Mark Johns – AMSAT

ANS-105 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

April 14, 2024 by Mark Johns

In this edition:

* NASA Astronaut Loral O’Hara, Crewmates Return from ISS
* 2024 AMSAT/TAPR Banquet To Be Held Friday, May 17
* New NASA Strategy Envisions Sustainable Future for Space Ops
* Trash From The ISS May Have Hit A House In Florida
* VUCC and DXCC Satellite Standings for April 2024
* Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for April 12
* Ending an Era, Final Delta Rocket Launched This Week
* ARISS News
* Upcoming Satellite Operations
* Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events
* 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-105 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

DATE 2024 April 14

NASA Astronaut Loral O’Hara, Crewmates Return from ISS

NASA astronaut Loral O’Hara, KI5TOM, returned to Earth after a six-month research mission aboard the International Space Station on April 6, along with Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy, and Belarus spaceflight participant Marina Vasilevskaya.

The trio departed the space station aboard the Soyuz MS-24 spacecraft at 03:54 UTC, and made a safe, parachute-assisted landing at 07:17 (12:17 p.m. Kazakhstan time), southeast of the remote town of Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan.

NASA astronaut Loral O’Hara returned to Earth on April 6, 2024, after a six-month research mission aboard the International Space Station.
(NASA image)

O’Hara launched Sept. 15, 2023, alongside Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko, RN3DX, and Nikolai Chub, who both will remain aboard the space station to complete a one-year mission. Novitskiy and Vasilevskaya launched aboard Soyuz MS-25 on March 23 along with NASA astronaut Tracy C. Dyson, who will remain aboard the orbiting laboratory until this fall.

O’Hara spent a total of 204 days in space as part of her first spaceflight. She completed approximately 3,264 orbits of the Earth and a journey of more than 86.5 million miles. O’Hara worked on scientific activities aboard the space station, including investigating heart health, cancer treatments, and space manufacturing techniques during her stay aboard the orbiting laboratory.

Following post-landing medical checks, the crew returned to the recovery staging city in Karaganda, Kazakhstan. O’Hara then boarded a NASA plane bound for her return to the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.

(Oct. 4, 2023) — The official Expedition 71 crew portrait with (bottom row from left) Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin and NASA astronauts Mike Barratt, Matthew Dominick, and Jeanette Epps. In the back row (from left) are, NASA astronaut Loral O’Hara and Roscosmos cosmonauts Nikolai Chub and Oleg Kononenko. (NASA photo)

With the undocking of the Soyuz MS-24 spacecraft with O’Hara, Novitskiy and Vasilevskaya, Expedition 71 officially began aboard the station. NASA astronauts Michael Barratt, KD5MIJ, Matthew Dominick, KCØTOR, Tracy C. Dyson, and Jeannette Epps, KF5QNU, as well as Roscosmos cosmonauts Nikolai Chub, Alexander Grebenkin, RZ3DSE, and Oleg Kononenko, RN3DX, make up Expedition 71 and will remain on the orbiting laboratory until this fall.

[ANS thanks NASA for the above information]

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

Join the AMSAT President’s Club today and help
Keep Amateur Radio in Space!
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2024 AMSAT/TAPR Banquet To Be Held Friday, May 17

The 15th annual AMSAT/TAPR Banquet will be held at the Kohler Presidential Banquet Center on Friday, May 17th at 18:30 EDT. This dinner is always a highlight of the TAPR (Tucson Amateur Packet Radio) and AMSAT (Radio Amateur Satellite Corp.) activities during the Dayton Hamvention. This year’s banquet speaker will be Bill Reed, NX5R, AMSAT PACSAT Project Manager, who will highlight the forthcoming PACSAT digital communications payload.

The Kohler Presidential Banquet Center is located at 4548 Presidential Way, Kettering, Ohio – about 20 minutes away from the Greene County Fairgrounds.

Tickets ($60 each) may be purchased from the AMSAT store. The banquet ticket purchase deadline is Friday, May 10th. Banquet tickets must be purchased in advance and will not be sold at the AMSAT booth. There will be no tickets to pick up at the AMSAT booth. Tickets purchased on-line will be maintained on a list with check-in at the door at the banquet center. Seating is limited to the number of meals reserved with the Kohler caterers based on the number of tickets sold by the deadline.

Menu

Set out as guests arrive

Crudite Platter
with dip on the side

Dinner Buffet

Roast Prime Rib of Beef Au jus
Carved on site. Served with horseradish and au jus on the side.

Almond Chicken

Deep Fried Tempura Shrimp
with Tomato Lemon Aioli

Risotto Cake

Fresh Asparagus

Smashed Cauliflower

Served to the table

Strawberry Fields

Assorted Dinner Rolls
Served with butter

Separate table

Assorted Layer Cake

Cheesecake

Beverages

Cash Bar

Regular and Decaf Coffee, Hot & Iced Tea, Water

New NASA Strategy Envisions Sustainable Future for Space Operations

To address a rapidly changing space operating environment and ensure its preservation for generations to come, NASA released the first part of its integrated Space Sustainability Strategy, on April 9, advancing the agency’s role as a global leader on this crucial issue.

“The release of this strategy marks true progress for NASA on space sustainability,” said NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy. “Space is busy – and only getting busier. If we want to make sure that critical parts of space are preserved so that our children and grandchildren can continue to use them for the benefit of humanity, the time to act is now. NASA is making sure that we’re aligning our resources to support sustainable activity for us and for all.”

For decades, NASA has served as a proactive leader for responsible and sustainable space operations. Entities across the agency develop best practices, analytic tools, and technologies widely adopted by operators around the world. The new strategy seeks to integrate those efforts through a whole-of-agency approach – allowing NASA to focus its resources on the most pressing issues. To facilitate that integration, NASA will appoint a new director of space sustainability to coordinate activities across the agency.

Key aspects of our approach include providing global leadership in space sustainability, supporting equitable access to space, and ensuring NASA’s missions and operations enhance space sustainability.

Space environments currently are seeing the rapid emergence of commercial capabilities, many of them championed by NASA. These capabilities include increased low Earth orbit satellite activity and plans for the use of satellite constellations, autonomous spacecraft, and commercial space destinations. However, this increased activity also has generated challenges, such as an operating environment more crowded with spacecraft and increased debris. Understanding the risks and benefits associated with this growth is crucial for space sustainability.

Developed under the leadership of a crossagency advisory board, the space sustainability strategy focuses on advancements NASA can make toward measuring and assessing space sustainability in Earth orbit, identifying cost-effective ways to meet sustainability targets, incentivizing the adoption of sustainable practices through technology and policy development, and increasing efforts to share and receive information with the rest of the global space community.

NASA’s approach to space sustainability recognizes four operational domains: Earth, Earth orbit, the orbital area near and around the Moon known as cislunar space, and deep space, including other celestial bodies. The first volume of the strategy focuses on sustainability in Earth orbit. NASA plans to produce additional volumes focusing on the other domains.

Learn more about the Space Sustainability Strategy at: https://www.nasa.gov/spacesustainability

[ANS thanks NASA for the above information]

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

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Keeping Amateur Radio in Space.
https://amsat.org/product-category/hardware/

Trash From The ISS May Have Hit A House In Florida

A few weeks ago, something from the heavens came crashing through the roof of Alejandro Otero’s Florida home, and NASA is on the case.

Otero wasn’t home at the time. A Nest home security camera captured the sound of the crash at 2:34 pm local time (19:34 UTC) on March 8. That’s an important piece of information because it is a close match for the time—2:29 pm EST (19:29 UTC)—that US Space Command recorded the reentry of a piece of space debris from the space station. At that time, the object was on a path over the Gulf of Mexico, heading toward southwest Florida.

In all likelihood, this nearly 2-pound object came from the International Space Station.
Otero said it tore through the roof and both floors of his two-story house in Naples, Florida.
(Photo by Alejandro Otero on X)

This space junk consisted of depleted batteries from the ISS, attached to a cargo pallet that was originally supposed to come back to Earth in a controlled manner. But a series of delays meant this cargo pallet missed its ride back to Earth, so NASA jettisoned the batteries from the space station in 2021 to head for an unguided reentry.

NASA has recovered the debris from the homeowner, according to Josh Finch, an agency spokesperson. Engineers at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center will analyze the object “as soon as possible to determine its origin,” Finch told Ars. “More information will be available once the analysis is complete.”

The entire pallet, including the nine disused batteries from the space station’s power system, had a mass of more than 2.6 metric tons (5,800 pounds), according to NASA. Size-wise, it was about twice as tall as a standard kitchen refrigerator. It’s important to note that objects of this mass, or larger, regularly fall to Earth on guided trajectories, but they’re usually failed satellites or spent rocket stages left in orbit after completing their missions.

In a post on X, Otero said he is waiting for communication from “the responsible agencies” to resolve the cost of damages to his home. If the object is owned by NASA, Otero or his insurance company could make a claim against the federal government under the Federal Tort Claims Act, according to Michelle Hanlon, executive director of the Center for Air and Space Law at the University of Mississippi.

“It gets more interesting if this material is discovered to be not originally from the United States,” she told Ars. “If it is a human-made space object which was launched into space by another country, which caused damage on Earth, that country would be absolutely liable to the homeowner for the damage caused.”

This could be an issue in this case. The batteries were owned by NASA, but they were attached to a pallet structure launched by Japan’s space agency.

NASA typically doesn’t want large chunks of space debris falling to Earth with an uncontrolled reentry. You can trace the reason this object came down unguided back to a Russian launch failure more than five years ago. NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian commander Alexey Ovchinin aborted their launch on a Soyuz spacecraft when their rocket failed shortly after liftoff.

One of Hague’s jobs at the International Space Station would have been to go outside on spacewalks to help install a new set of lithium-ion batteries recently delivered by a Japanese HTV cargo ship. But Hague didn’t reach the station in 2018, so NASA put off the spacewalks until a new team of astronauts arrived at the complex.

This interruption to the space station’s carefully choreographed schedule threw off the entire multiyear plan for upgrading the batteries on the outpost’s electrical system. Instead of putting the old batteries back into the HTV for a guided destructive reentry over the open ocean, NASA held onto the cargo pallet at the station when the HTV supply ship needed to depart.

Each of the subsequent HTV missions delivered more fresh batteries to the space station and then departed the complex with the cargo pallet and decommissioned batteries from the previous HTV mission. That was the case until there were no more HTVs to fly. Japan’s last HTV spacecraft departed the ISS in 2020 with the cargo pallet and batteries from the prior flight, stranding the last battery pallet at the station.

The space station’s other cargo vehicles—SpaceX’s Dragon, Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus, and the Russian Progress—can’t accommodate the HTV cargo pallet.

So NASA decided to jettison the battery pallet using the space station’s robotic arm in March 2021 in order to free up real estate on the lab. Without any propulsion of their own, the batteries were adrift in orbit for three years until aerodynamic drag finally pulled the pallet back into the atmosphere on March 8, almost exactly three years later.

It is notoriously difficult to predict where a piece of space junk will reenter the atmosphere. US Space Command precisely tracks tens of thousands of objects in Earth orbit, but the exact density of the upper atmosphere is still largely an unknown variable. Even a half-day before the reentry, US Space Command’s estimate for when the battery pallet would fall to Earth had a window of uncertainty spanning six hours, enough time for the object to circle the planet four times.

And if you don’t know when something will reenter the atmosphere, you can’t predict where it will come down.

If NASA confirms the projectile that fell through Otero’s house last month came from the ISS, it would join a small handful of incidents when an object falling out of orbit damaged someone’s property.

Earth is a big place. It’s fairly common for someone to find a piece of fallen space junk in a field or washed up on a beach. But it is rare for a reentry to hit a structure or injure a person.

Falling space debris has never killed anyone. According to ESA, the annual risk of an individual human being injured by space debris is less than 1 in 100 billion.

[ANS thanks ARS Technical for the above information. Read the entire story at https://bit.ly/3xFJs9W.]

VUCC and DXCC Satellite Standings for April 2024

————————————————————
VUCC Satellite Award/Endorsement Change Summary for March 01, 2024 to April 01, 2024.
————————————————————

Callsign	March 2024	April 2024
K8DP	1629	1701
AA5PK	1450	1500
N8RO	1444	1455
KF7R	1128	1154
XE1AO	1000	1111
KE8RJU	950	1030
WI7P	975	1008
K9UO	950	1001
KQ4DO	880	906
K0JM	702	801
KK4YEL	728	768
N8MR	684	700
A65BR	554	632
JS1LQI	500	617
N3CAL	580	610
SV8CS	New	511
JR0GAS	360	500
KO9A	434	472
N7UJJ	308	462
HC2FG	350	413
PA7RA	408	409
DL8GAM	375	400
HB9RYZ	248	365
W6AER	302	355
K6VHF	300	325
JH0BBE	322	324
XE1BMG	120	300
KA9CFD	126	283
I1FQH	173	249
AG1A	100	200
JO4JKL	135	188
W0PR	New	176
JK4JMO	New	161
AA0K	100	155
WD9EWK(DM25)	120	138
N6UTC(DM05)	101	128
N8HRZ	New	102
WD5GRW	New	101
K9DOG	New	100
W9FF	New	100

————————————————————

Congratulations to the new VUCC holders.
SV8CS is first VUCC Satellite holder from KM07

DXCC Satellite Standing April 2024
————————————————————
DXCC Satellite Award/Endorsement Change Summary for March 01, 2024 to April 01, 2024.
————————————————————

Callsign	March 2024	April 2024
SV8CS	153	159
KB8VAO	135	148
HB9RYZ	145	147
DL4ZAB	138	139
NK1K	129	138
DL2MIH	111	132
XE1MEX	122	125
KK5DO	106	108
K9UO	101	106
DL8GAM	100	101
XE1L	New	100

————————————————————

Congratulations to the new DXCC Satellite holder.
XE1L is first DXCC Satellite holder from DL80

[ANS thanks Jon Goering, N7AZ, 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 April 12

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/.

This week there are no additions or deletions to the AMSAT TLE distribution.

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

Ending an Era, Final Delta Rocket Launched This Week

Ending an era in U.S. rocketry, United Launch Alliance fired off its 16th and final triple-core Delta 4 Heavy Tuesday, launching a classified spy satellite in the last hurrah of a storied family of rockets dating back to the dawn of the space age.

The Heavy’s three hydrogen-fueled RS-68A first stage engines ignited with a rush of bright orange flame at 12:53 p.m. EDT, smoothly pushing the 235-foot-tall rocket away from pad 37 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

The last Delta 4 Heavy rocket climbs away from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on April 9, 2024,
carrying a classified National Reconnaissance Office spy satellite. (United Launch Alliance photo.)

The launch came 12 days late, primarily because of work to replace a pump in a system that supplies nitrogen gas to multiple launch pads from a pipeline running through the Kennedy Space Center and the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. There were no problems Tuesday.

Mounted atop the rocket was a classified satellite provided by the National Reconnaissance Office, the secretive government agency that manages the nation’s fleet of sophisticated optical and radar imaging reconnaissance satellites and electronic eavesdropping stations.

In keeping with standard NRO-U.S. Space Force policy for such missions, no details about the NROL-70 payload were released. But about six hours after launch, the National Reconnaissance Office declared the launch a success, indicating the satellite reached its planned orbit.The final appearance of a Delta rocket 63 years after the first variant’s maiden flight was an emotional milestone for the managers, engineers and technicians who assembled and launched the last member of the family.

The Delta family of stages and rockets had its roots in the early space program, first serving in the nation’s fleet of intermediate-range ballistic missiles and evolving through multiple versions used to put military, NASA and civilian payloads into orbit.

The now-retired Delta 2 debuted in 1990, putting the first Global Positioning System satellites into orbit and sending multiple planetary probes into deep space, including Messenger to Mercury, multiple Mars orbiters, the Pathfinder, Spirit and Opportunity Mars rovers, the Spitzer Space Telescope and many more.

The single-core Delta 4 first flew in 2002 with the first Heavy following two years later. The single-core version flew the program’s final flight in 2019. Tuesday’s launch was the 45th flight of a Delta 4 and the 16th and final Delta 4 Heavy.

“Launching the last Delta 4 is bittersweet for me,” Col. Eric Zarybnisky, director of NRO’s Office of Space Launch, said in a statement. “I was part of the team that launched the first Delta 4 for the NRO. Since that time, the Delta 4 has put amazing capability on orbit for this nation.”

Tory Bruno, president and CEO of United Launch Alliance, also called the flight a “bittersweet” moment as the company continues its transition to next-generation Vulcan rockets, phasing out its more expensive Delta and Atlas families.

“Soon, Vulcan will pick up that mantle and we’re going to retire this venerable rocket that has made so much important work for our country,” he said after launch in a pre-recorded video.

[ANS thanks William Harwood, CBS News, 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

ARTADEMIA, Milano, Italy, AND Scuola Secondaria I grado “A. Moro”, Ponte Lambro (CO), Italy, direct via IK1SLD
The ISS callsign was OR4ISS. The crewmember was Jeanette Epps, KF5QNU. The ARISS mentor was IZ2GOJ.
Contact was successful: Wed 2024-04-10 13:16:48 UTC 53 degrees elevation
Congratulations to the ARTADEMIA and Scuola Secondaria I grado “A. Moro” students, Jeanette, mentor IZ2GOJ, and ground station IK1SLD!
Watch the recorded Livestream at https://www.youtube.com/live/sJoKzK2292U?si=BxXWi41cfsJJv4c2

UPCOMING

Mrs Ethelston’s CE Primary Academy at Axminster Community Academy Trust, Lyme Regis, United Kingdom, direct via GB4ACA
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS. The scheduled crewmember is Matthew Dominick, KCØTOR. The ARISS mentor is MØXTD.
Contact is go for: Wed 2024-04-17 10:44:49 UTC 81 degrees elevation
Watch for Livestream at https://live.ariss.org

Mountain View Elementary, Marietta, GA, direct via KQ4JVI
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS. The scheduled crewmember is Jeanette Epps, KF5QNU. The ARISS mentor is K4RGK.
Contact is go for: Thu 2024-04-18 17:48:40 UTC 44 deg
Watch for Livestream at https://youtube.com/live/lDjyV6P9x6I

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 (145.825 MHz up & down) is currently misconfigured and not in operation.

The Ham TV system (2395.00 MHz down) is aboard but currently stowed. The BATC Ham TV wiki is at https://wiki.batc.org.uk/HAMTV_from_the_ISS and there is also a discussion channel available on the site.

The SSTV system (145.800 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

Doug, N6UA will soon embark on a big circuitous rove covering parts of MT, ID, OR and NV. I’m guessing this will take place in the next week or two, but only Doug knows for certain. APRS is gonna be your friend here.

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]

Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events

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

2024 CubeSat Developer’s Workshop
Tuesday April 23rd – Thursday April 25th
Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, CA
https://www.cubesatdw.org/

Dayton Hamvention 2024
Friday May 17th – Sunday May 19th
Greene County Fairgrounds and Expo Center
120 Fairground Road
Xenia, OH 45385
https://hamvention.org

[ANS thanks the AMSAT Events page for the above information]

Satellite Shorts From All Over

+ NASA now knows what knocked Voyager 1 offline, but it will take a while to fix. Voyager 1’s remaining Flight Data Subsystem (its redundant copy failed in 1982) is the reason that the distant spacecraft is currently offline. Voyager’s FDS were the first computers on a spacecraft to use volatile memory. Unfortunately, one of Voyager 1’s FDS memory chips is malfunctioning—NASA hopes they can work around it, but it will likely take months.(ANS thanks The Orbital Index for the above information.)

+ If you have 26 minutes to spare, and want to explore more intricacies of Ohm’s Law than you were taught in school, watch electricity flow through a wire a nanosecond at a time at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AXv49dDQJw (ANS thanks The Orbital Index for the above information.)

+ Following repairs to a liquid oxygen leak in the Falcon Heavy’s core booster, NASA and SpaceX have rescheduled the launch of the GOES-U satellite, the final installment in NOAA’s GOES-R Series, for June 25. The adjustment aims to ensure thorough examination and resolution of the issue, discovered during a routine inspection in February. With preparations now back on track, the deployment of GOES-U from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A will proceed using a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket. Managed cooperatively by NOAA and NASA, the GOES-R Series Program encompasses satellite operations, data dissemination, and ground systems oversight, with NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center leading spacecraft acquisition and instrument development. Lockheed Martin’s contributions include design, construction, and testing of the satellites, while L3Harris Technologies has provided key instruments and ground systems essential for capturing atmospheric observations. (ANS thanks Clarence Oxford, SpaceDaily, for the above information)

+ The European Union is poised to finalize a security deal with the United States, enabling payments to Elon Musk’s SpaceX for satellite launches due to delays in Europe’s Ariane rocket system. Approved by national general affairs ministers, the agreement grants European Union and European Space Agency (ESA) personnel continuous access to launch facilities and prioritized debris retrieval rights in case of SpaceX rocket failures. With a 200 million deal already struck last year, SpaceX is contracted to launch four Galileo satellites as Ariane 6 faces further delays. While Ariane 6 is slated for a summer launch, commercial missions await later scheduling. The arrangement with SpaceX allows for two Galileo satellite launches this year, necessitated by Soyuz launcher cancellations and Ariane 6 delays. The security pact ensures access to classified Galileo equipment, with provisions for debris retrieval and a sunset clause by 2027 to address concerns about reliance on SpaceX over Ariane. (ANS thanks Joshua Poaaner, Politico Europe, for the above information)

+ NASA has been tasked by the White House to establish a lunar-centric time reference system, known as Coordinated Lunar Time (LTC), to aid missions requiring extreme precision on the moon. The agency has until the end of 2026 to set up LTC, which is not akin to Earth’s time zones but provides a frame of time reference for the moon. LTC will accommodate the slightly faster passage of time on the moon, approximately 58.7 microseconds each day compared to Earth, due to its lower gravity. It will serve as a benchmark for timekeeping for lunar spacecraft and satellites, crucial for their missions. NASA’s Artemis program, set to begin astronaut missions to the lunar surface in 2026, necessitates LTC for synchronization among Earth, lunar satellites, bases, and astronauts, without which data transfers and communications could be compromised. Developing LTC will require international agreements, possibly influenced by the Universal Coordinated Time (UTC) standard, with potential implementation involving atomic clocks on the moon and adherence to existing space agreements like the Artemis accords. (ANS thanks Diana Ramirez-Simon, The Guardian, 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
k0jm [at] amsat.org

ANS-077 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

March 17, 2024 by Mark Johns

In this edition:

* First SONATE 2 Images Received
* FUNcube Mode Change
* Free On-Line Amateur Radio Operating Class
* Starship Lifts Off On Third Test Flight
* Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for March 15
* NASA’s SpaceX Crew-7 Finishes Mission, Returns to Earth
* ARISS News
* Upcoming Satellite Operations
* Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events
* Satellite Shorts From All Over

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-077 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 March 17

First SONATE 2 Images Received

First images were received this week from the SONATE 2 satellite. A low-resolution Slow-Scan TV (SSTV) image that had been pre-loaded onto the satellite prior to launch was received on March 8. The first wide field of view earth image from the onboard camera was received on March 11. Both images can be viewed at https://www.informatik.uni-wuerzburg.de/en/aerospaceinfo/staff/kayal/research-activities/sonate-2/

[12.03.2024 First wide field of view image from SONATE-2]

SONATE 2 was built by students and faculty in the Aerospace Information Technology program at at Würzburg University in Germany. It was launched on March 4 as part of the SpaceX Transporter 10 mission from Space Launch Complex 4E in Vandenberg SFB, Calif.

Using Doppler measurements, Nico Janssen, PAØDLO, has identified SONATE 2 as object 59112. The telemetry downlink frequency is 437.0254 MHz, just slightly above the published target frequency of 437.025 MHz. Telemetry is in 9k6 G3RUH GMSK AX.25 using a protocol that may be downloaded from https://www.informatik.uni-wuerzburg.de/fileadmin/1003-ifex/2024/SONATE-2_protocol_definition_for_radio_amateurs.xlsx

The SSTV downlink is at 145.880 MHz FM using the Martin M1 protocol. The satellite also carries an APRS digipeater for 145.825 MHz, but the digipeater is not yet active. A schedule for upcoming SSTV transmissions is published at https://www.informatik.uni-wuerzburg.de/aerospaceinfo/mitarbeiter/kayal/forschungsprojekte/sonate-2/information-for-radio-amateurs/

[ANS thanks Würzburg University and Nico Janssen, PAØDLO, for the above information.]

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

Join the AMSAT President’s Club today and help
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FUNcube Mode Change

The FUNcube team are pleased to announce that FUNcube 1 (aka AO-73) is out of Safe mode back in Eclipse mode as of March 11. “Eclipse mode” means that the transponder is normally operational only when the satellite is in eclipse, i.e. the solar panels are NOT being illuminated.

The nominal transponder frequencies are:

Uplink: 435.150 – 435.130 MHz LSB (Inverting)
Downlink: 145.950 – 145.970 MHz USB
Telemetry Tx: 145.935 MHz BPSK

(The passband may be up to 15kHz higher depending on on-board temps. Lower temperatures give higher freqs!)

[ANS thanks David Johnson, G4DPZ, and https://funcube.org.uk/ 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.
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Free On-Line Amateur Radio Operating Class

A free, weekly, 3-hour Amateur Radio Operating Class on Zoom will begin on Thursday April 4 and run through June 20 at 6:30 p.m. Eastern / 5:30 p.m. Central time. The presenters will be various experienced folks in the various subjects.

A detailed syllabus will be published before the classes begin. Attend them all, or any that you like, but you must register for the classes. To receive registration information, contact Rol Anders, K3RA, at [email protected].

Subjects will include:

All About Operating–A general Introduction
Amateur Radio Organizations—Local to International
Ham Radio Awards
DXing-History and Tips from the Experts
QSLing-How to get that needed card for DXCC or WAS
VHF/UHF Weak Signal Work and “Roving”
Image Operating—Slow Scan and Fast Scan TV
Remote Station control over internet
Learning CW in the no-code era
Digital Modes—From RTTY to FT8 and beyond
Contesting—How to get started, tips for the beginner and intermediated contester
Logging Software—What’s available, how to use
Propagation—A general intro to HF Propagation
*Amateur Satellites—How to get started*
Portable (backpacking) operation—Tips from an expert
Setting Up a Modern (or not so modern) HF Station
Lightning Protection and Grounding
Traffic Handling
Public Service, Emergency Communications

[ANS thanks Dan Hausauer, WØCN, and Rol Anders, K3RA, for the above information.]

Starship Lifts Off On Third Test Flight

SpaceX’s Starship vehicle lifted off on its third test flight March 14, making significant progress compared to its first two by achieving most of its planned test milestones.

The Starship/Super Heavy vehicle lifted off from the company’s Starbase site at 9:25 a.m. Eastern. The liftoff was delayed by nearly an hour and a half because of ships in restricted waters offshore. SpaceX reported no technical issues during the countdown.

[Starship lifts off on its third integrated test flight March 14. Credit: SpaceX webcast]

The Super Heavy booster fired all 33 of its Raptor engines for nearly three minutes before executing “hot staging”, with the Starship upper stage’s engines igniting while still attached to Super Heavy before separating.

The booster then performed burns to attempt what SpaceX webcast hosts called a “soft splashdown” in the Gulf of Mexico, where it would not be recovered. However, the landing burn did not appear to go correctly, and the company later said that the booster broke apart 462 meters above the ocean after lighting several Raptor engines for a landing burn.

The Starship upper stage performed its burn, placing the vehicle onto its planned suborbital trajectory. It avoided the fate of the previous Starship launch in November, when the vehicle broke apart late in its burn after catching fire while venting propellant.

While in space on its suborbital trajectory, SpaceX opened a payload bay door that will be used on later Starship vehicles for deploying Starlink satellites. It also performed an in-space propellant transfer demonstration as part of a NASA contract where it would move propellant from one tank within the vehicle to another. SpaceX said it was evaluating the data from both tests.

SpaceX had planned to perform a brief relight of a Raptor engine on Starship about 40 minutes after liftoff, but the company said on the webcast that this test was skipped for reasons not immediately known. The company later said the engine test was called off because of the vehicle’s roll rates.

Several minutes later, the vehicle started reentry. A camera mounted on a flap on Starship provided dramatic images of the reentry, relayed through Starlink satellites. Telemetry was lost about 49 and a half minutes after liftoff when the vehicle was descending through an altitude of 65 kilometers. SpaceX later said on the webcast that it lost contact through both its own Starlink satellites as well as through NASA TDRSS data relay satellites at the same time, speculating that the vehicle may have broken up.

While the mission did not achieve all its test objectives, the company considered the launch a success. “What we achieved on this flight will provide invaluable data to continue rapidly developing Starship,” it said in a statement.

[ANS thanks SpaceNews for the above information.

Want to fly the colors on your own grid expedition?

Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for March 15

This week there are no additions or deletions to the AMSAT TLE distribution.

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

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-7 Finishes Mission, Returns to Earth

The SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour spacecraft, with NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, KI5WSL, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Andreas Mogensen, KG5GCZ, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Satoshi Furukawa, KE5DAW, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov aboard, splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Pensacola, Florida, on Tuesday, March 12, 2024. Moghbeli, Mogensen, Furukawa, and Borisov are returning after nearly six-months in space as part of Expedition 70 aboard the International Space Station.

The Crew-7 mission lifted off at 3:27 a.m. on Aug. 26, 2023, on a Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. About 30 hours later, Dragon docked to the Harmony module’s space-facing port. Crew-7 undocked at 11:20 a.m. Monday, March 11, to begin the trip home.

Moghbeli, Mogensen, Furukawa, and Borisov traveled 84,434,094 miles during their mission, spent 197 days aboard the space station, and completed 3,184 orbits around Earth. The Crew-7 mission was the first spaceflight for Moghbeli and Borisov. Mogensen has logged 209 days in space over his two flights, and Furukawa has logged 366 days in space over his two flights.

[A thermal screenshot showing the successfully deployed four parachutes of the Dragon Capsule as it makes its descent on March 12]
(Image credit: NASA)

Throughout their mission, the Crew-7 members contributed to a host of science and maintenance activities and technology demonstrations, including a number of ARISS amateur radio contacts. Moghbeli conducted one spacewalk, joined by NASA astronaut Loral O’Hara, replacing one of the 12 trundle bearing assemblies on the port solar alpha rotary joint, which allows the arrays to track the Sun and generate electricity to power the station.

The crew contributed to hundreds of experiments and technology demonstrations, including the first study of human response to different spaceflight durations, and an experiment growing food on the space station.

This was the third flight of the Dragon spacecraft, named Endurance. It also previously supported the Crew-3 and Crew-5 missions. The spacecraft will return to Florida for inspection and processing at SpaceX’s refurbishing facility at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, where teams will inspect the Dragon, analyze data on its performance, and process it for its next flight.

The Crew-7 flight is part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program and its return to Earth follows on the heels of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 launch, which docked to the station March 5, beginning another science expedition. That crew consists of Matthew Dominick, KCØTOR, Michael Barratt, KD5MIJ, Jeanette Epps, KF5QNU, and Alexander Grebenkin, RZ3DSE.

[ANS thanks NASA for the above information.]

ARISS NEWS

Second Chance School of Orestiada, Orestiada, Greece, telebridge via VK4KHZ
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS
The scheduled crewmember is Loral O’Hara KI5TOM, Mike Barratt, KD5MIJ (Observing)
The Moderator is scheduled to be Will KW4WZ
The ARISS mentor is IKØWGF
Contact is go for: Wed 2024-03-20 17:45:54 UTC 60 deg
Watch for Livestream at https://youtube.com/@sdeorestiadas9736?si=RPdn0JxEjpbK2Rhx

Amur State University, Blagoveshchensk, Russia, direct via TBD
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS
The scheduled crewmember is Aleksandr Grebyonkin, RZ3DSE
The ARISS mentor is RV3DR
Contact is go for Mon 2024-03-25 08:40 UTC

Kursk, Russia, direct via TBD
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS
The scheduled crewmember is Aleksandr Grebyonkin, RZ3DSE
The ARISS mentor is RV3DR
Contact is go for Wed 2024-03-27 14:55 UTC

Ufa, Russia, direct via TBD
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS
The scheduled crewmember is Marina Vasilevskaya
The ARISS mentor is RV3DR
Contact is go for Fri 2024-03-29 16:20 UTC

The crossband repeater is 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 currently misconfigured (145.825 MHz up & down). The SSTV system 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

Jay Stephenson, WA1JAY, pays a visit to Paradise Isl. from March 15 to April 2. QRV as C6A/WA1JAY on HF (SSB, FT4/8) and via FM satellites. QSL via ClubLog OQRS, LoTW.

F4DXV Jérôme (@F4DXV) and EA4NF Philippe (@EA4NF_SAT) announce that they will be actívating Noirmoutier island EU-064 IN86 from April 1 to 4, 2024 with the special callsign TM4J. This International DXpedition is the 1st 100% SAT from this French island:
LEO (FM+SSB)
GEO (QO-100)
MEO (GREENCUBE IO-117)
Updates available on @TM4J_SAT

Please submit any additions or corrections to k5zm (at) comcast (dot) net.

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

Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events

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

AMSAT-Francophone Seventh Amateur Radio Space Meeting
Saturday March 16th – Sunday March 17th
Electrolab Hackerspace à Nanterre
52 Rue Paul Lescop
92000 Nanterre, France
https://site.amsat-f.org/

JAMSAT Symposium 2024
Saturday March 23rd – Sunday March 24th
Hotel Binario Saga Arashiyama
3-4 Hiromichicho, Saga Tenryuji, Ukyo Ward
Sagano, Kyoto, Japan
https://www.jamsat.or.jp/?p=2446

Raleigh NC Hamfest
Saturday, 6 April 2024
Jim Graham Building, NC State Fairgrounds
https://www.rarsfest.org/

2024 CubeSat Developer’s Workshop
Tuesday April 23rd – Thursday April 25th
Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, CA
https://www.cubesatdw.org/

Dayton Hamvention 2024
Friday May 17th – Sunday May 19th
Greene County Fairgrounds and Expo Center
120 Fairground Road
Xenia, OH 45385
https://hamvention.org

[ANS thanks the AMSAT Events page for the above information.]

Satellite Shorts From All Over

+ NASA has terminated its OSAM-1 mission, a multibillion-dollar endeavor aimed at showcasing robotic satellite servicing technology in space, due to ongoing technical, cost, and schedule challenges. Originally intended to demonstrate satellite refueling, the mission expanded to include in-orbit assembly, incorporating a 16-foot robotic arm named SPIDER. Despite significant congressional funding, the project faced continual delays and ballooning costs, reaching $1.5 billion with an estimated additional cost of nearly $1 billion for launch. Changes in the satellite servicing market, with a shift towards alternative technologies like Northrop Grumman’s Mission Extension Vehicle, contributed to the cancellation. Maxar, the prime contractor for OSAM-1, faced criticism for poor performance, leading to delays and cost overruns, although the company cited other factors like the COVID-19 pandemic. The cancellation impacts approximately 450 workers at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, prompting NASA to review strategies to mitigate workforce impacts and consider alternative uses for developed technologies. (ANS thanks Ars Technica, for the above information.)

+ China’s human spaceflight agency, CMSA, is progressing towards its goal of landing astronauts on the moon before 2030. The spacecraft developed for this purpose has been named Mengzhou, translating to “Dream Vessel,” for lunar missions, and Lanyue, meaning “Embracing the Moon,” for orbital travel. These names were selected through a public contest, with Mengzhou having a variant for low Earth orbit (LEO) carrying seven astronauts and a moon version transporting three astronauts into lunar orbit. The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) is designing and building the spacecraft and lander, along with a new rocket, the Long March 10. The moon landing plan involves two Long March 10 rockets launching Mengzhou and Lanyue, rendezvousing in lunar orbit, with astronauts descending to the lunar surface. A 440-pound crew rover will accompany the lunar lander. Progress on various mission hardware is reportedly on track, including completed development of the primary spacecraft and technical proposals for launch and landing sites. Recently, models of the rocket, spacecraft, and lander were showcased at an exhibition in Shanghai. (ANS thanks Space.com, for the above information.)

+ U.S. regulators have approved ground rules for allowing SpaceX and other satellite operators to use radio waves from terrestrial mobile partners to keep smartphone users connected outside cell tower coverage. The Federal Communications Commission voted March 14 unanimously in favor of its Supplemental Coverage from Space (SCS) regulatory framework. SCS providers would operate as a secondary service to companies providing Mobile Satellite Services (MSS) with conventional frequencies already approved for use from space. This means an SCS operator would have to immediately cease operations if they interfere with an MSS provider or terrestrial telco with primary rights. (ANS thanks SpaceNews for the above information.)

+ A rocket made by a Japanese company exploded seconds after launch on Wednesday, in a spectacular failure for the start-up’s bid to put a satellite into orbit. Tokyo-based Space One’s 18-metre (60-foot) Kairos rocket blasted off in the coastal Wakayama region of western Japan, carrying a small government test satellite. But around five seconds later, the solid-fuel rocket erupted in fire, sending white smoke billowing around the remote mountainous area as orange flames raged on the ground, live footage showed. Space One said it had taken the decision to “abort the flight” and details were being investigated. (ANS thanks Space Daily for the above information.)

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

In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership to:

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
k0jm [at] amsat.org

ANS-049 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

February 18, 2024February 18, 2024 by Mark Johns

In this edition:

* SpaceX Delays Crew-8 Astronaut Launch to Make Way for Private Moon Mission
* Upcoming Rideshare Launch to Include Amateur Payloads
* Bill Introduced to Eliminate Private Land Use Restrictions on Amateur Radio
* Small Launch Companies Seek Niches to Compete With SpaceX Rideshare
* Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for February 16
* ARISS News
* Upcoming Satellite Operations
* Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events
* Satellite Shorts From All Over

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-049 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 Feb 18

SpaceX Delays Crew-8 Astronaut Launch to Make Way for Private Moon Mission

NASA’s next astronaut launch will delay nearly a week to let a moon mission leave Earth first.

NASA’s Crew-8 astronauts, who will launch on a SpaceX Crew Dragon, will fly to space no earlier than Feb. 28. The delay from Feb. 22 will make room for the expected launch of Intuitive Machines’ moon lander from the same launch pad at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Odysseus, a robotic lunar lander built by the Houston-based company Intuitive Machines, lifted off atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida early in the morning on Thursday, Feb. 15.

If all goes according to plan, Odysseus (designated IM-1) will touch down near the moon’s south pole on Feb. 22, becoming the first-ever private spacecraft to ace a lunar landing. Success would also be a big deal for the United States, which hasn’t been to the lunar surface since NASA’s Apollo 17 mission more than half a century ago.

“NASA and SpaceX will continue to assess Crew-8 readiness and may adjust the Crew-8 launch date following a successful IM-1 launch,” agency officials wrote in a statement on Feb. 13, while announcing the delay. The astronaut mission will serve as relief for Crew-7, which flew to space on Aug. 26 for an International Space Station mission expected to last six or seven months.

SpaceX Crew-8 crew. From left to right: Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin, NASA astronaut Michael Barratt, KD5MIJ, NASA astronaut Matthew Dominick, KCØTOR, and NASA astronaut Jeanette Epps, KF5QNU.

Crew-8 includes NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, KCØTOR (commander), Michael Barratt, KD5MIJ (pilot), and Jeanette Epps, KF5QNU (mission specialist), along with Roscosmos cosmonaut and mission specialist Alexander Grebenkin.

Both the ISS crew and the IM-1 launch are using a pad SpaceX leases at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. The moon mission has a fairly narrow launch window as the IM-1 lander needs specific landing conditions to land at the lunar south pole, which is part of why the launch date for Crew-8 may be adjusted.

Crew-8, as the name implies, is the eighth crewed operational mission by SpaceX that sends commercial crews to the ISS on NASA’s behalf. Starliner, the second vendor, may fly its first test crew in mid-April 2024.

[ANS thanks Space.com for the above information.]

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

Join the AMSAT President’s Club today and help
Keep Amateur Radio in Space!
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Upcoming Rideshare Launch to Include Amateur Payloads

The SpaceX F9 Transporter-10 Rideshare mission has been scheduled for launch on 1 March 2024. In addition to a half dozen commercial payloads, two amateur satellites are on the launch manifest: SONATE-2 from Germany and CroCube from Croatia.

SONATE-2

SONATE-2 is a 6U+ CubeSat designed and built by the University of Wuerzburg in Germany. As for many university satellites, the mission objectives of the SONATE-2 satellite can be divided into three different parts:
– The operation of an amateur radio payload
– The development and operation of the satellite for the education of students.
– The operation of a novel payload as a technology demonstration in space.

The amateur payload of SONATE-2 consists of a VHF transceiver that was already built for the predecessor mission SONATE over the course of several student theses. For SONATE-2 additional student theses extended the transceiver functionalities. It will provide regular SSTV downlinks with images from the optical sensors included in the AI payload as well as an APRS digipeater and CW beacon.

On the education side, the mission will serve as a foundation for different aspects of the university aerospace and computer science engineering program. In the context of practical courses, theses or as student assistants, students can participate in the development of all subsystems of the space and ground segment, including the amateur radio payload and the technology demonstration payload. In the context of mandatory lectures and exercises on space operations every student will also be included in the operations of the satellite. The German Aerospace Center (DLR) offers a School Lab for high school students at the location of our external ground station in Neustrelitz, Germany.

Besides experiments on space and satellites, the School Lab includes amateur radio contacts to the ISS under the supervision of licensed local radio amateurs, which they wish to extend to other satellites like in this cooperation with the SONATE-2 mission.

In addition to the amateur and educational mission parts, the SONATE-2 mission also has a research objective for the demonstration of novel artificial intelligence technology in the space environments. While the AI payload is mainly operated using a separate up/downlink in the space operation service in S-band, the satellite bus and the amateur payloads are operated in the amateur service. Housekeeping telemetry in the amateur service also contains status information of the non-amateur payload.

Proposing CW, SSTV using Martin M1 and APRS downlinks on VHF and a 9k6 G3RUH AX25 telemetry downlink on UHF. Planning a launch into a 550 km Sun-Synchronous Orbit (SSO). More info at https://go.uniwue.de/hk. Downlinks on 437.025 MHz, 145.825 MHz, 145.840 MHz and 145.880 MHz have been coordinated by the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU).

CroCube

CroCube is a 1U CubeSat mission to support the Croatian, but also worldwide amateur radio community with many HAM services and activities. The mission’s goal is also to facilitate the technological development of Croatia, create an advanced society focused on prosperity and innovation, and increase participation in the global space sector. Also, drive Croatia into the space era, increase interest in astronomy and space projects, and develop STEM and tech entrepreneurship, create a platform for founding a space center in Croatia, increase investments and employment in robotics, technology and ICT and finally reduce unemployment and prevent brain drain.

The CroCube satellite is designed for HAM radio activities. The main purpose is to provide services for radio amateurs in Croatia and worldwide, and also for students of technical universities to get hands-on experience with satellite communication and get radioamateur licences. One of the project goals is to popularize HAM activities across the common population, students and children in Croatia.

CroCube will provide these HAM services:
– AX.25 telemetry
– CW beacon
– Digipeater
– Anniversary/special occasions AX.25 & CW messages for community engagement
– Experimental SSDV transmissions
– SATNOGS integration, decoder, dashboard

Proposing a UHF downlink using 9k6 G3RUH GFSK with AX25 telemetry. Planning an Exolaunch deployment into a 510 km SSO. More info at https://drustvo-evo.hr . A downlink on 436.775 MHz has been coordinated by IARU.

[ANS thanks Libre Space, Jan van Gils, PE0SAT, and IARU for the above information]

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from the AMSAT Store. When you purchase through
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Bill Introduced to Eliminate Private Land Use Restrictions on Amateur Radio

U.S. Senators Roger Wicker (MS) and Richard Blumenthal (CT) introduced S.3690 on January 30, 2024, the Senate companion bill to H.R.4006, introduced last June. Both bills reflect the Congressional campaign efforts by ARRL to eliminate homeowner association land use restrictions that prohibit, restrict, or impair the ability of an Amateur Radio Operator to install and operate amateur station antennas on residential properties they own.

Amateur Radio Operators repeatedly are relied upon to provide essential communications when disaster strikes, but their ability to do so is being impaired by the exponential growth of residential private land use restrictions that hinder their ability to establish stations in their homes with which to train and provide emergency communications when called upon.

In announcing the introduction of S.3690, Senator Wicker said: “Because communication during natural disasters is often hindered, we should be making every attempt to give folks more options. Reliable access can make the difference between life and death in an emergency. Our legislation removes roadblocks for amateur radio operators looking to help their friends, families, and neighbors.”

In a similar announcement, Senator Blumenthal stated: “Our measure will help clarify the rules so ham radio enthusiasts can successfully continue their communications.

In the face of emergency or crisis, they help provide vital, life-saving information that allow listeners to properly and safely respond, but prohibitive home association rules and confusing approval processes for installing antennas have been an unnecessary impediment. The Amateur Radio Emergency Preparedness Act resolves these bottlenecks and ensures that radio operators can function successfully.”

ARRL President Rick Roderick, K5UR, and Director John Robert Stratton, N5AUS, Chair of the ARRL’s Government Affairs Committee, both extended on behalf of ARRL, its Members, and the Amateur Radio community their thanks and appreciation for the leadership of Senator Wicker and Senator Blumenthal in their continuing efforts to support and protect the rights of all Amateur Radio Operators.

[ANS thanks ARRL News for the above information]

Small Launch Companies Seek Niches to Compete With SpaceX Rideshare

Small launch vehicle developers are working to carve out niches in a market for smallsat launches that is increasingly dominated by SpaceX’s Transporter rideshare missions.

The Transporter missions, which fill a Falcon 9 often with more than 100 smallsats, offer per-kilogram prices significantly below dedicated small launch vehicles. SpaceX has seen high demand for those missions and announced plans last year for a related line of missions called Bandwagon that will go to mid-inclination orbits.

“The Transporter program was created a few years ago with, in my opinion, the sole purpose of trying to kill new entrants like us,” said Sandy Tirtey, director of global commercial launch services at Rocket Lab, during a panel at the SmallSat Symposium in Mountain View, Calif. on Feb. 7. “Yet, we are still flying because we offer something unique.”

That uniqueness, he argued, is the ability to fly missions to specific orbits not served by Transporter rideshare missions. An example is Rocket Lab’s next Electron launch, which will place into orbit the ADRAS-J inspector satellite for Astroscale. That mission requires a specific, precise orbit so that ADRAS-J can rendezvous with a derelict Japanese upper stage.

A Rocket Lab Electron launched four smallsats for NorthStar Earth and Space Jan. 31. Credit: Rocket Lab

“Electron is really the only vehicle capable of delivering such a complex mission on an expedited timeline,” Peter Beck, chief executive of Rocket Lab, said in a Feb. 7 statement about the launch, scheduled for Feb. 19 (New Zealand time). Rocket Lab said the specific launch time will be determined just a day before launch, with a near-instantaneous launch window.

“Most of the missions that we fly are enabled by the fact that we offer dedicated services,” Tirtey said, citing the upcoming ADRAS-J launch. “There is no way you could do this on a rideshare.”

Other panelists said they are targeting customers with specific requirements or needs that make them less price-sensitive than those who opt for the less expensive Transporter launches. That includes dedicated orbits and high reliability, said Pablo Gallego, senior vice president of sales and customers at Spanish launch company PLD Space. “We are offering a premium service for the ones that are willing to pay.”

That argument, though, is in danger of being undercut by the combination of rideshare launches and orbital transfer vehicles (OTVs), which can take satellites to their desired orbit after being deployed from a Transporter or similar launch. Several companies are offering such vehicles and using them on Transporter launches.

While that combination may still be less expensive than dedicated launches, it still doesn’t offer sufficient flexibility, launch providers argued. “We are excited to partner with a lot of OTV providers in providing that service to our customers, but it comes down to performance and how quickly you can get there,” said Robert Sproles, chief technology officer of launch services company Exolaunch. “If it takes you multiple months on orbit to get to that final destination, there’s a strong argument to be made to going dedicated.”

Tirtey said that maneuvers that require plane changes can take months to complete, adding that current OTV providers have yet to demonstrate the ability to perform such complex maneuvers. “It could be useful, but you can’t expect a revolution because of physics.”

However, on another panel at the conference Feb. 6, industry officials said they see challenges for small launch vehicles coming from SpaceX’s Starship, which promises much greater performance at significantly lower prices. “If you’re a smallsat company, your business model should be looking forward to the model of the Starship rideshare,” a scaled-up version of Falcon 9 rideshare, said Abhishek Tripathi, director of mission operations at the University of California Berkeley’s Space Sciences Lab and who previously worked at SpaceX.

He said that the introduction of Starship could change how spacecraft are designed, allowing the use of heavier but cheaper materials and components. “You can throw mass and power and volume at your problem and thereby scale up your satellite bus and still be cheap.”

[ANS thanks SpaceNews 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 February 16

Lume-1 NORAD Cat ID 43908 Decayed from orbit on or about 13 February 2024
FEES NORAD Cat ID 48082 Decayed from orbit on or about 12 February 2024

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

ARISS NEWS

COMPLETED CONTACTS
School TBD, Naro-Fominsk, Russia, direct via UB3AYC
The ISS callsign was RSØISS
The crewmember was Nikolay Chub
The ARISS mentor was RV3DR
Contact was successful for Thu 2024-02-15 08:22 UTC
Congratulations to the Naro-Fominsk students, Nikolay, and mentor RV3DR!

B. Russell High School, Rome, Italy, direct via IKØUSO
The ISS callsign was OR4ISS
The crewmember was Jasmin Moghbeli KI5WSL
The ARISS mentor was IKØUSO
Contact was successful: Thu 2024-02-15 11:32:10 UTC 54 deg
Congratulations to the B. Russell High School students, Jasmin, and mentor IKØUSO!
Watch for Livestream at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0YEgMvzbn8

Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University, Kaliningrad, Russia, direct via R2FDB
The ISS callsign was to be RSØISS
The crewmember was Konstantin Borisov
The ARISS mentor was RV3DR
Contact was successful for: Fri 2024-02-16 09:10 UTC
Congratulations to the Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University students, Konstantin, and mentor RV3DR!

SCHEDULED CONTACTS
Girl Scout Troop 1089, Sacramento, CA, direct via N6NA
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS
The scheduled crewmember is Loral O’Hara KI5TOM
The ARISS mentor is AA4KN
Contact is go for: Thu 2024-02-22 18:26:02 UTC 89 deg

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

Jonathan Eernisse, N4AKV has been QRV from FM05/FM06 and FM15/FM16 this week. Both LEO and IO-117. Details available on hams.at

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

Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events

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

+ 40th Anniversary Celebration of the Positive Impact of Amateur Radio on Human Spaceflight
Thursday February 22nd through Saturday February 24th, 2024
Center for Space Education: Astronauts Memorial Foundation
Kennedy Space Center, M6-306 405 State Road, FL 32899
https://www.ariss.org/overview.html

+ Dayton Hamvention 2024
Friday May 17th through Sunday May 19th, 2024
Greene County Fairgrounds and Expo Center
120 Fairground Road
Xenia, OH 45385
https://hamvention.org

[ANS thanks the AMSAT Events page for the above information]

Satellite Shorts From All Over

+ The JAMSAT Annual General Meeting and Symposium 2024 will be held in Sagano, Kyoto on 23-24 March 2024. To join the Symposium by ZOOM, please send e-mail to Ueda-san, [email protected], with your Callsign and Name by 16 March. He will send you invitation email including Zoom URL. If you are adept at reading Japanese (or have a good translation program) the latest edition of the JAMSAT Newsletter is packed with excellent articles, including a full report of satellite operations by the JAMSAT VK9QO DXpedition to Cocos (Keeling) Island, amateur transmissions from the moon by the SLIM LEV-1/LEV-2 landers, and a how-to on restoring a Yaesu G-5500 rotator. Visit the JAMSAT website at https://www.jamsat.or.jp/ to learn more. (ANS thanks Mikio Mouri, JA3GEP, JAMSAT Newsletter Editor, for the above information.)

+ An unspecified defect in early model Starlink satellites has prompted SpaceX to preemptively deorbit the units before they potentially fail and become hazards in low Earth orbit. The company has already initiated the disposal of 406 units from the nearly 6,000 satellites launched to date. Among these, 17 are currently non-maneuverable but are expected to naturally decay and eventually burn up in Earth’s atmosphere in the coming years. However, the decision to deorbit a large batch of approximately 100 satellites within a brief amount of time is certainly out of the ordinary. (ANS thanks Gismodo for the above information.)

+ The European Space Agency’s Cluster mission, which has spent 24 years revealing the secrets of Earth’s magnetic environment, is coming to an end. The first of the four satellites in the Cluster quartet, named ‘Salsa’, will reenter Earth’s atmosphere in September 2024. This month, spacecraft operators carried out a series of manoeuvres to ensure this reentry will take place over a sparsely populated region in the South Pacific. The end of the Cluster mission offers a rare chance to study the safe atmospheric reentry of four identical satellites under different conditions. (ANS thanks The European Space Agency for the above information.)

+ Copernicus, the Earth observation component of the European Union’s Space programme, has confirmed that January 2024 was the warmest January on record. Samantha Burgess, Deputy Director of the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) said: “2024 starts with another record-breaking month – not only is it the warmest January on record but we have also just experienced a 12-month period [with a mean global average temperature] more than 1.5°C above the pre-industrial reference period. Rapid reductions in greenhouse gas emissions are the only way to stop global temperatures increasing.” (ANS thanks https://climate.copernicus.eu for the above information.)

+ Voyager 1, humanity’s most distant scientific outpost, is currently careening away from Earth at 17 kilometers every second and unable to transmit useful scientific or engineering data back to us across nearly a light-day of space. The problem with the 46-year-old spacecraft cropped up back in November, when Voyager started sending gibberish back to Earth. Flight controllers have determined that the problem lies within the one remaining flight data system (FDS) computer on board, most likely thanks to a single bit of corrupted memory. The team has tried rebooting the FDS, to no avail. With most of the engineers who originally built the spacecraft long gone now, the team is treading very carefully. (ANS thanks Hackaday for the above information.)

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

In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership to:

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
k0jm [at] amsat.org

ANS-021 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

January 21, 2024 by Mark Johns

In this edition:

* Microwave Ambitions for GOLF Satellites
* All-Ham Axiom Crew Launched for Commercial Visit to ISS
* AMSAT Argentina Celebrates 34 Years of LUSAT
* AMSAT Volunteers Needed For the Upcoming 2024 Orlando Hamcation
* IO-117 Project Group Presents the IO-117 Code of Conduct
* NASA Program Empowers Students for EZIE-Mag CubeSat Mission
* Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for Jan. 18
* ARISS News
* Upcoming Satellite Operations
* Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events
* Satellite Shorts From All Over

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-021 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 JAN 21

Microwave Ambitions for GOLF Satellites

Recently AMSAT News Service had the opportunity to interview Zach Metzinger, NØZGO, AMSAT Director and Volunteer Engineer, about the work that is being done to add microwave communication bands to the GOLF satellites.

ANS: “Zach, I understand that AMSAT will add microwave capability to the new GOLF CubeSat satellites, currently in design and evaluation. Is this correct?”

ZM: “Yes, that is correct! AMSAT had microwave capabilities in earlier satellites such as AO-10 and AO-40 and only a 1.2GHz downshifter on the newer CubeSats, that is the Fox series of satellites.
The GOLF (Greater Orbit Larger Footprint) satellites are currently under development.
GOLF-TEE is the first of these satellites and is the technology demonstrator for the GOLF series, which is in turn the successor to the FOX satellites. GOLF-TEE will have more capability as we increase the capability and functionality of our satellites, including adding microwave bands. “

ANS: “What is driving this increased functionality of the GOLF series?”

ZM: “Due to new orbital debris regulations, the FCC will require us to be able to be able to move as well as deorbit satellites, so we are adding the ability to orient and steer the satellite. While this adds complexity, it will also help us to improve the functionality of the satellite. For example: We will now be able to have the satellite maintain direction and orientation which will allow us to point the antenna for improved gain. This increased functionality is causing the increase in size. The GOLF satellites are a 3U size satellite, that is 30 cm x 10 cm x 10 cm. (The predecessor FOX satellites are 10 cm x 10 cm x 10 cm.) With the increase in size, we can also add other functionality, in this case the microwave capability we are discussing here today.”

ANS: “Can you tell us a little about how this is implemented?”

ZM: “While GOLF-TEE will have the usual 2m uplink and 70 cm downlink bands, it will also have an X-band (10 GHz) downlink transmitter. The 10 GHz SSPA board has already been demonstrated and works well. The 10 GHz SSPA has a peak power of 1 watt.

“We will also use a Software Defined Radio (SDR) which we will purchase. (For the development and demonstration, we have been using the Ettus E310 radio.) This will enable many simultaneous uplink bands, for example 1.2 GHz, 2.4 GHz, 5.7 GHz, etc. The whole system is very flexible. For example, the microwave antenna will support frequencies from 1 GHz to 26 GHz.”

ANS: “It is very exciting to hear about these improved capabilities. What are the next steps?”

ZM: “We continue to test the system and tweak the hardware. We will be ready to be on GOLF-TEE, which is estimated to launch in the second quarter of 2025. If it works well, it could be turned on for general use, but of course we will have to see. We definitely plan to have the microwave bands operational on succeeding GOLF satellites.

One more tidbit of information that folks may find interesting: The orbit for GOLF-TEE will be LEO. The next satellite, GOLF-1, could be LEO or perhaps MEO or HEO.

ANS: “This is an exciting development. How can we learn more?”

ZM: “I gave a 20-minute presentation on this at the AMSAT Annual Space Symposium, which you can see on YouTube.”

ANS: Thank you for your time, Zach!

Link to Zach Metzinger’s presentation is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcO4-h7bbxs&t=2270s

[ANS thanks Zach Metzinger, N0ZGO, AMSAT Director and Volunteer Engineer, and Mark Blackwood, KI5AXK, AMSAT Staff Writer, for the above information.]

All-Ham Axiom Crew Launched for Commercial Visit to ISS

With retired NASA astronaut Michael López-Alegría, KE5GTK, and Italian co-pilot Walter Villadei, IUØRWB, at the controls, flanked by Turkish mission specialists Alper Gezeravci, KJ5DIY, and Marcus Wandt of Sweden, KJ5COO, a SpaceX Falcon 9 thundered to life at 21:49 UTC Thursday and climbed away from historic pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center atop a brilliant jet of flaming exhaust.

A Falcon 9 lifts off from Kennedy Space Center carrying an international crew on a commercial mission to the space station. Image: Adam Bernstein/Spaceflight Now.

Rocketing away along a trajectory paralleling the East Coast of the United States, the 12-minute climb to space got off to a picture-perfect start, thrilling area residents and tourists with a late-afternoon sky show despite low clouds that limited the view.

Adding to the spectacle, the booster’s first stage, heralded by twin sonic booms, flew itself back to a rocket-powered landing at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, chalking up SpaceX’s 43rd landing in Florida and its 265th overall.

A few minutes later, the Crew Dragon capsule was released to fly on its own. SpaceX Chief Engineer Bill Gerstenmaier radioed congratulations to the crew “on a great ride to orbit. I think you’re demonstrating the ultimate in reuse — a reused commander, reused Dragon and a reused Falcon.”

If all goes well, López-Alegría and Villadei will monitor an automated approach to the space station, catching up from behind and below to set up a docking at the lab’s forward port early Saturday.

They’ll be welcomed aboard by the station’s current seven-member crew: Soyuz MS-24/70S commander Oleg Kononenko, RN3DX, and his two crewmates, Nikolai Chub and NASA astronaut Loral O’Hara, KI5TOM, along with NASA Crew-7 commander Jasmin Moghbeli, KI5WSL, European Space Agency astronaut Andreas Mogensen, KG5GCZ, Japanese flier Satoshi Furukawa, KE5DAW, and cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov.

At least two ARISS school contacts are scheduled with Axiom crewmembers, and participants in previous Axiom missions have activated the ARISS equipment on board the Space Station for casual contacts in the past.

Once their experiments are complete, López-Alegría and his crewmates will strap back into their Crew Dragon and undock from the space station on Feb. 3 for a fiery plunge back to Earth and splashdown off the coast of Florida.

The Axiom flights are sanctioned by NASA, which is trying to encourage private-sector development in low-Earth orbit. The company is using the “private astronaut missions,” or PAMs, to gain experience with orbital operations before launching its own space station modules later this decade.

[ANS thanks spaceflightnow.com for the above information]

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The 2024 AMSAT President’s Club coins are here now!
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/
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AMSAT Argentina Celebrates 34 Years of LUSAT

On Jan-22, 34 years ago was launched LO-19, LUSAT, 1st Argentine Satellite, till now emitting on 437.125 KHz.

During ‘LUSAT Week’, from Saturday-20 to Sunday-28 January 2024, AMSAT-LU, several Radio Clubs and collaborators will deliver a QSL commemorative of the 34rd anniversary of LUSAT, see: lusat33qsl.jpg, and the 34rd anniversary silver certificate with 5 (five) contacts or gold with 15 (fifteen) contacts, it will not be mandatory to communicate with LU7AA.

This Certificate complies with all the requirements of Argentine Resolution 3635-E/2017, articles 4.5.4 and 4.6.4, and therefore having LU7AA in force Legal Status and being recognized by ENACOM is valid for category promotions.

It will be operated by radio means of the radio amateur service only, in multiband/multimode, terrestrial HF/VHF/UHF and via active amateur satellites. More information at LU7AA at qrz.com. Collaborators will be calling: ‘LUxxx collaborating station of AMSAT Argentina, grants Commemorative QSL for the 34rd Anniversary of LUSAT’.

Do not miss this Certificate or QSL like the previous ones, it will be a pride to have it and for AMSAT your participation. Radio clubs and radio amateurs were invited to operate as a collaborating station.

To sign up as a Collaborating station see: https://forms.gle/iyEYE5F3gskmRdkQ8

Bases:

To obtain the QSL you must contact a collaborating station, or as a short wave listener receive a QSO between stations related to the 34rd anniversary event of LUSAT.

To obtain the Certificate, it will be necessary to contact (Radio amateurs) or listen (Short Wave Listeners) by radio at least 5 collaborating stations (silver), or 15 stations (gold) in any band and mode.

Finalized contacts or listening and after January 29:

For radio amateurs, go to https://forms.gle/c2RJE5LyBqz5erh7A and inform your contacts, it is not necessary to send QSLs or images.

For Short Wave Listeners, go to https://forms.gle/pkHNsQuWRo4MB21DA and report your listen stations, it is not necessary to send QSLs or images.

Issuance of the Certificate:

The LUSAT 34rd Anniversary Certificate will be issued free of charge, digitally to the email of each applicant. The Certificate can be printed by the recipient if desired.

More information and images: http://amsat.org.ar?f=34

Celebrating its permanence in space, our LUSAT continues to emit a strong carrier after 34 years, receivable at 437.125 KHz. +/- Doppler.

See pass schedules at http://amsat.org.ar/pass?satx=LUSAT

Details: http://amsat.org.ar?f=34 http://qrz.com/db/LU7AA https://www.qrzcq.com/call/LU7AA (also in English)

Collaborating stations registration open at https://forms.gle/iyEYE5F3gskmRdkQ8

LUSAT could be tracked/seen thru http://amsat.org.ar/pass?satx=lusat

Deeply appreciation to AMSAT-NA than in the eighties develop AO-16 & LO-19 novel pacsat protocol and lead on design and launch.

[ANS thanks AMSAT Argentina, LU7AA, for the above information]

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Need new satellite antennas?

Purchase Arrows, Alaskan Arrows,
and 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/

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AMSAT Volunteers Needed For the Upcoming 2024 Orlando Hamcation

The new year is now upon us and that means the 2024 HamCation in Orlando, Florida (Feb. 9 – 11) is just around the corner. The hamfest began in 1946 and in 2024 celebrates its 78th year having achieved the designation as being the 2nd largest gathering of ham operators in the world annually.

Along with a myriad of popular amateur radio vendors and enormous tailgate area to peruse through, AMSAT will also be on hand and we could sure use your help. If last year’s 21,800 attendees are any indication of what’s ahead, we would greatly appreciate you sharing at least 2 to 4 hours of your time at the AMSAT booth sometime during the three-day event, introducing fellow hams to what amateur satellites are all about, helping those who maybe having problems getting on the air and best of all, connecting face to face with hams you’ve talked to on the satellites.

So if you would like to join us at the AMSAT booth or have any questions about helping out, please contact David Jordan, AA4KN at [email protected].

BTW, the average temp. for Orlando in February is a high 75 deg. and low 54 deg.
… hard to beat that!!

For more details on 2024 HamCation, visit https://www.hamcation.org

[ANS thanks Dave Jordan, AA4KN, AMSAT Ambassador in Central Florida for the above information]

IO-117 Project Group Presents the IO-117 Code of Conduct

A group of amateurs who regularly work the IO-117 satellite has worked to develop a code of conduct for using this popular digipeating resource.

The purpose of the IO-117 Code of Conduct document is to provide suggested operational guidelines that will hopefully optimize everyone’s access to the limited resource single channel digipeater aboard IO-117. If better messaging discipline can be adopted as well as a better understanding of what operating techniques improve or diminish the success of a station’s transmission being digipeated by IO-117, then the entire group of operators on an individual pass will benefit from implementing these standards.

Those involved in this project, in alphabetical order, are: 2MØSQL, DF2ET, FG8OJ, IK3ITB, JH8FIH, JK2XXK, KF7R, KGØD, KH6WI, KIØKB, OZ9AAR, and W8LR.

IO-117 CODE OF CONDUCT

1. LISTEN MORE TRANSMIT LESS – Consider giving the station you are calling several minutes to return Your call before you call again. The use of Greencube Terminal program by OZ9AAR (GC-T) with its “yoU Heard Me” feature (UHM — available in the latest GC-T version, 1.0.0.85) turned on may aid in this process. The software is available for free download at: https://www.moonbounce.dk/hamradio/greencube-terminal-program.html

2. STATIONS SHOULD USE THE MINIMAL POWER NECESSARY TO ACCESS THE SATELLITE.

3. AVOID CALLING CQ MORE THAN ONCE EVERY 5 MINUTES.

4. AVOID DUPE QSOs – Other than occasional contacts with friends and for testing purposes we should discourage repeat contacts with stations already confirmed in your log, particularly for uncommon or rare DX stations.

5. AVOID 2X – 3X IDENTICAL TRANSMISSIONS IN BACK TO BACK TO BACK DIGIPEATS BY ANY MEANS. The
Use of GC-T/UHM ABSOLUTLEY helps you avoid this problem.

6. WHEN CALLING A STATION, TIME YOUR TX TO WHEN THEY WILL MOST LIKELY BE LISTENING FOR NEW CALLS. AFTER THEY SEND A CQ OR SEND ANOTHER STATION THEIR R73 TX.

7. KEEP MESSAGES AS SHORT AS POSSIBLE – Every millisecond saved does make a difference. Four character grids only, not six characters.

8. AVOID SENDING SUPERFLUOUS DATA – 599 is irrelevant on a digipeater. Avoid sending operator names. Use 2-Letter ID for states; don’t include city or regional quantifiers (ie: “SoCal”, just send “CA”). You can shorten “UR 599, DN84fj, Sturgis South Dakota, LoTW, QSL?” to “DN84 SD” with no loss of relevant information for the QSO.

9. CALLING FOR A SPECIFIC STATE IS UNNECESSARY AND UNPRODUCTIVE – That info is available on GC-T and the Greencube Reporter: https://oscarwatch.org/greencube/.

10. WHEN A STATION DECLARES “SKED” IN THE TX MESSAGE DO NOT CALL THAT STATION UNTIL THEY HAVE FINISHED THEIR SCHEDULED CONTACT – Both stations should use SKED GRID in message & use COSI (Callsign of Special Interest).

11. WHEN WORKING A RARE CALL/GRID STATION THAT IS USING THE GC-T MULTICALL FEATURE THEIR “R73” TRANSMISSION SHOULD BE ADEQUATE TO FINISH THE QSO: GC F/H Mode: similar to FT8 F/H mode.

12. FOR ROVERS, PUTTING YOUR ROVING GRID IN THE “R73” TRANMISSION IS ACCEPTABLE, AS WELL AS BEING HELPFUL, TO ALL STATIONS COMING INTO THE FOOTPRINT.

13. SUGGESTED MESSAGE FORMAT: FT8 Format (GC F/H Mode) and GRID Format: 4 Characters only NOT 6
Calling Message:
P5ABC CQ PM39
P5ABC 3Y0ABC PM39.
P5ABC 3Y0ABC/R/P PM39
Response 73 Message: 3Y0ABC P5ABC R73 or RR73
3Y0ABC/R/P P5ABC R73 JD15

14. AS A FORM OF COURTESY, THE R73 EXCHANGE IS USUALLY BILATERAL BUT ONE MUST TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE CURRENT SITUATION OF THE SATELLITE, SO THE LAST R73 MAY BE WELCOMED BUT NOT MANDATORY – The use of GC-T/UHM may aid you in this decision process.

15. ROVERS SHOULD ATTEMPT TO PROVIDE THE BEST POSSIBLE STATION, TO INCLUDE THE USE OF THE GC-T/UHM FEATURE WHEN INTERNET ACCESS IS AVAILABLE, IN ORDER TO MAKE AN IO-117 ACTIVATION PRODUCTIVE AS POSSIBLE FOR ALL STATIONS INVOLVED.

[ANS thanks Jeff Schwartz, KI0KB, and the IO-117 Project Group for the above information.]

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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

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NASA Program Empowers Students for EZIE-Mag CubeSat Mission

The Electrojet Zeeman Imaging Explorer (EZIE) team at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) is extending an invitation to citizen scientists, schools, and researchers to actively participate in NASA’s CubeSat mission set to capture the magnetic signatures of Earth’s upper atmosphere. The project, known as EZIE-Mag, is distributing 700 Raspberry Pi-powered experimentation kits, providing an unprecedented opportunity for enthusiasts to contribute valuable ground-based readings to the mission.

Dr. Nelli Mosavi-Hoyer, project manager for EZIE at Johns Hopkins APL, emphasizes the importance of citizen scientists’ involvement, stating, “EZIE-Mag provides the mission with a unique opportunity to engage citizen scientists in this important research. Measurements made by these kits will be complementary to data collected by the three EZIE spacecraft.”

The core of NASA’s Electrojet Zeeman Imaging Explorer program consists of three CubeSats, scheduled for launch in the late stages of 2024. These CubeSats will play a pivotal role in recording the magnetic fingerprints of Earth’s auroral electrojets – electrical currents flowing between the outer limits of the atmosphere and surrounding space. While the CubeSats map these currents, the EZIE-MAG initiative aims to enhance the mission with additional ground-based data.

Adebayo Eisape, second from left, an electrical engineering doctoral student at Johns Hopkins University, watches as high school students with the Lab’s ASPIRE program assemble the EZIE-Mag kit. (Image credit: Ed Whitman/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory)

Dr. Jesper Gjerloev, EZIE project scientist, stresses the inclusive nature of involving citizen scientists in the project, highlighting that it was previously considered unfeasible due to the high costs of custom equipment, ranging from $25,000 to $500,000. The innovative solution involved creating a low-cost sensor connected to a Raspberry Pi Zero single-board computer.

EZIE ground systems engineer Rob Barnes, inspired by a science fair project with his niece and nephew, developed prototypes for the EZIE-Mag kits. These kits, priced at just $200, include a low-cost magnetometer sensor paired with GPS for accurate time and location data, connected to a Raspberry Pi Zero. The cost reduction allows the team to distribute the kits to schools free of charge.

Barnes explains, “When we distribute EZIE-Mags, the data that’s going to come in from all these schools and places is actually going to be included as part of the mission database. We’re going to do real science with it. You get all the parts and they just snap together, and you’re done.”

The EZIE team will make and freely distribute approximately 700 EZIE-Mag kits to teachers and students across the United States, with a specific focus on Indigenous schools. (Image credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Ed Whitman)

The EZIE-Mag program has also formed partnerships with the Indigenous Education Institute and Little Singer Community School, establishing five Indigenous-based collaborative workspaces equipped with EZIE-Mag kits. In total, up to 700 kits will be distributed to schools in underserved communities.

Dr. Gjerloev applauds the active participation of schools, stating, “They’re actively participating, providing data that is used in our solutions. As a middle schooler or high schooler, you can say, ‘I’m actually providing data and making measurements that are important and being used for a NASA mission.’ That’s the way it should be. It’s much more exciting than sending out a flyer.”

For those interested in joining the EZIE-Mag project, further information and an application form for the kit are available on the project website: https://ezie.jhuapl.edu/outreach/ezie-mag.

[ANS thanks Gareth Halfacree, hackster.io, for the above information]

Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for Jan. 18

This week there are no additions or deletions to the AMSAT TLE distribution.

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

ARISS NEWS

IC Statale Villa Guardia, Villa Guardia, Italy, telebridge via ZS6JON
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS
The scheduled crewmember is Walter Villadei, IUØRWB
The ARISS mentor is IZ2GOJ
Contact is go for: Mon 2024-01-22 09:35:49 UTC 44 degrees elevation
Watch for Livestream at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMQUWMww9yE

Istituto Comprensivo “Anna Rita Sidoti”, Gioiosa Marea, Italy, direct via IT9DBI
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be IRØISS
The scheduled crewmember is Walter Villadei, IUØRWB
The ARISS mentor is IKØWGF
Contact is go for: Wed 2024-01-24 14:37:22 UTC 40 degrees elevation

Youth Group, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, direct via TBD
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS
The scheduled crewmember is Konstantin Borisov
The ARISS mentor is RV3DR
Contact is go for Thu 2024-01-25 15:30 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 Temporarily stowed. (145.825 MHz up & down). SSTV Status is OFF.

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

None scheduled at this time.

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

Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events

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

+ Orlando HamCation 2024
Friday February 9th through Sunday February 11th, 2024
Central Florida Fairgrounds and Expo Park
4603 West Colonial Drive
Orlando, Florida 32808
https://www.hamcation.com

+ Dayton Hamvention 2024
Friday May 17th through Sunday May 19th, 2024
Greene County Fairgrounds and Expo Center
120 Fairground Road
Xenia, OH 45385
https://hamvention.org

[ANS thanks the AMSAT Events page for the above information]

Satellite Shorts From All Over

+ Congratulations to Lyle Hood, WB7VUF, for being awarded GridMaster Award #63! This prestigious award, introduced by Star Comm Group in 2014 and sponsored by Damon Runion, WA4HFN, and Rick Tillman, WA4NVM, is now entrusted to AMSAT for the benefit of the entire AMSAT community. The GridMaster Award recognizes amateurs worldwide who establish two-way communication via amateur satellite with operators in all 488 Maidenhead grids in the contiguous United States of America. More information about this award can be found on the AMSAT website at https://www.amsat.org/gridmaster. Well done on this remarkable achievement Lyle! (ANS thanks Bruce Paige, KK5DO, AMSAT Director of Contests and Awards for the above information)

+ Kudos to Tom Kenny, NJ2DX, on achieving AMSAT Century Award #60! This distinguished recognition entails confirming satellite contacts with a mix of one hundred USA states, Canadian provinces, or DXCC entities. Tom met the requirements for the AMSAT Satellite Communications Achievement Award and AMSAT Sexagesimal Award by respectively establishing satellite contacts with twenty and sixty distinct entities from within a 40-kilometer radius of the same location, paving the way for eligibility for this distinguished honor. For more information about this award, please visit the AMSAT website at https://www.amsat.org/awards. Once again, congratulations to Tom on this exceptional accomplishment! (ANS thanks Bruce Paige, KK5DO, AMSAT Director of Contests and Awards for the above information)

+ Astrobotic’s Peregrine moon lander was launched on January 8 under an experimental new partnership between NASA and private industry intended to reduce costs for American taxpayers and seed a lunar economy. But it experienced an explosion shortly after separating from its rocket and had been leaking fuel, making it impossible to reach its destination. Astrobotic announced that it had lost contact with its spacecraft shortly before 2100 GMT Thursday, January 18, indicating a “controlled re-entry over open water” as it had predicted. Engineers had executed a series of small engine burns to position the golf cart-sized robot over the South Pacific to “minimize the risk of debris reaching land.” (ANS thanks Space Daily for the above information)

+ After a leisurely, fuel-efficient trip to the Moon, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) SLIM lander (aka “Moon Sniper”) attempted a pinpoint landing at 15:20 UTC on Jan. 19. Pinpoint in this context means shooting for a landing area ellipse of 100 x 100 meters after a 20-minute autonomous descent process. That’s a smaller target area than ever attempted by a lunar lander, though China’s Chang’e 3 lander managed to land 89 meters from the center of its 6,000 x 6,000 meter target in 2013. While the soft landing was a success, JAXA is still analyzing data to determine the precision of the landing. (ANS thanks The Orbital Index and JAXA for the above information)

+ The Chinese Academy of Sciences, ESA, and the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics in Germany collaborated on the Einstein Probe, an X-ray telescope that launched last week on a Long March 2C. The telescope will observe X-ray bursts from energetic sources such as neutron star mergers and black holes and will monitor how these change over time. It will orbit Earth at 600 km and carry two instruments. The Wide-field X-ray Telescope (WXT) uses hundreds of thousands of square fibers “inspired by the eyes of lobsters” which can collectively image almost a tenth of the celestial sphere at a time. Once sources are identified, they can be imaged in more detail with the narrower but more sensitive, two-module Follow-up X-ray Telescope (FXT). (ANS thanks The Orbital Index for the above information)

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

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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
k0jm [at] amsat.org