[jamsat-news:3116] ANS-288 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE
ANS-288

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:
* 2012 AMSAT Space Symposium in Orlando Just Weeks Away
* Symposium Trip to the Orlando Science Center - Sunday, 28 October 2012
* National Scouting Museum to Celebrate JOTA With ARISS Contact
* Interorbital Offers Low Cost Launch to LEO for 40kg of CubeSats
* Viet Nam F-1 Satellite Team Requests Hams Continue to Listen
* RSGB, AMSAT-UK, and BATC Publish Joint Response to British OFCOM
* ARISS Status - 9 October 2012


SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-288.01
ANS-288 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 288.01
 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
October 14, 2012
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-288.01


2012 AMSAT Space Symposium in Orlando Just Weeks Away

This is a reminder that the 2012 AMSAT Space Symposium will be held
on Friday, October 26th through Sunday, October 28th at the Holiday
Inn Hotel at Orlando-International Airport.

See the AMSAT Web Store to complete your on-line registration:
http://store.amsat.org/catalog/index.php?cPath=27

Symposium Registration including Proceedings
   o Starting September 24, 2012: $ 50.00
   o At the Door:                 $ 55.00

Downloadable paper registration forms in MS-Word format and
PDF format are available on the 2012 Symposium page:
http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/symposium/2012/index.php

The Symposium Schedule web page has been updated with links to find
more information about the planned activities. See:
http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/symposium/2012/SymposiumSchedule.php

IMPORTANT message for all those planning to attend the special tour to the
Orlando Science Museum during the AMSAT Space Symposium in Orlando, FL on
Sunday, Oct. 28, 2012.
For those planning to attend the special Star Wars Exhibit, you must contact
Martha at AMSAT, to pay for your ticket in advance. Martha can be reached at
888-322-6728 or 301-589-6062).This must be done no later than Thursday,
October 17 to reserve your spot for the tour.

Please note that the following trip schedule has been updated from the
current schedule posted at www.amsat.org.


[ANS thanks the 2012 Symposium Committee for the above information]


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Symposium Trip to the Orlando Science Center - Sunday, 28 October 2012

Trip schedule:

Leave the hotel at 9:00am (transportation is provided)
Arrive at OSC at 9:45am (non-members parking: $5/vehicle)

Special backstage tour at 10:00am (should last 45 min. - our AMSAT liaison
will meet us in lobby)

 From 10:45am until 11:30am - visit the various Center exhibits

Those who pre-paid for the Star Wars Exhibit enter the exhibit as a group at
11:30am   (tkts cost $27/person - PRE-PAYMENT IS REQUIRED - SEE NOTE BELOW

View Exhibit from 11:30am until 1:00pm

Lunch at local restaurant from 1:15pm to 2:15pm

Leave restaurant at 2:15pm

Arrive back by 3:00pm


NOTE:

Star Wars Exhibit:
http://www.osc.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id
=117&Itemid=181

The Star Wars Exhibit is a limited engagement feature and is expected to draw
large crowds. In order to guarantee our visit stays on schedule, the
Center has arranged for AMSAT to enter the 
exhibit as a single group at 11:30am.
If you choose to visit this exhibit, you MUST contact Martha at AMSAT, and pay
for your ticket in advance. Martha can be reached at 888-322-6728 or
301-589-6062). This must be done no later than Thursday, October 17 to reserve
your spot for the tour. Otherwise, you will not be guaranteed a spot in the
11:30 tour with the rest of the members. Total cost per person will be $27.00.
Please note that this fee also covers general 
admission to OSC and all exhibits,
including the IMAX theater. When you arrive the tickets will be with your tour
guide.

Those that choose not to attend the Star Wars Exhibit may have the opportunity
of attending a feature in the IMAX Theater, providing the show times coincide
with our time schedule during the visit. Admission to the IMAX Theater is
covered under your initial admission fee. Admission fee to OSC will be $17.00
for those not attending the Star Wars Exhibit and will be paid at the door.

For those managing afternoon plane departures, transportation back to the hotel
will be provided by AMSAT volunteers at 11:30am, but only if needed.

[ANS thanks the 2012 Symposium Committee for the above information]


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National Scouting Museum to Celebrate JOTA With ARISS Contact

The weekend of October 20-21, 2012 is Scouting's 55th Jamboree-on-
the-Air (JOTA). JOTA is a World Scouting event that bridges Scouts
all over the world via amateur radio.

The official hours are from Saturday at 00:00 hours local time to
Sunday 24:00. JOTA is not a contest but idea is to contact as many
stations as possible during the weekend. So you will hear Scouting
stations calling "CQ Jamboree," or answering the calls. All amateur
radio operators are invited to participate. An even better idea is
to invite Scouts to your station or club to take part in JOTA.

JOTA will be the main event at the National Scouting Museum. Numer-
ous amateur radio stations will be set up throughout the Museum,
allowing for both local and global communication by various modes.

There will also be many other fun and educational activities; such
as hidden transmitter hunts, electronic project assembly, solar
telescopes, demonstrations of satellite communications, and much
more throughout the day

The JOTA at the National Scouting Museum, Irving, Texas  ARISS contact time
has now been confirmed.  Contact will begin at 18:30:30Z via telebridge
station VK6MJ in Australia.  If you cannot join us at the Museum, you are
invited to listen in to the contact via the 146.88 Dallas Amateur Radio Club
repeater, via the Echolink “AMSAT” conference bridge or on UStream via URL
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/dallasjota.

Lets light up the birds this JOTA weekend with Scout to Scout contacts.
Find a club or scouting organization near you that is running a JOTA station
and ask them if you can participate.  Many of them have never experienced a
satellite radio contact and you will hook ‘em.  For a list of BSA registered
JOTA stations, please check out the growing list at
http://www.scouting.org/jota/registered_stations.aspx and find one in your
area.  You can download the full spreadsheet there as well which has contact
information for the local organizer who have registered their events.
Outside the US contact your local Scouting agency and find out how you can
participate.

JOTA is a great way to get out of the ham shack and demonstrate the thrill
of Amateur Radio Satellites to an eager audience.

Boy Scouts of America JOTA Page:
http://www.scouting.org/jota.aspx

World Scouting Organization JOTA Page:
http://www.scout.org/en/information_events/events/jota

ARRL JOTA Page:
http://www.arrl.org/jamboree-on-the-air-jota

National Scouting Museum JOTA Page:
http://bsamuseum.org/Programs/JOTA%202012.aspx

[ANS thanks the Boy Scouts of America, the National Museum of
 Scouting, the World Scouting Organization, and the ARRL for
 the above information]


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Interorbital Offers Low Cost Launch to LEO for 40kg of CubeSats

The October, 2012 issue of the on-line SatMagazine published an art-
icle discussing Interorbital Systems' preparations to launch their
Neptune 5 and Neptune 7 rockets. Interorbital, based in Mojave, Cali-
fornia, develops and manufactures low-cost, state-of-the-art orbital
launch vehicles and satellites for private, commercial, governmental,
academic, arts, and military applications.

They also have available the $8,000 Personal Satellite Kit and Launch
Program for universities, private citizens, military, and government
entities throughout the world to develop TubeSats. There are details
of the TubeSat and CubeSat kits on their web page. See:
http://www.interorbital.com/

Two flights of the Neptune 5 launch system are planned to accommodate
the 9 CubeSats and 23 TubeSats. Interorbital's Neptune 7 launch has
already booked 10 CubeSats and 10 TubeSats to be delivered to low
Earth orbit.

The Neptune 7 capable of lifting approximately 40kg to LEO - or 30
small TubeSats and CubeSats per launch. The first launch is sold
out and the second is rapidly closing.

Read all of Interorbital's Article, "A Builder's Guide To Inexpensive
Space Access" By Randa Relich Milliron, CEO, Interorbital Systems on
page 60 of the October, 2012 SatMagazine which can be downloaded for
free at: http://www.satmagazine.com/2012/SM_Oct2012.pdf

Also in this issue of SatMagazine are articles about the Aeneas Cube-
Sat, Satellite Networks For Education, and the Firefly CubeSat.

AMSAT-UK has links to SatMagazine at: http://www.uk.amsat.org/?p=11009

[ANS thanks AMSAT-UK, SatMagazine, and Interorbital Systems for the
 above information]

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Viet Nam F-1 Satellite Team Requests Hams Continue to Listen

An article published on the AMSAT-UK web reports that the FSpace team
of young engineers and students at the FPT University in Viet Nam are
requesting Amateur Radio operators continue to listen for their F-1
CubeSat, callsign XV1VN which was deployed from the International
Space Station on October 4 but not heard on Earth.

Team Lead, Thu Trong Vu XV9AA provided this update on October 7, "So
far the team has received several mixed reports about F-1 status,
there is no definite conclusion yet. We will continue to collect in-
formation and analyze the situation, this afternoon we will hold a
team meeting to discuss different situations that may happen with
the little satellite up there. Please continue to help us listening
for F-1 on 437.485 in daylight and 145.980 in the dark, thank you!"

F-1 was expected to begin transmitting beacon alternatively on its
main and backup channels 30 minutes after deployment.

F-1 frequencies:

+ 145.980 MHz: main channel, 1.0W RF output, FM, AFSK 1200bps, one
  telemetry packet every 30 seconds, operates in the dark by default
  (but can be commanded later to operate in sunlight as well)

+ 437.485 MHz: backup channel, 0.2W RF output, FM, PWM CW beacon,
  each beacon transmission lasts about 20 seconds then 60 seconds
  delay, only operates in sunlight

More information and guide to download F-1 telemetry decoder can be
found at http://fspace.edu.vn/?page_id=27. Decoded data can be sub-
mitted to us via the telemetry decoder or by sending directly to:
thuvt@fpt.edu.vn. Audio recordings are highly appreciated.

Read the full article at: http://www.uk.amsat.org/?p=10480

[ANS thanks AMSAT-UK and the F-1 CubeSat Team for the above
 information]


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RSGB, AMSAT-UK, and BATC Publish Joint Response to British OFCOM

RSGB, AMSAT-UK, and BATC have provided a joint Amateur Radio response
to a July, 2012 Ofcom consultation document calling for input regard-
ing, "VHF Spectrum Release in the range 143 MHz to 156 MHz".

The response notes the, "unprecedented opportunity for VHF innovation
and growth based on an allocation to amateur radio at 146 - 148 MHz
within the UK for digital TV, audio, and other evolving spectrum effi-
cient data applications."

Also included in the response is a call to, "Provide for the increas-
ing use of the existing 144-146 MHz allocation for amateur satellite
activities by the CubeSat and similar spacecraft being developed by
UK University student teams in collaboration with radio amateurs.

It was noted that spectrum allocation at 146 - 148 MHz would allow
for, "Use of equipment harmonised for amateur use in ITU Regions 2
and 3 where 146-148 MHz is already a ITU Primary allocation to the
Amateur service."

The Amateur Radio response also notes this allocation to the Amateur
service provides, "Room for highly innovative infrastructure-free
narrowband DATV and other new applications that we have not been able
to deploy in restricted secondary bands such as 70 MHz or 423 MHz,
1296 MHz.

The full document is available on-line at the RSGB Web:
http://tinyurl.com/Amateur-Joint-Response

[ANS thanks AMSAT-UK, RSGB, and BATC for the above information]


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ARISS Status - 9 October 2012


1. Izmir, Turkey School Hosts ARISS Contact

On Friday, October 5, students from Izmir SEV Primary School in Turkey
participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS)
contact with astronaut Sunita Williams, KD5PLB via station K6DUE in Greenbelt,
Maryland.  Williams answered all 20 questions posed to her during the event
which drew an audience of over 800 students and was heard all over Turkey. The
contact highlighted a science curriculum which included other NASA activities
such as First Lego League Robotic Teams and Destination Imagination Teams.


2. Sunita Williams Chats with Malaysian Students

Sekolah Kebangsaan students in Putrajaya, Malaysia spoke with Sunita Williams,
KD5PLB aboard the ISS through an Amateur Radio on the International Space
Station (ARISS) contact on Sunday, October 7.  The school was invited to
participate in the contact by the National Space Agency Satellite Ground
Station, 9M2RPN, in conjunction with the “Prime Minister’s National Space
Challenge Trophy 2012,” an annual event since 
2007 when the Malaysian astronaut,
Dr. Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor, flew to the ISS.


3. ARISS Educator Interviewed

Gladys Muñoz, a teacher at the Marcelino Canino Canino Middle School in Puerto
Rico, was interviewed for a blog by Mr. Anthony Salcito, vice president for
education Microsoft Worldwide Enterprises. This took place during her stay in
Lima, Peru for Microsoft’s Latin America Forum for Innovative Education where
she presented a summary of some of her school’s aerospace education projects.
The school participated in its own ARISS contact on September 12, 2012.  See:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fte3Vzn35-Y&list=UUG_FV4WjnZqtm6sux2g069Q&index=9
&feature=plpp_video


4. Astronaut Training Status

Luca Parmitano, KF5KDP has been scheduled for a 
preflight session on October 17.
He is slated to fly with the Expedition 36 crew in May 2013.


[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 addi-
tional benefits. Application forms are available from the AMSAT
Office.

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 stu-
dent rate for a maximum of 6 post-secondary years in this status.
Contact Martha at the AMSAT Office for additional student membership
information.

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


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