AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-111

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: * AMSAT Store and Dayton Update * Volunteer Opportunities at the AMSAT Lab * ESA Call for Cubesat Proposals * Cubesat Workshop Presentations Available * European Student Earth Orbiter Update * AMSAT-Australia and Ozdatgroup Combine Forces * Satellite Shorts From All Over * ARISS Status - 14 April 2008

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-111.01 AMSAT Store and Dayton Update

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 111.01 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. April 20, 2008 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-111.01

The AMSAT Store is still down, but we now have a computer that will be the server for the AMSAT Store. We hope to have the store operational as soon as possible. This is currently a volunteer effort, travel and work obligations have slowed down the process of getting the software installed.

AMSAT at the Dayton Hamvention continues to grow. We will have a great Forum on Saturday morning and many new items available at the booth, including a limited number of LVB Tracker boxes. The outdoor demonstration area will be busy all three days plus offer an "Introduction to Amateur Satellite Operation" talk Friday and Saturday afternoons. Be sure and contact Martha to make your reservations for the joint AMSAT/TAPR Banquet Friday night May 16. Be sure an join us for the Pizza and Suds gathering on Thursday night. Additional information can be found on the AMSAT web site, http://www.amsat.org

[ANS thanks Gould, WA4SXM, for the above information]

/EX

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-111.02 Volunteer Opportunities at the AMSAT Lab

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 111.02 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. April 20, 2008 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-111.02

Bob Davis, KF4KSS, AMSAT Lab Manager says the AMSAT Lab in Pocomoke City, Maryland will be open for work days on the following Saturdays:

Sat Apr 26 Open 9-5 Sat May 3 Open 9-5 Sat May 10 Open 9-5 Sat May 17 Closed - Dayton Hamvention

Again, if you're interested in coming and need directions or just want to talk first, send Bob an email KF4KSS@amsat.org or call 443-783-7794.

[ANS thanks Bob, KF4KSS for the above information]

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SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-111.03 ESA Call for Cubesat Proposals

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 111.03 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. April 20, 2008 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-111.03

The European Space Agency Education Office has received good response to its call for CubeSat proposals issued last month to universities in ESA member nations and other cooperating states. This to participate in the development of an educational payload for the maiden flight of the new Vega launch rocket currently scheduled for December.

The launch opportunity on the Vega maiden flight is being offered free of charge for up to 6 CubeSats, with an additional 2 backup CubeSats on back up standby. The ESA Education Office says that it recognizes the growing importance of CubeSat projects as a key tool in providing university students with a valuable hands-on practical education across all space engineering disciplines from end-to-end through the complete space project lifecycle.

[ANS thanks Newsline for the above information]

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SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-111.04 Cubesat Workshop Presentations Available

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 111.04 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. April 20, 2008 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-111.04

The 5th Annual Cubesat Developers Workshop was held at CalPoly in San Luis Obispo April 9-11 2008.

The workshop featured over forty presentations covering information for new Cubesat developers, innovative avionics, nanosatellites, access to space, ground station operations, and unique missions.

All of the presentation have been posted on Cubesat.org: http://cubesat.atl.calpoly.edu/pages/workshops/developers-workshop-2008.php

[ANS thanks Bryan, KF6ZEO, for the above information]

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SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-111.05 European Student Earth Orbiter Update

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 111.05 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. April 20, 2008 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-111.05

It has been quite a time since the AMSAT-UK European Student Earth Orbiter (ESEO) team have been able to provide an update on the progress of this satellite payload and just recently ESA have made a major change to the structure of the project organization.

The plan has been to develop a package to provide downlink telemetry at 400 bps and provide backup tele-command and ranging facilities for the mission management teams. It would, additionally, provide a 435 to 2400 MHz (Mode U/S) linear transponder using both analogue and DSP based systems.

ESEO is a 110kg student satellite project intended for launch in to low inclination GTO elliptical orbit.

Until the beginning of 2008 the whole ESEO project had been organized directly by ESA Education Office under the SSETI (Student Space Exploration & Technology Initiative) banner but they have now decided to adopt new arrangements.

To quote from the ESA website

" To date, both projects (ESEO and ESMO) have proceeded in the early phases with a project team consisting entirely of students with project management and ad hoc technical support provided by ESA.

It is now intended to implement a new project team structure for these two projects in order to enhance the educational benefits given to the students and to ensure that the project progresses through major reviews to a successful completion on schedule. The new project structure consists of:

* a System Prime responsible for the system engineering and technical management of the project, the provision of specialist technical advice to the students where needed, and supervising the student AIV(Assembly Integration & Verification) of the satellite at ESTEC.

* a Network of Universities responsible for the delivery of payload items, satellite subsystem items and ground segment systems by their student teams and ensuring the adequate supervision/long-term continuity of the student teams locally."

What does this mean for AMSAT-UK's involvement in the project?

The launch date is now not expected to be earlier than 2011.

The process for the appointment of the System Prime Contractor is presently underway and is expected to be completed by later this year.

After the System Prime has been appointed, we will work with them and with ESA Education to ensure that the AMSAT sub-system is available when required by the programme.

Further information should be available in time for the AMSAT-UK Colloquium which is being held at the University of Surrey at Guildford from Friday 25th to Sunday 28th July,

[ANS thanks AMSAT-UK for the above information]

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SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-111.06 AMSAT-Australia and Ozdatgroup Combine Forces

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 111.06 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. April 20, 2008 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-111.06

You may not be aware that AMSAT-Australia and the Ozsatgroup have amalgamated, and that the new combined group has retained the name AMSAT-Australia.

AMSAT-Australia and the Ozsatgroup have been working together for more than two years, and have been discussing such an amalgamation for some time.

The decision to go ahead with the amalgamation was made after Graham Ratcliff, VK5AGR formally tended his resignation as AMSAT-Australia National Coordinator and as AMSAT Coordinator for the Wireless Institute of Australia (WIA) in his annual report to the WIA 2008 Federal Convention on Monday, 7th April 2008.

The role of AMSAT-Australia National Coordinator has been taken on by myself Paul Paradigm, VK2TXT, formally the Coordinator of the Ozsatgroup, and joined by Judy Williams, VK2TJU in the role of AMSAT-Australia Secretary.

I would like to take this opportunity on behalf of both the Amateur Radio operators on the AMSAT-Australia mailing list and the members of the former Ozsatgroup to thank Graham for his outstanding contribution to the Amateur Radio community here in Australia and around the world.

Graham has been in the role of AMSAT-Australia National Coordinator since 1983, and has been the driving force behind AMSAT-Australia since its inception.

Visit our website at http://www.amsat-vk.org for more information.

73's

Paul - VK2TXT AMSAT-Australia National Coordinator.

[ANS thanks Paul, VK2TXT for the above information]

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SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-111.07 Satellite Shorts From All Over

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 111.07 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. April 20, 2008 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-111.07

+ Robert, G8ATE has updated his web site at http://www.turlington.supanet.com to show an SSTV contact with GM0ICF via VO52 and Field Hell tests via AO7 mode B, AO16,S O50, AO51 & VO52.

+ When operating on AO-7 keep an ear open for the informal "DX Watering Hole" near 145.959 MHz +/-. This is the proposed frequency for those "footprint stretching", edge-to-edge QSO's on AO-7.

+ The Federal Communications Commission says it is seeking applications from engineering school graduates with superior academic credentials and an interest in communications engineering for its 2008 Engineer-in-Training Program. Additional information is available on the FCC's EIT Program page at http://www.fcc.gov/EITprogram, or by contacting the FCC's Human Resources Office at area code 202-418-0130. You can also e-mail for more information to recruit@fcc.gov. (via Amateur Radio Newsline)

+ Reminder! Visit the AMSAT Dayton Web page to learn of the latest events planned for this year's Hamvention: http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/hamvention/2008/Dayton2008.php

[ANS thanks everyone for the above information]

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SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-111.08 ARISS Status - 14 April 2008

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 111.08 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. April 20, 2008 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-111.08

1. Upcoming School Contacts

Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children in Orlando, Florida has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Monday, April 21 at 17:48 UTC via the telebridge station W6SRJ in Santa Rosa, California. The audio for this event will be fed into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) Conference Room servers and the IRLP Discovery Reflector 9010.

2. Croatian Contact Successful

On Monday, April 7, students from Osnovna skola Pazin in Croatia participated in a successful Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact. Garrett Reisman, KE5HAE, answered 15 questions posed to him by 6 students as an audience of 100 people gathered around the radio. Three national television stations, three radio stations and five newspapers covered the event. The audio was fed into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) servers and received 16 connections, including 3 link nodes and 1 repeater node, from 11 countries.

3. First Korean Contact Successful

Students attending the Han Gwang Boys & Girls High School in Pyeong Taek City, Republic of Korea experienced an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Sunday, April 13. South Korean space visitor Yi So-yeon, HL0ARISS, answered 12 students' questions. Over 500 people attended the event. Media coverage included 5 television stations and 10 newspapers.

4. ARISS Crew Debrief Held

A debrief session was held between the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) team and Expedition 16 crew member Leopold Eyharts, KE5FNO/FX0STD, on Monday, April 7. Eyharts provided feedback on ARISS school contacts and operation of the ARISS radio equipment.

5. ARISS Presentation at Dayton Hamvention

The Dayton Hamvention will be held at the Hara Arena Complex in Dayton, Ohio on May 16 - 18. The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) and the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT) will both support exhibit booths at the event. Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) Chairman Frank Bauer plans to give a presentation on "A Ham Radio Operator's View of ARISS" at the AMSAT forum which will cover new ARISS initiatives and a status report on SuitSat-2. The Dayton Hamvention is an internationally attended amateur radio convention that draws crowds of 25,000 annually. For more information on Dayton Hamvention 2008, go to: http://www.hamvention.org/hv2008/forums/forumlist.htm

[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, Lee McLamb, KU4OS ku4os at amsat dot org