AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-262

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 Board of Directors Election Results * ARISSAT-1 Undergoing Vibration Testing Prior to January Launch * Latest Symposium Announcements and Reminders * Successful ARISS Contact With Curtain and West Australian University * ITUpSAT1 First Year in Orbit Celebration * Amateur Radio High-Altitude Balloon Launch Team Opportunity * Satellite Operating Award from Kazakhstan * Satellite Shorts From All Over

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-262.01 AMSAT Board of Directors Election Results

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 262.01

From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.

September 19, 2010 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-262.01

The 2010 AMSAT-NA Board of Directors election has been completed with the following results:

Tom Clark, K3IO, 674 votes (Regular Member) Lou McFadin, W5DID, 655 votes (Regular Member) Gould Smith, WA4SXM, 523 votes (Regular Member) Tony Monteiro, AA2TX, 491 votes (Alternate Member)

A total of 813 ballots were received.

In accordance with the Bylaws of AMSAT-NA, those receiving the three highest number of votes are elected as regular members of the Board of Directors for the next 2 years, with the forth becoming an alternate to serve one year until the next election. Congratulations to the new Board members.

Alan Biddle WA4SCA AMSAT-NA Corporate Secretary

[ANS thanks AMSAT-NA Corporate Secretary Alan Biddle WA4SCA for the above information]

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SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-262.02 ARISSAT-1 Undergoing Vibration Testing Prior to January Launch

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 262.02

From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.

September 19, 2010 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-262.02

AMSAT ARISSat Project Manager Gould Smith, WA4SXM reported this week that the ARISSat-1/RadioSkaf V satellite is currently under- going vibration testing in Orlando, FL.

The shipping container for both satellites (flight unit and a back- up) will be built next week. These activities all lead up to the shipping of the two flight ready satellites to Houston, where NASA will be shipping the satellites to Russia at the end of the month.

Once in Russia the Kursk Experiment will be attached, additional testing done and then shipped to Baikonur for launch. ARISSat-1 is scheduled to launch to the ISS in January 2011 and scheduled to be manually released from the ISS during an EVA in February 2011.

[ANS thanks Gould, WA4SXM for the above information]

/EX

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-262.03 Latest Symposium Announcements and Reminders

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 262.03

From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.

September 19, 2010 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-262.03

Here are a few tips and pointers (and reminders) to help you prepare for the Amateur Radio in Space event of the year ... AMSAT's 2010 Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting being held on Friday, October 8 through Sunday, October 10 near Chicago.

ATTENTION ALL PARTICIPANTS FOR THE FERMILAB TOUR ON SUNDAY ---------------------------------------------------------- The registration forms (on-line and on paper) had a spot to sign up for the post-Symposium behind-the-scenes guided tour of the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory. The registration for the tour did not carry over in the reports from the web site ... so, if you signed up for the FermiLab tour on-line please send a con- firmation e-mail to: kermit@fnal.gov with your name and callsign for the Fermilab tour.

Kermit also needs to know if you have your own transportation arrangements and a few seats in your car to help mobilize the car pool. The hosting committee is NOT providing organized transporta- tion (such as a bus) but they are working on organizing the carpools.

FRIDAY AND SATURDAY PROGRAMS TO BRING YOU THE LATEST AMSAT NEWS --------------------------------------------------------------- A presentation is planned on Friday afternoon which is the student report of the AMSAT-IBM Research Center-SUNY Binghamton collabor- ation on developing system components of AMSAT's Fox CubeSat. A spin-off off this technology will be available to all university CubeSat programs to enable more capable satellites.

Symposium to Feature ARISSat-1 on Saturday, October 9. As the 2010 Symposium schedule and papers take shape the Symposium Committee says we plan for Saturday morning, October 9 to be dedicated to the latest news, information, and demonstrations of ARISSat-1. AMSAT's Engineering and Development Team will discuss the design of the hard- ware and software. A working satellite will be present at the Symposium.

ON-LINE SYMPOSIUM REGISTRATION EXPIRES OCTOBER 5 ------------------------------------------------- The early Symposium conference fee of $45 expires on October 5. Your conference fee includes entrance to the Symposium, refreshments and a copy of the 2010 Symposium Proceedings: $45.00 from 21 September through 5 October Online registration closes 5 October at Midnight. Registration at the door will be $50.00.

You can register for the Symposium on-line at the AMSAT Store: http://www.amsat-na.com/store/SymposiumReg.php

RESERVED ROOMS SPECIAL RATE EXPIRES ON SEPTEMBER 24 --------------------------------------------------- The block of reserved hotel rooms at the Chicago/Elk Grove Holiday Inn is available until September 24. This hotel is located west of O'Hare Airport at 1000 Busse Road, Elk Grove Village, IL 60007.

The registration code for the discount rate of $79.00 per night is AMS. The direct link to the www.holidayinn.com hotel web page is: http://tinyurl.com/2aptoeu You can also reach this page from the Symposium web page at: http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/symposium/2010/Hotel.php The telephone number at the hotel is 1-847-437-6010

FLIGHT & AIRPORT INFORMATION ---------------------------- Chicago-O'Hare International Airport is the closest to the Chicago/ Elk Grove Holiday Inn Hotel. The hotel offers free hourly shuttle service to and from O'Hare Airport. Call the hotel upon arrival to let them know to come pick you up.

Caution! Several cheap flights to/from Chicago go to Midway Airport. Note that Chicago-Midway Airport is approximately 25 miles from the hotel and will require additional commuting fees. O'Hare Airport is served by most major air carriers.

Getting there by car: The hotel address is 1000 Busse Road, Elk Grove Village, IL 60007. A map link is included on the hotel web page. The GPS coordinates are 42° 00' 37.30" N 87° 57' 36.5" W.

[ANS thanks the 2010 Symposium Committee for the above information]

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SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-262.04 Successful ARISS Contact With Curtain and West Australian University

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 262.04

From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.

September 19, 2010 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-262.04

National ARISS Coordinator for Australia and ISS telebridge Ground Station Tony Hutchison, VK5ZAI reported this week on the ARISS link- up held this week between the Curtain and West Australian University, and Shannon Walker on the ISS.

A successful ARISS contact between students in West Australia and the ISS took place last Tuesday evening September 14. The linkup was done from the grounds of Curtain University in Perth with the University of Western Australia assisting as well. The event was unique as astronaut Andy Thomas was present at the university while his wife, astronaut Shannon Walker on the ISS answered the 16 questions that the students put to her. Andy even got a chance to have a brief word to his wife via Ham Radio.

The linkup was telebridged through the ARISS telebridge station in Argentina operated by Luis LU8YY and Daniel LU5YBR. Martin VK6MJ along with Pete Wheeler assisted with setting up in Perth with Tony VK5ZAI in Kingston SE. South Australia setting up and moderating the linkup. The event was also fed to both Echolink and IRLP by John AG9D in Montgomery IL, USA.

[ANS thanks Tony Hutchison, VK5ZAI for the above information]

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SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-262.05 ITUpSAT1 First Year in Orbit Celebration

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 262.05

From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.

September 19, 2010 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-262.05

The first Turkish-built satellite, the ITUpSAT1 CubeSat, will complete its first year in orbit on September 23, 2010. The ITUpSAT1 would like to commemorate this very special day.

As a token of remembrance for this day, everybody who tracks ITUpSAT1 and records its beacon signal on September 23 and 24, 2010 will be awarded with an ITUpSAT1 First Year Celebration certificate.

To participate send your beacon recordings and observation data to: http://usl.itu.edu.tr/en/takip-formu - complete the form on this page. After the verification of the ITUpSAT1 tracking records, the commemor- ative certificate will be sent to the senders email address. Also one lucky participant, selected randomly among the participants, will be invited to visit ITU UUBF SSDTL and its facilities. (Note: All visit costs, except the interstate or intercity travel, of the randomly selected person will be covered by SSDTL for maxiumum of (2) days.)

The ITUpSAT1 thanks everyone in advance for their support and partici- pation in this special event.

For more information about the ITUpSAT1 CubeSat visit the ITU Space Systems Design and Testing Laboratory (SSDTL): http://usl.itu.edu.tr/tr/index.php

[ANS thanks the ITUpSAT1 Team for the above information]

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SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-262.06 Amateur Radio High-Altitude Balloon Launch Team Opportunity

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 262.06

From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.

September 19, 2010 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-262.06

Amateur radio operators in the Maryland-Virginia-Washington DC area may be interested in becoming a team member of the 'Small High- Altitude Expendable Balloon Launch' planned for the Mason-Dixon Hamfest on Sunday, October 24, 2010.

Pat, N8PK says he is assembling his team starting NOW. Pat wrote, "We need to set up a simple but effective ground station or two. Got radio? Great! You are in! Got laptop? Great! You are in! There are many jobs to do."

Pat held an initial planning session at next Carroll County Amateur Radio Club meeting in Westminster, Md., on September 13, complete with a demo of the three different PICetSat module types. Two types of the module have their 433.920 MHz FM telemetry downlink in Morse Code and the other in Packet Radio. The team will choose to fly one of them.

Please send Pat an e-mail message (Patrick.L.Kilroy@nasa.gov) if you would like to participate in the mission, either from your own home or hands-on, on-site with the launch team.

[ANS thanks Pat, N8PK for the above information]

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SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-262.07 Satellite Operating Award from Kazakhstan

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 262.07

From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.

September 19, 2010 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-262.07

John, LA2QAA reported this week of an interesting satellite operating award - the Space Award - issued by the VHF Committee of the Kazakhstan Federation of Radiosport and Amateur Radio for communications via ama- teur satellite or EME. Information (in Russian) can be found at: http://ukw.cqun.kz/award_kosmos.html.

The diploma (award) has three categories as follows:

Category 3 - 100 two way contacts via amateur satellite. 50 for EME. Category 2 - 250 two way contacts via amateur satellite. 150 for EME. Category 1 - 500 two way contacts via amateur satellite. 300 for EME. Contacts may be CW, voice or digital. Each category may be mixed or endorsed seperately. Contacts since 01/01/2007 qualify.

The diploma is numbered and is issued in paper form. The application for the diploma with attached QSLs (eQSL acceptable), certified by two licensed radio amateurs together with 5 Euros for Kazakhstan or 10 Euros for foreign stations should be sent in paper form to:

Igor Afanasyev UN9GW AinaBulak-1 Alma-Ata, Kazakhstan

For applications in electronic form: e-mail: UHF_KFRR@mail.ru Box 239 Almaty. 050000 Kazakhstan

[ANS thanks John LA2QAA for the above information]

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SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-262.08 Satellite Shorts From All Over

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 262.08

From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.

September 19, 2010 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-262.08

+ AMSAT extends our best wishes for a quick recovery for Dot Lowe wife of Al Lowe at Arrow Antennas. Dot was hospitalized recently and the shop's operations shut down for the time being while she recuperates. Al is giving her best care possible.

+ ISS astronaut Doug Wheelock KF5BOC has mentioned Ham Radio in a post to TwitPic. Doug's birthday message to Fabiano Moser CT7ABD/ PY5RX said, "Here are the Photo with greetings also to friends in Spain - a view of the Iberian Peninsula, the Strait of Gibra- ltar, the Mediterranean, and northern Africa. A special ‘shout out’ to my Ham Radio friends in Spain and Portugal: Fabiano, Paolo and Marco! Looks like a splendid summer afternoon, I am looking forward to our next contact. My very best wishes… " See: http://twitpic.com/2ndq3b

+ You can see the photos and watch the video about Space Shuttle Discovery’s Last Rollover to the VAB on the UniverseToday website at: http://tinyurl.com/2bg3yuf

+ The ISS crew activated the MAI SSTV Experiment aboard the Station on September 14. Robert, G8ATE reported receiving 4 good images from the ISS on the 1232utc and 1406utc passes before they switched back to packet operation.

[ANS thanks everyone 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. And with that, please keep in mind in the Horse Parliament, the neighs have it.

73, This week's ANS Editor, JoAnne Maenpaa, K9JKM K9JKM at amsat dot org