AMSAT General News

Dnepr Launch with 37 satellites on June 19th

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jun19dnepr
Dnepr Space Head Module, courtesy of ISIS Launch Services

ISC Kosmotras has launched another Dnepr from the Yasny facility in Russia. This launch carried an astounding 37 individual satellites to orbit, eclipsing the record set just last November by the previous Dnepr launch (including AMSAT-UK’s FunCube-1 aka AO-73). The Dnepr is a converted R-36M ICBM, now retasked to launch satellites instead of nuclear warheads. Launch was Thursday, June 19th, 2014 at 19:11:11 UTC.

While a complete listing of the satellites onboard can be found at http://www.zarya.info/Calendar.php and http://www.spaceflight101.com/dnepr-launch-updates—2014-cluster-launch.html , we have compiled a list of the amateur and amateur related payloads below:

Satellite (Click Link) Downlink Mode Uplink Mode
ANTELSat 437.575 1k2 FSK/AFSK, SSTV 145.86
437.280 CW 145.xx
2403.000 500k GFSK/MSK
DTUSat-2 2401.835 1k2-38k4 MSK data 1268.9 9k6 CPFSK
 DUCHIFAT-1 145.980 1k2 BPSK or DSB voice 435.XXX
NanosatC-Br1 145.865 435.XXX
PACE 437.485 1k2 AFSK/CW
PolyITAN 437.675 1k2 AFSK/CW
POPSAT-HIP1 437.405 1k2-9k6 CCSDS
QB50p1 (FUNCube-3) 145.935-.965 transponder 435.035-.065 transponder
145.815 1k2 BPSK/CW
QB50p2 145.880 1k2 BPSK/CW
145.840 9k6 FSK
UniSat-6 437.425 9k6 GMSK 437.425 9k6 GMSK
BugSat-1 437.445 9k6 GMSK
Aurora-Tabletsat 435.550
436.100
437.050 D-STAR Parrot Repeater

The Unisat-6 team has published preliminary keps that should provide approximate tracking for the first few days at most. Be advised to listened before and after the pass times these keps predict.

UNISAT-6
1 00000U 00000    14169.02083330  .00000831  00000-0  10000-3 0 00009
2 00000 097.9760 063.7300 0060000 225.6000 206.7270 14.69750000000017

First Call for 2014 AMSAT Space Symposium Papers

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This is the first call for papers for the 2014 AMSAT Annual Meeting
and Space Symposium to be held on the weekend of October 10-12, 2014,
at the DoubleTree Hotel by Hilton, Baltimore-Washington International
Airport (BWI), Baltimore, Maryland. Proposals for papers, symposium
presentations and poster 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, but no later than
August 1. The final copy must be submitted by September 15 for
inclusion in the printed proceedings. Abstracts and papers should be
sent to Dan Schultz at n8fgv at amsat.org

[ANS thanks the 2014 Baltimore Symposium Committee for the above
information]

AMSAT videos from Dayton 2014

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Tom, K3IO, was the speaker at the AMSAT/TAPR Banquet at the Dayton Hamvention. In his talk, he remembers the many Elmers that helped him with his hobby and career.

Barry, WD4ASW and AMSAT President, gives an update on AMSAT, including changes to the BoD roster, regulatory issues, membership and finances.

As AMSAT’s new VP of Engineering and Fox satellite team leader, Jerry gives an update on the Fox-1 satellite, its design, milestones, and launch opportunities. He also looks ahead to Fox-1B, Fox-1C, Fox-1D, and Fox-2.

Howard, G6LVB, gives a fascinating look into the launch and operation of the FUNcube-1 satellite, and a tentative calendar of the next three FUNcube satellites.

Drew, KO4MA, reviews six operational amateur satellites, then previews another dozen amateur satellites that will be launched soon, or should be turned over to amateur use when their primary mission is completed.

Frank, KA3HDO, gives an update on Amateur Radio on the International Space Station, including the radios and antennas on board, the impact of funding changes at NASA, and the new Ham TV system.

EMike, KC8YLD, explains how K-16 education is key to the launches of future amateur radio satellites, and discusses the joint work of AMSAT, ARRL, and NASA.

In this brief video, Spence, WA8SME, shows the next version of the WRAPS rotor with circularly polarized antennas and discusses an updated broadband preamp that now includes an antenna polarity switch.

Older AMSAT videos can be found at https://www.youtube.com/user/AMSATNA/videos

Special Thanks to Steve Belter, N9IP for recording and editing the videos from the Dayton Hamvention, making them available for those who couldn’t attend in person!

Fox-1 launch update

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The following is excerpted from the Apogee View column of AMSAT President Barry Baines, WD4ASW, as published in the latest AMSAT Journal:

Grace L-55 will launch on a similar Atlas V
Grace L-55 will launch on a similar Atlas V

The launch of Grace/L55 from Vandenberg AFB is slipping from December 2014 into Summer 2015 due to governmental priorities. Fox-1 is currently manifested on that launch as part of the ELaNa-12 group of satellites. Instead of launching our vehicle in December, another launch vehicle with payload is taking precedence, forcing a reschedule of ELaNa-12. Currently, we are now scheduled to fly on 1 AUG 2015 rather than December 2014.

This delay is mixed news for AMSAT. While we are disappointed that this will mean that Fox-1 will not fly in 2014, it also means that we have more time to complete and test the spacecraft prior to delivery to SRI. In the overall scheme of things, it allows AMSAT to have greater confidence in the delivery of a thoroughly tested spacecraft by taking more time to allow for unforeseen contingencies and to do the ground testing.

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