SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-100.01 Forwarding AMSAT KEPs Data Permitted AMSAT News Service Bulletin 100.01 >From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. April 10, 2005 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-100.01 Many amateurs have written AMSAT asking if, "Once a person receives the AMSAT format KEPs from AMSAT can they then send them to other people?" This is referred to by Air Force Space Command (AFSPC) as "secondary distribution" of Keplerian Data. This secondary distribution of AMSAT KEP data is covered by AMSAT's CFE RDR001 approval for distribution. You can freely distribute AMSAT format verbose and 2-line data. Many thanks to Lt Col David Maloney of Air Force Space Command for this clarification. [ANS thanks Ray, WA5QGD for the above information] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-100.02 SSETI Express Progress Update AMSAT News Service Bulletin 100.02 >From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. April 10, 2005 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-100.02 During the last week, the completed modules have been fitted to the spaceframe and the wiring harness and integration completed. The satellite was moved on Wednesday to an anechoic chamber for EMC testing to ensure that the emissions from the satellites electronics, the 3W UHF transmitter and the S Band TX meet the spectral requirements of the launch agency and SSTL. Several new pictures showing the rapid progress over the last 2 weeks have been uploaded to the SSETI Website. These include detailed shots of the S Band unit now wired to the antennas, cold gas propulsion and some taken inside the anechoic chamber. http://sseti.gte.tuwien.ac.at/WSW4/express5.php [ANS thanks David, G0MRF for the above information] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-100.03 PCSAT2 Arrives at the Launch Pad AMSAT News Service Bulletin 100.x03 >From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. April 10, 2005 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-100.03 PCSAT2, which had previously been stowed in the Space Shuttle Discovery, arrived at Launch Complex 39B on 07 April 2005. PCSAT2 is now standing by ready to be launched on the first Space Shuttle return-to-flight mission. PCSAT2 will use the same dual redundant AX.25 command and control system as used on PCsat (NO-44) offering 8 on/off commands, 5 telemetry channels and a serial port for the solar cell experiment telemetry. It also supports the Digital Comms Relay support of the PCsat/APRS mission. The packet uplink is on 145.825 MHz and the default downlinks are in the 435 MHz band to avoid any possible interference with existing ARISS missions. PCSAT2 will have quad redundant transmit inhibits for EVA safety issues, thus, it is also easy to turn off to avoid any issues with other UHF ARISS experiments that may be activated in the future. Also, the mission lifetime of PCSAT2 is only 1 year, because it is a sample-return mission, thus terminating any long term conflicts in spectrum management. The PCSAT2 mission is intended as an opportunity to augment existing ARISS communications experiments with an external autonomous communications payload. In this regard, it has several potential uses: * A UI-Digipeater to help ease congestion on the currently shared ARISS PMS (Packet Mail system) * A PSK-31 transponder for multi-user communications to improve accessibility for schools and ARISS outreach programs. * An FM Voice repeater for full duplex crew communications to facilitate crew-to-school ARISS contacts. * Routine Telemetry on the spacecraft systems For more information and pictures visit the PCSAT2 website at http://www.ew.usna.edu/~bruninga/pcsat2.html [ANS thanks Bob, WB4APR for the above information] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-100.04 ARISS Status - 04 April 2005 AMSAT News Service Bulletin 100.04 >From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. April 10, 2005 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-100.04 1. Texas School Contact Successful On March 29, third, fourth and fifth graders from the Pecan Creek Elementary School gathered at the Science Discovery Center in Denton, Texas. Seventeen children were able to have their questions answered by astronaut Leroy Chiao, KE5BRW. Approximately three hundred fifty students, teachers and parents witnessed the contact, as two television stations and two newspapers covered the event. Echolink had 48 connections during this contact from at least 8 countries including the U.S., Canada, Russia, Italy, India, and Romania. The Heart O' Texas Amateur Radio Club has posted the students' questions with the audio answers on their website. Go to: http://www.hotarc.org/ 2. Upcoming School Contacts Fort Ross Elementary School, in Cazadero, California has been scheduled for a contact on Friday, April 15 at 18:07 UTC. Two ARISS contacts have been scheduled with ESA Italian astronaut Roberto Vittori, as follows: Istituto Tecnico Industriale Liceo scientifico Tecnologico "G. Marconi" in Civitavecchia, Italy and Ist.Tecn.Comm.Einaudi-Mattei & Ist.Statale Istr. Sup. Malignani in Palmanova, Italy will share a contact with the ISS, as they are linked via Skype (internet telephony). The students from each institute will take turns asking questions. The event is scheduled for April 18 at 08:45 UTC. The European Space Research Institute (ESRIN), is slated for a contact via telebridge station NN1SS on April 20 at 12:39 UTC. 3. ARRL Article on Chiao Contacts On March 31, ARRL ran a web story on Leroy Chiao's decision to accept the challenge of two ARISS contacts per week during his final days on the ISS. See "Upping the ARISS ante," at: http://www.arrl.org/ or view the April 1 ARRL Letter article at: http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/05/0401/ 4. ARISS International Meeting, 2005 The next ARISS International Face to Face Meeting will be held at the University of Surrey in Guildford, Surrey, U.K. on Monday and Tuesday, August 1-2, 2005. It will follow the AMSAT-UK Colloquium (Friday, July 29 - Sunday, July 31.) Initial information concerning these meetings can be found on the AMSAT-UK website. See: http://www.uk.amsat.org/Colloquium/default.php 5. Dayton Hamvention 2005 Events Rosalie White worked with AMSAT and ARRL in planning events for inactive astronaut Tony England to take part in at Dayton on May 19-22. Tony will meet Amateur Radio operators and visit the youth activities area. He will speak at the AMSAT Dinner - his topic will be on Amateur Radio satellite activities as a motivator for pre-college students' interest in science and math. 6. Brazilian Amateur Radio Group Interested in ARISS ARISS began correspondence with an Amateur Radio scientific group in Brazil whose members wish to be involved in the ARISS program. [ANS thanks Carol, KB3LKI for the above information] /EX