[jamsat-news:2649] ANS-102 AMSAT Weekly Bulletins

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE
ANS-102

ANS is a free, weekly, news and information service of AMSAT North America, The
Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS 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.

Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to:

ans-editor@amsat.org


In this edition:
* Richard Garriott, W5KWQ, wins 2009 Hamvention Special Achievement Award
* AMSAT Forum at Dayton Hamvention
* KiwiSat Status Update
* Further Delays for  SumbandilaSat Launch
* Satellite Shorts From All Over
* Wind Farm interference
* Busy Week of Successful ARISS Contacts
* ARISS Status - 06 April 2009


SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-102.
Richard Garriott, W5KWQ, wins 2009 Hamvention Special Achievement Award

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 102.
  From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
April 12, 2009
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-102.

Richard Garriott, W5KWQ, is a legendary video game programmer/designer and ham
radio operator who was the sixth private citizen to fly to the International
Space Station (ISS).

Like his father, Owen Garriott, W5LFL, who made history as the first ham to
communicate from space with radio amateurs during the STS-9 Space Shuttle
mission, Richard was a ham radio pathfinder in his own right through on-orbit
experimentation, implementation of new capabilities, extensive operations using
many diverse operations modes, and phenomenal educational outreach initiatives
that inspired and transformed the lives of tens of thousands students,
worldwide.

Garriott was the most prolific ham radio operator to fly on a short duration
(<15 day) mission. During his 10 day stay on the ISS over 500 2-way voice QSOs
were conducted, over a thousand SSTV images were down linked. He communicated
with tens of thousands of students in schools around the world. Garriott also
had numerous random chats with scouts world-wide as part of the amateur radio
Jamboree on the Air (JOTA).

Hamvention® Chairman Carl Rose, K8CPR, praised the winners, saying: “On behalf
of the Dayton Amateur Radio Association and Hamvention® 2009 it is my pleasure
to congratulate this year’s Award Winners. Their outstanding contributions and
the many years of service exemplify what the amateur radio service is."

Richard will also be the keynote speaker at the AMSAT/TAPR Banquet during
Hamvention 2009. The Banquet will be on Friday evening, 15 May 2009. There is
limited seating for the banquet, and tickets may 
be purchased for $30 on-line at
the AMSAT store or by contacting Martha at the AMSAT office.

Richard will give a short presentation at the AMSAT Forum on Saturday morning,
and visit the AMSAT & ARRL booths.

[ANS thanks The Dayton Amateur Radio Association for the above information]

/EX


SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-102.
AMSAT Forum at Dayton Hamvention

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 102.
  From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
April 12, 2009
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-102.

The AMSAT Forum at the 2009 Dayton Hamvention will be on Saturday, 16 May
from 11:15 to 13:30 in Room 5.

The speakers and their topics at this year's forum are listed below, the
order will probably change. The Hamvention site now has the entire list of
Forums and times posted on their web site

AMSAT Forum
Moderator:  Rick Hambly, W2GPS  AMSAT Past President and current member of
the Board of Directors

Richard Garriott, W5WKQ On October 12, 2008 Richard Garriott launched into
space aboard Soyuz TMA 13 and became the first second generation american in
space. Richard's father Owen is a NASA astronaut and carried the first ham
radio to orbit on his second flight in 1983 aboard the 9th shuttle flight.
Richard will touch on his training, the flight and his impressions from
space, and highlight his ham radio activities.

Barry Baines, WD4ASW AMSAT President "AMSAT Status Report:  What is
happening with AMSAT?"  Barry will highlight current activities within AMSAT
and discuss some of the challenges facing the organization.

Gould Smith, WA4SXM, AMSAT VP-Member & User Services and SuitSat-2 Systems
Engineer "SuitSat-2 Status Report".  Gould will provide an overview of
AMSAT's current engineering project which is projected being developed for
ARISS to be shipped to Russia this Fall for eventual placement on the
International Space Station and subsequent release into space.

Drew Glasbrener, KO4MA, AMSAT VP-Operations , "AMSAT Satellite Operations
Update" which will provide an overview of current satellite operations as
well as discuss future satellite opportunities currently under
consideration.

Will Marchant, KC6ROL, AMSAT VP-Human Space Flight "  "A Ham Radio
Operator's View of ARISS".  Will will outline several new initiatives under
development for Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS)
that will interest amateur radio operators.

Lou McFadin, W5DID, ARISS Hardware Manager  "Antennas for the Columbus
Module"  Lou will discuss the latest piece of amateur radio equipment to be
shipped to the European Space Agency for deployment to the ISS and explain
the significance of this development.

[ANS thanks Gould, WA4SXM, for the above information]

/EX


SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-102.
KiwiSat Status Update

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 102.
  From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
April 12, 2009
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-102.

In a gesture of support for KiwiSAT the Auckland VHF Group (NZART Branch 66)
have donated $1000 for the purchase of the special Aluminium blocks from which
the very structure of KiwiSAT will be milled. For maximum stability, light
weight and overall integrity, the frame of our satellite will be milled from
solid blocks of Aluminium.

Over the next few weeks KiwiSAT will finally start to take shape. There is much
work to be done but we now making "solid" progress.

Mike Jack of Stanier Engineering, a small specialist precision engineering
company based in Auckland, is now milling the 
main frame from those solid blocks
(above). The first tray is to hand and looking 
great. Strength and precision are
two major factors as this first plate, the foundation stone for the final
structure, will carry the whole load at launch.

We are most grateful to Mike for the use of his costly machinery and for
donating his very valuable time to this project.

Many more details and video of the milling process are available on the KiwiSat
web site
http://kiwisat.org/index.html

[ANS thanks AMSAT-ZL for the above information]

/EX


SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-102.
Further Delays for  SumbandilaSat Launch

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 102.
  From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
April 12, 2009
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-102.

Launch date is now  only late July 2009

In early January the Department of Science and Technology  signed the
SumbandilaSat  launch contract with Roscosmos setting the launch date at 25
March  2009. This date was later postponed till May  but the latest is  a
further postponement till late July. No reasons have been given. However rumors
have it that one of the main payloads is delayed.

The fact that launch will now take place on a Soyuz launcher at Baikonur as
opposed to the previous Shtil from a submarine, ensured that a new Interface
Control Document (ICD) had to be issued. This 
meant that each element of the new
ICD had to be check against the previous one and an impact report on the
differences had to be compiled. Normally the base plate modifications, various
types of vibration, and some electrical issues 
from the basis of the changes but
the ICD is very comprehensive and contains all elements related to on-site
safety.

  From 25 August 2008 to the present time 
SunSpace, with permission from the DST
and under contract to Stellenbosch University, conducted systems tests at ISSA
to ensure that the satellite is launch-ready 
after its been moth balled for more
than two years. All the individual systems have 
been declared functional and the
only outstanding items are some control system software updates caused by the
change in orbit parameter from South-North to 
North-South. The updates have been
tested, work and will be uploaded within the week. Final mission scenario
testing will then be carried out and is expected to be successful.

[ANS thanks SA AMSAT for the above information]

/EX


SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-102.
Satellite Shorts From All Over

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 102.
  From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
April 12, 2009
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-102.


+ The Hudson Valley Satcom group Net meets Thursdays at 8 PM EST.
   The Echolink node is n2eyh-l. You are invited to join and share
   your satellite knowledge. (via WA2AQH)

+ Ed, WA4SWJ, AMSAT Journal Editor reports that the March/April
   issue of the Journal has been uploaded to the printer. You should
   have it in your hands in 2-3 weeks.

+ Ciaran, M0XTD has posted the video of the UK contact with Charles
   Simonyi from March 30 at:
   http://www.it-sparkles.co.uk/ARISS/Parkside.aspx - there are links
   to wmv, mov, mp4 and mpeg versions. Howard G6LVB has also made his
   video available at: http://www.g6lvb.com/ParksideCut.wmv (138MB).

+ Neven, 9A5YY plans to operate on AO-51, AO-27 and SO-50 with his
   handheld Yaesu VX-7R and AL-800 antenna during his stay in Peru
   April 11-19. Listen for the  callsigns 9A5YY/OA4 from Lima and as
   9A5YY/OA7 from Cuzco.

+ The Teresina DX Group is preparing for the PS8DX DXpedition to
   Brazil's Canary Island (IOTA-072) on the coast of Piaui, Brazil
   in grid GI97bf. Dates of operation will be between April 29 to
   May 3. Satellite operation will include AO-7, FO-29, AO-51, VO-52,
   SO-50 and ISS if available. Team members include PS8BBC, PS8DX, PS8ET,
   PS8FSM, PS8HF, PS8JN, PS8NF, PS8PY, PS8RF,PS8TV.

[ANS thanks everyone for the above information]

/EX


SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-102.
Wind Farm interference

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 102.
  From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
April 12, 2009
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-102.
    	
The UK regulator, Ofcom, has published a document about the effects of
interference to UHF & SHF communications by Wind Farms.

The report, by ERA Technology Ltd and Aegis Systems Ltd, describes a technical
study in which a series of measurements were carried out with regard to the
presence of wind turbines near to wireless services. The purpose of the study
was to enhance understanding of the effects of wind turbines near to wireless
services

Some of their findings include:

*  A single turbine can produce measured fades as 
large as 3 dB for UHF scanning
    telemetry links and 2 dB for fixed links operating between 1.5 and 18 GHz,
    when the turbine is lying on the transmitter-receiver path.

*  A wind farm (with seventeen turbines) can produce measured fades as large as
    10 to 15 dB for 1% of the time when the wind farm is lying on the
    transmitter-receiver path.

The full report in PDF Format is available:
http://www.ofcom.org.uk/radiocomms/ifi/licensing/classes/
fixed/Windfarms/rf_measurement/windfarm_report.pdf

[ANS thanks Trevor, M5AKA, for the above information]

/EX


SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-102.
Busy Week of Successful ARISS Contacts

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 102.
  From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
April 12, 2009
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-102.

1. U.K. Students Contact the ISS

On Monday, March 30, students from Parkside 
Community College in Cambridge, U.K.
took part in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS)
contact.   Spaceflight Participant Charles Simonyi, KE7KDP/HA5SIK answered 17
questions put to him by the students as an audience of approximately 200
watched. British Amateur Television Club (BATC) streamed video of the event on
its Web site.


2. U.S. Girls Speak with Spaceflight Participant via Radio

The Girl’s Middle School (GMS) in Mountain View, California experienced a
successful Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on
Monday, March 30 via telebridge station K6DUE in Maryland. Twenty girls asked
one question each of Charles Simonyi, 
KE7KDP/HA5SIK as sixty students looked on.
  The audio was fed into the EchoLink AMSAT and JK1ZRW servers and received 15
connections from stations in the U.S., Poland, Italy, Germany, England, Canada
and Brazil.


3. ISS Radio Contact with Japanese Students

An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact took place
on Tuesday, March 31 between Mike Fincke, KE5AIT 
and students from Science Dream
Association (SDA) in Kobe-city, Japan. The original scheduled pass was too low
for a successful contact. Mike Fincke and Koichi 
Wakata made a connection on the
following pass and Fincke was able to answer 22 questions before the ISS went
over the horizon.  An audience of approximately 100 people attended the event
and four newspapers provided media coverage.


4. ARISS Contact with Puerto Rican Students

On Tuesday, March 31, students attending Marcelino Canino Canino Middle School
in Dorado, Puerto Rico participated in an Amateur Radio on the International
Space Station (ARISS) contact with Spaceflight Participant Charles Simonyi,
KE7KDP/HA5SIK.  Simonyi answered all 15 questions posed to him by the children.
Approximately 300 students and 60 adults, including the Secretary of Education,
were present for the event.  There was no media coverage, but the school plans
to provide television stations with a DVD of the contact.  Marcelino is a 2005
NASA Explorer School (NES).


5. Australian Students Question Astronaut

Kalori Catholic School students in Wallaroo, Australia spoke with Mike Fincke,
KE5AIT on Wednesday, April 1. The Amateur Radio on the International Space
Station (ARISS) contact was facilitated by telebridge station WH6PN in Hawaii.
Students were able to have all seventeen questions answered.  The audio was fed
into the EchoLink AMSAT and JK1ZRW servers and received six connections from
stations in England, Germany, Switzerland, and the U.S.


6. Florida Students Speak with Spaceflight Participant

Milwee Middle School students in Longwood, Florida spoke with Charles Simonyi,
KE7KDP/HA5SIK on Wednesday, April 1.  This Amateur Radio on the International
Space Station (ARISS) contact was made possible through telebridge station
ON4ISS in Belgium.  The students were able to ask 11 questions of the
spaceflight participant before the ISS went over the horizon. The audio was fed
into the EchoLink AMSAT and JK1ZRW servers and received 10 connections from
stations located in Belgium, England, Germany, Switzerland and the U.S.


7. Japanese Students Radio ISS

On Thursday, April 2, students from Miyahara 
Elementary School in Saitama, Japan
participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS)
contact. Fourteen students asked one question each of Koichi Wakata, KC5ZTA in
front of an audience of 450.  Media coverage included two television stations,
including NHK (The Japan Broadcasting Corporation), seven newspapers and  two
magazines.


8. ARISS – France Contact Successful

Albert Camus and Jules Verne Elementary Schools in Viry Châtillon, France
experienced a joint Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS)
contact on Thursday, April 2. Mike Fincke, KE5AIT 
answered 16 questions posed to
him by the students. Approximately 150 were present for the event including the
mayor of Viry-Chatillon and Mr. Alberto Novelli, representing ESA.  Local
newspapers and "Le Parisien" reported the news. The audio was fed into the
EchoLink AMSAT and JK1ZRW servers and received three connections from stations
in the U.S., China and England.

This was the last contact of Expedition 18 and 
Mike Fincke’s 40th contact during
this increment.


9. Carl Sandburg Elementary Participates in ARISS Contact

On Thursday, April 1, students attending Carl Sandburg Elementary School in
Kirkland, Washington experienced an Amateur Radio on the International Space
Station (ARISS) contact which was made possible 
through telebridge station W6SRJ
in California. Charles Simonyi, KE7KDP/HA5SIK answered the 20 questions put to
him by the students. An audience of approximately 75 students, teachers and
parents were present for the contact.  The audio 
was fed into the EchoLink AMSAT
and JK1ZRW servers and received ten connections from stations located in
England, New Zealand, Turkey and the U.S.

King-TV posted an article covering the event.  See:
http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_040209EDB-space-station-simonyi-KC.
98b4140c.html

[ANS thanks Carol, KB3LKI, for the above information]

/EX


SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-102.
ARISS Status - 06 April 2009

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 102.
  From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
April 12, 2009
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-102.

1. ARISS News on Amateur Radio Newsline

On April 3, the Amateur Radio Newsline Report 1651 ran 2 Amateur Radio on the
International Space Station (ARISS) news items. The first, “Names in the News:
Dayton Hamvention Announces 2009 Award Winners,” covers Richard Garriott as the
Special Achievement Award recipient. The second item, “Ham Radio in Space:
KE7KDP Again Operating from the ISS,” is about Charles Simonyi’s mission,
including his ARISS school contacts.  See:
ftp://ftp.arnewsline.org/quincy/News/news.txt


2. Charles in Space Web Site

The Charles in Space Web site has a section where the public has posted space
related questions concerning Charles’ current mission and his Amateur Radio on
the International Space Station (ARISS) activities. To view the questions and
answers, see:
http://www.charlesinspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Read_the_Answers.welcome#


3. General Contacts and SSTV

Over the past week, Charles Simonyi, 
KE7KDP/HA5SIK made several general contacts
with ground stations around the world including those in the U.S., Canada,
Australia, Hungary and Venezuela.
He also transmitted Slow Scan Television (SSTV) images using the VC-H1.  Images
may be viewed on the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS)
SSTV gallery site: http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/SSTV/


4. Astronaut Training Status

On Monday, March 30, the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station
(ARISS) team provided training to Mike Fossum to prepare him for the ham radio
licensing exam. ARISS member Kenneth Ransom is also working with other
astronauts from Expeditions 25 - 28 to get them trained and licensed.

[ANS thanks Carol, KB3LKI, for the above information]

/EX


In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership in the President's
Club. Members of the President's Club, as sustaining donors to AMSAT Project
Funds, will be eligible to receive additional benefits. Application forms are
available from the AMSAT Office.

73,
This week's ANS Editor,
Lee McLamb, KU4OS
ku4os at amsat dot org


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