AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-291 Special Bulletin

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In this edition:

* 2012 AMSAT Space Symposium Begins Next Week in Orlando

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-291.01 ANS-291 AMSAT News Service Special Bulletin

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 291.01

From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.

October 17, 2012 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-291.01

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2012 AMSAT Space Symposium Begins Next Week in Orlando

This bulletin is a reminder that the time of the 2012 AMSAT Space Symposium is quickly approaching. The Symposium will be held on Friday, October 26th through Sunday, October 28th in Orlando, Flor- ida at the Holiday Inn at Orlando-International Airport.

The Symposium weekend will feature:

+ Space Symposium with Amateur Satellite Presentations + Operating Techniques, News, & Plans from the Amateur Satellite World + Board of Directors Meeting open to AMSAT members + Meet Board Members and Officers + Annual General Membership Meeting + Annual Banquet-Keynote Speaker and Door Prizes

Symposium Registration including Proceedings o Starting September 24, 2012: $ 50.00 o At the Door: $ 55.00 o Saturday Evening Banquet $ 45.00 o Sunday Morning Area Coordinators' Breakfast $ 15.00 o Sunday Trip to the Orlando Science Museum - contact Martha at the AMSAT Office (888-322-6728 or 301-589-6062) by October 17 to reserve your spot for the tour of the Star Wars Exhibit. o Monday (Oct 29) bus trip to KSC and entrance ticket $ 100.00

See the AMSAT Web Store to complete your on-line registration: http://store.amsat.org/catalog/index.php?cPath=27

Downloadable paper registration forms in MS-Word format and PDF format are available on the 2012 Symposium page: http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/symposium/2012/index.php

The hotel offers free Internet connection and free airport shuttle. When you arrive at the Orlando Airport call 407-709-5310 to request the shuttle.

The Orlando International Airport (MCO) is the closest to the Sympos- ium and is served by most major air carriers. The hotel address is: 5750 T.G. Lee Blvd - Orlando, FL 32822. A map link is included on the hotel web page: http://www.holidayinn.com/hotels/us/en/orlando/mcoap/hoteldetail

Special Symposium Visitor Hector Martinez, CO6CBF ------------------------------------------------- Hector Martinez, CO6CBF will travel from Cuba to the AMSAT Symposium in Orlando next week. AMSAT extended an invitation for Hector to attend and to make a presentation. Thanks to the work done by Patrick Stoddard, WD9EWK/VA7EWK, Hector has been able to obtain a visa to come to the United States for the Symposium.

Once the invitation was extended, Hector had to approach both govern- ments and file applications to get a Cuban passport and travel permit and a US visa. All expenses for his trip must be guaranteed by some- one outside Cuba. Patrick took on that task personally on behalf of AMSAT, even signing legally-binding documents for the Cuban government to that end. Patrick has covered expenses out of his personal funds since no AMSAT funds are available. Patrick would appreciate donations to cover the expenses via his callbook address.

AMSAT looks forward to welcoming Hector, CO6CBF at the Symposium!

Dr. Samuel T. Durrance, NASA Astronaut at the Saturday Evening Banquet ---------------------------------------------------------------------- The featured speaker for the AMSAT 2012 Saturday Evening Banquet on October 27 will be Dr. Samuel T. Durrance, NASA Astronaut/Payload Specialist and Professor of Physics and Space Sciences at the Flor- ida Institute of Technology. For all the details see: http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/symposium/2012/BanquetSpeaker.php

2012 AMSAT Symposium Schedule ----------------------------- To help you plan your trip to Orlando the 2012 Symposium Committee has posted a high-level schedule of the weekend's events.

Thursday 25 October 2012 AMSAT Board of Directors Meeting 8am - 9pm

Friday 26 October 2012 AMSAT Board of Directors Meeting 8am - Noon Trips to SkyCraft 9am - Noon AMSAT Symposium 1pm - 5pm

Saturday 27 October 2012 Symposium 8am - 3pm AMSAT Annual General Meeting 3:30pm AMSAT Banquet 6:30pm - 10pm

Sunday 28 October 2012 AMSAT Area Coordinator's Breakfast 7:30am Trip to the Orlando Science Center 9:00am

Monday 29 October 2012 Special trip to Kennedy Space Center 8am-6pm

The AMSAT Symposium Web Schedule Pages include links for details of the activities: http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/symposium/2012/SymposiumSchedule.php

[ANS thanks the 2012 Symposium Committee for the above information]

/EX