[jamsat-news:2942] ANS-086 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE
ANS-086

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:

* ARISS School Contact Milestone - 600th School Contact on March 17
* KA1SKY McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center Operating Events
* How's (Satellite) DX?
* AMSAT Awards Now Accepting Credit From RAC CANADAWARD
* Japan Space Agency Unveils New ISS CubeSat Deployment System
* Satellite Shorts From All Over
* MAKE Magazine Publishes NASA Make: Challenge Rules and Guidelines
* Falcon 9 To Launch SES-8 To GTO In 2013

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-086.01
ARISS School Contact Milestone - 600th School Contact on March 17

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 086.01
>From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
March 27, 2011
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-086.01

ARISS reached a milestone on Thursday, March 17 when it held its 
600th contact between on-orbit astronaut Cady Coleman, KC5ZTH and 
students from several schools in Plock and Liszyno, Poland. 

The contact supported lessons about space and space exploration, 
communication and technology. The Scout Amateur Radio Club SP5ZBA 
handled the radio connection during which the astronaut fielded 
19 space related questions. Nearly 120 people were in the audience 
and came from Plock, Liszyno, Zuromin and Warsaw. There was exten-
sive media coverage that included newspapers, four scientific maga-
zines, one radio magazine, a television station, national radio 
(two programs) and two internet portals.

Also on Thursday, March 17, Luitpold-Gymnasium Muenchen students in 
Munich, Germany spoke with Paolo Nespoli, IZ0JPA on the ISS via an 
ARISS contact. Nespoli answered 19 questions as an audience of over 
110 students, teachers and visitors listened. 

The contact was the highlight of studies emphasizing aeronautics, 
scientific work and amateur radio. Several media outlets were present 
including three radio stations (Bayerischer Rundfunk, Radio Charivari, 
Radio Arabella), one television station (Bayerisches Fernsehen) and 
four newspapers (Süddeutsche Zeitung, Abendzeitung, TZ-München, Münch-
ner Merkur). The Bavarian TV channel BR (Bayerisches Fernsehen) posted 
a clip on its Web site: http://tinyurl.com/62vkve4 (www.br-online.de)

[ANS thanks Carol Jackson, KB3LKI and the ARISS weekly status report
 for the above information]

/EX


SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-086.02
KA1SKY McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center Operating Events

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 086.02
>From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
March 27, 2011
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-086.02

Amateur Radio Operators at KA1SKY, Amateur Radio Club Station at 
the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center (DC) in Concord, NH have 
been working to enhance presentations and programs at the Center 
through the vehicle of Amateur Radio.

Wayne Santos, N1CKM, Station Manager at KA1SKY would like to hear 
from AMSAT members in New England who can assist with amateur radio 
operations from the Discovery Center:

April 29-30 - Aerospacefest Weekend
May 5 - KA1SKY special event station in Commemoration of the 50th 
        Anniversary of the Alan Shepard Manned Space Flight.

Wayne said the Discovery Center also needs assistance to sched-
ule an ARISS contact. If you can help contact Wayne via e-mail
at N1CKM@arrl.net.

Information about the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center can be
found on-line at: http://www.starhop.com/

KA1SKY features a robust VHF/UHF/Sat station and has been successful
with EME and satellite contacts. The station enjoys a highly visible 
place with many school groups and the public interested in the 
station. Information about the station is posted at:
http://www.k1bke.org/planetarium/ka1sky.htm
http://www.starhop.com/education-and-exploration/ka1sky.aspx

[ANS thanks Wayne, N1CKM at the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center
 for the above information]

/EX


SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-086.03
How's (Satellite) DX?

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 086.03
>From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
March 27, 2011
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-086.03

March 23 - April 2 ZF2AE/ZF8 Cayman Island
------------------------------------------
Adrian, AA5UK will be operating portable as ZF2AE from Grand 
Cayman and as ZF2AE/ZF8 from Little Cayman from March 23th to 
April 5th, 2011. 

Most activity will be in the afternoons and evenings using two 
FT-817s and an Elk Antenna.  He plans to operate holiday style 
on the FM and SSB satellites with some HF.  

Activity will be from grids: EK99hi from March 23 - 24th, EK99xp 
from March 25th - April 2nd (he plans to operate HF during part 
of CQ WPX SSB contest while on Little Cayman:  40m to 10 m) and 
EK99kh from April 2nd - April 5th.  

Time permitting; he will try to make it to grid FK09. Frequently 
check AMSAT-BB and http://twitter.com/AA5UK for last minute opera-
tional updates. QSL Direct with SASE, the Bureau, LOTW or eQSL.

April 29 - May 1 XF2P from Isla de Lobos
----------------------------------------
Operation is planned on AO27, AO51 and SO50 satellites and all 
HF bands, plus 6 meters CW, SSB and RTTY. They will also activate
the Lobos Island lighthouse. Operators include Ismael XE1AY; Gustavo 
XE1KKK; Francisco Javier XE1P; Ricardo XE1RZL; Ricardo Raymundo 
XE1SOV; Fernando XE1VGC; Jose XE1UYU; Martin XE1UZH; Modesto XE1UZU; 
Juan Manuel XE2IA; Jose XE2IVG;and Ricardo XE3NMC. QSL via XE1AY.

May 1 - May 8 GS3PYE/P and GS6PYE/P Isle of Arran
-------------------------------------------------
Camb-Hams members Bob G1SAA, Terry G3VFC, Martin G3ZAY, Colin G4ERO, 
Colin G8TMV, Mark M0MJH, Rob M0VFC, Steve M1ACB and Gavin M1BXF will
be active from a rented cottage near Balliekine, Isle of Arran with
most HF bands, 6 meters, 4 meters (SSB CW, JT65M, FSK441). Satellite
operation is planned, time permitting. QSL direct or via bureau to 
M0VFC. Website: http://dx.camb-hams.com/

[ANS thanks Adrian, AA5UK, Cambi-Hams, and the ICPO Bulletin for the 
 XF2P information]

/EX


SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-086.04
AMSAT Awards Now Accepting Credit From RAC CANADAWARD

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 086.04
>From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
March 27, 2011
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-086.04

AMSAT Director Contests and Awards, Bruce Paige, KK5DO announced,
"In keeping up with technology and limiting duplication of work, 
AMSAT Awards will now accept a scanned copy the Radio Amateurs of 
Canada (RAC) CANADAWARD for satellites as proof of working the 13 
valid Canadian Provinces." They are:

VE1/VA1 Nova Scotia
VE2/VA2 Quebec
VE3/VA3 Ontario
VE4/VA4 Manitoba
VE5/VA5 Saskatchewan
VE6/VA6 Alberta
VE7/VA7 British Columbia
VE8 Northwest Territories
VE9 New Brunswick
VO1/2 Newfoundland and Labrador
VY0 Nanavut
VY1 Yukon
VY2 Prince Edward

Bruce says, "This will make it easier for everyone to submit either 
or both, ARRL Worked All States / RAC CANADAWARD and not have to scan 
all those cards to be checked for AMSAT satellite awards a second time.

[ANS thanks Bruce Paige, KK5DO for the above information]

/EX


SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-086.05
Japan Space Agency Unveils New ISS CubeSat Deployment System

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 086.05
>From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
March 27, 2011
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-086.05

Information received via Masa, JN1GKZ and the Southgate ARC news site
report that the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has announ-
ced a new ISS CubeSat deployment system. JAXA's ISS small satellite 
deployment system will use Japan's ISS Experiment module Kibo's air-
lock and robot arm. 

Satellites are planned to be delivered to the ISS in a cushioned bag 
by Progress or HTV supply ship. The satellites are then mounted in 
the deployment pod. The deployment pod is put into the airlock where 
it is grabbed by the robot arm. The arm then moves the pod into posi-
tion and deploys the satellites which will re-enter the atmosphere 
after about 100 days.

JAXA has put out a call for Japanese satellites to demonstrate this 
new system. The satellites can be 1U, 2U or 3U CubeSat. Total size 
is 4U. Two to four satellites will be selected (eg 1U+3U, 1Ux2+2U, 
1Ux4). The demonstration schedule is: 

May 2011: satellites selection
May 2012: deliver satellites to JAXA
Sep 2012 or later: deployment using the new system

The press release material is on the JAXA's web site in Japanese.
http://www.jaxa.jp/press/2011/03/20110302_sac_smallsat.pdf

A Google English version of the press release is available:
http://tinyurl.com/JAXA-Kibo/

[ANS thanks Masa, JN1GKZ and the Southgate ARC news site for the
 above information]

/EX


SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-086.06
Satellite Shorts From All Over

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 086.06
>From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
March 27, 2011
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-086.06

+ Congratulations to Allen, N5AFV on making his 50,000th satellite 
  contact on March 23; that's quite an accomplishment!

+ Congratulations to Al, XE2AT on reaching a milestone of 1000 grids
  worked via satellite after 13 years of operating. Al wrote, "I hope 
  each of you will accept this as my sincere thanks and appreciation 
  for all your help and info. Many thanks to all rovers and maritime 
  mobile and a lot of people that passed along your QTH grid. Thanks 
  to all private mails and BB mails with a lot of kind words."

+ Congratulations to K8YSE for hitting the 900th grid mark with his 
  contact with UT1FG/mm on AO-27 and grid 901st with ND9M/mm on 
  AO-27 on March 24.

+ Congratulations to Nick, KB1RVT on reaching grid #600 in two years
  using only an Arrow Antenna.

+ Mineo Wakita, JE9PEL invites you to listen to the CW beacon on
  CO-65 for a special message: HI HI DE JQ1YTC DIGI ON CUTE 1.7 
  GANBARE JAPAN CUTE 86 CA A4 67 3D 2B 27 A2 61 31 17
  Mineo explains 'GANBARE' in Japanese means 'Show spirit' concerning 
  the Earthquake and Tsunami.

+ Astronauts Luca Parmitano (Expedition 36) and Chris Cassidy 
  (Expedition 35) both passed their amateur radio license exams 
  on March 8. Luca Parmitano was issued call sign KF5KDP and Chris 
  Cassidy received KF5KDR.

+ The SO67 schedule for South Africa and Australasia is now posted 
  on http://www.amsatsa.org.za. The next USA week will be 28 March - 
  10 April, a two week period. The schedule will then continue Europe 
  11 to 17 April, Central Asia 18 - 24,  April and Australasia  
  25 April to 1 May. 

+ Alcatel-Lucent has made the entire Bell System Technical Journal
  archive available on-line at: http://bstj.bell-labs.com/ 
  (via Jerry, W7QX)

+ http://tinyurl.com/62asmcc will bring you to page from which 
  you may download all the presentations of 1st IAA Conference 
  on University Satellite Missions and Cubesat Workshop in Rome.
  (Gruppo di Astrodinamica Università degli Studi Sapienza)

+ Sundeep Shah, VU3SXE reports another video of the homebrew AZ EL 
  Rotor by VU2POP is posted at: 
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWBh29MyqWU

+ F1NSR has made a video showing the AMSAT-UK VHF/UHF FUNcube SDR 
  Dongle being used for a contact on 23cm. Watch at:
  http://tinyurl.com/4lryfxo (via Southgate ARC site)

+ EuroLuna OZ9LUNA have produced a video showing the testing of 
  their Romit1 CubeSat due for launch later this year. The Euroluna 
  team are currently developing a 2U cubesat Romit1, OZ9LUNA, as 
  part of their attempt to win the Google Lunar X PRIZE. Watch at:
  http://tinyurl.com/49s6jyp (via Southgate ARC site)

+ A collection of amateur videos of the Discovery STS-133 launch and
  landing has been posted at the UniverseToday web at:
  http://tinyurl.com/6bzvd9k

+ NASA TV will cover the Expedition 27 launch for the next three 
  residents of the International Space Station. Russian cosmonaut 
  and Soyuz Commander Alexander Samokutyaev, NASA Flight Engineer 
  Ron Garan and Russian Flight Engineer Andrey Borisenko are sched-
  uled to launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome at 5:18 p.m. CDT on 
  April 4 (4:18 a.m. Baikonur time on April 5). Streaming video
  is available at http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

+ Ramon, XE1KK and Luis, LU6QI made a QSO on AO7 in SSB Mode B at
  11.12 UTC on March 14, 2011 during the orbit #66247. The distance
  between Ramon's location (EK09JI) and Luis (FF66TQ) is 6816.7 km.
  On March 25 Luis made contact with Omar, XE1AO and Keith, N4ZQ)
  via AO-7 with both distances a little more than 7000 km apart.

+ AMSAT's Keeper of the Keps, Ray Hoad, WA5QGD reported this week, 
  "I am pleased to announce that AMSAT's request to re-distribute 
  AFSPC Keplerian elements from Space-Track has been approved for 
  the period April 1, 2010 to April 1, 2012.  Our USSTRATCOM ODR 
  (Orbital Data Request) to distribute the KEPs was approved on 
  March 8, 2010."

+ An interesting photo showing ISS transiting the sun near a group
  of sunspots can be viewed at: http://tinyurl.com/4gcuble
  (UniverseToday.com)

+ AMSAT area coordinator Clint Bradford, K6LCS, will be presenting 
  his 'Working Amateur Satellites With Your HT' session at the April 1, 
  2011 meeting of the Associated Radio Amateurs of Long Beach. All are 
  welcome to attend.
  7PM, April 1, 2011 (no kidding!)
  Signal Hill Community Center
  1780 E. Hill Street (off Cherry Ave, behind the PD)
  Signal Hill CA 90755

+ Clint will be busy ... he will make his 'Working Amateur Satellites 
  With Your HT' presentation at the April 4, 2011 meeting of the 
  Corona Norco Amateur Radio Club (CNARC). All are welcome to attend.
  7PM, Monday, April 4, 2011 
  Norco Fire Station
  3902 Hillside Ave
  Norco 92860-1515

[ANS thanks everyone for the above information]

/EX


SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-086.07
MAKE Magazine Publishes NASA Make: Challenge Rules and Guidelines

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 086.07
>From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
March 27, 2011
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-086.07

In a press release titled, "NASA Launches 2011 Nationwide Technology 
Space Competition for Education", NASA says it's Emerging Commercial 
Space Office (ECSO) is teaming with Make Magazine, and Teachers in 
Space to help develop spaceflight kits that high school teachers and 
students can build and fly on suborbital flights.

Competition rules are simple. Kits should use components that are 
likely to be available at most high schools, and submitted experi-
ments must be self-contained and fit in a standard Cubesat container.
To make kits accessible to students nationwide, part of the challenge 
is to be able to build these kits for under $100, the kind of funds 
that could be raised by a school bake sale.

Make Magazine has now published the rules and guidelines for the 2011 
NASA Make: Challenge at http://www.makezine.com/space/rules
Proposals for the NASA Make: Challenge should be submitted electronic-
ally to makespacekits@gmail.com by midnight (Pacific Daylight Savings 
Time) April 30, 2011. 

NOTE: The NASA Make: Challenge is open to all U.S. citizens. Proposers 
under the age of 18 must include the permission of a parent or guardian 
to participate.

The winner of the NASA Make: Challenge will win a trip to the Bay Area 
Maker Faire on May 21 & 22. The winning project will also be published 
in MAKE Magazine.  

Make Magazine is planning a webcast for the week of March 28. This
will be an opportunity to learn from experts about developing experi-
ments that can fly in space. They will be available for questions as 
well.

You can sign up for the Space Challenge mailing list at: 
http://blog.makezine.com/space

The full NASA Press Release can be found on-line at:
http://www.nasa.gov/centers/ames/news/releases/2011/11-14AR.html

[ANS thanks NASA and Make Magazine for the above information]

/EX


SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-086.08
Falcon 9 To Launch SES-8 To GTO In 2013

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 086.08
>From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
March 27, 2011
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-086.08

A news item from SpaceDaily reported that Space Exploration Technol-
ogies (SpaceX) and SES, one of the largest satellite operators in the 
world, announced an agreement to launch an SES satellite using the 
Falcon 9 rocket. This will be the first geostationary satellite launch 
using SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket. The firm launch agreement with SpaceX 
also includes an option for a second SES launch.

The SES-8 satellite is scheduled to launch in the first quarter of 
2013 from SpaceX's Launch Complex 40 at the Air Force Station at Cape 
Canaveral, Florida.

Full story can be found on-line at: http://tinyurl.com/4al2rk8

[ANS thanks SpaceDaily.com 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. And with that 
keep in mind the ham who endured a long losing stretch at the racetrack.
He decided to take up horseback riding but could not figure out how to
make his horse stop. He called out, "How do I make it stop!?" ... some-
one yelled back, "Put a bet on it!"


73,
This week's ANS Editor,
JoAnne Maenpaa, K9JKM
K9JKM at amsat dot org


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