Labor Day holiday. Pass schedule is available on hams.at. A growing number of satellite rovers are currently engaged in sharing their grid square activations on https://hams.at. By visiting the website, you gain easy access to comprehensive information about the operators responsible for activating specific grid squares. Additionally, you have the ability to assess the match score between yourself and a particular rover for a given pass, while also being able to identify the upcoming satellite passes that are accessible from your location. [ANS thanks Ian Parsons, K5ZM, AMSAT rover page manager, for the above information] ------------------------------ AMSAT Ambassador Activities AMSAT Ambassadors provide presentations, demonstrate communicating through amateur satellites, and host information tables at club meetings, hamfests, conventions, maker faires, and other events. September 7, 2024 *Greater Louisville Hamfest* Shepherdsville, KY AMSAT Forum and Information Table W4FCL October 5, 2024 *North Star Radio Convention* Hennepin Technical College (North Campus) Brooklyn Park, Minn. https://conv2023.tcfmc.org/ AMSAT Forum and Information Table KØJM and ADØHJ October 5th, 2024 *Central Kentucky Hamfest* – Highlands Baptist Church 2032 Parallel Road Lexington, KY 40502 https://www.facebook.com/w9khz/ AMSAT and Educational Satellites Forum and Information Table AI4SR and W4FCL October 5, 2024 *Radio Society of Tucson* Calvary Tucson Church 7811 E. Speedway Tucson, AZ https://k7rst.club/2024/07/tucson-autumn-ham-fest-2024/ N1UW October 18-20, 2024 *Pacificon 2024, ARRL Pacific Division Conference* San Ramon, CA WUØI October 25-27, 2004 *AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting* Double Tree Rocky Point Waterfront Hotel Tampa Bay, FL November 2-3, 2024 *Stone Mountain Hamfest, ARRL State Convention* Stone Mountain, GA K4RGK November 9, 2024 *Oro Valley Amateur Radio Club* Marana Middle School 11285 West Grier Rd. Marana, AZ 85653 https://www.tucsonhamradio.org/copy-of-hamfest-2022 N1UW February 20-22, 2025 *Yuma HAMCON* Yuma, AZ N1UW [ANS thanks the AMSAT Events page for the above information] ------------------------------ Satellite Shorts From All Over + The FUNcube Data Warehouse will be going off line on Saturday, August 31, as it transitions to a new server. The service may be down for about three days as the team has to migrate the large amount of data collected over 11 years and ensure that the service is running correctly. The dashboards will catch up if they are left connected, once the service comes on line. The team will probably turn on the collection service before the UI so that there is not to much data loss. (ANS thanks Dave Johnson, G4DPZ, of the FUNcube Team for the above information.) + NASA will return Boeing’s Starliner to Earth without astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, KD5PLB, aboard the spacecraft, the agency announced last week. The uncrewed return allows NASA and Boeing to continue gathering testing data on Starliner during its upcoming flight home, while also not accepting more risk than necessary for its crew. Wilmore and Williams, who flew to the International Space Station in June aboard NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test, have been busy supporting station research, maintenance, and Starliner system testing and data analysis, among other activities. They will continue their work formally as part of the Expedition 71/72 crew through February 2025, and will fly home aboard a Dragon spacecraft with two other crew members assigned to the agency’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission. Starliner is expected to depart from the space station and make a safe, controlled autonomous re-entry and landing in early September. (ANS thanks NASA for the above information.) + NASA astronaut Nick Hague, KG5TMV, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov will launch no earlier than Tuesday, Sept. 24, on the agency’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission to the International Space Station. NASA astronauts Zena Cardman, KJ5CMN, and Stephanie Wilson, KD5DZE, previously announced as crewmates, are eligible for reassignment on a future mission. The updated crew complement follows NASA’s decision to return the agency’s Boeing Crew Flight Test uncrewed and launch Crew-9 with two unoccupied seats. NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, KD5PLB, who launched aboard the Starliner spacecraft in June, will fly home with Hague and Gorbunov in February 2025. (ANS thanks NASA for the above information.) + The U.S. National Science Foundation National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NSF NRAO), and its administrator Associated Universities, Inc. (AUI), have created SuperKnova, an online educational platform that provides inclusive, equitable access to radio technology learning and training. Thanks to a generous grant from Amateur Radio Digital Communications (ARDC), learners can now enroll in two self-paced courses to learn the fundamentals of radio communications. The Technician Amateur Radio License and EMS Course introduces learners to the electromagnetic spectrum using amateur (ham) radio as a vehicle. (ANS thanks the National Radio Astronomy Observatory for the above information.) + Alick Gardiner, 2E0HDV, has undertaken a “retro radio” project to utilize the APRS packet digipeater aboard the International Space Station with equipment dating back to the 1980s! Alick documents how he resurrected a Commodore 64 computer and a 30+ year old AEA PK-232 “Pakratt” TNC in his blog at http://www.alickgardiner.com/c64-packet-radio/ (ANS thanks AMSAT-UK and Alick Gardiner, 2E0HDV, for the above information.) ------------------------------ Join AMSAT today at https://launch.amsat.org/ In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership to: * Societies (a recognized group, clubs or organization). * Primary and secondary school students are eligible for membership at one-half the standard yearly rate. * Post-secondary school students enrolled in at least half time status shall be eligible for the student rate for a maximum of 6 post-secondary years in this status. * Memberships are available for annual and lifetime terms. Contact info [at] amsat.org for additional membership information. 73 and remember to help Keep Amateur Radio in Space! This week’s ANS Editor, Mark Johns, KØJM mjohns [at] amsat.org

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ANS-238 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
by Mitch Ahrenstorff (AD0HJ) 24 Aug '24

24 Aug '24

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-238 In this edition: * ISRO Successfully Launches SSLV-D3, Deploys EOS-08 and SR-0 Demosat * SpaceX Transporter-11 Launches 116 Satellites, Including OreSat0.5 * Polaris Dawn Set for Historic Launch and First Commercial Spacewalk * GridMasterMap Satellite Top 100 Rovers September 2024 Rankings * Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for August 23, 2024 * ARISS News * Upcoming Satellite Operations * AMSAT Ambassador Activities * Satellite Shorts From All Over The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and information service of AMSAT, the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS publishes news related to Amateur Radio in Space including reports on the activities of a worldwide group of Amateur Radio operators who share an active interest in designing, building, launching and communicating through analog and digital Amateur Radio satellites. The news feed on https://www.amsat.org publishes news of Amateur Radio in Space as soon as our volunteers can post it. Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to: ans-editor [at] amsat.org<http://amsat.org> You can sign up for free e-mail delivery of the AMSAT News Service Bulletins via the ANS List; to join this list see: https://mailman.amsat.org/postorius/lists/ans.amsat.org/ ANS-238 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins To: All RADIO AMATEURS From: Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation 712 H Street NE, Suite 1653 Washington, DC 20002 DATE 2024 Aug 25 ________________________________ The 42nd Annual AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting will be held on Friday through Saturday, October 25-26, 2024 DoubleTree by Hilton Tampa Rocky Point Waterfront in Tampa, Florida. Click Here to Register Now<https://launch.amsat.org/event-5833792> [https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/DoubleTree-Tampa…] Rooms can be reserved at https://www.hilton.com/en/attend-my-event/radioamateursatellite/ If you're interested in presenting or submitting a paper, see the Call for Papers<https://www.amsat.org/2024-symposium/call-for-papers-2024/> webpage ________________________________ ISRO Successfully Launches SSLV-D3, Deploys EOS-08 and SR-0 Demosat The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched its third and final developmental flight of the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV-D3) on August 16, 2024. The launch, conducted from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, India, placed two satellites, EOS-08 and SR-0 Demosat, into orbit, marking the completion of the SSLV's development phase. This achievement enables the rocket's operational use by Indian industry and NewSpace India Limited (NSIL). The primary payload, EOS-08, is an Earth observation satellite developed by ISRO's U R Rao Satellite Centre. The satellite was placed into a 475-kilometer low Earth orbit about 13 minutes after liftoff. EOS-08 is equipped with three advanced payloads: the Electro Optical Infrared Payload (EOIR), the Global Navigation Satellite System-Reflectometry payload (GNSS-R), and a SiC UV Dosimeter. These instruments will support a variety of Earth and atmospheric monitoring tasks, including disaster management and environmental surveillance. EOS-08 also features several new technologies, including an integrated avionics system and flexible solar panels, which will be demonstrated during its mission. [https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ISRO-SSLV-D3-EOS…]<https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ISRO-SSLV-D3-EOS…> Liftoff of India's third SSLV rocket on Aug. 16th carrying EOS-08 and SR-0 Demosat satellites. [Credit: ISRO<https://www.isro.gov.in/>] The secondary payload, SR-0 Demosat, developed by Space Kidz India, is a 0.2kg CubeSat designed for educational and amateur radio purposes. Deployed into the same orbit as EOS-08, SR-0 Demosat is equipped with an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) and a LoRa digipeater. The satellite's mission includes raising awareness about amateur radio and nano satellites among students, transmitting health telemetry, and serving as a Digital Packet Store and Forward System for radio amateurs worldwide. Additionally, SR-0 Demosat will act as a demonstration unit to qualify a new CubeSat deployer, reflecting Space Kidz India's innovative approach to space technology. Space Kidz India, which developed SR-0 Demosat, has a history of launching educational satellites. The SR-0 Demosat continues this tradition, serving both educational and amateur radio communities. Operating on a 437.400 MHz downlink, the satellite supports various digital communication modes, including 9k6 FSK AX25, 4FSK SSDV, and 38k4 LoRa. This allows radio amateurs globally to engage with the satellite and collect valuable data. SR-0 Demosat's telemetry dashboard can be found on the SatNOGS website: https://db.satnogs.org/satellite/WZIT-9333-7102-4860-3049. [https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/SR-0-LORA-Decode…]<https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/SR-0-LORA-Decode…> SR-0 Demosat LoRa decode by Scott Chapman, K4KDR, using a STM32WL55JC2 development board. [Credit: @scott23192<https://x.com/scott23192>] ISRO Chairman S. Somanath highlighted the precise placement of the satellites, noting that the successful deployment of both EOS-08 and SR-0 Demosat underscores the SSLV's readiness for operational missions. The SSLV, known for its low cost, quick turnaround, and flexibility, is suited for launching mini, micro, and nano satellites, which are increasingly in demand for commercial and educational purposes. The SSLV-D3 launch represents a key step in India's space program. With the successful deployment of EOS-08 and SR-0 Demosat, ISRO has demonstrated its capability to deliver a range of payloads into orbit, meeting the growing needs of the global small satellite market. This mission also highlights the potential of space technology to inspire the next generation of engineers and scientists while advancing the capabilities of the amateur radio community. [ANS thanks U Tejonmayam, The Times of India<https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/>, and Space Kidz India<https://spacekidzindia.in/>, for the above information] ________________________________ SpaceX Transporter-11 Launches 116 Satellites, Including OreSat0.5 SpaceX successfully launched 116 payloads aboard its Falcon 9 rocket as part of the Transporter-11 rideshare mission on August 16, 2024. The launch occurred at 11:56 a.m. PDT from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. This mission is the latest in SpaceX's series of rideshare launches, which provide small satellites from various countries an opportunity to reach orbit without needing dedicated launch vehicles. Following stage separation, the Falcon 9's first-stage booster successfully returned to Landing Zone 4, marking its 12th flight and 20th landing at LZ-4. Transporter-11 carried a diverse range of payloads, including satellites from Japan, Chile, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Among the Australian payloads were three satellites launched by the Australian Space Agency: Kanyini, Waratah Seed-1, and Cuava-2. Waratah Seed-1, a 6U CubeSat, hosted multiple payloads, such as the Perovskites in Orbit Readiness Test (PORT-2), the Submillimeter Particle Detection System (SPaDeS), and Spiral Blue Space Edge-1 (SE-1), showcasing the collaborative nature of this mission. [https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/SpaceX-Transport…]<https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/SpaceX-Transport…> SpaceX Transporter-11 launched 116 satellite payloads on August 16th. [Credit: @GewoonLukas_<https://x.com/GewoonLukas_>] Oregon also had a key payload on Transporter-11 with the launch of OreSat0.5, the state's second satellite. Developed by the Portland State Aerospace Society (PSAS) at Portland State University, OreSat0.5 is a 2U CubeSat designed to demonstrate two critical systems: the attitude determination and control system (ADCS) of the modular OreSat bus and the Cirrus Flux Camera (CFC), which uses short-wave infrared (SWIR) technology. Deployed into a 510 km sun-synchronous low Earth orbit, the satellite began transmitting its first data beacons just 16 minutes after deployment, marking a significant milestone for the Portland State Aerospace Society team. OreSat0.5's mission includes testing an open-source ADCS designed for precise antenna and camera pointing on amateur radio satellites, and demonstrating the "DxWiFi" S-band 802.11b bidirectional radio system for high-speed (1 Mbps) communication. Additionally, it aims to provide openly published flight performance data, including power and thermal characteristics, to support the development of cost-effective, scalable satellite systems. Telemetry data from OreSat0.5 can be received on 436.500 MHz and decoded using 9600 baud GMSK with DK3WN's GetKISS+<https://www.dk3wn.info/files/getkissplus.zip> v.1.4.2 software. The telemetry dashboard is viewable on the SatNOGS website: https://db.satnogs.org/satellite/DKCD-1609-0567-7056-3922. [https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/PSAS-Oresat0.5-2…]<https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/PSAS-Oresat0.5-2…> OreSat0.5 undergoing Exolaunch CubeSat deployer integration. [Credit: Cass Blum<https://www.linkedin.com/in/cass-b-1a31a1b0/> / PSAS<https://www.pdxaerospace.org/>] Planet Labs PBC, a California-based company, contributed 36 SuperDove Earth-imaging satellites to the mission, along with the Tanager-1 hyperspectral satellite. Tanager-1, developed in collaboration with the Carbon Mapper Coalition and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, is designed to detect methane and CO2 emissions from space. This capability will enable precise monitoring of emissions from individual facilities, such as gas pipelines and coal mines, thereby enhancing efforts to combat climate change. The mission also marked a significant achievement for Exolaunch, the satellite deployment company responsible for integrating 42 of the 116 satellites on the Transporter-11 mission. This launch was Exolaunch's 30th successful integration, representing more than two dozen companies. Exolaunch CEO Robert Sproles expressed gratitude to their customers and SpaceX, emphasizing the importance of collaboration and innovation in the success of these missions. [ANS thanks Will Robinson-Smith, Spaceflight Now<https://spaceflightnow.com/>, and the Portland State Aerospace Society<https://www.pdxaerospace.org/>, for the above information] ________________________________ The 2024 AMSAT President's Club coins are here now! Help Support GOLF and Fox Plus [https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2024-Coin-Both_5…] Join the AMSAT President's Club today and help Keep Amateur Radio in Space! https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/ ________________________________ Polaris Dawn Set for Historic Launch and First Commercial Spacewalk The private astronaut mission Polaris Dawn is poised for launch on August 27, 2024, with a groundbreaking objective: the first commercial spacewalk. The four-member crew, consisting of Anna Menon, Scott Poteet, Jared Isaacman, and Sarah Gillis, arrived at the Kennedy Space Center on August 19 to finalize preparations. This mission, the first of the Polaris program, marks a significant step in commercial space exploration and is set to launch aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon atop a Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A. Scheduled to last five days, the Polaris Dawn mission will propel the Crew Dragon spacecraft to altitudes reaching 1,400 kilometers, the highest for a crewed mission since Apollo 17 in 1972. The mission's objectives are multifaceted, including testing laser intersatellite links with SpaceX's Starlink satellites and conducting 40 experiments. However, the highlight will be the spacewalk, a historic first for a private mission, and the first from a Crew Dragon spacecraft. The spacewalk will involve all four astronauts, with two emerging from the hatch in new SpaceX-developed extravehicular activity (EVA) suits for a brief yet pivotal two-hour spacewalk. [https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Polaris-Dawn-Com…]<https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Polaris-Dawn-Com…> Polaris Dawn mission will propel the Crew Dragon spacecraft to altitudes reaching 1,400 kilometers. [Credit: @PolarisProgram<https://x.com/PolarisProgram>] Jared Isaacman, the billionaire backing the Polaris program and commander of Polaris Dawn, emphasized the importance of the spacewalk during a press conference after arriving at KSC. "The idea is to learn as much as we possibly can about this suit and get it back to the engineers to inform future suit design evolutions," Isaacman stated. The spacewalk is scheduled for flight day three, with preparations beginning shortly after launch. The crew will undergo a prebreathing protocol to adjust the cabin's atmospheric pressure and increase oxygen levels, a process essential for the EVA. SpaceX engineer Sarah Gillis, serving as a mission specialist, detailed the crew's rigorous preparations. On flight day two, the astronauts will don the EVA suits for mobility tests inside the spacecraft. During the spacewalk, two astronauts, referred to as EV1 and EV2, will take turns exiting the spacecraft for approximately 15 to 20 minutes each. Isaacman noted that while the idea of a free-floating spacewalk was considered, the crew will instead perform a "hands-free" demonstration with their feet securely attached to the spacecraft's mobility aids, underscoring the mission's cautious approach. [https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Polaris-Dawn-Cre…]<https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Polaris-Dawn-Cre…> Polaris Dawn private astronaut mission crew members are shown inside a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule. [Credit: @SpaceX<https://x.com/SpaceX>] The mission's development has been intensely focused on the spacewalk and the associated EVA suits. "The EVA probably makes up the majority of the development for Polaris Dawn," Isaacman said, acknowledging the inherent risks. SpaceX vice president Bill Gerstenmaier, formerly of NASA, confirmed that extensive safety protocols have been implemented. He mentioned a recent issue where engineers identified and resolved a static electric discharge risk, ensuring the crew's safety during the spacewalk. Polaris Dawn's mission profile includes a launch window between 3:38 and 7:38 a.m. Eastern on August 27, carefully chosen to minimize risks from micrometeoroids and orbital debris. After reaching an initial orbit, the spacecraft will ascend to 1,400 kilometers before lowering to 700 kilometers for the spacewalk. The mission will conclude with a demonstration of Starlink capabilities on flight day four, followed by reentry on day six. As the first of three planned missions under the Polaris program, Polaris Dawn represents a significant leap forward in commercial spaceflight, setting the stage for future endeavors, including a potential crewed Starship launch. [ANS thanks Jeff Foust, SpaceNews<https://spacenews.com/> for the above information] ________________________________ GridMasterMap Satellite Top 100 Rovers September 2024 Rankings The September 2024 rankings for the Top 100 Rovers (Mixed LEO/MEO/GEO) in satellite operations, as determined by @GridMasterMap<https://x.com/GridMasterMap> on Twitter, has been released. The ranking is determined by the number of grids and DXCC entities activated, taking into account only those grids where a minimum number of QSOs logged on the gridmaster.fr<https://gridmaster.fr> website have been validated by a third party. Grid numbers do not directly reflect the exact number of activations. Satellite operators are encouraged to upload their LoTW satellite contacts to https://gridmaster.fr in order to provide more accurate data. Updated: 2024-08-24 1 ND9M 26 KG5CCI 51 JK2XXK 76 LU4JVE 2 NJ7H 27 N4AKV 52 AC0RA 77 AA8CH 3 JA9KRO 28 DL2GRC 53 SM3NRY 78 VE1VOX 4 N5UC 29 N5BO 54 EA4NF 79 FG8OJ 5 UT1FG 30 K8BL 55 BA1PK 80 PT9BM 6 OE3SEU 31 KE4AL 56 JL3RNZ 81 KJ7NDY 7 DL6AP 32 KB5FHK 57 AA5PK 82 KI7UXT 8 WI7P 33 VE3HLS 58 DF2ET 83 YU0W 9 DP0POL 34 KI0KB 59 KI7QEK 84 KB2YSI 10 K5ZM 35 KI7UNJ 60 SP5XSD 85 WA9JBQ 11 N6UA 36 LA9XGA 61 F4DXV 86 N6UTC 12 HA3FOK 37 F4BKV 62 AD7DB 87 N4DCW 13 WY7AA 38 PA3GAN 63 VE1CWJ 88 JM1CAX 14 N9IP 39 JO2ASQ 64 KE9AJ 89 VE3GOP 15 W5PFG 40 N7AGF 65 XE1ET 90 N0TEL 16 AK8CW 41 VK5DG 66 VA7LM 91 KG4AKV 17 AD0DX 42 XE3DX 67 N8RO 92 K6VHF 18 F5VMJ 43 KE0WPA 68 KM4LAO 93 K0FFY 19 WD9EWK 44 K7TAB 69 W8LR 94 CU2ZG 20 ND0C 45 KE0PBR 70 N4UFO 95 VE7PTN 21 AD0HJ 46 VA3VGR 71 W1AW 96 AF5CC 22 LU5ILA 47 PR8KW 72 DL4EA 97 VE6WK 23 DJ8MS 48 W7WGC 73 HB9GWJ 98 W8MTB 24 KX9X 49 N6DNM 74 PT2AP 99 DK9JC 25 ON4AUC 50 EB1AO 75 M1DDD 100 PT9ST [ANS thanks @GridMasterMap<https://x.com/GridMasterMap> for the above information] ________________________________ Need new satellite antennas? Purchase an M2 LEO-Pack from the AMSAT Store!<https://www.amsat.org/shop/> [https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/cm/LEO-Pack1-300x298.png]<https://www.amsat.org/product/m2-leo-pack-antenna-system/> When you purchase through AMSAT, a portion of the proceeds goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space. https://amsat.org/product-category/hardware/ ________________________________ Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for August 23, 2024 Two Line Elements or TLEs, often referred to as Keplerian elements or keps in the amateur community, are the inputs to the SGP4 standard mathematical model of spacecraft orbits used by most amateur tracking programs. Weekly updates are completely adequate for most amateur satellites. TLE bulletin files are updated daily in the first hour of the UTC day. New bulletin files will be posted immediately after reliable elements become available for new amateur satellites. More information may be found at https://www.amsat.org/keplerian-elements-resources/. This week there are no additions or deletions to the AMSAT TLE distribution. [ANS thanks AMSAT Orbital Elements page for the above information] ________________________________ ARISS NEWS Amateurs and others around the world may listen in on contacts between amateurs operating in schools and allowing students to interact with astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station. The downlink frequency on which to listen is 145.800 MHz worldwide. + Recently Completed Contacts Bayou Academy, Cleveland, MS, direct via W5YD The ISS callsign was NA1SS The scheduled crewmember was Sunita Williams KD5PLB The ARISS mentor was K4RGK Contact was successful: Thu 2024-08-22 16:43:06 UTC Watch the livestream at https://www.youtube.com/live/PzZuhb1bGiw Gymnasium der Stadt Meschede, Meschede, Germany, direct via DRØZ The ISS callsign was OR4ISS The scheduled crewmember was Sunita Williams KD5PLB The ARISS mentor was IN3GHZ Contact was successful: Fri 2024-08-23 08:05:04 UTC Watch the livestream at https://www.instagram.com/gds_meschede/ + Upcoming Contacts Fasta Villa Eucaristica School, Cordoba City, Argentina, direct via LU1HKO The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled crewmember is Matthew Dominick KCØTOR The ARISS mentor is VE6JBJ Contact is go for: Fri 2024-08-30 15:29:39 UTC The crossband repeater continues to be active (145.990 MHz up {PL 67} & 437.800 MHz down). If any crewmember is so inclined, all they have to do is pick up the microphone, raise the volume up, and talk on the crossband repeater. So give a listen, you just never know. The packet system is also active (145.825 MHz up & down). As always, if there is an EVA, a docking, or an undocking; the ARISS radios are turned off as part of the safety protocol. Note, all times are approximate. It is recommended that you do your own orbital prediction or start listening about 10 minutes before the listed time. The latest information on the operation mode can be found at https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html The latest list of frequencies in use can be found at https://www.ariss.org/contact-the-iss.html [ANS thanks Charlie Sufana, AJ9N, one of the ARISS operation team mentors for the above information] ________________________________ Upcoming Satellite Operations Posted August 20th by @KB5FHK_Tom<https://x.com/KB5FHK_Tom> on X (formerly Twitter): I will be heading home to MS on Labor Day weekend. My main focus is EM41. I already posted a couple of passes on hams.at<https://hams.at>. Philippe, EA4NF will be QRV (as KE4NF) from EL95 25-27 Aug. Looks like this will be FM LEO only. Log as KE4NF. A growing number of satellite rovers are currently engaged in sharing their grid square activations on https://hams.at. By visiting the website, you gain easy access to comprehensive information about the operators responsible for activating specific grid squares. Additionally, you have the ability to assess the match score between yourself and a particular rover for a given pass, while also being able to identify the upcoming satellite passes that are accessible from your location. [ANS thanks Ian Parsons, K5ZM, AMSAT rover page manager, for the above information] ________________________________ AMSAT Ambassador Activities AMSAT Ambassadors provide presentations, demonstrate communicating through amateur satellites, and host information tables at club meetings, hamfests, conventions, maker faires, and other events. AMSAT Ambassador Clint Bradford, K6LCS, says, South Africa called - and was answered! I'll be presenting "How to Work the FM Satellites with Your HT" show to a great group next month. Their "ARRL" is the South African Radio League ... and I am looking forward to meeting these fine hams. Think such a lively and informative 75-minute presentation on would be appropriate for YOUR event or club? Just let us know! Clint Bradford K6LCS clintbradford(a)mac.com<mailto:[email protected]> 909-999-SATS (7287) Northeast HamXpostion - August 22nd thru 25th, 2024 Best Western Royal Plaza Hotel & Trade Center 181 Boston Post Road West Marlborough, MA 01752 https://hamxposition.org/ Greater Louisville Hamfest - September 7th, 2024 Paroquet Springs Conference Centre 395 Paroquet Springs Drive Shepherdsville, KY 40165 https://louisvillehamfest.wixsite.com/louisvillehamfest AMSAT Forum and Information Table / W4FCL North Star Radio Convention - October 5th, 2024 Hennepin Technical College (North Campus) 9000 Brooklyn Boulevard Brooklyn Park, MN 55445 https://conv2023.tcfmc.org/ AMSAT Forum and Information Table / KØJM and ADØHJ Central Kentucky Hamfest - October 5th, 2024 Highlands Baptist Church 2032 Parallel Road Lexington, KY 40502 https://www.facebook.com/w9khz/ AMSAT and Educational Satellites Forum and Information Table / AI4SR and W4FCL Radio Society of Tucson - October 5th, 2024 Calvary Tucson Church 8711 East Speedway Boulevard Tucson AZ 85710 https://k7rst.club/2024/07/tucson-autumn-ham-fest-2024/ N1UW Pacificon 2024, ARRL Pacific Division Conference - October 18th thru 20th, 2024 San Ramon Marriott 2600 Bishop Drive San Ramon, CA 94583 https://www.pacificon.org/ WU0I 2024 AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting - October 25th thru 27th, 2024 Doubletree by Hilton Tampa Rocky Point Waterfront 3050 N Rocky Point Drive West Tampa, FL 33607 https://www.amsat.org/ Stone Mountain Hamfest, ARRL State Convention - November 2nd and 3rd, 2024 Gwinnett County Fairgrounds 2405 Sugarloaf Parkway Lawrenceville, GA 30042 https://stonemountainhamfest.com/ Oro Valley Amateur Radio Club - November 9th, 2024 Marana Middle School 11285 West Grier Road Marana, AZ 85653 https://www.tucsonhamradio.org/copy-of-hamfest-2022 N1UW Yuma HAMCON - February 20th thru 22nd, 2025 Yuma, AZ N1UW [ANS thanks Bo Lowrey, W4FCL, Director - AMSAT Ambassador Program, for the above information] ________________________________ Want to fly the colors on your own grid expedition? Get an AMSAT car flag and other neat stuff from our Zazzle store<https://www.zazzle.com/store/amsat_gear>! 25% of the purchase price of each product goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space [https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/AMSAT-Car-Flag-e…]<https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_car_flag-256716714380264543> Keeping Amateur Radio in Space https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear ________________________________ Satellite Shorts From All Over + Russia successfully launched its 89th Progress cargo spacecraft, Progress MS-28, to the International Space Station (ISS) on August 15, 2024. The uncrewed spacecraft lifted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan aboard a Soyuz rocket at 0320 UTC. Carrying nearly three tons of food, scientific equipment, and other supplies, the spacecraft autonomously docked with the ISS on August 17 at 0553 UTC, connecting to the rear port of the Zvezda service module. This docking occurred just days after the previous cargo spacecraft, Progress MS-26, was deorbited on August 12 following its six-month mission. With its arrival, Progress MS-28 joined two other freighters, including Cygnus NG-21, and three crewed spacecraft already at the ISS. The successful mission continues Russia's long-standing contribution to ISS resupply operations. (ANS thanks Mike Wall, Space.com<https://www.space.com/>, for the above information) + The European Space Agency's Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (Juice) mission is making headlines with its dual gravity assist maneuver this week. After a successful flyby of the moon on August 19, 2024, Juice passed Earth on August 20, 2024, marking the first-ever lunar-Earth double flyby. This maneuver uses Earth's gravity to adjust Juice's trajectory, setting it up for a flyby of Venus in August 2025 and ultimately aiming for Jupiter's orbit by July 2031. The spacecraft's two cameras are capturing and sending images back to Earth, while mission operators are closely monitoring the high-risk maneuver to ensure precision. With Jupiter being nearly 500 million miles away, this gravity assist strategy allows Juice to conserve fuel and carry a variety of scientific instruments. The mission's success relies on careful navigation and timing, as any deviation could jeopardize its ambitious goals. (ANS thanks Ashley Strickland, CNN<https://www.cnn.com/>, for the above information). + Space is hard: NASA's BurstCube, which deployed from the ISS in April, is a 6U CubeSat that detects gamma rays from short gamma-ray bursts, likely caused by neutron star collisions. BurstSat, unfortunately, lost one of its magnetorquers during commissioning, along with one solar panel that did not fully deploy. The team has been able to continue the satellite's mission by compensating for the malfunctioning equipment through the use of a Sun-pointing configuration. But due to these failures, the mission will likely reenter sooner than expected, around the end of 2024. [Before complaining about the failure of your favorite HamSat, consider that even NASA has issues!] (ANS thanks The Orbital Index<https://orbitalindex.com/> for the above information.) + The FCC has granted SpaceX permission to upgrade its first-generation Starlink satellites with second-generation technology, aiming to enhance broadband quality for its users. This upgrade is expected to improve service, especially in polar regions, by using advanced beam-forming and digital processing technologies. SpaceX initially launched first-generation satellites in 2019 and applied in 2023 to integrate the new technology. Despite pushback from Dish Network over potential interference issues, the FCC dismissed these concerns, supporting SpaceX's plans to optimize spectrum use and increase network capacity. SpaceX will replace the older satellites with upgraded ones as they reach the end of their operational period, rather than de-orbiting them rapidly. The overall goal is to provide more robust service to underserved areas across the country. (ANS thanks Michael Kan, PCMag<https://www.pcmag.com/>, for the above information). ________________________________ Join AMSAT today at https://launch.amsat.org/ In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership to: * Societies (a recognized group, clubs or organization). * Primary and secondary school students are eligible for membership at one-half the standard yearly rate. * Post-secondary school students enrolled in at least half-time status shall be eligible for the student rate for a maximum of 6 post-secondary years in this status. * Memberships are available for annual and lifetime terms. Contact info [at] amsat.org<https://www.amsat.org> for additional membership information. 73 and remember to help Keep Amateur Radio in Space! This week's ANS Editor, Mitch Ahrenstorff, ADØHJ ad0hj [at] amsat.org<https://www.amsat.org>

1 0

ANS-231 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
by Paul Stoetzer 17 Aug '24

17 Aug '24

*AMSAT News Service* *ANS-231* *August 18, 2024* In this edition: - Registration Now Open for the 42nd Annual AMSAT Space Symposium & Annual General Meeting - Call for Papers - AMSAT Board of Directors Election Underway - AMSAT Mail Alias Service to End August 31, 2024 - Changes to AMSAT TLE Distribution for August 16, 2024 - ARISS News - Upcoming Satellite Operations - AMSAT Ambassador Activities - Satellite Shorts From All Over The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and information service of AMSAT, The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS publishes news related to Amateur Radio in Space including reports on the activities of a worldwide group of Amateur Radio operators who share an active interest in designing, building, launching and communicating through analog and digital Amateur Radio satellites. The news feed on https://www.amsat.org publishes news of Amateur Radio in Space as soon as our volunteers can post it. Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to: ans-editor [at] amsat.org You can sign up for free e-mail delivery of the AMSAT News Service Bulletins via the ANS List; to join this list see: https://mailman.amsat.org/postorius/lists/ans.amsat.org/ ------------------------------ Registration Now Open for the 42nd Annual AMSAT Space Symposium & Annual General Meeting The 42nd Annual AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting will be held on Friday through Saturday, October 25-26, 2024, at the DoubleTree by Hilton Tampa Rocky Point Waterfront in Tampa, Florida. Highlights of all scheduled events include: - AMSAT Board of Directors Meeting, October 24-25 - 42nd AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting, October 25-26 - Friday Night Social and Auction, October 25 - AMSAT Banquet and Reception, October 26 - AMSAT Ambassador Breakfast (all are welcome), October 27 *Note – if you wish to register guests for the banquet and/or breakfast who are not attending the Symposium sessions, you must register for each event separately and include your guests with your banquet and breakfast tickets.* If you are interested in presenting or submitting a paper for inclusion in the Symposium Proceedings, please see the Call for Papers <https://www.amsat.org/2024-symposium/call-for-papers-2024/>. *IMPORTANT: The deadline for Symposium registrations if you want to include the Saturday evening banquet or Sunday breakfast is Friday, October 18th. Meals cannot be ordered after that date.* Click Here to Register Now <https://launch.amsat.org/event-5833792>Hotel Reservations The rate for a standard room with two Queen beds is $169.00 plus state and local taxes of 14.5%. Rooms may be available for check-in on Wednesday, October 23 and check out Sunday, October 27. Rooms can be reserved at https://www.hilton.com/en/attend-my-event/radioamateursatellite/. Reservations may also be made by phone at 813-888-8800. Reference AMSAT to receive the group rate. *Note: If you are planning on driving to the Symposium or renting a car, parking charges are $20 per night for overnight parking. * We, at AMSAT, are excited to be able to host our 42nd annual Symposium this year. We hope that you can join us in celebrating Amateur Radio in Space. Schedule *Thursday, October 24, 2024* 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM AMSAT Board Meeting 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM Pre-Registration Check-in *Friday, October 25, 2024* 8:00 AM – 12:00 Noon AMSAT Board Meeting (Closed Session) 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM Registration 1:00 PM – 1:15 PM AMSAT Symposium Kickoff, President’s Welcome 1:15 PM – 5:00 PM Paper Sessions 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM Informal Dinner on your own 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM AMSAT Reception and Auction, Cash Bar Available *Saturday, October 26, 2024* 8:00 AM – 11:45 AM Registration 8:00 AM – 8:15 AM AMSAT Symposium Welcome 8:15 AM – 12:00 Noon Paper Sessions 1:00 PM – 3:15 PM Paper Sessions 3:30 PM – 4:45 PM AMSAT Annual Meeting & Awards Ceremony 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM Attitude Adjustment (Social), Cash Bar 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM AMSAT Banquet, Cash Bar *Sunday, October 27, 2024* 7:30 AM – 9:00 AM AMSAT Ambassador Breakfast (All are welcome) *[ANS thanks the AMSAT Symposium Committee for the above information]* ------------------------------ Call for Papers This is the first call for papers for the 42nd annual AMSAT Space Symposium to be held on the weekend of October 25-27, 2024 at the Doubletree by Hilton Tampa Rocky Point Waterfront in Tampa, Florida. Proposals for symposium papers and presentations are invited on any topic of interest to the amateur satellite community. We request a tentative title of your presentation as soon as possible, with final copy submitted by October 18 for inclusion in the symposium proceedings. Abstracts and papers should be sent to Dan Schultz, N8FGV at n8fgv(a)usa.net *[ANS thanks Dan Schultz, N8FGV, AMSAT Symposium Proceedings Editor for the above information]* ------------------------------ AMSAT Board of Directors Election Underway The nomination period for the 2024 AMSAT Board of Directors Election ended on June 15th. The following candidates have been duly nominated: - Mark Hammond, N8MH - Frank Karnauskas, N1UW - Bruce Paige, KK5DO - Paul Stoetzer, N8HM - Douglas Tabor, N6UA As three seats on the Board of Directors are up for election this year, the three candidates receiving the largest number of votes shall be declared elected to the seats. The two candidates receiving the next largest number of votes shall be declared First Alternate and Second Alternate, respectively. The voting process is now underway. AMSAT members can find candidate statements and electronic voting information on AMSAT's Wild Apricot Membership Portal <https://launch.amsat.org/2024-BoD-Election>. The voting period will conclude on September 15th and results will be announced no later than September 30th. *[ANS thanks Jeff Davis, KE9V, AMSAT Secretary for the above information]* ------------------------------ AMSAT Mail Alias Service to End August 31, 2024 A long-standing member service, the AMSAT Mail Alias Service is scheduled to end on August 31, 2024. A mail alias on AMSAT.ORG permitted people to send an email to members without knowing their actual internet email address. They just needed to know their amateur radio callsign. Unfortunately, the unchecked rise in domain name hacking and email account high-jacking has made it impossible to sustain this service at a cost-effective level. The number of callsign(a)amsat.org email accounts that had been hijacked and converted to zombie spam accounts over the years had led many internet service providers and gateway centers to ban all @ amsat.org email addresses, including those business accounts of AMSAT officers and officials. The tireless efforts of AMSAT’s all volunteer IT staff has worked for years to repair much of the damage, but AMSAT still get complaints from members who are not getting their personal emails, ANS bulletins or AMSAT-BB posts because of persistent delivery problems. It has come to the point where the AMSAT volunteer IT staff can no longer keep up with the maintenance requirements to keep the alias mail list clean and to work with email gateways to remove blocks. And, after considerable investigation into alternative paid email services, AMSAT leadership decided that the money required to keep an email alias system alive would be better spent on building and flying satellites for its members. Persons using the Mail Alias Service should begin to migrate to different email accounts so they do not lose receipt of personal emails, AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins, AMSAT-BB posts, or official messages from AMSAT itself. Members are especially asked to make sure they are NOT using a callsign(a)amsat.org as their registered email address in the AMSAT membership portal. Members can easily change their registered member email address by logging into the portal and updating their profile. *[ANS thanks the AMSAT IT Team for the above information]* ------------------------------ *The 2024 Coins Are Here Now!Help Support GOLF and Fox Plus.**Join <https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/> the AMSAT President’s Club today!* ------------------------------ Changes to AMSAT TLE Distribution for August 16, 2024 Two Line Elements or TLEs, often referred to as Keplerian elements or keps in the amateur community, are the inputs to the SGP4 standard mathematical model of spacecraft orbits used by most amateur tracking programs. Weekly updates are completely adequate for most amateur satellites. TLE bulletin files are updated Thursday evenings around 2300 UTC, or more frequently if new high interest satellites are launched. More information may be found at https://www.amsat.org/keplerian-elements-resources/ The following satellites have been removed from this week's AMSAT TLE distribution: KASHIWA NORAD Cat ID 59508 Decayed from orbit on or about 10 August 2024 SPROUT NORAD Cat ID 39770 Decayed from orbit on or about 11 August 2024 *[ANS thanks Joe Fitzgerald, KM1P, AMSAT Orbital Elements Manager, for the above information]* ------------------------------ *Need new satellite antennas? Purchase an M2 LEO-Pack from the **AMSAT Store! <https://amsat.org/product-category/hardware/>**When you purchase through **AMSAT, a portion of the proceeds goes towards **Keeping Amateur Radio in Space.* ------------------------------ ARISS News Amateurs and others around the world may listen in on contacts between amateurs operating in schools and allowing students to interact with astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station. The downlink frequency on which to listen is 145.800 MHz worldwide. *Bayou Academy, Cleveland, MS, direct via W5YD* The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled crewmember is Sunita Williams KD5PLB The ARISS mentor is K4RGK Contact is go for: Thu 2024-08-22 16:43:06 UTC 80 deg Watch for Livestream at https://www.youtube.com/live/PzZuhb1bGiw https://live.ariss.org/ *Gymnasium der Stadt Meschede, Meschede, Germany, direct via DRØZ* The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS The scheduled crewmember is Sunita Williams KD5PLB The ARISS mentor is IN3GHZ Contact is go for: Fri 2024-08-23 08:05:04 UTC 45 deg As always, if there is an EVA, a docking, or an undocking; the ARISS radios are turned off as part of the safety protocol. The crossband repeater continues to be active (145.990 MHz up {PL 67} & 437.800 MHz down), If any crewmember is so inclined, all they have to do is pick up the microphone, raise the volume up, and talk on the crossband repeater. So give a listen, you just never know. Note, all times are approximate. It is recommended that you do your own orbital prediction or start listening about 10 minutes before the listed time. The latest information on the operation mode can be found at https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html The latest list of frequencies in use can be found at https://www.ariss.org/contact-the-iss.html *[ANS thanks Charlie Sufana, AJ9N, one of the ARISS operation team mentors for the above information]* ------------------------------ Upcoming Satellite Operations A growing number of satellite rovers are currently engaged in sharing their grid square activations on https://hams.at. By visiting the website, you gain easy access to comprehensive information about the operators responsible for activating specific grid squares. Additionally, you have the ability to assess the match score between yourself and a particular rover for a given pass, while also being able to identify the upcoming satellite passes that are accessible from your location. Philippe, EA4NF will be QRV (*as KE4NF*) from *EL94* 13-17 Aug, then *EL95* 25-27 Aug. Looks like this will be FM LEO only. *Log as KE4NF.* In between these two activations, Philippe will activate Grenada (FK92) as J38NF on FM satellites, August 18-23. *Log as J38NF.* *[ANS thanks Ian Parsons, K5ZM, AMSAT Rover Page Manager, for the above information]* ------------------------------ * Want to fly the colors on your own grid expedition?* Get an AMSAT car flag and other neat stuff from our Zazzle store <https://www.zazzle.com/store/amsat_gear>! 25% of the purchase price of each product goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space ------------------------------ AMSAT Ambassador Activities AMSAT Ambassadors provide presentations, demonstrate communicating through amateur satellites, and host information tables at club meetings, hamfests, conventions, maker faires, and other events. AMSAT Ambassador Clint Bradford, K6LCS, says, "Think a 75-minute presentation on "working the easy satellites" would be appropriate for your club or event? Let me know by emailing me at k6lcsclint (at) gmail (dot) com or calling me at 909-999-SATS (7287)!" Clint has NEVER given the exact same show twice: EACH of the 150+ presentations so far has been customized/tailored to their audiences. Scheduled Events *Northeast HamXpostion**August 22-25, 2024* Best Western Royal Plaza Hotel & Trade Center 181 Boston Post Road W Marlborough, MA 01752 *Greater Louisville Hamfest**September 7, 2024* Shepherdsville, KY AMSAT Forum and Information Table W4FCL *Central Kentucky Hamfest**October 5, 2024* Lexington, KY AMSAT and Educational Satellites Forum and Information Table AI4SR and W4FCL *North Star Radio Convention**October 5, 2024* Hennepin Technical College (North Campus) Brooklyn Park, Minn. AMSAT Forum and Information Table KØJM and ADØHJ *Radio Society of Tucson* *October 5, 2024* Calvary Tucson Church 7811 E. Speedway Tucson, AZ https://k7rst.club/2024/07/tucson-autumn-ham-fest-2024/ N1UW *Pacificon 2024, ARRL Pacific Division Conference* *October 18-20, 2024* San Ramon, CA WU0I *2024 AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting**October 25-27, 2024* Doubletree by Hilton Tampa Rocky Point Waterfront 3050 N Rocky Point Dr W Tampa, FL 33607 *Stone Mountain Hamfest, ARRL State Convention* *November 2-3, 2024* Stone Mountain, GA K4RGK *Oro Valley Amateur Radio Club* *November 9, 2024* Marana Middle School 11285 West Grier Rd. Marana, AZ 85653 https://www.tucsonhamradio.org/copy-of-hamfest-2022 N1UW *Yuma HAMCON* *February 20-22, 2025* Yuma, AZ N1UW *[ANS thanks Bo Lowrey, W4FCL, Director – AMSAT Ambassador Program, for the above information]* ------------------------------ Satellite Shorts from All Over + A Chinese Long March 6A rocket launched 18 Qianfan broadband Internet satellites into polar orbit last week. Shanghai Spacecom Satellite Technology (SSST)’s new constellation, translated as "Thousand Sails," may grow to as many as 14,000 satellites. It joins potentially two other under-development broadband Chinese megaconstellations, each proposing over 10,000 satellites, in competition with OneWeb, Kupier, and Starlink. Unfortunately, the LM-6A’s upper stage appears to have malfunctioned and scattered over 700 pieces of space debris in a fairly high 800 km orbit (again). The debris at this altitude will likely take about a century for orbital decay. (ANS thanks The Orbital Index for the above information) + Orbital Space has announced its Lunar Program to send a student-built experiment to the Moon, marking the Arab world’s first privately funded lunar mission. The experiment by students from AGH University of Science and Technology in Poland focuses on analyzing interactions between lunar regolith and various materials that could be used in making cables and connectors for future lunar missions. Astrobotic will carry the payload on its third lunar mission aboard a Griffin-class lunar lander, targeting launch no earlier than Q4 2026. (ANS thanks Spacewatch Global for the above information) + The 2024 Olympic Games officially began in Paris, France on July 26, with athletes coming from around the world to compete. Meanwhile, above the world — on our orbiting laboratory, the International Space Station — NASA's astronauts got into the Olympic spirit. Check out their training montage from space, followed by a message to Earth from astronaut Matt Dominick at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycDoaIn6wuk (ANS thanks The Orbital Index and NASA for the above information) + From Dave, G4DPZ, regarding the FUNcube Data Warehouse: "Our hosting provider has told us that they will be migrating our services to a new virtual machine on the 1st of September. Unfortunately the versions of the MySQL database server and Java runtime available on the new instance are not compatible with the current application implementation. Therefore I have to rebuild the development tool chain and migrate the application to suit the new instance. The work is underway but may take us into early September. We do know that database table migration works as we have already done a test of migrating the several GB of database between machines. If we do have any outage, the dashboards will upload when they detect the new instance is alive." (ANS thanks Dave Johnson, G4DPZ, Hon. Sec., AMSAT-UK, for the above information) + The SpaceX Transporter-11 rideshare mission launched 116 payloads from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on August 16th. Four of these payloads carry transmitters on amateur bands. NIGHTJAR and TORO carry amateur UHF transmitters, but are not IARU coordinated. QUBE carries an amateur UHF transmitter, but its IARU coordination was declined. ORESAT0.5 is the sole IARU coordinated amateur mission on this launch with downlinks of 436.500 MHz and 2422.0 MHz. More information about ORESAT can be found at https://www.oresat.org/satellites/oresat0-5. Discussion regarding this launch can be found on the LibreSpace forum at https://community.libre.space/t/spacex-f9-transporter-11-rideshare-vsfb-slc… (ANS thanks LibreSpace and the ORESAT team for the above information) + Three AMSAT GridMaster Awards were awarded over the past week: #67 was awarded to Endaf, N6UTC, #68 was awarded to Raymond, KN2K, and #69 was awarded to Steven, KC1MMC. Congratulations to both. Additionally, two Reverse VUCC Awards were issued. #15 was awarded to Sean, KX9X, with 103 grids and #16 was issued to Randy, ND0C, with 109 grids. Congratulations to all the new award recipients! More information about AMSAT's awards program can be found at https://www.amsat.org/awards-2/ (ANS thanks Bruce Paige, KK5DO, AMSAT Director of Contests and Awards for the above information) + IO-117's digipeater has not been operational for the past week. No further information is available regarding its status or expected timeframe for a potential return to service. + AMSAT's Operations team, in coordination with the University of Maine and AMSAT Engineering, continues to work to complete MESAT1's science mission. More telemetry coverage is needed! If you have UHF receive capability, please download FoxTelem <https://www.amsat.org/tlm/> and help us capture more data. (ANS thanks AMSAT for the above information) ------------------------------ Join AMSAT today at https://launch.amsat.org/ In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership to: - Societies (a recognized group, clubs or organization). - Primary and secondary school students are eligible for membership at one-half the standard yearly rate. - Post-secondary school students enrolled in at least half time status shall be eligible for the student rate for a maximum of 6 post-secondary years in this status. - Memberships are available for annual and lifetime terms. Contact info [at] amsat.org for additional membership information. *73 and remember to help Keep Amateur Radio in Space!* *This week's ANS Editor,* *Paul Stoetzer, N8HM* *n8hm [at] arrl.net <http://arrl.net>* *ANS is a service of AMSAT, the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation, 712 H Street NE, Suite 1653, Washington, DC 20002*

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ANS-226 AMSAT News Service Special Bulletin - Registration Now Open for the 42nd Annual AMSAT Space Symposium & Annual General Meeting
by Paul Stoetzer 13 Aug '24

13 Aug '24

*AMSAT News Service Special Bulletin* *ANS-226* *August 13, 2024* In this edition: - Registration Now Open for the 42nd Annual AMSAT Space Symposium & Annual General Meeting - Call for Papers The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and information service of AMSAT, The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS publishes news related to Amateur Radio in Space including reports on the activities of a worldwide group of Amateur Radio operators who share an active interest in designing, building, launching and communicating through analog and digital Amateur Radio satellites. The news feed on https://www.amsat.org publishes news of Amateur Radio in Space as soon as our volunteers can post it. Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to: ans-editor [at] amsat.org You can sign up for free e-mail delivery of the AMSAT News Service Bulletins via the ANS List; to join this list see: https://mailman.amsat.org/postorius/lists/ans.amsat.org/ ------------------------------ Registration Now Open for the 42nd Annual AMSAT Space Symposium & Annual General Meeting The 42nd Annual AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting will be held on Friday through Saturday, October 25-26, 2024, at the DoubleTree by Hilton Tampa Rocky Point Waterfront in Tampa, Florida. Highlights of all scheduled events include: - AMSAT Board of Directors Meeting, October 24-25 - 42nd AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting, October 25-26 - Friday Night Social and Auction, October 25 - AMSAT Banquet and Reception, October 26 - AMSAT Ambassador Breakfast (all are welcome), October 27 *Note – if you wish to register guests for the banquet and/or breakfast who are not attending the Symposium sessions, you must register for each event separately and include your guests with your banquet and breakfast tickets.* If you are interested in presenting or submitting a paper for inclusion in the Symposium Proceedings, please see the Call for Papers <https://www.amsat.org/2024-symposium/call-for-papers-2024/>. *IMPORTANT: The deadline for Symposium registrations if you want to include the Saturday evening banquet or Sunday breakfast is Friday, October 18th. Meals cannot be ordered after that date.* Click Here to Register Now <https://launch.amsat.org/event-5833792>Hotel Reservations The rate for a standard room with two Queen beds or one King bed suite with sofa bed is $169.00 plus state and local taxes of 14.5%. Rooms may be available for check-in on Wednesday, October 23 and check out Sunday, October 27. Rooms can be reserved at https://www.hilton.com/en/attend-my-event/radioamateursatellite/. Reservations may also be made by phone at 813-888-8800. Reference AMSAT to receive the group rate. We, at AMSAT, are excited to be able to host our 42nd annual Symposium this year. We hope that you can join us in celebrating Amateur Radio in Space. Schedule *Thursday, October 24, 2024* 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM AMSAT Board Meeting 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM Pre-Registration Check-in *Friday, October 25, 2024* 8:00 AM – 12:00 Noon AMSAT Board Meeting (Closed Session) 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM Registration 1:00 PM – 1:15 PM AMSAT Symposium Kickoff, President’s Welcome 1:15 PM – 5:00 PM Paper Sessions 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM Informal Dinner on your own 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM AMSAT Reception and Auction, Cash Bar Available *Saturday, October 26, 2024* 8:00 AM – 11:45 AM Registration 8:00 AM – 8:15 AM AMSAT Symposium Welcome 8:15 AM – 12:00 Noon Paper Sessions 1:00 PM – 3:15 PM Paper Sessions 3:30 PM – 4:45 PM AMSAT Annual Meeting & Awards Ceremony 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM Attitude Adjustment (Social), Cash Bar 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM AMSAT Banquet, Cash Bar *Sunday, October 27, 2024* 7:30 AM – 9:00 AM AMSAT Ambassador Breakfast (All are welcome) *[ANS thanks the AMSAT Symposium Committee for the above information]* ------------------------------ Call for Papers This is the first call for papers for the 42nd annual AMSAT Space Symposium to be held on the weekend of October 25-27, 2024 at the Doubletree by Hilton Tampa Rocky Point Waterfront in Tampa, Florida. Proposals for symposium papers and presentations are invited on any topic of interest to the amateur satellite community. We request a tentative title of your presentation as soon as possible, with final copy submitted by October 18 for inclusion in the symposium proceedings. Abstracts and papers should be sent to Dan Schultz, N8FGV at n8fgv(a)usa.net *[ANS thanks Dan Schultz, N8FGV, AMSAT Symposium Proceedings Editor for the above information]* ------------------------------ Join AMSAT today at https://launch.amsat.org/ In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership to: - Societies (a recognized group, clubs or organization). - Primary and secondary school students are eligible for membership at one-half the standard yearly rate. - Post-secondary school students enrolled in at least half time status shall be eligible for the student rate for a maximum of 6 post-secondary years in this status. - Memberships are available for annual and lifetime terms. Contact info [at] amsat.org for additional membership information. *73 and remember to help Keep Amateur Radio in Space!* *This week's ANS Contributing Editor,* *Paul Stoetzer, N8HM* *n8hm [at] arrl.net <http://arrl.net>* *ANS is a service of AMSAT, the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation, 712 H Street NE, Suite 1653, Washington, DC 20002*

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ANS-224 AMSAT New Service Weekly Bulletins
by Frank Karnauskas (N1UW) 10 Aug '24

10 Aug '24

In this edition: * 42nd Annual AMSAT Space Symposium & Annual General Meeting October 24-27 * QCWA Awards AMSAT Youth and Education Programs $2,500 * VUCC Satellite Standing August 2024 * AMSAT EA’s GENESIS-A Launched * NASA Seeks Student Missions to Send to Space in 2026, Beyond * Changes to AMSAT TLE Distribution for August 9, 2024 * ARISS News * Upcoming Satellite Operations * Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events * Satellite Shorts From All Over The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and information service of AMSAT, the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS publishes news related to Amateur Radio in Space including reports on the activities of a worldwide group of Amateur Radio operators who share an active interest in designing, building, launching and communicating through analog and digital Amateur Radio satellites. The news feed on http://www.amsat.org publishes news of Amateur Radio in Space as soon as our volunteers can post it. Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to: ans-editor [at] amsat [dot] org. You can sign up for free e-mail delivery of the AMSAT News Service Bulletins via the ANS List; to join this list see: https://mailman.amsat.org/postorius/lists/ans.amsat.org/ ANS-224 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins To: All RADIO AMATEURS From: Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation 712 H Street NE, Suite 1653 Washington, DC 20002 DATE 2024 Aug 11 42nd Annual AMSAT Space Symposium & Annual General Meeting October 24-27 Mark your calendar now for the 42nd Annual 2024 AMSAT Space Symposium and General Meeting, October 25-27, 2024 in Tampa, Florida. [cid:[email protected]] The event will be held October 25-27, 2024 at the Doubletree by Hilton Tampa Rocky Point Waterfront. Special group rate of $169 plus taxes and fees is for a standard 2-queen room. Overnight car parking is an additional $20 per night. Note: The block of rooms for the Symposium had not been released at the time of this publication. Watch for an announcement on how to make your hotel reservations later this week. [ANS thanks AMSAT for the above information.] ________________________________ The 2024 AMSAT President’s Club coins are here now! Help Support GOLF and Fox Plus [cid:[email protected]] Join the AMSAT President’s Club today and help Keep Amateur Radio in Space! https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/ ________________________________ QCWA Awards AMSAT Youth and Education Programs $2,500 Responding to a competitive Request for Proposal by the Quarter Century Wireless Association, Alan Johnston, KU2Y, AMSAT VP-Educational Relations and Frank Karnauskas, N1UW, AMSAT VP-Development submitted a request for funds to support AMSAT’s youth and educational programs. The request was fully consistent with the QCWA’s Mission Statement which reads in part “to promote interest in Amateur Radio communications and the advancement of the electronic art” especially among boys and girls essential to keep Amateur Radio and AMSAT’s ranks filled for the future growth of the hobby. [cid:[email protected]] In response to its proposal, the QCWA generously awarded $2,500 to AMSAT on June 4, 2024 for its youth and educational programs. Building on Dr. Alan Johnston, KU2Y’s ground breaking CubeSat Simulator, the QCWA contribution will help bring actual “CubeSatSims” to more classrooms, enhance instructional materials and to help build a network of online simulators to bring the benefits of this exciting resource directly to youth, their families and to educational resources of all types. A portion of this generous gift will also be used to further the curriculum of AMSAT’s “KidzSat” program, designed to spark youth’s interest in space communications with its theme, “Satellites in Space for a Better Life Here on Earth.” For older youth the “BuzzSat” program uses Amateur Radio as the laboratory for hands-on experiences with telemetry, control and communications. In recognition of the QCWA’s contribution to AMSAT programs, the QCWA was inducted into the AMSAT 2024 President’s Club at the Platinum level. Upon receiving news of the award, Karnauskas remarked, “Thanks to the vision of generous benefactors such as the QCWA, AMSAT is better equipped to help bring more youth into the exciting world of satellite communications and the benefits it can bring to mankind – Satellites in Space for a Better Life on Earth!” [ANS thanks AMSAT for the above information.] ________________________________ Need new satellite antennas? Purchase M2 LEO-Packs from the AMSAT Store. [cid:[email protected]] When you purchase through AMSAT, a portion of the proceeds goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space. https://amsat.org/product-category/hardware/ ________________________________ VUCC Satellite Standing August 2024 VUCC Satellite Award/Endorsement Change Summary for May 13, 2024 to August 01, 2024. DF2ET 1402 1500 N0JE 1206 1225 WI7P 1050 1078 JK2XXK 903 1036 EA2AA 931 954 FG8OJ 888 921 KK4YEL 768 799 N8MR 706 731 JS1LQI 617 701 N3CAL 637 653 N7ZO 600 650 LA6OP 600 632 IK7FMQ 550 626 AC9DX 525 625 EA3TA 503 607 N5EKO 550 581 LY4AA 505 555 AD2DD 403 517 KF2T 399 505 AL7ID 425 502 N6PAZ 400 450 AG4W 314 423 KF0QS 301 400 W9FF 284 400 K6VHF 350 376 KB3IAI 254 358 DJ7NT 234 348 AG1A 200 301 N8HRZ 102 298 KB9DAK 255 278 N4QWF 136 255 KH6WI/W9 (EN54) New 250 KB4DSL 127 226 K0JQZ New 205 K5WO New 200 WD9EWK (DM31) 195 200 KD8RTT 101 150 BI8FFH New 132 G4BWP New 123 ER1KW New 111 XE1RCU New 108 BG6HXD New 103 KK7OVF New 103 N6NU New 103 W4BB New 100 Congratulations to the new VUCC holders. ER1KW is first VUCC Satellite holder from Moldova and KN46 KH6WI/W9 (EN54) is first VUCC Satellite holder from EN54 BI8FFH is first VUCC Satellite holder from PM06 G4BWP is first VUCC Satellite holder from JO02 BG6HXD is first VUCC Satellite holder from OM83 W4BB is first VUCC Satellite holder from FM04 [ANS thanks Jon Goering, N7AZ, for the above information.] ________________________________ AMSAT EA’s GENESIS-A Launched AMSAT EA’s GENESIS-A module, attached to the upper stage of the Ariane-6 launcher, was put into orbit with the inaugural launch of the said rocket on July 9, 2024 from French Guiana. The module was programmed to transmit FT-8, which is, as far as the project managers know, the first time that this modulation has been used from space, as well as SSTV. Although its reception seemed impossible, a station located in Delft, the Netherlands, confirmed the reception and decoding of FT-8, as well as the reception of SSTV in orbits 3 and 4 that the stage carried out over Europe. [cid:[email protected]] The station, belonging to the Von Storch Engineering company, has provided the IQ files of the recordings for analysis by AMSAT-EA. Although the stage was expected to fall into the sea, this did not happen and the GENESIS-A module remains in orbit with the stage. ESA was asked about the availability of power in the launcher stage and about the possibility of restarting the module, but the battery pack that powered YPSAT and the GENESIS-A module was completely depleted, so there is no real possibility of restarting it. [ANS thanks Felix Paez, EA4GQS, AMSAT EA for the above information.] ________________________________ NASA Seeks Student Missions to Send to Space in 2026, Beyond NASA announced a new round of opportunities for CubeSat, developers to build spacecrafts that will fly on upcoming launches through the agency’s CSLI (CubeSat Launch Initiative). CubeSats are a class of small spacecraft called nanosatellites. The initiative provides space access to U.S. educational institutions, certain non-profit organizations, and informal educational institutions such as museums and science centers, as well as NASA centers focused on workforce development, including the agency’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in southern California. It also encourages participation by minority serving institutions. “Working with CubeSats is a way to get students interested in launching a career in the space industry,” said Jeanie Hall, CSLI program executive at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “NASA reviews applications for CubeSat missions every year and selects projects with an educational component that also can benefit the agency in better understanding education, science, exploration, and technology.” Applicants must submit proposals by 5 p.m. EST, Nov. 15. NASA expects to make selections by March 14, 2025, for flight opportunities in 2026-2029, although selection does not guarantee a launch opportunity. Applicants are responsible for funding the development of the small satellites. Selected CubeSats get assigned a launch and deployment directly from a rocket or to low Earth orbit from the International Space Station. Once accepted, NASA mission managers act as advisors to the CubeSat team, ensuring technical, safety, and regulatory requirements are satisfied before launch. Those selected will strengthen their skills in hardware design and development and build knowledge in operating the CubeSats. Eight CubeSat missions recently shared a ride to space on Firefly Aerospace’s Alpha rocket that launched on July 3 from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. One mission is CatSat, built by students at the University of Arizona, which is testing a deployable antenna attached to a Mylar balloon. Another is KUbeSat-1, built by the University of Kansas, is testing a new method of measuring the cosmic rays that hit the Earth. This launch also was notable for two CSLI ‘first’ milestones. The KUbeSat-1 and another called MESAT-1 were the first CSLI missions from the states of Kansas and Maine respectively. Four CubeSats also went to the space station as cargo in a SpaceX Dragon capsule on March 21 aboard a Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida as part of the agency’s SpaceX 30th commercial resupply mission. Once aboard the space station, astronauts deployed the small missions into various orbits to demonstrate and mature technologies meant to improve solar power generation, detect gamma ray bursts, determine crop water usage, and measure root-zone soil and snowpack moisture levels. CubeSats are a class of spacecraft sized in multiples of a standardized unit called a “U.” A 1-Unit (1U) CubeSat is about 10 x 10 x 11 cm in size (3.9 x 3.9 x 4.5 inches). They are small enough to fit in the palm of your hand and can be stacked together to form a slightly larger, more capable spacecraft. A 3U CubeSat is three times the size of a 1U, a 6U is six times the size. NASA has selected CubeSat missions from 45 states, Washington, and Puerto Rico, and launched about 160 CubeSats since inception. The CubeSat Launch Initiative is managed by NASA’s Launch Services Program based at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. To learn more information about CSLI, visit: https://go.nasa.gov/CubeSat_initiative [ANS thanks JoAnne Maenpaa, K9JKM, and NASA for the above information.] ________________________________ Want to fly the colors on your own grid expedition? [cid:[email protected]] Get your AMSAT car flag and other neat stuff from our Zazzle store! 25% of the purchase price of each product goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear ________________________________ Changes to AMSAT TLE Distribution for August 9, 2024 Two Line Elements or TLEs, often referred to as Keplerian elements or keps in the amateur community, are the inputs to the SGP4 standard mathematical model of spacecraft orbits used by most amateur tracking programs. Weekly updates are completely adequate for most amateur satellites. TLE bulletin files are updated daily in the first hour of the UTC day. New bulletin files will be posted immediately after reliable elements become available for new amateur satellites. More information may be found at https://www.amsat.org/keplerian-elements-resources/. The following satellites have been removed from this week’s AMSAT TLE distribution: YUSAT 1 NORAD Cat ID 47439 Decayed from orbit on or about 3 August 2024 TEVEL-1 NORAD Cat ID 51013 Decayed from orbit on or about 3 August 2024 TEVEL-3 NORAD Cat ID 50988 Decayed from orbit on or about 3 August 2024 TEVEL-8 NORAD Cat ID 50989 Decayed from orbit on or about 3 August 2024 TEVEL-7 NORAD Cat ID 51062 Decayed from orbit on or about 3 August 2024 TEVEL-4 NORAD Cat ID 51063 Decayed from orbit on or about 3 August 2024 TEVEL-2 NORAD Cat ID 51069 Decayed from orbit on or about 3 August 2024 [ANS thanks Joe Fitzgerald, KM1P, AMSAT Orbital Elements Manager, for the above information.] ________________________________ ARISS NEWS Amateurs and others around the world may listen in on contacts between amateurs operating in schools and allowing students to interact with astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station. The downlink frequency on which to listen is 145.800 MHz worldwide. [ARISS News] Upcoming Contacts A.G. Nikolaev Secondary School, Shorshel, Chuvashia, Russia direct via TBD. The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RS0ISS. The scheduled crewmember is Nikolay Chub. The ARISS mentor is A.R.C. ENERGIA,RV3DR. Contact is go for Sunday, August 11, 2024 at 08:20 UTC. Blackwater State High School, Blackwater, QLD, Australia, telebridge via ON4ISS. The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS. The scheduled crewmember is Matthew Dominick, KCØTOR. The ARISS mentor is Shane Lynd, VK4KHZ. Contact is go for: Thursday, August 15, 2024 at 09:43:18 UTC. Pacific Science Center, Seattle, WA, direct via W7AW. The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS. The scheduled crewmember is Jeanette Epps, KF5QNU. The ARISS mentor is Ryan Krenzischek, W4NTR. Contact is go: Friday, August 16, 2024 at 18:14:35 UTC. Tuskegee Airmen Inc. National Convention, Arlington Virginia, telebridge via K6DUE. The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS. The scheduled crewmember is Jeanette Epps, KF5QNU. The ARISS mentor is Frank Bauer, KA3HDO. Contact is go for: Saturday, August 17, 2024 at 17:34:57 UTC. Completed Contacts International Astronomical Union (IAU) General Assembly 2024, Cape Town, South Africa, telebridge via VK6MJ. The ISS callsign was NA1SS. The crewmember was Sunita Williams, KD5PLB. The ARISS mentor was Frank Bauer, KA3HDO. Contact was successful on Friday, August 9 2024. Children’s camp “Shtormovoy” of the All-Russian Children’s Center “Orlyonok”, Orlyonok, Russia, direct via RO6C. The ISS callsign was RS0ISS. The crewmember was Nikolay Chub. The ARISS mentor was A.R.C. ENERGIA, RV3DR. Contact was successful: Saturday, August 3, 2024. The crossband repeater continues to be active (145.990 MHz up {PL 67} & 437.800 MHz down). If any crewmember is so inclined, all they have to do is pick up the microphone, raise the volume up, and talk on the crossband repeater. So give a listen, you just never know. The packet system is also active (145.825 MHz up & down). As always, if there is an EVA, a docking, or an undocking; the ARISS radios are turned off as part of the safety protocol. Note, all times are approximate. It is recommended that you do your own orbital prediction or start listening about 10 minutes before the listed time. The latest information on the operation mode can be found at https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html The latest list of frequencies in use can be found at https://www.ariss.org/contact-the-iss.html [ANS thanks Charlie Sufana, AJ9N, one of the ARISS operation team mentors for the above information.] ________________________________ Upcoming Satellite Operations Philippe, EA4NF will be QRV (as KE4NF) from EL94 13-17 Aug, then EL95 25-27 Aug. Looks like this will be FM LEO only. Log as KE4NF Jonathan @N4AKV has posted an ambitious August roving schedule on his qrz.com page. Tentative plans for a major satellite and 6m road trip through Maine, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, and St. Pierre and Miquelon this summer. Satellite passes listed on https://hams.at for the next week include grid squares FN43, FN53, and GN16. A growing number of satellite rovers are currently engaged in sharing their grid square activations on https://hams.at. By visiting the website, you gain easy access to comprehensive information about the operators responsible for activating specific grid squares. Additionally, you have the ability to assess the match score between yourself and a particular rover for a given pass, while also being able to identify the upcoming satellite passes that are accessible from your location. [ANS thanks Ian Parsons, K5ZM, AMSAT Rover Page Manager, and Alex Ners, K6VHF, for the above information.] ________________________________ 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. [cid:[email protected]] August 17-18, 2024 Huntsville Hamfest Huntsville, AL AMSAT Booth and Forum N8DEU and W4FCL August 22-25, 2024 Northeast HamXpostion Best Western Royal Plaza Hotel & Trade Center 181 Boston Post Road W Marlborough, MA 01752 W1EME and WD4ASW September 7, 2024 Greater Louisville Hamfest Shepherdsville, KY AMSAT Forum and Information Table W4FCL October 5, 2024 North Star Radio Convention Hennepin Technical College (North Campus) Brooklyn Park, Minn. AMSAT Forum and Information Table KØJM and ADØHJ October 18-20, 2024 Pacificon 2024, ARRL Pacific Division Conference San Ramon, CA WU0I October 25-27, 2004 AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting Double Tree Rocky Point Waterfront Hotel Tampa Bay, FL November 2-3, 2024 Stone Mountain Hamfest, ARRL State Convention Stone Mountain, GA K4RGK [ANS thanks Bo Lowrey, K4FCL, Director, AMSAT Ambassador Program for the above information.] ________________________________ Satellite Shorts From All Over Zeke Wheeler, KJ7NLL’s Desktop Satellite Tracker won First Place in Engineering and Best of Fair at the 2024 Oregon State Science Fair (Northwest Science Expo), Middle School level. Zeke presented “An Affordable Portable Orbital Desktop Satellite Tracker” at the 2024 Crowd Supply Teardown Conference. Watch Zeke’s presentation at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzeoxti90Wo. [ANS thanks AMSAT for the above information.] A Chinese Long March 6A rocket broke apart in low-Earth orbit and formed a debris field with hundreds of pieces, confirmed by U.S. Space Command. “USSPACECOM has observed no immediate threats and continues to conduct routine conjunction assessments to support the safety and sustainability of the space domain,” a U.S. Space Command spokesperson said. NASA public affairs officer Rob Margetta said there was no immediate threat to the International Space Station. Satellite monitoring company LeoLabs estimated there were at least 700 fragments created by the rocket’s break-up. While there’s no immediate danger, it’s possible that the fragments could eventually descend to where the space station and SpaceX’s Starlink satellites are located. Slingshot Aerospace said debris from the rocket poses “a significant hazard to LEO [low-Earth orbit] constellations below 800 km altitude.” More information at https://tinyurl.com/ANS-224-Debris. [ANS thanks spacedaily.com for the above information.] AMSAT-UK is pleased to announce that the 2024 Colloquium will take place alongside the RSGB Convention at Kents Hill Park Conference Centre, Milton Keynes, MK7 6BZ on the weekend of October 13-14 2024. As in previous years, the AMSAT-UK Colloquium will run as a separate stream within the RSGB Convention and will include presentations on a variety of satellite and space related topics. The Annual General Meeting of AMSAT-UK will take place during the colloquium. More information at https://amsat-uk.org/2024/07/25/amsat-uk-space-colloquium-2024/. [ANS thanks AMSAT-UK for the above information.] ________________________________ Join AMSAT today at https://launch.amsat.org/ In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership to: * Societies (a recognized group, clubs or organization). * Primary and secondary school students are eligible for membership at one-half the standard yearly rate. * Post-secondary school students enrolled in at least half time status shall be eligible for the student rate for a maximum of 6 post-secondary years in this status. * Memberships are available for annual and lifetime terms. Contact info [at] amsat [dot] org for additional membership information. 73 and remember to help Keep Amateur Radio in Space! This week’s ANS Editor, Frank Karnauskas, N1UW f.karnauskas [at] amsat [dot] org Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation AMSAT 712 H Street NE, Ste 1653 Washington DC 20002 info(a)amsat.org<mailto:[email protected]>

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ANS-217 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
by Mark Johns, K0JM 03 Aug '24

03 Aug '24

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-217 In this edition: * ROBUSTA-3A in Orbit * SONATE-2 APRS Digipeater in Operation * Wireless Technology Workshop in India * Small Satellites of the Future Grow Larger * ASRTU-1 Scheduled for November Launch * Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution * ARISS News * Upcoming Satellite Operations * AMSAT Ambassador Activities * Satellite Shorts From All Over The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and information service of AMSAT, the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS publishes news related to Amateur Radio in Space including reports on the activities of a worldwide group of Amateur Radio operators who share an active interest in designing, building, launching and communicating through analog and digital Amateur Radio satellites. The news feed on http://www.amsat.org publishes news of Amateur Radio in Space as soon as our volunteers can post it. *Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to: ans-editor [at] amsat.org <http://amsat.org>* You can sign up for free e-mail delivery of the AMSAT News Service Bulletins via the ANS List; to join this list see: https://mailman.amsat.org/postorius/lists/ans.amsat.org/ ANS-217 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins To: All RADIO AMATEURS From: Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation 712 H Street NE, Suite 1653 Washington, DC 20002 DATE 2024 Aug 4 ROBUSTA-3A in Orbit When the long-delayed inaugural launch of the European Space Agency’s (ESA’s) new Ariane 6 rocket finally occurred on July 7, it suffered an upper stage failure that left some payloads in the wrong orbits. Fortunately, before the anomaly developed, the Ariane 6 successfully deployed ROBUSTA-3A, a satellite with an amateur radio payload. The target was a 580 km circular orbit with an inclination of 96 degrees. ROBUSTA-3A (a.k.a. “Méditerranée”) is a 3U cubesat, designed and built by students and faculty of Université de Montpellier in southern France. Over a decade in development, involving around 300 students from the University of Montpellier and all over the world, ROBUSTA-3A will be its seventh satellite developed entirely in-house, having learned much from the development and launch of smaller ROBUSTA-1U satellites. The project has offered hands-on training, engineering and scientific experience to the next generation of space engineers and researchers. *The Robusta 3A satellite is 3U, three CubeSat units. (Photo: Van Allen Foundation)* The satellite’s primary mission is weather observation, specifically to track “Cevenol events.” These are intense storms and incredibly heavy rains that cause extensive flooding, often in the form of flash floods, that hit the plains and the foothills of southern France. Once considered “100-year storms,” they have been occurring with greater frequency due to global climate change. Most of the weather data is downlinked on a commercial S-band microwave frequency. “If the data we will be collecting improves the geographic and temporal accuracy of weather forecasts for cévenol events, it would help authorities give early warning to the population and allow rescue services to better target the areas at risk,” explains Romain Briand, assembly integration and testing manager at the University Space Center of Montpellier. *Robusta-3A under development by Centre Spatial Universitaire de Montpellier (CSUM)* However, ROBUSTA-3A aims to do even more than chart water vapour from space. The satellite carries an experimental Attitude Determination and Control System (ADCS) that will seek to optimize solar panel exposure and correctly aim sensors and microwave downlink antennas. Using a set of Sun sensors, magnetometers, and reaction wheels in a pyramidal configuration, the system should provide precise attitude control, especially during orbital maneuvers. The satellite will also employ a cold gas thruster propulsion system which operates with solid iodine as propellant. This system will demonstrate orbit maintenance, phasing, and lifetime extension of small satellite missions, and could also help with end-of-life decommissioning and debris mitigation. As an extra mission, the CubeSat will test how computer memory from chip manufacturer 3D PLUS withstands the radiation of space. This French company specialises in highly-reliable electronic components and their computer memory recently landed on the Moon as part of the India’s Chandrayaan-3 lander. Finally, ROBUSTA-3A also carries a 9k6 GMSK AX.25 store-and-forward digital system with a UHF transmitter output of up to three watts — a very powerful downlink! As the satellite is sill in commissioning, operating protocols and uplink frequency have not yet been released. However, amateurs should expect something similar to the FalconSAT-3 store-and-forward system that was popular until that satellite deorbited in January of 2023. ROBUSTA-3A is currently transmitting short telemetry bursts on its International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) coordinated downlink frequency of 436.750 MHz. [ANS thanks ESA, IARU, and the Space Center of the University of Montpellier for the above information.] ------------------------------ *The 2024 AMSAT President’s Club coins are here now!* *Help Support GOLF and Fox Plus* *Join the AMSAT President’s Club today and help* *Keep Amateur Radio in Space!* *https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/* <https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/> ------------------------------ SONATE-2 APRS Digipeater in Operation Professor Hakan Kayal from Julius-Maximilians-Universität (JMU) Würzburg in Bavaria, Germany posted on X this past week, “Thanks to everyone using SONATE-2’s APRS digipeater over the weekend. A total of 421 messages were digipeated.” The Bayerische Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg’s SONATE (SOlutus NAno satelliTE) satellite is a technology demonstration mission for highly autonomous payloads and artificial intelligence in the 6U CubeSat class. As part of the SONATE-2 mission, novel hardware and software technologies of artificial intelligence (AI) are to be verified in miniaturized format in earth orbit. By using such AI technologies, the satellite can independently analyze the environment and start autonomous recordings. Deep learning plays a special role as a versatile image processing tool. In addition to the classification of targets already known at the start of the mission, the payload should also have the option of on-board training for the detection of anomalies as previously unknown objects or phenomena. *SONATE-2 mission patch (JMU artwork)* The operation of an amateur radio payload is important to the educational mission of SONATE-2. The development and operation of the satellite is used for the education of students of the university. In cooperation with the DLR School Lab in Neustrelitz, Germany, it is planned to use the amateur radio payload for the education of high school students. The amateur payload of SONATE-2 consists of a VHF transceiver that was already built for the predecessor mission SONATE over the course of several student projects. For SONATE-2 additional student projects extended the transceiver functionalities. It will provide regular SSTV downlinks with images from the optical sensors included in the AI payload as well as an APRS digipeater and CW beacon. On the education side, the mission will serve as a foundation for different aspects of the university aerospace and computer science engineering program. In the context of practical courses, as thesis authors or as student assistants, students can participate in the development of all subsystems of the space and ground segment, including the amateur radio payload and the technology demonstration payload. In the context of mandatory lectures and exercises on space operations every student will also be included in the operations of the satellite. The German Aerospace Center (DLR) offers a School Lab for high school students at the location of the external ground station in Neustrelitz, Germany. Besides experiments on space and satellites, the School Lab includes amateur radio contacts to the ISS under the supervision of licensed local radio amateurs, which they wish to extend to other satellites like in this cooperation with the SONATE-2 mission. Besides the amateur and educational mission parts, the SONATE-2 mission also has a research objective for the demonstration of novel artificial intelligence technology in the space environments. While the AI payload is mainly operated using a separate up/downlink in the space operation service in S-band, the satellite bus and the amateur payloads are operated in the amateur service. Housekeeping telemetry in the amateur service also contains status information of the non-amateur payload. *SONATE-2 Test Model, October 2023 (Photo: JMU)* According to Kayal, not many similar projects are currently being undertaken. “Let’s assume that a small satellite is to investigate a new asteroid in the solar system in the future. It cannot be trained for this task on the ground, because the object of investigation is largely unknown. There is no training data, so the measurements and recordings can’t be made on the ground,” Kayal added. Transmitting this data to Earth for initial processing and subsequently training the AI via remote control would result in significant time delays for missions located at a considerable distance from Earth. Opting for a heightened level of autonomy with direct on-board AI support would greatly enhance the mission’s efficiency. This approach would expedite the detection of intriguing objects and phenomena on the asteroid, considerably reducing the time required for their identification. To facilitate this, four on-board cameras capture the essential imagery required for training the AI. Initially, the AI acquires knowledge of conventional geometric patterns on Earth’s surface, among other things, which subsequently empowers it to autonomously identify anomalies. *A model of the SONATE-2 nanosatellite, here artistically depicted in orbit. (Image: Hakan Kayal / Universität Würzburg)* In addition to these AI experiments, SONATE-2 carries a suite of other small satellite technologies that are ready for in-orbit testing. These technologies include an automated lightning detection and recording system, as well as an electric propulsion system developed in collaboration with the University of Stuttgart. Kayal added, “In terms of complexity, SONATE-2 is unparalleled among nanosatellites.” SONATE-2 was one of a cluster of satellites launched on a SpaceX Falcon-9 flight on March 5, 2024. Digipeater and SSTV activations are announced at https://x.com/JMUSpace/. SSTV downlink: Regular downlink of images captured by the on-board cameras Frequency: 145.880 MHz Modulation: Martin M1 SSTV FM (F3F) TX Power: 500mW APRS digipeater: (Updated 26.07.2024) APRS digipeater in half-duplex operation. Digipeater is only active when published at https://x.com/JMUSpace/. When activated, it will transmit a greeting message every 2 minutes. Make sure to include SONATE-2 callsign DPØSNX in the APRS route. Frequency: 145.825 MHz Up/Down Modulation: 1k2 AFSK (F2D) Protocol: AX.25 TX Power: 500mW [ANS thanks JMU Würzburg, Gunter’s Space Page, and AZO Robotics Network for the above information.] ------------------------------ Wireless Technology Workshop in India A special workshop on ‘Wireless Technology and its Practical Solutions’ was conducted for Rajkot – Police Wireless Department at Gujarat (India) on 20th July 2024. The venue was the Police Training Center at Rajkot Headquarter. It was a highly informative 3 hours session from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM. Regional Coordinator of AMSAT-INDIA & The Amateur Radio Society of India, Mr. Rajesh Vagadia, VU2EXP, gave insight into various Radio Communication protocols, types of modulation, modes & various applications used in Amateur Radio & Police department. *Rajesh Vagadia, VU2EXP (hamphotos.com <http://hamphotos.com>)* As this workshop was targeted for 25 technical wireless officers & radio operators, we focused on the radio communication enhancing methods, utilizing various techniques, using different antennas for specific applications and diagnosis of wireless setup with various measuring instruments incl. SWR/Power Meter, NanoVNA/Antenna Analyzer. We extended a handful of maintenance tips for Radio, Antenna, Feed line & repeaters to optimize radio communications. We also gave an overview of Ham Radio & its various events, Understanding of Digital Communication, Satellite Communication, Features of newer Digital protocol incl. DMR, D-STAR & Fusion. There was good interaction with participants, lots of doubt & queries were cleared satisfactorily. Good number of radio stuff was displayed incl. HTs, VHF Base Radio, IC-705 SDR HF Radio, RTL SDR Dongle, Antenna Tuner, CAT Control, Soundcard Interface, Morse Key, CW Paddle & Keyer, CubeSat model, Balun, LNA, SWR/Power meter, NanoVNA, Dummy load, PSU, Feed lines, EFHW Antenna, Telescopic Antenna, Connectors, Adaptors, ARISS Awards, QSL Cards etc., which helped participants to view, discuss & understand our entire stuff better. We always give practical demos, but, here in the audience was a heavy user of CW & RT from the police dept. We didn’t give a demo of that kind hi..hi.., but surely gave demos of Digital Communication – sending text messages between two VHF Setup and a second demo of sending SSTV Images between two local vhf stations! For the audience it was interesting to learn how we ham convert simple ASCII codes to corresponding audio frequencies (for Digital Communication) and RGB pixel values of Image to Slow Scan Television format to transmit & receive ‘IMAGES’ via our standard radios! That’s why we proudly call Ham Radio the oldest Social Media! It was a nice & fruitful workshop overall. I am thankful to Commissioner of Police Rajkot Shri Brajesh Kumar Jha Sir for approval of this workshop and Shri S K Jadeja Sir (PI Wireless) for nicely coordinating this workshop. I am thankful to our AMSAT-INDIA & ARSI (The Amateur Radio Society of India) for their great support and guidance to make this workshop highly successful. We wish Rajkot Gujarat Police will utilize the gained knowledge & implement into the system for better productivity! [ANS thanks Rajesh Vagadia, VU2EXP, for the above information.] ------------------------------ *Need new satellite antennas?* *Purchase M2 LEO-Packs from the AMSAT Store.* *When you purchase through AMSAT, a portion of the proceeds goes towards* *Keeping Amateur Radio in Space.* *https://amsat.org/product-category/hardware/* <https://amsat.org/product-category/hardware/> ------------------------------ Small Satellites of the Future Grow Larger Small satellite companies that have grown out of the New Space boom are retiring the cubesat platforms that made them to focus on larger, more powerful next-get small sats that promise to unlock new possibilities with advanced AI and real-time laser-based inter-satellite communications. Over the past 15 years, small satellites have revolutionized how things are done in space. Built quickly from cheap, off-the-shelf components, and small enough to hitch an affordable ride to orbit on the back of bigger missions, these devices and the young, agile New Space companies behind them taught the old-school space industry a few lessons. But New Space is coming of age and the firms behind the small satellite revolution must live up to expectations less favorable to their trade-mark experimental ethos. The lowest cost and shortest time to orbit may no longer be the technology’s biggest draw as users want maximum return on investment and require granted reliability. The firms behind the disruptive tech, however, have grown up together with their market share and are tapping into emerging innovation, looking to unleash a whole load of new applications in the coming years. The Evolution of the Smallsat *Members of the ABMA satellite team (with Gen. Medaris and Dr. von Braun seated in center) with a model of the Explorer 1 satellite. (Photo, U.S. Army)* Satellites started small. The first U.S. satellite, Explorer 1 — launched in 1958 — weighed only 14 kilograms. But the technology, prized for opening a whole new perspective on our planet, quickly bulked up, enabled by the increasing lifting powers of fast-evolving rockets. Soon, complex satellites the size of a school bus took over, observing the planet from above, broadcasting TV signals across continents and sensing the environment around them. It was only in the mid-1980s that researchers renewed their interest in smaller satellites with masses of tens to a couple of hundred kilograms. The true small sat revolution, however, began in 1999, with the invention of a cubesat. Based on standardized satellite units of 10 by 10 by 10 centimeters in size, cubesats opened space to anyone with enough technical skill to assemble and operate them. Soon, university teams from all over the world began launching their own experimental spacecraft to provide their students with hands-on space tech experience. By 2014, San Francisco-based Planet Labs launched its first commercial constellation of 28 three-unit (3U) Earth-observing cubesats called Doves. More than 120 Doves are in orbit today, capturing an image of each place on Earth more than once a day. Other companies followed suit. As of today, cubesats have made it to orbit around Mars and the Moon and observed the impact of NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) into the asteroid Didymos in 2022 in real-time. *The Axelspace Pyxis mission launched in March of this year. (Photo: Axelspace)* Larger small satellite platforms — up to 500 kg in mass — have also grown in popularity. In fact, these larger small satellites today dominate space around Earth thanks to SpaceX’s constellation of Starlink internet-beaming satellites. Consulting firm Novaspace predicts that 26,104 small satellites — including minisatellites of 100 to 500 kg in mass, microsatellites between 10 and 100 kg and nanosatellites as light as 1 to 10 kg — will launch in the next decade. And although the smallsat revolution is already behind us, new technologies are emerging that promise to supercharge the sector in the coming years. Via Satellite spoke with a number of experts in the field about what the smallsat of the future will look like. Read the full article at: https://interactive.satellitetoday.com/via/august-2024/what-does-the-smalls… [ANS thanks Via Satellite for the above information.] ------------------------------ ASRTU-1 Scheduled for November Launch Published flight manifests indicate that the Chinese amateur radio satellite ASRTU-1 has been scheduled for launch in November of this year aboard a Russian rocket. As always, launches are subject to a wide variety of variables, and space agencies are not always 100% forthcoming about their activities. So while you may not want to mark the calendar just yet, hopeful signs are pointing toward a launch in the coming months. *Artist’s sketch of ASRTU-1* ASRTU-1 is a 12U Cubesat mission designed by Russian and Chinese university students for education and amateur radio. Harbin Institute of Technology has successfully developed several amateur radio satellites, including LilacSat-2 (CAS-3H), LilacSat-1 (LO-90), DSLWP-A (LO-93) and DSLWP-B (LO-94). The partner institution is Bauman Moscow State Technical University, which constructed two satellites, Baumanets-1 in 2006 and Baumanets-2 in 2017, both of which unfortunately failed to reach orbit due to launch failures unrelated to the satellite payloads. The amateur radio station onboard ASRTU-1 will provide FM and telecommand uplinks, as well as FM, telemetry, and digital image downlinks. A new SDR based transceiver was developed to provide communication and experimental resources to radio amateurs, including a V/U FM transponder, a UHF telemetry downlink, and a 10.5G image downlink. The repeater uplink will be on 145.875 MHz FM using a 67 Hz CTCSS (PL) tone. Downlink will be on 435.400 MHz FM. The telemetry beacon will be on 436.210 MHz using 9k6 bps BPSK. In addition to the FM repeater, the satellite will also provide an open telecommand system to allow radio amateurs to send commands to control the satellite to take and download images. X Band image downloads using 1 Mbps/10mbps QSPK will downlink on 10.460 GHz. ASRTU-1 has been scheduled for a Roscosmos launch from Vostochny Cosmodrome, Asiatic Russia, in Q4 2024 into a 530 km Sun-synchronous Orbit (SSO). Downlinks and the repeater uplink have been coordinated by the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU). [ANS thanks IARU and x.com/AKAhamradio/ for the above information.] ------------------------------ *Want to fly the colors on your own grid expedition?* *Get your AMSAT car flag and other neat stuff from our Zazzle store!* *25% of the purchase price of each product goes towards* *Keeping Amateur Radio in Space* *https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear* <https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear> ------------------------------ Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for August 2 Two Line Elements or TLEs, often referred to as Keplerian elements or keps in the amateur community, are the inputs to the SGP4 standard mathematical model of spacecraft orbits used by most amateur tracking programs. Weekly updates are completely adequate for most amateur satellites. TLE bulletin files are updated daily in the first hour of the UTC day. New bulletin files will be posted immediately after reliable elements become available for new amateur satellites. More information may be found at https://www.amsat.org/keplerian-elements-resources/. {This spot for changes to TLEs when applicable. Can be eliminated or replaced if none.} {Do note that our Manual of Style specifies that we ALWAYS use first & last names, callsign separated by commas, and then the title of the AMSAT officer, if any. See example below. Same style applies to persons referenced in story bodies, as well as in attributions.} [ANS thanks Joe Fitzgerald, KM1P, AMSAT Orbital Elements Manager for the above information] ------------------------------ ARISS NEWS Amateurs and others around the world may listen in on contacts between amateurs operating in schools and allowing students to interact with astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station. The downlink frequency on which to listen is 145.800 MHz worldwide. *COMPLETED:* Kopernik Observatory, Vestal, NY, direct via K2ZRO The ISS callsign was NA1SS The scheduled crewmember was Matthew Dominick KCØTOR. The ARISS mentor was AB1OC Contact was successful: Wed 2024-07-31 18:17:25 UTC 43 degrees maximum elevation. Congratulations to the Kopernik Observatory students, Matthew, mentor AB1OC, and ground station K2ZRO! Watch for Livestream at https://youtube.com/live/Tv3x3D0DTzU?feature=share SMPIT Nurul Ishlah, Banda Aceh, Indonesia, telebridge via VK4ISS The ISS callsign was scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled crewmember was Sunita Williams KD5PLB. The ARISS mentor was VE3TBD Contact was go for: Fri 2024-08-02 12:43:07 UTC 27 deg Aznakaevsky district of the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia, direct via TBD The ISS callsign was scheduled to be RSØISS The scheduled crewmember was Nikolay Chub. The ARISS mentor was RV3DR Contact was go for Sat 2024-08-03 14:40 UTC *UPCOMING:* International Astronomical Union (IAU) General Assembly 2024, Cape Town, South Africa, telebridge via VK6MJ The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled crewmember is Sunita Williams, KD5PLB, Jeanette Epps, KF5QNU, Matthew Dominick, KCØTOR, or Mike Barratt, KD5MIJ. The ARISS mentor is KA3HDO Contact is go for: Fri 2024-08-09 11:55:06 UTC 40 deg Watch for Livestream at https://astronomy2024.org/ A.G. Nikolaev Secondary School, Shorshel, Chuvashia, Russia direct via TBD The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS The scheduled crewmember is Nikolay Chub. The ARISS mentor is RV3DR Contact is go for Sun 2024-08-11 08:20 UTC The crossband repeater continues to be active (145.990 MHz up {PL 67} & 437.800 MHz down). If any crewmember is so inclined, all they have to do is pick up the microphone, raise the volume up, and talk on the crossband repeater. So give a listen, you just never know. The packet system is also active (145.825 MHz up & down). As always, if there is an EVA, a docking, or an undocking; the ARISS radios are turned off as part of the safety protocol. Note, all times are approximate. It is recommended that you do your own orbital prediction or start listening about 10 minutes before the listed time. The latest information on the operation mode can be found at https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html The latest list of frequencies in use can be found at https://www.ariss.org/contact-the-iss.html [ANS thanks Charlie Sufana, AJ9N, one of the ARISS operation team mentors for the above information] ------------------------------ Upcoming Satellite Operations + N8MR will be in EN57, with roves to EN67 from Friday, August 2 thru Saturday, August 10. Using an Icom 9700, Arrow and Alaskan antennas. Listening for Europe on linear eastern passes, with at least two of these passes being on CW. Can operate CW for NA ops, if anyone wants it. I can rove to EN56, only if needed. Posting passes to http://hams.at a day in advance. All QSOs to LoTW as N8MR. + Posted July 23rd by @SeanKutzko KX9X, on X (formerly Twitter): A reminder that I’m leaving for Hawaii this Friday! Will be on SSB / FM sats *holiday style* plus maybe some QRP FT8. No GreenCube, sorry. Will post passes here and to https://hams.at soon. #HamRadio @AMSAT #AMSAT + Posted July 21st by @W8LR_Jerry, on X (formerly Twitter): EM57/58 and EM67/68 are still planned for Aug 2/3. Please check http://hams.at and @W8LR_Jerry for updates. As I mentioned two months ago EM85 in TN will now be in my travel schedule beginning in Sept. I was just notified today. I will be doing FM/Linear/GC when there. More later. + Posted July 25th by @AD0HJ, on X (formerly Twitter): Work trip coming up the first full week of August in Fort Collins, Colorado. Will make stops on the EN02/EN03 | DN82/DN92 grid lines on the drive out. DN90/DN91 | EN20/EN30 grid lines on the way back. RS-44 satellite passes in the evenings. Posted at http://hams.at. + Jonathan @N4AKV_ has posted an ambitious August roving schedule on his qrz.com page. Tentative plans for a major satellite and 6m road trip through Maine, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, and St. Pierre and Miquelon this summer. Satellite passes listed on https://hams.at for the next week include grid squares FN43, FN53, and GN16. + FP/N4AKV will be on IO-117 on August 8. See https://hams.at for details. A growing number of satellite rovers are currently engaged in sharing their grid square activations on https://hams.at. By visiting the website, you gain easy access to comprehensive information about the operators responsible for activating specific grid squares. Additionally, you have the ability to assess the match score between yourself and a particular rover for a given pass, while also being able to identify the upcoming satellite passes that are accessible from your location. [ANS thanks Ian Parsons, K5ZM, AMSAT rover page manager, for the above information] ------------------------------ AMSAT Ambassador Activities AMSAT Ambassadors provide presentations, demonstrate communicating through amateur satellites, and host information tables at club meetings, hamfests, conventions, maker faires, and other events. August 17-18, 2024 *Huntsville Hamfest* Huntsville, AL AMSAT Booth and Forum N8DEU and W4FCL September 7, 2024 *Greater Louisville Hamfest* Shepherdsville, KY AMSAT Forum and Information Table W4FCL October 5, 2024 *Central Kentucky Hamfest* Lexington, KY AMSAT and Educational Satellites Forum and Information Table AI4SR and W4FCL October 5, 2024 *North Star Radio Convention* Hennepin Technical College (North Campus) Brooklyn Park, Minn. AMSAT Forum and Information Table KØJM and ADØHJ October 25-27, 2004 *AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting* Double Tree Rocky Point Waterfront Hotel Tampa Bay, FL November 2-3, 2024 *Stone Mountain Hamfest, ARRL State Convention* Stone Mountain, GA K4RGK Interested in becoming an AMSAT Ambassador? AMSAT Ambassadors provide presentations, demonstrate communicating through amateur satellites, and host information tables at club meetings, hamfests, conventions, maker faires, and other events. For more information go to: https://www.amsat.org/ambassador/ [ANS thanks the AMSAT Events page for the above information] ------------------------------ Satellite Shorts From All Over + The MESAT-1 team are continuing to test and commission the satellite. It is currently in Health Mode transmitting continuously and the downlink power is now about 6dB higher. So it should be easier to hear and decode. If you have had trouble decoding it then now is a good time to try again. Software may be downloaded from https://www.amsat.org/foxtelem-software-for-windows-mac-linux/ (ANS thanks Chris E. Thompson, VE2TCP / G0KLA / AC2CZ, for the above information.) + SpaceX is now targeting mid- to late August for the launch of Polaris Dawn, a mission funded by billionaire entrepreneur Jared Isaacman. The upcoming flight, which will employ SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket, had been slated to lift off no earlier than July 31. SpaceX announced the delay today (July 26), during a press conference focusing on the company’s upcoming Crew-9 astronaut mission to the International Space Station (ISS) for NASA. The NASA mission will include Zena Cardman, KJ5CMN, Nick Hague, KG5TMV, Stephanie Wilson, KD5DZE, and Aleksandr Gorbunov, Roscosmos. Crew-9 will launch no earlier than Aug. 18, and Polaris Dawn will fly sometime after that, the company said. The Polaris Dawn mission is scheduled to include the first-ever private spacewalk. (ANS thanks Space.com for the above information.) + The U.S. military is installing modular state-of-the-art satellite jammers capable of disrupting Russian or Chinese communications, should the need arise. Even though the hardware is ground-based, the U.S. Space Force will oversee installation and operation. The technology is already past prototyping. The military tested the system at two different locations earlier this year. The Department of Defense allocated funds to build 24 remote installations, with 11 scheduled to deploy before the end of the year. (ANS thanks SatNews.com for the above information.) + SpaceX Falcon 9 returned to flight with three Starlink launches in 30 hours after only 15 days of being grounded due to its recent upper-stage anomaly (a brittle, and presumably cracked, pressure monitoring line) and conducted its 300th reflight of a booster. (ANS thanks The Orbital Index for the above information.) + Boeing performed a hot fire test of the 27 maneuvering thrusters aboard the docked Starliner space capsule, which could be the last test before the spacecraft’s delayed return to Earth is approved. Astronauts Barry “Butch” Wilmore, and Sunita Williams, KD5PLB, took Starliner to the International Space Station on June 5 for what was to have been a 10-day test flight. NASA says they may now return in late August. (ANS thanks The Orbital Index for the above information.) ------------------------------ Join AMSAT today at https://launch.amsat.org/ In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership to: * Societies (a recognized group, clubs or organization). * Primary and secondary school students are eligible for membership at one-half the standard yearly rate. * Post-secondary school students enrolled in at least half time status shall be eligible for the student rate for a maximum of 6 post-secondary years in this status. * Memberships are available for annual and lifetime terms. Contact info [at] amsat.org for additional membership information. 73 and remember to help Keep Amateur Radio in Space! This week’s ANS Editor, Mark Johns, KØJM mjohns [at] amsat.org

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ANS-210 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
by Mitch Ahrenstorff (AD0HJ) 27 Jul '24

27 Jul '24

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-210 In this edition: * TEVEL Satellites Begin Atmospheric Reentry and Decommissioning * Ariane 6 Launches PariSat: Young Engineers Test Heat Dissipation * SpaceX to Develop Enhanced Dragon Spacecraft for ISS Deorbit * GridMasterMap Satellite Top 100 Rovers August 2024 Rankings * Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for July 26, 2024 * ARISS News * Upcoming Satellite Operations * AMSAT Ambassador Activities * Satellite Shorts From All Over The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and information service of AMSAT, the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS publishes news related to Amateur Radio in Space including reports on the activities of a worldwide group of Amateur Radio operators who share an active interest in designing, building, launching and communicating through analog and digital Amateur Radio satellites. The news feed on https://www.amsat.org publishes news of Amateur Radio in Space as soon as our volunteers can post it. Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to: ans-editor [at] amsat.org<http://amsat.org> You can sign up for free e-mail delivery of the AMSAT News Service Bulletins via the ANS List; to join this list see: https://mailman.amsat.org/postorius/lists/ans.amsat.org/ ANS-210 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins To: All RADIO AMATEURS From: Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation 712 H Street NE, Suite 1653 Washington, DC 20002 DATE 2024 Jul 28 ________________________________ TEVEL Satellites Begin Atmospheric Reentry and Decommissioning The TEVEL satellite project, featuring a series of CubeSats designed and built by Israeli students, has entered its final phase with the beginning of atmospheric reentry and decommissioning. This initiative, a collaboration between the Israel Space Agency (ISA) and Tel Aviv University, has been a key educational tool, providing practical experience in satellite technology to students across Israel. Launched in January 2022 on the SpaceX Falcon 9 Transporter-3 mission, the TEVEL satellites were part of a broader effort to promote STEM education. The CubeSats, built to the 10x10x10 cm standard, were used for various missions including scientific data collection, amateur radio communication, and technology experimentation. The project aimed to enhance students' understanding of satellite technology and prepare them for careers in the space industry. [https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Students-Assembl…]<https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Students-Assembl…> Students assembling a satellite as part of the TEVEL program. [Credit: Israel Space Agency] In addition to their educational value, the TEVEL satellites played a significant role in the amateur radio community. Equipped with radio transponders, they allowed amateur radio operators worldwide to communicate via satellite, fostering international collaboration and technological experimentation. This feature provided a unique platform for enthusiasts to engage in satellite communication. As the satellites now re-enter Earth's atmosphere, this phase marks the end of their operational lives. The reentry process, which involves the satellites burning up upon reentry to prevent space debris, is being monitored by both educational teams and the broader space community. This final stage offers a valuable learning opportunity for students tracking the satellites' descent and analyzing the data. [https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/TEVEL-One-Throug…]<https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/TEVEL-One-Throug…> All eight TEVEL CubeSats are expected to decay from orbit in the next few weeks. [Credit: Nanosats.eu] Looking ahead, David Greenberg, 4X1DG, has announced a new TEVEL mission featuring nine additional satellites, continuing the educational and amateur radio goals of the original initiative. The decommissioning of the TEVEL satellites highlights the importance of responsible satellite disposal to minimize space debris and ensure the sustainability of space operations. The success of the TEVEL project sets a precedent for future educational satellite initiatives, demonstrating how hands-on learning can be integrated with practical space missions. As the satellites complete their final descent, they leave behind a legacy of inspiration and international collaboration in both educational and amateur radio fields. [ANS thanks Lorenzo Gianlorenzi, IU1BOT, Vashradio.org<https://vashradio.org/>, for the above information] ________________________________ Ariane 6 Launches PariSat: Young Engineers Test Heat Dissipation On July 9, 2024, Europe's newest rocket, the Ariane 6, launched with a range of missions on board, each with unique objectives and dedicated teams. Among these missions was PariSat, a project that highlights the ingenuity and dedication of the Garef Aérospatial club. This amateur space club, comprised of young engineers aged 15 to 25, has been working diligently on satellite testing, with the goal of exploring how different materials handle heat dissipation in space. The core of the PariSat experiment is to determine which materials are most effective at dissipating heat in the harsh environment of space. The project, however, is not just about the scientific results but also about the educational journey for the young engineers involved. Based in a modest building near the Georges Carpentier stadium in Paris's 13th district, the club members work after school, applying their passion for space to design and build their satellite experiment. [https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/PariSat_Captures…]<https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/PariSat_Captures…> Earth image captured by an adapted GoPro camera used on PariSat. [Credit: Garef Aérospatial] PariSat features eight small square plates, each just 4 cm wide, which function as space radiators. These plates were chosen to test various properties such as material composition and color, and their responses to heating and cooling. Equipped with temperature sensors, each plate provided data on "black-body radiation" during the nearly three-hour flight of Ariane 6's upper stage. This data will help validate the Stefan-Boltzmann law of thermal radiation, a principle discovered in 1884. In addition to the scientific experiment, PariSat includes a photo component. The team has adapted a GoPro camera for space use, which is controlled by a module entirely designed by Garef Aérospatial. This camera, featuring a fisheye lens, captured stunning images of Earth, showcasing the planet's curvature and adding a visual dimension to the mission. [https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Ariane_6_Payload…]<https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Ariane_6_Payload…> Five experiments gathered data while attached to the Ariane 6's upper stage during its inaugural flight. [Credit: ESA] PariSat is part of a larger set of five experiments, including Peregrinus, Sidloc, LiFi, and YPSat, which also remained attached to the Ariane 6's upper stage during its three-hour flight. These experiments gathered data as the upper stage's orbit was adjusted by the Vinci engine, which can be restarted multiple times. The collected data was transmitted back to Earth and received by the Swedish Space Corporation's telemetry station in Kiruna, Sweden. As the Garef Aérospatial team begins analyzing the data, the PariSat mission serves as a testament to the capabilities of young engineers and highlights the potential for youth-led initiatives in space science. With this mission, the team looks forward to future projects, driven by the experiences and successes gained from their participation in Ariane 6's first flight. [ANS thanks the European Space Agency<https://www.esa.int/> and Garef Aérospatial<https://garef.com/> for the above information] ________________________________ The 2024 AMSAT President's Club coins are here now! Help Support GOLF and Fox Plus [https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2024-Coin-Both_5…] Join the AMSAT President's Club today and help Keep Amateur Radio in Space! https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/ ________________________________ SpaceX to Develop Enhanced Dragon Spacecraft for ISS Deorbit SpaceX will develop an enhanced version of its Dragon spacecraft for NASA to deorbit the International Space Station (ISS) at the end of its operational life. This development comes as part of a contract awarded to SpaceX on June 26, valued at up to $843 million. The new spacecraft, known as the United States Deorbit Vehicle (USDV), was detailed by NASA and SpaceX officials at a briefing on July 17th. The USDV will be based on SpaceX's existing Dragon spacecraft but will feature a redesigned and larger trunk section with additional thrusters. Specifically, the USDV will have 46 Draco thrusters, including 16 for attitude control and 30 for the maneuvers required to lower the ISS's orbit. Sarah Walker, SpaceX's director of Dragon mission management, explained that the enhanced trunk section is twice as long as the regular one. [https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/SpaceX-United-St…]<https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/SpaceX-United-St…> NASA presented the concept of the US Deorbiting Vehicle designed by SpaceX on July 17th. [Credit: SpaceX] The new trunk will house engines, propellant tanks, power generation, and other systems, storing six times the propellant of the current Dragon spacecraft and generating three to four times the power. "It's almost a spacecraft in and of itself," Walker noted. Once completed, NASA will own and operate the USDV, which will be launched to the ISS shortly after the station's final crew arrives. After its arrival and successful checkout, ISS controllers will allow the station's orbit to naturally decay. The final crew will depart when the station's altitude decreases from its current 400 kilometers to 330 kilometers. The ISS's orbit will continue to decay over approximately six months before NASA uses the USDV for a final controlled deorbit, targeting a remote ocean corridor about 2,000 kilometers long. [https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Crew-6-Dragon-Ca…]<https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Crew-6-Dragon-Ca…> The SpaceX Dragon capsule Endeavour which flew the Crew-6 mission on March 2nd, 2023. [Credit: SpaceX] Dana Weigel, NASA ISS program manager, mentioned that debris from the station, ranging in size from a microwave oven to a sedan, is expected to survive reentry and splash down in this corridor. The USDV will have an estimated mass of over 30,000 kilograms, including 16,000 kilograms of propellant. Due to its size, it will require a heavier class of rocket than the Falcon 9 currently used for Dragon missions. NASA plans to procure the launch vehicle separately at least three years before the launch. SpaceX expressed readiness to support the launch if given the opportunity. Northrop Grumman was the only other company to bid on the USDV. NASA's source selection statement indicated that Northrop's bid was significantly higher in price and rated lower in both mission suitability and past performance compared to SpaceX. Ken Bowersox, NASA associate administrator for space operations, expressed satisfaction with the proposals received, noting he was pleased with the submissions from SpaceX and Northrop Grumman. [ANS thanks Jeff Foust, Spacenews.com<https://spacenews.com/>, for the above information] ________________________________ GridMasterMap Satellite Top 100 Rovers August 2024 Rankings The August 2024 rankings for the Top 100 Rovers (Mixed LEO/MEO/GEO) in satellite operations, as determined by @GridMasterMap<https://x.com/GridMasterMap> on Twitter, has been released. The ranking is determined by the number of grids and DXCC entities activated, taking into account only those grids where a minimum number of QSOs logged on the gridmaster.fr<https://gridmaster.fr> website have been validated by a third party. Grid numbers do not directly reflect the exact number of activations. Satellite operators are encouraged to upload their LoTW satellite contacts to https://gridmaster.fr in order to provide more accurate data. Updated: 2024-07-26 1 ND9M 26 LU5ILA 51 N4AKV 76 AA8CH 2 NJ7H 27 N5BO 52 AC0RA 77 VE1VOX 3 JA9KRO 28 K8BL 53 EA4NF 78 FG8OJ 4 N5UC 29 DL2GRC 54 JL3RNZ 79 PT9BM 5 UT1FG 30 KE4AL 55 AA5PK 80 KI7UXT 6 OE3SEU 31 VE3HLS 56 SP5XSD 81 YU0W 7 DL6AP 32 KB5FHK 57 F4DXV 82 KJ7NDY 8 WI7P 33 KI7UNJ 58 AD7DB 83 KB2YSI 9 DP0POL 34 LA9XGA 59 KI7QEK 84 WA9JBQ 10 K5ZM 35 JO2ASQ 60 VE1CWJ 85 N6UTC 11 N6UA 36 F4BKV 61 KE9AJ 86 N4DCW 12 HA3FOK 37 PA3GAN 62 XE1ET 87 N0TEL 13 WY7AA 38 N7AGF 63 VA7LM 88 JM1CAX 14 N9IP 39 KI0KB 64 N8RO 89 VE3GOP 15 W5PFG 40 VK5DG 65 KM4LAO 90 K0FFY 16 AK8CW 41 XE3DX 66 SM3NRY 91 CU2ZG 17 AD0DX 42 K7TAB 67 N4UFO 92 KG4AKV 18 F5VMJ 43 KE0WPA 68 W1AW 93 VE7PTN 19 WD9EWK 44 KE0PBR 69 DL4EA 94 AF5CC 20 AD0HJ 45 VA3VGR 70 PT2AP 95 K6VHF 21 ND0C 46 PR8KW 71 W8LR 96 VE6WK 22 DJ8MS 47 W7WGC 72 M1DDD 97 W8MTB 23 ON4AUC 48 N6DNM 73 HB9GWJ 98 DK9JC 24 KX9X 49 EB1AO 74 DF2ET 99 PT9ST 25 KG5CCI 50 JK2XXK 75 LU4JVE 100 VO2AC [ANS thanks @GridMasterMap<https://x.com/GridMasterMap> for the above information] ________________________________ Need new satellite antennas? Purchase an M2 LEO-Pack from the AMSAT Store!<https://www.amsat.org/shop/> [https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/cm/LEO-Pack1-300x298.png]<https://www.amsat.org/product/m2-leo-pack-antenna-system/> When you purchase through AMSAT, a portion of the proceeds goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space. https://amsat.org/product-category/hardware/ ________________________________ Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for July 26, 2024 Two Line Elements or TLEs, often referred to as Keplerian elements or keps in the amateur community, are the inputs to the SGP4 standard mathematical model of spacecraft orbits used by most amateur tracking programs. Weekly updates are completely adequate for most amateur satellites. TLE bulletin files are updated daily in the first hour of the UTC day. New bulletin files will be posted immediately after reliable elements become available for new amateur satellites. More information may be found at https://www.amsat.org/keplerian-elements-resources/. The following satellite has been removed from this week's AMSAT TLE distribution: TEVEL-6 NORAD Cat ID 50999 Decayed from orbit on or about 19 July 2024 The following satellite has been added to this week's AMSAT TLE distribution: CatSat NORAD Cat ID 60246 Downlinks on 437.185 MHz and 10470.00 MHz have been coordinated [ANS thanks AMSAT Orbital Elements page for the above information] ________________________________ ARISS NEWS Amateurs and others around the world may listen in on contacts between amateurs operating in schools and allowing students to interact with astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station. The downlink frequency on which to listen is 145.800 MHz worldwide. + Recently Completed Contacts Nizhnekamsk schools, Nizhnekamsk, Republic of Tatarstan, Russia, direct via RC4P The ISS callsign was RSØISS The scheduled crewmember was Aleksandr Grebyonkin RZ3DSE The ARISS mentor was RV3DR Contact was successful: Sat 2024-07-27 13:50 UTC Arizona Science Center, Phoenix, AZ, telebridge via AB1OC The ISS callsign was NA1SS The scheduled crewmember was Matthew Dominick KCØTOR The ARISS mentor was K4RGK Contact was successful: Sat 2024-07-27 18:24:08 UTC + Upcoming Contacts Narayama ARISS School Contact, Nara, Japan, direct via JK3ZNB The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS The scheduled crewmember is Mike Barratt KD5MIJ The ARISS mentor is 7M3TJZ Contact is go for: Mon 2024-07-29 11:03:33 UTC Kopernik Observatory, Vestal, NY, mentor direct via K2ZRO The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled crewmember is Jeanette Epps KF5QNU The ARISS mentor is AB1OC Contact is go for: Wed 2024-07-31 18:17:25 UTC Watch for Livestream at https://youtube.com/live/Tv3x3D0DTzU?feature=share SMPIT Nurul Ishlah, Banda Aceh, Indonesia, telebridge via VK4ISS The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled crewmember is Sunita Williams KD5PLB The ARISS mentor is VE3TBD Contact is go for: Fri 2024-08-02 12:43:07 UTC A.G. Nikolaev Secondary School, Shorshel, Chuvashia, Russia direct via TBD The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS The scheduled crewmember is Nikolay Chub The ARISS mentor is RV3DR Contact is go for Sun 2024-08-11 08:20 UTC The crossband repeater continues to be active (145.990 MHz up {PL 67} & 437.800 MHz down). If any crewmember is so inclined, all they have to do is pick up the microphone, raise the volume up, and talk on the crossband repeater. So give a listen, you just never know. The packet system is also active (145.825 MHz up & down). As always, if there is an EVA, a docking, or an undocking; the ARISS radios are turned off as part of the safety protocol. Note, all times are approximate. It is recommended that you do your own orbital prediction or start listening about 10 minutes before the listed time. The latest information on the operation mode can be found at https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html The latest list of frequencies in use can be found at https://www.ariss.org/contact-the-iss.html [ANS thanks Charlie Sufana, AJ9N, one of the ARISS operation team mentors for the above information] ________________________________ Upcoming Satellite Operations Posted July 21st by @W8LR_Jerry<https://x.com/W8LR_Jerry> on X (formerly Twitter): EM57/58 and EM67/68 are still planned for Aug 2/3. Please check hams.at<https://hams.at> and @W8LR_Jerry<https://x.com/W8LR_Jerry> for updates. As I mentioned two months ago EM85 in TN will now be in my travel schedule beginning in Sept. I was just notified today. I will be doing FM/Linear/GC when there. More later. Posted July 23rd by @SeanKutzko<https://x.com/SeanKutzko> KX9X on X (formerly Twitter): A reminder that I'm leaving for Hawaii this Friday! Will be on SSB / FM sats *holiday style* plus maybe some QRP FT8. No GreenCube, sorry. Will post passes here and to hams.at<https://hams.at> soon. #HamRadio @AMSAT<https://x.com/AMSAT> #AMSAT Posted July 25th by @AD0HJ<https://x.com/AD0HJ> on X (formerly Twitter): Work trip coming up the first full week of August in Fort Collins, Colorado. Will make stops on the EN02/EN03 | DN82/DN92 grid lines on the drive out. DN90/DN91 | EN20/EN30 grid lines on the way back. RS-44 satellite passes in the evenings. Posted at hams.at<https://hams.at>. Posted July 26th by @AMSAT-UK<https://x.com/AmsatUK> on X (formerly Twitter): 7E4K IOTA Expedition to Ketawai Island (OC-144, locator OI37dr) will be on various satellites (LEO, MEO and GEO). Please visit the website for schedule: https://7e4k.com 73 de Yono - YD0NXX ORARI HQ, Satellite Division #amsat #hamradio #hamr Jonathan @N4AKV_<https://x.com/N4AKV_> has posted an ambitious August roving schedule on his qrz.com<http://qrz.com> page. Tentative plans for a major satellite and 6m road trip through Maine, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, and St. Pierre and Miquelon this summer. Satellite passes listed on hams.at<https://hams.at> for the next week include grid squares FN43, FN53, and GN16. A growing number of satellite rovers are currently engaged in sharing their grid square activations on https://hams.at. By visiting the website, you gain easy access to comprehensive information about the operators responsible for activating specific grid squares. Additionally, you have the ability to assess the match score between yourself and a particular rover for a given pass, while also being able to identify the upcoming satellite passes that are accessible from your location. [ANS thanks Ian Parsons, K5ZM, AMSAT rover page manager, for the above information] ________________________________ AMSAT Ambassador Activities AMSAT Ambassadors provide presentations, demonstrate communicating through amateur satellites, and host information tables at club meetings, hamfests, conventions, maker faires, and other events. 2024 KARS / ARRL Idaho State Convention - August 3, 2024 2130 North Meyer Road Post Falls, ID 83854 https://k7id.org/article/StateConvention2024?classification=Info Huntsville Hamfest - August 17th and 18th, 2024 Von Braun Center South Hall 700 Monroe Street SW Huntsville, AL 35801 https://hamfest.org/ AMSAT Booth and Forum / N8DEU and W4FCL Northeast HamXpostion - August 22nd thru 25th, 2024 Best Western Royal Plaza Hotel & Trade Center 181 Boston Post Road West Marlborough, MA 01752 https://hamxposition.org/ Greater Louisville Hamfest - September 7th, 2024 Paroquet Springs Conference Centre 395 Paroquet Springs Drive Shepherdsville, KY 40165 https://louisvillehamfest.wixsite.com/louisvillehamfest AMSAT Forum and Information Table / W4FCL North Star Radio Convention - October 5th, 2024 Hennepin Technical College (North Campus) 9000 Brooklyn Boulevard Brooklyn Park, MN 55445 https://conv2023.tcfmc.org/ AMSAT Forum and Information Table / KØJM and ADØHJ Central Kentucky Hamfest - October 5th, 2024 Highlands Baptist Church 2032 Parallel Road Lexington, KY 40502 https://www.facebook.com/w9khz/ AMSAT and Educational Satellites Forum and Information Table / AI4SR and W4FCL 2024 AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting - October 25th thru 27th, 2024 Doubletree by Hilton Tampa Rocky Point Waterfront 3050 N Rocky Point Drive West Tampa, FL 33607 https://www.amsat.org/ Stone Mountain Hamfest, ARRL State Convention - November 2nd and 3rd, 2024 Gwinnett County Fairgrounds 2405 Sugarloaf Parkway Lawrenceville, GA 30042 https://stonemountainhamfest.com/ [ANS thanks Bo Lowrey, W4FCL, Director - AMSAT Ambassador Program, for the above information] ________________________________ Want to fly the colors on your own grid expedition? Get an AMSAT car flag and other neat stuff from our Zazzle store<https://www.zazzle.com/store/amsat_gear>! 25% of the purchase price of each product goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space [https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/AMSAT-Car-Flag-e…]<https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_car_flag-256716714380264543> Keeping Amateur Radio in Space https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear ________________________________ Satellite Shorts From All Over + ASRTU-1 is a 12U CubeSat mission developed by students from the Harbin Institute of Technology and Bauman State Technical University. It is designed for educational purposes and features an amateur radio SDR payload. The satellite will offer telecommand uplink and telemetry/digital image downlink capabilities. Harbin Institute of Technology, known for developing successful amateur radio satellites like LilacSat-2 and DSLWP-B, has created a new SDR-based transceiver for ASRTU-1. This transceiver will provide communication resources, including a V/U FM transponder, UHF telemetry downlink, and a 10.5G image downlink. Scheduled to launch from Vostochny Cosmodrome on November 2024, ASRTU-1 will operate in a 530km sun-synchronous orbit with coordinated downlinks on 436.210 MHz, 435.400 MHz, and 10460.00 MHz and a repeater uplink on 145.875 MHz. (ANS thanks @AKAhamradio<https://x.com/AKAhamradio>, X.com<https://x.com/>, for the above information) + SpaceX successfully test-fired the engines on its Super Heavy booster on July 15, 2024, in preparation for the fifth integrated flight test (IFT-5) of its Starship vehicle. This upcoming launch, expected in August, will be the most ambitious to date and aims to build on the success of previous flights. The Super Heavy booster, measuring 233 feet tall, fired its 33 Raptor engines at full thrust for about 20 seconds during the static test at SpaceX's Starbase facility in Texas. Starship, which has been selected by NASA for the Artemis 3 lunar mission, is designed as a fully reusable system capable of carrying humans to Mars. Unlike SpaceX's Falcon 9, the Super Heavy booster is intended to return directly to its launch pad, where it will be caught midair by the launch tower's "chopstick" arms. With each test flight achieving progressively more, SpaceX aims to test the booster catch system in the upcoming launch, marking a significant advance towards rapid reusability and future missions. (ANS thanks Josh Dinner, Space.com<https://www.space.com/>, for the above information) + The 188,000-pound, 212-foot-tall core stage for the Artemis-2 moon mission has arrived at NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) following a 900-mile journey from Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. This milestone marks a significant step in preparing for the Artemis-2 mission, which aims to return humans to the moon for the first time in over fifty years. NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen are slated to launch on this mission as early as September 2025. Upon arrival at KSC, the core stage was transferred to a self-propelled transporter and moved into the iconic Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB). Engineers will soon begin processing the stage for stacking operations, involving the integration of the twin Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs) and the spacecraft. The Space Launch System (SLS) rocket's twin boosters and the core stage's four RS-25 engines will generate nearly 9 million pounds of thrust at liftoff, propelling Artemis-2 and its crew to the moon. (ANS thanks Mike Killian, AmericaSpace.com<https://www.americaspace.com/>, for the above information) + NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams will remain at the International Space Station (ISS) with no set return date due to ongoing technical issues with Boeing's Starliner capsule. The astronauts departed for the ISS in early June on a test mission expected to last about a week, but faulty thrusters and helium leaks have delayed their return. Despite some thrusters now functioning normally and the leaks being stable, NASA and Boeing are still not ready to schedule their departure. NASA assures that the astronauts are not stranded and the technical issues do not pose a threat to the mission. Engineers are conducting tests, including on a spare thruster in New Mexico, to understand and resolve the problems. Steve Stich, NASA's commercial crew program manager, emphasized the priority of the astronauts' safety and the consideration of backup return options. (ANS thanks Anna Betts, The Guardian<https://www.theguardian.com/>, for the above information) + SpaceX is set to resume Falcon 9 launches as early as July 27 following the completion of an investigation into an upper stage anomaly from the July 11 launch. The mishap, which resulted in the rocket's upper stage failing to perform a second burn and stranding Starlink satellites in a low orbit, was attributed to a liquid oxygen leak caused by a cracked sense line. This crack was due to engine vibration fatigue and a loose clamp. The resulting leak led to ice buildup and excessive cooling of engine components, causing a hard start and subsequent damage to the engine hardware. SpaceX has implemented immediate fixes and proposed long-term solutions, and the FAA has determined that there are no public safety issues, allowing launches to proceed. SpaceX is targeting July 27 for the next launch, with two more launches tentatively scheduled for July 28. (ANS thanks Jeff Foust, SpaceNews<https://spacenews.com/>, for the above information) ________________________________ Join AMSAT today at https://launch.amsat.org/ In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership to: * Societies (a recognized group, clubs or organization). * Primary and secondary school students are eligible for membership at one-half the standard yearly rate. * Post-secondary school students enrolled in at least half-time status shall be eligible for the student rate for a maximum of 6 post-secondary years in this status. * Memberships are available for annual and lifetime terms. Contact info [at] amsat.org<https://www.amsat.org> for additional membership information. 73 and remember to help Keep Amateur Radio in Space! This week's ANS Editor, Mitch Ahrenstorff, ADØHJ ad0hj [at] amsat.org<https://www.amsat.org>

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ANS-203 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
by Paul Stoetzer 20 Jul '24

20 Jul '24

*AMSAT News Service* *ANS-203* *July 18, 2024* In this edition: - AMSAT Board of Directors Election Underway - AMSAT Mail Alias Service to End August 31, 2024 - Tevel Satellites Nearing Re-Entry - AMSAT-OSCAR 7 in Continuous Sunlight - Changes to AMSAT TLE Distribution for July 19, 2024 - ARISS News - Upcoming Satellite Operations - AMSAT Ambassador Activities - Satellite Shorts From All Over The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and information service of AMSAT, The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS publishes news related to Amateur Radio in Space including reports on the activities of a worldwide group of Amateur Radio operators who share an active interest in designing, building, launching and communicating through analog and digital Amateur Radio satellites. The news feed on https://www.amsat.org publishes news of Amateur Radio in Space as soon as our volunteers can post it. Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to: ans-editor [at] amsat.org You can sign up for free e-mail delivery of the AMSAT News Service Bulletins via the ANS List; to join this list see: https://mailman.amsat.org/postorius/lists/ans.amsat.org/ ------------------------------ Save the Date! Symposium 2024 Photo by Robert DuBois Mark your calendar now for the 2024 AMSAT Symposium, *October 25-27, 2024 *at the Doubletree by Hilton Tampa Rocky Point Waterfront in Tampa, Florida! Watch for announcements concerning further details as plans are formulated. ------------------------------ AMSAT Board of Directors Election Underway The nomination period for the 2024 AMSAT Board of Directors Election ended on June 15th. The following candidates have been duly nominated: - Mark Hammond, N8MH - Frank Karnauskas, N1UW - Bruce Paige, KK5DO - Paul Stoetzer, N8HM - Douglas Tabor, N6UA As three seats on the Board of Directors are up for election this year, the three candidates receiving the largest number of votes shall be declared elected to the seats. The two candidates receiving the next largest number of votes shall be declared First Alternate and Second Alternate, respectively. The voting process is now underway. AMSAT members can find candidate statements and electronic voting information on AMSAT's Wild Apricot Membership Portal <https://launch.amsat.org/2024-BoD-Election>. The voting period will conclude on September 15th and results will be announced no later than September 30th. *[ANS thanks Jeff Davis, KE9V, AMSAT Secretary for the above information]* ------------------------------ AMSAT Mail Alias Service to End August 31, 2024 A long-standing member service, the AMSAT Mail Alias Service is scheduled to end on August 31, 2024. A mail alias on AMSAT.ORG permitted people to send an email to members without knowing their actual internet email address. They just needed to know their amateur radio callsign. Unfortunately, the unchecked rise in domain name hacking and email account high-jacking has made it impossible to sustain this service at a cost-effective level. The number of callsign(a)amsat.org email accounts that had been hijacked and converted to zombie spam accounts over the years had led many internet service providers and gateway centers to ban all @ amsat.org email addresses, including those business accounts of AMSAT officers and officials. The tireless efforts of AMSAT’s all volunteer IT staff has worked for years to repair much of the damage, but AMSAT still get complaints from members who are not getting their personal emails, ANS bulletins or AMSAT-BB posts because of persistent delivery problems. It has come to the point where the AMSAT volunteer IT staff can no longer keep up with the maintenance requirements to keep the alias mail list clean and to work with email gateways to remove blocks. And, after considerable investigation into alternative paid email services, AMSAT leadership decided that the money required to keep an email alias system alive would be better spent on building and flying satellites for its members. Persons using the Mail Alias Service should begin to migrate to different email accounts so they do not lose receipt of personal emails, AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins, AMSAT-BB posts, or official messages from AMSAT itself. Members are especially asked to make sure they are NOT using a callsign(a)amsat.org as their registered email address in the AMSAT membership portal. Members can easily change their registered member email address by logging into the portal and updating their profile. *[ANS thanks AMSAT for the above information]* ------------------------------ Tevel Satellites Nearing Re-Entry The Tevel series of satellites is approaching re-entry, with Tevel-5 already re-entering on July 18th. The Tevel mission consists of 8 satellites developed by the Herzliya Science Center in Israel, each carrying an FM transponder. The satellites were built by 8 schools in different parts of Israel and launched in January 2022 on the SpaceX Falcon 9 Transporter-3 mission. A number of other satellites with amateur radio payloads are also re-entering shortly. A list of satellites approaching re-entry can be found at http://lu7aa.org/decay.asp *[ANS thanks Herzliya Science Center, AMSAT Argentina, and LU7AA for the above information]* ------------------------------ *The 2024 Coins Are Here Now!Help Support GOLF and Fox Plus.**Join <https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/> the AMSAT President’s Club today!* ------------------------------ AMSAT-OSCAR 7 in Continuous Sunlight AMSAT-OSCAR 7, soon to celebrate its 50th birthday on November 15, 2024, is now in a period of continuous sunlight through May 22, 2027. While in continuous sunlight, the satellite's internal timer is expected to switch between the two transponders - Mode A (29 MHz downlink and 145 MHz uplink) and Mode B (145 MHz downlink and 29 MHz uplink) every 24 hours. Post reports and check current status on the AMSAT Live OSCAR Satellite Status Page <https://www.amsat.org/status/>. After a few days in continuous sunlight, it should be possible to determine the actual or approximate time the satellite switches. *[ANS thanks AMSAT and EA1PA for the above information]* ------------------------------ Changes to AMSAT TLE Distribution for July 19, 2024 Two Line Elements or TLEs, often referred to as Keplerian elements or keps in the amateur community, are the inputs to the SGP4 standard mathematical model of spacecraft orbits used by most amateur tracking programs. Weekly updates are completely adequate for most amateur satellites. TLE bulletin files are updated Thursday evenings around 2300 UTC, or more frequently if new high interest satellites are launched. More information may be found at https://www.amsat.org/keplerian-elements-resources/ The following satellites have been removed from this week's AMSAT TLE distribution: MESAT1 remains on this distribution. No signals have been detected from any other amateur spacecraft launched as part of NASA's ELaNa 43 mission. ELaNa 43 OBJECT A NORAD Cat ID 60203 No amateur signal detected ELaNa 43 OBJECT B NORAD Cat ID 60204 No amateur signal detected ELaNa 43 OBJECT C NORAD Cat ID 60205 No amateur signal detected ELaNa 43 OBJECT D NORAD Cat ID 60206 No amateur signal detected ELaNa 43 OBJECT E NORAD Cat ID 60207 No amateur signal detected ELaNa 43 OBJECT F NORAD Cat ID 60208 No amateur signal detected ELaNa 43 OBJECT H NORAD Cat ID 60210 No amateur signal detected Zhou Enlai NORAD Cat ID 43156 Decayed from orbit on or about 17 July 2024 TEVEL-5 NORAD Cat ID 50998 Decayed from orbit on or about 18 July 2024 The following satellites have been added to this week's AMSAT TLE distribution: GRBBeta NORAD Cat ID 60236 IARU coordinated downlinks on 145.935 MHz, 436.785 MHz and 2405.000 MHz ROBUSTA-3A NORAD Cat ID 60241 IARU coordinated 9k6 GMSK with AX.25 downlink on 436.750 MHz Thanks to Nico PA0DLO for identifying the two new spacecraft. *[ANS thanks Joe Fitzgerald, KM1P, AMSAT Orbital Elements Manager, for the above information]* ------------------------------ *Need new satellite antennas? Purchase an M2 LEO-Pack from the **AMSAT Store! <https://amsat.org/product-category/hardware/>**When you purchase through **AMSAT, a portion of the proceeds goes towards **Keeping Amateur Radio in Space.* ------------------------------ ARISS News Amateurs and others around the world may listen in on contacts between amateurs operating in schools and allowing students to interact with astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station. The downlink frequency on which to listen is 145.800 MHz worldwide. *Aznakaevsky district schools of the Republic of Tatarstan, Tatarstan Russia, direct via TBD* The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS The scheduled crewmember is Aleksandr Grebyonkin RZ3DSE The ARISS mentor is RV3DR Contact is go for Sat 2024-07-27 13:45 UTC *Arizona Science Center, Phoenix, AZ, telebridge via AB1OC* The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled crewmember is Matthew Dominick KCØTOR The ARISS mentor is K4RGK Contact is go: Sat 2024-07-27 18:24:08 UTC 41 deg As always, if there is an EVA, a docking, or an undocking; the ARISS radios are turned off as part of the safety protocol. The crossband repeater continues to be active (145.990 MHz up {PL 67} & 437.800 MHz down), If any crewmember is so inclined, all they have to do is pick up the microphone, raise the volume up, and talk on the crossband repeater. So give a listen, you just never know. Note, all times are approximate. It is recommended that you do your own orbital prediction or start listening about 10 minutes before the listed time. The latest information on the operation mode can be found at https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html The latest list of frequencies in use can be found at https://www.ariss.org/contact-the-iss.html *[ANS thanks Charlie Sufana, AJ9N, one of the ARISS operation team mentors for the above information]* ------------------------------ Upcoming Satellite Operations A growing number of satellite rovers are currently engaged in sharing their grid square activations on https://hams.at. By visiting the website, you gain easy access to comprehensive information about the operators responsible for activating specific grid squares. Additionally, you have the ability to assess the match score between yourself and a particular rover for a given pass, while also being able to identify the upcoming satellite passes that are accessible from your location. *N8MR* will be in *EN57*, with roves to EN67 from Aug 2 thru Aug 10. Icom 9700, Arrow and Alaskan (IO-117) antennas. Listening for Europe on linear eastern passes, at least two of these on CW. Can operate CW for NA ops, if anyone wants it. I can rove to EN56, only if needed. Posting passes to http://hams.at <https://t.co/VDIY566ji4> a day in advance. All QSOs to LoTW as N8MR. *[ANS thanks Ian Parsons, K5ZM, AMSAT Rover Page Manager, for the above information]* ------------------------------ * Want to fly the colors on your own grid expedition?* Get an AMSAT car flag and other neat stuff from our Zazzle store <https://www.zazzle.com/store/amsat_gear>! 25% of the purchase price of each product goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space ------------------------------ AMSAT Ambassador Activities AMSAT Ambassadors provide presentations, demonstrate communicating through amateur satellites, and host information tables at club meetings, hamfests, conventions, maker faires, and other events. AMSAT Ambassador Clint Bradford, K6LCS, says, "Think a 75-minute presentation on "working the easy satellites" would be appropriate for your club or event? Let me know by emailing me at k6lcsclint (at) gmail (dot) com or calling me at 909-999-SATS (7287)!" Clint has NEVER given the exact same show twice: EACH of the 150+ presentations so far has been customized/tailored to their audiences. Scheduled Events *2024 KARS / ARRL Idaho State Convention* *August 3, 2024* Post Falls, ID K7SYS *Huntsville Hamfest**August 17-18, 2024* Huntsville, AL AMSAT Booth and Forum N8DEU and W4FCL *Northeast HamXpostion**August 22-25, 2024* Best Western Royal Plaza Hotel & Trade Center 181 Boston Post Road W Marlborough, MA 01752 *Greater Louisville Hamfest**September 7, 2024* Shepherdsville, KY AMSAT Forum and Information Table W4FCL *Central Kentucky Hamfest**October 5, 2024* Lexington, KY AMSAT and Educational Satellites Forum and Information Table AI4SR and W4FCL *North Star Radio Convention**October 5, 2024* Hennepin Technical College (North Campus) Brooklyn Park, Minn. AMSAT Forum and Information Table KØJM and ADØHJ *2024 AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting**October 25-27, 2024* Doubletree by Hilton Tampa Rocky Point Waterfront 3050 N Rocky Point Dr W Tampa, FL 33607 *Stone Mountain Hamfest, ARRL State Convention* *November 2-3, 2024* Stone Mountain, GA K4RGK *[ANS thanks Bo Lowrey, W4FCL, Director – AMSAT Ambassador Program, for the above information]* ------------------------------ Satellite Shorts from All Over + XW-2B has recently returned to reliable service. XW-2B has an inverting linear transponder with an uplink of 435.090-435.110 MHz and a downlink of 145.730-145.750 MHz. + The May/June 2024 issue of *The **AMSAT** Journal* is now available to members on AMSAT’s Member Portal at https://launch.amsat.org/The_AMSAT_Journal + SpaceX's Falcon 9 suffered a rare failure on July 11th when the upper stage “experienced an anomaly and was unable to complete its second burn," trapping 20 Starlink satellites in an unusably low orbit. More information at https://spacenews.com/starlink-satellites-lost-on-falcon-9-upper-stage-fail… (ANS thanks SpaceNews for the information) ------------------------------ Join AMSAT today at https://launch.amsat.org/ In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership to: - Societies (a recognized group, clubs or organization). - Primary and secondary school students are eligible for membership at one-half the standard yearly rate. - Post-secondary school students enrolled in at least half time status shall be eligible for the student rate for a maximum of 6 post-secondary years in this status. - Memberships are available for annual and lifetime terms. Contact info [at] amsat.org for additional membership information. *73 and remember to help Keep Amateur Radio in Space!* *This week's ANS Editor,* *Paul Stoetzer, N8HM* *n8hm [at] amsat.org <http://amsat.org>* *ANS is a service of AMSAT, the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation, 712 H Street NE, Suite 1653, Washington, DC 20002*

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ANS-196 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
by Frank Karnauskas (N1UW) 13 Jul '24

13 Jul '24

In this edition: * 2024 AMSAT Board of Directors Election * Field Day Submissions Now Due * Grace Papay, K8LG Named 2024 WA6ITF Memorial Amateur Radio Newsline Young Ham of the Year * AMSAT TLE Dissemination Updates * Updating Keps in SatPC32 - An Update from DK1TB * NASA Discovers Strange Spectral Formations Cover LEO Orbits * Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for July 12, 2024 * ARISS News * Upcoming Satellite Operations * AMSAT Ambassador Events * Satellite Shorts From All Over The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and information service of AMSAT, the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS publishes news related to Amateur Radio in Space including reports on the activities of a worldwide group of Amateur Radio operators who share an active interest in designing, building, launching and communicating through analog and digital Amateur Radio satellites. The news feed on http://www.amsat.org publishes news of Amateur Radio in Space as soon as our volunteers can post it. Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to: ans-editor [at] amsat [dot] org. You can sign up for free e-mail delivery of the AMSAT News Service Bulletins via the ANS List; to join this list see: https://mailman.amsat.org/postorius/lists/ans.amsat.org/ ANS-196 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins To: All RADIO AMATEURS From: Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation 712 H Street NE, Suite 1653 Washington, DC 20002 DATE 2024 JUL 14 2024 AMSAT Board of Directors Election The nomination period for the 2024 AMSAT Board of Directors Election ended on June 15th. The following candidates have been duly nominated: * Mark Hammond, N8MH * Frank Karnauskas, N1UW * Bruce Paige, KK5DO * Paul Stoetzer, N8HM * Douglas Tabor, N6UA As three seats on the Board of Directors are up for election this year, the three candidates receiving the largest number of votes shall be declared elected to the seats. The two candidates receiving the next largest number of votes shall be declared First Alternate and Second Alternate, respectively. The voting process will be conducted via AMSAT's Wild Apricot membership system and will commence on July 15th. Instructions for voting will be emailed to all members in good standing as of July 1st by July 15th. The voting period shall conclude on September 15th and results will be announced not later than September 30th. [ANS thanks Jeff Davis, KE9V, AMSAT Secretary for the above information.] ________________________________ Field Day Submissions Now Due Field Day is behind us and it is time to tally your contacts and submit the for AMSAT Field Day. The Satellite Summary Sheet should be used for submission of the AMSAT Field Day competition and be received by Bruce Paige, KK5DO (e-mail) by 11:59 P.M. CDT, Monday, July 23, 2024. This year, Bruce is using the same due date as the ARRL. The only method for submitting your log is via e-mail to kk5do(a)amsat.org<mailto:[email protected]> or kk5do(a)arrl.net<mailto:[email protected]>. Bruce reports that he has not had a mail-in entry in a very long time. If you need to download a summary sheet, it can be found at https://www.amsat.org/field-day/ or directly from his website https://www.amsatnet.com/2024fd.docx. [ANS thanks Bruce Paige, KK5DO, AMSAT Director Contests and Awards, for the above information] ________________________________ The 2024 AMSAT President’s Club coins are here now! Help Support GOLF and Fox Plus [cid:[email protected]] Join the AMSAT President's Club today and help Keep Amateur Radio in Space! https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/ ________________________________ Grace Papay, K8LG Named 2024 WA6ITF Memorial Amateur Radio Newsline Young Ham of the Year Grace Papay, K8LG, of Holland, Michigan, has been selected as the 2024 Bill Pasternak WA6ITF Memorial Amateur Radio Newsline Young Ham of the Year. Grace, 18, is the daughter of Doug Papay, K8DP, and Carrie Papay K8CLP. Grace earned her Technician license in March 2021 and within a year achieved her Extra Class license, passing the test in March 2022. She is a recent honors graduate of Holland Christian High School in her hometown, where she earned a varsity letter in the Unified Sports program. Grace credited her father and her grandfather, John Papay, K8YSE, a well-known operator in the ham radio satellite community, for drawing her into the hobby. “I got involved in amateur radio satellites,” Grace recalls. “I got on the air. And now it has turned into something from honoring my grandfather to a hobby I’m on every day and I love.” With support from her grandfather and father, she earned the DX Century Club certificate for contacts exclusively using satellites. Grace attended Youth on the Air camps in Cincinnati in 2022 and Ottawa in 2023, where she says she was exposed to a variety of other amateur radio activities including balloon launches, slow-scan television and radio contesting. She was part of the K3LR IOTA Dave Kalter Memorial Youth DX Adventure in 2023 and was a team member for the J62K St. Lucia DX contest operation in 2024. Grace is active on the HF bands and operates in the ARRL and CQ DX SSB and CW contests, ARRL Sweepstakes and CQ WPX, as well as Youth on the Air events. For the past few years, Grace has been a regular presenter at the Youth Forum at Dayton Hamvention. She delivered a presentation on youth in contesting at the Contest University Forum at Dayton this year and assisted at the YOTA and AMSAT booths. She is an active member of the Holland Amateur Radio Club, Grand Rapids Amateur Radio Association, West Chester Amateur Radio Association and the American Radio Relay League. Grace received the Radio Club of America’s Young Achievers Award in 2023. She had an article on the “Next Generation of Contesters” published in the National Contest Journal (Nov/Dec 2023). A story she co-wrote on YOTA Camp 2022 appeared in the August 2022 edition of CQ magazine. Grace will be attending Cedarville University in Cedarville, Ohio this fall, where she will study electrical engineering. She says amateur radio played a major role in her choice of a major. The YHOTY award will be presented to Grace during a ceremony at the Huntsville Hamfest on Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024 at the Von Braun Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Amateur Radio Newsline and Yaesu USA are primary sponsors of the award, along with Heil Sound Ltd. and Radiowavz Antenna Company. The Young Ham of the Year Award was inaugurated by William Pasternak, WA6ITF, in 1986. Upon his passing in 2015, Bill’s name was added to the award as a memorial to his commitment to recognizing the accomplishments of young people to the Amateur Radio Service. [ANS thanks Amateur Radio Newsline for the above information.] ________________________________ AMSAT TLE Dissemination Updates AMSAT with help from its partner New England Sci-Tech prepares a bulletin of orbital elements during the first hour of the UTC day, and posts it to https://www.amsat.org/tle/daily-bulletin.txt as well as "bare" elements without the bulletin header and footer at https://www.amsat.org/tle/dailytle.txt. Other files and URLs with "nasa" and "ftp" in the URL are still maintained to support older software, but suggest organizations protocols that are no longer involved in TLE dissemination. Use of older filenames and URLs is deprecated and AMSAT does not promise to maintain them in perpetuity. End users and software developers are encouraged to use the URLs above going forward. The files are available via HTTPS (preferred) as well as unencrypted HTTP for legacy software. [ANS thanks Joe Fitzgerald, KM1P, AMSAT Orbital Elements Manager/IT Team for the above information.] ________________________________ Need new satellite antennas? Purchase M2 LEO-Packs from the AMSAT Store. [cid:[email protected]] When you purchase through AMSAT, a portion of the proceeds goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space. https://amsat.org/product-category/hardware/ ________________________________ Updating Keps in SatPC32 - An Update from DK1TB Erich Eichmann, DK1TB, SatPC32 author offers this update: "The SatPC32 Update Keps feature doesn't work with https links for TLE files. That would require changes of the source code and maybe requires a new Delphi version for me. I will care about that but that will at least take time and at present I don't have much time for the hobby. "But all https websites can be accessed also with http. They are not "secure" sites but that is meaningless with websites that contain Keps. Therefore use http in the aux. file Celestrak.SQF for AMSAT and Celestrak TLE (Two Line Elements) files, as described by Charlie, AJ9N, see below. With that modification the Download Keps function works. "Also, the https links can be accessed with your browser, of course. Enter the links into the address line of the browser. So, you can download the Keps and save them in the SatPC32 data folder 'Kepler' (see path to that folder in the footline of menu 'Satellites'). "By the way - Meanwhile my website supports also SSL. You can access it with https://www.dk1tb.de and https://www.dk1tb-2.de. "Also, SatPC32 supports now, besides TLE files, the new formats for Keps files XML, KVN and CSV. Celestrak publishes the Keps files also in these formats. The SatPC32 UpdateKeps feature works with these files also when downloaded from https sites (I don't know why that is different versus the TLE files). Therefore you can use https in Celestrack SQF with these files such as https://celestrak.org/NORAD/elements/gp.php?GROUP=amateur&FORMAT=xml." [ANS thanks Erich Eichmann for the above information.] ________________________________ NASA Discovers Strange Spectral Formations Cover LEO Orbits NASA scientists have spotted unusual shapes in the Earth's ionosphere, hundreds of miles above the Earth's surface. [cid:[email protected]] The ionosphere stretches from 50 to 400 miles above the planet and marks the boundary between our planet's atmosphere and outer space. While it houses most satellites orbiting the Earth, it's vulnerable to changes in space weather — electromagnetic radiation emitted by the Sun — that can wreak havoc in the zone and mess with communications equipment. Under some conditions, the layer can become electrically charged. As detected by the Global-scale Observations of the Limb and Disk (GOLD) imaging instrument, plasma bands stretching across the ionosphere can result in formations of unusual X and C shapes. It's a baffling "alphabet soup," as NASA termed the findings in a news release, that could shed light on how space weather can influence our planet's upper atmosphere and "interfere with radio and GPS signals." Charged particles can create dense bands or "crests" around the Earth's magnetic equator, while low density pockets caused by the setting Sun can result in "low-density pockets" called 'bubbles," according to NASA. Scientists believe that larger disturbances such as solar storms or even massive volcanic eruptions can cause multiple crests to merge and form an "X" shape, as previous GOLD observations have shown. But now, scientists have spotted these same shapes without any such occasion, during what scientists call "quiet time." "Earlier reports of merging were only during geomagnetically disturbed conditions — it is an unexpected feature during geomagnetic quiet conditions," said University of Colorado research associate Fazlul Laskar, who lead-authored a paper on the discovery earlier this year, in a NASA statement. Scientists are now wondering if something else could be causing these X shapes to appear. "The X is odd because it implies that there are far more localized driving factors," said NASA scientist and ionosphere expert Jeffrey Klenzing. "This is expected during the extreme events, but seeing it during ‘quiet time’ suggests that the lower atmosphere activity is significantly driving the ionospheric structure." Apart from X shapes, some bubbles in the ionosphere can also curve into C shapes, which new observations show can appear in close proximity to each other. In short, there's a lot still to learn about our planet's magnetically charged, protective shell. "The fact that we have very different shapes of bubbles this close together tells us that the dynamics of the atmosphere is more complex than we expected," Klenzing added. Read the complete article at https://tinyurl.com/ANS-196-IONOSPHERE. [ANS thanks nasa.gov for the above information.] ________________________________ Want to fly the colors on your own grid expedition? [cid:[email protected]] Get your AMSAT car flag and other neat stuff from our Zazzle store! 25% of the purchase price of each product goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear ________________________________ Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for July 12, 2024 Two Line Elements or TLEs, often referred to as Keplerian elements or keps in the amateur community, are the inputs to the SGP4 standard mathematical model of spacecraft orbits used by most amateur tracking programs. Weekly updates are completely adequate for most amateur satellites. TLE bulletin files are updated daily in the first hour of the UTC day. New bulletin files will be posted immediately after reliable elements become available for new amateur satellites. More information may be found at https://www.amsat.org/keplerian-elements-resources/. This week there are no additions or deletions to the AMSAT TLE distribution. [ANS thanks Joe Fitzgerald, KM1P, AMSAT Orbital Elements Manager, for the above information.] ________________________________ ARISS NEWS Amateurs and others around the world may listen in on contacts between amateurs operating in schools and allowing students to interact with astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station. The downlink frequency on which to listen is 145.800 MHz worldwide. [ARISS News] Upcoming Contacts Hokusetsu District Osaka Council Scout Association of Japan, Toyonaka, Japan, direct via JJ3YDM. The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS. The scheduled crewmember is Mike Barrat,t KD5MIJ. The ARISS mentor is Satoshi Yasuda, 7M3TJZ. Contact is go for July 18, 2024 at 08:23:52 UTC. Completed Contacts Houjoudu Elementary School, Imizu, Japan, direct via JA9YQJ. The ISS callsign was OR4ISS. The crewmember was Mike Barratt, KD5MIJ. The ARISS mentor was Satoshi Yasuda, 7M3TJZ. Contact was successful on Thursday, July 11, 2024 at 10:48:03 UTC. Youth On the Air 2024, Mount Saint Vincent University, Halifax, NS, Canada, Telebridge via ZS6JON. The ISS callsign was NA1SS. The crewmember was Jeanette Epps. KF5QNU. The ARISS mentor was Brian Jackson, VE6JBJ. Contact was successful on Tuesday, July 9, 2024 at 15:06:38 UTC. The crossband repeater continues to be active (145.990 MHz up {PL 67} & 437.800 MHz down). If any crewmember is so inclined, all they have to do is pick up the microphone, raise the volume up, and talk on the crossband repeater. So give a listen, you just never know. The packet system is also active (145.825 MHz up & down). As always, if there is an EVA, a docking, or an undocking; the ARISS radios are turned off as part of the safety protocol. Note, all times are approximate. It is recommended that you do your own orbital prediction or start listening about 10 minutes before the listed time. The latest information on the operation mode can be found at https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html The latest list of frequencies in use can be found at https://www.ariss.org/contact-the-iss.html [ANS thanks Charlie Sufana, AJ9N, one of the ARISS operation team mentors for the above information.] ________________________________ Upcoming Satellite Operations No operation listed at this time. A growing number of satellite rovers are currently engaged in sharing their grid square activations on https://hams.at. By visiting the website, you gain easy access to comprehensive information about the operators responsible for activating specific grid squares. Additionally, you have the ability to assess the match score between yourself and a particular rover for a given pass, while also being able to identify the upcoming satellite passes that are accessible from your location. [ANS thanks Ian Parsons, K5ZM, AMSAT Rover Page Manager, and Alex Ners, K6VHF, for the above information.] ________________________________ AMSAT Ambassador Events AMSAT Ambassadors provide presentations, demonstrate communicating through amateur satellites, and host information tables at club meetings, hamfests, conventions, maker faires, and other events. [cid:[email protected]] July 13, 2024 Firecracker Hamfest Salisbury, NC N7GZT July 20, 2024 “Moon Day” Frontiers of Flight Museum Love Field in Dallas, Texas AMSAT volunteers needed! Contact tschuessler(at) amsat.org for more information. July 20, 2024 WCARS Hamfest 2024 Waynesville, NC N4HF August 3, 2024 2024 KARS / ARRL Idaho State Convention Post Falls, ID K7SYS August 17-18, 2024 Huntsville Hamfest Huntsville, AL AMSAT Booth and Forum N8DEU August 23-25 2024 Northeast HamXposition and ARRL New England Division Convention Marlborough, MA WD4ASW and W1EME September 7, 2024 Greater Louisville Hamfest Shepherdsville, KY AMSAT Forum and Information Table W4FCL October 5, 2024 North Star Radio Convention Hennepin Technical College (North Campus) Brooklyn Park, MN. AMSAT Forum and Information Table KØJM and ADØHJ October 25-27, 2004 AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting Double Tree Rocky Point Waterfront Hotel Tampa Bay, FL November 2-3, 2024 Stone Mountain Hamfest, ARRL State Convention Stone Mountain, GA K4RGK [ANS thanks the Bo Lowrey, W4FCL, Director - AMSAT Ambassador Program for the above information.] ________________________________ Satellite Shorts From All Over * Congratulations are in order for Frank Hoonhout, KJ7DZ, for his impressive accomplishment in earning GridMaster Award #66! This esteemed recognition, initiated by Star Comm Group in 2014 and backed by Damon Runion, WA4HFN, and Rick Tillman, WA4NVM, has now been entrusted to AMSAT for the benefit of the entire amateur satellite community. The GridMaster Award celebrates radio amateurs worldwide who achieve two-way communication via amateur satellite with operators in all 488 Maidenhead grids across the contiguous United States of America. For more details on this distinguished award, visit the AMSAT website at https://www.amsat.org/gridmaster/. Frank, your achievement is truly commendable — well done! [ANS thanks Bruce Paige, KK5DO, AMSAT Director of Contests and Awards for the above information.] * Tom Schuessler is still looking for a few volunteers from the DFW area to assist with the "Moon Day event at the Frontiers of Flight Museum on Saturday, July 20. This is a general public STEAM day with seminars, activities and exhibitors relating to space exploration and astronomy. He will have the CubeSat Simulator, Fox engineering model, explanation of satellite orbits and if available in the time frame, outdoor satellite passes worked. Volunteers get free admission and lunch and a break area. Tom needs to know by probably middle of next week. Drop Tom an email at tschuessler [at] amsat [dot]org. [ANS thanks AMSAT for the above information.] * Satellite enthusiast David Beumer, WØDHB, became a Silent Key on June 2 after a long battle with a form of Muscular Dystrophy. A ham since his days at Haverford Senior High School in Pennsylvania, from which he graduated in 1969, he was chief engineer of the high school radio station, WHHS. He furthered his education at Stevens Institute of Technology and graduated in 1973 with his degree in Electrical Engineering. Dave started his career in Boston and later moved to San Diego, Calif., where he met Patty. Married in 1980, they moved to the Bay Area in 1984. From there they moved on to Colorado in 1989 for Dave’s job. Dave was employed by Markrevel, Calma, Daisy, Dazix, and VeryBest during his career. He was active on the linear birds and authored the software, FlexSatPC, which is used by many Flex Radio operators for satellite work. [ANS thanks the Beumer family for the above information.] ________________________________ Join AMSAT today at https://launch.amsat.org/ In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership to: * Societies (a recognized group, clubs or organization). * Primary and secondary school students are eligible for membership at one-half the standard yearly rate. * Post-secondary school students enrolled in at least half time status shall be eligible for the student rate for a maximum of 6 post-secondary years in this status. * Memberships are available for annual and lifetime terms. Contact info [at] amsat [dot] org for additional membership information. 73 and remember to help Keep Amateur Radio in Space! This week's ANS Editor, Frank Karnauskas, N1UW f.karnauskas [at] amsat [dot] org

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ANS-189 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
by Mark Johns, K0JM 06 Jul '24

06 Jul '24

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-189 In this edition: * Firefly Delivers New Amateur Satellites to Orbit * Ariane 6 Maiden Flight With GENESIS-A Module * Logbook of The World Returns To Service * LUSAT, Dead or Alive? * LEGO Bricks Printed out of Space Dust * Field Day Submissions Now Due * Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution * ARISS News * Upcoming Satellite Operations * AMSAT Ambassador Activities * Satellite Shorts From All Over The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and information service of AMSAT, the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS publishes news related to Amateur Radio in Space including reports on the activities of a worldwide group of Amateur Radio operators who share an active interest in designing, building, launching and communicating through analog and digital Amateur Radio satellites. The news feed on http://www.amsat.org publishes news of Amateur Radio in Space as soon as our volunteers can post it. *Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to: ans-editor [at] amsat.org <http://amsat.org>* You can sign up for free e-mail delivery of the AMSAT News Service Bulletins via the ANS List; to join this list see: https://mailman.amsat.org/postorius/lists/ans.amsat.org/ ANS-189 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins DATE 2024 July 7 Firefly Delivers New Amateur Satellites to Orbit The Firefly Alpha FLTA005/NASA ELaNa 43 mission, nicknamed “Noise of Summer,” launched successfully at 04:04 UTC on July 4 (Wednesday evening, July 3 in the U.S.) and deployed eight new cube satellites to Low Earth Orbit (LEO). Five of these cubesats carry amateur radio equipment. The cubesats were placed into a sun-synchronous Earth orbit, meaning that all locations on earth will see high-elevation passes roughly between 8:00 and 10:00 a.m. and between 8:00 and 10:00 p.m. local time daily, with lower elevation passes earlier and later. Among the newly-deployed satellites, the one of greatest interest to the amateur radio community is *MESAT1*. Built by the University of Maine, in cooperation with AMSAT, this satellite carries a 30 kHz wide V/U Transponder plus a 1k2 BPSK telemetry downlink. Telemetry downlink 435.800 MHz with transponder downlink 435.810-435.840 MHz, and transponder uplink 145.910-145.940 MHz. Amateurs are encouraged to use AMSAT’s FoxTelem software to collect telemetry. *MESAT1 being prepared for integration aboard the Firefly Alpha (Photo credit, University of Maine)* MESAT1 involves three missions designed by high school students in Maine. The science payloads are climate focused and include ALBEDO, IMAGER, and HAB. These will identify urban heat islands, determine concentration of phytoplankton in water bodies, and help predict harmful algal blooms. Four multispectral cameras on board will relay the data down to University of Maine’s ground station for further processing. Amateurs are encouraged to use AMSAT’s FoxTelem software to collect telemetry and assist in these science projects. Also deployed was *CatSat*, a technology demonstration of an inflatable antenna for high-speed communications, built by the University of Arizona. CatSat’s deployable antenna consists of a Mylar balloon. The front half of the balloon is transparent, allowing microwaves to pass through. The back half of the balloon is aluminized, creating a reflecting antenna. After reaching low Earth orbit, CatSat’s antenna will deploy and inflate to a diameter of just over one-and-a-half feet CatSat’s demonstration will be to transmit high-definition Earth photos to 10 GHz, X-band ground stations at ~50 megabits per second. *Artist’s rendering of CatSat with 10 GHz balloon antenna deployed. (University of Arizona)* In addition to images, data about the structure of the Earth’s ionosphere will be gathered by listening-in to thousands of beacons from ground-based ham radio stations. CatSat will relay WSPR and FT8 signals from HF. Downlinks on 437.185 MHz and 10470.00 MHz. Other satellites with IARU-coordinated amateur frequency downlinks include: *Serenity*, which uses a 4k8 FM with AX25 downlink on 437.100 MHz. Serenity was built by Teachers in Space, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational organization in North America that stimulates student interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). They provide teachers with real space science experiences, space flight opportunities, and industry connections. *KUbeSat-1*, revives small satellite research at the University of Kansas and starts a new KUbeSat program that will offer space access to student research. The main payload on KUbeSat-1 is the Primary Cosmic Ray Detector which will use a new method to measure the energy and species of primary cosmic rays hitting the Earth. The secondary payload is the High-Altitude Calibration, (HiCalK) that builds on decades of research surrounding Very High Frequency signals generated by cosmic ray interactions with the atmosphere. UHF downlink using 9k6 GMSK. A downlink on 437.085 MHz. *SOC-i* (Satellite for Optimal Control and Imaging) is a technology demonstration mission of attitude control technology and a camera that serves as an instrument to demonstrate SOC-i’s pointing abilities. Developed at the University of Washington, SOC-i has a UHF downlink using 4k8 GMSK. downlink 437.125 MHz. [ANS thanks NASA, Firefly Aerospace, and Spacflight Now for the above information] ------------------------------ *The 2024 AMSAT President’s Club coins are here now!* *Help Support GOLF and Fox Plus* *Join the AMSAT President’s Club today and help* *Keep Amateur Radio in Space!* *https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/* <https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/> ------------------------------ Ariane 6 Maiden Flight With GENESIS-A Module The maiden flight of the new European launcher, Ariane 6, is scheduled for July 9, 2024, with a launch window of 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. local time from the European spaceport in French Guiana (July 9 20:00h to July 10 00:00h CEST). Among many other payloads, it carries our (inside YPSAT) GENESIS-A module, attached to the second stage of the launcher. The module will transmit FT8 and live SSTV images in Robot 36 format. FT8 transmissions are made every 16 seconds, while SSTV’s are every 5 minutes. The working frequencies are as follows: Downlink 144.175 MHz FT8 Mode: – Callsign AO4ARI HO60 if the antenna has been deployed – Callsign AO4ARI HO61 if the antenna has not been deployed Downlink 144.550 MHz SSTV Robot 36 mode with live image and Hades text A carrier with a frequency of 144.550 MHz (same frequency as SSTV) is left between FT8 tones. This information is compiled in PDF in the following document on our web: https://www.amsat-ea.org/app/download/13458580/AMSAT+EA+-+GENESIS-A+transmi… The only thing ESA has given us is the trajectory over the ground while flying over Europe, but we don’t have TLEs or anything that we can semi-automate. It is available on our website: https://www.amsat-ea.org/s/cc_images/cache_19006006.jpg?t=1720182961 It will be very difficult to receive it but we thank you all if you try and if you spread this information to have all possible operators tuned into FT-8 that day. The module will fall into the sea with the second stage after a few hours. More information about the flight including timings here: https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Space_Transportation/Ariane/Ariane_6_l… [ANS thanks Félix Páez, EA4GQS, AMSAT EA, for the above information] ------------------------------ Logbook of The World Returns To Service Effective 12:00pm ET / 16:00 UTC on July 1, Logbook of The World® (LoTW®) has been to service. As work progressed on the network, some users encountered LoTW opening briefly during which some 6600 logs were uploaded. The logs were not processed until this weekend as we tested that the interfaces to LoTW were functioning properly. We are taking steps to help manage what will likely be a huge influx of logs. We are requesting that if you have large uploads, perhaps from contests or from a DXpedition, please wait a week or two before uploading to give LoTW a chance to catch up. We have also implemented a process to reject logs with excessive duplicates. Please do not upload your entire log to “ensure” your contacts are in LoTW as they will be rejected. Lastly, please do not call ARRL Headquarters to report issues you are having with LoTW. You can contact support at LoTW-help(a)arrl.org. Through the end of the year, you may experience planned times when LoTW will be unavailable. We have been using this time to evaluate operational and infrastructure improvements we would like to make to LoTW. Those times will be announced. We appreciate your patience as we worked through the challenges keeping LoTW from returning to service. We know the importance of LoTW to our members, and to the tens of thousands of LoTW users who are not ARRL members. LoTW, just behind QST, is our second most popular ARRL benefit. [ANS thanks ARRL for the above information] ------------------------------ LUSAT, Dead or Alive? LO-19, co-ordinated by AMSAT Argentina, the LUSAT (named after the LU amateur designation for Argentina) microsatellite was launched on the first ARIANE ASAP flight V35 with SPOT 2, on the 22 January 1990 (01:35:27 GMT) into an 780 km sun-synchronous, 98 degree inclined orbit. It carried a Digital Store and Forward packet communications transponder similar to AO-16. Downlink was AX.25 at 437.125 MHz SSB 1200 bps RC-BPSK. It is box shaped with dimensions of 213 × 230 × 230 mm, with four solar panels and weighs 13.76 kg. Long past its expected useful life, in recent years LUSAT has only been transmitting an unmodulated carrier signal. On June 29, Gustavo Carpignano, LW2DTZ, reported that recent observers had failed to detect the carrier. Gustavo declared LO-19 dead. However, on July 1, Nico Janssen, PAØDLO, reported receiving the carrier, but at a signal strength much weaker than over previous years. Nico suggested that, perhaps, the onboard power amplifier has failed. Well-equipped ground stations may wish to give a listen to test what they can hear. [ANS thanks Gustavo Carpignano, LW2DTZ, Nico Janssen, PAØDLO, and Gunter’s Space Page, for the above information] ------------------------------ *Need new satellite antennas?* *Purchase M2 LEO-Packs from the AMSAT Store.* *When you purchase through AMSAT, a portion of the proceeds goes towards* *Keeping Amateur Radio in Space.* *https://amsat.org/product-category/hardware/* <https://amsat.org/product-category/hardware/> ------------------------------ LEGO Bricks Printed out of Space Dust There have been many proposals for building structures on the Moon out of lunar regolith. But here’s an idea sure to resonate with creators, mechanical tinkerers, model builders and the kid inside us all. What about using actual LEGO bricks? Researchers ground up a 4.5-billion-year-old meteorite and used the dust to 3D print LEGO-style space bricks. They actually click together like the plastic variety, with so far only one downside: they only come in one color, grey. Universe Today Want to see some of these lunar LEGOs? LEGO will showcase the space bricks at some of its stores. Creating building materials on the Moon or Mars from the material on hand means construction materials don’t have to be transported from Earth. This would be a huge savings in launch costs because less weight would have to be boosted from Earth. A group of scientists from ESA (European Space Agency) were inspired by LEGO bricks, and with the advances in 3D printing, had the idea to print space bricks and test how they would work for construction. The only problem was that except for the Moon rocks brought back by the Apollo astronauts – which are highly guarded for scientific study only — there’s not any lunar regolith available on Earth to experiment with. But meteorite dust is a close cousin to lunar regolith. The ESA team was able to get a meteorite that was discovered in Northwest Africa in 2000 and is about 4.5 billion years old. It is made of metal grains and chondrules, similar to Moon dust. *Inspired by LEGO, ESA scientists have used dust from a meteorite to 3D-print LEGO-style ‘space bricks’ to test out construction ideas for a future Moon base. Credit: The LEGO Group* They mixed the meteorite dust with some other things, like a polymer called polylactide and regolith simulant and 3D printed bricks that mimic and behave just like LEGO bricks. While they aren’t smooth like regular LEGO bricks, ESA said the space bricks gave ESA’s space engineers the flexibility to build and test a variety of structures using this new material. “It’s no secret that real-world scientists and engineers sometimes try out ideas with LEGO bricks,” said Emmet Fletcher, Head of ESA’s Branding and Partnerships Office. “ESA’s space bricks are a great way to inspire young people and show them how play and the power of the imagination have an important role in space science, too.” “Nobody has built a structure on the Moon, so it was great to have the flexibility to try out all kinds of designs and building techniques with our space bricks,” said . ESA Science Officer Aidan Cowley. “It was both fun and useful in scientifically understanding the boundaries of these techniques.” For a list of where the lunar LEGOs will be on display worldwide, see https://www.universetoday.com/167675/lego-bricks-printed-out-of-space-dust/… The LEGO website has additional details at https://www.lego.com/en-us/aboutus/news/2024/june/lego-bricks-scientists-bu… Hopefully the lunar LEGOs will inspire both children and adults about space and to encourage them to build their own LEGO Moon bases. [ANS thanks Universe Today for the above information] ------------------------------ Field Day Submissions Now Due Field Day is behind us and it is time to tally your contacts and submit the for AMSAT Field Day. The Satellite Summary Sheet should be used for submission of the AMSAT Field Day competition and be received by KK5DO (e-mail) by 11:59 P.M. CDT, Monday, July 23, 2024. This year, we are using the same due date as the ARRL. The only method for submitting your log is via e-mail to kk5do(a)amsat.org or kk5do(a)arrl.net. I have not had a mail-in entry in a very long time. If you need to download a summary sheet, it can be found at https://www.amsat.org/field-day/ or directly from my website https://www.amsatnet.com/2024fd.docx [ANS thanks Bruce Paige, KK5DO, AMSAT Director Contests and Awards, for the above information] ------------------------------ *Want to fly the colors on your own grid expedition?* *Get your AMSAT car flag and other neat stuff from our Zazzle store!* *25% of the purchase price of each product goes towards* *Keeping Amateur Radio in Space* *https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear <https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear>* ------------------------------ Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for July 5 Two Line Elements or TLEs, often referred to as Keplerian elements or keps in the amateur community, are the inputs to the SGP4 standard mathematical model of spacecraft orbits used by most amateur tracking programs. Weekly updates are completely adequate for most amateur satellites. TLE bulletin files are updated daily in the first hour of the UTC day. New bulletin files will be posted immediately after reliable elements become available for new amateur satellites. More information may be found at https://www.amsat.org/keplerian-elements-resources/. The following satellites from last week’s Firefly Alpha FLTA005/NASA ELaNa 43 launch have been added. They are listed as OBJECT A-H, with the exception of object G which is likely MESAT1. As is the case with most cubesat launches, it will take a while to figure out which object is which <https://www.amsat.org/why-is-there-so-much-tle-confusion-when-new-cubesats-…> . OBJECT A 60203 OBJECT B 60204 OBJECT C 60205 OBJECT D 60206 OBJECT E 60207 OBJECT F 60208 MESAT1 60209 OBJECT H 60210 OBJECT J 60211 OBJECT K 60212 [ANS thanks AMSAT Orbital Elements page for the above information] ------------------------------ ARISS NEWS Amateurs and others around the world may listen in on contacts between amateurs operating in schools and allowing students to interact with astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station. The downlink frequency on which to listen is 145.800 MHz worldwide. *UPCOMING CONTACTS:* Youth On the Air 2024, Mount Saint Vincent University, NS, Canada, Telebridge via ZS6JON The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled crewmember is Jeanette Epps, KF5QNU The ARISS mentor is VE3TBD Contact is go for: Tue 2024-07-09 15:06:38 UTC 65 degrees maximum elevation Houjoudu Elementary School, Imizu, Japan, direct via JA9YQJ The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS The scheduled crewmember is Mike Barratt, KD5MIJ The ARISS mentor is 7M3TJZ Contact is go for: Thu 2024-07-11 10:48:03 UTC 83 degrees The crossband repeater continues to be active (145.990 MHz up {PL 67} & 437.800 MHz down). If any crewmember is so inclined, all they have to do is pick up the microphone, raise the volume up, and talk on the crossband repeater. So give a listen, you just never know. The packet system is also active (145.825 MHz up & down). HamTV (2.395 GHz) and SSTV (145.80 MHz) are both stowed. As always, if there is an EVA, a docking, or an undocking; the ARISS radios are turned off as part of the safety protocol. Note, all times are approximate. It is recommended that you do your own orbital prediction or start listening about 10 minutes before the listed time. The latest information on the operation mode can be found at https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html The latest list of frequencies in use can be found at https://www.ariss.org/contact-the-iss.html [ANS thanks Charlie Sufana, AJ9N, one of the ARISS operation team mentors for the above information] ------------------------------ Upcoming Satellite Operations NDØC and family will be on another family camping vacation from 24 June thru 7 July, this time through Wisconsin to Michigan and back thru Illinois and Iowa. No super rare grids but several that may be needed by many. The grids and passes will depend on where/when we happen to be while on the road or camping. This will be all LEO sats: FM & SSB. As always, they will try for EU passes on RS-44 when possible. Randy is looking forward to pushing past the 100 grids-roved milestone. A growing number of satellite rovers are currently engaged in sharing their grid square activations on https://hams.at. By visiting the website, you gain easy access to comprehensive information about the operators responsible for activating specific grid squares. Additionally, you have the ability to assess the match score between yourself and a particular rover for a given pass, while also being able to identify the upcoming satellite passes that are accessible from your location. [ANS thanks Ian Parsons, K5ZM, AMSAT rover page manager, for the above information] ------------------------------ AMSAT Ambassador Activities AMSAT Ambassadors provide presentations, demonstrate communicating through amateur satellites, and host information tables at club meetings, hamfests, conventions, maker faires, and other events. July 20, 2024 “Moon Day” Frontiers of Flight Museum Love Field in Dallas, Texas AMSAT volunteers needed! Contact tschuessler(at) amsat.org for more information. August 17-18, 2024 Huntsville Hamfest Huntsville, AL AMSAT Booth and Forum N8DEU and W4FCL September 7, 2024 Greater Louisville Hamfest Shepherdsville, KY AMSAT Forum and Information Table W4FCL October 5, 2024 Central Kentucky Hamfest Lexington, KY AMSAT and Educational Satellites Forum and Information Table AI4SR and W4FCL October 5, 2024 North Star Radio Convention Hennepin Technical College (North Campus) Brooklyn Park, Minn. AMSAT Forum and Information Table KØJM and ADØHJ AMSAT Ambassador Clint Bradford, K6LCS, says, “Think a 75-minute presentation on “working the easy satellites” would be appropriate for your club or event? Let me know by emailing me at k6lcsclint (at) gmail (dot) com or calling me at 909-999-SATS (7287)!” Clint has NEVER given the exact same show twice: EACH of the 150+ presentations so far has been customized/tailored to their audiences. [ANS thanks the AMSAT Events page for the above information] ------------------------------ Satellite Shorts From All Over + *What GOES up …* NOAA’s latest Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite, GOES-U, launched on the first Falcon Heavy of the year on June 25 from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center. The mission, the last of the GOES-R series of geostationary weather satellites, continuously monitors weather systems over the Western Hemisphere. Assuming that next week’s planned burn to lift the satellite to geosynchronous orbit is successful, this satellite will be re-designated as GOES-19 and will, in coming months, take over the GOES-East duties from the aging GOES-16. (See ANS 182 <https://www.amsat.org/ans-182-amsat-news-service-weekly-bulletins/> last week for more details.) + *Musk come down …* Elon Musk’s SpaceX has won a contract valued at up to $843 million to build a vehicle capable of safely deorbiting the International Space Station once the station is decommissioned in 2030. While many people have suggested raising the ISS’s orbit and turning it into a museum, the amount of fuel needed to move the approximately 420-ton station to a high enough orbit to remain stable for long durations is prohibitive. + *Blow up …* Russian Resurs-P1, an almost-six-ton defunct Earth observation satellite that stopped orbit maintenance in 2017 but continued operations until 2022, unexpectedly exploded last week into hundreds of fragments. Expected to reenter later this year, Resurs-P1 was orbiting at ~350 km, close enough to the ISS’s orbital altitude that the event forced ISS astronauts into shelter for an hour while debris was tracked. + *Or go up, come down, and blow up (unexpectedly) …* during a static fire test of the first stage of China’s close-to-finished Tianlong-3 rocket, the hold-down hardware failed to do its singular job: hold down the rocket. Moments after ignition, the rocket shot 1.5 km into the sky above the city of Gongyi, China. With no guidance system, gravity took over, resulting in a massive fireball on impact. Very fortunately, there were no casualties as the rocket mostly went straight up and straight back down. (ANS thanks The Orbital Index for all of the above items.) ------------------------------ Join AMSAT today at https://launch.amsat.org/ In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership to: * Societies (a recognized group, clubs or organization). * Primary and secondary school students are eligible for membership at one-half the standard yearly rate. * Post-secondary school students enrolled in at least half time status shall be eligible for the student rate for a maximum of 6 post-secondary years in this status. * Memberships are available for annual and lifetime terms. *Contact info [at] amsat.org <http://amsat.org> for additional membership information.* 73 and remember to help Keep Amateur Radio in Space! This week’s ANS Editor, Mark Johns, KØJM k0jm [at] amsat.org

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