Reno, Nevada to Host 2017 AMSAT Space Symposium Oct 27-29

AMSAT NA announces that the 2017 AMSAT Space Symposium will be held on Friday through Sunday, Oct 27, 28, 29, 2017 in Reno, Nevada. Location will be at the Silver Legacy Resort , 407 N Virginia Street, in Downtown, Reno.

The Silver Legacy is a 4 star Resort/Hotel/Casino which is an iconic 42-story hotel with its massive round dome and spires centered in downtown. The Silver Legacy is typically lit green at night and is referred to by many as the “Emerald City” of Reno. In support of the
University of Nevada Wolf Pack, the Silver Legacy will sometimes turn blue.

Some of the perks include
* Free parking for attendees.
* Free transportation to and from the airport (10 minutes shuttle
ride).
* Complimentary WiFi.
* The Silver Legacy has 8 restaurants and 8 different retail shops.
* Large selection of additional restaurants and casinos (El Dorado, Circus Circus, and the rest of downtown Reno) are in close  proximity and within walking distance.
* Multiple alternate activities and attractions are in the Reno area.
Nevada Museum Of Modern Art
National Automobile Museum
Fleischmann Planetarium (UNR Campus)
National Bowling Stadium
* If you are staying longer in the Reno area, there are several other points of interest close by, including Virginia City and Lake Tahoe.

2017 AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual Meeting

The annual AMSAT Space Symposium features:
* Space Symposium with Amateur Satellite Presentations
* Operating Techniques, News, & Plans from the Amateur Satellite World
* Board of Directors Meeting open to AMSAT members
* Opportunities to Meet Board Members and Officers
* AMSAT-NA Annual General Membership Meeting
* Auction, Annual Banquet, Keynote Speaker and Door Prizes !!

Several members from The Sierra Nevada Amateur Radio Society (SNARS) as well as many other local radio amateurs will be participating in helping with this event.

Additional information about the 2017 AMSAT Symposium will be posted on the AMSAT web site, www.amsat.org as it becomes available.

The SIlver Legacy Hotel in Reno, NV, site of the 2017 AMSAT Space Symposium
The Reno, NV skyline

[ANS thanks Joe Spier, K6WAO, Frank Kostelac, N7ZEV, Linda Kostelac, KC7IIT, and the AMSAT-NA Office for the above information]

RadFxSat (Fox-1B) Launch Date Moved to August 29, 2017

The launch date for RadFxSat (Fox-1B) has been moved to August 29, 2017. RadFxSat is one of four CubeSats making up the NASA ELaNa XIV mission, riding as secondary payloads aboard the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS)-1 mission. JPSS-1 will launch on a Delta II from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California.

RadFxSat is a partnership with Vanderbilt University ISDE and hosts four payloads for the study of radiation effects on commercial off the shelf components. RadFxSat features the Fox-1 style FM U/v repeater with an uplink on 435.250 MHz (67.0 Hz CTCSS) and a downlink on 145.960 MHz. Satellite and experiment telemetry will be downlinked via the “DUV” subaudible telemetry stream and can be decoded with the FoxTelem software.

RadFxSat construction and testing was completed in the fourth quarter of 2016 and the CubeSat is currently in clean storage at Fox Labs, waiting for delivery and integration which is now scheduled for June, 2017.

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

RadFxSat (Fox-1B) Launch Date is Now Scheduled for March 16, 2017

The RadFxSat (Fox-1B) launch date has been moved, and is now scheduled for March 16, 2017.

RadFxSat will ride as one of the ELaNa XIV secondary payloads aboard the NASA JPSS-1 launch on a ULA Delta II rocket.

The launch will be at Vandenberg AFB, California.  It is one of only two remaining Delta II planned to be launched.

The RadFxSat mission is a partnership with Vanderbilt Institute for Space and Defense Electronics (ISDE) that will study space radiation effects on commercial off the shelf memory.  The experiments are carried aboard the AMSAT Fox-1B CubeSat and experiment data will be carried in the subaudible telemetry stream of the Fox-1B FM repeater along with the CubeSat telemetry data.  The telemetry can be decoded and displayed with the AMSAT FoxTelem software.

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

The RadFxSat (Fox-1B) flight model undergoes testing in the Fox Labs.
The RadFxSat (Fox-1B) flight model undergoes testing in the Fox Labs.

2016 AMSAT Symposium Registration Reminder

** Booking your Carnival Cruise does not register you for the AMSAT
Symposium **
There is a charge for each Symposium attendee of $40. This fee
applies to those who will attend the technical presentations only and includes a copy of the printed Proceedings.Additional guests are entitled to attend all other events. The registration form is available from the AMSAT office or store website.

Online Symposium registration:
http://store.amsat.org/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=130

** Ground transportation options have been added to the FAQ page on
the AMSAT Symposium web page**
Carnival offers round-trip. Transportation from HOU airport to the cruise terminal at approximately $74 per person, IAH airport $94 per person. If you are traveling to the Board of Directors meeting, you may still utilize the Carnival transportation option for your return
to the airport from the cruise terminal. However, you will need to obtain other transportation between the airport and the Galveston DoubleTree hotel.

Cruise information may be found at:
http://www.amsat.org/?page_id=3667