Mark Johns – Page 15

ANS-254 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins for Sept. 11

September 11, 2022 by Mark Johns

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: https://mailman.amsat.org/postorius/lists/ans.amsat.org/

In this edition:

Artemis 1 scrubbed again
40th Annual AMSAT Space Symposium and General Meeting, October 21 – 22, 2022
AMSAT-UK Space Colloquium October 8-9, 2022
2022 ARRL/TAPR Digital Communications Conference
Launch of GENESIS-G and GENESIS-J with Firefly on September 11
ARISS News
Upcoming Satellite Operations
Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for Sept. 8, 2022
Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events
Satellite Shorts From All Over

ANS-254 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

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

DATE 2022 September 11

Artemis 1 Scrubbed Again

After Aug 29th’s scrub (due to a liquid hydrogen umbilical leak and faulty engine thermal sensor), a second attempt on Saturday was scrubbed as well, this time because of an even worse hydrogen leak on the core stage. A launch this month is now looking unlikely. NASA engineers will first replace the leaky quick disconnect seal while at the pad so that they can test the fix with cryogenic liquids only available there. However, after that, they may still have to roll SLS back to the VAB—the Eastern Range requires that the flight termination system batteries be reset and recertified before the next launch attempt (although a waiver might be possible). The next available launch period runs from September 19 – October 4 with the following (and probably more likely) window being October 17 – 31. We’re hoping the onboard smallsats’ batteries can survive the wait. Ed. Note: Including the OMOTENASHI communications and impactor experiment. NASA is now targeting September 23 or 27 according to Jim Free, NASA Associate Administrator Exploration Systems Development)

[ANS thanks The Orbital Index for the above information]

40th Annual AMSAT Space Symposium and General Meeting, October 21 – 22, 2022

The 40th AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting will take place in Bloomington, Minnesota on Oct. 21-22, 2022. Highlights of all scheduled events include:

– AMSAT Board of Directors Meeting, October 20-21
– 40th AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting, October 21-22
– Friday Night Social and Auction, October 21
– AMSAT Banquet and Reception, October 22
– AMSAT Ambassador Breakfast, October 23

A preliminary schedule is available on the AMSAT Member Portal, launch.amsat.org, under the Events tab.

Crowne Plaza is located adjacent to the Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport and provides complimentary, scheduled shuttle to and from the airport. Nearby attractions include Mall of America with Nickelodeon Universe Theme park, Target Field, and the Minnesota Zoo.

You can make hotel reservations by calling the hotel directly at (952) 854-9000. The group code is ASG (Amateur Satellite Group). Hotel reservations can also be made online at the following link: https://tinyurl.com/ANS-219-Symposium-Rooms
But don’t wait to reserve your room! The offer for specially reduced room rates for Symposium attendees ends on September 28. Make your reservation today to make sure you have a room and at the best possible price.

Symposium tickets and banquet reservations may be purchased on the AMSAT Member Portal. Log into https://launch.amsat.org/ and clock on the Events tab.

We at AMSAT, are excited to be able to host an in-person Symposium this year. We hope that you can join us in celebrating Amateur Radio in Space.

[ANS thanks AMSAT for the above information.]

+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+

The 2022 AMSAT President’s Club coins have arrived!
To commemorate the 50th anniversary of its launch on
October 15, 1972, this year’s coin features
an image of AMSAT-OSCAR 6.
Join the AMSAT President’s Club today and help
Keep Amateur Radio in Space!
https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+

AMSAT-UK Space Colloquium October 8-9

AMSAT-UK is very happy to announce the 2022 AMSAT-UK International Space Colloquium will be held as part of the RSGB Convention on October 8-9 at the Kents Hill Park Conference Centre, Timbold Drive, Milton Keynes, MK7 6BZ.

The weekend event attracts an international audience that ranges from those involved in building and operating amateur radio satellites to beginners who wish to find out more about this fascinating branch of the hobby.

Booking for the RSGB Convention is at https://rsgb.org/main/about-us/rsgb-convention/

Booking for the AMSAT-UK dinner on the Saturday evening at the nearby Marriott Delta Hotel is here: https://bit.ly/3x3nQBm

Details of the event can be found at https://amsat-uk.org/colloquium/

[ANS thanks Trevor Essex, M5AKA of 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/

+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+

2022 ARRL/TAPR Digital Communications Conference

The annual ARRL/TAPR Digital Communications Conference (DCC) is scheduled for September 16-18, 2022, in Charlotte, North Carolina.

View the DCC schedule here (https://tapr.org/preliminary-2022-dcc-schedule/)

The deadline for technical papers passed September 1, 2022. Papers will be published exactly as submitted and authors will retain all rights.

[ANS thanks TAPR.org for the above information.]

Launch of GENESIS-G and GENESIS-J with Firefly on September 11

From Felix Paez, EA4GQS, AMSAT-EA Team: This is to confirm that the launch of our new GENESIS-G and GENESIS-J satellites with Firefly will take place, if all goes well, on September 11, with the launch window starting at 3 PM Pacific Time (22h GMT), from Vanderberg. The expected orbit altitude is 300 km with an inclination of 137 degrees.

As many of you know, this will be the second attempt of Firefly to reach orbit after the first attempt made in September 2021 and which had to be aborted after two minutes of flight, causing our previous GENESIS-N and GENESIS-L to be lost, among others.

These new GENESIS have a more powerful on-board computer than their predecessors and updated software that allows FM voice repeater functionality, AFSK/FSK non-regenerative repeater up to 2400 bps, FSK regenerative repeater up to 50 bps, CW, digitized voice pre-recorded FM and FSK telemetry at 50 bps. The correct retransmission of AX25 / APRS frames over FM up to 2400 bps has been verified in the laboratory.

A small drawback we still have is the antenna deployment mechanism, that is the first version that was made and requires a plenty charged battery. The satellites have been stored for several months, so it is a weak point. Hopefully it will work.

These satellites also have the names of ASTROLAND-1 and ASTROLAND-2 to say thanks to the sponsorship of the project by the Astroland Planetary Agency. We also thank the private companies and Universities that helped in the project.

As on the previous occasion, two experimental propellants are flown, although this time they are from the Madrid company IENAI Space and, unlike the previous GENESIS mission, they use a liquid ionic fuel. Only the one from GENESIS-J is functional. The one from GENESIS-G carries the electronics but without the fuel.

The frequencies coordinated with IARU are the following:

GENESIS-G/ASTROLAND-1
145.875 MHz uplink, Modes: FM voice (no subtone) and FSK 50 bps, AFSK, AX.25, APRS 1200 / 2400 bps
436.888 MHz downlink, Modes: FM voice, CW, FSK 50 bps, FM voice beacon with AM2SAT callsign

GENESIS-J/ASTROLAND-2
145.925 MHz uplink, Modes: FM voice (no subtone) and FSK 50 bps, AFSK, AX.25, APRS 1200 / 2400 bps
436.666 MHz downlink, Modes: FM voice, CW FSK 50 bps, SSTV Robot 36, FM voice beacon with AM3SAT callsign

We encourage all of you to try to receive their first transmissions once the first keplerians are available.

This flight will be streamed by Everyday Astronaut: https://everydayastronaut.com/

More information on the Firefly website: https://firefly.com/alpha-flight-2-to-the-black/.

Ed. Note: Currently launch is scheduled for 15:00 PST, September 11/ 00:00 UTC, September 12 .

[ANS thanks Felix EA4GQS – AMSAT EA team 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

+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+

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.

No School Contacts currently scheduled.

Kjell Lindgren KO5MOS continues to be making general contacts on the cross-band repeater. He is using NA1SS. If any crewmember is so inclined, all they have to do is pick up the microphone, raise the volume up, and talk on the crossband repeater. So give a listen, you just never know.

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

N8AJM:From September 12 to 16 I hope to be in EM85. I will be working FM only with no set schedule. I may also activate a few grids on the way down from EN72. I will try to post all passes on hams.at

KJ7DZ: CN74 roving trip booked. Sept 22 – 24. More info will be posted as time gets closer

9Y60, TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO (Special Event). Members of the Trinidad and Tobago Amateur Radio Society (TTARS) will be active as 9Y60TT to celebrate Trinidad and Tobago’s 60th anniversary of independence (August 31st, 1962) between August 26th and September 2nd. Activity will be on the HF/VHF bands using CW, SSB, Slow Scan TV (SSTV), Digital Modes (FT8/ FT4, JS8, JT65, 2m EME (Moonbounce), Satellite, APRS via ISS, Digital Voice (DMR, C4FM, D-Star), EchoLink….and more. QSL via LoTW, ClubLog and QRZ.com. For more details and info on how to obtain a certificate, see:https://9y60tt.info (received from JoAnne Maenpaa by email)

Op Note: AO-7 is in constant sunlight for the next several months and the onboard 24 hour timer is switching the satellite between Mode A (145 MHz uplink / 29 MHz downlink) and Mode B (432 MHz uplink / 145 MHz downlink) at approximately 2116Z daily.

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

Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for September 8, 2022

Two Line Elements or TLEs, often referred to as Keplerian elements or keps in the amateur community, are the inputs to the SGP4 standard mathematical model of spacecraft orbits used by most amateur tracking programs. Weekly updates are completely adequate for most amateur satellites. TLE bulletin files are updated Thursday evenings around 2300 UTC, or more frequently if new high interest satellites are launched. More information may be found at https://www.amsat.org/keplerian-elements-resources/

The following satellite has decayed from orbit and has been removed from this week’s AMSAT-NA TLE distribution:
CUAVA-1 NORAD Cat ID 49275 (decayed form orbit on 09/02/2022 per Space-Track).

[ANS thanks Ray Hoad, WA5QGD, AMSAT Orbital Elements Manager, 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 Schedules:

Tom Zimmerman, W9TTY, will be exhibiting for AMSAT at the Chicago FM Club Radio Expo in Belvidere, Illinois on Saturday, September 25, 2022.

Clint Bradford, K6CLS: “How to Work the “Easy” Satellites” talks:

Part of the “job description” for volunteer AMSAT Ambassadors is to “spread the gospel” of working satellites to clubs and conventions.

In the next few weeks I have such Zoom presentations lined up for:
SOARA – South Orange County, CA
Boston ARC
Tristate Amateur Radio Society – Evansville,Indiana
Northern CA DX Club
San Gorgonio Pass ARC

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 included are overviews of the ARRL, AMSAT, and ARISS. And pre-presentation questions are aways welcome.

Send an email or call!

Clint Bradford K6LCS
AMSAT Ambassador
909-999-SATS
http://www.work-sat.com

Scheduled Events with AMSAT involvement:

Hamfests and Conventions

+ 41st ARRL and TAPR Digital Communications Conference (DCC)
September 16–18, 2022
Hilton Charlotte Airport Hotel
Charlotte, North Carolina
https://tapr.org

+ CFMC’S Radio Expo: Northern Illinois’ Largest Hamfest
Sunday, September 25th
Boone County Fairgrounds
8791 IL-76
Belvidere, IL
Flyer at: https://bit.ly/3RFtr8O

+ 2022 Rocky Mountain ARRL Division Convention
October 7, 2022 – October 9, 2022
Event Center at Archer
3921 Archer Pkwy
Cheyenne, Wyoming 82007
https://wyhamcon.org/site.

+ 2022 AMSAT-UK International Space Colloquium
October 8–9, 2022
Kents Hill Park Conference Centre
Milton Keynes
https://rsgb.org/main/about-us/rsgb-convention/

+ 40th Annual AMSAT Space Symposium and General Meeting
October 21–22, 2022
The Crowne Plaza Suites
3 Appletree Square, Bloomington, MN
https://launch.amsat.org/event-4922878

[ANS thanks Paul Overn, KE0PBR, AMSAT Events Page Manager, and Frank Karnauskas, AMSAT Vice President – Development for the above information]

Satellite Shorts From All Over

+ With the successful launch of Eutelsat Konnect VHTS on Sept. 7, there are just three Ariane 5 rockets remaining in Arianespace’s inventory. The Ariane 5, in service since 1996, is being retired in favor of the next-generation Ariane 6 rocket, a launcher European officials say will be cheaper to operate and more competitive in the global launch market. The Ariane 5 was once dominant in commercial launch business, but lower-cost launch services from SpaceX’s partially reusable Falcon 9 rocket have eroded Arianespace’s position. The Ariane 6 is an expendable design, like the Ariane 5. But Arianespace has secured contracts to launch European government missions and satellites for Amazon’s Kuiper broadband network on the Ariane 6, now scheduled to debut next year. (ANS thanks Spaceflight Now for the above information)

+ Chinese taikonauts Chen Dong and Liu Yang conducted an EVA outside of the Tiangong Space Station on Sept. 1, while Cai Xuzhe stayed on the station. They left the station at 10:26 UTC, and the EVA took until 16:33 UTC to be completed. This was the first time the airlock of the recently launched Wentian Module was used to initiate an EVA, as well as the first time the five-meter-long remote control arm of the Wentian module was used. Part of the EVA was to install heat control pumps on the Wentian module, a wide-field panoramic camera, and a variety of other tasks. Part of the EVA was also to verify the function of the recently installed Wentian Airlock and test procedures for an emergency abort of an EVA. (ANS thanks Spaceflight.com for the above information)

+ An incredible aurora has been filmed from the International Space Station (ISS) as it orbited hundreds of miles above the Earth. NASA posted the captivating footage to Twitter (https://bit.ly/3QJrFmp) on Sunday after a geomagnetic storm hit our planet. On September 4, a stream of solar wind struck the Earth, sparking a geomagnetic storm of the G2 class, according to the National Weather Service’s Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC). This storm produced an aurora in some regions, including parts of the United States. (ANS thanks Newsweek.com for the above information)

+ NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) spacecraft recently got its first look at Didymos, the double-asteroid system that includes its target, Dimorphos. On Sept. 26, DART will intentionally crash into Dimorphos, the asteroid moonlet of Didymos. While the asteroid poses no threat to Earth, this is the world’s first test of the kinetic impact technique, using a spacecraft to deflect an asteroid for planetary defense. (ANS thanks SpaceDaily.com for the above information)

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

In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership to:

* Societies (a recognized group, clubs or organization).
* 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.
* Memberships are available for annual and lifetime terms.

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

73 and remember to help Keep Amateur Radio in Space!

This week’s ANS Editor, Jack Spitznagel, KD4IZ
kd4iz at arrl dot org

ANS-240 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins for Aug. 28

August 28, 2022 by Mark Johns

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: https://mailman.amsat.org/postorius/lists/ans.amsat.org/

In this edition:

OMOTENASHI Project Shoots for the Moon This Week
SLS Launch Party on Discord!Launch of GENESIS-G and GENESIS-J with Firefly on September 11
Limited-Time Opportunity – DX on AO27!
40th AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting, Oct. 21-22
So, You Want To Build A CubeSat?
Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for August 25
ARISS News
Upcoming Satellite Operations
Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events
Satellite Shorts From All Over

ANS-240 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

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

DATE 2022 Aug 28

OMOTENASHI Project Shoots for the Moon This Week

OMOTENASHI, a project of the JAXA Ham Radio Club, is a CubeSat which will be launched by NASA SLS rocket, scheduled for August 29. It plans to land on the surface of the moon, and to transmit a beacon in the amateur 70cm band.

OMOTENASHI is one of the EM-1 CubeSat missions which will be launched by the NASA/SLS rocket (EM-1) together with the main mission of ORION experimental module on Monday. JAXA Ham Radio Club is going to utilize the flight demonstration opportunity of the OMOTENASHI mission to conduct the following amateur radio missions:

(i) To conduct technological research with respect to receiving ultra-weak UHF signal from a space probe toward the moon
(ii) To conduct an outreach activity providing amateur radio operators all over the world with an opportunity to try to receive signals from moon region.

OMOTENASHI is a 6U-CubeSat with external dimensions of 239 x 366 x 113mm and an approximate mass of 14 kg.

OMOTENASHI consists of three modules: orbiting module, retro motor module, and surface probe. During the moon transfer orbit, these modules are integrated. When OMOTENASHI arrives at the moon, the surface probe will be separated and conduct semi-hard landing.

OMOTENASHI is actively controlled by ultra-small attitude control system including star tracker, sun sensor, IMU, reaction wheel, and cold gas jet thruster. During the moon transfer orbit, OMOTENASHI may be spin-stabilized due to the strict resources. For further details, please see: https://www.isas.jaxa.jp/home/omotenashi/JHRCweb/jhrc.html

There will be UHF CM/PSK/PM/PSK31 beacons, with 1 watt RF, on both the orbiting module and the surface probe. CisLunar explorer, MIT KitCube and Lunar IceCube are expected to share the same launch.

Orbiting Module DOWNLINK

Frequency
437.31 MHz
Antenna
SRR antenna
Polarization
Linear
Modulation
beacon, PSK31
Sync Word
C1 (ASCII code)
Power
30dBm

Surface Probe DOWNLINK

Frequency
437.41 MHz
Antenna
invert-F antennax4
Polarization
LHCP(, RHCP)
Modulation
FM, PSK31, PCM-PSK/PM
Sync Word
C1 (ASCII code)
Power
30dBm

Amateurs can constantly access the newest TLE from https://bit.ly/3wyopTr This file will be overwritten when we have calculated the next TLE during operation.

[ANS thanks JAXA Ham Radio Club for the above information]

+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+

SLS Launch Party on Discord!

AMSAT is hosting an event in Discord, https://discord.gg/Duca8jY5?event=1012703802727608330. It will be in the #watch-party channel for the STS launch carrying Orion to the Moon, along with OMOTENASHI (see above) and a number of other small satellites.

AMSAT plans to start streaming NASA’s YouTube video coverage starting at about 0300Z on Monday, August 29. If that doesn’t work out, people can always watch it on their own, and just join the channel to chat about the mission. Voice chat, web cams, and text will all be available for people to use.

The AMSAT Discord server is available for the amateur satellite community. Discord is a text, voice, and video client that has become very popular in recent years. Discord will provide the amateur satellite community with an additional option to communicate amongst each other, in real-time.

Discord provides several neat features, including the following:

Ability to create channels, to organize different conversation topics
Hosting of events, that can include voice and or video chat
For satellite launch parties!
Use of bots to automate useful actions
Try typing /tle AO-92
More commands are in development!
Notification of Twitter posts of interest
Currently only following @AMSAT Twitter account

A special section of the server is reserved for AMSAT members. If you are a current member, please send a message in the #request-roles channel once you join the server, indicating whether you are a member or life member. Once the member role is granted, you will be able to post in the “Members Only” category. If you are not yet an AMSAT member, join today at https://launch.amsat.org/.

The link below can be used to join the server. See you in Discord!

https://discord.gg/xbTXcPJHyt

[ANS thanks Matthew Alberti, KM4EXS, AMSAT IT Team for the above information]

Launch of GENESIS-G and GENESIS-J with Firefly on September 11

AMSAT-EA confirms that the launch of our new GENESIS-G and GENESIS-J satellites with Firefly will take place, if all goes well, on September 11, with the launch window starting at 3 PM Pacific Time (22h GMT), from Vanderberg. The expected orbit altitude is 300 km with an inclination of 137 degrees.

The frequencies coordinated with IARU are the following:

GENESIS-G/ASTROLAND-1
145.875 MHz uplink, Modes: FM voice (no subtone) and FSK 50 bps, AFSK, AX.25, APRS 1200 / 2400 bps
436.888 MHz downlink, Modes: FM voice, CW, FSK 50 bps, FM voice beacon with AM2SAT callsign

GENESIS-J/ASTROLAND-2
145.925 MHz uplink, Modes: FM voice (no subtone) and FSK 50 bps, AFSK, AX.25, APRS 1200 / 2400 bps
436.666 MHz downlink, Modes: FM voice, CW FSK 50 bps, SSTV Robot 36, FM voice beacon with AM3SAT callsign

We encourage all to try to receive their first transmissions once the first keplerians are available.

This flight will be streamed by Everyday Astronaut: https://everydayastronaut.com/

More information on the Firefly website: https://firefly.com/alpha-flight-2-to-the-black/

[ANS thanks Felix Paez, EA4GQS of the AMSAT EA Team for the above information]

Limited-Time Opportunity – DX on AO27!

“On” times for AO-27 continue to shift along the direction of the orbit. The 5 min “on time” for ascending passes at mid-latitudes is now on DESCENDING passes. Based on current SATNOGS observations, from when the satellite is at about 75 degN to about 65 deg N. The descending node telemetry and repeater operation is probably only available to stations further and further south (a few lucky far-S America and maybe VK and ZL stations may soon be able work Antarctica if anyone is on!).

Northern Europe and the UK are now well in the footprint, NE Canadian provinces and some New England stations may be able to work Europe, and KL7 may be able to work northern Japan in a few weeks! These opportunities won’t last – the “on” time will continue to shift, and once the onboard clock is reset, the satellite will be back on a “normal” schedule.

If you hear or work AO-27, the command stations would appreciate knowing precise times for when the transmitter came on or turned off, and the reporting station’s 6-character grid square or lat/lon. If you are in the far South and hear the 20 seconds of telemetry, try to capture KISS frames (NOT ASCII) and send the captured data file (or a good audio file we can try to decode). If scheduling SATNOGs observations (provides an excellent measure of on and off times), try to schedule descending passes during the “on” times and don’t bother with ascending passes for now.

[ANS thanks Stephan Greene, KS1G, on behalf of the AO-27 command team for the above information]

+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+

40th AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting, Oct. 21-22

The 40th AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting will take place in Bloomington, Minn. on Oct. 21-22, 2022. Highlights of all scheduled events include:

A preliminary schedule is available on the AMSAT Member Portal, launch.amsat.org, under the Events tab.

Crowne Plaza is located adjacent to the Minneapolis / St. Paul International Airport and provides complimentary, scheduled shuttle to and from the airport. Nearby attractions include Mall of America with Nickelodeon Universe Theme park, Target Field, and the Minnesota Zoo.

Symposium tickets and banquet reservations may be purchased on the AMSAT Member Portal. Log into https://launch.amsat.org/ and clock on the Events tab.

We at AMSAT, are excited to be able to host an in-person Symposium this year. We hope that you can join us in celebrating Amateur Radio in Space.

[ANS thanks AMSAT for the above information.]

So, You Want To Build A CubeSat?

Everybody’s sure it’s easy! Just follow these simple steps:
+ First, select an appropriate CubeSat form factor based on payload size, power requirements, and deployment mechanism.
+ Consider power budget (especially for when the spacecraft is “in eclipse” on the dark side of the Earth), acceleration and vibration tolerance (the sound of launch alone can damage the spacecraft), and thermal management (your satellite is effectively sitting in a rather large vacuum thermos).
+ Use Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) parts with existing flight heritage wherever possible—see satsearch and CubeSatShop.
+ Pick solar panels, batteries, and an Electrical Power System (EPS) to manage them.
+ Include one or more antennas and radios to talk to a ground station or ground station network (or broadcast up to GlobalStar or Iridium instead).
+ If you need to maintain orientation, include an Attitude Determination and Control Systems (ADCS) which will use some combination of Earth, Sun, and star trackers, gyroscopes, GPS receivers, and magnetometers to sense orientation, and rotate the spacecraft using magnetorquers and reaction wheels. Some CubeSats also now use miniature thrusters for attitude control, desaturation, and orbit maintenance.
+ Deployable components, such as antennas and solar panels, are usually stored under tension and released with electromagnets or redundant burn wires.
+ Next, select an On-Board Computer (OBC) for Command & Data Handling (C&DH) and the flight software that will run on it, such as the open-source cFS and F´ frameworks from NASA.
+ Prior to assembly, perform “flatsat” testing with everything wired on a bench. This is also when you should verify communications with the spacecraft via its radios.
+ Once assembled, put the CubeSat through vibration and thermal vacuum testing to ensure that it will survive the stresses of launch and the space environment.
+ Finally, obtain the required certifications for earth observation, radio licenses, and an approved deorbit plan. NASA has a helpful guide for first-time CubeSat developers with instructions and templates, and also a state-of-the-art technology report.
(This overview is incomplete—please do not base your spacecraft design on an email newsletter.)

[ANS thanks The Orbital Index for the above information]

+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+

Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for August 25

Armadillo NORAD Cat ID 44352 (decayed form orbit on 8/23/2022 per Space-Track).

Those using TLEs provided by Celestrak should be aware of recent changes to the URLs for these files. All Celestrak websites are now at celestrak.org — celestrak.com will no longer work.

There was a problem with the format of the nasa.all version of the TLEs last week. The nasabare.txt file was unaffected by this problem, and the issue appears to have been resolved in this week’s file.

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

ARISS NEWS

Recently completed: Hospital School Program in partnership with Seacrest Studios at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, Nashville, Tenn., direct via N4FR. The ISS callsign was NA1SS, and the crewmember was Kjell Lindgren, KO5MOS. Contact was successful on Wednesday, 2022-08-24 17:42:54 UTC with 27 degrees elevation. Congratulations to the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt students and Kjell!

Current ARISS operations include voice repeater transmissions with the JVC Kenwood D710GA in the Columbus module and APRS packet operation from an identical radio in the Service Module (Zvezda). Packet operations are on 145.825 MHz.

Kjell Lindgren, KO5MOS, continues to be making general contacts on the cross-band repeater. He is using NA1SS. If any crewmember is so inclined, all they have to do is pick up the microphone, raise the volume up, and talk on the crossband repeater. So give a listen, you just never know.

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

AA6MU: CN81 August 9-31, Linears and FM.

W7WGC: Starting an Oregon Rove today (8/21/22) 10-14 days. Dates and approx dates. Will post details on Twitter for each later.
Aug 21: CN 93 & 94
Aug 22: DN03 & DN02 Aug 23 – 28-ish DN14, 13, 12
Return to the West (TBD): DN04, DN15 DN05 CN95 CN85 & CN86 CN75 CN74 & CN84

N8AJM: From September 12 to 16 I hope to be in EM85. I will be working FM only with no set schedule. I may also activate a few grids on the way down from EN72. I will try to post all passes on hams.at

KJ7DZ: CN74 roving trip booked. Sept 22 – 24. More info will be posted as time gets closer

KI7QEK: I’m taking a family vacation in British Columbia and Alberta from August 27-September 3, and planning to bring FM and linear gear. “Holiday style” so no promises on passes, but I will be passing through these grids: DN09, DO00, DO01, DO11, DO20 & DO21

9Y60, TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO (Special Event): Members of the Trinidad and Tobago Amateur Radio Society (TTARS) will be active as 9Y60TT to celebrate Trinidad and Tobago’s 60th anniversary of independence (August 31st, 1962) between August 26th and September 2nd. Activity will be on the HF/VHF bands using CW, SSB, Slow Scan TV (SSTV), Digital Modes (FT8/ FT4, JS8, JT65, 2m EME (Moonbounce), Satellite, APRS via ISS, Digital Voice (DMR, C4FM, D-Star), EchoLink….and more. QSL via LoTW, ClubLog and QRZ.com. For more details and info on how to obtain a certificate, see: 9y60tt [dot] info (received from JoAnne Maenpaa by email)

[ANS thanks Paul Overn, KE0PBR, AMSAT rover page manager, 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.

2022 HamXposition, and ARRL New England and Hudson Division Convention (hamxposition.org)
Saturday and Sunday August 27 and 28, Marlborough, MA (Flea Market and some classes and workshops on Friday)
AMSAT will have a booth with info, demos, and items for sale.
Burns Fisher, WB1FJ will be presenting “What’s New At AMSAT”

41st ARRL and TAPR Digital Communications Conference (DCC)
September 16–18, 2022
Hilton Charlotte Airport Hotel
Charlotte, North Carolina
https://tapr.org

2022 Rocky Mountain ARRL Division Convention
Friday, October 7th, 2022 to Sunday, October 9th, 2022
Event Center at Archer
3921 Archer Pkwy
Cheyenne, Wyoming 82007
https://wyhamcon.org/site

2022 AMSAT-UK International Space Colloquium
October 8–9, 2022
Kents Hill Park Conference Centre, Milton Keynes
https://rsgb.org/main/about-us/rsgb-convention/

40th Annual AMSAT Space Symposium and General Meeting
October 21–22, 2022
The Crowne Plaza Suites, 3 Appletree Square, Bloomington, MN
https://launch.amsat.org/event-4922878

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

Satellite Shorts From All Over

+ Congratulations to John Langille, VE1CWJ, in FN85 and Philippe Chateau, EA4NF, in IN80 on a new distance record on XW-2A of 4,751 km – an astounding distance given XW-2A’s apogee is now just 405 km! All current satellite distance records may be viewed at https://www.amsat.org/satellite-distance-records/ (ANS thanks Paul Stoetzer, N8HM, AMSAT Executive VP, for the above information)

+ An amazing video that shows how the Starlink antenna works is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qs2QcycggWU (ANS thanks Mike Hoblinski, N6IMF, for the above information)

+ A SpaceX Dragon supply freighter undocked from the International Space Station on August 19, heading for splashdown off the coast of Florida Saturday with about two tons of cargo, experiments, and a leaky spacesuit. The unpiloted cargo carrier will bring home a spacesuit worn by European astronaut Matthias Maurer in March, when the station crew noticed water leaking in Maurer’s helmet after he returned to the lab’s pressurized airlock. NASA has suspended use of U.S. spacesuits for non-emergency spacewalks until the suit is returned to Earth for inspection and analysis. (ANS thanks Spaceflight Now for the above information)

+ Cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev’s spacewalk was cut short by a suit battery issue on August 17. With NASA’s suits grounded at the moment, the ISS is running out of EVA options. (ANS thanks The Orbital Index for the above information)

+ As World Radio Conference 2023 (WRC23) gets closer so the preparatory activities for all the agenda items are increasing in intensity. The most pressing for the amateur community is the 23cm band radio navigation satellite service (RNSS) coexistence agenda item 9.1b. The IARU engagement is continuing with the studies in the regulatory institutions as well as amongst the amateur community. As detailed proposals are starting to emerge so the amateur community needs to be ready to defend its interests in this band. See https://www.iaru-r1.org/ for more information. (ANS thanks Barry Lewis, G4SJH, for the above information)

+ MANY THANKS to Steve Kenwolf, WH6BSZ, for creating the new logo for the AMSAT News Service! We appreciate Steve’s work and creativity in updating our look on the web and social media versions of ANS. (ANS thanks Mark Johns, K0JM, AMSAT News Service Senior Editor, for the above information.

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

In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership to:

Contact info [at] amsat.org for additional 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-226 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins for Aug. 14

August 14, 2022 by Mark Johns

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: https://mailman.amsat.org/postorius/lists/ans.amsat.org/

In this edition:

40th AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting, Oct. 21-22
India’s New Rocket Fails To Put Satellites In Right Orbit In Debut Launch
Russia Successfully Launches KAI 1 Repeater Along With Iranian Satellite
Wireless Institute of Australia Supporting Binar Satellites
Simultaneous Operations of APRS and Voice Repeater Now a Reality on ISS
Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for August 11
Press Coverage of Eight-Year-Old’s ISS Ham Radio Contact
ARISS News
Upcoming Satellite Operations
Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events
Satellite Shorts From All Over

ANS-226 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

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

DATE 2022 Aug 14

40th AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting, Oct. 21-22

The 40th AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting will take place in Bloomington, Minn. on Oct. 21-22, 2022. Highlights of all scheduled events include:

A preliminary schedule is available on the AMSAT Member Portal, launch.amsat.org, under the Events tab.

Crowne Plaza is located adjacent to the Minneapolis / St. Paul International Airport and provides complimentary, scheduled shuttle to and from the airport. Nearby attractions include Mall of America with Nickelodeon Universe Theme park, Target Field, and the Minnesota Zoo.

Symposium tickets and banquet reservations may be purchased on the AMSAT Member Portal. Log into https://launch.amsat.org/ and clock on the Events tab.

We at AMSAT, are excited to be able to host an in-person Symposium this year. We hope that you can join us in celebrating Amateur Radio in Space.

[ANS thanks AMSAT for the above information.]

+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+

India’s New Rocket Fails To Put Satellites In Right Orbit In Debut Launch

India’s new rocket launched for the first time on Saturday night (Aug. 6) but failed to deliver its satellite payloads into their intended orbit due to a sensor issue.

The 112-foot-tall (34 meters) Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) lifted off from Satish Dhawan Space Centre on India’s southeastern coast on Saturday at 11:48 p.m. EDT (0348 GMT and 9:18 a.m. India Standard Time on Sunday, Aug. 7) with two satellites onboard.

The main payload on Saturday’s test mission was EOS-02, a 300-pound (135 kilograms) experimental Earth-observation satellite.

The second satellite was an 18-pound (8 kg) cubesat called AzaadiSAT. This little spacecraft was loaded with 75 different payloads, which were built by female students across India to perform a variety of “femto-experiments.”

“The payloads include a UHF-VHF transponder working in ham radio frequency to enable voice and data transmission for amateur radio operators, a solid state PIN diode-based radiation counter to measure the ionizing radiation in its orbit, a long-range transponder and a selfie camera,” ISRO officials wrote in the mission description.

Instead of placing the satellites in a circular orbit 221 miles (356 kilometers) above Earth, the rocket left them in an orbit that ranged from 221 miles to as close as 47 miles (76 km). That orbit was not stable, and the satellites have “already come down, and they are not usable,” ISRO Chairman S. Somanath said in a video statement after the launch.

[ANS thanks Space.com for the above information]

Russia Successfully Launches KAI 1 Repeater Along With Iranian Satellite

A Russian rocket on Tuesday successfully launched an Iranian satellite into orbit, along with a Russian amateur cubesat.

The Soyuz rocket lifted off as scheduled at 05:52 GMT Tuesday, Aug. 9 from the Russia-leased Baikonur launch facility in Kazakhstan. About nine minutes after the launch, it placed the Iranian satellite called Khayyam into orbit. It’s named after Omar Khayyam, a Persian scientist who lived in the 11th and 12th centuries.

Also aboard were 16 Russian cubesats, including the 3U cubesat KAI 1, aka KNITU-KAI, NILAKT DOSAAF LLC, ANO DPO “KIRO.” Its callsign will be RS26S. It carries a 145/435 MHz repeater, panoramic cameras and
a temperature meter based on a fiber Bragg grating. Currently no further details are available.

Among the other cubesats scheduled for this launch were ten Russian satellites in the SXC3 series, transmitting telemetry on amateur frequencies. A list of these satellites and their frequencies may be found at https://sputnix.ru/en/satellites-sputnix/for-radioamateurs

[ANS thanks N2YO.com, Nico Janssen, PA0DLO, and Nader Omer, HZ1NH, for the above information]

+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+

Wireless Institute of Australia Supporting Binar Satellites

The Board of the Wireless Institute of Australia has supported the Binar-1 small satellite/CubeSat mission which was launched from the ISS by Curtin University.

Binar-1 is a 1U CubeSat currently in low-Earth orbit (LEO) and was a technical demonstrator of in-house developed hardware that aimed to become a repeatable platform for research and educational purposes.

This year the Board of the WIA agreed to support the upcoming mission 2 that will see satellites: Binar-2, Binar-3 and Binar-4 be deployed from the ISS in the same way as Binar-1 into LEO. A subsequent mission 3 will follow about a year later with three more CubeSats (Binar-5,6 and 7) to also be delivered into Low Earth Orbit.

Part of the Binar mission is to try to make it easier for young, enthusiastic students to learn more about and how to use amateur radio in a way which directly relates to STEM. We believe that this specific use of amateur radio is a fantastic crossover opportunity for education and encouragement of STEM. Previously young students were constrained by resources, and current progtam wants to provide a platform where students – both high-school and university – can learn about amateur radio, spacecraft, their operations, and science experiments flying onboard the spacecraft.

The satellites in Launch 2 will be Binar-2, 3, 4 will have a multiband radio, capable of operating in the amateur band. The radio frequencies are allocated in the 70cm Amateur Satellite Radio band and, as required by local and international regulatory bodies (ACMA, ITU, IARU), will be coordinated through the IARU (International Amateur Radio Union) with the support of the Wireless Institute of Australia as the national association for Amateur Radio in Australia .

The main purpose of the usage of the amateur-satellite band allocation onboard the Satellites in Launches 2 and 3 is to provide a platform to educate high school and university students on satellite technology.

[ANS thanks Southgate ARC for the above information]

Simultaneous Operations of APRS and Voice Repeater Now a Reality on ISS

ARISS is pleased to announce that starting yesterday, August 11, simultaneous operations of the ARISS Voice Repeater and digital APRS communications on the International Space Station (ISS) is now a reality. Current ARISS operations include voice repeater transmissions with the JVC Kenwood D710GA in the Columbus module and APRS packet operation from an identical radio in the Service Module (Zvezda). Packet operations are on 145.825 MHz.

The ARISS Russia and USA teams have been working for several weeks to prepare the Service Module radio for APRS operations. ARISS Russia team member Sergey Samburov, RV3DR, led the effort, working with Russian mission controllers and the on-board ISS cosmonauts to configure the Service Module radio for APRS ops. On August 11, final checkouts were completed and the APRS packet mode was switched on for amateur radio use.

ARISS-International Chair Frank Bauer, KA3HDO states, “Simultaneous operation of APRS and the voice repeater on ISS is transformative for ARISS and represents a key element of our ARISS 2.0 initiative, providing interactive capabilities 24/7 that inspire, engage and educate youth and lifelong learners—especially life-long learning in ham radio operations.” Bauer continues, “Our heartfelt thanks to Sergey Samburov, RV3DR, for making this crucial ARISS 2.0 initiative become a reality.”

The Columbus Module radio uses the callsign NA1SS and the new Service Module radio uses RS0ISS. Aside from the callsigns, the radios are identical and packet operations are the same as before. You can use RS0ISS, ARISS, or APRSAT as the packet path. Also, both radios are expected to be on full time, except during educational contacts, EVAs, and dockings or undockings.

You can find operational status and expected downtimes of the ISS radios at https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.

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

+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+

Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for August 11

The following satellites have decayed from orbit and have been removed from this week’s AMSAT-NA TLE distribution:

Maya-3 NORAD Cat ID 49273 (decayed form orbit on 8/3/2022 per Space-Track).
Maya-4 NORAD Cat ID 49274 (decayed form orbit on 8/8/2022 per Space-Track).

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

Press Coverage of Eight-Year-Old’s ISS Ham Radio Contact

Kent’s Isle of Thanet News reports on the amateur radio contact between 8-year-old Isabella Payne and NASA astronaut Kjell Lindgren KO5MOS on the International Space Station.

In the Isle of Thanet News, Kathy Bailes, writes:

A Broadstairs eight-year-old has chatted with an astronaut aboard the International Space Station and a recording of the conversation will feature on the NASA website.

Isabella Payne spoke to Astronaut Kjell Lindgren as the ISS flew overhead last week.

The youngster was with dad Matthew Payne, M0LMK, who is a license holding amateur radio enthusiast and tutor. He and Isabella are both members of Hilderstone Radio Society.

Matthew said: “Isabella has been a member of the radio club ever since she was born and has been playing with the radio since she was six. Because I have the full licence she can sit on my knee and use the radio to speak to people as long as I am controlling it. Everyone at the club can do that. She has been involved in a few radio events, Children On The Air events, and will hopefully go for her own licence soon.

Read full story by Kathy Bailes and listen to the recording on the Isle of Thanet News site at
https://bit.ly/3vVAFNG or at https://twitter.com/IsleThanetNews/status/1557404614076530688

Matthew Payne, M0LMK, tweeted:
“Isabella has been having an email exchange with the @NASA #ISS team, you know, as you do! She sent a photo for their publicity team and asked for it to be sent onto @astro_kjell. Here’s what she got in return…” https://twitter.com/m0lmk/status/1556976125359919105

ISS astronaut’s favourite ham radio contact
https://amsat-uk.org/2022/08/03/iss-astronauts-favorite-ham-radio-contact/

[ANS thanks AMSAT-UK for the above information]

ARISS NEWS

Cambridge Public Library and Idea Exchange, Cambridge, ON, Canada, direct via VE3SWA. The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS. The scheduled crewmember is Kjell Lindgren, KO5MOS. Contact is go for: Thursday, 2022-08-18 at 17:45:15 UTC 66 degrees elevation.

Both the crossband FM voice repeater and the APRS digipeater are now in simultaneous operation. See article above.

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

N8MR will be in EN57 with frequent roves to EN56 and EN67 Aug 6-13. Listening for EU, Car, SA CA. Prefer linear sats, FM sats poss. Sked depends on wx, etc.

WY7AA is headed to DN53 and will be camping there from 8/10 – 8/15’ish. He will be in the bottom of a canyon, so Sats will be tough, but he will try when he can. Primarily K-4536 #POTA No cell service, send a Winlink note if you want. DN52 will be the week after.

AA6MU: CN81 August 9-31, Linears and FM.

W7BMD: will be vacationing in FN41/FN51 land, so intermittently available for FM birds QSOs August 8-12.

AD7DB: Activating DM24, DM25 and DM35, Aug 20,21,22, FM passes. Kingman and Mohave Valley AZ area. Holiday style but I’ll try to post ahead of them.

EA4NF, Phillippe. August 1-3th and 13-16th, EL94 & EL95, FM and Liners, will confirm in LOTW as KE4NF. Hit him up on Twitter @EA4NF_Sat for details.

KI7QEK: Will I’m taking a family vacation in British Columbia and Alberta from August 27-September 3, and planning to bring FM and linear gear. “Holiday style” so no promises on passes, but I will be passing through these grids: DN09, DO00, DO01, DO11, DO20 & DO21

[ANS thanks Paul Overn, KE0PBR, AMSAT rover page manager, 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.

41st ARRL and TAPR Digital Communications Conference (DCC)
September 16–18, 2022
Hilton Charlotte Airport Hotel
Charlotte, North Carolina
https://tapr.org

2022 Rocky Mountain ARRL Division Convention
Friday, October 7th, 2022 to Sunday, October 9th, 2022
Event Center at Archer
3921 Archer Pkwy
Cheyenne, Wyoming 82007
https://wyhamcon.org/site

2022 AMSAT-UK International Space Colloquium
October 8–9, 2022
Kents Hill Park Conference Centre, Milton Keynes
https://rsgb.org/main/about-us/rsgb-convention/

40th Annual AMSAT Space Symposium and General Meeting
October 21–22, 2022
The Crowne Plaza Suites, 3 Appletree Square, Bloomington, MN
https://launch.amsat.org/event-4922878

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

Satellite Shorts From All Over

+ Filipino-made cube satellites Maya-3 and Maya-4 returned to Earth and ended their missions, the Space Technology and Applications Mastery, Innovation and Advancement (STAMINA4Space) Program announced on Tuesday. Maya-3 and Maya-4 reentered the Earth’s atmosphere on Aug. 4 and Aug. 8, respectively. While in the orbit for 10 months, the two cube satellites carried a commercial off-the-shelf APRS-Digipeater Payload Demonstration, which employed packet radio technology to transmit information over amateur radio. (ANS thanks CNN Philippines for the above information)

+ For the first time, Veraval Light House, situated at the south coast of Gujarat State from India, will be activated with the Special Amateur Radio Callsign AT3VLH. The Lighthouse is activated by active Ham Radio Operator Rajesh Vagadia, VU2EXP, from Rajkot (Gujarat) India. It is SOLO operator activation to experiment learn & spread awareness with amateur radio spirit. The activation will take place 19 to 22 August, 2022 utilizing 40m, 20m, 15m & 10m and FM Satellites. (ANS thanks Rajesh Vagadia, VU2EXP, for the above information)

+ A NASA cubesat was removed from a recent rideshare launch opportunity on a U.S. Space Force mission because the spacecraft could not meet guidelines for deorbiting at the end of its life. The GTOSat mission, developed by NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, was manifested to fly as a secondary payload on the Atlas 5 launch of the SBIRS GEO-6 missile-warning satellite. The SBIRS satellite was successfully launched Aug. 4. However, GTOSat and a second, unidentified rideshare payload were not included on the launch. Space Force officials said in a prelaunch briefing that the satellites were not compliant with orbital debris mitigation guidelines but did not elaborate. (ANS thanks SpaceNews for the above information)

+ Three 1 kg cubesats, TUMNanosat, FUTABA and HSU-SAT 1 were deployed from the J-SSOD No. 22 deployer on the ISS Japanese robot arm at 0945 UTC Aug 12. TUMNanosat has 9k6 GMSK AX25 downlink of beacons and telemetry on 436.680 MHz. FUTABA downlinks with 20 wpm CW beacon and 1k2 AFSK for FM telemetry and mission data on 437.375 MHz. More info from https://www.futaba.space/blank-3 HSU-SAT-1 has a downlink using CW, FM SSTV and 9k6 GMSK at 437.280 MHz. More information at https://bit.ly/3C3LFwa (ANS thanks AMSAT-UK and the IARU for the above information)

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

In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership to:

Contact info [at] amsat.org for additional 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-212 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins for July 31

July 31, 2022 by Mark Johns

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: https://mailman.amsat.org/postorius/lists/ans.amsat.org/

In this edition:

New AMSAT Digital Radio Link* 2022 AMSAT Board of Directors Election
Call for Papers – 2022 AMSAT Space Symposium & Annual General Meeting
URESAT Project Receives Award From the Salvatore Association 009
Operating Tips for FM Satellites
Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for July 28
NASA’s Shane Kimbrough, KE5HOD, Retiring After 18 Years As An Astronaut
ARISS News
Upcoming Satellite Operations
Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events
Satellite Shorts From All Over

ANS-212 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

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

DATE 2022 July 31

New AMSAT Digital Radio Links

There have been a couple very new updates to the AMSAT digital radio links.

First, while the AMSAT DMR talkgroup 98006 and the U.S. AMSAT Yaesu System Fusion (YSF) 11689 reflector have been linked together for years, making it quite simple to use either method to cross communicate with others, the AMSAT DSTAR reflectors have not been bridged into the system. So, it’s been isolated.

Walter Holmes, K5WH, with the help of Craig Jump, 2M0JUM, have been working to solve that problem. Craig has been able to link his XLX606 DSTAR reflector to the AMSAT reflector, and now also bridged the DSTAR reflector to the AMSAT DMR 98006 talkgroup.

What this means, is that you can now use either DMR, YSF-Fusion, or DSTAR, and communicate with anyone on either of these technologies, seamlessly.

As with ALL of this digital stuff, it’s probably worth mentioning that it’s necessary to give the system about 1 or 2 extra seconds when you key up, for all the linking to fully engage before you talk, just to ensure you don’t cut off the first of what you want to say. But that’s been the same even with the way we have had DMR and YSF linked for years now.

This system is still being tested, so it’s possible it could be temporarily disabled at times, but hopefully this will be as solid as the previous bridge, and you will be able to take advantage of it.

As always, let K5WH know if you experience anything that needs attention.

The second new development is for those that have a Windows or Android environment, there is now yet another way to get to the AMSAT DSTAR reflector, with NO RADIO necessary. (Of course you have to register for an ID, to prove that you’re a licensed ham, before you can use the system.)

You might be familiar with an application called BlueDV, that many of us have used for years, and requires you to have an ambe server to connect to, and use your PC or cell phone to access DMR, YSF-Fusion, or DSTAR. David Grootendorst, PA7LIM, created this years ago, and has been plenty helpful. Visit https://www.pa7lim.nl/bluedv/ for the Windows software, or the Google Play Store for Android.

David also created an application called Peanut, that does the same for a small but directed set of systems on DMR, YSF, and DSTAR, where you don’t need a radio or an AMBEserver to access these networks. Unfortunately, there is not an iOS solution for this at this time, but it works very well for the Windows and Android environments.

Now, since 2M0JUM has created a link from his XLX606 DSTAR reflector to the AMSAT DSTAR reflector, you can use the PEANUT app, and connect to XLX606, and you will be liked into the AMSAT network. Early testing looks like DMR and YSF are going to DSTAR fine, but DSTAR back is showing the callsign data, but the audio is not coming through. From the Peanut app, it’s working BOTH ways just fine.

I hope this adds some new functionality that others can use to help us all stay better in touch while chasing these great satellites across the skies.

[ANS thanks Walter Holmes, K5WH, for the above information]

+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+

2022 AMSAT Board of Directors Election

The nomination period for the 2022 Board of Directors Election ended on June 15, 2022. The following candidates have been duly nominated:

Mark Hammond, N8MH
Bruce Paige, KK5DO
Paul Stoetzer, N8HM

In accordance with our Bylaws, we must hold an election, even though we have three nominations for three open Director positions. As such, we will host electronic voting on our Member Portal this year, at no cost to the organization. Voting is now open and will close on September 15, 2022.

When you click on the poll link, you will see your ballot (poll question). After choosing from the possible options, click the Submit button to cast your vote. Unlike many online polls, the results of all votes cast, up to the point of your vote, will not be displayed. AMSAT members can only vote once. If you click the poll link again after already voting, a vote submitted message will be displayed. As three seats on the Board of Directors are up for election this year, all three candidates will be seated on the Board when the voting period concludes on September 15, 2022.

If you need assistance logging into your membership account to vote, please follow this link: https://bit.ly/3ATZFrV

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

Call for Papers – 2022 AMSAT Space Symposium & Annual General Meeting

This is a repeat of the first call for papers for the 40th annual AMSAT Space Symposium to be held on the weekend of October 21-22, 2022 at the Crowne Plaza Suites hotel in Bloomington, Minnesota.

Proposals for symposium papers and presentations are invited on any topic of interest to the amateur satellite community. We request a tentative title of your presentation as soon as possible, with final copy submitted by October 14 for inclusion in the symposium proceedings. Abstracts and papers should be sent to Dan Schultz, N8FGV at n8fgv at amsat.org

[ANS thanks Dan Schultz, N8FGV, AMSAT Symposium Proceedings Editor, for the above information]

+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+

URESAT Project Receives Award From the Salvatore Association 009

URESAT, the URE satellite project managed by AMSAT EA in collaboration with university students, Vocational Training students and with financial and technological support from companies in the space sector, has been chosen by the Salvatore Association 009 to receive the award that said organization gives annually to projects and initiatives related, generally, to art and art in sport.

Although this space project is far from these activities, it has been the aspect of its social function, as it is an open public satellite for voice and data communications, and educational, of this activity, which has tipped the balance in its favour. URESAT and other previous AMSAT EA satellite projects, involve a large number of students, both from professional training centers and universities, from different branches: aerospace, computer science, electronics, mechanical engineering, etc.

The prize consists of an economic amount donated by the friends of the Association and that will be used to cover part of the costs of developing and launching the satellite, expected for January 2023.

The Association promotes under the name of Salvatore 009 a group of friends who with love and similar affinities help with their work, with their ideas and with their money to pay for art and sports in general; especially those that this family member and friend Salvador practiced for years.

Salvador has always participated with a great spirit of improvement and non-profit in many disciplines that essentially represent the values of sport in any part of the world. Another virtue that characterized him was his love for art and his ability to identify interesting projects in life, as well as his innate talent to create and his imagination to develop them with optimism, confidence and joy. Sport and art share those values that characterized him: they favor personal development and self-esteem. They also help to become more independent in life, create self-discipline, foster fighting spirit and teamwork.

AMSAT-EA and URE thank the Salvatore 009 Association for this award, of which we feel very proud.

The URESAT-1 satellite itself is based on the previous experience of the GENESIS, EASAT-2 and HADES missions, in which numerous students from Spanish universities participated, and will incorporate many improvements that have been identified thanks to the results of these projects. The design is estimated to be 90% new. Among the novelties, a new 32-bit on-board computer stands out, which allows the available functionalities to be increased, including the SDR processing carried out and which results in higher speeds of transmission and re-transmission of data, as well as an increase in the surface of solar panels, which translates into more energy and higher transmission power. The antenna deployment mechanism has also been improved, increasing its reliability.

URESAT-1 will incorporate a repeater for FM voice and FSK data, as well as CW beacons, pre-recorded voice, FSK telemetry and an SSTV camera that will transmit live images and pre-loaded photos in analog SSTV format.

The launch of URESAT-1 is scheduled for January 2023 aboard a SpaceX Falcon-9, from Cape Canaveral in the United States.

[ANS thanks AMSAT-EA for the above information, and apologizes for any errors in translation]

+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+

SAVE THE DATE

The 40th Anniversary AMSAT Space Symposium & Annual General Meeting
is scheduled to be held in Bloomington, MN on Oct 21 – 23, 2022.

More information will follow in future editions of ANS.

+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+

Operating Tips for FM Satellites

Recent abuses on AO-91, and continued bedlam on FM satellites generally, have raised a growing number of complaints among operators and control stations. Here are some tips to help everyone enjoy these satellites and avoid being labeled as a bad actor:

LISTEN! These satellites are almost always busy when over populated areas. If you aren’t hearing activity on the downlink, it is unwise to make a “blind” call on the uplink frequency. Getting into the satellite is often easier than hearing it. Make certain you copy the downlink before transmitting.
NO CQs. FM satellites have a single channel and many stations are attempting to use the channel in a limited time. There is no time for calling CQ, or for repeatedly announcing your own call. Instead, listen for stations already active on the pass, and when you have an opportunity, make a call to a specific station you wish to work.
BE COURTEOUS. If Station A calls Station B, give Station B at least a millisecond or two to answer, and let them complete their brief QSO. Avoid interrupting or jumping on top of a contact in progress. Give priority to rovers or other special stations that many are anxious to contact.
BE WELCOMING. Make an effort to make calls to unfamiliar callsigns you’ve not yet worked before. Let newcomers have a chance, rather than shutting them out to say hello to stations you greet everyday.
DON’T BE A LID! Do “testing,” whistling, or “hello” someplace else. Modes other than FM voice have no place on these satellites. If you wish to experiment with FT modes, please feel free to do so on AO-109, but definitely NOT on an FM satellite.

(ANS thanks Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA, AO-91 Control Operator, and Mark Johns, K0JM, for the above information)

+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+

Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for July 28

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

QIKCOM-1 NORAD Cat ID 42983 (decayed form orbit on 7/26/2022 per Space-Track).

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

NASA’s Shane Kimbrough, KE5HOD, Retiring After 18 Years As An Astronaut

NASA has announced the retirement, on July 31, of Astronaut Shane Kimbrough, KE5HOD. The retired U.S. Army colonel spent a total of 388 days in space, landing him fifth on the list of record holders for cumulative time in space for all NASA astronauts. He was the fourth person to fly on three different spacecraft – the space shuttle, Soyuz, and SpaceX Crew Dragon – and he performed nine spacewalks during his three spaceflights.

Kimbrough was recently the commander of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-2 mission to the International Space Station, the second long-duration mission for the Crew Dragon spacecraft, and the longest spaceflight for a U.S. human spacecraft. Throughout the mission, Kimbrough and the Expedition 65 crew performed more than 250 scientific investigations designed to benefit all of humanity and help future exploration.

Shane’s expertise and leadership has been a huge asset to me personally and the astronaut office for many years. He has been a mentor to many astronauts, and it has been an absolute pleasure and honor to serve with him,” said Chief Astronaut Reid Wiseman at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to serve as a NASA astronaut for the past 18 years,” Kimbrough said. “I am honored to have been able to fly on three different spacecraft and to spend time at the International Space Station. I’ve worked with the best of the best in orbit and on the ground and am grateful for those that have supported me and my family. I’ve wanted to be an astronaut since I was a little kid watching NASA astronauts go to the Moon. To accomplish three spaceflights and nearly 400 days in space in my career is truly a dream come true.”

Kimbrough was born in Killeen, Texas, and graduated from The Lovett School in Atlanta in 1985. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in aerospace engineering from the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, New York, in 1989, and a Master of Science degree in operations research from the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta in 1998. Kimbrough was selected as an astronaut candidate by NASA in May 2004.

[ANS thanks NASA for the above information]

ARISS NEWS

Upcoming contacts:

Swiss Guide and Scout Movement, Bern, Switzerland, direct via HB9JAM. The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS. The scheduled crewmember is Samantha Cristoforetti, IZØUDF. Contact is go for: Wed 2022-08-03 12:23:28 UTC 43 deg. Watch for Livestream at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq64C8qJD-okYt-b_nwKUjA Also available on their web radio at https://www.mova.ch/it/radio

Ufa State Aviation Technical University, Ufa, Russia, direct via TBD. The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS. The scheduled crewmember is Oleg Artemiev. Contact is go for Sat 2022-07-30 14:05 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

VE3FU / VO2AC: July 25 to August 8 will be on vacation in VO1. I’m hoping to activate the following grids: GN07, GN08, GN09, GN18, GN19, GN29, GO10, GO11, & GO21. I’ll be VO1FUA. Holiday style. Linears and FM. I’ll do my best to post on Twitter before each pass.

W3IPA: DM42 vacation planned for Jul 30- Aug 6th will be on FM passes vacation style. I will be close to DM41 so might be able to work a gridline. Will post more updates closer to that week!

N8MR: Will be in EN57 with frequent roves to EN56 and EN67 Aug 6-13. Listening for EU, Car, SA CA. Prefer linear sats, FM sats possible. Sked depends on wx, etc.

EA7TN: Will be operating FM sats from FK58sr as HI7/EA7TN from July 21st to 29th. Holiday style, just an FT-4X and an Arrow from the beach.

EA4NF, Philippe will be operating as 8P9NF on LEO Satellites from BARBADOS, in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies and the most easterly of the Caribbean Islands. Philippe will operate using his portable LEO sat station (Yaesu FT818ND+Yaesu FT817ND) and Arrow antenna added to a Walkie Kenwood TH-d7 and a whip antenna to cover short, mid and long distances on both modes (FM & SSB)

AD0HJ is heading out again!: Will be attending a work training event during the week of August 1st in Hesston, KS. Look for me to activate several grid squares via satellite on my trip down there and back. Pass schedules posted on Twitter and on the http://hams.at website. Grids: EN11/21, EN10/20, EM18/19, EM16/17.

[ANS thanks Paul Overn, KE0PBR, AMSAT rover page manager, 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.

2022 Rocky Mountain ARRL Division Convention
Friday, October 7th, 2022 to Sunday, October 9th, 2022
Event Center at Archer
3921 Archer Pkwy
Cheyenne, Wyoming 82007
https://wyhamcon.org/site

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

Satellite Shorts From All Over

+ Mainstream news media have widely reported the recent statement by Yury Borisov, the new head of Roscosmos Space Corporation, that Russia plans to withdraw from the International Space Station after 2024. However, ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher tweeted, “Not surprised to hear Borisov stating Russia would pull out of ISS *after* 2024 (nothing new) and that Russia will continue to meet current obligations (good news). I count on good common sense. The ISS is the only realistic (well-equipped) space laboratory – for years to come.” (ANS thanks SpaceNews for the above information)

+ Congress has passed the first NASA authorization bill in more than five years, formally extending operations of the International Space Station and backing NASA’s Artemis exploration effort. The House passed on a 243–187 vote July 28 the “Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors (CHIPS) and Science Act,” a day after the Senate passed the bill on a 64–33 vote. President Biden has stated he supports the bill and will sign it into law. The bill was primarily a vehicle for supporting domestic manufacturing of semiconductors, but one portion of the bill included NASA authorization legislation. That portion, released last week, extends NASA’s authorization to operate the ISS from 2024 to 2030. It also formally authorizes a “Moon to Mars Program” that includes the Artemis campaign. (ANS thanks SpaceNews for the above information)

+ SpaceX and NASA have delayed the launch of the next U.S. crew flight to the International Space Station from early September to no earlier than Sept. 29, allowing time for ground teams to replace an interstage on the mission’s new Falcon 9 booster after it was damaged during transport. The Falcon 9 booster stage, riding horizontally on a truck and trailer, struck a bridge during the trip from SpaceX’s factory in Hawthorne, California, to the company’s test facility in McGregor, Texas. (ANS thanks Spaceflight Now for the above information)

+ ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, IZØUDF, checked off a number of “firsts” when she completed her first ever spacewalk on Thursday, July 21, conducted alongside cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev. Not only was it a first for her, but this spacewalk was also the first conducted by a European woman, and the first conducted by a European in a Russian Orlan spacesuit from the International Space Station. The pair of spacewalkers worked on a number of tasks over the course of their seven-hour EVA, including deploying ten amateur radio nanosatellites by hand, and installing the European Robotic Arm (ERA) on the newest Space Station’s laboratory module, Nauka. (ANS thanks the European Space Agency for the above information)

+ Just two weeks after the first release of imagery, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is reshaping astronomy, according to an article at https://bit.ly/3Sd5XZF. Meanwhile, the larger micrometeoroid that hit the JWST in May caused damage to one of the mirror sections and a very slight decrease in image quality. Alone, this isn’t an issue, but it was more damage than was expected by micrometeoroid models, and so is worrying if it means that either the telescope is more susceptible to damage than anticipated, or the debris environment is unexpectedly harsh. (ANS thanks The Orbital Index for the above information)

+ China launched their Wentian research lab module on Sunday, July 24, the second of three modules that will form the completed Tiangong space station. The first stage of the Long March 5B rocket which launched Wentian could reenter the atmosphere around July 31. Experts at the Center for Orbital and Reentry Debris Studies (CORDS) have been closely tracking the 53.6-meter-tall stage, which is thought to have a mass of around 23 metric tons. The most likely scenario is that the stage reenters over the oceans. There is however a “non-zero probability of the surviving debris landing in a populated area — over 88 percent of the world’s population lives under the reentry’s potential debris footprint,” CORDS reported. “A reentry of this size will not burn up in the Earth’s atmosphere, and the general rule of thumb is that 20–40 percent of the mass of a large object will reach the ground, though it depends on the design of the object.” (ANS thanks Space News for the above information)

+ Think inflation is hard on *your* wallet? NASA just bought a Falcon Heavy launch for the Nancy Grace Roman Telescope in 2026 for $255 million. By comparison, the Europa Clipper Falcon Heavy launch only cost NASA $178 million almost exactly one year ago! (ANS thanks The Orbital Index for the above information)

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

In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership to:

Contact info [at] amsat.org for additional 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