AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-295
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.
Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to: [email protected]
In this edition:
* Japanese HITSAT Designated as HO-59 * AO-27 Still Silent * OSCAR-11 Heard Again * Tax Deductible Gifts to AMSAT * Satellite DX Opportunities for Africa and Asia * Good News From Ariane 5 Launch * NASA Offers Challenge to K-12 Students * ARISS Status for the Week of October 16, 2006
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-295.01 Japanese HITSAT Designated as HO-59
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 295.01 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. October 22, 2006 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-295.01
AMSAT's OSCAR Designation Coordinator, Bill Tynan, W3XO announced this week that the Japanese HITSAT satellite has been given an OSCAR number.
Bill wrote to the HITSAT Team at the Hokkaido Institute of Technology, "By the authority vested in me by the AMSAT-NA President, I am pleased to issue an OSCAR number for the HIT-SAT amateur radio satellite. From what I can determine, HIT-SAT complies with all of the requirements for an OSCAR number. Therefore, HIT-SAT will henceforth be known as HIT-SAT-OSCAR-59 or HO-59."
Bill concluded with, "AMSAT-NA and I wish to congratulate you and your entire team for the successful construction, testing and launching of HIT-SAT. Your work inspires others to follow your lead."
The CubeSat has the callsign JR8YJT. At present it is transmitting CW telemetry on 437.275 MHz with a transmitter power of 100 mW. The 1200 baud FM Packet downlink on 437.425 MHz is active only when the satellite is over Japan.
Once it's fully operational, HIT-SAT will permit Earth station opera- tors to request certain parameters by transmitting DTMF commands on the 145.980 MHz uplink. The satellite can report back time/date, temp- erature and power supply voltages and thank the Earth station by call sign. Only HIT-SAT ground station controllers can access the satellite at this point, however.
[ANS thanks Bill Tynan, W3XO for the above information]
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SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-295.02 AO-27 Still Silent
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 295.02 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. October 22, 2006 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-295.02
Michael, N3UC, one of AO-27's controllers reported on October 17, "For the last 5 weeks ground controllers have been trying to contact AO-27. At this point we have not been able to turn it on. We still have a few tricks that we are planning on trying but these take time. We are hoping that we can re-establish communications. At this time, we don't have an estimate for when AO-27 will be back on the air. The satellite is now in its 14th year on orbit. We will continue to try to recover AO-27 until we run out of ideas."
AO-27 was last heard in May 2006 prior to its entering its eclipse season. When the satellite's solar cells were not receiving enough illumination it meanth the batteries are dropping below the watchdog values and turning off the controller schedule.
The latest AO-27 information can be found on-line at: http://www.ao27.org.
[ANS thanks Michael, N3UC for the above information]
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SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-295.03 OSCAR-11 Heard Again
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 295.03 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. October 22, 2006 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-295.03
Clive, G3CWV reports that OSCAR-11 is back! He said, "It was first heard by Peter ZL3TC, October 18, and later by Paul KB5MU. It had been silent since August 26. Many thanks for those reports."
OSCAR-11 requires illumination of its solar panels to work. Clive continued, "I heard very strong signals on October 19 07:28 UTC pass. If the watchdog cycle continues to operate normally, the 145.826 MHz. beacon should transmit until around 28 October."
More OSCAR-11 information can be found at Clive's website: http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/clivew/
[ANS thanks Clive, G3CWV for the above information]
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SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-295.04 Tax Deductible Gifts to AMSAT
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 295.04 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. October 22, 2006 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-295.04
Gunther, W8GSM, AMSAT Treasurer said this week, "Often AMSAT members have asked if they can make a contribution to AMSAT via their local United Way drive?"
According to Leslie J. Talley, Director, Community and Public Sector Workplace Campaigns at the National U-W office who informed Gunther that there are NO national agencies within U-W. Every agency that wishes to be eligible to receive donations must go through that local U-W campaign office and seek approval.
Gunther continues, "With that in mind, I would encourage anyone who wishes to make such a gift to call their local U-W director and ask if they will allow such a gift to AMSAT. AMSAT does not have the staff to canvas the country and establish these hundreds of relation- ships."
One alternative is to just reduce your U-W gift and write a check to AMSAT. Both are tax deductible as charitable donations. (Check with your individual tax advisor to review your specific circumstances and deductibility).
U.S. Federal Employees - Again this year AMSAT is a member of the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC). The mission of the CFC is to promote and support philanthropy through a program that is employee focused, cost-efficient, and effective in providing all federal employees the opportunity to improve the quality of life for all. As the world's largest and most successful annual workplace giving campaign, each year, more than 300 CFC campaigns throughout the country and internationally help to raise millions of dollars for eligible non-profit organizations.
Gunther Meisse, AMSAT treasurer has announced that any Federal employee can make a contribution to your Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation when they complete their pledge for 2006.
AMSAT is listed as Agency Number CFC 2944
Your contribution directly supports AMSAT's educational outreach and satellite construction projects including work on AMSAT-Eagle. Pledges may be made by Federal civilian, postal and military donors during the campaign season.
The campaign runs from September 1st to December 15th, 2006.
To learn more about CFC visit the CFC website at: http://www.opm.gov/cfc/
[ANS thanks Gunther, W8GSM for the above information]
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SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-295.05 Satellite DX Opportunities for Africa and Asia
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 295.05 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. October 22, 2006 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-295.05
Nicolas F4EGX announced he will be active on satellites during his travel to the Archipelago of Crozet from Possession Island between mid-November to early December 2006. During his spare time, he will operate FT1WM on the amateur radio satellites.
South Africa, Madagascar, Mauritius and the Antarctic will be within range for contacts from Crozet via AO-51, SO-50, and the ISS reapeter if it is active. Possible digital activity via ISS or PCSAT-1 will be attempted.
More information is available at: http://f4avi.homelinux.net/f4egx/cro2006.html.
A satellite DX opportunity for Asian satellite operators was received this week. The TAMSAT Group and Siam DX Group have announced a trip to Cambodia during November 20-26, 2006. The group will use an XU7 callsign from Seehanuview or Kumpongsom. QSOs are planned for the FO-29, SO-50, AO-51, and VO-52 in CW, SSB, FM modes, as appropriate. Additional information will be available on the group's website at: http://www.tamsat.org/bb.
[ANS thanks Nicolas, F4EGX for the Crozet information and Tanan, HS1JAN for the Cambodia information]
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SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-295.06 Good News From Ariane 5 Launch
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 295.06 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. October 22, 2006 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-295.06
The fourth Ariane 5 launch Of 2006 performed flawlessly. On 13 October 2006, an Ariane 5 ECA launcher lifted off from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana on its mission to place two satellites into geostationary transfer orbits and deploy a demonstration antenna. The satellites were accurately injected into the correct transfer orbits about 30 minutes later.
The payload satellites were DIRECTV 9S, which will supply television broadcast services to the contiguous United States of America, Alaska and Hawaii, and Optus D1, which will provide fixed communications and satellite broadcast services over Australia and New Zealand.
The mission also carried an additional passenger, mounted on the Ariane Structure for Auxiliary Payloads (ASAP) platform at the base of the payload stack. The Japanese Space Agency's LDREX-2, a 1/25th scale version of an antenna that will be used on the ETS-8 engineering test satellite, was flown to validate the deployment process of the lightweight reflector.
[ANS thanks SpaceDaily.com for the above information]
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SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-295.07 NASA Offers Challenge to K-12 Students
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 295.07 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. October 22, 2006 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-295.07
The International Space Station is growing, and NASA's Node 2 is the next U.S. pressurized module scheduled for installation on the orbiting laboratory. The node will provide more room for station crews to live and work, but it needs a name.
Students in kindergarten through grade 12 attending U.S. schools and children of American personnel overseas are being asked to help NASA name the module and become part of the history of the station. The module is at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla., and is targeted for launch in late 2007. The node will be a connecting port and passageway to additional international science labs and space supply vehicles. It also will be a work platform for the station's robotic arm.
Name the International Space Station Node 2 Challenge requires students to work together as a class or school to create their own Node 2 model. Students will name their node, write a brief description explaining the choice and take digital pictures to send to NASA.
The submitted image of the model will not be judged, but it will be the ticket to enter the name challenge. Submissions will be reviewed by a panel of NASA scientists, engineers and educators. The deadline to submit model images and names is Dec. 1. The winning entry will be announced in early 2007. To register a school or class, teachers or administrators should send an email to: [email protected].
For information about Node 2, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/structure/elements/node2.html
For additional information about the Space Station Node 2 Challenge, visit: http://esc.nasa.gov
[ANS thanks NASA for the above information]
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SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-295.08 ARISS Status for the Week of October 16, 2006
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 295.08 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. October 22, 2006 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-295.08
1. Upcoming School Contacts
The school contact that was tentatively planned for the end of October was not approved due to the Progress 23P docking and related activities. ARISS continues to work on scheduling school contacts for Expedition 14.
2. ARISS International Meeting Held
The ARISS International Team meeting was held in San Francisco on Monday and Tuesday, October 9 – 10 and a SuitSat-2 technical discussion took place on October 8. Presentations given included delegate reports from each region, onboard radio systems, and slow scan television (SSTV). Minutes and presentations will be posted to the AMSAT and ARISS websites in the near future.
3. Expedition 13 Crew Debrief
The ARISS-U.S. team has compiled questions for the crew debrief with Jeff Williams, KD5TVQ. ARISS-Russia expects to speak with the crew this week.
[ANS thanks Carol, KB3LKI for the above information]
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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, JoAnne Maenpaa, K9JKM K9JKM at amsat dot org