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[jamsat-news:2027] ANS-100 AMSAT Weekly Bulletins


ANS-100

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:
* Forwarding AMSAT KEPs Data Permitted
* SSETI Express Progress Update
* PCSAT2 Arrives at the Launch Pad
* ARISS Status - 10 April 2005


SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-100.01
Forwarding AMSAT KEPs Data Permitted

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 100.01
>From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
April 10, 2005
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-100.01

Many amateurs have written AMSAT asking if, "Once a person receives the
AMSAT format KEPs from AMSAT can they then send them to other people?"  

This is referred to by Air Force Space Command (AFSPC) as "secondary
distribution" of Keplerian Data. This secondary distribution of AMSAT
KEP data is covered by AMSAT's CFE RDR001 approval for distribution. 

You can freely distribute AMSAT format verbose and 2-line data.

Many thanks to Lt Col David Maloney of Air Force Space Command for this
clarification.

[ANS thanks Ray, WA5QGD for the above information]

/EX


SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-100.02
SSETI Express Progress Update

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 100.02
>From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
April 10, 2005
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-100.02

During the last week, the completed modules have been fitted to the
spaceframe and the wiring harness and integration completed. The
satellite was  moved on Wednesday to an anechoic chamber for EMC testing
to ensure that the emissions from the satellites electronics, the 3W UHF
transmitter and the S Band TX meet the spectral requirements of the
launch agency and SSTL.
 
Several new pictures showing the rapid progress over the last 2 weeks
have been uploaded to the SSETI Website. These include detailed shots of
the S Band unit now wired to the antennas, cold gas propulsion and some
taken inside the anechoic chamber.
http://sseti.gte.tuwien.ac.at/WSW4/express5.php
 
[ANS thanks David, G0MRF for the above information]

/EX


SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-100.03
PCSAT2 Arrives at the Launch Pad

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 100.x03
>From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
April 10, 2005
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-100.03

PCSAT2, which had previously been stowed in the Space Shuttle Discovery,
arrived at Launch Complex 39B on 07 April 2005.  PCSAT2 is now standing
by ready to be launched on the first Space Shuttle return-to-flight
mission.

PCSAT2 will use the same dual redundant AX.25 command and control system
as used on PCsat (NO-44) offering 8 on/off commands, 5 telemetry
channels and a serial port for the solar cell experiment telemetry. It
also supports the Digital Comms Relay support of the PCsat/APRS mission.
The packet uplink is on 145.825 MHz and the default downlinks are in the
435 MHz band to avoid any possible interference with existing ARISS
missions. PCSAT2 will have quad redundant transmit inhibits for EVA
safety issues, thus, it is also easy to turn off to avoid any issues
with other UHF ARISS experiments that may be activated in the future.
Also, the mission lifetime of PCSAT2 is only 1 year, because it is a
sample-return mission, thus terminating any long term conflicts in
spectrum management.

The PCSAT2 mission is intended as an opportunity to augment existing
ARISS communications experiments with an external autonomous
communications payload. In this regard, it has several potential uses:

*  A UI-Digipeater to help ease congestion on the currently shared
   ARISS PMS (Packet Mail system)

*  A PSK-31 transponder for multi-user communications to improve
   accessibility for schools and ARISS outreach programs.

*  An FM Voice repeater for full duplex crew communications to
   facilitate crew-to-school ARISS contacts.

*  Routine Telemetry on the spacecraft systems

For more information and pictures visit the PCSAT2 website at
http://www.ew.usna.edu/~bruninga/pcsat2.html

[ANS thanks Bob, WB4APR for the above information]

/EX


SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-100.04
ARISS Status - 04 April 2005

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 100.04
>From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
April 10, 2005
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-100.04

1. Texas School Contact Successful

On March 29, third, fourth and fifth graders from the Pecan Creek
Elementary School gathered at the Science Discovery Center in Denton,
Texas.  Seventeen children were able to have their questions answered by
astronaut Leroy Chiao, KE5BRW. Approximately three hundred fifty
students, teachers and parents witnessed the contact, as two television
stations and two newspapers covered the event. Echolink had 48
connections during this contact from at least 8 countries including the
U.S., Canada, Russia, Italy, India, and Romania. 
	
The Heart O' Texas Amateur Radio Club has posted the students' questions
with the audio answers on their website. Go to: http://www.hotarc.org/


2. Upcoming School Contacts
	
Fort Ross Elementary School, in Cazadero, California has been scheduled
for a contact on Friday, April 15 at 18:07 UTC.

Two ARISS contacts have been scheduled with ESA Italian astronaut
Roberto Vittori, as follows:

Istituto Tecnico Industriale Liceo scientifico Tecnologico "G. Marconi"
in Civitavecchia, Italy and Ist.Tecn.Comm.Einaudi-Mattei & Ist.Statale
Istr. Sup. Malignani in Palmanova, Italy will share a contact with the
ISS, as they are linked via Skype (internet telephony).  The students
from each institute will take turns asking questions. The event is
scheduled for April 18 at 08:45 UTC.

The European Space Research Institute (ESRIN), is slated for a contact
via telebridge station NN1SS on April 20 at 12:39 UTC.


3. ARRL Article on Chiao Contacts

On March 31, ARRL ran a web story on Leroy Chiao's decision to accept
the challenge of two ARISS contacts per week during his final days on
the ISS. See "Upping the ARISS ante," at: http://www.arrl.org/ or view
the April 1 ARRL Letter article at:
http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/05/0401/


4. ARISS International Meeting, 2005

The next ARISS International Face to Face Meeting will be held at the
University of Surrey in Guildford, Surrey, U.K. on Monday and Tuesday,
August 1-2, 2005.  It will follow the AMSAT-UK Colloquium (Friday, July
29 - Sunday, July 31.)  Initial information concerning these meetings
can be found on the AMSAT-UK website. See:
http://www.uk.amsat.org/Colloquium/default.php


5. Dayton Hamvention 2005 Events

Rosalie White worked with AMSAT and ARRL in planning events for inactive
astronaut Tony England to take part in at Dayton on May 19-22.  Tony
will meet Amateur Radio operators and visit the youth activities area.
He will speak at the AMSAT Dinner - his topic will be on Amateur Radio
satellite activities as a motivator for pre-college students' interest
in science and math.


6. Brazilian Amateur Radio Group Interested in ARISS

ARISS began correspondence with an Amateur Radio scientific group in
Brazil whose members wish to be involved in the ARISS program.

[ANS thanks Carol, KB3LKI for the above information]

/EX


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

73,
This weeks ANS Editor,
Lee McLamb, KU4OS
ku4os at amsat dot org
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