AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-172

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:

* 2015 Candidates for the AMSAT-NA Board of Directors Announced * 20th 73 on 73 Award Issued * International Space Colloquium at Guildford July 24-26 * QB50p2 FM Transponder Tested * NASA Drafts Solicitation for New Class of Launch Services * NASA, UN Photo Competition Highlights Why Space Matters on Earth

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-172.01 ANS-172 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 172.01 From AMSAT HQ Kensington, MD. June 21, 2015 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-172.01

2015 Candidates for the AMSAT-NA Board of Directors Announced

The 2015 candidates, in alphabetical order by last names are:

Barry Baines WD4ASW Jerry Buxton N0JY Steve Coy K8UD Drew Glasbrenner KO4MA Mark Hammond N8MH EMike McCardel KC8YLD Bob McGwier N4HY Bruce Paige KK5DO

This year AMSAT-NA will be electing four voting members of the Board of Directors. These will go to the four candidates receiving the highest number of votes. In addition, there will be two alternates chosen, based on the next highest number of votes received.

Ballots will be mailed to the AMSAT-NA membership by 15 JUL 2015 and must be received at the AMSAT office by 15 SEP 2015 in order to be counted. Those sent outside North America will go by air mail. If you have not received your ballot package in a reasonable time for your QTH, please contact the AMSAT office. Completed ballots should be returned as promptly as possible, and those from outside North American preferably by air mail.

Election of Board members is both an obligation as well as an opportunity by our membership to help shape the future direction of AMSAT. Please take the time to review the candidate statements that will accompany the ballot and determine who you wish to see on the Board. You have the option to vote for up to four candidates.

[ANS thanks Alan, WA4SCA, for the above information]

---------------------------------------------------------------------

20th 73 on 73 Award Issued

Congratulations to Davide D'Aliesio, IW0HLG, for working 73 different stations on AO-73 since September 1, 2014 and becoming the 20th recipient of the 73 on 73 Award.

For more information on the award see http://amsat-uk.org/funcube/73-on-73-award/

[ANS thanks Paul, N8HM, for the above information]

---------------------------------------------------------------------

International Space Colloquium at Guildford July 24-26

The AMSAT-UK International Space Colloquium will be held on July 24-26 at the Holiday Inn, Guildford, GU2 7XZ, UK.

Among the speakers will be: * Peter Guelzow DB2OS with an update on AMSAT-DL projects, including the Phase 4 satellite

* Chris Brunskill, formerly of Surrey Space Centre (SSC), now working at the Space Catapult at the Harwell Campus. He will be presenting an extremely novel project aimed at schools and education

* It is hoped the BATC will be able to demonstrate live Digital TV reception from the International Space Station, using the Ham TV system

* Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA, from AMSAT North America will be attending, and presenting the latest news of the FOX satellite(s) due for launch later this year, and also on their Phase 4 project

The Colloquium is open to all further information is at http://amsat-uk.org/colloquium/

[ANS thanks AMSAT-UK for the above information]

---------------------------------------------------------------------

QB50p2 FM Transponder Tested

AMSAT-Francophone report that the FM transponder on QB50p2 (EO-80) has been tested. A Google English translation of the post on their website reads:

On June 19, 2014, two 2U CubeSats QB50p1 and QB50p2 were launched as part of the QB50 precursor program into a polar orbit at an altitude of 680 km.

The satellite QB50p2 (object 40032) is equipped with a secondary FM transponder payload developed by AMSAT-F.

On Tuesday, June 16, 2015 almost 1 year after launch the AMSAT-F FM transponder on QB50p2 was activated by the main control station in The Netherlands for the duration of an orbit. At the Polytechnique in Palaiseau, we were able to receive telemetry in CW and put into action the FM transponder with an output of 1.5W.

A very strong signal was received at Palaiseau and by F6HCC in Brittany. The transponder was turned off at the end of the orbit.

In a few weeks, the transponder should be activated permanently. The signal is very strong, we will probably use a lower power level of 500 mW or 1 watt. We will inform you later.

QB50p1 (EO-79 / FUNcube-3) is equipped with a linear transponder for SSB and CW. The first tests were successfully completed in April and its transponder should also be enabled full-time in a few weeks.

Gérard – F6FAO

QB50 Amateur Radio Information https://www.qb50.eu/index.php/precursor-amateur-radio-operator

AMSAT-Francophone http://tinyurl.com/AMSAT-Francophone

The IARU Satellite Frequency Coordination Panel Status pages list these frequencies for the two satellites:

QB50p2 has a VHF 9600 bps BPSK telemetry downlink plus a separate RF payload from AMSAT-Francophone which will comprise of a FM voice transponder with UHF uplink and VHF downlink. It can also transmit FX25 telemetry at 9600 bps. * 145.880 MHz 9600 bps BPSK telemetry beacon * 145.840 MHz 9600 bps FSK FX25

[ANS thanks Gerard, F6FAO and AMSAT-UK for the above information]

---------------------------------------------------------------------

NASA Drafts Solicitation for New Class of Launch Services

NASA’s Launch Services Program has issued a draft Request for Proposal (RFP) for a new Venture Class Launch Services (VCLS), which would be commercial launch services for small satellites and experiments on science missions using a smaller than currently available class of rockets.

At present, launch opportunities for small satellites -- often called CubeSats or nanosatellites -- and small science missions are mostly limited to ride-share type arrangements, flying only when space is available on NASA and other launches. The Launch Services Program seeks to develop alternatives to this approach and help foster other launch services dedicated to transporting smaller payloads into orbit. The services acquired through such a contract will constitute the smallest class of launch services used by NASA.

This solicitation, and resulting contract or contracts, is intended to demonstrate a dedicated launch capability for smaller payloads that NASA anticipates it will require on a recurring basis for future science and CubeSat missions. CubeSats already are used in markets, such as imagery collection and analysis. In the future, CubeSat capabilities will include abilities, such as ship and aircraft tracking, improved weather prediction, and broader Internet coverage.

NASA intends to award one or more firm fixed-price VCLS contracts to accommodate 132 pounds (60 kilograms) of CubeSats a single launch or two launches carrying 66 pounds (30 kilograms) each. The launch provider will determine the launch location and date, but the launch must occur by April 15, 2018.

[ANS thanks NASA Launch Services for the above information]

---------------------------------------------------------------------

NASA, UN Photo Competition Highlights Why Space Matters on Earth

NASA and the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) have launched a global photography competition to highlight how the vantage point of space helps us better understand our home planet, improve lives, and safeguard our future by aiding sustainable development on Earth.

To highlight the role of space-based science and technologies and their applications on Earth, NASA and UNOOSA are inviting the public to submit photos depicting why space matters to us all in our daily lives. To participate, post a picture and description on Instagram using the hashtag #whyspacematters and tagging @UNOOSA.

NASA astronaut Scott Kelly, who is three months into a one-year mission aboard the International Space Station, will announce the winning photo each month by posting it from his Instagram account @StationCDRKelly.

Kelly and Russian Cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko are spending a year in space to improve our understanding of the medical, psychological and biomedical challenges faced by astronauts during long-duration spaceflight. Kelly will set a single-mission record for a U.S. astronaut, and the joint expedition will be an important step in human space exploration and research into the effects of long-term space habitation as part of NASA's journey to Mars.

"We learn something every time we go to space. And the International Space Station is one of the world's greatest laboratories - where we are helping with advances in medicine, biology, chemistry and materials sciences," said Kelly. "It is the pursuit of these advances off the Earth that help improve lives on Earth. And that is why I am so committed to space exploration and embarking on this year-long mission. I look forward to seeing the images from people around the world on how space technology has impacted them where they live."

UNOOSA Director Simonetta Di Pippo said it is "an honor to have Scott Kelly share his experience in space with the United Nations. This campaign will help to promote the use of space science and technologies in such areas as disaster risk reduction, tracking the effects of climate change and in the equality of access to education and telemedicine."

With the recent installation of NASA's International Space Station- Rapid Scatterometer (ISS-RapidScat) and the Cloud-Aerosol Transport System (CATS) instruments on the space station, the ISS is being used for full-fledged Earth science research.

Scientists worldwide use NASA data to tackle some of the biggest questions about how our planet is changing now and how Earth could change in the future. From rising sea levels to the changing availability of freshwater, NASA enables studies that unravel the complexities of our planet from the highest reaches of Earth's atmosphere to its core.

The International Space Station is a convergence of science, technology and human innovation that enables us to demonstrate new technologies and make research breakthroughs not possible on Earth. It has been continuously occupied since November 2000 and, since then, has been visited by more than 200 people and a variety of international and commercial spacecraft. The space station remains the springboard to NASA's next giant leap in exploration, including future missions to an asteroid and Mars.

For more information about the International Space Station and its crews and research, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/station

For more information about the #whyspacematters competition, visit:

http://www.unoosa.org/oosa/contests/whyspacematters/index.html

[ANS thanks NASA News Service 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 addi- tional benefits. Application forms are available from the AMSAT Office.

Primary and secondary school students are eligible for membership at one-half the standard yearly rate. Post-secondary school students enrolled in at least half time status shall be eligible for the stu- dent rate for a maximum of 6 post-secondary years in this status. Contact Martha at the AMSAT Office for additional student membership information.

73, This week's ANS Editor, Lee McLamb, KU4OS ku4os at amsat dot org