ANS-234 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins for Aug. 22

August 22, 2021 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:

Contacts Completed Successfully Through AO-109
Registration Now Open for AMSAT Space Symposium
2021 AMSAT Board of Directors Election Being Held
AMSAT Awards Update
ARISS News
Upcoming Satellite Operations
Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events
Satellite Shorts From All Over

ANS-234 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

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

DATE 2021 Aug 22

Contacts Completed Successfully Through AO-109

Several amateurs have reported successful operation through the AO-109 satellite, even though the satellite’s power output has been determined to be less than 10 milliwatts.

Carlos Cardon, W7QL in DN40, completed a contact with Dave Beumer, W0DHB in DN70, on August 12 using FT4. They repeated with additional QSOs on August 15 and 18. Also on August 15, W7QL completed a contact with Alan Bowker, WA6DNR in CM87 using FT4. Further, W0DHB and Mark Johns, K0JM in EN35, completed an FT4 QSO through the satellite on August 18, and repeated with a second QSO on August 19.

Carlos noted, “Based upon our testing the past couple of days, I think FT4 QSOs should be consistently achievable on this satellite.”

These contacts have been an extension of digital mode experiments via satellite involving a larger number of stations, as reported earlier and in greater detail in the May/June 2020 issue of The AMSAT Journal.

The stations involved have been fairly typical satellite setups without exotic additions. W7QL reports “using my IC-9700 (in Data mode, full power) and LEO-Pack antenna, with SatPC32 and WSJT-X.” W0DHB, WA6DNR, and K0JM are using FlexRadio transcievers with transverters.

All report using 75-100 watts of transmit power to get signals through AO-109, although care is taken to reduce power to 1 or 2 watts when using digital modes on other linear satellites, such as RS-44. While FT4 activity is generally at the low end of the downlink passband on other linear satellites (5 kHz above the bottom passband limit), activity on AO-109 has been on a downlink frequency of 435.770 (5 kHz below transponder center).

Several other stations have reported experimenting with CW on AO-109. Take Tone, JK2XXK in PM85, completed a CW QSO with Tetsurou Satou, JA0CAW in PM97, on May 1, and other contacts among Japanese amateurs have followed. John Papay, K8YSE, Doug Tabor, N6UA, and Burns Fisher, WB1FJ, in addition to W7QL and W0DHB, have reported hearing or experimenting with CW on the bird in North America. K8YSE in EN91 and Stephan Greene, KS1G in FM18, reported a completed CW QSO on August 21.

Mark Hammond, N8MH, AMSAT Director and Command Station, has also been paying close attention to AO-109 signals. He notes, “All you need is to use AF from the built in sound cards of the 9700, directly into WSJT-X, over USB cable. Then, have the radio use USB-D and LSB-D modes. It will probably give you a little better signal to noise I think? Seeing 3 kHz of the transponder downlink is plenty. Doppler correction is important, especially around TCA. Tell SatPC32 under the CAT tab to do Intervals of “0 Hz” for SSB/CW and use a Speed of x5.”

[ANS thanks Carlos Cardon, W7QL, for the above information]

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

Registration Now Open for AMSAT Space Symposium

The 39th AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting will be held Friday through Sunday, October 29-31, 2021, at the Crowne Plaza AiRE in Bloomington, Minnesota.

Registration is now open for the event at https://launch.amsat.org/Events. Student registrations are available at $40, and General registration is at $75. Registration for the Saturday evening Symposium Banquet is an additional $55. Full details are available at the registration website.

The Crowne Plaza AiRE is located at 3 Appletree Square, Bloomington, MN 55245, adjacent to the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and only steps away from the METRO Blue Line’s American Blvd. stop. Nearby shopping and tourist attractions include Mall of America, SEA LIFE at Mall of America, Nickelodeon Universe, and the Minnesota Zoo.

The Symposium includes presentations, exhibit space, and the AMSAT Annual General Meeting. The preliminary schedule is presented at https://launch.amsat.org/event-4414716

The AMSAT Board of Directors Meeting will be held before the Symposium, October 28-29, at the same hotel.

Those attending may make hotel reservations by calling the hotel directly at (952) 854-9000 or (877) 424-4188 (toll free) or online by visiting crowneplazaaire.com. The group name is Amateur Satellite Group.

Platinum and Titanium members of the AMSAT President’s Club receive free admission to the Symposium and receive a complimentary lunch with the President on Saturday afternoon. Please email [email protected] to arrange registration.

Presenters are invited to participate at the Symposium and/or submit a paper to the Symposium Proceedings. Read the Call for Papers at https://www.amsat.org/2021-amsat-symposium-proceedings-call-for-papers/ for more information.

[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/

2021 AMSAT Board of Directors Election Being Held

The nomination period for the 2021 Board of Directors Election ended on June
15, 2021. The following candidates have been duly nominated and their
candidate statements can be found at link that follows:

Joseph Armbruster, KJ4JIO
Robert Bankston, KE4AL
Jerry Buxton, N0JY
Zach Metzinger, N0ZGO

In accordance with our Bylaws, AMSAT must hold an election, even though we
have four nominations for four 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, 2021.

When members click on the poll link, they will see their 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 four seats on the Board of Directors
are up for election this year, all four candidates will be seated on the
Board when the voting period concludes on September 15, 2021.

To read candidate biographies see:
https://launch.amsat.org/2021-BoD-Election

AMSAT members may access their ballots at:
https://launch.amsat.org/Sys/Poll/25943

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

AMSAT’s GOLF Program is about getting back to higher orbits, and it all
begins with GOLF-TEE – a technology demonstrator for deployable solar
panels, propulsion, and attitude control, now manifested for launch on
NASA’s ELaNa 46 mission. Come along for the ride. The journey will be
worth it!

https://tinyurl.com/ANS-GOLF

AMSAT Awards Update

Here are the latest award updates for the first half of the year, plus a bit.

AMSAT Satellite Communicators Award for making their first satellite QSO

John Wedge, VA6WEG
Brandon Coon, KI5MJH
Davy Jacobs, ON8ZJ
Ryan Frederick, K7NZE
Peter Spinelli, N4YOT
John Hutchison, KI5NYZ
Allen Beard, K4WSD
David Johnston, WD6AOE

——

AMSAT Communications Achievement Award

Martin Schuette, N9EAT, #633
Stephen DeVience, N8URE, #634
Dave Lane, KB0RFY, #635
Allen Beard, K4WSD, #636
Wes Baden, NA1ME, #637
Thomas Talley, K0CFI, #638

——

AMSAT Sexagesimal Satellite Communications Achievement Award

Martin Schuette, N9EAT, #190
Stephen DeVience, N8URE, #191
Wes Baden, NA1ME, #192

——

AMSAT Century Award

Martin Schuette, N9EAT, #57
Wes Baden, NA1ME, #58

——

AMSAT South Africa Satellite Communications Achievement Award

Martin Schuette, N9EAT, #US236
Stephen DeVience, N8URE, #US237
Dave Lane, KB0RFY, #US238
Allen Beard, K4WSD, #US239
Wes Baden, NA1ME, #US240
Thomas Talley, K0CFI, #US241

——

AMSAT Robert W. Barbee Jr., W4AMI Award (1,000-4,000)

Ken Bodholt, KI7UXT #US104 upgraded to 4,000
Bernd Scholer, DL6IAN #US116 upgraded to 3,000
Michael Mark, VE4MM, #117 upgraded to 2,000
Stephen DeVience, N8URE, #US118
Larry Callahan, KF6JOQ, #US119

——

AMSAT Rover Award

Rover Call
===== ========
#57 ND9M/MM
#58 LA9XGA
#59 WI7P
#60 KF6JOQ

——

GridMaster Award

GridMaster Call
========== ========
#27 W9TWJ
#28 W5RKN
#29 KI7UXT
#30 K8YSE/7
#31 KB6LTY
#32 KC9ELU

To see all the awards visit http://www.amsat.org and click on Services then Awards.

[ANS thanks Bruce Paige, KK5DO, AMSAT Director Contests and Awards, 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.

The next scheduled contact is with Carl Fuhlrott-Gymnasium, Wuppertal, Germany, direct via DN1CFG. The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS. The scheduled astronaut is Akihiko Hoshide, KE5DNI. The contact is go for: Monday, 2021-08-23 07:54:53 UTC, 81 degrees maximum elevation over Germany.

The ARISS station is currently supporting packet operation (145.825 MHz up & down). Next mode change is to cross band repeater after the school contact on Aug 23 (after 08:05 UTC). The station will power down for upcoming U.S. EVA [spacewalk] on August 24. Shutdown scheduled for about 19:00 UTC Aug 23. Power up scheduled for 07:45 UTC Aug 25.

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

WL7T will be putting a number of Alaska grids on the air, August 21-27:
BP44, BP45, BP46, BP47, BP54, BP55, BP57, BP58, BP59, BP64, BP65, BP75, BP84, BP85

VE7KPM: CN78, upcoming. 9/2 approx.

[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.

Ambassador Clint Bradford, K6LCS, has online presentations scheduled for the following clubs:
Sonoma (CA) ARC
STARS – Easy Coast
Fairlawn NJ
Portland OR
Longmont CO
SW Florida
Contact Clint at http://www.work-sat.com or by phone at 909-999-SATS (7287) to arrange a presentation.

The 2021 HamXposition is taking place September the 11th and 12th, in Marlborough, Massachusetts. The convention has a new home at the Best Western Royal Plaza Hotel & Trade Center. If you would like to volunteer at the booth contact Phil Smith w1eme at amsat.org.

REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN for the 39th AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting
October 29-31, 2021
Crowne Plaza AiRE
3 Appletree Square, Bloomington, MN 55245.
Complete information and registration at tinyurl.com/ANS-227-SYMPOSIUM.

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

Satellite Shorts From All Over

+ The previously announced schedule of FCC amateur radio application fees likely will not go into effect before 2022. FCC staff confirmed during a recent virtual meeting with Volunteer Examiner Coordinators (VECs) that the agency is still working on the necessary changes to the Universal Licensing System (ULS) software and other processes and procedures that must be in place before it starts collecting fees from amateur applicants. Once it’s effective, a $35 application fee will apply to new, modification (upgrade and sequential call sign change), renewal, and vanity call sign applications. (ANS thanks ARRL for the above information.)

+ AMSAT-DL reports the antenna used by DP0GVN in Antarctica for the QO-100 geostationary satellite amateur radio transponder is completely destroyed. According to the Alfred-Wegener-Institute (AWI), a severe winter storm hit Atka Bay (Antarctica) at the end of last week. Unfortunately, the satellite antenna for the geostationary QO-100 amateur radio satellite was also completely destroyed during the storm, despite the weatherproof radome, so no school contacts with DP0GVN can take place until further notice. AMSAT-DL and AWI hope to erect a new antenna early next year, in particular to continue the very successful contacts with schools. (ANS thanks AMSAT-UK and AMSAT-DL for the above information.)

+ NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei, KG5GNP, and astronaut Akihiko Hoshide, KE5DNI, of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency will venture outside the International Space Station on Tuesday, Aug. 24, for a spacewalk to install a support bracket in preparation for future installation of the orbiting laboratory’s third new solar array. NASA will discuss the upcoming spacewalk during a news conference at 1800z (2 p.m. EDT) Monday, Aug. 23. Live coverage of the news conference and spacewalk will air on NASA Television, the agency’s website, and the NASA app. [Amateurs should be aware that all amateur radio transmissions are powered off during spacewalks.] (ANS thanks NASA for the above information.)

+ The Ingenuity helicopter on Mars has now completed its 12th flight, where it acted as a scout, looking ahead for dangerous terrain for it’s partner in crime, the Perseverance rover. The 4-pound autonomous rotocraft climbed over almost 10 meters (33 ft) high, and traveled a total of 450 meters (1,476 ft) in 169 seconds. It flew over the over an area dubbed the ‘South Seitah’ region of Mars, where Perseverance will explore. (ANS thanks Universe Today for the above information.)

+ Scientists have spotted a previously unrecognized feature of our Milky Way galaxy: A contingent of young stars and star-forming gas clouds is sticking out of one of the Milky Way’s spiral arms like a splinter poking out from a plank of wood. Stretching some 3,000 light-years, this is the first major structure identified with an orientation so dramatically different than the arm’s. (ANS thanks Space Daily for the above information.)

+ NASA is calling on all sixth through 12th-grade educators and students to submit experiments for possible suborbital flights as a way of gaining firsthand experience with the design and testing process used by NASA researchers. The NASA TechRise Student Challenge invites students to design, build, and launch experiments on suborbital rockets and high-altitude balloons. Each winning team will receive $1,500 to build their experiment and an assigned spot to test it on a NASA-sponsored suborbital flight. For details, see https://www.futureengineers.org/nasatechrise (ANS thanks NASA 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, Mark Johns, K0JM
k0jm at amsat dot org

ANS-227 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins for Aug. 15

August 15, 2021 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: [email protected]

You can sign up for free e-mail delivery of the AMSAT News Service Bulletins via the ANS List; to join this list see: https://mailman.amsat.org/postorius/lists/ans.amsat.org/

In this edition:

Call For Papers For The 39Th AMSAT Space Symposium (Repost)
IARU Coordinates Two New Satellites
AMSAT at the Northeast HamXposition – Call for Volunteers
MIR-SAT 1 Reaches STEM Objective
FT4 via the AO-73 CubeSat Demonstration Video
Weekly Changes for Keplerian Elements/TLE’s
ARISS News
Upcoming Satellite Operations
Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events
Satellite Shorts From All Over

ANS-227 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

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

DATE 2021 Aug 15

Call For Papers For The 39Th AMSAT Space Symposium (Repost)

This is a call for papers for the 39th AMSAT Space Symposium to be held on the weekend of October 29-31, 2021 at the Crowne Plaza AiRE hotel in Bloomington, Minnesota.

Proposals for symposium 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 18 for inclusion in the symposium proceedings. Abstracts and papers should be sent to Dan Schultz, N8FGV at [email protected]

[ANS thanks Dan Schultz N8FGV, Symposium Program Chair, for the above information]

IARU Coordinates Two New Satellites

Cape IV-GTO
A 100x100x20mm Picosat sponsored by the University of Louisiana-Lafayette. The first mission is to teach by doing to design, build, test, launch and operate satellite on orbit. The second mission is to reach out to high schools in the area to design and operate devices in orbit. This will train high school students in radio communications and encourage STEM activities. Proposing LoRa comms using 10.3 Fd1 18bps. Downlinks on 145.825 MHz, 145.990 MHz (spare) and 437.325 MHz have been coordinated. No launch info yet available but planning a 36000 x 200 km orbit. More info at https://ee.louisiana.edu/research/cape.

QubeSat
A 2U CubeSat sponsored by the University of California – Berkeley. The QubeSat mission is to research the effects of space environment on a quantum gyroscope based on NV–centers in diamond. These sensors could support better attitude determination systems for cubesats, including Amateur cubesats. The OpenLST uses the TI CC1101 packet structure, supported by the accompanying OpenLST software. This packet format can be decoded by anyone since it is well documented, so it could be useful to the amateur satellite community. Proposing a 2-FSK UHF downlink at 5k5 bps. A downlink on 437.740 MHz has been coordinated. Planning an Astra launch into a 500 km orbit in Dec 2021. More info from https://stac.berkeley.edu/project/qubesat.

[ANS thanks IARU and AMSAT-UK for the above information]

AMSAT at the Northeast HamXposition– Call for volunteers

It is the efforts of volunteers that make Hamvention’s a success for AMSAT.
The interaction with AMSAT members, satellite operators, designers, and builders make the whole experience a lot of fun.

The 2021 HamXposition is taking place September the 11-12, 2021 in Marlborough, Massachusetts. The convention has a new home at the Best Western Royal Plaza Hotel & Trade Center. If you would like to volunteer at the booth contact Phil Smith [email protected].

[ANS thanks Phil Smith, W1EME for the above information]

MIR-SAT 1 Reaches STEM Objective

One of the main objective of the MIR-SAT 1 project is to promote STEM and HAM radio which is fully in line with the AMSAT Ambassador initiative.

Mauritius Amateur Radio Society (MARS) is quite proud to announce that three schools in 3B8 have successfully capture the TLM of MIR-SAT 1 so far and that many others Educational institution are already equipped to succeed same soon.

The following certificate were issued today by the Mauritius Amateur Radio Society today,

– 3B8BBD
– AM_nml
– E29AHU
– JH4XSY
– OM7AAK
– FSGSSS (The first 3B8 school to obtain the Award, Forestside State Secondary School (Girls)
– 3B8FV
– LZ1NY
– PMLMB (The second 3B8 School to obtain the Award, Polytecnics Mauritius Ltd. Montagne Blanche)

Prof. Hassan Rafa State Secondary School of Terre Rouge were the second school to receive and decode the signals from MIR-SAT 1 but unfortunately without a permanent internet connection they did not upload the telemetry to SatNOGS thus not eligible for the Award, hopefully they will get it soon.

Congratulations to the winners and thanks to them for providing TLM of MIR-SAT 1 to MARS through SatNOGS.

Note that MIR-SAT 1 is still in safe mode and under testing. MARS will advise when it will be available to Amateur use ASAP.

[ANS thanks Jean Marc Momple, 3B8DU for the above information]

FT4 via the AO-73 CubeSat Demonstration Video

Sweden’s AMSAT-SM has released a short video showing communications via the amateur radio satellite AO-73 (FunCube-1) using the popular digital mode FT4. This is a short video of FT-4 communication via satellite AO-73 with SDR-Console V3.1 and Icom IC-705. It is a part of a guide that will be published later on AMSAT-SM web https://www.amsat.se/

In the first part you will see the first screen with SDR-Console with Airspy Mini as receiver, audio is piped to WSJT-X. You will also see SDR-Console handle the TX Doppler correction for the IC-705 via “External radio”.

In the second part you will see the second screen with WSJT-X connected to IC-705. The output was only one (1) to two (2) watts! You can see that WSJT-X is reading the Doppler corrected frequency. You will also see SDR-Console satellite tracking and PstRotator controlling the SPID RAS rotor. For more information see https://amsat-uk.org/.

[ANS thanks AMSAT-UK for the above information]

https://tinyurl.com/ANS-GOLF

Weekly Changes for Keplerian Elements/TLE’s

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

FEES – NORAD Cat ID 48082 (Thanks to Joe Fitzgerald, KM1P for the
identification.)

Complete information on TLE Keplerian Elements and resources can always be found at
https://www.amsat.org/keplerian-elements-resources/

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

ARISS NEWS

Next mode change is expected to take place in late August 2021.

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

+ Trans-Nevada: August 16-20, 2021
David AD7DB is planning a rove starting August 16 on FM satellites.
– Mon 8/16 DM09 in Reno area.
– Tue 8/17 DN00, DN10 & 11 later, near Lovelock and Winnemucca.
– Wed 8/18 DN10, DN20 & 21 later, near Elko.
– Thu 8/19 DN21, DN20 & 30 later, near Wells and Wendover.
– Fri 8/20 DN20 and 30, near Wendover.
The actual satellite passes and times are still being worked out but plans are for AO-91, AO-92, SO-50, AO-27 and PO-101.
Go to twitter.com/ad7db for the latest updates during the rove.

+ BP44, BP45, BP46, BP47, BP54, BP55, BP57, BP58, BP59, BP64, BP65, BP75, BP84, BP85: August 21-27,2021
Look for Taylor, WL7T as he is on the move in Alaska.

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

Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events

39th AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting
October 29-31, 2021
Crowne Plaza AiRE
3 Appletree Square, Bloomington, MN 55245.
Complete information at tinyurl.com/ANS-227-SYMPOSIUM.

2021 HamXposition
September the 11-12, 2021
Best Western Royal Plaza Hotel & Trade Center
Marlborough, Massachusetts

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

Satellite Shorts From All Over

+ AMSAT-DL will hold its Satellite Symposium and General Assembly 2021 on August 28 in Bochum. As it currently stands, this will be a face-to-face event. More information at tinyurl.com/ANS-227-AMSAT-DL.

+ A student of ARISS educator Joanne Michael won an AIAA Kahn $10,000 scholarship. Joanne taught him hands-on science in kindergarten through fifth grade at Meadows Elementary in the Manhattan Beach Unified School District. The young man is now enrolled at Stanford University. He wrote, “I love finding out the mechanics of any device and gaining knowledge by hands-on experience. I cannot stand not knowing what lies beyond our reach in the universe. My goal is to take part in the Mars colonization plans as an engineer astronaut and help advance the astronautical-engineering world.”

+ Cubesat has announced next year’s CubeSat Developers Workshop on April 26–28, 2022. Mark your calendar and get more information at www.cubesatdw.org/.

+ From 12 to 20 July 2021, ESA Academy’s Training and Learning Program teamed up with ESA experts in the field of Space Systems Engineering to run the second edition of the Space Systems Engineering Training Course . The goal was to offer university students an overview of the different aspects of Space Systems Engineering while also affording them the opportunity to gain hands-on experience through group exercises. Held fully online due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, in (virtual) attendance were 30 university students from 11 different ESA Member States and Canada. More information at tinyurl.com/ANS-227-ESA.

+ The newly released SDR++ V1.0.0 software is featured on the YouTube SignalsEverywhere channel. SDR++ is an open source, cross platform, C++ based GUI general receiver program for various SDR’s including the RTL-SDR. The video shows it’s basic usage in action and highlights many of the features that SDR++ has. The producer notes that she is very impressed with SDR++, praising it as one of the best SDR applications released in a while. More information at tinyurl.com/ANS-227-SDR.

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, Frank Karnauskas, N1UW
n1uw at amsat dot org

ANS-213 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins for Aug. 1

August 1, 2021 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: [email protected]

You can sign up for free e-mail delivery of the AMSAT News Service Bulletins via the ANS List; to join this list see: https://mailman.amsat.org/postorius/lists/ans.amsat.org/

In this edition:

* AMSAT Announces Strategic Satellite Objectives and Organization Goals
* F4DXV and VE1CWJ Set Numerous Satellite Distance Records
* Call For Papers For The 39Th AMSAT Space Symposium
* AM1SAT International Award
* Russian Lab Module Tilts Space Station With Errant Thruster Firings
* The Young Ham of the Year for 2021 is a Satellite Operator
* FO-29 & FO-99 Operation Schedules For August 2021
* More Slow-Scan TV Transmissions from RS0ISS Scheduled
* ARISS News
* Upcoming Satellite Operations
* Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events
* Satellite Shorts From All Over

ANS-213 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

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

DATE 2021 Aug 01

AMSAT Announces Strategic Satellite Objectives and Organization Goals

The AMSAT Board of Directors has adopted a set of strategic satellite objectives and organization goals. The document, adopted in early June and published in the the May/June 2021 edition of The AMSAT Journal. The plan establishes a long-term, multi-faceted vision that includes big dreams, a continued presence in space, and a development path for the scientists, engineers, and operators of tomorrow.

AMSAT President, Robert Bankston, KE4AL, commented, “Anything this ambitious will undoubtedly challenge our limited human and fiscal resources. We must parallel our new plan with new ways to manage and fund projects. AMSAT has a pool of very talented volunteers, but there will be times when we require skills beyond our current capabilities. Recruitment, partnerships, collaborative efforts, and even outsourcing are options that will help us fill in the gaps.”

Highly Elliptical Orbit (HEO)

1. Upward to HEO. Develop and deploy a series of spacecraft capable of providing wide-area and continuous coverage from highly elliptical and geostationary transfer orbits. Greater Orbit, Larger Footprint

2. GOLF. Develop and deploy a series of increasingly capable spacecraft through a program to learn skills and systems for which we do not yet have the necessary low-risk experience, including active attitude control, deployable/steerable solar panels, radiation tolerance for commercial off the shelf (COTS) components in higher orbits and propulsion.

Amateur Radio on the International Space Station

3. AREx-A. Partner with ARISS and ARISS-USA to advance Amateur Radio’s presence aboard NASA’s International Space Station, Deep Space Gateway and Artemis missions and provide opportunities to engage with astronauts in lunar and deep space operations.

Low Earth Orbit (LEO)

4. LEO. Support a stream of LEO satellites developed in cooperation with the educational community and other Amateur Radio satellite groups.
4.1 FM Operations. Develop, deploy and support a series of 1U spacecraft to support continued FM amateur satellite operations in low Earth orbit.
4.2 Partnerships. Develop a plug-and-play communications solution for educational and other Amateur Radio CubeSat programs, providing a VHF/UHF telemetry beacon, command receiver, and linear transponder or FM repeater communications module.

AMSAT STEM Initiatives

5. AMSAT Education. Support science,
technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) initiatives and training programs for satellite and ground system designers and operators.
5.1 CubeSat Simulator. Continue development of AMSAT’s CubeSat Simulator Program.
5.2 High Altitude Ballooning. Develop program to support and sponsor the use of amateur radio in high-altitude balloon (HAB) launches.
5.3 Youth Initiative. Develop an educational out reach program that encourages youth to pursue STEM interests in space science and communication technology.

More details of the strategic satellite objectives and organization goals may be found at https://www.amsat.org/apogeeview/

[ANS thanks The AMSAT Journal for the above information]

F4DXV and VE1CWJ Set Numerous Satellite Distance Records

Jérôme LeCuyer, F4DXV, and John Langille, VE1CWJ, have spent the last couple of months using their favorable geographic locations to set a number of satellite distance records.

On May 5, 2021 at 13:04 UTC, F4DXV and VE1CWJ set the initial record on JO-97 of 4,889 km. F4DXV was operating in JN04it22nt and VE1CWJ was operating in FN85ii89sk.

On May 15, 2021 at 08:30 UTC, F4DXV and VE1CWJ broke the 5,000 km mark for the first time on a satellite from the September 2015 Long March 6 launch when they covered a distance of 5,005 km between FN85ii22lf and JN15jo26rq on XW-2F. F4DXV was operating from the summit of a mountain and the QSO was completed with an elevation of -1.5 degrees.

On June 26, 2021 at 11:03 UTC, the pair set a record of 4,907 km on FO-99 while F4DXV was operating in JN04jr35pe and VE1CWJ was operating in FN85fo5ik.

One month later, on July 26, 2021, F4DXV returned to the summit of the mountain in JN15jo26rq and the pair set a number of additional records within one half-hour, again breaking the 5,000 km threshold for the first time on several additional satellites from the September 2015 Long March 6 launch. They set the record at 5,008 km on LilacSat-2 at 08:08 UTC, XW-2D at 08:15 UTC, XW-2B at 08:21 UTC, and XW-2C at 08:33 UTC.

A list of known satellite distance records is located at https://www.amsat.org/satellite-distance-records/. Please email n8hm at amsat.org if you wish to claim a new record, longer distance QSO not yet documented, or records for any other satellite/transponder not yet listed. Please note that if a satellite carries multiple transponders or supports multiple frequency bands, records on each transponder/band may be claimed, such as Mode A and B on AO-7 or Mode U/S, L/S, U/K, etc, on AO-40. This includes the ISS and records may be claimed for the packet digipeater and crossband repeater, but does not include different operating modes on the same transponder (such as CW or SSB on AO-7 Mode B).

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

Call For Papers For The 39Th AMSAT Space Symposium

This is a call for papers for the 39th AMSAT Space Symposium to be held on the weekend of October 29-31, 2021 at the Crowne Plaza AiRE hotel in Bloomington, Minnesota.

[ANS thanks Dan Schultz N8FGV, Symposium Program Chair, for the above information]

AM1SAT International Award

From September 13-19 AM1SAT will be active on the amateur radio satellites from a number of locations in Spain, diplomas will be available for contacting the stations

A translation of the URE post reads:

AMSAT-EA will celebrate in September, coinciding with the IberRadio Fair organized by URE in Ávila and which is the largest meeting point for radio amateurs in Spain and Portugal, the third edition of its International Competition and AM1SAT Award.

To do this, AMSAT-EA operators will be in the air on all available satellites with the callsign AM1SAT between the 13th and 19th of that month, activating a minimum of 14 different locations.

As part of this activity and to encourage participation, the SILVER and GOLD classifications will be available, as well as a trophy for the one who achieves the greatest number of grids and for the one who manages to work the greatest number of different satellites.

In the last edition of the contest held in 2019, 727 QSOs were made, awarding 10 gold and 28 silver diplomas. The trophies for the best grid and satellite ‘hunter’ were awarded to F4DXV and EA3CAZ.

The rules in English for this year’s contest can be found at https://www.amsat-ea.org/app/download/12828633/AMSAT+EA+-+AM1SAT+2021+-+English.pdf

Orignal source, Union La Unión de Radioaficionados Españoles: https://tinyurl.com/IARU-Spain

[ANS thanks Southgate ARC for the above information]

Russian Lab Module Tilts Space Station With Errant Thruster Firings

A heavyweight Russian laboratory module that experienced a variety of problems after launch last week docked at the International Space Station Thursday, but in a moment of unexpected drama, inadvertent thruster firings briefly knocked the sprawling complex out of its normal orientation.

Space station program manager Joel Montalbano said the station was maintaining its orientation, or “attitude,” using massive NASA-supplied gyroscopes when the thruster firings suddenly began at 12:34 p.m. EDT, about three hours after the 44,000-pound Nauka multi-purpose laboratory glided in for docking.

The gyros were unable to counteract the unwanted push from Nauka’s jets and the space station, stretching the length of a football field with a mass of more than 930,000 pounds, began tilting away from its normal orientation.

Attitude control was quickly handed off to more effective rocket motors in the Russian Zvezda module, where Nauka was attached. A few minutes later, thrusters in a Progress cargo ship docked on the other side of Zvezda kicked in with additional muscle.

The space station ended up tilted up about 45 degrees from its earlier orientation, moving at one point at roughly half a degree per second. But in a little more than an hour, the station was back in its normal orientation, apparently none the worse for wear.

“We haven’t noticed any damage to the ISS,” Montalbano said in an afternoon teleconference. “One of the things we do after a dynamic event like this is go ahead and sit down with our structural loads team and review all the data, go pull all the telemetry and do an assessment. And so that’ll be the next step.”

A “spacecraft emergency” was declared at the outset, but that was standard procedure in such cases, giving the lab complex priority over other spacecraft using NASA’s satellite communications network. Montalbano said the station’s seven crew members were never in any danger.

“There was no immediate danger at any time to the crew,” he said. “Obviously, when you have a loss of attitude control, that’s something you want to address right away. But the crew was never in any, like, immediate emergency or anything like that.”

It’s not yet known what might have caused the Nauka module’s thrusters to suddenly begin firing as cosmonauts Oleg Novitskiy and Pyotr Dubrov were in the process of “integrating” the new spacecraft with the station’s computer systems.

Up to 11 spacewalks will be needed to outfit the laboratory and to make multiple power and data connections with the space station. The first two excursions are planned for September. Amateurs should note that the ISS amateur radio operations, ARISS, are shut down whenever there are docking operations or EVAs (spacewalks) taking place.

[ANS thanks SpaceFlightNow for the above information]

https://tinyurl.com/ANS-GOLF

The Young Ham of the Year for 2021 is a Satellite Operator

Faith Hannah Lea, KD3Z, of Palm Coast, Florida, has been selected as the 2021 Bill Pasternak WA6ITF Memorial Amateur Radio Newsline Young Ham of the Year.

Faith Hannah is the daughter of James, WX4TV, and Michelle, N8ZQZ, Lea. Her brother and two sisters are also hams.

She credited her parents with being the biggest influences in her entry into amateur radio. She said her journey began at the age of 10 in December 2014.

“I started studying for my Technician license with my brother (Zechariah WX4TVJ),” she recalled. “And we both went in and got it. And two weeks later, I had earned my General … Then, two months later, I earned my Extra.

“So that allowed me to really get into the stuff that I liked, which was working HF.”
Just 18 months after being licensed, Faith Hannah was invited to join the 2016 Dave Kalter Memorial Youth DX team operating PJ6 from the Dutch island of Saba.

“And that’s when I realized especially that DXing is amazing because I absolutely love those huge pileups and getting to talk to all of those different people,” she explained.

Among her PJ6 achievements was a satellite contact that broke the SO-50 distance world record. She wrote an article about the event which was published in the March/April 2017 issue of The AMSAT Journal.

In August 2018, Faith Hannah took part in the week-long “Youngsters on the Air” program in Johannesburg, South Africa where she participated in kit-building and antenna building projects, satellite operations and a high-altitude balloon launch.

She wrote an article about her experiences in South Africa that was published in CQ magazine.

On the way to South Africa, Faith Hannah and her father, James, WX4TV, had a 22-hour layover in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates. They were invited by the Emirates Amateur Radio Society to visit and operate A62A and A60YOZ.

In December 2018, Faith Hannah and her younger sister, Hope, ND2L, and her father organized a 36-hour mini-DXpedition to the Dry Tortugas in the Gulf of Mexico, off the southwest coast of Florida, where they activated N4T.

The girls logged 1,970 HF contacts and 100 satellite contacts.

Faith Hannah’s account of the N4T operation was published by CQ magazine, and she and Hope shared the April 2019 cover.

These and other ham radio experiences energized her desire to actively participate in contesting with her family and she has been a regular participant in ARRL Field Day, ARRL International DX contests, CQ WW SSB, and several state QSO parties.

She has participated in several special event operations as well, including National Parks on the Air (NPOTA) activations, the first SpaceX Falcon Heavy launch, the Ponce Inlet Lighthouse in Florida, a 13 Colonies station (K2G) in Georgia, and Jamboree on the Air and Boy Scout Radio merit badge weekends.

She has been active in several clubs in Virginia and Florida over her brief time as an amateur radio operator, finding mentors and friends in each of them. She has served as a net control operator for Volusia, Florida ARES (Amateur Radio Emergency Service) during Hurricanes Matthew, Irma and Dorian.

Faith Hannah completed high school through home schooling. But before doing so, she enrolled in Daytona State College where she earned an Associate of Arts degree at the age of 15. Presently, she is enrolled in Stetson University in Deland, Florida, where she is recognized as a member of the junior class. She maintains a 4.0 GPA as she works toward earning two different degrees – a Bachelor of Science in molecular and cellular biology and a Bachelor of Business Administration. Faith Hannah said she is exploring two career tracks – medicine or the law, or possibly both.

In 2020, she earned a $25,000 scholarship from the Foundation for Amateur Radio. And in 2021, a $16,000 scholarship in the “Voice of Democracy” essay contest sponsored by the Veterans of Foreign Wars – finishing first in Florida and second in the national competition.

As for amateur radio now and in the future, Faith Hannah says there’s always time for that.

“I know this sounds weird but it doesn’t really take all of my time to do my school, to have fun and to do ham radio,” she explained. “It all just fits in perfectly because a lot of times if I’m getting on the radio and it’s not a contest, I’ll just do it in the evening when gray line is there because that’s usually when I’m free and it’s a great time to make contacts.

“If it’s a weekend, we might take a radio and go out to a park or something and get on the air. And once it starts dying down, we’ll just hang around the park for a couple of hours.”

The YHOTY award is traditionally presented during the Huntsville Hamfest in August at the Von Braun Center in Huntsville Alabama. However, because of the spike in the Delta variant of Covid-19, Amateur Radio Newsline will not stage a public presentation at the hamfest this year. Faith Hannah will receive a certificate of recognition and other gifts during an online presentation.

The Young Ham of the Year Award was inaugurated by William Pasternak, WA6ITF, in 1986. Upon his passing in 2015, Bill’s name was added to the award as a memorial to his commitment to recognizing the accomplishments of young people to the Amateur Radio Service.

Amateur Radio Newsline, CQ magazine, and Yaesu USA are primary sponsors of the award, along with Heil Sound Ltd. and Radiowavz Antenna Company.

[ANS thanks Amateur Radio Newsline for the above information]

FO-29 & FO-99 Operation Schedules For August 2021

Fuji-OSCAR 29 is switched on for selected weekend orbits over Japan and remains available for use until the low voltage protection circuit turns the satellite off once again during eclipse.

FO-29 transponder ON times for Aug. 2021 (UTC)
1st 11:48-
7th 01:14- 11:33- 13:16-
8th 00:19- 10:35- 12:22-
14th 00:04- 10:20- 12:07- 23:09-
15th 11:12- 12:56-
17th 00:48- 02:35- 11:06- 12:52-
21st 00:38- 02:25- 10:56- 23:45-
22nd 09:59- 11:45-
27th 23:30-
28th 09:45- 11:30- 22:35-
29th 00:18- 10:35-

Source: https://www.jarl.org/Japanese/3_Fuji/fuji3-202107.htm

The August schedule for FO-99 is available at https://www.jamsat.or.jp/?p=1580

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

More Slow-Scan TV Transmissions from RS0ISS Scheduled

Russian cosmonauts on board the International Space Station (ISS) will transmit slow-scan television (SSTV) images from the station Friday and Saturday, August 6 – 7. They will use SSTV mode PD-120 on 145.800 MHz FM.

The transmissions are part of the Moscow Aviation Institute SSTV experiment (MAI-75) and will be sent via RS0ISS, the ham station in the Russian Zvezda (Service) module using a Kenwood TM-D710 transceiver.

The announced schedule is August 6, 1050 – 1910 UTC; August 7, 0950 – 1555 UTC. Dates and times are subject to change. For stations in the ISS footprint, the RS0ISS signal should be easy to copy on a handheld transceiver and a quarter-wave whip. Use 5 kHz channel spacing, if available, to correct for Doppler shift, beginning 5 – 10 kHz above the receive frequency and tuning downward as the ISS approaches and move away once again.

Free ISS software is available to download. Pass predictions are available from AMSAT. Representative images from prior ISS SSTV events are available in the ARISS SSTV Gallery.

[ANS thanks ARISS and ARRL for the above information]

ARISS NEWS

Notre Dame Jogakuin Junior and Senior High School, Kyoto, Japan, direct via 8N3ND
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS
The scheduled astronaut is Thomas Pesquet KG5FYG
Contact is go for: Tue 2021-08-03 11:10:15 UTC 77 deg

Next mode change is expected to take place in late August 2021.

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

EA4NF: Linear & FM satellites August 1-14, 2021. IL27, IL28, IL38

ND0C & @kylee_ke0wpa and I will be “up north” for the next few days and will operate from EN36, 46, and 47. This is a “holiday-style” rove with no specific scheduled passes at this point. Most likely pop-up with short notice. FM and linears.

FN65/66: Indeed, VY2HF will be in FN65 from Thursday (7/22 – 7/29) evening this week until the following Thursday morning. As I’ll be in Fredericton proper, if there is interest I can position myself on the FN65/FN66 grid line with little trouble. Daytimes will be best, RS44 preferred, FM doable also. And on Thursday the 29th I will be driving into FN76/77 for several more days…

EN56, 57, 67: N8MR will be in EN57, EN67 and EN56 from Aug 7 thru Aug 14. Using an Icom 9700, Arrow antenna and SatPC32 to control uplink and downlink for Doppler.

[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.

AMSAT Ambassador Clint Bradford, K6LCS, has online Zoom presentations scheduled in coming weeks with amateur groups in

New Jersey
Central New Hampshire
North Carolina
Conejo Valley CA
Sonoma County CA
Massachusetts
Antelope Valley CA

Contact Clint to arrange other events:
Clint Bradford K6LCS, AMSAT Ambassador; ARRL instructor
http://www.work-sat.com
Email: clintbradford AT mac DOT com
(909) 999-SATS (7287) – voicemail/message

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

Satellite Shorts From All Over

+ Congratulations to two new satellite operators who have earned the AMSAT Rover Award. Tor-Atle Sandal, LA9XGA, received award #58 and Randy Kohlwey, WI7P, received award #59. More information on the AMSAT Rover Award can be found at https://www.amsat.org/amsat-rover-award/ (Thanks to AMSAT Director of Contests and Awards Bruce Paige, KK5DO)

+ A solar wind stream hit Earth during the early hours of July 28th. First contact rattled Earth’s magnetic field and sparked rare blue auroras over Canada. Blue is a sign of bright moonlight hitting the top of the auroras. The process is called “resonant scattering.” Details and photo at https://bit.ly/3zUnCLX (ANS thanks Spaceweather and Southgate ARC for the above information)

+ Boeing and NASA are getting ready to make another attempt at launching its Starliner astronaut taxi to the International Space Station. The uncrewed CST-100 Starliner space capsule is now scheduled to launch to the space station on Tuesday, Aug. 3, at 1720z, lifting off from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket. If that launch date holds, the capsule will arrive at the International Space Station on Wednesday, Aug. 4. Amateurs should note that the ISS amateur radio operations, ARISS, are shut down whenever there are docking operations or EVAs (spacewalks) taking place. (ANS thanks Space.com for the above information)

+ Another step towards space exploration from UK soil has been unlocked, with the passing of the spaceflight regulations, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps announced 29 July 2021. The legislation provides the framework to regulate the UK space industry and enable launches to take place from British soil for the very first time. (ANS thanks SpaceDaily for the above information)

+ NASA has selected SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy to launch its Europa Clipper mission to a potentially habitable moon of Jupiter, a choice that appeared inevitable once NASA was no longer required to use the Space Launch System. NASA announced July 23 that it awarded a launch services contract to SpaceX for the October 2024 launch of Europa Clipper on a Falcon Heavy rocket. The contract is valued at $178 million. (ANS thanks SpaceNews for the above information)

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

Primary and secondary school students are eligible for membership at one-half the standard yearly rate. Post-secondary school students enrolled in at least half time status shall be eligible for the student rate for a maximum of 6 post-secondary years in this status. Contact info [at] amsat.org for additional student membership information.

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

73 and remember to help Keep Amateur Radio in Space,

This week’s ANS Editor, Mark Johns, K0JM
k0jm at amsat dot org

ANS-199 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins for July 18

July 18, 2021 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: [email protected]

You can sign up for free e-mail delivery of the AMSAT News Service Bulletins via the ANS List; to join this list see: https://mailman.amsat.org/postorius/lists/ans.amsat.org/

In this edition:

AMSAT’s 39th Annual Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting To Be Held October 29-31
First Call for Papers for 2021 AMSAT Space Symposium
2021 AMSAT Board of Directors Election Being Held
May/June 2021 Issue of The AMSAT Journal Now Available
Youth on the Air Campers Enjoy Successful ISS Contact, Busy with Other Activities
Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for July 15, 2021
NASA TV to Air Crew Dragon Port Relocation on Space Station
NASA TV to Air Launch of Space Station Module, Departure of Another
ARISS News
Upcoming Satellite Operations
Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events
Satellite Shorts From All Over

ANS-199 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

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

DATE 2021 July 18

AMSAT’s 39th Annual Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting To Be Held October 29-31

The 39th AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting will be held Friday through Sunday, October 29-31, 2021, at the Crowne Plaza AiRE in Bloomington, Minnesota. Crowne Plaza AiRE is located at 3 Appletree Square, Bloomington, MN 55245.

The Crowne Plaza AiRE is adjacent to the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and only steps away from the METRO Blue Line’s American Blvd. stop. Nearby shopping and tourist attractions include Mall of America, SEA LIFE at Mall of America, Nickelodeon Universe, and the Minnesota Zoo.

The Symposium includes presentations, exhibit space, and the AMSAT Annual General Meeting. The preliminary schedule is presented below.

The AMSAT Board of Directors Meeting will be held before the Symposium, October 28-29, at the same hotel.

You can make hotel reservations by calling the hotel directly at (952) 854-9000 or (877) 424-4188 (toll free) or online by visiting crowneplazaaire.com. The group name is Amateur Satellite Group.

Registration is available on AMSAT’s Member Portal at https://launch.amsat.org/Events

Preliminary Schedule of Events (subject to change)
Thursday, October 28, 2021

0800 – 1200 AMSAT Board Meeting
1200 – 1300 AMSAT Board Lunch Break
1300 – 1700 AMSAT Board Meeting
1600 – 1900 Registration

Friday, October 29, 2021

0800 – 1900 Registration
0800 – 2100 Space Exhibit
0800 – 1200 AMSAT Board Meeting
1200 – 1300 AMSAT Board Lunch Break
1300 – 1700 AMSAT Space Symposium presentations
1700 – 1900 Dinner Break
1900 – 2130 AMSAT Reception, cash bar available

Saturday, October 30, 2021

0800 – 1600 Registration
0800 – 2100 Space Exhibit
0800 – 1200 AMSAT Space Symposium presentations
1200 – 1300 Lunch Break
1300 – 1500 AMSAT Space Symposium presentations
1500 – 1700 AMSAT Annual General Meeting
1800 – 1900 Attitude Adjustment (reception)
1800 – 2200 Cash Bar
1900 – 2200 Banquet

Sunday, October 31, 2021

0700 – 0900 AMSAT Ambassadors’ Breakfast

NOTE: All times are Central Daylight Time (CDT), UTC – 5 hours

[ANS thanks the 2021 AMSAT Symposium Committee for the above information]

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

This is the first call for papers for the 39th AMSAT Space Symposium to be held on the weekend of October 29-31, 2021 at the Crowne Plaza AiRE hotel in Bloomington, Minnesota.

[ANS thanks Dan Schultz, N8FGV, Symposium Program Committee, for the above information]

2021 AMSAT Board of Directors Election Being Held

The nomination period for the 2021 Board of Directors Election ended on June 15, 2021. The following candidates have been duly nominated and their candidate statements can be found at link that follows:

Joseph Armbruster, KJ4JIO
Robert Bankston, KE4AL
Jerry Buxton, N0JY
Zach Metzinger, N0ZGO

In accordance with our Bylaws, AMSAT must hold an election, even though we have four nominations for four 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, 2021.

When members click on the poll link, they will see their 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 four seats on the Board of Directors are up for election this year, all four candidates will be seated on the Board when the voting period concludes on September 15, 2021.

To read candidate biographies see: https://launch.amsat.org/2021-BoD-Election

AMSAT members may access their ballots at: https://launch.amsat.org/Sys/Poll/25943

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

May/June 2021 Issue of The AMSAT Journal Now Available

The May/June 2021 issue of The AMSAT Journal is now available to members on AMSAT’s Member Portal.

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.

AMSAT members may download their copy at: https://launch.amsat.org/

Inside the Current Issue:

Apogee View – Robert Bankston, KE4AL
AMSAT Strategic Plan: A Roadmap for Success – Robert Bankston, KE4AL
Educational Relations Update – Alan Johnston, KU2Y
AMSAT Board of Directors Election – Jeff Davis, KE9V
Debugging AO-109 (RadFxSat-2, Fox-1E) – Burns Fisher, WB1FJ and Mark Hammond, N8MH
Working Portable with the Icom IC-9700 – Paul Philip, AC9O
A Really Cheap Portable Satellite Mount – Keith Baker, KB1SF / VA3KSF
Building a Tiny Satellite Ground Station – Mike Spohn, N1SPW

[ANS thanks The AMSAT Journal for the above information]

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Youth on the Air Campers Enjoy Successful ISS Contact, Busy with Other Activities

The first Youth on the Air (YOTA) camp for young radio amateurs in the Americas is under way in West Chester, Ohio. Among other activities, the campers have been operating special event station W8Y from both the National Voice of America Museum of Broadcasting and from the camp hotel. The camp wraps up with an hour-long closing ceremony on Friday, July 16.

“Things are going really well,” said Camp Director Neil Rapp, WB9VPG. The earlier launch of a balloon carrying a ham radio payload was successful, he said, and — after pinpointing where the payload landed some 3 hours away — the campers were able to retrieve the package, thanks to some understanding landowners. Rapp said the balloon reached approximately 100,000 feet.

Rapp said that campers have gotten along well from the first day, and problems in general have been few and minor.

Several of the approximately two dozen campers got to ask questions of ISS crew member Akihiko Hoshide, KE5DNI, during a Tuesday Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact. Responding to a query posed by Graham, KO4FJK, Hoshide said the most interesting things he’s seen from space included flying through an aurora and looking down at shooting stars from the ISS. He also said the ISS crew was able to view a partial lunar eclipse from space.

Another camper, Adam, KD9KIS, wanted to know how often the ISS crew members use the onboard ham station.

Hoshide said individual crew members may get on the radio every couple of weeks or so, or as the opportunity arises.

“This ARISS contact is intended to inspire these young hams to learn more about communication using amateur satellites and making ARISS radio contacts,” ARISS said in announcing the contact date. ARISS team member John Sygo, ZS6JON, in South Africa, served as the telebridge relay station for the late-morning event, which was streamed live via YouTube.

Rapp said he’s hoping this pilot camp venture will provide the information needed to replicate the camp over multiple locations for years to come. “We also hope this brings a more robust community of young hams into amateur radio,” he added.

The long-anticipated summer camp for up to 30 hams, aged 15 through 25, was set for last June, but it had to be rescheduled until summer 2021 because of COVID-19 pandemic concerns. The camp for young hams in the Americas took its cue from the summer Youngsters on the Air camps held for the past few years in various IARU Region 1 countries.

The Region 2 camp is aimed at helping participants to take their ham radio experience to the next level by exposing them to a variety of activities and providing the opportunity to meet other young hams. Activities include kit building, antenna building, transmitter hunting and direction finding, operating with digital modes, and launching a high-altitude balloon. Amateur satellite operation is one of the workshops provided. Others include effective radio communication, local ham radio history, and using amateur radio during emergencies. The YouTube channel features daily highlight videos.

W8Y has been on the air as campers complete projects, between sessions, and during free time, although some late-evening slots have been on the schedule.

The camp’s opening observance on Sunday featured keynote speaker Tim Duffy, K3LR, who told the campers, “Amateur radio is the best hobby in the world.”

Campers also saw a video presentation by International Amateur Radio Union Region 1 Youth Working Group chair Philipp Springer, DK6SP.

ARRL and The Yasme Foundation donated project kits for the campers. XTronics provided temperature-controlled soldering stations. The brochure on the Youth on the Air website includes more details about the camp. — Thanks to ARISS for some information

[ANS thanks ARISS and ARRL for the above information]

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Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for July 15, 2021

The name of the following satellite has been changed in this week’s AMSAT TLE Distribution as follows:

The satellite owner actually uses a dash in the satellite name rather than a blank. The name of CubeBel 1 has been changed to CubeBel-1 (NORAD Cat ID 43666) to correct the satellite name.

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

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NASA TV to Air Crew Dragon Port Relocation on Space Station

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-2 astronauts on the International Space Station will relocate their Crew Dragon Endeavour spacecraft Wednesday, July 21, setting the stage for a historic first when two different U.S. commercial spacecraft built for crew will be docked to the microgravity laboratory at the same time.

Live coverage will begin at 6:30 a.m. EDT (10:30z) on NASA Television, the NASA app, and the agency’s website.

NASA astronauts Shane Kimbrough, KE5HOD, and Megan McArthur, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Akihiko Hoshide, KE5DNI, and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Thomas Pesquet, KG5FYG, will board the Crew Dragon spacecraft about 4:30 a.m. and undock from the forward port of the station’s Harmony module at 6:45 a.m. The spacecraft will dock again at the station’s space-facing port at 7:32 a.m.

The relocation will free up Harmony’s forward port for the docking of Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft, scheduled for launch Friday, July 30, as part of NASA’s Boeing Orbital Flight Test-2 (OFT-2) mission. The flight will test the end-to-end capabilities of Starliner from launch to docking, atmospheric re-entry, and a desert landing in the western United States. The uncrewed mission will provide valuable data about Boeing’s crew transportation system, and help NASA certify Starliner and the United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket for regular flights with astronauts to and from the space station.

This will be the second port relocation of a Crew Dragon spacecraft. NASA’s SpaceX Crew-2 mission lifted off April 23 from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida and docked to the space station April 24. Crew-2, targeted to return in early-to-mid November, is the second of six certified crew missions NASA and SpaceX have planned as a part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program.

[ANS thanks NASA for the above information]

NASA TV to Air Launch of Space Station Module, Departure of Another

NASA will provide live coverage of a new Russian science module’s launch and automated docking to the International Space Station, and the undocking of another module that has been part of the orbital outpost for the past 20 years. Live coverage of all events will be available on NASA Television, the NASA app, and the agency’s website.

The uncrewed Multipurpose Laboratory Module (MLM), named Nauka, the Russian word for “science,” is scheduled to launch at 10:58 a.m. EDT (14:58z) Wednesday, July 21 on a three-stage Proton rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Live launch coverage will begin at 10:30 a.m.

Two days later, on Friday, July 23, the uncrewed ISS Progress 77 spacecraft will undock from the Russian segment of the station while attached to the Pirs docking compartment. With Pirs attached, Progress 77 is scheduled to undock at 9:17 a.m. (13:17z) Live coverage of undocking will begin at 8:45 a.m. A few hours later, Progress’ engines will fire in a deorbit maneuver to send the cargo craft and Pirs into a destructive reentry in the Earth’s atmosphere over the Pacific Ocean. Deorbit and reentry will not be covered on NASA TV.

After Nauka completes eight days in free-flight to allow Russian flight controllers to evaluate its systems, the 43-foot long, 23-ton module will automatically link up to the port on the Earth-facing side of the Russian segment station, vacated by the departure of Pirs. Docking is scheduled for 9:25 a.m. Thursday (13:25z), July 29, with live coverage beginning at 8:30 a.m.

Nauka will serve as a new science facility, docking port, and spacewalk airlock for future operations. Pirs has been part of the space station since September 2001, functioning as a docking port for Russian visiting spacecraft and an airlock for Russian spacewalks.

For more than 20 years, astronauts have continuously lived and worked on the space station, testing technologies, performing science, and developing the skills needed to explore farther from Earth. Through NASA’s Artemis program, the agency will send the first woman and the first person of color to the Moon’s surface, and eventually expand human exploration to Mars. Inspiring the next generation of explorers – the Artemis Generation – ensures America will continue to lead in space exploration and discovery.

[ANS thanks NASA for the above information]

ARISS News

YOTA 2021, West Chester, OH, telebridge via ZS6JON
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS
The scheduled astronaut is Akihiko Hoshide KE5DNI
Contact is go for: Wed 2021-07-14 15:03:16 UTC 58 degrees max elevation

TBD, Russia, direct via TBD
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS
The scheduled astronaut is Pyotr Dubrov
Contact is a go for Wed 2021-07-14 20:10 UTC

SpaceKids Global, Winter Park, FL, multi-point telebridge via IK1SLD
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be TBD
The scheduled astronaut is Shane Kimbrough KE5HOD
Contact is go for: Wed 2021-07-21 17:47:21 UTC 51 degrees max elevation

Seinan Gakuin Junior Senior High School, Fukuoka, Japan, direct via 8N6SW
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS
The scheduled astronaut is Akihiko Hoshide KE5DNI
Contact is go for: Thu 2021-07-22 09:14:25 UTC 31 degrees max elevation

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]

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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/

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Upcoming Satellite Operations

Quick Hits:

DM23, DM33, DM43 – Dave AD7DB will be operating holiday style on FM satellites from July 22-25 2021. DM23 will be on July 22 or 25. The other grids may be activated on any of those days depending on weather and other factors. Confirmations in LOTW. Follow @ad7db on Twitter for updates.

Major Roves:

WA7AA:
July 13-16 DN28 holiday style
July 17 DN38 holiday style
July 18 DN47/48 daytime passes
July 21-23 DN54 holiday style
July 25-27 DN64 holiday style
July 30-31 DN63 holiday style

July 7, 10, 11, 18 will all be planned trips just for Sat passes FM and SSB. I will try to publish passes ahead of time on Twitter and QRZ. The remainder of the trip will be camping in remote areas with little to no internet or Twitter. I will get info out as I can, but I won’t be able to setup skeds ahead of time. Lots of POTA activations on Sats and HF as well.

Please submit any additions or corrections to Ke0pbr (at) gmail.com

[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.

No upcoming events currently scheduled.

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

Contact AMSAT Ambassador Clint Bradford, K6LCS, at http://www.work-sat.com or by phone at 909-999-SATS (7287)

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

Satellite Shorts From All Over

+ NASA awarded a $935 million contract to Northrop Grumman to build and integrate the Habitation and Logistics Outpost (HALO) module for the lunar Gateway, based off their Cygnus cargo craft, targeting a launch on a Falcon Heavy in late 2024. This module will house astronauts and provide command, control and power, plus three docking ports and mounting hardware for Canadarm3 [and very likely, an amateur radio station!]. (ANS thanks The Orbital Index for the above information).

+ Duct tape is really important in space. Among other things it was used by the crew of Apollo 13 to build their improvised carbon monoxide scrubber (called “gray tape” in the transcript). Amazingly, up until 2021 astronauts on the ISS just stuck it to the wall and had to remember where it was; SpaceX Crew-1 finally brought a duct tape dispenser which can be operated with one hand, allowing an astronaut to stabilize themselves with the other. Even more amazingly, the dispenser was designed by high school students as part of NASA HUNCH, a program that farms out tactical engineering problems to high schoolers. (ANS thanks The Prepared blog and The Orbital Index for the above information)

+ China launched five small satellites designed to detect and monitor global radio transmissions Friday, July 9, 2021 on top of a Long March 6 rocket, joining five similar spacecraft deployed in orbit in 2019. The five satellites belong to a fleet owned by Ningxia Jingui Information Technology Co. Ltd., a company that provides radio spectrum monitoring services to commercial and Chinese government customers. (ANS thanks SpaceFlightNow for the above information)

+ A record number of satellites were launched into orbit in 2020, according to the Satellite Industry Association’s (SIA) State of the Satellite Industry Report. By the end of 2020, there were 3,371 satellites orbiting Earth, an increase of 37% from 2019. The commercial satellite industry dominates the $371 billion global space economy, making up $271 billion, or nearly 73% of its revenue. (ANS thanks SatelliteToday for the above information)

+ NASA is announcing its 2021 Entrepreneurs Challenge to invite fresh ideas and new participants that will lead to new instruments and technologies with the potential to advance the agency’s science mission goals. To encourage entrepreneurs to participate in the challenge, the Science Mission Directorate will award finalists as much as $90,000 through a two-stage process. Details at https://www.nasa-science-challenge.com (ANS thanks Southgate ARC for the above information)

+ The Atmosphere–Space Interactions Monitor, or ASIM, installed outside the European space laboratory Columbus module on the ISS, has detected a ‘blue jet’—upward shooting lighting—that climbed to the interface between the stratosphere and the ionosphere. These have previously been associated with 10- to 30-microsecond pulses of intense radiation across the 3 to 300 MHz radio spectrum. More study is necessary to determine effects related to radio propagation. (ANS thanks The Orbital Index and ESA for the above information)

+ Virgin Galactic owner Richard Branson rocketed into space Sunday, an edge-of-the-seat sub-orbital test flight intended to demonstrate his company’s air-launched spaceplane is ready for passengers who can afford the ultimate thrill ride. Whether the view and a couple of minutes of microgravity are worth the $250,000 (which purportedly 600+ people are signed up to pay) is entirely a matter of opinion. But if you sign up, and plan to take along your hand-held ham transceiver, please let us know!

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

73 and remember to help Keep Amateur Radio in Space,

This week’s ANS Editor,

Mark Johns, K0JM
k0jm at amsat dot org