Mark Johns – Page 25

ANS-094 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins for April 4

April 4, 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:

2021 AMSAT Field Day
VUCC Awards-Endorsements for April 1 2021
WOUB Spotlight: Broadcast Operations Supervisor Terry Douds, N8KI
NASA TV to Air First US Commercial Crew Port Relocation on ISS
Perseverance Rover Begins Steps To Deploy Mars Helicopter
Launch Watch: Upcoming in April
Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for April 1, 2021
ARISS News
Upcoming Satellite Operations
Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events
Satellite Shorts From All Over

ANS-094 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 094.01
To: All RADIO AMATEURS
From: Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation
712 H Street NE Suite 1653
Washington, DC 20002

DATE 2021 April 04

2021 AMSAT Field Day

It’s that time of year again; summer and Field Day! Each year the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) sponsors Field Day as a “picnic, a campout, practice for emergencies, an informal contest and, most of all, FUN!” The event takes place during a 23-hour period on the fourth weekend of June. For 2021 the event takes place during a 27-hour period from 1800 UTC on Saturday June 26, 2021 through 2100 UTC on Sunday June 27, 2021. Those who set up prior to 1800 UTC on June 26 can operate only 24 hours. The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT) promotes its own version of Field Day for operation via the amateur satellites, held concurrently with the ARRL event.

This year should be as easy as last year since we have more than 10 transponders and repeaters available. Users should check the AMSAT status page at http://www.amsat.org/status/ and the pages at https://www.amsat.org/two-way-satellites/ for what is available in the weeks leading up to field day. To reduce the amount of time to research each satellite, see the current FM satellite table at:
https://www.amsat.org/fm-satellite-frequency-summary/
and the current linear satellite table at:
https://www.amsat.org/linear-satellite-frequency-summary/

Additional information is found at: https://www.amsat.org/field-day/

[ANS thanks Bruce Paige, KK5DO, AMSAT Director Contests and Awards and Paul Stoetzer, N8HM, ANS editor for the above information]

VUCC Awards-Endorsements for April 1 2021

Here are the endorsements and new VUCC Satellite Awards issued by the ARRL for the period March 1, 2021 through April 1, 2021. Congratulations to all those who made the list this month!

VUCC April 2021

CALL	March	April
N9EAT	784	843
NS3L	650	681
W7QL	510	563
KJ4EU	471	506
VA3NNA	300	504
K0JM	403	500
N1PEB (EL98)	255	500
MI6GTY	460	461
KB9STR	353	431
KC9UQR	400	427
KS1G	360	413
WA4HFN	102	413
K5TA	302	400
W8LR	353	400
VE4MM	279	304
WB7QXU	252	303
VU2LBW	260	300
W4ALF	200	300
K4RGK	214	278
NA1ME	200	225
KN2K	155	200
N7ZO	116	200
XE2YWH	137	187
LW2DAF	166	182
NK1K	New	179
DL6KBG	125	150
N8MR	New	115
N2CJ	100	103
AF5D	New	102
W7KRS	New	101
AC9DX	New	100
W3FGP	New	100

If you find errors or omissions. please contact me off-list at <mycall>@<mycall>.com and I’ll revise the announcement. This list was developed by comparing the ARRL .pdf listings for the two months. It’s a visual comparison so omissions are possible. Apologies if your call was not mentioned. Thanks to all those who are roving to grids that are rarely on the birds. They are doing most of the work! – Ron W5RKN

[ANS thanks Ron Parsons, W5RKN 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!

WOUB Broadcast Operations Supervisor Terry Douds, N8KI, AMSAT-NA Member is Honored

ATHENS, Ohio – During Broadcast Operations Supervisor Terry Douds nearly 16 years working at WOUB Public Media, there have been many changes in regard to technology and how the station runs. But, Douds has rolled with the changes and couldn’t be more proud of the work he is doing.

“I was originally hired as a broadcast technician and was promoted to broadcast operations supervisor in 2008,” said Douds. “At that time, the Engineering Department oversaw Master Control. We worked 24/7 to insure that WOUB stayed on the air. Later that part of operations shifted to the Traffic Department, so now we’re doing ‘regular’ engineering tasks, such as design of systems, installation of new equipment, and overseeing what we call ‘In-House Engineering’; another team within Engineering handles field work and our transmitter sites.”

“A big part of the training for me for this job came from amateur radio. I became a ‘Ham Operator’ in November 1968, when I was in 7th grade,” said Douds. “I later became active in amateur satellite work, another part of amateur radio where we designed satellites and have them launched into space.” More at: https://bit.ly/3rKpBxI

[ANS thanks Mark Johns, K0JM, AMSAT News Service Editor and WOUB.org for the above information]

NASA TV to Air First US Commercial Crew Port Relocation on Space Station

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-1 astronauts aboard the International Space Station will mark another first for commercial spaceflight Monday, April 5, when the four astronauts will relocate the Crew Dragon spacecraft to prepare for the arrival of new crew members in late April and the upcoming delivery of new solar arrays this summer.

Live coverage will begin at 1000z on NASA Television, the NASA app, and the agency’s website.

NASA astronauts Mike Hopkins, KF5LJG, Victor Glover, KI5BKC, and Shannon Walker, KD5DXB, along with Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Soichi Noguchi, KD5TVP, will undock Crew Dragon Resilience from the forward port of the station’s Harmony module at 1029z and dock to the space-facing port at 1115z.

The relocation will free Harmony’s forward port for the docking of Crew Dragon Endeavour, set to carry four crew members to the station on NASA’s SpaceX Crew-2 mission. NASA astronauts Shane Kimbrough, KE5HOD, and Megan McArthur, JAXA astronaut Akihiko Hoshide, KE5DNI, and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Thomas Pesquet, KG5FYG, are scheduled to launch to the station Thursday, April 22, from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

[ANS thanks NASA for the above information.]

Perseverance Rover Begins Steps To Deploy Mars Helicopter

NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter is being lowered from the belly of the Perseverance rover this week as ground teams run through a choreographed long-distance command sequence to safely release the $80 million rotorcraft onto the surface of Mars.

The slow, step-by-step deployment is projected to take around six days, assuming everything goes as planned. The first command uplinked from engineers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory was to release a launch lock that kept the Ingenuity helicopter firmly attached to the belly of the Perseverance rover during the journey to Mars. Additional information may be found at: https://bit.ly/3dv06vv

[ANS thanks Stephen Clark of SpaceFlightNow.com 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/

Launch Watch: Upcoming in April

There will be several notable launches this month. Unfortunately there are no new amateur satellites in the immediate offing. A Falcon 9/Starlink #23 launch is scheduled for April 7 from Cape Canaveral. April 9, The new command crew for the ISS will be launched from Baikonur to start Mission 65. On April 22, SpaceX/NASA commercial Crew Flight #2 is scheduled for launch on the reused Falcon 9 from the Crew-1 mission and the Crew Dragon capsule from the Endeavor Demo-2 mission. The Crew-1 astronauts will return shortly thereafter.

[ANS thanks SpaceX, NASA, and ROSCOMOS for the above information]

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

https://tinyurl.com/ANS-GOLF

Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for April 1, 2021

The following satellites have been added to this week’s AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution:

Maya-2 – NORAD Cat ID 47929.
OPUSAT-II – NORAD Cat ID 47930.
CubeSX-Sirius-HSE – NORAD Cat ID 47951
Thanks to Nico Janssen, PA0DLO for the identification of these satellites.

The following satellites have been removed from this week’s AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution:

OBJECT B – NORAD Cat ID 47310
OBJECT D – NORAD Cat ID 47312
OBJECT E – NORAD Cat ID 47313
OBJECT G – NORAD Cat ID 47315
OBJECT J – NORAD Cat ID 47317
OBJECT K – NORAD Cat ID 47318
OBJECT M – NORAD Cat ID 47320
OBJECT N – NORAD Cat ID 47345
The above objects are non-amateur radio satellites associated with a launch carrying amateur radio satellites. As the amateur radio satellites have been identified from that launch, these objects are no longer of interest.

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

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

ARISS NEWS

Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of April 4, 2021

The School of Information Technology & Mathematical Sciences, Southern Hemisphere Space Studies Program 2021, Mawson Lakes, SA, Australia, telebridge via NA7V
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS. The downlink frequency is presently scheduled to be 145.800 MHz. The latest information on the operation mode can be found at https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html. The scheduled astronaut is Shannon Walker KD5DXB Contact is go for: Tue 2021-04-06 11:27:49 UTC 34 deg via IK1SLD. Watch for livestream at https://tinyurl.com/ISSLINKUP2021

Kaluga Regional schools, Kaluga, Russia direct via TBD. The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS. The downlink frequency is presently scheduled to be 145.800 MHz. The latest information on the operation mode can be found at https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html
The scheduled astronaut is Sergey Kud-Sverchkov. Watch for Tue 2021-04-06 13:10 UTC

St. Petersburg, Russia direct via TBD. The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS. The downlink frequency is presently scheduled to be 145.800 MHz. The latest information on the operation mode can be found at https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html. The scheduled astronaut is Sergey Ryzhikov. Watch for Wed 2021-04-07 12:20 UTC

[ANS thanks Charlie Sufana, AJ9N, one of the ARISS operation team mentors for the above information]

AMSAT, along with our ARISS partners, is developing an amateur
radio package, including two-way communication capability, to
be carried on-board Gateway in lunar orbit.

Support AMSAT’s projects today at https://www.amsat.org/donate/

Upcoming Satellite Operations

Quick Hits:
DN58 – look for #NO7G on SSB sats over the next week (3/25 – 4/4)
AA5PK: Thinking a trip to EM01 Saturday (4/3) is in order.
N3CRT: Activating ***Delaware*** via satellite -FM and Linear- at Fort Mott State Park FM29fo this Saturday April 3rd 12z-20z and possibly later.
WL7T: Had to cancel Maine. Too expensive to change flights this close to departure. EL58 is rescheduled for April 11. Will be driving from EM26 to EL59, so might be stopping along the way for a few contacts starting a day or two before April 11.

Major Roves:

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

Please submit any additions or corrections to Ke0pbr (at) gmail.com
Updated 03/31/2021

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

Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events

From Larry Manaev, RN3AG: “We invite your members to take part in the Yuri Gagarin International DX Contest 2021. Date: from 21.00 UTC on April 10 till 21.00 UTC on April 11, 2021. Modes: CW only.
Satellite categories:
SAT – Single operator – Satellite QSOs.
SAT-GS – Single operator – Geostationary Satellite QSOs (QO-100).
Contest rules: http://gc.qst.ru/en/section/32”

AMSAT Ambassador, Tom Zimmerman W9TTY, will be exhibiting at the DeKalb Hamfest, Sandwich, Illinois on May 2, 2021. This hamfest SW of Chicago will feature a presentation for hams curious about Amateur Radio in Space and how to work the easy sats. Info on Kishwaukee Amateur Radio Club Webpage http://www.kare-club.org

AMSAT Ambassador Clint Bradford K6CLS is planning a presentation on 06/15 to a club in East Massachusetts.

Think a 90-minute lively, informative, and fun “How to Work the Easy Satellites” Zoom presentation would be appropriate for your convention or club? Always includes are overviews of the ARRL, AMSAT, and ARISS … and pre-presentation questions are solicited and welcome. Send Clint an email or call!
Clint Bradford K6LCS, http://www.work-sat.com. Tel:909-999-SATS (7287)

[ANS thanks Paul Overn, KE0PBR, AMSAT Events page manager, Larry Manaev, RN3AG, and Clint Bradford, K6CLS AMSAT Ambassador for the above information]

Satellite Shorts From All Over

+ AMSAT Vice President – Engineering Jerry Buxton, N0JY, appeared on the April 1, 2021 episode of Ham Talk Live to discuss the latest status of AMSAT satellite development. A replay of the episode can be heard at:
https://www.spreaker.com/user/hamtalklive/episode-253-amsat-satellite-engineering-

[ANS thanks AMSAT for the above information]

+ Frank Garofalo, WA2NDV sends a thank you note to all who participated in the Last Man Standing special event. He says “I had the pleasure to work 111 contacts as W6S over the course of the week. If you made at least one contact you can download a certificate in around 4 weeks time. Just check the QRZ page for information. The official numbers are not yet in but there were approximately 60 thousand contacts made across all frequencies and modes.” He continues: “I was also very careful not to interfere with any rover operations during the event.”

[ANS thanks Frank Garofalo, WA2NDV for the above information]

+ SpaceX’s latest high-altitude Starship test flight ends in another explosion. SpaceX’s latest Starship test flight apparently ended with another explosion Tuesday in South Texas, but dense fog obscured clear views of the launch and failed landing. The Federal Aviation Administration said late Tuesday it is working with SpaceX to determine if light debris reported in a nearby town came from the Starship test rocket.

[ANS thanks Stephen Clark of SpaceFlightNow.com for the above information]

+Biden administration renews mandate for National Space Council. President Biden will renew the National Space Council, a space policy group revived by the Trump White House after 25 years of dormancy, to assist in “generating national space policies, strategies, and synchronizing America’s space activities,” an administration spokesman said Monday. A spokesman for the National Security Council said the Biden administration is renewing the National Space Council “at a time of unprecedented activity and opportunity generated by America’s activities in space.”

[ANS thanks Stephen Clark of SpaceFlightNow.com 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. Application forms are available from the AMSAT Store.

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

73 and Remember to help keep amateur radio in space,
This week’s ANS Editor, Jack Spitznagel, KD4IZ
kd4iz at frawg dot org

ANS-087 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins for March 28

March 28, 2021 by Mark Johns

The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and information service of AMSAT North America, The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS publishes news related to Amateur Radio in space including reports on the activities of a worldwide group of Amateur Radio operators who share an active interest in designing, building, launching and communicating through analog and digital Amateur Radio satellites.

The news feed on http://amsat.org publishes news of Amateur Radio in space as soon as our volunteers can post it.

Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to ans-editor at amsat dot org.

In this edition:

Soyuz-2.1a Launch – Amateur Radio Satellites Deployed
Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for March 25, 2021
FUNcube-1 Transponder Status
Amateur Radio Gets a Partial Reprieve on 3.5 GHz
FO-29 Operation Schedule for April 2021
DIY-1 Argentine Pocketqube Deployed
Last Man Standing Special Event Station W6S in Space
Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events
Upcoming Satellite Operations
ARISS News
Satellite Shorts from All Over

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-087.01
ANS-087 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 087.01
From AMSAT HQ, 712 H Street NE, Ste 1653, Washington DC 20002
March 28, 2021
To All RADIO AMATEURS

Soyuz-2.1a Launch – Amateur Radio Satellites Deployed

The Soyuz-2.1a LV was launched from Baikonur in Kazakhstan on March 22, 2021. The following satellites, operating in frequency bands allocated to the amateur satellite service have been coordinated by the IARU Satellite Frequency Coordination Panel:

• Beesat-5
• Beesat-6
• Beesat-7
• Beesat-8
• FEES
• SMOG
• GRBAlpha
• KSU_Cubesat
• DIY-1
• STECCO
• CubeSX-HSE
• CubeSX-Sirius-HSE
• Orbicraft-Zorkiy
• NanoSatC-BR2

Operating in frequency bands allocated to the Amateur Satellite Service without IARU frequency coordination is KMSL. Additional satellites may follow. Operating in frequency bands allocated to the amateur satellite service while the IARU Satellite Frequency Coordination Panel has declined coordination are UNISAT-7 and WildTrackCube-Simba.

Further information including the IARU coordinated frequencies at http://amsat.org.uk/iaru/

[ANS thanks AMSAT-UK for the above information.]

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

Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for March 25, 2021

The following satellites have been added to this week’s AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution:

RSP-01 – NORAD Cat ID 47925 (Thanks to Nico Janssen, PA0DLO).
TAUSAT-1 – NORAD Cat ID 47926 (Thanks to Nico Janssen, PA0DLO).
Tsuru – NORAD Cat ID 47927 (Thanks to Celestrak).
STARS-EC – NORAD Cat ID 47928 (Thanks to Nico Janssen, PA0DLO).

The latest and complete set of AMSAT orbital elements for Amateur satellites in NASA format are always available at:
https://mailman.amsat.org/hyperkitty/list/[email protected]

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

FUNcube-1 Transponder Status

Dave Johnson, G4DPZ, reports that the FUNcube team put FUNcube-1 (AO-73) into full time high power telemetry mode on March 9 2021. The move was made to test the response of the battery and power amplifier temperatures as the satellite starts to enter an eclipse period. This has thrown up some interesting thermal responses within the satellite, but nothing threatening. The battery temperatures have gone down in response to the power amplifier consuming and dissipating more energy.

The team will be reviewing the move back to transponder mode in the next few days and will publish the timeline here and on other social media channels. Dave adds, “As always we should like to express our thanks to all those who capture data packets and upload them to the data warehouse.” The data warehouse can be accessed at http://data.funcube.org.uk/ui/fc1-fm

[ANS thanks Dave Johnson, G4DPZ for the above information.]

Amateur Radio Gets a Partial Reprieve on 3.5 GHz

Pending future FCC action, amateur radio secondary use of the 3.3 – 3.45 GHz band segment may continue indefinitely. The FCC, as part of a lengthy Second Report and Order (R&O) for commercial licensing of 3.45 – 3.55 GHz adopted on March 17, agreed with ARRL that continued access by amateur radio to 3.3 – 3.45 GHz should be allowed until consideration of the 3.1-3.45 GHz spectrum in a later proceeding. The FCC action in WT Docket 19-348 represents a partial — and temporary — reprieve from the FCC’s December 2019 proposal to remove amateur radio from the entire band, and it makes available an additional 50 megahertz than an FCC proposal last fall to allow amateur temporary use of 3.3 – 3.4 GHz.

This allows “amateur operations to continue in the lower portion of the band while the [FCC and federal government users] continue to analyze whether that spectrum can be reallocated for flexible use,” the FCC said. The FCC had proposed splitting the band at 3.4 GHz, permitting amateur use in 100 megahertz of spectrum “while also providing a buffer to protect flexible-use operations at the lower edge of the 3.45 GHz band.”

Amateur secondary operation in the 3.45 – 3.50 GHz band must cease 90 days after public notice that the spectrum auction has closed and licensing has begun. That is expected to happen early in 2022. The FCC announced the opening of 3.45 – 3.55 GHz for auction to commercial 5G interests on March 17.

“There is no expectation that such operations will be accommodated in future planning for commercial wireless operations in this spectrum, or that amateur operators will receive more than a short period of notice before their operations must cease,” the FCC said.

Read the entire story at https://www.tinyurl.com/ANS-087-Reprieve

[ANS thanks the ARRL for the above information.]

FO-29 Operation Schedule for April 2021

The times shown in the table below are the start times. Due to its low battery, the transponder is activated by schedule in Japan. It remains active until the voltage drops to a safe level.

April 2021 (UTC)
3rd 01:20- 03:05-
4th 00:25- 02:10-
10th 00:10- 01:55-
11th 01:00- 02:45-
17th 00:45- 02:30-
18th 01:35- 03:20-
24th 01:20- 03:05-
25th 00:25- 02:10-

[ANS thanks Hideo-JH3XCU for the above information.]

DIY-1 Argentine Pocketqube Deployed

Gustavo Carpignano, LW2DTZ reports that the DIY-1 pocketqube satellite was deployed from the UNISAT-7 platform on the morning of March 24, 2021.

The UNISAT-7 platform was launched with a Soyuz-2 rocket on March 22,2021 from Baikonur in a rideshare mission.

Currently, DIY-1 is transmitting in 437.125 MHz in RTTY 100 baud at 7N2 with a shift of 450 Hz in USB.

TLE 2021-22F or 2021-22J can be used for track.

Once we see its status the robot mode will be activated shortly.

Telemetry reports are appreciated.

[ANS thanks Gustavo Carpignano, LW2DTZ for the above information.]

https://tinyurl.com/ANS-GOLF

Last Man Standing Special Event Station W6S in Space

Frank Garofalo, WA2NDV, will be operating W6S from FN30 as one of many special event stations for the finale of the TV show Last Man Standing. This show’s main character portrayed an Amateur Radio operator and had an actual working station on the set. Amateur Radio was woven into several episodes in a positive light. The show’s Executive Producer is also a ham.

The event is across all bands and modes and ends on March 30, 2021 at 23:59 GMT. Certificates can be downloaded after he event concludes.

Frank will be operating on linear and FM satellites. On FM sats Frank reports that he will not transmit if there is a rover active on the pass and will not make more than 5 contacts a pass as to not monopolize an FM satellite.

For more info please see http://www.gsbarc.org/lms/

[ANS thanks Frank Garofalo, WA2NDV for the above information.]

Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events

Want to see AMSAT in action or learn more about amateur radio in space? AMSAT Ambassadors provide presentations, demonstrate communicating through amateur satellites, and host information tables at club meetings, hamfests, conventions, maker faires, and other events.

AMSAT Ambassador and ARRL registered instructor Clint Bradford, K6LCS has the following presentation scheduled:

04/01 – Orem, Utah

For more information contact Clint Bradford, K6LCS
http://www.work-sat.com
909-999-SATS (7287)

[ANS thanks AMSAT for the above information.]

Upcoming Satellite Operations

EL58 – April 1, 2021
W7LT: EL58 on April 1 then more to come. Thinking Maine for the first weekend in April. Taking requests.

EM96 – March 29, 2021
K4DCA:If anyone needs EM96, he’ll be there the week of March 29 operating vacation style. Linear and FM with Twitter updates.

EN01 – April 3, 2021
KE0WPA and ND0C: There is a rumor going around that they (@kylee_ke0wpa and I) may do a quick rove down to EN01 on Saturday, April 3. Linears and FM. I know some of our friends need that one and it is sitting at 46%.

DN58 – March 25 – April 4, 2021
#NO7G will be on SSB sats over the next week

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

ARISS News

+ Upcoming Contacts

Republic of Tatarstan, Russia, direct via TBD.
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS.
The downlink frequency is presently scheduled to be 145.800 MHz.
The scheduled astronaut is Sergey Kud-Sverchkov.
Contact is go for Sunday, March 28 at 15:30 UTC.

Ufa, Russia, direct via TBD.
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS.
The downlink frequency is presently scheduled to be 145.800 MHz.
The scheduled astronaut is Sergey Ryzhikov.
Contact is go for Monday, March 29, 2021 at 14:40 UTC.

Lipetsk, Russia, direct via TBD.
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS.
The downlink frequency is presently scheduled to be 145.800 MHz.
The scheduled astronaut is Sergey Kud-Sverchkov.
Contact is go for Tuesday, March 30, 2021 at 15:25 UTC.

Amur State University, Blagoveshchensk, Russia, direct via TBD.
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS.
The downlink frequency is presently scheduled to be 145.800 MHz.
The scheduled astronaut is Sergey Ryzhikov.
Contact is go for Wednesday, March 31, 2021 at 08:25 UTC.

High School in Kaluga, Kaluga, Russia direct via TBD.
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS.
The downlink frequency is presently scheduled to be 145.800 MHz.
The scheduled astronaut is Sergey Kud-Sverchkov.
Watch for Monday, April 5, 2021 at 12:20 UTC.

Kaluga Regional schools, Kaluga, Russia direct via TBD.
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS.
The downlink frequency is presently scheduled to be 145.800 MHz.
The scheduled astronaut is Sergey Kud-Sverchkov.
Watch for Tuesday, April 6, 2021 at 13:10 UTC.

St. Petersburg, Russia direct via TBD.
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS.
The downlink frequency is presently scheduled to be 145.800 MHz.
The scheduled astronaut is Sergey Ryzhikov.
Watch for Wednesday, April 7, 2021 at 12:20 UTC.

+ Previously Scheduled Contacts

Oakwood School, Morgan Hill, CA, Multi-point Telebridge via IK1SLD.
The ISS callsign was scheduled to be OR4ISS.
The downlink frequency was scheduled to be 145.800 MHz.
The scheduled astronaut was Shannon Walker KD5DXB.
Contact was successful on Monday, March 22, 2021 at 18:27:49 UTC.

The School of Information Technology & Mathematical Sciences, Southern Hemisphere Space Studies Program 2021, Mawson Lakes, SA, Australia, telebridge via NA7V.
The ISS callsign scheduled was NA1SS.
The downlink frequency was scheduled to be 145.800 MHz.
The scheduled astronaut was Mike Hopkins KF5LJG.
Contact was unsuccessful on Wednesday, March 24, 2021 at 07:51:16 UTC.
This was due to unavailability of Mike at the last minute as he had to attend to operational matters.
The contact will be rescheduled.

A multi-point telebridge contact means that each student will be on the telebridge from their own home.

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

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

Satellite Shorts from All Over

+ AMSAT-EA English Language Newsletter Available

Spain’s amateur satellite organization AMSAT-EA has released the English language PDF version of their newsletter for March 2021 for free download. It features:

UVSQ-SAT
EASAT-2 and HADES satellites
3D modeling of a satellite tracking system
First EA-SM contact on FT4 via RS-44 satellite

You can download the PDF from:
https://amsat-ea.org/app/download/12682823/AMSAT-EA-Newsletter_03-2021.pdf

[ANS thanks Southgate ARC for the above information.]

+ Ham Radio Live! Show 163 on Amateur Radio Satellite Service

Larry Deyoe, K7HN hosts a podcast on YouTube targeted at potential hams and new hams and his latest episode is focused on Amateur Radio satellites.

He includes a video of Larry Shaunce, WD0AKX working astronaut Serena Auñón-Chancellor on the ISS as well as a video of a hamfest demo in which John Brier, KG4AKV made 18 QSOs over AO-91. Watch the complete video at:
https://youtu.be/QF_HaMBEOLM?t=1318

[ANS thanks John Brier, KG4AKV for the above information.]

+ RSGB Radio Surfer Award Includes Space Challenges

The RSGB has announced its new Radio Surfer Award aimed at young people but open to everyone regardless of age, there’s no need to even be an RSGB member. The idea is to pick challenges from a list and gain sufficient points to match your age. Among the space related challenges are:
– Get a message from space (satellite, EME, ISS)
– Pull images off a satellite / ISS

Find out more about the Radio Surfer Award at:
https://rsgb.org/main/operating/amateur-radio-awards/youth-award/radio-surfer-award/

[ANS thanks JoAnne Maenpaa, K9JKM and the RSGB for the above information.]

+ K0FFY Interactive QSL for FalconSAT-3

Adam Whitney, K0FFY, has posted an “Interactive QSL” to the FalconSAT-3 BBS in the form of a Commodore 64 binary suitable for running on emulators or real vintage hardware. For a screen shot of the program running see the following tweet from Scott Chapman, K4KDR:

(https://twitter.com/K0FFY_Radio/status/1375169922469396480)

Download your copy from the FalconSAT-3 BBS today!

[ANS thanks Paul Stoetzer, N8HM for the above information.]

+ Astroscale Sends its First Space-Sweeper to Orbit

Astroscale, the Japanese startup that wants to remove dangerous clutter from an already congested space environment, reached a critical milestone with the successful launch of its ELSA-D debris removal spacecraft early Monday morning. Once in orbit and activated, the ELSA-D will conduct a six-month “End-of-Life” on-orbit servicing demonstration. Astroscale said the mission, which is licensed by the UK Space Agency, is the world’s first commercial mission to demonstrate the core technologies necessary for space debris docking and removal. Read the full story at:
https://www.tinyurl.com/ANS-087-Sweeper.

[ANS thanks SatteliteToday.com for the above information.]

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

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

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

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

ANS-073 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins for March 14, 2021

March 14, 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:

* Spacewalk Addresses ARISS Equipment Issue
* Eight Amateur Radio Satellites to Deploy From ISS On March 14
* Delfi-N3xt Back To Life After 7 Years Of Silence
* First Contact Via UVSQ-Sat FM Transponder
* Another Achievement For Explorer Richard Garriott
* Renewal of Orbital Data Request for TLE Redistribution by AMSAT
* News Conference Details ARISS Efforts
* ARISS News
* Upcoming Satellite Operations
* Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events
* Satellite Shorts From All Over

ANS-073 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 073.01
To: All RADIO AMATEURS
From: Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation
712 H Street NE Suite 1653
Washington, DC 20002

DATE 2021 Mar 14

Spacewalk Addresses ARISS Equipment Issue

International Space Station Expedition 64 U.S. Spacewalk #73 to Continue Station Upgrades took place on Saturday, March 13 beginning at approximately 12:30z. Astronaunts Victor Glover, KI5BKC, and Mike Hopkins, KF5LJG, undertook a number of tasks left incomplete when a previous spacewalk had to be terminated early.

One of those tasks was a re-connection of four cables on the Bartolomao platform which is attached to the Columbus Module of the space station. Columbus is the home of the primary ARISS amateur radio station, which is used for school contacts and other ARISS activities.

After an extended effort to complete some cable connections on the Bartolomao platform, Hopkins moved on to the ARISS VHF/UHF antenna on the “Earth side” of the Columbus Module at approximately 18:15z, roughly five hours into the spacewalk, and successfully removed a jumper cable between Columbus and the antenna. Hopkins raised a question concerning a sharp bend in the cable near the connector. However, no adjustments were possible.

Because NASA safety protocols require the ARISS radios to be powered down during spacewalks, there will be no opportunity to check the success of the cable re-configurations until Sunday, March 14. The Columbus Module ARISS radios are expected to be powered up in the VHF packet mode at about 12:00z on that day.

[ANS thanks NASA TV and Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, ARISS Chair, for the above information]

Eight Amateur Radio Satellites to Deploy From ISS On March 14

Eight satellites, all coordinated by the IARU Satellite Frequency Coordination Panel, are planned to be deployed from the International Space Station on Sunday, March 14.

The deployment should be streamed live on YouTube, watch from 09:15 GMT at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLltILh8SLw

The CubeSats being deployed are:
• OPUSAT-II
• GuaraniSat-1 (BIRDS-4)
• Maya-2 (BIRDS-4)
• Tsuru (BIRDS-4)
• RSP-01
• WARP-01
• TAUSAT-1
• STARS-EC

It is understood the BIRDS-4 satellites are carrying digipeaters and TAUSAT-1 has an FM transponder. Further information including the IARU coordinated frequencies are at http://amsat.org.uk/iaru/

[ANS thanks AMSAT-UK for the above information]

Delfi-N3xt Back To Life After 7 Years Of Silence

Recently, a signal was picked up from the Delfi-n3Xt, the satellite of the TU Delft with which contact was lost in 2014. This came as a big surprise to all involved. Delfi-n3Xt is the second satellite launched by TU Delft, as part of the Delfi Program, which develops very small satellites. Now that the satellite is transmitting again, steps are being taken to further the mission. The first Delfi satellite, Delfi-C3, is still working as well.

The Delfi-n3Xt project started in 2007 and the satellite was launched in November 2013. The satellite operated successfully for three months, fulfilling its main mission objectives and achieving mission success. Unfortunately, in February 2014 contact with the satellite was lost after an experiment with the linear transponder. The satellite was not heard since and was considered silent.

Three weeks ago, on February 9th, an automatic email notification was received from the satellite’s ground station, indicating that a signal from the Delfi-n3Xt had been picked up. “I always considered the possibility that the satellite might still be working but just not transmitting for some unknown reason. I programmed the ground station software such that it would still continue to track Delfi-n3Xt every single day and send me an email notification if it ever would come back to life,” says Nils von Storch, student and operator on the project in 2013 and technical responsible at the ground station since. Carrying out relevant checks and analysing the received telemetry frames prove the satellite is transmitting again.

The cause of the sudden silence has never been determined, and now the big question is how Delfi-n3Xt could come ‘back to life.’ There are hypotheses: the software might have caused the problem and a bit may have ‘flipped’ recently. This can occur when charged high energy particles hit electronic components in space. Or perhaps a component caused a short circuit, and after being exposed to the extreme conditions in space for years it may have broken off. “Of course, in the past we have looked for all kinds of explanations, and we also had theories about how the contact could ever come back. But after so long, I hadn’t counted on it anymore. Whether we will ever find out exactly how it happened, I doubt it,” says Jasper Bouwmeester, project manager of the mission since 2007.

Bouwmeester is confident that the satellite can still be of use to science. “We can learn how the satellite and its technologies and systems have held up after seven years in space. Testing systems such as the propulsion system, is relevant too, and using the Delfi-n3Xt for educational purposes is another possibility.” Before any research can be carried out, a number of steps have to be taken. A lot depends on whether the satellite can still be controlled. Also, the ground station at the EEMCS faculty is temporarily inaccessible and some of the software from 2014 no longer works on modern computers. At the same time, a formal process is necessary, as permits and insurance have expired. “But I am sure that we will be able to find solutions,” says Stefano Speretta, managing operations. “If we don’t lose the signal again, there are interesting times ahead.”

[ANS thanks Delft University of Technology for the above information]

First Contact Via UVSQ-Sat FM Transponder

The first contact was made via the FM transponder on the UVSQ-Sat CubeSat on Friday, March 5, 2021.

Michel Mahé, F4DEY, of the F6KRK radio club carried out the transponder test from the Latmos ground station near Paris. The first contact was with Peter Goodhall, 2M0SQL, in Elgin, Scotland.

After the contact Michel tweeted “Very happy to have been able to operate the Latmos station and do #F6KRKR/P validate the transponder #UVSQSat “on #space” after validation of the satellite at the Lab of #Latmos in October 2020!”

Peter tweeted “Fantastic to be QSO #1 on UVSQ-SATs FM transponder wish the @uvsqsat good luck in their commissioning and it being available more often :)”

UVSQ-Sat
http://uvsq-sat.projet.latmos.ipsl.fr/?ong=Ham-Radio
https://twitter.com/uvsqsat

Michel Mahé F4DEY
https://twitter.com/F4DEY_78

Peter Goodhall 2M0SQL
https://www.2m0sql.com/
https://twitter.com/2m0sql

As part of the ham radio mission, the UVSQ-SAT one-unit CubeSat embeds a radio transponder which will be accessible to the community in parallel of the other scientific objectives according to the power budget. The UVSQ-SAT team will provide an availability of the transponder up to 20% (schedule 7 to 15 days in advance with a distribution via the project’s website and / or Twitter account).

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

Another Achievement For Explorer Richard Garriott

British-born Richard Garriott, W5KWQ, has become the first explorer to have been to both poles, orbited the Earth and reached the bottom of the deepest ocean.

On February 28, 2021, he traveled to the bottom of the Mariana Trench, at 11,034 metres (36,201 ft) the deepest oceanic trench on the planet.

He is not the first astronaut to make the descent to the bottom of the Mariana Trench, former-NASA astronaut Kathy Sullivan ex-N5YYV did that in 2020 but Richard is the first person to also have visited the North Pole (2018) and the South Pole (2000).

Richard’s US amateur radio callsign W5KWQ recently expired but in a tweet sent March 7 he said he would be renewing his license as soon as possible https://twitter.com/RichardGarriott/status/1368523553881006082

He made many amateur radio contacts during his space mission in 2008 including one to pupils at Budbrooke Primary School in Warwick, UK. You can watch the video of that contact at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNIct1g26DQ

Richard’s father was astronaut Owen K. Garriott W5LFL who in 1983, during the STS-9 Columbia mission, made the first amateur radio contacts from space, see https://amsat-uk.org/2012/05/09/vintage-video-of-sts-9-columbia-mission-and-spacelab/

2008 Richard Garriott, W5KWQ, Gets Busy from Space http://www.arrl.org/news/richard-garriott-w5kwq-gets-busy-from-space

Richard Garriott https://richardgarriott.com/

[ANS thanks Southgate ARC for the above information]

https://tinyurl.com/ANS-GOLF

Renewal of Orbital Data Request for TLE Redistribution by AMSAT

I am pleased to announce that AMSAT-NA’s request to re-distribute TLE elements from Space-Track website has been approved for the period April 1, 2021 to April 1, 2022. Our ODR (Orbital Data Request) to distribute the Space-Track TLEs was approved by Air Force 18 SPCS, Vandenburg AFB on March 12, 2021.

Thanks to Air Force 18 SPCS, Perry Klein (W3PK), Paul Stoetzer (N8HM) and Joe Fitzgerald (KM1P) for their help in this yearly process.

We are “good to go” for another year.

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

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

News Conference Details ARISS Efforts to Return ISS Ham Station to the Air

At a March 10 news conference, Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) reported that, so far, all efforts to determine what’s keeping the ham station in the ISS Columbus module off the air have been unsuccessful. It appears that the radio equipment is working, but no signal appears to be reaching the external ARISS antenna. The station, typically operated as NA1SS, has not been usable since new RF cables were installed during a January 27 spacewalk (EVA) to support the commissioning of the Bartolomeo payload hosting platform installed last spring. During the January EVA, the coax feed line installed 11 years ago was replaced with another built by the European Space Agency (ESA) and Airbus. Responding to a question during the news conference, ARISS International Chair Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, did not rule out a fault in the radio equipment.

“There is still that possibility that there might be a problem with the radio,” he said. Bauer listed three possible problem areas: The HMU-898 cable inside the cabin may have a break due to a previous tight turn, a connector may be installed improperly, or an HMU-601 cable installation or workmanship anomaly. During the January 27 EVA, the HMU-601 cable was installed in series with the ARISS antenna cable.

During a March 13 spacewalk (EVA), astronauts Mike Hopkins, KF5LJG, and Victor Glover, KI5BKC, plan to return the ARISS antenna feed line cabling to its configuration prior to the January 27 spacewalk.

The news conference covered details of the cable troubleshooting already conducted. Bauer said the ARISS team has been working closely with NASA and the ESA to identify what may have caused the “radio anomaly” keeping the ISS Columbus module ham station off the air. He thanked ARISS-Russia’s Sergey Samburov, RV3DR, for allowing ARISS to use the ham station in the service module to continue its contact schedule.

This past week, astronauts on the ISS performed troubleshooting tests on all four new feed lines installed on the Columbus module. One cable was earmarked for the ARISS station, while the other three are for Bartolomeo. ARISS reported over the weekend, however, that it was unable to establish communication using any of the feed line cables connected to the ARISS radio system, which was tested in APRS mode.

The plan to return the ARISS cabling to its original configuration was a “contingency task” for a March 5 spacewalk, but the astronauts ran out of time.

ARISS became aware of the station problem after a contact with a school in Wyoming, between ON4ISS on Earth and Hopkins at NA1SS, had to abort when no downlink signal was heard. For the time being, ARISS school and group contacts with crew members have been conducted using the ham station in the ISS service module.

A recording of the news conference is available for viewing on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hm4h4rBE9k

[ANS thanks ARRL and Dave Jordan, AA4KN, ARISS operation team member, for the above information]

ARISS NEWS

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

A contact with Goodwood Primary School, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia, is scheduled for Wed 2021-03-17 08:32:31 UTC. The scheduled astronaut is Victor Glover KI5BKC, using the space station callsign of NA1SS. This will be a telebridge contact via NA7V, so it will be heard over North America. Maximum elelvation will be 33 degrees. The latest information on the operation mode can be found at https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html

[ANS thanks Charlie Sufana, AJ9N, ARISS operation team member, for the above information]

AMSAT, along with our ARISS partners, is developing an amateur
radio package, including two-way communication capability, to
be carried on-board Gateway in lunar orbit.

Support AMSAT’s projects today at https://www.amsat.org/donate/

Upcoming Satellite Operations

Quick Hits:

****Watch Twitter, there are lots pop-up roves happening lately, and I can’t keep this page updated with all of them.****

EN55/EN56: KC9BKA Hoping to hit up the EN55/56 grid line on Friday, March 19 for mid day passes. I haven’t checked the pass lineup yet. Would anyone need EN55/56

@AK7DD and Ledger: We will be headed to DN41 on the 14th of March. My plan is to hit DN30 on the way up. Our plans are to be in the area there until around the 24th of March, and we will hit a few of our normal activation grids on the way home, DN30, DM39 & DM49, etc. Anyhow, once we have landed in DN41, we will be doing a handful of roves in Utah and Idaho as time allows.

EL58: W7LT: EL58 happening April 1 … more to come. And then thinking Maine for the first weekend in April. Taking requests …

EM68/68: WB9VPG: Upcoming trip to EM67/68 and 58/68 possible on Wednesday, March 17. I’ll post more when I know more.

FN44: N1AIA I plan to operate from FN44 Thu 11 March 1400-1500z. SO-50, maybe AO-27, RS-44

Major Roves:

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.

One of the AMSAT Ambassadors, and an ARRL registered instructor, is Clint Bradford, K6LCS. Clint has the following presentations scheduled, with more on the way:
03/16 – Palm Springs, CA
03/20 – Bonham, Texas
04/01 – Orem, Utah
06/15 – East Massachusetts
If a 90-minute lively, informative, and fun “How to Work the Easy Satellites” Zoom presentation would be appropriate for your convention or club, contact Clint, or one of the other Ambassadors:
Clint Bradford K6LCS
http://www.work-sat.com
909-999-SATS (7287)

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

Satellite Shorts From All Over

+ If you enjoy seeing things blow up (and who doesn’t like good fireworks?) there is a glorious slow-motion video of the “Rapid Unplanned Disassembly” of the SpaceX SN10 test flight at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIZOcsu8tWk&t=120s The explosion, which occurred after what appeared to be a successful landing, was probably caused by malfunctioning landing legs on the rocket. But fear not, SpaceX already has SN11 on the pad for another attempt. If at first you don’t succeed…. (ANS thanks The Orbital Index for the above information).

+ Continuing a high-tempo launch cadence, a SpaceX Falcon 9 launched a new set of Starlink satellites and landed the booster March 11. The launch brings the total number of Starlink satellites launched to 1,265, although more than 60 of them have since deorbited. In a Feb. 22 filing with the Federal Communications Commission, SpaceX requested to modify its FCC license, allowing it to move satellites into lower orbits. Several other satellite operators oppose the request, primarily on concerns that the modified constellation will interfere with their systems. The FCC has not indicated when it will rule on SpaceX’s request. (ANS thanks SpaceNews.com and SpaceflightNow.com for the above information)

+ NASA has assigned astronaut Mark Vande Hei, KG5GNP, to an upcoming mission to the International Space Station as a flight engineer and member of the Expedition 64/65 crew. Vande Hei, along with cosmonauts Oleg Novitskiy and Pyotr Dubrov of the Russian space agency Roscosmos, are scheduled to launch Friday, April 9, on the Soyuz MS-18 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. They will be joined on the ISS by astronauts Shane Kimbrough, KE5HOD, Megan McArthur, Akihiko Hoshide, KE5DNI, and Thomas Pesquet, KG5FYG, who will arrive on the SpaceX Crew Dragon “Endeavour” spacecraft now scheduled for launch on April 22. (ANS thanks NASA for the above information)

+ NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope resumed observations March 11 after a software error placed it in a protective safe mode several days earlier, but the incident is a reminder of the telescope’s mortality. The spacecraft was launched in April 1990 and serviced by the space shuttle five times, most recently in May 2009. With the shuttle long since retired, astronomers know that, at some point, Hubble will suffer an unrecoverable failure that will end its historic mission. (ANS thanks SpaceNews.com for the above information)

+ Three residents of the International Space Station will take a spin around their orbital neighborhood in the Soyuz MS-17 on Friday, March 19, relocating the spacecraft to prepare for the arrival of the next set of crew members. Live coverage on NASA Television, the NASA app, and the agency’s website will begin at 17:15 UTC. Expedition 64 Flight Engineer Kate Rubins of NASA and Commander Sergey Ryzhikov and Sergey Kud-Sverchkov, both of the Russian Space Agency Roscosmos, will undock from the Earth-facing port of the station’s Rassvet module at 17:38z and dock again at the space-facing Poisk docking port at 18:07z (ANS thanks NASA for the above information)

+ The largest asteroid predicted to pass by our planet in 2021 will be at its closest on March 21, providing astronomers a rare opportunity to get a good look at a rocky relic that formed at the dawn of our solar system. Called 2001 FO32, the near-Earth asteroid will make its closest approach at a distance of about 1.25 million miles (2 million kilometers) – or 5 1/4 times the distance from Earth to the Moon. There is no threat of a collision with our planet, even though that distance is “close” in astronomical terms. (ANS thanks Space Daily for the above 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-066 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins for March 7, 2021

March 7, 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 Ambassadors to Speak at QSO Today Virtual Ham Expo
Revised QO-100 WB Transponder Bandplan and Operating Guidelines
Rubins and Noguchi assemble solar array fixtures outside ISS
VUCC Awards-Endorsements for March 1 2021
India, Brazil Launch Amazônia-1 On PSLV Rocket
IARU Region 1 Participates in ITU WRC-23, Prep for 23cm Allocations
Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for February 4, 2021
ARISS News
Upcoming Satellite Operations
Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events
Satellite Shorts From All Over

ANS-066 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 066
To: All RADIO AMATEURS
From: Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation
712 H Street NE Suite 1653
Washington, DC 20002

Date: 2021 March 07

AMSAT Ambassadors to Speak at QSO Today Virtual Ham Expo

Several AMSAT Ambassadors are scheduled to speak at the QSO Today Virtual Ham Expo on Saturday, March 13, 2021. The QSO Today Virtual Ham Expo to be held on March 12-14, 2021 features many speakers over a wide range of technical and operating topics. Among the speakers will be two AMSAT Ambassadors presenting in the Space Auditorium on Saturday March 13, 2021:

“Working the Easy FM Amateur Satellites” Clint Bradford, K6LCS 1200-1300 EST

From getting licensed to finding local clubs to working the “easy” FM amateur satellites – with minimal investment! We’ll cover all the basics for you – with plenty of ways to submit any questions you may have afterwards. Let’s get you “working the birds” ASAP!

Clint Bradford has been a ham since 1994, and is also involved in the commercial side of the communications industry. His “How to Work the Amateur Satellites With Your HT” presentation has informed and delighted more than 100 audiences over the past few years – clubs, conventions, and hamfests not only in Southern California, but also clubs across North America and Canada. He is an ARRL educator, AMSAT Ambassador, and member of several AMSAT chapters across the planet.

“Getting on the air with Amateur Radio Satellites” Tom Schuessler, N5HYP 1700-1800 EST

Tom will provide an introduction to what you need to know to become active on FM satellites and beyond.

Tom was licensed in 1985. Although he was aware of Amateur Radio space communications, he thought it was just too far beyond the means of the average ham. In 2009, he caught the bug from the late Keith Pugh, W5IU. The realization that he already had a radio that would work with the then existing FM satellites was all he needed. He now not only actively enjoys communicating through the current fleet of Amateur Radio satellites, but loves to communicate his passion and experience to those who have never yet experienced the thrill. Professionally, Tom Has worked in the broadcast television and video fields as a production and systems engineer.

Also scheduled to present are AMSAT’s Human Space partners at ARISS:

“How to Enjoy Amateur Radio Contacts with the International Space Station” Frank Bauer, KA3HDO & Rosalie White, K1STO 1600-1700 EST

You can enjoy ham radio contacts through the ARISS radios on the International Space Station. We’ll explain how you can have fun trying ARISS packet, SSTV and repeater mode. Intermediate level & even beginners learn how to try off-the-planet hamming.

Frank H. Bauer’s aerospace career spans over 40 years within NASA and private industry. Mr. Bauer’s primary research interests include space borne applications of the Global Positioning System (GPS) and space vehicle formation flying. He was the principal investigator of 4 spaceflight GPS and formation flying experiments including the AMSAT-OSCAR-40 GPS experiment, investigating the use of GPS above the constellation. His hobbies include astronomy, amateur radio, and flying. He’s the founder of ARISS-USA, which enables amateur radio on the ISS.

Rosalie White is an ARISS-US Delegate to the International Space Station (supported by NASA). Her specialties are STEM, Aerospace, NASA, Amateur Radio, and Aviation.

Complete information is available at https://www.qsotodayhamexpo.com

[ANS thanks QSO Today Virtual Ham Expo 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!

QO-100 WB Transponder Bandplan and Operating Guidelines

Version 3 February 2021 – The following updated DATV (DVB-S2) bandplan and guidelines are designed to enable the most efficient use of the QO-100 wideband transponder (WB) for all amateur radio satellite users. Please make sure that you understand the guidelines and follow them accordingly. The use of DVB-S2 as the most efficient transmission mode is advised. Additional information and graphics may be found at: https://bit.ly/2NXQYqm

[ANS thanks Peter Gülzow, DB2OS of AMSAT-DL for the above information]

Rubins and Noguchi assemble solar array support fixtures outside ISS

NASA astronaut Kate Rubins and Soichi Noguchi, a Japanese astronaut who last walked in space more than 15 years ago, ventured outside the International Space Station Friday and completed assembly of two solar array support fixtures, part of a $100 million power system upgrade.

After handling multiple struts and bolts, Rubins reported a small pin-prick “hole” in one of her gloves and while there was no leakage and no emergency, she expressed concern about moving too far from Noguchi for additional work.

“There’s a hole in my right index finger through the RTV (insulation),” she told astronaut Frank Rubio in mission control. “It’s unchanged in appearance. And we have a middle finger peeling, my right middle finger, and … gaps in the RTV on my left middle finger.”

With installation of the solar array support fixtures complete, Rubio asked how she felt about leaving Noguchi, moving back to the space station airlock to drop off tools and then heading out to the European Columbus laboratory module to complete electrical connections for a recently installed experiment platform.

“This is kind of a pinprick hole versus RTV peeling,” Rubins replied. “So I’m mildly concerned about going real far from Soichi.”

Rubins’ suit maintained the proper pressure throughout, but given time lost earlier assembling the solar array supports, flight controllers opted to call it a day without pressing ahead with work to finish wiring up the experiment platform. Additional Information at: https://bit.ly/3bmvUmf

[ANS thanks William Harwood of SpaceflightNow.com for the above information]

VUCC Awards-Endorsements for March 1 2021

Here are the endorsements and new VUCC Satellite Awards issued by the ARRL for the period February 1, 2021 through March 1, 2021. Congratulations to all those who made the list this month!

CALLSIGN	Feb	Mar
XE2AT	899	946
W5RKN	739	740
N3GS	679	687
NS3L	625	650
N1AIA	494	604
PS8ET	450	550
N5BO	500	525
AF5CC	461	477
N4DCW	450	476
AK7DD	390	400
VE1VOX	170	400
W8LR	328	353
KE0WPA	229	345
N6RFM	276	302
VE4MM	263	279
K8BL	274	278
AB1OC	264	267
DF2ET	129	250
F6GLJ	103	220
N8URE (FM19)	186	214
F4BKV	100	200
WD9EWK(DM23)	152	166
KN2K	New	155
N8URE (EL95)	113	134
DL6KBG	111	125
M0SKN	New	108
KC5TT	New	100
N2CJ	New	100

If you find errors or omissions. please contact me off-list at<mycall>@<mycall>.com and I’ll revise the announcement. This list was developed by comparing the ARRL .pdf listings for the two months. It’s a visual comparison so omissions are possible. Apologies if your call was not mentioned. Thanks to all those who are roving to grids that are rarely on the birds. They are doing most of the work! Ron W5RKN

[ANS thanks Ron Parsons, W5RKN 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/

India, Brazil Launch Amazônia-1 On PSLV Rocket

The Indian Space Research Organization has launched their first mission of 2021 with a flight of their Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) to deliver Brazil’s Amazônia-1 satellite, along with 18 co-passengers, into Sun-synchronous orbit.

Liftoff from First Launch Pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota, India, occurred Sunday, 28 February at 10:24 IST at the launch site — which is 04:54 UTC, or Saturday, 27 February at 23:54 EST.

Amazônia-1 is the first Earth observation satellite designed, built, tested, and operated completely by Brazil and is the first of three such satellites planned by the National Institute of Space Research (INPE), a Brazil’s space research and exploration company.

The 18 co-passengers, included 12 SpaceBEEs, SAI-1 Nanoconnect-2, Sindhu Netra, UNITYsat, and SDSat.

The SpaceBEEs satellites, developed by Swarm Technologies Inc., will be used for two-way satellite communication and data relay while the SAI-1 Nanoconnect-2 satellite, developed and funded by the Space Instrumentation Laboratory of the National University of Mexico, will examine the use of the GlobalStar satellite phone network as a secondary communication channel for nano-satellites.

Sindhu Netra is an Indian-developed AIS-based (automatic identification system) marine traffic monitoring satellite built by students at the People’s Education Society University’s Crucible for Research and Innovation wing. Funding was provided by the Defense Research and Development Organization of India.

Joining its other co-passengers is the UNITYSat mission — which itself contains the JITsat, GHRCESat, and SriShakthiSat satellites. The trio of satellites will form an amateur radio and IoT (Internet of Things) service satellite. The mission was developed by the Jeppiaar Institute of Technology, G. H. Raisoni College of Engineering, and the Sri Shakthi Institute of Engineering and Technology. [No amateur frequency coordination records appear in the IARU satellite database for these satellites — Ed.]

SDSat (Satish Dhawan Satellite), named after the Chairman and founding father of the Indian Space Program, was developed by SpaceKidz India to measure magnetic fields and space radiation. The satellite also carries 25,000 names designed to create awareness and educate the general public about space sciences.

This was the 53rd mission for the PSLV rocket and marks the first dedicated PSLV commercial mission for New Space India Limited, an Indian government company under the Department of Space and the commercial arm of the Indian Space Research Organization.

[ANS thanks Spaceflight.com for the above information]

IARU Region 1 Participates in ITU WRC-23 Preparation for 23cm Allocations

The Chair of IARU Region 1 Spectrum Affairs, Barry Lewis, G4SJH reports a meeting of the ITU-R Working Party 4C (WP4C) was held between February 15 and 19 which discussed the amateur radio allocation at 1240 – 1300 MHz.

During the week 15 to 19 February, the preparatory work for WRC-23 agenda item 9.1b continued in ITU-R Working Party 4C (WP4C). The WRC agenda item has initiated technical studies on coexistence between the radio navigation satellite service (RNSS) and the amateur services in the 23 cm band. As usual, the IARU participated in the meeting and delivered key information on amateur activities in this important microwave band. This information is vital to ensure the amateur services are realistically represented in the studies as they move forward.

To assist with this the IARU Region 1 is developing supporting material that Member Societies can refer to when addressing the topic with their National Regulator. The work on this topic will continue throughout the year and beyond, both in ITU-R and in the regional telecommunications organisations, and the IARU is committed to ensure every organisation understands the amateur position on this important microwave band.

[ANS thanks JoAnne Maenpaa and the South African Radio League SARL News 28 February 2021 for the above information]

JAMSAT Symposium 2021 Information Posted: March 2, 2021

From Google Translate: JAMSAT will hold the annual meeting and JAMSAT Symposium 2021 as follows. This year, due to the influence of the new corona, it will be held online. The annual general meeting is for members only, and the symposium and the social gathering after the symposium are open to anyone who is interested in satellite communications. We posted the “Symposium 2021 Holding Information” earlier, but we will post it again, including the social gathering.

Date and time:
Saturday, March 20th, General Assembly (members only)
Saturday, March 20th, 9: 00-9: 45 (Reception: Posted in newsletter)
Symposium: Saturday, March 20th, 10:00 ~ 17: 45 Social gathering:
Saturday, March 20th, 18: 00 ~
Venue: ZOOM, ZOOM, free of charge, symposium

More information in Japanese available at: https://bit.ly/3uUlXEf

[ANS thanks Nao Goto of JAMSAT for the above information]

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

https://tinyurl.com/ANS-GOLF

Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for March 4, 2021

The following satellite has decayed from orbit and has been removed from this week’s AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution:
TW-1C – NORAD Cat ID 40926 (Decayed 2-27-2021 per Space-Track).

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

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

ARISS NEWS: Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2021-03-01 22:00 UTC

Sterling MS, Ashburn, VA, multi-point telebridge via ON4ISS
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS.
The downlink frequency is presently scheduled to be 145.800 MHz.
The latest information on the operation mode can be found at https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html. The scheduled astronaut is Shannon Walker KD5DXB.
Contact is go for: Tue 2021-02-09 14:44:48 UTC 66 deg
Watch for live stream at https://youtu.be/qVhBweqjCo4

Red Hill Lutheran, Tustin, CA, telebridge via NA7V
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS
The downlink frequency is presently scheduled to be 145.800 MHz.
The latest information on the operation mode can be found at https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html.
The scheduled astronaut is Mike Hopkins KF5LJG.
Contact is go for: Wed 2021-02-10 18:26:15 UTC 65 deg.

[ANS thanks Charlie Sufana, AJ9N, one of the ARISS operation team mentors for the above information]

AMSAT, along with our ARISS partners, is developing an amateur
radio package, including two-way communication capability, to
be carried on-board Gateway in lunar orbit.

Support AMSAT’s projects today at
https://www.amsat.org/donate/

Upcoming Satellite Operations

Quick Hits:

Spring Training Rove! KX9X will be heading down to Ft Myers, FL the week of March 7 for some sun and baseball. Will activate EL86 & 96 holiday style for sure, possibly a couple other grids as well. Linear/FM. Details soon.

@K8BL will be in EM54 3/4 – 3/7.

Major Roves:

W7LT: DN04/05/14/15/24/25/27/28/34/35/37/38/47/48 schedule … subject to change due to weather and other unforeseen circumstances. Will try to stick to it as best I can. Click here for details: https://bit.ly/3q783ew

Please submit any additions or corrections to Ke0pbr (at) gmail.com Updated 03/3/2021

[ANS thanks Paul Overn, KE0PBR, AMSAT rover page manager, and JoAnne Maenpaa, K9JKM for the above information]

Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events

AMSAT Ambassador and registered ARRL instructor Clint Bradford K6LCS AMSAT Ambassador and ARRL registered instructor Clint Bradford, K6LCS, is certainly keeping busy!

Cliff reports these upcoming satellite presentation dates:
03/10 – Trenton, New Jersey
03/11 – Clearwater, Florida
03/13 – QSO TODAY 2021 Virtual Convention. See: https://bit.ly/2OkDRiV
03/16 – Palm Springs, CA
03/20 – Bonham, Texas
04/01 – Orem, Utah
06/15 – East Massachusetts

Send Clint an email message, and book a date! Contact: Clint Bradford K6LCS k6lcs at ham-sat dot info 909-999-SATS (7287)

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

Satellite Shorts From All Over

+Getting It Right: JAGSAT CubeSat Sponsor

Last week’s ANS-059 AMSAT Weekly Bulletin incorrectly reported that the 2U Cubesat JAGSAT was a project of the University of Alabama. Everyone who knows the difference between Southern grits and Minnesota lutefisk can tell you that the University of Alabama’s mascot is an elephant named “Big Al.” JAGSAT is a project of the University of Southern Alabama whose mascot is, of course, a Jaguar named Southpaw. ANS-059 Rotating Editor Frank Karnauskas, N1UW apologizes for the error.

[ ANS thanks John Klingelhoeffer, WB4LNM for catching this error.]

+ Humor and News…

+ Rocket Labs CEO eats his hat because he once said he would not fly a reusable rocket. Then came Neutron… Watch on YouTube: https://bit.ly/3c2ErtA

[ANS thanks Orbital Index and Rocket Lab for the above information]

+ SpaceX ends 3rd Starship landing attempt in flaming success before exploding minutes later

Third time’s a charm? Not so for SpaceX, whose unmanned rocket exploded on the ground Wednesday after carrying out what had seemed to be a successful flight and landing — fresh on the heels of two fiery crashes. It was yet another flub involving a prototype of the Starship rocket, which SpaceX hopes one day to send to Mars. “A beautiful soft landing,” a SpaceX commentator said on a live broadcast of the test flight, although flames were coming out at the bottom and crews were trying to put them out. The rocket exploded a few minutes later, lurching into the air and crashing back to the ground. More information may be found at: https://bit.ly/3v0x4vJ

[ANS thanks to the SpaceDaily.com staff writers for the above information]

+SpaceX sticks 75th Falcon rocket landing after launching 60 more Starlink satellites March 4, 2021

Launching through a blanket of low-hanging clouds and light mist, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket thundered into the sky over Florida’s Space Coast early Thursday and delivered 60 more Starlink internet satellites to orbit. The rocket’s first stage touched down on SpaceX’s floating landing platform in the Atlantic Ocean to complete its eighth trip to space and back. Additional information at: https://bit.ly/3uTFSmX

[ANS thanks to Stephen Clark of SpaceFlightNow.com for the above information]

+ AMSAT Thanks AmazonSmile Shoppers

AmazonSmile shoppers who designated Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation as their charity have made a difference during the past holiday shopping season. AmazonSmile reports that it has deposited a total of $498.31 to the AMSAT coffers for purchases made between October 1 and December 31, 2020.

You can join the crowd and help AMSAT earn even more. Go to https://smile.amazon.com to create your account and designate “Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation” as your charity. Just remember, when you go shopping start with AmazonSmile so your purchases are credited to AMSAT. Thank you, shoppers!

[ANS thanks AMSAT for the above information.]

73 and Remember to help keep amateur radio in space,
This week’s ANS Editor, Jack Spitznagel, KD4IZ
kd4iz at frawg dot org