July 2017 – AMSAT

ARISS NEWS RELEASE
no. 17-10

July 25, 2017

David Jordan, AA4KN
ARISS PR
[email protected]

Packet Module status on board ISS

ARISS has received several reports stating that the packet system on ISS is down. Here is what we know and our current forward plan.

The packet system in the Columbus module started to act up late last week, sending only a beacon. The ARISS team requested a power recycle by the crew, and with that power recycle, the packet system appears to have stop functioning completely. Note that this unit has been on-orbit for 17 years. It was launched on the STS-106 Space Shuttle Atlantis mission in September 2000 and was built, tested and certified for flight about 20 years ago.

The ARISS team has had some extensive discussions on the way forward. We would first like to do some additional troubleshooting with the existing packet module. It will take some time (weeks) to develop troubleshooting procedures, get the procedures approved by NASA and then conduct the tests with the crew. This includes an additional power cycle. The turnaround time is much longer than usual because a new crew will soon be arriving on ISS. The current crew is focused on the new crew arrival and there will be about a one- to two-week transition after the new crew arrives. On the positive side, one aspect of our troubleshooting-a second power cycle-will occur automatically because ARISS is shut down during crew docking and turned on afterwards. However, there will be more to our troubleshooting than just the power cycle.

We have some additional plans with alternative solutions, but those are currently being discussed and prioritized within the ARISS team. All solutions will require international ARISS team coordination, additional procedures and crew interaction. People who have carefully followed ISS operations know that crew time continues to evolve with the more extensive research that is occurring on-board. Suffice it to say, it will take longer than what it has taken in the past to work through this issue.

The above information is to make sure that ARISS properly sets expectations on how long it will take to resolve this. At this point, expect a few months with no ARISS packet.

As you all can see, deploying the Interoperable Radio system that is currently under development by ARISS has become even more critically important. The ARISS team is laser focused on getting that system developed and deployed. We are conducting a final design review with NASA on this system next week. But we cannot get to the finish line without your help. If you can, please consider a donation to the ARISS radio fund by clicking on the ARISS donate button on the ARISS web page (www.ariss.org) or the AMSAT web page (www.amsat.org). All donations, large and small are appreciated.

On behalf of ARISS, we thank you for your sustained interest and support of our program.

Sincerely,

Frank H. Bauer, KA3HDO
ARISS International Chair

About ARISS

Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) is a cooperative venture of international amateur radio societies and the space agencies that support the International Space Station (ISS). In the United States, sponsors are the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT), the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The primary goal of ARISS is to promote exploration of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) topics by organizing scheduled contacts via amateur radio between crew members aboard the ISS and students in classrooms or informal education venues. With the help of experienced amateur radio volunteers, ISS crews speak directly with large audiences in a variety of public forums. Before and during these radio contacts, students, teachers, parents, and communities learn about space, space technologies and amateur radio. For more information, see www.ariss.org, www.amsat.org, and www.arrl.org.

Join us on Facebook: Amateur Radio on the ISS (ARISS)
Follow us on Twitter: ARISS_status

AMSAT is pleased to announce that an updated website and online store are now available at www.amsat.org. In addition to cosmetic updates, this represents a significant upgrade of AMSAT’s online capabilities. The website and store are now fully integrated with the AMSAT membership database, allowing the eventual implementation of features such as members-only content and digital distribution of The AMSAT Journal. In addition, members may now change their mailing address for delivery of The AMSAT Journal and determine when their membership expires via their online accounts.

All current AMSAT members and former members whose membership expired within the past five years have accounts on the online website. These accounts are not linked to previous AMSAT store accounts, but are based on information in the AMSAT membership database. If you are a current member, or former member whose membership has expired within the past five years, please do not create a new account on the AMSAT website. Follow these steps to create a password:

1. Click the “My Account” button located on the upper right hand corner of any page on the website.

2. Click “Lost your password?” beneath the login button.

3. Enter your callsign and click reset password.

4. If your email address is correct in our database, you will receive an email with instructions to reset your password.

If your email address is not correct in our database, please email [email protected] with your callsign and preferred email address. An administrator will update your email address in the database and you will then be able to use the above procedure to reset your password.

Please note that we are still in the early stages of transitioning to this new system and there is still work to be done to reconcile the new and old membership databases. We appreciate your patience as we work through any “kinks” that may pop up. For example, many of you received emails on Thursday afternoon indicating that your passwords had been reset. Please ignore this message. No further action is necessary. Report any future problems to an administrator at [email protected].

Thanks to AMSAT’s IT Team Leader Joe Fitzgerald, KM1P, and Milltown Web Design of Boston, MA for their efforts in developing the new AMSAT web presence and thanks to Bruce Paige, KK5DO, for working to update items in the online store. AMSAT is always looking for volunteers to develop and update content on the website and maintain the online store. Members interested in helping, especially those with WordPress and Woocommerce experience, are encouraged to email [email protected].