AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-130

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 Activites at Dayton 2009 * AMSAT/TAPR Banquet Note * Live Feed from Dayton * ARISS SPACE DAY * VK5ZAI Receives Award * ARISS Schedule

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-130.1 AMSAT Activites at Dayton 2009

From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. May 10, 2009 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-130.1

AMSAT Activities at Dayton

Thursday May 14th AMSAT Get-Together at Tickets Pub and Eatery in Fairborn beginning at 18:30 Good Greek and American food as well as conversation with fellow AMSATers in a relaxed environment. Directions on the AMSAT web site.

Friday May 15th Satellite Demonstrations outside the Ball Arena entrance

Celebrating AMSAT's 40th Anniversary with 40 years worth of amateur satellite memorabilia and a special 40th Anniversary tee shirt and golf shirt.

SuitSat-2 hardware demonstration

Richard Garriott visiting the AMSAT Booth 14:30 - 15:15

New publications and trinkets

LVB Tracker Box demonstration and boxes offered

AMSAT/TAPR Banquet featuring Richard Garriott, W5KWQ starting at 18:30

Saturday May 16th AMSAT Forum 11:15 - 13:30

Satellite Demonstrations outside the Ball Arena entrance

Celebrating AMSAT's 40th Anniversary with 40 years worth of amateur satellite memorabilia and a special 40th Anniversary tee shirt and golf shirt.

SuitSat-2 hardware demonstration

Richard Garriott visting the AMSAT Booth 15:00 - 15:45

New publications and trinkets

LVB Tracker Box demonstration and boxes offered

Sunday morning May 17th Satellite Demonstrations outside the Ball Arena entrance

Celebrating AMSAT's 40th Anniversary with 40 years worth of amateur satellite memorabilia and a special 40th Anniversary tee shirt and golf shirt.

SuitSat-2 hardware demonstration

New publications and trinkets

LVB Tracker Box demonstration and boxes offered

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

/EX

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-130.2 AMSAT/TAPR Banquet Note

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 130.2 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. May 10, 2009 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-130.2

The Dayton AMSAT/TAPR banquet is now here. Our Guest Speaker is Richard Garriott, W5KWQ. Monday May 11th is the final day to order tickets for the AMSAT/TAPR Banquet with Richard Garriott. Order your tickets online in the AMSAT Store. You MUST be pre- registered to attend. You cannot register at Dayton.

-- [ANS thanks Martha, AMSAT Manager, for the above information] /EX

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-130.3 Live feed from Dayton

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 130.3 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. May 10, 2009 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-130.3

We will be broadcasting live streaming video and audio of the Dayton 2009 Hamvention this coming weekend. This is our 7th year to broadcast hamfest events. We are seen in over 150 countires and advertised to over 100,000 hams around the world. Frank Bauer KA3HDO has helped us to get Richard Garriott for an interview. Hams around the world will be able to watch this and even send in questions.

The web site is http://w5kub.com and we actually start broadcasting with our "helmet cam" Wednesday morning May 13th at approx 1300 UTC and will be broadcasting our entire 550 mile drive from Memphis, TN to Dayton, OH.

The video web site not only has the live video but also has a chat room where anyone can log in and talk to other hams around the world or to us. During our interview with Richard, if anyone sends in a question we will try to ask it. We can only get 15 minutes of his time as he is extremely busy and this was scheduled even after his schedule filled up. Note: Special pre-arranged LIVE interview with Richard Garriot 4:00pm - 4:15pm Saturday.

And for those who can't go, you can attend "virtually" and have a great chance to win ham radio prizes. We have many great prizes. There is a link on the left side of our website which tells of the prizes and what days each will be given out.

Follow us every move for the five days (May 13 - May 17). ARRS at the bottom of the page will show you our progress as we drive, or maybe you will recognize the road and landmarks.

[ANS Thanks Tom,W5KUB, for the above info] /EX

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-130.4 ARISS SPACE DAY

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 130.4 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. May 10, 2009 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-130.4

ARISS and AMSAT at Space Day in Washington DC

On Saturday, May 2 ARISS and AMSAT operated from the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum during Family Day and Space Day events.

The contact, telebridged through W6SRJ in Santa Rosa, went like clock- work. Ten students and boy scouts at the National Air and Space Museum asked 19 questions to astronaut Michael Barratt, KD5MIJ on board ISS during the 9 minute contact opportunity. Audio from the contact was available via the AMSAT conference on EchoLink and via the 9010 Discovery reflector on IRLP.

Also on-hand at the National Air and Space Museum for the contact was Ricky Arnold II, KE5DAU. Ricky answered questions from the audience prior to the contact, sent his greetings to Michael Barratt at the beginning of the contact and stayed with the audience after the contact to answer questions one-on-one and to allow time for individual photos.

The AMSAT/ARISS Booth was well attended with lots of youth and adults stopping by. We had lot of material to handout from AMSAT, ARRL and NASA. And we gave out the last of the 2009 Space Station Calendars!

Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, wrote from the event, "I want to thank all who helped at the booth: Perry Klein, Dave Taylor, Bob Davis, Dick Daniels, Janet Bauer, Bob Bruninga, Don Sylvain, and Bob McCown. While I do not have the final statistics, there were probably about 20,000 people that filtered through the museum during the day. A hearty tip of the hat to the W6SRJ folks for making the contact look so easy. And a big thanks to Wayne who was our contact moderator."

The National Air and Space Museum web page can be found at: http://www.nasm.si.edu/events/eventDetail.cfm?eventID=1031

[ANS thanks Frank, KA3HDO for the above information]

/EX

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-130.5 VK5ZAI Receives Award

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 130.5 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. May 10, 2009 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-130.5 AMSAT Coordinator Tony Hutchison VK5ZAI receives Chris Jones Award

Australia's WIA President Michael Owen VK3KI presented the Chris Jones Award to AMSAT Area Coordinator Tony Hutchison VK5ZAI at the WIA's Annual General Meeting at the Gippsland Campus of Monash University, Churchill on 2nd May 2009.

The Chris Jones Award honours the memory of a man who was dedicated to the advancement of amateur radio and whose unfailing commitment and vision led to a new Wireless Institute of Australia and whose unfailing courtesy and genuine friendliness is fondly remembered by all who knew him.

Tony's significant contribution to amateur radio was due to his ARISS activities which featured eight schools in the region took part in ARISS contacts (3 from New Zealand and 5 from Australia).

Tony said, "Amateur Radio on International Space Station is a positive way of introducing our hobby of amateur radio to students, and others throughout the world by demonstrating how it's used to communicate with the crews on the International Space Station."

Tony's concluding remarks, "I would like to thank everyone for their congratulations on winning the prestigious WIA Chris Jones Award. I would also like to thank the ARISS team, especially Shane VK4KHZ, who backs me up in VK, and all other Amateurs that have assisted by working with schools to make these ARISS educational linkups possible, also a big thanks to my wife Jill, although not licensed, assists me with my ARISS commitments. Without everyones continual support this wouldn't have happened."

WIA's full story is on-line at: http://www.wia.org.au/newsevents/news/2009/20090505-4/index.php

[ANS thanks Wireless Institute of Australia for the above information]

/EX

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-130.6 ARISS Schedule

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 130.6 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. May 4, 2009 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-130.6

Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) Status Report May 4, 2009

1. Upcoming School Contacts

Flemish Space Days, organized by the Flemish Space Industry (VRI), was held May 8 - 10 in the Brabanthal in Leuven, Belgium. Interactive booths, educational workshops and movies on space, avionics and astronomy are some of the activities that attracted schools, youth and the public to this three-day event. On May 8, the event was open to school children, ages 3-18, only. A special program has been developed with the cooperation of ESA and ESERO (European Space Education Resource Office) for teachers and students. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for this event on Sunday, May 10 at 10:51 UTC. Telebridge station W6SRJ in California will facilitate the contact.

JAXA astronaut Koichi Wakata, KC5ZTA will participate in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact with Besyo Elementary School in Saitama, Japan on Monday, May 11 at 11:01 UTC. Wakata is an alumnus of the school. The conversation will be in Japanese.

2. Space Day Contact with National Air and Space Museum

The National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. participated in Space Day on May 2. Visitors participated in hands-on activities, met astronauts and learned about space from experts and museum displays. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact was held in conjunction with these activities through telebridge station W6SRJ in California. Astronaut Ricky Arnold II was present to answer questions prior to the contact and for photo opportunities. The contact was recorded by the museum in high definition for future use. The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT) and the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) members manned an exhibition booth and distributed AMSAT, ARRL and NASA education material including 2009 Space Station calendars. Approximately 20,000 people attended the museum throughout the day.

3. Astronaut Training Status

Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) team provided training on its amateur radio equipment to NASA astronauts Nicole Stott, KE5GJN and Catherine Coleman, KC5ZTH. Energia has posted a photo report on the training. See: http://www.energia.ru/eng/iss/iss20/photo_04-23.html

4. ARRL Article on Dayton Hamvention Events

The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) posted an article on its upcoming convention at the Dayton Hamvention to be held over the May 15-17 weekend. Richard Garriott will be available to meet and greet attendees and will give a talk about his amateur radio activities onboard the ISS. "The 2009 ARRL National Convention and Dayton Hamvention: Two Weeks and Counting!" may be found at: http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2009/04/30/10793/?nc=1

5. JSC Education Office Meeting Held

The NASA Education Office hosted a meeting with the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) team at Johnson Space Center over May 1-2. Program initiatives and educational outreach were addressed.

[ANS thanks Carol, KB3LKI, for the above information]

/EX

73, This week's ANS Editor, Dee Interdonato, NB2F nb2f at amsat dot org