AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-010

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:

* Cruising to the 2016 AMSAT Space Symposium * ARISS-US Receives $5,000 Grant from Yasme Foundation * Best Fist Nominations Due * Your 2015 Space Symposium Photos Needed! * ARISS Commemorative SSTV Event Update * ARISS News * Satellite Shorts From All Over

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-010.01 ANS-010 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 010.01

From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD.

[MONTH DAY, YEAR] To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-010.01

Cruising to the 2016 AMSAT Space Symposium

The 2016 AMSAT Space Symposium will be held aboard a commercial cruise ship departing from the port of Galveston, Texas. Sail dates are November 10-14 aboard the Carnival Liberty. Galveston is conveniently located near Houston, Texas with access from both the George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) and the Houston Hobby Airport (HOU.) This cruise will embark on Thursday afternoon at 16:00 CST and return on the following Monday morning at 08:00 CST. The trip includes two full days at sea and one day in port at Cozumel, Mexico. Symposium presentations and meetings will be conducted during the days at sea to allow free time during the stop in Cozumel. The AMSAT Board of Directors meeting will occur on shore at a Galveston hotel in the days prior to the Symposium.

This year's cruise ship venue offers an environment for significant others, families, and friends to attend the AMSAT Symposium event with you. Many activities are available on a cruise ship including musical and theatrical performances, comedy, dancing, and casino gaming. During the stop in Cozumel there are many onshore activities and excursions available for your pleasure. There will be no post- Symposium tour offered since this venue incorporates the Cozumel visit.

In preparation for this upcoming Symposium it is recommended you obtain a passport for travel as soon as possible. United States residents may find the most convenient place to obtain a passport is their nearest US Post Office. Not all USPS locations offer this service; check the US Postal Service website: https://www.usps.com/international/passports.htm

Details on travel documents required for US citizens to take a Carnival cruise originating at a US Port and returning to the same port may be found here: https://help.carnival.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/1406

AMSAT is offering a group rate and booking code available starting January 5. Please book your cruise directly by calling 1-800-438- 6744 and dialing extension number 70005. Our group name is AMSAT and the group code is 8Z0FR5. It is recommended you make reservations very early since cabins are held for a short period of time. Reservations require a $150 USD per person deposit. The deposit is fully refundable up until September 11. Rates may vary depending upon cabin type selected and occupancy. Please utilize the group code as this directly benefits the Symposium and the amenities we are able to offer attendees.

Further details will be released in the coming months via ANS, AMSAT- BB, and the AMSAT Journal.

[ANS thanks Clayton W5PFG for the above information]

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ARISS-US Receives $5,000 Grant from Yasme Foundation

The ARISS-US Team is thrilled to announce that it received a $5,000 grant from the Yasme Foundation, awarded to support the development of the power converters needed as a part of an extensive upgrade to the entire ARISS radio system onboard the International Space Station.

Ward Silver, N0AX, President of the Yasme Foundation, www.yasme.org, said the Yasme Board decided to support ARISS, in part, as a catalyst for individuals and other groups to follow suit by donating to the radio system cause. Ward commented:

“While you have a long way to go in funding the whole upgrade project, we hope our grant will encourage organizations and individuals to donate to ARISS. Yasme is happy to get that ball rolling.”

ARISS International Chair Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, noted that receiving grants from more groups similar to Yasme can result in bigger sponsors being much more likely to donate funds and in-kind resources to the radio project. The 12 ARISS Delegates from around the world had voted in August 2015 to move forward with the planning that will ultimately develop all hardware needed for an upgraded ARISS radio system if funding could be raised. ARISS Chair Bauer, explaining that the power converters are critical to the overall ARISS equipment upgrade, remarked:

“The Yasme grant will jump start the project by allowing the ARISS hardware team to build a prototype converter, purchase critical parts for the flight converters, and further develop the design. We will continue our pursuit of other funding so as to realize the completion of the entire upgrade project.”

ARISS-US Delegate Rosalie White, K1STO, thanked Silver for his personal effort in delineating ARISS’s hardware needs and goals to the Yasme Board. She added:

“Garnering the Yasme grant is a major step in helping ARISS progress with our fundraising for the upgraded system. We are elated to know that Yasme has faith in ARISS and its goals of piquing the interest of young people in science, technology, engineering, math, space, communications, and amateur radio.”

Just three weeks ago in mid-December, a group of ARISS-US team members were at Johnson Space Center solidifying plans for the design of this next generation radio system. Other groups and individuals interested in supporting ARISS goals through a donation can contact Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, at ka3hdo@verizon.net or can go to the AMSAT Website, www.amsat.org, and submit a donation directly using the ARISS Donate button. ARISS rewards a beautiful ARISS Challenge Coin to donors giving $100.00 or more.

About ARISS

Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) is a cooperative venture of international amateur radio societies and the space agencies that support the International Space Station (ISS). In the United States, sponsors are the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT), the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).The primary goal of ARISS is to promote exploration of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) topics by organizing scheduled contacts via amateur radio between crew members aboard the ISS and students in classrooms or informal education venues. With the help of experienced amateur radio volunteers, ISS crews speak directly with large audiences in a variety of public forums. Before and during these radio contacts, students, teachers, parents, and communities learn about space, space technologies, and amateur radio. For more information, see www.ariss.org, www.amsat.org, and www.arrl.org.

[ANS thanks Yasme ans ARISS for the above information]

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Best Fist Nominations Due

Ray Soifer, W2RS, would like to thank to all who participated in AMSAT's Straight Key Night on OSCAR 2016. If you haven't already done so, please take a moment to nominate someone you worked for Best Fist. Your nominee need not have had the best fist of those you heard, only of those you worked.

Send your nomination to w2rs at amsat.org

[ANS thanks Ray W2RS for the above information]

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Your 2015 Space Symposium Photos Needed!

AMSAT Journal Editor, Joe Kornowski KB6IGK, reports that the AMSAT Journal needs your photos from the 33rd Space Symposium in October 2015. Please send your hi-res photos, with captions if possible, to journal at amsat.org by January 17.

[ANS thanks Joe KB6IGK for the above information]

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ARISS Commemorative SSTV Event Update

The SSTV commemoration of the first ARISS contact events is now tentatively planned for January 16. The transmission mode will be PD120.

Because preparations are still in process, it is suggested that you stay tuned to AMSAT-BB and the AMSAT and ARISS web site for the latest information on this event.

[ANS thanks ARISS for the above information]

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ARISS News

+ A Successful contact was made between Frederick W. Harnett Middle School, Blackstone, Massachusetts, USA and Astronaut Timothy Peake KG5BVI using Callsign NA1SS. The contact began 2016-01-05 17:42 UTC and lasted about nine and a half minutes. Contact was telebridged via K6DUE. ARISS Mentor was AJ9N. This represents ARISS' 981st contact.

+ A Successful contact was made between Sandringham School, St. Albans, Hertfordshire, UK and Astronaut Timothy Peake KG5BVI using Callsign GB1SS. The contact began 2016-01-08 08:47:47 UTC and lasted about nine and a half minutes. Contact was direct via GB1SAN. ARISS Mentor was MØXTD. This represents ARISS' 982nd contact.

Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule

Scuola Secondaria di Primo Grado “Benedetto Croce”, Civate, Italy, telebridge via VK5ZAI The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS. The scheduled astronaut is Tim Kopra KE5UDN Contact is a go for: Wed 2016-01-13 11:35:44 UTC

ARISS is always glad to receive listener reports for the above contacts. ARISS thanks everyone in advance for their assistance. Feel free to send your reports to aj9n@amsat.org or aj9n@aol.com.

ARISS Commemorative SSTV Event Update

The SSTV commemoration of the first ARISS contact events is now tentatively planned for January 16. The transmission mode will be PD120.

Because preparations are still in process, it is suggested that you stay tuned to AMSAT-BB and the AMSAT and ARISS web site for the latest information on this event and others that ARISS plans to conduct over the next few months.

Remember that the official page for all things ARISS is www.ariss.org

[ANS thanks ARISS, Charlie AJ9N and David AA4KN for the above information]

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Satellite Shorts From All Over

+ Satellite Operations from Cowtown Hamfest, January 15-16

Keith Pugh W5IU, reports that the Cowtown Hamfest in Forest Hill, Texas, a suburg of Fort Worth, will be held Friday and Saturday, 15- 16 January. Keith intends be on the air for as many passes as he can during the hamfest hours.

[ANS thanks Keith W5IU for the above information]

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/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, EMike McCardel, AA8EM (Former KC8YLD) kc8yld at amsat dot org