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[jamsat-news:1910] ANS-116 AMSAT Weekly Bulletins


AMSAT NEWS SERVICE

ANS-116

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:
*  April President's Letter
*  AMSAT News Service Editors wanted
*  Satellite interference reporting in IARU Region 2
*  ARISS Status  19 April 2004
*  Hamvention 2004:  AMSAT events
*  This Week's News in Brief


SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-116.01
April President's Letter

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 116.01 From AMSAT HQ
SILVER SPRING, MD.  April 25, 2004
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-116.01

Several important activities have taken place in the last few weeks, which
affect the future of the AMSAT organization and where we are going in the
future. Firstly, a meeting of the International ARISS committee at the
European Space Agency in the Netherlands gave a starting approval for two
new projects as follows:
1) Approval of the Russian Shadow project, which is an experiment to
determine the effect on RF of a Plasma Propulsion unit i.e. will RF, and
hence communications. be interrupted by the plasma field.

2) Fast Scan -TV, (Digital) This  would involve one or more color  cameras,
placed externally at suitable locations on the ISS, Cameras would be
capable of pan/tilt and zoom and be capable of amateur control - UK to
co-ordinate proposals for this.

These projects can now be developed and presented to the Hardware committee
for safety evaluation.  While this work is proceeding we are all awaiting
for the return of the shuttle to provide additional lifting capability to
and from the ISS. The current estimate of availability of the Shuttle is
spring 2005.

The AMSAT Strategic Planning committee is working to develop a more
effective means of operating the organization, and to provide improved
communications between the Board of Directors, the Officers and the
Members.  A new "Team approach" is being developed which will reduce the day
to day activities of the President, that I and my predecessors have done for
many years. I believe that this initiative will be a very positive one for
AMSAT.

By now four hundred of you will have received a membership survey, we need
you to return that survey to us for evaluation. The survey was generously
paid for by one of our members, who is anxious that AMSAT should be able to
meet the needs of our membership.  This survey should define our membership
requirements.  Names were taken at random  and the number of 400 is
statistically very accurate to present a good picture of membership needs.
With the publication of our Annual Report we are now in a position to
present AMSAT as a charitable organization to selected Foundations based
principally on Educational aspects of AMSAT.  This may reduce the time
involved in fund raising, however it is still important that our membership
be  involved in providing AMSAT with funding for the Special Amateur Radio
aspects of our satellites.

Only a few weeks too Dayton, and of course we will be prominent again in
the  "Ball Arena" at the usual place. I look forward to seeing you there,
and hope that you will participate in the various draws that we have for
equipment.  All money received will be put toward the ECHO launch fund. You
will have the opportunity to re-new your regular membership, make your
President's Club donation, and contribute directly to the ECHO Launch Fund.
The fund is still about $40K short of it's goal and we need you  to help
"Give ECHO a Lift" ECHO launch Pins will be available at the AMSAT booth for
anyone donating $20 or more to that cause.  The annual Dayton AMSAT Banquet
will be held Friday, May 14th at 1800 at the Amber Rose. The cost is $25 for
the buffet which  includes tax and gratuity.  Payment will be made at the
door with cash, Visa  or MasterCard.  To make reservations contact Nancy
Makley,  kc8gyw@amsat.org.  Please list the name and call of each person who
will  be attending.  If you are a current President's Club Gold member and
attending the dinner, contact martha@amsat.org

Well enough from me for this month, - see you in Dayton

73
Robin Haighton VE3FRH
President AMSAT-NA

[ANS thanks Robin, VE3FRH for the above information]

/EX

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-116.02
AMSAT News Service Editors wanted

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 116.02 From AMSAT HQ
SILVER SPRING, MD.  April 25, 2004
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-116.02

The AMSAT News Service (ANS) is currently seeking volunteer editors to
assist with the preparation of the Weekly Bulletins.  Volunteers will work
with the existing ANS editors on a rotating schedule to produce the weekly
news bulletin.  In a typical rotation each editor is responsible for
producing the bulletins once a month.  Since the entire ANS staff is
volunteer, we always work together to accommodate schedules and unforeseen
events.

If you'd like to be part of the team please contact me at ku4os@amsat.org

Lee McLamb-KU4OS,
ANS Senior Editor

[ANS thanks Lee, KU4OS for the above information]

/EX


SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-116.03
Satellite interference reporting in IARU Region 2

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 116.03 From AMSAT HQ
SILVER SPRING, MD.  April 25, 2004
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-116.03

Ray Soifer, W2RS reports that the procedures recently adopted by IARU Region
1 (Europe, Russia, Middle East and Africa) for reporting illegal non-amateur
interference to amateur satellite uplinks have now also been adopted in IARU
Region 2 (the Western Hemisphere), with only one small difference: because
IARU Region 2 does not have a regional satellite coordinator as does IARU
Region 1, we in Region 2 are asking those reporting such interference, and
their national societies, to send copies of their reports to the IARU
Satellite Advisor (ZS6AKV) and his Advisory Panel at satcoord@iaru.org.

Steps to identify and help eliminate such interference will be coordinated
among all three IARU Regions, at two levels: through the Satellite Advisor
and Advisory Panel, and also through the worldwide IARU Monitoring Service
organization, including MS Coordinator Bob Knowles, ZL1BAD, and his three
regional coordinators.


To : All IARU Member Societies in Region 2

I would like to inform you of a small change in the operation
of the IARU Region 2 Monitoring System, concerning intrusions
in the VHF/UHF Amateur bands and interference to Amateur
Satellites.

Historically, the Monitoring System has concentrated on the HF
bands, and has ignored the VHF and UHF bands where interference
has tended to be local and almost always within national
borders.  Now, however, when intruders use the same VHF and UHF
frequencies already used by Amateur Satellite uplinks, the
resulting interference crosses many borders.

Several years ago in cooperation with AMSAT-NA, the Region 2
Monitoring System developed a simple, informal arrangement to
deal successfully with a particular instance of this problem.
Further, at the 2001 Region 2 conference in Guatemala, a
recommendation was passed (Annex C to the Report of Committee
"C", TG-P-04), calling attention to the growing problem of
intruders in the VHF and UHF bands.  Most recently, the IARU
Region 1 Monitoring System has undertaken to include VHF/UHF
intruder problems in their regular activities.

To respond better to this problem in Region 2, the general
procedures of the Monitoring System will be broadened
slightly, resulting in three small changes :

1.  Member societies in Region 2 are encouraged to include the
VHF/UHF bands in their monitoring system activities, especially
but not only the Amateur Satellite uplink sub-bands;

2.  Societies are encouraged to include reports of intruders in
the VHF/UHF bands in their monthly reports to the IARU Region 2
Monitoring System Coordinator; and

3.  When monitors or coordinators report intrusions involving
satellites, they should also send a copy of their report to the
IARU Amateur Satellite Advisor, ZS6AKV.

These changes can be seen in context in the web pages at
http://www.storm.ca/~iarumsr2/index.html
http://www.storm.ca/~iarumsr2/vhfuhf.html
http://www.storm.ca/~iarumsr2/report.html

I hope that your organization will support and promote these
changes.  Thank you and I wish you success in all of your work.

Martin H. Potter, VE3OAT
IARU Region 2 Monitoring System Coordinator

[ANS thanks Martin, VE3OAT and Ray, W2RS or the above information]

/EX


SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-116.04
ARISS Status  19 April 2004

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 116.04 From AMSAT HQ
SILVER SPRING, MD.  April 25, 2004
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-116.04

1.  Successful Launch of Expedition 9 Crew

Expedition 9 Commander Gennady Padalka, RN3DT, and Flight Engineer and NASA
Science Officer Mike Fincke, KE5AIT, are now on-orbit as they prepare for
docking with the ISS aboard the Soyuz spacecraft. Dutch ESA astronaut Andre
Kuipers, PI9ISS, joined the Expedition 9 crew for an eight day DELTA Mission
on board the ISS. Launch occurred at 11:19 pm EDT on April 18. The crew may
participate in the engineering tests of the Phase 2 hardware.


2. Articles on Sonoran Sky Contact

The Arizona Republic published two articles on the Sonoran Sky Elementary
School contact. The first, entitled, " Sonoran Sky students, space station
link up," was published on April 6 and can be found at:
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/0406nespace06.html

To view the second article, which was run on April 9, and entitled,
"Students have chat with astronaut," see:
http://www.azcentral.com/community/scottsdale/articles/0409sr-space09Z8.html

The video of the Sonoran Sky contact can be found at:
http://epage.pvusd.k12.az.us/siteweb/index.html


3.. ARRL Article on Amateur Radio and the Space Exploration Initiative

ARRL ran a web story on the Space Exploration Initiative and what part
Amateur Radio might play in this endeavor. See the article, entitled, "ARISS
to Mull Ham Radio's Role in Distant Space Travel," at:
http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2004/04/14/1/?nc=1


4. Scheduling of ARISS Contacts Continues for Expedition 9 Crew

In addition to the ARISS contacts with DELTA Mission astronaut Andre
Kuipers, planning has begun to schedule contacts with the Expedition 9 crew.
The first contact with Expedition 9 has been tentatively scheduled with Erie
Planetarium in Erie, Pennsylvania as a telebridge and will take place the
week of May 24.

[ANS thanks Carol for the above information]

/EX


SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-116.05
Hamvention 2004  AMSAT Events

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 116.05 From AMSAT HQ
SILVER SPRING, MD.  April 25, 2004
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-116.05

Thursday, May 13th - The third annual AMSAT "Pizza n Suds" party at Marion's
Pizza.  The party will begin at 1830.  If you plan to attend, contact Dave
Misek, n8npx@arrl.net .

Friday, May 14th - The AMSAT Banquet will be held at 1800  at the Amber
Rose. The cost is $25 for the buffet which includes tax and gratuity.
Payment will be made at the door with cash, Visa or MasterCard.  To make
reservations contact Nancy Makley, kc8gyw@amsat.org.  Please list the name
and call of each person who will be attending.  If you are a current
President' Club Gold member and attending the dinner , contact
martha@amsat.org

For more detailed information, check the AMSAT web site (www.amsat.org) .

Any questions, give me a call!
Martha - AMSAT Manager (301-589-6062)

[ANS thanks Martha for the above information]

/EX


SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-116.06
This Week's News in Brief

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 116.06 From AMSAT HQ
SILVER SPRING, MD.  April 25, 2004
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-116.06

**    After 70 years on the air, Swiss Radio International has reached the
final phase of its retreat from international radio broadcasting.   As
of April 13th there are no more daily radio programs in English, and at
the end of October the shortwave transmissions will close down
completely.  --Newsline

**    NASA's Gravity Probe B (GP-B) space vehicle, built, integrated and
tested by Lockheed Martin, roared into space on 20 April 2004 from
Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. Stanford University is the GP-B prime
contractor. NASA Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. Manages
the program.  During its 16-month mission, GP-B will attempt to verify two
subtle physical effects predicted by Albert Einstein's General Theory of
Relativity, which provides the foundations for understanding the large-scale
structure of the Universe.  --SpaceDaily

**   Scientists have found clues that dust devils on Mars might have
high-voltage electric fields, based on observations of their terrestrial
counterpart. This research supports NASA's Vision for Space Exploration by
helping to understand what challenges the Martian environment presents to
explorers, both robotic and eventually human.  NASA and university
researchers discovered that dust devils on Earth have unexpectedly large
electric fields, in excess of 4,000 volts per meter (yard), and can generate
magnetic fields as well.  --SpaceDaily

**   NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, the U.S. Air Force Flight Test
Center (AFFTC), and Blacksky Corporation joined forces on the prairie lands
of West Texas recently to fly small aerospike rocket nozzles.  The effort,
called the Dryden Aerospike Rocket Test, yielded big returns, providing the
first known data from a solid-fueled aerospike rocket in flight.  Two 10-ft.
Long solid-fueled rockets with aerospike nozzles were flown successfully on
two consecutive flights March 30 and 31, 2004. Under perfect skies and calm
winds, the rockets ascended from the King Ranch launch site at the Pecos
County Aerospace Development Corporation Flight Test Range in Fort Stockton,
Texas.  --SpaceDaily

/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.

AMSAT has developed an on-line volunteer survey, designed to
identify the interests and skills of those who may be available to directly
help in efforts to develop the amateur satellite program. The survey is
designed to be completed and returned on-line, and takes only a few minutes
to fill out.  To request the survey, simply send an e-mail request
to:volunteer at AMSAT.org

73,
This weeks ANS Editor,
Lee McLamb, KU4OS, ku4os at AMSAT.org

----
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