Paul Stoetzer

ANS-176 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins for June 25th

by

In this edition:

* Two Awards Available from AMSAT-UK Regarding EO-88’s Impending Re-Entry
* URESAT-1 Deployed
* Harbin Institute of Technology Developing New Lunar Amateur Radio Satellite
* How Many Satellites Can We Safely Fit In Earth Orbit?
* Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for June 22, 2023
* ARISS News
* Upcoming Satellite Operations
* Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events
* Satellite Shorts From All Over

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/

ANS-176 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

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

DATE 2023 June 25

Two Awards Available from AMSAT-UK Regarding EO-88’s Impending Re-Entry

As you may be aware, Solar Cycle 25 has already shown that we cannot yet predict what the sun will be doing with any great accuracy.

Sunspots, X-class solar flares and CMEs (coronal mass ejections) are increasing in frequency and intensity on a daily basis.

The peak of Solar Cycle 25 was not expected until late 2024 or early 2025 but it may be coming earlier and have a higher intensity than was predicted.

One result of this increased activity is that the upper atmosphere and ionosphere of the earth becomes warmer and expands upwards. This means that spacecraft in low earth orbit experience more drag or resistance as a result of the increase in the number atoms they are having to displace as they travel around the globe. As a consequence, the spacecraft loose more kinetic energy and start to descend lower in orbital height, which, of course, makes the problem worse and a fiery end to the spacecraft is hastened.

The actual effect is also dependant on the drag coefficient of the particular spacecraft…simply how much mass (the more the better) to how much surface area (the less the better). So in CubeSat terms, a 1U CubeSat, fairly full of stuff with a mass near the maximum of 1.3kg, will probably be better off than a half empty 3U CubeSat with deployable solar panels and other drag inducing protuberances.

All TLEs (Two Line Elements) include a parameter called drag, it is usually a very small number preceeded by four or more zeros! Although this parameter is calculated by the system, it is not usually precise or even stable, so cannot be used to accurately predict deorbit dates when looking forward many weeks/months. It can give us a guide though! Alarm bells should ring when we only see two leading zeros.

How does this effect our activities? Well for the FUNcube family, there are presently three active members!

FUNcube-1, AO-73 was launched almost ten years ago in November 2013 into an elliptical polar orbit of approx 682×595 km. Presently those numbers are around 640×570 km so probably not too much to worry about. The drag number from the TLEs is, at the time of writing, 0.000074, a good number.

The same applies to JY1SAT, JO-97. This was launched in December 2018 into a 573×590 km polar orbit. Presently those numbers are around 557×573 km and the current drag is listed as 0.000076.

Unfortunately, however, the same cannot by said for Nayif-1, EO-88. This spacecraft was launched in February 2017 into a 496×507 km polar orbit. Currently the orbit parameters show a height of around 320 km with the drag at 0.00319. It is now well below the ISS and much lower than at launch.

As mentioned, largely due to the random nature of the our star’s flux output on a day to day basis, it is not possible at this stage to accurately predict the likely deorbit date but it seems that it will certainly be before the end of this year. As the spacecraft continues to perform 100% nominally this is a great shame. Presently it is switching autonomously from high power telemetry when in daylight and with lower power telemetry and the transponder active when in darkness. The solar panels, battery and power system also continue to be reporting nominal numbers, essentially unchanged since the day of launch.

It will therefore be a really sad moment when re-entry occurs but in the meantime everyone is encouraged to use the spacecraft whilst it remains available.

To mark the event of EO-88/Nayif’s demise, AMSAT-UK is offering two awards. These will be individual framed certificates.

Firstly, to the station who submits the last telemetry to the FUNcube Data Warehouse and also to who “guesses” or calculates the re-entry time and date most accurately. Submissions for this award must be made to [email protected] before midnight (UTC) on July 4th 2023. So time is short to get your entries in. Good luck!

[ANS thanks AMSAT-UK for the above information]

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

The 2023 AMSAT President’s Club coins are here now!
To commemorate the 40th anniversary of its launch
on June 16, 1983, this year’s coin features
an image of AMSAT-OSCAR 10.
Join the AMSAT President’s Club today and help
Keep Amateur Radio in Space!

https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+

URESAT-1 Deployed

The URESAT-1 satellite, also known as HADES-B according to its ITU designation, successfully launched into space as part of the SpaceX Transporter-8 mission from Vandenberg AFB on Monday, June 12. The satellite is a joint effort between AMSAT-EA, URE (the Spanish equivalent of ARRL), private companies, and universities.

The URESAT-1 satellite, contained within the D-Orbit ION Orbital Transfer Vehicle (OTV), was not deployed directly from the Falcon-9 rocket. Instead, approximately one hour and twenty minutes after launch, the Falcon-9 released the OTV. URESAT-1 was deployed from the OTV at approximately 12:10 UTC on June 22, 2023. As of this writing, signals have not yet been received from the satellite.

One of the primary objectives of URESAT-1 is to serve as an FM voice and FSK data repeater. Equipped with a Slow Scan Television (SSTV) camera, the satellite will transmit live images as well as stored images at regular intervals. It also features a chess game, enabling players on Earth to engage in a game against the satellite. Periodically, the satellite will transmit updates on the state of the game, including the chess board, the last movement made, and whether the next move belongs to the players or the satellite.

The specified frequencies for communication with URESAT-1 are as follows: for uplink transmissions, 145.975 MHz or 145.925 MHz (auxiliary frequency) using FM voice without subtone, FSK 50 bps, AFSK, AX.25, APRS 1200/2400 bps. For downlink transmissions, the frequency is set at 436.888 MHz, and modes include FM voice, CW, FSK 50 bps telemetry, SSTV Robot 36, and a voice beacon with the callsign AO4URE.

To provide further information regarding URESAT-1’s transmissions, the AMSAT-EA organization has made available a comprehensive document that can be accessed at the following link: https://www.amsat-ea.org/app/download/13366685/AMSAT+EA+-+URESAT-1+Transmissions+description.pdf

For those interested in decoding the telemetry, a Linux x86/ARM decoder is available for download at the following link: https://www.amsat-ea.org/app/download/13395017/URESAT-1_telemetry_decoder_Linux_X86_ARM_v1.0.zip

A sample file containing the audio of a telemetry file can be found here: https://www.amsat-ea.org/app/download/13398144/URESAT-1_sample_FSK_telemetry-chessboard_packet.wav

If URESAT-1 operates as intended, the project team plans to release a Linux program that will allow players to send their chess moves to the satellite, further enhancing the interactive experience.

[ANS thanks Félix Páez, EA4GQS, AMSAT-EA President for the above information]

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

Need new satellite antennas? Purchase an M2 LEO-Pack
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/

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

Harbin Institute of Technology Developing New Lunar Amateur Radio Satellite

Lunar OSCAR II is a lunar amateur radio payload developing by a team consists of students in Harbin Institute of Technology and international amateur radio enthusiasts. Its baseline functions include telemetry, digital image downlink from an infrared camera, and digipeater with JT4G uplink/downlink. It will also provide chances for uploading and testing new waveforms and algorithms for radio communications and measurements in very long distance.

Amateur radio orbit determination experiments, for example Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI), are also possible with these links.

Harbin Institute of Technology has previously successfully developed the first lunar amateur radio satellite, Longjiang-2 / DSLWP-B. (LO-94) As a subsequent mission, Lunar OSCAR II will continue offering various resources for communications relay and amateur radio research, and promoting the cooperation of amateur radio communities.

The Lunar OSCAR II payload will be on board a lunar microsatellite with a volume of about 300x200x100 mm3 and a mass of about 14 kg and will utilize downlinks on UHF for telemetry and images using 250/500 baud GMSK with turbo codes and Digipeater using 4.375 baud $FSK with convolutional coding (JT4G). More information is available at https://by2hit.github.io/.

The satellite is planned for a launch from Wenchang in 2024.

A downlink on 437.750 MHz has been coordinated.

[ANS thanks the IARU and Harbin Institute of Technology for the above information]

How Many Satellites Can We Safely Fit In Earth Orbit?

Just 10 years ago, a mere thousand or so operational satellites may have orbited our planet, but there will be tens or even hundreds of thousands a decade from now. Experts have been sounding alarm bells for years that Earth orbit is getting a bit too crowded. So how many satellites can we actually launch to space before it gets to be too much?

Jonathan McDowell, an astrophysicist and astronomer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics warns the first signs that things are getting a little too tense are, in fact, already present. “It’s going to be like an interstate highway, at rush hour in a snowstorm with everyone driving much too fast,” he told Space.com when asked what the situation in orbit will be like if existing plans for satellite megaconstellations such as SpaceX’s Starlink, OneWeb and Amazon Kuiper come to fruition. “Except that there are multiple interstate highways crossing each other with no stoplights.”

McDowell’s British colleague Hugh Lewis is another frequently heard voice of caution. In a post published on Twitter on Jan. 13, Lewis stated that “the overall number of conjunctions predicted for 2022 was 134% higher than the number for 2020 and 58% higher than 2021, exceeding 4 million.” That doesn’t mean that on 4 million occasions objects in space came close to a collision — just that managing traffic in space is getting much more complicated than it has ever been in the past.

Take SpaceX’s Starlink as an example. According to information submitted to the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in December last year, SpaceX’s autonomous collision-avoidance system performed 26,037 orbital avoidance maneuvers with its Starlink satellites in the two-year period between Dec. 1, 2020 and Nov. 30, 2022. That means each Starlink satellite of the nearly 4,000 that have been launched to date performed, on average, 12 avoidance maneuvers during that time.

But the size of SpaceX’s current constellation is less than 10% of what the company plans to deploy. Within the next 10 years, the number of Starlink satellites in orbit may rise to 42,000. Add to that the up to 4,000 satellites that OneWeb wants to launch, another 3,200 of Amazon’s Kuiper craft and 13,000 satellites of China’s envisioned Guowang system, and it becomes obvious that things are set to get much more heated.

According to the FCC document, SpaceX claims that each of its satellites has a sufficient amount of fuel on board to perform 350 collision-avoidance maneuvers over its expected five-year lifetime. But that number could be reached remarkably soon, according to Lewis’ calculations. In short, less than five years from now, Starlink satellites may be running out of fuel in a shorter period of time than their designed lifetime because of the sheer number of avoidance maneuvers they will have to perform.

[ANS thanks Tereza Pultarova, writing for Space.com, 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

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

Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for June 22, 2023

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

This week there are no additions or deletions to the weekly AMSAT-NA TLE
distribution.

[ANS thanks Joe Fitzgerald, KM1P, AMSAT Orbital Elements Manager, 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.

Quick list of scheduled contacts and events:

No contacts currently scheduled

The crossband repeater continues to be active. If any crewmember is so inclined, all they have to do is pick up the microphone, raise the volume up, and talk on the crossband repeater. So give a listen, you just never know.

Comments on making general contacts

I have been seeing a lot of traffic on Facebook and I suspect on other social media sites with people asking why they are not hearing the crew make general contacts. First off the crew is very busy on the ISS and they simply may not have the time to just pick up the microphone and talk. Also, one needs to be aware of their normal daily schedule. I have listed below the constraints that we at ARISS have to follow in order to schedule the school contacts. Hopefully this will help you better schedule your opportunities.

Typical daily schedule

Wakeup to Workday start= 1.5 hours
Workday start to Workday end=12 hours
Workday end to Sleep= 2 hours
Sleep to wakeup= 8.5 hours

The crew’s usual waking period is 0730 – 1930 UTC. The most common times to find a crew member making casual periods are about one hour after waking and before sleeping, when they have personal time. They’re usually free most of the weekend, as well.

SSTV events are not that often. So please check out https://www.ariss.org/ for the latest information or watch for the ARISS announcements.

And don’t forget that the packet system is active.

As always, if there is an EVA, a docking, or an undocking; the ARISS radios are turned off as part of the safety protocol.

ARISS Radio Status

Columbus Module radios:
IORS (Kenwood D710GA) – STATUS – Configured. Default mode is for cross band repeater (145.990 MHz up {PL 67} & 437.800 MHz down).
* Powering off for Russian EVA targeting July 26. OFF July 25 about TBD. ON July 27 about TBD.
* Capable of supporting USOS scheduled voice contacts, packet and voice repeater ops.

Service Module radios:
IORS (Kenwood D710GA) – STATUS – Configured. Default mode is fo packet operations (145.825 MHz up & down)
* Powering off for Russian EVA targeting July 26. OFF July 25 about TBD. ON July 27 about TBD.
* Capable of supporting ROS scheduled voice contacts, packet, SSTV and voice repeater ops.

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

The latest list of frequencies in use can be found at https://www.ariss.org/contact-the-iss.html

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

Upcoming Satellite Operations

Adrian (AA5UK) is heading back to the Cayman Islands. He will be operating as ZF2AE/ZF8 from Little Cayman June 25 to June 29th (EK99wp). He plans to rent a car June 28th/29th and will try to make it to FK09 grid at the other end to the island, time permitting. He will operate from Grand Cayman as ZF2AE June 30th to July 3rd (EK99ki) with focus on cross Atlantic contacts via AO7, RS44, FO-29 and IO-117. He will be relocating to Seven Mile Beach to operate from July 4th – July 7th in EK99hi and will try to mix it up on the passes with focus on Western passes.

The gear will be FT-1634 with Alaskan Arrow antenna. For IO-117, he will be using an IC-7000. Operation will be holiday style. Please follow him on Twitter @ZF2AE and @AA5UK and watch for the latest announcements. He also plans to periodically operate HF with focus on RTTY, FT8/FT4 and other digital modes. QSL information on QRZ.com. LOTW preferred.

[ANS thanks Ian Parsons, K5ZM, AMSAT rover page manager, for the above information]

Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events

AMSAT Ambassadors provide presentations, demonstrate communicating through amateur satellites, and host information tables at club meetings, hamfests, conventions, maker faires, and other events.

+ AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting
October 20-21, 2023
Dallas, Texas

AMSAT Ambassadors provide presentations, demonstrate communicating through amateur satellites, and host information tables at club meetings, hamfests, conventions, maker faires, and other events.

AMSAT Ambassador Clint Bradford, K6LCS, says,

“Think a 75-minute presentation on “working the easy satellites” would be appropriate for your club or event? Let me know by emailing me at k6lcsclint (at) gmail (dot) com or calling me at 909-999-SATS (7287)!”

Clint has NEVER given the exact same show twice: EACH of the 150+ presentations so far has been customized/tailored to their audiences. An email message received after a recent presentation:

“I really enjoyed Clint’s presentation last night. The fact that he had taken the time to research and know something about his audience and welcomed interaction made it very informative and enjoyable. This was a refreshing change from many canned YouTube presentations I’ve tried to watch, which were poorly done, fuzzy video or muddy audio, or a badly prepared presenter stumbling his way through, with any valuable info lost along the way. Thanks for hooking this one up.”

[ANS thanks Clint Bradford, K6LCS, and AMSAT for the above information]

Satellite Shorts From All Over

+ For rocket geeks, an interesting video shows the dynamics of SpaceX’s new stage separation technique, which will be tested on Starship, separating the booster and upper stage without pusher pistons (like Falcon) or explosives (like many traditional rockets). The video may be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yesni8HUEA4 (ANS thanks The Orbital Index for the above information)

+ Although their identities have been widely circulated previously, the European Space Agency (ESA), on June 20, formally announced the personnel who will make up SpaceX Crew-7. They are NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, KI5WSL, commander; ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen, KG5GCZ, from Denmark, who will serve as pilot; as well as JAXA astronaut Satoshi Furukawa, KE5DAW, from Japan, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov, from Russia, who will both serve as mission specialists. This crew will launch from Cape Canaveral in Florida later this summer on a SpaceX’s Crew Dragon, and will remain aboard the International Space Station (ISS) for approximately six months. (ANS thanks ESA for the above information)

+ Spei Satelles is a 3U CubeSat created by the students and teachers of the Polytechnic of Turin. During its stay in orbit, Spei Satelles will transmit a radio signal that can be received by amateurs. The signal contains messages of hope from the magisterium of Pope Francis. Spei Satelles (the Latin words for Satellite of Hope) operates in a sun-synchronous low Earth orbit at about 525 km of altitude from the Earth’s surface. At a frequency of 437.5MHz (Editor’s note – this satellite is not coordinated by the IARU and AMSAT encourages radio amateurs to decline to offer telemetry collection or other technical support to groups that launch satellites that are not IARU coordinated and do not offer amateur communications opportunities) it transmits GMSK at 9600 bit/s AX.25. Spei Satelles also contains a nanobook, a 2x2x0.2 mm silicon slab on which the images, speeches, and readings by Pope Francis on March 27, 2020, in the midst of the pandemic, were imprinted by nanotechnologies. The satellite hitched a ride aboard Space X’s Falcon 9 rocket launching from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on June 10, after being blessed by Pope Francis on March 29 at his General Audience in St. Peter’s Square. (ANS thanks Religion News Service and Polytechnic of Turin for the above information)

+ Congratulations to Olivier Tymkiw, HB9GWJ, on receiving AMSAT Rover Award # 077! To earn the AMSAT Rover Award, participants must accumulate a combined total of 25 points through various achievements in portable satellite operations outside their home grid square. The AMSAT Rover Award was established to recognize and honor the accomplishments of satellite operators who engage in rover operations. Rover operations involve the activation of grid squares outside one’s home grid, utilizing various satellite transponders and modes to establish communication links. A breakdown of the points system along with a list of past AMSAT Rover Award recipients can be found at https://www.amsat.org/amsat-rover-award/. Keep on roving, Olivier, and continue to inspire others in the AMSAT community!

+ Virgin Galactic will launch its first commercial spaceflight on June 27th. https://www.space.com/virgin-galactic-first-commercial-spaceflight-june-2023 (ANS thanks space.com)

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

In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership to:

* Societies (a recognized group, clubs or organization).
* Primary and secondary school students are eligible for membership at one-half the standard yearly rate.
* Post-secondary school students enrolled in at least half time status shall be eligible for the student rate for a maximum of 6 post-secondary years in this status.
* Memberships are available for annual and lifetime terms.

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

73 and remember to help Keep Amateur Radio in Space!

This week’s ANS Editor,

Paul Stoetzer, N8HM
n8hm [at] amsat.org

ANS-148 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

by

In this edition:

* 2023 Hamvention Wrap-Up
* AMSAT Orbital Elements Manager Retires
* New SO-50 Distance Record
* Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for May 25, 2023
* ARISS News
* Upcoming Satellite Operations
* Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events
* Satellite Shorts From All Over

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/

ANS-148 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

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

DATE 2023 May 28

2023 Hamvention Wrap-Up

The 2023 Dayton Hamvention is in the books! It was a great weekend in Xenia, Ohio and at the various other events in the surrounding area. The AMSAT booth and satellite demo area saw continuous traffic and attendees had an excellent time at the informal AMSAT Dinner at Tickets on Thursday evening and the TAPR/AMSAT Banquet on Friday evening.

The AMSAT forum from Saturday afternoon can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTYTVTzJlXk&t=14680s (the ARISS forum precedes the AMSAT forum, so you can back up the live stream to view that)

The video presented at the AMSAT forum featuring AMSAT engineers can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6zTtJZPfL8

Grace Papay, KE8RJU, gave a talk at the Youth Forum on “Amateur Radio Satellites Both Near and Far” and her presentation can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1U-jsYYHY8w&t

We hope everyone enjoyed Hamvention this year and hope to see everyone in Xenia next May!

[ANS thanks the AMSAT Hamvention Team for the above information]

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

The 2023 AMSAT President’s Club coins are here now!


To commemorate the 40th anniversary of its launch
on June 16, 1983, this year’s coin features
an image of AMSAT-OSCAR 10.
Join the AMSAT President’s Club today and help
Keep Amateur Radio in Space!
https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/

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

AMSAT Orbital Elements Manager Retires

It is time for me to retire from the position of AMSAT-NA Orbital Elements Manager.

I have held this position since October 8, 1993, when I inherited it from Dick Campbell, WR5RW (formally N3FKV). I also inherited a BASIC sorting program from Dick which has faithfully produced the AMSAT TLE format each week for almost 30 years. Today I have to use an emulator, but it consistently produces the format we (and our computer tracking programs) expect to see.

But, have no fear, Joe Fitzgerald, KM1P has been developing a software-based system that pulls the TLE data directly from the internet (Space-Track, 18SPCS), formats it, and sends it out to the amateur radio community. Joe has been testing it for over a month now and it is ready to go!

It has been a privilege to serve AMSAT as Orbital Elements Manager and I will miss the Thursday night routine of sending out the AMSAT TLE. But to those who have helped me along the way … thanks. Special thanks to Keith Pugh (W5IU Silent key), Dick Campbell (WR5RW), Nico Janssen (PA0DLO), and also to Joe Fitzgerald (KM1P) for stepping up to the job.

[ANS thanks Ray Hoad, WA5QGD, 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/

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

New SO-50 Distance Record

A new distance record has been claimed on SO-50. During a SOTA activation of Pine Mountain in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan on May 24, 2023 at 13:16 UTC, Joe Werth, KE9AJ, worked George Mamjis, MI0ILE, in Northern Ireland. KE9AJ’s location was EN55wu90gp and MI0ILE’s location was IO64wn80. The distance between the two locations is 5,584 km. The previous record on this satellite was 5,523 km – set by F4DXV and N1AIA on October 24, 2018.

[ANS thanks Joe Werth, KE9AJ, 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

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

Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for May 25, 2023

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

This week there are no additions or deletions to the weekly AMSAT-NA TLE distribution.

[ANS thanks Joe Fitzgerald, KM1P, AMSAT Orbital Elements Manager, 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.

Quick list of scheduled contacts and events:

Muslyumovo, Tatarstan, Russia, direct via TBD
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS
The scheduled crewmember is Dmitry Petelin
The ARISS mentor is RV3DR
Contact is go for Sun 2023-05-28 14:25 UTC

Mohammad Bin Rashid Space Centre, Dubai, UAE, direct via A68MBR
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS
The scheduled crewmember is Sultan Al Neyadi KI5VTV
The ARISS mentor is ON6TI
Contact is go for: Wed 2023-05-31 08:42:20 UTC 66 deg

Mohammad Bin Rashid Space Centre, Dubai, UAE, direct via A68MBR
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS
The scheduled crewmember is Sultan Al Neyadi KI5VTV
The ARISS mentor is ON6TI
Contact is go for: Thu 2023-06-01 07:53:35 UTC 51 deg

Amur State University, Blagoveshchensk, Russia, direct via TBD
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS
The scheduled crewmember is Dmitry Petelin
The ARISS mentor is RV3DR
Contact is go for Thu 2023-06-01 08:10 UTC

Saint Petersburg, Russia, direct via TBD
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS
The scheduled crewmember is Sergey Prokopyev
The ARISS mentor is RV3DR
Contact is go for Sat 2023-06-10 10:15 UTC

The crossband repeater continues to be active. If any crewmember is so inclined, all they have to do is pick up the microphone, raise the volume up, and talk on the crossband repeater. So give a listen, you just never know.

Comments on making general contacts

I have been seeing a lot of traffic on Facebook and I suspect on other social media sites with people asking why they are not hearing the crew make general contacts. First off the crew is very busy on the ISS and they simply may not have the time to just pick up the microphone and talk. Also, one needs to be aware of their normal daily schedule. I have listed below the constraints that we at ARISS have to follow in order to schedule the school contacts. Hopefully this will help you better schedule your opportunities.

Typical daily schedule

Wakeup to Workday start= 1.5 hours
Workday start to Workday end=12 hours
Workday end to Sleep= 2 hours
Sleep to wakeup= 8.5 hours

The crew’s usual waking period is 0730 – 1930 UTC. The most common times to find a crew member making casual periods are about one hour after waking and before sleeping, when they have personal time. They’re usually free most of the weekend, as well.

SSTV events are not that often. So please check out https://www.ariss.org/ for the latest information or watch for the ARISS announcements.

And don’t forget that the packet system is active.

As always, if there is an EVA, a docking, or an undocking; the ARISS radios are turned off as part of the safety protocol.

ARISS Radio Status

Columbus Module radios:
IORS (Kenwood D710GA) – STATUS – Configured. Default mode is for cross band repeater (145.990 MHz up {PL 67} & 437.800 MHz down).
* Powering off for U.S. EVA targeting June 09. OFF June 08 about TBD. ON June 10 about TBD.
* Powering off for Russian EVA targeting June 28. OFF June 27 about TBD. ON June 29 about TBD.
* Powering off for Russian EVA targeting July 26. OFF July 25 about TBD. ON July 27 about TBD.
* Capable of supporting USOS scheduled voice contacts, packet and voice repeater ops.

Service Module radios:
IORS (Kenwood D710GA) – STATUS – Configured. Default mode is fo packet operations (145.825 MHz up & down)
* Powering off for U.S. EVA targeting June 09. OFF June 08 about TBD. ON June 10 about TBD.
* Powering off for Russian EVA targeting June 28. OFF June 27 about TBD. ON June 29 about TBD.
* Powering off for Russian EVA targeting July 26. OFF July 25 about TBD. ON July 27 about TBD.
* Capable of supporting ROS scheduled voice contacts, packet, SSTV and voice repeater ops.

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

The latest list of frequencies in use can be found at https://www.ariss.org/contact-the-iss.html

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

Upcoming Satellite Operations

From Mike, N8MR:
I will be in EN84, EN85 and EN76 from Friday, May 26 thru Monday, May 29. Using an Icom 9700, Arrow antenna and SAT controller. Listening for Europe for eastern passes. All QSOs going to LoTW as N8MR.

Major Roves:
I post ’em as soon as I know about ’em. Just be aware that I still work roughly 60 hours a week. Tnx!

Please submit any additions or corrections to k5zm (at) comcast (dot) net.

[ANS thanks Ian Parsons, K5ZM, AMSAT rover page manager, for the above information]

Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events

AMSAT Ambassadors provide presentations, demonstrate communicating through amateur satellites, and host information tables at club meetings, hamfests, conventions, maker faires, and other events.

+ AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting
October 20-21, 2013
Dallas, Texas

AMSAT Ambassadors provide presentations, demonstrate communicating through amateur satellites, and host information tables at club meetings, hamfests, conventions, maker faires, and other events.

AMSAT Ambassador Clint Bradford, K6LCS, says,
“Think a 75-minute presentation on “working the easy satellites” would be appropriate for your club or event? Let me know by emailing me at k6lcsclint (at) gmail (dot) com or calling me at 909-999-SATS (7287)!”

Clint has NEVER given the exact same show twice: EACH of the 150+ presentations so far has been customized/tailored to their audiences. An email message received after a recent presentation:

“I really enjoyed Clint’s presentation last night. The fact that he had taken the time to research and know something about his audience and welcomed interaction made it very informative and enjoyable. This was a refreshing change from many canned YouTube presentations I’ve tried to watch, which were poorly done, fuzzy video or muddy audio, or a badly prepared presenter stumbling his way through, with any valuable info lost along the way. Thanks for hooking this one up.”

[ANS thanks Clint Bradford, K6LCS, and AMSAT for the above information]

Satellite Shorts From All Over

+ John Shoffner, KO4MJC, pilot of the Axios Space AX-2 mission, was reported to have made casual QSOs from the ISS via the ISS repeater on May 25, 2023. (Thanks to ARISS for this information)

+ The Tevel-3 and Tevel-6 satellites will be active through May 29, 2023 at 18:35 UTC. Downlink frequency = 436.400 MHz, Uplink frequency = 145.970MHz NO PL tone. (Thanks David Greenberg, 4X1DG, for this information)

+ Four CubeSats developed by the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI) were launched on a Korean NURI rocket this past week. These CubeSats were not IARU coordinated and the downlink of one of the satellites is on 437.800 MHz. This has the potential to cause QRM to the ISS FM repeater. (Thanks PE0SAT for the above information)

+ URESAT Antonio de Nebrija is expected to launch on the SpaceX Transporter-8 mission on June 8th. Details available at https://www-ure-es.translate.goog/uresat-antonio-de-nebrija-sera-lanzado-el-8-de-junio/?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-GB (Thanks to URE for the above information)

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

In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership to:

* Societies (a recognized group, clubs or organization).
* Primary and secondary school students are eligible for membership at one-half the standard yearly rate.
* Post-secondary school students enrolled in at least half time status shall be eligible for the student rate for a maximum of 6 post-secondary years in this status.
* Memberships are available for annual and lifetime terms.

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

73 and remember to help Keep Amateur Radio in Space!

This week’s ANS Editor,
Paul Stoetzer, N8HM
n8hm [at] amsat.org

 

 

ANS-130 AMSAT News Service Special Bulletin

by

TAPR/AMSAT Hamvention Banquet Ticket Deadline is Friday, May, 12, 2023, Dr. Nathaniel Frissell, W2NAF, is Guest Speaker

The deadline for ordering tickets for the 2023 TAPR/AMSAT Hamvention Banquet is only two days away – the deadline for purchasing banquet ticket is Friday, May 12th! Remember, there will be no banquet ticket sales at the AMSAT booth or at the banquet door.

The 14th annual TAPR/AMSAT Banquet will be held at the Kohler Presidential Banquet Center on Friday, May 19th at 18:30 EDT. This dinner is always a highlight of the TAPR (Tucson Amateur Packet Radio) and AMSAT (Radio Amateur Satellite Corp.) activities during the Dayton Hamvention.

This year’s banquet speaker is Dr. Nathaniel A. Frissell, W2NAF, who will talk about the upcoming solar eclipses and the exciting ways hams are contributing to the scientific research around these events.

The Kohler Presidential Banquet Center is located at 4548 Presidential Way, Kettering, Ohio – about 20 minutes away from the Greene County Fairgrounds.

Tickets ($60 each) may be purchased from the AMSAT store. The banquet ticket purchase deadline is Friday, May 12th. Banquet tickets must be purchased in advance and will not be sold at the AMSAT booth. There will be no tickets to pick up at the AMSAT booth. Tickets purchased on-line will be maintained on a list with check-in at the door at the banquet center. Seating is limited to the number of meals reserved with the Kohler caterers based on the number of tickets sold by the deadline.

Order your tickets online at:

https://www.amsat.org/product/2023-tapr-amsat-joint-hamvention-banquet-registration/

Dr. Nathaniel A. Frissell, W2NAF, will be the guest speaker at the 2023 TAPR/AMSAT Hamvention Banquet. He will talk about the upcoming solar eclipses and the exciting ways hams are contributing to the scientific research around these events.

Dr. Frissell is a Space Physicist and Electrical Engineer at the University of Scranton’s Physics and Engineering Department. Dr. Frissell has a passion for radio science and remote sensing of the ionosphere. He was introduced to space physics and space weather in middle and high school through the hobby of amateur (ham) radio, where he was fascinated by long-distance radio propagation and the variability imposed on it by the geospace system.

In addition to leading him to pursue a Ph.D. in this field, it enabled him to found and lead the Ham radio Science Citizen Investigation (HamSCI, hamsci.org), a citizen science collective that aims to bring together the professional research and the amateur radio communities. This has led to the Solar Eclipse QSO Party, a nationwide ham radio experiment to study the August 21, 2017 Total Solar Eclipse (hamsci.org/seqp), and an ongoing collaboration with the amateur radio electrical engineering organization TAPR (tapr.org) to develop a Personal Space Weather Station (hamsci.org/swstation). For his efforts, the amateur radio community has awarded him the prestigious 2017 Yasme Foundation Excellence award and the 2019 Dayton Amateur Radio Association Amateur of the Year Award.

In 2019, Frissell received a $1.3 million National Science Foundation grant to fund a 3-year initiative to measure modulations produced in the Earth’s upper atmosphere. The grant supports a collaborative team to develop the HamSCI Personal Space Weather Station, a modular, multi-instrument, ground-based space science observation platform used to study variability in the coupled geospace system and to better understand HF radio propagation.

In 2021, he was awarded a $481,260 grant through the NASA Space Weather Applications Operations Phase II Research Program. Frissell served as principal investigator for a research project entitled, “Enabling Space Weather Research with Global Scale Amateur Radio Datasets.” He collaborated with Philip Erickson, W1PJE, of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Haystack Observatory and Bill Engelke, AB4EJ, at the University of Alabama.

“This grant includes significant funding for participation of Scranton undergraduate students in this research, as well as support for new computation resources,” Frissell said. He explained that the grant will fund “the development of an empirical model for the prediction of traveling ionospheric disturbances (TIDs) in high-frequency radio communications while investigating the geophysical drivers of these disturbances.” The grant covers two years of work.

Frissell said that the predictive, empirical TID models being developed uses data collected by the Reverse Beacon Network, WSPR, and PSKreporter — automated, global-scale radio communication observation networks operated by the amateur radio community. Undergraduate students help the faculty researchers to create algorithms used for the model development.

This NASA award complements a 5-year National Science Foundation grant of more than $616,000 that Frissell received in 2020. That investigation aims to understand the source of TIDs observed in amateur radio and other scientific datasets.

In addition, Dr. Frissell has a long-time passion for teaching and education. He earned his B.S. in Physics and Music Education from Montclair State University (2007). He voluntarily coordinated and taught amateur radio license classes and radio and astronomy merit badge classes. An Eagle Scout and Vigil Honor Member, Dr. Frissell taught science and technology for six summers at Forestburg Scout Reservation in New York, and taught amateur radio with the K2BSA group at multiple Boy Scout National Scout Jamborees.

ANS-127 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins for May 7

by

In this edition:

* AMSAT at Hamvention 2023
* VUCC Satellite Standings May 2023
* SSTV Transmissions from ORBICRAFT-ZORKIY May 7-13, 2023
* Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for May 5, 2023
* ARISS News
* Upcoming Satellite Operations
* Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events
* Satellite Shorts From All Over

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/

ANS-127 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

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

DATE 2023 May 7

AMSAT at Hamvention 2023

The Dayton Hamvention is coming May 19th-21st! AMSAT’s presence includes several events throughout the weekend and in with eight adjoining booths in Building 1. Highlighting the exhibit will be:

– SatPC32 software demonstrations
– The AMSAT CubeSat Simulator
– The AMSAT Youth Initiative / KidzSat
– AMSAT Engineering staff question and answer table
– OSCAR ground station for live satellite operations
– Annual Membership sign-up and renewals
– AMSAT President’s Club recognition
– AMSAT Board of Directors and Senior Officers Meet and Greet
– AMSAT Store offering AMSAT trinkets, books and Arrow Antennas
– And much more!

The interaction with AMSAT members, satellite operators, designers, and builders makes the whole experience a lot of fun. Meet or renew acquaintances, exchange operating tips, and find out what antennas, software and equipment other AMSAT members use. We currently expect many of AMSAT’s senior officers and board members to be there too.

Thursday, May 18th – Dinner at Tickets

The annual AMSAT “Dinner at Tickets” party will be held at Tickets Pub & Eatery on Thursday, May 18 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM EDT. There is no program or speaker – just good conversation. Everyone is invited regardless of whether or not they helped with setup or plan to work in the booth. Tickets has a great selection of Greek and American food and great company! Food can be ordered from the menu; drinks (beer, wine, sodas and iced tea) are available at the bar.
Come as you are; no reservations required. Bring some friends and have a great time the night before Hamvention. Tickets Pub & Eatery is located at 7 W. Main St, Fairborn, OH 45324. (Telephone (937) 878-9022)

Friday, May 19th – TAPR/AMSAT Banquet

The 14th Annual TAPR/AMSAT Banquet will be held at the Kohler Presidential Banquet Center on Friday, May 19th at 18:30 EDT. This dinner is always a highlight of the TAPR (Tucson Amateur Packet Radio) and AMSAT (Radio Amateur Satellite Corp.) activities during the Dayton Hamvention. This year’s menu includes:

Cash Bar
Regular and Decaf Coffee, Hot & Iced Tea, Water

Appetizer
– Crudite Platter (with dip on the side)

Buffet
– Roast Prime Rib of Beef Au Jus (Carved on site. Served with horseradish and au jus on the side)
– Santa Fe Chicken (with Pepper Cheese Jalapeno Hollandaise)
– Deep Fried Tempura Shrimp (with Tomato Lemon Aioli)
– Risotto Cake
– Fresh Asparagus
– Smashed Cauliflower

Served to the Table
– Strawberry Fields
– Assorted Dinner Rolls (Served with butter)

Dessert
– Assorted Layer Cake
– Cheesecake

Tickets ($60 each) may be purchased from the AMSAT store at https://www.amsat.org/product/2023-tapr-amsat-joint-hamvention-banquet-registration/. The banquet ticket purchase deadline is Friday, May 12th. Banquet tickets must be purchased in advance and will not be sold at the AMSAT booth. There will be no tickets to pick up at the AMSAT booth. Tickets purchased on-line will be maintained on a list with check-in at the door at the banquet center. Seating is limited to the number of meals reserved with the Kohler caterers based on the number of tickets sold by the deadline.

The Kohler Presidential Banquet Center is located at 4548 Presidential Way, Kettering, Ohio – about 20 minutes away from the Greene County Fairgrounds.

Saturday, May 20th – AMSAT Hamvention Forum

The AMSAT forum will be held from 1:10 PM – 2:10 PM in Forum Room 2. The forum will include updates on AMSAT’s operations, engineering, and Youth Initivative, and development programs.

Arrive early, grab a seat, take in some air conditioning and catch up on the latest AMSAT happenings!

Other Hamvention Events for Satellite Enthusiasts

Dayton Hamvention Youth Forum – Saturday, May 20 at 9:15 AM in Forum Room 2

AMSAT member Grace Papay (KE8RJU) will present on the topic of “Amateur Radio Satellites Near and Far”

Come support one of AMSAT’s youth ambassadors!

ARISS Events at Hamvention

ARISS will be joining in the Dayton Hamvention experience this year with a booth, a forum and four mini-forums. Dayton Hamvention is May 19-21 in Xenia, Ohio this year.

ARISS’ International Chair Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, will lead the main forum, “ARISS 2.0: The future vision for Amateur Radio on the International Space Station” on Saturday at 12:10 PM in Forum Room 2.
In December 1983, Astronaut Owen Garriott, W5LFL, electrified the world via his ham communications from the Space Shuttle Columbia. Starting at Hamvention 2023, ARISS will spend a year celebrating 40 years of amateur radio on human spaceflight vehicles! Our new vision, ARISS 2.0, will expand ARISS youth education outcomes, ham-in space operations, flight hardware systems, and even our space platform (in addition to ISS, think commercial space stations and lunar operations). Learn what ARISS is doing to support ham radio operations on human spaceflight vehicles – now and over the next 40 years. Expect some surprise guests and new announcements.

The ARISS booth will be in building 4, the “Volta” building. Four mini-forums will be hosted in the booth area. Those include:

Friday – 10:00 AM: ARISS Educational Opportunities: SPARKing Interest in Amateur Radio in Teachers and Students
Presented by: Dan White (AD0CQ) ARISS-US Education Committee and professor of electrical and computer engineering at Valparaiso University
Learn how ARISS engages educators and students, including a demonstration of the SPARKI kit and STAR robot.

Friday – 2:00 PM: ARISS Engineering
Presented by: Randy Berger (WA0D), ARISS-USA Director of Engineering
Find out more about how ARISS integrates with the space program partners and new design concepts.

Saturday – 10:00 AM: ARISS How To – Intro to working the repeaters on the ISS –
Presented by: Randy Berger (WA0D), ARISS-USA Director of Engineering
Want to know how to get started making contact with and through the ISS or interested in becoming an ARISS technical mentor, find out more in this session.

Saturday – 2:00 PM – ARISS Post-Forum Q&A / Meet and Greet
Hosted by: Frank Bauer (KA3HDO) – ARISS International Chair and the ARISS team
Meet some of the team that makes things happen behind the scenes and get all your ARISS questions answered.

[ANS thanks AMSAT for the above information]

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

The 2023 AMSAT President’s Club coins are here now!
To commemorate the 40th anniversary of its launch
on June 16, 1983, this year’s coin features
an image of AMSAT-OSCAR 10.
Join the AMSAT President’s Club today and help
Keep Amateur Radio in Space!
https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+

VUCC Satellite Standings May 2023

VUCC Satellite Award/Endorsement Change Summary for
April 01, 2023 to May 01, 2023.

CallsignApril 1, 2023May 1, 2023
WC7V13031351
N8RO12301258
KF7R950975
N0JE883914
K9UO813828
NS3L800826
WA5KBH775807
DL2GRC750800
F4BKV700800
KN2K701750
W8LR725735
WD9EWK (DM43)720727
WB7VUF510555
JK2XXK429503
OZ9AAR400500
N8MR452499
HP2VX476481
KO9A222321
IK3ITB200300
DL8GAM250275
K3HPA258275
JA1GZK205256
JE1TNL201225
N6PAZ177201
N9ZTS100201
WD9EWK (DM42)175183
JA6SZVNew152
JI5USJ104152
LB2TGNew114
BI1NJINew109
JR0GASNew108
JR8QFGNew105
JI5RPT/1New101

Congratulations to the new VUCC holders.
LB2TG is first VUCC Satellite holder from JP33
BI1NJI is first VUCC Satellite holder from OM89
JR8QFG is first VUCC Satellite holder from QN03

JR0GAS no info de QRZ

[ANS thanks Jon Goering, N7AZ, 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/

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

SSTV Transmissions from ORBICRAFT-ZORKIY May 7-13, 2023

Dear radio amateurs! We invite you to participate in the SSTV award program with the ORBICRAFT-ZORKIY satellite!

Schedule:

Start of SSTV transmission: 07 May 2023 00:00 UTC;
End of SSTV transmission: May 13, 2023 00:00 UTC;
Frequency of MCA “ORBICRAFT-ZORKIY”

437.850 MHz GMSK 2k4 USP FEC, GMSK 4k8 USP FEC, GMSK 9k6 USP FEC, SSTV;
Telemetry of the MSC “ORBICRAFT-ZORKIY” – https://r4uab.ru/satdb/orbicraft-zorkiy/

Conditions: within 6 days, the satellite will broadcast 6 (six) different images in Robot 72 mode. To receive a diploma, at least 3 (three) of any images must be received and decoded. Each image must be received at least 70% and have an acceptable quality, the logo and call sign of the satellite must be distinguishable.

For image decoding, it is recommended to use RX-SSTV or Robot36 software. Received images must be in their original state and resolution.

Registration of an application for a diploma
An application for a diploma is sent to e-mail. mail [email protected] and should contain:

FULL NAME;
Call sign (if available, if not, indicate “no call sign”);
Date and time of receipt (UTC) of each image;
City and country of reception;
Return address for sending a paper version of the diploma (or a note that the diploma can be sent electronically)
Type of hardware and software used;
Accepted images;
Applications will be accepted during the duration of the program (May 07-12, 2023), as well as a day after the end of the broadcast – until May 14, 2023 00:00 UTC.

Please note that submitting an application means your consent to the processing of personal data specified in it.

Diplomas will be sent within 30 days after the deadline for applications, delivery to recipients will depend on the speed of postal services :).

PS There will be special prizes for those who accept all 6 images in good quality ;).

We wish you all good luck!

73! Team Sputniks!

ORBICRAFT-ZORKIY is NORAD CAT ID 47960, International Designation 2021-022AE
https://www.n2yo.com/satellite/?s=47960

[ANS thanks R4UAB 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

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

Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for May 5, 2023

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

The NanoRacks CubeSats Deployer-25 on board the International Space Station deployed six satellites on 24 April 2023

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

ARKSAT 1 NORAD Cat ID 56311 (IARU coordinated frequency 435.450 MHz).
AuroraSat NORAD Cat ID 56312 (IARU coordinated frequencies 437.875 MHz and 2428.000 MHz).
Ex-Alta 2 NORAD Cat ID 56313 (IARU coordinated frequency 436.705MHz).
LightCube NORAD Cat ID 56314 (IARU coordinated frequency 437.175 MHz).
NEUDOSE NORAD Cat ID 56315 (IARU coordinated frequency 436.050 MHz).
YukonSat NORAD Cat ID 56316 (IARU coordinated frequencies 437.875 MHz and 2428.000 MHz).

[ANS thanks Joe Fitzgerald, KM1P, AMSAT Assistant Orbital Elements Manager, 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.

Quick list of scheduled contacts and events:

No contacts currently scheduled

The crossband repeater continues to be active. If any crewmember is so inclined, all they have to do is pick up the microphone, raise the volume up, and talk on the crossband repeater. So give a listen, you just never know.

Comments on making general contacts

I have been seeing a lot of traffic on Facebook and I suspect on other social media sites with people asking why they are not hearing the crew make general contacts. First off the crew is very busy on the ISS and they simply may not have the time to just pick up the microphone and talk. Also, one needs to be aware of their normal daily schedule. I have listed below the constraints that we at ARISS have to follow in order to schedule the school contacts. Hopefully this will help you better schedule your opportunities.

Typical daily schedule

Wakeup to Workday start= 1.5 hours
Workday start to Workday end=12 hours
Workday end to Sleep= 2 hours
Sleep to wakeup= 8.5 hours

The crew’s usual waking period is 0730 – 1930 UTC. The most common times to find a crew member making casual periods are about one hour after waking and before sleeping, when they have personal time. They’re usually free most of the weekend, as well.

SSTV events are not that often. So please check out https://www.ariss.org/ for the latest information or watch for the ARISS announcements.

And don’t forget that the packet system is active.

As always, if there is an EVA, a docking, or an undocking; the ARISS radios are turned off as part of the safety protocol.

ARISS Radio Status

Columbus Module radios:
IORS (Kenwood D710GA) – STATUS – Configured. Default mode is for cross band repeater (145.990 MHz up {PL 67} & 437.800 MHz down).
* Powering off for Russian EVA targeting May 12. OFF May 12 about 10:30 UTC. ON May 13 about 13:15 UTC.
* Powering off for Progress 84 docking on May 24. OFF TBD . ON TBD.
* Capable of supporting USOS scheduled voice contacts, packet and voice repeater ops.

Service Module radios:
IORS (Kenwood D710GA) – STATUS – Configured. Default mode is fo packet operations (145.825 MHz up & down)
* Powering off for Russian EVA targeting May 12. OFF May 12 about 10:30 UTC. ON May 13 about 13:15 UTC.
* Powering off for Progress 84 docking on May 24. OFF TBD . ON TBD.
* Capable of supporting ROS scheduled voice contacts, packet, SSTV and voice repeater ops.

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

The latest list of frequencies in use can be found at https://www.ariss.org/contact-the-iss.html

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

Upcoming Satellite Operations

From Mike, N8MR:

I will be in EN84, EN85 and EN76 from Friday, May 26 thru Monday, May 29. Using an Icom 9700, Arrow antenna and SAT controller. Listening for Europe for eastern passes. All QSOs going to LoTW as N8MR.

Major Roves:
I post ’em as soon as I know about ’em. Just be aware that I still work roughly 60 hours a week. Tnx!

Please submit any additions or corrections to k5zm (at) comcast (dot) net.

[ANS thanks Ian Parsons, K5ZM, 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.

+ Dayton Hamvention
May 19-21
Greene County Fair and Expo Center, 210 Fairground Road, Xenia 45385
https://hamvention.org/

+ TAPR/AMSAT Banquet
May 19, 2023
Kohler Presidential Banquet Center is located at 4548 Presidential Way, Kettering, Ohio
Reservations are required and available at the AMSAT Store
https://www.amsat.org/product-category/amsat-at-hamvention/.

+ AMSAT Symposium and Annual Meeting
October 20-21, 2013
Dallas, Texas

AMSAT Ambassadors provide presentations, demonstrate communicating through amateur satellites, and host information tables at club meetings, hamfests, conventions, maker faires, and other events.

AMSAT Ambassador Clint Bradford, K6LCS, says,

“Think a 75-minute presentation on “working the easy satellites” would be appropriate for your club or event? Let me know by emailing me at k6lcsclint (at) gmail (dot) com or calling me at 909-999-SATS (7287)!”

Clint has NEVER given the exact same show twice: EACH of the 150+ presentations so far has been customized/tailored to their audiences. An email message received after a recent presentation:

“I really enjoyed Clint’s presentation last night. The fact that he had taken the time to research and know something about his audience and welcomed interaction made it very informative and enjoyable. This was a refreshing change from many canned YouTube presentations I’ve tried to watch, which were poorly done, fuzzy video or muddy audio, or a badly prepared presenter stumbling his way through, with any valuable info lost along the way. Thanks for hooking this one up.”

[ANS thanks Clint Bradford, K6LCS, and AMSAT for the above information]

Satellite Shorts From All Over

+ Four of the eight Tevel satellites were activated this weekend. The FM transponders on Tevel-3, Tevel-4, Tevel-6, and Tevel-7 were active for 24 hours. Stay tuned for future activations (Thanks to 4Z1DG)

+ Six days of SSTV from MKA ORBICRAFT-ZORKIY satellite. The satellite will transmit 6 different images in Robot 72 mode SSTV starting May 7 0000 GMT and ending May 13 0000 GMT. Frequency is 437.850 MHz. Tracking at https://www.n2yo.com/satellite/?s=47960. More details at https://r4uab.ru/2023/04/28/07-13-maya-2023-goda-planiruetsya-peredacha-sstv-so-sputnika-orbicraft-zorkiy/ (Thanks to AMSAT-UK & R4UAB)

+ Space.com recently published an article exploring the possiblity that the astronauts on Artemis 2 mission to orbit the moon, currently scheduled for late 2024, could utilize amateur radio. The article can be read at https://www.space.com/nasa-artemis-2-moon-mission-ham-radio

+ AO-73 is currently transmitting a Fitter message from the Radio Society of Great Britain celebrating the coronation of His Majesty King Charles III and Her Majesty Queen Camilla on May 6th. The message reads “Have a wonderful day celebrating the coronation of His Majesty the King and Her Majesty the Queen – from RSGB via FUNcube1” (Thanks to AMSAT-UK)

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

In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership to:

* Societies (a recognized group, clubs or organization).
* Primary and secondary school students are eligible for membership at one-half the standard yearly rate.
* Post-secondary school students enrolled in at least half time status shall be eligible for the student rate for a maximum of 6 post-secondary years in this status.
* Memberships are available for annual and lifetime terms.

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

73 and remember to help Keep Amateur Radio in Space!

This week’s ANS Editor,

Paul Stoetzer, N8HM
n8hm [at] amsat.org