AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-058
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:
In this edition: * Electronic Nominating Procedures Announced for AMSAT-NA Elections * SA AMSAT Space Symposium on April 2, 2011 * SA-AMSAT Decides on UV Linear Transponder for Kletskous Payload * NASA ASSESSING NEW LAUNCH DATES FOR THE GLORY MISSION * Wide selection of Modes is scheduled for AO-51 * Satellite Shorts * ARRISS CONTACTS * Spectrum Management Bill Threatens 70cm Amateur Satellite Frequencies
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-058.01 Electronic Nominating Procedures Announced for AMSAT-NA Elections
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 058.01
From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
February 27, 2011 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-058.01
AMSAT has in the past required written submission of nominating petitions for the Board of Directors, usually gathered at hamfests or other meetings, to be received at the AMSAT office no later than June 15th. This procedure will remain available, unchanged, and is the preferred method.
However, in the decades since the founding of AMSAT, electronic com- munications, once limited to the few at government or other technical facilities, have become readily available. This has prompted a review of the nominating procedures used at comparable organizations.
Beginning with 2011 AMSAT Board of Directors election, a supplemental method, using electronic submissions, will be available.
This will be a two step process:
1. Preliminary nominating petitions may be made by FAX, PDF, or similar electronic means. As with the written version, this petition must be from one Member Society, or five AMSAT-NA members in good standing, and received at the AMSAT office by June 15th. This will allow nominations up to the last day to cover a last minute withdrawal or declaration of candidacy.
2. However, in accordance with the AMSAT Bylaws, there remains a requirement of a confirming written nominating petition. This must be received at the AMSAT office no later than 7 days after June 15th.
In effect, by submitting a petition electronically, you extend the deadline for the written petition to be received by 7 days. Elec- tronic submissions without this second, written petition are not valid under the existing AMSAT Bylaws. More extensive changes, for instance to a fully electronic method, will require an amendment of the Bylaws.
The addresses, FAX number, and requirements for submission will be provided in the formal call for nominations published in the AMSAT Journal.
Alan Biddle WA4SCA AMSAT Corporate Secretary
[ANS thanks AMSAT Corporate Secretary Alan Biddle, WA4SCA for the above information]
/EX
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-058.02 SA AMSAT Space Symposium on April 2, 2011
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 058.02 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. February 27, 2011 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-058.02
SA AMSAT Space Symposium on April 2, 2011
The 2011 SA AMSAT Space Symposium will be held in Gauteng on Saturday, April 2, 2011 at Vodaworld, Midrand in South Africa.
If you book before March 15 you receive a discount on the registration fee. Download the registration form from http://www.amsatsa.org.za/ Registration fee includes refreshments and lunch.
Symposium Highlights:
+ Keynote Address: Sandile Malinga CEO of SANSA + RaDAR- Rapid Deployed Amateur Radio + SA AMSAT Satellite projects: SAiSAT KLETSkous + The African Space Institute: the first year of blood, sweat and space. + Cryogenic receiver systems for the KAT-7 and MeerKAT projects + The CHEETAH-1 CSLV-Moving Toward Independent Access to Space for South Africa + CPUT - Student Satellite projects
[ANS thanks SA AMSAT for the above information]
/EX
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-058.03 SA-AMSAT Decides on UV Linear Transponder for Kletskous Payload
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 058.03 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. February 27, 2011 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-058.03
SA-AMSAT Decides on UV Linear Transponder for Kletskous Payload
SA-AMSAT has started the development of a Cubesat project. It has been named Project KLETSkous during its development phase. Once the satellite nears completion it is plannedto run a competition to decide on an applicable name for the satellite as was the case for SumbandilaSat.
Project KLETSkous reflects nicely on the mission and functionality of the satellite: "Klets" is an Afrikaans work for talking a lot. We want the Southern African radio amateurs to talk and operate much more via satellite. "Kous" is the Afrikaans word for a sock. The transponder that is planned for the satellite can also be re- ferred to as a "bent-pipe" transponder, aligning the idea to the "sock".
SA-AMSAT this week announced that the main payload on the KLETSkous CubeSat will be a linear UV transponder with a bandwidth of 20 kHz. The UV mode which is 70 cm uplink and 2 meter downlink was chosen in line with internationally recommended practice as it will mini- mize interference.
The aim is to have it operating over Africa without the need of an access tone to open the transponder to give Amateurs with modest equipment easy access to the satellite. For the rest of the world where the Amateur population is denser, tone access will be required to reduce unwanted interference even on 70 cm uplinks.
For educational purposes a beacon and parrot functionality may be highly desirable. Proposals for additional payloads will be consid- ered. It should however be remembered that the amount of available power is a limiting factor.
Fundraising for the project has started in all earnest and radio amateurs are invited to make contributions to the fund.
Visit http://www.amsatsa.org.za/KLETSkous.htm for bank details and more about the KLETSkous project.
[ANS thanks SA AMSAT for the above information]
/EX
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-058.04 NASA ASSESSING NEW LAUNCH DATES FOR THE GLORY MISSION
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 058.04 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. February 27, 2011 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-058.04
NASA ASSESSING NEW LAUNCH DATES FOR THE GLORY MISSION
[Editor Note: This is the launch from Vandenberg AFB that includes the University of Kentucky, University of Montana, and University of Colorado cubesats announced in ANS-051.]
WASHINGTON -- Preparations for the launch of NASA's Glory mission from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California have been suspended temporarily. Engineers continue to troubleshoot a malfunction in ground support equipment associated with the Taurus XL rocket.
On Feb. 23, a false indication was received about the rocket's status after commands were sent approximately 15 minutes before launch to activate the Taurus.
"We had an indication that a 'hold-fire' command was sent when indeed it had not," said Omar Baez, NASA launch director.
The commands originated from the Vehicle Interface Control Console in the mobile launch support van stationed a few miles from the launch pad. The problem has not yet been isolated, and trouble- shooting continues. Managers are evaluating possible Glory launch opportunities in early to mid-March.
"The Glory spacecraft is doing fine," reported Bryan Fafaul, Glory project manager from NASA's Goddard Space Flight in Greenbelt, Md. "We are continuing to slow charge the battery until we have a new launch date."
The Glory satellite will be launched aboard a Taurus on a mission to improve our understanding of how the sun and tiny atmospheric particles called aerosols affect Earth's climate. Glory launch management is provided by NASA's Launch Service Program at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Orbital Sciences Corp. is providing the Taurus XL launch vehicle and is responsible for spacecraft operations.
For status updates on the Glory launch, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/glory
[ANS thanks NASA for the above information]
/EX
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-058.05 Wide selection of modes is scheduled for AO-51
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 058.05 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. February 27, 2011 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-058.05
Here is the AO-51 schedule for the next few weeks. There is a little bit of something for everyone in here!
Keep in mind that the schedule is subject to change due to power budget and/or telemetry downloading.
AO-51 Mode Change Schedule(updated 2/27/11)
February 21 (~2145 UTC) [Eclipses should end around Feb. 24/25]
Dual Voice Repeaters : Mode V/U FM Voice Repeater (no PL tone needed) Uplink: 145.920 MHz FM Downlink 435.300 MHz FM
Mode L/U FM Voice Repeater (no PL tone needed) Uplink: 1268.703 MHz FM Downlink 435.150 MHz FM
March 1 (~1005 UTC)
Mode V/S Voice Repeater (no PL tone needed) Uplink: 145.880 MHz FM Downlink 2401.200 MHz FM
March 4 (~0945 UTC)
Mode V/U FM Voice Repeater (no PL tone needed) Uplink: 145.920 MHz FM Downlink 435.300 MHz FM
Mode L/U PacSat BBS Uplink: 1268.703 MHz FSK 9k6 baud Downlink 435.150 MHz FSK 9k6 baud
March 6 (~2115 UTC)
Mode L/SU FM Voice Repeater (no PL tone needed) Uplink: 1268.703 MHz FM Downlink1 2401.200 MHz FM Downlink2 435.300 MHz FM (low power)
March 11 (~1000 UTC) [Eclipses return around March 12/13]
Mode V/U FM Voice Repeater (no PL tone needed) Uplink: 145.920 MHz FM Downlink 435.300 MHz FM
Mode L/U PacSat BBS Uplink: 1268.703 MHz 9k6 baud Downlink 435.150 MHz 9k6 baud
As always, command stations may need to reconfigure modes in order to collect telemetry as needed.
Remember that power management may be running, and the transmitter(s) will shut OFF during periods of eclipse and/or low battery voltage.
73,
Mark N8MH AO-51 Command Team
[ANS thanks Mark, N8MH & Team for the above information]
/EX
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-058.06 Satellite Shorts
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 058.06 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. February 27, 2011 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-058.06
Satellite Shorts From All Over
+ David Jordan AA4KN's excellent article on working ARISSat-1 that was published in the February, 2011 issue of QST magazine is available for download: http://tinyurl.com/work-arissat1 It is a 1.1MB .pdf document. (Thanks Clint, K6LCS)
+ Roscosmos has announced that ARISSat-1, still inside the ISS will be turned on using an external antenna on Yuri's Night, April 12, 2011 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin's first manned space flight. AMSAT will support this event and issue certificates to those stations reporting reception of the ARISSat-1 signals. Yuri's Night is a global event with more information available on-line at: http://yurisnight.net/
+ Listen for possible satellite operation from the Camb-Hams DXpedition from the Isle of Arran (Grid IO75HO) between May 1-8, 2011. Their latest information can be found on-line at: http://dx.camb-hams.com/
+ The next Hudson Valley Satcom Net date is Thursday, March 3 at 8PM EST (UTC-5) on the 146.970MHz Repeater (-600;Pl 100) and on the echolink node of N2EYH-L. More info: http://www.hvsatcom.org (Stu,WA2BSS)
+ The Florida AMSAT net is held every Thursday evening at 7:30pm Eastern Time (UTC-5). Many Florida repeaters are connected together for this net but others are welcome to join by using the AMSAT Echolink Confer- ence Node. Mike N4HHA is usually the moderator. Bring your questions and news items to share. (John K8YSE/4)
+ Several videos of the innovative KySat-1 CubeSat are available: http://tinyurl.com/4zodwy8 (SouthGateARC)
+ Movies of Comet Tempel 1 encounter by Stardust-NExT can be viewed at: http://tinyurl.com/4tnbwan (UniverseToday.com)
[ANS thanks everyone for the above information]
/EX
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-058.07 ARISS Contacts
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 058.07 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. February 21, 2011 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-058.07
1. Upcoming School Contacts
Preston North East Primary School in Preston, Victoria, Australia scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Tuesday, February 22 at 08:04 UTC via telebridge station W5RRR in Houston was successful. Students in Grades 5 and 6 have been engaged in an integrated unit of work that focuses on Earth and the Solar System. The students have been learning why we are able to live on Earth and why other planets are not suitable to sustain human life.
Nishibori Eizaburo Memorial Explorer Museum Radio Club, located in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Tuesday, February 22 at 09:12 UTCwas also successful. The radio club is an independent club that will use the museum facilities for this event. Children are learning about the ISS mission and space science and it is hoped that the contact will pique student interest in science and space technology.
2. Successful ARISS Contacts Held
Students from Matsubara High School, located in Matsubara, Osaka, Japan, experienced an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact with U.S. astronaut Cady Coleman, KC5ZTH on Monday, February 14. The contact, which highlighted lessons on radios and the ISS, was attended by approximately 200 people. Media representatives from 3 newspapers, one radio station and 3 television stations, including NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation) covered the event.
On Thursday, February 17, students attending "Claudio Varalli," and "Salvador Allende" High Schools in Milano, Italy participated in an ARISS contact with ESA astronaut Paolo Nespoli, IZØJPA on the ISS. Telebridge station W5RRR in Houston handled the connection. Varalli, which has both a technical school and a secondary school that focuses on foreign languages, has a radio club station, IZ2SHS that is used to practice languages. "Salvador Allende" emphasizes three courses of study in science, humanities and accounting. More than 100 students, teachers and visitors attended the event and listened as Nespoli fielded 16 questions posed to him by the students. Regional and local media covered the contact, which was available on EchoLink and streamed on the Web.
An ARISS contact was held between youth visiting Experiencing Learning, "Imparare Sperimentando," in San Quirino, Italy and on-orbit astronaut Paolo Nespoli, IZ0JPA on Saturday, February 19 via station LU8YY in Argentina. A crowd of approximately 400 people gathered at Imparare Sperimentando, an interactive exhibition that covers a wide variety of physics experiments and science, and watched as the students asked 16 questions of the astronaut. Regional and local media covered the event. The audio was fed into EchoLink and streaming video was provided by AMSAT-Italia.
3. Kentucky Standard Says ARISS Inspires Students to Study Science
The Kentucky Standard Editorial Board printed an article about the recent ARISS - Foster Heights Elementary School contact, made possible with the help of Nelson County Area Technology Center students, and how this activity
inspires children to learn more about science and technology. The story talks about how the radio contact fits in with President Barack Obama's recent State of the Union address on how the nation needs to encourage students to learn and excel, especially in math and science. See: http://www.kystandard.com/content/space-contact-may-increase-science-and-mat h-interest
4. ARISS International Team Meeting Held
The ARISS International Team met for its monthly teleconference on Tuesday, February 15. Discussions included the upcoming ARISS-I face to face meeting, as well as status reports on Columbus Module projects and ARISSat-1 plans. Minutes have been posted to the ARISS Web site.
https://www.rac.ca/ariss/arisstel2011-02-15.htm
5. AMSAT - ARISSat-1 Updates
On February 20, the AMSAT (Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation) News Service
bulletin (ANS-051) provided a status on ARISSat-1. Roscosmos has delayed the
deployment of ARISSat-1 until the next Russian EVA scheduled in July. On April 12, the crew will connect the satellite, while still inside the ISS, to an external antenna and turn it on in celebration of the 50th anniversary of Gagarin's first manned spaceflight. For more information, see: http://amsat.org/pipermail/ans/2011/000488.html
6. ARRL - Doug Wheelock will be Guest at Dayton Hamvention
The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) posted a story in its February 17 ARRL Letter about astronaut Doug Wheelock's plans to attend the Dayton Hamvention
which will be held May 20-22, 2011. Wheelock will talk about his stay on the
ISS, his contacts with school children and his many general contacts with hams. For the full story, "Astronaut Doug Wheelock, KF5BOC, to Be Guest of ARRL and AMSAT at Hamvention,®" go to: http://www.arrl.org/news/astronaut-doug-wheelock-kf5boc-to-be-guest-of-arrl- and-amsat-at-hamvention
7. Astronaut Training Status
Three astronauts were given the ARISS Basic Operations class this past week.
Kevin Ford, KF5GPP (Expedition 33), Chris Cassidy (Expedition 35) and Akihiko Hoshide, KE5DNI (Expedition 32) all participated in the training sessions.
8. Amateur Radio Newsline Covers ARISSat
On February 18, the Amateur Radio Newsline Report 1749 posted the story, "Ham Radio in Space: ARISSat-1 Deployment Delayed until July." The story covers the recent events affecting the satellite. See: ftp://ftp.arnewsline.org/quincy/News/news.txt
[ANS thanks Carol, KB3LKI, for the above information]
/EX
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-058.08 Spectrum Management Bill Threatens 70cm Amateur Satellite Frequencies
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 058.08 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. February 27, 2011 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-058.08
Spectrum Management Bill Threatens 70cm Amateur Satellite Frequencies
The ARRL and AMSAT are closely monitoring progress on a new bill HR-607, the Broadband for First Responders Act of 2011, introduced by Representative Peter King (R-NY-3), Chairman of the House Home- land Security Committee. At present the bill has been referred to the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which handles telecommun- ications legislation.
Several blocks of spectrum are proposed for auction. There are sev- eral bills in Congress providing for the allocation of the D-Block (758-763 and 788-793 MHz) for Public Safety use, and HR-607 is one of those.
But HR-607 uniquely provides for the reallocation of other spectrum for auction to commercial users, in order to offset the loss of revenue that would occur as the result of the allocation of the D-Block to Public Safety instead of commercial auction. The band of 420-440 MHz is listed among the bands to be reallocated for commercial auction within 10 years of passage of HR-607.
A full article on this topic is posted on the ARRL web at: http://tinyurl.com/4prgouq (arrl.org)
[ANS thanks the ARRL 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, Dee Interdonato, NB2F Nb2f at amsat dot org