Paul Stoetzer

Support AMSAT Using Your IRA

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United States residents over age 70 1/2 may distribute up to $100,000 annually from their Individual Retirement Account (IRA) directly to qualifying charities, like the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT), without first having to declare the distribution as income. That means your income will not increase, enabling you potentially to remain in a lower tax bracket for income taxes and possible Medicare premium surcharges. Donating directly from your IRA to AMSAT could have more tax advantages for you than a direct personal donation, depending on your personal tax situation.

To make this kind of donation, first contact the custodian of your IRA plan (e.g., the bank, mutual fund, brokerage, insurance company, etc.) that manages your IRA, and instruct that you wish to make a donation to AMSAT directly from your IRA.

The check from the custodian must be made payable to the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. Your custodian will then send you a 1099 form showing you, as the owner of the IRA, did not receive the income for your personal use. Most custodians will have you complete a direct donation form, and will mail the check directly to AMSAT.

AMSAT greatly appreciates any size donation from your IRA. Please call the AMSAT Office at 301-822-4376 for help with any information or mailing instructions required by your IRA custodian.

AMSAT strongly encourages those interested in supporting AMSAT through an IRA to consult with their attorney, accountant, and tax preparer or financial advisor to determine the implications and impact of such a gift on your personal situation.

Thank you for supporting AMSAT!

The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation is an IRC 501(c)(3) organization (tax identification number 52-0888529).

Fox-1Cliff/AO-95 Commissioning Status

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Following the launch of Fox-1Cliff/AO-95, AMSAT Engineering began the commissioning process, with the help of AMSAT Operations, on Tuesday December 4. Satellite telemetry indicates that the bird is healthy, and I thank all of the stations who have captured and relayed the telemetry that enabled us to monitor and determine the health of the various systems on board. Fox-1Cliff required an extended period monitoring battery and power levels due to the anomaly and fix that was applied back in February of 2016 during environmental testing, and the result of that is positive.

However, during the next steps of commissioning we discovered an anomaly with her receive capability. After a few days of tests, analysis, and discussion, it appears that Fox-1Cliff/AO-95 will not be commissioned as our fourth Fox-1 amateur radio satellite.

AMSAT Engineering will continue to evaluate and test Fox-1Cliff/AO-95 for solutions to the anomaly and your continued help in providing telemetry is appreciated so that we can have data throughout her daily orbits rather than limited data over our U.S. stations. The data, analysis, and testing could lead to a positive solution but at the very least will be important to AMSAT’s satellite programs in providing information that would help us and others, as we do freely share our successes and failures, to avoid similar situations with future missions.

I would like to thank all of the AMSAT Fox Engineering volunteers who made Fox-1Cliff possible and continue to build our new satellites, becoming even better as we move forward.

I will provide more information on the anomaly and any determination we make regarding the possible cause or causes as well as information on the possibility of recovery, over time. Please be patient regarding that. Many of you have probably built a project and had to troubleshoot it on your bench, we are in a troubleshooting situation here with the additional challenge of being 600 km away from our bench.

73
Jerry Buxton, N0JY
AMSAT Vice President of Engineering

[ANS thanks Jerry Buxton, N0JY, AMSAT Vice President of Engineering for the above information]

Fox-1Cliff Designated AMSAT-OSCAR 95 (AO-95)

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On December 3rd, 2018, Fox-1Cliff was launched on a Falcon 9 vehicle from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Part of Spaceflight’s SSO-A: SmallSat Express launch, Fox-1Cliff was named after long time AMSAT supporter Cliff Buttschardt, K7RR (SK). In the 48 hours after launch, more than 110 amateur radio operators around the world have successfully received and submitted telemetry from the satellite.

Following in our long tradition of naming amateur satellites, AMSAT hereby designates Fox-1Cliff as AMSAT-OSCAR 95 (AO-95).

Thank you to those who have supported this mission with their time, talent, and financial support for the benefit of amateur radio operators worldwide.

73,
Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA
AMSAT VP Operations / OSCAR Number Administrator

[ANS thanks Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA, AMSAT VP Operations /  OSCAR Number Administrator for the above information]

Fox-1Cliff Launched, Initial Telemetry Received

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Fox-1Cliff was successfully launched on Spaceflight’s SSO-A: SmallSat Express mission on a SpaceX Falcon 9 from Vandenberg Air Force Base at 18:34:05 UTC on December 3, 2018. Following deployment, the spacecraft was activated on schedule at 23:54:27 UTC.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, carrying the Spaceflight SSO-A: SmallSat Express, launches from Space Launch Complex-4E at Vandenberg Air Force Base, CA, on Dec. 3, 2018 at 10:34 a.m. PST. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Clayton Wear/Released)
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, carrying the Spaceflight SSO-A: SmallSat Express, launches from Space Launch Complex-4E at Vandenberg Air Force Base, CA, on Dec. 3, 2018 at 10:34 a.m. PST. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Clayton Wear/Released)

At approximately 00:30 UTC on December 4th, several stations in Brazil, including PS8MT, PT9BM, and PT2AP, reported hearing the voice beacon “Fox-1Cliff Safe Mode,” confirming that the satellite was alive. Just before 00:40 UTC, AMSAT Fox-1 Team Member Burns Fisher, WB1FJ, was the first to submit telemetry to AMSAT servers. Initial telemetry values show the satellite to be in good health.

Thanks to the 29 different stations that contributed telemetry during Fox-1Cliff’s initial orbits. All stations are encouraged to please continue collecting telemetry during the commissioning process and are reminded not to transmit on the uplink frequencies until AMSAT opens the satellite for general use. The commissioning process is expected to take approximately 7-10 days.

Stations receiving telemetry during Fox-1Cliff’s initial orbits

 

AMSAT purchased a commercial launch for Fox-1Cliff, please consider a donation to “refill the coffers” for GOLF and other future AMSAT missions by making a donation today.

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Donation Total: $25.00 One Time

As part of the preparations for the launch of Fox-1Cliff, AMSAT is making the “Getting Started With Amateur Satellites” book available for a limited time 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 186 page 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.