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AMSAT NEWS SERVICE<br>ANS-028<div class="entry-content">
<p>In this edition:</p>
<ul><li>IO-117 GreenCube to cease operating on February 5</li><li>AMSAT Responds to Scheduled Decommisioning of IO-117</li><li>Apogee View</li><li>New, Portable Antenna Satellite Antenna Design is Perfect for ECOM</li><li>AMSAT Thanks 2023 President’s Club Members</li><li>Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for January 26, 2024</li><li>ARISS News</li><li>Upcoming Satellite Operations</li><li>Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events</li><li>Satellite Shorts From All Over</li></ul>
<p>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.</p>
<p>The news feed on <a href="http://www.amsat.org" class="ek-link">http://www.amsat.org</a> publishes news of Amateur Radio in Space as soon as our volunteers can post it.</p>
<p><strong>Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to: ans-editor [at] amsat [dot] org.</strong></p>
<p>You can sign up for free e-mail delivery of the AMSAT News Service Bulletins via the ANS List; to join this list see: <a href="https://mailman.amsat.org/postorius/lists/ans.amsat.org/" class="ek-link">https://mailman.amsat.org/postorius/lists/ans.amsat.org/</a></p>
<p>ANS-028 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins</p>
<p>To: All RADIO AMATEURS<br>From: Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation<br>712 H Street NE, Suite 1653<br>Washington, DC 20002</p>
<p>DATE 2024 JAN 28</p>
<h2 class="gmail-wp-block-heading">IO-117 GreenCube to cease operating on February 5</h2>
<p>At 1622 GMT on Thursday, January 25, 2024 @S5Lab posted on X that the
GreenCube IO-117 Digipeater would be permanently deactivated on
February 5.</p>
<p>Designed and developed by students of Sapienza University of Rome,
GreenCube IO-117 was the first satellite to carry an amateur radio
payload into Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) – 6,000 km.</p>
<p>The S5Lab post on X said:</p>
<p>Dear Friends,</p>
<p>After one year and a half of operations, it is time to conclude the
GreenCube operations with the planned de-commissioning activities. After
the conclusion of the nominal experiment and with the digipeater
payload active for more than one year, we will perform the passivation
operations for the satellite.</p>
<p>The planned passivation operations will be executed on Monday, 5
February 2024, at 00:00 UTC. From that day, GreenCube will be completely
passivated and the digipeater will be switched off for good.</p>
<p>We want to thank everyone that endorsed, supported or participated in
the mission and the radio amateur community that enthusiastically
became a true part of our project. We hope that GreenCube will somehow
be part of your memories of radio amateurs, space engineering
enthusiasts, and we hope to involve you soon in many more adventures.</p>
<p>Thanks once again for the unbelievable memories shared together… See you soon!</p>
<p>The GreenCube Team at S5Lab</p>
<p>[ANS thanks AMSAT-UK for the above information.]</p>
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<h2 class="gmail-wp-block-heading">AMSAT Responds to Scheduled Decommisioning of IO-117</h2>
<p>AMSAT leadership, as were all amateurs, saddened to learn that S5Lab
plans to decommission IO-117 (GreenCube) and execute a passivation
operation on February 5, 2024. AMSAT stands ready to leverage its
decades of experience and work with S5Lab, AMSAT Italia, other AMSAT
organizations, and the amateur satellite community at large to overcome
any obstacles, regulatory or otherwise, to keeping IO-117 in service for
as long as possible. This afternoon, AMSAT President Robert Bankston,
KE4AL, sent the following letter to S5Lab expressing its desire to
provide any support it can to keep the satellite in operation.</p>
<p>January 25, 2024</p>
<p>Sapienza Space Systems and Space Surveillance Laboratory (S5Lab)<br>Sapienza University of Rome<br>Via Email</p>
<p>To The GreenCube Team:</p>
<p>Over the past 13+ months, amateur satellite operators around the
world have enjoyed the use of the digipeater on GreenCube (IO-117). As
amateur radio’s first satellite in a medium earth orbit (MEO), it has
opened worldwide long-distance contacts via amateur radio satellite that
had not been possible since the loss of AMSAT-OSCAR 40 in 2004. As this
letter is being written, a DXpedition to Clipperton Island in the
Pacific Ocean has made contact with several hundred amateur operators
around the world – the first activation of this rare location on amateur
satellite in over 30 years. AMSAT and the amateur satellite community
greatly appreciate your team making this wonderful resource available.</p>
<p>Not only has this satellite been a great resource to the amateur
community, but the amateur community has also assisted GreenCube’s
mission by uploading millions of frames of data received – including
much data from when the satellite is not within the primary ground
station’s footprint.</p>
<p>Launches above low earth orbit are rarely available for amateur
satellite missions. Since the first amateur radio satellite launched in
1962, fewer than ten have gone to orbits beyond LEO and only QO-100
(available to only part of the world) and IO-117 remain in service.</p>
<p>Due to the unique orbit and capabilities, we request that S5Lab
postpone the scheduled passivation operation and keep the satellite’s
digipeater in service. Amateur satellites have a long tradition of
extended lifetimes. Amateur radio operators still utilize AMSAT-OSCAR 7 –
launched nearly fifty years ago in 1974 – for communications on a daily
basis. Many other amateur radio satellites have been actively used for
ten to twenty years. AMSAT stands ready to leverage our 55 years of
experience in managing amateur radio satellites and work with S5Lab,
AMSAT Italia, other AMSAT organizations, and the amateur satellite
community at large to overcome any obstacles, regulatory or otherwise,
to keeping GreenCube in service for as long as possible.</p>
<p>Sincerely,</p>
<p>Robert Bankston, KE4AL<br>President<br>Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT)</p>
<p>[ANS thanks AMSAT for the above information.]</p>
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<p class="gmail-has-text-align-center" style="text-align:center"><br><strong>The 2024 AMSAT President’s Club coins are here now!<br>Help Support GOLF and Fox Plus</strong></p>
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<img width="300" height="148" src="https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2024-Coin-Both_586-300x148.jpg" alt="" class="gmail-wp-image-56911"></div>
<p class="gmail-has-text-align-center" style="text-align:center"><strong>Join the AMSAT President’s Club today and help<br>Keep Amateur Radio in Space!<br><a href="https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club" class="ek-link">https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-clu</a></strong><a href="https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club" class="ek-link">b</a></p>
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<h2 class="gmail-wp-block-heading">Apogee View</h2>
<p>As 2023 comes to a close, it is a great time to reflect on where we
are, what we have accomplished, and what is waiting for us over the next
horizon. 2023 has passed by so quickly. Our presence at Hamcation led
right into Hamvention, followed by our annual Symposium. We shared the
AMSAT story with attendees at the CubeSat Developers Workshop and
developed strategic contacts with others in the space industry. Our
engineers on the GOLF team found a solution for an attitude
determination and control system – a major sticking point in developing
GOLF-TEE. The Fox Plus team made significant progress, with the
possibility of being able to launch their first satellite at the end of
the coming year. Our volunteers in the ASCENT program developed a new
packet radio that will fly on an upcoming Fox Plus mission and started
work on a software-defined radio (SDR) that will add greater flexibility
to how we communicate in future flights. Additionally, if that was not
enough, our Education and CubeSat Simulator team is nearing completion
of the new v1.3 AMSAT CubeSat Simulator, which incorporates a Raspberry
Pi Pico microprocessor.</p>
<p>AMSAT should…</p>
<p>Not a day goes by when an AMSAT member does not recommend a great
idea to advance amateur radio in space, expand our communications
footprint, educate new satellite operators, and make our organization
more efficient. While I would love to implement each and every one of
them, we do not have the resources to make it happen.</p>
<p>While we have never been in a better position financially, we need to
have the necessary people to bring all these great ideas and dreams
into reality. AMSAT is an all-volunteer organization. As such, we rely
on our members to not only invest their hard-earned dollars but also
roll up their sleeves to design, build, and launch amateur radio
payloads into space.</p>
<p>Being short-staffed is not the end of the world, nor does it mean we
must give up on our dreams. We just need to find creative ways to make
it happen.</p>
<p>One solution is to partner with other AMSAT organizations worldwide
on future satellite projects. We have already proven that together, we
can accomplish so much more.</p>
<p>Additionally, we can outsource some of the basic satellite systems
and components we have already mastered and focus our limited human
resources on developing new technologies and communication methods. When
AMSAT was formed in 1969, we were the only game in town. Now, you can’t
google satellites without stumbling across a trove of commercial
vendors who offer complete, flight-proven satellite packages with just a
click of a button.</p>
<p>This same outsourcing principle can be applied not only to building
satellites but to our administrative and back-office tasks, as well. We
desperately need someone to assist in providing the quality of service
that our members deserve, and our website seriously needs a complete
makeover and rewrite.</p>
<p>In closing, I want to thank each of our volunteers and members
personally. None of this would have been possible without your hard
work, dedication, and support. We have an opportunity to achieve so much
more with you. As we move forward into the coming year and beyond, I
hope your generosity will continue.</p>
<p>Until the next time, 73!</p>
<p>[ANS thanks Robert Bankston, KE4AL, AMSAT President for the above information.]</p>
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<h2 class="gmail-wp-block-heading">New, Portable Antenna Satellite Antenna Design is Perfect for ECOM</h2>
<p>Researchers at Stanford University and the American University of
Beirut (AUB) have developed a portable antenna that could be quickly
deployed in disaster-prone areas or used to set up communications in
underdeveloped regions. The antenna, described recently in Nature
Communications, packs down to a small size and can easily shift between
two configurations to communicate either with satellites or devices on
the ground.</p>
<p>“The state-of-the-art solutions typically employed in [disaster]
areas are heavy, metallic dishes. They’re not easy to move around, they
require a lot of power to operate, and they’re not particularly
cost-effective,” said Maria Sakovsky, an assistant professor of
aeronautics and astronautics at Stanford.</p>
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<p>The antenna designed by Sakovsky and her colleagues at AUB is made of
fiber composites (a material often used in satellites) and resembles a
child’s finger-trap toy, with multiple strips of material crossing in
spirals. Just like any helix-based antenna, conductive material running
through the antenna sends out signals, but thanks to its unique
structure, the researchers can adjust the pattern and power of those
signals in the new antenna by pulling it into longer shapes or shorter
shapes.</p>
<p>“Because we wanted the antenna to be able to collapse into a packable
shape, we started with this structure that led us to a very
untraditional antenna design,” Sakovsky said. At its most compact, the
antenna is a hollow ring that stands just over 1 inch tall and about 5
inches across – not much larger than a bracelet – and weighs 1.4 ounces.
In this shape, it’s able to reach satellites with a high-power signal
sent in a particular direction. When stretched out to about a foot tall,
the antenna sends a lower power signal in all directions.</p>
<p>“The frequency you want to operate at will dictate how large the
antenna needs to be, but we’ve been able to show that no matter what
frequency you operate at, you can scale this design principle to achieve
the same performance,” Sakovsky said. To be deployed in the field, the
antenna would need to be paired with a transceiver to send and receive
signals, a ground plane to reflect radio waves, and other electronics,
but the whole package would still only weigh about 2 pounds.</p>
<p>Read the complete story at <a href="http://tinyurl.com/ANS-028-Antenna" class="ek-link">http://tinyurl.com/ANS-028-Antenna</a>.</p>
<p>[ANS thanks Stanford News and Space Daily for the above information.]</p>
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<p class="gmail-has-text-align-center" style="text-align:center"><strong> Need new satellite antennas? Purchase M2 LEO-Packs from the <br> AMSAT Store. When you purchase through<br> AMSAT, a portion of the proceeds goes towards<br> Keeping Amateur Radio in Space.<br> <a href="https://amsat.org/product-category/hardware/" class="ek-link">https://amsat.org/product-category/hardware/</a></strong></p>
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<h2 class="gmail-wp-block-heading">AMSAT Thanks 2023 President’s Club Members</h2>
<p>AMSAT gratefully recognizes the generous members of the 2023 AMSAT
President’s Club. These AMSAT members together contributed $52,542 in
2023 to support AMSAT’s continuing innovations in engineering and
educational programs. Since its inception three years ago, President’s
Club members have raised well over $150,000 as AMSAT prepares for
Amateur Radio’s continued presence in space with the Fox Plus and GOLF
programs.</p>
<p>AMSAT invites you to become a member of this select group by visiting the announcement at <a href="https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/" class="ek-link">https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/.</a></p>
<p><strong>TITANIUM LEVEL ($4,800+)</strong><br>Anonymous<br>Barry Baines, WD4ASW<br>Alan Biddle, WA4SCA<br>William Brown, K9LF</p>
<p><strong>PLATINUM LEVEL ($2,400+)</strong><br>Steve Belter, N9IP<br>Doug Tabor, N6UA</p>
<p><strong>GOLD LEVEL ($1,200+)</strong><br>John Botti, KC8OKB<br>Burns Fisher, WB1FJ<br>Mark Hammond, N8MH<br>Frank Karnauskas, N1UW<br>John Kludt, K7SYS<br>Glenn Miller, AA5PK<br>Mary Monteiro<br>Michael Stipick, KC4RI</p>
<p><strong>SILVER LEVEL ($600+)</strong><br>Warren Fugate, W3WE<br>Mark Johns, K0JM<br>Joseph Lynch, N6CL<br>Thomas Oates, KQ4FJW<br>Bruce Paige, KK5DO<br>Peter Pendergast, W2PP<br>Scott Shaheen, WB8OOJ<br>Jason Schwarz, N4JJS</p>
<p><strong>BRONZE LEVEL ($300+)</strong><br>Allen Kenny, KK4AK<br>Edward Krome, K9EK<br>Donald Lum, WA6ICW<br>Bruce Perens, K6BP<br>Donald Pettigrew, K9ECT<br>Barbara Simpson, KA5CFB<br>Dave Taylor, W8AAS<br>James Tittsler, 7J1AJH<br>David Vine, WA1EAW</p>
<p><strong>CORE LEVEL ($120+)</strong><br>Arlan Arrison, KB2AYU<br>David Batzie, N2VDY<br>Randy Berger, WA0D<br>Alan Boggs, K7IIV<br>George Carr, WA5KBH<br>Jim Clary, ND9M<br>Richard Dittmer, KB7SAT<br>Todd Dugdale, KD0TLS<br>Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA<br>Stephan Greene, KS1G<br>David Hartrum, WA3YDZ<br>Brian Lopeman, KI7WXP<br>Art Payne, VE3GNF<br>Thomas Schaefer, NY4I<br>Larry Schroeder, KD4HSL<br>Martin Shinko, KB3AEV<br>Paul Stoetzer, N8HM<br>Stefan Wagener, VE4NSA<br>Jeremy Wyatt, KA2PFD<br>David York, N8SGZ</p>
<p>[ANS thanks Frank Karnauskas, N1UW, AMSAT VP – Development for the above information.]</p>
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<p class="gmail-has-text-align-center" style="text-align:center"><strong>Want to fly the colors on your own grid expedition?<br>Get your AMSAT car flag and other neat stuff<br>from our Zazzle store!<br>25% of the purchase price of each product goes<br>towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space<br><a href="https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear" class="ek-link">https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gea</a></strong><a href="https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear" class="ek-link">r</a></p>
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<h2 class="gmail-wp-block-heading">Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for January 26, 2024</h2>
<p>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. Elements in the TLE bulletin files are updated daily. TLE
bulletin files are updated to add or remove satellites as necessary
Thursday evenings around 2300 UTC, or more frequently if new high
interest satellites are launched. More information may be found at <a href="https://www.amsat.org/keplerian-elements-resources/" class="ek-link">https://www.amsat.org/keplerian-elements-resources/</a>.</p>
<p>The following satellites have been removed from this week’s AMSAT-NA TLE distribution:</p>
<p>DCBB NORAD Cat ID 40912 Decayed from orbit on or about 21 January 2024</p>
<p>[ANS thanks Joe Fitzgerald, KM1P, AMSAT Orbital Elements Manager for the above information.]</p>
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<h2 class="gmail-wp-block-heading">ARISS NEWS</h2>
<p>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.</p>
<p><strong>Upcoming Contacts</strong><br>Omer Cemile Guler Imam Hatip Secondary School, Konya, Selcuklu, Turkey, telebridge via VK4KHZ.<br>The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be TC100ISS.<br>The scheduled crewmember is Alper Gezeravci, KJ5DIY.<br>The ARISS mentor is ON6TI.<br>Contact is go for Tuesday, January 30, 2024 at 13:36:20 UTC.</p>
<p>Bandirma Sehit Guvenc Anatolian High School, Balikesir, Bandirma, Turkey, telebridge via IK1SLD.<br>The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be TC100ISS.<br>The scheduled crewmember is Alper Gezeravci, KJ5DIY.<br>The ARISS mentor is ON6TI.<br>Contact is go for: Wednesday, January 31, 2024 at 12:10:37 UTC.</p>
<p>Bilingual Montessori School of Lund (Stiftelsen BMSL), Lund, Sweden, telebridge via VK4KHZ.<br>The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS.<br>The scheduled crewmember is Marcus Wandt, KJ5COO.<br>The ARISS mentor is ON6TI.<br>Contact is go for: Wednesday, January 31, 2024 at 12:48:03 UTC.</p>
<p>Alabama School of Cyber Technology and Engineering, Huntsville, AL, direct via TBD.<br>The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS.<br>The scheduled crewmember is Jasmin Moghbeli, KI5WSL.<br>The ARISS mentor is W4NTR.<br>Contact is go for: Thursday, February 1, 2024 at 17:31:46 UTC.</p>
<p>Thrive Home School Academy, Colorado Springs, CO, direct via AFØS.<br>The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS.<br>The scheduled crewmember is Loral O’Hara, KI5TOM.<br>The ARISS mentor is KD8COJ.<br>Contact is go for: Friday, February 2, 2024 at 18:17:46 UTC.</p>
<p><strong>Completed Contacts</strong><br>IC Statale Villa Guardia, Villa Guardia, Italy, telebridge via ZS6JON.<br>The ISS callsign was NA1SS.<br>The crewmember was Walter Villadei, IUØRWB.<br>The ARISS mentor was IZ2GOJ.<br>Contact was successful on Monday, January 22, 2024 at 09:35 UTC.<br>Watch the Livestream at <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMQUWMww9yE" class="ek-link">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMQUWMww9yE</a>.</p>
<p>Istituto Comprensivo “Anna Rita Sidoti”, Gioiosa Marea, Italy, direct via IT9DBI.<br>The ISS callsign was IRØISS.<br>The crewmember was Walter Villadei, IUØRWB.<br>The ARISS mentor was IKØWGF.<br>Contact was successful on Wednesday, January 24, 2024 at 14:37 UTC.</p>
<p>Center for Children’s (Youth) Technical Creativity “Young Motorist”, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, direct via UB3T.<br>The ISS callsign was RSØISS.<br>The crewmember was Konstantin Borisov.<br>The ARISS mentor was RV3DR.<br>Contact was successful on Thursday, January 25, 2024 at 15:30 UTC.</p>
<p>The crossband repeater continues to be active (145.990 MHz up {PL 67}
& 437.800 MHz down). If any crewmember is so inclined, all they
have to do is pick up the microphone, raise the volume up, and talk on
the crossband repeater. So give a listen, you just never know.</p>
<p>The Service Module radio, the Kenwood D710GA, normally operating as a APRS packet repeater is currently stowed.</p>
<p>As always, if there is an EVA, a docking, or an undocking; the ARISS radios are turned off as part of the safety protocol.</p>
<p>Note, all times are approximate. It is recommended that you do your
own orbital prediction or start listening about 10 minutes before the
listed time.</p>
<p>The latest information on the operation mode can be found at <a href="https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html" class="ek-link">https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html</a></p>
<p>The latest list of frequencies in use can be found at <a href="https://www.ariss.org/contact-the-iss.html" class="ek-link">https://www.ariss.org/contact-the-iss.html</a></p>
<p>[ANS thanks Charlie Sufana, AJ9N, one of the ARISS operation team mentors for the above information.]</p>
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<h2 class="gmail-wp-block-heading">Upcoming Satellite Operations</h2>
<p>None currently listed.</p>
<p>A growing number of satellite rovers are currently engaged in sharing their grid square activations on <a href="https://hams.at" class="ek-link">https://hams.at</a>.
By visiting the website, you gain easy access to comprehensive
information about the operators responsible for activating specific grid
squares. Additionally, you have the ability to assess the match score
between yourself and a particular rover for a given pass, while also
being able to identify the upcoming satellite passes that are accessible
from your location.</p>
<p>[ANS thanks Ian Parsons, K5ZM, AMSAT Rover Page Manager, for the above information.]</p>
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<h2 class="gmail-wp-block-heading">Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events</h2>
<p>AMSAT Ambassadors provide presentations, demonstrate communicating
through amateur satellites, and host information tables at club
meetings, hamfests, conventions, maker faires, and other events.</p>
<ul><li>Orlando HamCation 2024<br>Friday February 9th through Sunday February 11th, 2024<br>Central Florida Fairgrounds and Expo Park<br>4603 West Colonial Drive<br>Orlando, Florida 32808<br><a href="https://www.hamcation.co" class="ek-link">https://www.hamcation.co</a>m</li><li>40th Anniversary Celebration of the Positive Impact of Amateur Radio on Human Spaceflight<br>Thursday February 22nd through Saturday February 24th, 2024<br>Center for Space Education: Astronauts Memorial Foundation<br>Kennedy Space Center, M6-306 405 State Road, FL 32899<br><a href="https://www.ariss.org/overview.html" class="ek-link">https://www.ariss.org/overview.html</a></li><li>2024 CubeSat Developer’s Workshop<br>April 23-25, 2024<br>San Luis Obispo, CA<br><a href="https://www.cubesatdw.org/" class="ek-link">https://www.cubesatdw.org/</a></li><li>Dayton Hamvention 2024<br>Friday May 17th through Sunday May 19th, 2024<br>Greene County Fairgrounds and Expo Center<br>120 Fairground Road<br>Xenia, OH 45385<br><a href="https://hamvention.org" class="ek-link">https://hamvention.org</a></li></ul>
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<h2 class="gmail-wp-block-heading">Satellite Shorts From All Over</h2>
<ul><li>Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) was named
Partner of the Month of the International Space Station National
Laboratory, which is managed by the Center for the Advancement of
Science in Space (CASIS) at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Using
amateur radio, ARISS offers students around the world opportunities to
talk with astronauts on the International Space Station. A primary goal
of ARISS is to inspire interest in science, technology, engineering, and
math (STEM) subjects and careers among young students. ARISS is a
cooperative venture of the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT),
the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) and the National Aeronautics and
Space Administration (NASA) in the United States, and other
international space agencies and international amateur radio
organizations around the world. [ANS thanks ARRL for the above
information.]</li><li>Ingenuity, the little Mars helicopter that could, can’t anymore. At
least one rotor broke during the robotic flying machine’s most recent
flight last week, NASA officials announced on Thursday. Ingenuity
remains in contact with its companion, the Perseverance rover, which has
been exploring a dried-up riverbed for signs of extinct Martian life.
Ingenuity will now be left behind. [ANS thanks the New York Times for
the above information.]</li><li>The International Space Station might keep flying past 2030. A
senior NASA official said there is “no big concern” about the health of
the International Space Station (ISS) that would require an operational
stop six years from now, when the current agreement expires between most
of the ISS partners. “There’s nothing magical that happens in 2030,”
according to Steve Stich, the manager of the commercial crew program at
NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. Stich said NASA is eyeing the
progress of commercial space stations that will host agency astronauts
and science in the 2030s. “We want them [the commercial stations] to be
supportive, and then when they’re ready to go, that’s when ISS will move
out of the way.” [ANS thanks the Space.com for the above information.]</li></ul>
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<p>Join AMSAT today at <a href="https://launch.amsat.org/" class="ek-link">https://launch.amsat.org/</a></p>
<p>In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership to:</p>
<ul><li>Societies (a recognized group, clubs or organization).</li><li>Primary and secondary school students are eligible for membership at one-half the standard yearly rate.</li><li>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.</li><li>Memberships are available for annual and lifetime terms.</li></ul>
<p>Contact info [at] <a href="http://amsat.org">amsat.org</a> for additional membership information.</p>
<p>73 and remember to help Keep Amateur Radio in Space!</p>
<p>This week’s ANS Editor, Frank Karnauskas, N1UW<br>n1uw [at] amsat [dot] org</p>
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