ANS-143 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins for May 23

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:

  • Call for Nominations – 2021 AMSAT Board of Directors Election
  • Reminder: AMSAT Server Maintenance Scheduled for Weekend of May 22
  • Are Your USPS Mail and E-Mail Addresses Up-to-Date at AMSAT?
  • CubeSatSim PCB’s Version 1.0 Available at AMSAT Store
  • March/April 2021 Issue of The AMSAT Journal Now Available
  • FO-29 operation schedule for June 2021
  • Astronaut/Ham Assigned to Next ISS Mission
  • Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events
  • Upcoming Satellite Operations
  • ARISS News
  • Satellite Shorts from All Over

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-143.01
ANS-143 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 143.01
From AMSAT HQ PO Box 27, Washington, DC 20044-0027
May 23, 2021
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-143.01

Call for Nominations – 2021 AMSAT Board of Directors Election

AMSAT solicits nominations for the 2021 AMSAT Board of Directors election, to be held in the third quarter of the year. The seats of the following four incumbent Directors expire in 2021 and will be filled by this year’s election:

Jerry Buxton N0JY
Drew Glasbrenner KO4MA
Patrick Stoddard WD9EWK
Michelle Thompson W5NYV

Further, up to two Alternate Directors may be elected for one-year terms.

A valid nomination for Director must be written and requires either one Member Society or five current individual members in good standing to nominate an AMSAT member. Written nominations, with the nominee’s name, call sign, and contact information, as well as the nominators’ names, call signs, and contact information, should be sent to the AMSAT Secretary:

Jeff Davis, KE9V
1909 S. Batavia Avenue
Muncie, IN 47302-2044
ke9v at amsat.org

A copy should be sent to Executive Vice President Paul Stoetzer, at n8hm at amsat.org.

The AMSAT bylaws require that the nomination be written and in the form specified by the Secretary. The Secretary has elected to accept written nomination materials via mail or in electronic form, including e-mail or electronic image of a paper document. Fax transmissions cannot be accepted.

No matter what means are used, petitions MUST be received by the Secretary no later than June 15th. The Secretary will verify the qualifications of candidates and nominating members or Member Societies as petitions are received, and will notify candidates whether their nominations are in order by the end of June.

[ANS thanks Jeff Davis, KE9V, AMSAT Secretary, for the above information]


Join the 2021 President’s Club!
Score your 2″ 4-Color Accent Commemorative Coin.
This gold finished coin comes with
Full Color Certificate and Embroidered “Remove Before Flight” Key Tag
Donate today at

Join the AMSAT President’s Club!

You won’t want to miss it!


Reminder: AMSAT Server Maintenance Scheduled for Weekend of May 22

As part of its modernization efforts, AMSAT will be moving its web server to a new vendor over the weekend of May 22, 2021. This move will result in greater operational flexibility, ensure continued flow of security updates and may result in lower costs for server rental and backup services.

End users may see service outages for www.amsat.org and the central telemetry server associated with FoxTelem but otherwise no observable changes are expected. Outages are expected to be brief, perhaps an hour or two, and are presently planned during the USA overnight hours, and we have confidence that we will be complete by the end of the weekend. FoxTelem users will find that any telemetry collected during an outage will be uploaded once the central telemetry server is established in its new home. Mailing lists and mail forwarding will not be affected, and the membership and events portal at launch.amsat.org will remain fully operational throughout the migration.

(ANS thanks Joe Fitzgerald, KM1P, AMSAT IT services team for the above information)


Are Your USPS Mail and E-Mail Addresses Up-to-Date at AMSAT?

Recent attempts to deliver important announcements to AMSAT members shows that many AMSAT members are not keeping AMSAT headquarters up-to-date with their current U.S. Post Office mail address and/or email address. It is important that members update their membership accounts with their current contact information.

The mail servers that deliver AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins and AMSAT-Bulletin Board posts operate independently from the AMSAT membership roster. Just because a person receives emails from ANS or the AMSAT-BB does not mean that their contact information is current in the membership database. The same is true for any email address or mail address you may have on file in the AMSAT Store. The AMSAT Store operates independently from the AMSAT membership roster. (Remember, a person does not have to be an AMSAT member to receive news bulletins or posts or to shop at the store.)

AMSAT headquarters asks all members to ensure that their current contact information is up-to-date by taking a few minutes to complete the following steps:

– Log into the AMSAT Membership Portal at https://launch.amsat.org/.
– Click on the light-blue “person” icon near the upper right corner of the screen.
– Choose “View Profile”.
– Review your information, especially your e-mail and mailing addresses.
– If you need to update any information, click on the “EDIT PROFILE” box near the upper left corner of the screen.
– After updating your information, be sure to click on the “SAVE” box near the upper left corner of the screen.

By making sure your contact information is current, you can help ensure that you receive all official announcements and documents from AMSAT Headquarters.

(ANS thanks AMSAT 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/


CubeSatSim PCB’s Version 1.0 Available at AMSAT Store

The first release Version 1.0 of the AMSAT CubeSat Simulator printed circuit boards (PCBs) are now available for a donation at the AMSAT Store https://www.amsat.org/product/amsat-cubesatsim-pcb/.

The CubeSatSim is a low cost satellite emulator that runs on solar panels and batteries, transmits UHF radio telemetry, has a 3D printed frame, and can be extended by additional sensors and modules. Instead of having to get one’s own circuit boards made, which often has minimum quantities, buyers can get one complete set of three boards – a Main board, Battery board, and STEM Payload board. The Main board comes with the SMD surface mount components for the Band Pass Filter (BPF) pre-installed. The remainder of the components are through-hole. Besides the printed circuit boards, builders will need the components listed on the Bill of Materials at https://CubeSatSim.org/bom.

For information on building your own CubeSatSim, see the Wiki at https://CubeSatSim.org/wiki.

For more information about the AMSAT CubeSatSim Project or to borrow a loaner unit for your classroom or demonstration, contact Alan Johnston, KU2Y, AMSAT VP Educational Relations at ku2y at amsat dot org.

[ANS thanks Alan Johnston, KU2Y, AMSAT VP, Education for the above information.]


March/April 2021 Issue of The AMSAT Journal Now Available

The March/April 2021 issue of The AMSAT Journal is now available to members on AMSAT’s Member Portal. Download your copy today at https://launch.amsat.org/The_AMSAT_Journal.

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 by Robert Bankston, KE4AL
  • Educational Relations Update by Alan Johnston, KU2Y
  • 2021 AMSAT Field Day by Bruce Paige, KK5DO
  • Report of the AMSAT Bylaws Committee and Amended Bylaws
  • Working FalconSAT-3 Packet Digipeater by Ramadhan Ibrahim, YD1RUH, Juliadi Satyo Pramudito, YD0AVI, and Creflo Teodoro Sebastian, YD2UUY
  • Arizona Roving in an Afternoon by Patrick Stoddard, WD9EWK/VA7EWK
  • Design and Flight Results of the VHF/UHF Communication System of Longjiang Lunar Microsatellites by Mingchuan Wei, Chaoran Hu, Daniel Estévez, Mier Tai, Yuhao Zhao, Jiahe Huang, Cees Bassa, Tammo Jan Dijkema, Xibin Cao, and Feng Wang.

[ANS thanks AMSAT 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


FO-29 operation schedule for June 2021

The JARL has published the operation schedule for FO-29 for June 2021 is follows:

June (UTC)
4th 23:33-
5th 01:17-
6th 00:22- 14:10-
12th 00:07- 13:53-
13th 00:57- 13:00-
19th 00:42- 10:57-
20th 01:32- 11:48-
26th 01:16- 11:34-
27th 00:22- 12:23-

The UTC time represents the start time for each operating period. The satellite will remain in operation until the battery voltage falls to a preset level.

[ANS thanks Hideo Kambayashi, JH3XCU for the above information.]


Astronaut/Ham Assigned to Next ISS Mission

NASA has assigned Kayla Barron, KI5LAL, to serve as a mission specialist for the agency’s SpaceX Crew-3 mission to the International Space Station, which is targeted to launch as early as Oct. 23, 2021.

This will be the first spaceflight for Barron, who became a NASA astronaut in January 2020 after completing two years of training. She will join NASA astronauts Raja Chari, KI5LIU, and Tom Marshburn, KE5HOC, as the mission’s commander and pilot, respectively, and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Matthias Maurer, KI5KFH, who also will serve as a mission specialist.

Barron was born in Pocatello, Idaho, but considers Richland, Washington, her hometown. She earned a bachelor’s degree in systems engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, in 2010. She earned a master’s degree in nuclear engineering from the University of Cambridge, in England, in 2011, as Gates Cambridge Scholar. Lt. Cmdr. Barron earned her submarine warfare officer qualification and deployed three times while serving aboard the USS Maine. At the time of her selection as an astronaut candidate in 2017, she was serving as the flag aide to the superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy.

NASA previously assigned Chari, Marshburn, and Maurer to the mission in December 2020. This will be the first spaceflight for Chari and Maurer. It will be the third spaceflight for Marshburn, who previously served as a crew member of the space shuttle STS-127 mission in 2009 and Expedition 34/35 aboard the space station, which concluded in 2013.

When Barron, Chari, Marshburn, and Maurer arrive at the orbiting laboratory, they will become expedition crew members for the duration of their six-month science mission. The crew will have a slight overlap with the Crew-2 astronauts, who arrived April 24. Crew-2 consists of Shane Kimbrough, KE5HOD, Megan McArthur, JAXA astronaut Akihiko Hoshide, KE5DNI, and ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet, KG5FYG.

This will mark the second time commercial crew missions have overlapped on the station. The Crew-1 astronauts, who ended their mission with a splashdown off the coast of Panama City, Florida, on Sunday, May 2, were aboard the station with the Crew-2 astronauts for a seven-day direct crew handover. Increasing the total number of astronauts aboard the station enables the agency to boost the number of science investigations conducted in the unique microgravity environment.

[ANS thanks NASA for the above information]


Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events

No events scheduled.


Upcoming Satellite Operations

W8LR: May 27. EM99/98_EM89/88 TENTATIVE schedule. Subject to change depending on obligations. Will post to twitter as needed if I have cell coverage.

EA4M: : Hi guys later in June I’ll be in IN73 on holidays, probably for a week or so, I will try some birds stay tuned on tweeter for schedules.

ND0C and KE0WPA: In June @kylee_ke0wpa and I, along with our resident photojournalist (Mom/Amy), will be taking a family excursion to the southwest and working some sats as time permits. Here are the less commonly worked grids from which we plan to operate. We will hit other grids too. DM67 6/15 – 6/17, DM56 6/18, DM45 6/19, DN63 7/2, DN64 7/2 & 7/3

WA5RR: I’m looking at doing a rove in DL98 with an overnight stay in Eagle Pass, TX around the last week in June. Details to follow.

DM62: K5TA, I’m tentatively planning for DM62 ~9-July, when there are several good passes mid-day, making it a doable day-trip for me….

EN57/67: @SeanKutzko KX9X and @Nancy_N9NCY will celebrate Sean’s birthday in the Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula July 15-19. Look for them on FM and SSB satellites, with the possibility of some Parks On The Air activity as well.

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


ARISS News

+ Upcoming Contacts

Ecole Elémentaire de Saint Leu Centre, Saint Leu, France, (Reunion Island), multi-point telebridge via ZS6JON.
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS.
The downlink frequency is presently scheduled to be 145.800 MHz.
The scheduled astronaut is Thomas Pesquet KG5FYG.
Contact is go for: Monday, Mary 24, 2021 at 11:06:02 UTC. 84 degrees.

Windsor School and Liceo Industrial de Valdivia High School, Valdivia, Chile, multi-point telebridge via ON4ISS.
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS.
The downlink frequency is presently scheduled to be 145.800 MHz.
The scheduled astronaut is Mark Vande Hei KG5GNP.
Contact is go for: Tuesday, May 26, 2021 at 18:33:34 UTC. 84 degrees.

Ufa State Aviation Technical University, Bashkortostan, 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 astronaut is Oleg Novitskiy.
Contact is go for Saturday, May 29, 2021 at 13:45 UTC.

About Gagarin From Space. Conducting an amateur radio session with schoolchildren of Mordovia, 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 astronaut is Oleg Novitskiy.
Contact is go for Sunday, June 6, 2021 at 12:25 UTC.

+ Successful Contacts

Monaro High School, Cooma, NSW, Australia, telebridge via NA7V.
The ISS callsign was NA1SS.
The downlink frequency was 145.800 MHz.
The scheduled astronaut was Mark Vande Hei KG5GNP.
Contact was successful on Wednesday, May 5, 2021 at 09:25 UTC.

The latest information on the operation mode can be found at https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html.

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


Shorts from All Over

+ No Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for April 29, 2021

No changes are noted for the current week.

However, TLE’s have been updated and are always available on the AMSAT website at:

TLE/Keplerian Element Resources

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

+ Arizona State University Student Satellite to Flash-Back from Ham Commands

NASA has selected an Arizona State University-designed spacecraft to fly as an auxiliary payload aboard a rocket launching between 2022 and 2025. It is among 14 CubeSats, that were chosen for this opportunity through NASA’s CubeSat Launch Initiative. The ASU CubeSat, named LightCube, is a 1U CubeSat and will be deployed to low-Earth orbit (LEO). Its unique feature is that it can be commanded by anyone with an amateur radio license and a ham radio to set off a xenon flash from the spacecraft that will be visible from the ground. Read more at:
https://news.asu.edu/20210520-asu-student-built-spacecraft-interact-public

[ANS thanks ASU News for the above information.]

+ ESA Advances Its Plan for Satellites Around the Moon

The European Space Agency is devising detailed definitions of how to provide telecommunications and navigation services for missions to the Moon, under the agency’s Moonlight initiative. Such a lasting lunar link will enable sustainable space exploration.Using a shared telecommunications and navigation service would reduce the design complexity of future individual missions and make them lighter, freeing space for more scientific instruments or other cargo, making each individual mission more cost-efficient. Read the full story at: https://tinyurl.com/ANS-143-ESA.

[ANS thanks SciTechDaily for the above information.]

+ What are NASA’s Technology Educational Satellites?

NASA’s TechEdSat series of technology demonstrations aims to bring small payloads back to Earth or to the surface of Mars – while pushing the state of the art in a variety of CubeSat technologies and experiments. TechEdSat is a series of collaborative projects and missions that pairs college and university students with NASA researchers to evaluate new technologies for use in small satellites, or CubeSats. Students do the hands-on work – designing, building, and testing CubeSat spacecraft systems and analyzing the results – for each flight mission, under mentorship of engineers at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley.; Read about the history and purpose of the program at: https://www.nasa.gov/ames/techedsat.

[ANS thanks NASA for the above information.]


Not an AMSAT member? Join now at https://launch.amsat.org/

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 six post-secondary years in this status. Contact info at the amsat dot org for additional student membership information.

73,
This week’s ANS Editor,
Frank Karnauskas, N1UW
n1uw at amsat dot org

Call for Nominations – 2021 AMSAT Board of Directors Election

AMSAT solicits nominations for the 2021 AMSAT Board of Directors election, to be held in the third quarter of the year. The seats of the following four incumbent Directors expire in 2021 and will be filled by this year’s election:

Jerry Buxton N0JY
Drew Glasbrenner KO4MA
Patrick Stoddard WD9EWK
Michelle Thompson W5NYV

Further, up to two Alternate Directors may be elected for one-year terms.

A valid nomination for Director must be written and requires either one Member Society or five current individual members in good standing to nominate an AMSAT member. Written nominations, with the nominee’s name, call sign, and contact information, as well as the nominators’ names, call signs, and contact information, should be sent to the AMSAT Secretary:

Jeff Davis, KE9V
1909 S. Batavia Avenue
Muncie, IN 47302-2044
ke9v at amsat.org

A copy should be sent to Executive Vice President Paul Stoetzer, at n8hm at amsat.org.

The AMSAT bylaws require that the nomination be written and in the form specified by the Secretary. The Secretary has elected to accept written nomination materials via mail or in electronic form, including e-mail or electronic image of a paper document. Fax transmissions cannot be accepted.

No matter what means are used, petitions MUST be received by the Secretary no later than June 15th. The Secretary will verify the qualifications of candidates and nominating members or Member Societies as petitions are received, and will notify candidates whether their nominations are in order by the end of June.

ANS-136 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins for May 16

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: [email protected]

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/

In this edition:

  • AMSAT Server Maintenance Scheduled for May 22
  • URE Satellite Telecommand Station Automated
  • Satellite Constellation Aimed At Next-Gen Connectivity For IoT Devices
  • Changes to AMSAT TLE Distribution for May 13, 2021
  • U.S. Schools/Groups Move Into Phase 2 of ARISS Selections
  • ARISS News
  • Upcoming Satellite Operations
  • Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events
  • Satellite Shorts From All Over

ANS-136 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 136.01
To: All RADIO AMATEURS
From: Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation
712 H Street NE Suite 1653
Washington, DC 20002

DATE 2021 May 16

AMSAT Server Maintenance Scheduled for May 22

As part of our modernization efforts, AMSAT will be moving its web server to a new vendor over the weekend of 22 May 2021. This move will result in greater operational flexibility, ensure continued flow of security updates and may result in lower costs for server rental and backup services.

End users may see service outages for www.amsat.org and the central telemetry server associated with FoxTelem but otherwise no observable changes are expected. Outages are expected to be brief, perhaps an hour or two, and are presently planned during the USA overnight hours, and we have confidence that we will be complete by the end of the weekend. FoxTelem users will find that any telemetry collected during an outage will be uploaded once the central telemetry server is established in its new home. Mailing lists and mail forwarding will not be affected, and the membership and events portal at launch.amsat.org will remain fully operational throughout the migration.

(ANS thanks Joe Fitzgerald, KM1P, AMSAT IT services team for the above information)


Join the 2021 President’s Club!
Score your 2″ 4-Color Accent Commemorative Coin.
This gold finished coin comes with
Full Color Certificate and Embroidered “Remove Before Flight” Key Tag
Donate today at
https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/
You won’t want to miss it!


URE Satellite Telecommand Station Automated

Spain’s national amateur radio society URE has announced their satellite ground station has been automated and is ready for the launch of GENESIS, EASAT-2 and Hades satellites.

A translation of the URE post reads:

The URE satellite monitoring and telecommand station, located at the Madrid headquarters, on Monte Igueldo street, has recently been completely automated, thanks to the efforts made in recent weeks.

These works, which began to be carried out before the confinements due to the pandemic, have consisted of the change of the lifting rotor, which due to its long time without maintenance had been unusable, the alignment of the antennas, both VHF and UHF, of circular polarization, the installation of a Linux computer, the configuration of the reception software with SDR and the emission software using Pluto hardware, acquired by URE, as well as the automation of the rotor control with the hardware provided by EA4TX (ARS).

This station will automatically record and analyze the telemetry of the twin GÉNESIS satellites, as well as EASAT-2 and Hades, all of them designed and built by AMSAT EA, as well as remote control in the event that actions are necessary on your computer from a on board, which, once in space, will be able to receive instructions from Earth to modify its operation, although the satellites themselves implement the intelligence necessary to adapt to adverse circumstances that may occur in space.

The GENESIS satellites should be launched soon, once Firefly, the American company that built the launch vehicle, completes the static tests of its Alpha rocket, which is already prepared at the Vanderberg space base in California. As for Hades and EASAT-2, both are currently at the Momentus space integrator facilities in Santa Clara, also in California, and it is expected that they can be launched aboard SpaceX’s Falcon-9 rocket in late June from Cape Canaveral, once, overcome the problems of the Momentus company, which prevented its scheduled launch in January of this year.

[ANS thanks AMSAT-UK 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/


Satellite Constellation Aimed At Next-Gen Connectivity For IoT Devices

Another satellite constellation prepares for launch, this one aimed at next-gen connectivity for IoT devices. 5G IoT operator OQ Technology has inked a deal with satellite firm NanoAvionics to build what OQ boss Omar Qaise described as a “flying cell tower in orbit.”

Assuming that cell tower had a volume of 30cm x 20cm x 10cm and weighed 6kg.

The 6U satellite is the second mission for NanoAvionics with OQ Technology and will be the latest addition to the latter’s Low Earth Orbit constellation. The plan is to provide basic commercial IoT and Machine to Machine (M2M) services, using 5G connectivity, to customers with a focus initially on Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and Latin America.

The mission, dubbed Tiger-2, will feature two payloads onboard the diminutive spacecraft; a primary payload for satellite-based IoT and M2M services using low frequencies, and a secondary payload aimed at demonstrating the use of high frequencies for IoT radio links.

Qaise told The Register that three missions were expected this year, and the target was to eventually have more than 60 satellites at an altitude of 550-600km “for real-time coverage.” The spacecraft are expected to last five years and, if undisturbed, de-orbit within 25 years. “We can also actively bring them down,” he added.

Where the likes of Starlink and Oneweb are aimed squarely at broadband services and shovelling large amounts of data around for applications such as streaming, Tiger-2 and its siblings target IoT devices. Qaise cited hardware such as sensors or tracking devices that require only short messages. “So instead of having millions of users with large amounts of data, you have billions of devices with small amounts of data.”

Qaise also highlighted another key difference – rather than needing a router-like device to distribute the internet service, “we use the same existing mobile and cellular devices to connect to the satellite directly. The satellite acts as a flying cell tower in orbit.”

It’ll certainly be a challenge for 5G protestors to set on fire.

Two more missions are scheduled after Tiger-2, followed by a batch of six satellites. The plan is to eventually make the coverage global, and Qaise told us that customers would be able to use the service by Q3. The company also plans to secure frequency licences and partnerships in key countries.

For those groaning at the thought of yet another constellation (although one with considerably fewer satellites than something like Starlink) Qaise insisted that the chance of a collision in the selected orbits was low, and active monitoring and manoeuvring would be used if needed.

As for the ride to orbit, the mission will launch as part of the SXRS-5 rideshare aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 later this year.

Full article at: https://www.theregister.com/2021/05/12/oq_5g_iot/

[ANS thanks Southgate ARC 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


Changes to AMSAT TLE Distribution for May 13, 2021

Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA (OSCAR Number Administrator) announced May 9, 2021 in AMSAT News Service Bulletin ANS-129 that DIY-1 has been designated DIY-1-OSCAR 111 or DO-111.

Thus, DIY-1 (NORAD Cat ID 47963) is now shown as DO-111 in this week’s TLE distribution.

[ANS thanks Ray Hoad, WA5QGD, 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
https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear


U.S. Schools/Groups Move Into Phase 2 of ARISS Selections

Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) is pleased to announce the schools/host organizations selected for the January-June 2022 contact window. A total of 9 of the submitted proposals during the recent proposal window have been accepted to move forward in the processes of planning to host a scheduled amateur radio contact with crew on the ISS. The primary goal of the ARISS program is to engage young people in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math (STEAM) activities and raise their awareness of space communications, radio communications, space exploration, and related areas of study and career possibilities.

ARISS anticipates that NASA will be able to provide scheduling opportunities for these US host organizations. The candidates must now complete an equipment plan that demonstrates their ability to execute the ham radio contact. Once their equipment plan is approved by the ARISS technical team, the final selected schools / organizations will be scheduled as their availability and flexibility match up with the scheduling opportunities.

The schools and organizations are:

  • Bellefontaine High School, Bellefontaine, OH
  • Carter G. Woodson Middle School, Hopewell, VA
  • Lewis Center for Educational Research, Apple Valley, CA
  • Matinecock District, Suffolk County NY Boy Scouts, Medford, NY
  • McBride High School, Long Beach, CA
  • Old St. Mary’s School, Chicago, IL
  • Salem-South Lyon District Library, South Lyon, MI
  • Sussex County Charter School for Technology, Sparta, NJ
  • Space Hardware Club, Huntsville, Alabama

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


ARISS NEWS

Amateurs and others around the world may listen in on contacts between amateurs operating in schools and allowing students to interact with astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station. The downlink frequency on which to listen is 145.800 MHz worldwide.

Monaro High School, Cooma, NSW, Australia, telebridge via NA7V
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS
The scheduled astronaut is Mark Vande Hei KG5GNP
Contact is go for: Wed 2021-05-19 09:25:43 UTC 61 deg
Watch for live stream at: https://www.facebook.com/monarohighschool/live/

Lycée Jean Moulin, Les Andelys, France, multi-point telebridge via NA7V
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS
The scheduled astronaut is Thomas Pesquet KG5FYG
Contact is go for: Thu 2021-05-20 08:38:15 UTC 88 deg

Ufa, Russia, direct via TBD
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS
The scheduled astronaut is Oleg Novitskiy
Contact is go for Sat. 2021-05-29 13:45 UTC

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]


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/


Upcoming Satellite Operations

Quick Hits:

N6AJ: FROM DM05 TO EM04, I will be headed to OK from CA around May 17 , DM74 AND DM75 is on the list for sure. I will be on FM and SSB. As it closer I hope to have a schedule.

EN57/67: @SeanKutzko KX9X and @Nancy_N9NCY will celebrate Sean’s birthday in the Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula July 15-19. Look for them on FM and SSB satellites, with the possibility of some Parks On The Air activity as well.

W8LR: May 27. EM99/98_EM89/88 TENTATIVE schedule. Subject to change depending on obligations. Will post to twitter as needed if I have cell coverage.

W7LT: EN36/37/38/46/47/48/57/58 for late May is on my radar.

EA4M: : Hi guys later in June I’ll be in IN73 on holidays, probably for a week or so, I will try some birds stay tuned on tweeter for schedules Major Roves:

CM93 N6DNM Journey begins on Th with stop in CM95 and SOTA, then Fr morning departure and coming back on Su. Thurs 5/13 – On the way to Ventura – stop along the way to do W6/SC-028 (will see if any sat pass fits). Then few sat passes from CM95xa late in the day for few folks who need/want it, but all are welcome.

[ANS thanks Paul Overn, KE0PBR, AMSAT rover page manager, for the above information]

International:

Members of AMSAT Italia commemorate Gagarin’s flight into space until the end of the year with the callsign II0SAT on HF and via satellite.

[ANS thanks DX Newsletter DXNL 2246 April 21, 2021, and JoAnne Maenpaa, K9JKM, 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 and ARRL registered instructor Clint Bradford, K6LCS, is certainly keeping busy! He reports an upcoming satellite presentation on 06/15 – East Massachusetts … and more being scheduled.

Think a 90-minute lively, informative, and fun “How to Work the Easy Satellites” Zoom presentation would be appropriate for your convention or club? Always includes are overviews of the ARRL, AMSAT, and ARISS and pre-presentation questions are solicited and welcome.

Send Clint an email or call!
Clint Bradford K6LCS
http://www.work-sat.com
909-999-SATS (7287)

[ANS thanks Paul Overn, KE0PBR, AMSAT Events page manager, for the above information]


Satellite Shorts From All Over

+ The RSGB has announced that their popular GB2RS news broadcast will now be available on the QO-100 amateur radio transponder on the geostationary satellite Es’hail-2. QO-100 provides continuous coverage from eastern Brazil to as far west as Thailand. There are two amateur transponders, one for Narrowband modes such as SSB and FT8 and the other for digital amateur television (DATV). (ANS thanks AMSAT-UK and Southgate ARC for the above information)

+ The SpaceX SN15 flew, landed, and failed to explode, unlike its predecessors. Starship SN15 ascended through low lying cloud cover, performed a nominal climb to 10 km, then belly-flopped, and finally completed a successful two-Raptor soft landing. A small methane fire at the base of the vehicle was again visible after landing, possibly due to a thermal protection blanket coming loose and catching fire. But, unlike previous tests, the fire did not appear to be caused by structural damage and there was no unplanned return to flight. (ANS thanks The Orbital Index for the above information)

+ A few days ago, AMSAT’s web servers were under attack from multiple malicious IP addresses. This forced a shutdown of the Fox Telemetry server as well as general slowdowns of our web server. As a result, we upgraded to a paid premium version of Wordfence to better defend our web presence against attacks. Hopefully this will improve the reliability of the AMSAT website. (ANS thanks Paul Stoetzer, N8HM, Executive Vice President, for the above information)

+ SpaceX has revealed the flight plan for the first orbital test launch of the company’s huge stainless steel Starship rocket, a 90-minute, around-the-world mission that will originate from South Texas and culminate with a controlled re-entry and splashdown in the Pacific Ocean near Hawaii. When fully assembled, the gigantic reusable rocket will stand nearly 400 feet (120 meters) tall, making the Starship stack the largest launcher ever built.The company expects the un-crewed demonstration mission to occur some time between June 20 and Dec. 20.(ANS thanks Spaceflight Now for the above information)

+ A Rocket Lab Electron rocket failed to reach orbit May 15 when its second stage engine shut down seconds after ignition, the second launch failure in less than a year for the company. The Electron lifted off from Rocket Lab’s Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand at 1111z. The liftoff was delayed by a little more than an hour because of upper-level winds. The first stage of the vehicle appeared to perform as expected. The second stage then separated and ignited its single Rutherford engine. However, video from the rocket broadcast on the company’s webcast of the mission showed that engine shutting down seconds later. (ANS thanks SpaceNews for the above information)

+ Blue Origin plans to begin crew flights of its suborbital New Shepard spacecraft on July 20, launching the highest bidder in an online auction out of the atmosphere and into space for a few minutes of weightlessness and an out-of-this world view before returning to Earth. (ANS thanks Spaceflight Now for the above information)

+ The United States now has company on Mars. A Chinese spacecraft descended through the thin Martian atmosphere and landed safely on a large plain on Friday, May 14 at 2318z, state media reported, accomplishing a feat that only two other nations had before. The Tianwen-1 mission launched from Earth last July, consists of an orbiter, a lander and a rover. The rover is intended roll off the lander, but China has not released a schedule for when that will occur. (ANS thanks The New York Times for the above information)

+ JAMSAT reports limited operation for the FO-99 transponder, primarily on weekend orbits over east Asia. See https://www.jamsat.or.jp/ for a schedule of operation. Email [email protected] with questions. (ANS thanks JAMSAT for the above information)


/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. Application forms are available from the AMSAT Store.

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. Contact info [at] amsat.org for additional student membership information.

73 and Remember to help keep amateur radio in space,
This week’s ANS Editor, Mark Johns, K0JM
k0jm at amsat dot org

ANS-129 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins for May 9, 2021

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE
ANS-129

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: [email protected]

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/

In this edition:

  • JO-97 Linear Transponder Active
  • DIY-1 Designated DIY-OSCAR 111 (DO-111)
  • NO-104 (PSAT2) Update
  • Changes to AMSAT TLE Distribution for May 6, 2021
  • ARISS News
  • Upcoming Satellite Operations
  • Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events
  • Satellite Shorts From All Over

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 129.01
To: All RADIO AMATEURS
From: Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation
712 H Street NE Suite 1653
Washington, DC 20002

DATE 2021 May 9

Join the 2021 President’s Club!
Score your 2″ 4-Color Accent Commemorative Coin with Polished Gold Finish,
Full Color Certificate and Embroidered “Remove Before Flight” Key Tag
By donating today at
https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/
You won’t want to miss it!

JO-97 Linear Transponder Active

On May 1, 2021, PV8DX reported that the JO-97 (JY1-SAT) telemetry beacon stopped transmitting at 12:57 UTC during a pass over Brazil. After a few days of silence, the U/v linear transponder was reported active over Europe on the morning of May 4th. The telemetry beacon remains inactive.

JO-97’s inverting linear transponder has an uplink of 435.100 MHz – 435.120 MHz and a downlink of 145.855 MHz – 145.875 MHz.

The transponder has remained active in both eclipse and sunlight since May 4th. W2RTV observed frequency jumping while the satellite apparently rebooted in eclipse.

JO-97 is a project of the Crown Prince Foundation of Jordan and was launched on Spaceflight’s SSO-A mission aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 on December 3, 2018 contains an AMSAT-UK/NL FUNcube linear transponder and telemetry beacon that can also transmit stored SSDV digital images.

[ANS thanks various satellite operators for the above information]

DIY-1 Designated DIY-OSCAR 111 (DO-111)

On March 22, 2021, the DIY Satellite Group DIY-1 PocketQube was launched on a Soyuz-2-1a Fregat launch vehicle from Baikonur, Kazakhstan. DIY-1 carries a deorbiting device experiment, and a CW/RTTY/FSK beacon. Further information is available at http://diysatellite.com/

At the request of the DIY Satellite Group, AMSAT hereby designates DIY-1 as DIY-OSCAR 111 (DO-111). We congratulate the owners and operators, thank them for their contribution to the amateur satellite community, and wish them a long mission and continued success on this and future projects.

More information about OSCAR numbers can be found at https://www.amsat.org/oscar-numbers-policy/

[ANS thanks Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA, OSCAR Number Administrator, for the above information]

NO-104 (PSAT2) Update

Looks like PSAT2-1 DTMF log shows first 2-way DTMF contact between N3CRT and KN2X QSO numbers 86 and 87.

And a total of 17 unique DTMF users:

LW2EE,KI6TSF,KE4AZZ,N3CRT,NN2K,N6AJ,PY5LF,PI6TSF,KK4YEL,K3CRT,KN2K,YD0NXX,P3CRT,F5VKV,KE6BLR,2E0CRV,AB8SA

Though N3CRT, P3CRT and K3CRT are probably the same person.

Since recovery on 26 April, PSAT2 appears completely healthy. http://aprs.org/psat2.html

[ANS thanks Bob Bruninga, WB4APR, 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/

Changes to AMSAT TLE Distribution for April 15, 2021

The following satellite has been added to this week’s AMSAT TLE Distribution:

CubeSX-HSE – NORAD Cat ID 47952 (Thanks to Nico Janssen, PA0DLO)

[ANS thanks Ray Hoad, WA5QGD, AMSAT Orbital Elements Manager, 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, now manifested for launch on
NASA’s ELaNa 46 mission. Come along for the ride. The journey will be
worth it!

https://tinyurl.com/ANS-GOLF

ARISS News

Green Bank Elementary Middle School, Green Bank, WV, direct via N8RV
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS
The downlink frequency is presently scheduled to be 145.800 MHz
The scheduled astronaut is Mark Vande Hei KG5GNP
Contact was successful: Fri 2021-05-07 12:35:51 UTC 30 deg (***)
Congratulations to the Green Bank Elementary Middle School and Mark! (***)
This was Mark’s first ARISS contact! (***)

Collège Descartes, Atony, France, telebridge via NA7V
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS
The downlink frequency is presently scheduled to be 145.800 MHz
The scheduled astronaut is Thomas Pesquet KG5FYG

Contact is go for: Tue 2021-05-11 10:54:35 UTC 35 deg

Current Status of ISS Stations

IORS (Kenwood D710GA) – STATUS – ACTIVE. supporting cross band repeater operation (145.990 up [67 Hz tone] /437.800 down MHz). Next mode change to packet operations targeting mid-June.
Supporting USOS scheduled voice contacts, packet and voice repeater ops.

Service Module radios:
Kenwood D710E – STATUS – Radio usually off.
Supporting ROS scheduled voice contacts and SSTV.

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]

Want to fly the colors on your own grid expedition?
Get your AMSAT car flag and other neat stuff
from our Zazzle store!
25% of the purchase price of each product goes
towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space
https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear

Upcoming Satellite Operations

N6AJ: FROM DM05 TO EM04, I will be headed to OK from CA around May 17 , DM74 AND DM75 is on the list for sure. I will be on FM and SSB. As it closer I hope to have a schedule.

N9NCY and KX9X will be celebrating my birthday in style in Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula, grids EN57 & EN67. Look for us on the birds from July 15-19. Maybe some POTA, too.

W7LT: EN36/37/38/46/47/48/57/58 for late May is on my radar.

Major Roves:
CM93 Possibility: N6DNM Very long shot, but might want to put it on your calendar for May 15th, if you can figure out where it is and for #SOTA folks, that would be W6/SC-336, Santa Rosa Island, activated only once before.

[ANS thanks Paul Overn, KE0PBR, AMSAT rover page manager, for the above information]

Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events

AMSAT Ambassador Clint Bradford, K6LCS, reports these upcoming presentations scheduled for …

05/18 – Puget Sound
05/26 – South New Jersey
06/01 – University of Arizona
06/09 – San Jose
06/15 – East Massachusetts
10/21 – Conejo Valley CA

… and dates for Roseland NJ, Austin TX, Maine, and NH to be firmed up!

Think a lively, entertaining, AND educational 75-minute presentation to YOUR club or organization on “Working the Easy Sateliites” would be appropriate for your club? Send me a message or call!

Clint Bradford K6LCS
AMSAT Ambassador, ARRL instructor
http://www.work-sat.com
k6lcs AT work-sat DOT info
(909) 999-SATS (7287)

[ANS thanks Clint Bradford, K6LCS, AMSAT Ambassador, and Paul Overn, KE0PBR, AMSAT Events Page Manager, for the above information]

Satellite Shorts From All Over

+ Please keep your (radio) ears open for AO-109 beacon on 435.750 +/- doppler. The AMSAT Engineering and Operations teams have been slowly & methodically bringing it to a state where it should be sending a weak beacon, though it has not been heard. Reports welcome! Use FoxTelem to receive telemetry and send to the server. (via WB1FJ)

+ UVSQ-SAT’s FM transponder is scheduled to be activated over North America on Monday evening. Check https://twitter.com/uvsqsat for more details (via F6KRK Radio Club)

+ Satellite DXCC league tables are now live on Club Log. See https://clublog.org/satleague.php. Do let me know if any data appears in the wrong columns! A special thank you for the excellent help getting this bootstrapped on Twitter, much appreciated. (via G7VJR)

+ Amateur Radio on the International Space Station, Inc. (ARISS-USA) is seeking volunteers to support their mission. Details at https://www.amsat.org/ariss-usa-volunteer-search/

+ Arduino’s Project Hub has published details of an antenna turret project that points in the direction of the ISS or any other satellite. Details at https://create.arduino.cc/projecthub/viorelracoviteanu/antenna-turret-toy-with-computer-tracking-11de96

+ 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. https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear

+ 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 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. The print edition is $30 plus shipping and is available at https://tinyurl.com/GS2020Print

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://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/

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