AMSAT NEWS SERVICE
ANS-285

The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and information service of AMSAT North America, 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://amsat.org publishes news of Amateur Radio in space as soon as our volunteers can post it.

Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to: ans-editor at amsat dot org.

In this edition:

• AMSAT 2020 Virtual Symposium Schedule Announced
• UH Satellite Successfully Blasts into Space
• ARISS to Celebrate 20 Years of Ham Radio on the ISS
• IARU Region 2 Releases 2020 Band Plan Revision
• Two More Astronauts Earn Amateur Radio Licenses
• Upcoming Satellite Operations
• Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events
• ARISS News
• Satellite Shorts from All Over

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-285.01
ANS-285 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 285.01
From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD.
October 11, 2020
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-285.01

AMSAT 2020 Virtual Symposium Schedule Announced

The 2020 Virtual AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting will be held on Saturday, October 17 from 9:00AM CDT – 5:00PM CDT (UTC-5). Symposium presentations will be a combination of pre-recorded and live video segments along with question and answer sessions held via a Zoom meeting.

The Symposium will also  be made available for free live on AMSAT’s YouTube channel.

Registered attendees will receive a digital copy of the AMSAT Symposium Proceedings and will be entitled to join the Zoom meeting. Only registered attendees will be able to participate in the question and answer sessions. Registered attendees will also be entered into prize drawings. Registration is free and available only for AMSAT members. Registration will close on Friday, October 16, 2020 at 5:00PM CDT.

Register today at https://launch.amsat.org/Events/.

2020 Virtual AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting Schedule  – All times Central Daylight Time (UTC-5)

Time	Topic
9:00am CDT	Opening Remarks
9:15am CDT – 9:45am CDT	AMSAT GOLF-TEE System Overview and Development Status – Eric Skoog, K1TVV
9:45am CDT – 10:15am CDT	GOLF IHU Coordination – Burns Fisher, WB1FJ
10:15am CDT – 10:45am CDT	GOLF Downlink Coordination – Burns Fisher, WB1FJ, and Chris Thompson, AC2CZ/G0KLA
10:45am CDT – 11:15am CDT	FUNcube Next – Phil Ashby, M6IPX, and Graham Shirville, G3VZV
11:15am CDT – 11:45am CDT	LunART (Luna Amateur Radio Transponder) – Peter Guezlow, DB2OS
11:45am CDT – 12:15pm CDT	CatSat HF Experiment Overview – Mike Parker, KT7D, and Chris Walker, K7CKW
12:15pm CDT – 12:45pm CDT	Neutron-1 CubeSat – University of Hawaii
12:45pm CDT – 1:00pm CDT	Break
1:00pm CDT – 2:00pm CDT	AMSAT Education / CubeSat Simulator – Alan Johnston, KU2Y Overview of CubeSat Simulator Project Live or pre-recorded demonstrations of CubeSat Simulator
2:00pm CDT – 3:00pm CDT	ARISS (Amateur Radio on the International Space Station) / AREx (Amateur Radio Exploration) – Frank Bauer, KA3HDO ARISS: 2020 Update Next Generation Radio System – First Element Operations and Future System Plans AREx/Lunar Gateway and Other Lunar Opportunities
3:00pm CDT – 4:00pm CDT	AMSAT Engineering – Jerry Buxton, N0JY Fox-1 Program Lessons Learned GOLF Update
4:00pm CDT – 5:00pm CDT	2020 AMSAT Annual General Meeting

[ANS thanks the AMSAT office for the above information.]

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the AMSAT office
is closed until further notice. For details, please visit
https://www.amsat.org/amsat-office-closed-until-further-notice/

UH Satellite Successfully Blasts into Space

Neutron-1 successfully launched as part of an International Space Station (ISS) resupply mission from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia on Friday, October 2. The small satellite involved more than 100 University of Hawai’i students, faculty, staff and volunteers, and will measure neutrons in space and radiation coming from the Sun.

Neutron-1 was aboard the ELaNa 31, NG-14 rocket as part of a rideshare mission, which included other satellites, and will be in space for approximately one year. When astronauts set up the deployer pod for launch out of the ISS around mid-November, Hawai’i Space Flight Laboratory (HSFL) will continue to be the primary driver for the Neutron-1 mission.

Neutron-1 carries an FM repeater: A downlink on 435.300 MHz and an uplink on 145.840 MHz have been coordinated.

UH students, faculty, staff and volunteers were able to view the rocket launch live on NASA TV and can be viewed on the HSFL website.

“I am thrilled. This is a great achievement of the University of Hawai’i’s Neutron-1 team of students, staff and faculty,” said Peter Englert, a Hawai’i Institute of Geophysics and Planetology (HIGP) researcher and principal investigator for the Neutron-1 mission. “It demonstrates the quality of undergraduate education and research in space science and engineering at the university.”

“This mission development demonstrates that HSFL can deliver flight hardware and work collaboratively with other institutions regarding NASA planetary exploration,” said Lloyd French, HSFL researcher and project manager for the Neutron-1 mission. “Small spacecraft and cubesat architectures are the next generation of planetary robotic exploration, and HSFL is poised to take advantage of the opportunity.”

This is HSFL’s second completed spacecraft. In 2016, the first iteration of the Neutron-1 payload was lost due to a failed suborbital rocket that was launched from Wallops Flight Facility.

“Watching the NG-14 launch from Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia was an amazing opportunity to reflect how far we have come as a team, how many students were impacted by the project, and all of the lessons that were learned along the way,” said Amber Imai-Hong, an avionics engineer at HSFL and ground station coordinator for the Neutron-1 mission. “Watching a rocket ascend to space is always amazing, and to know that this leg of the journey is complete was a huge relief.”

The team is now gearing up for mission operations. HSFL will control Neutron-1 via the GlobalStar network, and partner with Amateur Radio operators to communicate with the satellite through HSFL’s Kaua’i Community College Ground Station to receive and send messages to the satellite when it is released from ISS in November.

The Neutron-1 project was funded by a NASA EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Development award, and the team conveys special thanks to the Air Force Research Lab for providing solar cells for the project.

[ANS thanks the University of Hawai’i News for the above information.]

Purchase AMSAT Gear on our Zazzle storefront.
25% of the purchase price of each product goes
towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space
https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear

ARISS to Celebrate 20 Years of Ham Radio on the ISS

Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) will soon celebrate 20 years of continuous ham radio operations on the International Space Station (ISS). NASA is commemorating the milestone with a newly produced infographic highlighting the educational contacts via amateur radio between astronaut crew members aboard the ISS and students. Over its 20 years, ARISS has supported nearly 1,400 scheduled ham radio contacts with schools, student groups, and other organizations.

Planning for ARISS began in 1996 as a cooperative venture among national amateur radio and amateur satellite societies, with support from their respective space agencies. The ARISS ham radio gear actually arrived on the station before the Expedition 1 crew, headed by Commander Bill Shepherd, KD5GSL. The FCC issued ham radio call sign NA1SS for ISS operations. After Expedition 1 arrived on station, some initial tests with ARISS ham radio ground stations and individual hams confirmed the ham gear was working properly. The first ARISS school contact was made with students at Luther Burbank Elementary School in Illinois on December 21, 2000, with Shepherd at the helm of NA1SS on the ISS, and ARISS operations team mentor Charlie Sufana, AJ9N, guiding the operation on the ground.

NASA produced a video of students talking with astronaut Chris Cassidy, KF5KDR, during an ARISS contact in May 2020.

Before and during scheduled ham radio contacts, students, educators, parents, and communities learn about space and related technologies, and radio communication using amateur radio. ARISS has inspired thousands of students, promoting exploration through educational experiences spanning science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics.

ARISS relies on a large network of amateur radio operator volunteers, many associated with radio clubs in the communities where students and groups participating in the contact reside. ARISS volunteers support satellite ground stations, serve as technical mentors, and provide additional help in the areas of education, community outreach and public relations.

While student-to-astronaut radio contacts are a primary objective for ARISS, the capability has also inspired further experimentation for Amateur Radio in space and evaluation of new technologies. In September, ARISS announced that the initial element of its next-generation ham radio system had been installed in the ISS Columbus module. The new radio system replaces equipment originally certified for spaceflight in mid-2000. The onboard ham station also provides a contingency communications system for the ISS crew. Several astronauts have also enjoyed using NA1SS to make casual contacts with — and delighting — earthbound members of the ham radio community.

In the US, ARISS sponsors include ARRL, AMSAT, and NASA, the ISS National Lab-Space Station Explorers, and NASA’s Space Communications and Navigation program. Global organizing partners include International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) member-societies as well as AMSAT organizations, and space agencies in Canada, Europe, Russia, Japan, and elsewhere.

The next proposal window for US schools and educational organizations to host an amateur radio contact with a crew member on board the ISS opened on October 1 for contacts that would take place from July through December 2021.

Like many educators who have coordinated ARISS radio contacts for their students, teacher Rita Wright, KC9CDL, an ARRL member, described the first ARISS school contact as inspirational and having a lasting impact on their community. Five months after their contact, nearly 500 students greeted Bill Shepherd when he visited Luther Burbank School. Wright said it was “like tossing a pebble into a stream.”

“The ripple effects are still occurring, and I suspect will continue to occur for a long time,” she said. “We have a young staff, and witnessing these events has inspired some to look for other interdisciplinary projects. They are beginning their dream. Many of our students are looking forward to careers associated with the space industry.”

[ANS thanks the ARRL for the above information.]

AMSAT’s GOLF Program is about getting back to higher orbits, and it
all begins with GOLF-TEE – a technology demonstrator for deployable
solar panels, propulsion, and attitude control. Come along for the
ride. The journey will be worth it!

https://tinyurl.com/ANS-GOLF

IARU Region 2 Releases 2020 Band Plan Revision

International Amateur Radio Union Region 2 (IARU R2) — the Americas — has released the September 2020 revision of its Band Plan and made procedural changes to shorten the time to reflect future adjustments. The Band Plan includes a change approved at the October 2019 General Assembly to add an Amateur Satellite uplink subband, 21.125 to 21.450 MHz, on a non-exclusive basis. This matches similar changes in the Region 1 and Region 3 band plans.

A number of administrative changes have been made to the text, although the Band Plan itself has not been modified. These changes include:

• Modifications to the wording of the Band Plan to ensure that national regulators understand it is a voluntary document, and that countries may depart from the plan based on national requirements.
• Definitions additions: Amateur Radio Direction Finding (ARDF), primary service, secondary service, and several acronyms.
• Inclusion of information detailing the primary and secondary users in each amateur radio allocation band.
• Correction of minor typographical errors.

At its May 2020 meeting, the IARU R2 Executive Committee added text to the Standard Operating Procedures that provides a process for the Band Plan to be updated in a more timely manner. Prior to this change, Band Plan modifications could only be approved at a General Assembly, held once every 3 years. Under the new provision, the Band Planning Committee may circulate proposed changes to member-societies with the approval of the Executive Committee. “Should no more than one objection be received within a 60-day period, the change shall be deemed accepted and reported as such at the next conference,” the Band Planning Committee’s terms of references state.

The IARU R2 Band Planning Committee has a member from each of the seven areas in Region 2, and one of those members also serves as the committee’s chair. The current Committee Chair is Alphonse Penney, VO1NO/VA1AVR.

[ANS thanks the ARRL and George Gorsline, VE3YV, IARU Region 2 Secretary for the above information.]

Two More Astronauts Earn Amateur Radio Licenses

Although the lockdown of Johnson Space Center (JSC) postponed Amateur Radio training and licensing over the past seven months, NASA ISS Ham Project Coordinator Kenneth Ransom, N5VHO, was able to work with all of the new astronaut-class graduates, as well as offer some refresher courses with already-licensed astronauts. Licensed astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) may operate the on-station ham radio equipment without restrictions.

Astronauts often participate in Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contacts with schools and groups on Earth.

NASA Astronaut Kayla Barron, who completed her introductory course in June and received basic ham radio operations training in late September, recently tested and received the call sign KI5LAL.

European Space Agency astronaut Matthias Maurer passed his Amateur Radio exam on July 30, and he got his basic ham operations training in July. He now is KI5KFH.

Astronauts Shane Kimbrough, KE5HOD, and Shannon Walker, KD5DXB, completed the refresher course earlier this year. Two other new astronauts are in the queue to take the Technician license exam.

[ANS thanks the ARRL and Rosalie White, K1STO for the above information.]

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/

Upcoming Satellite Operations

JQ78, October 7–12, 2020

JW7XK (or maybe LA7XK) will be active on RS-44 on as many passes as possible. His focus is to work NA and maybe JA, when/if it is possible. Link frequency 435.660 +/- Doppler.

JN15jo, October 19, 2020

Jerome, F4DXV, is planning to be on RS-44 beginning at 20:00 UTC specifically for North America. The footprint covers much of eastern NA. This is a difficult operation after dark and Jerome hopes that many will take advantage of the opportunity to work this very rare grid. RS-44 will bee around 1430km.

CN98/DN08, October 12, 2020

@AD0DX until Sunday. Holiday style.

DN17/DN18 Line, October 12, 2020

@AD0DX and @KI7JPC and maybe @KI7UXT.

DN13, DN23, DN22, October 16-19, 2020

@KI7UNJ, no pass list, follow him on Twitter.
October 16 on the DN13/23 Line.
October 17 in DN22.
October 18 in DN22.
October 19 on the DN13/23 line.

FN44/FN54, October 11-16, 2020

KQ2RP will be on FM birds from FN54 with occasional FN44/54 line. FN53 is possible. Logging as KQ2RP/1.

DK78/ DK79, October 12, 2020

@XE1HG will be holiday style on FM and maybe some linears.

EL Grids, October 10-14, 2020

@N1PEB
October 10 in EL95 Key Largo.
October 11 in EL94 Key West.
October 12 in EL84 Dry Tortuga.
October 13 in EL94 Key West.
October 14 TBD.

[ANS thanks Paul Overn, KE0PBR for the above information.]

Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events

Clint Bradford K6LCS has booked his “Work the FM Voice Satellites with Minimal Equipment” presentation for the clubs.  The next Zoom presentation is on October 27, 2020 for the Cherryland ARC/Traverse Bay ARC.

[ANS thanks Robert Bankston, KE4AL for the above information.]

AMSAT, along with our ARISS partners, is developing an amateur
radio package, including two-way communication capability, to
be carried on-board Gateway in lunar orbit.

Support AMSAT’s projects today at https://www.amsat.org/donate/

ARISS News

Completed Contacts

Gagarin From Space Radio Amateur Session With Students Of The International Aerospace School At Amgu Blagoveshchensk  Amur State University, Blagoveshchensk, Russia direct via RKØJ.
The ISS callsign was RSØISS.
The astronaut was Anatoli Ivanishin.

The contact was successful on September 28, 2020 at 08:48 UTC.

Upcoming Contacts

Ramona Lutheran School, Ramona, CA, direct via N6ROR.
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS.
The scheduled astronaut is Chris Cassidy KF5KDR.
Contact is go for: Wednesday, October 14, 2020 at 16:26:13 UTC.

[ANS thanks Charlie Sufana, AJ9N for the above information.]

Shorts from All Over

Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for October 8, 2020

Update on decaying satellites:

• The decay epoch predicted by Space-Track for EnduroSat One – Cat ID 43551 is 2020-10-15.
• The decay epoch predicted by Space-Track for MO-106 – Cat ID 44830 is 2020-10-09. Decay has occurred or is eminent.

[ANS thanks Ray Hoad, WA5QGD for the above information.]

Next Rocket Lab Launch Window Starts October 20, 2020 UTC

‘In Focus’ is a rideshare mission to low Earth orbit for Planet and Spaceflight Inc.’s customer Canon Electronics. The mission will deploy a total of 10 satellites to precise and individual orbits from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 in Mahia, New Zealand. The scheduled launch time is 21:14 UTC. Full details can be seen at https://www.rocketlabusa.com/missions/next-mission/.

[ANS thanks Terry Osborne, ZL2BAC for the above information.]

British Columbia Radio Amateur Hears Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter

According to a Spaceweather.com report, Scott Tilley, VE7TIL, in British Columbia, Canada, received a signal from the NASA Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), flying just 274 kilometers (about 170 miles) above the red planet’s surface. The signal was an X-band carrier containing no data or telemetry.

“Its purpose is to allow for Doppler tracking,” Tilley explained. “The rapid change in pitch of the signal is caused by the relative motion of the satellite and the observer.” He used a homemade satellite dish to hear the orbiter.

Tilley enjoys tracking down signals from “dead” satellites, zombie satellites, and spy satellites, but the MRO was a first for him. “MRO’s signal is weak, but it is one of the louder signals in Mars orbit,” he said. “The spacecraft has a large dish antenna it uses as a relay for other Mars missions. With the proximity of Mars these days, it was the perfect time to try.”

In 2018, Tilley saw the “signature” of the Imager for Magnetopause-to-Aurora Global Exploration (IMAGE), a NASA spacecraft believed to have died in 2005. That discovery delighted space scientists.

[ANS thanks the ARRL for the above information.]

Rocket Lab CEO Warns of Space Junk

In 1978, NASA scientist Donald Kessler warned of a potential catastrophic, cascading chain reaction in outer space. Today known as “Kessler Syndrome,” the theory posited that space above Earth could one day become so crowded, so polluted with both active satellites and the detritus of space explorations past, that it could render future space endeavors more difficult, if not impossible.

Last week, the CEO of Rocket Lab, a launch startup, said the company is already beginning to experience the effect of growing congestion in outer space.  Read the complete story at: https://tinyurl.com/ANS-285-Space-Junk

[ANS thanks CNN for the above information.]

In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership in the President’s Club. Members of the President’s Club, as sustaining donors to AMSAT Project Funds, will be eligible to receive additional benefits. Application forms are available from the AMSAT office.

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 six post-secondary years in this status.

Contact Martha at the AMSAT office for additional student membership information.

73,

This week’s ANS Editor,

Frank Karnauskas, N1UW
n1uw at amsat dot org

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE
ANS-278

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: http://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/ans

In this edition:

• Virtual AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting – October 17
• AMSAT-UK Colloquium Online – October 11
• ARISS Worldwide SSTV Event – October 4-8
• Happy 27th Birthday, AMRAD-OSCAR 27
• FCC Deletes 3.4 GHz Amateur Satellite Service Allocation
• Chinese Amateur Radio Satellite Launches Delayed
• VUCC Awards-Endorsements for October 2020
• Message to US Educators: ARISS Contact Opportunity – Call For Proposals
• Changes to AMSAT TLE Distribution for October 1, 2020
• Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events
• AMSAT Awards News
• Upcoming Satellite Operations
• Satellite Shorts from All Over

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-278.01
ANS-278 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 278.01
From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD.
DATE October 4, 2020
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-278.01

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the AMSAT office
is closed until further notice. For details, please visit
https://www.amsat.org/amsat-office-closed-until-further-notice/

Virtual AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting – October 17

Learn more about AMSAT’s GOLF program, ARISS, AREx, the AMSAT CubeSat Simulator and other exciting projects taking place in the amateur satellite world.

The 2020 Virtual AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting will be held on Saturday, October 17th from 9:00am CDT – 5:00pm CDT (UTC-5). Symposium presentations will be a combination of pre-recorded video segments along with question and answer sessions held via a Zoom meeting.

The Symposium will be made available for free live on AMSAT’s YouTube channel.

Registered attendees will receive a digital copy of the AMSAT Symposium Proceedings and will be entitled to join the Zoom meeting. Only registered attendees will be able to participate in the question and answer sessions. Registered attendees will also be entered into prize drawings. Registration is free and available only for AMSAT members at launch.amsat.org. Registration will close on Friday, October 16th at 5:00pm CDT.

Final papers for the Symposium Proceedings must be submitted by October 5, 2020 to Dan Schultz, N8FGV, n8fgv at usa.net.

Symposium presentations should be limited to 15 minutes of pre-recorded video. Video presentations must be submitted by October 10, 2020 to Paul Stoetzer, N8HM, n8hm at arrl.net. We ask that presenters be available to take questions via Zoom following the airing of their pre-recorded video.

Tentative Schedule

9:00am CDT –  Opening Remarks
9:15am CDT – 12:45pm CDT  – General Presentations
1:00pm CDT – 2:00pm CDT – AMSAT Education / CubeSat Simulator
2:00pm CDT – 3:00pm CDT – ARISS (Amateur Radio on the International Space Station) / AREx (Amateur Radio Exploration)

• ARISS: 2020 Update
• Next Generation Radio System – First Element Operations and Future System Plans
• AREx/Lunar Gateway and Other Lunar Opportunities

3:00pm CDT – 4:00pm CDT – AMSAT Engineering
4:00pm CDT – 5:00pm CDT – 2020 AMSAT Annual General Meeting

[ANS thanks the 2020 AMSAT Symposium Team for the above information]

Purchase AMSAT Gear on our Zazzle storefront.
25% of the purchase price of each product goes
towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space
https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear

AMSAT-UK Colloquium Online – October 11

The Online AMSAT-UK Convention takes place on Sunday, October 11, from 11am BST (10:00 GMT) to approximately 5pm, with a break for lunch, and several short breaks during the day. You don’t have to be a member of AMSAT-UK to participate, and the event is free of charge but please register at https://tinyurl.com/ANS-278-AUK ASAP.

Those who are registered will be entered for a number of free raffles which will take place during the event.

Among the many talks and demonstrations during the day are:

1100 BST (1000 GMT) Official opening by Martin Sweeting G3YJO
1105-1125 Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) Update by Ciaran Morgan M0XTD
1135-1200 Decoding Mars spacecraft – Bits and pieces you can learn from spacecraft telemetry by Daniel Estévez EA4GPZ
1210-1230 Tevel FM transponder satellite constellation by David Greenberg 4X1DG
1240-1300 LUNART – A Lunar Amateur Radio Transponder Project by Peter Gülzow DB2OS
1400-1420 FUNcube next, to boldly go… creating an open platform in space by Phil Ashby M6IPX
1430-1450 QO-100 Demonstration by Mike Willis G0MJW
1500-1520 Getting Goonhilly’s 32m antenna ready to support ESA missions by Matt Cosby Director of Space Engineering at Goonhilly Earth Station Ltd
1530-1550 AMSAT North America Engineering Update by Jerry Buxton N0JY
1600-1620 LEO Sat demonstration by Drew Glasbrenner KO4MA

Please register online at http://tinyurl.com/amsatukreg2020

Schedule of the day’s events https://tinyurl.com/ANS-278-AUKProg

AMSAT-UK Colloquium Page https://amsat-uk.org/colloquium/

[ANS thanks AMSAT-UK for the above information]

AMSAT’s GOLF Program is about getting back to higher orbits, and it
all begins with GOLF-TEE – a technology demonstrator for deployable
solar panels, propulsion, and attitude control. Come along for the
ride. The journey will be worth it!

https://tinyurl.com/ANS-GOLF

ARISS Worldwide SSTV Event – October 4-8

An ARISS Slow Scan TV (SSTV) event is scheduled from the International Space Station (ISS) for early October. The event is scheduled to begin on October 4 at 14:00 UTC for setup and operation and continue until October 8 ending at 19:15 UTC. Dates and times subject to change due to ISS operational adjustments.

Images will be downlinked at 145.8 MHz +/- 3 KHz for Doppler shift and the expected SSTV mode of operation is PD 120. The main theme of this collection of images will be Satellites. Radio enthusiasts participating in the event can post and view images on the ARISS SSTV Gallery at https://www.spaceflightsoftware.com/ARISS_SSTV/

After your image is posted at the gallery, you can acquire a special award by linking to https://ariss.pzk.org.pl/sstv/ and follow directions for submitting a digital copy of your received image.

[ANS thanks Dave Jordan, AA4KN, ARISS PR, for the above information]

Happy 27th Birthday, AMRAD-OSCAR 27

Happy 27th birthday to AMRAD-OSCAR 27, still alive and operating today!

For an amateur radio satellite operator in the early 1990s, working on a satellite project based on the AMSAT Microsat design was a dream job!

The hams on the team (including Dino Lorenzini, Mark Kanawati, Steve Greene and Mike Wyrick) couldn’t help but include an amateur radio payload, and were successful with the help of fellow amateurs and the local Vienna, Virginia Amateur Research and Development (AMRAD) group: Paul Renaldo, Andre Castillot, Dave Rogers, Glenn Baumgartner, Sandy Sanders, Matt Butcher, Randy Mays, and Terry Fox, and with help from AMSAT’s Lyle Johnson, Chuck Green, and Jim White, among many others.

EYESAT-1/AO-27 launched (with the amateur payload and an extra UHF antenna for the downlink) at 0145 UTC September 26, 1993. [Ariane-4 V59 also launched amateur satellites KO-25, IO-26, and PO-28, SSTL’s Healthsat-2, the Stella research satellite, and the Spot-3 earth observation satellite.] The satellite was commanded on during the next orbit and the first QSO on the amateur payload was made the following morning on September 27, 1993. (We think – does anyone have an archive of amsat-bb emails from 1993 who can check?)

AO-27 was the first FM “bent pipe” satellite and proved to be easy to work with a strong downlink and sensitive receiver. The amateur FM repeater has served many Hams worldwide and was one of the first “Easy Sats”. AO-27 was later used for the first successful D-Star mode satellite QSO. The 800km orbit provides continent-spanning coverage. At least one station is known to have worked 49 states solely via AO-27!

And here we are today, the 27th of September, 2020, celebrating the 27th birthday of AO-27!

Thanks to Mike Wyrick N3UC who babysat the spacecraft for the last 27 years.

And thanks to all those who helped. There are many untold stories and photos we hope to share in the near future.

Current information on AO-27’s operating schedule is at www.ao27.net

[ANS thanks Mark Kanawati, N4TPY, Mike Wyrick, N3UC, and Steve Greene, KS1G, for the above information]

FCC Deletes 3.4 GHz Amateur Satellite Service Allocation

At its open meeting on September 30, 2020, the Federal Communications Commission adopted a Report and Order that sunsets amateur use of the 3.3-3.5 GHz band. This spectrum includes the 3.40-3.41 GHz amateur satellite service allocation.

AMSAT had previously filed comments opposing the FCC’s proposal to delete this spectrum.

The adopted Report and Order can be found at https://tinyurl.com/ANS-278-FCC

[ANS thanks Paul Stoetzer, N8HM, AMSAT Executive Vice President, for the above information]

Chinese Amateur Radio Satellite Launches Delayed

CAMSAT says the CAS-7A launch has been postponed until next May, and CAS-5A until next June.

“Because of COVID-19, many things have been delayed,” CAMSAT’s Alan Kung, BA1DU, told ARRL. He said an announcement would be made closer to the announced launches.

CAMSAT said last spring that CAS-7A would launch in mid-September; the launch has been postponed multiple times since first announced. CAS-5A was predicted to launch in October. Both satellites will carry two transponders that include HF, in a configuration similar to that of the Russian RS satellites decades ago.

CAS-7A will be placed into a sun-synchronous orbit with an inclination of 98° at 500 kilometers above Earth. The transponders will have a bandwidth of 30 kHz. According to the IARU amateur satellite frequency coordination page, the HF/HF linear transponder will uplink on 15 meters — 21.245–21.275 MHz, and downlink on 10 meters — 29.435-21.465 MHz. A CW beacon will transmit on 29.425 MHz. The HF/UHF transponder will uplink at 21.3125–21.3275 MHz, and downlink at 435.3575–435.3725 MHz. A CW beacon for that transponder will transmit on 435.430 MHz.

The CAS-5A nanosatellite, with a 6U form factor, carries two HF transponders and two VHF/UHF transponders. While in orbit, it will deploy the tiny CAS-5B femtosatellite, which will weigh just 0.5 kilogram.

The array of CAS-5A linear transponders will include HF/HF, HF/UHF, and VHF/UHF with 30-kHz passbands (except 15 kHz for the HF/UHF transponder).

CAS-5A will include CW telemetry beacons on HF and UHF. The HF CW beacon will be at 29.465 MHz, and a UHF telemetry beacon will be at 435.57 MHz. Other beacons include the HF/HF transponder beacon at 29.490 MHz; the HF/UHF transponder beacon at 435.505 MHz, and the VHF/UHF transponder beacon at 435.540 MHz. Telemetry will be transmitted at 435.650 MHz. The V/U linear transponder will uplink at 145.820 MHz; the V/U FM transponder will uplink at 145.925 MHz. Terrestrial stations will access the transponders at 21.385 – 21.415 MHz.

[ANS thanks ARRL for the above information]

VUCC Awards-Endorsements for October 2020

Here are the endorsements and new VUCC Satellite Awards issued by the ARRL for the period September 1, 2020 through October 1, 2020. Congratulations to all those who made the list this month!

WOW! Long list again this month! Almost a record.

Call	Sept	October
K8YSE	1935	2007	Only 30,393 to go!
N8HM	1102	1127
N8RO	1070	1075
K8YSE/7	671	842
W5RKN	721	732
WD9EWK (DM43)	617	623
K9UO	575	600
AD0HJ	478	500
KE8FZT	450	475
MI6GTY	459	460
N7EGY	456	457
W4ZXT	327	431
KJ4EU	261	404
XE2RV	262	385
KC9UQR	351	377
KC9VGG	336	374
AC9O	204	359
K5CIS	250	300
WB7QXU	204	252
KF6JOQ	201	251
KB9STR	138	229
PU4JOE	150	210
AA8CH/N8R	113	206
K5TA	101	202
W8LR	149	175
KJ4M	170	171
N5EKO	108	152
N7AME	148	150
N1PEB (FN42)	New	138
W7YED	New	127
KO4AQF	104	126
WB9VPG	New	116
K1ECU	100	115
N5BLY	New	106
KC3KJQ	New	103
K2KA	New	102
N8SGZ	New	100

If you find errors or omissions. please contact me off-list at <mycall>@<mycall>.com and I’ll revise the announcement. This list was developed by comparing the ARRL .pdf listings for the two months. It’s a visual comparison so omissions are possible. Apologies if your call was not mentioned. Thanks to all those who are roving to grids that are rarely on the birds. They are doing most of the work!

[ANS thanks Ron Parsons, W5RKN, for the above information]

Message to US Educators: ARISS Contact Opportunity – Call For Proposals

The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) Program is seeking formal and informal education institutions and organizations, individually or working together, to host an Amateur Radio contact with a crew member on board the ISS. ARISS anticipates that the contact would be held between July 1, 2021 and December 30, 2021. Crew scheduling and ISS orbits will determine the exact contact dates. To maximize these radio contact opportunities, ARISS is looking for organizations that will draw large numbers of participants and integrate the contact into a well-developed education plan.

The deadline to submit a proposal is November 24th, 2020. Proposal information and more details such as expectations, proposal guidelines and the proposal form can be found at www.ariss.org. An ARISS Introductory Webinar session will be held on October 8, 2020 at 8 PM ET. The Eventbrite link to sign up is: https://ariss-proposal-webinar-fall-2020.eventbrite.com

The Opportunity

Crew members aboard the International Space Station will participate in scheduled Amateur Radio contacts. These radio contacts are approximately 10 minutes in length and allow students to interact with the astronauts through a question-and-answer session.

An ARISS contact is a voice-only communication opportunity via Amateur Radio between astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the space station and classrooms and communities. ARISS contacts afford education audiences the opportunity to learn firsthand from astronauts what it is like to live and work in space and to learn about space research conducted on the ISS. Students also will have an opportunity to learn about satellite communication, wireless technology, and radio science. Because of the nature of human spaceflight and the complexity of scheduling activities aboard the ISS, organizations must demonstrate flexibility to accommodate changes in dates and times of the radio contact.

Amateur Radio organizations around the world with the support of NASA and space agencies in Russia, Canada, Japan and Europe present educational organizations with this opportunity. The ham radio organizations’ volunteer efforts provide the equipment and operational support to enable communication between crew on the ISS and students around the world using Amateur Radio.

Please direct any questions to ariss.us.education at gmail.com.

[ANS thanks Dave Jordan, AA4KN, ARISS PR, for the above information]

Changes to AMSAT TLE Distribution for October 1, 2020

The following satellite has decayed from orbit and has been removed from this week’s AMSAT TLE Distribution:

MO-105 – Cat ID 44832 (decay epoch = 2020-09-28 0:00 UTC per Space-Track). The UTC time is an approximation.

Note: The decay epoch predicted by Space-Track for MO-106 – Cat ID 44830 is 2020-10-15.

[ANS thanks Ray Hoad, WA5QGD, AMSAT Orbital Elements Manager, for the above information]

Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events

Want to see AMSAT in action or learn more about amateur radio in space?

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

Due to COVID-19, many hamfest and events around the United States have been canceled or postponed. While we make every effort to ensure the information contained below is correct, there may be some that we missed.

Clint Bradford K6LCS has booked his “Work the FM Voice Satellites With Minimal Equipment” presentation for various clubs.

10/27/2020 – Cherryland ARC / Traverse Bay ARC
TBD – Antelope Valley (CA) ARC
TBD – A private presentation for a Boy Scout troop in Danville, Pennsylvania

These will be Zoom presentations. Everyone is asked to update their copies of the Zoom application – by directly visiting Zoom.us.

[ANS thanks Robert Bankston, KE4AL, AMSAT Vice President – User Services, for the above information]

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/

AMSAT Awards News

Gerry Krebs, N0JE, and Paul Stoetzer, N8HM, are the latest recipients of AMSAT’s GridMaster Award. This award was first introduced by Star Comm Group in 2014. AMSAT thanks Damon Runion, WA4HFN, and Rick Tillman, WA4NVM, for not only sponsoring this award since its inception, but, also, entrusting AMSAT with the honor of carrying on this important award for the benefit of the entire AMSAT community.

The GridMaster award is available to all amateurs worldwide who submit proof with written confirmation of contacts with each of the 488 maidenhead grids located within the contiguous United States of America.

More information about this award can be found at https://www.amsat.org/gridmaster/

[ANS thanks Bruce Paige, KK5DO, AMSAT Director of Contests and Awards, for the above information]

Upcoming Satellite Operations

JQ78, JW7xK, 10/7 – 10/12 JW7XK (or maybe LA7XK) will be active on RS-44 on as many passes as possible His focus is to work NA and maybe also JA, when/if it is possible. Our QTH will be in JQ78. He is using an Arrow Antenna 10el. on 70 and 4 el on 2 mounted on a tripod with a small homemade antenna rotor. I am using filters and preamps on both 2m and 70cm. link frequency 435660 +/- Doppler.

EM05/06 and EM04/14, @KL7TN, 10/4 and 10/5

DK78/ DK79, @XE1HG will be there on Oct 12th so going to activate DK78 and DK79, Holiday style on FM until now, If I have the chance to carry some brick will be on linears too. More to confirm as soon as the date get closer.

CN76/77 10/3 and 10/4 @AD0DX Just booked tickets for beautiful Ocean Shores, WA… CN76/CN77 grid line Sat Oct 3 approx 0000z to Sun Oct 4th approx 1700z, pass details closer to the trip.

EL Grids, @N1PEB 10/10 -10-14: 10/10 EL95 Key Largo, 10/11 EL94 Key West, 10/12 EL84 Dry Tortuga, 10/13 EL94 Key West, 10/14 TBD

Please submit any additions or corrections to ke0pbr at gmail.com

[ANS thanks Paul Overn, KE0PBR, for the above information]

AMSAT, along with our ARISS partners, is developing an amateur
radio package, including two-way communication capability, to
be carried on-board Gateway in lunar orbit.

Support AMSAT’s projects today at https://www.amsat.org/donate/

Satellite Shorts From All Over

• AO-7 is now in constant sunlight and the 24 hour timer is switching the satellite between Mode A and Mode B. The exact time of the switch has not yet been determined, but it appears that it is currently in Mode A on odd-numbered days and Mode B on even-numbered days.
• The Moscow Aviation Institute’s MAI-75 ISS SSTV activity occurred on September 30 and October 1. Images received can be viewed at https://www.spaceflightsoftware.com/ARISS_SSTV/
• A Russian Soyuz rocket carrying 22 satellites, some transmitting on amateur bands, successfully launched on September 28. More information on this launch can be found at https://tinyurl.com/ANS-278-Soyuz
• The independent accountant’s review of AMSAT’s 2019 financial statements is now available on the AMSAT website. https://amsat.org/audit-and-other-financial-reports/
• Several new products are available on the AMSAT Zazzle store, including a set of coasters, a watch, a t-shirt featuring the AMSAT round logo, and more. Check out the new items! 25% of the purchase price goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space.
• AMSAT Remove Before Flight keychains are again available on the AMSAT store. Purchases help Keep Amateur Radio in Space! https://www.amsat.org/product/amsat-remove-before-flight-keychain/
• All issues of The AMSAT Journal dating back to 2014 are now available to AMSAT members on AMSAT’s new membership portal. The 1969-2013 archive will be added at a later date. All editions of AMSAT’s Symposium Proceedings are also available for members. If you’re a current AMSAT member, get logged on today. If you are not yet a member, consider joining today at https://launch.amsat.org/
• The 2020 edition of AMSAT’s Getting Started with Amateur Satellites is now available on the AMSAT store. A perennial favorite, Getting Started is updated every year with the latest amateur satellite information, and is the premier primer of satellite operation. The book is presented in DRM-free PDF format, in full color, and covers all aspects of making your first contacts on a ham radio satellite. The digital download is available for $15 at https://tinyurl.com/2020GettingStarted

/EX

In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership in the President’s Club. Members of the President’s Club, as sustaining donors to AMSAT Project Funds, will be eligible to receive additional benefits. President’s Club donations may be made at https://tinyurl.com/ANS-PresClub.

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.

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

73 and remember to help Keep Amateur Radio in Space,

This week’s ANS Editor,

Paul Stoetzer, N8HM
n8hm at amsat dot org