AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-298
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:
* FoxTelem 1.01 Released * ARISS-US Proposal Deadline Approaching * 2016 CubeSat Launch Initiative Opportunity * SAREX Reflector to be Closed 1 November 2015 * Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule * Astro Pi Launch Changed
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-298.01 ANS-298 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 298.01 From AMSAT HQ Kensington, MD. October 25, 2015 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-298.01
FoxTelem 1.01 Released
Version 1.01 of FoxTelem is being released. You can download it from: http://amsat.us/FoxTelem/windows http://amsat.us/FoxTelem/mac http://amsat.us/FoxTelem/linux
This is a patch release. If you already have 1.00 installed then download the file FoxTelem_1.01_patch.zip
Only two files have changed (plus the manual). Copy these files into your install directory - FoxTelem.jar - spacecraft/FOX1A_radtelemetry2.csv
You can also download the whole install file and install it in a new directory. You can use the settings menu to continue using your existing log files. Ask if you need assistance.
Lots has changed in this release and many bugs have been fixed. Please report any issues that you see.
Release notes: * Send the frames to both primary and secondary server, if required * Set the default fcd frequency to 145930 so that Fox-1A, Fox-1Cliff and Fox-1D will be in the passband * Allow user to select UDP or TCP for upload to the server (but use UDP for now please) * Shorten the period between passes so that graphs look continuous * Ignore duplicate high speed radiation frames - needed for processing data from the server * Do not change the FCD LNA or Mixer Gain. Leave unchanged. * Do not open the FCD unless the start button is pressed * Allow graphs to be hidden so that average or deriv is easier to see * Fixed a bug where the last 2 bytes of the radiation telemetry were not decoded correctly * Allow Vanderbilt radiation experiment to be graphed * Allow the gain to be set on the FCD (rather than hard coded) * Notify the user when a new release is available * Astro Pi Launch Changed
[ANS thanks Chris, G0KLA, for the above information]
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ARISS-US Proposal Deadline Approaching
The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) Program is seeking formal and informal education institutions and organizations, individually or working together, to host an Amateur Radio contact with a crew member on board the ISS. ARISS anticipates that the contact would be held between July 1 and December 31, 2016. Crew scheduling and ISS orbits will determine the exact contact dates. To maximize these radio contact opportunities, ARISS is looking for organizations that will draw large numbers of participants and integrate the contact into a well-developed education plan.
The deadline to submit a proposal is November 1, 2015.
The last of the information sessions will be offered Wednesday, September 30, at 2300 UTC. Advance registration is necessary. E-mail ARISS ([email protected]) to sign up.
More Information Interested parties can find more information about the program at www.ariss.org and www.arrl.org/ARISS.
For proposal information and more details such as expectations, proposal guidelines and proposal form, and dates and times of Information Sessions go to http://www.arrl.org/hosting-an-ariss- contact. Please direct any questions to [email protected]
[ANS thanks ARISS for the above information]
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2016 CubeSat Launch Initiative Opportunity
NASA has opened the next round of its CubeSat Launch Initiative to engage the growing community of space enthusiasts that can contribute to NASA's space exploration goals.
The CubeSat Launch Initiative gives students, teachers and faculty a chance to get hands-on flight hardware development experience in the process of designing, building and operating small research satellites. The initiative also provides a low-cost pathway to space for research in the areas of science, exploration, technology development, education or operations consistent with NASA's Strategic Plan.
Applicants must submit their proposals electronically by 4:30 p.m. EST, Nov. 24, 2015. NASA plans to select the payloads by Feb. 19, 2016, but selection does not guarantee a launch opportunity. Selected experiments will fly as auxiliary payloads on agency rocket launches or be deployed from the International Space Station beginning in 2016 and running through 2019. NASA does not provide funding for the development of the small satellites, and this opportunity is open only to U.S. nonpro?t organizations and accredited educational organizations.
For additional information about this opportunity and NASA's CubeSat Launch Initiative, visit http://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-opens-new-cubesat-opportunities-for-l... cost-space-exploration and http://www.nasa.gov/directorates/heo/home/CubeSats_initiative.html.
Questions about this opportunity should be directed to Jason Crusan at [email protected].
[ANS thanks NASA Education Express Message -- Oct. 22, 2015 for the above information]
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SAREX Reflector to be Closed 1 November 2015
At the request of the ARISS US Team, AMSAT-NA Vice President for Human Spaceflight Frank Bauer, KA3HDO has announced that the SAREX reflector will be closed 1 November 2015, and its functions folded into the AMSAT-BB list. Frank explained that at one time operations from the Space Shuttle and the ISS were considered as sufficiently different from other satellite operations as to need separate forums for their respective interest communities. More recently, changes in the human spaceflight operations, the new generation of satellites, and the interests of the general AMSAT community have removed the reasons for this distinction.
What does this mean to the current subscribers? If you are subscribed to both SAREX and AMSAT-BB, there is no need to take any action. You will cease to receive new postings on the SAREX list 1 November 2015, which will now be made on AMSAT-BB. The SAREX archives will continue to be available for historical purposes. If you are not subscribed to AMSAT-BB and wish to continue to receive human spaceflight announcements, please go to http://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo and subscribe to AMSAT-BB. Your existing SAREX subscription will not be automatically carried over since not everyone will wish to do so.
[ANS thanks Alan WA4SCA for the above information]
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Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule
Dearborn Public Schools, Dearborn, Michigan, USA, direct via K8UTT The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled astronaut is Kjell Lindgren KO5MOS Contact is a go for Option #3: Tue 2015-10-27 16:01:59 UTC 57 deg
Daggett Montessori School K-8, Fort Worth, Texas, USA, direct via K5COW The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled astronaut is Kjell Lindgren KO5MOS Contact is a go for Option #4: Thu 2015-10-29 14:12:56 UTC 31 deg
A listing of all scheduled school contacts, and questions, other ISS related websites, IRLP and Echolink websites, and instructions for any contact that may be streamed live is available at the following link. http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/arissnews.rtf
[ANS thanks Charlie, AJ9N, for the above information]
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Astro Pi Launch Changed
Two specially augmented Raspberry Pi’s called Astro Pi‘s were planned to fly with UK astronaut Tim Peake KG5BVI to the International Space Station (ISS) on December 15.
On the ISS the Astro Pi’s are planned to run experimental Python programs written by school-age students; the results will be downloaded back to Earth and made available online for all to see. It is hoped that subsequently one of them will be used to provide a video source for the amateur radio HamTV transmitter in the ISS Columbus module.
It appears the amount of cargo on Tim’s Soyuz flight was overbooked so the Astro Pi’s will instead fly to the ISS on an Orbital Sciences’ Cygnus cargo freighter. The launch is currently planned for December 3 at 22:48 UT on an Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral AFS in Florida.
Read the full story on the Raspberry Pi site https://www.raspberrypi.org/blog/astro-pi-mission-update-7-launch-vehicle- changed/
HamTV http://amsat-uk.org/satellites/hamtv-on-the-iss/
[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