AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-329
ANS is a free, weekly, news and information service of AMSAT North America, The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS 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.
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In this edition: * AMSAT-DL asks and receives assistance to maintain the ZEL for another year * AMSAT at two hamfests 01 December 2007 * Satellite Shorts From All Over * ARISS Status - 19 November 2007
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-329.01 AMSAT-DL asks and receives assistance to maintain the ZEL for another year
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 329.01 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. November 25, 2007 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-329.01
Earlier this year the Directors of AMSAT-DL were informed by the University of Marburg in Germany that it had been decided that funding for the ZEL by the University would cease at the end of 2007. The Directors approached AMSAT-NA and AMSAT-UK for financial assistance in keeping the ZEL open for another year. The sum of 25,000 Euros was requested.
At recent meetings of the AMSAT-NA Board and of the AMSAT-UK Committee, it was agreed that both would contribute to the donation. Given the relative sizes of the two donating AMSAT groups it was agreed that AMSAT-NA would donate 75% of the money required, and that AMSAT-UK would donate 25%.
The ZEL (Zentrales Entwicklungslabor fur electronic, roughly translated as the Central Development Laboratory for Electronics) has been the facility which, over the last 40 years, has been at the centre of much amateur satellite development activity by members of the University, members of AMSAT-DL, as well as other members of AMSAT from outside Germany. The most famous satellite to be produced there was OSCAR-13 which gave the Amateur Radio Community many years of excellent service.
Currently under construction is Phase 3E, a satellite similar in size and shape to OSCAR-13, but with many advanced features. It will carry a 70 cms to 2 metre band transponder, as well as transponders on other bands. Importantly it will carry its own rocket motor which will boost its orbit into a highly elliptical one, which will give world wide coverage, allowing ordinary radio amateur great DX possibilities through the transponders. Radio Amateurs have not had such a satellite since the demise of AO-40 in March 2004.
The P3E satellite is still under construction in the ZEL, and its completion is anticipated for sometime in 2008. It is note worthy that some of the personnel employed by the University to work in the ZEL have undertaken to continue working on P3E as volunteers.
Links: Pictures of the ZEL http://www.uk.amsat.org/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=32
[ANS thanks Jim, G3WGM, for the above information]
/EX
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-329.02 AMSAT at two hamfests 01 December 2007
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 329.02 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. November 25, 2007 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-329.02
AMSAT will be represented at two hamfests over the weekend of 01 December 2007.
Patrick, WD9EWK, will be manning at table at the Superstition ARC Hamfest Hamfest in Mesa, AZ. This hamfest is at Mesa Community College. In addition to the AMSAT table there will be AO-51 demonstrations in the morning. Hamfest details can be found at http://wb7tjd.org/hamfest/
Across the country at the Tampa Hamfest in Palmetto (Bradenton), FL, Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA, AMSAT's VP of Operations will be manning the AMSAT booth and conducting demos. Executive VP Lee McLamb, KU4OS, will be leading the forum session at 11AM Saturday with several speakers to provide information on current and future satellites. Info on the Tampa hamfest can be found at http://www.fgcarc.org/ .
[ANS thanks Patrick, WD0EWK and Drew, KO4MA for the above information]
/EX
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-329.03 Satellite Shorts From All Over
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 329.03 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. November 25, 2007 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-329.03
+ Robert, G8ATE reports he has obtained the special callsign GB0OO Golf Bravo Zero Oscar One. The special events station will be active on the amateur radio satellites between December 12 through December 16. GB2NSC at the National space centre in Leicester, England may be on the air as well.
+ Jeff, KE9V captured Gerd, WB8IFM manning the AMSAT booth and speaking at the AMSAT forum at the Ft Wayne, Indiana Hamfest. http://ke9v.smugmug.com/photos/222644028-L.jpg http://ke9v.smugmug.com/photos/222648515-L.jpg
+ Henk, PA3GUO reports the ANDE De-Orbit website, created by Mike, DK3WN is on-line at: http://www.ande-deorbit.com. Additional information about ANDE can be found at: http://web.ew.usna.edu/~bruninga/ande-ops.html http://web.ew.usna.edu/~bruninga/ande/ande-tlm.txt
+ A view of the work in progress at AMSAT-NA's new satellite int- gration lab in Maryland can be seen at: http://n4hy.smugmug.com/gallery/3841264
[ANS thanks everyone for the above information]
/EX
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-329.04 ARISS Status - 19 November 2007
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 329.04 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. November 25, 2007 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-329.04
1. ARISS School Contacts Status
Due to the very demanding schedules of the crew onboard the ISS, no Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contacts have been planned at this time. The ARISS team expects contacts to resume once STS-122 launches in December.
2. Columbus Module Installed in Atlantis Payload Bay
Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) antennas were installed on the nadir of the Columbus Module in October. The Columbus Module has been moved to the Atlantis payload bay in preparation for a December 6 launch. An article has been posted on the ARISS-Europe Web site. See: http://www.ariss-eu.org/2007_11_18.htm
3. Amateur Radio Day Article
Midlakes Intermediate School participated in Amateur Radio Day on November 2 in celebration of Pam Melroy’s STS-120 mission. The local paper ran an article on the event. See: http://www.mpnnow.com/news/x9494626
4. Video Posted of Pontes Radio Contact
The first Brazilian astronaut Marcos Pontes, PY0AEB, flew on the ISS in April, 2006. He participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact and made a few radio contacts with the public. Fabiano Moser, PY5RX, was one of those who spoke with Pontes. Upon returning to Earth, Pontes presented Fabiano with a gift during a public speech in Bauru, Brazil commemorating his ISS contact. A video of Pontes during the radio contact with Fabiano was recorded by US astronaut Bill McArthur on the ISS. The video may be found on this website: http://iss.ontwikkel.nl
5. ARISS Mentioned in QST
The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) covered Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) in its December issue of QST. Under "Media Hits" (page 12) is a paragraph about the Macomb Daily and the Detroit Free Press -- two articles talking about the September ARISS contact with Martin Luther King Academy in Mount Clemens, Michigan. On page 62 is a section about the ARRL/TAPR (Tucson Amateur Packet Radio) 26th Annual Digital Communications Conference held on September 28-30, in Hartford, Connecticut. A list is given on the presentation topics, including a talk on SuitSat-2. Also on page 62-63 is an article: "Hams Named to Key NASA Positions" listing Ellen Ochoa, KB5TZZ, named as deputy director at JSC, and Bob Cabana, KC5HBV, named director of NASA Stennis Space Center.
[ANS thanks Carol, KB3LKI, for the above information]
/EX
In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership in the President's Club. Members of the President's Club, as sustaining donors to AMSAT Project Funds, will be eligible to receive additional benefits. Application forms are available from the AMSAT Office.
73, This week's ANS Editor, Lee McLamb, KU4OS ku4os at amsat dot org