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[jamsat-news:3072] ANS-120 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
AMSAT NEWS SERVICE
ANS-120
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
**********************************************************************
* Volunteers are needed to help at the AMSAT booth at Dayton. Gould *
* WA4SXM, is looking for volunteers to help man the AMSAT booth dur- *
* ing the 2012 Hamvention. People are needed all 3 days for 2 hour *
* shifts. Please send the days and times you are available to help *
* as well as how many shifts you are willing to work via e-mail to *
* wa4sxm at amsat.org. *
* Monitor http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/hamvention/2012/Dayton.php *
* for the latest AMSAT at Dayton news and developments *
**********************************************************************
In this edition:
* Reservations Required - 2012 AMSAT/TAPR Banquet at Dayton
* AMSAT-NA Board of Directors Nominations
* AMSAT 2012 Symposium First Call for Papers
* Japan to Launch Student High-Voltage Satellite Horyu-2 in May 2012
* Satellite Export Controls - Progress Report
* New Proposal Cycle for ARISS-US Contacts
* Satellite Shorts From All Over
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-120.01
ANS-120 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 120.01
From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
April 29, 2012
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-120.01
Reservations Required - 2012 AMSAT/TAPR Banquet at Dayton
The sixth annual joint AMSAT/TAPR Banquet will be held Friday
evening, May 18, 2012 during the Dayton Hamvention.
The Banquet will be at the:
Kohler Presidental Banquet Center
4572 Presidential Way
Kettering, OH 45429
(just south of Dayton).
Reservations are required and must be made by Monday, 14 May 2012.
Seating is limited, so make your reservations early. The price for
the Banquet is $30 per person. Reserved tickets may be picked up at
the AMSAT booth at Hamvention on Friday, or at the door.
You may make reservations for the 2012 AMSAT/TAPR Banquet online in
the AMSAT Store: http://www.amsat-na.com/store/item.php?id=100158
AMSAT Presidents Club Gold members should let Martha know if they
are planning to attend the banquet. For additional information con-
tact Martha at the AMSAT office (martha@amsat.org).
Banquet Schedule
----------------
+ 6:30 PM: Doors open and Cash bar is available with Beer, Wine,
Liquor and soft drinks.
+ 7:15 PM: Buffet Dinner service begins. The Center has a justly
deserved reputation for good food and service.
+ 8:15 PM: Presentation by Howard Long, G6LVB
Howard will be talking about his FUNcube Dongle, the
64 - 1700 MHz Software Defined Receiver. This innovative
USB device is the size of a thumbdrive and has an SMA
antenna socket. Multiple SDR control and display soft-
ware programs can be used with the FUNcube Dongle.
[ANS thanks Gould Smith, WA4SXM for the above information]
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AMSAT-NA Board of Directors Nominations
It is time to submit nominations for the upcoming open seats on the
AMSAT-NA Board of Directors. A valid nomination requires either one
current Member Society, or five current individual members in good
standing, to nominate an AMSAT-NA member for the position.
Three directors and two alternate directors have terms expiring this
year. The director seats open for election are held by Tom Clark,
K3IO; Lou McFadin, W5DID; and Gould Smith, WA4SXM. The alternate dir-
ector seats open for election are held by Mark Hammond, N8MH and
Patrick Stoddard, WD9EWK.
The three nominees receiving the highest number of votes will be
seated as regular board members with two year terms. The two nom-
inees receiving the next highest number of votes will be seated as
alternate directors for one year.
Written nominations, consisting of names, calls and individual signa-
tures, should be mailed to: AMSAT-NA, 850 Sligo Ave #600, Silver
Spring, MD, 20910. They must be received no later than June 15th. No
other action is required.
Nominations may also be made by electronic means including e-mail,
FAX, or electronic image of a petition. Electronic petitions should
be sent to MARTHA@AMSAT.ORG or faxed to 301-608-3410, and also must
be received by June 15th. If using any electronic submission, there
is a second, verifying step:
ELECTRONIC SUBMISSIONS WITHOUT THIS SECOND, WRITTEN VERIFICATION
ARE NOT VALID UNDER THE EXISTING AMSAT-NA BYLAWS. A verifying
traditional written petition MUST be received at the AMSAT-NA
office at the above address within 7 days following the close
of nominations.
[ANS Thanks AMSAT Secretary Alan Biddle, WA4SCA for the above
information]
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AMSAT 2012 Symposium First Call for Papers
This is the first call for papers for the 2012 AMSAT Annual Meeting
and Space Symposium to be held in Orlando, Florida on the weekend of
October 26-28, 2012 at the Holiday Inn, Orlando Airport Hotel.
Proposals for papers, symposium presentations and poster presenta-
tions are invited on any topic of interest to the amateur satellite
community:
+ Papers for publication in the Proceedings
+ Symposium Presentations
+ Poster Presentations
+ Equipment and Operating Demonstrations
We request a tentative title of your presentation as soon as possible,
with final copy to be submitted by October 1 for inclusion in the
printed proceedings.
Abstracts and papers should be sent to Dan Schultz, N8FGV, at
n8fgv@amsat.org.
The Symposium weekend will feature:
+ Space Symposium with Amateur Satellite Presentations
+ Operating Techniques, News, & Plans from the Amateur Satellite World
+ Board of Directors Meeting open to AMSAT members
+ Meet Board Members and Officers
+ Annual General Membership Meeting
+ Annual Banquet—Keynote Speaker and Door Prizes
If you are interested in a Monday Trip (October 29) to the Kennedy
Space Center please contact Martha via email: martha at amsat.org.
The trip will include a round trip bus from the hotel and entrance
to the Space Center. The cost will be about $100. This is a wonderful
experience for those that haven't been and for those that have been
multiple times. We need to get an idea of how many will participate
to select the correct bus.
[ANS thanks Dan Schultz, N8FGV for the above information]
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Japan to Launch Student High-Voltage Satellite Horyu-2 in May 2012
HORYU-2, an amateur radio satellite built by students at the Kyushu
Institute of Technology (KIT) in Japan will launch aboard a Japanese
H-IIA rocket planned for May 17 at 1639-1642 UT.
This Cubesat includes several experiments:
+ 300 volt power generation in LEO
+ COTS technology demonstration of surface potential measurement
+ Orbital debris observation
+ Earth photography
The satellite downlink will be 437.375 MHz using 1200bps FSK and CW.
300 volt power generation in LEO
--------------------------------
Power generation in space in practice is limited to 160 volt genera-
tion with 120 volt transmission aboard the ISS due to electrostatic
potential of the solar array with respect to its platform. High power
generation will require heavier cables or increased loss due to re-
sistances. Future high power generation in LEO will require 300-400
volts. The HORYU-2 mission, 300V power generation in space without
any discharge, is the first space environment test of the new tech-
nology.
COTS technology demonstration of surface potential measurement
--------------------------------------------------------------
A contact surface potential meter developed by TREK, Inc. for terres-
trial commercial application will be flown. This is a high impedance
meter which will not affect the charge state of the object being test-
ed. As HORYU-2 passes through the aurora zone, differential charges
may develop between the insulator surface and the satellite chassis.
The potential meter will measure the potential of the insulator that
is the same material to be used for SCM. The two measurements are
compared to validate against each other.
Orbital debris observation
--------------------------
This experiment will detect micro-debris impact on the surface of
HORYU-2. The debris sensor consists of many conductive thin wired
laid down in parallel in the area of 8×8 cm. Upon impact, some of
the lines are cut and the resistance becomes infinite.
Earth photography
-----------------
A small CMOS camera, developed by the University of Surrey, called
the Surrey Camera Payload (SCAMP) will take pictures in JPEG format
at 640 × 480 pixels. From 700km altitude, one pixel will correspond
to 1.6km.
More information is available on the web:
Horyu website in Google English: http://tinyurl.com/HoryuSatellite
http://www.uk.amsat.org/6638
http://www.uk.amsat.org/4279
[ANS thanks the Horyu-2 team and AMSAT-UK for the above information]
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Satellite Export Controls - Progress Report
Since the inception of The International Traffic in Arms Regula-
tions (ITAR) in 1999, all US-built satellites have been subject
to the US Munitions List, including amateur radio, education and
university satellite projects. The Directorate of Defense Trade
Controls (DDTC) under the Department of State (DoS) manages ITAR.
ITAR has curtailed AMSAT's collaboration with foreign nationals
on Amateur Radio Satellite projects, as well as with universities
that have foreign students enrolled as any technical exchanges
concerning satellite technology with non-US citizens brought the
potential for Federal prosecution.
On November 1, 2011, Congressman Howard L. Berman (D-CA) introduced
H.R. 3288: "Safeguarding United States Satellite Leadership and Sec-
urity Act." In summary, this act would authorize the President to re-
move commercial satellites and related components from the United
States Munitions List. However, while AMSAT was pleased to see this
draft bill, there were concerns that "commercial satellites" could
be interpreted as not including amateur radio and education satel-
lites.
Consequently, earlier this year AMSAT President Barry Baines,
WD4ASW appointed AMSAT NY Area Coordinator Peter Portanova, WB2OQQ
as AMSAT's Congressional Liaison to establish relationships that
would put AMSAT on the radar regarding H.R. 3288 to ensure that ama-
teur radio and education satellites would be included in the final
bill. Peter's appointment was based in part on his success in lead-
ing a delegation to meet with Congressman Peter King on H.R. 607 in
2011 that resulted in the amendment of that bill to protect the ama-
teur and amateur satellite frequencies that were being considered
for auction. Peter was clearly qualified to lead AMSAT's efforts to
ensure that amateur radio and education satellites would be included
in such a bill. Peter notes, "What we accomplished on 607 validates
that 'grass roots' efforts can be successful". Over the past few
months, AMSAT, under Peter's guidance has taken steps to meet with
key personnel involved in the legislative process in Washington to
make them aware of AMSAT, the importance of amateur radio satellites
in the development of education outreach and potential for emergency
communications. All of these meetings have been successful in build-
ing awareness of the need to have amateur radio satellites (as well
as education satellites) removed from the US Munitions List and plac-
ed under the Department of Commerce Control List.
While H.R. 3288 has been referred to the House Committee on Foreign
Affairs, this initiative was being held up pending a joint report
from the Department of Defense (DoD) and Department of State (DoS)
required by Section 1248 of the FY2010 Defense Authorization Act
wherein Congress directed DoD to assess whether national security
would be negatively impacted by moving satellites from the US Muni-
tions List (USML) to the Commerce Control List (CCL). Clearly, the
politicians were awaiting this report before deciding whether to
support H.R. 3288.
On April 18, 2012 the long awaited "1248" report was released by DoD
and DoS: "Risk Assessment of United States Space Export Control Pol-
icy," that addresses the risks associated with removing satellites
and related components from the United States Munitions List (USML).
The report identifies several satellite types, and related items,
that are not purely defense-related and should not be designated
as defense articles on the USML or controlled under the Internation-
al Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR).
The Departments recommended that the following items are more appro-
priately designated as dual-use items on the Commerce Control List
(CCL) and controlled under the Export Administration Regulations
(EAR):
(1) Satellites that do not contain technologies unique to military
applications or critical for maintaining a military edge;
(2) Communications satellites (COMSATs) that do not contain classi-
fied components;
(3) Remote sensing satellites with performance parameters below cer-
tain thresholds; and
(4) Systems, subsystems, parts and components associated with those
satellites.
>From AMSAT's perspective, this is certainly good news for the satel-
lite industry from both a commercial and amateur radio/education per-
spective. In particular, placement of amateur radio satellites under
EAR would remove the most onerous impacts of ITAR, allowing for exam-
ple, free exchange of technical information with foreign nationals,
allowing collaboration on satellite projects. Actual export of hard-
ware, however, would be controlled by the Department of Commerce.
That said, it is too early to draw any conclusions as a 180-day re-
view process has now begun. If the recommendations of the "1248 Re-
port" are accepted, it could pave the way for H.R. 3288 or a bill
drafted in response to the "1248 recommendations" to move forward.
However, given the tendency of Congress to put off major decisions
from May onward pending Fall elections, AMSAT President Barry Baines,
WD4ASW believes that it is likely, based on the current Congress and
other factors, very little will occur within the 112th Congress. In
Barry's words, "We are pleased with our initiatives to this point;
however these activities are still a work in progress." The AMSAT
Board, along with AMSAT's Congressional Liaison, will stay focused
on these activities and report to the membership as information be-
comes available.
The 44 page "Department of Defense/Department of State Report to
Congress Section 1248 of the National Defense Authorization Act for
Fiscal Year 2010 (Public Law 111 - 84): RISK ASSESSMENT OF UNITED
STATES SPACE EXPORT CONTROL POLICY" is available on-line in PDF
format at: http://tinyurl.com/DoD-1248-Report
Bloomberg Business Week article on ITAR:
http://tinyurl.com/BusinessWeek-ITAR (www.businessweek.com)
(ANS thanks AMSAT President Barry Baines, WD4ASW and AMSAT Congres-
sional Liaison Peter Portanova, WB2OQQ for this report.)
---------------------------------------------------------------------
New Proposal Cycle for ARISS-US Contacts
NASA Teaching From Space (TFS) office has announced a new proposal
cycle for ARISS-US contacts. Proposals may be submitted in the time
period between April 23 through July 2, 2012 for contacts that will
be scheduled beginning in January 2013.
Informational sessions will be held to answer any questions concern-
ing the proposal process. To attend a session or to have questions
answered, contact TFS at JSC-TFS-ARISS@mail.nasa.gov or call
281-244-1919.
For more information, see the TFS Web site:
http://tinyurl.com/ARISS-Proposal-Cycle (www.nasa.gov)
If you represent an education organization, formal or informal, and
you are located in the United States or its territories, you can
submit a proposal.
If you are located outside of the U.S., you will need to contact
the ARISS representative for your region:
+ Europe, Africa, and the Middle East: Francesco De Paolis,
IK0WGF school.selection.manager@amsat.it.
+ Russia: Valeriy Agabekov, N2WW/UA6HZ n2ww@arrl.net.
+ Japan and all countries in Southeast Asia and Pacific Oceania:
Keigo Komuro, JA1KAB iaru-r3@jarl.or.jp.
+ Canada and all other countries: Maurice-André Vigneault,
VE3VIG ve3vig@amsat.org.
[ANS thanks the NASA Teaching From Space Office for the above
information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Satellite Shorts From All Over
+ The ARISS International Team monthly teleconference was held on
Tuesday, April 17. World Amateur Radio Day and the HamTV status
were discussed. Minutes have been posted to the ARISS site:
http://ariss.rac.ca/arisstel2012-04-17.htm
+ A video segment of the successful ARISS contact with Flabob
Airport will be aired on the Bob Heil & Gordon West "Ham Nation"
show on May 1, 2012 at 1800 PDT (UTC-7). Tune in at:
http://www.twit.tv/hn
+ ESA’s mysteriously silent Envisat Earth observing satellite has
been observed and imaged by another satellite in space. France’s
space agency (CNES) pulled off an on-orbit coup, using their high-
resolution Pleiades satellite to take a picture of Envisat from
about 100 km. See the satellite-to-satellite view at:
http://tinyurl.com/Envisat-Photo (www.universetoday.com)
+ For the last 1000 days the Infrared Array Camera (IRAC), aboard
NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope, has been operating continuously
to probe the universe from its most distant regions to our local
solar neighborhood. To commemorate 1000 days of infrared wonders,
the program is releasing a gallery of the 10 best IRAC images:
http://www.cfa.harvard.edu/news/2012/pr201211_images.html
+ In celebration of the 22nd anniversary of the NASA/ESA Hubble
Space Telescope this month, episode 54 of the Hubblecast gives
a slideshow of some of the best images from over two decades
in orbit, set to special music:
http://www.spacetelescope.org/videos/archive/category/hubblecast/
+ JD1/OG, OGASAWARA ISLAND, AS-031
Makoto,JI5RPT, is working from Chichijima Islands (IOTA AS-031)
signing JD1BLY in CW/SSB/digital modes on 80-6m and via satellite
also from April 29 until May 5. QSL via homecall.
See: http://www.ji5rpt.com/jd1 and http://twitter.com/jd1bly
(via DXNL DX Newsletter 1777 - Apr 25, 2012)
[ANS thanks everyone 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 addi-
tional benefits. Application forms are available from the AMSAT
Office.
Primary and secondary school students are eligible for membership
at one-half the standard yearly rate. Post-secondary school students
enrolled in at least half time status shall be eligible for the stu-
dent rate for a maximum of 6 post-secondary years in this status.
Contact Martha at the AMSAT Office for additional student membership
information.
73,
This week's ANS Editor,
Lee McLamb, KU4OS
ku4os at amsat dot org
_______________________________________________
Via the ANS mailing list courtesy of AMSAT-NA
http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/ans