ANS-099 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

In this edition:

* NASA Selects Three Hams for Artemis Mission
* TAPR/AMSAT Banquet to Be Held May 19
* AMSAT Discord Server Available
* Wordsmiths Wanted by AMSAT
* VUCC Satellite Standing April 2023
* INSPIRE.Sat 7 Launch Imminent
* No Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution
* 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-099 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 April 09

NASA Selects Three Hams for Artemis Mission

NASA and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) announced the four astronauts who will venture around the Moon on Artemis II, the first crewed mission on NASA’s path to establishing a long-term presence at the Moon for science and exploration through Artemis. The agencies revealed the crew members on Monday, April 3, during an event at Ellington Field near NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.

The crew assignments are as follows: Commander Reid Wiseman, KF5LKT, Pilot Victor Glover, KI5BKC, Mission Specialist Christina Hammock Koch, and Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen, KF5LKU. They will work as a team to execute an ambitious set of demonstrations during the flight test.

Presently scheduled for November of 2024, the approximately 10-day Artemis II flight test will launch on the agency’s powerful Space Launch System rocket, prove the Orion spacecraft’s life-support systems, and validate the capabilities and techniques needed for humans to live and work in deep space.

The flight, set to build upon the successful uncrewed Artemis I mission completed in December, 2022 will set the stage for the first woman and first person of color on the Moon through the Artemis program, paving the way for future for long-term human exploration missions to the Moon, and eventually Mars. This is the agency’s Moon to Mars exploration approach.

This will be Wiseman’s second trip into space, serving previously as a flight engineer aboard the International Space Station (ISS) for Expedition 41 from May through November 2014. Wiseman has logged more than 165 days in space, including almost 13 hours as lead spacewalker during two trips outside the orbital complex. He participated in ARISS contacts during the mission.

The mission will also be Glover’s second spaceflight, serving previously as pilot on NASA’s SpaceX Crew-1, which landed May 2, 2021, after 168 days in space. As a flight engineer aboard the space station for Expedition 64, he contributed to scientific investigations, technology demonstrations, and participated in four spacewalks. He also made numerous ARISS school contacts from the ISS.

Koch also will be making her second flight into space on the Artemis II mission. She served as flight engineer aboard the space station for Expedition 59, 60, and 61. Koch set a record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman with a total of 328 days in space and participated in the first all-female spacewalks.

Representing Canada, Hansen is making his first flight to space. A colonel in the Canadian Armed Forces and former fighter pilot, Hansen holds a Bachelor of Science in space science from Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston, Ontario, and a Master of Science in physics from the same institution in 2000, with a research focus on Wide Field of View Satellite Tracking. He was one of two recruits selected by CSA in May 2009 through the third Canadian Astronaut Recruitment Campaign and has served as Capcom in NASA’s Mission Control Center at Johnson and, in 2017, became the first Canadian to be entrusted with leading a NASA astronaut class, leading the training of astronaut candidates from the United States and Canada. Although a Canadian citizen, he holds a U.S. Amateur license and callsign.

[ANS thanks NASA for the above information]

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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/
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14th Annual TAPR/AMSAT Banquet to Be Held May 19

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 will be announced in the coming weeks.

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 (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.

[ANS thanks AMSAT for the above information]


AMSAT Discord Server Available

The AMSAT IT Team has issued a reminder that one of several communication services that AMSAT-NA maintains for the greater amateur radio community is the AMSAT Discord server.

General information about the Discord server may be found at https://www.amsat.org/amsat-discord-server/ For those already familiar with Discord, the direct link to join the server is https://discord.com/invite/xbTXcPJHyt

Although often hidden in the background (QRN perhaps?), the AMSAT-NA IT Volunteer Team works very hard to maintain, and improve, services such as the Mailman lists (reflectors), the callsign e-mail forwarding service, the AMSAT-NA website, the TLE (Keps) server, the GitLab instance, and the Discord server. Together with other volunteers, the team does its best to deliver services that work for YOU.

Those who have an interest in volunteering for AMSAT-NA, and have Linux server administration, programming/DevOps experience, or other experience in IT, please contact the team at [email protected]. We would love to talk more about how you might contribute to our community.

[ANS thanks Matthew Alberti, KM4EXS, AMSAT IT Team for the above information]


Wordsmiths Wanted by AMSAT

Some hams have the skills to build satellites, others can code software apps. But even for those who aren’t the technical type, there are still ways to help Keep Amateur Radio in Space!

AMSAT News Service (ANS) is always eager to have volunteers as editors of the weekly bulletins. Editors gather news items related to amateur satellite operations and package them for distribution worldwide. The process requires attention to detail on matters of grammar, spelling, and style — but soldering or programming skills are not required, and the time commitment is flexible.

For more information, contact k0jm at amsat.org

[ANS thanks Mark Johns, K0JM, ANS Senior Editor, for the above information]

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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/

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VUCC Satellite Standing April 2023

The following is the VUCC Satellite Award/Endorsement Change Summary for March 01, 2023 to April 01, 2023.
——————————————–

CallsignMarchApril
KO4MA17861933
AA5PK11621282
N8RO11731230
VE1CWJ6091000
KF7R925950
N0JE879883
K9UO777813
NS3L785800
DL2GRC725750
N4UFO(EM95)New730
W8LR703725
EA2AA665675
KQ4DO600633
KG0D415600
KB1HY457521
WB7QXU400451
VA7LM104400
WA2FHJNew321
JG6CDH235305
VA3VGR209302
EA3TA200301
AG7NR200250
HB9RYZNew248
HC2FG154239
XE2YWH114235
JE1TNL150201
JA1QJI109200
WD9EWK(DM22)195198

———————————————
Congratulations to the new VUCC holders.
BH8DKD is first VUCC Satellite holder from China and OM10
E29AHU is first VUCC Satellite holder from Thailand and NK93
N4UFO is first VUCC Satellite holder from EM34
PV8DX is first VUCC Satellite holder from FJ92
F6EQD is first VUCC Satellite holder from JN05
DL5KUA is first VUCC Satellite holder from JO53

[ANS thanks Jon Goering, N7AZ, for the above information]


INSPIRE.Sat 7 Launch Imminent

The INSPIRE-Sat 7 satellite is scheduled to be launched on the SpaceX Transporter 7 mission on 11 April 2023 at 06:48 UTC. The INSPIRE-Sat 7 satellite is a university project carried out by the University of Versailles Saint-Quentin en Yvelines (France) on behalf of LATMOS (UVSQ, Sorbonne University, Université Paris Saclay, CNRS).

This satellite is a demonstrator for experimenting new technologies with a strong involvement of students. This satellite allows the experimentation of miniaturized remote sensing sensors that could be used for multi-point observation of essential climate variables (ECV) and the ionosphere.

INSPIRE-Sat 7 carries :
* A 435.200 MHz telemetry channel with BPSK mode – GR3UH 9k6
* An FM transponder with an uplink of 145.830 MHz and a downlink of 435.200 MHz. The FM transponder is expected to be active at least twice a month, depending on the satellite power budget.
* The SPINO card that will be activated for experimentation

To receive the telemetry, a software has been developed: KissTool. It is available for Windows & Linux:
Linux: https://site.amsat-f.org/download/118791/?tmstv=1680945385
Windows : https://site.amsat-f.org/download/118784/?tmstv=1680945385

The user manual is available in French ( https://site.amsat-f.org/josast-kisstool/ ) and English ( https://code.electrolab.fr/xtof/josast/-/blob/27-new-application-for-spino/ApplicationKissTool/src/site/markdown/UserManual.md )

[ANS thanks Christophe Merceur, AMSAT-Francophone president, 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 April 6

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/

As of April 6, there are no additions or deletions to the weekly AMSAT-NA TLE distribution.

[ANS thanks Ray Hoad, WA5QGD, 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.

Completed:
Collège Saint-Anatoile, Salins-Les-Bains, France, telebridge via ON4ISS. The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS. The scheduled crewmember is Steve Bowen, KI5BKB. The ARISS mentor is F6ICS. Contact was successful: Friday 2023-04-07 14:27:26 UTC 86 degrees elevation. Congratulations to the Collège Saint-Anatoile students, Steve, and mentor F6ICS!
Specific link: https://www.youtube.com/embed/live_stream?channel=UCy6st8UemV-88B0PbRlT5sw
Otherwise: School Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@technofg/streams

Vologda, Russia, direct via TBD. The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS. The scheduled crewmember is Dimitri Petelin. The ARISS mentor is RV3DR. Contact is go for Sat 2023-04-08 10:35 UTC

Upcoming
Kaliningrad, 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 Sunday 2023-04-09 11:20 UTC

Yekaterinburg, 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 Wednesday 2023-04-12 09:05 UTC

Shchelkovo, Russia, direct via TBD. The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS. The scheduled crewmember is Andrey Fediaev. The ARISS mentor is RV3DR. Contact is go for Wednesday 2023-04-12 10:35 UTC

Vyborg, Russia, direct via TBD. The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS. The scheduled crewmember is Andrey Fediaev. The ARISS mentor is RV3DR. Contact is go for Sat 2023-04-15 09:50 UTC

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 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.

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

On April 9 Doug, VA7LM, will be making a quick trip and traveling through CO55 and CO64, possibly others. Look for him after 1600z mostly linear sats. He will update via Twitter if he has coverage.

Ray, KN2K, hopes to be QRV from the FM28/FM29 gridline in Delaware on 11 April. Watch his Twitter and/or https://www.amsat.org/satellite-info/upcoming-satellite-operations/ for updates.

Jerry, W8LR, will rove in West Virginia, EM88, on 15 & 16 April:
2334z 15th IO-117 Asia, NA, SA, EU, AF, Eur-Asia
0335z 16th IO-117 SA, NA, AF, EU, Eur-Asia
1643z 16th RS-44 SA, NA, EU (ed: I do not have QRG info)
1729z 16th IO-117 SA, NA, EU, Eur-Asia
2150z 16th IO-117 AS, NA, SA, EU, AF, Eur-Asia
Log as W8LR/R

Nick, M1DDD will operate as MM1DDD/P on 18-22 April
IO74/IO75 18th
IO66/IO76 19th & 20th
IO67/IO77 21st
IO86 22nd
Watch Nick’s Twitter and/or https://www.amsat.org/satellite-info/upcoming-satellite-operations/ for updates.

[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 Ambassador Clint Bradford, K6LCS, has a few satellite presentations scheduled…
Omaha, Nebraska – 04/14
Tennessee – 04/20
Pennsylvania – 05/02
Ohio, tailored to young students and the ISS – 05/08
Great Britain – 05/11

Think a 75-minute presentation on “working the easy satellites” would be appropriate for your club or event? Let Clint know! He 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 the AMSAT Events page for the above information]


Satellite Shorts From All Over

+ Lockheed Martin announced a subsidiary called Crescent Space which will develop a lunar communications network called Parsec, starting with two 250kg spacecraft in lunar orbit. Details may be found at https://lmt.co/43hWWE6 (ANS thanks Jeff Davis, KE9V, AMSAT Secretary, for the above information)

+ The combination of Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and NASA’s Kennedy Space Center hosted 57 launches in 2022, more than any other launch range in the world and more launches than any other country except China. For now, the level of launch activity at the Cape remains manageable. But warning signs are emerging. One is that the Cape is effectively full. The infrastructure to support those launch sites, such as power, commodities and roads, is aging. (ANS thanks SpaceNews for the above information)

+ Two Roscosmos cosmonauts and a NASA astronaut took a short ride around the space station inside the Soyuz MS-23 crew ship relocating it from the Poisk module to the Prichal docking module early Thursday, April 6. Commander Sergey Prokopyev guided the MS-23 to its new docking port flanked by flight engineers Dmitri Petelin and Frank Rubio. The relocation opens up Poisk’s airlock for future Roscosmos spacewalks in Orlan spacesuits and frees its docking port for the upcoming ISS Progress 84 resupply mission. (ANS thanks NASA for the above information)

+ Launch company Virgin Orbit filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy April 4, having failed to achieve financial orbit after burning through more than $1 billion. (ANS thanks SpaceNews 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, Mark Johns, KØJM
k0jm [at] amsat.org

ANS-092 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

In this edition:

* INSPIRE-Sat 7 Scheduled for Launch
* CY0S Activates Sable Island on Satellite
* New Satellite Distance Record
* Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for March 31, 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-092 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 Apr 02

INSPIRE-Sat 7 Scheduled for Launch

INSPIRE-Sat 7 is scheduled to launch on the SpaceX Transporter 7 mission on April 9, 2023. The INSPIRE-Sat 7 satellite is a University project made by Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin en Yvelines (France) on behalf of LATMOS (UVSQ, Sorbonne Université, Université Paris Saclay, CNRS). This satellite is a demonstrator to experiment new technology with a strong involvement of students. This satellite helps to experiment miniaturized remote sensing sensors that could be used in the multi-point observation of Essential Climate Variables (ECV) and ionosphere.

INSPIRE-Sat 7 carries an FM transponder with an uplink of 145.830 MHz and a downlink of 435.200 MHz. Plans call for the FM transponder to be active at least twice a month, pending the power budget of the satellite.

The telemetry downlink is 437.410 MHz.

[ANS thanks UVSQ and the IARU for the above information]

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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/
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CY0S Activates Sable Island on Satellite

The recently concluded CY0S DXpedition to Sable Island included amateur satellite activity. Sable Island is a small Canadian island situated 300 km (190 mi) southeast of Halifax, Nova Scotia, and about 175 km (109 mi) southeast of the closest point of mainland Nova Scotia in the North Atlantic Ocean. The island is staffed year round by three federal government staff, rising during summer months when research projects and tourism increase. Notable for its role in early Canadian history and the Sable Island horse, the island is protected and managed by Parks Canada, which must grant permission prior to any visit. Due to its unique status under the Canadian constitution, Sable Island is a separate DXCC entity. As of early 2023, Sable Island was the 49th most wanted DXCC entity according to Clublog data.

The CY0S DXpedition had extremely limited weight restrictions due to the transportation from Halifax by helicopter and small plane, leading to compromises in the equipment carried, including an initial decision to cancel satellite operations, but DXpedition operator Lee Imber, WW2DX, who led the 6m and 2m/70cm EME operations was able to include limited satellite activity. Although the VHF/UHF equipment was primarily dedicated to EME operations, WW2DX was able to work several satellite passes, both before moonrise and when EME contacts had slowed down. A total of 153 satellite QSOs were made from this rare DXCC entity with stations across Europe and North America, primarily via FO-29 and RS-44 with a few QSOs on JO-97 and EO-88.

This DXpedition represented the first satellite activity from CY0 in many years.

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

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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/

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New Satellite Distance Record

John Langille, VE1CWJ, and Jérôme LeCuyer, F4DXV, once again teamed up to set a new satellite distance record. This time, they exceeded their previous FO-118 record of 4,916.6 km with a 5,104 km QSO on FO-118’s V/u linear transponder. John was operating in grid FN76nd34tm and Jérôme was operating in JN14ch76ra for the QSO, which took place on March 22, 2023 at 17:22 UTC.

Anyone who wants to claim a distance record via an amateur satellite should check the current list at https://www.amsat.org/satellite-distance-records/ and email n8hm at arrl.net if they complete a new record distance. Audio and/or video of the QSO is encouraged but not required.

[ANS thanks Paul Stoetzer, N8HM, AMSAT Executive Vice President, 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 March 31, 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 TLE
distribution.

[ANS thanks Ray Hoad, WA5QGD, 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 (all contacts scheduled for a downlink of 145.800 MHz):

Collège Saint-Anatoile, Salins-Les-Bains, France, telebridge via ON4ISS

The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be TBD
The downlink frequency is presently scheduled to be 145.800 MHz
The scheduled crewmember is Steve Bowen KI5BKB
The ARISS mentor is F6ICS

Contact is go for: Fri 2023-04-07 14:27:26 UTC 86 deg

Shchelkovo, Russia, direct via TBD

The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS
The scheduled crewmember is Dimitri Petelin
The ARISS mentor is RV3DR

Contact is pending for Wed 2023-04-12 09:00 UTC (***)

Yekaterinburg, 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 pending for Wed 2023-04-12 10:45 UTC (***)

Shchelkovo, Russia, direct via TBD

The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS
The scheduled crewmember is Andrey Fediaev
The ARISS mentor is RV3DR

Contact is pending for Sat 2023-04-15 09:50 UTC (***)

Shchelkovo, Russia, direct via TBD (***)

The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS
The scheduled crewmember is Andrey Fediaev
The ARISS mentor is RV3DR

Contact is pending for Sun 2023-04-16 09:00 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 Russian EVA targeting April 19. OFF TBD . ON TBD.
* Powering off for Russian EVA targeting April 26. OFF TBD . ON TBD.
* Powering off for Russian EVA targeting May 04. OFF TBD . ON TBD.
* 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 April 19. OFF TBD . ON TBD.
* Powering off for Russian EVA targeting April 26. OFF TBD . ON TBD.
* Powering off for Russian EVA targeting ​May 04. OFF TBD . ON TBD.
* 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 Wayne, W4WGC:

SE Arizona Rove:

Grid DM41 on 03/31/2023

ISS @ 19:45z; PO-101 @ 22:12z

Grid DM51 on 04/01/2023

SO-50 @ 14:54a; AO-91 @ 16:10z;

Grid DM52 in the afternoon, but I may not be able to get any FM birds

Grid DM42 possibly on SO-50 @ 16:13Z, AO-91 @ 17:30z

****

From Cam, K4DCA:

I’m going to be passing through the elusive FN01 tomorrow (1st April) afternoon and will do some FM passes. Then i’ll be in FN02, 03 and possibly some in and out of some other grids for the week.

****

Joe, KE9AJ will be in New Mexico Mar 26-30. Then onto DN70 in Colorado Apr 1-10. He will have his IO-117 gear with him.

This will be a family trip so sat operations will be as time permits. Watch his Twitter (and here!) for more info as it becomes available.

****

Ray, KN2K hopes to be QRV from the FM28/FM29 gridline on 11 April. Watch his Twitter (and here!) for updates.

****

SAT DXPEDITION MENORCA ISLAND 2023

(DXCC : EA6 Balearic is. / GRIDS : JN10+JN20+JM19+JM29 / IOTA : EU-004)

Philippe, EA4NF will be operating on satellite from MENORCA Island as EA6/EA4NF from April 5 to 8, 2023.

Portable activation with a FT818ND and a FT817ND operating in full Duplex with an Alaskan Arrow Antenna and also handheld+whip antenna

April 5-8, 2023
FM SAT & LINEARS
QSL via LoTW as EA6/EA4NF
Keep an eye on Philippe’s Twitter feed for further updates : @EA4NF_SAT

****

From Jerry, W8LR:

West Virginia EM88 15th & 16th April W8LR/R

2334z 15th IO-117 Asia, NA, SA, EU, AF, Eur-Asia

0335z 16th IO-117 SA, NA, AF, EU, Eur-Asia

1643z 16th RS-44 SA, NA, EU (ed: I do not have QRG info)

1729z 16th IO-117 SA, NA, EU, Eur-Asia

2150z 16th IO-117 AS, NA, SA, EU, AF, Eur-Asia

Log as W8LR/R

****

From Nick, M1DDD:

MM1DDD/P 18th-22nd April

IO74/IO75 18th

IO66/IO76 19th & 20th

IO67/IO77 21st

IO86 22nd

(ed.-this is all I have as of this writing. Watch Nick’s Twitter -and here- for satellite & QRG info as they become available)

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.

Hamvention 2023
May 19-21, 2023
Stay tuned for announcements about AMSAT Hamvention activites, including the TAPR/AMSAT Dinner.

[ANS thanks AMSAT for the above information]

Satellite Shorts From All Over

+ Save the Date: The TAPR/AMSAT Banquet during Hamvention weekend will take place on Friday, May 19, 2023. Stay tuned for a formal announcement and the opening of ticket sales.
+ AMSAT News Service (ANS) is always eager to have volunteers as editors of the weekly bulletins. Editors gather news items related to amateur satellite operations and package them for distribution worldwide. The time commitment is flexible. For more information, contact k0jm at amsat.org (ANS thanks Mark Johns, K0JM, ANS Senior Editor, for the above information)
+ The Axiom Mission 2 (Ax-2), the second private astronaut mission to the International Space Station aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft, is targeted for early May from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. During the 10 day mission the four-person multinational crew will complete more than 20 research experiments developed for microgravity in collaboration with organizations across the globe. Amateur radio was a big part of the Ax-1 mission in April of 2022, but none of the four Ax-2 crewmembers appear to be licensed amateurs. (ANS thanks NASA for the above information)

+ Congratulations to Larry, KF6JOQ, who is the 55th recipient of the AMSAT GridMaster Award for working and confirming all 488 grids located in the continental United States

+ Congratulations to David, VK5DG, the 74th recipient of the AMSAT Rover Award (Thanks to AMSAT Director of Contests and Awards Bruce Paige, KK5DO)

+ The January/February 2023 Edition of The AMSAT Journal is now available to members at https://launch.amsat.org/The_AMSAT_Journal

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-085 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

In this edition:

* AMSAT at Dayton Hamvention – Call for Volunteers
* The January/February AMSAT Journal is Available
* The Secrets of Rocket Design Revealed
* Austria Restricts 23cm Band Operation
* Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for March 23, 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-085 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 Mar 26

AMSAT at Dayton Hamvention – Call for Volunteers

(repeated from last week)

It’s less than eight weeks away when Amateur Radio’s biggest event of the year happens at the Greene County Fairgrounds in Xenia, Ohio. That’s right, May 19-20 is Hamvention time when over 30,000 of our closest friends get together to get a first hand look at the latest products and to catch up with friends from around the world.

With over 1,200 square feet of exhibit space, AMSAT is a major Hamvention exhibitor with displays from Engineering, Operations, Educational Relations, the AMSAT Store and much more. Last year in 2022, about 35 people assisted with the AMSAT booth.  It was the efforts of those volunteers that made the 2022 Dayton Hamvention a success for AMSAT. The interaction with AMSAT members, satellite operators, designers, and builders makes the whole experience a lot of fun.

Would you consider helping AMSAT at the Hamvention this year? Whether you’re available for only a couple of hours or if you can spend the entire weekend with us, your help would be greatly appreciated.

If you will be attending Hamvention and can help, please send an e-mail to Phil Smith, W1EME, AMSAT Hamvention Coordinator via w1eme [at] amsat [dot]org.

[ANS thanks Phil Smith, W1EME, AMSAT Hamvention Coordinator for the above information.]

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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/
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The January/February AMSAT Journal is Available

The January/February 2023 issue of The AMSAT Journal is now available to members on AMSAT’s Member Portal.

The AMSAT Journal is a bi-monthly digital magazine for amateur radio in space enthusiasts, published by the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT). Each issue is your source for hardware and software projects, technical tips, STEM initiatives, operational activities, and news from around the world.

[ANS thanks Joe Koronowski, Editor AMSAT Journal for the above information]


The Secrets of Rocket Design Revealed

Tory Bruno, CEO of ULA shares some of the little-known techniques and implications of rocket architectural design. The discussion is fascinating and a valuable set of observations for those who are not in the business. Why big rockets sometimes do less. Why little rockets sometimes cost more. And why every rocket has its very own, perfect mission.

There is no single, best rocket. Different rockets do different things. As it turns out, the design of a rocket flows directly from the mission the rocket is intended to do, and there are many different missions. Any given rocket is optimal for a specific orbit and payload. Its efficiency falls off as we move away from that perfect case.

The entire Blog is comprehensive and available at: https://bit.ly/42BIAOA

[ANS thanks Tory Bruno, CEO of ULA and the Medium platform for the above information]

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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/

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Austria Restricts 23cm Band Operation

Austria has become the latest country to impose restrictions on Amateur Radio operation in the 23 cm band (1240-1300 MHz) to protect to protect ground-based receivers for the Galileo RNSS satellite constellation.

Advice from Austria’s national amateur radio society ÖVSV cites changes to the legal conditions in the AFU area from 03/13/2023:
Annex 2 of the Amateur Radio Ordinance is omitted and is now regulated in the Frequency Use Ordinance Annex 4. This results in some changes in the frequency ranges and powers.
For the KW bands 80m, 40m, 20m, 17m, 15m, 12m and 10m, 1KW (High-Power) can now be approved for Class 1 FA after 1 year of trouble-free operation.
Thus, the power limitation of 7100-7200 kHz (previously only 200W) in the 40m band is eliminated and AFU has primary status.
30m band still only max. 200W if power level B or C approved (no change)
160m band from 1810-1850 kHz now max. 200W if power level B or C approved and AFU has primary status.
160m band from 1850-2000 kHz only max. 100W (now instead of 1950 kHz up to 2000 kHz)

2023-03-13 Austrian Regulations
The 6m band has been extended from 52-54MHz. (Limited until 31.12.2030, for research WRAN)
-from 50-52 MHz now max 200W if power level B or C approved and AFU has primary status.
-from 52-54MHz only max 100W.
On the 70cm band now also allowed as already on 2m high-power (up to 1KW), if power level B or C approved (but only EME and MS with Yagis from at least 15dBd gain)
The 23cm band was kept, but the performance was severely limited
-only 10W allowed (previously max. 200W were allowed)
-Repeaters with more than 16kHz bandwidth must cease operation by December 31, 2024.
On all higher FM bands (except 10 GHz, since only 40dbW EIRB) now also max. 200W (previously only 100W) allowed.
On 24GHz AFU has only secondary status

Please note the new conditions.
Kurt Baumann OE1KBC

[ANS thanks AMSAT-UK and Kurt OE1KBC 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 March 26, 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 following satellites have decayed from orbit and have been removed from this week’s AMSAT-NA TLE distribution:

None

[ANS thanks Ray Hoad, WA5QGD, 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.

“Valle de Camargo” High School, Revilla de Camargo, Spain, direct via EA1FBG. The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS. The downlink frequency is presently scheduled to be 145.800 MHz. The scheduled crewmember is Steve Bowen KI5BKB. The ARISS mentor is IKØUSO. Contact is go for: Mon 2023-03-27 15:09:00 UTC 36 deg.

Amur State University, Blagoveshchensk, Russia. Direct via TBD. The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS. The downlink frequency is presently scheduled to be 145.800 MHz. The scheduled crewmember is Andrey Fediaev. The ARISS mentor is RV3DR. Contact is go for Thu 2023-03-30 08:20 UTC

Mohammad Bin Rashid Space Centre, Dubai, UAE, direct via A68MBR. The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS. The downlink frequency is presently scheduled to be 145.800 MHz. The scheduled crewmember is Sultan Al Neyadi  KI5VTV. The ARISS mentor is ON6TI. Contact is go for: Fri 2023-03-31 08:49:06 UTC 72 deg

Aznakayevo, Republic of Tatarstan, Russia, direct via TBD. The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS. The downlink frequency is presently scheduled to be 145.800 MHz. The scheduled crewmember is Sergey Prokopyev. The ARISS mentor is RV3DR. Contact is go for Fri 2023-03-31 13:50 UTC

Stone Magnet Middle School, Melbourne, Fl, direct via AJ9N. The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS. The downlink frequency is presently scheduled to be 145.800 MHz. The scheduled crewmember is Steve Bowen KI5BKB. The ARISS mentor is AJ9N. Contact is go for: Fri 2023-03-31 18:07:55 UTC 50 deg

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

ARISS from Twitter: We’ve updated our username here on Twitter to @ARISS_Intl to make us easier to find.  If you are all ready following, thanks!  There’s nothing for you to do.

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


Upcoming Satellite Operations

SAT DXPEDITION MENORCA ISLAND 2023
(DXCC : EA6 Balearic is. / GRIDS : JN10+JN20+JM19+JM29 / IOTA : EU-004)
Philippe, EA4NF will be operating on satellite from MENORCA Island as EA6/EA4NF from April 5 to 8, 223. Portable activation with a FT818ND and a FT817ND operating in full Duplex with an Alaskan Arrow Antenna and also handheld+whip antenna. April 5-8, 2023 FM SAT & LINEARS. QSL via LoTW as EA6/EA4NF. Keep an eye on Philippe’s Twitter feed for further updates : @EA4NF_SAT

CY0S, the Sable Island DXpedition, is equipped with satellite gear and will attempt satellite operations as schedule and conditions permit. Operations will be announced on https://hams.at/  Sable is mostly in grid GN03, with parts of the island in both FN93 and GN04. The expedition is set up in FN93xw, very near the GN03/FN93 grid line. (ANS thanks https://t-rexsoftware.com/cy0s/frequencies.htm for the above information)

Joe, KE9AJ will be in New Mexico Mar 26-30. Then onto DN70 in Colorado Apr 1-10. He will have his IO-117 gear with him. This will be a family trip so sat operations will be as time permits. Watch his Twitter Feed and AMSAT Upcoming Satellite Operations web page for more info as it becomes available.

The AMSAT Upcoming Satellite Operations web page may be found at:
https://www.amsat.org/satellite-info/upcoming-satellite-operations/

[ANS thanks Ian Parsons, K5ZM, AMSAT rover page manager, and https://t-rexsoftware.com/cy0s/frequencies.htm 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 Ambassador Clint Bradford K6LCS has a satellite presentation scheduled with a group in Thames Valley, England (5/11/23)
Think a 90-minute lively, informative, and fun “How to Work the Easy Satellites” Zoom presentation would be appropriate for your convention or club? Always included are overviews of the ARRL, AMSAT, and ARISS. And pre-presentation questions are welcome. Contact Clint Bradford, K6LCS, at https://www.work-sat.com/

Hamvention 2023 is coming! Greene County Fairgrounds and Exposition Center, May 19 – 21. AMSAT will have a full display as detailed by Phil Smith W1EME above. Please reach out to Phil if you can help.

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


Satellite Shorts From All Over

+ Doug Papay, K8DP has continued to document the GreenCube IO-117 user lists by providing a very nice mapping page using the Google My Maps application. It is well worth a browse if you are considering using the satellite or are already involved. See: https://bit.ly/3LCKmsR. [ANS thanks the Doug Papay, K8DP for the above information]

+ After 15 years in space, NASA’s Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere (AIM) mission has ended. NASA first noticed issues with AIM’s battery in 2019, but the probe was still sending a “significant amount of data” back to Earth. NASA says AIM has now become unresponsive. Launched in 2007, AIM studied noctilucent or night-shining clouds, which can last hundreds of years in the Earth’s upper atmosphere. It was only meant to operate up for two years, but it’s provided data for multiple groundbreaking studies, including a study that found methane emissions are causing night-shining clouds to form more frequently. (ANS thanks Engadget for the above information)

+ The world’s first 3D-printed rocket launched successfully on Wednesday, marking a step forward for the California company behind the innovative spacecraft, though it failed to reach orbit. Billed as less costly to produce and fly, the unmanned Terran 1 rocket launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida at 11:25 pm (0325 GMT Thursday) but suffered an “anomaly” during second-stage separation as it streamed towards low Earth orbit, according to a livestream broadcast by aerospace startup Relativity Space. More may be found at https://bit.ly/3K1sSoI  [ANS thanks Chris Lefkow and Lucie Aubourg of AFP, and Space Daily for the above information]

+NASA planning to spend up to $1 billion on space station deorbit module. WASHINGTON — NASA is projecting spending nearly $1 billion on a tug to deorbit the International Space Station at the end of the decade to provide redundancy for safely disposing of the station. NASA released additional details March 13 about its fiscal year 2024 budget proposal. An outline of the proposal, published by the White House March 9, requested $27.2 billion for the agency, a 7.1% increase from 2023 that roughly keeps pace with inflation. One of the biggest new initiatives in the budget is the ISS deorbit tug, which would be used to perform the final lowering of the station’s orbit to ensure it reenters over the South Pacific. NASA first indicated its plans for the tug in a request for information last August, but offered few specifics about the vehicle in the budget request. [ANS thanks Jeff Foust of Space News for the above information]

+Is it possible that SpaceX has succeeded in making orbital launches boring? Increasingly, the answer to this question appears to be yes. On Friday the California-based company launched two Falcon 9 rockets within the span of just a little more than four hours. At 12:26 pm local time, a Falcon 9 rocket carried 52 of SpaceX’s Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit from a launch pad at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. A mere 4 hours and 12 minutes later, another Falcon 9 rocket delivered two large communications satellites into geostationary transfer orbit for the Luxembourg-based satellite company SES from Cape Canaveral, Florida. This broke SpaceX’s record for the shortest duration between two launches. However, the overall record for the lowest time between two launches of the same rocket still belongs to the Russian-built Soyuz vehicle. In June 2013, Roscosmos launched a Soyuz booster from Kazakhstan, and Arianespace launched a Soyuz from French Guiana within two hours. Those launches were conducted by two separate space agencies on separate continents, however. More may be found at https://bit.ly/42xueil. [ANS thanks Eric Berger of ARS Technica 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, Jack Spitznagel, KD4IZ
kd4iz [at] frawg.org

ANS-078 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

In this edition:

* AMSAT at Dayton Hamvention – Call for Volunteers
* Alan Johnston To Present at QSO Today Virtual Ham Expo
* IARU Coordinates Two New Satellites
* AMSAT 2021 Annual Report Available
* AMSAT Recognized for Educational Support
* Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for March 16, 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 [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-078 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 Mar 19

AMSAT at Dayton Hamvention – Call for Volunteers

It’s less than eight weeks away when Amateur Radio’s biggest event of the year happens at the Greene County Fairgrounds in Xenia, Ohio. That’s right, May 19-20 is Hamvention time when over 30,000 of our closest friends get together to get a first hand look at the latest products and to catch up with friends from around the world.

With over 1,200 square feet of exhibit space, AMSAT is a major Hamvention exhibitor with displays from Engineering, Operations, Educational Relations, the AMSAT Store and much more. Last year in 2022, about 35 people assisted with the AMSAT booth.  It was the efforts of those volunteers that made the 2022 Dayton Hamvention a success for AMSAT. The interaction with AMSAT members, satellite operators, designers, and builders makes the whole experience a lot of fun.

Would you consider helping AMSAT at the Hamvention this year? Whether you’re available for only a couple of hours or if you can spend the entire weekend with us, your help would be greatly appreciated.

If you will be attending Hamvention and can help, please send an e-mail to Phil Smith, W1EME, AMSAT Hamvention Coordinator via w1eme [at] amsat [dot]org.

[ANS thanks Phil Smith, W1EME, AMSAT Hamvention Coordinator for the above information.]

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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/
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Alan Johnston To Present at QSO Today Virtual Ham Expo

Alan Johnston, KU2Y, AMSAT VP Educational Relations at the QSO Today Virtual Ham Expo on March 26, 2023 at 17:00Z. The title of the presentation is “Exploring Satellite Telemetry with the CubeSat Simulator.”

Alan writes, “There are thousands of satellites in low earth orbit above us transmitting radio signals. Many of those signals contain telemetry, that is information about the spacecraft and its environment and built in sensors.

“A great way to learn about satellite telemetry is to use the AMSAT CubeSat Simulator, a functional model of a 1U CubeSat designed for the classroom and public demonstrations.
In this presentation, I’ll show how to receive and interpret telemetry from it using the same tools and apps used for in orbit satellites launched by AMSAT and other amateur radio organizations.

“I will also show you how you can build your own CubeSatSim with some intermediate soldering and 3D printing skills as the project is fully open sourced and available on GitHub.”

This one hour presentation is geared for those beginning to explore the world of satellite telemetry. The cost of the two day virtual event is $15. More information is available at https://www.qsotodayhamexpo.com/.

[ANS thanks Alan Johnston, KU2Y, AMSAT VP Educational Relations for the above information.]


IARU Coordinates Two New Satellites

The IARU has coordinated frequencies for the following two upcoming satellites:

+ PW-SAT3
PW-SAT3 is a 1U CubeSat mission to be flown by the Warsaw University of Technology. Students from the PW-Sat3 team are 1) designing a butane warm gas propulsion device that will be used to perform station-keeping maneuvers deorbiting maneuver; 2) AOCS system  that will be used during propulsion maneuvers to align the satellite in the optimal orientation; 3) Earth Horizon Sensors made from industrial IR matrixes; 4) A camera module  to capture views from space. The team also wants to implement a simple open transponder for radio amateurs to operate packet radio. They are also investigating the possibility to allow radio amateurs to download on-demand low-resolution images from the camera module.

Proposing a UHF downlink using 2GFSK at 9k6 or 19k2. A downlink on 437.170 MHz has been coordinated. No launch date has been defined but deployment into a SSO 550km orbit is planned. More info from https://pw-sat.pl.

+ SAKURA
Sakura is a 1U CubeSat mission sponsored by the Chiba Institute of Technology. APRS Mission Will provide APRS services including Digipeater functionality. SAKURA will carry two cameras, one to photograph sunspots and the other to photograph typhoons ,volcanoes and flooding areas. Amateur Radio stations should be able to receive a photograph in one pass.

Proposing VHF and UHF downlinks using APRS and 4k8 AX25 GMSK respectively. Planning a launch to the ISS in January 2024 for deployment. Downlinks on 145.825 MHz and 437.375 MHz have been coordinated.

[ANS thanks the IARU for the above information.]

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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/

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AMSAT 2021 Annual Report Available

The AMSAT 2021 Annual report is now available for download. Annual reports are typical made available to the public up to a year or so after the financial records have been reviewed and approved by an external accounting firm. Although AMSAT has always published its financial statements and IRS filings every year, it now finds it useful to publish a corporate-like annual report to inform our stakeholders and prospective donors of our activities.

Because the annual report is written for sometimes non-technical persons outside the traditional Amateur Radio world, experienced technical readers might find some passages over simplified descriptions of the engineering contributions and activities that AMSAT conducts. Nonetheless, AMSAT hopes that everyone can find the annual report a fairly descriptive picture of the work is does in helping to Keep Amateur Radio in Space.

The 2021 Annual Report can be downloaded at https://tinyurl.com/ANS-078-2021-Report.

[ANS thanks AMSAT for the above information.]


AMSAT Recognized for Educational Support

[Editor’s Note: This is an updated version of the story that appeared in ANS-071.]

Instituto Universitario “Ignacio Da Riva” IDR and Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería Aeronáutica y del Espacio of Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Spain has recognized and thanked the members of AMSAT who have supported their educational endeavors by collecting telemetry data downloaded from the UPMSat-2 satellite around the globe.

Mr. Rafael García Romero, EA4BPN, along with project director Dr. Elena Roibas, and IDR Director Dr. Angel Sanz Andres , on behalf of the UPMSat-2 team, penned the letter of recognition dated February 17, 2023 and recently received by AMSAT. The letter reads:

“On the celebration of UPMSat-2 launch date anniversary of the second year in orbit, UPMSat-2 team would like to thank AMSAT for its support to the satellite downlink data gathering. The effort of AMSAT members is seen at IDR as a valuable ‘citizen science’ contribution to our project and is gratefully acknowledged. We expect that the UPMSat-2 will continue to work for another two years, therefore, it would bring an opportunity to continue with this fruitful collaboration.

“With our best regards, we wish all the best for AMSAT members.”

UPMSat-2 sends 2-FSK data at 2400bps, with transmitted power of approximately 2.5 watts, on 437.405 MHz. Originally scheduled to launch in 1999, it was finally launched on September 3, 2020 from the Guiana Space Centre in Kourou, French Guiana. Launched on the flight VV16 of the Vega rocket, it entered a sun-synchronous orbit with an altitude of approximately 518 km.”

[ANS thanks Rafael García, EA4BPN, and Dr. Angel Sanz Andres, IDR Director, 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 March 16, 2023

The following satellites have decayed from orbit and have been removed from
this week’s AMSAT-NA TLE distribution:

FMN 1  NORAD Cat ID 43192  (decayed from orbit on 03/16/23 per Space-Track).
HO-119 NORAD Cat ID 54816  (decayed from orbit on 03/15/23 per Space-Track).

[ANS thanks Ray Hoad, WA5QGD, 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.

+ Upcoming Contacts

Lana’i High and Elementary School, Lana’i City, HI, telebridge via ON4ISS.
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS.
The downlink frequency is presently scheduled to be 145.800 MHz.
The scheduled crewmember is Warren Hoburg, KB3HTZ.
The ARISS mentors are AJ9N and W4NTR.
Contact is go for: Thursday, March 23, 2023 at 18:22:52 UTC.
Watch for Livestream at the ARISS YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxm5Ca2y0HD_NxXlZWXv11A.

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

NA-008; March 16 April 13, 2023
Pierre, VE3KTB, maybe active on FM satellites during his spare time from the Eureka station as VY0ERC. QSL via M0OXO OQRS.

DM22qq; March 19, 2023
AD7DB working:
AO-91 at 16:01Z (possibly)
AO-91 at 17:35Z
SO-50 19 18:06Z

DM23ag
AD7DB working:
PO101 at 22:56Z
Follow him on Twitter for updates

[ANS thanks Ian Parsons, K5ZM, AMSAT rover page manager, and JoAnne Maenpaa, K9JKM 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 Ambassador Clint Bradford K6LCS has a few satellite presentations scheduled …

– Nashville, Tennessee – April 20
– England, May 11
– Ohio – Students – ISS-specific, May 8

Think a 90-minute lively, informative, and fun “How to Work the Easy Satellites” Zoom presentation would be appropriate for your convention or club? Always included are overviews of the ARRL, AMSAT, and ARISS. And pre-presentation questions are welcome.

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


Satellite Shorts From All Over

+ The national ham organization EARS of the United Arab Emirates runs the special event station A60AP with additional designators /0 to /15 to mark their country’s astronaut program. They remain active until the end of August. More information at https://www.mbrsc.ae/service/astronaut_prog. [ANS thanks JoAnne Maenpaa, K9JKM for the above information.]

+ NASA is awarding more than $3.8 million to 21 museums, science centers, and other informal education institutions for projects designed to bring the excitement of space science to communities across the nation and broaden student participation in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). Projects were selected for NASA’s Teams Engaging Affiliated Museums and Informal Institutions (TEAM II) program and TEAM II Community Anchor Awards. The selected projects will engage their communities in a wide variety of STEM topics, from aeronautics and Earth science to human space exploration. More information including a complete list of the organizations receiving funds is available at https://tinyurl.com/ANS-078-NASA-STEM. [ANS thanks SpaceRef.com for the above information.]

+ What time is it on the moon? A new era of lunar exploration is on the rise, with dozens of Moon missions planned for the coming decade. Europe is in the forefront here, contributing to building the Gateway lunar station and the Orion spacecraft – set to return humans to our natural satellite – as well as developing its large logistic lunar lander, known as Argonaut. As dozens of missions will be operating on and around the Moon and needing to communicate together and fix their positions independently from Earth, this new era will require its own time. Timing is a crucial element, adds ESA navigation system engineer Pietro Giordano: “During this meeting at ESTEC, we agreed on the importance and urgency of defining a common lunar reference time, which is internationally accepted and towards which all lunar systems and users may refer to. A joint international effort is now being launched towards achieving this.” More information at https://tinyurl.com/ANS-078-Lunar-Time. [ANS thanks the ESA for the above information.]

+ Looking for a fun project for that 3D printer sitting in your workshop?  Look no further than Relativity Space in California for inspiration. Their Terran 1 will try to become the first 3D-printed, methane-fueled rocket to reach orbit. “There are a number of firsts here potentially on this rocket,” said Josh Brost, vice president of revenue operations at Relativity Space. “It has the chance of being the first liquid natural gas / liquid oxygen rocket to make it to orbit. It has, by far, the highest 3D-printed content of any rocket in history. We’re sitting at about 85% by mass, where I don’t think any other rocket has gone past maybe 4%.” Compared to a traditional rocket that has more than 100,000 parts, this 3D-printed rocket has less than 1,000 parts. After two aborted launches this month, Relativity Space is poised for another try on March 22. More information at https://spaceflightnow.com/2023/03/11/relativity-space-terran-1-glhf/. [ANS thanks Spaceflight Now 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, Frank Karnauskas, N1UW
n1uw [at] amsat [dot] org