AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-070.01
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:
* Robertsville Middle School Students Will Send a CubeSat into Space * Call for Volunteers - Dayton Hamvention * Maidenhead Grid EL58hx Activation Memorial Day Weekend 2018 * FJ, St. Barthelemy Operations April 19-27 * AMSAT-OSCAR 92 * Send Your Name to the Sun Aboard the Parker Solar Probe * Satellite Shorts From All Over
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-070.01 ANS-014.01 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 070.01
From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD.
March 8, 2018 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-070.01
Robertsville Middle School Students Will Send a CubeSat into Space
In November of last year, a team of Robertsville middle students, educators, and Oak Ridge scientists submitted a proposal to NASA for their Cube Satellite Launch Initiative (CSLI) in hopes of sending a student-designed nanosatellite named, "RamSat" into space. NASA's CSLI provides opportunities for small satellite payloads built by various schools and non-profit organizations to fly on upcoming launches. NASA provides CubeSat developers a low-cost pathway to conduct scientific investigations in space, enabling students, teachers, and industry partners to obtain hands-on development experiences.
In a letter received on March 2, 2018, we learned that our proposal for RamSat was accepted for participation in the CSLI, an initiative intended to provide launch opportunities during 2019, 2020, and 2021. CubeSats are auxiliary payloads on planned NASA, other U.S. Government, or commercial space flight missions, or deployments from the International Space Station. We learned that our payload is one of 21 satellites selected or prioritized for participation in the ninth CSLI selection. Our acceptance was also announced on NASA's website as RamSat, an education mission to develop and implement a middle school STEM curriculum for building a CubeSat.
Peter Thornton, one of the RamSat team leaders from Oak Ridge National Laboratory stated, "This is such an exciting opportunity for the students! They will now have the chance to design, build, carry out and own a satellite mission. They will be the mission scientists, the communication specialists, and the logistics experts. They will calculate orbits, learn to aim their satellite camera at selected targets on the ground, radio their commands to RamSat, and receive and interpret the digital data streams broadcast by RamSat, containing imagery and all the other important data gathered on- board. They'll be working as a team to identify and solve problems, and they will be working with NASA professionals to integrate RamSat into the launch and deployment missions. I can't think of a more exciting project to ignite the students' curiosity and passion for science and engineering."
The CSLI ride-share launch features spacecraft called nanosatellites. CubeSats are sized in units, and one unit (1U) is 10 cm x 10 cm x 10 cm. To participate in the CSLI program, CubeSat investigations must be in alignment with NASA's Strategic Plan. The Robertsville Middle School proposal aimed to demonstrate alignment by creating student-driven STEM-based lessons addressing educational development needs relevant to NASA's strategic goals. The students' targeted mission for their RamSat is to send a small camera and radio encased in a 2U nanosatellite that will relay data and images from space back to earth. With this information, students will study reforestation patterns of vegetation lost in forest fires. The student mission arose in response to a real-world connection they had to the Gatlinburg fires last year.
[ANS Thanks OAK RIDGE SCHOOLS OAK RIDGE, TN for the above information]
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Call for Volunteers - Dayton Hamvention The 2018 Hamvention will be held on May 18-20 2018 at Green County Fairground and Expo Center in Xenia Ohio. Planning is under way for AMSAT's participation, and we are looking for volunteers in the following areas: Volunteer Assistant, Publicity Assistant, Sales Assistant, Outdoor Demo Assistant, Facilities and Setup Assistant. Interested Hams should contact Team Leader Phil Smith via email at [email protected] for information.
[ANS Thanks Phil Smith, W1EME for the above information]
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Maidenhead Grid EL58hx Activation Memorial Day Weekend 2018
(Venice, LA, USA) Wyatt Dirks, AC0RA, and Clayton Coleman, W5PFG will travel to the mouth of the Mississippi River in far Southeast Louisiana to activate maidenhead gridsquare EL58hx on Memorial Day weekend, 2018. The primary activities will be on the 6m band and OSCAR satellites. This will be Wyatt's first activation of EL58 in Louisiana and Clayton's second. Both operators have conducted multiple, successful portable activations over the years, with Wyatt activating over 200 grid squares and Clayton over 150. Dates, the operating location in the grid, and transportation arrangements are confirmed.
The activation is scheduled to begin after 23:00 UTC on May 25 and will conclude by 20:00 UTC on May 27. All 6m operations will use the callsign AC0RA. All satellite operations will use the callsign W5PFG. HF operation will occur during slower periods on 6m and when there are no satellites in view. Those wishing to confirm HF contacts must do so via ARRL's Logbook of the World (LoTW.) 6m and Satellite confirmations will be available following the expedition on LoTW in addition to paper QSL's accompanied with a Self-Addressed, Stamped Envelope (SASE.)
Further information will be released prior to the expedition. For general inquiries contact Clayton, W5PFG, at [email protected]. For 6m operational questions contact Wyatt, AC0RA, at [email protected].
[ANS Thanks Clayton Coleman, W5PFG for the above information]
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FJ, St. Barthelemy Operations April 19-27
AI5P, N0KV, W0ZA and WD0E plan to operate from Pointe Milou, St. Barthelemy Island (IOTA NA-146/Grid Square FK87) from April 19-27, 2018. Operation will be on 80-10 meters (SSB/CW/ RTTY) with satellite operation by WD0E. Conditions may largely limit most activity to 20 meters and down. Operating 160 meters is being considered; however, no antenna option is yet finalized.
Satellite operation will take place on several satellites. A satellite and pass schedule will be announced on the AMSAT-bb in advance.
Equipment includes three Elecraft K3's and two 500 watt Elecraft amps. Antennas include a SteppIR crank IR vertical for 80-10 meters, a folding hexbeam by Folding Antennas (Germany) on 20-10 meters, LPDA's on 20 and 17 meters and verticals on 30 and 40 meters.
Operation will be as continuous as conditions warrant. The Colorado operators have decided to use FJ/N0KV as their callsign while AI5P will be active as FJ/AI5P.
FJ/N0KV logs will be updated to LOTW while Rick's logs (FJ/AI5P) will not since he continues to be an analog guy with an actual key and pen/paper log.
Paper QSLs will be available from both N0KV and AI5P direct and via the bureau.
Further: For satellite operation we plan to be on as many passes of as many satellites as possible focusing on the evening hours. Equipment will be an IC 910 and Arrow. On Montserrat in 2015 we were on FO-29 only. For St. Barts we will also operate some FM satellites. We will assemble a pass plan before we go and post it to this -bb. We will stick to that plan as much as possible but of course condi- tions may cause us adjust on the fly. The operating location has good visibility to the horizon from about the NW through N and E to the SE. Other directions are somewhat obscured. QSLs handled as written above.
[ANS thanks Jim White, WD0E for the above information]
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AMSAT-OSCAR 92
AO-92 operations are scheduled among the U/v FM repeater, L-Band Downshifter, Virginia Tech Camera, and the University of Iowa's High Energy Radiation CubeSat Instrument (HERCI). Please keep the uplink clear during passes with scheduled mode changes. For the week of 11-17 Mar 2018, the following mode changes are scheduled: Approximately 1420UTC 11Mar we will enable the L band uplink for ~24 hours Approximately 1625UTC 14Mar we will enable the VT camera and high- speed data for ~40 minutes. This is a central US and Mexico pass. Please be ready to copy high-speed data with FoxTelem, and keep the uplink clear at 1625UTC. All other times the U/v repeater will be open continuously.
[ANS Thanks Drew KO4MA, AMSAT VP Operations for the above information]
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Send Your Name to the Sun Aboard the Parker Solar Probe
NASA will send your name on a microchip to the Sun aboard the Parker Solar Probe mission due to launch in the Summer of 2018. The probe will fly through the Sun's atmosphere and you can go along for the ride.
To survive in the 2500° F solar environment the spacecraft and instruments will be protected by a 4.5-inch-thick carbon-composite shield. At its closest approach the probe will be flying at approximately 430,000 mph.
To submit your name follow the instructions starting at: http://parkersolarprobe.jhuapl.edu/The-Mission/Name-to-Sun/
To learn more about the mission visit: http://parkersolarprobe.jhuapl.edu/
[ANS thanks NASA and the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory for the above information]
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Satellite Shorts From All Over
+ Gridders, Bob K8BL be staying in grid EM32 for the next couple weeks and operating "holiday style" while visiting family. He can probably work out going to adjacent Grids upon request. Besides LA, TX and AR and OK are possibilities. QSOs will be in LoTW when I return home the end of March.
[ANS Thanks Bob K8BL, for the above information]
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+ I just wanted to thank Doug N6UA for his dedication to the hobby of Ham radio. Doug made an out of the way trip to nebraska to confirm the state for several of us who needed it for WAS LOTW. Doug fought 65 mph winds on the way and during the qso on Cas-4B . At times the howling was so bad that the audio was distorted , however Doug endured the elements and continued confirming the Grid/state for many of us. On the return home Doug encountered several semi accidents on I-25 . Thanks Doug for being so dedicated as to go out of your in bad weather to give a new grid or state to your fellow hams
[ANS Thanks Jack KC7MG and Alex Weimer, for the above information]
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+ N8FQ Satalite Sked page available for amateur use. http://n8fq.org/sked/mobile.php?board=sat
[ANS Thanks Joe, N3XLS for the above information]
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+ Watch the development of a homebrew VHF mast head preamp design by VU2POP https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTDkRRtWTk8
[ANS Thanks VU2POP for the above information]
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+ Information about China ham radio satellite to the moon https://amsat-uk.org/2016/11/18/lunar-amateur-radio-satellites-dslwp- a1a2/
[ANS Thanks AMSAT-UK for the above information]
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+ The schedule page at https://www.amsat.org/satellite-schedules/ has been updated for the coming week for AO-92 operations. We could use more stations feeding telemetry in auto or high-speed mode for the camera run on Wednesday!
[ANS Thanks Andrew Glasbrenner for the above information]
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+ All telemetry (image frames) received by anyone with FoxTelem are sent to the AMSAT server (if you have selected "upload to server") and used to construct a full image, in the same fashion that collecting many diverse telemetry frames provides a more complete record of satellite health and science data. So you may not see a whole image on your own FoxTelem, but you are helping everyone see the full image because you may capture a frame that no one else did. The more stations receiving, the better the chances for full images.
Set your FoxTelem for "auto" source on the Input Tab and pitch in. Thank you for being part of the fun and learning!
[ANS Thanks Jerry Buxton, NØJY, for the above information]
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+ AYMAN ISLANDS, ZF. Operators K0NR and KB9DPF will be QRV as ZF2NR and ZF2PF, respectively, from Grand Cayman Island from March 10 to 17. Activity will be holiday style on 40 to 10 meters using SSB and FT8. This includes some FM Satellite activity from grid square EK99. QSL to home calls.
[ANS Thanks ARLD011 DX news bulletin for the above information]
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/EX
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73, This week's ANS Editor, Chris Bradley, AA5EM aa5em at amsat dot org _______________________________________________
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