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ANS-057 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
by Joe Spier 19 Mar '17

19 Mar '17

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-078 The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and infor- mation service of AMSAT North America, The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS publishes news related to Amateur Radio in Space including reports on the activities of a worldwide group of Amateur Radio operators who share an active interest in designing, building, launching and communicating through analog and digital Amateur Radio satellites. The news feed on http://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. In this edition: * AMSAT Ground Terminal Weekly Report for March 7, 2017 * AMSAT SA to Sponsor SDR Workshop in Cape Town * CAS-4A and CAS-4B Linear Transponder Frequencies Announced * IARU Page Proposed South Korean Satellite * ARISS Closer to Launching New Radio System * AMSAT Awards Update * 6E3MAYA on Satellites March 18-21 * AMSAT Events * ARISS News * Satellite Shorts from All Over SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-078.01 ANS-078 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins AMSAT News Service Bulletin 078.01 >From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD. DATE March 19, 2017 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-078.01 --------------------------------------------------------------------- AMSAT Ground Terminal Weekly Report for March 7, 2017 We kick off this week’s report with two demonstrations of DVB-S2 transmission from the LimeSDR. The first from Charles Brain G4GUO, and the second from Paul KB5MU and Michelle W5NYV. Charles has live video and Paul and Michelle are transmitting a pre-recorded work of art called Adventure Time. Mike Seguin N1JEZ has some LimeSDR spectral analysis to report. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZNshry3sZU First, 850 MHz Phase Noise 10 kHz offset 1 kHz resolution bandwidth -58.36 – 10LOGBW = -88.36 dBc/Hz If I read the LMS7002M Spec sheet right, it should be down around -96 dBc/Hz? PDF is in the Phase 4 Ground Github link is in the show notes. https://github.com/…/d…/tree/master/Engineering/SDRs/LimeSDR Second, 2850 MHz Phase Noise 10 kHz offset 1 kHz resolution bandwidth -49 – 10LOGBW = -79 dBc/Hz spec around -87 dBc/Hz? Third image is at 2850 MHz +/-200 kHz Check out those curious 200 kHz spurs Fourth image is 2850 MHz 100 MHz Span A broader view – we need to go digging deeper. Final image is 2850 MHz 388 kHz spur small spur on the low side? Output power varies. He’s seen upwards of +15 dBm. He is powering the LimeSDR board off an external supply. He is using LimeSuite to set up the transmit output on TX1-1. There are so many settings it’s possible/probable we’re missing something. He has also have done rudimentary noise figure measurements. Paul, W1GHZ loaned him a homebrew noise head he had built from his QEX article in 1996? on Noise Figure. He used it to measure the NF, but had to rely on a chart for ENR. So assumptions!!! He found he definitely had to use a preamp in front of the Lime. He used an AD6IW wideband pre for testing. “I need to do more real world tests on the bands….” -Mike Seguin In the next segment of this report Paul described how to use the examples folder in GNU Radio to get to the DVB flowgraphs we’ve been using for experiments. Charles G4GUO shares his plan for next steps for DVB-S2 receive. He is looking at how to do the front end that finds the start of a frame and compensates for frequency error. He is pondering how to do this and has some ideas. He also has the low density parity check (LDPC) decoder to do but has not yet planned it out. He has the BCH decoder done and the bit that decodes the preamble code FEC. Charles explains that the whole of DVB-S2 has been designed for the parallel processing powers of ASICs/FPGAs/GPUs. He has decided to attack the problem using GPUs. He asserts that GPUs don’t have such a steep learning curve as some of the other technologies. He believes that the symbol tracking and root raised cosine filtering is best done in the FPGA on the LimeSDR. His thoughts are to re-write some of the Lime code so he can alter the ADC sample rate in fractions of a symbol. Then use the host to calculate the timing error and send the correction to the Lime FPGA code. The Lime can also do fine frequency error correction using a complex mixer. The error can be calculated in the host from the phase change in the preamble sequence. The central question is how to fit it into the memory model of the GPU to keep all the threads fully occupied. This means properly balancing the combination of LDPC decoding, parallel thinking and NVIDIA GPU programming. One of the many questions he has is how to cope with the final XOR of the parity bit for each block as that makes every bit in the whole thing dependent on every other bit. He believes that there must be a short cut so you can break the problem at the receiver down into a load of independent blocks (divide and conquer). It is all very DVBS2 specific but when a sub block of the code meets a condition where all its parity check equation are correct it can be marked as finished and the decoder can then move on to the next sub block. It requires a lot of thinking about and Charles welcomes your feedback. So! Lots of programming! We are here to help with this effort! It’s going to be a big one. Please join AMSAT, TAPR, ARRL, and any other local or regional club that is helping advance the state of the art in amateur radio. Projects like ours cannot exist without your membership. http://www.amsat.org/?p=5875 [ANS thanks Michelle Thompson, W5NYV and the AMSAT Ground Terminal Team for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- AMSAT SA to Sponsor SDR Workshop in Cape Town SDR workshop in Cape Town on 22 April. Following on a very successful symposium on Software Defined Radio held in Gauteng towards the end of last year, a similar event will be presented by AMSAT SA in the Cape on Saturday 22 April 2017 at the Bellville Campus of the Cape Peninsula University of Technology. To register visit http://www.amsatsa.org.za/ [ANS thanks the South African Radio League News for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- CAS-4A and CAS-4B Linear Transponder Frequencies Announced CAMSAT has worked closely with a Beijing Government aerospace contractor to build two satellites with amateur radio linear transponder payloads. IARU record a launch had been planned for March 31, 2017 from Taiyuan into a 524 km orbit with an inclination of 42 degrees. Both will carry a 435/145 (U/V) 20 dBm (100 milliwatt) SSB/CW linear transponder, a 2m CW 17 dBm (50 mW) telemetry beacon and an AX.25 4.8 kbps GMSK 20 dBm (100 mW) telemetry downlink. The two micro-satellites will also carry optical remote sensing missions. Planned to be 494x499x630 mm dimension regular square shape and approximately 50 kg mass with three-axis stabilization system. These frequencies have been coordinated by the IARU Satellite Frequency Coordination Panel: CAS-4A • Linear transponder downlink 145.870 MHz, emission designator 20K0V8WWF, output power 20 dBm • Linear transponder uplink 435.220 MHz • CW telemetry beacon 145.855 MHz, emission designator 100HA1AAN, output power 17 dBm • GMSK telemetry 145.835 MHz, emission designator 16K0F1DCN, output power 20 dBm CAS-4B • Linear transponder downlink 145.925 MHz, emission designator 20K0V8WWF, output power 20 dBm • Linear transponder uplink 435.280 MHz • CW telemetry beacon 145.910 MHz, emission designator 100HA1AAN, output power 17 dBm • GMSK telemetry 145.890 MHz, emission designator 16K0F1DCN, output power 20 dBm [ANS thanks AMSAT-UK and Trevor, M5AKA for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- IARU Page Shows Proposed South Korean Satellite K2SAT The Republic of Korea Air Force Academy has applied to the IARU for coordination of its' K2SAT satellite frequencies. Headline Details: A 3U CubeSat. The missions of the K2SAT are to demonstrate satellite imaging and transfer, and secondly to test voice repeating capability. The payloads: 1. On-board camera 2. On-board voice repeater. Attitude control will be performed with 3-axis reaction wheels and magnetorquer. The satellite surface that contains the main payload(Camera) shall be aligned to the nadir direction of the satellite. Requesting coordination for a V/U transponder. The TX would also be capable of downlinking AX25 telemetry at 9k6 using BPSK. Planning a 2018 launch into a 500 or 600km SSO. [ANS thanks the IARU Page for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- ARISS Closer to Launching New Radio System March 13, 2017: The ARISS team took a giant step closer to flying the new ARISS Interoperable Radio System to the International Space Station, having met a major milestone. Lou McFadin, W5DID, and Kerry Banke, N6IZW, travelled to the NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston, Texas, in mid-February for preliminary testing of Banke's breadboard version of the ARISS Multi-voltage Power Supply. The two worked alongside JSC engineers and JSC EMC lab personnel, putting the specially built power supply through its paces, checking against US and Russian space specifications for Power Quality and Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) preliminary tests. The result: Outstanding news-the ARISS Team can move on to the next step, fabrication of prototype and flight units. The JSC engineers disclosed that the ARISS breadboard power supply was the first hardware to have passed all of the space agencies' tests! They said the very professional ARISS Team certainly knew hardware development and design. ARISS-International Chair Frank Bauer thanked Banke and McFadin for the multiple days spent putting the unit through the serious battery of NASA and Russian preliminary electrical tests. Banke expressed pleasure with the results: "I was looking to come away with what we needed to move forward. We achieved that." He was impressed with the support he and McFadin received from the testing group, and said key players on those teams who are also ham radio operators, commented that they find equipment brought in that is supported by ham radio operators, to earn particularly good marks. McFadin asserted that the Multi-voltage Power Supply's fine test results are due to ARISS's team working very well together and being very experienced. The completed testing of the breadboard unit means McFadin can now purchase expensive space-certified parts so the final prototype/flight power supplies can be fabricated. He and Banke now know that when the final, even more rigorous tests are done, the units will pass with flying colors. Watch for more news stories on the hardware and the fundraising campaign to help support the costs associated with designing, building, and testing the new ARISS radio system-the Kenwood D710GA and Multi-voltage Power Supply. Those wishing to contribute toward the final fabrication and flight tests are highly appreciated and asked to go to the AMSAT website, www.amsat.org, to click on the "ARISS Donate" button. Or visit the donation page on the ARISS website, http://www.ariss.org/donate.html. Contributions are tax deductible. Those who contribute $100 or more will receive the handsome ARISS Challenge Coin. If you or your ham club or place of employment wish to make a highly substantial contribution, contact Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, at ka3hdo(a)verizon.net. About ARISS Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) is a cooperative venture of international amateur radio societies and the space agencies that support the International Space Station (ISS). In the United States, sponsors are the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT), the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS) and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The primary goal of ARISS is to promote exploration of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) topics by organizing scheduled contacts via amateur radio between crew members aboard the ISS and students in classrooms or informal education venues. With the help of experienced amateur radio volunteers, ISS crews speak directly with large audiences in a variety of public forums. Before and during these radio contacts, students, teachers, parents, and communities learn about space, space technologies, and amateur radio. For more information, see www.ariss.org, www.amsat.org, and www.arrl.org. Also, join us on Facebook: Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) / Follow us on Twitter: ARISS_status [ANS thanks David Jordan, AA4KN for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- AMSAT Awards Update This is the first posting of awards for 2017. The year started slow and then picked up with the following earning their awards. AMSAT Satellite Communicators Award for making their first satellite QSO Christopher Hobbs, KD5RYO Frank Garofalo, WA2NDV Milan Stancel, OM4MX ------ AMSAT Communications Achievement Award Adrian Liggins, VA3NNA, #575 Matthew Stevens, KK4FEM, #576 Milan Stancel, OM4MX, #577 ------ AMSAT Sexagesimal Award Ronald Parsons, W5RKN, #178 Matthew Stevens, KK4FEM, #179 ------ AMSAT Century Club Award Frank Westphal, K6FW, #49 Toralf Renkwitz, DJ7MS, #50 Ronald Oldham, N8RO, #51 ------ South Africa Satellite Communications Achievement Award Adrian Liggins, VA3NNA, #US202 Matthew Stevens, KK4FEM, #US203 Milan Stancel, OM4MX, #US204 ------ AMSAT Robert W. Barbee Jr., W4AMI Award Cleber Rodrigues, PY3TX, #88 Paul Stoezter, N8HM, Upgrade to 4000 Frank Westphal, K6FW, Upgrade to 2000 John Papay, K8YSE/7, Upgrade to 3000 ------ AMSAT Robert W. Barbee Jr., W4AMI Award Ronald Parsons, W5RKN, #89 Milan Stancel, OM4MX, #90 ------ To see all the awards visit http://www.amsat.org or http://www.amsatnet.com/awards.html [ANS thanks Bruce Paige, KK5DO, AMSAT Director Contests and Awards for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- 6E3MAYA on Satellites March 18-21 Mexico trip includes satellite operating plans: XE, Mexico: A group of Mexican amateurs plans to visit archaeological sites of Maya culture in Yucatan, Campeche, Tabasco, Chiapas, and Quintana Roo from the 18th to 21st. QRV with the call 6E3MAYA on 80-6m on SSB, CW, digital modes and via satellites. QSL via XE3N, LoTW. [ANS thanks the DARC DX Newsletter DXNL 2032 March 15, 2017 for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- AMSAT Events Information about AMSAT activities at other important events around the country. Examples of these events are radio club meetings where AMSAT Area Coordinators give presentations, demonstrations of working amateur satellites, and hamfests with an AMSAT presence (a table with AMSAT literature and merchandise, sometimes also with presentations, forums, and/or demonstrations). *Friday through Sunday, 31 March–2 April 2017, NVCON in Las Vegas NV *Wednesday, 5 April 2007 – presentation for Scottsdale Amateur Radio Club in Scottsdale AZ *Friday and Saturday, 7-8 April 2017, Green Country Hamfest in Claremore OK *Saturday, 6 May 2017 – Cochise Amateur Radio Association hamfest in Sierra Vista AZ *19-21 May 2017, HamVention in the Greene County Fairgrounds and Expo Center, Dayton, Ohio *Friday and Saturday, 9-10 June 2017, HAM-COM in Irving TX *Saturday, 10 June 2017 – Prescott Hamfest in Prescott AZ [ANS thanks AMSAT-NA for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- ARISS News Successful Contacts * A direct contact with students at McBride High School, Long Beach, CA, USA was successful Wed 2017-03-15 16:28:44 UTC 25 deg. Astronaut Thomas Pesquet, KG5FYG answered all 19 questions prepared by students. Upcoming Contacts * A telebridge contact via W6SRJ with students at “School of Trois Paletuviers”, Saint-Georges de l'Oyapock, French Guyana, is presently scheduled Thu 2017-03-23 12:42:26 UTC 61 deg. with Astronaut Thomas Pesquet KG5FYG. Trois Palétuviers is a small native people village of French Guyane, set between the Amazonian forest and the majestic Oyapock River, a natural border with Brazil. It is accessed only by dugout and the journey takes place in one hour. On site, no electricity during the day, internet and telephone recently, but a quality of life preserved, which in no way excludes projects and achievements in order to help envisage the future in a dynamic and optimistic way. The village comprises a population of 180 inhabitants, exclusively Native Americans and many of whom have strong ties with Brazil. The school hosts about fifty students divided into 2 classes: a kindergarten from the PS to the GS, an elementary from the CP to the CM2. In addition to the usual teachings, the school offers activities that enable you to travel and make contact with the outside of the village. So : The "chess game for academic success" has been helping since 2006 to reason and confidence in its abilities, The theater club has already performed several times in French Guiana. A highly eclectic choir gives everyone the opportunity to express themselves. In addition, there are urban dance classes, numerous programs and projects related to the environment, space, health and so on. Another peculiarity is that a school for parents has been in place since 2011. For the liaison with the ISS, the pupils will travel 1 hour of canoe motor and 3 hours of road. * A direct contact via AA4UT with students at the Student Space Technology Association, Knoxville, TN, USA will be rescheduled. The University of Tennessee Knoxville is an amazing school located in the hills of Tennessee. It is the largest campus in the state, hosting more than 30,000 students. This school is known for its engineering and science heritage, having close ties with research facilities such as Oak Ridge National Lab and companies like Alcoa. Also, included in our alumni are 9 astronauts including the recent ISS inhabitant Scott Kelly. Our school is filled with thousands of eager students seeking to pursue careers in the space industry. With our vision of becoming a top-tier research school, our students are set to become the next leaders in STEM industries. ********************************************************************** ARISS is always glad to receive listener reports for the above contacts. ARISS thanks everyone in advance for their assistance. Feel free to send your reports to aj9n(a)amsat.org or aj9n(a)aol.com. ********************************************************************** Message to US Educators Amateur Radio on the International Space Station Contact Opportunity Call for Proposals Proposal Window February 15 – April 15, 2017 The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) Program is seeking formal and informal education institutions and organizations, individually or working together, to host an Amateur Radio contact with a crew member on board the ISS. ARISS anticipates that the contact would be held between January 1, 2018 and June 30, 2018. Crew scheduling and ISS orbits will determine the exact contact dates. To maximize these radio contact opportunities, ARISS is ; looking for organizations that will draw large numbers of participants and integrate the contact into a well-developed education plan. The deadline to submit a proposal is April 15, 2017. Proposal information and documents can be found at www.arrl.org/hosting-an-ariss-contact. The Opportunity Crew members aboard the International Space Station will participate in scheduled Amateur Radio contacts. These radio contacts are approximately 10 minutes in length and allow students to interact with the astronauts through a question-and-answer session. An ARISS contact is a voice-only communication opportunity via Amateur Radio between astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the space station and classrooms and communities. ARISS contacts afford education audiences the opportunity to learn firsthand from astronauts what it is like to live and work in space and to learn about space research conducted on the ISS. Students also will have an opportunity to learn about satellite communication, wireless technology, and radio science. Because of the nature of human spaceflight and the complexity of scheduling activities aboard the ISS, organizations must demonstrate flexibility to accommodate changes in dates and times of the radio contact. Amateur Radio organizations around the world, NASA, and space agencies in Russia, Canada, Japan and Europe sponsor this educational opportunity by providing the equipment and operational support to enable direct communication between crew on the ISS and students around the world via Amateur Radio. In the US, the program is managed by AMSAT (Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation) and ARRL (American Radio Relay League) in partnership with NASA and CASIS (Center for the Advancement of Science in Space). More Information Interested parties can find more information about the program at www.ariss.org and www.arrl.org/ARISS. For proposal information and more details such as expectations, proposal guidelines and proposal form, and dates and times of Information Sessions go to http://www.arrl.org/hosting-an-ariss-contact. Please direct any questions to ariss(a)arrl.org. ********************************************************************** ARISS is always glad to receive listener reports for the above contacts. ARISS thanks everyone in advance for their assistance. Feel free to send your reports to aj9n(a)amsat.org or aj9n(a)aol.com. Listen for the ISS on the downlink of 145.8Ø MHz. ********************************************************************** All ARISS contacts are made via the Kenwood radio unless otherwise noted. ********************************************************************** Several of you have sent me emails asking about the RAC ARISS website and not being able to get in. That has now been changed to http://www.ariss.org/ Note that there are links to other ARISS websites from this site. ********************************************************************** Looking for something new to do? How about receiving DATV from the ISS? If interested, then please go to the ARISS-EU website for complete details. Look for the buttons indicating Ham Video. http://www.ariss-eu.org/ If you need some assistance, ARISS mentor Kerry N6IZW, might be able to provide some insight. Contact Kerry at kbanke(a)sbcglobal.net ********************************************************************** ARISS congratulations the following mentors who have now mentored over 100 schools: Satoshi 7M3TJZ with 123 Gaston ON4WF with 123 Francesco IKØWGF with 119 ********************************************************************** The webpages listed below were all reviewed for accuracy. Out of date webpages were removed and new ones have been added. If there are additional ARISS websites I need to know about, please let me 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. All dates and times listed follow International Standard ISO 8601 date and time format YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS The complete schedule page has been updated as of 2017-03-09 05:00 UTC. Here you will find a listing of all scheduled school contacts, and questions, other ISS related websites, IRLP and Echolink websites, and instructions for any contact that may be streamed live. http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/arissnews.rtf http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/arissnews.txt Total number of ARISS ISS to earth school events is 1116. Each school counts as 1 event. Total number of ARISS ISS to earth school contacts is 1080. Each contact may have multiple schools sharing the same time slot. Total number of ARISS supported terrestrial contacts is 47. A complete year by year breakdown of the contacts may be found in the file. http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/arissnews.rtf Please feel free to contact me if more detailed statistics are needed. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The following US states and entities have never had an ARISS contact: Arkansas, Delaware, South Dakota, Wyoming, American Samoa, Guam, Northern Marianas Islands, and the Virgin Islands. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ QSL information may be found at: http://www.ariss.org/qsl-cards.html ISS callsigns: DPØISS, IRØISS, NA1SS, OR4ISS, RSØISS ********************************************************************** The successful school list has been updated as of 2017-02-23 05:00 UTC. http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/Successful_ARISS_schools.rtf Frequency chart for packet, voice, and crossband repeater modes showing Doppler correction as of 2005-07-29 04:00 UTC http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/ISS_frequencies_and_Doppler_correctio… Listing of ARISS related magazine articles as of 2006-07-10 03:30 UTC. http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/ARISS_magazine_articles.rtf Check out the Zoho reports of the ARISS contacts https://reports.zoho.com/ZDBDataSheetView.cc?DBID=412218000000020415 ********************************************************************** Exp. 49 on orbit Shane Kimbrough KE5HOD Andrei Borisenko Sergey Ryzhikov Exp. 50 on orbit Peggy Whitson Thomas Pesquet KG5FYG Oleg Novitskiy ********************************************************************** Watch http://www.ariss.org/upcoming-contacts.html for information about upcoming contacts as they are scheduled. [ANS thanks ARISS and Charlie, AJ9N for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Satellite Shorts from All Over Help Wanted - Russian Space Agency If you know what this means, "Mukhnem na Lunu: Rossiya ishchet novykh kosmonavtov"*, you may be able to apply at Russia's space agency, who on Tuesday announced a recruitment drive for young would-be cosmonauts who it hopes will become the country's first on the Moon. And women are welcome, an official stressed. In the first such drive for five years, Roscosmos space agency said it is looking for 6 to 8 cosmonauts who will operate a new-generation spaceship now in development and "will become the first Russians to fly to the Moon". The full story is posted at: http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Fly_me_to_the_Moon_Russia_seeks_new_cosmo… *Translation: Fly me to the Moon: Russia seeks new cosmonauts [ANS thanks SpaceDaily.com for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- /EX In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership in the President's Club. Members of the President's Club, as sustaining donors to AMSAT Project Funds, will be eligible to receive addi- tional benefits. Application forms are available from the AMSAT Office. 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 stu- dent rate for a maximum of 6 post-secondary years in this status. Contact Martha at the AMSAT Office for additional student membership information. 73, This week's ANS Editor, Joe Spier, K6WAO k6wao at amsat dot org

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ANS-071 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins (In its Entirety)
by E.Mike McCardel 12 Mar '17

12 Mar '17

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-071.02 The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and infor- mation service of AMSAT North America, The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS publishes news related to Amateur Radio in Space including reports on the activities of a worldwide group of Amateur Radio operators who share an active interest in designing, building, launching and communicating through analog and digital Amateur Radio satellites. The news feed on http://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. In this edition: * Editor's Note: * US ARISS Proposal Window Remains Open Through April 15, 2017 * First Moon Bounce using Opera * NEON - NASA Educators Online Network - ANNOUNCEMENTS * Cubesat Developers Workshop 2017 * ARISS News * Satellite Shorts From All Over SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-071.02 ANS-071 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins AMSAT News Service Bulletin 071.02 >From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD. March 12, 2017 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-071.02 Editor's Note: Todays ANS was sent missing content, as I am sure most who read it observed. This is a re-bublication of the Bulletin including its full contact. I apologize for any problems. EMike, AA8EM --------------------------------------------------------------------- US ARISS Proposal Window Remains Open Through April 15, 2017 Message to US Educators Amateur Radio on the International Space Station Contact Opportunity Call for Proposals Proposal Window February 15 – April 15, 2017 The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) Program is seeking formal and informal education institutions and organizations, individually or working together, to host an Amateur Radio contact with a crew member on board the ISS. ARISS anticipates that the contact would be held between January 1, 2018 and June 30, 2018. Crew scheduling and ISS orbits will determine the exact contact dates. To maximize these radio contact opportunities, ARISS is looking for organizations that will draw large numbers of participants and integrate the contact into a well-developed education plan. The deadline to submit a proposal is April 15, 2017. Proposal information and documents can be found at www.arrl.org/hosting-an- ariss-contact. The Opportunity Crew members aboard the International Space Station will participate in scheduled Amateur Radio contacts. These radio contacts are approximately 10 minutes in length and allow students to interact with the astronauts through a question-and-answer session. An ARISS contact is a voice-only communication opportunity via Amateur Radio between astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the space station and classrooms and communities. ARISS contacts afford education audiences the opportunity to learn firsthand from astronauts what it is like to live and work in space and to learn about space research conducted on the ISS. Students also will have an opportunity to learn about satellite communication, wireless technology, and radio science. Because of the nature of human spaceflight and the complexity of scheduling activities aboard the ISS, organizations must demonstrate flexibility to accommodate changes in dates and times of the radio contact. Amateur Radio organizations around the world, NASA, and space agencies in Russia, Canada, Japan and Europe sponsor this educational opportunity by providing the equipment and operational support to enable direct communication between crew on the ISS and students around the world via Amateur Radio. In the US, the program is managed by AMSAT (Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation) and ARRL (American Radio Relay League) in partnership with NASA and CASIS (Center for the Advancement of Science in Space). More Information Interested parties can find more information about the program at www.ariss.org and www.arrl.org/ARISS. For proposal information and more details such as expectations, proposal guidelines and proposal form, and dates and times of Information Sessions go to http://www.arrl.org/hosting-an-ariss-contact. Please direct any questions to ariss at arrl.org. [ANS thanks ARISS for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- First Moon Bounce using Opera On Tuesday, March 7, Luis EA5DOM and Jose EA3HMJ made a test using the amateur radio weak-signal data mode Opera for 1296 MHz Moon Bounce (EME) Luis EA5DOM posted the following: We are both using an small 180cm offset dish. Jose is 400w, so he was transmitting and I was trying to decode. The trace was visible but too weak for an Op05 decode. So tried Op1 switching band to 70MHz. After some trying we got one decode at -24dB 2017-03-07 23:31:17 EA3HMJ JN11AN EA5DOM IM98WN 381 70.093 - 23 Op1__~24dB Switched to Op2 and tried some times without success. I was getting problems to keep an accurate tracking, so the signal was not optimal and close to the decoding limit We will keep testing, But at least one decode was worth the effort. Here is EA5DOM screenshot: http://tinyurl.com/ANS071-EA5Dom-Screenshot And EA3HMJ Screenshot: http://tinyurl.com/ANS071-EA3HMJ-Screenshot You can download Opera from https://rosmodem.wordpress.com/ [ANS thanks Southgate ARN for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- NEON - NASA Educators Online Network - ANNOUNCEMENTS Free STEM Education Webinars From NASA Educator Professional Development Audience: In-service, Pre-service, Home School and Informal Educators The NASA STEM Educator Professional Development Collaborative (EPDC) at Texas State University is presenting a series of free webinars open to all educators. Join NASA education specialists to learn about activities, lesson plans, educator guides and resources that bring NASA into your classroom. Registration is required to participate. To register, simply click on the link provided beneath the webinar description. March 13, 2017, at 4:00 p.m. ET: Earth Right Now: Engineering at NASA (Grades K-12) -- Engineers at NASA come from a multitude of backgrounds such as astronomy, biology, chemistry, geology, materials science and physics. This webinar allows participants to hear from one of NASA's Planetary Protection engineers. These unique engineers support projects that have to be biologically clean before launch so that they do not contaminate another planet or moon with Earth life. Join us to discover NASA educational activities related to engineering and help inspire students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/209358 ********** March 14, 2017, at 6:30 p.m. ET: Earth Right Now -- GLOBE Atmosphere (Grades K-12) -- NASA’s fleet of satellites, its airborne missions and researchers address some of the critical challenges facing our planet today. Learn about clouds and contrails using the Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment, or GLOBE, program. This international science and education program provides students and the public worldwide with the opportunity to participate in data collection and the scientific process, and to contribute meaningfully to our understanding of the Earth system and global environment. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/229949 ********** March 16, 2017, at 8:00 p.m. ET: Astrobiology and Looking for Life (Grades 6-12) -- In this webinar, we will discuss how NASA has turned the search for alien life from science fiction to a quickly growing research field. Topics in Earth and space science linked to biology will help us understand the most current theories for how life came to be here on Earth and where we could find it next. Classroom activities for numerous grades will put this exploration into the hands of the next generation of scientists. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/234109 ********** For the NASA STEM Educator Professional Development webinar schedule, go to: http://www.txstate-epdc.net/events/ ********** For US Educators: Amateur Radio on the International Space Station-- Students Talk to Astronauts Call for Proposals -- Window is February 15 – April 15, 2017 The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) Program is seeking formal and informal education institutions and organizations, individually or working together, to host an Amateur Radio contact with a crewmember on board the ISS. ARISS anticipates that the radio contact would be held between Jan 1, 2018 and June 30, 2018. Crew scheduling and ISS orbits determine the exact dates. To maximize these radio contact opportunities, ARISS is looking for organizations that will draw large numbers of participants and integrate the contact into a well-developed education plan. Students learn about technology, communications, and science studied on board the ISS. The deadline to submit a proposal is April 15, 2017. For proposal information and details such as expectations, proposal guidelines and proposal form, and days/times of Information Sessions, go to www.arrl.org/hosting-an-ariss-contact Please direct any questions to ariss at arrl.org . [ANS thanks NASA Educators Online Network (NEON) for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Cubesat Developers Workshop 2017 Cubesat Developers Workshop 2017, April 26-28, 2017, San Luis Obispo, CA -- New Venue - Cal Poly Performing Arts Center. #CubeSatDW2017 * http://www.cubesat.org/workshop-2017-information The CubeSat Workshop Team is honored to welcome Mr. James L. Reuter (http://www.cubesat.org/james-reuter), Deputy Associate Administrator for Programs within the Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) at NASA Headquarters, as one of our Keynote speakers for the upcoming workshop. If you are as interested as we are to hear what he has to say, you can follow up with Registration and Workshop Information on our website: http://www.cubesat.org/workshop-2017-information/ Early Bird Registration for the 14th Annual CubeSat Developers Workshop ends in just TEN DAYS on *March 17, 2017*. Register before the prices increase! You can register by following the link below. https://calpoly.irisregistration.com/Home/Site?code=cubesat-2017 If you have any questions regarding workshop, or are interested in being a sponsor this year, don't hesitate to contact us at: cubesat-workshop at calpoly.edu [ANS thanks The CubeSat Workshop Team for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- ARISS News + A Successful contact was made between Blair Pointe Upper Elementary School, Peru, IN, USA and Astronaut Shane Kimbrough KE5HOD using Callsign NA1SS. The contact began Thu 2017-03-09 15:21:33 UTC and lasted about nine and a half minutes. Contact was Direct via WD9GIU. ARISS Mentor was Charlie AJ9N. + A Successful contact was made between 3rd Junior High School, Komotini, Greece and Astronaut Shane Kimbrough KE5HOD using Callsign OR4ISS. The contact began Fri 2017-03-10 08:20:46 UTC and lasted about nine and a half minutes. Contact was Direct via SV7APQ. ARISS Mentor was Bertus PE1KEH. Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule McBride High School, Long Beach, CA, direct via K6MHS The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled astronaut is Thomas Pesquet KG5FYG Contact is a go for: Wed 2017-03-15 16:28:44 UTC [ANS thanks ARISS, Charlie AJ9N and David AA4KN for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- /EX In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership in the President's Club. Members of the President's Club, as sustaining donors to AMSAT Project Funds, will be eligible to receive addi- tional benefits. Application forms are available from the AMSAT Office. 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 stu- dent rate for a maximum of 6 post-secondary years in this status. Contact Martha at the AMSAT Office for additional student membership information. 73, This week's ANS Editor, EMike McCardel, AA8EM aa8em at amsat dot org

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ANS-071 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
by E.Mike McCardel 11 Mar '17

11 Mar '17

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-071 The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and infor- mation service of AMSAT North America, The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS publishes news related to Amateur Radio in Space including reports on the activities of a worldwide group of Amateur Radio operators who share an active interest in designing, building, launching and communicating through analog and digital Amateur Radio satellites. The news feed on http://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. In this edition: * US ARISS Proposal Window Remains Open Through April 15, 2017 * First Moon Bounce using Opera * NEON - NASA Educators Online Network - ANNOUNCEMENTS * Cubesat Developers Workshop 2017 * ARISS News SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-071.01 ANS-071 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins AMSAT News Service Bulletin 071.01 >From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD. March 12, 2017 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-071.01 US ARISS Proposal Window Remains Open Through April 15, 2017 Message to US Educators Amateur Radio on the International Space Station Contact Opportunity Call for Proposals Proposal Window February 15 – April 15, 2017 The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) Program is seeking formal and informal education institutions and organizations, individually or working together, to host an Amateur Radio contact with a crew member on board the ISS. ARISS anticipates that the contact would be held between January 1, 2018 and June 30, 2018. Crew scheduling and ISS orbits will determine the exact contact dates. To maximize these radio contact opportunities, ARISS is looking for organizations that will draw large numbers of participants and integrate the contact into a well-developed education plan. The deadline to submit a proposal is April 15, 2017. Proposal information and documents can be found at www.arrl.org/hosting-an- ariss-contact. The Opportunity Crew members aboard the International Space Station will participate in scheduled Amateur Radio contacts. These radio contacts are approximately 10 minutes in length and allow students to interact with the astronauts through a question-and-answer session. An ARISS contact is a voice-only communication opportunity via Amateur Radio between astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the space station and classrooms and communities. ARISS contacts afford education audiences the opportunity to learn firsthand from astronauts what it is like to live and work in space and to learn about space research conducted on the ISS. Students also will have an opportunity to learn about satellite communication, wireless technology, and radio science. Because of the nature of human spaceflight and the complexity of scheduling activities aboard the ISS, organizations must demonstrate flexibility to accommodate changes in dates and times of the radio contact. Amateur Radio organizations around the world, NASA, and space agencies in Russia, Canada, Japan and Europe sponsor this educational opportunity by providing the equipment and operational support to enable direct communication between crew on the ISS and students around the world via Amateur Radio. In the US, the program is managed by AMSAT (Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation) and ARRL (American Radio Relay League) in partnership with NASA and CASIS (Center for the Advancement of Science in Space). More Information Interested parties can find more information about the program at www.ariss.org and www.arrl.org/ARISS. For proposal information and more details such as expectations, proposal guidelines and proposal form, and dates and times of Information Sessions go to http://www.arrl.org/hosting-an-ariss-contact. Please direct any questions to ariss at arrl.org. [ANS thanks ARISS for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- ARISS News + A Successful contact was made between Blair Pointe Upper Elementary School, Peru, IN, USA and Astronaut Shane Kimbrough KE5HOD using Callsign NA1SS. The contact began Thu 2017-03-09 15:21:33 UTC and lasted about nine and a half minutes. Contact was Direct via WD9GIU. ARISS Mentor was Charlie AJ9N. + A Successful contact was made between 3rd Junior High School, Komotini, Greece and Astronaut Shane Kimbrough KE5HOD using Callsign OR4ISS. The contact began Fri 2017-03-10 08:20:46 UTC and lasted about nine and a half minutes. Contact was Direct via SV7APQ. ARISS Mentor was Bertus PE1KEH. Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule McBride High School, Long Beach, CA, direct via K6MHS The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled astronaut is Thomas Pesquet KG5FYG Contact is a go for: Wed 2017-03-15 16:28:44 UTC [ANS thanks ARISS, Charlie AJ9N and David AA4KN for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- /EX In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership in the President's Club. Members of the President's Club, as sustaining donors to AMSAT Project Funds, will be eligible to receive addi- tional benefits. Application forms are available from the AMSAT Office. 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 stu- dent rate for a maximum of 6 post-secondary years in this status. Contact Martha at the AMSAT Office for additional student membership information. 73, This week's ANS Editor, EMike McCardel, AA8EM aa8em at amsat dot org

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ANS-064 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
by E.Mike McCardel 04 Mar '17

04 Mar '17

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-064 The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and infor- mation service of AMSAT North America, The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS publishes news related to Amateur Radio in Space including reports on the activities of a worldwide group of Amateur Radio operators who share an active interest in designing, building, launching and communicating through analog and digital Amateur Radio satellites. The news feed on http://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. In this edition: * Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, 2017 Dayton Hamvention Amateur of the Year * VUCC Awards for February 2017 * On-line Information Sessions for ARISS-US School Contact Proposals * Ham radio satellite activation of Berry Islands, Bahamas * NASA Explores Opportunity for Smaller Experiments to 'Hitch a Ride' to Mars * Belize on Satellite * October Amateur Radio Satellites Activation of Sint Maarten Announced * Nayif-1 Status Report and New Dashboard * ARISS News * Satellite Shorts From All Over SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-064.01 ANS-064 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins AMSAT News Service Bulletin 064.01 >From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD. March 5, 2017 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-064.01 Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, 2017 Dayton Hamvention Amateur of the Year The Dayton Hamvention has announced the winners of the 2017 Hamvention Awards. Each year, the Dayton Hamvention honors radio amateurs who have made major contributions to the art and science of amateur radio. AMSAT Vice President for Human Spaceflight Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, was named 2017 Amateur of the Year. The award citation reads: “Frank serves as the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) international chairman. In the mid-1990s, Bauer proposed a GPS reception experiment on the AMSAT Phase 3D satellite (AO-40). The experiment was to measure the signal strength of the GPS satellite constellation while Phase 3D was in high-Earth orbit (HEO). The AO-40 experiment subsequently has been cited often in aerospace literature, as it remained the most comprehensive above-the- constellation data source for nearly a decade and led to changes in the system’s specifications and applications. The results of the AO- 40 experiment jump started a game-changing transformation in navigation at HEO/GEO altitudes, enabling new and exciting missions in these orbits. Bauer holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in aeronautics and astronautics from Purdue University. His career in aerospace spans 4 decades within NASA and in private industry Bauer has been licensed since 1974. In 1983, in preparation for the space mission of Owen Garriott, W5LFL, he was responsible for setting up and operating the worldwide retransmission of Space Shuttle air-to- ground communications from Goddard Amateur Radio Club station WA3NAN. This initiative provided a critical conduit of information to hams attempting to contact astronaut-hams in the pre-Internet era.” The 2017 Dayton Hamvention Award winners are listed at http://hamvention.org/event-details/awards/ [ANS thanks Dayton Hamvention via the ARRL for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- VUCC Awards for February 2017 Congratulations to the following satellite operators who were awarded endorsements for Satellite VUCC by the ARRL during the period 1Feb2017 thru 1Mar2017: WA4NVM-1413 KD8CAO-1200 W5PFG-982 N8RO-918 N7SFI-829 K4FEG-711 N8HM-608 N4UFO-601 KG5CCI-452 N9IP-417 K5ND-200 W7QL-180 W4DTA-151 AI6GS-136 N6RFM-107 There were 2 new VUCC awards: WI7P - 829 AK4WQ (EN34) - 106 The ARRL VUCC Award is the most prestigious and sought after award for satellite operators. The award is what inspires all of the roving activity here in the United States and around the world. A special thanks to all rovers who make the effort to operate away from home. The Central States VHF Society sponsors the reverse VUCC award for rovers who operate in 100 or more grids away from home. Some of our current rovers are already eligible or close to being eligible for this award. Recipients so far include N7SFI, N5AFV, ND9M and KD4ZGW. (as of 5July2016 www.csvhfs.org) [ANS thanks John K8YSE for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- On-line Information Sessions for ARISS-US School Contact Proposals ARISS-US is accepting proposals from U.S. schools, museums, science centers and community youth organizations (working individually or together) to host an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station, or ARISS, radio contact with an orbiting space station crew member between Jan. 1 and June 30, 2018. Proposals are due April 15, 2017. Informational Sessions To help organizations learn about ARISS radio contacts and the proposal process, ARISS offers one-hour online information sessions and welcomes all questions. Attending an online session is not required but strongly encouraged. Informational sessions will be offered March 6, 2017, at 7 p.m. EST and March 16, 2017, at 4 p.m. EDT. Advance registration is necessary. Email ARISS (ariss(a)arrl.org) to sign up for an information session. For proposal information and more details such as expectations, proposal guidelines and proposal forms, visit http://www.arrl.org/hosting-an-ariss-contact. Please email questions about this opportunity to ariss(a)arrl.org. ARISS-US is offered through a partnership between NASA, the American Radio Relay League, and the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ARISS was created and is managed by an international working group. [ANS thanks ARISS and NASA Education Express Message -- March 2, 2017 for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Ham radio satellite activation of Berry Islands, Bahamas Steve M1ACB, Rob M0VFC and John M0IDA will be active on the FM and SSB amateur radio satellites from Berry Islands in the Bahamas. The trio plan to operate from March 4-10 and will be using hand-held antennas. Since the FM satellites will only cover part of the USA they’ll also be using SSB on FO-29 to reach the British Isles and Europe. They will be operating from Little Harbour Cay in the Berry Islands, IOTA NA-054, Grid Square FL15do. For further information see https://m1acb.wordpress.com/2017/02/18/1527/ [ANS thanks AMSAT-UK for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- NASA Explores Opportunity for Smaller Experiments to 'Hitch a Ride' to Mars NASA's goals for human deep space exploration are complex and ambitious. To maximize resources as it pushes the boundaries of exploration, the agency is exploring opportunities to take advantage of emerging private sector space capabilities. NASA released a request for information Monday regarding possible commercial sources to fly limited payloads on planned, non-NASA missions to Mars. The agency will use the responses to gather market data on the complete spectrum of commercial plans, and identify any excess capacity that may exist for NASA payloads. Furthering NASA's human deep space exploration goals will require a significant amount of scientific research, and opportunities to collect data on Mars have been rare. Only seven successful missions to the surface of Mars have taken place in the history of space flight. Evolving capabilities in the private sector have opened the possibility for NASA to take advantage of commercial opportunities to land scientific payloads on the surface of the Red Planet. Such capability would provide an additional method of acquiring science and engineering data concerning Mars, and would complement NASA's current deep space exploration efforts. [ANS thanks www.marsdaily.com for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Belize on Satellite Good evening to my fellow people of the birds, The time has come. I will be venturing to the land of Belize March 11-19 and will be on the satellites with the call V31NJ. I will operate from various grids and possibly some islands (a side trip to Roatan, Honduras is possible with operations from there, not positive yet). This is gonna be a vacation style op (going with my little brother for his spring break), so don't expect me on every pass. If I can get a permit for Guatemala TG/NJ7H may also be on a few passes, though I'm not sure if from any grids different than in Belize. QSLing will be via LoTW. If there is a demand, I can get some cards printed when I'm back. [ANS thanks Gabe V31NJ/NJ7H for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- October Amateur Radio Satellites Activation of Sint Maarten Announced PJ7, ST. MAARTEN. Members of Argentinian DXers Group will be active as PJ7T from Sint Maarten (NA-105) between October 24th and November 4th. Operators mentioned are Dan/LU9FHF, Bob/LU4FBU, Andy/LU2JCW, Wally/LU3FMD and Jose/LU1FM. They plan to have three station on the HF bands and one on the Amateur Radio Satellites. QSL via LU1FM direct, LoTW or eQSL. Look for their Web page to be active soon at: http://www.tarjetasqsl.com.ar/pj7t [ANS thanks Ohio/Penn DX Bulletin No. 1307 for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Nayif-1 Status Report and New Dashboard The Nayif-1 (EO-88) CubeSat has now been in orbit for more than two weeks and all systems continue to operate nominally. The power budget is positive, the spin/tumble rate is acceptably low, on board temperatures are perfectly okay and, importantly, the educational/amateur transponder switching is taking place autonomously as planned. More than 250 stations around the world have provided telemetry to the Nayif Data Warehouse and the FUNcube Team are extremely grateful to them for their invaluable support. The experts have now formally allocated Catalog Number 42017 to Nayif-1 (EO88) and the TLEs can now be downloaded from Celestrak – TLEs New Dashboards The FUNcube Team have now updated the Dashboards for both Nayif-1 and FUNcube-1 so that they display only the telemetry received from the individual spacecraft that they are designed for. This will help users to display only the correct information and graphs and reduce confusion. Whilst they only display the data from ONE spacecraft, they will, as now, receive and decode the data from all FUNcube payloads currently in orbit and automatically submit it to the relevant Data Warehouse. The new Dashboard for FUNcube-1 (ver 1044) can be downloaded from here: FUNcube Dashboard Installer 1044 The new Dashboard for Nayif-1 (ver 1040) can be downloaded from here: Nayif-1 Dashboard Installer 1040 Additionally some command line parameters have been added to enable the programmes to auto-start with the desired parameters. These are: /minimized /autostart /source=dongle or /source=soundcard Some notes on how to implement these parameters can be found here: funcube-dashboard-autostart Nayif-1 Data Warehouse http://data.amsat-uk.org/nayif1/ Ham radio satellite transmits Vice President’s message https://amsat-uk.org/2017/02/25/nayif-1-uae-vice-president-message/ Nayif-1 Launched https://amsat-uk.org/2017/02/15/nayif-1-launched/ [ANS thanks AMSAT-UK for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- ARISS News + A Successful contact was made between ABOUT GAGARIN FROM SPACE. Raduga Space Communication Center of St. Petersburg, Russia and Cosmonaut Sergey Ryzhikov using Callsign RSØISS. The contact began UTC and lasted about nine and a half minutes. Contact was Direc via RA1AJN. ARISS Mentor was Sergey RV3DR. + A Successful contact was made between Ecole “Robespierre B.”, Rueil-Malmaison, France and Astronaut Thomas Pesquet KG5FYG using Callsign FX0ISS. The contact began 2017-03-01 08:04 UTC and lasted about nine and a half minutes. Contact was Direct via F6KFA. ARISS Mentor was Joseph F6ICS. + A Successful contact was made between College Marcel Pagnol, Rueil- Malmaison, France and Astronaut Thomas Pesquet KG5FYG using Callsign FX0ISS. The contact began 2017-03-01 08:04 UTC and lasted about nine and a half minutes. Contact was Direct via F6KFA. ARISS Mentor was Joseph F6ICS. + A Successful contact was made between Ecole Albert Camus, Rueil- Malmaison, France and Astronaut Thomas Pesquet KG5FYG using Callsign FX0ISS. The contact began 2017-03-01 08:04 UTC and lasted about nine and a half minutes. Contact was Direct via F6KFA. ARISS Mentor was Joseph F6ICS. Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule + Blair Pointe Upper Elementary School, Peru, IN, direct via WD9GIU The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled astronaut is Shane Kimbrough KE5HOD Contact is a go for: Thu 2017-03-09 15:21:33 UTC + 3rd Junior High School, Komotini, Greece, direct via SV7APQ The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS The scheduled astronaut is Shane Kimbrough KE5HOD Contact is a go for: Fri 2017-03-10 08:20:46 UTC [ANS thanks ARISS, Charlie AJ9N and David AA4KN for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Satellite Shorts From All Over + The AMSAT-NA office was closed Friday March 3 and will remain closed through Monday March 6. Martha will return to office Tuesday March 7. [ANS thanks Martha for the above information --------------------------------------------------------------------- /EX In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership in the President's Club. Members of the President's Club, as sustaining donors to AMSAT Project Funds, will be eligible to receive addi- tional benefits. Application forms are available from the AMSAT Office. 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 stu- dent rate for a maximum of 6 post-secondary years in this status. Contact Martha at the AMSAT Office for additional student membership information. 73, This week's ANS Editor, EMike McCardel, AA8EM aa8em at amsat dot org

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ANS-057 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
by Joseph Spier 25 Feb '17

25 Feb '17

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-057 The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and infor- mation service of AMSAT North America, The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS publishes news related to Amateur Radio in Space including reports on the activities of a worldwide group of Amateur Radio operators who share an active interest in designing, building, launching and communicating through analog and digital Amateur Radio satellites. The news feed on http://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. In this edition: * OSCAR Number EO-88 for Nayif-1 * Two projects with AMSAT ties selected for NASA launches * ARISS Equipment on SpaceX Launch * VEGA Flight Opportunity for Multiple Small Satellites * Satellite Changes in AMSAT Keplerian Element Distribution * LUSAT LO-19 Calls Home * Expect More from Amateur BY70-1 Youth Space Program * AMSAT Events * ARISS News * Satellite Shorts from All Over SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-057.01 ANS-057 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins AMSAT News Service Bulletin 057.01 >From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD. DATE Febuary 26, 2017 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-057.01 --------------------------------------------------------------------- OSCAR Number EO-88 for Nayif-1 In accordance with the request sent to the AMSAT-NA Board of Directors for an OSCAR number for the UAE CubeSat, Nayif-1, and the statement that all of the conditions for an OSCAR number have been met, I hereby by the authority vested in me by the AMSAT-NA president, do convey on Nayif-1 the designation Emirates Oscar 88 or EO-88. Along with the rest of the Amateur Radio satellite community, I hope that EO- 88 will meet all of its objectives. I wish you and your group the best of luck in this and future endeavors to keep Amateur Radio in space. [ANS thanks William A. (Bill) Tynan, W3XO, OSCAR Number Administrator for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Two projects with AMSAT ties selected for NASA launches Two cubesat missions with ties to AMSAT have been selected as part of the eighth round of the NASA CubeSat Launch Initiative. These spacecraft are eligible for placement on a launch manifest after final negotiations, depending on the availability of a flight opportunity. TJREVERB is a CubeSat from Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, in Alexandria, Virginia. This satellite will include an AMSAT Fox mode U/v FM radio system, and will be capable of serving as an analog FM repeater. HuskySat-1 from the University of Washington in Seattle will carry a mode V/u linear transponder and 1200 baud BPSK beacon similar to RadFXsat-2. The satellite will demonstrate plasma propulsion and high gain telemetry in advance of a larger CubeSat lunar mission. The complete list of satellites selected may be found at on the NASA web page. https://www.nasa.gov/feature/nasa-announces-eighth-class-of-candidates-for- launch-of-cubesat-space-missions http://www.amsat.org/?p=5795 [ANS thanks Drew, KO4MA, AMSAT Vice-President for Operations for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- ARISS Equipment on SpaceX Launch Included as part of the successful launch of the SpaceX Dragon vehicle to ISS is an ARISS Ericsson 2 meter VHF radio. This radio will replace the Ericsson radio that failed a few months ago. The VHF radio is used for school group contacts and amateur packet radio in the Columbus module. Once the Dragon vehicle is berthed to ISS, the Ericsson will be unstowed and, at some point, installed in Columbus, replacing the UHF radio that is now supporting APRS packet and some school contacts. The unmanned cargo ship packed with food and supplies for astronauts arrived safely at the International Space Station Thursday, 2/23/2017. The Dragon cargo ship was grabbed by the station's robotic arm at 5:44 am (1044 GMT). Our thanks to SpaceX on an outstanding and historic flight from Kennedy Space Center's Launch Pad 39A, where many Space Shuttle missions and nearly all the Apollo moon missions were launched. We also would like to thank our ARISS benefactors-NASA and CASIS, the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space. And, of course, our amateur radio long-time sponsors-our national amateur radio organizations around the world, including the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) in the US, and our international AMSAT organizations, including AMSAT-NA. ARISS is also making great progress on the development of the new interoperable radio system that we hope to use to replace our aging radio infrastructure in the Columbus module and the Service module. The hard (and expensive) part of this effort is just beginning, with testing and human certification on the horizon. We thank all that have donated to the cause thus far. We hope you continue to help ARISS move forward through your support, including your volunteer time and talent and, of course, financial contributions through the AMSAT web site donate button. [ANS thanks Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, ARISS International Chair, AMSAT-NA V.P. for Human Spaceflight for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- VEGA Flight Opportunity for Multiple Small Satellites Europe’s Vega small launcher is set to demonstrate its extended capability to deploy multiple light satellites using its new versatile Small Satellites Mission Service (SSMS) dispenser, in the second half of 2018. This demonstration provides the first of the launch opportunities under the new Light satellite, Low-cost Launch opportunity (LLLor L3) Initiative initiated at the ESA Council Meeting at Ministerial Level in December 2016 with the aim to provide low-cost and regular launch services for European Institutional light satellites through full exploitation of the Ariane 6 and Vega C launch systems’ capabilities. This first proof-of-concept flight using the current Vega launch system will demonstrate and validate standard innovative services for light satellites. The SSMS dispenser with its modular design enables Vega to provide launch opportunities for light satellites with an overall mass ranging from 1 kg CubeSats up to 400 kg minisats with different alternative configurations and relevant combinations under a ‘rideshare’ concept. Potential customers, be they European public-sector organizations or other entities, are invited to respond to the joint ESA and European Commission Announcement of Opportunity, which can be downloaded together with its questionnaire, by 31 March. http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Launchers/Vega_flight_opportunity_for_ multiple_small_satellites (including links for the application process due by March 31) [ANS thanks the European Space Agency for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Satellite Changes in AMSAT Keplerian Element Distribution The following five satellites/object numbers have been deleted: SATELLITE NORAD CAT ID REASON BY70-1 41909 Deorbit 2-18-2017 OBJECT 41930 41930 Not Amateur Sat-ISS Launch EGG 41933 Not Amateur Sat-ISS Launch OBJECT 41934 41934 Not Amateur Sat-ISS Launch TuPOD 41936 41936 Batteries Dead-ISS Launch Thanks to Nico Janssen for his work in predicting BY70-1's deorbit. As noted last week, Nayif-1 was launched with 103 other satellites on 2-15-2017. The cloud of satellites is beginning to spread and Nico Janssen, PA0DLO, has developed a TLE set that many on AMSAT-BB say is very accurate. I have included it in this week's distribution. Thanks again to a very busy Nico for his excellent work. Detailed doppler measurements show that Nayif 1 is object 42017, 2017-008BX. Keith Pugh, W5IU, suggested that I include Nayif-1 in the regular distribution so those using apps like PocketSat would be able to track it. Good idea Keith. (I have PocketSat myself!) [ANS thanks AMSAT's Keeper of the Keps Ray Hoad, WA5QGD for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- LUSAT LO-19 Calls Home On Feb-20 15:45z LUSAT LO-19 on Orbit 141493 had been heard with strong carrier on 437.125 ± Doppler. LUSAT had been in space last 27 years and still emits it's CW carrier un-modulated with 900 mW. Now and then the satellite comes alive, it is useful to test reception and demonstrate Doppler, check antennas, etc. Please try to listen, on http://amsat.innova-red.net/pass you will find an easy way to locate, receive, and thank you if reported. [ANS thanks Pedro, LU7ABF for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Expect More from Amateur BY70-1 Youth Space Program In announcing the end of a successful mission the students who built the amateur radio FM transponder satellite BY70-1 say “We hope more Amateur youth space program will be brought to you in the near future!” The 2U CubeSat BY70-1 was built by students from the Beijing Bayi High School and carried into a 524 x 212 km orbit on a CZ-2D rocket launched from the Taiyuan Space Launch Center on December 28, 2016. On February 17, 2017, as the satellite was about to burn up on its re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere, this end of mission statement was posted on the school’s website. Dear friends of BY70-1: Satellite BY70-1 has completed all designed missions. For the amateurs who completed 2-way QSO using the repeater onboard, received effective satellite telemetry, or obtained satellite camera photos, we would like to invite you sending connection data package (audio or video evidence), satellite telemetry data or photos received to Email: 6015(a)bayims.cn. So that we can keep statistics records and deliver our appreciation toward you in public. We would be pleased to exchange QSL card for QSO users, and some souvenirs for the telemetry or camera photos users. We hope more Amateur youth space program will be brought to you in the near future! E-mail Address: 6015 @bayims.cn Post Address: Mr Xiangming TAOBeijing Bayi School, 29# Suzhou Street, Haidian Dist, Beijing, China P.O. 100080 http://www.bayims.cn/article-16881.html BY70-1 FM transponder satellite https://amsat-uk.org/2016/12/27/by70-1-fm-transponder-satellite/ BY70-1 FM contact video https://amsat-uk.org/2016/12/30/by70-1-fm-transponder-contact/ See BY70-1 page on Roland PY4ZBZ website http://www.qsl.net/py4zbz/by70.htm [ANS thanks AMSAT-UK for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- AMSAT Events Information about AMSAT activities at other important events around the country. Examples of these events are radio club meetings where AMSAT Area Coordinators give presentations, demonstrations of working amateur satellites, and hamfests with an AMSAT presence (a table with AMSAT literature and merchandise, sometimes also with presentations, forums, and/or demonstrations). *Saturday and Sunday, 11-12 March 2017 – ScienceCity in Tucson AZ *Saturday, 18 March 2017 – Scottsdale SpringFest in Scottsdale AZ *Friday through Sunday, 31 March–2 April 2017, NVCON in Las Vegas NV *Wednesday, 5 April 2007 – presentation for Scottsdale Amateur Radio Club in Scottsdale AZ *Friday and Saturday, 7-8 April 2017, Green Country Hamfest in Claremore OK *Saturday, 6 May 2017 – Cochise Amateur Radio Association hamfest in Sierra Vista AZ *19-21 May 2017, HamVention in the Greene County Fairgrounds and Expo Center, Dayton, Ohio *Friday and Saturday, 9-10 June 2017, HAM-COM in Irving TX *Saturday, 10 June 2017 – Prescott Hamfest in Prescott AZ [ANS thanks AMSAT-NA for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- ARISS News Successful Contacts * Collège André Malraux, Chatelaillon-Plage, France, telebridge via ON4ISS The ISS callsign was scheduled to be FXØISS The scheduled astronaut was Thomas Pesquet KG5FYG Contact was successful Mon 2017-02-13 14:00:35 UTC 67 deg. Astronaut Thomas Pesquet, KG5FYG answered 19 questions prepared by students for an audience 190 students and guests. HamTV downlinked Pesquet live throughout the entire contact thanks to British Amateur TV Club merging 2 HamTV ground stations’ received signals. The live-stream was seen by 230 of the general public via BATC connections. Watch a recording of the live-streamed HamTV downlink: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Byp8JadKjPOmOUFCeDdZMFhSMm8/view?usp=shari… Watch France's national television's report at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bb7amhLMgA8&feature=em-upload_owner * John Glenn Middle School, Maplewood MN, direct via KØJDD The ISS callsign was scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled astronaut was Shane Kimbrough KE5HOD Contact was successful: Wed 2017-02-22 18:47:59 UTC 25 deg All 16 questions answered with a 73 round. Students, teachers and parents came to 900 individuals. One television station and four print media outlets were also in attendance. They reported full quieting for the entire pass. * Ecole primaire Elie Desplan, Boissières, France and Marie Castang, Saint Dionisy, France, direct via F4HHV The ISS callsign was scheduled to be FXØISS The scheduled astronaut was Thomas Pesquet KG5FYG Contact was successful: Sat 2017-02-25 13:14:15 UTC 58 deg Successful contact between the 2 schools of Boissieres and Saint Dionisy with Thomas Pesquet. All 20 questions answered, clear audio all the way long (Normal and acceptable UHF noise at the beginning and at the end) Reported 350 people present in the gymnasium. Also success for the Ham video transmission through BATC, but also through the local Ham-Video Ground Station. Press and media presence: 1 national TV (BFM) -> scheduled broadcasted 2/25 2 Regional TVs (France 3), TV TV-Sud 1 Regional radio (France Bleu) Several Regional newspapers including Le Midi Libre Upcoming Contacts * 3rd Junior High School, Komotini, Greece, direct via SV7APQ The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS The scheduled astronaut is Shane Kimbrough KE5HOD The contact will be rescheduled for a later date. * ABOUT GAGARIN FROM SPACE, Space Odyssey Project, Krasnoyarsk, Russia, direct via RVØADW The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS The scheduled astronaut is Andrei Borisenko Contact is a go for Sat 2017-02-25 08:36 UTC * ABOUT GAGARIN FROM SPACE, Raduga Space Communication Center of St. Petersburg, Russia, direct via RA1AJN The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS The scheduled astronaut is Sergey Ryzhikov Contact is a go for Sun 2017-02-26 09:15 UTC * Student Space Technology Association, Knoxville, TN, direct via AA4UT The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled astronaut is Shane Kimbrough KE5HOD Contact is a go for: Wed 2017-03-01 19:08:03 UTC 49 deg **************************************************************************** ARISS is always glad to receive listener reports for the above contacts. ARISS thanks everyone in advance for their assistance. Feel free to send your reports to aj9n(a)amsat.org or aj9n(a)aol.com. **************************************************************************** Message to US Educators Amateur Radio on the International Space Station Contact Opportunity Call for Proposals Proposal Window February 15 – April 15, 2017 The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) Program is seeking formal and informal education institutions and organizations, individually or working together, to host an Amateur Radio contact with a crew member on board the ISS. ARISS anticipates that the contact would be held between January 1, 2018 and June 30, 2018. Crew scheduling and ISS orbits will determine the exact contact dates. To maximize these radio contact opportunities, ARISS is looking for organizations that will draw large numbers of participants and integrate the contact into a well-developed education plan. The deadline to submit a proposal is April 15, 2017. Proposal information and documents can be found at www.arrl.org/hosting-an-ariss-contact. The Opportunity Crew members aboard the International Space Station will participate in scheduled Amateur Radio contacts. These radio contacts are approximately 10 minutes in length and allow students to interact with the astronauts through a question-and-answer session. An ARISS contact is a voice-only communication opportunity via Amateur Radio between astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the space station and classrooms and communities. ARISS contacts afford education audiences the opportunity to learn firsthand from astronauts what it is like to live and work in space and to learn about space research conducted on the ISS. Students also will have an opportunity to learn about satellite communication, wireless technology, and radio science. Because of the nature of human spaceflight and the complexity of scheduling activities aboard the ISS, organizations must demonstrate flexibility to accommodate changes in dates and times of the radio contact. Amateur Radio organizations around the world, NASA, and space agencies in Russia, Canada, Japan and Europe sponsor this educational opportunity by providing the equipment and operational support to enable direct communication between crew on the ISS and students around the world via Amateur Radio. In the US, the program is managed by AMSAT (Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation) and ARRL (American Radio Relay League) in partnership with NASA and CASIS (Center for the Advancement of Science in Space). More Information Interested parties can find more information about the program at www.ariss.org and www.arrl.org/ARISS. For proposal information and more details such as expectations, proposal guidelines and proposal form, and dates and times of Information Sessions go to http://www.arrl.org/hosting-an-ariss-contact. Please direct any questions to ariss(a)arrl.org. **************************************************************************** ARISS is always glad to receive listener reports for the above contacts. ARISS thanks everyone in advance for their assistance. Feel free to send your reports to aj9n(a)amsat.org or aj9n(a)aol.com. Listen for the ISS on the downlink of 145.8Ø MHz. **************************************************************************** All ARISS contacts are made via the Kenwood radio unless otherwise noted. **************************************************************************** Several of you have sent me emails asking about the RAC ARISS website and not being able to get in. That has now been changed to http://www.ariss.org/ Note that there are links to other ARISS websites from this site. **************************************************************************** Looking for something new to do? How about receiving DATV from the ISS? If interested, then please go to the ARISS-EU website for complete details. Look for the buttons indicating Ham Video. http://www.ariss-eu.org/ If you need some assistance, ARISS mentor Kerry N6IZW, might be able to provide some insight. Contact Kerry at kbanke(a)sbcglobal.net **************************************************************************** ARISS congratulations the following mentors who have now mentored over 100 schools: Satoshi 7M3TJZ with 123 Gaston ON4WF with 123 Francesco IKØWGF with 119 **************************************************************************** The webpages listed below were all reviewed for accuracy. Out of date webpages were removed and new ones have been added. If there are additional ARISS websites I need to know about, please let me 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. All dates and times listed follow International Standard ISO 8601 date and time format YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS The complete schedule page has been updated as of 2017-02-23 05:00 UTC. Here you will find a listing of all scheduled school contacts, and questions, other ISS related websites, IRLP and Echolink websites, and instructions for any contact that may be streamed live. http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/arissnews.rtf http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/arissnews.txt Total number of ARISS ISS to earth school events is 1116. Each school counts as 1 event. Total number of ARISS ISS to earth school contacts is 1080. Each contact may have multiple schools sharing the same time slot. Total number of ARISS supported terrestrial contacts is 47. A complete year by year breakdown of the contacts may be found in the file. http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/arissnews.rtf Please feel free to contact me if more detailed statistics are needed. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The following US states and entities have never had an ARISS contact: Arkansas, Delaware, South Dakota, Wyoming, American Samoa, Guam, Northern Marianas Islands, and the Virgin Islands. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ QSL information may be found at: http://www.ariss.org/qsl-cards.html ISS callsigns: DPØISS, IRØISS, NA1SS, OR4ISS, RSØISS **************************************************************************** The successful school list has been updated as of 2017-02-23 05:00 UTC. http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/Successful_ARISS_schools.rtf Frequency chart for packet, voice, and crossband repeater modes showing Doppler correction as of 2005-07-29 04:00 UTC http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/ISS_frequencies_and_Doppler_correction .rtf Listing of ARISS related magazine articles as of 2006-07-10 03:30 UTC. http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/ARISS_magazine_articles.rtf Check out the Zoho reports of the ARISS contacts https://reports.zoho.com/ZDBDataSheetView.cc?DBID=412218000000020415 **************************************************************************** Exp. 49 on orbit Shane Kimbrough KE5HOD Andrei Borisenko Sergey Ryzhikov Exp. 50 on orbit Peggy Whitson Thomas Pesquet KG5FYG Oleg Novitskiy **************************************************************************** Watch http://www.ariss.org/upcoming-contacts.html for information about upcoming contacts as they are scheduled. [ANS thanks ARISS and Charlie, AJ9N for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- /EX In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership in the President's Club. Members of the President's Club, as sustaining donors to AMSAT Project Funds, will be eligible to receive addi- tional benefits. Application forms are available from the AMSAT Office. 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 stu- dent rate for a maximum of 6 post-secondary years in this status. Contact Martha at the AMSAT Office for additional student membership information. 73, This week's ANS Editor, Joe Spier, K6WAO k6wao at amsat dot org

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ANS-050 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
by Lee McLamb 18 Feb '17

18 Feb '17

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-050 The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and infor- mation service of AMSAT North America, The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS publishes news related to Amateur Radio in Space including reports on the activities of a worldwide group of Amateur Radio operators who share an active interest in designing, building, launching and communicating through analog and digital Amateur Radio satellites. The news feed on http://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. In this edition: * Nayif-1 Launched * Satellite Operators on the Road * Amateur Radio on the International Space Station Contact Opportunity * RadFXsat-2 Receives IARU Frequency Coordination * 14th Annual CubeSat Developers Workshop * BY70-1 Re-entry SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-050.01 ANS-050 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins AMSAT News Service Bulletin 050.01 From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD. DATE February 19, 2017 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-050.01 Nayif-1 Launched The Indian Space Agency ISRO successfully launched the amateur radio satellite Nayif-1 along with 103 other satellites, a record for a single launch. The PSLV- C37 lifted off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh at 03:58 UT on Wednesday, February 15, 2017. Nayif-1 started transmitting about an hour after launch and radio amateurs in the west of the USA reported the first signals. The first frame of data received at the Data Warehouse was from Christy Hunter KB6LTY. Telemetry data was also received by WA6FWF, KA7FVV, WC7V, NC7V, K6FW, KE7QPV, WA9ONY, W5PFG, KK6AYK. Ken Eaton GW1FKY reports he received his first frames of data when the satellite came in range of the UK at 10:07 UT. The satellite looks to be in perfect health and it was placed in autonomous mode before the end of the first day in orbit. Just like FUNcube-1, this mode has the spacecraft sending high power telemetry when in sunlight and with the SSB/CW transponder active when in eclipse. Already many contacts have been made through the transponder. As expected, the frequency stability of this spacecraft is much better than its predecessors. A new post-launch set of TLE’s has been issued by the launch authority and it can be downloaded from http://amsat-nl.org/download/NAYIF_TLE.txt Please note that these numbers are not based on JSpOC observations so we do not yet have a valid catalog number. During the Launch and Early Operation phase (LEOP) of the mission, the Nayif-1 command team have been headquartered at the American University of Sharjah Ground station in the United Arab Emirates. They have been very grateful for all the telemetry received from around the world. It has proven to be immensely useful to the team in checking that the spacecraft is functioning correctly. Our world-wide network has greatly impressed the many professionals that have been watching our activities. Already more than 100 ground stations are submitting data to the Nayif Data Warehouse. Please continue uploading the data as this will further enhance our knowledge about the spacecraft and the space environment through which it is traveling at 7.6 km/s. The Nayif-1 Data Warehouse has been updated and now includes the Whole Orbit, High Resolution graphs and the upload ranking. It also includes telemetry details from the ADCS sub-system – this is called the iMTQ and is capable of actively magnetorquing. Over the coming days, we will be further tweaking the warehouse, so bear with us if it is unavailable for short periods of time. Background Nayif-1 has been developed by the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) and American University of Sharjah (AUS). The UAE’s first Nanosatellite was developed by Emirati engineering students from AUS under the supervision of a team of engineers and specialists from MBRSC within the framework of a partnership between the two entities, aiming to provide hands-on experience to engineering students on satellite manufacturing. The spacecraft includes a U/V linear transponder and telemetry transmitter. It employs enhanced oscillator circuitry and includes an active attitude determination and control system. The operating frequencies for the spacecraft are: Telemetry 145.940 MHz using 1k2 BPSK to the FUNcube standard. SSB/CW Transponder Uplink on 435.045 – 435.015 MHz Downlink on 145.960 – 145.990 MHz The Nayif-1 Telemetry Dashboard can be downloaded from http://download.funcube.org.uk/nayif-1_Dashboard_1039_Installer.msi Guidance notes https://funcubetest2.files.wordpress.com/2017/02/nayif-1_dashboard_notes_re… _1-0b.pdf A file to test that the Dashboard and Warehouse configuration are working correctly http://download.funcube.org.uk/nayif1_testfile.funcubebin Nayif-1 Data Warehouse http://data.amsat-uk.org/nayif1/ [ANS thanks AMSAT-UK for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Satellite Operators on the Road ZF, CAYMAN ISLANDS. Scott/KA9P and Ron/W9XS will be active as ZF2SC and ZF2FB, respectively, from the Cayman Islands between February 22-28th. Activity will be on 40/30/20/17/15 meters and the satellites. Operations will typically be CW, with a KX1 or KX3, and Buddipole beams or verticals. QSL via their home callsigns or LoTW. 6E, MEXICO. A group of Ham Radio operators from Southern Mexico will be operating from some Mayan archaeological sites from the Mexican States of Yucatan, Campeche, Tabasco, Chiapas and Quintana Roo, using the special callsign 6E3MAYA between March 18-21st. Activity is to commemorate the Spring Equinox which is so important for the Mayan culture. Activity will be on 80-6 meters on CW, SSB, the satellites and the Digital modes. QSL via XE3N. C6, BAHAMAS (IOTA Op). Operators John/M0IDA, Rob/M0VFC and Steve/M1ACB hope to be active as C6APY from Little Harbour Cay, Berry Islands (NA-054, WW Locator FL15do). They will fly into the Bahamas on March 2nd, but it will take them a couple of days to get to the island, so they hope to be active around March 4th - but this is very much weather dependent, as is the whole operation. They will fly back to the UK on March 12th, which means they will need to de-rig on the 10th or 11th, again varying according to the weather. Operation probably won't be 24/7 - they will do as much operating as they can, but eating and sleeping is back on the boat, there's only three of them, and they will probably want to go for the occasional swim as well. They will be running up to three stations simultaneously, all Elecraft K3s at 100W. They will be generator powered and have to carry the full week's fuel with them on the boat, hence no amps. They are expecting that most QSOs will be on 40-15 meters; they will monitor the higher HF bands as well and may venture on to 10/12m if propagation favors them; similarly they may throw up an 80m dipole, but don't expect to do very much, if anything, there. There will definitely be CW (op M0VFC) and SSB (ops M0IDA and M1ACB); they may also do some data if time permits. They should be active on some satellite passes with hand-held antennas: the FM birds will only cover parts of the USA, and not EU, so they will attempt some FO-29 passes as well. They are not satellite experts though, so be patient with them. QSL is via M0OXO's OQRS system. They will upload the logs to ClubLog and LoTW regularly throughout the trip, assuming all the kit plays nicely. Watch Twitter for any other updates: https://twitter.com/rmc47 (M0VFC) https://twitter.com/ItinerantHam (M0IDA) [ANS thanks Ohio/Penn DX Bulletin for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Amateur Radio on the International Space Station Contact Opportunity Call for Proposals Proposal Window February 15 - April 15, 2017 The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) Program is seeking formal and informal education institutions and organizations, individually or working together, to host an Amateur Radio contact with a crew member on board the ISS. ARISS anticipates that the contact would be held between January 1, 2018 and June 30, 2018. Crew scheduling and ISS orbits will determine the exact contact dates. To maximize these radio contact opportunities, ARISS is looking for organizations that will draw large numbers of participants and integrate the contact into a well-developed education plan. The deadline to submit a proposal is April 15, 2017. Proposal information and documents can be found at www.arrl.org/hosting-an-ariss-contact. The Opportunity Crew members aboard the International Space Station will participate in scheduled Amateur Radio contacts. These radio contacts are approximately 10 minutes in length and allow students to interact with the astronauts through a question-and-answer session. An ARISS contact is a voice-only communication opportunity via Amateur Radio between astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the space station and classrooms and communities. ARISS contacts afford education audiences the opportunity to learn firsthand from astronauts what it is like to live and work in space and to learn about space research conducted on the ISS. Students also will have an opportunity to learn about satellite communication, wireless technology, and radio science. Because of the nature of human spaceflight and the complexity of scheduling activities aboard the ISS, organizations must demonstrate flexibility to accommodate changes in dates and times of the radio contact. Amateur Radio organizations around the world, NASA, and space agencies in Russia, Canada, Japan and Europe sponsor this educational opportunity by providing the equipment and operational support to enable direct communication between crew on the ISS and students around the world via Amateur Radio. In the US, the program is managed by AMSAT (Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation) and ARRL (American Radio Relay League) in partnership with NASA and CASIS (Center for the Advancement of Science in Space). More Information Interested parties can find more information about the program at www.ariss.org and www.arrl.org/ARISS. For proposal information and more details such as expectations, proposal guidelines and proposal form, and dates and times of Information Sessions go to http://www.arrl.org/hosting-an-ariss-contact. Please direct any questions to ariss(a)arrl.org. [ANS thanks Dave, AA4KN, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- RadFXsat-2 Receives IARU Frequency Coordination RadFXSat-2 is a 1U cubesat technology demonstration mission from Vanderbilt University that has been accepted for launch as part of NASA’s CubeSat Launch Initiative. Vanderbilt University is partnered with AMSAT, who will provide the satellite and communications for the experiments onboard as part of the AMSAT Fox program. AMSAT recently received IARU frequency coordination for a 1200 baud BPSK telemetry downlink beacon on 435.750 MHz, and a mode V/u inverting transponder with an uplink of 145.860-145.890 MHz and a downlink of 435.760-435.790 MHz. RadFXSat-2 is currently manifested as part of the ELaNA XX mission, scheduled for no earlier than December 2017, on a Virgin Galactic Launcher One, from Mojave, California. Other satellites on the mission include: CACTUS-1 – Capitol Technology University, Laurel, Md. ALBus – NASA Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, Ohio SurfSat – University of Central Florida, Orlando, Fla. Q-PACE – University of Central Florida, Orlando, Fla. CAPE-3 – University of Louisiana Lafayette, La. MiTEE – University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Mich. PICS – Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah INCA – New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, N.M. MicroMas-2b – Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Lexington, Mass. EXOCUBE – California Polytechnic University, San Louis Obispo, Calif. PolarCube – University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, Colo. [ANS thanks Drew, KO4MA, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- 14th Annual CubeSat Developers Workshop The 14th Annual CubeSat Developers Workshop will be held in San Luis Obispo, CA April 26-28 2017. The schedule is now on the workshop website at the link below. http://www.cubesat.org/s/2017-Workshop-Schedule.pdf REGISTRATION Prices are as follows: 3 Day Pass + Banquet Early Bird Professional - $375 Professional - $475 Student - $150 1 Day Pass Early Bird Professional - $160 Professional - $200 Early bird registration ends on March 17, 2017 so be sure to register before the price goes up! [ANS thanks the CubeSat Workshop Team for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- BY70-1 Re-entry The 2U CubeSat BY70-1 was built by students from the Beijing Bayi High School and carried into a 524 x 212 km orbit on a CZ-2D rocket launched from the Taiyuan Space Launch Center on December 28, 2016. On February 17, 2017, as the satellite started to burn up on its re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere, this end of mission statement was posted on the school’s website. Dear friends of BY70-1: Satellite BY70-1 has completed all designed missions. For the amateurs who completed 2-way QSO using the repeater onboard, received effective satellite telemetry, or obtained satellite camera photos, we would like to invite you sending connection data package (audio or video evidence), satellite telemetry data or photos received to Email: 6015(a)bayims.cn. So that we can keep statistics records and deliver our appreciation toward you in public. We would be pleased to exchange QSL card for QSO users, and some souvenirs for the telemetry or camera photos users. We hope more Amateur youth space program will be brought to you in the near future! E-mail Address: 6015(a)bayims.cn Post Address: Mr Xiangming TAOBeijing Bayi School, 29# Suzhou Street, Haidian Dist, Beijing, China P.O. 100080 [ANS thanks Beijing Bayi High School and AMSAT-UK for the above information] /EX In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership in the President's Club. Members of the President's Club, as sustaining donors to AMSAT Project Funds, will be eligible to receive addi- tional benefits. Application forms are available from the AMSAT Office. 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 stu- dent rate for a maximum of 6 post-secondary years in this status. Contact Martha at the AMSAT Office for additional student membership information. 73, This week's ANS Editor, Lee McLamb, KU4OS ku4os at amsat dot org

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ANS-043 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
by E.Mike McCardel 11 Feb '17

11 Feb '17

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-043 The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and infor- mation service of AMSAT North America, The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS publishes news related to Amateur Radio in Space including reports on the activities of a worldwide group of Amateur Radio operators who share an active interest in designing, building, launching and communicating through analog and digital Amateur Radio satellites. The news feed on http://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. In this edition: * SSTV From The ISS February 13-14 * K5T Grid Expedition to DL88jx * Great STEM Lesson Idea * Donations for AMSAT SA Kletskous CubeSat * 2017 Teachers Institute Schedule Announced * University CubeSat Opportunity * Nayif-1 CubeSat Launch Announced * Nayif-1 UPDATE Pre-launch Keps and more details * UT1FG/MM QSL Procedure for this season * Live HAMTV Video Planned for ARISS Contact * ARISS News * Satellite Shorts From All Over SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-043.01 ANS-043 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins AMSAT News Service Bulletin 043.01 >From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD. February 12, 2017 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-043.01 SSTV From The ISS February 13-14 An MAI-75 Experiment SSTV event is planned to begin on Monday, Feb. 13 from 09:25-18:00 UTC and Tuesday, Feb. 14 from 11:25-16:30 UTC. The downlink frequency is expected to be 145.800 MHz and the transmission mode is expected to be PD180. This opportunity should cover most of the world during the operational period. The MAI-75 experiment uses a notebook computer on the ISS Russian Segment, which stores images that are then transmitted to Earth using the ham radio, specifically the onboard Kenwood TM D710E transceiver. Images received can be posted and viewed at https://ariss- sstv.blogspot.com/ Please note that the event, and any ARISS event, is dependent on other activities, schedules and crew responsibilities on the ISS and are subject to change at any time. While preparations are being finalized please check for new and the most current information on the AMSAT.org and ARISS.org websites, the AMSAT-BB(a)amsat.org, the ARISS facebook at Amateur Radio On The International Space Station (ARISS) and ARISS twitter @ARISS_status for the latest information on this event. [ANS thanks ARISS for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- K5T Grid Expedition to DL88jx Several satellite operators will make their way down to the southernmost tip of Texas' "Big Bend" on Sunday, February 12, 2017. Operating from within Big Bend National Park's Talley Campground via amateur satellites, grid chasers will have a shot at the ellusive DL88jx for a period of roughly 18 hours. Listen for K5T on FM and SSB satellites starting roughly at 21:00 UTC on February 12 through 15:00 UTC on February 13. ISS packet is possible but not planned. You may occasionally catch K5T in grid square DL89. Pass/schedule requests will not be honored on this trip. Some HF operation may occur. Paper QSL with SASE via W5PFG or LoTW with the callsign "K5T." [ANS thanks Clayton W5PFG for the above Information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Great STEM Lesson Idea Dave Ryan, EI4HT/M0GIW, has posted an excellent video of a project he devised with his daught Erin. Dave and his daughter downloaded the list of questions for the ARISS QSO between Astronaut Shane Kimbrough and South Street School, Danbury, Connecticut USA. He and Erin researched the questions and made a list of projected answers for them. The contact was made with ON4ISS, an ARISS telebridge station in Belgium, and Erin and Dave were able to listen to the transmission live from from their QTH in South Yorkshire, UK. Dave videotaped the QSO and posted it online at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzQbyIH8Qwg This is an excellent example of how to integrate Amateur Radio and the the ISS without being directly part of an ARISS contact. The examples can be used with any demo or within a planned classroom setting. This is a great example of how to introduce a STEM related activity and create an interest in the hobby at the same time. [ANS thanks Dave EI4HT/M0GIW and Erin for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Donations for AMSAT SA Kletskous CubeSat Two companies, RS Components and Trax Interconnect, have made major contributions to AMSAT SA's Kletskous CubeSat. RS Components have supplied components for the next generation Electronic Power Supply system (EPS) and the controller board. Trax Interconnect supplied the PC Boards for the EPS, the controller board and the magnetic stabilisation system. Their support for amateur radio and amateur radio satellites is much appreciated. [ANS thanks the SARL weekly news in English 2017-2-4 for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- 2017 Teachers Institute Schedule Announced ARRL has announced the 2017 schedule for our Teachers Institute on Wireless Technology. We want you to be among the first to receive this information. If you are an ARRL member you’ll see an article about the Teachers Institute in the March issue of QST. You will also see an announcement in our next issue Radio Waves. If you are a past participant of the Teachers Institute we hope that you have found many ways to use the ideas, training and resources you received and are interested in spreading the word to other teachers. You may want to consider signing up for the advanced TI-2 on Remote Sensing and Data Gathering. You are probably in the best position to know where to circulate information about this opportunity within your school district. A listing on your school or school district website? A newsletter? A web page for science and technology teachers? Word of mouth to teachers in your circle? We’d like to get the word out to reach teachers who can make use of this opportunity. If you would like to receive copies of our printed brochures please send your request and your mailing address to etp(a)arrl.org. Here’s some copy you can use to announce the opportunity in your school community: Integrate STEM by Exploring Wireless Technology ARRL, the national association for Amateur Radio, has just announced the schedule for two sessions of its Introductory Teachers Institute on Wireless Technology (TI-1) to be offered during the summer of 2017. The ARRL Teachers Institute is an expenses paid, intensive professional development opportunity for educators who want to receive training and resources to explore wireless technology in the classroom. Topics at the TI-1 Introduction to Wireless Technology, include basic electronics, radio science, microcontroller programming and basic robotics. ARRL will also offer an advanced Teachers Institute (TI-2) on Remote Sensing and Data Gathering. This linked article from the March issue of ARRL’s journal, QST, includes the schedule and description of offerings this summer. Please visit the ARRL website at: www.arrl.org/ti for more details and to download an application. Watch this video for an inside look at the Teachers Institute! Application deadline is May 1. [ANS thanks Debra K1DMJ and the ARRL for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- University CubeSat Opportunity The UK Space Agency is encouraging university students to take advantage of a new opportunity to build and test their own CubeSats The aim of the The Fly Your Satellite! program is to support university student teams with educational CubeSats throughout the assembly, integration, testing, and verification process. By participating in the programme, students will implement standard practices for spacecraft development; receive support from experienced ESA specialists; attend tailored training courses; and will be offered access to state-of-the-art test facilities. ESA say only launch opportunities from the International Space Station (ISS) are envisioned, and CubeSat teams applying need to ensure that their mission complies with a deployment to orbit from the ISS. Further information at http://tinyurl.com/ANS043-UnivCubesats UK Space Agency https://twitter.com/spacegovuk [ANS thanks ESA via Southgate ARN for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Nayif-1 CubeSat Launch Announced AMSAT-UK and AMSAT-NL are delighted to now be able to confirm that the Nayif-1 1U CubeSat, which has a full FUNcube payload, is now scheduled for launch on an Indian PSLV launch vehicle at 03:58 UT on February 15, 2017. The flight, C-37, will be carry a total of 104 satellites into orbit. Nayif-1 has been developed by the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) and American University of Sharjah (AUS). The UAE’s first Nanosatellite was developed by Emirati engineering students from AUS under the supervision of a team of engineers and specialists from MBRSC within the framework of a partnership between the two entities, aiming to provide hands-on experience to engineering students on satellite manufacturing. The spacecraft includes a U/V linear transponder and telemetry transmitter. It employs enhanced oscillator circuitry and includes an active attitude determination and control system. As with previous missions carrying FUNcube payloads, AMSAT-UK would very much like to receive as many reports from stations around the world, especially during the first few minutes and hours after launch. We expect that the first signals may be heard in North America during the mid evening hours (local time) on Feb 14. There is a mission specific Telemetry Dashboard for this project and this can be downloaded from: http://download.funcube.org.uk/Nayif-1_Dashboard_1038_installer.msi and, in a similar way to the FUNcube-1 Dashboard, this will be capable of uploading the telemetry received to a central Data Warehouse. Guidance Notes for the installation of the Dashboard, integration with a FUNcube Dongle and the Data Warehouse have been prepared for the Nayif-1 mission. These can be downloaded from: http://tinyurl.com/ANS043-Nayif-1-Dashboard A file to test that the Dashboard and Warehouse configuration are working correctly can be downloaded from: http://download.funcube.org.uk/nayif1_testfile.funcubebin The operating frequencies for the spacecraft will be: Telemetry 145.940 MHz using 1k2 BPSK to the FUNcube standard. SSB/CW Transponder Uplink on 435.045 – 435.015 MHz Downlink on 145.960 – 145.990 MHz Initial operations of the spacecraft will be in a low power “safe” mode where only the telemetry transmitter is activated. More details about the launch, exact deployment time and pre-launch TLE’s will be made available as soon as they become available; in the meantime we will really appreciate your support! [ANS thanks AMSAT-UK for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Nayif-1 UPDATE Pre-launch Keps and more details The launch time for the Nayif-1 CubeSat has been confirmed as 03:58UTC on February 15th 2017 on the PSLV C37 vehicle and a set of pre-launch TLEs have now been released: NAYIF 1 17002U 17002A 17046.17824931 0.00000000 00000-0 00000-0 0 9993 2 17002 97.5521 107.5843 0004848 278.6481 296.8511 15.21991390 01 This file can also been downloaded from here http://download.funcube.org.uk/nayif_tle.txt We expect that the FUNcube transmitter on Nayif-1 will activate at approximately 05:06UTC, but the exact timing is still to be confirmed! Initial transmissions will be in “safe” mode and will be of the 1k2 BPSK telemetry only with approx 50mW of RF power. If the predictions are correct, the spacecraft will be heading north over Mexico and the western parts of the US and Canada. During the Launch and Early Operation phase (LEOP) of the mission, the Nayif-1 command team will be headquartered at the American University of Sharjah Ground station in the United Arab Emirates. They will obviously be especially keen to have all possible reports of signal reception during this first orbit! To encourage everyone to take part, there will be a small prize for the station that submits the first data to the Nayif-1 Data Warehouse and perhaps an extra reward if they manage to receive the very first frame transmitted by the spacecraft! This should have the sequence number 5471 or 5472. Details of the Nayif-1 frequencies, together with details of how to the download the Dashboard can be found here https://funcube.org.uk/2017/02/08/nayif-1-launch-date-now-confirmed/ The Data Warehouse is still under final development but a preview can be seen here: http://data.amsat-uk.org/nayif1/index Please note that if you are already a registered user of the FUNcube Dashboard then you do not need to re-register. Your existing details will transfer automatically to the new Dashboard when you run it for the first time. If you run the test file with the Nayif-1 Dashboard please do not expect the Warehouse to show the data - it is from an earlier date than that is already displayed. However the “packets uploaded” tab at the bottom right corner of your Dashboard will show that the files have uploaded OK, that all is well with your system and that it is ready for action. We are hoping that the actual launch will be webstreamed and details of this will be made available as soon as possible. The AMSAT-UK and -NL team will also be using the #funcube IRC channel on launch day and you will be very welcome to join them there. If you do not have the Dashboard available then please submit your heard reports here. A web client can be found at http://irc.lc/freenode/funcube if you do not have an IRC client installed. [ANS thanks Graham G3VZV for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- UT1FG/MM QSL Procedure for this season As you may know Yuri, UT1FG, prefers to do his own QSLs to the extent possible. He has asked me to help funnel QSL requests to him while he is at sea so that he can process them and mail them from ports as he travels. Yuri does not process qsl requests when he is not on a ship. The following procedure only applies to contacts made during this season from the M/V Chestnut. Previous seasons will be handled by his manager Eugene, UX0FY. Eugene has all the logs for previous seasons and can be contacted through his qrz.com email address. Please contact Eugene before sending anything in the mail to him and ask for instructions on how to proceed. You may prepare a logsheet of QSO's that Yuri can print, verify, sign and mail from one of his destination ports. An example of a suitable logsheet can be found at papays.com/sat under the UT1FG/MM QSL Instructions link at the top of the page. Please use the following conventions when preparing the logsheet: 1. List only one contact per grid. 2. Only request confirmations of NEW Grids. 3. Use Excel or a similar program to create the logsheet. 4. Save the Logsheet to a .pdf If your program cannot save to a .pdf, download a free program like Bullzip that will install a .pdf printer that you can print to and create a .pdf file. 5. Each page should stand alone; there should be a place for Yuri's signature on each page. 6. Incude your COMPLETE Mailing Address on each page. 7. Name the logsheet file with this format: Yourcall_UT1FG_DateLastQSO for example: DJ8MS_UT1FG_10Feb2017.pdf 8. Email your file as an attachment to: k8yse at papays.com with the subject line the same as the .pdf file name: DJ8MS_UT1FG_10Feb2017 10. Please be sure to follow the example on the website papays.com/sat/ut1fgqsl.html Consistency will help Yuri process requests more efficiently. 11. If there are qso's on your list that are not in the log, Yuri will draw a line through them and initial. I will send an acknowledgement email when I receive a request. This way you will know that Yuri will have your logsheet. If Yuri tells me that he has mailed your logsheet, I will post that information on the bulletin boards. Yuri's time when nearing or in port is very limited. He has a lot of responsibilities to carry out and large amounts of paper to process along with requests from his Company. He has more time when he is sailing. Let that guide you when deciding when you email your requests. A good time to mail your request is when Yuri is about 5 days from making port. Follow him at marinetraffic.com (M/V Chestnut - bulk Cargo). This new procedure may be changed or stopped depending on how it goes. Hopefully this will work well and Yuri will find it acceptable. We are very fortunate that Yuri operates from so many water grids that otherwise would never be on the satellites. His passion for satellites is amazing. Have fun working him. [ANS thanks John K8YSE for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Live HAMTV Video Planned for ARISS Contact The HAMTV experiment is planned transmit live video during the ARISS contact with Collège André Malraux, Chatelaillon-Plage, France on Mon 2017-02-13 14:00:35 UTC. The HAMTV video downlink is on 2395 MHz (DVB-S,SR2000,fec 1/2, PID video 256, PID audio 257, Mp eg2 codec). Audio will be on 70cm. The video will be streamed on-line at: https://hamtv.batc.tv/live/ Additional streaming from other ground stations will be at: http://www.batc.tv/iss/ [ANS thanks Jean-Pierre, F6DZP and the HAMTV yahoogroups e-mail list for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- ARISS News + A Successful contact was made between Space Exploration Educators Conference, Houston, Texas, and Astronaut Thomas Pesquet KG5FYG using Callsign NA1SS. The contact began Thu 2017-02-09 20:30:10 UTC and lasted about nine and a half minutes. Contact was Telebridge via K6DUE. ARISS Mentor was Frank KA3HDO. + A Successful contact was made between Palmetto Scholars Academy, North Charleston, SC, USA and Astronaut Shane Kimbrough KE5HOD using Callsign NA1SS. The contact began Fri 2017-02-10 17:59:18 UTC and lasted about nine and a half minutes. Contact was direct via K4PSA. ARISS Mentor was John K4SQC. Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule Collège André Malraux, Chatelaillon-Plage, France, direct via F4KJT The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be FXØISS The scheduled astronaut is Thomas Pesquet KG5FYG Contact is a go for: Mon 2017-02-13 14:00:35 UTC 3rd Junior High School, Komotini, Greece, direct via SV7APQ The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS The scheduled astronaut is Shane Kimbrough KE5HOD Contact is a go for: Fri 2017-02-17 08:58:11 UTC [ANS thanks ARISS, Charlie AJ9N and David AA4KN for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Satellite Shorts From All Over + The Smallsat Launcher War "Over the last decade or so the definition of what a ‘small satellite’ is has ballooned beyond the original cubesat design specification to satellites of 50 or 100 kg. Today a ‘smallsat’ is defined far more around the cost, and sometimes the technologies used, than the size and shape of the box that goes into orbit." Read the full story at: http://hackaday.com/2017/02/09/the-smallsat-launcher-war/ [ANS thanks Hackaday.com for the above information and Bernhard VA6BMJ for bringing it to our attention] + NASA seeks partnerships with US companies to advance commercial space technologies NASA is seeking partnerships with U.S. companies focused on industry-developed space technologies that can advance the commercial space sector and benefit future NASA missions through the "Announcement of Collaborative Opportunity (ACO)" solicitation released by NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD). Read complete story at: http://tinyurl.com/ANS043-NASAPartners [ANS thanks spacedaily.com for the above information] + Smallsat Builders Admit a Little Bigger Might Be a Little Better "What’s the perfect size for a small satellite? “The answer is 42 kilograms,” said Martin Sweeting, Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. founder and executive chairman, at the Small Satellite Symposium Feb. 7 and 8." See more at: http://tinyurl.com/ANS043-SmallSatBuilders [ANS thanks SpaceNews for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- /EX In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership in the President's Club. Members of the President's Club, as sustaining donors to AMSAT Project Funds, will be eligible to receive addi- tional benefits. Application forms are available from the AMSAT Office. 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 stu- dent rate for a maximum of 6 post-secondary years in this status. Contact Martha at the AMSAT Office for additional student membership information. 73, This week's ANS Editor, EMike McCardel, AA8EM aa8em at amsat dot org

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ANS-029 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
by Lee McLamb 28 Jan '17

28 Jan '17

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-029 The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and infor- mation service of AMSAT North America, The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS publishes news related to Amateur Radio in Space including reports on the activities of a worldwide group of Amateur Radio operators who share an active interest in designing, building, launching and communicating through analog and digital Amateur Radio satellites. The news feed on http://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. In this edition: * Colloquium Videos for 2009-2012 Posted on YouTube * ARRL LoTW Adds Additional Satellite Entries * Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2017-01-27 * Get Your Iridium Fix Before It’s Too Late! SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-029.01 ANS-029 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins AMSAT News Service Bulletin 029.01 From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD. DATE January 29, 2017 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-029.01 Colloquium Videos for 2009-2012 Posted on YouTube AMSAT-UK reports that thanks to Wouter Weggelaar PA3WEG and @BATC online videos of talks given at AMSAT-UK Colloquium 2009-2012 are now posted at https://www.youtube.com/user/AMSATUK/videos The videos were made by members of the British Amateur Television Club (BATC) and stored on the club’s streaming site. Dedicated BATC members have carried out the world-wide streaming and recording of the AMSAT-UK International Space Colloquium since 2007. [ANS thanks AMSAT-UK for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- ARRL LoTW Adds Additional Satellite Entries ARRL LoTW/IT staff announce an update release containing additions and changes made since the release of config.xml 10.4 The changes in config.xml 10.5 are: - In the Satellite enumeration, added entries for: - "BY70-1": Bayi Kepu Weixing 1 - "IO-86": Indonesia-OSCAR 86 (LAPAN-ORARI) - "SAREX" for 2-way contacts made using the Shuttle Amateur Radio Experiment (SAREX) packet digipeater - "MIREX": for 2-way contacts made using the Mir packet digipeater [ANS thanks Sean, KX9X, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2017-01-27 Cours Saint Maur, Monaco, Monaco, telebridge via LU1CGB The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled astronaut is Thomas Pesquet KG5FYG Contact is a go for: Thu 2017-02-02 08:38:27 UTC 75 deg via LU1CGB Rescheduled due to Service Module spatial constraint. South Street School, Danbury CT, telebridge via ON4ISS The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS The scheduled astronaut is Shane Kimbrough KE5HOD Contact is a go for: Thu 2017-02-02 18:49:14 UTC 80 deg [ANS thanks Charlie, AJ9N, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Get Your Iridium Fix Before It’s Too Late! The shock and dazzle of Iridium flares will soon be a thing of the past. Here's how to make the most of seeing them before a new generation of spacecraft replaces the Iridium satellites. Each of the approximately 66 Iridiums in orbit have three door-sized aluminum antennae treated with highly reflective, silver-coated Teflon for temperature control. When the angle between observer and satellite is just right, sunlight reflecting off an antenna can cause the satellite to surge from invisibility up to magnitude –8.5 in a matter of seconds. If you've never seen one, the searing brilliance may make you recoil instinctively. On rare occasions, flares can reach magnitude –9.5. That's 100 times brighter than Venus! Sadly, that era will soon draw to a close. On January 14th, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 delivered the first 10 of a new generation of Iridium NEXT satellites to low- Earth orbit, starting the process to replace the older units in a maneuver called slot-swapping. While the new birds will provide faster data rates and enhanced global communications, their antenna design is completely different and not expected to produce significant flares. Heavens Above is one of the easiest sites to get you looking in the right place at the right time. The Heavens Above website allows for easy figuring and finding of Iridium flares. Just sign in and give it your location, then click the Iridium Flares link under the Satellites heading on the left side of the homepage. A table will pop open with a week's worth of passes that includes pertinent information like brightness, altitude, and magnitude of the flare at flare center, the brightest possible magnitude for a particular pass. Clicking on the date will produce a map showing the flare's path and ground track where the flare will appear brightest. When that path passes near or over your location, you'll see a –8 dazzler. If not, you can use the map to drive to the sweet spot and await the display. The transition to the Iridium NEXT generation will be gradual but certain, so make the most of the opportunities that remain. If you're a teacher, do your homework and plan an outing to show a daytime flare to your science class. Anything that gets people talking more about the sky is a good thing, and I guarantee those kids will never forget the sight. [ANS thanks Bob King, and Sky and Telescope for the above information] /EX In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership in the President's Club. Members of the President's Club, as sustaining donors to AMSAT Project Funds, will be eligible to receive addi- tional benefits. Application forms are available from the AMSAT Office. 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 stu- dent rate for a maximum of 6 post-secondary years in this status. Contact Martha at the AMSAT Office for additional student membership information. 73, This week's ANS Editor, Lee McLamb, KU4OS ku4os at amsat dot org

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ANS-022 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
by E.Mike McCardel 21 Jan '17

21 Jan '17

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-022 The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and infor- mation service of AMSAT North America, The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS publishes news related to Amateur Radio in Space including reports on the activities of a worldwide group of Amateur Radio operators who share an active interest in designing, building, launching and communicating through analog and digital Amateur Radio satellites. The news feed on http://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. In this edition: * Reno, Nevada to Host 2017 AMSAT Space Symposium Oct 27-29 * Diwata 2's payload includes amateur radio * AMSAT News From South Africa * JAMSAT Symposium in Kyoto on 11-12 March, Presenters Requested. * Kenwood features ARISS in February 2017 Two Page QST Ad * AMSAT Phase 4 Weekly Engineering Report * US Naval Academy HFsat Receives IARU Frequency Coordination * ARISS News * Satellite Shorts From All Over SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-022.01 ANS-022 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins AMSAT News Service Bulletin 022.01 >From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD. January 22, 2017 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-022.01 Reno, Nevada to Host 2017 AMSAT Space Symposium Oct 27-29 AMSAT NA announces that the 2017 AMSAT Space Symposium will be held on Friday through Sunday, Oct 27, 28, 29, 2017 in Reno, Nevada. Location will be at the Silver Legacy Resort , 407 N Virginia Street, in Downtown, Reno. The Silver Legacy is a 4 star Resort/Hotel/Casino which is an iconic 42-story hotel with its massive round dome and spires centered in downtown. The Silver Legacy is typically lit green at night and is referred to by many as the "Emerald City" of Reno. In support of the University of Nevada Wolf Pack, the Silver Legacy will sometimes turn blue. Some of the perks include * Free parking for attendees. * Free transportation to and from the airport (10 minutes shuttle ride). * Complimentary WiFi. * The Silver Legacy has 8 restaurants and 8 different retail shops. * Large selection of additional restaurants and casinos (El Dorado, Circus Circus, and the rest of downtown Reno) are in close proximity and within walking distance. * Multiple alternate activities and attractions are in the Reno area. Nevada Museum Of Modern Art National Automobile Museum Fleischmann Planetarium (UNR Campus) National Bowling Stadium * If you are staying longer in the Reno area, there are several other points of interest close by, including Virginia City and Lake Tahoe. 2017 AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual Meeting The annual AMSAT Space Symposium features: * Space Symposium with Amateur Satellite Presentations * Operating Techniques, News, & Plans from the Amateur Satellite World * Board of Directors Meeting open to AMSAT members * Opportunities to Meet Board Members and Officers * AMSAT-NA Annual General Membership Meeting * Auction, Annual Banquet, Keynote Speaker and Door Prizes !! Several members from The Sierra Nevada Amateur Radio Society (SNARS) as well as many other local radio amateurs will be participating in helping with this event. Additional information about the 2017 AMSAT Symposium will be posted on the AMSAT web site, www.amsat.org as it becomes available. [ANS thanks Joe Spier, K6WAO, Frank Kostelac, N7ZEV, Linda Kostelac, KC7IIT, and the AMSAT-NA Office for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Diwata 2's payload includes amateur radio THE whole world is again set to witness come 2018 a third-world country launching into space another microsatellite -- this time with an amateur or ham radio included in the payload. An amateur radio is a communication technology that allows its operators to talk or send messages to other people, especially first responders, planners and government agencies whose own communications have been knocked out, in time of disasters and emergencies. Diwata 2 -- the Philippines' second microsatellite that is currently being developed by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman, Hokkaido University, and Tohoku University in Japan -- has this technology, along with a telescope and cameras. Its predecessor, the Diwata 1, was launched into orbit last April 2016 and has been sending pictures to DOST-Advanced Science and Technology Institute (Asti); the latest photo posted on PHL-Microsat Program's website shows the swollen Pinacanauan River, as well as agricultural areas damaged by flood after Tropical Cyclone Lawin (Haima) made landfall in Peñablanca, Cagayan on October 19, 2016. The PHL-Microsat said that as of January 13, the "Diwata 1 has circled the world approximately 4,083 times, taking images not just of the Philippines but also of other parts of the Earth." "We will download the images every time the Diwata 1 passes by the Philippines," said Dr. Joel Joseph Marciano Jr., program leader of PHL-Microsat and acting director of DOST-Asti, in an interview with SunStar. As to the amateur radio included in the payload of Diwata 2, Marciano said it is a very important feature of the second microsatellite, especially that the country is prone to natural disasters and calamities. "So when the satellite passes over in time of disaster, you can get a ham radio and send messages to another person in other areas in the country, and even give updates on evacuation using ham radio," he told fellows of the 20th Lopez Jaena Community Journalism Workshop held in UP Diliman last November 2016. The Philippines has more than a thousand amateur radio operators nationwide. Most of them are members of the Philippine Amateur Radio Association. Aside from the amateur radio, Diwata 2 has a Spaceborne Multispectral Imager (SMI) with liquid crystal tunable filter (LCTF) for environmental monitoring; high precision telescope (HPT) for rapid post-disaster assessment; and enhanced resolution cameras (instead of wide and middle field cameras used in Diwata 1). "Medium and wide cameras will be replaced by enhanced resolution cameras but there will still be the HPT and SMI with LCTF... Three cameras, plus an amateur radio as part of the payload," Marciano told SunStar. He said 11 Filipino scholars are working on the Diwata 2. "Mas dumami pa, because we now have 11 scholars. They are in Japan, working with the two universities (Hokkaido and Tohoku)," said Marciano. There were only nine Filipino scholars who assembled the Diwata 1. "They are considered as scholars because they are under the DOST scholarships, and building the microsatellites is part of their studies," added Marciano. He said that at present, they are working on the engineering model. "We are now in the design phase. We are working on the blocks. They are being done here locally and they will be tested in Japan." The DOST targets to launch the Diwata 2 in the first half of 2018, but Marciano said the launching will also depend on the availability of the launching facility. "The target overall for the completion of the flight model is in December 2017," he said. Except for the amateur radio and enhanced resolution cameras, Diwata 2 will hover 400 kilometers above the Earth's surface just like Diwata 1. It also weighs 50 kilograms, the size of a room air conditioner. "The characteristics are the same. There will be chances na mag-abot sila doon, which is an advantage to us since it will mean that we can generate more images from them... The idea is they should be operated on the same constellation. They have to communicate with other satellites to provide us better images," said Marciano. He explained that the country's microsatellites are not geostationary satellites, which have an altitude of 39,000 kilometers and are more expensive. "Diwata 2 only has 400 to 600 kilometers altitude," he said, adding that because it is a microsatellite, it is only considered a secondary payload. "Parang nakikiangkas lang tayo sa paglaunch (We are just hitching a ride), because it is very expensive to launch big satellites. You have to pay for the rocket," he told the Lopez Jaena journalism workshop fellows. He also said in November that the challenge of Diwata satellites' orbit is they can only take images of a certain location if they passes by it. "Diwata 1 passes every day, but it passes in different places, so there's a challenge of being in the right place at the right time," said Marciano. Asked about the possibility of a launching failure, Dr. Marc Caesar Talampas, project leader in-charge of the microsatellite BUS development, said in a follow-up interview: "They undergo rigorous testing before they will be launched into space. There is vibration test, radiation testing, etc. We have to comply with all the specifications." "The failure is more on not responding, not on the launching. But so far, based on our experience with Diwata 1, the communication has been positive," added Marciano. The government has allotted P2 billion per year for DOST's space technology program. This is on top of the P840 million that was already invested for the PHL-Microsat program. "There's an increase in the availability of funding for research in space technology... In 2018, we will come up with a new (budget) proposal,"Marciano said. [ANS thanks LAUREEN MONDOÑEDO-YNOT and SunStar Philippines for the above information.] --------------------------------------------------------------------- AMSAT News From South Africa ** Turn your laptop into a 24 MHz to 1,7 GHz receiver. AMSAT SA is holding a half-day SDR Workshop in association with the South African Radio League at the NARC on 18 February 2017. This is a hands-on workshop where participants will install a VHF/UHF RTL dongle and programme it to become a VHF/UHF receiver covering 24 MHz to 1,7 GHz. Anton Janovsky, ZR6AIC, and Cor Rademeyer, ZS6CR, will present the Workshop. The Workshop fee includes the RTL dongle and a memory stick with all the required software as well as light refreshments. Register before 11 February 2017, all the details and registration form are available on www.amsatsa.org.za. Book early to avoid disappointment. ** The 2017 AMSAT SA Space Conference will be held on Saturday 20 May 2017 in Pretoria. This is the first call for paper proposals. The theme of the conference is "Conquering Space as an educational pastime." Proposals for papers should include a brief synopsis of the proposed paper. The closing date for proposals is 31 January 2017. Authors will be notified of acceptance of their paper by 15 February 2017. More details on www.amsatsa.org.za [ANS thanks the SARL weekly news in English 2017-1-7 for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- JAMSAT Symposium in Kyoto on 11-12 March, Presenters Requested. Mikio Mouri, JA3GEP, JAMSAT announces "We are going to held our AGM and JAMSAT Symposium in Kyoto next March. "I hope to have some attendance from AMSAT-NA, even via Skype. We hope to hear some update of activities in US." The meeting will be held at: http://hotel-binario.jp/en/ The Hotel Binario Saga Arashiyama is located in the beautiful Arashiyama district of Kyoto and is perfect for sightseeing. Date and Time of Symposium: 14:30-17:30JST(05:30-08:30UTC) March 11(Sat) 09:00-13:00JST(00:00-04:00UTC) March 12(Sun) If anyone has an opportunity to join and present, please let Mikio know the appropriate time of your availability. He will keep the time slot for your presentation. Mikio can be contacted via JBH02173 (at) nifty.com] [ANS thanks Mikio JA3GEP for the above information.] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Kenwood features ARISS in February 2017 Two Page QST Ad Kenwwood features ARISS donations in its two page ad in the February 2017 QST. Check out the ad on pages 27 and 28. During February the ARRL is running a special slider in their rotating banner, on their website home page, with an appeal for ARISS donations. Also, The QST Cover story for February teases "Texas Students Take Amateur Radio to the Edge of Space" The article "To the Edge of Space and Back with Ham Radio" by Chase Mertz, KG5KKX is featured on page 76. Mertz highlights "Student engineers in the Eldorado Space Program design, build, and program instrument packages, sending them as high as 120,000 feet using a highaltitude weather balloon." [ANS thanks ARRL for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- AMSAT Phase 4 Weekly Engineering Report AMSAT Phase 4 Ground Radio prototype with Ettus Research B210 by John Petrich W7FU can be viewed at: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=oyAe21bWR4g&feature=youtu.be [ANS thanks Michelle W5NYV for the above information.] --------------------------------------------------------------------- US Naval Academy HFsat Receives IARU Frequency Coordination The US Naval Academy has received IARU satellite frequency coordination for HFsat, a 1.5 U CubeSat with a 15 meter to 10 meter linear transponder with 30kHz bandwidth. The CubeSat will also carry an APRS digipeater on 145.825MHz. HFsat is a project to demonstrate the viability of HF satellite communications as a backup communications system using existing ubiquitous HF radios that are usually a part of the communications suite on all small mobile platforms such has ham radio mobiles and portable operations frequently used by Amateurs in support of disaster and emergency response communications. The HFsat will be gravity gradient stabilized by its long full size 10 meter band halfwave HF dipole antenna with tip masses. A standardized CubSsat VHF communications card based on the popular Byonics MTT4B all-in-one APRS Tiny-Track4 module for telemetry, command and control is under development at the US Naval Academy. Standardizing the communications board makes it easy to add the HF Transponder mission into Naval Academy’s standard CubeSat bus without an all new start. HFsat will continue the long tradition of small amateur satellites designed by Aerospace students at the US naval Academy. The students are working with Bill Ress, N6GHZ on the HF transponder card. HF Uplink: 21.40 MHz, 30 kHz wide multi user bandwidth HF downlink: 29.42 MHz, the 30 kHz wide downlink passband VHF APRS DigiPeater: 145.825 MHz FM 1200 baud AFSK packet Find additional information on-line at: http://aprs.org/HFsat.html (US Naval Academy) http://www.amsat.org.uk/iaru/ (search for HFsat in the list of satellites that have been coordinated) [ANS thanks the US Naval Academy and the IARU for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- ARISS News + A Successful contact was made between High School "Léon Blum", Le Creusot, France and Astronaut Thomas Pesquet KG5FYG using Callsign NA1SS. The contact began Mon 2017-01-16 11:53:17 and lasted about nine and a half minutes. Contact was Telebridge via K6DUE. ARISS Mentor was Joseph F6ICS. Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2017-01-19 06:30 UTC Quick list of scheduled contacts and events: South Street School, Danbury CT, telebridge via VK4KHZ. The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS. The scheduled astronaut is Shane Kimbrough KE5HOD. Contact is a go for: Fri 2017-01-27 19:50:18 UTC Swiss Space Center – EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland, telebridge via W6SRJ. The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS. The scheduled astronaut is Thomas Pesquet KG5FYG. Contact is a go for: Thu 2017-01-26 11:06:29 UTC ARISS is always glad to receive listener reports for the above contacts. ARISS thanks everyone in advance for their assistance. Feel free to send your reports to aj9n(a)amsat.org or aj9n(a)aol.com. Listen for the ISS on the downlink of 145.800 MHz. The following US states and entities have never had an ARISS contact: Arkansas, Delaware, South Dakota, Wyoming, American Samoa, Guam, Northern Marianas Islands, and the Virgin Islands. QSL information may be found at: http://www.ariss.org/qsl-cards.html ISS callsigns: DPØISS, IRØISS, NA1SS, OR4ISS, RSØISS Check out the Zoho reports of the ARISS contacts https://reports.zoho.com/ZDBDataSheetView.cc?DBID=412218000000020415 Exp. 49 on orbit Shane Kimbrough KE5HOD Andrei Borisenko Sergey Ryzhikov Exp. 50 on orbit Peggy Whitson Thomas Pesquet KG5FYG Oleg Novitskiy [ANS thanks ARISS, Charlie AJ9N and David AA4KN for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Satellite Shorts From All Over + APRS Symbol Look Up Table Kenneth Finnegan, W6KWF has created an easy to use lookup table for APRS symbol codes. "I've made a lookup table which has the symbol code, the primary symbol, and the secondary symbol all on top of each other as opposed to the three adjacent tables on the aprs.org page: http://tinyurl.com/ANS-022-APRS-Table [ANS thanks Kenneth K6KWF for the above information.] + Colloquium Videos for 2009-2012 Posted on YouTube AMSAT-UK reports that thanks to Wouter Weggelaar PA3WEG and @BATC online videos of talks given at AMSAT-UK Colloquium 2009-2012 are now posted at: https://www.youtube.com/user/AMSATUK/videos [ANS thanks AMSAT-UK for the above information] + June Page of the 2017 ARRL Calendar Features NPOTA Satellite Ops "Fernando Ramirez-Ferrer NP4JV, overlooks the vastness of Grand Canyon National Park (NP22) in Arizona as he makes contacts via the SO-50 Amateur Radio satellite. This was the sixth NPOTA unit he had activated via satellite." (Ruth V Ramirez, photo credit) [ANS thanks ARRL for the above information.] + UT1FG/MM is departing Finland ~1900 UTC (21 January) heading to Mexico. Clean your antennas, de-wax your ears and remember to give others a chance to get through.. [ANS thanks Jari OH2FQV, Via Twitter, for the above information.] --------------------------------------------------------------------- /EX In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership in the President's Club. Members of the President's Club, as sustaining donors to AMSAT Project Funds, will be eligible to receive addi- tional benefits. Application forms are available from the AMSAT Office. 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 stu- dent rate for a maximum of 6 post-secondary years in this status. Contact Martha at the AMSAT Office for additional student membership information. 73, This week's ANS Editor, EMike McCardel, AA8EM aa8em at amsat dot org

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ANS-015 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
by Joseph Spier 14 Jan '17

14 Jan '17

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-015 The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and infor- mation service of AMSAT North America, The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS publishes news related to Amateur Radio in Space including reports on the activities of a worldwide group of Amateur Radio operators who share an active interest in designing, building, launching and communicating through analog and digital Amateur Radio satellites. The news feed on http://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. In this edition: * RadFxSat (Fox-1B) Launch Date Moved to August 29, 2017 * AMSAT-UK Colloquium 2017 * ITF-2 CubeSat Set to Deploy from ISS * Satellite Logging Updates Requested for ARRL LoTW * College OSCAR Activity, Grow Future Membership * 2017 Interplanetary Small Satellite Conference * Frequency Plan of the PicSAT Project Validated by the IARU * AMSAT Events * ARISS News * Satellite Shorts from All Over SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-015.01 ANS-015 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins AMSAT News Service Bulletin 015.01 >From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD. DATE January 15, 2017 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-015.01 --------------------------------------------------------------------- RadFxSat (Fox-1B) Launch Date Moved to August 29, 2017 The launch date for RadFxSat (Fox-1B) has been moved to August 29, 2017. RadFxSat is one of four CubeSats making up the NASA ELaNa XIV mission, riding as secondary payloads aboard the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS)-1 mission. JPSS-1 will launch on a Delta II from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. RadFxSat is a partnership with Vanderbilt University ISDE and hosts four payloads for the study of radiation effects on commercial off the shelf components. RadFxSat features the Fox-1 style FM U/v repeater with an uplink on 435.250 MHz (67.0 Hz CTCSS) and a downlink on 145.960 MHz. Satellite and experiment telemetry will be downlinked via the "DUV" subaudible telemetry stream and can be decoded with the FoxTelem software. RadFxSat construction and testing was completed in the fourth quarter of 2016 and the CubeSat is currently in clean storage at Fox Labs, waiting for delivery and integration which is now scheduled for June, 2017. [ANS thanks Jerry Buxton, NØJY, AMSAT Vice President for Engineering for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- AMSAT-UK Colloquium 2017 AMSAT-UK is very happy to announce that the dates of the next AMSAT-UK Colloquium will be 14-15 Oct 2017. This year it will be incorporated into the RSGB Convention at the Kents Hill Park Convention Centre in Milton Keynes. Exact details are currently being finalized with the RSGB and these will be notified when they are known. If you have not been to Kents Hill before, it is very close to the M1 motorway and is near to Bletchley Park, where RSGB members have free entry. For overseas visitors it is convenient for planes to London Luton Airport (30-minute taxi ride) and also London Gatwick and Birmingham airports, both of which have direct train connections to Bletchley and/or Milton Keynes stations. These stations are approximately 10 minutes away by taxi. [ANS thanks Jim Heck, G3WGM for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- ITF-2 CubeSat Set to Deploy from ISS Toshihiro Kameda, JJ3GRX/W3GRX, of the University of Tsukuba's "Yui" satellite project in Japan, reports that the ITF-2 ("Imagine The Future") CubeSat is set for release from the International Space Station (ISS) on Monday, January 16, at 0910 UTC. The 1U ITF-2 was designed and built at the university. The Amateur Radio downlink is 437.525 MHz. Updated information will be announced on the AMSAT Bulletin Board at, http://www.amsat.org/pipermail/amsat-bb/ . ITF-2 is the successor to the unsuccessful ITF-1, which launched in 2014 but was never heard. Six CubeSats delivered to ISS by HTV-6 will deploy from ISS with new JEM Small Satellite Orbital Deployer (J-SSOD) at 16h Jan. New J-SSOD has four satellite install cases. One satellite install case has 3U space, so new J-SSOD can delploy twelve CubeSat at one time. Six CubeSats are installed as follows, satellite install CubeSats case #1 three 1U CubeSats ITF-2, WASEDA-SAT3, FREEDOM #2 one 3U CubeSat EGG #3 one 2U CubeSat AOBA-VELOX3 #4 one 3U CubeSat TuPOD (including Tancredo1 and OSNSAT) ITF-2, WASEDA-SAT3, AOBA-VELOX3, TuPOD and Tancredo1 operate on the amateur radio bands. #1 and #2 will be deployed at 0900-0930z 16th Jan, #3 and #4 will be 1030-1100z. Live broadcast will start at 0850z on YouTube JAXA channel. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4xq_rj0QiQ [ANS thanks the ARRL and JAXA for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Satellite Logging Updates Requested for ARRL LoTW AMSAT has requested that BY70-1 be added as "BY70-1" in the next configuration file for the ARRL Logbook of the World (LoTW). AMSAT has also requested that this update be made no later than January 31st due to NPOTA QSOs that were made via the satellite. AMSAT has also requested the addition of IO-86 as well as SAREX and MIREX for previous QSOs that occurred via the digipeater carried on various Space Shuttle missions and the Mir space station. If anyone notices a satellite that was available for amateur operation that is not included in the LoTW configuration file, please let me know: Paul Stoetzer n8hm(a)arrl.net Please also keep in mind that there may be a delay in requests being made for the addition of satellites to the LoTW configuration file while AMSAT awaits word of any potential OSCAR number request. [ANS thanks Paul Stoetzer, N8HM, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- College OSCAR Activity, Grow Future Membership In 2008-2009 we used to have regular College Satellite Nights, where clubs active in our area of interest would get on the birds at the same time and give out contacts. Please let me know if there is an interest again in doing this once per month and if the group minds allowing SO-50 to be the venue. It is important to our future that we grow our ranks through attracting younger hams. OSCAR operating at the college level can also be a huge advantage for attractive college students to the hobby. Many of our technician course attendees at UF are there for that reason (we give two licensing courses a year). Please help spread the word to those at your local universities, and to other college clubs. There will be a College Student Amateur Radio Forum at HamCation HamFest in Orlando, Saturday Feb. 11. Please let college student hams know of the event info. The event is ARRL sponsored, part of CARI, the Collegiate Amateur Radio Initiative. The forum will take place at 3pm, and there is room for 50 college student attendees. There are more events planned for the day, including an evening social event for college students. We should also have table space for the day for college clubs to distribute club info and to meet, greet, and network with alumni. The table would be a good place for high school student hams to network in preparation for a life of amateur radio during the upcoming college years. Questions can be directed to the moderator of the forum, UF Doctoral student Andy Milluzzi, KK4KWR - andy(a)gatorradio.org For the latest of information see the CARI Facebook group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/ARRLCARI/ [ANS thanks Dr. Jay H. Garlitz, AA4FL, FCC Trustee, W4DFU at Univ. of Florida, since 2005, www.gatorradio.org. The Club Station of the Gator Amateur Radio Club, at UF since 1934, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- 2017 Interplanetary Small Satellite Conference The Interplanetary Small Satellite Conference (ISSC) will be held at San Jose State University on May 1-2, 2017 in San Jose, California. The conference addresses interplanetary small satellites, including mission design, enabling technologies, science applications, and all other technical aspects of these missions. You can find out more details about the conference at http://www.intersmallsatconference.com/ This year we are expecting over 200 people to attend the conference. This year’s keynote speakers will be announced soon. The conference will feature a suite of talks and attendees from JPL, NASA and other space agencies, universities, and companies from around the world to work on developing this important new direction for small spacecraft missions. The Interplanetary Small Satellite Conference also gives an exciting chance for organizations to sponsor an exhibitor table or a booth. A table is $270 (includes one registration) and a booth is $540 (includes two registrations). Prices are guaranteed until January 31, when they may increase. Registration will be available soon on our website, but please email us at exhibitors(a)intercubesat.org for information and to reserve your spot. Tables and booths will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis when registration payments are received. Please also consider submitting an abstract to represent your organization. Abstracts are due on February 15, 2017. I hope you'll be able to join us in beautiful San Jose. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any additional questions. [ANS thanks the ISSC Committee (via the cubesat.org mailing list) for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Frequency Plan of the PicSAT Project Validated by the IARU AMSAT-F (AMSAT Francophone) announced on January 8 the the IARU validated the proposed frequency plan for the PICSAT satellite project of the Paris Observatory. The satellite will offer capabilities for telemetry data transmission: AX25 - 9k6 BPSK, and an FM transponder. Uplink : 145.910 MHz FM Downlink : 435.925 MHz FM AMSAT-F and Réseau des Émetteurs Français (REF), the national non-profit organization for amateur radio enthusiasts in France, will provide active technical support for this project. For more information : IARU Coordination: http://www.amsatuk.me.uk/iaru/formal_detail.php?serialnum=536 Link budget estimated: https://perso.lesia.obspm.fr/picsat/files/2016/12/PicSat_IARU_Coordination.… Project page: http://lesia.obspm.fr/PICSAT.html REF-Info: http://ref-info.ref.org/projet-picsat-de-lobservatoire-de-paris/ [ANS thanks AMSAT-Francophone for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- AMSAT Events Information about AMSAT activities at other important events around the country. Examples of these events are radio club meetings where AMSAT Area Coordinators give presentations, demonstrations of working amateur satellites, and hamfests with an AMSAT presence (a table with AMSAT literature and merchandise, sometimes also with presentations, forums, and/or demonstrations). *Saturday, 14 January 2017 – Thunderbird Hamfest 2017 in Phoenix AZ *Friday and Saturday, 20-21 January 2017 – Cowtown Hamfest in Forest Hill, TX *Thursday, 26 January 2017 – presentation for Arizona Repeater Association in Tempe AZ *Saturday, 4 February 2017 – Palm Springs Hamfest in Palm Springs CA *Friday-Sunday, 10-12 February 2017 Orlando HamCation in Orlando, FL *Friday and Saturday, 17-18 February 2017 – Yuma Hamfest in Yuma AZ *Friday-Sunday, March 31, April 1 & 2, 2017, NVCON in Las Vegas, NV [ANS thanks AMSAT-NA for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- ARISS News Successful Contacts * A combined telebridge via K6DUE with students at Collège Saint-Guibert, Gembloux, Belgium and Euro Space Center, Transinne, Belgium was successful Thu 2017-01-12. * A direct contact via W6FOG with students at the World Genesis Foundation (WGF), Goodyear, AZ. & Quartzsite in Motion, Quartzsite, AZ. was successful Wed 2017-01-11. * A direct contact via K4JMC with students at Rainbow Middle School in Rainbow City, AL. was successful Wed 2017-01-04. * A direct contact via F1IMF with students at Collège Mathilde Marthe Faucher, Allassac, France was successful Wed 2017-01-04. * A direct contact via F4KJV with students at Primary School Georges Wallers, Saint-Amand-les-Eaux (59), France was successful Sat 2016-12-31. * A direct contact via IK1SLD with students at Ecole Communale de Saint Sylvestre, Saint Sylvestre, France was successful Wed 2016-12-21. Upcoming Contacts * A telebridge via K6DUE students at the Léon Blum High School, Le Creusot, France, is presently scheduled for Mon 2017-01-16 11:53:17 UTC 60 deg. The scheduled astronaut is Thomas Pesquet, KG5FYG. Le Creusot is a commune in the Saône-et-Loire department in the region of Bourgogne in eastern France. Formerly a mining town, its economy is now dominated by large metallurgical companies such as ArcelorMittal, Schneider Electric, and Alstom. In the 19th century, iron ore mines and forges around Le Creusot generated a business in steel, railways, armaments, and shipbuilding. The lycée Léon Blum (Le Creusot-71) together with the lycée international Charles de Gaulle (Dijon-21) and lycée Pierre Paul Riquet (Saint-Orens-31) were selected after a call for projects in March 2015 by the CNES Youth Education department for the PROXIMA mission. The project is named CERES (after the name of ancient roman goddess of agriculture). Thomas will grow some seeds in space as part of the CERES educational experiment. A special cargo of mustard, lentil and radish seeds was sent to him on the Space Station. He should water them and take pictures at regular intervals to study how the seeds grow in space. Students of the two partner high schools and a local elementary school are also participating to the list of questions. Watch http://www.ariss.org/upcoming-contacts.html for information about upcoming contacts as they are scheduled. [ANS thanks ARISS and Charlie, AJ9N for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Satellite Shorts From All Over South East VHF Society Conference Charlotte NC April 28-29 The SVHF Society will hold their convention in Charlotte, NC this year on April 28 and 29 at the Doubletree by Hilton Hotel Charlotte Airport, 2600 Yorkmont Road, Charlotte, NC 28201. We have arranged rooms at $95; you can call 800-222-TREE and ask for this rate under the name "South East VHF Society". Early registration guest room rate of $89 is offered for reservations made by January 31, 2017. If you plan to attend, please call now to reserve your room at this lower rate before the end of January. Registration information will be posted soon on the web site (http://svhfs.org) so watch for the sign up details. The conference fee for pre-registration is $30, Friday's Luncheon is $15, and Saturday's banquet is $40. [ANS thanks Gary Greene, W2ZV, SVHF Society conference committee member for the above information] AMSAT CW Activity Day reports As of 8 January, only two of the participants in AMSAT CW Activity Day have posted reports to amsat-bb. While there is no requirement to do so, if you participated, please consider posting one while it's still fresh in your mind. You can post a list of stations worked, satellites used, "Soapbox" comments, suggestions for next year's event, or what have you. [ANS thanks Ray, W2RS, for the above information] DXpedition Teams Make Satellite Plans FP, ST. PIERRE & MIQUELON. Eric, KV1J, will once again be operating from the Island of Miquelon (NA-032, DIFO FP-002 WLOTA 1417, Grid GN17) as FP/KV1J between July 4-18th. Activity will be on 160-10 meters using CW, SSB and RTTY (but primarily SSB and RTTY). He will generally be on the highest frequency band that is open (favoring 12/10m). He will be active in the IARU HF Contest (July 8-9th), NA QSO Party-RTTY (July 15-16th) and the CQ VHF Contest [6M only] (July 15-16th). QSL via KV1J, direct or by the Bureau. Also eQSL and LoTW. For more details and updates, check out his Web page at: http://www.kv1j.com/fp/July17.html PLEASE NOTE: Eric mentions, "I will also be on the analog Satellites when the WX is good enough to operate from outside." YN, NICARAGUA. A team of four operators, sponsored by Texas DX Society, will be operating near Granada beginning March 20th and ending March 27th. Operators mentioned are Keith/NM5G (YN2MG), Ken/KD2KW (YN2KW), Bill/K5WL (YN2WL) and Marty/W5MF (YN2MF). The group plans to participate in the CQWW WPX SSB Contest (March 25-26th) as YN2KW and station, as a Multi-Op/Single- Transmitter/All-Bands/Low-Power entry. Outside of the contest, operators will use their own callsigns on CW, SSB, RTTY and other Digital modes. They will also have equipment to make some satellite contacts as time and weather permit. QSL YN2KW via N5ET, all others callsigns listen for instructions, but probably the same route. [ANS thanks the Ohio/Penn DX Bulletin No. 1299 for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- /EX In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership in the President's Club. Members of the President's Club, as sustaining donors to AMSAT Project Funds, will be eligible to receive addi- tional benefits. Application forms are available from the AMSAT Office. 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 stu- dent rate for a maximum of 6 post-secondary years in this status. Contact Martha at the AMSAT Office for additional student membership information. 73, This week's ANS Editor, Joe Spier, K6WAO k6wao at amsat dot org

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