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ANS-186 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
by E.Mike McCardel 05 Jul '15

05 Jul '15

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-186 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 2015 Symposium Call for Papers * Reminder - Send in AMSAT Field Day Results * $50SAT 19 months in Space and still working * International Space Colloquium at Guildford * WD9EWK California road trip July 9-13 * ARISS Poster Presented at ISS R&D Conference * Help Wanted - Editor-in-Chief for the AMSAT Journal * ARISS News * Satellite Shorts From All Over SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-186 ANS-186 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins AMSAT News Service Bulletin 186 >From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD. July 5, 2015 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-186 AMSAT 2015 Symposium Call for Papers This is the first call for papers for the 2015 AMSAT-NA Annual Meeting and Space Symposium to be held on the weekend of October 16- 18, 2015. Proposals for papers, symposium presentations and poster presentations are invited on any topic of interest to the amateur satellite community. We request a tentative title of your presentation as soon as possible, but no later than August 1. The final copy must be submitted by September 15 for inclusion in the printed proceedings. Abstracts and papers should be sent to Dan Schultz at n8fgv at amsat.org The 2015 AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual Meeting will be held October 16, 17, 18, 2015 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, 33 East 5th Street, in Downtown, Dayton, Ohio. [ANS thanks the 2015 Symposium Committee for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Reminder - Send in AMSAT Field Day Results Please send your AMSAT Field Day results to Bruce Paige, KK5DO. Refer to the AMSAT Field Day web page at http://www.amsat.org/?page_id=216 for a copy of the rules document. This also includes the format of the Satellite Summary Sheet. The Satellite Summary Sheet should be used for submission of the AMSAT Field Day competition and be received by KK5DO (email or postal mail) by 11:59 P.M. CDT, Monday, July 13, 2015. The preferred method for submitting your log is via e-mail to kk5do(a)amsat.org or kk5do(a)arrl.net. You will receive an email back (within one or two days) from me when I receive your email submission. If you do not receive a confirmation message, then I have not received your submission. Try sending it again or send it to my other email address. You may also use the postal service but give plenty of time for your results to arrive by the submission date. If mailing your submission, the address is: Bruce Paige, KK5DO AMSAT Director of Awards and Contests PO Box 310 Alief, TX 77411-0310 Please add photographs or other interesting information that can be used in an article for the Journal. Certificates will be awarded to the first-place emergency power/portable station at the AMSAT General Meeting and Space Symposium in the fall of 2015. Certificates will also be awarded to the second and third place portable/emergency operation in addition to the first-place home station running on emergency power. A station submitting high, award- winning scores will be requested to send in dupe sheets for analog contacts and message listings for digital downloads. [ANS thanks Bruce Paige, KK5DO, AMSAT Director of Awards and Contests for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- $50SAT 19 months in Space and still working Michael Kirkhart KD8QBA provides an update on the $50SAT amateur radio spacecraft which measures just 5x5x7.5 cm Sunday, June 21, 2015 marked the 19 month anniversary of the launch of $50SAT/MO-76/Eagle-2. The good news is it still operating. The bad news is the power situation has been degrading, with an apparent step change on or near May 12, 2015, followed by another on Tuesday, June 23, 2015. The last full telemetry capture made here in EN82 land was on Wednesday, May 27, 2015, and the last time it was heard was on Friday, June 6, 2015. I continued to attempt to listen for it for another week or so, and heard nothing. Has anybody heard it since then? At this point, I have been monitoring it using Anton's (ZR6AIC) WebSDR as it makes daytime passes over South Africa. These occur between 7:30 and 9:00 UTC, which translates to 3:30 and 5:00 AM here in EN82 land. This is tough, as I am not a morning person. Sometimes, however, you have to do these things; helping build a satellite might be a once-in-a-lifetime event. During these passes, where it has already spent a significant amount of time in sunlight, the battery voltage is below 3400 mV. Is the battery going bad? While it is certainly possible the battery has suffered from some loss of charge capacity, one has to remember it is does not generate energy; it merely stores it. Since it is the solar power system that generates the power used by the satellite and stored in the battery, could the drop in battery voltage be due to a degradation in solar power generation? Back around May 12, I noticed the MPPT (solar) current readings were typically less than 10 mA. This much lower than it should be. To better understand what might be going on, a new chart was added to the telemetry spreadsheet which shows both the battery voltage and the MPPT (solar) current (with the zero readings removed), each with its own linear regression line. This chart can be seen from the following URL: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/l3919wtfiywk2gf/ AABKSR5V4cOvEPqPYbs8QYZNa/Telemetry-analysis/Current- Telemetry/Battery-Voltage-MPPT-Current-Chart.pdf Notice how the MPPT current trend line has been sloping downward, similar to that of the battery voltage. Moreover, starting 2 weeks before June 4, 2015 (each X axis division on the chart represents 2 weeks time), each reading has been at or below the trend line. A more striking comparison can be seen by doing the following: 1. Zoom in of the Battery-Voltage-MPPT-Current-Chart to show the 4 week interval starting May 7, 2015, and ending June 4, 2015 (see https://www.dropbox.com/sh/l3919wtfiywk2gf/ AACdQtySHZW3kVl7UMgSrxfHa/Telemetry-analysis/Battery-Voltage-MPPT- Current-Comparison-2015-05/Battery-Voltage-MPPT-Current-2015-05.pdf) 2. Zoom in of the Battery-Voltage-MPPT-Current-Chart to show the 4 week interval starting May 8, 2014, and ending June 5, 2014 (see https://www.dropbox.com/sh/l3919wtfiywk2gf/ AACracUWkivilfsKGBUFkmDXa/Telemetry-analysis/Battery-Voltage-MPPT- Current-Comparison-2015-05/Battery-Voltage-MPPT-Current-2014-05.pdf) [Editor's Note: The URLs above don't port well via tinyurl.com and have been truncated to fit the ANS format requirements. They should be copy and pasted as a continuous line to work with most browsers.] In comparing these charts, it is clear both the battery voltage and the MPPT current were significantly lower this year that during the same period last year. On June 5, 2014, the trend line value for battery voltage was about 3610 mV, and for MPPT current was about 30 mA. One year later (June 4, 2015), the trend line value for battery voltage was about 3380 mV, and for MMPT current was about 14 mA. Therefore, while it is likely the battery has suffered some loss of capacity, it appears the low battery voltage is due to low solar power output. There are many possible reasons for this, including: * Solar cell damage due to sputtering: since there was no protective covering on the solar cells, impacts from high energy particles can damage the cells, causing a drop in output. * Solar cell damage due to thermal cycling: We know from telemetry data the interior of the satellite cycle between +30 degrees C and - 30 degrees C each orbit. It is likely the exterior temperatures experienced higher extremes, and this periodic thermal cycling may have caused the solar cells to fracture, thus leading to a drop in output. * Short circuit failure of one or more of the diodes which isolate each MPP tracker output, which can cause an inactive MPP tracker (one whose corresponding solar panel is not facing the sun) to load an active one (one whose corresponding solar panel is facing the sun). Because of the limited amount of telemetry gathered, it may not be possible to determine the exact cause. If the solar output power continues to drop, the battery voltage may never get above the 3300 mV threshold needed to enable the transmitter, at which point we will lose the ability to monitor its status. Even if this does happen, however, we never really thought it would last this long. We would have been happy if it just worked, and really happy if it lasted a month or two. 19 months - this is way beyond what any of us expected! As of June 25, 2015, the orbit has decayed by about 73 km since launch. Since April 21, 2015, it has been decaying at a rate of about 1 km per week. Apogee is now at 561 km, and perigee is at 529 km. The following are the TLEs from 2015-06-25: EAGLE 2 1 39436U 13066W 15176.16386703 .00013608 00000-0 90105-3 0 9991 2 39436 97.7444 252.3622 0022818 80.2035 280.1767 15.07230510 86697 Again, if anyone wants to make an attempt at predicting when it will de-orbit, here is some useful information: Average cross-sectional area = 0.014252 m^2 Mass = 210 g Area/mass ratio = 0.06787 m^2/kg >From the 2015-06-25 TLEs: Semi-major axis: 6922.8 km Eccentricity: 0.0022818 Apogee: 560.6 Perigee: 529.0 As always, please post any telemetry, or for that matter, any reception reports to the Yahoo discussion group. We would especially like to encourage our friends in the southern hemisphere to listen for $50SAT/MO-76/Eagle-2. We really appreciate everyone who has provided reception reports and telemetry as well as access to their WebSDRs. To date, we have 3,098 individual error-free telemetry captures, and the vast majority of these did not come from Stuart, Howie, or I. 73 Michael Kirkhart KD8QBA $50SAT/MO-76/Eagle-2 team $50SAT is one of the smallest amateur radio satellites ever launched at 5x5x7.5 cm and weighs only 210 grams. Transmitter power is just 100 mW on 437.505 MHz (+/-9 kHz Doppler shift) FM CW/RTTY. It uses the low cost Hope RFM22B single chip radio and PICaxe 40X2 processor. $50SAT has been a collaborative education project between Professor Bob Twiggs, KE6QMD, Morehead State University and three other radio amateurs, Howie DeFelice, AB2S, Michael Kirkhart, KD8QBA, and Stuart Robinson, GW7HPW. Further information in the $50SAT Dropbox https://www.dropbox.com/sh/l3919wtfiywk2gf/-HxyXNsIr8 There is a discussion group for $50SAT http://groups.yahoo.com/groups/50dollarsat/ 50DollarSat http://www.50dollarsat.info/ {ANS thanks Michael KD8QBA and Southgate ARN for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- International Space Colloquium at Guildford The AMSAT-UK International Space Colloquium will be held on July 24- 26 at the Holiday Inn, Guildford, GU2 7XZ, UK. Among the speakers will be: • Peter Guelzow DB2OS with an update on AMSAT-DL projects, including the Phase 4 satellite • Chris Brunskill, formerly of Surrey Space Centre (SSC), now working at the Space Catapult at the Harwell Campus. He will be presenting an extremely novel project aimed at schools and education • It is hoped the BATC will be able to demonstrate live Digital TV reception from the International Space Station, using the Ham TV system • Drew Glasbrenner KO4MA, from AMSAT North America will be attending, and presenting the latest news of the FOX satellite(s) due for launch later this year, and also on their Phase 4 project The Colloquium is open to all further information is at http://amsat-uk.org/colloquium/ [ANS thanks AMSAT-UK for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- WD9EWK California road trip July 9-13 Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK will be driving to southern California next Thursday (9 July), in advance of a presentation he will give for the Escondido Amateur Radio Society that evening. After that presentation, and after spending the next day (Friday, 10 July) in and around San Diego, he will head north. Other than a planned stop at the DM04/DM05 grid boundary north of Los Angeles (the same spot he stopped at last September, near Mojave CA and Edwards AFB), He may be going to head further north. He hopes to have some time to go either north through the San Joaquin Valley, or over to the Pacific coast, or some sort of loop to see a lot more of central California. Whereas there is not a set itinerary for the portion of his trip after the DM04/DM05 stop, he has asked other satellite operators via Twitter for feedback on some grids that would make for worthwhile visits during his trip. Patrick is asking for feedback, "If I look to go up or down the Pacific coast, grids I could visit include CM94 through CM96, and possibly even as far north as Santa Cruz and the almost-all-wet grid CM86. If I stay inland, DM0x grids would be where I'd probably drive through. I'm not planning to go all the way up to the Bay Area, although Santa Cruz is not that far from San Jose. Any thoughts from the crowd here, on grids that I should try to visit between 11 and 13 July?" On his return trek to Phoenix on 13 July, he could be able to make a stop on the DM23/DM24 boundary, either north of Quartzsite on the Arizona side of the Colorado River, or just across the river along US- 95 in California. This stop will depend on whether or not a satellite pass is available as he passes through that area. Patrick notes that he won't be passing that way on his trip out to San Diego. During his travels he will be running APRS using WD9EWK-9, which should be visible on sites like http://aprs.fi/WD9EWK-9 . Check his twitter feed, @WD9EWK, for updates. Any QSOs made will be uploaded to Logbook of the World. [ANS thanks Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- ARISS Poster Presented at ISS R&D Conference Frank Bauer,KA3HDO, on behalf of ARISS-US team will host a poster presentation “Educational Outreach and International Collaboration Through ARISS---Amateur Radio on the International Space Station” during the 4th Annaul International Space Station Research and Development Conference July 7-9, 2015. The poster is a colaborative work by members of the ARISS-US Executive team and outlines the objectives, capabilities, and impact that amateur radio plays in international collaboration and STEM education engagement aboard the International Space Station. Poster are available for viewing throught the conference and are the center attraction during one of the receptions where Bauer will be available to answer questions. This is the second year that ARISS has been represented at the conference. The ISS R&D conference is being held in the Marriott Copley Hotel in the center of Boston, MA. Each morning of the 4th International Space Station Research & Development Conference will be webcast live starting at 8:00 am eastern on July 7. Opening remarks by Michael Suffredini, Manager, ISS Program Office, NASA JSC, will be followed by a conversation with Elon Musk, CEO and Lead Designer, SpaceX. To watch at no charge visit http://www.issconference.org/livestream.php [ANS thanks ARISS, the American Astronautical Society for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Help Wanted - Editor-in-Chief for the AMSAT Journal AMSAT is looking for an Editor-in-Chief for the AMSAT Journal. This position is now open due to the expansion of opportunities in the User Services Department. Our current editor, JoAnne Maenpaa, K9JKM, is also the Vice President of User Services. The Officers and the Board have discovered that it is impossible for a single volunteer to accomplish management of the AMSAT Journal with the other pending User Services leadership requirements. Hence we are planning on a handover in editorship when a suitable candidate is found. Experience with the Adobe InDesign CS6 publication system would be helpful (AMSAT provides the software). However, this publishing system resembles a word processor on steroids; while there is a learning curve it will not be impossible. The editor-in-chief will continue to lead the team of Journal assistant editors arranging for content to publish. To volunteer send an e-mail to JoAnne Maenpaa, K9JKM at: k9jkm(a)amsat.org [ANS thanks JoAnne K9JKM for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- ARISS News Recent Contacts + A telebridge contact with students at Universidad Tecnológica de Chile INACAP sede Temuco, Temuco, Chile was successful Fri 2015-06- 26. Contact was established at about 18.50 UTC via ARISS ground station W6SRJ in Santa Rosa, CA, USA. Though the signal from the ISS was strong and clear, a delayed start for the interview meant that there was time for four questions for the Russian cosmonaut. Responding to one of the questions during the interview that was conducted in English, the Russian crew member explained that the temperature outside the ISS varies between +120° and -120° Celsius. School Information: We are a technical university located in Temuco city, 700 kms south of Santiago de Chile and we are planning this event together with telecommunications engineering area. Our university has direct contact with local schools which will be taking part on the event that day. We are planning to invite around 400-500 students because we will organize an open science fair called "telecommunications and space" and we will be teaching them radio communications, antennas and space science along with professional astronomers and engineers. The children will be from five or six different schools located in Temuco and surrounding rural areas. We will coordinate with the schools to select the students and ask their own questions. Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule + A direct contact with students at Tulsa Community College, Northeast Campus,Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA was successful Wed 2015-07-01 15:59:17 UTC 20 deg. Students ranging in age from 60 to 13 asked cosmonaut Gennady Pedalka, RN3DT thirteen questions. The interview included a question from a deaf engineering student that was managed through an interpreter. Preparing for the contact, students assembled the ground station that was used to make the contact and participated in an antenna design contest. Students tested their antennas by hand tracking the ISS. They practiced doing receiving tests with the assembled ground station prior to the day of the contact to sharpen their skills. A video recording of the contact is available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZVWkPPLCEM&feature=youtu.be School information: TCC is Oklahoma’s largest community college with more students and more degree earners than any other community college in the state. We offer students a choice of 235 associate degree and certificate of completion programs of study. TCC students come from every walk of life, and our graduates work in all sectors of business and industry to help build a stronger, more diverse economy. Four campuses (Metro, NE, SE, and W) serve the Tulsa, Oklahoma area. If you're passionate about electronics, criminal justice, horticulture, engineering, computer networking, human services, fire emergency services, interpreter education or aviation science, "Northeast" is the campus for you. Located near Tulsa's industrial and aerospace hub, the campus is perfect if you're seeking a career in high-tech business or service-focused careers. Along with a strong educational curriculum, the campus is home to the Resource Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, offering access to higher education for all segments of the population. The TCC Electronics club started in the early 1980’s on the NE Campus which is where the Electronics and Engineering Technology classes are offered. Amateur Radio activities were added in 2000 (the year an instructor came on board as the only HAM operator), and we became an “ARRL” affiliated club in 2005. Now the TCC-ARC station consists of two towers for HF and VHF, along with two EME and Radio Astronomy arrays. Upcoming Contacts A direct contact with students at Kopernik Observatory, Vestal, NY, USA is planned for the week of July 6. More details will be provided when the schedule is confirmed at www.ariss.org. >From 2015-06-11 to 2015-07-24, there will be no US Operational Segment (USOS) hams on board ISS. So any school contacts during this period will be conducted by the ARISS Russia team. [ANS thanks ARISS, Charlie AJ9N and David AA4KN for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Satellite Shorts From All Over + Space Related Special Event DX Short EUROPEAN RUSSIA, UA. Special event station UE40SA is QRV until July 20 to commemorate the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project 40 years ago. QSL via GM0WRR. [ANS thanks ARLD026 DX news for the above information] + Forever Remembered exhibit Astronaut artifacts line the walls of a new, permanent memorial called "Forever Remembered," at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. NASA and astronaut families collaborated on the memorial designed to honor the crews lost on missions STS-51L and STS- 107, pay tribute to space shuttles Challenger and Columbia, and emphasize the importance of learning from the past. The memorial contains the largest collection of personal items of both flight crews and includes recovered hardware from both shuttles, never before displayed for the public. [ANS thanks This Week @ NASA for the above information] + NESC Academy Online The NESC Academy was established by the NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC), headquartered at NASA Langley Research Center, to enable effective knowledge capture and transfer and ensure technical information remains viable and accessible. The NESC Academy provides a forum through which senior technical experts can teach critical competencies required to effectively accomplish the NASA mission. The online courses were conducted by discipline experts and provide the unique opportunity to share critical knowledge with broad audiences in a self paced manner. For more information visit http://nescacademy.nasa.gov [ANS thanks NASA-Space for the above information] + Fox-1 Update As of Tuesday morning the GRACE mission CubeSats including Fox-1 were successfully transported to VAFB and mated to the Aft Bulkhead Carrier (ABC) plate. Wednesday instrumentation was completed, GRACE CubeSats are ready and waiting to be attached to the Centaur which should occur later this month. [ANS thanks Jerry N0JY for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- /EX AMSAT User Services and the Editors of the AMSAT New Service pass on our condolences to ANS Weekly Co-Editor Joe Spier K6WAO and his family on the death of Joe's mother this week. 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, KC8YLD kc8yld at amsat dot org

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ANS-179 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
by Joseph Spier 28 Jun '15

28 Jun '15

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-179 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 Field Day on the Satellites * Brazilian CubeSat NanosatC-Br 1 Team Requests Reception Reports * FUNcube-1 / AO-73 Glitch and Commanded Reboot * Kletskous Development News From the SA AMSAT Symposium * North Texas Moon Day Event Annouced * AMSAT Events * ARISS News * Satellite Shorts From All Over SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-179.01 ANS-179 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins AMSAT News Service Bulletin 179.01 >From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD. DATE June 28, 2015 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-179.01 --------------------------------------------------------------------- AMSAT Field Day on the Satellites It’s that time of year again; summer and Field Day! Each year the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) sponsors Field Day as a “picnic, a campout, practice for emergencies, an informal contest and, most of all, FUN!”. The event takes place during a 24-hour period on the fourth weekend of June. For 2015 the event takes place during a 27-hour period from 1800 UTC on Saturday June 27, 2015 through 2100 UTC on Sunday June 28, 2015. Those who set up prior to 1800 UTC on June 28 can operate only 24 hours. The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT) promotes its own version of Field Day for operation via the amateur satellites, held concurrently with the ARRL event. If you are considering ONLY the FM voice satellite SaudiSat-Oscar-50 for your AMSAT Field Day focus … don’t … unless you are simply hoping to make one contact for the ARRL rules bonus points. The congestion on FM LEO satellites was so intense in prior years that we must continue to limit their use to one- QSO-per-FM-satellite. This includes the International Space Station. You will be allowed one QSO if the ISS is operating Voice. You will also be allowed one digital QSO with the ISS or any other digital, non-store-and-forward, packet satellite (if operational). Click for document: http://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/2015FieldDay.pdf See: http://www.amsat.org/?page_id=216 [ANS thanks AMSAT-NA for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Brazilian CubeSat NanosatC-Br 1 Team Requests Reception Reports Edson, PY2SDR requests fellow amateur satellite operators listen for a downlink signal from NanosatC-Br 1, the first Brazilian cubesat. NanosatC-Br 1 was launched on a Dnepr rocket from Dombarovsky near Yasny in 2014. The 1U CubeSat carries an ISIS U/V transceiver with 1200 bps FM AX.25 UHF command uplink and a 9600 bps BPSK downlink on 145.865 MHz. NanosatC-BR1, is experiencing battery issues for the last several months and it now seldom emits a beacon in CW. For some time, Paulo PV8DX, was able to detect a beacon signal when the satellite was over the Caribbean sea during daylight. But now, no more signals have been detected. Edson would like to request assistance from hams in the northern hemisphere to see if NanosatC-BR1 is still transmitting any signals. Any help will be much appreciated. [ANS thanks Edson, PY2SDR for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- FUNcube-1 / AO-73 Glitch and Commanded Reboot On Sunday, June 21, there was an anomaly on FUNcube-1 that required the reboot of the satellite’s MCU (Microcontroller). After a bus freeze, the databus watchdog did kick in as expected and rebooted the satellite. However, we did need to command the satellite back on to automatic mode. When we did so on the 20:00 UTC pass, it came back up in the correct mode. We envisage to switch back to autonomous mode either tonight or tomorrow morning local time. FUNcube is still happy and healthy. This is the 4th reboot since launch, of which one was intentional. Thanks for your reports and concerns. On behalf of the whole team best 73s, Wouter Weggelaar PA3WEG FUNcube team FUNcube-1 (AO-73) Telemetry: • Dashboard App http://funcube.org.uk/working-documents/funcube-telemetry-dashboard/ • Data Warehouse Archive http://warehouse.funcube.org.uk/ • Whole orbit data http://warehouse.funcube.org.uk/wod.html?satelliteId=2. [ANS thanks the FUNcube Team and AMSAT-UK for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Kletskous Development News From the SA AMSAT Symposium At the SA AMSAT Symposium pre-conference Engineering meeting held on Friday evening on June 19, 2015, members of the SA AMSAT CubeSat team reached some decisions about the development and launch of the South African Kletskous amateur radio satellite. During the past few years, various options and subsystems have been experimented with. The team has now set the launch date of Kletskous at July 2017 with the first flight model to be ready by February 2016 for testing after which final integration will start. This requires that various module designs are locked down and built by October 2015. It is planned to have all the modules wired together in a breadboard configuration for testing the interoperation of the various subunits by December 2015. Some modules are at a more advanced stage than others, but in the next few months, the team expect to catch up and meet the deadline for the first breadboard test. Frik Wolff, ZS6FZ, the League's technical manager, has joined the team and is working on solar panels and stabilization issues. Francois Oberholzer, an honors student at Stellenbosch University, is working on improving the weight/strength relationship of the space frame, a project that is part of his thesis. Nico van Rensburg, ZS6QL, as programme manager and the person responsible for documentation, will support the project manager, Hannes Coetzee, ZS6BZP. There are many opportunities for radio amateurs to join the engineering team. If you have a particular expertise or passion to add value to the KLETSKOUS project, please discuss your participation with Hannes Coetzee or any of the team members and send your details to saamsat(a)intekom.co,za. The SA AMSAT website is at: http//www.amsatsa.org.za/ See SARL http://www.sarl.org.za/ KLETSkous http://www.amsatsa.org.za/KLETSkous.htm [ANS thanks AMSAT-UK and the SARL weekly news in English 2015-6-20 for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- North Texas Moon Day Event Annouced A great opportunity to showcase Amateur Radio and especially Amateur Radio in space to the general public will be held on Saturday, July 18th at the Frontiers of Flight Museum in Dallas, TX. In commutation of the anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, the museum has celebrated "Moon Day" for the last number of years as a STEM outreach specializing in astronomy, space science and space flight past and future. This year the Moon Day organizers decided to theme the day around the International Space Station. They applied for and were granted an ARISS scheduled contact to become part of the event. Keith Pugh, W5IU is serving as ARISS mentor for the event and is working diligently on setting up all the details of this "Telebridge" contact. The museum is sponsoring an "Ask a question of an astronaut" contest with details at http://www.flightmuseum.com/iss-expedition-crew-43-question/ General details can be found at http://www.flightmuseum.com/moon-day-2015/ If you know young people interested in astronomy and space science/exploration, have them check out the links and see if they submit a question to be used during the ARISS contact. Deadline for entry is June 30th. In years past, several of us have participated in Moon Day activities by manning an AMSAT table showing off Amateur Radio in space and even doing some on-air contacts for and with interested participants. Keith will be very busy all morning setting up and preparing for the ARISS contact and has several individuals working with him on that. I have volunteered to help staff an AMSAT display table but need additional volunteers to assist with the table and also to be available to make Amateur Satellite contacts and demonstrations as the sats allow. Please contact Keith w5iu(a)swbell.net or myself Tom Schuessler, n5hyp(a)arrl.net to volunteer to help at least part of the day or the whole 10A-5P duration and tell us what you can "Bring to the table" as it were. Help us to support the Museum's ARISS contact and also to put a bug in the ears of many event goers about the fun and challenge of Amateur Radio Satellites. [ANS thanks Tom Schuessler, N5HYP 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). *Thursday, 9 July 2015 – presentation for the Escondido Amateur Radio Society in Escondido CA *Friday and Saturday, 7-8 August 2015 – Austin Summerfest in Austin TX *Saturday and Sunday, 22-23 August 2015 – Boxboro Hamfest and ARRL New England Convention in Boxborough MA *Saturday and Sunday, 5-6 September - ARRL Roanoke Division Convention Shelby, NC Hamfest, AMSAT Forum scheduled for Saturday *Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, October 16-18 2015, AMSAT Symposium in Dayton OH (Dayton Crown Plaza) [ANS thanks AMSAT-NA for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- ARISS News Successful Contact Universidad Tecnológica de Chile INACAP sede Temuco, Temuco, Chile, via telebridge W6SRJ ccontact was successful: Fri 2015-06-26 18:41:26 UTC with ARISS Russian Team Upcoming ARISS Contacts Tulsa Community College, NE Campus, Tulsa, OK, direct via WD5AGO The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS/RSØISS or RSØISS/OR4ISS The scheduled astronaut is ARISS Russian Team Contact is a go for: Wed 2015-07-01 15:46:28 UTC ARISS does not anticipate any voice contacts from the ISS during this weekend's Field Day. But you never know, so please listen in case they are on the air. Packet will probably be operational. 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 * Satellite Grid Operation in Progress GRID SQUARES TO BE ACTIVATED (Satellite Op). Ron, N8RO, announced that he will be on a road trip during the period June 22nd and July 4th. He plans to operate portable from EM50, EM84, EM99, FN13, FM28, FM04, EL79, EL49 and possibly other grids along the way. Ron will operate on SO-50 and FO-29. {ANS thanks the DX Newsletter - DXNL 1942 - June 24, 2015 for the above information] * Inventors hope to launch 'backyard satellites' to fill gap in Australian space exploration Stuart McAndrew is making history from a backyard shed in suburban Perth. The IT worker is building a satellite capable of being launched into space and taking pictures of Earth. Australia is the only OECD nation without a dedicated space agency, and Mr McAndrew is one of a growing number of Australians turning to homemade space exploration to fill the gap. He has designed the satellite PocketQube, a Rubik's cube-sized box with antennas, solar panels and electronics. It is made from mostly off-the-shelf items, including aluminium from the local hardware shop, a tape measure and electronics bought over the internet. Mr McAndrew believes it is the first of its kind in Australia. He has been working on the project for two years. "Australia has been lagging behind in recent times," he said. "We were one of the first countries to send an amateur satellite to space and then we dropped the ball. "The PocketQube gives us an opportunity to set that straight and it (will) hopefully inspire other people to continue on this path and build a bigger space industry for Australia." Radical change described as 'Space 2.0' Commercial satellites weigh hundreds or even thousands of kilograms and cost millions of dollars to launch. In comparison, nano-satellites can be made for as little as $1,000 and weigh between one and 10 kilograms. Mr McAndrew's creation is even smaller, weighing less than 200 grams. But how an earth do you get it into space? It takes a lot of planning and a very expensive taxi ride on a much larger space craft. "The actual launch cost for a pocket cube is around $30,000," Mr McAndrew said. "That's a bit out of my reach so I'm looking to crowd source funding to help me get my satellite into space." About 80 nano-satellites were launched in 2013, while 132 went up in 2014. It is estimated a further 500 will be in orbit by the end of this year. The University of NSW is sending its own small satellites into space as part of a global project. Andrew Dempster, head of the university's Australian Centre for Space Engineering Research, said the industry was going through a period of "radical change". "Cubesats are creating this idea that people describe as Space 2.0," he said. "People like Stuart or universities like us can get relatively easy access to space and it means you can develop space capability without a space agency." Mr Dempster said Australia's lack of a space program was concerning. "For many years we've been receiving some of our data for free — we get our our weather data from Japan; some of our remote sensing data we get from Europe and the US," he said. "The problem is that's going to come to an end. "Budgets are being restricted around the world; NASA's budget in particular is declining. "So someone needs to be asking the question: what happens next? "We're going to be left with our trousers down if we don't have a way of providing the data we've become addicted to." Inventors hope to 'unlock access to space' Mr Dempster is hoping the rise of nano-satellites will encourage young Australians to study science, technology, engineering and maths subjects and put space on the agenda for a new generation. "If you want to get young kids into science and so on, the things that do it for them are dinosaurs and space," he said. "The emergence of cubesats mean we can have our students working on something that will actually be launched into space, which attracts good quality students and very motivated people." The expense and logistics of launching small satellites into space remains a key problem. An Australian organisation called the Delta-V Space Hub was formed last year to solve it. Tim Parsons is the head of Delta-V. "There's no dedicated launcher for small spacecraft so typically we have to piggyback off larger space launchers," he said. "That means you have to deliver your spacecraft up to a year before the launch and hope it doesn't go brown on the pad. "Those are the biggest limitations right now: the frequency of launch opportunities and how much time you need to get everything prepared." Delta-V is working with the NSW Government, universities and start-up companies to help people develop ideas and get their inventions into space. "Our first step is really just to fly an aircraft that other people can put (their satellites) onto, so essentially a rideshare model," he said. "By doing that first model we will essentially unlock access to space." Call to lower cost for launch certificate For Mr McAndrew, the backyard inventor, there are still a few barriers to overcome. He must first test his satellite before obtaining a launch certificate from the Australian Government, which costs $10,000. The fee is reduced to just $100 for educational and scientific institutions. Mr McAndrew wants the Commonwealth to ease those financial requirements in recognition of the industry's potential. He is still hopeful of securing a place for his satellite onboard an Italian spacecraft set to launch late next year. "Space has always been seen as this pinnacle of engineering and it's not necessarily the case," he said. "I can't wait for the day when I see the rocket launch into space with my satellite on board." http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-06-22/backyard-satellite-fills-australian- space-research-hole/6563614 [ANS thanks Australian Broadcast Co. News 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-172 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
by Lee McLamb 21 Jun '15

21 Jun '15

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-172 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: * 2015 Candidates for the AMSAT-NA Board of Directors Announced * 20th 73 on 73 Award Issued * International Space Colloquium at Guildford July 24-26 * QB50p2 FM Transponder Tested * NASA Drafts Solicitation for New Class of Launch Services * NASA, UN Photo Competition Highlights Why Space Matters on Earth SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-172.01 ANS-172 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins AMSAT News Service Bulletin 172.01 From AMSAT HQ Kensington, MD. June 21, 2015 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-172.01 2015 Candidates for the AMSAT-NA Board of Directors Announced The 2015 candidates, in alphabetical order by last names are: Barry Baines WD4ASW Jerry Buxton N0JY Steve Coy K8UD Drew Glasbrenner KO4MA Mark Hammond N8MH EMike McCardel KC8YLD Bob McGwier N4HY Bruce Paige KK5DO This year AMSAT-NA will be electing four voting members of the Board of Directors. These will go to the four candidates receiving the highest number of votes. In addition, there will be two alternates chosen, based on the next highest number of votes received. Ballots will be mailed to the AMSAT-NA membership by 15 JUL 2015 and must be received at the AMSAT office by 15 SEP 2015 in order to be counted. Those sent outside North America will go by air mail. If you have not received your ballot package in a reasonable time for your QTH, please contact the AMSAT office. Completed ballots should be returned as promptly as possible, and those from outside North American preferably by air mail. Election of Board members is both an obligation as well as an opportunity by our membership to help shape the future direction of AMSAT. Please take the time to review the candidate statements that will accompany the ballot and determine who you wish to see on the Board. You have the option to vote for up to four candidates. [ANS thanks Alan, WA4SCA, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- 20th 73 on 73 Award Issued Congratulations to Davide D'Aliesio, IW0HLG, for working 73 different stations on AO-73 since September 1, 2014 and becoming the 20th recipient of the 73 on 73 Award. For more information on the award see http://amsat-uk.org/funcube/73-on-73-award/ [ANS thanks Paul, N8HM, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- International Space Colloquium at Guildford July 24-26 The AMSAT-UK International Space Colloquium will be held on July 24-26 at the Holiday Inn, Guildford, GU2 7XZ, UK. Among the speakers will be: * Peter Guelzow DB2OS with an update on AMSAT-DL projects, including the Phase 4 satellite * Chris Brunskill, formerly of Surrey Space Centre (SSC), now working at the Space Catapult at the Harwell Campus. He will be presenting an extremely novel project aimed at schools and education * It is hoped the BATC will be able to demonstrate live Digital TV reception from the International Space Station, using the Ham TV system * Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA, from AMSAT North America will be attending, and presenting the latest news of the FOX satellite(s) due for launch later this year, and also on their Phase 4 project The Colloquium is open to all further information is at http://amsat-uk.org/colloquium/ [ANS thanks AMSAT-UK for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- QB50p2 FM Transponder Tested AMSAT-Francophone report that the FM transponder on QB50p2 (EO-80) has been tested. A Google English translation of the post on their website reads: On June 19, 2014, two 2U CubeSats QB50p1 and QB50p2 were launched as part of the QB50 precursor program into a polar orbit at an altitude of 680 km. The satellite QB50p2 (object 40032) is equipped with a secondary FM transponder payload developed by AMSAT-F. On Tuesday, June 16, 2015 almost 1 year after launch the AMSAT-F FM transponder on QB50p2 was activated by the main control station in The Netherlands for the duration of an orbit. At the Polytechnique in Palaiseau, we were able to receive telemetry in CW and put into action the FM transponder with an output of 1.5W. A very strong signal was received at Palaiseau and by F6HCC in Brittany. The transponder was turned off at the end of the orbit. In a few weeks, the transponder should be activated permanently. The signal is very strong, we will probably use a lower power level of 500 mW or 1 watt. We will inform you later. QB50p1 (EO-79 / FUNcube-3) is equipped with a linear transponder for SSB and CW. The first tests were successfully completed in April and its transponder should also be enabled full-time in a few weeks. Gérard – F6FAO QB50 Amateur Radio Information https://www.qb50.eu/index.php/precursor-amateur-radio-operator AMSAT-Francophone http://tinyurl.com/AMSAT-Francophone The IARU Satellite Frequency Coordination Panel Status pages list these frequencies for the two satellites: QB50p2 has a VHF 9600 bps BPSK telemetry downlink plus a separate RF payload from AMSAT-Francophone which will comprise of a FM voice transponder with UHF uplink and VHF downlink. It can also transmit FX25 telemetry at 9600 bps. * 145.880 MHz 9600 bps BPSK telemetry beacon * 145.840 MHz 9600 bps FSK FX25 [ANS thanks Gerard, F6FAO and AMSAT-UK for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- NASA Drafts Solicitation for New Class of Launch Services NASA’s Launch Services Program has issued a draft Request for Proposal (RFP) for a new Venture Class Launch Services (VCLS), which would be commercial launch services for small satellites and experiments on science missions using a smaller than currently available class of rockets. At present, launch opportunities for small satellites -- often called CubeSats or nanosatellites -- and small science missions are mostly limited to ride-share type arrangements, flying only when space is available on NASA and other launches. The Launch Services Program seeks to develop alternatives to this approach and help foster other launch services dedicated to transporting smaller payloads into orbit. The services acquired through such a contract will constitute the smallest class of launch services used by NASA. This solicitation, and resulting contract or contracts, is intended to demonstrate a dedicated launch capability for smaller payloads that NASA anticipates it will require on a recurring basis for future science and CubeSat missions. CubeSats already are used in markets, such as imagery collection and analysis. In the future, CubeSat capabilities will include abilities, such as ship and aircraft tracking, improved weather prediction, and broader Internet coverage. NASA intends to award one or more firm fixed-price VCLS contracts to accommodate 132 pounds (60 kilograms) of CubeSats a single launch or two launches carrying 66 pounds (30 kilograms) each. The launch provider will determine the launch location and date, but the launch must occur by April 15, 2018. [ANS thanks NASA Launch Services for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- NASA, UN Photo Competition Highlights Why Space Matters on Earth NASA and the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) have launched a global photography competition to highlight how the vantage point of space helps us better understand our home planet, improve lives, and safeguard our future by aiding sustainable development on Earth. To highlight the role of space-based science and technologies and their applications on Earth, NASA and UNOOSA are inviting the public to submit photos depicting why space matters to us all in our daily lives. To participate, post a picture and description on Instagram using the hashtag #whyspacematters and tagging @UNOOSA. NASA astronaut Scott Kelly, who is three months into a one-year mission aboard the International Space Station, will announce the winning photo each month by posting it from his Instagram account @StationCDRKelly. Kelly and Russian Cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko are spending a year in space to improve our understanding of the medical, psychological and biomedical challenges faced by astronauts during long-duration spaceflight. Kelly will set a single-mission record for a U.S. astronaut, and the joint expedition will be an important step in human space exploration and research into the effects of long-term space habitation as part of NASA's journey to Mars. "We learn something every time we go to space. And the International Space Station is one of the world's greatest laboratories - where we are helping with advances in medicine, biology, chemistry and materials sciences," said Kelly. "It is the pursuit of these advances off the Earth that help improve lives on Earth. And that is why I am so committed to space exploration and embarking on this year-long mission. I look forward to seeing the images from people around the world on how space technology has impacted them where they live." UNOOSA Director Simonetta Di Pippo said it is "an honor to have Scott Kelly share his experience in space with the United Nations. This campaign will help to promote the use of space science and technologies in such areas as disaster risk reduction, tracking the effects of climate change and in the equality of access to education and telemedicine." With the recent installation of NASA's International Space Station- Rapid Scatterometer (ISS-RapidScat) and the Cloud-Aerosol Transport System (CATS) instruments on the space station, the ISS is being used for full-fledged Earth science research. Scientists worldwide use NASA data to tackle some of the biggest questions about how our planet is changing now and how Earth could change in the future. From rising sea levels to the changing availability of freshwater, NASA enables studies that unravel the complexities of our planet from the highest reaches of Earth's atmosphere to its core. The International Space Station is a convergence of science, technology and human innovation that enables us to demonstrate new technologies and make research breakthroughs not possible on Earth. It has been continuously occupied since November 2000 and, since then, has been visited by more than 200 people and a variety of international and commercial spacecraft. The space station remains the springboard to NASA's next giant leap in exploration, including future missions to an asteroid and Mars. For more information about the International Space Station and its crews and research, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/station For more information about the #whyspacematters competition, visit: http://www.unoosa.org/oosa/contests/whyspacematters/index.html [ANS thanks NASA News Service 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-165 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
by E.Mike McCardel 13 Jun '15

13 Jun '15

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-165 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: * Dave Jordan's (AA4KN) article about Fox-1 Featured in July QST * Amateur Radio Newsline's Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF Silent Key * Free Education Webinars From NASA Educator Professional Development * AMSAT-NA BoD Nominations Notice - Last Chance for June 15 Deadline * AMSAT 2015 Field Day Announcement – June 27-28 * Montserrat (FK86) active on satellites June 10 – June 18, 2015 - Update * ARISS Announces Challenge Coin for Donation * Twin Cubesat Mars Flyby Will Support NASA InSight Landing * ARISS News * Satellite Shorts From All Over SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-165 ANS-165 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins AMSAT News Service Bulletin 165 >From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD. DATE June 14, 2015 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-165 Dave Jordan's (AA4KN) article about Fox-1 Featured in July QST Dave Jordan AA4KN, writing on behalf of the Fox Team, has published an article, "Fox-1: The New Era of Amateur Satellites" which will appear in the July 2015 issue of QST. The article introduces the CubeSate program, describes the Fox-1 class of CubeSats, outlines the the student experiments and briefd on using Fox-1. The article is eligible for the cover plaque award. Look for it on pages 43-45 of the Jult QST. [ANS Thanks the ARRL and QST for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Amateur Radio Newsline's Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF Silent Key The AMSAT News Service has received the sad news of the passing of Amateur Radio Newsline's Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF. James Pastorfield, KB7TBT, reported on Friday, June 12 on behalf of Amateur Radio Newsline that Bill's key had gone silent. Bill had been recently hospitalized; Skeeter Nash, N5ASH, reported that, "Bill was in serious condition after being diagnosed with--as he termed it--”a broken back.” I take this to mean he has fractured at least one vertebrae. He is being treated for the pain associated with such an injury, and thus is not able to write (type), nor can he read for very long." Nash continued, "Don Wilbanks, AE5DW and I discussed the long-term future of the Amateur Radio Newsline, and what is needed to get it back into production. The Newsline team is more committed than ever to get production re-started as soon as possible. Wilbanks wrote, "A dear friend has left us after a long struggle with his health. Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, as our mutual friend Beau Weaver, W6KHJ so eloquently says, has taken his light into another room. Bill touched lives all over the world through amateur radio. He was like a big brother, an uncle to me. He was my mentor. He was my friend. Rest my friend. I'll see you again one day." Bill was a friend to all a strong advocate to the AMSAT News Service (ANS). He will be missed. [ANS thanks Amateur Radio Newsline for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Free Education Webinars From NASA Educator Professional Development NASA Educator Professional Development 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. Simply click on the provided link to register. Eyes on the Solar System: Pluto Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 6-12 Event Date: June 16, 2015, at 5 p.m. EDT "Eyes on the Solar System" is a 3-D environment full of real NASA mission data. Explore the cosmos from your computer. Fly with NASA's New Horizon spacecraft as it approaches Pluto and takes very first close up pictures of the dwarf planet and its moons. Learn how to use this free software and see the entire solar system moving in real time. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/131330 ISS Across the Curriculum Series: Solar Energy for Space Exploration Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 5-8 Event Date: June 17, 2015, at 3 p.m. EDT Solar Energy for Space Exploration is a series of activities designed to introduce your students to the basics of electrical circuits while using the development of space habitats as a thematic backdrop. Updated online resources and adaptation of classroom activities will be discussed. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/130151 NASA Engineering Design Process 101: An Introduction to Classroom Application Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 4-8 Event Date: June 18, 2015, at 6 p.m. EDT Learn more about the engineering design process and its application to real-world problem solving. Explore NASA design challenges and other NASA STEM classroom resources. Engineering design is a common topic across each grade level in the Next Generation Science Standards and an important concept in understanding the world around us. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/130414 For a full schedule of upcoming NASA Educator Professional Development webinars, visit http://www.txstate-epdc.net/events/. Questions about this series of webinars should be directed to Steve Culivan at Stephen.p.culivan(a)nasa.gov. [ANS thanks NASA Education Express Message -- June 11, 2015 for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- AMSAT-NA BoD Nominations Notice - Last Chance for June 15 Deadline 2015 AMSAT-NA Board of Directors Nomination petitions MUST ARRIVE no later than JUNE 15th at the AMSAT-NA office. If the nomination is a traditional written nomination, no other action is required. If it is other than this, i.e. electronic, a verifying traditional written petition MUST BE RECEIVED at the AMSAT-NA office at the above address within 7 days following the close of nominations on June 15th. ELECTRONIC SUBMISSIONS WITHOUT THIS SECOND, WRITTEN VERIFICATION ARE NOT VALID UNDER THE EXISTING AMSAT-NA BYLAWS. Only one day left to submit nominations for the upcoming AMSAT-NA Board of Directors election. Four director’s terms expire this year: Barry Baines, WD4ASW, Alan Biddle, WA4SCA, Mark Hammond, N8MH, and Jerry Buxton, N0JY. In addition, up to two Alternates may be elected for one year terms. A valid nomination requires either one Member Society or five current individual members in good standing to nominate an AMSAT-NA member for Director. Written nominations, consisting of the nominee’s name and call, and the nominating individual’s names, calls and individual signatures should be mailed to: AMSAT-NA, 10605 Concord St, #304 Kensington, MD 20895-2526. In addition to traditional submissions of written nominations, which is the preferred method, the intent to nominate someone may be made by electronic means. These include e-mail, Fax, or electronic image of a petition. Electronic petitions should be sent to MARTHA(a)AMSAT.ORG or Faxed to (301) 822-4371. [ANS thanks Alan Biddle, WA4SCA, AMSAT-NA Corporate Secretary for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- AMSAT 2015 Field Day Announcement – June 27-28 It’s that time of year again: Field Day! Each year the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) sponsors Field Day as a “picnic, a campout, practice for emergencies, an informal contest and, most of all, FUN!” The event takes place during a 24-hour period on the fourth weekend of June. For 2015, the event takes place during a 27-hour period from 1800 UTC on Saturday June 27, through 2100 UTC on Sunday June 28, Those who set up prior to 1800 UTC on June 27 can operate only 24 hours. The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT) promotes its own version of Field Day for operation via the amateur satellites, held concurrently with the ARRL event. If you are considering ONLY the FM voice satellite SO-50 for your AMSAT Field Day focus – don’t – unless you are simply hoping to make one contact for the ARRL rules bonus points. The congestion on FM LEO satellites was so intense in prior years that we must continue to limit their use to one-QSO-per-FM-satellite. This includes the International Space Station. You will be allowed one QSO if the ISS is operating voice. You will also be allowed one digital QSO with the ISS or any other digital, non-store-and-forward, packet satellite (if operational). Many good contacts can be made on the linear transponder satellites including AO-73, FO-29, and AO-7. During Field Day the transponders come alive like 20 meters on a weekend. The transponders on these satellites will support multiple simultaneous SSB or CW contacts. The 2015 AMSAT Field Day event is open to all Amateur Radio operators. Amateurs are to use the exchange as specified in ARRL rules for Field Day. The AMSAT competition is to encourage the use of all amateur satellites, both analog and digital. AMSAT Field Day information is also posted on the web at: http://www.amsat.org/?page_id=216 [ANS thanks Bruce Paige, KK5DO, AMSAT Director of Contests and Awards, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Montserrat (FK86) active on satellites June 10 – June 18, 2015 - Update Jim White WD0E reports on the status of the Montserrat (FK86) activation, "We finally got the crate of antennas out of customs today and have the sat station set up... We will transmit on 145.925 and tune the passband for callers." Montserrat (FK86) – Jim White, WD0E, will be active on satellites from Gingerbread Hill, St. Peters, Montserrat (FK86) as part of the VP2MKV team June 10 – June 18, 2015. WD0E will attempt to post a list of satellite QSOs daily on the AMSAT-BB. There will also be HF activity and an entry in the ARRL June VHF Contest. QSL via N0KV and LoTW. From WD0E: “VP2MKV will operate FO-29 only on selected passes. We will attempt the long hops to the edges of coverage if the equipment performs well at low elevations and obstructions allow. We will attempt to post passes we plan to work 24 hours in advance on amsat-bb. The uplink frequency will be 145.925 and we will tune our downlink for stations calling. The location is 16.776924N 62.214474W in grid FK86vs. Equipment is an ICOM 910H and Arrow antenna. Uplink power will be about 20W. Stations are asked to work us only once on the satellite. If we respond with your call you are in the log.” Tentative pass plan, from WD0E: “We will attempt to be on the first two FO-29 ascending node passes June 11 through 20. If time allows we may be on the third ascending node those days. Those passes happen in late morning to mid afternoon Montserrat time. On those passes we will look first for South America when the satellite is South of us, then North America, then Europe during the short mutual window. If there are 2 meter or 6 meter terrestrial openings during the VHF contest June 13 and 14 we will not be on satellite at those times.” [ANS thanks Jim WD0E for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- ARISS Announces Challenge Coin for Donation Receive an ARISS Challenge Coin for a donation of $100 or more * ARISS is Amateur Radio on the International Space Station. * Licensed hams contact the ISS via Amateur Radio voice, packet/APRS, SSTV, and digital TV. * Students interview astronauts in space and learn about life in space, space research, and radio science. * Hams on the ground experiment with space communications * Amateur Radio supports NASA by providing ISS backup communications * Your donations will help support continuing operations and Amateur Radio equipment upgrades on the ISS. Go to www.amsat.org/ and click on “Donate ARISS” to help keep Amateur Radio on the ISS in orbit! [ANS thanks ARISS for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Twin Cubesat Mars Flyby Will Support NASA InSight Landing When NASA launches its next mission on the journey to Mars - a stationary lander in 2016 - the flight will include two CubeSats. This will be the first time CubeSats have flown in deep space. If this flyby demonstration is successful, the technology will provide NASA the ability to quickly transmit status information about the main spacecraft after it lands on Mars. The twin communications-relay CubeSats, being built by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Pasadena, California, constitute a technology demonstration called Mars Cube One (MarCO). CubeSats are a class of spacecraft based on a standardized small size and modular use of off-the-shelf technologies. Many have been made by university students, and dozens have been launched into Earth orbit using extra payload mass available on launches of larger spacecraft. The basic CubeSat unit is a box roughly 4 inches (10 centimeters) square. Larger CubeSats are multiples of that unit. MarCO's design is a six-unit CubeSat - about the size of a briefcase -- with a stowed size of about 14.4 inches (36.6 centimeters) by 9.5 inches (24.3 centimeters) by 4.6 inches (11.8 centimeters). MarCO will launch in March 2016 from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California on the same United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket as NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport (InSight) lander. Insight is NASA's first mission to understand the interior structure of the Red Planet. MarCO will fly by Mars while InSight is landing, in September 2016. "MarCO is an experimental capability that has been added to the InSight mission, but is not needed for mission success," said Jim Green, director of NASA's planetary science division at the agency's headquarters in Washington. "MarCO will fly independently to Mars." During InSight's entry, descent and landing (EDL) operations on Sept. 28, 2016, the lander will transmit information in the UHF radio band to NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) flying overhead. MRO will forward EDL information to Earth using a radio frequency in the X band, but cannot simultaneously receive information over one band while transmitting on another. Confirmation of a successful landing could be received by the orbiter more than an hour before it's relayed to Earth. MarCO's radio is about softball-size and provides both UHF (receive only) and X-band (receive and transmit) functions capable of immediately relaying information received over UHF. The two CubeSats will separate from the Atlas V booster after launch and travel along their own trajectories to the Red Planet. After release from the launch vehicle, MarCO's first challenges are to deploy two radio antennas and two solar panels. The high-gain, X-band antenna is a flat panel engineered to direct radio waves the way a parabolic dish antenna does. MarCO will be navigated to Mars independently of the InSight spacecraft, with its own course adjustments on the way. Ultimately, if the MarCO demonstration mission succeeds, it could allow for a "bring-your-own" communications relay option for use by future Mars missions in the critical few minutes between Martian atmospheric entry and touchdown. By verifying CubeSats are a viable technology for interplanetary missions, and feasible on a short development timeline, this technology demonstration could lead to many other applications to explore and study our solar system. JPL manages MarCO, InSight and MRO for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. Technology suppliers for MarCO include: Blue Canyon Technologies of Boulder, Colorado, for the attitude- control system; VACCO Industries of South El Monte, California, for the propulsion system; AstroDev of Ann Arbor, Michigan, for electronics; MMA Design LLC, also of Boulder, for solar arrays; and Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems Inc., a Terran Orbital Company in San Luis Obispo, California, for the CubeSat dispenser system. For information about MarCO, visit: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/cubesat/missions/marco.php For information about InSight, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/insight Learn more about NASA's journey to Mars at: http://www.nasa.gov/content/journey-to-mars-overview [ANS thanks NASA Press Release 15-122, June 12, 2015 for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- ARISS News Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2015-06-13 05:00 UTC >From 2015-06-11 to 2015-07-24, there will be no US Operational Segment (USOS) hams on board ISS. So any school contacts during this period will be conducted by the ARISS Russia team. Watch http://www.ariss.org/upcoming-contacts.html for information about upcoming contacts as they are scheduled. Exp. 42/43 has returned to earth. Congratulations for the job well done! Terry Virts Anton Shkaplerov Samantha Cristoforetti IZØUDF [ANS thanks ARISS, and Charlie, AJ9N for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Satellite Shorts From All Over Panoramic Tour of ISS ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti has been cataloguing her home of six months to create panoramic images you can rotate and explore. Each section of the Space Station required around 14 fisheye photos stitched together. Areas of interest can be clicked on for more information in another browser window. Eventually, the entire Station will be available to explore right here on this page – follow us to receive updates. http://tinyurl.com/ANS165-ISSTour Can you find the HAMTV transmitter on the floor? [ANS Thanks European Space Agency for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- /EX AMSAT User Services and the Editors of the AMSAT New Service pass on our condolences to ANS Weekly Co-Editor Joe Spier K6WAO and his family on the death of Joe's mother this week. 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, KC8YLD kc8yld at amsat dot org

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ANS-158 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
by Joseph Spier 06 Jun '15

06 Jun '15

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-158 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 Numbers Assigned for BRICsat (NO-83) and PSAT (NO-84) * 2015 AMSAT-NA Board of Directors Nominations Notice * May/June 2015 AMSAT Journal is Complete * Fox 1C Engineering Model Update Video * Program for SA AMSAT Symposium Announced * Call For Papers: 2015 ARRL/TAPR Digital Communications Conference * Sailboat Expedition to Grid DM02 Begins June 10 * AMSAT Will be at Ham-Com 2015 * AMSAT Events * ARISS News * Satellite Shorts From All Over SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-158.01 ANS-158 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins AMSAT News Service Bulletin 158.01 >From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD. DATE June 7, 2015 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-158.01 --------------------------------------------------------------------- OSCAR Numbers Assigned for BRICsat (NO-83) and PSAT (NO-84) The following message has been sent to Bob Bruninga, WB4APR and the team at the US Naval Academy. "Bob: You have requested OSCAR numbers for BRICsat and PSAT built by you and your associates at the U.S. Naval Academy. From everything I can determine, these satellites meet all of the requirements for OSCAR designations. Therefore, by the authority vested in me by the AMSAT-NA President, I hereby confer the designation, Naval Academy OSCAR 83 on BRICsat amd Naval Academy OSCAR 84 on PSAT These designations can, of course, for convenience, be shortened to NO-83 and NO-84. I, and the entire amateur satellite community, hope for successful missions for both NO-83 and NO-84 and congratulate you and the rest of the Naval Academy team who designed, built and tested these two OSCAR spacecraft. 73, William A. (Bill) Tynan, W3XO OSCAR Number Administrator" NO-84 PSAT, a student satellite project named in honor of USNA alum Bradford Parkinson, of GPS fame, contains an APRS transponder for relaying remote telemetry, sensor, and user data from remote users and Amateur Radio environmental experiments or other data sources back to Amateur Radio experimenters via a global network of Internet-linked ground stations. PSAT is another APRS satelliite that can digipeat user packets just like the original PCSAT (NO44) and the packet system on the ISS. PSAT also supports the same digipeating alias of ARISS so that users do not have to change any parameters when using any of these three APRS transponders. see http://www.aprs.org/psat.html NO-83 BRICsat-P (Ballistic Reinforced Communication Satellite) is a low cost 1.5U CubeSat built by the US Naval Academy Satellite Lab in collaboration with George Washington University, that will demonstrate on-orbit operation of a Micro-Cathode Arc Thruster (µCAT) electric propulsion system and carries an Amateur communication payload. see http://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/bricsat-p.htm Frequencies PSAT: 145.825 – 1200 baud AX.25 telemetry – digi off PSAT PSK31-5: 435.350 FM down, 28.120 SSB PK31 uplink – Brno University Transponder BRICsat: 437.975 – 9600 baud telemetry evry 20s BRICsat PSK31-6 – same as PSAT but PSK TLM on 375 Hz (PSAT on 315 Hz) [ANS thanks Bill Tynan, W3XO for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- 2015 AMSAT-NA Board of Directors Nominations Notice It is time to submit nominations for the upcoming AMSAT-NA Board of Directors election. Four director's terms expire this year: Barry Baines, WD4ASW, Alan Biddle, WA4SCA, Mark Hammond, N8MH, and Jerry Buxton, N0JY. In addition, up to two Alternates may be elected for one year terms. A valid nomination requires either one Member Society or five current individual members in good standing to nominate an AMSAT-NA member for Director. Written nominations, consisting of the nominee's name and call, and the nominating individual's names, calls and individual signatures should be mailed to: AMSAT-NA, 10605 Concord St, #304 Kensington, MD 20895-2526. In addition to traditional submissions of written nominations, which is the preferred method, the intent to nominate someone may be made by electronic means. These include e-mail, Fax, or electronic image of a petition. Electronic petitions should be sent to MARTHA(a)AMSAT.ORG or Faxed to (301) 822-4371. No matter what means is used, petitions MUST arrive no later than June 15th at the AMSAT-NA office. If the nomination is a traditional written nomination, no other action is required. If it is other than this, i.e. electronic, a verifying traditional written petition MUST be received at the AMSAT-NA office at the above address within 7 days following the close of nominations on June 15th. ELECTRONIC SUBMISSIONS WITHOUT THIS SECOND, WRITTEN VERIFICATION ARE NOT VALID UNDER THE EXISTING AMSAT-NA BYLAWS. [ANS thanks Alan Biddle, WA4SCA, AMSAT-NA Corporate Secretary for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- May/June 2015 AMSAT Journal is Complete The May/June 2015 AMSAT Journal is complete and has been sent to the print shop. The AMSAT Journal is a key membership benefit, mailed to all members six times a year. If you are a member of AMSAT look for your copy to arrive in your mailbox within a few weeks. In this issue you will find ... + The Apogee View column by AMSAT President Barry Baines, WD4ASW + AMSAT-NA Opportunity for Ride-share to Geosynchronous Orbit + Fox-1A on the Road to Vandenberg + Getting on the Air With Fox-1A + Minutes of the AMSAT-NA Board of Directors Teleconference by AMSAT Corporate Secretary, Alan Biddle, WA4SCA + CNCTRK - A LinuxCNC Based Satellite Tracking System by Bob Freeman, KI4SBL + US Naval Academy Launches PSAT, BRICsat, and USS Langley Cubesats by Bob Bruninga, WB4APR + Extreme DXing on FO-29 with a Portable Station by Hector Martinez, CO6CBF/W5CBF + Radio Amateurs invited to test APRS on Duchifat-1 + Planetary Society Lightsail Launched + CAMSAT Press Release: Multiple Amateur Satellite Launch in July + AMSAT Activities at Greater Houston Hamfest 2015 by Allen Mattis, N5AFV -and- Andy MacAllister, W5ACM + Monitoring Satellites Outside the Amateur Bands by Alex Thanks to all who contributed to this issue and to the AMSAT Journa; editorial team: Bernhard, VA6BMJ; Douglas, KA2UPW/5; James, K3JPH; and Joe, KB6IGK. Please send your articles, photos, reports of operating activities to k9jkm(a)amsat.org. See http://www.amsat.org/?page_id=1709 for anauthor's guide. The Journal editors will be happy to work with you to get into print! [ANS thanks the AMSAT Journal editorial team for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Fox 1C Engineering Model Update Video A video update on Fox 1C Engineering Model from Fox Labs, Texas. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mdx3AqMUTO4&feature=youtu.be [ANS thanks Jerry, N0JY, AMSAT Vice President for Engineering for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Program for SA AMSAT Symposium Announced The program has been announced for the SA AMSAT Space Symposium 2015. The Symposium will be on June 20, 2015 at the Innovation Centre, Pretoria, South Africa. See http://www.amsatsa.org.za/ for full details of the Symposium. Speakers include: + Make Satellites your next journey into Amateur Radio Hans van de Groenendaal, ZS6AKV, President SA AMSAT + Keynote address - South Africa's contribution to space operations Raoul C Hodges, Managing Director, SANSA Space Operations + Gossamer sails for satellite deorbiting Lourens Visagie, ADCS Functional Area Engineer Space Advisory Company + ZACube-2: The successor to Africa's first nanosatellite. Danie de Villiers, Creative Technologist MTech/MSc Electronic Engineering CPUT The satellite will serve as technology demonstrator for essential subsystems and form the basis on which an innovative Software Defined Radio platform will be developed as primary payload. Secondary payload includes imaging capbilities + ZS6SRC - BACAR programme - Stimulating Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics with high performance learners. Christo Kriek ZR6LJK + KLETSKOUS -getting Africa into space Hannes Coetzee ZS6BZP, KLETSKOUS Project leader + Kletskous Space frame - From concept to experimental model Deon Coetzee ZR1DX + Methods to increase the strength-to-weight ratio of a cube-satellite Johannes Francois Oberholzer Stellenbosch University: Industrial Engineering Department + KLETSKOUS power unit - From concept to first prototype - Fritz Sutherland Jnr ZS6FSJ, Kletskous team + KLETSKOUS Communication Data Structure Brian Mckenzie ZS6BMN, Kletskous team + Second Proto type of the Transponder Jacques Roux ZR1ADC, Kletskous team + Development of ground control at VUT - B.Tech laboratory upgrade Riaan Greeff, ZS4PR, Vaal University of Technology The presentations will be followed by the Annual General Meeting. [ANS thanks SA AMSAT for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Call For Papers: 2015 ARRL/TAPR Digital Communications Conference We're soliciting technical papers for presentation at the 34th Annual ARRL/TAPR Digital Communications Conference, to be held October 9-11 in Chicago, Illinois. Papers will also be published in the Conference Proceedings. You do not have to attend the conference to have your paper included in the Proceedings. The submission deadline is August 17, 2015. E-mail your submission to Maty Weinberg at ARRL Headquarters at maty(a)arrl.org<mailto:[email protected]> Please to do not send zip files as these will be rejected by our e-mail server. [ANS thanks ARRL and TAPR for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Sailboat Expedition to Grid DM02 Begins June 10 Bud, N7CW; Jim, K6ZH; and Phil, N0KE, plan to activate Grid DM02 from a sailboat expedition to the waters near San Clemente Island off of the southern California coast. Departure from San Diego will be on Wednesday, June 10 aboard a 49' sailboat. The team plans to be on the air sometime late Wednesday, through sometime on Sunday, June 14, including most of the VHF contest. Unfortunately, they have to leave before the end of the contest because the Navy has scheduled exercises in the area on Monday. Activity includes 6 M, 2 M, probably 432, 1296 and satellites. Phil is responsible for everything other than 6 M. They plan to look for meteor scatter every morning and perhaps the evenings, unless there is Es. Since there is no cell service they will be in contact with pilot stations on 2 M FM in order to announce ourselves on Ping Jockey. If you don't use meteor scatter, it's not too late to learn! Otherwise you will have to listen for a very short (distance) Es opening or backscatter or some other nearly impossible propagation mode. The expedition will be running about 500 W and a 3 el yagi (due to constraints from having to mount the antenna on a sailboat). They will use the call K6ZH. Watch for packet spots announcing their transmit frequency. [ANS thanks Bud, N7CW and Patrick, WD9EWK for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- AMSAT Will be at Ham-Com 2015 If you're going to Ham-Com 2015 at the Irving Convention Center in the Dallas - Ft. Worth area on June 12 to 13 look for AMSAT in booth #103. Also, check the Ham-Com program for the presentation by Clayton Coleman W5PFG. Clayton is an active member of AMSAT and the ARRL with a passion for Amateur Radio in Space. Having activated over 100 grid squares, Clayton enjoys helping others learn how to use minimal equipment to enjoy our fleet of OSCAR's. [ANS thanks Ham-Com 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 and Saturday, 12-13 June 2015 – HAM-COM in Irving TX (west of Dallas) *Thursday, 9 July 2015 – presentation for the Escondido Amateur Radio Society in Escondido CA *Friday and Saturday, 7-8 August 2015 – Austin Summerfest in Austin TX *Saturday and Sunday, 22-23 August 2015 – Boxboro Hamfest and ARRL New England Convention in Boxborough MA *Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, October 16-18 2015, AMSAT Symposium in Dayton OH (Dayton Crown Plaza) [ANS thanks AMSAT-NA for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- ARISS News Upcoming ARISS Contacts It is unlikely that there will be any contacts with the Columbus module station until after a crew change, which will probably occur in late June or July. 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 * LightSail Drama Continues as Spacecraft Wakes for Second Time LightSail is back in business, following the second extended outage of the test spacecraft’s mission. The CubeSat checked in at 2:21 p.m. EDT (18:21 UTC) Saturday for the first time since Wednesday afternoon. Over the course of two overflights, 23 beacon telemetry packets were received by the spacecraft's Cal Poly San Luis Obispo ground station. A rapid sail deployment was briefly considered, but with battery levels still unsteady and just one ground pass remaining before an eight-and-a-half hour outage, the team scrapped the idea. When LightSail came around the Earth again, telemetry showed its batteries were charging—the first time since solar panel deployment three days ago. If battery levels continue to trend stably during Sunday’s early morning ground station passes, sail deployment will be scheduled for 2:02 p.m. EDT (18:02 UTC). Engineers have been working to narrow down the reason LightSail’s batteries tripped into a safe mode-like condition following solar panel deployment. Before this afternoon's signal acquisition, the leading theory was that the spacecraft was stuck in a loop where power levels were too low in Earth's shadow, but too high in sunlight. This power ping-pong could have prevented the batteries from reattaching their circuits to the spacecraft and allowing normal operations to resume. The analysis is still ongoing. {ANS thanks the Planetary Society's Jason Davis for the above information] * Goddard Technologist Advances CubeSat Concept for Planetary Exploration Although scientists are increasingly using pint-size satellites sometimes no larger than a loaf of bread to gather data from low-Earth orbit, they have yet to apply the less-expensive small-satellite technology to observe physical phenomena far from terra firma. Jaime Esper, a technologist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, however, is advancing a CubeSat concept that would give scientists that capability. Dubbed the CubeSat Application for Planetary Entry Missions (CAPE), the concept involves the development of two modules: a service module that would propel the spacecraft to its celestial target and a separate planetary entry probe that could survive a rapid dive through the atmosphere of an extraterrestrial planet, all while reliably transmitting scientific and engineering data. Esper and his team are planning to test the stability of a prototype entry vehicle -the Micro-Reentry Capsule (MIRCA) - this summer during a high-altitude balloon mission from Fort Sumner, New Mexico. 'Like No Other CubeSat Mission' "The CAPE/MIRCA concept is like no other CubeSat mission," Esper said. "It goes the extra step in delivering a complete spacecraft for carrying out scientific investigations. We are the only researchers working on a concept like this." Under his concept, the CAPE/MIRCA spacecraft, including the service module and entry probe, would weigh less than 11 pounds (4.9 kilograms) and measure no more than 4 inches (10.1 centimeters) on a side. After being ejected from a canister housed by its mother ship, the tiny spacecraft would unfurl its miniaturized solar panels or operate on internal battery power to begin its journey to another planetary body. Once it reached its destination, the sensor-loaded entry vehicle would separate from its service module and begin its descent through the target's atmosphere. It would communicate atmospheric pressure, temperature, and composition data to the mother ship, which then would transmit the information back to Earth. The beauty of CubeSats is their versatility. Because they are relatively inexpensive to build and deploy, scientists could conceivably launch multiple spacecraft for multi-point sampling - a capability currently not available with single planetary probes that are the NASA norm today. Esper would equip the MIRCA craft with accelerometers, gyros, thermal and pressure sensors, and radiometers, which measure specific gases; however, scientists could tailor the instrument package depending on the targets, Esper said. A Balloon Flight is designed to test stability. The first step in realizing the concept is demonstrating a prototype of the MIRCA design during a balloon mission this summer. According to the plan, the capsule, manufactured at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility on Virginia's Eastern Shore, would be dropped from the balloon gondola at an altitude of about 18.6 miles (30 kilometers) to test the design's aerodynamic stability and operational concept. During its free fall, MIRCA is expected to reach speeds of up to Mach 1, roughly the speed of sound. "If I can demonstrate the entry vehicle, I then could attract potential partners to provide the rest of the vehicle," Esper said, referring to the service module, including propulsion and attitude-control subsystems. He added that the concept might be particularly attractive to universities and researchers with limited resources. In addition to the balloon flight, Esper said he would like to drop the entry vehicle from the International Space Station perhaps as early as 2016 - a test that would expose the capsule to spaceflight and reentry heating conditions and further advance its technology-readiness level. "The balloon drop of MIRCA will in itself mark the first time a CubeSat planetary entry capsule is flight tested, not only at Goddard, but anywhere else in the world," he said. "That in turn enables new opportunities in planetary exploration not available to date, and represents a game-changing opportunity for Goddard." http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/The_CAPEd_Crusader_Goddard_Technologist_ Advances_CubeSat_Concept_for_Planetary_Exploration_999.html [ANS thanks NASA Goddard, and 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-151 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
by Lee McLamb 30 May '15

30 May '15

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-151 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: * 2015 AMSAT-NA Board of Directors Nomination Deadline Approaching * Nick Lance, KC5KBO, SK * Update - VP2MKV Satellite Operation June 11-20 * Planetary Society's LighSail Satellite Stops Transmitting * 29 MHz – the forgotten frequency for amateur radio satellites SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-151.01 ANS-151 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins AMSAT News Service Bulletin 151.01 From AMSAT HQ Kensington, MD. May 31, 2015 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-151.01 2015 AMSAT-NA Board of Directors Nomination Deadline Approaching It is time to submit nominations for the upcoming AMSAT-NA Board of Directors election. Four director's terms expire this year: Barry Baines, WD4ASW, Alan Biddle, WA4SCA, Mark Hammond, N8MH, and Jerry Buxton, N0JY. In addition, up to two Alternates may be elected for one year terms. A valid nomination requires either one Member Society or five current individual members in good standing to nominate an AMSAT-NA member for Director. Written nominations, consisting of the nominee's name and call, and the nominating individual's names, calls and individual signatures should be mailed to: AMSAT-NA, 10605 Concord St, #304 Kensington, MD 20895-2526. In addition to traditional submissions of written nominations, which is the preferred method, the intent to nominate someone may be made by electronic means. These include e- mail, Fax, or electronic image of a petition. Electronic petitions should be sent to MARTHA(a)AMSAT.ORG or Faxed to (301) 822-4371. No matter what means is used, petitions MUST arrive no later than June 15th at the AMSAT-NA office. If the nomination is a traditional written nomination, no other action is required. If it is other than this, i.e. electronic, a verifying traditional written petition MUST be received at the AMSAT-NA office at the above address within 7 days following the close of nominations on June 15th. ELECTRONIC SUBMISSIONS WITHOUT THIS SECOND, WRITTEN VERIFICATION ARE NOT VALID UNDER THE EXISTING AMSAT-NA BYLAWS. [ANS thanks Alan, WA4SCA, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Nick Lance, KC5KBO, SK On behalf of the ARISS-International team, it is with great sadness that we announce the passing of long-time ARISS team member Nick Lance, KC5KBO, SK. Nick passed away on May 24 from an aneurism of the aorta. Nick was a smart, caring, considerate and helpful person that loved the amateur radio hobby. As the primary amateur radio license trainer for the ISS astronauts, Nick played an integral role in encouraging and training countless astronauts (US, Canada, Japan and Europe) to pursue their amateur radio license and become active on ARISS. He inspired and trained dozens of NASA's aerospace education specialists (who talk to schoolteachers nationwide) to get their ham tickets. He also taught a "Hamster" course to middle schoolers, inspiring them to pursue careers in technology through Amateur Radio and ARISS activities. Personally, I enjoyed working with Nick both as a NASA engineer and an amateur radio operator. I will miss his quick wit and sense of humor. Nick will be deeply missed by many. A Celebration of Life for Nick Lance will be held Sunday, June 14, 2015, 2 p.m. at the Gilruth Center. A map to the public entrance of the Gilruth Recreation Center, Building 207 http://ewh.ieee.org/r5/galveston_bay/events/GilruthCenterMapandDirections.p… A flag will be flown over Mission Control and presented to Renee and the family. Our deepest sympathy goes out to all that knew Nick, especially Renee, his wife, and all his family members. Frank H. Bauer, KA3HDO ARISS International Chairman [ANS thanks Frank, KA3HDO, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Update - VP2MKV Satellite Operation June 11-20 Operators Barry/N0KV, Ken/W0ETT, Greg/W0ZA and Jim/WD0E will be active as VP2MKV from Gingerbread Hill, St. Peters (grid square FK86), between June 10-18th. Activity will be on 80-2 meters using CW, SSB and RTTY. They will also participate in the ARRL VHF Contest and some satellite operations (FO-29 only on selected passes). The two primary radios will be Elecraft K3's with 500 watt amplifiers. Antennas include a Mosley Classic 33 on 10/15/20, a folding hexbeam by Folding Antennas (Germany) on 20-10 meters, verticals on 30 and 40 meters, a dipole on 75-80 meters, and an M2 5 element 6 meter beam. They will run 500 watts on 6m SSB/CW and FSK441. A 6 meter beacon is planned and will be on 50.102 MHz when the station is not manned, and the receiver will be active between beacon transmissions to listen for calls. The primary callsign for the operation will be VP2MKV, and VP2MTT will probably be used on 6 meters. Near 24 hour operation is planned. Tentative satellite pass plan for VP2MKV operation: They will attempt to be on the first two FO-29 ascending node passes June 11th through 20th. If time allows they may be on the third ascending node those days. Those passes happen in late morning to mid afternoon Montserrat time. On those passes they will look first for South America when the satellite is south of them, then North America, then Europe during the short mutual window. If there are 2 meter or 6 meter terrestrial openings during the VHF contest June 13th and 14th, they will not be on satellite at those times. Logs will be uploaded to LoTW soon after the group returns to the US. Paper QSLs via N0KV, direct or via the bureau. US addressees send SASE; addressees outside the US send SASE plus 2 USDs for return postage. Use of ClubLog has not been finalized at this time. Additional information will be posted under VP2MKV on QRZ.com. [ANS thanks Ohio/Penn DX Bulletin No. 1215 for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Planetary Society's LighSail Satellite Stops Transmitting Excerpt from the Planetary Society's page http://planet.ly/0gVop As of late Friday afternoon, LightSail was continuing to operate normally. The spacecraft’s ground stations at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and Georgia Tech were receiving data on each pass. Power and temperature readings were trending stably, and the spacecraft was in good health. But inside the spacecraft’s Linux-based flight software, a problem was brewing. Every 15 seconds, LightSail transmits a telemetry beacon packet. The software controlling the main system board writes corresponding information to a file called beacon.csv. If you’re not familiar with CSV files, you can think of them as simplified spreadsheets-in fact, most can be opened with Microsoft Excel. As more beacons are transmitted, the file grows in size. When it reaches 32 megabytes-roughly the size of ten compressed music files-it can crash the flight system. The manufacturer of the avionics board corrected this glitch in later software revisions. But alas, LightSail’s software version doesn’t include the update. Late Friday, the LightSail team received a heads-up warning them of the vulnerability. A fix was quickly devised to prevent the spacecraft from crashing, and it was scheduled to be uploaded during the next ground station pass. But before that happened, LightSail’s automated chirps fell silent. The telemetry data is sent on a downlink of 437.435 MHz, AX.25, 9600 bps FSK. The last data packet received from the spacecraft was May 22 at 21:31 UTC (5:31 p.m. EDT). A LightSail map tracking application is at http://sail.planetary.org/missioncontrol/ [ANS thanks JoAnne, K9JKM, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- 29 MHz – the forgotten frequency for amateur radio satellites Hans van de Groenendaaal ZS6AKV writes in the EngineerIT magazine about the potential for 29 MHz as a satellite uplink band. Universities and other scientific research institutions are using portions of the amateur spectrum for their CubeSat’s which has caused the 145 and 435 MHz amateur-satellite band segments to be very crowded, leading to an increasing number of satellite builders to explore alternatives. For many, such as those requiring single-channel bandwidth greater than approximately 12.5 kHz, the best answer will be found in the microwave bands. However, for those who can use it, the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) satellite frequency coordination process has now opened another alternative: 29 MHz uplinks. Read the EngineerIT article at http://www.ee.co.za/article/29-mhz-forgotten-frequency-amateur-radio- satellites.html IARU Satellite Frequency Coordination http://www.iaru.org/satellite.html [ANS thanks 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-144 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
by E.Mike McCardel 24 May '15

24 May '15

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-144 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: * CAMSAT announces mid-July launch with six U/V transponders * 2015 AMSAT-NA Board of Directors Nominations Notice * AMSAT 2015 Field Day Announcement - June 27-28 * Beijing may launch amateur satellites in July * Radio Amateur Sworn In as New NASA Deputy Administrator * AMSAT News Lit up on the Web, Forums, and Social Media * PSK31 and APRS CubeSat Status Update * ARISS News * Satellite Shorts From All Over SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-144 ANS-144 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins AMSAT News Service Bulletin 144 >From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD. May 24, 2015 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-144 CAMSAT announces mid-July launch with six U/V transponders Alan Kung, BA1DU (CAMSAT CEO) recently sent AMSAT-NA the following press release: CAMSAT orchestrated CAS-3 amateur satellite system is now nearing completion, six Chinese amateur satellites will be launched in mid- July,it includes different weight category satellites, consists of a 20 kg, three 10 kg and two 1 kg satellites. All six satellites are equipped with substantially the same amateur radio payloads, a U/V mode linear transponder, a CW telemetry beacon and an AX.25 19.2k/9.6k baud GMSK telemetry downlink are attached in each of the six satellites, each set of amateur radio equipments has the same technical characteristics, but operates on different frequencies of 70cm band uplink and 2m band downlink. During the years, CAMSAT works closely with DFH Satellite Co. Ltd to complete the project, which is Chinese government aerospace contractor and provided most of the support for this project. All the satellites are currently conducting final testing and inspection, here are the technical details: CAS-3A: – Micro-satellite architecture – Dimensions: 400Lx400Wx400H mm – Mass: 20kg – Stabilization: three-axis stabilization system with its +Y surface facing the earth – Antenna: Deployable antenna, one 1/4? monopole VHF antenna with max.0dBi gain is located at +Z side and one 1/4? monopole UHF antenna with max.0dBi gain is located at –Z side, close to the each edge of satellite body – Uplink: 70cm band – Downlink: 2m band – Amateur radio payloads: Callsign: BJ1SB CW Telemetry Beacon: 50mW, 22wpm U/V Mode Linear Transponder: 100mW, 20kHz bandwidth, spectrum Inverting AX.25 telemetry: 100mW, 19.2k/9.6k baud GMSK CAS-3B, CAS-3C and CAS-3D: – Micro-satellite architecture – Dimensions: 250Lx250Wx250H mm – Mass: 9kg – Stabilization: three-axis stabilization system with its +Y surface facing the earth – Antenna: Deployable antenna, one 1/4? monopole VHF antenna with max.0dBi gain is located at +Z side and one 1/4? monopole UHF antenna with max.0dBi gain is located at –Z side, close to the each edge of satellite body – Uplink: 70cm band – Downlink: 2m band – Amateur radio payloads: Callsign: BJ1SC ( for CAS-3B), BJ1SD ( for CAS-3C), BJ1SE (for CAS-3D CW Telemetry Beacon: 50mW, 22wpm U/V Mode Linear Transponder: 100mW, 20kHz bandwidth, spectrum Inverting AX.25 telemetry: 100mW, 19.2k/9.6k baud GMSK CAS-3E and CAS-3F: – Cube-satellite architecture – Dimensions: 110Lx110Wx110H mm – Mass: 1.5kg – Stabilization: Spinning stabilization using permanent magnet torquer – Antenna: Deployable antenna, one 1/4? monopole VHF antenna with max.0dBi gain is located at +Z side and one 1/4? monopole UHF antenna with max.0dBi gain is located at –Z side, close to the each edge of satellite body – Uplink: 70cm band – Downlink: 2m band – Amateur radio payloads: Callsign: BJ1SF ( for CAS-3E), BJ1SG ( for CAS-3F) CW Telemetry Beacon: 50mW, 22wpm U/V Mode Linear Transponder: 100mW, 20kHz bandwidth, spectrum Inverting AX.25 telemetry: 100mW, 9.6k baud GMSK This launch will use an brand new Chinese launch vehicle named as Long March – 6 (LM-6 or CZ-6) at Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center of China, CAS-3A will operate at about 450 km height sun-synchronous orbit, the other satellites will operate at about 530 km height sun- synchronous orbit. The launch will carry total of 20 satellites, there are other three satellites named as CAS-3G, CAS-3H and CAS-3I involved in amateur radio from other agencies of China will share the same launch, CAMSAT was assisting Chinese government administration to coordinate and allocate their frequencies, more details will be announced later. [ANS thanks Alan Kung, BA1DU and CAMSAT for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- 2015 AMSAT-NA Board of Directors Nominations Notice It is time to submit nominations for the upcoming AMSAT-NA Board of Directors election. Four director's terms expire this year: Barry Baines, WD4ASW, Alan Biddle, WA4SCA, Mark Hammond, N8MH, and Jerry Buxton, N0JY. In addition, up to two Alternates may be elected for one year terms. A valid nomination requires either one Member Society or five current individual members in good standing to nominate an AMSAT-NA member for Director. Written nominations, consisting of the nominee's name and call, and the nominating individual's names, calls and individual signatures should be mailed to: AMSAT-NA, 10605 Concord St, #304 Kensington, MD 20895-2526. In addition to traditional submissions of written nominations, which is the preferred method, the intent to nominate someone may be made by electronic means. These include e-mail, Fax, or electronic image of a petition. Electronic petitions should be sent to MARTHA(a)AMSAT.ORG or Faxed to (301)822-4371. No matter what means is used, petitions MUST arrive no later than June 15th at the AMSAT-NA office. If the nomination is a traditional written nomination, no other action is required. If it is other than this, i.e. electronic, a verifying traditional written petition MUST be received at the AMSAT-NA office at the above address within 7 days following the close of nominations on June 15th. ELECTRONIC SUBMISSIONS WITHOUT THIS SECOND, WRITTEN VERIFICATION ARE NOT VALID UNDER THE EXISTING AMSAT-NA BYLAWS. Alan Biddle WA4SCA AMSAT-NA Corporate Secretary [ANS thanks Alan Biddle, WA4SCA, AMSAT-NA Corporate Secretary for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- AMSAT 2015 Field Day Announcement - June 27-28 It's that time of year again: Field Day! Each year the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) sponsors Field Day as a "picnic, a campout, practice for emergencies, an informal contest and, most of all, FUN!" The event takes place during a 24-hour period on the fourth weekend of June. For 2015, the event takes place during a 27-hour period from 1800 UTC on Saturday June 27, through 2100 UTC on Sunday June 28, Those who set up prior to 1800 UTC on June 27 can operate only 24 hours. The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT) promotes its own version of Field Day for operation via the amateur satellites, held concurrently with the ARRL event. If you are considering ONLY the FM voice satellite SO-50 for your AMSAT Field Day focus - don't - unless you are simply hoping to make one contact for the ARRL rules bonus points. The congestion on FM LEO satellites was so intense in prior years that we must continue to limit their use to one-QSO-per-FM-satellite. This includes the International Space Station. You will be allowed one QSO if the ISS is operating voice. You will also be allowed one digital QSO with the ISS or any other digital, non-store-and-forward, packet satellite (if operational). Many good contacts can be made on the linear transponder satellites including AO-73, FO-29, and AO-7. During Field Day the transponders come alive like 20 meters on a weekend. The transponders on these satellites will support multiple simultaneous SSB or CW contacts. The 2015 AMSAT Field Day event is open to all Amateur Radio operators. Amateurs are to use the exchange as specified in ARRL rules for Field Day. The AMSAT competition is to encourage the use of all amateur satellites, both analog and digital. AMSAT Field Day information is also posted on the web at: http://www.amsat.org/?page_id=216 [ANS thanks Bruce Paige, KK5DO, AMSAT Director of Contests and Awards, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Beijing may launch amateur satellites in July Mineo Wakita JE9PEL reports on his website that Beijing may launch satellites carrying amateur radio payloads in July 2015. It is understood the launch would be on a CZ-6 rocket from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center. XW-2 (CAS-2) and LilacSat-2 will be carrying amateur radio payloads but at the time of writing it is not clear if Tiantuo-3 and ZDPS-2 may also have amateur radio payloads. Additionally it is reported elsewhere there may be up to 20? CubeSats on the launch. CAS-2A1 satellite: 270x270x250mm 2m CW telemetry beacon 100 mW 2m AX.25 digital telemetry beacon 500 mW 2m FM voice beacon 500 mW U/V mode Linear transponder 50 kHz 500 mW L/S mode Linear transponder 200 kHz 320 mW U/V mode APRS repeater CAS-2A2 satellite: 70cm CW telemetry beacon 100 mW 70cm AX.25 digital telemetry beacon 500 mW 13cm CW telemetry beacon 200 mW 3cm CW telemetry beacon 200 mW V/U mode Linear transponder 500 mW LilacSat-2 – Harbin Institute of Technology Approx. 11 kg 20x20x20 cm Uplink: 145.825, 145.875 MHz Downlink: 437.200 MHz beacon 437.225 MHz FM/APRS Tiantuo-3 (TT-3) – Small satellite from China’s National University of Defense Technology ZDPS-2 – Nano-satellite mission of the Microsat Research Center Zhejiang University Source Mineo Wakita JE9PEL http://www.ne.jp/asahi/hamradio/je9pel/lilacsat.htm [ANS thanks Mineo Wakita JE9PEL and AMSAT-UK for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Radio Amateur Sworn In as New NASA Deputy Administrator Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) professor Dava Newman, KB1HIK, has been sworn in as the deputy administrator of NASA. President Barack Obama appointed Newman last October, and the US Senate confirmed her appointment on April 27. The swearing-in took place on May 15 in her MIT office in Cambridge. Newman is Apollo Professor of Astronautics and Engineering Systems and the director of the Technology and Policy Program at MIT. She started her official duties as NASA's new deputy administrator on May 18 at the agency's headquarters in Washington, DC. "I'm very excited to be at NASA," said Newman. "I'm looking forward to being a part of the agency's work to expand humanity's reach into space, advance our journey to Mars and strengthen America's leadership here at home." NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, ex-KE4IQB, said he's long admired Newman. "Her talents and skills as an educator and technological innovator will bring a new energy to our NASA leadership team, and I'm ecstatic to have her on board," he said. Newman had been on the MIT faculty since 1993. Her research has included modeling human performance in low and microgravity conditions, examining the dynamics and control of astronaut motion, and the development of assisted walking devices for the physically handicapped. Possibly her most prominent project has been the development of the BioSuit, a skintight spacesuit that would give astronauts unprecedented comfort and freedom in exploration of planetary surfaces and extra-vehicular activity. An avid sailor, Newman has circumnavigated the globe. [ANS thanks the ARRL via Space Bulletin 008 ARLS008 for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- AMSAT News Lit up on the Web, Forums, and Social Media VP of User Services JaoAnne Maenpaa K9JKM noted "Our e-mail lists relayed the Fox-1 news from Dayton. Those lists have remained quiet while the web and social media were lit up with AMSAT's news from Dayton." AMSAT-NA Facebook has 1,789 members. AMSAT's Twitter has 6,770 followers. One of the biggest repeater systems in the Chicago area relays news feeds on their facebook page from the internet: https://www.facebook.com/suhfars?fref=nf which points to the QRZ.com posts: http://forums.qrz.com/showthread.php?480200-Fox-1-news-from-Dayton http://tinyurl.com/ANS144-QRZ-Report Southgate ARC news: http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2015/may/fox_1_news_from_dayton.htm http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2015/may/fox_1_operating_guide.htm Amateur Radio Newsline Facebook group is referring readers to: ANS-135 Fox-1 News From Dayton which is a replay of the ANS bulletins AMSAT-UK and ARRL published the ARRL news item about AMSAT: http://amsat-uk.org/2015/05/15/fox-1-launch-sept-geo-5-10-ghz/ http://tinyurl.com/ANS144-Hamvention JoAnne reports two links of video from the AMSAT Forum: First, the presentation by AMSAT president Barry Baines WD4ASW to open the forum... http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/62340146 Second, a portion of Tom Clark's K3IO Forum presentation at: http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/62343338 Hams in Space posted a copy of their Dayton forum slides including mention of AMSAT at: http://hamsinspace.com/resource/Sat_Radio_7_07_Dayton.pdf [ANS thanks JoAnne K9JKM for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- PSK31 and APRS CubeSat Status Update Martin G8JNJ reports receiving the PSAT PSK31 FM downlink on the online SUWS WebSDR located at Farnham near London. At 22:30 GMT on May 21, 2015 Bob Bruninga WB4APR posted the following update on the AMSAT Bulletin Board about the three USNA CubeSats PSAT, BRICSAT and USS Langley along with a guide on how to use the PSK31 transponder. We now have heard 4 of 5 transmitters from our 3 spacecraft all still in a close cluster: * PSAT packet is OK but WOD not working (no digipeating for users yet) * PSAT PSK31 downlink is ok [remember, it is FM!] * BRICSAT telemetry has been heard but is cycling OFF due to low power * BRICSAT PSK31 downlink (also FM) has also been heard barely (when ON) * USS Langley not heard PSAT CPU shows the 4 day-fail-safe backup reset circuit is not counting down, so we have lost this (1 of 3) fail safe backup RESET capabilities. Bad line of code already found. But cannot change it. PSAT is not properly reporting WOD data and S#… STATUS packets are being bundled until 255 byte packet length is reached and then it all comes down at once. Noone has captured any of these long packets. Please try with PASSALL ON so that you can receive partial packets. Awaiting permission from BRNO University to authorize HF user uplinks on PSAT PSK31. BRICSAT PSK31 transponder is on identical frequencies as PSAT’s. You can tell them apart because one has PSK Telemetry on 315 Hz and the other is on 365 Hz. Both on the UHF FM downlink 435.350 MHz We’d LOVE to hear from USS Langley, and we’d love to capture one of those long WOD packets from PSAT. Our ground station is only getting a few packets compared to some submissions from others. Keep it up. SUMMARY: 145.825 1.5U cubesat – PSAT 1200 baud AX.25 435.350 same cubesat – PSAT PSK31 FM – Brno University transponder 437.975 1.5U cubesat – BRICsat 9600 baud 435.350 same cubesat – BRICsat PSK31 FM – Brno University transponder 437.975 3.0U cubesat – USS Langley 9600 bd ULTRASat3 1 99993U 15140.67013889 .00040043 00000-0 10235-2 0 00009 2 99993 055.0004 339.9238 0251027 182.3314 074.3075 15.12517086000014 Receiving the PSAT PSK31 FM downlink Receiving the PSAT (and BRICsat) 435.350 MHz FM downlink is as simple as placing your PSK31 laptop microphone next to the speaker on your FM satellite UHF receiver and just watching the waterfall. What you see is exactly what everyone else sees (its FM). There is no Doppler added to the tones due to your station’s position relative to the satellite. But you DO have to retune your FM radio at least 3 times during the pass (+5 kHz, 0, -5 kHz) to stay in the FM passband. [Note: UK users should remember to selected the wide FM (5 kHz deviation/25 kHz channel spacing) setting on their rigs] User uplinks, however, will shift in the waterfall according to each user’s position relative to the satellite. The shift can be as low as 1 Hz per second to as high as 6 Hz per second. This is because the uplink is on 10 meters where the Doppler rate is only 1/15th of what it would be on UHF. The TELEMETRY channel at 315 Hz (PSAT) or 375 Hz (BRICsat) is FIXED with no Doppler since it is generated onboard into the FM downlink WHAT TO DO: 1) We will need PSK31 authors to open the PSK31 frequency tracking to accommodate more than 1 Hz per second Doppler tracking. Current implementations can do 1 Hz/s but completely fail at 3 Hz/s. 2 Hz/s might work a little… 2) Until then, ANY uplink user that is in line with a direct overhead pass will have minimum Doppler at the start and end of his pass (1 Hz/sec) when the satellite is going right at him and directly away from him. (Though it will be MAX (6 Hz/sec) when it passes over her/his station). 3) Just turn on MULTI CHANNEL window and let the PSK31 decode everyone.The ones with the least Doppler at any instant may be decoded for a while! USERS can transmit later when BRNO University says it has completed its tests. Brno provided the transponders for use in the PSAT and BRICsat satellites. So start preparing your station to TX PSK31 on 10 meters SSB and to receive the audio from an FM UHF rig on 435.350 +/- 5 kHz steps of Doppler. DOWNLINK Limitations: The UHF downlink signal is only 300 mW and so a UHF beam is needed on the downlink. UPLINK RESTRICTIONS: *NOTHING MORE THAN* a Vertical 1/4 wave or Dipole is authorized on the 10m uplink and no more than 25 Watts (for now). Remember a 1/4 wave vertical is the ideal antenna because it maximizes the signal at lower angles and tapers the signal as the satellite gets closer. This keeps user uplinks about the same during a pass. Strong stations just drive down the AGC and ruin it for everyone. Use minimum power!! Remember, this is crossband FULL DUPLEX so you can see yourself in the downlink just like everyone else can see you. Act accordingly. And of course DO NOT TRANSMIT if you cannot see the waterfall … Duh! Enjoy! Bob, WB4APR Listen to satellite signals in the 145 and 435-438 MHz bands from anywhere in the world using the online SUWS WebSDR located near London. Further details at http://amsat-uk.org/2014/08/15/suws-websdr- moves-to-new-site/ [ANS thanks Bob WB4APR and AMSAT-UK for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- ARISS News It is unlikely that there will be any contacts with the Columbus module station until after a crew change. >From 5-11-2015 through 7-26-2015, there will be no US Operational Segment (USOS) hams on board ISS. So any schools contacts during this period will be conducted by the ARISS Russia team. Watch http://www.ariss.org/upcoming-contacts.html for information about upcoming contacts as they are scheduled. [ANS thanks ARISS for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Satellite Shorts From All Over + The AMSAT Office is closed from Friday, May 22nd through Monday, May 25th. Martha will be back in the office on Tuesday, May 26th. [ANS thanks the Martha for the above information] + These are the launch provided elements for PPOD 3 deployment that included PSAT: ULTRASat3 1 99993U 15140.67013889 .00040043 00000-0 10235-2 0 00009 2 99993 055.0004 339.9238 0251027 182.3314 074.3075 15.12517086000014 The PSAT predictions are now available on the AMSAT web site using the keps Bob Bruninga provided for ULTRASat3 [ANS thanks Bob, WB4APR and Joe KM1P for the above information] + Tentative satellite pass plan for VP2MKV operation: We will attempt to be on the first two FO-29 ascending node passes June 11 through 20. If time allows we may be on the third ascending node those days. Those passes happen in late morning to mid afternoon Montserrat time. On those passes we will look first for South America when the satellite is south of us, then North America, then Europe during the short mutual window. If there are 2 meter or 6 meter terrestrial openings during the VHF contest June 13 and 14 we will not be on satellite at those times. [ANS thanks Jim WD0E for the above information] + The annual SA AMSAT Space Symposium will be held on 20 June at the Innovation Hub in Pretoria. Book your seat now to take advantage of the early bird registration fee. Details and booking form is on www.amsatsa.org.za [ANS thanks SA AMSAT for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- /EX AMSAT User Services and the Editors of the AMSAT New Service pass on our condolences to ANS Weekly Co-Editor Joe Spier K6WAO and his family on the death of Joe's mother this week. 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, KC8YLD kc8yld at amsat dot org

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ANS-137 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
by Joseph Spier 17 May '15

17 May '15

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-137 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: * Fox-1 Development, Launch, and Frequency Coordination Status at Dayton * AMSAT FieldOps Team Fox-1 Operating Guide is Available * US Naval Academy CubeSat Launch to Include Next APRS Satellite * Iowa CubeSat students get ham radio licenses * Extreme DX satellite contact between UK and Texas * International Space Station Partners Adjust Spacecraft Schedule * AMSAT Events * ARISS News * Satellite Shorts From All Over SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-137.01 ANS-137 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins AMSAT News Service Bulletin 137.01 >From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD. DATE May 17, 2015 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-137.01 --------------------------------------------------------------------- Fox-1 Development, Launch, and Frequency Coordination Status at Dayton AMSAT Dayton Hamvention Annoucements (Saved) During the AMSAT Forum at the Dayton Hamvention, AMSAT Vice President Operations, Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA, and AMSAT Vice President – Engineering Jerry Buxton, N0JY, provided more information about the Fox-1 satellites under development. Buxton, N0JY, says Fox-1A has passed all environmental testing and is integrated into the P-POD deployment canister. "The 'remove before flight pin' has been pulled, the doors closed on the P-POD, and everything is aboard the shipping container now en route to Vandenberg Air Force Base in California for launch", said Buxton. Previously Buxton had announced plans to incorporate an L band receiver in Fox- 1C and Fox-1D. The addition will allow ground commanded selection of the U/v (normal Fox-1 bands) or the new L/v 1.2 GHz (23 cm) mode. Both bands will operate as FM single channel. http://www.amsat.org/?p=4000 During the satellite operations segment of the AMSAT Forum Glasbrenner provided the details of the uplink and downlink frequencies for the Fox-1 FM cubesat fleet. Fox-1 Frequencies Uplink FM (67 Hz tone) Downlink FM Fox-1A 435.180 MHz 145.980 MHz RadFxSat/Fox-1B* 435.250 MHz 145.960 MHz Fox-1C* 435.300 MHz 145.920 MHz 1267.300 MHz ** 145.920 MHz Fox-1D* 435.350 MHz 145.880 MHz 1267.350 MHz ** 145.880 MHz * Pending IARU Coordination, If needed, changes will be announced ** U/v and L/v operations switchable by command station, not operational simultaneously According to Buxton, the team is planning to have an affordable L band uplink ground station available to amateurs by the time Fox-1C is on orbit. + Fox-1A will launch on a NASA ELaNa flight scheduled during the third quarter, 2015 from Vandenberg AFB. Fox-1A is a passenger aboard this launch driven by the schedule of the primary payload. When updates are available they will be announced via the ANS and in the AMSAT Journal. + Fox-1B will fly with the Vanderbilt University radiation experiments expected in 2016. + Fox-1C will launch on Spaceflight’s maiden mission of the SHERPA multi-cubesat deployer on a SpaceX Falcon 9 flight planned for late 2015. + Fox-1D is a flight spare for Fox-1C. If not needed as a spare it will fly with the University of Iowa HERCI radiation mapping experiment. + Fox-1E “Evolution” will carry a Mode J linear transponder. The transponder is planned to be 30 kHz wide and will also have a 1200 bps BPSK telemetry beacon. Launch opportunities are being developed, to be announced at a later date. AMSAT has an immediate need to raise funds to cover both the launch contract and additional materials for construction and testing for Fox-1C. Please help us to continue to keep amateur radio in space. Donations may be made via the: + Paypal and credit card payment on the AMSAT website at http://www.amsat.org + Donation link in the AMSAT store: http://store.amsat.org/catalog/ + Call the AMSAT office at (888) 322-6728 [ANS thanks the AMSAT Engineering and AMSAT Operations Teams for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- AMSAT FieldOps Team Fox-1 Operating Guide is Available AMSAT's Director of Field Operations, Patrick Stoddard, WD9EWK, invites you to view and download the "Fox-1 Operating Guide" which was released at the 2015 Dayton Hamvention. This color PDF file is designed to print double-sided. Two different resolution versions are available: + Low resolution PDF suitable for on-screen display (~400 KB size) + High resolution, press quality PDF for hard-copy printing (~2 MB size) To access these files visit the AMSAT web and follow the path: http://www.amsat.org --> Satellite Info --> Station and Operating Hints. The direct link is http://www.amsat.org/?page_id=2144 where you'll find the link to the Guide. [ANS thanks the AMSAT FieldOps Team for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- US Naval Academy CubeSat Launch to Include Next APRS Satellite Sometime on or about May 20, the next US Naval Academy satellites and Brno University PSK31 transponders head into space from Cape Canaveral on an Atlas 5 launcher and into an approximately 50° orbit. The launch will include the Psat APRS satellite — a pair of identical 1.5 U cubesats (A and B) — as well as the BRICsat and USS Langley (Unix Space Server Langley) nanosatellites. “Psat is a Naval Academy student satellite project named in honor of one of our graduates, Bradford Parkinson, of GPS fame, which contains an APRS transponder for relaying remote telemetry, sensor, and user data from remote users and Amateur Radio environmental experiments or other data sources back to Amateur Radio experimenters via a global network of Internet-linked ground stations,” explained APRS developer Bob Bruninga, WB4APR. In addition to the data transponder, a secondary Brno University transponder will support multi- user PSK31 text messaging. The APRS downlink will be 145.825 MHz (1200 baud AX.25 APRS). “We welcome radio amateurs worldwide to tune into the downlinks and either IGate packets into the global APRS-IS system or to e-mail me,” Bruninga said. “After launch, the next several orbits will be over USA and Europe.” Bruninga said PSAT, including the PSK31 transponder, would not be available for use until all on-orbit checks are complete, a process he said could take “many, many days.” He also requested reports on any PSK31 (FM) heard on 435.350 MHz (the PSK31 uplink is 28.120 MHz). The PSK31 multi-user FDMA transponder experiment on Psat and BRICsat is similar to the one on RAFT and PCSAT2. It will allow messaging among up to 30 modest ground stations simultaneously, Bruninga said. Psat is one of five APRS-networked Amateur Radio satellites that will be in orbit during 2015, and all will appear on the live APRS downlink page. The others include PCsat-1, in orbit since 2001, QIKcom-1, set to launch in September, QIKcom-2, set to launch in December, and the ARISS packet radio system on board the International Space Station since 2007. BRICsat will carry a PSK31 transponder with a 28.120 MHz uplink (2.5 kHz bandwidth) and a UHF FM downlink on 435.350 MHz. Gunter’s Space Page describes USS Langley as “a proof-of-concept mission for providing global Internet access via a nanosatellite constellation.” The satellite will act as a web server and router in space, using Internet Protocol and Linux. Downlinks 437.475 MHz (9600 baud AX.25 packet telemetry) with uplink at 145.825 MHz. The IARU coordination page said that while 28.120 MHz is not in the band plan as a satellite frequency, “the panel considered the motivation for this frequency as to give lower class license holders in the US the opportunity to participate in the project.” Bruninga said satellite experiments such as Psat “serve our educational and outreach goals for student projects encouraging young people to be interested in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.” He said he hopes other schools will build either additional 145.825 MHz relay satellites or experimental sensors. “We hope that Psat will be the ‘egg’ in this chicken-egg conundrum,” he added. [ANS thanks ARRL Letter for 5/14/2015 for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Iowa CubeSat students get ham radio licenses The University of Iowa reports its students will conduct a Van Allen radiation belt experiment with the AMSAT Fox CubeSat Thanks to a proposal by the UI Department of Physics and Astronomy, a group of senior electrical and computer engineering students will reenact James Van Allen’s original experiment — this time with updated technology. Group members Kevin Klosterman KD9CPF, Bryan Senchuk KD9CPD, Tyler Dunkel KE0CHR, and Patrick Maloney KD9CPD took on the task as a part of their senior design project for the College of Engineering. The group is trying to figure out how much energy is emanating from the Van Allen belts at a specific altitude. To measure that, they’ve built a radiation sensor attached to a circuit board that will launch into space on a small satellite. There, the radiation sensor will detect energetic particles from the Van Allen belts. The satellite will sit in a low-Earth orbit and circle the globe every 90 minutes, some data will be transmitted in real time, but all of it is stored for later transmission. “I feel like we’ve learned something new every day,” Klosterman says. Not only did the students have to come up with a design concept, write the code to run the device, and build the circuit board by hand, they also had to learn and become licensed ham radio operators as well. The satellite that the students are using to launch into space is part of the CubeSat program — an initiative supported by NASA to help give students more hands-on experience with space research — and is being constructed by AMSAT, the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation, whose mission is to foster amateur radio participation in space technology. The data from a full day of operating the experiment will be transmitted from the satellite as it makes a single pass over the CubeSat tracking station on top of Van Allen Hall. The final result will be a full mapping of the radiation levels at a low Earth orbit. It is hoped the Fox CubeSat with an FM voice transponder will be launched later this year. Read the full story at http://now.uiowa.edu/2015/05/seniors-reenact-van-allen-radiation-belt- experiments Each year 100’s of students are introduced to amateur radio through University CubeSat satellite programs with many going on to get their amateur license. AMSAT Fox http://www.amsat.org/?page_id=1113 [ANS thanks AMSAT-NA and University of Iowa for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Extreme DX satellite contact between UK and Texas On April 27, 2015 at 1901 GMT, Cuban radio amateur Hector Martinez W5CBF/CO6CBF achieved a 7537.8 km DX contact with UK amateur Peter Atkins G4DOL via FO-29. Hector reported, "I am pleased to report that Peter G4DOL and I had another extreme QSO on FO- 29. It is my furthest contact on the birds! Back on October 2013, Peter and I had a very nice contact between EL92sd, Cienfuegos, Cuba and IO80so, Weymouth area, UK. It was a 7286 km contact and probably the first contact between UK and Cuba on FO-29! Peter and I desired to try again on FO-29, this time between EM21hs, Texas, US and his habitual spot in IO80so. We were able to complete a very nice CW contact on the 92319 orbit of FO-29. Peter had just 0.1 degree as maxim elevation while I had 0.8 during the 80 seconds mutual window. As before, Peter did all the hard work by driving until his habitual spot at a cliff-top and setting up his “portable satellite station” (19 elements Yagi for 435 MHz and 10 elements Yagi for 145 MHz both with horizontal polarization). FO- 29 was sounding really good on these orbits. It was a solid 559 satellite contact, we were very impressed. We made the calculations using our 10 digit grid squares at http://no.nonsense.ee/qth/map.html The distance between the stations was 7537.799 km (4683.77 mi). To my knowledge, the longest distance achieved on FO-29 until now had been 7,533.685 km between Frank, K4FEG and Erich, DK1TB http://www.qrz.com/db/k4feg UPDATE 2015-05-08: K4KEG has now revised his distance to 7,538.685 km. This puts his contact with DK1TB just ahead of that of W5CBF and G4DOL. It appears that an even longer distance is achievable. It has been reported that FO-29 has a “theoretical maximum range” of 7502 km, but I guess that at least 7600km is doable. We will try to break our own record! This contact was possible thanks to the great feature implemented on SatPC32 V12.8b. There is an option of seeing the frequency you are at the satellite receiver at any time during a pass. It allows the operators to tune the right frequencies and attempt a contact without having to search for each other. Thanks very much to Peter for his persistence, effort and all the fun!" 2013 FO-29 satellite contact between Cuba and the UK http://amsat-uk.org/2013/10/20/fo-29-satellite-contact-between-cuba-and-the… FO-29 information http://amsat-uk.org/satellites/two-way-comms-satellites/fuji-oscar-29-jas-2/ [ANS thanks Hector, W5CBF/CO6CBF and AMSAT-UK for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- International Space Station Partners Adjust Spacecraft Schedule NASA and its international partners agreed Tuesday to set a new schedule for spacecraft traffic to and from the International Space Station. The partner agencies agreed to adjust the schedule after hearing the Russian Federal Space Agency's (Roscosmos) preliminary findings on the recent loss of the Progress 59 cargo craft. The exact dates have not yet been established, but will be announced in the coming weeks. Roscosmos expects to provide an update about the Progress 59 investigation on Friday, May 22. The return to Earth for NASA's Terry Virts, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti and Russian cosmonaut Anton Shkaplerov now is targeted for early June. NASA astronaut Scott Kelly and Russian cosmonauts Mikhail Kornienko and Gennady Padalka will remain aboard the station to begin Expedition 44. The next Russian cargo craft, Progress 60, will launch in early July to deliver several tons of food, fuel and supplies. The space station has sufficient supplies to support crews until the fall of 2015. The Soyuz spacecraft carrying Expedition 44’s Kjell Lindgren of NASA, Oleg Kononenko of Roscosmos, and Kimiya Yui of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, will launch in late July from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The date of SpaceX’s seventh resupply flight under its commercial resupply services contract with NASA still is under review but remains targeted for no earlier than June 19. The mission will deliver to station additional supplies and research that improve life on Earth and drive progress toward future space exploration. It also will deliver the first of two international docking adapters, which will enable future commercial crew vehicles to dock to the orbiting laboratory. Additional 2015 space station-related launch dates also are under review. NASA will continue to update the launch schedule online at: http://www.nasa.gov/launchschedule For more information about the International Space Station, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/station [ANS thanks NASA 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, Saturday, and Sunday, May 15-17 2015, Dayton Hamvention in Dayton OH (Hara Arena) *Thursday, 21 May 2015 – International Microwave Symposium 2015 in Phoenix AZ *Saturday, 6 June 2015 – White Mountain Hamfest in Show Low AZ *Friday and Saturday, 12-13 June 2015 – HAM-COM in Irving TX (west of Dallas) *Thursday, 9 July 2015 – presentation for the Escondido Amateur Radio Society in Escondido CA *Friday and Saturday, 7-8 August 2015 – Austin Summerfest in Austin TX *Saturday and Sunday, 22-23 August 2015 – Boxboro Hamfest and ARRL New England Convention in Boxborough MA *Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, October 16-18 2015, AMSAT Symposium in Dayton OH (Dayton Crown Plaza) [ANS thanks AMSAT-NA for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- ARISS News Upcoming ARISS Contacts It is unlikely that there will be any contacts with the Columbus module station until after a crew change, which will probably occur in late June or July. Watch http://www.ariss.org/upcoming-contacts.html for information about upcoming contacts as they are scheduled. **************************************************************************** Latest ARISS News * Gagarin from Outer Space: A contact was successful Thu 2015-05-07 at 08:30 UTC with Ryazan State Radio Technical University, Ryazan, Russia, direct via RK3SWB. The ISS callsign was RSØISS, and the astronaut was Mikhail Korniyenko, RN3BF. * A contact was successful Sat 2015-05-09 08:20 UTC between Kursk, Russia, WWII veterans, direct via TBD. The ISS callsign was RSØISS, and the astronaut was Gennady Padalka, RN3DT. * Contacts on Sat 2015-05-09 09:52:06 UTC 27 deg with Istituto Tecnico Industriale Statale “Enrico Fermi,” Lucca, Italy, direct via IQ5LU, and with Studi di Firenze – Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy, direct via IQ5PO, were both successful. The ISS callsign was IRØISS, and the astronaut was Samantha Cristoforetti IZØUDF, who answered 22 questions. There were several hundred in attendance at both locations, along with newspaper and TV media. The event was streamed live on the Web. State Technical Industrial Institute is named for Enrico Fermi and is located in Lucca, Northern Tuscany. Five year courses are offered in Mechanics, Electrotechnics, Electronics, Information, and Communication Tecnology with several laboratories. There are about 700 students, aged 15 through 19. The school had an Amateur Radio Club with the callsign IK5YOI (license expired). [ANS thanks ARISS, and Charlie, AJ9N for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Satellite Shorts From All Over * Reminder: Cambi-Hams DXpedition to Mull Island is Active May 15-21 The Cambi-Hams group is going to activate Mull, Inner Hebrides (IOSA NH15, SCOTIA CN10, WW Loc. IO76EJ) from May 15 to 21. They plan to be active on 80- 10m on SSB, CW, RTTY, and PSK; also on 6m, 4m, and 2m, and on satellites: AO-7 (Mode B), FO-29, SO-50, and AO-73. The group also hopes for short trips to Iona (EU-008) and Treshnish Island (EU-108), see their website for updates on that. QSL via ClubLog OQRS or via bureau. http://dx.camb-hams.com/ Watch AMSAT's Upcoming Satellite Operations page for late breaking news about DX and grid operations: http://www.amsat.org/?page_id=3921 [ANS thanks the DXNL Newsletter 1936 for May 13, 2015 for the above information] First all CW 73 on 73 Award Paul Stoetzer, N8HM, reports, "Congratulations to Hideo Kambayashi, JH3XCU, for working 73 different stations on AO-73 since September 1, 2014. Notably, he is the first to work all 73 different stations using CW." For more information on the award see http://amsat-uk.org/funcube/73-on-73-award/ AO-73 was launched on November 21, 2013 and is the first spacecraft to have a primary mission of educational outreach to schools and the smallest ever satellite to carry a linear (SSB/CW) transponder for radio amateurs. [ANS thanks AMSAT-UK for the above information] New NASA Deputy Administrator is a Radio Ham Prof. Dava Newman KB1HIK was sworn in as NASA Deputy Administrator on May 15 from her MIT office. Her appointment had been confirmed by the U.S. Senate on April 27. NASA Administrator Charles Bolden (formerly KE4IQB) said, “I am delighted with the Senate confirmation of Dr. Dava Newman to be the deputy administrator of NASA. The strong bipartisan support Dr. Newman received in the Senate is a reflection of her well-earned reputation and renown as a global leader in science and technology research and policy.” Newman is a professor of aeronautics and astronautics and of engineering systems. On the MIT faculty since 1993, she directs the Institute’s Technology and Policy Program and MIT Portugal Program, and is co-director of the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics’ Man Vehicle Laboratory. She is a Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology faculty member, and a Margaret McVicar Faculty Fellow. Her research has included modeling human performance in low and micro-gravity conditions, examining the dynamics and control of astronaut motion, and the development of assisted walking devices for the physically handicapped. Perhaps her most prominent project has been development of the BioSuit, a skintight spacesuit that would give astronauts unprecedented comfort and freedom in exploration of planetary surfaces and extra-vehicular activity. After accepting the confirmation, Newman said, “It’s an enormous honor to serve at NASA in times when our country is extending humanity’s reach into space while strengthening American leadership here on Earth. I’m profoundly grateful to President Obama, the United States Senate, and Administrator Bolden — along with everyone at MIT. I can’t wait to come aboard.” http://amsat-uk.org/2015/05/16/new-nasa-deputy-administrator-is-a-radio-ham/ [ANS thanks 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, Joe Spier, K6WAO k6wao at amsat dot org -- -73 k6wao Joe Spier k6wao(a)amsat.net

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ANS-135 AMSAT News Service Special Bulletin - Fox-1 News From Dayton
by JoAnne Maenpaa 15 May '15

15 May '15

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE SPECIAL BULLETIN ANS-135 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: * Fox-1 News From Dayton * AMSAT FieldOps Team Fox-1 Operating Guide is Available SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-135.01 ANS-135 AMSAT News Service Special Bulletin AMSAT News Service Bulletin 135.01 >From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD. May 15, 2015 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-135.01 Fox-1 News From Dayton During the Dayton Hamvention, AMSAT Vice President Operations, Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA, and AMSAT Vice President - Engineering Jerry Buxton, N0JY, provided more information about the Fox-1 satellites under development. Buxton, N0JY, says Fox-1A has passed all environmental testing and is integrated into the P-POD deployment canister. "The 'remove before flight pin' has been pulled, the doors closed on the P-POD, and everything is aboard the shipping container now en route to Vandenberg Air Force Base in California for launch", said Buxton. Previously Buxton had announced plans to incorporate an L band receiver in Fox-1C and Fox-1D. The addition will allow ground commanded selection of the U/v (normal Fox-1 bands) or the new L/v 1.2 GHz (23 cm) mode. Both bands will operate as FM single channel. (See: http://www.amsat.org/?p=4000) During the satellite operations segment of the AMSAT Forum Glasbrenner provided the details of the uplink and downlink frequencies for the Fox-1 FM cubesat fleet. Fox-1 Frequencies Uplink FM (67 Hz tone) Downlink FM Fox-1A 435.180 MHz 145.980 MHz RadFxSat/Fox-1B* 435.250 MHz 145.960 MHz Fox-1C* 435.300 MHz 145.920 MHz 1267.300 MHz ** 145.920 MHz Fox-1D* 435.350 MHz 145.880 MHz 1267.350 MHz ** 145.880 MHz * Pending IARU Coordination, If needed, changes will be announced ** U/v and L/v operations switchable by command station, not operational simultaneously According to Buxton, the team is planning to have an affordable L band uplink ground station available to amateurs by the time Fox-1C is on orbit. + Fox-1A will launch on a NASA ELaNa flight scheduled during the third quarter, 2015 from Vandenberg AFB. Fox-1A is a passenger aboard this launch driven by the schedule of the primary payload. When updates are available with firm dates they will be announced via the ANS bulletins and in the AMSAT Journal. + Fox-1B will fly with the Vanderbilt University radiation experiments expected in 2016. + Fox-1C will launch on Spaceflight's maiden mission of the SHERPA multi-cubesat deployer on a SpaceX Falcon 9 flight planned for late 2015. + Fox-1D is a flight spare for Fox-1C. If not needed as a spare it will fly with the University of Iowa HERCI radiation mapping experiment. + Fox-1E "Evolution" will carry a Mode J linear transponder. The transponder is planned to be 30 kHz wide and will also have a 1200 bps BPSK telemetry beacon. Launch opportunities are being developed, to be announced at a later date. AMSAT has an immediate need to raise funds to cover both the launch contract and additional materials for construction and testing for Fox-1C. Please help us to continue to keep amateur radio in space. Donations may be made via the: + Paypal and credit card payment on the AMSAT website at http://www.amsat.org + Donation link in the AMSAT store: http://store.amsat.org/catalog/ + Call the AMSAT office at (888) 322-6728 [ANS thanks the AMSAT Engineering and AMSAT Operations Teams for the above information] -------------------------------------------------------------------- AMSAT FieldOps Team Fox-1 Operating Guide is Available AMSAT's Director of Field Operations, Patrick Stoddard, WD9EWK, invites you to view and download the "Fox-1 Operating Guide" which was released at the 2015 Dayton Hamvention. This color PDF file is designed to print double-sided. Two different resolution versions are available: + Low resolution PDF suitable for on-screen display (~400 KB size) + High resolution, press quality PDF for hard-copy printing (~2 MB size) To access these files visit the AMSAT web and follow the path: http://www.amsat.org --> Satellite Info --> Station and Operating Hints. The direct link is http://www.amsat.org/?page_id=2144 where you'll find the link to the Guide. [ANS thanks the AMSAT FieldOps Team for the above information] /EX

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ANS-130 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
by Lee McLamb 09 May '15

09 May '15

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-130 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: * Deadline for 2015 TAPR/AMSAT Banquet ticket is Tuesday, May 12th at 1800 EDT * AMSAT at Dayton Hamvention 2015 * Work Fox-1A at Dayton * Top 10 Reasons to Come to Dayton * 7th European CubeSat Symposium * ISS Ham Video transmitter now transmitting * NASA Hosts Media Call on Draft Solicitation for New Class of Launch Services SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-130.01 ANS-130 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins AMSAT News Service Bulletin 130.01 From AMSAT HQ Kensington, MD. May 10, 2015 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-130.01 Deadline for 2015 TAPR/AMSAT Banquet ticket is Tuesday, May 12th at 1800 EDT The speaker at the 2015 TAPR/AMSAT Banquet will be Michael Ossmann, AD0NR, on "Adventures of a Hacker Turned Ham." Tickets ($35 each) MUST be purchased online in advance at the AMSAT Store no later than 1800 EDT (2300 UTC) Tuesday, May 12th. Tickets will not be sold at the Hamvention or at the door. Tickets purchased online may be collected at the AMSAT booth (433-435, 444-446). More information may be found at http://www.amsat.org/?page_id=190. [ANS thanks Alan, WA4SCA, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- AMSAT at Dayton Hamvention 2015 The AMSAT theme for this year is "Year of The Fox", as we expect to launch both Fox-1A and Fox-1C in 2015 and we're announcing the plans for Fox-1D and Fox-1E. The AMSAT booth is in the same location inside the Ball Arena as last year, in booths 433-435 and 444-446. The Tracking Software Demos (433) and Engineering & Education (434-435) are across the aisle from the Beginner's Corner (444) and Membership, Books & Shirts (445-446). The closest entrance to the AMSAT booth is the Ball Arena entrance (Door 1) at the southeast corner of the building. The satellite QSO demonstrations will be outside across from the entrance to the Ball Arena. AMSAT Forum ----------- The AMSAT forum will be Saturday morning from 11:15 a.m. through 1:30 p.m. in Forum Room 5, close to the AMSAT booth. See the commercial vendor layout map in the Hamvention program or the Hamvention website for the location of Forum Room 5 (same as the last few years). The following speakers will be presenting at the AMSAT Forum: + Moderator: Alan Biddle, WA4SCA + "AMSAT Status Report." Barry Baines, WD4ASW, AMSAT-NA President, will highlight recent activities within AMSAT and discuss some of the challenges, accomplishments, and exciting projects of the organization. + "ARISS Report 2015" Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, AMSAT-NA Vice President for Human Spaceflight, will discuss ARISS development & operations on the International Space Station. + "AMSAT-NA Fox Satellite Program." Jerry Buxton, N0JY, AMSAT-NA Engineering Vice President, will discuss the upcoming launches of four Fox spacecraft and exciting new engineering developments. + "AMSAT Satellite Operations." Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA, AMSAT-NA Operations Vice President, will discuss current satellites, as well as those planned for launch in the next year. + "AMSAT's Skunk Works." Tom Clark, K3IO, AMSAT-NA President Emeritus, will discuss some innovative R&D items for future spacecraft. + "Amateur Satellites, Education, and You!" EMike McCardel, KC8YLD, AMSAT-NA Educational Relations Vice President, will discuss the resources and equipment which supports the educational goals of AMSAT-NA. On-the-air Satellite Demonstrations ----------------------------------- Keith Pugh, W5IU and other volunteers will be conducting satellite demonstrations during the Hamvention. They will be demonstrating satellite operation using a manual station to work all the currently available FM satellites and SSB satellites. Hamvention has provided us a nice fenced area right outside the Ball Arena entrance in which to do our satellite demonstrations. A schedule of satellite passes for the Hamvention will be available in the Beginner's Corner and in the demonstration area. [ANS thanks the AMSAT Dayton Hamvention Posse for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Work Fox-1A at Dayton Bring your HT to Dayton Hamvention, you can work each other on the Fox-1 engineering unit repeater at the AMSAT Engineering Booth! Uplink: 435.180 MHz FM, CTCSS 67.0 Hz Downlink: 145.980 MHz FM ± Doppler (which should be minimal) [ANS thanks Jerry Buxton, N0JY, AMSAT VP Engineering, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Top 10 Reasons to Come to Dayton 10. Rub shoulders with 25,000 of your best friends at the largest hamfest in the United States, including nearly all of the AMSAT Directors and senior officers. 9. Find out how to organize a contact with the astronauts on the International Space Station for your local school or youth group from our Education and ARISS experts. 8. Pickup the latest AMSAT golf shirts, T-shirts, and hats. Get your copy of the updated "Amateur Satellite Frequency Guide" (laminated frequency chart) and Gould Smith's just revised "Getting Started with Amateur Satellites" (book). We'll also have assembled wide-band preamps that are great for portable operation. 7. See the latest equipment from Icom, Yaesu, Kenwood, Flex, Alinco, M2, Arrow, and many other manufacturers of amateur radio equipment and accessories. Take advantage of discounted pricing you won't find anywhere else. 6. See demonstrations of SatPC32 and MacDoppler satellite tracking software, and get your operational questions answered. Meet Don Agro, author of MacDoppler (Friday & Saturday, 2-3 p.m.). See a demonstration of the LVB Tracker, a computer interface to the Yaesu azimuth-elevation rotors. Talk with Mike Young, who has built more LVB Trackers than anyone else. Assembled LVB Trackers will be available. 5. Hear the latest on the *five* Fox satellites, the geosynchronous rideshare opportunity, the International Space Station, other current and future satellites, Education news, and an AMSAT update at the AMSAT Forum Saturday, from 11:15 to 1:30. 4. Get one-on-one guidance on setting up your satellite station and making contacts at our "Beginner's Corner". Witness live demonstrations of contacts through satellites AO-7, FO-29, SO-50, AO-73, and the Fox-1C engineering model using handheld antennas. 3. Bring your dual-band HT and listen (on 2m FM) to the Fox-1A engineering model, and transmit through the model on 70cm. Meet and interact with some of the Engineering Team members working on the Fox-1 satellites. 2. Get satellite station and operating tips from some of the best satellite operators in the country, including John Papay K8YSE (1,405 grids confirmed), Doug Papay KD8CAO (1,045 grids), Drew Glasbrenner KO4MA (1,036 grids), Paul Stoetzer (444 grids), and Keith Pugh W5IU (ARISS Mentor). 1. Receive special premiums when you join or renew your AMSAT membership at Dayton, including an updated "Amateur Satellite Frequency Guide" (laminated frequency chart), an AMSAT pen/stylus, and special pricing on the SatPC32 satellite tracking software. [ANS thanks Steve, N9IP, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- 7th European CubeSat Symposium 7th European CubeSat Symposium that will take place at Liège (Belgium) on 9-11 September 2015. The Symposium is co-organized by the von Karman Institute and the University of Liege (Space Structures and Systems Laboratory). As in the previous years, the Symposium is open to all CubeSat community around the World. For more information and deadlines, please visit the symposium website www.cubesatsymposium.eu Please remember to submit your abstract before the 15th June 2015. If you are a student, please apply for the sponsorship before that date. The Symposium will be followed by a short course in astrodynamics organized by the University of Liège (more information at this link). [ANS thanks Dr. Masutti for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- ISS Ham Video transmitter now transmitting Friday May 1st, 2015 the Ham Video transmitter on board the Columbus module of the International Space Station was powered on and started transmitting in "Blank Transmission" (BT) mode. In this mode, the transmitter is operated without camera. The digital TV signal is fully formatted, but the content of the video is black and the content of the audio is at zero level. From a technical perspective, the BT signal is all that is needed for testing and fine tuning ground stations. The European network of chained ground stations is presently nearly complete. Six ground stations span the continent in "X" formation. For each ascending pass over Europe, four stations provide about ten minutes of solid copy and the same is true for descending passes: - Ascending passes: Lisbon (Portugal ==> Poitiers (France) ==> Casale Monferrato (North Italy ==> Kolo (Poland) - Descending passes : Cork (Ireland) ==> Poitiers (France) ==> Casale Monferrato (North Italy ==> Matera (South Italy. The chained ground stations are streaming the digital video to the BATC server (British Amateur Television Club). BATC set up a multiviewer page, accessible at: http://www.batc.tv/iss/ The page shows all six streams from the chained ground stations. Each view can be maximized to full screen and the audio of each stream can be set to level or muted. Presently, active stations stream technical data provided by the software developed by Jean Pierre Courjaud F6DZP. Several data are most interesting to observe: - the "constellations", which visualize the QPSK (quaternary PSK) modulated signal - the digital Signal/Noise ratio = MER (dB) (Modulation Error Ratio) - the control LEDs that change from red to green on decoding the digital signal. The Ham Video transmitter frequency is 2395MHz and the symbol rate is 2.0Ms/sec. More information is available at: http://www.ariss-eu.org/columbus.htm The Ham Video transmitter will stay on as long as on board operations permit. When the ground stations will be operating reliably, the Ham Video transmitter will be used to enhance ARISS school contacts. Uplink will remain VHF audio only. This operational mode is dubbed ARISS Ham TV. [ANS thanks Gaston, ON4WF, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- NASA Hosts Media Call on Draft Solicitation for New Class of Launch Services NASA's Launch Services Program has issued a draft Request for Proposal (RFP) for a new Venture Class Launch Services (VCLS), which would be commercial launch services for small satellites and experiments on science missions using a smaller than currently available class of rockets. NASA Logo NASA will host a media teleconference at 1 p.m. EDT Monday, May 11 to discuss this strategic initiative, the RFP and the expectation for this class of launch services. At present, launch opportunities for small satellites -- often called CubeSats or nanosatellites -- and small science missions are mostly limited to ride-share type arrangements, flying only when space is available on NASA and other launches. The Launch Services Program seeks to develop alternatives to this approach and help foster other launch services dedicated to transporting smaller payloads into orbit. The services acquired through such a contract will constitute the smallest class of launch services used by NASA. Participants in the media briefing are: Mark Wiese, chief, Flight Projects Branch, Launch Services Program Business Office, NASA's Kennedy Space Center Garrett Skrobot, mission manager, Educational Launch of Nanosatellites (ELaNa), Launch Services Program, NASA's Kennedy Space Center This solicitation, and resulting contract or contracts, is intended to demonstrate a dedicated launch capability for smaller payloads that NASA anticipates it will require on a recurring basis for future science and CubeSat missions. CubeSats already are used in markets, such as imagery collection and analysis. In the future, CubeSat capabilities will include abilities, such as ship and aircraft tracking, improved weather prediction, and broader Internet coverage. NASA intends to award one or more firm fixed-price VCLS contracts to accommodate 132 pounds (60 kilograms) of CubeSats a single launch or two launches carrying 66 pounds (30 kilograms) each. The launch provider will determine the launch location and date, but the launch must occur by April 15, 2018. To listen to the media teleconference, call 321-867-1220, 321-867-1240 or 321-867-1260 or listen online at: http://www.nasa.gov/newsaudio Media may participate in the briefing by calling the Kennedy Space Center news center at 321-867-2468 within 15 minutes prior to the start of Monday's teleconference to obtain a passcode for voice access. The draft RFP is open for written questions and comments from industry entities until Wednesday, May 20. The final RFP, if issued, is anticipated to be released in June. The draft RFP may be accessed at: http://go.nasa.gov/1KMTeDR For more information about NASA's CubeSat Launch Initiative, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/directorates/heo/home/CubeSats_initiative.html NASA's Launch Services Program is focused on assuring the availability of long- term launch services for NASA while also promoting the continued evolution of the U.S. commercial space launch market. The capability anticipated to meet the requirement for a smaller launch vehicle represents an emerging category of launch services. For more information about NASA's Launch Services Program, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/launchingrockets/index.html [ANS thanks NASA 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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