[jamsat-news:3099] ANS-225 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE
ANS-225

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 at amsat.org

In this edition:

* Return Your AMSAT-NA Board of Directors Ballots by September 15
* Hotel Information for the 2012 AMSAT Symposium in Orlando
* Dr. Mark Hammond N8MH to speak at Space Colloquium
* Successful ARISS Contacts With Scouting Space Jam 6
* Postponed ELaNa Launch From Vandenberg Scheduled for August 14
* ESA Announces New Educational Cubesat Initiative
* Welcome to Gale Crater - Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity Lands
* Pioneer of Radio Astronomy Sir Bernard Lovell Dies
* Raytheon Building the New Space Fence Radar
* There's an App For That - ID Visible Satellite Flyovers
* Satellite Shorts From All Over

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-225.01
ANS-225 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 225.01
From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
August 12, 2012
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-225.01


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Return Your AMSAT-NA Board of Directors Ballots by September 15

AMSAT Corporate Secretary, Alan Biddle, WA4SCA said, "By now, all 
members in good standing of AMSAT-NA should have received their bal-
lots, including the position biographies by the candidates. We have 
a full slate of candidates this year. Remember, this is one of your
best opportunities to make your views on the path of our organiza-
tion known."

Additional information for those interested can be found in the min-
utes of the 2011 Board Meeting which appear in the current issue of 
the AMSAT Journal. 

Select no more than three of the six listed candidates (in alphabetical
order):

+ Tom Clark, K3IO
+ Steve Coy, K8UD
+ Mark Hammond, N8MH
+ Lou McFadin, W5DID
+ Gould Smith, WA4SXM
+ Patrick E. Stoddard, WD9EWK

The 3 candidates receiving the most votes will become directors
serving 2 year terms. The 2 receiving the next highest number of
votes will be seated as alternates for 1 year terms.

You must mail your ballot back to be received at the AMSAT-NA Office
no later than the close of business on September 15, 2012:

   AMSAT
   850 Sligo Avenue, #600
   Silver Spring, MD  20910

[ANS thanks AMSAT Corporate Secretary, Alan Biddle, WA4SCA for the
 above information]


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Hotel Information for the 2012 AMSAT Symposium in Orlando

The 2012 AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual Meeting will be held in 
Orlando, Florida on October 26 - 28, 2012. Information about the
Symposium is posted as it becomes available at:
http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/symposium/2012/index.php

The Symposium Hotel is the Holiday Inn at Orlando-International 
Airport is located one mile from the Orlando International Airport 
(MCO). The AMSAT discount rate is $99 + taxes per night. The reser-
vation block code used when calling the hotel directly is AMT.

The hotel telephone number is 407-851-6400. The Symposium Committee 
recommends you make reservations by calling the hotel directly rather
than through the Web. Cutoff date for reservations is Oct 6, 2012. 
The direct link to the hotel web page is: 
http://www.holidayinn.com/hotels/us/en/orlando/mcoap/hoteldetail 

The hotel offers free Internet connection and free airport shuttle. 
When you arrive at the Orlando Airport call 407-709-5310 to request 
the shuttle.

The Orlando International Airport (MCO) is the closest to the Sympos-
ium and is served by most major air carriers. The hotel address is: 
5750 T.G. Lee Blvd – Orlando, FL 32822. A map link is included on 
the hotel web page.

Watch for announcement from the Symposium Committee soon about the 
opening of registration. The cost of the Symposium is:

+ Symposium Registration including Proceedings
  o Through September 23, 2012:  $ 45.00
  o Starting September 24, 2012: $ 50.00
  o At the Door:                 $ 55.00

+ Saturday Evening Banquet       $ 45.00

+ Sunday Morning Area Coordinators’ Breakfast $ 15.00

+ Monday (Oct 29) bus trip to KSC and entrance ticket $ 100.00

[ANS thanks the 2012 Symposium Committee for the above information]


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Dr. Mark Hammond N8MH to speak at Space Colloquium

The 27th AMSAT-UK International Space Colloquium will be held on 
the weekend of 15-16 September at the Holiday Inn Hotel, Guildford, 
GU2 7XZ, England close to the University of Surrey.

The full presentation schedule is being finalized and will be pub-
lished shortly but, in the meantime we can confirm that it will be 
a truly international event. Among the many notable speakers will 
be Dr. Mark Hammond, N8MH from North Carolina. Mark is AMSAT-VP 
for Educational Relations and will be giving two presentations.

The first will include updates on significant AMSAT-NA developments, 
including information about activities related to International Tra-
ffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) matters. He will also provide a gen-
eral and technical update about the Fox family of CubeSats.

The second presentation will address the challenges presented by the 
current trend of justifying satellite construction and launches 
through STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education. 
Specific hurdles faced by radio amateur satellite organizations will 
be highlighted. Progress made by AMSAT-NA through educational partner-
ships with the ARRL, NASA, and ARISS will be discussed.

The weekend event is open to all. It attracts an international audi-
ence that ranges from those involved in building and operating Ama-
teur Radio satellites to beginners who wish to find out more about 
this fascinating branch of the hobby.

Tour Feature: SSTL Kepler Building
----------------------------------
Colloquium attendees will have an opportunity to visit the satellite 
facilities in the new Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL) 
Kepler Building. The tour will include exclusive access to inspect 
the new SSTL clean room and integration facilities at the recently 
opened Kepler Building. If you have visited their previous facilities 
at the university campus, during previous Colloquia, you will be 
amazed by what is happening now.

There will be presentations by experts from AMSAT-SA, AMSAT-NA and 
AMSAT-DL on their current spacecraft projects. Also planned are Cube-
Sat presentations on UKube-1, Strand-1 and, of course the FUNcube-1 
project. We will be including an exclusive roundup of a number of 
new live and potential spacecraft projects that are under investi-
gation and/or development. Additionally a number of presentations 
are planned covering new communications techniques and similar futur-
istic topics.

You'll be able to participate all the usual networking opportunities, 
the gala dinner and auction/raffle, plus the opportunity to operate 
the sophisticated groundstation in the GB4FUN mobile demonstration 
module.

All accommodation will be at the Holiday Inn hotel. Please note that 
the hotel will only hold our reserved rooms until 3 weeks prior to 
the event, ie until August 24. If you book after this date, you risk 
there not being a room available.  Bookings for Fri/Sun nights, or 
ones made after this date cannot be guaranteed. Rooms and Saturday’s 
Gala Dinner must be booked in advance in the AMSAT-UK shop.
For booking see: http://www.uk.amsat.org/colloquium/twelve

AMSAT-UK posted an article at: http://www.uk.amsat.org/9388
This page also contains the links which will allow you to find regis-
tration information for the Colloquium.

[ANS thanks AMSAT-UK for the above information]


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Successful ARISS Contacts With Scouting Space Jam 6

Scouts attending Space Jam 6, which was held at the Octave Chanute 
Aerospace Museum in Rantoul, Illinois, participated in an ARISS con-
tact with ISS astronaut Akihiko Hoshide, KE5DNI on Sunday, August 5. 
Hoshide was able to answer 22 space-related questions posed by the 
scouts before losing the radio connection. Space Jam focused on "The 
History of Aviation" this year and offered lessons on Space Explora-
tion, Radio, Aviation, Electronics and Robotics among other STEM 
topics. Approximately 1000 scouts, leaders and parents turned out 
for Space Jam 6 this year.

Ken Holland, KC9TTR recorded the downlink from the contact and posted
the audio at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F813COaiGaQ

[ANS thanks the  Amateur Radio on the International Space Station 
 (ARISS) Status Report by Carol Jackson, KB3LKI for the above
 information]


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Postponed ELaNa Launch From Vandenberg Scheduled for August 14

The August 2, 2012 Atlas V rocket launch with a combination of 11
satellites from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California for the US 
Government and NASA ELaNa university cubesats was scrubbed due to a
range instrumentation problem. This launch is now scheduled to lift
off from Vandenberg on August 14.

The primary mission will launch a pair of US Navy Ocean Surveillance 
Satellites (NOSS). These satellites carry equipment to track ships 
and aircraft by triangulation of radio transmissions. The two NOSS 
satellites have a combined weight of 6500 kg. They will separate
a few days after being placed into a 1100 km circular orbit at 63° 
inclination.

This is the first Atlas V launch with modified helium tanks in the 
Centaur upper stage. The change has created room in the aft skirt 
to accommodate 8 P-POD dispensers for cubesats. This launch carries 
11 cubesats, to be released into 470 x 770 km, 63° orbit about 3 hours 
after launch and following maneuvers by the Centaur upper stage.

The ELaNa Cubesats aboard are:
+ CINEMA (Cubesat for Ion, Neutral, Electron, Magnetic fields)
  o Downlinks for engineering telemetry and command are in the
    2400-2450 MHz range; Science telemetry is in 2200-2300 MHz 
    range.

+ CSSWE (Colorado Student Space Weather Experiment)
  o Downlink 437.345 MHz, 9k6 with AX25

+ CP5 (PolySat)
  o Downlink 437.405 MHz at 1 watt, AFSK on LSB AX.25 over NRZI at 
    1200 baud, every 2 minutes, begins 3.5 hours after first turn-on.

+ CXBN (Cosmic X-Ray Background Nanosatellite)
  o Downlink 437.525 MHz, GFSK, AX.25

The US Government Satellites aboard are:
+ Aeneas
  o First cubesat to deploy 2.4 GHz Dish Antenna. WIFI transmitter 
    will transmit on 2425.0 MHz with 1 watt of output power.
  o Downlink 437.600 MHz AX25 1200 bps beacon every 10 seconds and
    spread spectrum two-way link elsewhere in the 70cm band.
+ ORSES (ORS Enabler Satellite)
+ Horus
+ Re
+ Aerocube 4A, 4B, 4C

Please refer to the prior bulletin for mission summaries and satel-
lite team web pages: http://amsat.org/pipermail/ans/2012/000637.html

A detailed article of the launch can be found on-line at:
http://www.americaspace.org/?p=23568

[ANS thanks NASA, the CubeSat Teams noted above, AMSAT-UK, and 
 Gunter's Space Page for the above information]


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ESA Announces New Educational Cubesat Initiative

AMSAT-UK has received notice that the European Space Agency's 
Education Office is inviting the CubeSat community to send their 
notifications of interest for a new initiative involving the dev-
elopment of educational picosatellites and the provision of de-
ployers and launch services. The call closes on 7 September 2012.

Following the successful launch of seven CubeSats on Vega’s maid-
en flight in early 2012, ESA has decided to pursue further educa-
tional CubeSat-related activities.

In order to gather valuable information that will help better de-
fine the terms of its initiative, ESA’s Education and Knowledge 
Management Office needs to get an overview of the level of interest 
both from educational CubeSat developers and from commercial suppli-
ers that are eligible to participate in the programme.

Call 1: Educational CubeSat development
---------------------------------------
This call for Notification of Interest is open to institutions from 
ESA Member States and Cooperating States which intend to develop 
CubeSats for educational purposes.

Teams interested in participating are invited to send their Notifica-
tion of Interest to cubesats@esa.int

The email subject should be: “CubeSat opportunity – Name of the 
proposed CubeSat project” and should be sent before 12:00 CEST 
7 September 2012.

Further information at: 
http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Education/SEMRLXSX55H_0.html

ESA – Towards a new educational CubeSat initiative
http://www.uk.amsat.org/9515

[ANS thanks AMSAT-UK for the above information]


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Welcome to Gale Crater - Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity Lands

With Curiosity now safely on the surface of the Red Planet after its
August 6 entry, descent and landing in Gale Crater, NASA's Mars Sci-
ence Laboratory began its planned primary one-Martian-year (98-week) 
mission of discovery and exploration.

Re-live the entry, descent and landing at Jet Propulsion Labs:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=giZY2JuuhZA

The Curiosity Mars Descent Imager (MARDI) captured the rover's descent 
to the surface. The instrument shot 4 frame per second video from heat
shield separation to the arrival on the ground. The last few seconds 
show the dust being kicked up as the flying skycrane approached the 
surface:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=UcGMDXy-Y1I

Watch the arrival on Mars in an exciting movie trailer format:
http://www.universetoday.com/96646/curiositys-awesome-landing-trailer/

This week the rover checked its health and determined its location,
orientation and tilt on the surface of Mars. All initial spacecraft 
activities appear to have been completely nominal. The JPL control
team next commenced with firing all of Curiosity's pyrotechnic de-
vices for releasing post-landing deployments. 

Spring-loaded deployments, such as removal of dust covers from the 
Hazard-Avoidance cameras (Hazcams) occurred shortly after landing en-
abling Curiosity to acquire images with its front and rear Hazcams.

Additional post-landing checkout activity included testing of the 
UHF telecommunications system and rover motor controller assembly. 
Approximately five megabytes of data were successfully relayed back 
to Earth from NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft during the first day.

Curiosity landed facing east-southeast within Gale Crater, with a 
heading of 112.7 degrees (plus or minus five degrees), and a few 
degrees of tilt. 

The latest official mission information, photos, and video is always 
posted at: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/ - and -
http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/msl_landing.cfm

Finally, Curiosity Rover vehicle tires have tread patterns that 
imprint the acronym JPL in Morse Code in the dusty soil of the 
Mars surface. See the report on the ARRL web at:
http://tinyurl.com/MorseOnMars (www.arrl.org)

[ANS thanks NASA and JPL for the above information]


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Pioneer of Radio Astronomy Sir Bernard Lovell Dies

The BBC reports pioneering astronomer and physicist Sir Bernard 
Lovell has died aged 98. He was the founder of University of Man-
chester's Jodrell Bank Observatory. Jodrell Bank is dominated by 
the iconic 76m (249ft) Lovell Radio Telescope, was completed in 
1957. he telescope and his other contributions to radio astronomy 
led to him being knighted in 1961. He continued to come in to work 
at the Observatory until quite recently when ill health intervened.

The structure remains the third largest steerable telescope in the 
world and plays a key role in global research on pulsating stars, 
testing extreme physics theories including Einstein's general theory 
of relativity.

The BBC posted the news at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-19164236

[ANS thanks the BBC for the above information]


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Raytheon Building the New Space Fence Radar

The Air Force expects to deploy its $3.5 billion space fence sys-
tem by 2017 to improve its space debris tracking ten-fold. As many 
as 200,000 pieces of orbital debris can be tracked with the S-band 
radars.

Lockheed Martin competed with Raytheon for the contract mandating a
scalable, solid-state S-band radar with a wavelength frequency capa-
ble of detecting objects far smaller than the half-century-old Air 
Force Surveillance System the new system will replace.

Lockheed Martin demonstrates their prototype space fence in a video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7SJdN90vT04&feature=player_embedded

Raytheon won the contract which they describe as multiphase acquisi-
tion program, leading to the delivery of up to three, globally posi-
tioned, S-band radars operating in the U.S. Space Surveillance Net-
work. Raytheon posted information on-line at:
http://tinyurl.com/RaytheonSpaceFence (raytheon.com)

Amateurs can listen to meteor pings detected by the present genera-
tion of the Air Force Space Surveillance Radar in Texas at:
http://spaceweatherradio.com/

[ANS thanks CNET, Raytheon, and Lockheed Martin for the above
 information]


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There's an App For That - ID Visible Satellite Flyovers

WhatSat - Satellite Explorer helps you identify and learn about sat-
ellites that you see passing overhead in the night sky. It can also 
be used as a satellite spotting aid. The satellite catalog includes 
150 or so of the brightest orbiting objects as identified by NORAD. 
For each satellite listed there is a description and an image (when 
available).

The first mode of operation allows you display a list of currently
visible satellites if you see one passing overhead. The app shows you 
a ground track of the satellite to give you some idea where and how 
far away it actually is.

The second mode of operation gives you a list of what is visible 
with a visibility indicator, azimuth, and elevation to help you find
satellites. This includes a map view of the ground tracks.

WhatSat requires cell service or WiFi to access the server that 
does satellite flyby calculations.

Read more information at:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.finchconsulting.whatsat

Editor's Note: This is not an AMSAT-NA product but is mentioned due 
to its applicability and potential interest to our readers with no 
endorsement implied.

[ANS thanks SpaceWeather.com for the above information]


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Satellite Shorts From All Over

+ The AMSAT-NA On-line Store at http://store.amsat.org/ will be re-
  opening on August 13, 2012.

+ A QSL card is now available for AubieSat-1 / AO-71 reception. Oper-
  ators desiring a confirmation of receipt for AO-71 are invited to 
  send their signal reports to:  

     Dr. J-M Wersinger, KI4YAU
     Allison Laboratories Room 210
     Auburn University, AL 36849

  Please note the date and time of receipt on your request (or your 
  QSL card), as well as any other pertinent receiving information or 
  conditions. Copies of the content of the CW signals you copied are 
  requested, but not required. Any other questions regarding Aubie-
  Sat-1 may be emailed to: jm.wersinger <at> gmail.com

+ JPL Infographics, a newly launched website and resource database 
  from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, is inviting space aficion-
  ados and graphic wizards to take on a visual challenge by grabb-
  ing NASA data and transforming them into a scientific work of art.
  The website provides extensive collections of NASA science and 
  mission data, graphics and space images that members of the public 
  can download and use to create their own infographics - creative 
  illustrations of complex data. Users can then upload their info-
  graphics, have them reviewed by JPL experts, and share their crea-
  tions in a public gallery on the JPL website: 
  http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/infographics/

+ KP2, U.S. Virgin Islands has been reported to be active on the 
  linear satellites. (On the Birds!). Wyatt, AC0RA, reports that 
  he made a QSO on August 2nd with Rich, KP2CT, from St. Thomas on 
  FO-29 for his first satellite contact. Rich will initially focus
  on operating via FO-29.

+ Listen for Jerry Brown, K5OE using his UK call M0GOE as he oper-
  ates on the FM satellites during a family holiday next week from 
  IO82 and IO81/82 border (Sunday thru Thursday), and IO72 (Wednesday, 
  15 Aug 2012, 1400z - 1630z). If he can get to the border between 
  IO71/72 he will try that, but there might not be enough time. Nova 
  Scotia, Quebec, and W1/2/3 should be in range to the west.

+ Jeff, KB2M says all the requested 13 Colonies special event QSL 
  cards for his satellite operations from K2I (NJ), and K2E (DE) 
  are in the mail. If anyone else who worked us wants a card please 
  send a SASE to KB2M, at his address listed at QRZ.com. 

+ New Stunning ISS Time-lapse: Earth Illuminated shows aurora, light-
  ning, our Milky Way Galaxy, city lights and other sights as seen 
  from orbit: 
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7UfMq-b0Uo&feature=player_embedded

+ The Sloan Digital Sky Survey III (SDSS-III) has released the larg-
  est three-dimensional map of massive galaxies and distant black 
  holes ever created, and it pinpoints the locations and distances 
  of over a million galaxies. It covers a total volume equivalent 
  to that of a cube four billion light-years on a side. A video re-
  leased with the map takes viewers on an animated flight through 
  the Universe as seen by SDSS. There are close to 400,000 galaxies 
  in the animation:
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=08LBltePDZw
  
+ AMSAT Commemorative Shirt for the 2012 Symposium is only avail-
  able by mail order. If you have not received a copy of the order
  form you can download and print a copy from the the link on the
  front page at: http://www.amsat.org. The deadline for receiving
  your mail order is September 21, 2012.

+ The next Hudson Valley Satcom net dates are Thursday, August 16,
  August 30, 8 PM EDT (UTC-4 UTC) on the 146.97 MHz MBARC Repeater 
  (PL 100). An echolink connection is available on the N2EYH-L node. 
  More information at: http://www.hvsatcom.org. (Stu, WA2BSS)

+ The Carpcomm Space Communication Network invites amateur satellite
  operators to participate and share cubesat information. Read more
  of their mission at: http://carpcomm.com/

+ Tom W5KUB says the webcasts on http://w5kub.com from the Huntsville 
  Hamfest will go live Friday morning August 17 for the drive from 
  Memphis to Huntsville. The Huntsville hamfest is August 18-19 with
  internet webcast streaming for the entire event.

[ANS thanks everyone for the above information]


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/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. And with that, please keep in mind like Earth, Mars has 
four seasons because the planet tilts on its axis. The seasons vary 
in length because of Mars' eccentric orbit around the sun. In the 
northern hemisphere, spring is the longest season at seven months. 
Summer and fall are both about six months long. Winter is only four 
months long. On average, the temperature on Mars is about minus 80 
degrees F (minus 60 degrees C). In winter, near the poles tempera-
tures can get down to minus 195 degrees F (minus 125 degrees C). A 
summer day on Mars may get up to 70 degrees F (20 degrees C) near 
the equator, but at night the temperature can plummet to about minus 
100 degrees F (minus 73 C).

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


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