The Latest News from AMSAT, as of 05 September, 2010 - 1459 UTC
The ANS news archives through 2006 can be searched by keyword or browsed by date to locate past articles.
For newer articles go to The ANS Archives. |
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| AMSAT will now render NASA Breaking News and other news feeds as they become available. Suggestions for other XML/RSS news feeds can be submitted to the web team using the contact form. |
| NASA Breaking News |
NASA Sets Briefing About Assistance To Trapped Miners In ChileA NASA team sent to Chile to aid trapped miners will hold a news conference about their work at the San Jose gold and copper mine near Copiapo at noon CDT, Tuesday, Sept. 7. 09/02/10 |
Space Station Crew Talks With Students At Florida Science CenterStudents and teachers at the Pinellas County Science Center in St. Petersburg, Fla., will have an out-of-this-world phone conversation with NASA astronauts aboard the International Space Station. 09/02/10 |
NASA Selects Investigations for First Mission to Encounter the SunNASA has begun development of a mission to visit and study the sun closer than ever before. 09/02/10 |
NASA Invites Media To Experience Future Of Human Space ExplorationTo see what life might be like on a distant planet, reporters need only travel to the Arizona desert. 09/01/10 |
NASA, Newseum Invite Media To Discover And Encounter CometsNASA will commemorate a quarter-century of comet discoveries and discuss upcoming comet encounters during a symposium at 9 a.m. EDT on Friday, Sept. 10, in the Knight Studio of the Newseum. 09/01/10 |
New NASA HD App for iPad With Expanded Content Available FreeNASA has unveiled NASA App HD, a new mobile application designed for the iPad. 09/01/10 |
NASA and Its Partners Announce a New Space Station CrewNASA and its international partners have assigned three new International Space Station crew members. 08/31/10 |
NASA Selects University Finalists for Inflatable Loft CompetitionNASA and the National Space Grant Foundation have selected university teams from Maryland, Oklahoma and Wisconsin as finalists in a competition to design, manufacture, assemble and test an inflatable loft. 08/31/10 |
NASA Accepting Applications For Aeronautics ScholarshipsNASA's Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate is accepting scholarship applications for the 2011 academic year. The application deadline is Jan. 17, 2011. 08/31/10 |
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| Reminder: Deadline to Return Board of Directors Ballots is Sept. 15
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AMSAT Corporate Secretary, Alan Biddle WA4SCA reminds all members that the deadline for submitting your ballot is rapidly approaching. In order to be counted, they must be received at the AMSAT office by the close of business on Wednesday, September 15th. The results will be announced as quickly as possible, with the new directors assuming their position immediately upon the formal announcement of the results. As always, this very direct feedback is essential for AMSAT to continue to represent its membership!
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| Reminder: Important Symposium Dates Approaching
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Two important deadlines are approaching for AMSAT's 2010 Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting being held on Friday, October 8 through Sunday, October 10.
EARLY SYMPOSIUM REGISTRATION EXPIRES SEPTEMBER 15
The early Symposium conference fee of $40 expires on September 15. Your conference fee includes entrance to the Symposium, refreshments and a copy of the 2010 Symposium Proceedings:- $40.00 per person before 15 September 2010
- $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 40 miles from the hotel and will require commuting or a $22.00 Shuttle fee. O'Hare Airport is served by all 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.
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| ISRO Success Inspires India University Satellite Development
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An August 26 story, "Indian universities aspire to launch student satellites", published on Calcutta News.Net carries a news item reporting that, "Around 25 universities are aspiring to launch satellites built by their students but the Indian space agency says its hands are full as it has to launch four more student satellites by the end of next year.
University students across India are clearly ignited by the successful launch last month by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) of the first Pico-satellite (StudSat) built by about 40 under-graduates from four engineering colleges from Karnataka and three from Andhra Pradesh.
'We have received around 25 proposals requesting us to guide, support and launch the satellites made by the students. Some of them have begun working on the proposals,' the project director of small satellites at ISRO's Satellite Centre (ISAC) Raghav Murthy told reporters on the margins of the second space exhibition and conference here. Murthy declined to name the universities.
ISRO appears in no mood to take up new launches anytime soon.
'We want to launch the four more student satellites which are already in the making. We expect that all the launches will be completed by the end of 2011,' Murthy said.
The four satellites are being made by students of Indian Institutes of Technology Kanpur and Bombay (one each) and Tamil Nadu-based Satyabhama University and SRM University (two jointly).
The IIT-K satellite, called Jugnu, weighs three kg and carries a camera to study the near infrared region while IIT-B students have named their 3.5 kg product Pratham to measure the total electron content in the ionosphere.
The Satyabhama and SRM students are building two satellites weighing up to seven kilograms each to measure the carbon dioxide content in the atmosphere of the lower earth orbit.
The four satellites are being built by the B. Tech students, Murthy said.
The 40-kg Anusat readied by the students of Anna University in Chennai was the first student satellite launched in April 2009. It carried an amateur radio store and advanced communications system.
The Studsat launched in July this year is said to be 80 percent successful in achieving its objectives.
'Building a satellite is educating students on space technology. It is also an inter-disciplinary study of physics, mechanics, control engineering, communications, computer science,' Murthy said.
ISRO provides guidance, consultancy, support, training and free launch services to the students.
Putting together a satellite costs up to Rs.1 crore (Rs. 10 million) which is funded by the respective universities/institutiuons.
Original story is published at: http://www.calcuttanews.net/story/677323
[ANS thanks Calcutta News.Net for the above information]
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| Satellite Shorts From All Over
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- An online video report of space related activities is available from UniverseToday.com:
http://www.universetoday.com/72403/this-week-in-space-7/ - Keep an eye on the South Africa AMSAT web page for the expanded SO-67 operating schedule which now includes North America and South America: http://www.amsatsa.org.za/
- An article on Space-Travel.com shows a photo of the ARISS antenna built by Lou McFadin W5DID on the Station's Columbus laboratory as it is being used to track Automatic Identification System (AIS) signals from ships at sea. The full story is availale on-line at: http://tinyurl.com/2cgkd5z
- ARISS Public Relations Chairman, Dave, AA4KN says that ARISS has moved into the social networking realm. You are invited to visit the ARISS Facebook Page at http://tinyurl.com/2d2sfrv
- Patrick Stoddard WD9EWK/VA7EWK has released videos showing Amateur Radio satellite operation during his recent trip to Mexico. You can view them on-line at: http://www.youtube.com/va7ewk and at: http://tinyurl.com/27x7pdw (SouthGateARC site).
- Congratulations to Michael, K4MOA on his successful Satellite Demonstration on August 26 at the Isothermal Amateur Radio Club in Rutherford County, NC. Michael worked 5 stations during the demo. Eighteen amateur radio operators were there for his presentation during the meeting.
- John, LA2QAA noted that AO-7 has now operated longer this second time around compared to the first time from the 1974 era. The best way to rattle John's cage is via e-mail at: la2qaa@amsat.org.
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| ARISS Status - 30 August 2010
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Successful Contact with South Hobart Primary School
On Friday, August 27, South Hobart Primary School in South Hobart, Tasmania, Australia experienced a successful Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact via telebridge station K6DUE in Greenbelt, Maryland. On-orbit astronaut Doug Wheelock, KF5BOC answered 7 out of 10 prepared questions before the ISS went over the horizon. ARISS member Dave Taylor stepped in to provide answers to the last few questions. The ARISS contact was incorporated into the school science curriculum through lessons covering the solar system, space exploration and the history of astronomy.
Crew Sends Birthday Wishes to ARISS Member
On August 25, onboard ISS crewmembers Doug Wheelock, Mikhail Kornienko, Alexander Skvortsov and Fyodor Yurchikhin sang "Happy Birthday" to ARISS member Fabiano Moser, CT7ABD during a general ARISS contact. A recording of the contact may be found here: http://www.issfanclub.com/node/28329
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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
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