ANS-343 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

AMSAT News Service

ANS-343
December 8, 2024

In this edition:

  • AMSAT-OSCAR 7 Featured in YouTube Video
  • LignoSat ISS Deployment Information
  • HADES-ICM Offering FM Transponder to Launch Q1 2025
  • Gaston Bertels, ON4WF, SK
  • Changes to AMSAT TLE Distribution for December 6, 2024
  • ARISS News
  • Upcoming Satellite Operations
  • AMSAT Ambassador Activities
  • Satellite Shorts From All Over

The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and information service of AMSAT, 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://www.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.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://mailman.amsat.org/postorius/lists/ans.amsat.org/


AMSAT-OSCAR 7 Featured in YouTube Video

AMSAT-OSCAR 7 celebrated its 50th birthday on November 15th. The YouTube channel Retro Rockets recently released an in-depth documentary entitled “AMSAT-OSCAR 7: The Little Satellite That Could.” This 30 minute documentary covers the satellite’s development, launch, and circumstances surrounding its rebirth.

Retro Rockets is a YouTube channel focused on covering early and forgotten spacecraft.

[ANS thanks Retro Rockets for the above information]


LignoSat ISS Deployment Information

LignoSat is a 1U-sized CubeSat whose outside structure is mainly composed of wood. In the development of wooden artificial satellites, we can produce wooden structures by using a familiar material “wood” and the usual manufacturing techniques. This will provide more people with the opportunity to develop amateur satellites at a lower cost.

This satellite performs the following missions:

1. Amateur Radio Mission LignoSat will extract call signs of the amateur radio stations from the FM packet data signals uplinked, and respond to them by using the CW downlink and their call signs to send “thank you” messages. This shows the success of the interactive satellite communication using only UHF frequencies.

2. Educational mission Another LignoSat mission is to educate students to learn about the characteristics of the satellite by acquiring its HK data such as the internal temperature, the strain of the wooden structure, and the Earth’s magnetic field and calculating the rotational direction and rate of the satellite as well as observing the effect of the space environment on the wooden structure of LignoSat.

Date and time of deployment: December 9, 2024, 20:30 JST/11:30 UTC +-90min

Downlink frequency of CW beacon: 435.82MHz +-Doppler

Please track the satellite using the orbital elements (TLE) of the ISS for a while after deployment. As time passes, it will gradually fly ahead of the ISS.

The first path in Japan is expected to be around 06:30 JST on December 10th

The antenna is scheduled to be deployed 30 minutes after deployment, so if the deployment is early, it may be possible to receive the satellite during the first pass in eastern North America (around 12:20 UTC).

If the deployment is late, it may be possible to receive the satellite during the first pass in the EU (around 12:37 UTC).

A release event is scheduled to take place on the JAXA YouTube channel.

Please send your reception reports to [email protected] thank you.

[ANS thanks the Kyoto University LignoSat Support Team and the IARU for the above information]


HADES-ICM Offering FM Transponder to Launch Q1 2025

The HADES-ICM 1.5p PocketQube recently underwent testing at UPM/IDR University in Madrid. It will offer the amateur radio community a VHF/UHF FM voice repeater as the one of SO-121 (HADES-D) but more powerful. It is scheduled to be launched in Q1 2025 aboard the SpaceX Transporter-13 mission.

HADES-ICM 1.5 PQ satellite main mission is to act as a FM voice repeater. It can also repeat FSK derived modes like FT-4 and FT-8. As there is a small empty space available, it will be used to carry an experiment by Smart IR/Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre, GEIC University of Manchester (UK) consisting in a very low power active radiator to be tested on space conditions. The data for this experiment will be transmitted in a specific data packet in the telemetry. This experiment is the same as the one in HADES-R. This experiment will be delivered to AMSAT EA for integration and will be operated by AMSAT-EA, being all its data public and open. Engineering and manufacturing support for this mission is carried out with the help of private sector companies and universities, but AMSAT-EA will be the only operating organization. icMercury is a company also supporting the mission. It will develop ground tracking software for the satellite. Telemetry will send some FSK English formatted text messages, part of a history, to be collected as a challenge. HADES-ICM will offer licensed radio-amateur around the world the opportunity to relay FM voice and AX.25 / APRS 300 / 1200 bps communications. FSK derived transmissions and modes like FT-4 and FT-8 are also supported. As an improvement from previous missions, maximum power is now 0.25W when battery is charged (the amplifier uses battery energy), allowing easier QSOs with handheld antennas like Arrow or Elk and less sensitive receivers. The satellite will also transmit telemetry with its status and CW messages. This all will be achieved by implementing a SDR based repeater. The FM / FSK repeater will be available all time and opened by squelch level without the need of a subtone. As payload, the satellite will carry an experiment by Smart IR/Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre, GEIC University of Manchester (UK) consisting in a very low power active radiator to be tested on space conditions. This experiment is the same as the one in HADES-R satellite with updates and improvements. Also, as a challenge made with icMercury, telemetry will send FSK English formatted text messages, part of a history, to be collected. Launch is expected for February 2025 in SpaceX Transporter-13 mission managed by the space broker Alba Orbital / D-Orbit. The main mission for the satellite is to act as a FM voice repeater although due to its SDR nature it can repeat data too. Users will have the capability of making voice contacts and use FSK derived modes like FT-4 and FT-8. This satellite is based on the hardware of HADES-D (SO-121, currently being used by HAMs worldwide for voice contacts) and the next to launch HADES-R. FM satellites are very demanded and appreciated by the HAM community because they are easy to use, they don’t require of expensive transceivers and allow continental and even transatlantic contacts in some conditions. With this satellite we also put into use the amateur VHF and UHF satellite sub-bands helping to secure them for the community in the future.

[ANS thanks AMSAT-EA for the above information]


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Gaston Bertels, ON4WF, SK

This past week, Frank Bauer KA3HDO ARISS-USA Executive Director and ARISS International Chair passed this along to the ARISS volunteers:

It is with great sorrow that we announce the passing of Gaston Bertels, ON4WF (SK).  Gaston died today, December 3, 2024, from cancer.  He was 97.

Gaston was recently given the title “Elder Statesman” by the ARISS International team. This honor was given because of his monumental role in the formation and operation of the ARISS team. He wrote our ARISS Terms of Reference and participated in numerous discussions, over the years, on how to run a cohesive, results-oriented international team. His in-depth knowledge of amateur radio rules and regulations, particularly his knowledge of licensing and 3rd party traffic, enabled ARISS to develop an operations plan that could support human spaceflight amateur radio operations across the world. His knowledge of radio telecommunications was respected in Europe and elsewhere, allowing him to give presentations on amateur radio in space to members of the European Parliament. His personality radiated an inviting aura to all. He has been a friend, a leader, and an inspiration to all of us.

Gaston began his journey in human spaceflight amateur radio by guiding a group of engaging students in a radio contact at a Belgian Space Camp during the 1992 STS-45 Space Shuttle mission. This contact was with Belgium’s first Astronaut, Dirk Frimout ON1AFD. Gaston coordinated the radio contact preparations and operated the radio station during the contact. Gaston was instrumental in convincing ESA to install L/S band antennas on the Columbus module, prior to launch, to support future operations in Columbus. He worked with Professor Pawel Kabacik from the Wroclaw University to design, build and certify the antennas and led a fundraising campaign to pay for the development, test and certification. With HamTV as the first hardware “customer” of these antennas, Gaston led the HTT, the HamTV Technical Team meetings to prepare the HamTV ground stations for operations and to coordinate the on-board HamTV operations. The L/S antennas have also been employed for two flight experiments:  MarconISSta with TU Berlin and the upcoming NAVCOM experiment for ASI/Qascom.

Gaston will be sorely missed.  But the light of his legacy shines in all of us that he has touched—inside and outside of ARISS.

Ad Astra Gaston!  (To the Stars, Gaston!)

[ANS thanks Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, ARISS International Chair, for the above information]


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ARISS News

Amateurs and others around the world may listen in on contacts between amateurs operating in schools and allowing students to interact with astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station. The downlink frequency on which to listen is 145.800 MHz worldwide.

SWSU, Kursk, Russia, direct via TBD

The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS
The scheduled crewmember is Alexander Gorbunov
The ARISS mentor is RV3DR

Contact is go for Mon 2024-12-09 09:30 UTC

Chrześcijańska Szkoła Podstawowa Daniel, Warszawa, Poland, direct via SP5POT

The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS
The scheduled crewmember is Don Pettit KD5MDT
The ARISS mentor is SP3QFE

Contact is go for: Mon 2024-12-09 11:03:48 UTC 78 deg

Watch for Livestreams at https://www.facebook.com/share/45Mq4px6R9Fnt6tK/ and  https://www.youtube.com/live/CDMgY2x5Kwo

Scuola Secondaria di I Grado “F.Anzani”, Cantù, Italy, telebridge via VK4KHZ

The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS
The scheduled crewmember is Sunita Williams KD5PLB
The ARISS mentor is IZ2GOJ

Contact is go for: Tue 2024-12-10 09:13:10 UTC 35 deg via VK4KHZ

Watch for Livestream at https://www.youtube.com/live/jU7bSfGfwfI?si=OTL5NoqViOGKZgtI

Hillsboro Charter Academy, Purcellville, VA, direct via KQ4MAM  

The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS
The scheduled crewmember is Sunita Williams KD5PLB
The ARISS mentor is AA6TB

Contact is go for: Wed 2024-12-11 18:51:41 UTC 45 deg

Many times a school may make a last minute decision to do a Livestream or run into a last minute glitch requiring a change of the URL but we at ARISS may not get the URL in time for publication.  You can always check https://live.ariss.org/ to see if a school is Livestreaming.

As always, if there is an EVA, a docking, or an undocking; the ARISS radios are turned off as part of the safety protocol.

The crossband repeater continues to be active (145.990 MHz up {PL 67} & 437.800 MHz down),  If any crewmember is so inclined, all they have to do is pick up the microphone, raise the volume up, and talk on the crossband repeater. So give a listen, you just never know.

Note, all times are approximate. It is recommended that you do your own orbital prediction or start listening about 10 minutes before the listed time.

The latest information on the operation mode can be found at https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html

The latest list of frequencies in use can be found at https://www.ariss.org/contact-the-iss.html

[ANS thanks Charlie Sufana, AJ9N, one of the ARISS operation team mentors for the above information]


Upcoming Satellite Operations

A growing number of satellite rovers are currently engaged in sharing their grid square activations on https://hams.at. By visiting the website, you gain easy access to comprehensive information about the operators responsible for activating specific grid squares. Additionally, you have the ability to assess the match score between yourself and a particular rover for a given pass, while also being able to identify the upcoming satellite passes that are accessible from your location.

ADØHJ is planning his last 2024 rove to the Missouri Ozarks area between December 5th-8th. Mitch has never been to that area so he is looking to do some sightseeing and activate eight new satellite grid squares. EM26-EM28, EM36-EM39, and EN30. He will be working RS-44 passes in the evenings.
See https://hams.at for details.

EA4NF is planning to activate IN87 and IN97 in Brittany, France as F5OCE on December 12th-14th. Pass information will be posted at https://hams.at/.

[ANS thanks Ian Parsons, K5ZM, AMSAT Rover Page Manager,  for the above information]


 Want to fly the colors on your own grid expedition?
Get an AMSAT car flag and other neat stuff from our Zazzle store!
25% of the purchase price of each product goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space


AMSAT Ambassador Activities

AMSAT Ambassadors provide presentations, demonstrate communicating through amateur satellites, and host information tables at club meetings, hamfests, conventions, maker faires, and other events.

AMSAT Ambassador Clint Bradford, K6LCS, says,

“Think a 75-minute presentation on “working the easy satellites” would be appropriate for your club or event? Let me know by emailing me at k6lcsclint (at) gmail (dot) com or calling me at 909-999-SATS (7287)!”

Clint has NEVER given the exact same show twice: EACH of the 150+ presentations so far has been customized/tailored to their audiences.

Scheduled Events

Central Kentucky Amateur Radio Society
December 19, 2024

CKARS Monthly Meeting
558 S Keeneland Dr.
Richmond, KY 40475
https://www.ckars.org/home
AI4SR

Yuma HAMCON
February 20-22, 2025

Yuma, AZ
N1UW

[ANS thanks Bo Lowrey, W4FCL, Director – AMSAT Ambassador Program, for the above information]


Satellite Shorts from All Over

+ The ARRL has released LoTW configuration file version 11.30, adding support for QSOs made via AO-123. (ANS thanks the ARRL for this information)

+ A OneDrive containing all of the tools for AO-123 (ASRTU-1), include LiveCD, Windows decoding software, image calibration tool, offline image decoder, etc, has been made available. (ANS thanks BG2BHC for this information)

+ The Jovian-1 mission, with an AMSAT-UK U/V FM payload, has taken a giant leap forward as the satellite platform was delivered by GOMSpace on November 27th. (ANS thanks G0MRF for this information)

+ The Artemis 2 mission, scheduled to carry astronauts around the moon, has been delayed to early 2026 and the Artemis 3 mission, the first moon landing of the Artemis program has been delayed to 2027. (ANS thanks NASA for this information)

+ President-elect Donald Trump has announced his plan to nominate Jared Isaacman has the next NASA Administrator. Isaacman has flown in space twice, as a private astronaut aboard the SpaceX Inspiration4 mission and on board the Polaris Dawn mission this past September, where he became the first private citizen to perform a space walk.


Join AMSAT today at https://launch.amsat.org/

In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership to:

  • Societies (a recognized group, clubs or organization).
  • 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 6 post-secondary years in this status.
  • Memberships are available for annual and lifetime terms.

Contact info [at] amsat.org for additional membership information.

73 and remember to help Keep Amateur Radio in Space!

This week’s ANS Editor,

Paul Stoetzer, N8HM
n8hm [at] arrl.net

ANS is a service of AMSAT, the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation, 712 H Street NE, Suite 1653, Washington, DC 20002

ANS-336 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

In this edition:

  • AMSAT OSCAR-7 50th Anniversary: CodeStore Breaking New Ground
  • GridMasterMap Satellite Top 100 Rovers December 2024 Rankings
  • Japan Launches World’s First Wooden Satellite to Test Timber in Space
  • Open-Weather APT: Updates to the Web Based NOAA APT Image Decoder
  • ARISS News
  • Upcoming Satellite Operations
  • AMSAT Ambassador Activities
  • Satellite Shorts From All Over

The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and information service of AMSAT, 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 http://www.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://mailman.amsat.org/postorius/lists/ans.amsat.org/

ANS-336 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

To: All RADIO AMATEURS
From: Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation
712 H Street NE, Suite 1653
Washington, DC 20002

DATE 2024 Dec 01

AMSAT OSCAR-7 50th Anniversary: CodeStore Breaking New Ground


There has always been a fascination among radio amateurs in digital modes of communications. In thinking about where this spacecraft sits in electronic history, it is all too easy to forget that it was designed at least three years before the appearance of the first 8-bit microprocessor. The notion of packet communications was still nearly 10 years into the future. The team wanted to demonstrate that they could store data at-will on a spacecraft in transit across the sky and then download it at another location. They wanted to demonstrate non-real-time digital communications to themselves and to the world.

Jan King, W3GEY, AMSAT OSCAR-7 Project Manager explains, “Thinking in retrospect, that experiment wasn’t the best it could have been. However, it was simple and it proved our resolve. The entry in 1972 on AO-6 and, then again, in 1974 on-board AO-7 was a demonstration experiment we called CodeStore. And, it did lead to far more ambitious packetized, store-and-forward data satellites in our future.

“It probably wasn’t the best choice at the time, but we chose the command frequency for the uplink. This meant we didn’t have to implement yet another receiver. However, this made the experiment far less accessible to hams than it could have. AMSAT did not want to share the knowledge of the command frequency and codes with anyone who didn’t have a need to know them. Thus, CodeStore was not an experiment that was shared with everyone as were the communications transponders. It could realistically only be used by authorized command stations. We had hoped for a universal store-and-forward demonstration, but what was in fact created was a broadcast tool and in that regard CodeStore was very successful.”

CodeStore was the brainchild of and was designed and fabricated by John Goode, W5CAY. In one small module, he housed an AFSK decoding system, which allowed uplink data to be clocked into a “long” shift register containing 896 bits. This was done with the memory IC’s of the day. What one could manage then was 14 IC’s each containing 64 bits of serial data storage. The contents of the shift register was sequentially downlinked first-in-first-out (FIFO) to the selected beacon when CodeStore was commanded to the RUN mode.

This number of bits is divisible by 8 so one might have expected that a downlinked message of 112 8-bit words. No, this was 1974 so Morse Code messages were downlinked. The idea was more individuals can copy a broadcast message if they don’t need specialized decoding equipment. King adds, “No one can deny that we could have made a better go of it if the notion of a remote terminal digital communications goal had remained pure. It did not.”

“Ultimately, its highest value was discovered to be to store the spacecraft’s NORAD TLEs as well as any critical AO-7 operating schedule modifications, which might be of importance to the users. CodeStore was already available for use on AO-6. So, users were already expecting this feature, which appeared regularly on the beacons.”

While CodeStore was used on both AO-6 and AO-7 to demonstrate non-real-time communications via satellite, it was never used by independent remotely located stations to demonstrate two-way communications in that way. The memory facilities required on-board and the lack of any firmware that even approached the capabilities of a file handling system did not exist in 1972-74. That would have to wait for another day when, once again, four AMSAT spacecraft in a small constellation would demonstrate a proper store-and-forward packet handling system. That was to occur in 1990.

CodeStore went into service as a broadcast device allowing users to receive, in Morse Code, the latest, (then) NORAD TLEs. CodeStore was a complete success. It saved command stations a tremendous amount of work, avoiding the need for a global network of operators who would otherwise be needed to relay the same data.

Persons wanting to read more about the life and history of AMSAT OSCAR-7 are invited to visit https://www.amsat.org/amsat-ao-7-a-fifty-year-anniversary/.

[ANS thanks Jan King, W3GEY, AMSAT OSCAR-7 Project Manager for the above information.]


GridMasterMap Satellite Top 100 Rovers December 2024 Rankings

The December 2024 rankings for the Top 100 Rovers (Mixed LEO/MEO/GEO) in satellite operations, as determined by @GridMasterMap on Twitter, has been released. The ranking is determined by the number of grids and DXCC entities activated, taking into account only those grids where a minimum number of QSO’s logged on the gridmaster.fr website have been validated by a third party. Grid numbers do not directly reflect the exact number of activations. Satellite operators are encouraged to upload their LoTW satellite contacts to https://gridmaster.fr in order to provide more accurate data.

Updated: 2024-11-29

1 ND9M 26 KX9X 51 N6DNM 76 LU4JVE
2 NJ7H 27 ON4AUC 52 JK2XXK 77 AA8CH
3 JA9KRO 28 KG5CCI 53 EB1AO 78 VE1VOX
4 UT1FG 29 N5BO 54 EA4NF 79 FG8OJ
5 N5UC 30 K8BL 55 SM3NRY 80 PT9BM
6 DL6AP 31 KE4AL 56 JL3RNZ 81 KJ7NDY
7 OE3SEU 32 KB5FHK 57 DF2ET 82 KI7UXT
8 WI7P 33 VE3HLS 58 XE1ET 83 YU0W
9 DP0POL 34 KI0KB 59 AA5PK 84 KB2YSI
10 K5ZM 35 KI7UNJ 60 KI7QEK 85 N6UTC
11 F5VMJ 36 LA9XGA 61 SP5XSD 86 N4DCW
12 N6UA 37 PA3GAN 62 F4DXV 87 WA9JBQ
13 HA3FOK 38 JO2ASQ 63 AD7DB 88 JM1CAX
14 WY7AA 39 F4BKV 64 VE1CWJ 89 VE3GOP
15 N9IP 40 BA1PK 65 KE9AJ 90 N0TEL
16 W5PFG 41 N7AGF 66 DL4EA 91 KG4AKV
17 AK8CW 42 VK5DG 67 N8RO 92 W8MTB
18 DL2GRC 43 VA3VGR 68 VA7LM 93 K0FFY
19 AD0DX 44 XE3DX 69 KM4LAO 94 CU2ZG
20 LU5ILA 45 KE0WPA 70 M1DDD 95 VE7PTN
21 N4AKV 46 PR8KW 71 W8LR 96 K6VHF
22 WD9EWK 47 K7TAB 72 W1AW 97 AF5CC
23 ND0C 48 KE0PBR 73 N4UFO 98 VE6WK
24 AD0HJ 49 AC0RA 74 HB9GWJ 99 DK9JC
25 DJ8MS 50 W7WGC 75 PT2AP 100 BG7QIW

[ANS thanks @GridMasterMap for the above information.]


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Japan Launches World’s First Wooden Satellite to Test Timber in Space

Japanese researchers launched the world’s first wooden satellite, LignoSat, into space, marking an ambitious step toward exploring the viability of timber for lunar and Martian construction. This pioneering satellite, developed collaboratively by Kyoto University and Sumitomo Forestry, was sent to the International Space Station aboard a SpaceX mission from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on November 4, 2024. Once at the ISS, LignoSat will be released into orbit approximately 400 kilometers (250 miles) above Earth.

LignoSat, a 1U-sized CubeSat, carries an Amateur Radio mission that will extract callsigns from the FM packet data signals uplinked, and respond to them by using the CW downlink with their call signs.

An educational mission is to educate students to learn about the characteristics of the satellite by acquiring its housekeeping data such as the internal temperature, the strain of the wooden structure, and the Earth’s magnetic field and calculating the rotational direction and rate of the satellite as well as observing the effect of the space environment on the wooden structure.

The satellite, whose name derives from the Latin word for “wood,” is a compact, palm-sized structure. LignoSat’s mission is to demonstrate the potential of wood as a sustainable and durable material for space exploration. Takao Doi, a former astronaut and a current researcher at Kyoto University, expressed that using timber could pave the way for constructing habitats that support human life and work in space indefinitely. “With timber, a material we can produce by ourselves, we will be able to build houses, live, and work in space forever,” Doi said.

Doi’s team is working under a 50-year vision of building timber structures on the Moon and Mars, planting the seeds for future space-based infrastructure. The researchers opted for Honoki, a type of magnolia tree native to Japan traditionally used for sword sheaths, after conducting a 10-month experiment on the ISS. Honoki proved its resilience, leading to its selection as the core material for LignoSat. The satellite was constructed using a traditional Japanese craft technique without screws or glue, showcasing innovation steeped in heritage.

One of LignoSat’s key roles in its six-month orbit will be to measure the endurance of wood against extreme space temperatures, which oscillate from -100 to 100 degrees Celsius (-148 to 212 degrees Fahrenheit) every 45 minutes as the satellite shifts from sunlight to darkness. The onboard sensors will also monitor how well wood mitigates space radiation’s impact on semiconductors, information that could be pivotal for designing data centers and other space-based structures. Kenji Kariya of Sumitomo Forestry emphasized the cutting-edge nature of this research, noting that despite appearing old-fashioned, wood could be integral to future space technology.

The environmental benefits of using wood in space are significant. Unlike conventional metal satellites that produce polluting aluminum oxide particles upon re-entry, wooden satellites would disintegrate more cleanly in Earth’s atmosphere. “A wooden satellite burns up with much less pollution compared to metal ones,” Doi stated. This feature could be an advantage as the space industry grapples with sustainability and the proliferation of space debris.

The team behind LignoSat is optimistic that their experiment could spur wider adoption of timber in space exploration. Doi even hinted at the potential for future partnerships, saying, “If we can prove our first wooden satellite works, we want to pitch it to Elon Musk’s SpaceX.” The successful deployment of LignoSat could mark the beginning of a new era where traditional materials meet advanced space technology, reinvigorating the timber industry and pushing the boundaries of sustainable innovation in space exploration.

A downlink on 435.820 MHz has been coordinated for CW, 4k8 GMSK AX25 telemetry and FM. More info at https://space.innovationkyoto.org/amateur-radio-operators/

[ANS thanks Kantaro Komiya and Irene Wang, Reuters, for the above information.]


Open-Weather APT: Updates to the Web Based NOAA APT Image Decoder

Dr. Sasha Engelmann and Sophie Dyer, the team behind the Open-Weather project have recently announced the launch of their new version of open-weather app, a web-based NOAA APT image decoder. The web-based program accepts a WAV file containing a NOAA satellite APT recording, demodulates and decodes it, and displays the resulting weather satellite image.

Sasha writes, “…Open-weather apt is the only public, maintained, browser-based decoder for Automatic Picture Transmissions (APT) from satellites NOAA-19, NOAA-18 and NOAA-15. It was developed to improve access to satellite signal decoding for all practitioners.

“We are excited to share a new and improved version available here! The new version includes the following updates and additional features:

Improved accuracy in decoding and finding sync positions (locates more sync positions than other comparable decoders)
Upload a WAV file of any sample rate (no more re-sampling with Audacity!)
Option to see the ‘raw’ image without syncing, and to ‘Find the Syncs’
Option to Rotate 180 degrees, often useful for viewing images from nighttime passes
Go deeper in your analysis: explore Signal Value and Image Value Histograms
Upload directly from open-weather apt to the Public Archive

“Open-weather apt is co-developed by open-weather with Rectangle (Lizzie Malcolm and Dan Powers), Bill Liles (NQ6Z) and Grayson Earle.”

Complete information at https://open-weather.community/decode/.

[ANS thanks RTL-SDR.com for the above information.]


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Changes to AMSAT TLE Distribution for November 29, 2024

Two Line Elements or TLEs, often referred to as Keplerian elements or keps in the amateur community, are the inputs to the SGP4 standard mathematical model of spacecraft orbits used by most amateur tracking programs. Weekly updates are completely adequate for most amateur satellites. TLE bulletin files are updated daily in the first hour of the UTC day. New bulletin files will be posted immediately after reliable elements become available for new amateur satellites. More information may be found at https://www.amsat.org/keplerian-elements-resources/.

The following satellite has been added to this week’s AMSAT TLE distribution:

AO-123 Provisional catalog number 99130 IARU coordinated downlink 435.4000 MHz.

[ANS thanks Joe Fitzgerald, KM1P, AMSAT Orbital Elements Manager, for the above information.]


Want to fly the colors on your own grid expedition?


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ARISS NEWS

Amateurs and others around the world may listen in on contacts between amateurs operating in schools and allowing students to interact with astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station. The downlink frequency on which to listen is 145.800 MHz worldwide.

ARISS News

Upcoming Contacts

South Carolina RWAs (Regional Workforce Advisors), Columbia, SC, direct via N4EE.
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS.
The scheduled crewmember is Nick Hague, KG5TMV.
The ARISS mentor is Don Hopson, K4CF.
Contact is go for Monday, December 2, 2024 at 16:22 UTC.
Watch for Livestream at https://dew.sc.gov/.

Simferopol College of Radio Electronics, Simferopol, Russia, direct via TBD.
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS.
The scheduled crewmember is Ivan Vagner.
The ARISS mentor is RV3DR .
Contact is go for Monday, December 2, 2024 at 15:15 UTC.

CEIP INDAUTXUKO ESKOLA HLHI, Bilbao, Spain, telebridge via ON4ISS.
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS.
The scheduled crewmember is Sunita Williams, KD5PLB.
The ARISS mentor is Marcelo Teruel, IK0USO.
Contact is go for: Wednesday, December 4, 2024 at 11:47 UTC.

State Budgetary Educational Institution “Vorobyovy Gory”, Moscow, Russia, direct via TBD.
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS.
The scheduled crewmember is Alexander Gorbunov.
The ARISS mentor is RV3DR.
Contact is go for Thursday, December 5, 2024 at 11:00 UTC.

Shchyolkovo, Russia, direct via TBD.
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS.
The scheduled crewmember is Aleksey Ovchinin.
The ARISS mentor is RV3DR.
Contact is go for Friday, December 6, 2024 at 10:10 UTC.

Publiczna Szkola Podstawowa im. Walentego Stefanskiego w Bodzechowie, Bodzechow, Poland, direct via SP7POS.
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS.
The scheduled crewmember is Don Pettit, KD5MDT.
The ARISS mentor is Armand Budzianowski, SP3QFE.
Contact is go for Friday, December 6, 2024 at 11:49 UTC.

Completed Contacts

Colegio do Castanheiro, Ponta Delgada, Azores, direct via CQ8CDC.
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS.
The scheduled crewmember is Don Pettit, KD5MDT.
The ARISS mentor is Marcelo Teruel,IK0USO.
Contact was successful on Tuesday, November 26, 2024 at 14:57 UTC.

The crossband repeater continues to be active (145.990 MHz up {PL 67} & 437.800 MHz down). If any crewmember is so inclined, all they have to do is pick up the microphone, raise the volume up, and talk on the crossband repeater. So give a listen, you just never know.

The packet system is also active (145.825 MHz up & down).

As always, if there is an EVA, a docking, or an undocking; the ARISS radios are turned off as part of the safety protocol.

Note, all times are approximate. It is recommended that you do your own orbital prediction or start listening about 10 minutes before the listed time.

The latest information on the operation mode can be found at https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html

The latest list of frequencies in use can be found at https://www.ariss.org/contact-the-iss.html

[ANS thanks Charlie Sufana, AJ9N, one of the ARISS operation team mentors for the above information.]


Upcoming Satellite Operations

  • ADØHJ is planning his last 2024 rove to the Missouri Ozarks area between December 5-8, 2024. Mitch has never been to that area so he is looking to do some sightseeing and activate eight new satellite grid squares. EM26-EM28, EM36-EM39, and EN30. He will be working RS-44 passes in the evenings. See https://hams.at for details.

A growing number of satellite rovers are currently engaged in sharing their grid square activations on https://hams.at. By visiting the website, you gain easy access to comprehensive information about the operators responsible for activating specific grid squares. Additionally, you have the ability to assess the match score between yourself and a particular rover for a given pass, while also being able to identify the upcoming satellite passes that are accessible from your location.

[ANS thanks Ian Parsons, K5ZM, AMSAT Rover Page Manager, and Alex Ners, K6VHF, for the above information.]


AMSAT Ambassador Activities

AMSAT Ambassadors provide presentations, demonstrate communicating through amateur satellites, and host information tables at club meetings, hamfests, conventions, maker faires, and other events.

December 19, 2024
Central Kentucky Amateur Radio Society
CKARS Monthly Meeting
558 S Keeneland Dr.
Richmond, KY 40475
https://www.ckars.org/home
AI4SR

February 14-15, 2025
Yuma HAMCON and Southwestern Division Convention
Yuma County Fairgrounds
Yuma, AZ
https://www.yumahamfest.com/
N1UW

Interested in becoming an AMSAT Ambassador? AMSAT Ambassadors provide presentations, demonstrate communicating through amateur satellites, and host information tables at club meetings, hamfests, conventions, maker faires, and other events.

For more information go to: https://www.amsat.org/ambassador/

[ANS thanks Bo Lowrey, W4FCL, Director – AMSAT Ambassador Program for the above information.]


Satellite Shorts From All Over

  • NASA has confirmed that one of its greatest ever missions, Voyager 1, is back in business with communications restored following an incident in October that had led to the veteran spacefarer losing its voice. When engineers commanded Voyager 1 to switch on one of its heaters to give the instruments a gentle thermal massage, a safety feature was tripped because of low power levels. It automatically switched off non-essential systems. The fault protection system took it upon itself to switch off the main X-band transmitter and activate the lower-power S-band transmitter instead. Because of the great distance between Voyager 1 and Earth, however, transmissions on the S-band antenna could not be heard by NASA’s Deep Space Network, meaning that Voyager 1 had effectively fallen silent. NASA engineers were able to resolve the problem early in November, and X-band communication resumed on Nov. 18, with the spacecraft once again returning data from its four remaining instruments. Read the complete story at https://tinyurl.com/ANS-336-Voyager-1. [ANS thanks Space.com for the above information.]
  • In addition to all the AMSAT OSCAR-7 publicity in the news this few weeks, AMSAT also received nice exposure about the ARISS program putting kids in contact with astronauts. Read the complete story at https://tinyurl.com/ANS-336-ISS. [ANS thanks Space.com for the above information.]

Join AMSAT today at https://launch.amsat.org/

In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership to:

  • Societies (a recognized group, clubs or organization).
  • 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 6 post-secondary years in this status.
  • Memberships are available for annual and lifetime terms.

Contact info [at] amsat [dot] org for additional membership information.

73 and remember to help Keep Amateur Radio in Space!

This week’s ANS Editor, Frank Karnauskas, N1UW
f.karnauskas [at] amsat [dot] org

ANS-329 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

In this edition:

* The Space Age, Morse Code and STEM Innovation
+ ASRTU-1 Designated ASRTU-OSCAR 123
* CubeSatSim Kits Available Once Again (Revised)
* New Chinese Satellite Completes Frequency Coordination
* Update on PARUS-T1A Satellite
* Air Leak on ISS Russian Module Is Getting Worse
* Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution
* Space Station Raises Orbit Avoiding Orbital Debris
* ARISS News
* Upcoming Satellite Operations
* AMSAT Ambassador Activities
* Satellite Shorts From All Over

The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and information service of AMSAT, 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 http://www.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.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://mailman.amsat.org/postorius/lists/ans.amsat.org/

ANS-329 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

To: All RADIO AMATEURS
From: Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation
712 H Street NE, Suite 1653
Washington, DC 20002

DATE 2024 Nov 24

AMSAT OSCAR-7 50th Anniversary — The Space Age, Morse Code and STEM Innovation

At first glance, there is something about Morse Code and the space age that don’t go together. But, think about Morse in its simple beauty.

In addition to building a few spacecraft and pursuing a global amateur radio allocation for satellites at the International Telecommunications Union World Radio Conference, AMSAT was also busy developing an educational curriculum. Before STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) was even a concept, AMSAT thought it would be quite exciting to allow grade-school to high-school students the opportunity to understand the basics of a spacecraft — not by reading about it in a book, rather by using a real spacecraft, in class.

Artist rendering of AO-7

One of AMSAT’s members, Dr. Martin Davidoff, K2UBC, decided to write a curriculum at the secondary education level and received a grant from the Department of Energy to write it. The Satellite Experimenters Handbook was distributed by the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) and AMSAT to anyone who might want to teach others about spacecraft technology. The book especially targeted secondary school educators. Key among the concepts was the idea of giving a teacher, who may or may not be a radio amateur, the information necessary to assemble a receiving system, which could act as a student demonstration tool in school. This receiver and antenna would allow a class to “receive and decode” telemetry. This process, then, required the students to think through some orbital mechanics, the technology of antennas and receivers, and finally, the principles of demodulation and decoding.

This is where Morse came in. For just the numbers, 0-9, in Morse can be learned in 10 minutes by just about anyone. And, so it is a perfect tool for any eighth grader!

The Morse Code Telemetry Encoder System (TLM) was designed and fabricated by John Goode, W5CAY. This unit was built in one of the small modules that comprised the AO-7 spaceframe. This little box used fixed logic comprised of 34 IC’s and one op-amp for the A/D converter. Using CMOS components was amazingly efficient; it required 2 mA of current at 10V DC from the power bus – a whopping 20 mW!

This TLM encoder had 24 analog input channels that were organized in 4 columns and 6 rows. They were divided, basically, into current, voltage and temperature channels. All were scaled to a 1.0 V full- scale input to the A/D converter. The encoder produced decimal values and was organized into two Morse characters between 0 and 99. The first number of each word is a digit giving the row number of the datum. This reduces the ambiguity of where in the frame the encoder was; in case the student got a bit lost.

AMSAT’s commitment to STEM education continues today with its CubeSat Simulator program and its developing Youth Initiative – all fueled by a fifty-year-old satellite that is still in operation today.

Persons wanting to read more about the life and history of AMSAT OSCAR-7 are invited to visit https://www.amsat.org/amsat-ao-7-a-fifty-year-anniversary/.

[ANS thanks Frank Karnauskas, N1UW, AMSAT VP-Development, for the above information]


The 2024 AMSAT President’s Club coins are still available!
Help Support GOLF and Fox Plus

Join the AMSAT President’s Club today and help
Keep Amateur Radio in Space!
https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/


ASRTU-1 Designated ASRTU-OSCAR 123

At the request of Harbin Institute of Technology and Amur State University, AMSAT has designated ASRTU-1 as ASRTU-OSCAR 123 (AO-123).


Illustration of AO-123 [Credit: nanosats.eu]

ASRTU-1 was launched on November 4, 2024 at 23:18 UTC, on a Soyuz launch vehicle from Vostochny Cosmodrome, Russia. Built and operated by Harbin Institute of Technology and Amur State University, the satellite carries a V/U repeater, UHF SSDV digital image transmitter, and a 10.5 GHz QPSK image transmitter. All of these payloads have been successfully tested, and the repeater has been operational for QSOs.

The satellite contains an FM transponder, which is currently operational, with an uplink of 145.850 MHz (67 Hz CTCSS tone required) and a downlink of 435.400 MHz. After the repeater detects the end of uplink, it will wait for 0.5s. If no new uplink in 0.5s, telemetry will be sent. So make fast QSOs so the telemetry is less like to interrupt you.

The satellite also contains two cameras with an SSDV downlink for low resolution images on 436.210 MHz, and a high speed downlink on 10.460 GHz for high resolution images.

Windows software for decoding telemetry is available at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1W8nm-P0_h0J1Bd1eif74mLo-EuRdWcjH
Two-Line Keplerian elements (TLEs) may be found at http://asrtu.mqsi.xyz/ASRTU_TLE.txt

AMSAT congratulates the Harbin Institute of Technology and Amur State University, thanks them for their contribution to the amateur satellite community, and wishes them continued success on this and future projects.

ANS thanks Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA, OSCAR Number Administrator, for the above information.]


CubeSatSim Kits Available Once Again (Revised)

Another batch of CubeSatSim Kits will be available on the AMSAT Store on Monday, November 25 starting at noon U.S. Eastern time (1700 UTC). Due to an error, previous announcements had included an earlier date.

The $400 kits include everything you need to assemble a CubeSat Simulator with no soldering. Only about an hour and half of assembly is required to stack the boards, assemble the frame, and mount the solar panels.

The CubeSatSim Kit includes:

  • Fully assembled and tested PCBs (Main, Solar, and Battery Boards)
  • Raspberry Pi Zero 2 with a Pi Camera and fully programmed micro-SD card, along with a fully programmed Raspberry Pi Pico WH
  • AMSAT logo Remove Before Flight tag switch
  • 3D printed frame, nylon screws, and nuts, with a mini screwdriver included for assembly
  • Metal standoffs, stacking headers, and JST jumpers for stacking the PCBs and Pi Zero 2
  • 10 solar panels with pre-soldered JST connectors and mounting tape
  • BME280 sensor (pressure, temperature, altitude, humidity) and MPU6050 IMU/gyro pre-soldered
  • Two 6″ SMA coax cables and two SMA antennas

The kit also comes with an instruction sheet, parts inventory, and links to online instructions. Assembly time is estimated to be under two hours, with scissors and the provided mini screwdriver.

Limited quantities of the CubeSatSim Kit will soon be available for purchase from the AMSAT Store. [Credit: Alan Johnston, KU2Y]

The v2.0 CubeSatSim features improvements over v1.2, such as an FM transceiver, Raspberry Pi Pico microcontroller, and RF command and control using DTMF or APRS packets. It can also be modified to function as a 500mW high altitude balloon payload.

For those interested in creating their own CubeSatSim, v2.0 blank PCB sets are available at the AMSAT Store for $35. These require additional components, which can be purchased for approximately $300 using the provided Bill of Materials.

Additional resources include:

For more information or to borrow a loaner CubeSat Simulator, contact Alan Johnston, AMSAT VP Educational Relations, at ku2y [at] arrl.net.

How to Order
Kits will be sold exclusively on the AMSAT Store website, https://www.amsat.org/product/cubesatsim-kit/. Only U.S. shipping addresses are eligible; orders with non-U.S. addresses will be refunded and closed.

About CubeSatSim
CubeSatSim is a low-cost satellite emulator powered by solar panels and batteries. It transmits UHF radio telemetry and can be expanded with additional sensors and modules, making it ideal for educational and public demonstrations.

[ANS thanks Alan Johnston, KU2Y, AMSAT Vice President Educational Relations for the above information]


New Chinese Satellite Completes Frequency Coordination

The satellite frequency coordination committee of the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) on November 15 completed approval of frequency requests from the Chinese Amateur Satellite Group (CAMSAT) for a new amateur satellite to be launched next year.

CAS-11, a 6U CubeSat will include:

  • HF/UHF – H/U Mode Linear Transponder, with a bandwidth of 15kHz downlink centered at 435.505 MHz, EIRP 24 dBm
    Uplink 21.320 MHz +/- 7.5 kHz.
  • VHF/UHF – V/U Mode Linear Transponder, with a bandwidth of 30kHz downlink centered at 435.540 MHz, EIRP 24 dBm.
    Uplink 145.860 MHz +/- 15 kHz.
  • VHF/UHF – V/U Mode FM Transponder, downlink at 435.600 MHz, EIRP 24 dBm
    Uplink at 145.925 MHz
  • VHF/UHF – V/U Mode digital store-and-forward Transponder, downlink at 435.700 MHz, EIRP 24 dBm
    Uplink at 145.895 MHz
  • UHF – CW Telemetry Beacon and
  • UHF telemetry beacon using AX.25 4.8k/9.6kbps GMSK at 435.570 MHz, EIRP 23 dBm.

The above transponders and beacon will work 24/7 when the satellite power supply is sufficient. Amateur radio enthusiasts around the world can use it for two-way radio relay communication, data storage and forwarding communication, and receive satellite CW beacons.

The CAS-11 satellite will also be equipped with a 2.4 GHz multi-mode amateur radio satellite beacon transmitter, which is designed and built by university students, high school students and primary school students from Beijing Donggaodi Science and Technology Museum and Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications under the guidance of CAMSAT. This is an unprecedented satellite project in China. It has brought opportunities for learning and practicing amateur radio and amateur satellites to students of all grades from elementary school to university, and promoted the application of amateur radio in space. This 2.4 GHz experimental beacon transmitter can switch to transmit five different modes of radio signals, and it will work continuously when the satellite is fully powered.

This project aims to cultivate students’ knowledge, skills and interests in amateur radio satellites. All transmission modes operate at 2.4 GHz, and the working modes are converted by the on-board computer program and ground remote control commands. It can work in the following modes: CW Telemetry Beacon, FT8 Telemetry Beacon, PPM Telemetry Beacon, or USB/SSTV Robot36, PD120 1. This beacon will transmit at 2405.500 MHz, EIRP 27 dBm.

CAS-11 carries three cameras, and the photos it takes are stored in the flash memory on the satellite. The builders have designed a simple remote control system based on DTMF commands. Amateur radio enthusiasts around the world can send DTMF commands to download the photo catalog and all photos taken by all cameras.

Anticipating a launch in September, 2025 into a 536 km polar orbit from Haiyang Sea Launch Platform, Shandong, China.

[ANS thanks IARU and Alan Kung, BA1DU, of CAMSAT for the above information.]


Need new satellite antennas?
Purchase M2 LEO-Packs from the AMSAT Store.


When you purchase through AMSAT, a portion of the proceeds goes towards
Keeping Amateur Radio in Space.
https://amsat.org/product-category/hardware/


Update on PARUS-T1A Satellite

The satellite frequency coordination committee of the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) on November 20 updated information regarding the approved frequency requests from the National Formosa University for satellite PARUS-T1A. The satellite is tentatively scheduled for launch in January.

PARUS-T1A, a 3U CubeSat, is designed to continue the successful legacy of the PARUS- T1 mission. This satellite will provide essential services to the global amateur radio community.

The Primary Mission is an FM Voice Cross-Band Repeater to facilitate real-time voice communication between amateur radio operators on 145.980 MHz (Uplink tone 67Hz) and 435.250 MHz (Downlink).

The satellite will also carry an APRS Digipeater to enable the transmission of real-time position and status information from APRS-equipped devices on 145.825 MHz.

A telemetry beacon downlink on 437.850 MHz has also been coordinated, with unencrypted telemetry packets accessible to the public through online dashboards like SatNOGS, promoting transparency and community collaboration.

Anticipating a SpaceX launch from Florida in January, 2025 into a 590 x 510 km 98 degree orbit.

[ANS thanks IARU and Randson Huang, BV2DQ, for the above information.]


Air Leak on ISS Russian Module Is Getting Worse

For the past five years, air has been escaping through a Russian section of the International Space Station (ISS) at an increasing rate. NASA and its Russian counterpart, Roscosmos, are still in disagreement over the root cause of the leak, as well as the severity of the consequences.

The leak was first discovered in 2019 in the vestibule (named PrK) that connects a docking port to the Russian Zvezda module, which Roscosmos had launched to low Earth orbit in July 2000. Earlier this year, NASA elevated the leak to the highest level of risk as the rate of air escaping from the module had doubled from one pound of air per day to a little over two pounds.

“While the Russian team continues to search for and seal the leaks, it does not believe catastrophic disintegration of the PrK is realistic,” Bob Cabana, a former NASA astronaut who now chairs the ISS Advisory Committee, said during a meeting on Wednesday, SpaceNews reported. “NASA has expressed concerns about the structural integrity of the PrK and the possibility of a catastrophic failure.”

“The Russians believe that continued operations are safe but they can’t prove to our satisfaction that they are, and the U.S. believes that it’s not safe but we can’t prove to the Russians’ satisfaction that that’s the case,” he added.

Russian teams believe the air leak was likely caused by high cyclic fatigue from micro vibrations, while teams at NASA think pressure and mechanical stress, residual stress, material properties of the module, and environmental exposure are all at play, according to SpaceNews.

The ISS is set for retirement by 2030. [NASA photo]

The air leak was addressed in a recent report by NASA’s Office of Inspector General (OIG), which highlighted its true severity and the risk it poses to the crew. The OIG report stated that the two space agencies can’t seem to agree on the point at which the leak should be considered unsustainable. NASA and Roscosmos met to discuss the ISS air leak, with NASA officials noting that Roscosmos “is confident they will be able to monitor and close the hatch to the Service Module prior to the leak rate reaching an untenable level,” according to the report.

“Although the teams continue to investigate the causal factors for the crack initiation and growth, the U.S. and Russian technical teams don’t have a common understanding of what the likely root cause is or the severity of the consequences of these leaks,” Cabana is quoted in SpaceNews as saying.

The rate of air leaking from the hole increased around a week before the February 14 launch of the Progress MS-26 cargo spacecraft, which docked to the aft end of Zvezda. The hatch that connects the module to the ISS remained open for five days as the crew offloaded the cargo from Progress MS-26 onto the space station, but was closed shut afterwards.

NASA and Roscosmos are currently monitoring the leak and preparing to close the hatch to the service module when access is not required in order to minimize the amount of air lost and isolate the leak itself from the rest of the space station. If required, the space agencies are prepared to permanently shut off the hatch should the leak rate became unmanageable. The ISS would function normally, but there would be one less docking port for spacecraft delivering cargo to the space station.

As the two space agencies continue to discuss the potential risk, the aging space station is inching closer to retirement within the next six years and its hardware may finally be giving in to the wear and tear of the harsh space environment.

[ANS thanks Gizmodo for the above information.]


Want to fly the colors on your own grid expedition?
Get your AMSAT car flag and other neat stuff from our Zazzle store!


25% of the purchase price of each product goes towards
Keeping Amateur Radio in Space
https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear


Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for Nov. 22

Two Line Elements or TLEs, often referred to as Keplerian elements or keps in the amateur community, are the inputs to the SGP4 standard mathematical model of spacecraft orbits used by most amateur tracking programs. Weekly updates are completely adequate for most amateur satellites. TLE bulletin files are updated daily in the first hour of the UTC day. New bulletin files will be posted immediately after reliable elements become available for new amateur satellites. More information may be found at https://www.amsat.org/keplerian-elements-resources/.

XW-2B NORAD Cat ID 40911 Decayed from orbit on 21 November 2024

[ANS thanks Joe Fitzgerald, KM1P, AMSAT Orbital Elements Manager for the above information]


Space Station Raises Orbit Avoiding Orbital Debris

The Progress 89 thrusters were fired at 20:09 UTC on Tuesday, November 19 for 5 minutes, 31 seconds, to raise the orbit of the International Space Station (ISS) to provide an extra margin of distance from a piece of orbital debris from a defunct defense meteorological satellite that broke up in 2015. The Pre-determined Debris Avoidance Maneuver (PDAM) was conducted in coordination with NASA, Roscosmos and the other space station partners.

Without the maneuver, ballistics officials estimated that the fragment could have come within around 2.5 miles of the station.

The maneuver had no impact on station operations and did not affect Thursday’s launch of the Progress 90 cargo craft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

[Operators attempting to utilize Amateur Radio aboard the ISS should make sure that the Keplerian orbital data in their tracking software has been updated since this change in orbit.]

[ANS thanks NASA for the above information]


ARISS NEWS

Amateurs and others around the world may listen in on contacts between amateurs operating in schools and allowing students to interact with astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station. The downlink frequency on which to listen is 145.800 MHz worldwide.

RECENTLY COMPLETED:
Center for the Development of Children and Youth Creativity in the City of Pugachev, Saratov Region, Russia, direct via R4DS
The ISS callsign was RSØISS
The crewmember was Aleksey Ovchinin
The ARISS mentor was RV3DR
Contact was successful Wed 2024-11-20 15:16 UTC
Congratulations to the Center for the Development of Children and Youth Creativity students, Aleksey, mentor RV3DR, and ground station R4DS

Amur State University, Blagoveshchensk, Russia, direct via RКØJ
The ISS callsign was RSØISS
The scheduled crewmember was Alex Gorbunov
The ARISS mentor was RV3DR
Contact was successful Thu 2024-11-21 11:24 UTC
Congratulations to the Amur State University students, Alex, mentor RV3DR, and ground station RКØJ!

Escola Secundária Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro, Caldas da Rainha, Portugal, direct via CS5SS
The ISS callsign was OR4ISS
The scheduled crewmember was Don Pettit, KD5MDT
The ARISS mentor was IKØUSO
Contact was successful: Fri 2024-11-22 16:37:40 UTC 31 deg
Congratulations to the Escola Secundária Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro studnets, Don, mentor IKØUSO, and ground station CS5SS!
Watch for Livestream at https://www.youtube.com/live/QzZOq7bhOas

UPCOMING:
Colégio do Castanheiro, Ponta Delgada, Azores, direct via CQ8CDC
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS
The scheduled crewmember is Don Pettit, KD5MDT
The ARISS mentor is IKØUSO
Contact is go for: Tue 2024-11-26 14:57:32 UTC 74 deg
Watch for Livestream at https://www.youtube.com/live/ORRXzIPnjvg

Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University, Kaliningrad, Russia, direct via TBD
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS
The scheduled crewmember is Ivan Vagner
The ARISS mentor is RV3DR
Contact is go for: Thu 2024-11-28 15:05 UTC

Scuola Media “Giovanni Verga”, Caltanissetta, Italy, direct via IT9AOI
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS
The scheduled crewmember is Don Pettit, KD5MDT
The ARISS mentor is IKØWGF
Contact is go for: Fri 2024-11-29 11:01:30 UTC 59 deg
Watch for Livestream at https://meet.google.com/bdb-hoaf-iaf and also on https://www.youtube.com/@scuolamediafilippocordova

The crossband repeater continues to be ACTIVE (145.990 MHz up {PL 67} & 437.800 MHz down). If any crewmember is so inclined, all they have to do is pick up the microphone, raise the volume up, and talk on the crossband repeater. So give a listen, you just never know.

The packet system is also ACTIVE (145.825 MHz up & down). Ham TV (2395.00 MHz down) is currently STOWED.

As always, if there is an EVA, a docking, or an undocking; the ARISS radios are turned off as part of the safety protocol.

Note, all times are approximate. It is recommended that you do your own orbital prediction or start listening about 10 minutes before the listed time.

The latest information on the operation mode can be found at https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html

The latest list of frequencies in use can be found at https://www.ariss.org/contact-the-iss.html

[ANS thanks Charlie Sufana, AJ9N, one of the ARISS operation team mentors for the above information]


Upcoming Satellite Operations

A growing number of satellite rovers are currently engaged in sharing their grid square activations on https://hams.at. By visiting the website, you gain easy access to comprehensive information about the operators responsible for activating specific grid squares. Additionally, you have the ability to assess the match score between yourself and a particular rover for a given pass, while also being able to identify the upcoming satellite passes that are accessible from your location.

+ N4AKV/R plans to operate linear and FM satellites from EM71/EM72 on Nov. 25.
+ ADØHJ is planning his last 2024 rove to the Missouri Ozarks area between December 5th-8th. Mitch has never been to that area so he is looking to do some sightseeing and activate eight new satellite grid squares. EM26-EM28, EM36-EM39, and EN30. He will be working RS-44 passes in the evenings.
See https://hams.at for details.

[ANS thanks hams.at for the above information]


AMSAT Ambassador Activities

AMSAT Ambassadors provide presentations, demonstrate communicating through amateur satellites, and host information tables at club meetings, hamfests, conventions, maker faires, and other events.

February 14-15, 2025
Yuma HAMCON and Southwestern Division Convention
Yuma County Fairgrounds
Yuma, AZ
https://www.yumahamfest.com/
N1UW

[ANS thanks Bo Lowrey, W4FCL, Director – AMSAT Ambassador Program, for the above information]


Satellite Shorts From All Over

+ The space news website Space Daily carried a full article on Nov. 12 about the 50th anniversary of the launch of amateur radio satellite AO-7. As noted in anniversary articles by Frank Karnauskas, N1UW, AMSAT Vice President – Development, that have been published here in the AMSAT News Service bulletins [see above for this week’s installment], AO-7 is the world’s oldest active satellite. The Space Daily article, by reporter Clarence Oxford, incorporated a good share of Frank’s text from ANS issue #308 published on Nov. 3. (ANS thanks Space Daily for the above information.)

+ The Space Force wants its next fleet of GPS satellites to be smaller, cheaper and more resilient — and it’s looking to a mix of commercial and defense firms to help design those spacecraft. The program, expected to cost $1 billion over the next five years, comes amid growing concern from Pentagon and other government leaders about GPS vulnerability. The system, which guides weapons and helps military units navigate, has been a target for Russia in its war with Ukraine, using electronic warfare to jam signals on a regular basis. Users have also reported increased spoofing incidents, a method of manipulating GPS data to confuse a receiver about its location. A larger number of small satellites should make it harder for enemies to target the fleet and will ensure there’s a backup capability when they do, the Space Force says. (ANS thanks Defense News for the above information.)

+ Earlier this month, three tiny Australian satellites from Curtin University’s Binar Space Program burned up in Earth’s atmosphere. That was always going to happen. In fact, Binar means “fireball” in the Noongar language of the First Nations people of Perth. But these CubeSats, known as Binar-2, 3, and 4, entered the atmosphere much sooner than originally planned. They only lasted for two months – a third of what was expected. Recent high solar activity has been causing an unexpected headache for satellite operators in the last few years, and it’s only increasing. (ANS thanks Science Alert for the above information.)

+ China has taken another step toward its crewed lunar goals by successfully testing fairing separation for its Long March 10 moon rocket series. The fairing separation test was conducted recently, according to a Nov. 20 statement from the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT). The separation test is one of a number of milestones needed in order to get the Long March 10 ready for flight, with a first launch to low earth orbit currently targeted for 2026. China has committed to the goal of getting a pair of its astronauts onto the lunar surface by 2030. (ANS thanks Space News for the above information.]


Join AMSAT today at https://launch.amsat.org/

In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership to:

* Societies (a recognized group, clubs or organization).
* 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 6 post-secondary years in this status.
* Memberships are available for annual and lifetime terms.

Contact info [at] amsat.org for additional membership information.

73 and remember to help Keep Amateur Radio in Space!

This week’s ANS Editor, Mark Johns, KØJM
mjohns [at] amsat.org

ANS-322 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

In this edition:

* AMSAT OSCAR-7 50th Anniversary – A Testbed for Saving Lives
* Another Batch of CubeSatSim Kits Available Soon in AMSAT Store
* SpaceX Dragon Fires Thrusters to Boost ISS Orbit for the First Time
* SEAQUE Quantum Tech Arrives at ISS for Groundbreaking Demo
* Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for November 15, 2024
* ARISS News
* Upcoming Satellite Operations
* AMSAT Ambassador Activities
* Satellite Shorts From All Over

The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and information service of AMSAT, 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://www.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.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://mailman.amsat.org/postorius/lists/ans.amsat.org/

ANS-322 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

To: All RADIO AMATEURS
From: Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation
712 H Street NE, Suite 1653
Washington, DC 20002

DATE 2024 Nov 17


AMSAT OSCAR-7 50th Anniversary – A Testbed for Saving Lives

As we observe AMSAT OSCAR-7’s 50th anniversary as the oldest operating satellite, we should recall what may be its most noteworthy accomplishment.

OSCAR-7 was used to investigate the possibility of locating downed aircraft and disabled sea vessels by using Doppler analysis of signals from emergency location transmitters (ELT’s).

As envisioned by spacecraft engineers from the United States and Russia, the concept was to relay signals from beacon devices, ELT’s or emergency location transmitters, already installed on large and small aircraft and on ships and smaller vessels equipped with EPIRB’s or Emergency Position-Indicating Radiobeacon Stations. These one-way beacon transmitters, originally intended to be received by surface rescue parties, could also be received and transponded by a LEO spacecraft, greatly extending the rescue potential.

The signals could also be Doppler tracked, one-way, by processing the beacon uplink signal on-board the spacecraft. This would allow the spacecraft to find the source beacon’s location immediately. This would allow the emergency beacon to be identified and located and the position stored for immediate downlink at the next available ground station. We know it is hard to remember but this was in an era before the creation of GPS!

Scientists from the Russian COSPAS (Russian acronym for “Space System for the Search of Vessels in Distress) and the U.S. SARSAT (Search and Rescue Satellite) teams simulated ELT’s on amateur radio stations and demonstrated how receiving and relaying ELT transmissions and analyzing Doppler shift as OSCAR-7 passed overhead could accurately locate the emergency beacons.

The tests were highly successful. The COSPAS/SARSAT program went ahead and has been operational since 1982. From that time until 2021, when the program merged with others providing similar capability via LEO, MEO and GEO spacecraft, the program had saved the lives of 57,413 persons in 17,663 separate rescue events, involving downed aircraft and ships at sea.

[ANS thanks Jan King, W3GEY, AMSAT AO-7 Project Manager for the above information]


Another Batch of CubeSatSim Kits Available Soon in AMSAT Store

A new batch of fifteen CubeSatSim Kits will be available for purchase in the AMSAT Store on Wednesday, November 20, at noon US Eastern time (1700 UTC). Priced at $400 with shipping included for U.S. addresses, the CubeSatSim Kit offers a hands-on learning experience with no soldering and some assembly, making it ideal for both educational use and public demonstrations.

The CubeSatSim Kit includes:

  • Fully assembled and tested PCBs (Main, Solar, and Battery Boards)
  • Raspberry Pi Zero 2 with a Pi Camera and fully programmed micro-SD card, along with a fully programmed Raspberry Pi Pico WH
  • AMSAT logo Remove Before Flight tag switch
  • 3D printed frame, nylon screws, and nuts, with a mini screwdriver included for assembly
  • Metal standoffs, stacking headers, and JST jumpers for stacking the PCBs and Pi Zero 2
  • 10 solar panels with pre-soldered JST connectors and mounting tape
  • BME280 sensor (pressure, temperature, altitude, humidity) and MPU6050 IMU/gyro pre-soldered
  • Two 6″ SMA coax cables and two SMA antennas

The kit also comes with an instruction sheet, parts inventory, and links to online instructions. Assembly time is estimated to be under two hours, with scissors and the provided mini screwdriver.

Limited quantities of the CubeSatSim Kit will soon be available for purchase from the AMSAT Store. [Credit: Alan Johnston, KU2Y]
The v2.0 CubeSatSim features improvements over v1.2, such as an FM transceiver, Raspberry Pi Pico microcontroller, and RF command and control using DTMF or APRS packets. It can also be modified to function as a 500mW high altitude balloon payload.

For those interested in creating their own CubeSatSim, v2.0 blank PCB sets are available at the AMSAT Store for $35. These require additional components, which can be purchased for approximately $300 using the provided Bill of Materials.

Additional resources include:

For more information or to borrow a loaner CubeSat Simulator, contact Alan Johnston, AMSAT VP Educational Relations, at ku2y [at] arrl.net.

How to Order
Kits will be sold exclusively on the AMSAT Store website.
Only U.S. shipping addresses are eligible; orders with non-U.S. addresses will be refunded and closed.

About CubeSatSim
CubeSatSim is a low-cost satellite emulator powered by solar panels and batteries. It transmits UHF radio telemetry and can be expanded with additional sensors and modules, making it ideal for educational and public demonstrations.

[ANS thanks Alan Johnston, KU2Y, AMSAT Vice President Educational Relations for the above information]


 

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SpaceX Dragon Fires Thrusters to Boost ISS Orbit for the First Time

For the first time, SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft successfully raised the orbit of the International Space Station (ISS) by firing its thrusters. The orbital boost marks a significant milestone in Dragon’s capabilities and comes as part of SpaceX’s 31st commercial resupply mission to the ISS. The mission, which launched on November 4, delivered a Dragon cargo vehicle which docked with the station the following day. On November 8, the vehicle conducted an orbit-raising maneuver, stabilizing the ISS’s position in low-Earth orbit.

Orbit-raising maneuvers are routine for the ISS, which requires regular boosts to counteract orbital decay caused by Earth’s gravity. Until now, this task has been handled mainly by Russia’s Soyuz and Progress vehicles, alongside occasional boosts from other spacecraft. With Dragon now performing such maneuvers, the U.S. spacecraft has added a critical capability, especially significant as NASA prepares for the eventual decommissioning of the ISS. The data gathered from today’s maneuver will aid in the development of SpaceX’s future ISS deorbit vehicle, known as the U.S. Deorbit Vehicle, which NASA has contracted to guide the station into the Pacific Ocean upon its retirement.

Crew-9 Dragon “Freedom” firing its thrusters as it arrived at the ISS on September 29, 2024 [Credit: NASA / Don Pettit]
The reboost began at approximately 12:50 p.m. ET (1750 UTC) and lasted around 12.5 minutes, elevating the station’s orbit slightly. NASA monitored the reboost closely and shared updates on social media platform X, noting that Dragon’s performance in its first orbit-raising task was “a good demonstration” of its growing capabilities. SpaceX intends to apply the maneuver’s data toward the design of the planned U.S. Deorbit Vehicle, scheduled to be used once the ISS reaches the end of its operational lifespan.

This recent success by Dragon is not the first instance of a U.S.-made spacecraft boosting the ISS. In 2022, NASA tested a similar maneuver using a Northrop Grumman Cygnus cargo vehicle. However, the data collected from Dragon’s maneuver holds unique importance, as it directly informs the planning of the ISS’s controlled deorbit mission. The spacecraft, which has been continuously occupied for nearly 25 years, is expected to remain operational until around 2030, when the costs and maintenance demands of the aging structure will likely lead to its retirement.

SpaceX’s design of the U.S. Deorbit Vehicle is based on its Dragon spacecraft with an enhanced trunk section. [Credit: SpaceX]
The ISS’s eventual decommissioning aligns with NASA’s shift towards commercial partnerships in low-Earth orbit. The agency envisions that new, privately operated space stations will replace the ISS as research outposts, enabling NASA to focus its budget on deeper space exploration, including the Artemis Program’s return to the Moon. With the ISS contract awarded to SpaceX, the agency has placed its trust in the private sector to develop the technology needed to safely conclude the station’s mission in a controlled manner.

The success of Dragon’s reboost maneuver also underscores the U.S.’s reduced reliance on Russian spacecraft to maintain ISS operations. Despite global political tensions, notably since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the U.S.-Russian partnership on the ISS has persisted. However, Dragon’s demonstrated ability to perform reboosts offers NASA an alternative if needed. Since Dragon began launching U.S. astronauts in 2020, SpaceX has provided NASA with a reliable launch option from American soil, and now it has proven capable of supporting the station’s orbit, a role essential to the ISS’s long-term stability.

[ANS thanks Josh Dinner, Space.com for the above information]


SEAQUE Quantum Tech Arrives at ISS for Groundbreaking Demo

The Space Entanglement and Annealing QUantum Experiment (SEAQUE) has officially arrived at the International Space Station (ISS), delivered aboard NASA’s SpaceX CRS-31 mission. The SpaceX Dragon capsule docked with the ISS on November 4th, carrying over 6,000 pounds of scientific investigations and cargo, including SEAQUE. Planned for installation on the Nanoracks Bishop airlock, SEAQUE represents an important step forward in building a global quantum communications network.

Quantum computers promise computation speeds that are exponentially faster than conventional computers, and distributed quantum sensors may lead to new understandings of Earth and our place in the universe by measuring minute changes in gravity. However, to fully harness these abilities, a dedicated communication network must be established, capable of linking quantum computers and sensors regardless of their location. SEAQUE’s experiment aims to prove the viability of orbiting nodes that can securely transmit and receive quantum data to and from the ground via free-space optical communications.

SEAQUE is among 25 experiments integrated into the Aegis MISSE-20 mission to be installed on the ISS. [Credit: Aegis Aerospace]
A cornerstone of SEAQUE’s mission is to test an integrated source of entangled photons, a critical requirement for secure quantum data transmission. Entangled photons are uniquely interconnected, where measuring one instantly influences the other, regardless of distance. This property enables potential data transmission that is secure and extremely difficult to intercept. Unlike prior quantum experiments that used bulk optics, SEAQUE utilizes a waveguide-based photon source. This innovation is more compact, efficient, and resilient, eliminating the need for manual optical realignment post-launch.

“SEAQUE will demonstrate a new and never-before-flown entanglement source based on integrated optics,” said Paul Kwiat, principal investigator at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He emphasized that the technology is pivotal for scalable global networks, as manual adjustments would be impractical when managing hundreds of quantum nodes spread across continents. Makan Mohageg, SEAQUE co-investigator from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), reinforced that SEAQUE’s success would pave the way for future, widespread quantum networks.

SEAQUE will be hosted on the International Space Station by the Nanoracks Bishop airlock. [Credit: NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory]
An added element of SEAQUE’s demonstration involves testing its ability to self-heal from radiation damage, a persistent challenge in space. High-energy particles can impair the detectors that receive quantum signals, causing noise and, eventually, failure. SEAQUE will employ a bright laser to periodically repair such damage using a technique known as annealing. This process has shown success on the ground, “bubbling away” defects and reducing noise to extend detector life.

The SEAQUE mission reflects a truly international effort, including experts and students from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada, the National University of Singapore, and commercial partners such as AdvR, Inc., and Nanoracks. Funded by NASA’s Biological and Physical Sciences Division, SEAQUE is expected to drive breakthroughs in secure quantum communications, establishing a foundation for future advancements in long-distance data sharing.

[ANS thanks the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory for the above information]


Need new satellite antennas?
Purchase an M2 LEO-Pack from the AMSAT Store!When you purchase through AMSAT, a portion of the proceeds goes towards
Keeping Amateur Radio in Space.
https://amsat.org/product-category/hardware/


Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for November 15, 2024

Two Line Elements or TLEs, often referred to as Keplerian elements or keps in the amateur community, are the inputs to the SGP4 standard mathematical model of spacecraft orbits used by most amateur tracking programs. Weekly updates are completely adequate for most amateur satellites. TLE bulletin files are updated daily in the first hour of the UTC day. New bulletin files will be posted immediately after reliable elements become available for new amateur satellites. More information may be found at https://www.amsat.org/keplerian-elements-resources/.

The following satellites have been removed from this week’s AMSAT TLE distribution:
Binar 2 NORAD Cat ID 60956 Decayed from orbit on or about 09 November 2024

[ANS thanks AMSAT Orbital Elements page for the above information]


ARISS NEWS

Amateurs and others around the world may listen in on contacts between amateurs operating in schools and allowing students to interact with astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station. The downlink frequency on which to listen is 145.800 MHz worldwide.

+ Recently Completed Contacts

Bishop O’Connell HS, Arlington, VA, telebridge via VK4ISS
The ISS callsign was NA1SS
The scheduled crewmember was Nick Hague
The ARISS mentor was AA6TB
Contact was successful: Fri 2024-11-15 18:06:21 UTC
Watch the Livestream at https://youtube.com/live/qlIufW_FCBU

Cottam Scouts, Cottam, ON, Canada, telebridge via IK1SLD
The ISS callsign was OR4ISS
The scheduled crewmember was Sunita Williams KD5PLB
The ARISS mentor was VE6JBJ
Contact was successful: Sat 2024-11-16 18:17:04 UTC

+ Upcoming Contacts

Erie Migration District School, Kingsville, ON, Canada, telebridge via IK1SLD
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS
The scheduled crewmember is Sunita Williams KD5PLB
The ARISS mentor is VE6JBJ
Contact is go for: Mon 2024-11-18 16:41:47 UTC

Aznakaevsky district resp. Tatarstan, Russia, direct via TBD
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS
The scheduled crewmember is Ivan Vagner
The ARISS mentor is RV3DR
Contact is go for Tue 2024-11-19 16:05 UTC

Center for the Development of Children and Youth Creativity in the City of Pugachev, Saratov Region, Russia, direct via TBD
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS
The scheduled crewmember is Aleksey Ovchinin
The ARISS mentor is RV3DR
Contact is go for Wed 2024-11-20 15:15 UTC

Escola Secundária Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro, Caldas da Rainha, Portugal, direct via CS5SS
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS
The scheduled crewmember is Don Pettit KD5MDT
The ARISS mentor is IKØUSO
Contact is go for: Fri 2024-11-22 16:37:40 UTC

Amur State University, Blagoveshchensk, Russia, direct via TBD
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS
The scheduled crewmember is Alex Gorbunov
The ARISS mentor is RV3DR
Contact is go for: Thu 2024-11-21 11:25 UTC

The crossband repeater continues to be active (145.990 MHz up {PL 67} & 437.800 MHz down). If any crewmember is so inclined, all they have to do is pick up the microphone, raise the volume up, and talk on the crossband repeater. So give a listen, you just never know.

The ARISS SSTV Series 22 event is now underway from Mon 2024-11-11 11:50 UTC to Mon 2024-11-18 16:00 UTC (times are approximate).

As always, if there is an EVA, a docking, or an undocking; the ARISS radios are turned off as part of the safety protocol.

Note, all times are approximate. It is recommended that you do your own orbital prediction or start listening about 10 minutes before the listed time.

The latest information on the operation mode can be found at https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html

The latest list of frequencies in use can be found at https://www.ariss.org/contact-the-iss.html

[ANS thanks Charlie Sufana, AJ9N, one of the ARISS operation team mentors for the above information]


Upcoming Satellite Operations

Guyana: Aldir, PY1SAD (ZZ1M), operates from Georgetown as 8R1TM between  Oct. 12 and Nov. 24 on 160-10m (CW, SSB, digital modes) and via satellites. QSL via LoTW, eQSL, qrz.com. (From DXNL 2427 – October 9, 2024

A growing number of satellite rovers are currently engaged in sharing their grid square activations on https://hams.at. By visiting the website, you gain easy access to comprehensive information about the operators responsible for activating specific grid squares. Additionally, you have the ability to assess the match score between yourself and a particular rover for a given pass, while also being able to identify the upcoming satellite passes that are accessible from your location.

[ANS thanks Ian Parsons, K5ZM, AMSAT rover page manager, for the above information]


AMSAT Ambassador Activities

AMSAT Ambassadors provide presentations, demonstrate communicating through amateur satellites, and host information tables at club meetings, hamfests, conventions, maker faires, and other events.

AMSAT Ambassador Clint Bradford, K6LCS, says,

“Think a 75-minute presentation on “working the easy satellites” would be appropriate for your club or event? Let me know by emailing me at k6lcsclint (at) gmail (dot) com or calling me at 909-999-SATS (7287)!”

Clint has NEVER given the exact same show twice: EACH of the 150+ presentations so far has been customized/tailored to their audiences.

Yuma HAMCON – February 20th thru 22nd, 2025
Yuma, AZ

N1UW

[ANS thanks Bo Lowrey, W4FCL, Director – AMSAT Ambassador Program, for the above information]


Want to fly the colors on your own grid expedition?
Get an AMSAT car flag and other neat stuff from our Zazzle store!
25% of the purchase price of each product goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space

Keeping Amateur Radio in Space
https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear


Satellite Shorts From All Over

+ SpaceX is set for its sixth Starship test flight on November 18th, marking the first mission without regulatory delays following FAA approval for both Flights 5 and 6. Flight 6 will be similar to Flight 5, including a suborbital launch and splashdown of the upper stage in the Indian Ocean, with a key difference being an attempted relight of a Raptor engine during coast, revisiting a goal from Flight 3. This test also includes new experiments with the thermal protection system, including sections without heat shield tiles to gather data on ship-catching configurations. SpaceX aims to catch the Super Heavy booster again, making improvements to its propulsion and structural systems after facing near failures and unexpected damage in Flight 5. The launch will depart in the afternoon to achieve a daylight splashdown, while testing higher angles of descent to simulate future landing profiles. Flight 6 will conclude the Block 1 version of Starship, with upgraded features planned for Flight 7, as SpaceX targets a faster launch cadence to support future NASA missions and lunar landings. (ANS thanks Spaceflight Now for the above information)

+ NASA’s Parker Solar Probe recently completed its seventh and final flyby of Venus, setting it on a course to approach within 3.8 million miles of the sun’s surface—closer than any human-made object in history. This maneuver, crucial for tightening the probe’s orbit, marks a significant step in its mission to study solar mysteries such as the sun’s extremely hot corona. Described by Nour Raouafi as “almost landing on a star” and compared to the 1969 moon landing, the achievement underscores its importance to humanity. The spacecraft’s gravity assists from Venus have not only propelled it closer to the sun but also provided unique data about Venus itself, revealing surface features through its WISPR camera and unexpected details like potential chemical differences. During the most recent flyby, Parker came within 233 miles of Venus’ surface to further study these surface properties. On December 24th, the probe will achieve its closest solar encounter, reaching a speed of 430,000 miles per hour, with mission control anticipating confirmation of its success by December 27th. (ANS thanks Space.com for the above information)

+ Arianespace has announced that the second flight of Europe’s Ariane 6 rocket, its first commercial mission, has been rescheduled from December 2024 to no earlier than mid-February 2025. This mission will carry the CSO 3 reconnaissance satellite for the French military and marks the first Ariane 6 launch to be overseen by Arianespace. Initially expected to launch in December following the Vega C rocket’s return to flight, the schedule changed after analysis of an issue during the Ariane 6’s debut in July. The delay stemmed from a temperature measurement anomaly that prevented the upper stage’s auxiliary power unit (APU) from starting, now corrected with a software update. Both the rocket’s core and upper stages are still in production and are set to be transported soon to French Guiana for launch preparation. Arianespace has assured that this delay will not impact future missions, with plans to conduct six Ariane 6 launches in 2025. (ANS thanks SpaceNews for the above information)

+ AST SpaceMobile has recently deployed five massive BlueBird satellites in low Earth orbit, each with a record-breaking 693-square-foot communications array, marking the start of the company’s space-based cellular network. These satellites are brighter than most objects in the night sky, presenting significant challenges for astronomers by obstructing observations. AST aims to establish the first cellular broadband network directly accessible by cell phones, with plans to expand its constellation to over 100 satellites. The rapid increase in large satellites, like those of AST and competitors such as SpaceX and Amazon, has raised concerns about space debris and environmental impact. A group of experts has urged the FCC to reconsider satellite environmental exemptions, fearing an irreversible clutter of space. This surge in satellite launches is not only reshaping communications but also sparking debate on preserving the accessibility of space for scientific exploration. (ANS thanks Gizmodo for the above information)


Join AMSAT today at https://launch.amsat.org/

In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership to:

* Societies (a recognized group, clubs or organization).
* 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 6 post-secondary years in this status.
* Memberships are available for annual and lifetime terms.

Contact info [at] amsat.org for additional membership information.

73 and remember to help Keep Amateur Radio in Space!

This week’s ANS Editor, Mitch Ahrenstorff, ADØHJ
mahrenstorff [at] amsat.org