I guess that KL7UW and others have not bothered to read this from the current Amsat News Service:

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-177.03 July 15 Deadline to File ARISS Contact Proposals

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 177.03 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. June 26, 2011 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-177.03

NASA is seeking U.S. formal and informal education institutions and organizations, individually or working together, to host an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station, or ARISS, con- tact between the dates of Jan. 15 and July 15, 2012.

To maximize these radio contact opportunities, NASA is looking for organizations that will draw large numbers of participants and integrate the contact into a well-developed education plan. The deadline to submit a proposal is July 15, 2011.

During the first six months of 2012, crew members aboard the International Space Station will participate in amateur radio con- tacts.

ARISS contacts afford education audiences the opportunity to learn firsthand from astronauts what it is like to live and work in space. Due to the nature of human spaceflight, organizations must demon- strate the flexibility to accommodate changes in contact dates and times.

Interested parties should contact Teaching From Space to obtain infor- mation related to expectations, content, format, audience, proposal guidelines and forms by sending an e-mail to JSC-TFS-ARISS@mail.nasa.gov or by calling 281-244-2320.

The NASA Teaching From Space web page can be found at: http://tinyurl.com/6fc2lzn (nasa.gov)

[ANS thanks ARISS and NASA for the above information]

/EX

OK, Im only a news person and not a technologist, but as I read the above, it says to me that the NASA Education Office has outright told ARISS that from now on the singular mission -- or at least the "primary mission" -- of the ARISS program will be to insure large audience ISS to classroom contact participation -- and the bigger the ground audience -- the better. Going a bit further, my take on the above is that the NASA Education Office cares only about garnering as much attention for its programs as is possible and the bigger the terrestrial audience for ISS to schoolroom QSO's, the more happy those in charge of the Teaching From Space and the NASA Public Relations Office will be. Conversely, if it has nothing to do with astro-hams talking to wide audiences of school children, then its not going to get a ride to to the ISS or installed there. Or, another way to put it: The paradigm of ham radio in space as associated with the ISS is changing from an "experimental phase" to a "utility communications phase." .

Again, let me stress that this is a news person writing this. Im not a technologist nor do I play one on a TV show. But after 38 years doing news, Ive learned how to read between the lines.

de Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF

At 03:19 PM 7/1/2011, Dee wrote:

Redirected to the SAREX group. I do not agree with all of these point, however, No standing program should be de funded to do these. Get another satellite up ASAP is AMSAT's main goal. 73, Dee, NB2F

-----Original Message----- From: amsat-bb-bounces@amsat.org [mailto:amsat-bb-bounces@amsat.org] On Behalf Of Edward R. Cole Sent: Friday, July 01, 2011 4:55 PM To: amsat-bb@amsat.org Subject: [amsat-bb] A Proposal for ARISS

After posting some thoughts a few days ago (RE: ISS, what the heck happened?), I have given the idea more consideration.

Proposal (ARISS on ISS):

1. Install a 100-KHz transponder unit on ISS, with usual digital

beacon/engineering 2) It would run mode-UV 3) Installed internally in the ISS 4) Replace most of the current ISS ham radio equipment 5) Could be considered an upgrade/improvement to the existing ham radio on ISS 6) Use ISS power and existing ham radio antenna infrastructure (no solar panels)(no thermal requirements for space environ)(perhaps less radiation hardening) 7) Use batteries for stand-alone operation (recharged from ISS power) 8) Control commanded from ground (no intervention required by astronauts) 9) Local access for use of astronaut-hams 10) Provide emergency back-up comms for ISS (perhaps with a separate FM channel) 11) (perhaps) Use of existing ham-radio handheld on ISS on low-power to dedicated receiver which would activate astronaut repeater channel. 12) This FM channel could be used as FM ham repeater when not in use by astronauts (means world-wide monitoring for the astronauts as well as normal Leo FM activity) 13) Modular design for future upgrades and/or repair (easy installation by astronauts-plug*n*play) 14) Segmented pass-band to allow packet/APRS digipeating 15) Transmitters able to be shut down for eva and other critical missions either locally on ISS or from ground. 16) Perhaps a special Rx/Tx on ISS eva channel for cross-band repeat in event of loss of atmosphere emergency (help to sell the concept to NASA as a comms back-up). 17) No need for orientation (spin or de-spin), rad hardening, thermal structures (air-cooled), no propulsion, no launch requirements. 18) Easily maintained by supply from ground (repairs or upgrades). 19) Long-Life

Re-direct of either Fox or P3E efforts? (no launch requirement-rides as cargo to ISS)

73, Ed - KL7UW, WD2XSH/45

BP40IQ 500 KHz - 10-GHz www.kl7uw.com EME: 50-1.1kw?, 144-1.4kw, 432-100w, 1296-60w, 3400-? DUBUS Magazine USA Rep dubususa@gmail.com ======================================

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