amsat admin – AMSAT

ARISS SSTV Commemorative Activity Coming Soon

June 28, 2017June 20, 2017 by amsat admin

In commemoration of our 20th anniversary, the ARISS team is planning to transmit a set of 12 SSTV images that capture the accomplishments of ARISS over that time. While still to be scheduled, we anticipate the SSTV operation to occur around the weekend of July 15. We are planning for at least a 2 day operation, but are working for a potential longer operation. Note that all of this tentative and may change based on crew scheduling and
ISS operations.

Starting with our first meeting in November 1996, our joint operations on Mir, becoming the first operational payload on ISS in November 2000 to our 1103rd school contact (so far), ARISS’ accomplishments have been tremendous. We have touched the lives of many and inspired and educated countless students to pursue science, technology, engineering and math careers.

Please stay tuned as more details on our SSTV event will be communicated in the coming weeks. Please spread the word. And think about how you can get students in your area involved in capturing these images. We would love to hear your stories on how that goes.

73, Frank KA3HDO

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Frank H. Bauer, KA3HDO
ISS Ham Radio Program Manager & PI
ARISS International Chair
AMSAT V.P. for Human Spaceflight Programs

About ARISS:

Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) is a cooperative venture of international amateur radio societies and the space agencies that support the International Space Station (ISS). In the United States, sponsors are the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT), Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS) and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The primary goal of ARISS is to promote exploration of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) topics by organizing scheduled contacts via amateur radio between crew members aboard the ISS and students in classrooms or informal education venues. With the help of experienced amateur radio volunteers, ISS crews speak directly with large audiences in a variety of public forums. Before and during these radio contacts, students, teachers, parents, and communities learn about space, space technologies, and amateur radio. For more information, see www.ariss.org, www.amsat.org, and www.arrl.org.

CAMSAT CAS-4A & 4B Linear Transponder Payloads Launched

August 29, 2018June 15, 2017 by amsat admin

CAMSAT has announced the launch of its CAS-4A and CAS-4B linear transponder payloads. These payloads piggyback on the OVS-1A and OVS-1B optical remote sensing satellites, which were launched along with the hard X-ray modulation telescope (HXMT) satellite aboard a CZ-4B rocket from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center at 03:00 UTC on June 15, 2017. Both satellites are in a 43 degree inclination orbit with an apogee of 524 km. The satellites should be among the following four objects from the launch, from Celestrak’s tle-new.txt:

2017-034A 
1 42758U 17034A 17166.44020951 .00000000 00000-0 00000+0 0 9996
2 42758 43.0132 296.0634 0006996 337.6257 22.4799 15.08374244 50
2017-034B 
1 42759U 17034B 17166.44014948 -.00077158 00000-0 00000+0 0 9995
2 42759 43.0111 296.0584 0007012 333.6014 26.4991 15.08628895 40
2017-034C 
1 42760U 17034C 17166.44015010 .00000000 00000-0 00000+0 0 9999
2 42760 43.0156 296.0555 0006945 344.9860 15.1295 15.08497794 52
2017-034D 
1 42761U 17034D 17166.44008307 .00000000 00000-0 00000+0 0 9991
2 42761 43.0142 296.0593 0008314 328.2359 31.8502 15.08952386 37

The OVS-1A & 1B satellites carrying the CAS-4A & 4B payloads.

Both satellites carry 20 kHz U/v linear transponders as well as CW beacons and a digital telemetry downlink. Frequency information is as follows:

CAS-4A – U/v Inverting Analog SSB/CW
Uplink LSB	435.210 MHz	through	435.230 MHz
Downlink USB	145.880 MHz	through	145.860 MHz
CW Beacon 145.855 MHz. Digital Telemetry 145.835 MHz 4.8kbps GMSK
CAS-4B – U/v Inverting Analog SSB/CW
Uplink LSB	435.270 MHz	through	435.290 MHz
Downlink USB	145.935 MHz	through	145.915 MHz
CW Beacon 145.910 MHz. Digital Telemetry 145.890 MHz 4.8 kbps GMSK

For more information about these satellites, see the CAMSAT CAS-4A and CAS-4B News Release

AMSAT Strategic Planning Member Poll

June 28, 2017June 8, 2017 by amsat admin

A key part of the strategic planning process, as President Barry Baines explains in his article (https://www.amsat.org/amsat-strategic-planning-update/), is “member engagement.” The reason is that, in a non-profit membership organization like AMSAT, the members quite simply are the lifeblood, the key stakeholders, or what a commercial enterprise would call “customers.”

Member engagement can take many forms. In the strategic planning process, however, member engagement means helping AMSAT figure out how and where to find new and realistic opportunities to move the organization forward. To that end, AMSAT is asking for your help by “engaging” the AMSAT leadership with YOUR desires, needs and vision about the future direction of AMSAT by providing your best answers to the five questions below:

What are 3-5 new products, services or activities that AMSAT should START offering or doing (in order of priority, 1 being highest)?
What 3-5 current offerings or activities should AMSAT STOP offering or doing (in order of priority, 1 being highest)?
What are the top 3 ways that you would prefer AMSAT to communicate with you as a member (in order of priority) [e.g., email, social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, other), website, text, HF radio nets, etc.]?
If you were going to recruit another amateur radio operator as an AMSAT member, what pitch do you think would be most successful in making that ham want to join?
From your perspective, what would AMSAT ideally look like in 3 years? What would it be doing? What products and services would it offer?

We will share your answers with the AMSAT Board of Directors and members of the strategic planning team.

PLEASE EMAIL RESPONSES TO: [email protected]
SUBJECT: Reader Poll

AMSAT Strategic Planning Update

June 28, 2017June 8, 2017 by amsat admin

Introduction and Overview
Barry Baines, WD4ASW
President

In previous issues of The AMSAT Journal, we’ve highlighted the decision by the AMSAT Board of Directors to initiate a strategic planning process in 2017. As the board is responsible for the strategic direction of AMSAT (while the President and Senior Leadership Team handle day to-day ‘tactical’ affairs), there is a need for the board to step back and take a serious and reflective look at the future using a strategic planning process that encompasses a variety of areas.