Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA, AMSAT VP Operations has received a request from amateurs involved with emergency communications in the Azores, requesting we forego L/v operation on AO-92 this week.
Hurricane Lorenzo is expected to pass through the Azores as a Category 4 storm Tuesday and Wednesday, and they are requesting AO-92 remain in U/v for potential emergency traffic. Please be aware of and yield to any emergency traffic, on any satellite, coming from the area during this time. Passes covering the Azores and Portugal are the most critical.
We realize that there have been a few moves and cancellations for this mode recently, and I ask for understanding and cooperation.
Emergency use is always first priority, and AMSAT is happy to assist in any way we can.
[ANS thanks Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA, AMSAT VP Operations for the above information]
The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and information service of AMSAT North America, The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS publishes news related to Amateur Radio in space including 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.
The news feed on https://amsat.org publishes news of Amateur Radio in space as soon as our volunteers can post it. Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to: ans-editor at amsat dot org. You can sign up for free e-mail delivery of the AMSAT News Service Bulletins via the ANS List; to join this list see: https://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/ans
In this edition:
Experimenter Wednesday Announced for AO-92
The AMSAT Hamfests & Conventions Web Page Updates
2019 37th AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting
2019 AMSAT Symposium On-line Registration Open Until October 11
Virgin Orbit’s LauncherOne Moves Another Step Closer to Flight
NASA’s International Space Apps Challenge Coming October 18-20
FO-29 Returns!
AMSAT-DL Memorandum Regarding QO-100 Operation
Satellite Shorts From All Over
Experimenter Wednesday Announced for AO-92
The AO-92 Command Team announces that Experimenter Wednesday will run on UTC Wednesday (begins Tuesday evening in North America) when AO-92 will be commanded to operate in mode L/v for 24 hours. This new schedule will be followed for an as of yet undetermined test period.
The frequencies for AO-92 L/V are:
AO-92 Mode L/V Operation
Uplink
1267.359 MHz
FM with 67 Hz CTCSS tone for access
Downlink
145.880 MHz
Including DUV telemetry
The mode change is announced by the command team via Twitter (follow @AMSAT). You can view AMSAT tweets without needing an account with Twitter – go to https://twitter.com/AMSAT
The tweets flow through to the AMSAT facebook page and are planned to include amsat-bb. Also current status can be found on the AO-92 health and telemetry page at: http://www.amsat.org/tlm/health.php?id=4&port=
[ANS thanks the AO-92 Command Team for the above information]
The AMSAT Hamfests & Conventions Web Page Updates
Information about AMSAT activities at important events around the country is posted on the AMSAT Hamfests & Conventions web page: https://www.amsat.org/other-events/
Examples of these events are radio club meetings where AMSAT representatives give presentations, demonstrations of working amateur satellites, and hamfests with an AMSAT presence such as a table or booth with AMSAT literature and merchandise, sometimes also with presentations, forums, and/or demonstrations.
A copy of the AMSAT hamfest brochure is available for download from the page (above) – get the “AMSAT Intro Brochure”, a color brochure that is designed to be printed double-sided and folded into a tri-fold handout. Contact Martha at the AMSAT Office if you need pre-printed copies.
To include your upcoming AMSAT presentation and/or demonstration, please send an email to ambassadors (at) amsat (dot) org.
[ANS thanks the AMSAT Ambassadors for the above information]
2019 37th AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting
Please join us for the 2019 AMSAT 50th Anniversary Symposium, to be held in the Washington, DC Metro Area on October 18, 19, and 20, 2019.
The Symposium venue will be the Hilton Arlington, located in the heart of the Ballston neighborhood of Arlington, VA. The Hilton Arlington is located at 950 North Stafford Street, Arlington, Virginia, 22203, USA TEL: +1-703-528-6000 and the reservation code is AMSAT (Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation).
Connected to the Ballston Metro Station, the hotel offers easy and effortless access to Washington DC’s top tourist destinations like the National Mall, Smithsonian Museums and historic monuments. The hotel is six miles from Reagan National Airport and the National Mall. There are plenty of restaurants nearby.
The Symposium will feature OSCAR Park – a display of satellites from throughout the history of amateur radio in space – paper presentations, and a banquet with speakers celebrating AMSAT’s long history, and other events. The AMSAT Board of Directors Meeting will be held on October 16th and 17th at the same hotel. Two guided tours are available. On Sunday, October 20th a bus tour to the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum is available for $30 (max 35 people) and on Monday, October 21st, AMSAT President Joe Spier will lead a day tour to the National Mall via the Metro.
So please plan on attending the 50th Anniversary Symposium – you will be glad you did and keep checking the AMSAT website for further updates and information.
The 2019 AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual Meeting features:
Space Symposium with Amateur Satellite Presentations
Operating Techniques, News, & Plans from the Amateur Satellite World
Board of Directors Meeting open to AMSAT members (October 16-17)
[ANS thanks the 2019 AMSAT Symposium Team for the above information]
2019 AMSAT Symposium On-line Registration Open Until October 11
An on-line registration rate for the 37th Annual AMSAT Space Symposium and General Meeting, Friday through Sunday, October 18-20, 2019, in Arlington, Virginia, is available through October 11, 2019 per the following schedule:
Registration September 16, 2019 – October 11, 2019
This year, all registrants will receive a digital copy of the Proceedings on a thumb drive. Attendees may purchase a hard copy for $25.00. Non-attendees may put their name on a waiting list for a hard copy, if there are any left over. The digital version of the Proceedings will be made available on the online store shortly after the Symposium concludes. Student Registration is 50% off and does not include the Proceedings.
[ANS thanks the 2019 AMSAT Symposium Team for the above information]
Virgin Orbit’s LauncherOne Moves Another Step Closer to Flight
LauncherOne Captive Flight Test
Virgin Orbit LauncherOne’s progress report this week says that the rocket has been “been fully integrated, tested, checked, re-checked, analyzed, and triple-checked”. LauncherOne now is destined for a rigorous crucible of engineering demonstrations and tests at a test site up in Mojave to begin Virgin Orbit’s first proper launch campaign.
The orbital test flight rocket is currently being installed into a newly built test stand in Mojave, where in the coming weeks it will run through a number of critical exercises, including loading and fueling with our mobile ground support equipment. The Virgin Orbit team is prepping and practicing, making sure we know how to do everything they could conceivably ever need to do. Then, it’s off to the skies — first for a captive carry flight, and then for the launch itself. The second flight of LauncherOne will carry RadFxSat-2/Fox-1E to orbit.
[ANS thanks Virgin Orbit for the above information]
Purchase AMSAT Gear on our Zazzle storefront.
25% of the purchase price of each product goes towards
Keeping Amateur Radio in Space https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear
About Gagarin From Space, Meeting of 30 universities, Plovdiv, Bulgaria, direct via LZ1KDP. The contact was successful.
ARISS Contact Colorado University/Northridge Elementary School Successful.
ARISS Mentor Bob, WB4SON reported that the September 24 contact between Astronaut Nick Hague and Northridge Elementary School (Colorado University in Boulder) was a complete success. All 16 student questions were asked and answered. One of the teacher questions was asked and answered before Claudio, IK6SLD, who’s team did a fantastic job at the ground station, completed the contact. Thanks also to Charlie, AJ9N. who moderated the contact. Colorado University Aerospace, The Boulder Amateur Radio Club (BARC), and the University of Colorado Amateur Radio Club hosted the event and did a wonderful job. (via WB4SON)
Sonoma County Main Library, Santa Rosa, CA, telebridge via K6DUE*
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS
The scheduled astronaut is Nick Hague KG5TMV
Contact is go for: Tue 2019-10-01 19:53:13 UTC
* Ed. note – K6DUE is located in Maryland, USA so the contact will be audible over eastern portions of North America.
UAE school #3 with Space Flight participant, direct via TBD
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS
The scheduled astronaut is Hazza Al Mansour
Contact is go for Wed 2019-10-02 09:45 UTC
AMSAT-UK International Space Colloquium
Sat 2019-10-12 to Sun 2019-10-13
Watch for MAI-75 SSTV sessions:
Wed 2019-10-09 09:50 to 16:00 UTC
Thu 2019-10-10 08:45 to 16:25 UTC
AMSAT and ARISS are currently supporting a FundRazr campaign to raise $150,000 for critical radio infrastructure upgrades on ISS. These upgrades are necessary to enable students to continue to talk to astronauts in space via Amateur Radio. We have reached a great milestone with $33,830 raised or about 23% towards our goal. This would not have been possible without your outstanding generosity!! For more information and to DONATE TODAY visit: https://fundrazr.com/arissnextgen?ref=ab_e7Htwa_ab_47IcJ9
[ANS thanks ARISS for the above information]
Upcoming Satellite Operations
[Ed. note – Twitter URLs can be accessed with your web browser even if you do not have a personal Twitter account.]
Brennan, N4QX, England (IO-91), October 1-3
Next week, October 1-3, work and facilities permitting: QRV on the FM satellites as M/N4QX from grid square IO91. QSL *exclusively* via Logbook of the World. Yeah, I know London isn’t rare, but it’s where I will be.
#AMSATandAngling (DM15, DM06) October 11-13, 2019
Ed, KN6DBC, is going fishing (literally), but he is bring gear to work FM Satellites. October 11 he’ll be in DM15, and October 12-13 in DM06. Visit Ken’s Twitter feed for specific pass schedule and further updates: https://twitter.com/KN6DBC
Central California (CM95, CM96, DM05, DM06) – October 19, 2019
David AD7DB will re-visit the four grids near Kettleman City CA. AO-91, AO-92, SO-50 will be used, with eastern passes a priority. Maybe PO-101 if it’s on, and AO-85 if it’s not too finicky. Contacts will be put on LOTW following the trip. Updates on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ad7db
FP, ST. PIERRE & MIQUELON (GN17) September 24 to October 8, 2019
Eric, KV1J, will once again be operating from the Island of Miquelon (NA-032, DIFO FP-002 WLOTA 1417, Grid GN17) as FP/KV1J between September 24th and October 8th. This is his 13th trip to the island. Activity will be on 160-6 meters (no 60M – not authorized) using CW, SSB, RTTY, FT8 (but primarily SSB, RTTY and FT8) and the satellites. He will generally be on the highest frequency band that is open (favoring 12/10m). He will be active in the CQWW DX RTTY Contest (September 28-29th). ADDED NOTE: Eric will usually try to be on as many Satellite passes as he can when the WX is good, generally favoring the FO-29, XW-2x, AO-7, and possibly the FM birds. Eric states, “Equipment is two FT-817s and an Arrow dual band yagi. I’ll favor the SSB birds usually higher in the passband, but will also try FM if they do not get too busy. Satellite logging is by paper so may not get loaded to LoTW until the week after I return to the USA.” Weekends may be limited since he will be concentrating on the low(er) bands and contests. QSL via KV1J, direct or by the Bureau. Also eQSL, ClubLog and LoTW. For more details and updates, check out his Web page at: http://www.kv1j.com/fp/Sep19.html
D4, CAPE VERDE (Update/Satellite Op).
Harald, DF2WO, will once again be active as D44TWO from Praia, Santiago Island (AF-005), between September 29th and October 13th. Activity will be holiday style on 160-10 meters using CW, SSB and mostly the Digital modes. (FT8, PSK31, JT65 and RTTY) and slow CW.
Harald has been working hard in the last few months getting his satellite station for QO-100 working and is now confident he will use it from Cabo Verde. He will be using an Icom 7300, 2 Transverters with 3 watts output on EsHail using the QO-100 Geostationary Satellite. He will also have a FT-450D into a homemade HEX BEAM and a dipole for 40 meters. Please DO NOT send your card via the Bureau it WILL NOT be received – To receive a bureau card you MUST request via M0OXO OQRS ONLY! (Via Ohio/Penn DX Bulletin #1428)
WW0, UNITED STATES (Special Event).
Members of the Northern Colorado Amateur Radio Club (NCARC), WWV ARC, RMHam, and FCCW along with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) will activate special event station WW0WWV between September 28 and October 2 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of WWV, the world’s oldest continuously operating radio station.The WW0WWV station(s) will be set up adjacent to the WWV transmitter site in Fort Collins, Colorado. Operations will be on various HF bands following typical propagation, and will include 160 meters as well as satellites (SO-50, AO-91, and AO-92) and 6-meter meteor scatter. Modes will be CW, SSB and digital. QSL via ClubLog’s OQRS, LoTW, or direct to the WWV Amateur Radio Club, 1713 Ridgewood Rd, Fort Collins, CO 80526, USA.
Please submit any additions or corrections to ke4al (at) amsat.org
[ANS Thanks Robert Bankston, KE4AL, for the above information]
The digital download version of the 2019 edition of Getting Started with Amateur Satellites is now available as a DRM-free PDF from the AMSAT Store. Get yours today!
https://tinyurl.com/ANS-237-Getting-Started
NASA’s International Space Apps Challenge Coming October 18-20
NASA’s International Space Apps Challenge has become the world’s largest global hackathon, engaging thousands of citizens across the globe to use
NASA’s open data to build innovative solutions to challenges we face on Earth and in space.
Space Apps inspires local communities to come together, think intensely, and create solutions to important problems. Each year, Space Apps engages
thousands of individuals in cities around the world to work with NASA’s open source data in a 48-hour sprint. Teams of technologists, scientists,
designers, entrepreneurs, artists, and others collaborate to answer some of the most pressing challenges on Earth and in space.
On one weekend each year, with the help of NASA’s Global Organizing Team (fondly known as the GO Team), hundreds of local leads around the world host events in a 48-hour sprint in which their participants hack solutions to challenges that NASA proposes, creating games, smartphone and computer apps, videos, teaching tools, and much more.
Registration information is posted on the Space Apps web page.
[ANS thanks NASA’s International Space Apps Challenge for the above information]
The Fox-In-A-Box Raspberry Pi SD card for setting up a Raspberry Pi-based telemetry station for the Fox-1 satellites now supports the Raspberry Pi4. Get yours today on the AMSAT Store! https://amsat.org/product/fox-in-a-box-raspberry-pi-sd-card/
FO-29 Returns!
FO-29 is reported to be back in operation after being off the air since last July:
FO-29 Frequencies
Uplink
146.000 - 145.900 MHz
LSB/CW
Downlink
435.800 - 435.900 MHz
USB/CW
Telemetry
435.795 MHz
CW (100 mW) one frame per minute. Each frame begins and ends with the historic 'HI'
Mineo Wakita JE9PEL offers a nice FO-29 Satellite CW Telemetry Analysis Program for free on his web site. The program is called “fo29cwts”. Mineo’s web site is: http://www.ne.jp/asahi/hamradio/je9pel/fo29cwts.htm
Click for download page
[ANS thanks JAMSAT for the above information]
AMSAT-DL Memorandum Regarding QO-100 Operation
AMSAT-DL and QARS asks the users of the new geostationary QO-100 satellite for radio discipline. During the last weeks some stations have been transmitting with much too much power and sometimes outside of the official band limits. Also permanent carriers are sent without indication of callsign. This was also critically observed in the control center of Es’hailSat in Qatar.
Please do not send louder than the CW beacon.
Stick to the band plan: No operation is allowed below the CW beacon and above the PSK beacon.
The satellite is not a measuring device: To test your power amplifier in continuous operation, please use a dummy load and a suitable measuring device.
Check regularly the bandwidth of your transmissions, maximum bandwidth 2.7 kHz, no FM.
Qatar has made a great gift to the amateur radio community with the Qatar OSCAR 100 satellite. We should act accordingly. Please, kindly point this out to other stations on the transponder. If there are still violations, in the worst case a temporary shutdown could be expected.
[ANS thanks Peter Guelzow, DB2OS, and AMSAT-DL for the above information]
Satellite Shorts From All Over
AMSAT-DL reports the sad news of the passing of Hanspeter Kuhlen, DK1YQ, who died suddenly last weekend. Peter Gülzow, DB2OS, wrote on behalf of the Rudak and AMSAT-DL team, “We’re going to miss him. Our hearts are with his family.” Hanspeter was the Project Manager for RUDAK on OSCAR-13 and on OSCAR-21/RS-14. He was also part of the command station team for OSCAR-10 and OSCAR-13.
AO-73’s BPSK telemetry downlink on 145.935 MHz includes text messages, called FITTER messages, for announcements, greetings, and commemorations. Satellite users can have their message uplinked by the FUNcube team so that it can be read globally in the downlink message stream. Simply email: [email protected] to request FITTER messages to be uploaded. Please keep them short and give them a couple of weeks notice if you can. As well as being available for download on 2 metres they can be also be seen via the internet at: http://data.amsat-uk.org/ui/fc1-fm/fitter
Fred Kemerer, AB1OC, has documented a satellite station set-up based on the Flex 6000 series radios on his blog at: https://tinyurl.com/ANS-272-AB1OC-Flex
APRS on IO-86 uses aliases of ARISS and YBSAT – APRS operation is active on a schedule alternating with the FM repeater and the other primary payload of LAPAN A2/ORARI. Typically one in the morning and another one in the evening. Please check twitter @lapansat for the weekly schedule. (Yono, YD0NXX, AMSAT-ID Technical Team)
This article covers available SDR hardware, software and configurations, but it also teaches a little radio theory and a taste of the mathematics to understand what’s going on: https://arachnoid.com/software_defined_radios/ (via nooelec.com on Twitter)
2019 marks AMSAT’s 50th Anniversary of Keeping Amateur Radio in Space. To help celebrate, AMSAT is sponsoring the AMSAT 50th Anniversary Awards Program. Full details are available at https://www.amsat.org/amsat-50th-anniversary-awards-program/ Bruce Paige, KK5DO, Director of Contests and Awards, reported this week that the awards are being printed and will be sent shortly to all those who have applied.
The deadline for submissions is November 1, 2019 for K-12 students in U.S. public, private and home schools can enter the Mars 2020 Name the Rover essay contest. One grand prize winner will name the rover and be invited to see the spacecraft launch in July 2020 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The Name the Rover contest is part of NASA’s efforts to engage students in the STEM enterprise behind Mars exploration and inspire interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. NASA posted all the info at: https://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/participate/name-the-rover/
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center has produced a safety guide for approaching a black hole. Watch this video before you blast off to learn more about black holes and (more importantly) how to stay safe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMTwtb3TVIk&feature=youtu.be Brochures, science video clips are available for downloading from: https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/13322 NASA has produced a visualization model of the appearance of a black hole depending on the observer’s angle of approach https://youtu.be/o-Psuz7u5OI (NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center)
AMSAT-SA Space Symposium 2020 in South Africa is planned for July 18, 2020. The theme will be: Amateur Radio in Space – exploring VHF, UHF and Microwaves. The latest information will be posted at: http://www.amsatsa.org.za/
AMSAT SA has announced that parallel to its analogue Kletskous CubeSat, the group is working on a digital project featuring a Software defined transponder. Called AfriCUBE, the CubeSat will use the same space frame as KLETSKOUS. Anton Janovsky is currently building a prototype transponder. AMSATSA is inviting persons interested in becoming part of the development team to send their details to [email protected].
Dance like nobody’s watching! A Boston Dynamics robot performs its gymnastics floor routine: https://youtu.be/_sBBaNYex3E
[ANS thanks everyone for the above information]
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.
Primary and secondary school students are eligible for membership at one-half the standard yearly rate. Post-secondary school students enrolled in at least half time status shall be eligible for the student rate for a maximum of six post-secondary years in this status. Contact Martha at the AMSAT office for additional student membership information.
73 and remember to behave and to help keep amateur radio in space,
This week’s ANS Editor,
JoAnne Maenpaa, K9JKM
k9jkm at amsat dot org
The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and information service of AMSAT North America, The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS publishes news related to Amateur Radio in space including 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.
The news feed on https://amsat.org publishes news of Amateur Radio in space as soon as our volunteers can post it. Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to: ans-editor at amsat dot org. You can sign up for free e-mail delivery of the AMSAT News Service Bulletins via the ANS List; to join this list see: https://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/ans
In this edition:
2019 AMSAT Board of Directors Election Results
2019 AMSAT Symposium Registration Savings Through October 11
IEEE GRSS Student Grand Challenge
IARU Coordination for Two Satellites
QO-100 Satellite, GNU Radio and SDR Talks Released
Upcoming Satellite Operations
ARISS News
Satellite Shorts from All Over
2019 AMSAT Board of Directors Election Results
As a result of the 2019 Board of Directors Election, Jerry Buxton, N0JY; Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA; Patrick Stoddard, WD9EWK; and Michelle
Thompson, W5NYV; will serve on the board for two years.
The First Alternate is Brennan Price, N4QX. The Second Alternate is Howard (Howie) Defelice, AB2S. Both will serve for a term of one year.
The results of the voting with 1,052 ballots cast (892 electronic + 160 paper) are as follows:
Name
Call
Votes
Michelle Thompson
W5NYV
675
Patrick Stoddard
WD9EWK
585
Jerry Buxton
N0JY
526
Drew Glasbrenner
KO4MA
515
Brennan Price
N4QX
480
Howard (Howie) Defelice
AB2S
435
Paul Stoetzer
N8HM
399
Jeff Johns
WE4B
366
These results submitted September 20, 2019 by
Clayton Coleman, W5PFG
AMSAT Secretary
[ANS thanks Clayton Coleman, W5PFG, Secretary for the above information]
2019 AMSAT Symposium Registration Savings Through October 11
You can still save money when registering for the 50th Anniversary AMSAT Space Symposium and General Meeting, Friday through Sunday, October 18-20, 2019, in Arlington, Virginia. Registrations received September 16 – October 11 can be ordered for $65. Registrations at the door will cost $70.
This year, all registrants will receive a digital copy of the Proceedings on a thumb drive. Attendees may purchase a hard copy for $25.00. Non-attendees may put their name on a waiting list for a hard copy, if there are any left over. The digital version of the Proceedings will be made available on the online store shortly after the Symposium concludes. Student Registrations are 50% off and does not include the Proceedings.
A preliminary schedule of events for the 2019 AMSAT Space Symposium has been posted to the AMSAT website. It can be accessed at https://www.amsat.org/symposium-schedule/.
[ANS thanks the 2019 AMSAT Symposium Team for the above information.]
IEEE GRSS Student Grand Challenge Deadline Extended
The IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Society (GRSS) has announced the Second GRSS Student Grand Challenge which allows student teams to develop Earth Observation payloads for a small satellite.
The competition starts with the submission of a proposal to design payload/experiment(s) that can solve real-life space exploration problems such as collecting data on the global climate, environmental change and natural hazards.
Winning teams will receive grant funding during two years that will be used to develop the proposed payload idea. Teams willing to participate must send a brief description of their mission concept, indicating:
Team: composition, background and expertise, motivation, and signed commitment letter during the duration of the project,
Scientific rationale and feasibility of the proposed observations: innovative techniques (ways to conduct the measurement) and technologies are welcome,
Development plan including characterization and testing,
Budget proposal,
If the proposing team is not yet part of an already established GRSS Student Chapter, it is important that commitment to form a new Chapter by the end of 2019 be included in the proposal. Teams including multiple Sections are welcome and encouraged.
The winning payloads will be considered for integration into a CubeSat that will be developed at the National Space Science and Technology Center (NSSTC) in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates (UAE) in collaboration with the YahSat Space Lab at Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi, UAE.
[ANS thanks Prashanth Marpu, Associate Professor, Khalifa University for the above information.]
Symposium Papers Due September 23rd!
Final copies of papers must be submitted by September 23rd
for inclusion in the printed proceedings. Abstracts and papers
should be sent to Dan Schultz at n8fgv(at)amsat.org
IARU Coordination for Two Satellites
The IARU has provided frequency coordination for a 1U CubeSat, Surya Satellite-1. Sponsored by the Department Physics and Energy Engineering at Surya University, its mission is to develop Indonesian young generation interest in space technology. The satellite will provide short text message communication using Automatic Packet Reporting System (APRS) protocol with a VHF downlink on 145.825 MHz and a telemetry with a UHF downlink on 435.825. Deployment is planned from the ISS in March 2020.
Additionally, the IARU has received an application for a 2U CubeSat sponsored by the National Institute of Technology, Kochi College. The satellite will conduct the following experiments:
An onboard SDR will receive CW signals on 21 MHz and decoded call signs will be sent on 430 MHz downlink.
A newly developed attitude control system using dual reaction wheel mechanism.
An on-board computer system consisting of Linux base microcomputer.
An in-orbit expansion test of the 21 MHz half-wave dipole antenna for Morse CW signals reception and Jupiter’s millisecond radio bursts observation.
Observation of Jupiter millisecond radio bursts with the expanded HF dipole antenna and on-board SDR.
360-degree tests of the camera unit to take all-sky images with two fish-eye cameras.
A UHF downlink will use 9k6 FSK packet, 1k2 AFSK packet and CW. The launch from Japan by a JAXA Epsilon is planned during fiscal year 2020 into a 500km SSO.
[ANS thanks the IARU for the above information.]
QO-100 Satellite, GNU Radio and SDR Talks Released
Mark, M5BOP reports the complete set of amateur radio technical talks from this year’s Martlesham Microwave Round Table is now available to watch on YouTube.
Videos of these MMRT 2019 talks are available:
Practical GNUradio – Heather Lomond M0HMO
From Death Rays to Dinner – William Eustace M0WJE
Equipment for Es’hail-2 / QO-100 Narrowband – David Bowman G0MRF
DATV on Es’hail-2 / QO100 – Noel Matthews G8GTZ
Low-pass Harmonic Filter for 23cm – John Quarmby G3XDY
2019 marks AMSAT’s 50th Anniversary of Keeping Amateur Radio in Space.
To help celebrate, we are sponsoring the AMSAT 50th Anniversary Awards Program.
Full details are available at https://www.amsat.org/amsat-50th-anniversary-awards-program/
Upcoming Satellite Operations
Take W3ZM On-the-Road
W3ZM/5 on Sep 20-21, 2019 in NM, Grid DM64 by KE4AL with FM & Linears
W3ZM/4 on Sep 30, 2019 in FL, Grid EM60 by N4KGL
Remember to check out W3ZM On the Road for additional upcoming activations! https://www.amsat.org/events/was-w3zm/
Rovers and Special Events
Formentera Island (EA6 Balearic Is. DXCC – JM08) Sept. 19 to 23, 2019
EA4NF, Philippe will be operating from Formentera Island (DXCC: EA6 Balearic Islands – IOTA EU-004 – GRID JM08) on satellite as EA6/EA4NF from September 19 to 23, 2019. This is a great opportunity to get the rare grid (JM08) of this small island only accessible by boat, IOTA (EU-004) and EA6 (Balearic Is. DXCC) in one single contact and confirmed on LoTW. QRV Satellite in FM & SSB. QSL : LoTW. Keep an eye on Philippe’s Twitter feed for further updates and sat passes or contact him directly for a sked at https://twitter.com/EA4NF_SAT.
Big SkyRove (DN35, DN55, DN56, DN65, DN66) – Sept. 19-23, 2019
Dennis, N7EGY, is taking his radios on a family trip to Big Sky Country. Trip purpose is family first before satellite fun, so some plans could be cancelled at the last minute. Plan is to work from DN55/56/65/66, with DN35 on whatever bird up as we pass through. See projected schedule at https://twitter.com/n7egy1/status/1172000359989960704?s=20. Keep an eye on Dennis’ Twitter feed for further announcements at https://twitter.com/n7egy1
DM02/mm (need we say more) September 22, 2019
Ron, AD0DX, and Alex, N7AGF, are chartering a boat to the ultra-rare DM02 grid square. They will use the special event call sign November 6. Ocean/Maritime Mobile. Expected window of operation is from 1000z to 1900z, Sunday, September 22nd. More information is available on QRZ https://www.qrz.com/db/N6O to include how you can help support this monumental operation. Ron and Alex are expected to have cellular service out there, so keep an eye on their Twitter feeds https://twitter.com/ad0dx and https://twitter.com/N7AGF
FP, ST. PIERRE & MIQUELON (GN17) September 24 to October 8, 2019
Eric, KV1J, will once again be operating from the Island of Miquelon (NA-032, DIFO FP-002 WLOTA 1417, Grid GN17) as FP/KV1J between September 24th and October 8th. This is his 13th trip to the island. Activity will be on 160-6 meters (no 60M – not authorized) using CW, SSB, RTTY, FT8 (but primarily SSB, RTTY and FT8) and the satellites. He will generally be on the highest frequency band that is open (favoring 12/10m). He will be active in the CQWW DX RTTY Contest (September 28-29th). ADDED NOTE: Eric will usually try to be on as many Satellite passes as he can when the WX is good, generally favoring the FO-29, XW-2x, AO-7, and possibly the FM birds. Eric states, “Equipment is two FT-817s and an Arrow dual band yagi. I’ll favor the SSB birds usually higher in the passband, but will also try FM if they do not get too busy. Satellite logging is by paper so may not get loaded to LoTW until the week after I return to the USA.” Weekends may be limited since he will be concentrating on the low(er) bands and contests. QSL via KV1J, direct or by the Bureau. Also eQSL, ClubLog and LoTW. For more details and updates, check out his Web page at: http://www.kv1j.com/fp/Sep19.html
[ANS thanks Robert Bankston, KE4AL for the above information.]
ARISS News
Successful Contacts
Templestowe College, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, telebridge via VK6MJ
The ISS callsign was NA1SS
The astronaut was Nick Hague, KG5TMV Contact was on Wed 2019-09-18 08:06:32 UTC.
Watch at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QalYOnHURYk
Upcoming Contacts
Boys and Girls Club, Ft. Meade, MD., telebridge via VK4KHZ
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS
The scheduled astronaut is Nick Hague, KG5TMV
Contact is go for: Fri 2019-09-20 19:58:23 UTC 54 deg
The Children’s Inn at NIH (National Institutes of Health), Bethesda, MD (CASIS#3), telebridge via ON4ISS
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS
The scheduled astronaut is Nick Hague, KG5TMV
Contact is go for: Mon 2019-09-23 20:08:27 UTC 89 deg
School in Bulgaria, direct via TBD
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS
The scheduled astronaut is TBD Contact is go for Tue 2019-09-24 16:10 UTC
UAE school #1 with Space Flight participant, direct via TBD
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS
The scheduled astronaut is TBD Contact is go for Fri 2019-09-27 12:10 UTC
UAE school #2 with Space Flight participant, direct via TBD
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS
The scheduled astronaut is TBD Contact is go for Sat 2019-09-28 11:20 UTC
UAE school #3 with Space Flight participant, direct via TBD
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS
The scheduled astronaut is TBD Contact is go for Wed 2019-10-02 09:45 UTC
[ANS thanks Charlie Sufana, AJ9N for the above information.]
Purchase AMSAT gear on our Zazzle storefront. 25% of the purchase price of each product goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear
Satellite Shorts from All Over
Hams in Space: Gearing Up for the Lunar Gateway
Hackaday has published an interesting story about some of the political, scientific and engineering facets of the proposed Lunar Gateway and about the challenges of working Amateur Radio on board that mission. Read the full article at https://tinyurl.com/ANS-265-Lunar-Gateway. [ANS thanks Hackaday for the above information.]
IPS – High Level Programming of Small Systems
for the AMSAT Space Projects AMSAT-DL offers an interesting historical perspective of IPS, the Interpreter for Process Structures developed by Professor Dr. Karl Meinzer, DJ4ZC. The article recalls how IPS was instrumental in the operation of AMSAT Phase 3 satellites. Read the entire article at https://tinyurl.com/ANS-265-IPS. [ANS thanks AMSAT-DL for the above information.]
AMSAT Member Gabriel Zeifman, AL6D, Receives NATCA Archie League Medal of Safety Award
On the night of April 9, 2019, controller Gabriel Zeifman was alone in the tower cab at Juneau International Airport. The pilot of a 1979 Mooney became confused while on one of the last legs of a cross-country trip. Gabe recognized the confusion and was able to clarify things, saving the pilot’s life. After hearing about this incident, Miami Center Vice President and Disaster Response Committee Chair Tom Flanary nominated Zeifman for the Alaskan Region Archie League Award. Read the complete story at https://tinyurl.com/ANS-265-Zeifman-Award [ANS thanks the National Air Traffic Controllers Association for the above information.]
USAF to Let Hackers Try to Hijack an Orbiting Satellite
The Air Force will bring a satellite to the Defcon hacking conference next year. Soon, the Air Force will put out a call for submissions. Think you know how to hack a satellite or its ground station? Let them know. A select number of researchers whose pitches seem viable will be invited to try out their ideas during a “flat-sat” phase— essentially a test build comprising all the eventual components—six months before Defcon. That group will once again be culled; the Air Force will fly the winners out to Defcon for a live hacking competition. Read the complete article at https://www.wired.com/story/air-force-defcon-satellite-hacking/. [ANS thanks WIRED for the above information.]
SatNOGS Celebrates 1,000,000 Observations
On September 12, 2019 observation #1,000,000 got uploaded on the SatNOGS Network by station #2 in Bloomington, Indiana operated by Corey Shields, KB9JHU receiving data from UNISAT-6 satellite. SatNOGS Network is a global management interface to facilitate multiple ground station operations remotely. An observer is able to take advantage of the full network of SatNOGS ground stations around the world. It’s part of the SatNOGS project. The network is open to anyone. Any observer is able to utilize all available ground stations and communicate with satellites. All observations results are public and all data are distributed freely under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike license. [ANS thanks SatNOGS for the above information.]
Doing Space Differently…How Three Decades of Innovation Led To a Smallsat Revolution
SatMagazine recounts how the hallmark of the modern smallsat is the adoption of up-to-date consumer technologies combined with rapid development cycles. These are executed by small agile teams operating closer to IT industry management models rather than those traditionally found in military/aerospace organizations. One of the first modern smallsats, and arguably the first reprogrammable one, was UoSAT-1, launched in 1981. Built by a group of radio amateurs and researchers at the University of Surrey, this smallsat successfully demonstrated that it was possible to compile software on the ground and upload it to a satellite that was designed and built using Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) components. These researchers epitomized what is now commonly considered as the characteristics of a smallsat team: highly innovative technical staff operating as part of a small motivated unit, working in close proximity and with effective communications. Read the entire article at: http://www.satmagazine.com/story.php?number=1497605345. [ANS thanks SatMagazine for the above information.]
SpaceX plans 24 Starlink launches next year
SpaceX hopes to launch 24 Starlink missions in 2020 as the company builds out a broadband megaconstellation that could ultimately number close to 12,000 satellites, a company executive said September 10. SpaceX’s Starlink launch cadence will likely average “two a month,” in addition to customer launches, Gwynne Shotwell, SpaceX’s president and chief operating officer, said at the World Satellite Business Week conference. “Next year, I hope we launch 24 Starlinks,” Shotwell said. Read the complete story at: https://spacenews.com/spacex-plans-24-starlink-launches-next-year/. [ANS thanks SpaceNews for the above information.]
NASA Joins All Five Sections for Space Launch System Rocket Stage
NASA finished assembling and joining the main structural components for the largest rocket stage the agency has built since the Saturn V that sent Apollo astronauts to the Moon. NASA is working to land the first woman and the next man on the Moon by 2024. SLS and NASA’s Orion spacecraft, along with the Gateway in orbit around the Moon, and the Human Landing System are the backbone for deep space exploration. SLS is the only rocket that can send Orion, astronauts and supplies to the Moon in a single mission. Read the entire story at https://tinyurl.com/ANS-265-SLS. [ANS thanks SpaceRef for the above information.]
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.
Primary and secondary school students are eligible for membership at one-half the standard yearly rate. Post-secondary school students enrolled in at least half time status shall be eligible for the student rate for a maximum of six post-secondary years in this status. Contact Martha at the AMSAT office for additional student membership information.
73,
This week’s ANS Editor,
Frank Karnauskas, N1UW
n1uw at amsat dot org
As a result of the 2019 Board of Directors Election, Jerry Buxton, N0JY; Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA; Patrick Stoddard, WD9EWK; and Michelle
Thompson, W5NYV; will serve on the board for two years.
The First Alternate is Brennan Price, N4QX. The Second Alternate is Howard (Howie) Defelice, AB2S. Both will serve for a term of one year.
The results of the voting with 1,052 ballots cast (892 electronic + 160 paper) are as follows:
Name
Call
Votes
Michelle Thompson
W5NYV
675
Patrick Stoddard
WD9EWK
585
Jerry Buxton
N0JY
526
Drew Glasbrenner
KO4MA
515
Brennan Price
N4QX
480
Howard (Howie) Defelice
AB2S
435
Paul Stoetzer
N8HM
399
Jeff Johns
WE4B
366
These results submitted September 20, 2019 by
Clayton Coleman, W5PFG
AMSAT Secretary
[ANS thanks Clayton Coleman, W5PFG, Secretary for the above information]
Information about AMSAT activities at important events around the country is posted on the AMSAT Hamfests & Conventions web page:
