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
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!
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:
[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