<div dir="ltr"><div style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif;font-size:small" class="gmail_default"></div><div style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif;font-size:small" class="gmail_default"><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"></span></font><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">AMSAT NEWS SERVICE</span></font><div class="gmail_default"><font size="4" style="font-family:georgia,serif">ANS-329</font><div class="entry-content">
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">In this edition:</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">* The Space Age, Morse Code and STEM Innovation<br>
+ ASRTU-1 Designated ASRTU-OSCAR 123<br>
* CubeSatSim Kits Available Once Again (Revised)<br>
* New Chinese Satellite Completes Frequency Coordination<br>
* Update on PARUS-T1A Satellite<br>
* Air Leak on ISS Russian Module Is Getting Worse<br>
* Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution<br>
* Space Station Raises Orbit Avoiding Orbital Debris<br>
* ARISS News<br>
* Upcoming Satellite Operations<br>
* AMSAT Ambassador Activities<br>
* Satellite Shorts From All Over</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">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.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">The news feed on <a href="http://www.amsat.org">http://www.amsat.org</a> publishes news of Amateur Radio in Space as soon as our volunteers can post it.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><strong style="font-family:georgia,serif">Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to: ans-editor [at] <a href="http://amsat.org">amsat.org</a></strong></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">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/">https://mailman.amsat.org/postorius/lists/ans.amsat.org/</a></span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><strong style="font-family:georgia,serif">ANS-329 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins</strong></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">To: All RADIO AMATEURS<br>
From: Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation<br>
712 H Street NE, Suite 1653<br>
Washington, DC 20002</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">DATE 2024 Nov 24</span></font></p>
<h2><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">AMSAT OSCAR-7 50th Anniversary — The Space Age, Morse Code and STEM Innovation</span></font></h2>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">At first glance, there is something about Morse Code and the space
age that don’t go together. But, think about Morse in its simple beauty.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">In addition to building a few spacecraft and pursuing a global
amateur radio allocation for satellites at the International
Telecommunications Union World Radio Conference, AMSAT was also busy
developing an educational curriculum. Before STEM (Science, Technology,
Engineering and Mathematics) was even a concept, AMSAT thought it would
be quite exciting to allow grade-school to high-school students the
opportunity to understand the basics of a spacecraft — not by reading
about it in a book, rather by using a real spacecraft, in class.</span></font></p>
<p style="text-align:center"><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><img class="gmail-aligncenter gmail-size-medium gmail-wp-image-59369" src="https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/OSCAR-7-400x225-1-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169"><em><br>Artist rendering of AO-7</em></span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">One of AMSAT’s members, Dr. Martin Davidoff, K2UBC, decided to write a
curriculum at the secondary education level and received a grant from
the Department of Energy to write it. The <i>Satellite Experimenter's
Handbook</i> was distributed by the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) and
AMSAT to anyone who might want to teach others about spacecraft
technology. The book especially targeted secondary school educators. Key
among the concepts was the idea of giving a teacher, who may or may not
be a radio amateur, the information necessary to assemble a receiving
system, which could act as a student demonstration tool in school. This
receiver and antenna would allow a class to “receive and decode”
telemetry. This process, then, required the students to think through
some orbital mechanics, the technology of antennas and receivers, and
finally, the principles of demodulation and decoding.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">This is where Morse came in. For just the numbers, 0-9, in Morse can
be learned in 10 minutes by just about anyone. And, so it is a perfect
tool for any eighth grader!</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">The Morse Code Telemetry Encoder System (TLM) was designed and
fabricated by John Goode, W5CAY. This unit was built in one of the small
modules that comprised the AO-7 spaceframe. This little box used fixed
logic comprised of 34 IC’s and one op-amp for the A/D converter. Using
CMOS components was amazingly efficient; it required 2 mA of current at
10V DC from the power bus – a whopping 20 mW!</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">This TLM encoder had 24 analog input channels that were organized in 4
columns and 6 rows. They were divided, basically, into current, voltage
and temperature channels. All were scaled to a 1.0 V full- scale input
to the A/D converter. The encoder produced decimal values and was
organized into two Morse characters between 0 and 99. The first number
of each word is a digit giving the row number of the datum. This reduces
the ambiguity of where in the frame the encoder was; in case the
student got a bit lost.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">AMSAT’s commitment to STEM education continues today with its CubeSat
Simulator program and its developing Youth Initiative – all fueled by a
fifty-year-old satellite that is still in operation today.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">Persons wanting to read more about the life and history of AMSAT OSCAR-7 are invited to visit <a href="https://www.amsat.org/amsat-ao-7-a-fifty-year-anniversary/">https://www.amsat.org/amsat-ao-7-a-fifty-year-anniversary/</a>.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">[ANS thanks Frank Karnauskas, N1UW, AMSAT VP-Development, for the above information]</span></font></p>
<hr>
<p style="text-align:center"><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><strong>The 2024 AMSAT President’s Club coins are still available!</strong><br></span></font>
<font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><strong>Help Support GOLF and Fox Plus</strong></span></font></p>
<p style="text-align:center"><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><img class="gmail-aligncenter gmail-size-medium gmail-wp-image-57364" src="https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/2024-Coin-Lite-300x148.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="148"></span></font></p>
<p style="text-align:center"><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><strong>Join the AMSAT President’s Club today and help</strong><br></span></font>
<font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><strong>Keep Amateur Radio in Space!</strong><br></span></font>
<font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><strong><a href="https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/">https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/</a></strong></span></font></p>
<hr>
<h2><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">ASRTU-1 Designated ASRTU-OSCAR 123</span></font></h2>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">At the request of Harbin Institute of Technology and Amur State
University, AMSAT has designated ASRTU-1 as ASRTU-OSCAR 123 (AO-123).</span></font></p>
<p style="text-align:center"><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><img class="gmail-aligncenter gmail-size-medium gmail-wp-image-59368" src="https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/The-sketch-of-the-ASRTU-satellite-255x300.png" alt="" width="255" height="300"><br></span></font>
<font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><em>Illustration of AO-123 [Credit: <a href="http://nanosats.eu">nanosats.eu</a>]</em></span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">ASRTU-1 was launched on November 4, 2024 at 23:18 UTC, on a Soyuz
launch vehicle from Vostochny Cosmodrome, Russia. Built and operated by
Harbin Institute of Technology and Amur State University, the satellite
carries a V/U repeater, UHF SSDV digital image transmitter, and a 10.5
GHz QPSK image transmitter. All of these payloads have been successfully
tested, and the repeater has been operational for QSOs.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">The satellite contains an FM transponder, which is currently
operational, with an uplink of 145.850 MHz (67 Hz CTCSS tone required)
and a downlink of 435.400 MHz. After the repeater detects the end of
uplink, it will wait for 0.5s. If no new uplink in 0.5s, telemetry will
be sent. So make fast QSOs so the telemetry is less like to interrupt
you.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">The satellite also contains two cameras with an SSDV downlink for low
resolution images on 436.210 MHz, and a high speed downlink on 10.460
GHz for high resolution images.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">Windows software for decoding telemetry is available at <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1W8nm-P0_h0J1Bd1eif74mLo-EuRdWcjH">https://drive.google.com/file/d/1W8nm-P0_h0J1Bd1eif74mLo-EuRdWcjH</a><br>
Two-Line Keplerian elements (TLEs) may be found at <a href="http://asrtu.mqsi.xyz/ASRTU_TLE.txt">http://asrtu.mqsi.xyz/ASRTU_TLE.txt</a></span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">AMSAT congratulates the Harbin Institute of Technology and Amur State
University, thanks them for their contribution to the amateur satellite
community, and wishes them continued success on this and future
projects.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">[ANS thanks Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA, OSCAR Number Administrator, for the above information.]</span></font></p>
<hr>
<h2><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">CubeSatSim Kits Available Once Again (Revised)</span></font></h2>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">Another batch of CubeSatSim Kits will be available on the AMSAT Store
on Monday, November 25 starting at noon U.S. Eastern time (1700 UTC).
Due to an error, previous announcements had included an earlier date.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">The $400 kits include everything you need to assemble a CubeSat
Simulator with no soldering. Only about an hour and half of assembly is
required to stack the boards, assemble the frame, and mount the solar
panels.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">The CubeSatSim Kit includes:</span></font></p>
<ul><li><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">Fully assembled and tested PCBs (Main, Solar, and Battery Boards)</span></font></li><li><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">Raspberry Pi Zero 2 with a Pi Camera and fully programmed micro-SD card, along with a fully programmed Raspberry Pi Pico WH</span></font></li><li><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">AMSAT logo Remove Before Flight tag switch</span></font></li><li><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">3D printed frame, nylon screws, and nuts, with a mini screwdriver included for assembly</span></font></li><li><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">Metal standoffs, stacking headers, and JST jumpers for stacking the PCBs and Pi Zero 2</span></font></li><li><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">10 solar panels with pre-soldered JST connectors and mounting tape</span></font></li><li><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">BME280 sensor (pressure, temperature, altitude, humidity) and MPU6050 IMU/gyro pre-soldered</span></font></li><li><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">Two 6″ SMA coax cables and two SMA antennas</span></font></li></ul>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">The kit also comes with an instruction sheet, parts inventory, and
links to online instructions. Assembly time is estimated to be under two
hours, with scissors and the provided mini screwdriver.</span></font></p>
<p style="text-align:center"><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><img class="gmail-aligncenter gmail-wp-image-59342 gmail-size-large" src="https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/picture2-915x1024.png" alt="" width="915" height="1024"><em><br>Limited quantities of the CubeSatSim Kit will soon be available for purchase from the AMSAT Store. [Credit: Alan Johnston, KU2Y]</em></span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">The v2.0 CubeSatSim features improvements over v1.2, such as an FM
transceiver, Raspberry Pi Pico microcontroller, and RF command and
control using DTMF or APRS packets. It can also be modified to function
as a 500mW high altitude balloon payload.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">For those interested in creating their own CubeSatSim, v2.0 blank PCB
sets are available at the AMSAT Store for $35. These require additional
components, which can be purchased for approximately $300 using the
provided Bill of Materials.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">Additional resources include:</span></font></p>
<ul><li><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">Kit Instructions <a href="https://cubesatsim.org/kit">https://cubesatsim.org/kit</a></span></font></li><li><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">Kit Videos <a href="https://cubesatsim.org/kit-videos">https://cubesatsim.org/kit-videos</a></span></font></li><li><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">Discussion Forum <a href="https://github.com/alanbjohnston/CubeSatSim/discussions">https://github.com/alanbjohnston/CubeSatSim/discussions</a></span></font></li><li><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">Quick Start Guide <a href="https://cubesatsim.org/qsg">https://cubesatsim.org/qsg</a></span></font></li></ul>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">For more information or to borrow a loaner CubeSat Simulator, contact
Alan Johnston, AMSAT VP Educational Relations, at ku2y [at] <a href="http://arrl.net">arrl.net</a>.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><strong>How to Order</strong><br>
Kits will be sold exclusively on the AMSAT Store website, <a href="https://www.amsat.org/product/cubesatsim-kit/">https://www.amsat.org/product/cubesatsim-kit/</a>. Only U.S. shipping addresses are eligible; orders with non-U.S. addresses will be refunded and closed.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><strong>About CubeSatSim</strong><br>
CubeSatSim is a low-cost satellite emulator powered by solar panels and
batteries. It transmits UHF radio telemetry and can be expanded with
additional sensors and modules, making it ideal for educational and
public demonstrations.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">[ANS thanks Alan Johnston, KU2Y, AMSAT Vice President Educational Relations for the above information]</span></font></p>
<hr>
<h2><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">New Chinese Satellite Completes Frequency Coordination</span></font></h2>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">The satellite frequency coordination committee of the International
Amateur Radio Union (IARU) on November 15 completed approval of
frequency requests from the Chinese Amateur Satellite Group (CAMSAT) for
a new amateur satellite to be launched next year.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">CAS-11, a 6U CubeSat will include:</span></font></p>
<ul><li><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">HF/UHF – H/U Mode Linear Transponder, with a bandwidth of 15kHz downlink centered at 435.505 MHz, EIRP 24 dBm<br>
Uplink 21.320 MHz +/- 7.5 kHz.</span></font></li><li><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">VHF/UHF – V/U Mode Linear Transponder, with a bandwidth of 30kHz downlink centered at 435.540 MHz, EIRP 24 dBm.<br>
Uplink 145.860 MHz +/- 15 kHz.</span></font></li><li><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">VHF/UHF – V/U Mode FM Transponder, downlink at 435.600 MHz, EIRP 24 dBm<br>
Uplink at 145.925 MHz</span></font></li><li><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">VHF/UHF – V/U Mode digital store-and-forward Transponder, downlink at 435.700 MHz, EIRP 24 dBm<br>
Uplink at 145.895 MHz</span></font></li><li><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">UHF – CW Telemetry Beacon and</span></font></li><li><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">UHF telemetry beacon using AX.25 4.8k/9.6kbps GMSK at 435.570 MHz, EIRP 23 dBm.</span></font></li></ul>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">The above transponders and beacon will work 24/7 when the satellite
power supply is sufficient. Amateur radio enthusiasts around the world
can use it for two-way radio relay communication, data storage and
forwarding communication, and receive satellite CW beacons.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">The CAS-11 satellite will also be equipped with a 2.4 GHz multi-mode
amateur radio satellite beacon transmitter, which is designed and built
by university students, high school students and primary school students
from Beijing Donggaodi Science and Technology Museum and Beijing
University of Posts and Telecommunications under the guidance of CAMSAT.
This is an unprecedented satellite project in China. It has brought
opportunities for learning and practicing amateur radio and amateur
satellites to students of all grades from elementary school to
university, and promoted the application of amateur radio in space. This
2.4 GHz experimental beacon transmitter can switch to transmit five
different modes of radio signals, and it will work continuously when the
satellite is fully powered.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">This project aims to cultivate students’ knowledge, skills and
interests in amateur radio satellites. All transmission modes operate at
2.4 GHz, and the working modes are converted by the on-board computer
program and ground remote control commands. It can work in the following
modes: CW Telemetry Beacon, FT8 Telemetry Beacon, PPM Telemetry Beacon,
or USB/SSTV Robot36, PD120 1. This beacon will transmit at 2405.500
MHz, EIRP 27 dBm.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">CAS-11 carries three cameras, and the photos it takes are stored in
the flash memory on the satellite. The builders have designed a simple
remote control system based on DTMF commands. Amateur radio enthusiasts
around the world can send DTMF commands to download the photo catalog
and all photos taken by all cameras.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">Anticipating a launch in September, 2025 into a 536 km polar orbit from Haiyang Sea Launch Platform, Shandong, China.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">[ANS thanks IARU and Alan Kung, BA1DU, of CAMSAT for the above information.]</span></font></p>
<hr>
<p style="text-align:center"><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><strong>Need new satellite antennas?</strong><br></span></font>
<font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><strong>Purchase M2 LEO-Packs from the AMSAT Store.</strong></span></font></p>
<p style="text-align:center"><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><img class="gmail-aligncenter gmail-size-medium gmail-wp-image-17345" src="https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/cm/LEO-Pack1-300x298.png" alt="" width="300" height="298"><br></span></font>
<font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><strong>When you purchase through AMSAT, a portion of the proceeds goes towards</strong><br></span></font>
<font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><strong>Keeping Amateur Radio in Space.</strong><br></span></font>
<font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><a href="https://amsat.org/product-category/hardware/"><strong>https://amsat.org/product-category/hardware/</strong></a></span></font></p>
<hr>
<h2><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">Update on PARUS-T1A Satellite</span></font></h2>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">The satellite frequency coordination committee of the International
Amateur Radio Union (IARU) on November 20 updated information regarding
the approved frequency requests from the National Formosa University for
satellite PARUS-T1A. The satellite is tentatively scheduled for launch
in January.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">PARUS-T1A, a 3U CubeSat, is designed to continue the successful
legacy of the PARUS- T1 mission. This satellite will provide essential
services to the global amateur radio community.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">The Primary Mission is an FM Voice Cross-Band Repeater to facilitate
real-time voice communication between amateur radio operators on 145.980
MHz (Uplink tone 67Hz) and 435.250 MHz (Downlink).</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">The satellite will also carry an APRS Digipeater to enable the
transmission of real-time position and status information from
APRS-equipped devices on 145.825 MHz.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">A telemetry beacon downlink on 437.850 MHz has also been coordinated,
with unencrypted telemetry packets accessible to the public through
online dashboards like SatNOGS, promoting transparency and community
collaboration.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">Anticipating a SpaceX launch from Florida in January, 2025 into a 590 x 510 km 98 degree orbit.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">[ANS thanks IARU and Randson Huang, BV2DQ, for the above information.]</span></font></p>
<hr>
<h2><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">Air Leak on ISS Russian Module Is Getting Worse</span></font></h2>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">For the past five years, air has been escaping through a Russian
section of the International Space Station (ISS) at an increasing rate.
NASA and its Russian counterpart, Roscosmos, are still in disagreement
over the root cause of the leak, as well as the severity of the
consequences.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">The leak was first discovered in 2019 in the vestibule (named PrK)
that connects a docking port to the Russian Zvezda module, which
Roscosmos had launched to low Earth orbit in July 2000. Earlier this
year, NASA elevated the leak to the highest level of risk as the rate of
air escaping from the module had doubled from one pound of air per day
to a little over two pounds.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">“While the Russian team continues to search for and seal the leaks,
it does not believe catastrophic disintegration of the PrK is
realistic,” Bob Cabana, a former NASA astronaut who now chairs the ISS
Advisory Committee, said during a meeting on Wednesday, SpaceNews
reported. “NASA has expressed concerns about the structural integrity of
the PrK and the possibility of a catastrophic failure.”</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">“The Russians believe that continued operations are safe but they
can’t prove to our satisfaction that they are, and the U.S. believes
that it’s not safe but we can’t prove to the Russians’ satisfaction that
that’s the case,” he added.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">Russian teams believe the air leak was likely caused by high cyclic
fatigue from micro vibrations, while teams at NASA think pressure and
mechanical stress, residual stress, material properties of the module,
and environmental exposure are all at play, according to SpaceNews.</span></font></p>
<p style="text-align:center"><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><img class="gmail-aligncenter gmail-wp-image-59366 gmail-size-full" src="https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/international-space-station-768x512-1.jpeg" alt="" width="768" height="512"><em><br></em></span></font></p><p style="text-align:center"><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><em>The ISS is set for retirement by 2030. [NASA photo]</em></span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">The air leak was addressed in a recent report by NASA’s Office of
Inspector General (OIG), which highlighted its true severity and the
risk it poses to the crew. The OIG report stated that the two space
agencies can’t seem to agree on the point at which the leak should be
considered unsustainable. NASA and Roscosmos met to discuss the ISS air
leak, with NASA officials noting that Roscosmos “is confident they will
be able to monitor and close the hatch to the Service Module prior to
the leak rate reaching an untenable level,” according to the report.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">“Although the teams continue to investigate the causal factors for
the crack initiation and growth, the U.S. and Russian technical teams
don’t have a common understanding of what the likely root cause is or
the severity of the consequences of these leaks,” Cabana is quoted in
SpaceNews as saying.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">The rate of air leaking from the hole increased around a week before
the February 14 launch of the Progress MS-26 cargo spacecraft, which
docked to the aft end of Zvezda. The hatch that connects the module to
the ISS remained open for five days as the crew offloaded the cargo from
Progress MS-26 onto the space station, but was closed shut afterwards.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">NASA and Roscosmos are currently monitoring the leak and preparing to
close the hatch to the service module when access is not required in
order to minimize the amount of air lost and isolate the leak itself
from the rest of the space station. If required, the space agencies are
prepared to permanently shut off the hatch should the leak rate became
unmanageable. The ISS would function normally, but there would be one
less docking port for spacecraft delivering cargo to the space station.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">As the two space agencies continue to discuss the potential risk, the
aging space station is inching closer to retirement within the next six
years and its hardware may finally be giving in to the wear and tear of
the harsh space environment.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">[ANS thanks Gizmodo for the above information.]</span></font></p>
<hr>
<p style="text-align:center"><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><strong>Want to fly the colors on your own grid expedition?</strong><br></span></font>
<font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><strong>Get your AMSAT car flag and other neat stuff from our Zazzle store!</strong></span></font></p>
<p style="text-align:center"><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><img class="gmail-aligncenter gmail-size-medium gmail-wp-image-56929" src="https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/AMSAT-Car-Flag-e1705691761784-300x235.png" alt="" width="300" height="235"><br></span></font>
<font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><strong>25% of the purchase price of each product goes towards</strong><br></span></font>
<font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><strong>Keeping Amateur Radio in Space</strong><br></span></font>
<font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><a href="https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear"><strong>https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear</strong></a></span></font></p>
<hr>
<h2><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for Nov. 22</span></font></h2>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">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 daily in the first hour of
the UTC day. New bulletin files will be posted immediately after
reliable elements become available for new amateur satellites. More
information may be found at <a href="https://www.amsat.org/keplerian-elements-resources/">https://www.amsat.org/keplerian-elements-resources/</a>.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">XW-2B NORAD Cat ID 40911 Decayed from orbit on 21 November 2024</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">[ANS thanks Joe Fitzgerald, KM1P, AMSAT Orbital Elements Manager for the above information]</span></font></p>
<hr>
<h2><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">Space Station Raises Orbit Avoiding Orbital Debris</span></font></h2>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">The Progress 89 thrusters were fired at 20:09 UTC on Tuesday,
November 19 for 5 minutes, 31 seconds, to raise the orbit of the
International Space Station (ISS) to provide an extra margin of distance
from a piece of orbital debris from a defunct defense meteorological
satellite that broke up in 2015. The Pre-determined Debris Avoidance
Maneuver (PDAM) was conducted in coordination with NASA, Roscosmos and
the other space station partners.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">Without the maneuver, ballistics officials estimated that the fragment could have come within around 2.5 miles of the station.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">The maneuver had no impact on station operations and did not affect
Thursday’s launch of the Progress 90 cargo craft from the Baikonur
Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><strong style="font-family:georgia,serif"><em>[Operators attempting to utilize Amateur Radio aboard the
ISS should make sure that the Keplerian orbital data in their tracking
software has been updated since this change in orbit.]</em></strong></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">[ANS thanks NASA for the above information]</span></font></p>
<hr>
<h2><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">ARISS NEWS</span></font></h2>
<p style="text-align:center"><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><img class="gmail-aligncenter gmail-size-medium gmail-wp-image-6232" src="https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/cm/ARISS-Large-300x80.png" alt="" width="300" height="80"><br></span></font></p><p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">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.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><strong>RECENTLY COMPLETED:</strong><br>
Center for the Development of Children and Youth Creativity in the City of Pugachev, Saratov Region, Russia, direct via R4DS<br>
The ISS callsign was RSØISS<br>
The crewmember was Aleksey Ovchinin<br>
The ARISS mentor was RV3DR<br>
Contact was successful Wed 2024-11-20 15:16 UTC<br>
Congratulations to the Center for the Development of Children and Youth
Creativity students, Aleksey, mentor RV3DR, and ground station R4DS</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">Amur State University, Blagoveshchensk, Russia, direct via RКØJ<br>
The ISS callsign was RSØISS<br>
The scheduled crewmember was Alex Gorbunov<br>
The ARISS mentor was RV3DR<br>
Contact was successful Thu 2024-11-21 11:24 UTC<br>
Congratulations to the Amur State University students, Alex, mentor RV3DR, and ground station RКØJ!</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">Escola Secundária Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro, Caldas da Rainha, Portugal, direct via CS5SS<br>
The ISS callsign was OR4ISS<br>
The scheduled crewmember was Don Pettit, KD5MDT<br>
The ARISS mentor was IKØUSO<br>
Contact was successful: Fri 2024-11-22 16:37:40 UTC 31 deg<br>
Congratulations to the Escola Secundária Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro studnets, Don, mentor IKØUSO, and ground station CS5SS!<br>
Watch for Livestream at <a href="https://www.youtube.com/live/QzZOq7bhOas">https://www.youtube.com/live/QzZOq7bhOas</a></span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><strong>UPCOMING:</strong><br>
Colégio do Castanheiro, Ponta Delgada, Azores, direct via CQ8CDC<br>
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS<br>
The scheduled crewmember is Don Pettit, KD5MDT<br>
The ARISS mentor is IKØUSO<br>
Contact is go for: Tue 2024-11-26 14:57:32 UTC 74 deg<br>
Watch for Livestream at <a href="https://www.youtube.com/live/ORRXzIPnjvg">https://www.youtube.com/live/ORRXzIPnjvg</a></span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University, Kaliningrad, Russia, direct via TBD<br>
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS<br>
The scheduled crewmember is Ivan Vagner<br>
The ARISS mentor is RV3DR<br>
Contact is go for: Thu 2024-11-28 15:05 UTC</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">Scuola Media “Giovanni Verga”, Caltanissetta, Italy, direct via IT9AOI<br>
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS<br>
The scheduled crewmember is Don Pettit, KD5MDT<br>
The ARISS mentor is IKØWGF<br>
Contact is go for: Fri 2024-11-29 11:01:30 UTC 59 deg<br>
Watch for Livestream at <a href="https://meet.google.com/bdb-hoaf-iaf">https://meet.google.com/bdb-hoaf-iaf</a> and also on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@scuolamediafilippocordova">https://www.youtube.com/@scuolamediafilippocordova</a></span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">The crossband repeater continues to be <strong>ACTIVE</strong>
(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.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">The packet system is also <strong>ACTIVE</strong> (145.825 MHz up & down). Ham TV (2395.00 MHz down) is currently <strong>STOWED</strong>.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">As always, if there is an EVA, a docking, or an undocking; the ARISS radios are turned off as part of the safety protocol.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">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.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">The latest information on the operation mode can be found at <a href="https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html">https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html</a></span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">The latest list of frequencies in use can be found at <a href="https://www.ariss.org/contact-the-iss.html">https://www.ariss.org/contact-the-iss.html</a></span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">[ANS thanks Charlie Sufana, AJ9N, one of the ARISS operation team mentors for the above information]</span></font></p>
<hr>
<h2><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">Upcoming Satellite Operations</span></font></h2>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">A growing number of satellite rovers are currently engaged in sharing their grid square activations on <a href="https://hams.at">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.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">+ <strong>N4AKV/R</strong> plans to operate linear and FM satellites from EM71/EM72 on Nov. 25.<br>
+ <b>ADØHJ</b> is planning his last 2024 rove to the Missouri Ozarks area
between December 5th-8th. Mitch has never been to that area so he is
looking to do some sightseeing and activate eight new satellite grid
squares. EM26-EM28, EM36-EM39, and EN30. He will be working RS-44 passes
in the evenings.<br>
See <a href="https://hams.at">https://hams.at</a> for details.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">[ANS thanks <a href="http://hams.at">hams.at</a> for the above information]</span></font></p>
<hr>
<h2><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">AMSAT Ambassador Activities</span></font></h2>
<p style="text-align:left"><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">AMSAT Ambassadors provide presentations, demonstrate communicating
through amateur satellites, and host information tables at club
meetings, hamfests, conventions, maker faires, and other events.</span></font></p><p style="text-align:center"><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><img class="gmail-aligncenter gmail-size-medium gmail-wp-image-58085" src="https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Ambassador-Logo-2024-300x245.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="245"></span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">February 14-15, 2025<br>
Yuma HAMCON and Southwestern Division Convention<br>
Yuma County Fairgrounds<br>
Yuma, AZ<br></span></font>
<font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><a href="https://www.yumahamfest.com/">https://www.yumahamfest.com/</a><br>
N1UW</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">[ANS thanks Bo Lowrey, W4FCL, Director – AMSAT Ambassador Program, for the above information]</span></font></p>
<hr>
<h2><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">Satellite Shorts From All Over</span></font></h2>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">+ The space news website Space Daily carried a full article on Nov.
12 about the 50th anniversary of the launch of amateur radio satellite
AO-7. As noted in anniversary articles by Frank Karnauskas, N1UW, AMSAT
Vice President – Development, that have been published here in the AMSAT
News Service bulletins [<i>see above for this week’s installment</i>], AO-7 is
the world’s oldest active satellite. The Space Daily article, by
reporter Clarence Oxford, incorporated a good share of Frank’s text from
ANS issue #308 published on Nov. 3. (ANS thanks Space Daily for the
above information.)</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">+ The Space Force wants its next fleet of GPS satellites to be
smaller, cheaper and more resilient — and it’s looking to a mix of
commercial and defense firms to help design those spacecraft. The
program, expected to cost $1 billion over the next five years, comes
amid growing concern from Pentagon and other government leaders about
GPS vulnerability. The system, which guides weapons and helps military
units navigate, has been a target for Russia in its war with Ukraine,
using electronic warfare to jam signals on a regular basis. Users have
also reported increased spoofing incidents, a method of manipulating GPS
data to confuse a receiver about its location. A larger number of
small satellites should make it harder for enemies to target the fleet
and will ensure there’s a backup capability when they do, the Space
Force says. (ANS thanks Defense News for the above information.)</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">+ Earlier this month, three tiny Australian satellites from Curtin
University’s Binar Space Program burned up in Earth’s atmosphere. That
was always going to happen. In fact, Binar means “fireball” in the
Noongar language of the First Nations people of Perth. But these
CubeSats, known as Binar-2, 3, and 4, entered the atmosphere much sooner
than originally planned. They only lasted for two months – a third of
what was expected. Recent high solar activity has been causing an
unexpected headache for satellite operators in the last few years, and
it’s only increasing. (ANS thanks Science Alert for the above
information.)</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">+ China has taken another step toward its crewed lunar goals by
successfully testing fairing separation for its Long March 10 moon
rocket series. The fairing separation test was conducted recently,
according to a Nov. 20 statement from the China Academy of Launch
Vehicle Technology (CALT). The separation test is one of a number of
milestones needed in order to get the Long March 10 ready for flight,
with a first launch to low earth orbit currently targeted for 2026.
China has committed to the goal of getting a pair of its astronauts onto
the lunar surface by 2030. (ANS thanks Space News for the above
information.]</span></font></p>
<hr>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">Join AMSAT today at <a href="https://launch.amsat.org/">https://launch.amsat.org/</a></span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership to:</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">* Societies (a recognized group, clubs or organization).<br>
* Primary and secondary school students are eligible for membership at one-half the standard yearly rate.<br>
* 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.<br>
* Memberships are available for annual and lifetime terms.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">Contact info [at] <a href="http://amsat.org">amsat.org</a> for additional membership information.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">73 and remember to help Keep Amateur Radio in Space!</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">This week’s ANS Editor, Mark Johns, KØJM<br>
mjohns [at] <a href="http://amsat.org">amsat.org</a></span></font></p>
</div>
</div></div><br></div>