ANS

In this edition:

* Eleven U.S. Schools Moved Forward in ARISS Selection Process
* Tevel Satellites Added to ARRL Logbook of the World
* SpaceX Ax-2 Mission Is ‘Go’ For May 21 Launch
* 2023 AMSAT Board of Directors Election – Call for Nominations
* 2023 AMSAT Field Day – Rules
* 2023 AMSAT Field Day – More Thoughts
* How Moon-based Telescopes Could Revolutionize Astronomy
* 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-141 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

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

DATE 2023 May 21

Eleven U.S. Schools Moved Forward in ARISS Selection Process

Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) is pleased to announce the schools/host organizations selected for the January-June 2024 window. A total 11 of the submitted ARISS Education Proposals during the recent proposal window have been accepted to move forward in the processes of planning to host a scheduled amateur radio contact with crew on the ISS. The primary goal of the ARISS program is to engage young people in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math (STEAM) activities and raise their awareness of space communications, radio communications, space exploration, and related areas of study and career possibilities.

The ARISS program anticipates that NASA will be able to provide scheduling opportunities for these US host organizations. They are now at work completing an acceptable equipment plan that demonstrates their ability to execute the ham radio contact. Once their equipment plan is approved by the ARISS operations team, the final selected schools/organizations will be scheduled as their availability and flexibility match up with the scheduling opportunities offered by NASA in January through June 2024.

The schools and host organizations are:
Belmont Elementary School, Woodbridge, Virginia
Mountain View Elementary, Marietta, Georgia
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, Florida
Lilburn Elementary School, Lilburn, Georgia
Tooele County School District, Tooele, Utah
Alabama School of Cyber Technology and Engineering, Huntsville, Alabama
Thrive Home School Academy, Colorado Springs, Colorado
Pleasant Knoll Middle School, Ft. Mill, South Carolina
Centennial Campus Magnet Middle School Center for Innovation, Raleigh, North Carolina
Washington State Science and Engineering Fair, Bremerton, Washington
Girl Scout Troop 1089, Sacramento, California

[ANS thanks Dave Jordan, AA4KN for the above information.]

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Tevel Satellites Added to ARRL Logbook of the World

The American Radio Relay League (ARRL), “The National Association for Amateur Radio,” has recently added the Tevel satellites, numbers one through eight, to the list of acceptable satellites in its widely used Logbook of the World (LoTW) online system. Those who have made contacts using these satellites may now upload those QSOs to LoTW for possible confirmation, if the other station has done likewise.

It will be necessary to first update the TQSL configuration file, following the prompt when that program is opened. The current list of accepted satellites for LoTW may always be found in the LoTW help pages at: https://lotw.arrl.org/lotw-help/frequently-asked-questions/#sats

Most published identification for the Tevel satellites, including many distributions of Keplerian elements, show these satellites as Tevel-1, Tevel-2, etc. Unfortunately, LoTW will only accept the names of the satellites in all upper case and without the hyphen: TEVEL1, TEVEL2, etc.

If using a log program that copies the satellite name directly from a tracking program, such as SatPC32, the logged satellite name may not match what LoTW is expecting, resulting in an error or rejected upload.

SatPC32 has a provision for correcting this issue. SatPC32 users may edit the AmsatNames.txt file in order to translate the satellite name from that in the Keplerian elements file to a name compatible with LoTW. By clicking on the ? on the top line of the SatPC32 window, and selecting “Auxiliary Files” from the pull down menu, the user may select AmsatNames.txt and the file will open for editing.

Being careful to follow the directions at the top of the text file, the following lines can be added to AmsatName.txt in order to effect the translation:
51013  22002AF  TEVEL1
51069  22002CP  TEVEL2
50988  22002E  TEVEL3
51063  22002CH  TEVEL4
50998  22002Q  TEVEL5
50999  22002R  TEVEL6
51062  22002CG  TEVEL7
50989  22002F  TEVEL8

Once added, the file must be saved (Ctrl-S) before being closed. Using the same ? and Auxiliary Files pull down, the satellite names in the Doppler.SQF file should also be changed to upper case without hyphens, and the file saved.

When the SatPC32 program is restarted, the satellites previously named Tevel-1, Tevel-2, and following, will appear as TEVEL1, TEVEL2, and following, in the satellite list. It will then be necessary to open the SatPC32 Satellite menu and delete the lower case names from the list of selected active satellites, and to then re-select the new, upper case names from the left column of available satellites.

While an inconvenient chore in the short term, once these changes have been made to SatPC32, any log program that copies the satellite name directly from the tracking program will automatically record the correct name for upload to LoTW. This will make use of Logbook of the World very efficient for all future contacts with the Tevel satellites.

The same feature can be utilized for other satellites that may have different designations, such as some of the CAS satellites that go by several names.

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

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SpaceX Ax-2 Mission Is ‘Go’ For May 21 Launch

The second-ever private astronaut mission to the International Space Station (ISS) remains on track to lift off this weekend. The crew includes three licensed amateurs: John Shoffner, KO4MJC; Ali Alqarni, 7Z1AJ; and Rayyanah Barnawi, 7Z1RB.

If all goes according to plan, Ax-2 will launch atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket at 21:37 UTC on Sunday from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida. The Ax-2 astronauts will ride a SpaceX Dragon capsule to the orbiting lab, getting there around 13:30 UTC on Monday, May 21.

The mission will spend eight days docked to the ISS. That’s a slight change from the previous plan, which had called for a 10-day ISS stay. During their stay, the amateurs on the Ax-2 crew will attempt several ARISS contacts, and may possibly offer opportunities for general amateur QSOs with the ISS.

As its name suggests, Ax-2 will be the second crewed flight to the ISS operated by Axiom Space using SpaceX hardware. The first, Ax-1, sent four people to the orbiting lab for more than two weeks in April 2022. That crew was quite active on amateur radio during their stay on the ISS.

Ax-2 is also groundbreaking. Two of the mission’s crewmembers, Barnawi and AlQarni, will become the first Saudi Arabians to visit to the ISS. Barnawi will be the first Saudi woman ever to reach space.

The other crewmember is former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, who now works for Axiom and will command the mission. Whitson has racked up a total of 665 days off Earth — more than any other American and any other woman. NASA currently requires that all private astronaut flights to the ISS be led by a former agency astronaut.

[ANS thanks Space.com and ARISS for the above information]

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2023 AMSAT Board of Directors Election – Call for Nominations

AMSAT solicits nominations for the 2023 AMSAT Board of Directors election, to be held in the third quarter of the year. The seats of the following four incumbent Directors expire in 2023 and will be filled by this year’s election:

– Jerry Buxton, N0JY
– Joesph Armbruster, KJ4JIO
– Robert Bankston, KE4AL
– Zach Metzinger, N0ZGO

Further, up to two Alternate Directors may be elected for one-year terms. A valid nomination for Director must be written and requires either one Member Society or five current individual members in good standing to nominate an AMSAT member. Written nominations, with the nominee’s name, call sign, and contact information, as well as the nominators’ names, call signs, and contact information, should be sent to the AMSAT Secretary:

Jeff Davis, KE9V
PO Box 11
Yorktown, IN 47396

AMSAT bylaws require that the nomination be written and in the form specified by the Secretary who has elected to accept written nomination materials via mail or in electronic form, including email or electronic image of a paper document. Fax transmissions cannot be accepted.

Email nominations may be sent to jdavis [at] amsat [dot] org.

No matter what means are used, petitions MUST be received by the Secretary no later than June 15th. The Secretary will verify the qualifications of candidates and nominating members or Member Societies as petitions are received, and will notify candidates whether their nominations are in order by the end of June.

[ANS thanks Jeff Davis, KE9V, AMSAT Secretary 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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2023 AMSAT Field Day Rules

The AMSAT Field Day 2023 event is open to all Amateur Radio operators. Amateurs are to use the exchange as specified in ARRL rules for Field Day. The AMSAT competition is to encourage the use of all amateur satellites, both analog and digital. Note that no points will be credited for any contacts beyond the ONE allowed via each single-channel FM satellite. Operators are encouraged not to make any extra contacts via theses satellites (Ex: SO-50). CW contacts and digital contacts are worth three points as outlined below.

1. Analog Transponders

ARRL rules apply, except:

– Each phone, CW, and digital segment ON EACH SATELLITE TRANSPONDER is considered to be a separate band.

– CW and digital (RTTY, PSK-31, etc.) contacts count THREE points each.

– Stations may only count one (1) completed QSO on any single channel FM satellite. If a satellite has multiple modes such as V/u and L/s modes both turned on, one contact each is allowed. If the PBBS is on – see Pacsats below, ISS (1 phone and 1 digital), Contacts with the ISS crew will count for one contact if they are active. PCSat (I, II, etc.) (1 digital),

– The use of more than one transmitter at the same time on a single satellite transponder is prohibited.

2. Digital Transponders

We have only APRS digipeaters and 10m to 70cm PSK transponders (see Bob Bruninga’s article in the March/April, 2016 issue of the AMSAT Journal).

Satellite digipeat QSO’s and APRS short-message contacts are worth three points each, but must be complete verified two-way exchanges. The one contact per FM satellite is not applied to digital transponders.

The use of terrestrial gateway stations or internet gateways (i.e. EchoLink, IRLP, etc.) to uplink/downlink is not allowed.

For the Pacsats (FalconSat-3) or ‘Store and Forward’ hamsats, each satellite is considered a separate band. Do not post “CQ” messages. Simply upload ONE greeting message to each satellite and download as many greeting messages as possible from each satellite. The subject of the uploaded file should be posted as Field Day Greetings, addressed to ALL. The purpose of this portion of the competition is to demonstrate digital satellite communications to other Field Day participants and observers. Do not reply to the Field Day Greetings addressed to ALL.

The following uploads and downloads count as three-point digital contacts.

(a) Upload of a satellite Field Day Greetings file (one per satellite).
(b) Download of Satellite Field Day Greetings files posted by other stations. Downloads of non-Field Day files or messages not addressed to ALL are not to be counted for the event. Save DIR listings and message files for later “proof of contact.”

You may make contacts with GreenCube, IO-117 and each one will count as 3 points as do other digital contacts.

Please note AMSAT uploaded messages do not count for QSO points under the ARRL rules.

Sample Satellite Field Day Greetings File:

Greetings from W5MSQ Field Day Satellite station near Katy, Texas, EL-29, with 20 participants, operating class 2A, in the AMSAT-Houston group with the Houston Amateur Television Society and the Houston QRP club. All the best and 73!

Note that the message stated the call, name of the group, operating class, where they were located (the grid square would be helpful) and how many operators were in attendance.

3. Operating Class

Stations operating portable and using emergency power (as per ARRL Field Day rules) are in a separate operating class from those at home connected to commercial power. On the report form simply check off Emergency or Commercial for the Power Source and be sure to specify your ARRL operating class (2A, 1C, etc.).

And Finally…

The Satellite Summary Sheet should be used for submission of the AMSAT Field Day competition and be received by KK5DO (e-mail) by 11:59 P.M. CDT, Tuesday, July 25, 2023. This year, we are using the same due date as the ARRL. The only method for submitting your log is via e-mail to [email protected] or [email protected]. I have not had a mail-in entry in over 6 years, probably even longer than that.

Add photographs or other interesting information that can be used in an article for the Journal.

You will receive an e-mail back (within one or two days) from me when I receive your e-mail submission. If you do not receive a confirmation message, then I have not received your submission. Try sending it again or send it to my other e-mail address.

Certificates will be awarded for the first-place emergency power/portable station at the AMSAT General Meeting and Space Symposium in the fall of 2023. Certificates will also be awarded to the second and third place portable/emergency operation in addition to the first-place home station running on emergency power. A station submitting high, award-winning scores will be requested to send in dupe sheets for analog contacts and message listings for digital downloads.

You may have multiple rig difficulties, antenna failures, computer glitches, generator disasters, tropical storms, and there may even be satellite problems, but the goal is to test your ability to operate in an emergency situation. Try different gear. Demonstrate satellite operations to hams that don’t even know the HAMSATS exist. Test your equipment. Avoid making more than ONE contact via the FM-only voice HAMSATS or the ISS, and enjoy the event!

[ANS thanks Bruce Paige, KK5DO, AMSAT Director, for the above information.]

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2023 Field Day – More Thoughts

It’s that time of year again; summer and Field Day! Each year the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) sponsors Field Day as a “picnic, a campout, practice for emergencies, an informal contest and, most of all, FUN!” The event takes place during a 23-hour period on the fourth weekend of June. For 2023 the event takes place during a 27-hour period from 1800 UTC on Saturday June 24, 2023 through 2100 UTC on Sunday June 25, 2023. Those who set up prior to 1800 UTC on June 24 can operate only 24 hours. The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT) promotes its own version of Field Day for operation via the amateur satellites, held concurrently with the ARRL event.

This year should be as easy as last year since we have more than 10 transponders and repeaters available. Users should check the AMSAT status page at http://www.amsat.org/status/ and the pages at https://www.amsat.org/two-way-satellites/ for what is available in the weeks leading up to Field Day. To reduce the amount of time to research each satellite, see the current FM satellite table at https://www.amsat.org/fm-satellite-frequency-summary/ and the current linear satellite table at https://www.amsat.org/linear-satellite-frequency-summary/

If you are considering ONLY the FM voice satellites, there are ISS, SO-50, AO-91, PO-101 and possibly LilacSat. It might be easier this year to make that one FM contact for the ARRL bonus points with so many FM birds. The congestion on FM LEO satellites is always so intense that we must continue to limit their use to one-QSO-per-FM-satellite. This includes the International Space Station. You will be allowed one QSO if the ISS is operating Voice.

It was suggested during past field days that a control station be allowed to coordinate contacts on the FM satellites. There is nothing in the rules that would prohibit this. This is nothing more than a single station working multiple QSO’s. If a station were to act as a control station and give QSO’s to every other field day station, the control station would still only be allowed to turn in one QSO per FM satellite while the other station would be able to submit one QSO.

The format for the message exchange on the ISS or other digital packet satellite is an unproto packet to the other station (3-way exchange required) with all the same information as normally exchanged for ARRL Field Day,
e.g.:

W6NWG de KK5DO 2A STX
KK5DO de W6NWG QSL 5A SDG
W6NWG de KK5DO QSL

If you have worked the satellites on Field Day in recent years, you may have noticed a lot of good contacts can be made on some of the less-populated, low-earth-orbit satellites like FO-29, AO-7, EO-88 or the XW satellites. During Field Day the transponders come alive like 20 meters on a weekend. The good news is that the transponders on these satellites will support multiple simultaneous contacts. The bad news is that you can’t use FM, just low duty-cycle modes like SSB and CW.

[ANS thanks Bruce Paige, KK5DO, AMSAT Director, for the above information.]

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How Moon-based Telescopes Could Revolutionize Astronomy

The exploration of the Moon is experiencing a renaissance with numerous missions planned to visit the lunar surface in the coming years. While there are various motivations for these missions, such as geopolitical interests and the search for lunar resources, the field of astronomy is expected to greatly benefit from this renewed focus on the Moon. One significant advantage is the lunar far side, which provides a radio-quiet environment, shielded from human-generated radio signals and solar interference. This makes it an ideal location for radio astronomy, especially for studying the cosmic “dark ages” and the structure of the early universe. The Moon’s stability and the presence of shadowed craters at its poles offer opportunities for optical, infrared, and gravitational wave astronomy, as well as the potential detection of radio waves from exoplanet magnetospheres. However, there is a need to balance lunar exploration activities with protecting the unique scientific value of certain lunar locations.

The far side of the Moon, shielded from Earth’s radio signals and the Sun during the lunar night, provides an unparalleled radio-quiet environment. This makes it an ideal platform for conducting low-frequency radio astronomy, enabling the study of the cosmic “dark ages” and the early universe’s hydrogen clouds. The 21cm wavelength emissions from neutral hydrogen in the early universe, shifted to longer wavelengths due to the universe’s expansion, can be studied from the lunar far side, offering insights into the universe’s early stages.

The far side of the Moon also holds potential for detecting radio waves from exoplanet magnetospheres and signals from intelligent extraterrestrial civilizations. The long wavelengths of these radio waves require a radio-quiet environment, making the far side an ideal location for such observations. Furthermore, exploring unexplored regions of the radio spectrum may lead to unexpected discoveries of new phenomena. However, it is crucial to ensure that human activities on the far side do not create unwanted radio interference that could hinder these observations and scientific endeavors.

Apart from radio astronomy, the Moon’s unique characteristics and stable environment also offer advantages for other types of astronomy. Infrared telescopes, which are sensitive to heat, can benefit from the cold, shadowed craters at the lunar poles that provide natural shielding. The low gravity on the Moon allows for the construction of larger telescopes than what is feasible in free space. This could make the Moon the future hub for infrared astronomy. Additionally, the lunar surface, bombarded by solar wind and cosmic rays for billions of years, holds a wealth of information about the Sun and the Milky Way’s evolution.

While the current era of lunar exploration promises significant advancements in astronomy, there is a need to protect lunar locations that are uniquely valuable for scientific research. Human activities and plans for resource extraction, such as water-ice from shadowed craters, must be carefully managed to minimize interference with astronomical observations. Preserving the pristine environment of the lunar far side and other scientifically important regions will be crucial to ensure the long-term benefits of lunar exploration for astronomy.

[ANS thanks Ian Crawford, Professor of Planetary Science and Astrobiology, Birkbeck, University of London 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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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
Saudi Space Commission (SSC), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, direct via HZ1SAR
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be HZØISS
The scheduled crewmember is John Shoffner, Ali Alqarni 7Z1AJ, or Rayyanah Barnawi 7Z1RB
The ARISS mentor is IZ2GOJ
Contact is go only if AX2 launches 2023-05-21 for: Wed 2023-05-24 11:08:38 UTC 23 deg

Middlesboro School System, Middlesboro, KY, telebridge via IK1SLD
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS
The scheduled crewmember is John Shoffner KO4MJC
The ARISS mentor is AA6TB
Contact is go only if AX2 launches 2023-05-21 for: Thu 2023-05-25 15:07:12 UTC 33 deg

St. Francis Xavier High School, Gloucester, ON, Canada, telebridge via VK4ISS
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS
The scheduled crewmember is Warren Hoburg KB3HTZ
The ARISS mentor is VE3TBD
Contact is go for: Fri 2023-05-26 16:32:49 UTC 25 deg

The Children’s Inn at NIH (National Institutes of Health), Bethesda, Maryland, telebridge via ON4ISS
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS
The scheduled crewmember is John Shoffner KO4MJC
The ARISS mentor is W8AAS
Contact is go only if AX2 launches 2023-05-21 for: Fri 2023-05-26 17:31:38 UTC 90 deg

Saint Petersburg, 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 2023-05-27 16:50 UTC

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

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

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

K5ZM: From 14th through part of 21st May, I’ll be in RDU where I’ll be based in FM05. Then on the 21st, I fly into PWM and after a short road trip, I’ll be in FN54 through the 26th. In each location, the usual scenario will apply: emphasis will be on grid lines whenever possible. I would love to do the 56/66/57/67 confluence but I’m not sure how much time I’m willing to invest in locating the owner of that field! Pass list(s) are under development. Watch Twitter and hams.at for the minutia.

Ray, KN2K, will be active in FM08, May 21 and 22. Details at hams.at and on Twitter.

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

[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.

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

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

AMSAT Ambassador Clint Bradford, K6LCS, says,

“Wonderful clubs in Florida and Southern CA heard our “Work the Easy Satellites” presentation this week. I swapped date for the England club with another speaker/topic – we are re-scheduling to the Summer. Upcoming dates for Escondido CA, Daytona FL, Sevierville TN, and Baraboo WI are being confirmed.”

Clint Bradford K6LCS
work-sat.com
951-533-4984

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

[ANS thanks Ian Parsons, K5ZM, AMSAT rover page manager, 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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Satellite Shorts From All Over

+ AMSAT News Service welcomes its newest weekly editor, Mitch Ahrenstorff, AD0HJ. Mitch is a Life Member of AMSAT who has confirmed over five thousand contacts via satellite, activated eighty seven Maidenhead grid squares, and completed his AMSAT GridMaster Award in 2022. News tips can be forwarded to Mitch, and to all ANS editors, at ans-editor [at] amsat [dot] org. (ANS thanks Mark Johns, K0JM, Senior Editor, for the above information)

+The Providence Radio Association, W1OP will attempt SSB and FM satellites QSO’s from the Alan S. Feinstein Middle School, in Coventry, RI on Tuesday May 23rd. This will be part of a presentation on ham radio to about 350 students in their 8th grade STEM program. N1DM will be the operator and will attempt to work any available satellites during the demo portion of the program which will occur somewhere in the period of 1300 to 1500 UTC. W1OP/N1DM requests if you make a QSO in addition to call and grid square you give your STATE or PROVINCE. (ANS thanks Dom Mallozzi, N1DM for the above information.)

+ China’s secretive spaceplane may have performed multiple recaptures of an object it released into orbit during its recently completed second flight as part of on-orbit testing. Private firm Leolabs, which provides space situational awareness data through its global network of radars for tracking objects in low Earth orbit, said its analysis found evidence of what appeared to be at least two and possibly three capture/docking operations with a co-orbiting object. (ANS thanks SpaceNews for the above information)

+ Around 7,000 satellites circle the Earth, generating a massive volume of data on a daily basis. This wealth of information, operated by various governments and commercial entities, can prove challenging for researchers looking to fully harness the potential of these orbital sensors. Researchers at Stevens Institute of Technology have introduced a digital platform named the New Observing Strategies Testbed (NOS-T), a tool that facilitates the exchange of limited, approved data messages, ensuring data sharing without revealing sensitive information, control algorithms, or proprietary technologies. Leveraging multiple satellites enables continuous monitoring of specific locations, which can be applied to tasks such as wildfire detection and landslide prediction. (ANS thanks SpaceDaily for the above information)

+ SpaceX’s launch of 51 more Starlink internet satellites Wednesday, May 10 from California marked the 200th consecutive successful mission for the company’s Falcon rocket family, a record unmatched by any other space launch vehicle. (ANS thanks SpaceFlight Now for the above information)

+ China’s Tianzhou 6 cargo ship lifted off on a resupply mission to the country’s Tiangong space station on May 10 – the first since the station was completed in November. The uncrewed ship – carrying 7.4 tons of fuel, food and other supplies – was launched on top of a Long March 7 rocket from the Wenchang spaceport in southern China’s Hainan island, according to the China Manned Space Agency. The upgraded Tianzhou cargo spacecraft has expanded capacity, which means China will need to launch a Tianzhou mission once every eight months, instead of every six months, as previously. (ANS thanks SpaceNews 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, Mitch Ahrenstorff, ADØHJ
ad0hj [at] amsat [dot] org

In this edition:

* Call for Nominations – 2023 AMSAT Board of Directors Election
* Dr. Nathaniel Frissell, W2NAF, is Guest Speaker at 2023 TAPR/AMSAT Banquet
* AMSAT and ARISS Events at Hamvention
* 2023 AMSAT Field Day Rules
* 2023 Field Day – More Thoughts
* 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-134 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

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

DATE 2023 May 14

Call for Nominations – 2023 AMSAT Board of Directors Election

AMSAT solicits nominations for the 2023 AMSAT Board of Directors election, to be held in the third quarter of the year. The seats of the following four incumbent Directors expire in 2023 and will be filled by this year’s election:

– Jerry Buxton, N0JY
– Joesph Armbruster, KJ4JIO
– Robert Bankston, KE4AL
– Zach Metzinger, N0ZGO

Further, up to two Alternate Directors may be elected for one-year terms. A valid nomination for Director must be written and requires either one Member Society or five current individual members in good standing to nominate an AMSAT member. Written nominations, with the nominee’s name, call sign, and contact information, as well as the nominators’ names, call signs, and contact information, should be sent to the AMSAT Secretary:

Jeff Davis, KE9V
PO Box 11
Yorktown, IN 47396

AMSAT bylaws require that the nomination be written and in the form specified by the Secretary who has elected to accept written nomination materials via mail or in electronic form, including email or electronic image of a paper document. Fax transmissions cannot be accepted.

Email nominations may be sent to [email protected].

No matter what means are used, petitions MUST be received by the Secretary no later than June 15th. The Secretary will verify the qualifications of candidates and nominating members or Member Societies as petitions are received, and will notify candidates whether their nominations are in order by the end of June.

[ANS thanks Jeff Davis, KE9V, AMSAT Secretary 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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Dr. Nathaniel Frissell, W2NAF, is Guest Speaker at 2023 TAPR/AMSAT Banquet

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[ANS thanks AMSAT, TAPR and the ARRL for the above information.]

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AMSAT and ARISS Events at Hamvention

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

+ Saturday, May 20th – AMSAT Hamvention Forum
The AMSAT forum will be held from 1:10 PM – 2:10 PM in Forum Room 2. The forum will include updates on AMSAT’s operations, engineering, and Youth Initiative, and development programs. Arrive early, grab a seat, take in some air conditioning and catch up on the latest AMSAT happenings!

+ Saturday, May 20 – Dayton Hamvention Youth Forum – Saturday, May 20 at 9:15 AM
AMSAT member Grace Papay (KE8RJU) will present on the topic of “Amateur Radio Satellites Near and Far.” The time is 9:15 AM in Forum Room 2. Come support one of AMSAT’s youth ambassadors!

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

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

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

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

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

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

[ANS thanks AMSAT and ARISS for the above information.]

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2023 AMSAT Field Day Rules

The AMSAT Field Day 2023 event is open to all Amateur Radio operators.  Amateurs are to use the exchange as specified in ARRL rules for Field Day. The AMSAT competition is to encourage the use of all amateur satellites, both analog and digital. Note that no points will be credited for any contacts beyond the ONE allowed via each single-channel FM satellite. Operators are encouraged not to make any extra contacts via theses satellites (Ex: SO-50). CW contacts and digital contacts are worth three points as outlined below.

1.  Analog Transponders

ARRL rules apply, except:

– Each phone, CW, and digital segment ON EACH SATELLITE TRANSPONDER is considered to be a separate band.

– CW and digital (RTTY, PSK-31, etc.) contacts count THREE points each.

– Stations may only count one (1) completed QSO on any single channel FM satellite. If a satellite has multiple modes such as V/u and L/s modes both turned on, one contact each is allowed. If the PBBS is on – see Pacsats below, ISS (1 phone and 1 digital), Contacts with the ISS crew will count for one contact if they are active. PCSat (I, II, etc.) (1 digital),

– The use of more than one transmitter at the same time on a single satellite transponder is prohibited.

2.  Digital Transponders

We have only APRS digipeaters and 10m to 70cm PSK transponders (see Bob Bruninga’s article in the March/April, 2016 issue of the AMSAT Journal).

Satellite digipeat QSO’s and APRS short-message contacts are worth three points each, but must be complete verified two-way exchanges. The one contact per FM satellite is not applied to digital transponders.

The use of terrestrial gateway stations or internet gateways (i.e. EchoLink, IRLP, etc.) to uplink/downlink is not allowed.

For the Pacsats (FalconSat-3) or ‘Store and Forward’ hamsats, each satellite is considered a separate band.  Do not post “CQ” messages.  Simply upload ONE greeting message to each satellite and download as many greeting messages as possible from each satellite.  The subject of the uploaded file should be posted as Field Day Greetings, addressed to ALL.  The purpose of this portion of the competition is to demonstrate digital satellite communications to other Field Day participants and observers.  Do not reply to the Field Day Greetings addressed to ALL.

The following uploads and downloads count as three-point digital contacts.

(a)  Upload of a satellite Field Day Greetings file (one per satellite).
(b)  Download of Satellite Field Day Greetings files posted by other stations. Downloads of non-Field Day files or messages not addressed to ALL are not to be counted for the event.  Save DIR listings and message files for later “proof of contact.”

You may make contacts with GreenCube, IO-117 and each one will count as 3 points as do other digital contacts.

Please note AMSAT uploaded messages do not count for QSO points under the ARRL rules.

Sample Satellite Field Day Greetings File:

Greetings from W5MSQ Field Day Satellite station near Katy, Texas, EL-29, with 20 participants, operating class 2A, in the AMSAT-Houston group with the Houston Amateur Television Society and the Houston QRP club.  All the best and 73!

Note that the message stated the call, name of the group, operating class, where they were located (the grid square would be helpful) and how many operators were in attendance.

3.  Operating Class

Stations operating portable and using emergency power (as per ARRL Field Day rules) are in a separate operating class from those at home connected to commercial power.  On the report form simply check off Emergency or Commercial for the Power Source and be sure to specify your ARRL operating class (2A, 1C, etc.).

And Finally…

The Satellite Summary Sheet should be used for submission of the AMSAT Field Day competition and be received by KK5DO (e-mail) by 11:59 P.M. CDT, Tuesday, July 25, 2023. This year, we are using the same due date as the ARRL. The only method for submitting your log is via e-mail to [email protected] or [email protected]. I have not had a mail-in entry in over 6 years, probably even longer than that.

Add photographs or other interesting information that can be used in an article for the Journal.

You will receive an e-mail back (within one or two days) from me when I receive your e-mail submission. If you do not receive a confirmation message, then I have not received your submission. Try sending it again or send it to my other e-mail address.

Certificates will be awarded for the first-place emergency power/portable station at the AMSAT General Meeting and Space Symposium in the fall of 2023. Certificates will also be awarded to the second and third place portable/emergency operation in addition to the first-place home station running on emergency power. A station submitting high, award-winning scores will be requested to send in dupe sheets for analog contacts and message listings for digital downloads.

You may have multiple rig difficulties, antenna failures, computer glitches, generator disasters, tropical storms, and there may even be satellite problems, but the goal is to test your ability to operate in an emergency situation.  Try different gear.  Demonstrate satellite operations to hams that don’t even know the HAMSATS exist.  Test your equipment. Avoid making more than ONE contact via the FM-only voice HAMSATS or the ISS, and enjoy the event!

[ANS thanks Bruce Paige, KK5DO, AMSAT Director, 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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2023 Field Day – More Thoughts

It’s that time of year again; summer and Field Day!  Each year the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) sponsors Field Day as a “picnic, a campout, practice for emergencies, an informal contest and, most of all, FUN!”  The event takes place during a 23-hour period on the fourth weekend of June.  For 2023 the event takes place during a 27-hour period from 1800 UTC on Saturday June 24, 2023 through 2100 UTC on Sunday June 25, 2023. Those who set up prior to 1800 UTC on June 24 can operate only 24 hours.  The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT) promotes its own version of Field Day for operation via the amateur satellites, held concurrently with the ARRL event.

This year should be as easy as last year since we have more than 10 transponders and repeaters available. Users should check the AMSAT status page at http://www.amsat.org/status/ and the pages at  https://www.amsat.org/two-way-satellites/ for what is available in the weeks leading up to Field Day. To reduce the amount of time to research each satellite, see the current FM satellite table at https://www.amsat.org/fm-satellite-frequency-summary/  and the current linear satellite table at https://www.amsat.org/linear-satellite-frequency-summary/

If you are considering ONLY the FM voice satellites, there are ISS, SO-50, AO-91, PO-101 and possibly LilacSat. It might be easier this year to make that one FM contact for the ARRL bonus points with so many FM birds. The congestion on FM LEO satellites is always so intense that we must continue to limit their use to one-QSO-per-FM-satellite. This includes the International Space Station. You will be allowed one QSO if the ISS is operating Voice.

It was suggested during past field days that a control station be allowed to coordinate contacts on the FM satellites. There is nothing in the rules that would prohibit this. This is nothing more than a single station working multiple QSO’s. If a station were to act as a control station and give QSO’s to every other field day station, the control station would still only be allowed to turn in one QSO per FM satellite while the other station would be able to submit one QSO.

The format for the message exchange on the ISS or other digital packet satellite is an unproto packet to the other station (3-way exchange required) with all the same information as normally exchanged for ARRL Field Day,
e.g.:

W6NWG de KK5DO 2A STX
KK5DO de W6NWG QSL 5A SDG
W6NWG de KK5DO QSL

If you have worked the satellites on Field Day in recent years, you may have noticed a lot of good contacts can be made on some of the less-populated, low-earth-orbit satellites like FO-29, AO-7, EO-88 or the XW satellites. During Field Day the transponders come alive like 20 meters on a weekend. The good news is that the transponders on these satellites will support multiple simultaneous contacts. The bad news is that you can’t use FM, just low duty-cycle modes like SSB and CW.

[ANS thanks Bruce Paige, KK5DO, AMSAT 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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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
Webb Bridge Middle School, Alpharetta, GA, telebridge via IK1SLD.
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS.
The scheduled crewmember is Warren Hoburg, KB3HTZ.
The ARISS mentor is W4NTR.
Contact is go for Friday, May 19, 2023 at 18:20:31 UTC.
Watch for Livestream at www.ariotti.com starting 15min before AOS.

Fairview Elementary, Olathe, KS, telebridge via VK4ISS.
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS.
The scheduled crewmember is Warren Hoburg, KB3HTZ.
The ARISS mentor is AJ9N.
Contact is go for Friday, May 19, 2023 at 18:58:08 UTC.

Saint Petersburg, Russia, direct via TBD.
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RS0ISS.
The scheduled crewmember is Dmitry Petelin.
The ARISS mentor is RV3DR.
Contact is go for Saturday, May 20, 2023 at 19:15 UTC.

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

+ IO74TJ; May 15-17
David, G0MRF has booked a short trip over to the Isle of Man, travelling out very early on Monday, May 15 and leaving the Island Wednesday, May 17 in the afternoon.
The callsign will be GD0MRF/P. He will be taking an IC-9700 and some LEO equipment as well as a dish/converters for QO-100.

Plans are as follows:
– Monday, May 15 from 08:00 UTC. QO-100. Will start with FT modes and move to SSB later in the day. If no takers later, he will move onto LEO/MEO.
– Tuesday, May 16 will focus on LEO/MEO. Mainly JO-97, RS-44 and IO-117; Especially any passes that cover NA.
– Wednesday, May 17th he will have a short time to drive around the Isle of Man TT course, but will come back on QO-100 for about one hour mid-morning for anyone who missed him on Monday.

QSL via LoTW. Updates while he’s on Twitter @g0mrf.

+ EN84, EN85 and EN76; May 26-May 29.
Mike, N8MR will be using an Icom 9700, Arrow antenna and SAT controller. Listening for Europe for eastern passes. All QSOs going to LoTW as N8MR.

[ANS thanks Paul Overn, KE0PBR, 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.

+ Dayton Hamvention
May 19-21
See “AMSAT and ARISS Events at Hamvention” above for scheduled events.
Greene County Fair and Expo Center, 210 Fairground Road, Xenia 45385
https://hamvention.org/

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

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

AMSAT Ambassador Clint Bradford, K6LCS, says,

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

[ANS thanks Paul Overn, KE0PBR, AMSAT Events page manager, for the above information.]

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Satellite Shorts From All Over

+ The 27-year-old FO-29 is still operational, but is in a period of periodic eclipses. JAMSAT control ops turn it on during some weekend passes over Japan, and it remains on while in the sun. But because the batteries failed long ago, it turns itself off again during eclipse. When the satellite returns to full sun, it will become reliable once again. Also, the FO-99 operating schedule for May is at https://www.jamsat.or.jp/?p=2128. [ANS thanks JAMSAT for the above information.]

+ When the crewed Artemis II mission makes its lunar flyby in late 2024, we’ll be able to see video of the moon like never before — and it’s all thanks to lasers. Along for the historic journey to the moon will be the Orion Artemis II Optical Communications System, or O2O — making Artemis II the first crewed lunar flight to demonstrate laser communications technology. The O2O system will be capable of returning high-resolution images and video of the lunar surface back to Earth with a downlink rate of up to 260 megabits per second. The laser system will also be able to send and receive procedures, flight plans, voice messages and other communications between the Orion spacecraft and mission control on Earth. Read the complete story at https://www.cnn.com/search?q=laser&from=0&size=10&page=1&sort=newest&types=all&section=. [ANS thanks cnn.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

In this edition:

* Fox-Plus Progress Report
* AMSAT Net Tops 1500 Sessions
* Fuji 3 (FO-29) Operation Schedule as of April 21, 2023
* Youth On the Air Camp for the Americas Announced
* 14th annual TAPR/AMSAT Banquet Menu Announced
* Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for April 20, 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-113 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 23

Fox-Plus Progress Report

Recognizing the immense popularity of the original Fox series of satellites and their ability to introduce countless hams to amateur satellites, the AMSAT Board of Directors in 2021 approved the Fox-Plus program to carry Amateur Radio payloads into low-earth-orbit (LEO) and, specifically, to provide continued availability of entry level FM repeater satellites.

With Fox-Plus having a year-and-a-half of operation under its belt, AMSAT News Service thought it was a good time to check in with AMSAT Assistant VP – Engineering, Jonathan Brandenburg, KF5IDY for a report on its progress.

Jonathan reports, “The progress of the Fox -Plus team has been steady and is now accelerating thanks to a fresh influx of engineers who are now contributing to the team. We currently have ten engineers actively working on various aspects of this new generation of satellites. We have software engineers, electrical engineers, mechanical engineers, even system engineers working on testing and documentation. This is a solid team of engineers, some with a lifetime of experience and some still in college, but we can always use more.

“Our strategy is to build 20 or so satellites to have on-the-shelf and ready to fly. There are two important facets to this approach. The first is the economy of scale and the second, perhaps more importantly, is the ability to take advantage of launch availabilities in a timely manner.

“As we close in on completed and tested designs, it is likely that we can launch our first bird, Fox-Plus Alpha, in early 2024. That date, of course, is dependent on the ability of our volunteer engineering staff to work on AMSAT projects while working their full-time jobs, fulfilling their responsibilities with their families, and taking the occasional moment to sit back and relax.”

“Fox-Plus Alpha will be a feature-packed bird combining commercially available and AMSAT developed hardware. In the interest of speeding up delivery time for our first satellite, certain components such as the space frame, electrical power module, solar panels and antennas will be commercially sourced. We are reusing the Improved Command Receiver and the Internal Housekeeping Unit for this flight. Over time, we will continue to improve our own ideas for electrical power systems and antennas. One example of this is the maximum power point tracker (MPPT), a device that extracts the maximum amount of power from the solar cells by adjusting the voltage to maximize the power curve.

“Although the basic mission of the Fox-Plus program is to fly FM repeater payloads, the Fox-Plus Alpha payload will utilize the previously flown linear transponder module (LTM) as used on Fox-1 Echo. The decision to fly a linear transponder payload was made for expedience reasons- to provide AMSAT members with a working Amateur Radio payload in the shortest time possible. A bird carrying an FM repeater will follow, but we are in need of an engineer to develop that board.

“Fox-Plus Alpha’s linear transponder will utilize a V/U configuration (VHF uplink – UHF downlink). There will also be a separate telemetry beacon that will leverage the ever-popular FoxTelem software. The battery chemistry will be lithium-based.

“Although we learned many things from the original Fox series satellites, one thing that sticks in my mind is the need to harden the transmitter circuity. Variations in the SWR caused by the state of the antenna deployment and other factors created difficulties in transmitter operation such as significantly reduced power output and even failure altogether. This is a priority for all Fox-Plus missions.

“After we have achieved our initial mission objectives, there are several improvements to the Fox-Plus series that we have planned, including:
– Radiation tolerant internal housekeeping unit (RT-IHU)
– Multi-channel FM repeater
– SSTV uplink and downlink
– Internally developed attitude determination and control capabilities, and a
– Packet system with store-and -forward capabilities already being developed by engineers participating in the Advanced Satellite Communications and Exploration of New Technology (ASCENT) initiative.

“After Fox-Plus Alpha, the future is not all that far away. Planned improvements to the Fox-Plus series of satellites include increased payload capabilities. We are exploring the opportunities to fly high-school and university level experiments as additional payloads. These possibilities may exist within a 1U spaceframe. But, adding robust science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) modules comes the need for increased volume and greater power generation and storage. Thus, the transition from 1U to 3U spaceframes seems inevitable, and even desirable.

“Looking at the big picture, the AMSAT Youth Initiative and Educational Relation programs have a front seat at the table for defining STEM missions. Our payload capabilities must meet their requirements for missions that generate wide participation and the serious benefit to youth education.”

[ANS thanks Jonathan Brandenburg, KF5IDY, AMSAT Assistant VP-Engineering 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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AMSAT Net Tops 1500 Sessions

For those unaware, the Houston AMSAT Net has been around since prior to AMSAT Board of Directors member Bruce Paige, KK5DO starting with it in 1993. April 11, 2023 was its 1506th net. Check-ins discuss satellite and balloon stuff. Andy MacAllister, W5ACM (SK), was the host with Bruce and Marty Smith, WV5Y, participating. Through the years, they morphed from geostationary satellites and streaming to its current format using podcasting and Echolink. Marty is now the host as Bruce moved to far to reach the local Houston repeater. An antenna at 30 feet may help with that issue.

Vern Jackson, WA0RCR, has put the program on the top band for all these years. You can listen to the last net on 1860 kHz AM. Back in the day, Bruce had to mail Vern a cassette tape of the net. The internet has made delivery of that cassette almost immediate.

The net is heard on the W5BSA local Houston repeater on 145.190 Mhz Tuesday evenings at 8:00 PM Central Time. At amsatnet.com, you can find links to the live stream during the net, a link to the recorded nets for the past 4 weeks and some way-back streams from long ago. There also is a link to the URL’s that are referenced during the net, so you do not have to write them down. A subscription is available to receive the links via email when they are posted prior to the net.

The AMSAT net can be found during the net with a stream on Echolink connecting to *AMSAT*.

[ANS thanks Bruce Paige, KK5DO, AMSAT Board of Directors for the above information.]

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Fuji 3 (FO-29) Operation Schedule as of April 21, 2023

The period of continuous operation in full sunshine has ended. From late April to early May, the analog repeater will be activated on the following dates and approximate UTC times until it is stopped by the lower limit voltage control.

April 2023
22 07:05~
23 06:10-20:55-
29 05:55-20:35-
30 06:45~

May 2023
3 07:30~
4 06:35~
5 07:25~
6 08:15~
7 07:20~

These estimated times indicate the time to start transmitting. Please be aware that it may take some time for the transponder to turn on due to the attitude of the satellite and the direction the antenna is pointing, disturbances in the ionosphere, interference, power supply conditions of the satellite, etc.

Fuji 3 was launched more than a quarter of a century ago and its operation is now unstable. Please use Fuji No. 3 carefully.

[ANS thanks the Japanese Amateur Radio League 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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Youth On the Air Camp for the Americas Announced

The 2023 Youth on the Air Camp for the Americas will be held in Ottawa, Canada on July 16-21. Each year campers have the opportunity to try different aspects of the Amateur Radio hobby including satellite operation and high-altitude balloon launches.

Youth on the Air Camp is for already licensed amateur radio operators between the ages of 15 to 25.  For those who have a license, but don’t know what to do next, the camp teaches  cutting edge technology that can be used with Amateur Radio. For youth operators who are already experienced, this is an opportunity for young operators to take their knowledge to the next level and share their previous knowledge with other young amateurs from throughout North, Central, and South America.

The camp will focus on building strong relationships with peers and mentors, and developing new radio skills.  The camp is being modeled closely after the popular Youngsters on the Air camps in IARU Region 1 (Europe/Africa/Middle East). Campers will operate a special event station, featuring cutting-edge HF and VHF/UHF radios and a wide array of antennas that many only dream of having a chance to use.

Applicants must be licensed amateur radio operators residing in North, Central, or South America between the ages of 15 and 25.  We welcome ALL licensed operators in our region who meet these requirements.  Applicants outside of the USA and minorities are strongly encouraged to apply. More information and application forms are available at https://youthontheair.org/ottawa2023/.

[ANS thanks Youth on the Air 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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14th annual TAPR/AMSAT Banquet Menu Announced

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

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

Appetizer
– Crudite Platter (with dip on the side)

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

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

Dessert
– Assorted Layer Cake
– Cheesecake

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

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

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

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Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for April 20, 2023

A SpaceX Falcon 9 Transporter-7 mission placed the following satellites carrying Amateur Radio into orbit on an April 15, 2023, at 02:48 a.m. Eastern time.

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

KILICSAT – NORAD Cat ID 56181 (uncoordinated frequency: 436.9000 MHz).
CIRBE – NORAD Cat ID 56188 (IARU coordinated frequency: 437.2500 MHz).
INSPIRE-SAT 7 – NORAD Cat ID 56211 (IARU coordinated frequencies: 435.2002.MHz and 437.4100 MHz).
ROSEYCUBESAT 1  – NORAD Cat ID 56212 (IARU coordinated frequency: 436.8252.MHz).

Thanks to Nico Janssen, PA0DLO for the NORAD Cat ID identification of the above satellites.

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/.

[ANS thanks Ray Hoad, WA5QGD, 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

None listed.

+ Successful Contacts

West Michigan Aviation Academy, High School, Grand Rapids, MI, direct via W8ISS.
The ISS callsign was NA1SS.
The crewmember was Sultan Al Neyadi, KI5VTV.
The ARISS mentor was KD8COJ.
Contact was successful on Thursday, April 20, 2023.

Mohammad Bin Rashid Space Centre, Dubai, UAE, direct via A68MBR.
The ISS callsign was OR4ISS.
The crewmember was Sultan Al Neyadi, KI5VTV.
The ARISS mentor was ON6TI.
Contact was successful on Tuesday, April 18, 2023.

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 listed.

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Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events

+ CubeSat Developers Workshop
April 25-27, 2023
Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo
Performing Arts Center, 1 Grand Avenue, San Luis Obispo, CA 93405
https://www.cubesatdw.org/

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

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

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

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

AMSAT Ambassador Clint Bradford, K6LCS, says,

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

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

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

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

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Satellite Shorts From All Over

+ The Providence Radio Association, W1OP will attempt SSB and FM satellites QSO’s from the Alan S. Feinstein Middle School, in Coventry, RI on April 27, 2023. This will be part of a presentation on ham radio to about 350 students in their 8th grade STEM program. N1DM will be the operator and will attempt to work any available satellites during the demo portion of the program which will occur somewhere in the period of 1245 to 1425 UTC. W1OP/N1DM requests if you make a QSO in addition to call and grid square you give your state.[ANS thanks Dom Mallozzi, N1DM for the above information.]

+ $50Sat, also known as EAGLE-2,  is an open-source, PocketQube satellite project that was designed to demonstrate the feasibility of building and launching a functional satellite for just $50. The project was launched in 2013 with the goal of providing a simple and low- cost platform for educational and amateur space missions. $50Sat is equipped with a basic communications system, including a UHF/VHF transceiver, a microcontroller and a simple power system. The satellite is based on a modular design, which makes it easy to modify and customize for different missions. One of the key innovations of $50Sat is the use of Commercial-Off-The Shelf (COTS) components, such as a cellphone battery and a Bluetooth module, all of which helps to lower costs. The satellite also leverages a number of open-source hardware and software tools, making it easier for others to build their own satellites based on the $50Sat design. For more ideas on PocketQubes, see http://satmagazine.com/story.php?number=1780991041. [ANS thanks satmagazine.com for the above information.]

+ ‘Look what I found!’ Hours after the first test flight of SpaceX’s Starship ended with the spacecraft and its Super Heavy booster tumbling until it was commanded to explode, possible debris from the colossal rocket began to wash up on the shores surrounding the company’s Starbase launch facility in Boca Chica, Texas. Photos shared on social media showed that more than one person had come across small fragments of the black and white ceramic tiles from the Starship. Though the Starship test flight was a privately funded activity, it was conducted under a Federal Aviation Administration launch license asserting it was being undertaken with the oversight of the United States. As a party to the Outer Space Treaty of 1967, protections are extended that any spacecraft components found anywhere on Earth (or in space) remain the property of the launch operator until such time that the entity explicitly relinquishes them. As such, all of the Starship debris remains SpaceX’s property, even if it is found on private property or in the Gulf of Mexico. [ANS thanks 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