Paul Stoetzer

ANS-316 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

by
In this edition:
* Trends in Propulsion Systems for Small Satellites
* FO-99 Re-enters
* URESAT-1 Designated Spain-OSCAR 120 (SO-120)
* New Satellite Distance Records
* Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for November 10, 2023
* 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-316 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
To: All RADIO AMATEURS
From: Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation
712 H Street NE, Suite 1653
Washington, DC 20002
DATE 2023 November 12

Trends in Propulsion Systems for Small Satellites

Recently AMSAT News Service had the opportunity to interview Jonathan Brandenburg, KF5IDY, AMSAT Assistant VP – Engineering about recent trends in propulsion systems for small satellites.
ANS: “Jonathan, we understand you are looking at propulsion systems that might be added to future satellites.  What is the impetus for this?”
JB: “As we all know, debris is becoming a big issue in space. The amount of debris in space is growing and any of it that hits a satellite can cause significant damage. The European Space Agency estimates that there are more than 35,000 pieces of space debris, 2/3 of which is in LEO. Further, for the first time the FCC has issued a fine to Dish Network because they were not able to move its defunct EchoStar-7 satellite fully into the intended disposal orbit. Dish was supposed to move it 186 miles further from the earth, but it only reached 76 miles because the satellite ran out of fuel.  This fine is likely a harbinger of things to come.
“The FCC has pending requirements to be able to deorbit on command. Also, we are beginning to hear rumblings that we may have to be able to maneuver satellites to avoid a “conjunction event,” that is a collision. This is just in the conversation stage.”
“In addition, we often wish to reach higher orbits with AMSAT’s satellites. With the ability to thrust we can launch into a lower and more accessible orbit then raise our orbit with onboard thrusters.
ANS: “That is very crucial capability for AMSAT to add. What is required to do this and how difficult will it be to achieve?”
JB: “We need three things: a GNSS – a Global Navigational Space System, an ADCS – an Attitude Determination, and Control System, and a thruster.
“A GNSS is needed to determine the exact position of the satellite. We have a current ASCENT project in progress for this.
“We have to be able to accurately determine the position and orientation of the satellite so that we know the thrusters are oriented in the correct direction when they are fired. We are currently planning to fly an ADCS on the GOLF-TEE satellite which estimated to be launched in Q2 2025. The plan is to fly an ADCS purchased from CubeSat.
“We have a new ASCENT project for small satellite thrusters.  This is our topic of discussion here. There are many different types of thruster systems. Examples are:
– Solid motor thrusters which are very powerful,
– Hall effect thrusters which are popular, large and power hungry but very reliable,
– Electrospray thrusters are relatively inexpensive and simple. The propellant can be solid or a liquid which melts down quickly and then is accelerated out of the nozzle with an electric field. It is an affordable technology, and a moderately simple technology.
– And pulsed plasma/vacuum arc thrusters which have the advantage of being a very, very simple and affordable technology. It uses an electric arc to ablate the material which becomes the fuel. The fuel material can be a light metal or a high technology plastic.
“We’ve recently acquired a demonstration kit for a pulsed plasma type thruster. We are in the early stages of engaging our volunteers to perform an in-depth analysis of this thruster as part of our investigation to determine which thruster is the most appropriate for AMSAT.
ANS: ”Interesting. How can we learn more?”
JB: “I gave a 20-minute presentation on this at the recent AMSAT Annual Space Symposium, which you can see on YouTube.  The presentation includes a short demonstration of a pulse plasma type thruster made by Hypernova Space. The demonstration includes firing the thruster, the control software, and some of the output data.”
ANS: Thank you for your time, Jonathan!
Link to Jonathan Brandenburg’s presentation is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcO4-h7bbxs&t=465s
[ANS thanks Jonathan Brandenburg, KF5IDY, AMSAT Assistant VP – Engineering and Mark Blackwood, KI5AXK for the above information.]
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The 2023 AMSAT President’s Club coins are here now! 
    To commemorate the 40th anniversary of its launch 
on June 16, 1983, this year’s coin features 
an image of AMSAT-OSCAR 10. 
  Join the AMSAT President’s Club today and help 
Keep Amateur Radio in Space! 
  
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FO-99 Re-enters

FO-99 re-entered on November 9, 2023 after nearly five years in orbit. Launched on January 18, 2019 on an Epsilon launch vehicle, the 1U CubeSat, named NEXUS for Next Generation X Unique Satellite, was designed and built by Nihon University in collaboration with JAMSAT. The satellite demonstrated a high speed QPSK transmitter and also sent SSTV transmissions and carried a VHF/UHF linear transponder.
[ANS thanks Nihon University, JAMSAT, and AMSAT Orbital Elements Manager Joe Fitzgerald, KM1P, for the above information]

URESAT-1 Designated Spain-OSCAR 120 (SO-120)

On June 12, 2023, the URESAT-1 satellite was launched on a Falcon 9 launch vehicle from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. Developed by AMSAT-EA, the satellite carries an SSTV camera, and FM and digital repeater payloads to provide services to amateur radio enthusiasts around the world. Signals have been received with the use of several large dish ground stations, and efforts continue to deploy the spacecraft antennas and improve the downlink strength.
At the request of AMSAT-EA, AMSAT hereby designates URESAT-1 as Spain-OSCAR 120 (SO-120). We congratulate AMSAT-EA, thank them for their contribution to the amateur satellite community, and wish them continued success on this and future projects.
[ANS thanks Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA, AMSAT Vice President – Operations and OSCAR Number Administrator for the above information]

New Satellite Distance Records

Jérôme LeCuyer, F4DXV, set yet another distance record on October 15th when he worked Scott Richardson, N1AIA, on SO-50. Jérôme was located in JN14ch while Scott was in FN43rh, a distance of 5,645.3 km. This eclipses the previous record of 5,548 km set by KE9AJ and MI0ILE in May.
Additionally, Puneit Singh, VU2TUM, claimed the initial distance record on Tevel-2 with a 3,815 km QSO with BA1PK in ON80eb. VU2TUM’s QTH was ML88ij.
[ANS thanks AMSAT Executive Vice President Paul Stoetzer, N8HM, for the above information]
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
        Need new satellite antennas? Purchase an M2 LEO-Pack
        from the AMSAT Store. When you purchase through
           AMSAT, a portion of the proceeds goes towards
                  Keeping Amateur Radio in Space.
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Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for November 10, 2023

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 Thursday evenings around 2300 UTC, or more frequently if new high interest satellites are launched. More information may be found at https://www.amsat.org/keplerian-elements-resources/
The following satellites have been removed from this week’s AMSAT-NA TLE distribution:
TY-1 NORAD Cat ID 41844 Decayed from orbit on or about 07 November 2023
Astrocast 0.2 NORAD Cat ID 44083 Does operate in the Amateur Satellite Service
FO-99 NORAD Cat ID 43937 Decayed from orbit on 09 November 2023
YukonSat NORAD Cat ID 56316 Decayed from orbit on or about 09 November 2023
[ANS thanks Joe Fitzgerald, KM1P, AMSAT Orbital Elements Manager, 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
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+

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.
Quick list of scheduled contacts and events:
New Heights School & Learning Services, Calgary, AB, Canada, telebridge via IK1SLD
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS
The downlink frequency is presently scheduled to be 145.800 MHz
The scheduled crewmember is Andreas Mogensen KG5GCZ
The ARISS mentor is VE6JBJ
Contact is go for: Fri 2023-11-17 17:06:45 UTC 24 deg
National Research Nizhny Novgorod State University, Nizhny, Novgorod, Russia, direct via TBD
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS
The downlink frequency is presently scheduled to be 145.800 MHz
The scheduled crewmember is Konstantin Borisov
The ARISS mentor is RV3DR
Contact is go for Wed 2023-11-22 16:40 UTC
Comments on making general contacts
I have been seeing a lot of traffic on Facebook and I suspect on other social media sites with people asking why they are not hearing the crew make general contacts.  First off the crew is very busy on the ISS and they simply may not have the time to just pick up the microphone and talk.  Also, one needs to be aware of their normal daily schedule.  I have listed below the constraints that we at ARISS have to follow in order to schedule the school contacts.  Hopefully this will help you better schedule your opportunities.
Typical daily schedule
Wakeup to Workday start= 1.5 hours
Workday start to Workday end=12 hours
Workday end to Sleep= 2 hours
Sleep to wakeup= 8.5 hours
The crew’s usual waking period is 0730 – 1930 UTC. The most common times to find a crew member making casual periods are about one hour after waking and before sleeping, when they have personal time. They’re usually free most of the weekend, as well.
SSTV events are not that often.  So please check out https://www.ariss.org/ for the latest information or watch for the ARISS announcements.
And don’t forget that the packet system is active.
As always, if there is an EVA, a docking, or an undocking; the ARISS radios are turned off as part of the safety protocol.
ARISS Radio Status
Columbus Module radios:
IORS (Kenwood D710GA) – STATUS – Misconfigured. Default mode is for cross band repeater (145.990 MHz up {PL 67} & 437.800 MHz down).
* Powering off for Progress undock on November 29. OFF TBD . ON TBD.
* Powering off for Progress docking on December 01. OFF TBD . ON TBD.
* Capable of supporting USOS scheduled voice contacts, packet and voice repeater ops.
Service Module radios:
IORS (Kenwood D710GA) – STATUS – Temporarily stowed. Default mode is for packet operations (145.825 MHz up & down)
* Capable of supporting ROS scheduled voice contacts, packet, SSTV and voice repeater ops.
SSTV (Kenwood D710) – STATUS – OFF. Default mode is for scheduled SSTV operations (145.800 MHz down)
* Next planned operation date(s) TBD.
* Specifically configured for SSTV ops.
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

No scheduled operations are listed 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.
AMSAT Ambassador Clint Bradford, K6LCS, says,
“Think a 75-minute presentation on “working the easy satellites” would be appropriate for your club or event? Let me know by emailing me at k6lcsclint (at) gmail (dot) com or calling me at 909-999-SATS (7287)!”
Clint has NEVER given the exact same show twice: EACH of the 150+ presentations so far has been customized/tailored to their audiences.
[ANS thanks Clint Bradford, K6LCS, and AMSAT for the above information]

Satellite Shorts From All Over

+ NASA has launched a new no cost, ad-free streaming service featuring live coverage and original video series. Details on the service, called NASA+, can be found at https://plus.nasa.gov/ (ANS thanks NASA for the above information)
+ Aviation Week has published an article entitled “CubeSats: How How An Accidental Standard Launched A New Space Age” which features quotes from AMSAT’s 2023 Symposium keynote speaker Bob Twiggs. https://aviationweek.com/aerospace/commercial-space/cubesats-how-accidental-standard-launched-new-space-age
+ DO-64 (Delfi-C3) is rapidly approaching re-entry. Over 350 frames of telemetry have been submitted by amateur radio operators over the past few days. (ANS thanks Delfi Space for the above information)
+ Ireland’s first satellite – EIRSAT-1 – is scheduled to launch at the end of the month on a SpaceX Falcon 9 from Vandenberg Space Force Base. The satellite’s downlink is 437.100 MHz (ANS thanks the EIRSAT-1 team 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, 
Paul Stoetzer, N8HM
n8hm [at] amsat.org

41st AMSAT Space Symposium & Annual General Meeting Schedule and Livestream Details Announced

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The 41st AMSAT Space Symposium & Annual General Meeting lifts off at 1:00pm Central Daylight Time / 18:00 UTC on Friday, October 20th. If you are not joining us in Dallas this year, we are pleased to offer a live stream of the Symposium sessions on AMSAT’s YouTube channel
The Symposium schedule and direct livestream links for each day follow. All times are Central Daylight Time (UTC-5). The sessions start at 18:00 UTC on Friday and 13:00 UTC on Saturday.

Friday, October 20th

1:00 – 1:15 Welcome
Robert Bankston, KE4AL, AMSAT President
1:15 – 1:45 A Survey of Small Satellite Propulsion Systems
Jonathan Brandenburg, KF5IDY, AMSAT Assistant VP Engineering
1:45 – 3:00 AMSAT Engineering Update
Jerry Buxton, N0JY, AMSAT VP Engineering
Jonathan Brandenburg, KF5IDY, AMSAT Assistant VP Engineering
Zach Metzinger, N0ZGO, AMSAT Board of Directors
3:00 – 3:15 Break
3:15 – 4:15 PACSAT Update and Demonstration
Bill Reed, NX5R, PACSAT Project Manager, et al
4:15 – 5:00 Break-Out Session
Member Services

Saturday, October 21st

8:00 – 8:15 Welcome
Robert Bankston, KE4AL, AMSAT President
8:15 – 9:00 CubeSatSim Update and Demonstration
Alan Johnston, KU2Y, AMSAT VP Educational Resources
9:00 – 9:30 ThinSat Project for High Schools
Nick Pugh, K5QXY, and Bob Twiggs, KE6QMD
9:30 – 10:00 AMSAT Youth Initiative
Frank Karnauskas, N1UW, AMSAT VP Development
10:00 – 10:15 Break
10:15 – 10:45 Amateur Radio Spectrum Use in the Lunar Environment
Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, ARISS-NA Executive Director
10:45 – 11:15 Amateur Satellite Secondary Payloads
Drew Glasbrenner, AMSAT Board of Directors/VP Operations
11:15 – 11:35 AMSAT-HB Update
Michael Lipp, HB9WDF, President, AMSAT-HB
11:35 – 12:00 TBD
12:00 – 1:00 Lunch
1:00 – 1:45 ARISS Update
Dave Taylor, W8AAS, AMSAT US Delegate to ARISS International
1:45 – 2:15 40th Anniversary of Hams in Space & 2024 Anniversary Event
Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, ARISS-NA Executive Director
2:15 – 2:45 Planned Non-AMSAT Amateur Satellites
Paul Stoetzer, N8HM, AMSAT Executive Vice President
2:45 – 3:15 Space Qualified Antennas
Kent Britain, WA5VJB
3:30 PM – 4:45 PM AMSAT Annual General Meeting & Awards Ceremony

ANS-288 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

by
In this edition:
* Estonia’s ESTCube-2 Digipeater in Orbit
* 2023 AMSAT Space Symposium & Annual General Meeting Next Weekend
* AMSAT-UK Colloquium Ongoing
* Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for September 15, 2023
* 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-260 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
To: All RADIO AMATEURS
From: Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation
712 H Street NE, Suite 1653
Washington, DC 20002
DATE 2023 October 15

Estonia’s ESTCube-2 Digipeater in Orbit

ESTCube-2 is a 3U Cubesat largely designed and built by undergraduate students at the University of Tartu, Estonia. It was launched into sun-synchronous orbit as an auxiliary payload on the European Space Agency (ESA) Vega flight VV23 from the Guiana Space Centre at Kourou on October 8 at 01:36 UTC.
Among ESTCube-2’s several missions, it will conduct in-orbit signal strength mapping in the 2m and 70cm amateur bands, using periodical full band received signal strength indicator (RSSI) measurements in order to check how polluted these two radio amateur bands are in low Earth orbit.
In addition, a cross-band AX.25 digipeater mode will be used to allow amateur radio operators to use satellite for two-way digital communication. 9600 bps G3RUH AX.25 data uplink will be in 2m amateur band and transmission of digipeated packet in 70cm amateur radio band. Transmission speed and modulation will be the same as for uplink. [Similar to the now re-entered FalconSat-3.] There are plans to include periodic short audio announcements (similar to FOX-1) to indicate that the digipeater is active.
The high-speed communications system is a COTS transmitter system called HiSPiCO from IQ Technologies. It is used when downloading preselected Earth observation scientific camera full-resolution images using the 2.4 GHz amateur radio band. (See https://www.iq-spacecom.com/products/hispico for details.) Data will be downlinked using QPSK modulated up-to 1 Mbps data-rate signal. Software tools (e.g. GNU Radio, web browser- based) will be published before the satellite launch, in order to enable reception of high speed downlink by the amateur radio community.
The optional multi-station radio frequency ranging experiment will be used to determine satellite distance to Earth in order to improve accuracy of satellite orbit determination. For the experiment, the 70cm radio amateur band will be used in conjunction with four or more amateur ground stations using SDR-based equipment that can provide stable and accurate frequency and time measurements. The satellite downlink will be listened to from several ground stations at the same time.
To educate the next generation of radio amateurs, the satellite will transmit analog messages from space using an NBFM signal containing pre-recorded audio greetings. This activity will infrequently take place according to a schedule published publicly to schools and the AMSAT/HAM community. The transmitted signal will be received by participating Estonian secondary and high schools, using their own built radio antennas and SDR-based receiver systems. This activity is targeted primarily to promote amateur radio and satellite communication (and in general STEM fields) among the younger generation.
The Primary transceiver, shared with the amateur payloads, is using the 70 cm amateur radio band for uplink and downlink purposes. It will be used as the housekeeping beacon for a simple overview of the satellite status and as the main transceiver for receiving tele-commands and firmware upgrades. As well transmitting mission data, like telemetry from each subsystem (< 256 bytes per subsystem) and payload data, e.g. compressed, low resolution image thumbnails (~100 KiB), in AX.25 data packet format with 9600 baud data-rate with G3RUH modulated signal. The spacecraft will have experimental capability to change data-rate up-to 38600 baud using 2GFSK (or 4GFSK for testing) different modulation schemes. During the mission, it is planned to transmit a housekeeping telemetry beacon periodically (~1 KiB), typically once per minute, containing telemetry, health data packets from every subsystem.
The 70 cm amateur radio band downlink will be used to send Plasma brake tether experiment [link] and housekeeping data of the payload module such as temperature measurements, information about the attitude of satellite, energy production etc. (< 256 bytes).
After performing measurements of a material science experiment on corrosion resistant coating, the 70cm amateur radio band downlink will be used to transmit a very small amount of acquired sensor data (~ 200 B per day). The satellite will measure the electrical continuity of the coating material to determine its lifespan after exposure to atomic oxygen in LEO.
Proposing UHF 9k6 using GFSK/G3RUH modulation or 38k4 GFSK/4GFSK or, alternatively, FM voice downlinks, and on S Band downlink DQPSK modulation with 1 Mbps data-rate, downlinks on 435.800 MHz and 2425.000 MHz have been coordinated by the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU).
The Vega C VV23 launch plan was to put ESTCube-2 into a 555km Sun-Sychronous Orbit (SSO). Actual orbit parameters have yet to be confirmed. More info is at https://www.estcube.eu/projekt/ESTCube-2 and https://www.estcube.eu/blogi/Raadio
[ANS thanks IARU, ESA, and the University of Tartu for the above information]
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Join us for the 41st Annual AMSAT Space Symposium and
Annual General Meeting
October 20-21, 2023 – Dallas, TX
More Information at:
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2023 AMSAT Space Symposium & Annual General Meeting Next Weekend

Although the deadline for the banquet and Sunday morning Members’ Breakfast has passed, there’s still time to join us for the 41st AMSAT Space Symposium & Annual General Meeting next weekend.
A livestream of the Symposium Presentations and Annual General Meeting will be available on AMSAT’s YouTube page at https://www.youtube.com/amsatna
For more information, visit https://www.amsat.org/41st-amsat-annual-space-symposium-and-annual-general-meeting/
Schedule (Times CDT)
Thursday, October 19, 2023
8:00 AM – 6:00 PM AMSAT Board Meeting
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM Pre-Registration Check-in
Friday, October 20, 2023
8:00 – 12:00 Noon AMSAT Board Meeting (Closed Session)
9:00 AM – 4:00 PM Registration
1:00 PM – 1:15 PM AMSAT Symposium Kickoff, President’s Welcome
1:15 PM – 5:00 PM Paper Sessions
5:00 PM – 7:00 PM Informal Dinner on your own
7:00 PM – 9:00 PM AMSAT Reception and Auction, Cash Bar Available
Saturday October 21, 2023
8:00 AM – 11:45 AM Registration
8:00 AM – 8:15 AM AMSAT Symposium Welcome
8:15AM – 12:00 Noon Paper Sessions
1:00 PM – 3:15 PM Paper Sessions
3:30 PM – 4:45 PM AMSAT Annual Meeting & Awards Ceremony
6:00 PM – 7:00 PM Attitude Adjustment (Social), Cash Bar
7:00 PM – 10:00 PM AMSAT Banquet, Cash Bar
Sunday October 22, 2023
7:30 AM – 9:00 AM AMSAT Member Breakfast
[ANS thanks AMSAT for the above information]
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
         
 The 2023 AMSAT President’s Club coins are here now!
    To commemorate the 40th anniversary of its launch
on June 16, 1983, this year’s coin features
an image of AMSAT-OSCAR 10.
  Join the AMSAT President’s Club today and help
Keep Amateur Radio in Space!
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AMSAT-UK Colloquium Ongoing

Although the first day of the AMSAT-UK Colloquium has concluded at the time of publication, a livestream of Sunday’s presentations is available.
Volunteers from the British Amateur Television Club (BATC) are providing a live stream of the presentations from the AMSAT-UK International Space Colloquium which takes place as part of the RSGB Convention on October 14-15.
BATC volunteers have been recording and streaming the Colloquium for over 11 years.
Watch the AMSAT-UK Colloquium presentations on Sunday from 09:30-15:15 BST (GMT +1) at
The AMSAT-UK talks are in Lecture Room 5 and PDF’s of the talk schedule can be downloaded from the RSGB site at https://rsgb.org/main/rsgb-2023-convention/2023-convention-lectures/
Further information on the BATC is available at http://batc.org.uk/
Individual videos of Colloquium presentations will also be available on AMSAT-UK’s YouTube page (https://www.youtube.com/user/AMSATUK) over the coming weeks.
[ANS thanks AMSAT-UK for the above information]
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
        Need new satellite antennas? Purchase an M2 LEO-Pack
        from the AMSAT Store. When you purchase through
           AMSAT, a portion of the proceeds goes towards
                  Keeping Amateur Radio in Space.
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Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for October 13, 2023

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 Thursday evenings around 2300 UTC, or more frequently if new high interest satellites are launched. More information may be found at https://www.amsat.org/keplerian-elements-resources/
The following satellites have been removed from this week’s AMSAT-NA TLE distribution:
AstroBioCubsat NORAD Cat ID 53107 Probably defunct, USSF no longer providing element sets.
Aurorasat NORAD Cat ID 56312 Decayed from orbit on or about 9 October 2023
Lightcube NORAD Cat ID 56314 Decayed from orbit on or about 12 October 2023
[ANS thanks Joe Fitzgerald, KM1P, AMSAT Orbital Elements Manager, 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
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+

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.
Quick list of scheduled contacts and events:
Valley Stream South High School, Valley Stream, NY, telebridge via IK1SLD
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS
The scheduled crewmember is Andreas Mogensen, KG5GCZ
The ARISS mentor is AB1OC
Contact is go for: Tue 2023-10-17 12:25:03 UTC 38 deg
St Peter in Thanet CE Junior School, Broadstairs, Kent, United Kingdom, direct via GB4SPT
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS
The scheduled crewmember is Loral O’Hara, KI5TOM
The ARISS mentor is MØXTD
Contact is go for: Wed 2023-10-18 09:57:49 UTC 89 deg Contact is go for: Wed 2023-10-18 09:57:49 UTC 89 deg
Comments on making general contacts
I have been seeing a lot of traffic on Facebook and I suspect on other social media sites with people asking why they are not hearing the crew make general contacts.  First off the crew is very busy on the ISS and they simply may not have the time to just pick up the microphone and talk.  Also, one needs to be aware of their normal daily schedule.  I have listed below the constraints that we at ARISS have to follow in order to schedule the school contacts.  Hopefully this will help you better schedule your opportunities.
Typical daily schedule
Wakeup to Workday start= 1.5 hours
Workday start to Workday end=12 hours
Workday end to Sleep= 2 hours
Sleep to wakeup= 8.5 hours
The crew’s usual waking period is 0730 – 1930 UTC. The most common times to find a crew member making casual periods are about one hour after waking and before sleeping, when they have personal time. They’re usually free most of the weekend, as well.
SSTV events are not that often.  So please check out https://www.ariss.org/ for the latest information or watch for the ARISS announcements.
And don’t forget that the packet system is active.
As always, if there is an EVA, a docking, or an undocking; the ARISS radios are turned off as part of the safety protocol.
ARISS Radio Status
Columbus Module radios:
IORS (Kenwood D710GA) – STATUS – Configured. Default mode is for cross band repeater (145.990 MHz up {PL 67} & 437.800 MHz down).
* Powering off for USOS EVA on Oct 19. OFF  TBD. ON TBD.
* Powering off for ROS EVA on Oct 25. OFF TBD . ON TBD.
* Powering off for USOS EVA on Oct 30. OFF TBD. ON TBD.
* Powering off for TBD on TBD. OFF TBD . ON TBD.
* Capable of supporting USOS scheduled voice contacts, packet and voice repeater ops.
Service Module radios:
IORS (Kenwood D710GA) – STATUS – Configured. Default mode is fo packet operations (145.825 MHz up & down)
* Powering off for TBD on TBD. OFF TBD . ON TBD.
* Capable of supporting ROS scheduled voice contacts, packet, SSTV and voice repeater ops.
SSTV (Kenwood D710) – STATUS – OFF. Default mode is for scheduled SSTV operations (145.800 MHz down)
* Next planned operation date(s) TBD.
* Specifically configured for SSTV ops.
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

Adrian, N8AJM, will be QRV from EM85 (TN) 16th – 20th October. This will be LEO/MEO. Details are available at 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.
+ 41st AMSAT Space Symposium & Annual General Meeting
October 20-21, 2023
Sheraton DFW Airport Hotel
4440 W John Carpenter Fwy, Irving, TX 75063
AMSAT Ambassador Clint Bradford, K6LCS, says,
“Think a 75-minute presentation on “working the easy satellites” would be appropriate for your club or event? Let me know by emailing me at k6lcsclint (at) gmail (dot) com or calling me at 909-999-SATS (7287)!”
Clint has NEVER given the exact same show twice: EACH of the 150+ presentations so far has been customized/tailored to their audiences.
[ANS thanks Clint Bradford, K6LCS, and AMSAT for the above information]

Satellite Shorts From All Over

+ The first PCBs for AMSAT-UK’s next FUNcube satellite arrived this past week. This satellite will provide a Mode U/v linear transponder, an FM transponder with an uplink at 1267 MHz and downlink on 2 meters (Mode L/v), and an experimental QPSK downlink at about 20 kbps. (Thanks to G0MRF for this information)
+ ITU‑R WP5A meeting #30 could not achieve consensus on the measures needed to protect the RNSS in the 23cm band. (Relating to WRC-23 AI 9.1b)  Link to the IARU report on WP5A meeting is at the end of https://www.iaru-r1.org/2023/itu-r-wp5a-meeting-30-could-not-achieve-consensus-on-the-measures-needed-to-protect-the-rnss-in-the-23cm-band-relating-to-wrc-23-ai-9-1b/ (Thanks to AMSAT-UK and the IARU for this information)
+ VU2JO has created a post detailing tips and tricks for working LEO satellites. The blog post is available at https://johnsonfrancis.org/techworld/tips-and-tricks-for-working-leo-satellites/ (Thanks to VU2JO for this information)
+ The Psyche mission to all-metal asteroid Psyche successfully lifted off from Kennedy Space Center on October 13, 2023 on a Falcon Heavy. This was NASA’s first user of the SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket. https://spacenews.com/nasa-launches-psyche-mission-to-metal-world/ (Thanks to SpaceNews.com for this 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,
Paul Stoetzer, N8HM
n8hm [at] amsat.org

ANS-260 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

by
In this edition:
* Results of the 2023 AMSAT Board of Directors Election
* July/August 2023 Issue of The AMSAT Journal Now Available
* 2023 AMSAT Symposium Call for Papers
* Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for September 15, 2023
* 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-260 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
To: All RADIO AMATEURS
From: Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation
712 H Street NE, Suite 1653
Washington, DC 20002
DATE 2023 September 17

Results of the 2023 AMSAT Board of Directors Election

The 2023 AMSAT Board of Directors Election period ended on September 15, 2023.
As a result of the election, Barry Baines, WD4ASW, Jerry Buxton, N0JY, Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA, and Zach Metzinger, N0ZGO, have been duly elected to a two-year term on the Board of Directors. Frank Karnauskas, N1UW, will serve as an alternate director for a term of one year.
The results of the voting with 388 ballots cast are as follows:
Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA – 348
Barry Baines, WD4ASW – 347
Jerry Buxton, N0JY – 331
Zach Metzinger, N0ZGO – 295
Frank Karnauskas, N1UW – 131
The membership of the AMSAT Board of Directors for 2023-2024 is:
  • Barry Baines, WD4ASW
  • Jerry Buxton, N0JY
  • Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA
  • Mark Hammond, N8MH
  • Zach Metzinger, N0ZGO
  • Bruce Paige, KK5DO
  • Paul Stoetzer, N8HM
  • Frank Karnauskas, N1UW (Alternate)

Thank you all for participating in this year’s election process.

[ANS thanks Jeff Davis, KE9V, AMSAT Secretary, for the above information]
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
Join us for the 41st Annual AMSAT Space Symposium and
Annual General Meeting
October 20-21, 2023 – Dallas, TX
More Information at:
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+

July/August 2023 Issue of The AMSAT Journal Now Available

The July/August 2023 issue of The AMSAT Journal is now available to members on AMSAT’s Member Portal.
The AMSAT Journal is a bi-monthly digital magazine for amateur radio in space enthusiasts, published by the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT). Each issue is your source for hardware and software projects, technical tips, STEM initiatives, operational activities, and news from around the world.
Inside the Current Issue:
  • Apogee View – Robert Bankston, KE4AL
  • Educational Relations Update – Alan Johnston, KU2Y
  • AMSAT Field Day Results – Bruce Paige, KK5DO
  • A Summer Redesigning a CubeSat – Olivia Belian
  • IO-117 Antenna Testing Update – Dave Fisher, KG0D
  • Ground Stations for Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Satellites: Advancements in Low-Cost Electronics and Open-Source Software – Omar Álvarez-Cárdenas, XE1AO; Margarita G. Mayoral-Baldivia, XE1BMG; Gilles Arfeuille, VE7VOL
[ANS thanks AMSAT for the above information]
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
           
The 2023 AMSAT President’s Club coins are here now! 
    To commemorate the 40th anniversary of its launch 
on June 16, 1983, this year’s coin features 
an image of AMSAT-OSCAR 10. 
  Join the AMSAT President’s Club today and help 
Keep Amateur Radio in Space! 
  
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+

2023 AMSAT Symposium Call for Papers

Papers are now being accepted for the 41st annual AMSAT Space Symposium to be held on the weekend of October 20-21, 2023 at the Sheraton DFW Airport in Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas
Proposals for Symposium papers and presentations are invited on any topic of interest to the amateur satellite community. We request a tentative title of your presentation as soon as possible, with final copy submitted by October 12 for inclusion in the symposium proceedings. Abstracts and papers should be sent to Dan Schultz, N8FGV at n8fgv at amsat.org
[ANS thanks Dan Schultz, N8FGV, AMSAT Symposium Proceedings Editor, for the above information]
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
        Need new satellite antennas? Purchase an M2 LEO-Pack
        from the AMSAT Store. When you purchase through
           AMSAT, a portion of the proceeds goes towards
                  Keeping Amateur Radio in Space.
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+

Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for September 15, 2023

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 Thursday evenings around 2300 UTC, or more frequently if new high interest satellites are launched. More information may be found at https://www.amsat.org/keplerian-elements-resources/
This week there are no additions or deletions to the weekly AMSAT TLE distribution.
[ANS thanks Joe Fitzgerald, KM1P, AMSAT Orbital Elements Manager, 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
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+

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.
Quick list of scheduled contacts and events:
Escuela Preparatoria La Salle, Torreon Coah, Mexico, telebridge via IK1SLD
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS
The downlink frequency is presently scheduled to be 145.800 MHz
The scheduled crewmember is Jasmin Moghbeli KI5WSL
The ARISS mentor is VE3TBD
Contact is go for: Fri 2023-09-22 16:19:45 UTC 80 deg
Watch for Livestream starting about 15 minutes before AOS at www.ariotti.com  (***)
Amur State University, Blagoveshchensk, Russia, direct via TBD
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS
The downlink frequency is presently scheduled to be 145.800 MHz
The scheduled crewmember is Oleg Kononenko
The ARISS mentor is RV3DR
Contact is go for Thu 2023-09-28 08:45 UTC
Comments on making general contacts
I have been seeing a lot of traffic on Facebook and I suspect on other social media sites with people asking why they are not hearing the crew make general contacts.  First off the crew is very busy on the ISS and they simply may not have the time to just pick up the microphone and talk.  Also, one needs to be aware of their normal daily schedule.  I have listed below the constraints that we at ARISS have to follow in order to schedule the school contacts.  Hopefully this will help you better schedule your opportunities.
Typical daily schedule
Wakeup to Workday start= 1.5 hours
Workday start to Workday end=12 hours
Workday end to Sleep= 2 hours
Sleep to wakeup= 8.5 hours
The crew’s usual waking period is 0730 – 1930 UTC. The most common times to find a crew member making casual periods are about one hour after waking and before sleeping, when they have personal time. They’re usually free most of the weekend, as well.
SSTV events are not that often.  So please check out https://www.ariss.org/ for the latest information or watch for the ARISS announcements.
And don’t forget that the packet system is active.
As always, if there is an EVA, a docking, or an undocking; the ARISS radios are turned off as part of the safety protocol.
ARISS Radio Status
Columbus Module radios:
IORS (Kenwood D710GA) – STATUS – Configured. Default mode is for cross band repeater (145.990 MHz up {PL 67} & 437.800 MHz down).
* Powering off for Soyuz undocking on Sep. 27. OFF Sep. 26 about 12:20 UTC. ON Sep. 28 about 07:45 UTC.
* Powering off for USOS EVA on Oct 12. OFF TBD . ON TBD.
* Powering off for USOS EVA in Oct (TBD). OFF TBD . ON TBD.
* Powering off for Russian EVA on Oct 25. OFF TBD . ON TBD.
* Capable of supporting USOS scheduled voice contacts, packet and voice repeater ops.
Service Module radios:
IORS (Kenwood D710GA) – STATUS – Configured. Default mode is fo packet operations (145.825 MHz up & down)
* Powering off for Soyuz undocking on Sep. 27. OFF Sep. 26 about 12:20 UTC. ON Sep. 28 about 07:45 UTC.
* Powering off for USOS EVA on Oct 12. OFF TBD . ON TBD.
* Powering off for USOS EVA in Oct (TBD). OFF TBD . ON TBD.
* Powering off for Russian EVA on Oct 25. OFF TBD . ON TBD.
* Capable of supporting ROS scheduled voice contacts, packet, SSTV and voice repeater ops.
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

KI0KB/P will be active on IO-117 (‘GreenCube’) from DM86 in Oklahoma for two passes:
16th September at 0617z & 1034z
******
Doug, VA7LM will be active on IO-117 for the final time this year from CO44 on 24th September at 0102z
******
The K5Z crew (is it a crew, or just one op?) will be active on IO-117 from DL88 on 25th September at 1517z. I’m sure this is just one of several passes on his/her/their list, but it’s all I know about ATM.
[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.
+ 41st AMSAT Space Symposium & Annual General Meeting
October 20-21, 2023
Sheraton DFW Airport Hotel
4440 W John Carpenter Fwy, Irving, TX 75063
+ ARRL Minnesota State Convention
Saturday, October 14
Hennepin Technical College
9000 Brooklyn Blvd.
Brooklyn Park, Minnesota
AMSAT Ambassador Clint Bradford, K6LCS, says,
“Think a 75-minute presentation on “working the easy satellites” would be appropriate for your club or event? Let me know by emailing me at k6lcsclint (at) gmail (dot) com or calling me at 909-999-SATS (7287)!”
Clint has NEVER given the exact same show twice: EACH of the 150+ presentations so far has been customized/tailored to their audiences.
[ANS thanks Clint Bradford, K6LCS, and AMSAT for the above information]

Satellite Shorts From All Over

+ The space industry has a labor problem that could keep it from reaching its full potential. Space companies are hiring en force. Also, the existing workforce is aging. One study found that only 17% of NASA’s workers are under age 35. Competition is ramping up at a time when the number of people graduating with engineering degrees is dropping in the U.S. Welders, machinists and other technical jobs that don’t necessarily require advanced degrees are also in demand for companies building rockets and spacecraft. (ANS thanks Axios Space for the above information)
+ The FAA said on Friday, Sept. 8 that SpaceX needs to complete 63 corrective actions identified after the Starship launch mishap in April. Multiple Raptor engines on the rocket’s Super Heavy booster failed, and the vehicle lost its steering. An autonomous self-destruct system issued a command to blow up the rocket, but it took longer than expected for Starship to break apart. The rocket finally disintegrated in a ball of flame, but the launch impacted the surrounding area, scattering debris over a wide area. (ANS thanks ARS Technica for the above information)
+ Astronaut Frank Rubio, forced to spend an extra six months aboard the International Space Station because of trouble with his Russian ride home, set a new U.S. single-flight endurance record on Monday, Sept. 11. Launched last September 21, Rubio and cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitri Petelin originally planned to come home in March. But their Soyuz capsule suffered a massive coolant leak in December, presumably due to a micrometeoroid impact. The three now plan to return to Earth aboard a replacement Soyuz ferry ship on September 27 to close out a marathon 371-day stay in space — the first flight longer than a full year by an American astronaut. (ANS thanks CBS News for the above information)
+ The Mars Oxygen In-Situ Resource Utilization Experiment, or MOXIE, on NASA’s Perseverance rover has successfully completed a project to produce oxygen from the Martian atmosphere. MOXIE produced 12 grams of oxygen an hour at 98% purity or better, which is twice as much as NASA’s goals for the instrument. On August 7, MOXIE operated for the 16th and final time, having completed all its requirements. The thin Martian atmosphere is 96% carbon dioxide. MOXIE works by separating the oxygen molecules and emits carbon monoxide as a waste product. Bigger and better versions of something such as MOXIE in the future could supply life support systems with breathable air and convert and store oxygen needed for rocket fuel used to launch on a return trip to Earth. (ANS thanks CNN Science newsletter 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, 
Paul Stoetzer, N8HM
n8hm [at] amsat.org