AMSAT News Service

In this edition:

* ESA Satellite Communications Group Explores Future Amateur Satellite Payload
* GreenCube IO-117 Continues Operations Beyond Expected February 5th Passivation
* JS1YMG: Decoding the First Moon-Based Ham Radio Station’s Telemetry Signals
* GridMasterMap Satellite Top 100 Rovers February 2024 Rankings
* Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for February 9, 2024
* 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 https://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-042 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

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

DATE 2024 Feb 11

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ESA Satellite Communications Group Explores Future Amateur Satellite Payload

Frank Zeppenfeldt, PDØAP, representing the European Space Agency (ESA), provided key insights during a presentation on February 4th at the FOSDEM 2024 conference held in Brussels, Belgium. The discussion centered around ESA’s initiative to collaborate with the amateur satellite community in defining a prospective payload for Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) or Geostationary Orbit (GEO). The ESA’s involvement aims to build upon the success of the QO-100 payload in geostationary orbit, fostering innovation and technological advancements.

During the FOSDEM conference, the ESA Satellite Communications Group outlined preliminary ideas, stressing the significance of engaging with the Software-Defined Radio (SDR) community. The primary objectives include consolidating requirements, exploring diverse payload options, addressing user segments, and thoroughly examining financing, procurement, and operational scenarios for a potential MEO/GEO amateur payload.

The project’s scope encompasses the consideration of various payload options and trade-offs, encompassing aspects such as frequency bands, analog or digital transmission, on-board SDR/Linux/GPU-box configurations, potential applications, technical risks, inter-satellite links, geographical coverage, degree of centralization, and educational components.

To ensure a comprehensive and well-informed approach, the ESA plans to actively involve the amateur community. This engagement seeks to gather valuable input on lessons learned from the QO-100 experience, amateur requirements and interests, as well as suggestions for payload options. The consultation process extends to reaching out to AMSAT and other relevant groups, alongside dialogues with satellite operators, primes, and various stakeholders.

Looking ahead, the ESA has outlined a timeline for the project. In March 2024, the agency intends to solicit input from the amateur satellite community and other stakeholders, guided by valuable insights from the AMSAT community. By May 2024, detailed payload options will be presented for discussion at the European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC) in the Netherlands, with the support of technical expertise.

More information from this presentation including the ten page Slide Deck can be found https://fosdem.org/2024/schedule/event/fosdem-2024-2084-design-of-a-follow-up-qo-100-payload-/.

The culmination of this extensive process is expected in September 2024 at the World Satellite Business Week, where dedicated discussions with satellite operators will be organized. The ESA envisions proposing a selection of payload options at a subsequent FOSDEM conference in 2025, further demonstrating the collaborative commitment of ESA and the amateur satellite community to propel advancements in satellite communications and explore innovative possibilities for future amateur satellite payloads in both GEO and MEO orbits.

[ANS thanks Frank Zeppenfeldt, PDØAP, ESA Satellite Communications Group, for the above information]

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GreenCube IO-117 Continues Operations Beyond Expected February 5th Passivation

GreenCube IO-117 satellite continues to function beyond the initially scheduled shutdown of the amateur radio digipeater on February 5, 2024, at 0000 UTC. There have been no recent developments regarding the fate of this widely-used satellite since AMSAT Italia’s announcement on February 2nd that the Italian Space Agency is considering revisiting the decision to decommission it. Originally designed for scientific purposes and placed in MEO orbit, GreenCube satellite has successfully completed its primary mission. The “Save the GreenCube Satellite Digipeater” petition initiated by Peter Goodhall, 2MØSQL, has gained significant traction, garnering over 2,000 signatures to date. The petition, accessible at https://www.change.org/p/save-the-greencube-satellite-digipeater, remains open for further support.

The support from the amateur radio satellite community for the GreenCube IO-117 digipeater has been exceptionally robust. Carsten Groen, OZ9AAR, has introduced significant enhancements to his GreenCube Terminal in the latest Version 1.0.0.88, which can be accessed at https://moonbounce.dk/hamradio/greencube-terminal-program.html. Notable improvements encompass SatNOGS Integration, GPS Integration, “AMSAT Sheriff” Wyatt, and Live World View. The Oscarwatch GreenCube Reporter map, developed by Peter Goodhall, 2MØSQL, is available at https://oscarwatch.org/greencube, serving as a valuable resource for monitoring real-time activity on GreenCube. The recent success of the TX5S Clipperton Island DXpedition, which made numerous GreenCube digipeater contacts, can be attributed to these enhancements and the collaboration of operators adhering to the recently released IO-117 Code Of Conduct recommendations.

To get a comprehensive view of the considerable amateur radio activity on the GreenCube digipeater, you can explore the GreenCube IO-117 Users Map curated by Doug Papay, K8DP, accessible at https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1Y7O-rWll2QHFTjbBa4ThmZ3AG9ls8Io. According to the latest update, GreenCube has facilitated digipeating for 1,576 unique callsigns and 999 unique grids. This encompasses digipeats from 121 DXCC entities, all 50 US states, all 47 JA prefectures, and 36 out of 40 CQ Zones. Since its launch in July 2022, 846 ground stations have contributed over 3.4 million telemetry and 6.2 million digipeater frames to the SatNOGS database. The top five contributors to the database, in terms of total submissions, are Doug Papay, K8DP, with 1.1M submissions; Dave Webb, KB1PVH, with 734k submissions; Dave Fisher, KGØD, with 576k submissions; Shige Nasu, JH8FIH, with 507k submissions; and Jacob Mol III, N8JCM, with 498k submissions.

GreenCube IO-117 exemplifies the strong backing the amateur radio satellite community extends to satellite missions incorporating telemetry data alongside communication opportunities for radio amateurs. The forthcoming challenge for satellite missions lies in soliciting input from the amateur radio satellite community and ensuring tools are available prior to launch. Leveraging its unique orbit and capabilities, GreenCube has enabled many to attain challenging awards on satellites, such as ARRL DXCC, ARRL Worked All States (WAS), and the JARL Worked All Japan Prefectures Award (WAJA). AMSAT, alongside thousands of amateur radio operators, remains steadfast in their support for the GreenCube mission, with hopes for its sustained success in the future.

[ANS thanks Doug Papay, K8DP, Peter Goodhall, 2MØSQL, and Carsten Groen, OZ9AAR for the above information]

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JS1YMG: Decoding the First Moon-Based Ham Radio Station’s Telemetry Signals

JQ1ZVI (JAXA Ham Radio Club, JHRC) recently obtained a radio station license from Japan for the lunar rover LEV-1, designated JS1YMG, marking a historic moment as the first amateur radio station on the moon. This milestone achievement follows Japan’s SLIM lunar mission, which saw the deployment of two lunar excursion vehicles, LEV-1 and LEV-2.

LEV-1, designed for hopping mobility, features direct-to-Earth communication capabilities via UHF band antennas from the MINERVA and OMOTENASHI projects. Equipped with two wide-angle visible light cameras, LEV-1 conducts lunar exploration while carrying essential science payloads, including a thermometer, radiation monitor, and inclinometer, providing valuable insights into lunar conditions and terrain. It actively receives data from its companion rover LEV-2, and this information is transmitted to Earth using its 1 Watt UHF circular polarization antenna, employing Morse code on a IARU coordinated frequency of 437.410 MHz.

Decoding efforts by Daniel Estévez, EA4GPZ, and others have shed light on the telemetry data transmitted by LEV-1. Utilizing captures from the 25-meter radio telescope at Dwingeloo in the Netherlands, Estévez identified the telemetry format as PCM/PSK/PM with a symbol rate of 64 baud and a 2048 kHz subcarrier. The residual carrier is modulated in amplitude with Morse code, introducing an unusual element to the signal. Despite challenges posed by amplitude shift keying in the signal, a phase-locked loop (PLL) has proven effective in tracking the phase of the residual carrier.

Estévez’s decoding journey involved unraveling the CCSDS coding, a task that posed initial challenges. While the IARU coordination sheet hinted at bitrates and coding specifics, the signal’s unique characteristics required a thorough investigation. The BCJR decoder, a tool used successfully in previous decoding efforts, validated the presence of convolutional coding. The output provided log-likelihood ratios, offering confidence in the correctness of the convolutional code. Further investigations led to the identification of the syncword 0xFAF320, a crucial element in understanding the structure of the transmitted frames.

One intriguing aspect of the decoded data is the Morse code modulating the residual carrier in amplitude. Despite initial confusion caused by an inverted amplitude representation, subsequent analysis revealed recognizable Morse code sequences. The meaning behind these Morse code transmissions remains a mystery, inviting collaboration from the broader radio amateur community and the LEV-1 team. As decoding efforts continue, the telemetry data’s contents remain unknown, emphasizing the need for more documentation from the LEV-1 team. The spacecraft’s utilization of the amateur satellite service and its completion of the IARU coordination process suggest that technical documentation may become publicly available in the future.

More details on the ongoing efforts to decode LEV-1’s amateur radio transmissions can be found at Daniel Estévez’s website at https://destevez.net/2024/01/trying-to-decode-lev-1/.

This achievement in establishing the first amateur radio station on the Moon opens up new possibilities for lunar communications and amateur radio enthusiasts worldwide. The collaborative efforts of radio amateurs contribute significantly pave the way for future advancements in space communication technologies.

[ANS thanks Daniel Estévez, EA4GPZ, and Hackaday for the above information]

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GridMasterMap Satellite Top 100 Rovers February 2024 Rankings

The February 2024 rankings for the Top 100 Rovers (Mixed LEO/MEO/GEO) in satellite operations, as determined by @GridMasterMap on Twitter, has been released. The ranking is determined by the number of grids and DXCC entities activated, taking into account only those grids where a minimum number of QSOs logged on the gridmaster.fr website have been validated by a third party. Grid numbers do not directly reflect the exact number of activations. Satellite operators are encouraged to upload their LoTW satellite contacts to https://gridmaster.fr in order to provide more accurate data.

Updated: 2024-02-07

1	ND9M	26	K8BL	51	F4DXV	76	DF2ET
2	NJ7H	27	KE4AL	52	KE9AJ	77	WA9JBQ
3	N5UC	28	LU5ILA	53	JL3RNZ	78	W8LR
4	JA9KRO	29	DL2GRC	54	KM4LAO	79	OE3SEU
5	DL6AP	30	KI7UNJ	55	VE1CWJ	80	VE3GOP
6	WI7P	31	VE3HLS	56	PA3GAN	81	KJ7NDY
7	UT1FG	32	KB5FHK	57	VK5DG	82	KB2YSI
8	HA3FOK	33	LA9XGA	58	N4UFO	83	K0FFY
9	N9IP	34	N7AGF	59	KI7QEK	84	CU2ZG
10	N6UA	35	F4BKV	60	SM3NRY	85	N0TEL
11	WY7AA	36	XE3DX	61	N8RO	86	DL4EA
12	K5ZM	37	N6DNM	62	PT2AP	87	W8MTB
13	AD0DX	38	KE0PBR	63	W1AW	88	KG4AKV
14	W5PFG	39	KE0WPA	64	VA7LM	89	VE6WK
15	DP0POL	40	JO2ASQ	65	XE1ET	90	VE7PTN
16	AK8CW	41	PR8KW	66	AA8CH	91	HB9GWJ
17	AD0HJ	42	AC0RA	67	M1DDD	92	AF5CC
18	WD9EWK	43	K7TAB	68	VA3VGR	93	DK9JC
19	ON4AUC	44	W7WGC	69	VE1VOX	94	PT9ST
20	KG5CCI	45	EB1AO	70	FG8OJ	95	JM1CAX
21	KX9X	46	JK2XXK	71	PT9BM	96	KI0KB
22	ND0C	47	EA4NF	72	KI7UXT	97	VO2AC
23	N5BO	48	AA5PK	73	LU4JVE	98	LW2DAF
24	F5VMJ	49	SP5XSD	74	YU0W	99	N4AKV
25	DJ8MS	50	AD7DB	75	N4DCW	100	N6UTC

[ANS thanks @GridMasterMap for the above information]

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Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for February 9, 2024

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. Elements in the TLE bulletin files are updated daily. TLE bulletin files are updated to add or remove satellites as necessary 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.

AO-92 NORAD Cat ID 43137 Decayed from orbit on or about 02 February 2024
NO-116 NORAD Cat ID 51031 Decayed from orbit on or about 04 February 2024

Editor’s Note: Thanks AO-92 for all the contacts, memories, and friends that you provided us! Miss you Veronica 🙁

[ANS thanks AMSAT Orbital Elements page for the above information]

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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.

+ Recently Completed

Lilburn Elementary School, Lilburn, GA, direct via K4RGK
The ISS callsign was NA1SS
The crewmember was Jasmin Moghbeli KI5WSL
The ARISS mentor was K4RGK
Contact was successful: Wed 2024-02-07 14:24:10 UTC
Congratulations to the Lilburn Elementary School students, Jasmin, and mentor K4RGK!
Watch the event here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlwg2rof0LA

School of Telecommunications Engineering, ETSIT Valencia (Universitat Politecnica de Valencia), Valencia, Spain, direct via EA5RKP
The ISS callsign was OR4ISS
The crewmember was Loral O’Hara KI5TOM
The ARISS mentor was IKØUSO
Contact was successful: Fri 2024-02-09 08:12:46 UTC
Congratulations to the ETSIT Valencia students, Loral, and mentor EA5RKP!
Watch for Livestream at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IMdKcM2Fw8

+ Upcoming Contacts

School TBD, Russia, direct via TBD
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS
The scheduled crewmember is Nikolay Chub
The ARISS mentor is RV3DR
Contact is go for 2024-02-15 08:20 UTC

B. Russell High School, Rome, Italy, direct via IKØUSO)
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS
The scheduled crewmember is Jasmin Moghbeli KI5WSL
The ARISS mentor is IKØWGF
Contact is go for: Thu 2024-02-15 11:32:10 UTC

Baltic Federal University. I. Kanta, Kaliningrad, Russia, direct via TBD
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS
The scheduled crewmember is Konstantin Borisov
The ARISS mentor is RV3DR
Contact is go for Fri 2024-02-16 09:10 UTC

The Service Module radio is temporarily stowed.

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

The crossband repeater continues to be active (145.990 MHz up {PL 67} & 437.800 MHz down). 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.

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

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

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

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

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Upcoming Satellite Operations

From Jonathan N4AKV: Next week I am hoping to head to a few of the FM grids, namely FM05, 06, 15, 16, 25, and 26. Plans and dates not finalized yet but will post here and on http://hams.at as usual when I figure them out. Hopefully GC will remain active.

A growing number of satellite rovers are currently engaged in sharing their grid square activations on https://hams.at. By visiting the website, you gain easy access to comprehensive information about the operators responsible for activating specific grid squares. Additionally, you have the ability to assess the match score between yourself and a particular rover for a given pass, while also being able to identify the upcoming satellite passes that are accessible from your location.

[ANS thanks Ian Parsons, K5ZM, AMSAT Rover Page Manager, for the above information]

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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.

40th Anniversary Celebration of the Positive Impact of Amateur Radio on Human Spaceflight
Thursday February 22nd through Saturday February 24th, 2024
Center for Space Education: Astronauts Memorial Foundation
Kennedy Space Center, M6-306 405 State Road, FL 32899
https://www.ariss.org/overview.html

2024 CubeSat Developer’s Workshop
April 23-25, 2024
San Luis Obispo, CA
https://www.cubesatdw.org/

Dayton Hamvention 2024
Friday May 17th through Sunday May 19th, 2024
Greene County Fairgrounds and Expo Center
120 Fairground Road
Xenia, OH 45385
https://hamvention.org

AMSAT Ambassador Clint Bradford, K6LCS, says,

Had a marvelous time last night with the South Pasadena (CA) ARC. BUT –
I might have to “tighten up” my trivia questions throughout: They knew the
answers IMMEDIATELY to all of them!!!

Twenty-one members joined via Zoom. The rainstorms here made Zoom-ing the
best-available option for the show.

Next up: Bellingham WA, Orange County CA, and Brea CA!

Think a lively and informative 75-minute presentation on “working the easy
satellites” would be appropriate for your event or club? Just let us know!

Clint Bradford K6LCS
[email protected]
909-999-SATS (7287)

[ANS thanks the AMSAT Events page for the above information]

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Get an 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

 

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Satellite Shorts From All Over

+ The SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft Freedom successfully concluded its three-week private astronaut mission to the International Space Station (ISS) by splashing down off the Florida coast on February 9th. Commanded by former NASA astronaut Michael López-Alegría, KE5GTK, the Ax-3 mission lifted off on January 18 and included pilot Walter Villadei, IUØRWB, along with mission specialists Alper Gezeravcı, KJ5DIY, and Marcus Wandt, KJ5COO, who represented the European Space Agency. Despite a nearly week-long extension due to poor weather, the spacecraft’s reentry and descent went according to plan, marking Axiom Space’s third private astronaut mission to the ISS. This mission served as a precursor to Axiom’s installation of commercial modules on the ISS, which will form the basis of a future standalone space station. Additionally, SpaceX announced plans for five or six crewed missions in 2024, including Ax-4 and NASA’s Crew-8 and Crew-9 missions, while the Polaris Dawn mission, led by billionaire Jared Isaacman, is expected to launch in the summer for a historic Crew Dragon spacewalk. (ANS thanks Jeff Foust, SpaceNews, for the above information)

+ NASA’s PACE satellite, aimed at studying ocean health, air quality, and climate change effects, was successfully launched into orbit at 1:33 a.m. EST on February 8th aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Signal acquisition was confirmed five minutes post-launch, with the satellite performing as anticipated. With instruments to study microscopic life in oceans and particles in the atmosphere, PACE aims to uncover crucial factors affecting global warming, aligning with the Biden-Harris Administration’s climate agenda. The satellite’s capabilities include tracking phytoplankton distribution globally and monitoring atmospheric aerosols and cloud properties. PACE’s data will significantly advance understanding of the Earth system, particularly in relation to climate change impacts on oceans and phytoplankton dynamics, offering valuable insights for coastal communities and industries. (ANS thanks NASA for the above information)

+ NASA is preparing for the launch of Intuitive Machines’ first lunar lander, Nova-C, as part of the CLPS initiative and Artemis campaign. The launch is scheduled for no earlier than 12:57 a.m. on February 14 from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Nova-C lander is expected to land on the Moon on February 22, carrying NASA science and technology instruments for various purposes. Live launch coverage will be available on NASA+, NASA Television, the NASA app, and the agency’s website, starting from February 12. The payload includes instruments focusing on plume-surface interactions, space weather/lunar surface interactions, radio astronomy, precision landing technologies, and communication/navigation for autonomous navigation technologies. NASA’s virtual guest program allows the public to attend the launch virtually, and social media engagement is encouraged with the hashtag #Artemis. The CLPS initiative aims to deliver science and technology to the lunar surface through partnerships with U.S. companies, with a cumulative maximum contract value of $2.6 billion through 2028. (ANS thanks NASA for the above information)

+ Virgin Galactic has temporarily halted its operations after a small part, an alignment pin, unintentionally detached from the mothership of its rocket-powered space plane during the Galactic 06 space tourism flight on January 26. The company assured that the part’s loss did not compromise the mission’s safety. The alignment pin is crucial for pre-flight procedures, ensuring the spaceship aligns with the mothership. Virgin Galactic discovered the issue during routine checks and promptly notified government regulators on January 31. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will conduct a mishap investigation, requiring Virgin Galactic’s final report and corrective actions approval before resuming flights. The alignment pin’s absence did not affect the safety of the successful Galactic 06 mission, and the company plans to provide further updates after the FAA review for the upcoming Galactic 07 mission in the second quarter of 2024. (ANS thanks Jackie Wattles, CNN, for the above information)

+ Ongoing efforts persist in the bid to resolve the critical computer glitch affecting NASA’s Voyager 1, the most distant human-made object in space, which has disrupted telemetry data transmission since November 14. The glitch, impacting the Flight Data Subsystem (FDS) developed five decades ago, has prevented access to vital information regarding the spacecraft’s propulsion, power, and control systems. Suzanne Dodd, the Voyager project manager, acknowledges the severity of the situation, emphasizing the urgency of addressing the issue due to Voyager 1’s age and declining nuclear battery power. A dedicated team of experts is actively crafting a plan to transmit commands aimed at isolating and potentially correcting the corrupted FDS memory. The unique challenge lies in the absence of simulators for testing commands, making decision-making a complex process requiring a delicate balance between thorough analysis and prompt action. Despite the intricate troubleshooting process, NASA remains resolute in its commitment to resolving the issue and ensuring the continued success of the historic Voyager 1 mission. (ANS thanks Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, for the above information)

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

In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership to:

* Societies (a recognized group, clubs or organization).
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* 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, Mitch Ahrenstorff, ADØHJ
ad0hj [at] amsat.org

In this edition:

• IO-117 GreenCube to cease operating on February 5
• AMSAT Responds to Scheduled Decommisioning of IO-117
• Apogee View
• New, Portable Antenna Satellite Antenna Design is Perfect for ECOM
• AMSAT Thanks 2023 President’s Club Members
• Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for January 26, 2024
• 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 [dot] 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-028 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

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

DATE 2024 JAN 28

IO-117 GreenCube to cease operating on February 5

At 1622 GMT on Thursday, January 25, 2024 @S5Lab posted on X that the GreenCube IO-117 Digipeater would be permanently deactivated on February 5.

Designed and developed by students of Sapienza University of Rome, GreenCube IO-117 was the first satellite to carry an amateur radio payload into Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) – 6,000 km.

The S5Lab post on X said:

Dear Friends,

After one year and a half of operations, it is time to conclude the GreenCube operations with the planned de-commissioning activities. After the conclusion of the nominal experiment and with the digipeater payload active for more than one year, we will perform the passivation operations for the satellite.

The planned passivation operations will be executed on Monday, 5 February 2024, at 00:00 UTC. From that day, GreenCube will be completely passivated and the digipeater will be switched off for good.

We want to thank everyone that endorsed, supported or participated in the mission and the radio amateur community that enthusiastically became a true part of our project. We hope that GreenCube will somehow be part of your memories of radio amateurs, space engineering enthusiasts, and we hope to involve you soon in many more adventures.

Thanks once again for the unbelievable memories shared together… See you soon!

The GreenCube Team at S5Lab

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

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AMSAT Responds to Scheduled Decommisioning of IO-117

AMSAT leadership, as were all amateurs, saddened to learn that S5Lab plans to decommission IO-117 (GreenCube) and execute a passivation operation on February 5, 2024. AMSAT stands ready to leverage its decades of experience and work with S5Lab, AMSAT Italia, other AMSAT organizations, and the amateur satellite community at large to overcome any obstacles, regulatory or otherwise, to keeping IO-117 in service for as long as possible. This afternoon, AMSAT President Robert Bankston, KE4AL, sent the following letter to S5Lab expressing its desire to provide any support it can to keep the satellite in operation.

January 25, 2024

Sapienza Space Systems and Space Surveillance Laboratory (S5Lab)
Sapienza University of Rome
Via Email

To The GreenCube Team:

Over the past 13+ months, amateur satellite operators around the world have enjoyed the use of the digipeater on GreenCube (IO-117). As amateur radio’s first satellite in a medium earth orbit (MEO), it has opened worldwide long-distance contacts via amateur radio satellite that had not been possible since the loss of AMSAT-OSCAR 40 in 2004. As this letter is being written, a DXpedition to Clipperton Island in the Pacific Ocean has made contact with several hundred amateur operators around the world – the first activation of this rare location on amateur satellite in over 30 years. AMSAT and the amateur satellite community greatly appreciate your team making this wonderful resource available.

Not only has this satellite been a great resource to the amateur community, but the amateur community has also assisted GreenCube’s mission by uploading millions of frames of data received – including much data from when the satellite is not within the primary ground station’s footprint.

Launches above low earth orbit are rarely available for amateur satellite missions. Since the first amateur radio satellite launched in 1962, fewer than ten have gone to orbits beyond LEO and only QO-100 (available to only part of the world) and IO-117 remain in service.

Due to the unique orbit and capabilities, we request that S5Lab postpone the scheduled passivation operation and keep the satellite’s digipeater in service. Amateur satellites have a long tradition of extended lifetimes. Amateur radio operators still utilize AMSAT-OSCAR 7 – launched nearly fifty years ago in 1974 – for communications on a daily basis. Many other amateur radio satellites have been actively used for ten to twenty years. AMSAT stands ready to leverage our 55 years of experience in managing amateur radio satellites and work with S5Lab, AMSAT Italia, other AMSAT organizations, and the amateur satellite community at large to overcome any obstacles, regulatory or otherwise, to keeping GreenCube in service for as long as possible.

Sincerely,

Robert Bankston, KE4AL
President
Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT)

[ANS thanks AMSAT for the above information.]

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

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Keep Amateur Radio in Space!
https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club

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Apogee View

As 2023 comes to a close, it is a great time to reflect on where we are, what we have accomplished, and what is waiting for us over the next horizon. 2023 has passed by so quickly. Our presence at Hamcation led right into Hamvention, followed by our annual Symposium. We shared the AMSAT story with attendees at the CubeSat Developers Workshop and developed strategic contacts with others in the space industry. Our engineers on the GOLF team found a solution for an attitude determination and control system – a major sticking point in developing GOLF-TEE. The Fox Plus team made significant progress, with the possibility of being able to launch their first satellite at the end of the coming year. Our volunteers in the ASCENT program developed a new packet radio that will fly on an upcoming Fox Plus mission and started work on a software-defined radio (SDR) that will add greater flexibility to how we communicate in future flights. Additionally, if that was not enough, our Education and CubeSat Simulator team is nearing completion of the new v1.3 AMSAT CubeSat Simulator, which incorporates a Raspberry Pi Pico microprocessor.

AMSAT should…

Not a day goes by when an AMSAT member does not recommend a great idea to advance amateur radio in space, expand our communications footprint, educate new satellite operators, and make our organization more efficient. While I would love to implement each and every one of them, we do not have the resources to make it happen.

While we have never been in a better position financially, we need to have the necessary people to bring all these great ideas and dreams into reality. AMSAT is an all-volunteer organization. As such, we rely on our members to not only invest their hard-earned dollars but also roll up their sleeves to design, build, and launch amateur radio payloads into space.

Being short-staffed is not the end of the world, nor does it mean we must give up on our dreams. We just need to find creative ways to make it happen.

One solution is to partner with other AMSAT organizations worldwide on future satellite projects. We have already proven that together, we can accomplish so much more.

Additionally, we can outsource some of the basic satellite systems and components we have already mastered and focus our limited human resources on developing new technologies and communication methods. When AMSAT was formed in 1969, we were the only game in town. Now, you can’t google satellites without stumbling across a trove of commercial vendors who offer complete, flight-proven satellite packages with just a click of a button.

This same outsourcing principle can be applied not only to building satellites but to our administrative and back-office tasks, as well. We desperately need someone to assist in providing the quality of service that our members deserve, and our website seriously needs a complete makeover and rewrite.

In closing, I want to thank each of our volunteers and members personally. None of this would have been possible without your hard work, dedication, and support. We have an opportunity to achieve so much more with you. As we move forward into the coming year and beyond, I hope your generosity will continue.

Until the next time, 73!

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

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New, Portable Antenna Satellite Antenna Design is Perfect for ECOM

Researchers at Stanford University and the American University of Beirut (AUB) have developed a portable antenna that could be quickly deployed in disaster-prone areas or used to set up communications in underdeveloped regions. The antenna, described recently in Nature Communications, packs down to a small size and can easily shift between two configurations to communicate either with satellites or devices on the ground.

“The state-of-the-art solutions typically employed in [disaster] areas are heavy, metallic dishes. They’re not easy to move around, they require a lot of power to operate, and they’re not particularly cost-effective,” said Maria Sakovsky, an assistant professor of aeronautics and astronautics at Stanford.

The antenna designed by Sakovsky and her colleagues at AUB is made of fiber composites (a material often used in satellites) and resembles a child’s finger-trap toy, with multiple strips of material crossing in spirals. Just like any helix-based antenna, conductive material running through the antenna sends out signals, but thanks to its unique structure, the researchers can adjust the pattern and power of those signals in the new antenna by pulling it into longer shapes or shorter shapes.

“Because we wanted the antenna to be able to collapse into a packable shape, we started with this structure that led us to a very untraditional antenna design,” Sakovsky said. At its most compact, the antenna is a hollow ring that stands just over 1 inch tall and about 5 inches across – not much larger than a bracelet – and weighs 1.4 ounces. In this shape, it’s able to reach satellites with a high-power signal sent in a particular direction. When stretched out to about a foot tall, the antenna sends a lower power signal in all directions.

“The frequency you want to operate at will dictate how large the antenna needs to be, but we’ve been able to show that no matter what frequency you operate at, you can scale this design principle to achieve the same performance,” Sakovsky said. To be deployed in the field, the antenna would need to be paired with a transceiver to send and receive signals, a ground plane to reflect radio waves, and other electronics, but the whole package would still only weigh about 2 pounds.

Read the complete story at http://tinyurl.com/ANS-028-Antenna.

[ANS thanks Stanford News and Space Daily for the above information.]

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Need new satellite antennas? Purchase 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/

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AMSAT Thanks 2023 President’s Club Members

AMSAT gratefully recognizes the generous members of the 2023 AMSAT President’s Club. These AMSAT members together contributed $52,542 in 2023 to support AMSAT’s continuing innovations in engineering and educational programs. Since its inception three years ago, President’s Club members have raised well over $150,000 as AMSAT prepares for Amateur Radio’s continued presence in space with the Fox Plus and GOLF programs.

AMSAT invites you to become a member of this select group by visiting the announcement at https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/.

TITANIUM LEVEL ($4,800+)
Anonymous
Barry Baines, WD4ASW
Alan Biddle, WA4SCA
William Brown, K9LF

PLATINUM LEVEL ($2,400+)
Steve Belter, N9IP
Doug Tabor, N6UA

GOLD LEVEL ($1,200+)
John Botti, KC8OKB
Burns Fisher, WB1FJ
Mark Hammond, N8MH
Frank Karnauskas, N1UW
John Kludt, K7SYS
Glenn Miller, AA5PK
Mary Monteiro
Michael Stipick, KC4RI

SILVER LEVEL ($600+)
Warren Fugate, W3WE
Mark Johns, K0JM
Joseph Lynch, N6CL
Thomas Oates, KQ4FJW
Bruce Paige, KK5DO
Peter Pendergast, W2PP
Scott Shaheen, WB8OOJ
Jason Schwarz, N4JJS

BRONZE LEVEL ($300+)
Allen Kenny, KK4AK
Edward Krome, K9EK
Donald Lum, WA6ICW
Bruce Perens, K6BP
Donald Pettigrew, K9ECT
Barbara Simpson, KA5CFB
Dave Taylor, W8AAS
James Tittsler, 7J1AJH
David Vine, WA1EAW

CORE LEVEL ($120+)
Arlan Arrison, KB2AYU
David Batzie, N2VDY
Randy Berger, WA0D
Alan Boggs, K7IIV
George Carr, WA5KBH
Jim Clary, ND9M
Richard Dittmer, KB7SAT
Todd Dugdale, KD0TLS
Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA
Stephan Greene, KS1G
David Hartrum, WA3YDZ
Brian Lopeman, KI7WXP
Art Payne, VE3GNF
Thomas Schaefer, NY4I
Larry Schroeder, KD4HSL
Martin Shinko, KB3AEV
Paul Stoetzer, N8HM
Stefan Wagener, VE4NSA
Jeremy Wyatt, KA2PFD
David York, N8SGZ

[ANS thanks Frank Karnauskas, N1UW, AMSAT VP – Development for the above information.]

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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

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Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for January 26, 2024

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. Elements in the TLE bulletin files are updated daily. TLE bulletin files are updated to add or remove satellites as necessary 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 following satellites have been removed from this week’s AMSAT-NA TLE distribution:

DCBB NORAD Cat ID 40912 Decayed from orbit on or about 21 January 2024

[ANS thanks Joe Fitzgerald, KM1P, AMSAT Orbital Elements Manager for the above information.]

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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.

Upcoming Contacts
Omer Cemile Guler Imam Hatip Secondary School, Konya, Selcuklu, Turkey, telebridge via VK4KHZ.
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be TC100ISS.
The scheduled crewmember is Alper Gezeravci, KJ5DIY.
The ARISS mentor is ON6TI.
Contact is go for Tuesday, January 30, 2024 at 13:36:20 UTC.

Bandirma Sehit Guvenc Anatolian High School, Balikesir, Bandirma, Turkey, telebridge via IK1SLD.
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be TC100ISS.
The scheduled crewmember is Alper Gezeravci, KJ5DIY.
The ARISS mentor is ON6TI.
Contact is go for: Wednesday, January 31, 2024 at 12:10:37 UTC.

Bilingual Montessori School of Lund (Stiftelsen BMSL), Lund, Sweden, telebridge via VK4KHZ.
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS.
The scheduled crewmember is Marcus Wandt, KJ5COO.
The ARISS mentor is ON6TI.
Contact is go for: Wednesday, January 31, 2024 at 12:48:03 UTC.

Alabama School of Cyber Technology and Engineering, Huntsville, AL, direct via TBD.
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS.
The scheduled crewmember is Jasmin Moghbeli, KI5WSL.
The ARISS mentor is W4NTR.
Contact is go for: Thursday, February 1, 2024 at 17:31:46 UTC.

Thrive Home School Academy, Colorado Springs, CO, direct via AFØS.
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS.
The scheduled crewmember is Loral O’Hara, KI5TOM.
The ARISS mentor is KD8COJ.
Contact is go for: Friday, February 2, 2024 at 18:17:46 UTC.

Completed Contacts
IC Statale Villa Guardia, Villa Guardia, Italy, telebridge via ZS6JON.
The ISS callsign was NA1SS.
The crewmember was Walter Villadei, IUØRWB.
The ARISS mentor was IZ2GOJ.
Contact was successful on Monday, January 22, 2024 at 09:35 UTC.
Watch the Livestream at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMQUWMww9yE.

Istituto Comprensivo “Anna Rita Sidoti”, Gioiosa Marea, Italy, direct via IT9DBI.
The ISS callsign was IRØISS.
The crewmember was Walter Villadei, IUØRWB.
The ARISS mentor was IKØWGF.
Contact was successful on Wednesday, January 24, 2024 at 14:37 UTC.

Center for Children’s (Youth) Technical Creativity “Young Motorist”, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, direct via UB3T.
The ISS callsign was RSØISS.
The crewmember was Konstantin Borisov.
The ARISS mentor was RV3DR.
Contact was successful on Thursday, January 25, 2024 at 15:30 UTC.

The crossband repeater continues to be active (145.990 MHz up {PL 67} & 437.800 MHz down). 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.

The Service Module radio, the Kenwood D710GA, normally operating as a APRS packet repeater is currently stowed.

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

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

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

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

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

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Upcoming Satellite Operations

None currently listed.

A growing number of satellite rovers are currently engaged in sharing their grid square activations on https://hams.at. By visiting the website, you gain easy access to comprehensive information about the operators responsible for activating specific grid squares. Additionally, you have the ability to assess the match score between yourself and a particular rover for a given pass, while also being able to identify the upcoming satellite passes that are accessible from your location.

[ANS thanks Ian Parsons, K5ZM, AMSAT Rover Page Manager, for the above information.]

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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.

• Orlando HamCation 2024
  Friday February 9th through Sunday February 11th, 2024
  Central Florida Fairgrounds and Expo Park
  4603 West Colonial Drive
  Orlando, Florida 32808
  https://www.hamcation.com
• 40th Anniversary Celebration of the Positive Impact of Amateur Radio on Human Spaceflight
  Thursday February 22nd through Saturday February 24th, 2024
  Center for Space Education: Astronauts Memorial Foundation
  Kennedy Space Center, M6-306 405 State Road, FL 32899
  https://www.ariss.org/overview.html
• 2024 CubeSat Developer’s Workshop
  April 23-25, 2024
  San Luis Obispo, CA
  https://www.cubesatdw.org/
• Dayton Hamvention 2024
  Friday May 17th through Sunday May 19th, 2024
  Greene County Fairgrounds and Expo Center
  120 Fairground Road
  Xenia, OH 45385
  https://hamvention.org

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Satellite Shorts From All Over

• Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) was named Partner of the Month of the International Space Station National Laboratory, which is managed by the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS) at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Using amateur radio, ARISS offers students around the world opportunities to talk with astronauts on the International Space Station. A primary goal of ARISS is to inspire interest in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) subjects and careers among young students. ARISS is a cooperative venture of the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT), the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in the United States, and other international space agencies and international amateur radio organizations around the world. [ANS thanks ARRL for the above information.]
• Ingenuity, the little Mars helicopter that could, can’t anymore. At least one rotor broke during the robotic flying machine’s most recent flight last week, NASA officials announced on Thursday. Ingenuity remains in contact with its companion, the Perseverance rover, which has been exploring a dried-up riverbed for signs of extinct Martian life. Ingenuity will now be left behind. [ANS thanks the New York Times for the above information.]
• The International Space Station might keep flying past 2030. A senior NASA official said there is “no big concern” about the health of the International Space Station (ISS) that would require an operational stop six years from now, when the current agreement expires between most of the ISS partners. “There’s nothing magical that happens in 2030,” according to Steve Stich, the manager of the commercial crew program at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. Stich said NASA is eyeing the progress of commercial space stations that will host agency astronauts and science in the 2030s. “We want them [the commercial stations] to be supportive, and then when they’re ready to go, that’s when ISS will move out of the way.” [ANS thanks the Space.com for the above information.]

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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, Frank Karnauskas, N1UW
n1uw [at] amsat [dot] org