AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-025

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:

ans-editor@amsat.org

In this edition: * GOSAT + Six SatPals Successfully Launched By Japan * SKN Best Fist Winners * Latest AMSAT Awards * ARISS Status - 19 January 2009

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-025.01 GOSAT + Six SatPals Successfully Launched By Japan

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 025.01 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. January 25, 2009 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-025.01

GOSAT + Six SatPals Successfully Launched By Japan

JAXA GOSAT launch site Japan has launched a satellite whose focus will be to observe the concentration distribution of greenhouse gases from space. The launch of the Ibuki satellite (also known by GOSAT - Greenhouse Gases Observing Satellite) took place on January 23rd at 03:54 UTC from the LP1 launch platform of the Yoshinubo launch complex on Tanegashima. Ibuki has a approximate mass of 1750 kg. Is equipped with two solar panels that generate 3.8 kW. The satellite will operate for 5 years on a sun-synchronous sub-recurrent orbit with a inclination of 98 degrees. The small satellites with Amateur Radio capabilities launched with this satellite are SDS-1, SOHLA-1, SPRITESAT, PRISM, KKS-1, STARS-1, and the KAGAYAKI. Further information, frequencies and keplerian data can be found on the AMSAT website. We have some new stars to be pointing to and check the website often as more information is passed on.

[ANS thanks Masa, JN1GKZ,for the above information]

/EX

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-025.02 SKN Best Fist Winners

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 025.02 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. January 25, 2009 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-025.02

Many thanks to all who participated in AMSAT's Straight Key Night on OSCAR 2009. Thanks in large part to the popularity of AO-51, we have a record 24 Best Fist winners this year. Participation outside North America was especially high, especially in Asia, a trend which we hope will continue.

The following amateurs each received at least one Best Fist nomination from someone they worked:

AA5PK, I6IBE, JA1COU, JA0CAW, JE4QGF, JG5WLV, JM1LRA, JN1UEP/4, JO3MQY, JR0EFE, K8DID, K9QHO, K0RJS, KN4OK, N3TL, N4ZQ, N5AFV, N7EQF, W6ASL, WA6ARA, WA8HOK, WA8SME, 9A5YY, 9M6YBG

See you next year!

73,

Ray W2RS

[ANS thanks Ray Soifer, W2RS, for the above information]

/EX

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-025.03 Latest AMSAT Awards

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 025.03 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. January 25, 2009 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-025.03

We are starting the New Year with a new U.S. President and a few new award recipients. A couple of these awards were issued at the end of 2008.

We would like to welcome the following to the satellite community. They have made their first satellite contact and are now members of the AMSAT Satellite Communicators Club.

Gail McDaniel, KB0RZD Thomas Lepley, KX3TL

The following have earned the AMSAT Satellite Communications Achievement Award.

Ivo Brungera, I6IBE, #476 Clayton Freund, WB5TOI, #477 Gail McDaniel, KB0RZD, #478 Joe Seibert, AL1F, #479

The following have earned the AMSAT South Africa Satellite Communications Achievement Award.

Ivo Brugnera, I6IBE, #US128 Gail McDaniel, KB0RZD, #US129

To see all the awards visit http://www.amsat.org or http://www.amsatnet.com

Bruce Paige, KK5DO AMSAT Director Contests and Awards

[ANS thanks Bruce, KK5DO, for the above information]

/EX

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-025.04 ARISS Status - 19 January 2009

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 025.04 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. January 25, 2009 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-025.04

1. Upcoming School Contacts

Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario in Ottawa, Canada was successful via Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Tuesday, January 20 at 18:06 UTC via telebridge station ON4ISS in Belgium. A space club has been formed at the hospital and those children participating in the club have learned about the ISS via videos, the internet and guest speakers. They learned to use correct radio protocol and have tracked and plotted the course of the ISS. They have also created artwork displayed during the contact. Media coverage of the event was a success.

An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for Castor Valley Elementary School in Greely, Ontario, Canada on Tuesday, January 27 at 19:30 UTC. A space club has been formed at the school for grades 1-8. Students from this group will ask questions of the astronaut. Students have learned about the ISS via video, internet and through guest speakers. They have been taught the correct radio protocol and have tracked and plotted the course of the ISS. All classes have taken part in space projects and activities. Media, members of the community, the school board and other dignitaries have been invited to attend.

An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled with CERAM EAI in Sophia Antipolis, Alpes Maritimes, France. The contact will take place on Thursday, January 29 at 14:54 UTC via telebridge station VK4KHZ in Australia. CERAM University conducts research projects in aviation, engineering and IT. Amateur radio communication has been introduced to students to prepare for the contact. Newspaper and television coverage is anticipated and webcast retransmission is possible.

Ecole & Collège Jean XXIII, a private primary & secondary school in Pamiers, France, will experience an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Friday, January 30 at approximately 13:08 UTC. Five hundred students, ages 3 to 15 years old, attend the school. Students in the third cycle classes (3rd - 5th grades) and those in their second year of secondary school have studied radio communications. Radio operators from "l'Institut de Développement des Radiocommunications par l'Enseignement" (IDRE) have introduced radio technology to the children. Topics covered included remote command use, introduction to Morse code, ham radio phone contact, distress beacon search, electronic kits, and different ham radio station possibilities. This ARISS activity has been incorporated into the educational subjects of Astronomy, History of Space Exploration, Geography and Writing.

2. Richard Garriott Debrief

An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program debriefing session was held with spaceflight participant Richard Garriott, W5KWQ, on Tuesday, January 13. Richard gave a status on the ISS Ham equipment onboard the ISS and provided valuable feedback on ARISS operations.

3. Cosmonaut Training Status

Cosmonaut Dmitri Kondratiev received training on the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) equipment. He is scheduled to fly on Expedition 20. Photos of the training session are available on the Energia Web site. See: http://www.energia.ru/eng/iss/iss20/photo_01-14.html

[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, Dee Interdonato, NB2F nb2f at amsat dot org