Mark Johns

ANS-089 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins for March 29th

by

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: http://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/ans

In this edition:

  • Sean Kutzko, KX9X, Appointed AMSAT Volunteer Coordinator
  • AMSAT Office Closed Until Further Notice
  • First Satellite Contact to be Noted in May QST
  • Amateur Radio Satellite Spreads Fight Coronavirus Message
  • Ham Talk Live! Interviews Frank Bauer, KA3HDO
  • ISS Crew Transition Affected by CoViD-19
  • Upcoming ARISS Contacts
  • Upcoming Satellite Operations
  • Satellite Shorts From All Over

 

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-089.01
ANS-089 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 089.01
From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD
DATE 2020 Mar 29
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-089.01

 

Sean Kutzko, KX9X, Appointed AMSAT Volunteer Coordinator

AMSAT President Clayton Coleman, W5PFG, has announced the appointment of Sean Kutzko, KX9X, as Volunteer Coordinator.

First licensed in 1982 as KA9NGH, Kutzko served as both ARRL Contest Branch Manager (2007-2013) and ARRL Media and Public Relations Manager (2013-2017). He was the creator and co-administrator of the ARRL National Parks on the Air (NPOTA) program in 2016. An active HF and VHF contester, DXer and backpack QRP enthusiast, Kutzko started working satellites in 2011 and has transmitted from over fifty different grid squares. He has written instructional materials on satellite operating for the AMSAT website, QST, and blogs regularly on satellite topics for the DX Engineering blogs “On All Bands.”

“It’s an honor to be able to volunteer for AMSAT,” Kutzko said. “When [new AMSAT president] Clayton [Coleman, W5PFG] asked if I would help coordinate a team of volunteers, I jumped at the opportunity. AMSAT is a great organization and helping find good volunteers who are willing to help all areas of AMSAT’s growth and development is the least I could do for the organization that has given me a lot of enjoyment and technical skill.”

Outside of Amateur Radio, Kutzko is a freelance PR/communications consultant and voiceover artist, as well as a baker of artisan breads, pizza and pastries. He also plays drums in a classic rock/country band, Silverweed. He lives in Urbana, Illinois.

[ANS thanks AMSAT President Clayton Coleman, W5PFG, for the above in-formation]

AMSAT Office Closed Until Further Notice

Due to Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan’s order closing all non-essential businesses in the State of Maryland in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the AMSAT office is closed until further notice, effective to-day at 5:00 p.m. EDT.

While the office is closed, AMSAT will continue to accept new and renewal memberships. However, membership packets will not be mailed until the office reopens. T-shirts, hats, and other items stocked in the office will also not be available until the office reopens. Digital downloadable content, including SatPC32 and MacDoppler will re-main available from the AMSAT store. Antenna, name badge, and awards orders will be forwarded for processing.

The March/April issue of The AMSAT Journal will be produced on time. However, it may only be possible to publish it in digital format. Stay tuned for further updates.

Any questions about memberships, orders, or office operations can be sent to info at amsat.org. Please note that no mail or phone service will be available until the office reopens. Vendors billing AMSAT for goods or services may email the above address to arrange payment.

[ANS thanks the AMSAT office for the above information]

Purchase AMSAT Gear on our Zazzle storefront.
25% of the purchase price of each product goes towards
Keeping Amateur Radio in Space
https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear

First Satellite Contact to be Noted in May QST

Those who are ARRL members may be interested in the Technical Correspondence article in the forthcoming May 2020 QST, entitled “The 60th Anniversary of the First Satellite Contact.”

The contact to which it refers took place on February 6, 1960, six months before NASA’s Project Echo, between W2RS and K3JTE (now W3PK), making use of a propagation mode first reported by W8JK (SK), which he called “the satellite ionization phenomenon.”

The May 2020 QST article describes what we did and what has been learned since then about the ionosphere and how W8JK’s mechanism works. For further reading about the contact, see the article in Proceedings of the Institute of Radio Engineers, September 1961. For more about the satellite ionization phenomenon, see the chapter by W8JK in S.F. Singer, ed., Interactions of Space Vehicles With an Ionized Atmosphere, Pergamon Press, 1965.

The May issue of QST is expected to be published in mid-April.

[ANS thanks Ray Soifer, W2RS, for the above information]

———————————————————————

Amateur Radio Satellite Spreads Fight Coronavirus Message

Indonesia’s national amateur radio society ORARI reports the ham radio satellite LAPAN-A2 (IO-86) is being used to send a Fight Coronavirus message using APRS.

A translation of the ORARI post says:
The satellite spreads the text message “Stay Healthy, Stay at Home #LawanCorona”.

This was conveyed by Researcher of the Center for Satellite Technology, Sonny Dwi Harsono when contacted, Friday, March 20, 2020.

Sonny explained, this action was a form of support for government policies on social distancing. The policy encourages all of us to reduce activities outside the home and interactions with others. “So this message was sent by the LAPAN A2 satellite via the APRS (Automatic Packet Reporting System) beacon which was transmitted throughout Indonesia. APRS is a text based communication system for short messages such as SMS on mobile phones. But this APRS message can only be received through HT (Handie Talkie) which has the recipient of the APRS message,” he said.

Sonny explained, messages that have been disseminated can be received by anyone by setting the HT radio frequency to 145.825 MHZ. To date corona’s message has been received by dozens of members of the Indonesian Radio Amateur Organization (ORARI) spread throughout Indonesia.

The dissemination of the message was carried out starting March 20. For the time being the message dissemination was carried out on the APRS mission only. But it will try to spread the message one time at a LAPAN-A2 / LAPAN-ORARI track every 100 minutes. “Later if possible, we try to distribute 24 hours nonstop every 100 minutes under certain conditions. Currently we are discussing the technicalities. The messages from the government can also be disseminated via the LAPAN-A2 satellite,” he concluded.

Source ORARI https://tinyurl.com/IndonesiaORARI

Follow LAPAN-A2 https://twitter.com/lapansat

[ANS thanks AMSAT-UK for the above information]

Need new satellite antennas? Purchase Arrows, Alaskan Arrows,
and M2 LEO-Packs from the AMSAT Store. When you purchase through
AMSAT, a portion of the proceeds goes towards
Keeping Amateur Radio in Space.
https://amsat.org/product-category/hardware/

Ham Talk Live! Interviews Frank Bauer, KA3HDO

Ham Talk Live! host Neal Rapp, WB9VPG recently interviewed Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, for an informative look at recent events in the ARISS program. Bauer, who is AMSAT Vice President, Human Spaceflight and ARISS International Chair was interviewed on Thursday, March 26, 2020.

In the interview Bauer covers ARISS’ four-year effort to update the ISS Amateur Radio station with its next generation radio system, the Interoperable Radio System (IORS). The IORS consists of a specially modified JVC-Kenwood TM-D710 transceiver and the AMSAT-NA developed multi-voltage power supply.

The complete interview can be heard at https://tinyurl.com/ANS-089-Bauer

[ANS thanks Neil Rapp, WB9VPG for the above information.]

ISS Crew Transition Affected by CoViD-19

The International Space Station Expedition 62 crew, consisting of NASA Flight Engineer Jessica Meir, Flight Engineer Andrew Morgan, KI5AAA, and Commander Oleg Skripochka, RA0LDJ, are readying their Soyuz MS-15 crew ship for departure on April 17. Meanwhile, the crew that will replace them is nearing its launch scheduled for April 9 aboard the Soyuz MS-16 crew ship. NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy, KF5KDR, and Roscosmos cosmonauts Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner arrived this week at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan for final training. The Expedition 63 trio is due to live aboard the station for 195 days with Cassidy as commander.
(ANS thanks spaceref.com for the above information)

NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy’s family will be watching remotely from halfway around the world when he blasts off April 9 from Kazakhstan to begin a six-month expedition on the International Space Station. That’s because travel restrictions and stringent social distancing guidelines instituted to slow the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic will limit the ability for family members to travel to the Baikonur Cosmo-drome for the launch. Launch day at Baikonur is usually a festive affair. “But it’ll be completely quiet,” Cassidy said in a satellite interview from Star City, Russia. “There won’t be anybody there.”
(ANS thanks spaceflightnow.com for the above information)

NASA already has a long-held strategy in place for preventing astro-nauts from carrying any nasty bugs with them to space. All astronauts going to orbit must go through a two-week period of quarantine called “health stabilization,” according to NASA. That way, the agency can make sure the crew is not incubating any illnesses before launch. How-ever, NASA said it “will continue to evaluate and augment this plan, in coordination with its international and commercial partners” if needed.

In the meantime, Russia’s state space corporation, Roscosmos, has decided to shut down all media activity surrounding the Soyuz launch, barring journalists from covering the mission in person. Russia will still live stream the launch, and NASA typically airs all of its crewed launches on its own online TV channel.

The return of the Expedition 62 crew in mid-April would typically involve large numbers of recovery personnel. SpaceX will be ready to send its first crew of NASA astronauts to the International Space Station aboard its Crew Dragon capsule sometime in May. NASA has not provided any details if those operations would change in light of the pandemic.
(ANS thanks theverge.com for the above information)

Upcoming ARISS Contacts

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.

Amur State University, Blagoveshchensk, Russia, direct via RKØJ
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS
The scheduled astronaut is Oleg Skripochka
Possible contact on Tuesday 2020-03-31 08:50 UTC

ARISS is very aware of the impact that COVID-19 is having on schools and the public in general. As such, we may have last minute cancellations or postponements of school contacts. As always, ARISS will try to provide everyone with near-real-time updates at the ARISS webpage: https://www.ariss.org/

The contact scheduled for Wednesday 2020-03-25 with SPDW Voortrekker Movement, Oranjeville, South Africa, direct via ZS9SPD was postponed due to COVID-19 concerns.

[ANS thanks Charlie Sufana, AJ9N, one of the ARISS operation team men-tors 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

River Bend Wireless Rove (EN22, EN33, EN34, EN42, EN43, EN44) April 2-4, 2020
Mitch Ahrenstorff, AD0HJ, is looking to add six more grids to his rover basket just before the April 4 AMSAT presentation/demonstration at the River Bend Wireless and Mechanical Society in Faribault, Minn. Mitch will be activating the EN43/EN44 grid line on April 2nd, the EN32/EN42 grid line on April 3rd, and the EN33/EN34 grid line on April 4th, 2020. Watch Mitch’s Twitter feed as the dates approach for a de-tailed schedule. https://twitter.com/AD0HJ

From the Mountains to the Bay (CM88,89,98,99 DM09,19,29 DN00,01,02,10,11,20,21) April 12-21, 2020
R.J. Bragg, WY7AA, is hitting the asphalt again, roving from Wyoming to Vacaville, Calif. He’s attending a class from April 15-19, so most of the roving will be outside of this time. Grids to be covered in-clude: CM88,89,98,99 DM09,19,29 DN00,01,02,10,11,20,21. Specific pass details will be posted on WY7AA QRZ page and Twitter (https://twitter.com/WY7AA) as the trip approaches.

Please submit any additions or corrections to ke4al (at) amsat.org

[ANS thanks Robert Bankston, KE4AL, AMSAT VP-User Services for the above information]

Satellite Shorts From All Over

+ Nothing to do while quarantined by Covid-19? How about making a paper model of the satellite, DIWATA-1, the first satellite designed and built in the Philippines: https://tinyurl.com/ujukexd (ANS thanks JoAnne Maenpaa, K9JKM, for the above information)

+ There has been lengthy discussion this week on the AMSAT email bulletin board, amsat-bb, about inconsiderate operators on FM satel- lites. A document by Sean Kutzko, KX9X, published back in 2017, is still an excellent guide to best practices on these birds. See it at https://tinyurl.com/ybw5e2ng (ANS thanks Mark Johns, K0JM, for the above information)

+ The coronavirus has had effects on many space activities this week: Virgin Orbit is reassessing schedules, Blue Origin in hard-hit Seattle is mostly working online, Arianespace suspended launches from French Guiana and Russia recalled and quarantined its personnel, ESA mission control is working from home, and some spaceports are closed worldwide. (ANS thanks orbitalindex.com for the above information)

+ One thing astronauts have to be good at: living in confined spaces for long periods of time. Find yourself in a similar scenario? NASA astronaut Anne McClain recently posted a lengthy Twitter thread with pro-tips for getting through your time at home. It begins at: https://tinyurl.com/tqh3hke (ANS thanks orbitalindex.com for the above information)

+ At least on the ISS astronauts don’t have the added task of caring for and educating kids. If your current confinement capsule is equipped with youngsters in grades K-4, there are resources for you at: https://www.nasa.gov/stem-at-home-for-students-k-4.html (ANS thanks NASA for the above information)

+ The Folding@home project is a distributed computing project that is currently running calculations to analyze protein structures on the COVID-19 project. Donate your spare computer time to help this project and consider joining AMSAT’s team (#67910). More information at https://foldingathome.org/covid19/. AMSAT’s team standings can be found at https://stats.foldingathome.org/team/69710

/EX

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 Office.

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 Martha at the AMSAT Office for additional student membership information.

73 and Remember to help keep amateur radio in space,
This week’s ANS Editor,

K0JM at amsat dot org

ANS-068 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins for March 8th

by

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE – ANS-068

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:

http://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/ans

In this edition:

  • Welcome Back XW-2D
  • PSAT3 Launch CANCELED
  • AMSAT Academy to be Held Prior to Dayton Hamvention
  • The 23cm Satellite Band is Under Scrutiny in Europe
  • Replacing the International Space Station?
  • FO-29 Operational Schedule
  • ARISS News
  • AMSAT Will be at ScienceCity in Tucson, March 14-15
  • Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events
  • Upcoming Satellite Operations
  • Satellite Shorts from All Over

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-068.01
ANS-068 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 068.01
From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD.
DATE 2020 Mar 08
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-068.01

 

Welcome Back XW-2D

XW-2D has come back from its apparent issues and is back in action. No official report for the satellite owner, but reports from operators allover the world have shown the satellite is back in operation:

Frequency:UPLINK LSB 435.210 MHz to 435.230 MHZDOWNLINK USB 145.860 MHz to 145.880 MHZ

Make sure to post your reception reports for all satellites at https://www.amsat.org/status/

[ANS thanks Hasan Schiers, N0AN, for the above information]

PSAT3 Launch CANCELED

Four days from Shipping PSAT3 to Kodiak for launch, the launch has been canceled.

The launch was part of the DARPA LAUNCH CHALLENGE: https://darpalaunchchallenge.org/index.html

The challenge (and $10m prize) was for any launch provider to deliver a rocket with only 30 days notice of what payloads they would have and where they would launch from. And then to do it again only 30 days later. We were on the second launch.

But on 2 March the third attempt by the launch provider was scrubbed at T-9 minutes and was not resolved until the launch window (and DARPA challenge deadline) had passed. Therefore the CHALLENGE is over, there was no winner, and we lost the launch.

So, if anyone hears of a rocket that needs a CUBESAT PPOD backup replacement, we have one: http://aprs.org/psat3.html

[ANS thanks Bob, WB4APR for the above information]

AMSAT Academy to be Held Prior to Dayton Hamvention

Come join us the day before Hamvention, for AMSAT® Academy – a unique opportunity to learn all about amateur radio in space and working FM,linear transponder, and digital satellites currently in orbit.

AMSAT® Academy will be held Thursday, May 14, 2020, from 9:00am to5:00pm, at the Dayton Amateur Radio Association (DARA) Clubhouse, located at 6619 Bellefontaine Rd, Dayton, Ohio.

The $85 registration fee includes:

  • Full day of instruction, designed for both beginners and advanced amateur radio satellite operators, and taught by some of the most accomplished AMSAT operators.
  • Digital copy of Getting Started with Amateur Satellites, 2020 Edition ($15 value)
  • One-Year, AMSAT® Basic Membership ($44 value)
  • Pizza Buffet Lunch
  • Invitation to the Thursday night AMSAT® get together at Ticket Pub and Eatery in Fairborn.

Registration closes May 8, 2020. No sign ups at the door. No refunds,no cancellations.

Registrations may be purchased on the AMSAT store at https://www.amsat.org/product/2020-amsat-academy-registration/

[ANS thanks Robert Bankston, KE4AL, Vice President – User Services for the above information]

The 23cm Satellite Band is Under Scrutiny in Europe

The International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) Region 1 committee is al-ready actively participating in the regulatory work taking place inthe European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT) to consider coexistence between the secondary amateur and amateur satellite services and the primary radio navigation satellite service, in the 1.2 GHz band. The principal issue is Europe’s Galileo system of global navigation satellites.

The Galileo services are delivered in a number of bands and one occupies the 1260-1300 MHz band. The Galileo team has witnessed interference from amateur TV transmissions which resulted in station shut down and has experienced interference from high power EME operations too.

Work is at an early stage and the IARU will continue to try tp mini-mise the impact on amateur operations however it is likely that some changes will be necessary to the way we use the band.

The topic is closely related to the agenda of the next World Radio-communication Conference coming up in 2013 (WRC-23) at which representatives of the United Nations countries who are members of the International Telecommunication Union will agree on coordinated radio regulations.

For more information, see https://tinyurl.com/tcrdm4j

[ANS thanks Jacques Verleijen, ON4AVJ, and the IARU Region 1 Newsletter for the above information]

Replacing the International Space Station?

Aboard the International Space Station (ISS), humanity has managed to maintain an uninterrupted foothold in low Earth orbit for just shy of20 years. But as the saying goes, what goes up must eventually comedown. The ISS is at too low of an altitude to remain in orbit indefinitely, and core modules of the structure are already operating years beyond their original design lifetimes. As difficult a decision as it might be for the countries involved, in the not too distant future the$150 billion orbiting outpost will have to be abandoned.

Naturally there’s some debate as to how far off that day is. NASA officially plans to support the Station until at least 2024, and an extension to 2028 or 2030 is considered very likely. However, one commercial partner is betting on a longer-term future. Axiom has been selected by NASA to develop a new habitable module for the U.S. side of the Station by 2024.

While the agreement technically only covers a single module, Axiom hasn’t been shy about their plans going forward. Once that first module is installed and operational, they plan on getting NASA approval to launch several new modules branching off of it. Ultimately, they hope that their “wing” of the ISS can be detached and become its own independent commercial station by the end of the decade.

Read the full article at https://bit.ly/39tsc6V

[ANS thanks Hackaday for the above information]

Purchase AMSAT Gear on our Zazzle storefront.
25% of the purchase price of each product goes towards
Keeping Amateur Radio in Space
https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear

FO-29 Operational Schedule

The operation of Fuji 3 (FO-29) has been unstable, but the transmitter will be turned on in the next pass. Since the date and time are in UTC, add 9 hours to convert to Japan time.

The operation is until the UVC (lower limit voltage control) operates.

[Scheduled time to turn on the analog transmitter of Fuji 3 (UTC)]

  • March 8 04:30- 06:15- 14:40
  • March 14 04:15- 06:00- 14:25
  • March 15 03:25- 05:10- 15:15
  • March 21 03:10- 04:55- 15:00
  • March 22 04:00- 05:45- 14:05
  • March 28 03:45- 05:30- 13:50
  • March 29 04:35- 06:20- 14:40

Because of data acquisition, besides this operation plan, the transmitter may be turned on for a short time.

[ANS thanks JARL for the above information.]

ARISS News

An International Space Station (ISS) school contact with an Australian school on 13 March will be audible in USA! The ISS will be over North America at the time, and the Australians will link to it by land line”Telebridge” via a U.S. amateur radio station.

The contact will be with the Australian Air League – South Australia Wing, Parafield, South Australia, but via Telebridge Station K6DUE in Greenbelt, Maryland, USA. The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS and the scheduled astronaut is Drew Morgan, KI5AAA.

The contact is scheduled at 08:56 UTC with downlink signals from ISS heard above Maryland and nearby areas on 145.800 MHz narrow band FM.

[ANS thanks Rudy Parisio, IW2BSF, and Charlie Sufana, AJ9N, of the ARISS Operation Team, 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/

AMSAT Will be at ScienceCity in Tucson, March 14-15

AMSAT will be supporting the University of Arizona’s K7UAZ radio club during the ScienceCity science fair on 14-15 March 2020 (a Saturday and Sunday). ScienceCity will be on the University of Arizona campus in Tucson, Arizona. This science fair is supported by several organizations at the university, and runs in conjunction with the Tucson Festival of Books that will also take place that weekend. More information about ScienceCity is available at: http://sciencecity.arizona.edu/

Information about the K7UAZ radio club is available at: http://k7uaz.com/

The K7UAZ radio club will have a booth in the “Science of Everyday Life” area at ScienceCity. This booth will showcase different facets of amateur radio, including amateur satellites. WD9EWK, and possibly other call signs, should be heard during demonstrations of satellite operating taking place at ScienceCity. If you hear us, please call and be a part of the demonstrations. The University of Arizona campus is in grid DM42, in Arizona’s Pima County.

QSLing will be determined by the call sign used for QSOs. WD9EWK will upload to Logbook of the World, and will be happy to send QSL cards on request (please e-mail Patrick the QSO details – no card or SASE is required to get a card). K7UAZ will confirm QSOs by QSL card, following instructions posted on QRZ.com.

During the weekend, the @WD9EWK Twitter account will be used to post updates from ScienceCity. If you do not use Twitter, you can view these updates in a web browser without having a Twitter account at: http://twitter.com/WD9EWK

[ANS thanks Patrick Stoddard, WD9EWK, AMSAT Board Member, 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.

Current schedule:

  • March 14-15, 2020, Science City on University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ (see above)
  • March 21, 2020, Midwinter Madness Hamfest, Buffalo, MN
  • March 21, 2020, Scottsdale Amateur Radio Club Hamfest, Scottsdale, AZ
  • March 28, 2020, Tucson Spring Hamfest, Tucson, AZ
  • March 29, 2020, Vienna Wireless Winterfest, Annandale, VA
  • May 2, 2020, Cochise Amateur Radio Assoc. Hamfest, Sierra Vista, AZ
  • May 8-9, 2020 Prescott Hamfest, Prescott, AZ
  • May 15-17, Hamvention, Xenia, OH
  • June 12-13, 2020, Ham-Con, Plano, TX

[ANS thanks Robert Bankston, KE4AL, AMSAT VP-User Services 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

– ShortsMar 14-15 DN26/36 KC7JPC Linears (and possibly FM)

– K7U ROVE March 7-8, 2020Casey KI7UNJ and Kel KI7UXT will be operating as K7U from CN93,CN94, DN03, DN04 a CN92. Details are posted on QRZhttps://www.qrz.com/db/k7u Updates from the road on their individualTwitter feeds: https://twitter.com/KI7UNJ and https://twitter.com/KI7UXT

– Big Bend National Park (DL88) March 16-17, 2020Ron AD0DX, Doug N6UA, and Josh W3ARD will operate from Big Bend National Park to put grid DL88 on the air. Details will be added here, as they come available, but you are more than welcome to keepan eye on their individual Twitter feeds: https://twitter.com/ad0dx, https://twitter.com/dtabor, and https://twitter.com/W3ARDstroke5

– #Nevada Mayhem part 1: Central Nevada (DM19) March 21, 2020David, AD7DB, will venture deep into Central Nevada to specifically activate grid DM19 on Saturday March 21. This is actually down aide road from “The Loneliest Road in America.” Hardly any hams even live in that grid. It’s for sure that few ever activate it. On the way there, Friday March 20, he will try to also activate some or all of: DM06, DM16, DM07, DM08, DM17 and DM18. Going home Sunday, March 22, he will try to visit them again. This will be on FM satellites only. Internet and cell coverage may be very poor up there but for updates check Twitter: https:/twitter.com/ad7db

[ANS thanks Robert Bankston, KE4AL, AMSAT VP-User Services for the above information.]

——————————————————————–

Satellite Shorts From All Over

+ The International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) has completed frequency coordination HSU-SAT1, a 1U CubeSat to be released from the ISS sometime in the coming year. The satellite will include capability of a camera image dowlinked by Slow Scan Television (SSTV). The camera will take a photograph of the Earth at image pixel size 320×240. The photograph taken will then be converted into analog SSTV signal, and sent by FM-SSTV downlink on 437.280 MHz. This be part of the satellite’s main mission, test of a three-axis attitude control system. More info at shorturl.at/dizP0 and shorturl.at/puNW7
(ANS thanks IARU and AMSAT-UK for the above information)

+ The Japan Amateur Radio League (JARL) reports that a number of ama- teur radio events planned for March have been cancelled as a result of coronavirus warnings. JARL, in line with government policy, has requested that all events scheduled for the next two weeks be can- celed or postponed for the time being. Also, Dayton Hamvention officials say they are closely following the coronavirus (COVID-19) sit- uation. Show organizers will post updates as the May 15 – 17 event nears, but they’re optimistic that coronavirus will not be an issue.
(ANS thanks Southgate ARC and ARRL for the above information)

+ SpaceX-20, a Commercial Resupply Service mission to the International Space Station launched at 0449 GMT Saturday from Cape Canaveral’s Complex 40 launch pad. The mission carrying, as a primary payload, the Interoperable Radio System (IORS). The IORS is the foundational element of the ARISS next-generation radio system on ISS. If all goes according to plan, the Dragon cargo capsule will dock with the space station on Monday, 9 March.
(ANS thanks SpaceflightNow 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 Office.

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 Martha at the AMSAT Office for additional student membership information.

73 and Remember to help keep amateur radio in space,
This week’s ANS Editor,
Casey Tucker, KI7UNJ
ki7unj at amsat dot org

ANS-054 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins for February 23rd

by

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE — ANS-054

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:
http://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/ans

In this edition:

  • QARMAN and Phoenix CubeSats Deployed from ISS
  • AMSAT Files Comments Opposing Deletion of 3.4 GHz Band
  • NEMO-1 Buoy Report
  • GNU Radio Conference – Tickets and Call for Papers
  • U.S. Naval Academy’s PSAT3 Scheduled to Launch in Mid-March
  • Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution
  • “Getting Started with Amateur Satellites” Available with Membership
  • ARISS Radio Telebridge Stalwart Gerald Klatzko, ZS6BTD, SK
  • Upcoming ARISS Contacts
  • Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events
  • Upcoming Satellite Operations
  • Satellite Shorts From All Over

QARMAN and Phoenix CubeSats Deployed from ISS

The von Karman Institute in Belgium (VKI) reports the successful deployment of the QARMAN satellite from the International Space Station
on Wednesday, 19 February. QARMAN is one of several cubesats that were scheduled for deployment this week.

Also, Arizona State University reports that its Phoenix CubeSat was successfully deployed from the ISS as scheduled at 9:35 UTC Wednesday. Roughly 30 minutes after deployment, its beacon was heard for the first time at an amateur radio ground station located in Indonesia.

VKI also reports successful reception and decoding of telemetry from QARMAN. It is important to note that both of these satellites are using
the same frequency, 437.35 MHz, for telemetry transmissions, and that they are in very similar orbits. Both satellites also follow the AX.25
protocol at 9600 baud, with GMSK modulation. It will take some trial and error before each spacecraft’s TLEs can be confirmed.

Operators of these satellites are actively seeking observations from amateurs. Please report to:
https://community.libre.space/c/satellites-observations

ANS is awaiting reports regarding the other satellites that were scheduled for deployment on Wednesday, as listed below:

CubeSatDownlink (MHz)Uplink (MHz)Scheduled Deployment Time (UTC)
RadSat-u437.425437.4257:10
CryoCube2261.0002082.004 12:55
AztechSat-1437.300437.30012:55
SOCRATES914.700914.70014:30
Argus-02437.290437.29016:00
HARP468.000450.00016:00
SORTIE468.000450.00017:40

[ANS thanks AMSAT-UK, VKI, and Arizona State for the above information]

AMSAT Files Comments Opposing Deletion of 3.4 GHz Band

AMSAT has filed comments on the Federal Communications Commission’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking which proposes to delete the 3.3 – 3.5 GHz (9 cm) amateur band, including the 3.40 – 3.41 GHz amateur satellite service allocation.

In the comments, AMSAT opposes the deletion of this allocation and emphasizes the necessity of adequate microwave spectrum for future amateur satellite projects, including AMSAT’s GOLF program and the Lunar Gateway.

AMSAT further notes that the most desirable allocations for use as uplinks are the allocations between 2.4 and 5.67 GHz. These allocations
total 80 MHz. The most desirable allocation for downlink use is the 10.45 – 10.50 GHz allocation, totaling 50 MHz. As many of the proposed
uses include amateur television and high-speed data transmission with satellites in high earth orbit or lunar orbit, these allocations may
quickly become inadequate. AMSAT also notes that the 2.4 and 5.67 GHz allocations are widely used for ISM and consumer devices, such as WiFi and Bluetooth-enabled devices. The 3.4 GHz allocation is shared between amateur use and other non-federal and federal licensees, but is free from the unpredictable interference of consumer devices.

While acknowledging that the 3.4 GHz amateur satellite service allocation is not currently used by any amateur satellites and that it is
unsuitable for worldwide communication since it is not available in ITU Region 1, AMSAT identifies a number of potential future uses for
the band as worldwide usage of the other available allocations increases. These potential uses include a future amateur satellite in
geostationary orbit above the Americas.

In the comments, AMSAT also noted several non-amateur satellite uses of the broader 3.3 – 3.5 GHz amateur service allocation, including its
wide use in mesh networking, EME communications, and contesting.

The full text of the comments as filed can be downloaded at https://tinyurl.com/ANS-054-FCC

Interested parties may file reply comments on or before March 22, 2020 at https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs/ The proceeding is WT Docket No. 19-
348.

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

NEMO-1 Buoy Report

AMSAT ARGENTINA launched the NEMO-1 buoy into the Atlantic sea on January 30th at noon, using the callsign LU7AA. It was transported 70 km east of Mar del Plata by the fisherman’s ship ‘Porteño’, from Sandokan.

The buoy, which emits in WSPR mode at 14095.6 KHz and FM VHF in APRS mode, navigated drifting free for 12 days traveling about 1100 kilometers, until on February 11th it was sighted and taken out of the water by the tuna vessel ‘Juan Pablo II’.

The captain of the ship, Rinaldi Yaco, considered that the buoy was sailing semi-sunk and decided to rescue it, informing Amsat Argentina
of that event.

The NEMO-1 then traveled eight more days aboard the tuna vessel, continuing its mission of data capture and broadcasting, until on Feb-19
it arrived at the port of Mar del Plata, where colleagues from the Mar del Plata Radio Club picked it up and kept in custody.

A group of AMSAT-LU is traveling to recover NEMO-1. The buoy will be reconditioned and a new launch is planned. It will be tried to take it,
on this occasion, to more than 200 km offshore, so that it will continue to navigate freely, reaffirming the commitment and contribution
of radio amateurs to QRPp propagation research also helping navigation and the community.

AMSAT ARGENTINA especially thanks the Captains and crews of the ‘Porteño’, the ‘Juan Pablo II’ ships and the Mar del Plata RClub in
the persons of its Secretary, Jose Luis Hermida (LU9DHJ) and Jorge Garelli (LU5EOR) for the help provided and to the more than 100 ‘travelers’ in NEMO-1, who supported this project helping to carry it out.
http://amsat.org.ar?f=ce

Adventure photos: http://amsat.org.ar?f=buoy

[ANS thanks LU7AA, AMSAT Argentina for the above information]

Purchase AMSAT Gear on our Zazzle storefront.
25% of the purchase price of each product goes
towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space
https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear

GNU Radio Conference – Tickets and Call for Papers

GNU Radio is used by spacecraft and ground station developers around the world. GRCon is the annual conference for the GNU Radio project and community. GRCon20 will be held September 14-18, 2020 in Charlotte, N.C.

The GNU Radio Conference celebrates and showcases the substantial and remarkable progress of the world’s best open source digital signal
processing framework for software-defined radios. In addition to presenting GNU Radio’s theoretical and practical presence in academia,
industry, the military, and among amateurs and hobbyists, GNU Radio Conference 2020 will have a very special focus: Speed, latency, delay,
and timing!

Enjoy our racing theme throughout the conference, featured in our contests and a high-octane Thursday night dinner. Papers and presentations on theme will be recognized at the conference with an award.

But wait, there’s more! We’ll be co-located and coordinated with the TAPR Digital Communications Conference. It’s the weekend immediately preceding GRCon20. Find out more at: https://tapr.org/?page_id=68

Registration and an online and mobile-friendly schedule will be posted at https://www.gnuradio.org/grcon/grcon20/

Developers and users from the GNU Radio Community are invited to present projects, presentations, papers, posters, and problems at GRCon20. Submit talks, demos, and code! Please share this Call widely. To submit your content for the conference, visit the dedicated conference submission site at: https://pretalx.gnuradio.org/grcon20/cfp

First round closes 17 April 2020. If accepted, your content will be immediately scheduled. Notifications go out 26 June 2020.

Final round closes 1 September 2019. Submissions received between 18 April 2020 and 1 September 2020 are accepted space permitting, and notifications will be sent out on a rolling basis.

Those with questions or need assistance with submitting then please write [email protected]

[ANS thanks Michelle Thompson, W5NYV, AMSAT Board Member, for the above information]

U.S. Naval Academy’s PSAT3 Scheduled to Launch in Mid-March

The U. S. Naval Academy’s PSAT3 payload is scheduled to launch in mid-March from the Pacific Spaceport Complex – Alaska in Kodiak, AK.

PSAT3 is functionally equivalent to NO-104 (PSAT2), but does not include PSK31 functionality. It carries a 145.825 MHz APRS digipeater
and SSTV downlink capability.

PSAT3 will not be a free-flying satellite. It will remain attached to the upper stage of the launch vehicle. Consequently, the mission dur-
ation will be limited to a few months, when the rocket body will deorbit.

More information about PSAT3 can be found at http://aprs.org/psat3.html

[ANS thanks Bob Bruninga, WB4APR, and the IARU for the above information]

Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution

The following Amateur Radio satellite has been added to this weeks AMSAT TLE Distribution:
SwampSat-2 NORAD CAT ID 45115 (Deployed from Northrop Grumman NG-12 Cygnus 2-3-2020.)
(Thanks to Nico Janseen, PA0DLO, for satellite identification.)

Sadly, AO-85 (Fox-1A) has been declared at end of mission. But, I think I will retain AO-85 in the TLE distribution for a while just in case there are some last comments from our friend. (Remember AO-7?)

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

Free Digital Copy of “Getting Started with Amateur Satellites” Available for New or Renewing Members

While HuskySat-1 completes it’s scientific mission, check out the best resource for learning how to work through linear transponder satellites (and other types of amateur satellites). For a limited time, AMSAT is making the “Getting Started With Amateur Satellites” book available as a download with any paid new or renewal membership purchased via the AMSAT Store. This offer is only available with purchases  completed online, and for only a limited time. A perennial favorite, Getting Started is updated every year with the latest amateur satellite information, and is the premier primer of satellite operation. The book is presented in PDF format, in full color, and covers all aspects of making your first contacts on a ham radio satellite.

Please take advantage of this offer today by visiting the AMSAT store at https://www.amsat.org/shop/ and selecting any membership option. While there, check out AMSAT’s other items, including the M2 LEOpack antenna system, Arrow antennas, AMSAT shirts, and other swag. Be sure to view your cart before going to checkout. If you add a membership and then go directly to checkout, you’ll never see an option to add your free gift.

If you have trouble selecting your free gift, please see this YouTube video to see the steps necessary. https://youtu.be/oRqk5Am-UzE

[ANS thanks the AMSAT Office for the above information]

ARISS Radio Telebridge Stalwart Gerald Klatzko, ZS6BTD, SK

When the International Space Station (ISS) orbit is not favorable for a direct Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) con-
tact with a particular school or location scheduled to speak with an astronaut, ARISS radio telebridge stations bridge the gap. Gerald Klatzko, ZS6BTD, of Parklands, South Africa, one of the “regulars” during the earlier years of the ARISS program, died on February 1 at age 95.

Klatzko served as an ARISS radio telebridge station in South Africa for many years until he retired. ARISS telebridge stations establish the direct ham radio link and feed two-way audio into a telebridge line for delivery to the contact site. John Sygo, ZS6JON, described Klatzko as “always bright and cheerful and a great operator,” who made major contributions to the amateur service.

“He was one of the first to experiment with slow-scan television,” Sygo said. “For many years, he assisted NASA to link astronauts with their families using amateur radio links from Mir, the Space Shuttle, and the International Space Station. For over 2 decades he was the co-producer and presenter of Amateur Radio Mirror International.”

[ANS thanks ARRL 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/

Upcoming ARISS Contacts

ARISS lets students worldwide experience the excitement of talking directly with crew members of the International Space Station. A contact is scheduled with the Kittredge Magnet School, Atlanta, GA, direct via KQ4KMS. The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS, and
the scheduled astronaut is Drew Morgan, KI5AAA. The contact is go for: Monday, 2020-02-24 at 18:23:55 UTC (31 degrees elevation).

A contact is also scheduled with the Celia Hays Elementary School, Rockwall, Texas, direct via W5SO. The ISS callsign is presently sched-
uled to be NA1SS, and the scheduled astronaut is Drew Morgan, KI5AAA. The contact is go for: Tuesday, 2020-02-25 at 17:35:18 UTC (31 degrees)

Watch for live stream at https://live.myvrspot.com/st?cid=NWM5NW

The ARISS webpage is at https://www.ariss.org/

Note that all times are approximate. It is recommended that you do your own orbital prediction or start listening about 10 minutes before the listed time.

[ANS thanks Charlie Sufana, AJ9N, of the ARISS operation team 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.

Current schedule:

  • March 6, 2020, Irving Hamfest, Irving, Texas
  • March 14-15, 2020, Science City on University of Arizona, Tuscon, Ariz.
  • March 21, 2020, Midwinter Madness Hamfest, Buffalo, Minn.
  • March 21, 2020, Scottsdale Amateur Radio Club Hamfest, Ariz.
  • March 28, 2020, Tucson Spring Hamfest, Tucson, Ariz.
  • March 29, 2020, Vienna Wireless Winterfest, Annandale, Va.
  • May 2, 2020, Cochise Amateur Radio Association Hamfest, Sierra Vista, Ariz.
  • May 8-9, 2020 Prescott Hamfest, Prescott, Ariz.
  • May 15-17, Hamvention, Xenia, Ohio
  • June 12-13, 2020, Ham-Con, Plano, Texas

A copy of the AMSAT hamfest brochure is available for download: AMSAT Intro Brochure. This color brochure is designed to be printed double-sided and folded into a tri-fold handout.

To include your upcoming AMSAT presentation and/or demonstration, please send an email to ambassadors (at) amsat (dot) org.

[ANS thanks Robert Bankston, KE4AL, AMSAT Vice President – User Services, 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

#SnowBirdRove (EL79) – February 1-29, 2020

Joe, KE9AJ, will cross the border into Florida, seeking climatical asylum in EL79 for the entire month of February. Since he will be there for an extended period, with both FM and linear gear, keep an eye on Joe’s Twitter feed for specific pass announcements: https://twitter.com/KE9AJ

There is a possibility that Joe may have to make a pit stop in EM54 and EM53 on his way down South on February 1st. Monitor Twitter
for updates.

Culebra Island, PR (FK78) February 22-23, 2020

Radio Operadores del Este, Inc, KP3E will be returning to Culebra Island February 21-23. Listen for Rafael, KP4RV, on FM satellites. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xSbPgIyhtA&feature=youtu.be

Vidalia, LA (EM41) February 28 – March 1, 2020

Brian, KG5GJT, will will be operating from the bank of the Mississippi River in Vidalia, La. (EM41), where Jim Bowie was seriously wounded in the Sandbar Fight on September 19, 1827. This will be vacation style, so keep an eye on Brian’s Twitter feed for updates: https://twitter.com/KG5GJT

DN26/36 Mar 14-15 KC7JPC Linears (and possibly FM)

Big Bend National Park (DL88) March 16-17, 2020

Ron AD0DX, Doug N6UA, and Josh W3ARD will operate from Big Bend National Park to put grid DL88 on the air. Details will be added here, as they come available, but you are more than welcome to keep an eye on their individual Twitter feeds: https://twitter.com/ad0dx https://twitter.com/dtabor, and https://twitter.com/W3ARDstroke5

#NevadaMayhem part 1: Central Nevada (DM19) March 21, 2020

David, AD7DB, will venture deep into Central Nevada to specifically activate grid DM19 on Saturday March 21. This is actually down a side road from “The Loneliest Road in America.” Hardly any hams even live in that grid. It’s for sure that few ever activate it. On the way there, Friday March 20, he will try to also activate some or all of: DM06, DM16, DM07, DM08, DM17 and DM18. Going home Sunday March 22, he will try to visit them again. This will be on FM satellites only. Internet and cell coverage may be very poor up there, but for updates check Twitter: https:/twitter.com/ad7db

Please submit any additions or corrections to ke4al (at) amsat.org

[ANS thanks Robert Bankston, KE4AL, AMSAT Vice President – User Services, for the above information]

Satellite Shorts From All Over

+ Students in the Husky Satellite Lab at the University of Washington have confirmed via their Facebook page that they have been commanding HuskySat-1 to various transmitter power levels and beacon intervals. Some amateurs tracking the bird, which carries a linear transponder to be activated later, had feared that the varying levels were a sign of problems. But this is part of the experimentation. The HuskySat team has been providing updates on their operations on their Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/pg/UWCubeSat/posts/  You should not need a Facebook account to view that link.
(ANS thanks UW CubeSat Team for the above information)

+ NASA will accept applications for its next astronaut class March 2 to 31. Applicants must be U.S. citizens with a master’s degree in a
STEM field and two years of relevant professional experience. To sign up, see: https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts
(ANS thanks NASA HQ News for the above information)

+ International Astronomical Youth Camp will take place in Spain from 12 July to 1 August 2020. The camp typically hosts around 65 participants, aged between 16-24 years old. The IAYC’s main aims are to promote knowledge on astronomy and related sciences in a unique, international atmosphere. Participants work on a research project of their own choosing over the course of the three weeks, culminating in a final report. See https://www.iayc.org/ for details.
(ANS thanks Carys Herbert, IAYC Leaderteam, for the above information)

+ The ARISS-UK Team have announced that the Electromagnetic Field 2020 event is to host an ARISS contact during the weekend of July 23-26. The event will be held at Easton Manor Deer Park, near Ledbury in Herefordshire, UK. Information and event tickets available at: https://blog.emfcamp.org/2020/02/14/ticket-sales-dates/
(ANS thanks AMSAT-UK for the above information)

+ The maiden flight of the Long March-5B rocket carrying a trial version of China’s new-generation manned spaceship is expected to take place in April, indicating the imminent start of construction of China’s space station. The rocket, the prototype core capsule of the space station, and the experimental manned spaceship are undergoing 0tests at the Wenchang Space Launch Center on the coast of south China’s island province of Hainan. https://bit.ly/2VcjXrO
(ANS thanks Space Daily for the above information)

+ A new version of the game of “chicken” is evolving in outer space. According to Gen. John Raymond, the U.S. Space Force Chief, Russian “inspector” satellites are threatening the tenuous stand-off stability between adversarial spacefaring nations. Since Novemeber, the U.S. Space Command has been tracking a satellite known as Cosmos-2542 which ejected a smaller, nested satellite referred to as Cosmos-2543. The Russian satellites have been actively maneuvering near USA245, a classified military imaging satellite.
(ANS thanks Space Daily for the above information)

+ Amazon has patented a mechanism for throwing satellites into space with a multi-drone-guided whip, mounted on a boat. See details at:
https://bit.ly/37KWPmL Note, though, that Amazon (and other tech companies) have a history of patenting things that they’ll never
actually build, such as Amazon’s underwater fulfillment centers: https://bit.ly/2Tf7DV9 Has April Fool come early?
(ANS thanks The Orbital Index 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 Office.

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 Martha at the AMSAT Office for additional student membership information.

73 and Remember to help keep amateur radio in space,
This week’s ANS Editor,

K0JM at amsat dot org

ANS-040 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins for February 9th

by

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:
http://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/ans

In this edition:

  • Clayton Coleman, W5PFG, Elected AMSAT President
  • Phoenix CubeSat Upcoming Deployment
  • New ISS Tour Video Goes Inside Cygnus NG-12
  • Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution
  • HuskySat-1 Gains Enthusiastic Following
  • Robert Bankston, KE4AL, Proposes amsatLink Project
  • 10 US Schools Moved Forward in ARISS Selection Process
  • AMSAT at Yuma (Arizona) Hamfest, 14-15 February 2020
  • Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events
  • Upcoming Satellite Operations
  • Satellite Shorts From All Over

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-040.01
ANS-040 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 040.01
From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD.
DATE 2020 Feb 09
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-040.01

 

Clayton Coleman, W5PFG, Elected AMSAT President

At a special meeting held via teleconference, the AMSAT Board of Directors elected Clayton Coleman, W5PFG, President. Coleman previously served as a member of the Board of Directors from 2017-2019 and also served as AMSAT’s Secretary during this time. He has also volunteered in several other capacities for AMSAT, including chairing the 2016 AMSAT Space Symposium held aboard the cruise ship Carnival Liberty.

Coleman’s first introduction to amateur radio in space was with SAREX and Mir. An interest in setting up an AX.25 BBS and nodes led to him trying out the Mir Personal Message System (PMS) and digipeater to make contacts in the early 1990s. It wasn’t until a visit from a friend in 2011 that Coleman was bitten by the OSCAR bug and began his AMSAT journey chasing operating awards.

Having held other leadership roles in his community, nonprofits, and critical infrastructure, Coleman’s desire is working with constituents to improve organizational processes and align them with strategic goals. Professionally, Coleman works in the industrial process control sector as both a consultant and business development manager. He resides in the North Texas area with his spouse and two children.

[ANS thanks the AMSAT Board of Directors and AMSAT President Clayton Coleman, W5PFG for the above information]

 

Phoenix CubeSat Upcoming Deployment

Several CubeSats are scheduled to be deployed from the ISS into orbit on 12 Feb. Among them is the Phoenix CubeSat, which is a 3U CubeSat developed by Arizona State University to study the effects of Urban Heat Islands through infrared remote sensing. Following deployment, the Phoenix operations team would appreciate as much help as possible with identifying the spacecraft and verifying that it is operational.

Phoenix is scheduled for a deployment time of 8:30 UTC on 12 Feb.

Please note that two CubeSats being deployed on this date operate on the same frequency. Both Phoenix and QARMAN share the frequency of 437.35 MHz, and both utilize an AX.25 9600 baud protocol with GMSK modulation. Both CubeSats will also be deployed within 1.5 hours of each other, and will therefore be close to each other in orbit. Please be mindful of this situation, and if you have any doubt about the CubeSat that you are receiving, please get in touch with Sarah Rogers, Project Manager, Phoenix CubeSat, sroger13 [at} asu.edu with any questions or concerns.

To read more about the Phoenix CubeSat, it’s transmitter characteristics, and how you can decode the signal, please see the website at
http://phxcubesat.asu.edu/content/amateur-operations!

[ANS thanks Sarah Rogers, KI7OOY, 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/

 

New ISS Tour Video Goes Inside Cygnus NG-12

A video by astronauts Luca Parmitano and Andrew Morgan posted on the European Space Agency YouTube channel on January 26th, 2020 shows Luca going inside the Cygnus NG-12 vehicle, which took cargo, as well as several satellites, including HuskySat-1, to the ISS.

Even more relevant to HuskySat-1 and the the amateur radio satellite community, Luca mentions the “delivery system” they planned to install on the vehicle before it was released, which happened on January 31st. HuskySat-1 was deployed from the delivery system later that day. Luca says he thinks it’s really cool that the delivery system provides another way to gain access to space, and I couldn’t agree more.

The Cygnus tour begins at 24:42 into the video, and the delivery system is mentioned at 26:57.

This link to the video goes directly to 24:42:

https://youtu.be/Snn1k_qEx20?t=1482

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

 

Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution

The following satellite’s NORAD CAT ID has been changed in this week’s AMSAT TLE distribution:
OCULUS-ASR is now object NORAD CAT ID 44348

The following satellites have been deleted from this week’s AMSAT TLE distribution:
OBJECT H – NORAD CAT ID 44346 (non-amateur satellite TEPCE, decayed February 1,2020)
OBJECT J – NORAD CAT ID 44347 (non-amateur satellite FALCONSAT-7)
TBEX-A – NORAD CAT ID 44356 (non-amateur satellite)

The following Amateur Radio satellite has been added to this week’s TLE distribution:
HuskySat 1 – NORAD CAT ID 45117 (Cygnus NG-12 Spacecraft deployment, 1/31/2020).
(Thanks to Nico Janseen, PA0DLO, for satellite identification.)

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

 

HuskySat-1 Gains Enthusiastic Following

Initial reports indicate considerable interest among amateurs in tracking and capturing data from the newly deployed HuskySat-1. The satellite, designed at the University of Washington, was launched to the ISS by Cygnus NG-12 on November 2, 2019. It was deployed to a higher orbit from the ISS by Cygnus on January 31, and began telemetry transmissions on 435.800 MHz.

HuskySat-1’s 1,200 bps BPSK beacon is active and decodable with the latest release of AMSAT’s FoxTelem software. FoxTelem is available at https://github.com/ac2cz/FoxTelem

HuskySat-1 is a CubeSat, and will demonstrate onboard plasma propulsion and high gain telemetry for low Earth orbit that would be a precursor for an attempt at a larger CubeSat designed for orbital insertion at the Moon.

HuskySat-1 is expected to carry out its primary mission before being turned over to AMSAT for activation of a 30 kHz wide V/U linear transponder for SSB and CW.

Initially it looked like object 2019-071G was HuskySat-1, but our friends at the 18th Space Control Squadron published data on additional objects in recent days, and there is considerable evidence suggesting that HuskySat-1 is actually one of those instead.

Element sets for objects 2019-071H and 2019-071J are now distributed in nasabare.txt as candidates for the “Real” HuskySat-1.

Usually element sets are good for a week or more, at least for ham purposes where we have fairly wide beam widths. The exception is the ISS, the only spacecraft we have in nasabare.txt that maneuvers, and we keep its element sets “fresh” by applying updates from Johnson Spaceflight Center several times per day. HuskySat01 will be testing a thruster early in its mission, and endeavors to demonstrate a delta-V of 100m/sec or more. This could cause the accuracy of element sets to degrade more quickly than usual.

[ANS thanks Joe Fitzgerald, KM1P, AMSAT IT Team Leader for the above information]

 

Robert Bankston, KE4AL, Proposes amsatLink Project

amsatLink is a proposed three-phased program to ultimately establish a constellation of nanosatellites, linked in a peer-to-peer voice communications network for amateur satellite service. As a wireless ad hoc network, future satellites can be added to the network and ground stations, moving in and out of a nanosatellite node’s footprint, can easily join and exit the network.

The proposal is to create an IEEE 802.11 wireless ad hoc network, operating within the FCC Part 97 amateur radio frequency allocation of the 2.4 GHz microwave band. Individual satellite and ground nodes would connect directly, dynamically, and non-hierarchically to as many other nodes as possible and cooperate with one another to create one virtual network that can efficiently route data from/to clients.

While the idea of cross-link communication between satellites is not new, amsatLink hopes to continue the efforts of NASA’s PhoneSat, EDSN constellation, and NODES missions, by expanding the network to include ground-based nodes, demonstrating the use of voice over internet protocol communications, and organizing nodes into clusters, where each cluster consists of one nanosatellite node and any visible ground nodes.

amsatLink will continue NASA’s design philosophy by utilizing commercial-off-the-shelf hardware and keeping the design and mission objectives as simple as possible. Estimated total hardware cost per satellite is less than $5,000. Proposed ground stations will also use off the shelf equipment with a total estimated cost of less than $150.

For more details, see https://ke4al.github.io/amsatLink/ Robert seeks further discussion of this proposal among AMSAT members.

[ANS thanks Robert Bankston, KE4AL, for the above information]

 

Purchase AMSAT Gear on our Zazzle storefront.
25% of the purchase price of each product goes
towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space
https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear

 

 

10 US Schools Moved Forward in ARISS Selection Process

Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) is pleased to announce the schools and host organizations selected for the second half of 2020. Of the proposals submitted during the recent proposal window, 10 were accepted to move forward in the selection process for a scheduled amateur radio contact with a crew member on the ISS. The primary goal of the ARISS program is to engage young people in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math (STEAM) activities and raise their awareness of space communications, radio communications, space exploration, and related areas of study and career possibilities.

The schools and host organizations are now engaged in the next step of the acceptance process. When ready, they will be put in the scheduling queue for a contact during the July to December 2020 time period. Although ARISS expects to schedule all 10 during this period, changes to NASA crew availability might force some delays to the next time period.

The schools and host organizations are:

  • Estes Park Elementary School, Estes Park, CO
  • Green Bank Elementary School, Green Bank, WV
  • Tecumseh Public School, Tecumseh, OK
  • RSU #21, Kennebunk, ME
  • JFK High School, Denver, CO
  • Oregon Charter School, Mill City, OR
  • Newcastle High School, Newcastle, WY
  • Tarwater Elementary School, Chandler, AZ
  • Kopernik Observatory, Vestel, NY
  • Salem-South Lyon District Library, South Lyon, MI

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

 

AMSAT at Yuma (Arizona) Hamfest, 14-15 February 2020

AMSAT will be at the Yuma Hamfest, which is also serving as the 2020 ARRL Southwestern Division Convention, on Friday and Saturday, 14-15 February 2020. The hamfest will be at the Yuma County Fairgrounds, along 32nd Street, across the street from Yuma International Airport and Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, south of Interstate 8. More about the hamfest is available at:

http://www.yumahamfest.org/

WD9EWK will be on the satellites during the hamfest, demonstrating satellite operating. If you hear WD9EWK on a pass, please call and join in the demonstration. The hamfest site is in grid DM22, in Arizona’s Yuma County. QSOs made during the hamfest will be uploaded to Logbook of the World, and QSL cards are available on request (please e-mail WD9EWK directly with the QSO details).

Patrick will tweet updates from the hamfest using the @WD9EWK Twitter account. If you do not use Twitter, you can see the tweets in a web browser at: http://twitter.com/WD9EWK

In addition to the WD9EWK demonstration, AMSAT member Dave Bartholomew, AD7DB, will give a presentation “Getting Started on FM Satellites” on Saturday (15 February) morning at the hamfest. Dave’s presentation is scheduled for 10:20 a.m.

[ANS thanks Patrick Stoddard, WD9EWK/VA7EWK, 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.

Current schedule:

  • February 14-15, 2020, Yuma Hamfest and ARRL Southwest Division Convention, Yuma, AZ (see details above)
  • February 15, 2020, Cabin Fever Reliever Hamfest, Saint Cloud, MN
  • March 6, 2020, Irving Hamfest, Irving, TX
  • March 14-15, 2020, Science City, University of Arizona, Tuscon, AZ
  • March 21, 2020, Midwinter Madness Hamfest, Buffalo, MN
  • March 21, 2020, Scottsdale (AZ) Amateur Radio Club Hamfest
  • March 28, 2020, Tucson Spring Hamfest, Tucson, AZ
  • March 29, 2020, Vienna Wireless Winterfest, Annandale, VA
  • May 2, 2020, Cochise Amateur Radio Assn. Hamfest, Sierra Vista, AZ
  • May 8-9, 2020 Prescott Hamfest, Prescott, AZ
  • May 15-17, Hamvention, Xenia, OH
  • June 12-13, 2020, Ham-Con, Plano, TX

A copy of the AMSAT hamfest brochure is available for download: AMSAT Intro Brochure. This color brochure is designed to be printed double-sided and folded into a tri-fold handout.

To include your upcoming AMSAT presentation and/or demonstration, please send an email to ambassadors (at) amsat (dot) org.

[ANS thanks Robert Bankston, KE4AL, AMSAT VP-User Services, for the above information]

 

Upcoming Satellite Operations

Satellite Shorts
Feb 15 CN78 ADODX FM and Linear (@ad0dx)
Mar 14-15 DN26/36 KC7JPC Linears (and possibly FM)

SnowBirdRove (EL79) – February 1-29, 2020 Joe, KE9AJ, will cross the border into Florida, seeking climatical asylum in EL79 for the entire month of February. Since he will be there for an extended period, with both FM and linear gear, keep an eye on Joe’s Twitter feed for specific pass announcements: https://twitter.com/KE9AJ

Key West and Boca Grande Key (EL94, EL84+) February 9-11,2020
Clayton, W5PFG, will be in Key West, Florida (EL94) February 9 through the 11, 2020. Monday, February 10, 13:15-17:30 UTC, Clayton will operate FM & SSB satellites from EL84xm, Boca Grande Key. Listen for W5PFG near these dates for additional Florida grids, such as EL79, EL89, EL99, EL86, EL96, & EL95. Keep an eye on Clayton’s Twitter feed for announcements https://twitter.com/w5pfg

Del Carmen Island (EK48cp) February 9, 2020
Ismael, XE1AY, will operate from Del Carmen Island (DL87th) on Sunday 9 February, using the callsign 4A2L (see QRZ). Ismael only expects to operate FM satellites for a couple of hours. In addition, they plan to operate CW, SSB, and FT8.

Isla Perez, Mexico (EL52, EL50, EL51) February 11 – 17, 2020
Members of Radio Club Puebla DX will be active as 6F3A from Isla Perez, Mexico, between February 11-17. The operators mentioned are Patricia/XE1SPM (Team Leader), Ismael/XE1AY, Eduardo/XE2YW and Ricardo/XE1SY. Activity will be on 80/40/20/17/15/12/10/6 meters, and include the ARRL DX CW Contest (February 15-16). QSL via XE1SY. Ismael, XE1AY, reports that he doing CW and the satellites, and will also TX from EL50 and XE1AY/mm from EL51.

Big Bend National Park (DL88) March 16-17, 2020
Ron AD0DX, Doug N6UA, and Josh W3ARD will operate from Big Bend National Park to put grid DL88 on the air. Details will be added here, as they come available, but you are more than welcome to keep an eye on their individual Twitter feeds: https://twitter.com/ad0dx, https://twitter.com/dtabor, and https://twitter.com/W3ARDstroke5

Please submit any additions or corrections to ke4al (at) amsat.org

[ANS thanks Robert Bankston, KE4AL, AMSAT VP-User Services, for the above information]

Eureka, Nunavut, Canada (ER60, EQ79) Operators Alex/VE1RUS and Pierre/VE3TKB will once again be active as VY0ERC from the Eureka Weather station between now and March 28th. This station is operated by the Eureka Amateur Radio Club [probably the most northerly located amateur radio club in the world] from Eureka, Nunavut, Canada. The suggested bands are 40 and 20 meters (possibly 80m), as well as FM satellites (from ER60, EQ79) using SSB, the Digital modes (FT8 and RTTY) and very slow CW. Activity will be limited to their spare time. QSL via M0OXO, OQRS or direct. For updates, see: https://twitter.com/vy0erc

[ANS thanks The Ohio/Penn Dx Bulletin for the above information]

 

Satellite Shorts From All Over

  • After setting a record for the longest single spaceflight in history by a woman, NASA astronaut Christina Koch returned to Earth on Feb. 6, along with Soyuz Commander Alexander Skvortsov of the Russian space agency Roscosmos and Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency. Koch launched March 14, 2019. Her first journey into space of 328 days is the second-longest single spaceflight by a U.S. astronaut and also places her seventh on the list of cumulative time in space for American astronauts. Full story: https://bit.ly/386BTrc
    (ANS thanks spaceref.com for the above information)
  • SpaceX has been garnering all the headlines when it comes to satellite constellations. Their Starlink system will eventually have thousands of tiny satellites working together to provide internet access. But on Thursday, Feb. 6, OneWeb launched 34 satellite from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on a Soyuz launch vehicle. Eventually, OneWeb intends to have as many as 5,000 satellites in orbit.
    (ANS thank universetoday.com for the above information)
  • An industry report forecasts demand for 14,000 to 20,000 new satellites to be launched in the next decade. The report suggests that launch slot availability will be a challenge for satellite operators, and that delays due to longer lead times and additional costs will put pressure on research, commercial, and military operators.
    (ANS thanks satmagazine.com for the above information)
  • NASA declared the Spitzer Space Telescope’s 16-year mission complete on Thursday, Jan. 30 after sending final commands for the spacecraft to enter hibernation as it drifts farther from Earth. The Spitzer Space Telescope, one of NASA’s original four “Great Observatories,” studied the most distant galaxy ever observed in the universe, gathered data on the characteristics of planets around other stars, and detected a new ring around Saturn.
    (ANS thanks spaceflightnow.com for the above information)
  • Finnish amateur photographers have discovered a new auroral form. Named ‘dunes’ by the hobbyists, the phenomenon is believed to be caused by waves of oxygen atoms glowing due to a stream of particles released from the Sun. In the study, published in the journal AGU Advances, the origins of the dunes were tracked to a wave guide formed within the mesosphere and its boundary, the mesopause.
    (ANS thanks astrowatch.net for the above information)
  • The JAMSAT general meeting and space symposium will take place at the Tokyo, Odaiba, Science Museum on March 14 and 15.
    (ANS thanks JAMSAT for the above information)
  • Bob Atkins KA1GT has documented his recent observations of interference to 1296 EME from the Galileo navigation satellites’ E6 mode. Read Bob’s article at https://bobatkins.com/radio/galileo-1296.html
    (ANS thanks Southgate ARC for the above information)
  • Minutes of the 2019 AMSAT Board of Directors meeting are now available at https://www.amsat.org/minutes-of-the-board-of-directors/
    The December 2018 Annual Financial Review report is also now available at https://www.amsat.org/audit-and-other-financial-reports/
    (ANS thanks the AMSAT Office 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 Office.

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 Martha at the AMSAT Office for additional student membership information.

73 and Remember to help keep amateur radio in space,

This week’s ANS Editor,

K0JM at amsat dot org