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[jamsat-news:3106] ANS-253 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
AMSAT NEWS SERVICE
ANS-253
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
*******************************************************************
* Reminder: Ballots for the AMSAT-NA Board of Directors Election *
* are due by mail by the close of business on Sepetember 15, 2012 *
*******************************************************************
In this edition:
* AMSAT President Barry Baines, WD4ASW TV Interview on HAMRADIONOW.tv
* Board of Directors Ballots Due by September 15
* Register On-line for the AMSAT 2012 Space Symposium
* Final Call - AMSAT 2012 Space Symposium Papers Due October 1
* Israeli Students Developing Duchifat-1 145.825 MHz APRS CubeSat
* Astronaut EVA Activity Delays ISS CubeSat Deployment Schedule
* ELaNa Cubesats to Launch From Vandenberg September 13 - Thursday!
* AMSAT Store Grand Reopening
* Successful ARISS Contacts With Germany, Japan, and Maryland
* September 9 Launch From India Planned for Japan PROITERES Satellite
* Help Wanted: AMSAT News Service Rotating Editor Positions Available
* Satellite Shorts From All Over
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-253.01
ANS-253 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 253.01
From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
September 9, 2012
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-253.01
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AMSAT President Barry Baines, WD4ASW TV Interview on HAMRADIONOW.tv
Gary Pearce, KN4AQ, producer and host of the HAMRADIONOW.tv webcasts
interviewed AMSAT President Barry Baines, WD4ASW at the Shelby North
Carolina Hamfest. Barry's interview provides an in-depth update on
AMSAT activities and plans.
As Gary says, "So there's a lot going on at AMSAT. Exciting stuff
like commanding a remote-control vehicle with instructions relayed
through the ISS (think Mars Curiosity Rover)". As Barry said, "This
isn't your grandfather's AMSAT anymore".
Barry discussed AMSAT's exciting projects including:
+ Project Fox Cubesat development
+ AMSAT selection for NASA's ELaNa launch program
+ AMSAT development of missions meeting STEM educational goals
+ AMSAT-ARRL-ARISS teamwork
+ Future opportunities in space
+ How you can join and help
Watch the 60 minute interview at HAMRADIONOW.tv, Episode 19:
http://arvideonews.com/hrn/HRN_Episode_0019.html
While you are on the Amateur Radio Video News website please "click
the pig" if you can donate to this amateur radio video series.
[ANS thanks Gary Pearce, KN4AQ and Amateur Radio Video News for the
above information]
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Board of Directors Ballots Due by September 15
If your ballot for the 2012 AMSAT Board of Directors election has
not hit the mail yet you gotta do it today!
AMSAT Corporate Secretary Alan Biddle, WA4SCA reminds all AMSAT-NA
members, "Your ballots for the 2012 Board of Directors election need
to be received at AMSAT-NA headquarters by September 15th, 2012. This
is one of your best opportunities to make your views on the path of
our organization known."
Ballots for the 2012 AMSAT-NA Board of Directors election have been
mailed to all members. Also included is biographical information
about each of the candidates.
Select no more than three of the six listed candidates (in alphabet-
ical 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 serv-
ing 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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Register On-line for the AMSAT 2012 Space Symposium
AMSAT announces that the registration for the 2012 AMSAT Space
Symposium, to be held on Friday, October 26th through Sunday,
October 28th is now open on-line. A mail-in option is also
available those preferring this approach.
See the AMSAT Web Store to complete your on-line registration:
http://store.amsat.org/catalog/index.php?cPath=27
Downloadable paper registration forms in MS-Word format and
PDF format are available on the 2012 Symposium page:
http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/symposium/2012/index.php
Prices for the Symposium are:
+ 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
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
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.
[ANS thanks the 2012 Symposium Committee for the above information]
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Final Call - AMSAT 2012 Space Symposium Papers Due October 1
Symposium Proceedings Editor, Dan Schultz, N8FGV reminds authors
the final copy of your paper for the 2012 Space Symposium is due
by October 1, 2012. Dan requests a tentative title of your present-
ation as soon as possible, with final copy to be by October 1 for
inclusion in the printed proceedings. Abstracts and papers should
be sent to Dan Schultz, N8FGV, at n8fgv at amsat.org
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
The Symposium Committee still has prime slots available on the speak-
er's schedule. The AMSAT Symposium depends on YOU to make it happen,
without speakers there is no Symposium.
Please consider doing a presentation, even if you have never done
so in the past. We are especially interested in papers and present-
ations involving our educational partnerships with K-12 and univer-
sity level classrooms. Education is quickly becoming critical for
our future rides to space.
[ANS thanks 2012 Symposium Proceedings Editor Dan Schultz, N8FGV for
the above information]
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Israeli Students Developing Duchifat-1 145.825 MHz APRS CubeSat
The SpaceDuchifat-1 is an experimental and educational CubeSat de-
veloped and built by young Israeli students at the Space Laboratory
of the Herzliya Science Centre (HSC). The project is directed by Dr.
Ana Heller with support from the Herzliya city municipality and the
Israeli Amateur Radio Club.
The CubeSat will carry an APRS digipeater operating on 145.825 MHz
and a UHF/VHF 1200 bps BPSK transceiver that can provide a CW bea-
con and an FM to DSB transponder.
The main mission of the satellite is to transmit real-time informa-
tion via radio amateur packets from a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) using
the Automatic Position Reporting System (APRS) protocol. Duchifat-1
will allow remote traveler’s to access the satellite for worldwide
position/status reporting and messaging even in the case of using
simple handheld or mobile radios with Omni-directional whip antennas.
Due to the lack of APRS digipeating coverage on the 145.825 MHz fre-
quency remote travelers, ships at sea, and stations in many parts of
the world are presently unable to use the APRS system. The Duchifat-1
satellite will augment the existing worldwide terrestrial Amateur
Radio APRS by adding LEO satellite coverage along with the Interna-
tional Space Station APRS digipeater.
Real-time position reporting uses the Global Positioning System (GPS)
of the groundstation and will allow transmission of a wide variety of
data including short text messages and telemetry data. The reports
will be combined with a computer and mapping software to display the
data superimposed on maps at a HSC Ground Station.
No launch or orbit details are presently available.
Further information at http://www.madaim.org.il/hsl/php/index-en.php
[ANS thanks HSL Space Laboratory at the Herzliya Science Center in
Israel for the above information]
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Astronaut EVA Activity Delays ISS CubeSat Deployment Schedule
A critical EVA was conducted at the International Space Station on
Wednesday, September 5 by Astronauts Sunita Williams (KD5PLB) and
Akihiko Hoshide (KE5DNI) to complete the installation of a spare
power unit on the station's truss, which caused problems during an
August 30 spacewalk.
During the August 30 EVA Williams and Hoside spent 8 hours and 17
minutes in space, but failed to install a new Main Bus Switching
Unit (MBSU) on the station's s-zero truss as they had difficulties
driving the bolts to secure the equipment. The MBSU is a heavy com-
ponent that is used to relay power from the station's solar arrays
to its systems.
This additional EVA activity drove schedule changes in which JAXA
announced that the deployment of five CubeSats from the ISS planned
for September 10 has been postponed. A new deployment date has not
yet been announced.
Four of the CubeSats carry Amateur Radio payloads, they are F-1,
FITSAT-1, WE-WISH and TechEdSat. Please refer to ANS-197 for the
detailed list of CubeSat radio frequencies and operating modes:
http://amsat.org/pipermail/ans/2012/000634.html
The CubeSats are mounted in a JEM-Small Satellite Orbital Deployer
(J-SSOD). In one pod are FITSAT-1, TechEdSat and F-1 and in the sec-
ond pod is WeWish and a scientific 2U CubeSat RAIKO. Japanese astro-
naut Akihiko Hoshide KE5DNI will use the ISS Kibo robot arm to deploy
the pods as demonstrated in this YouTube video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=C8uewuyv0wM
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ELaNa Cubesats to Launch From Vandenberg September 13 - Thursday!
The Atlas V NROL-36 launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base in Cali-
fornia, originally planned for August is now ready for launch on
September 13. Liftoff is planned during a period between 1:45 and
4:15 p.m. local PDT (4:45-7:15 p.m. EDT; 2045-2315 GMT).
This launch will be carrying a pair of ocean surveillance satellites
to locate ships at sea. Also aboard this flight at four cubesats as
part of ELaNa IV mission and seven cubesats for government missions.
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.
o Will test a 20-inch mesh antenna to track electronic tags on
shipping containers in the open ocean.
+ ORSES (ORS Enabler Satellite)
+ Horus
+ Re
o Will be used for the optical tracking of space debris
+ Aerocube 4A, 4B, 4C
o Testing deployable solar panels.
o Technology demonstration of “parachute-like” devices to deorbit
satellites.
o Testing closed-loop attitude control system based around a
three-axis gyroscope.
A discussion of the launch re-scheduling can be found on-line at:
http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2012/08/uatlas-v-launch-nrol-36-vandenberg/
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, Gunter's
Space Page and nasaspaceflightnow.com for the above information]
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AMSAT Store Grand Reopening
The AMSAT Store is fully open for business after being updated. All
the usual AMSAT software, hardware, and clothing are available, as
is the registration for the AMSAT 2012 Symposium and activities:
http://store.amsat.org/catalog/index.php?cPath=27
Please stop by, even if you are just looking:
http://store.amsat.org/catalog/
You can also find a link to the AMSAT Store from the main web page
at: http://www.amsat.org. It is the bottom button on the list on the
left side of the main page.
If you don't find what you are looking for here, contact Martha at
the main office:
+ E-mail at martha@amsat.org
+ From the US call toll free at (888) 322-6728
+ From all other locations call (301) 589-6062
+ Fax (301) 608-3410
+ Regular mail: AMSAT, 850 Sligo Ave. Suite 600, Silver Spring, MD
20910
[ANS thanks Alan Biddle, WA4SCA for tha above information]
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Successful ARISS Contacts With Germany, Japan, and Maryland
Astronaut Akihiko Hoshide, KE5DNI participated in two ARISS (Ama-
teur Radio on the International Space Station) contacts over the
past week. He spoke with students attending Megina Gymnasium Mayen
in Mayen, Germany on Friday, August 31 and with youth from the Iruma
Junior Ham Club in Iruma, Japan on Sunday, September 2.
Sunita Williams, KD5PLB picked up a third ARISS contact with the
National Electronics Museum in Linthicum, Maryland on Saturday,
September 1. The radio contacts were integrated into comprehensive
science and math lessons.
[ANS thanks Carol Jackson, KB3LKI, for the above information]
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September 9 Launch From India Planned for Japan PROITERES Satellite
The Japanese amateur radio satellite PROITERES is planned to launch
Sunday, September 9 at 0421 UT from the Indian Space Research Organ-
isation (ISRO) Satish Dhawan space centre. The satellites SPOT6 and
mRESINS will be on the same launch into a 695 km × 695 km, 98.2º
inclination orbit.
PROITERES was built by a team of students and faculty members of
Osaka Institute of Technology (OIT) and the spacecraft aims to
demonstrate powered flight using a Pulsed Plasma Thruster (PPT)
engine. Its amateur radio callsign is JL3YZK.
PROITERES stands for PRoject of OIT Electric-Rocket-Engine Onboard
Small Space Ship and will transmit on 437.485 MHz FM/AFSK. The
spacecraft carries a camera and the two CPU’s run the Linux opera-
ting system.
PROITERES, Osaka Institute of Technology, Japan
Launch : 9 Sep 2012 4:21UTC (9:51IST)
Vehicle: PSLV-CA with SPOT6 and mRESINS
Site : Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, India
30cm^3, 10kg, 10W, 437.485MHz FM/AFSK
The PROITERES Google English website contains the most up-to-date
information see http://tinyurl.com/PROITERES-Satellite
There is also an English language website at
http://www.oit.ac.jp/elc/~satellit/ImageProiteres.html
A video showing ISRO launch prepartion for PROITERES can be found at:
http://www.uk.amsat.org/10201
[ANS thanks Mineo Wakita, JE9PEL and AMSAT-UK for the above
information]
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Help Wanted: AMSAT News Service Rotating Editor Positions Available
The AMSAT News Service (ANS) is responsible for researching, writing,
editing, and publishing the weekly amateur satellite news bulletins.
After the passing of Dee, NB2F, we currently have a two editors who
take a turn weekly to publish the bulletins. With the addition of a
volunteer, or two, this would generally involve taking a turn about
every 3 to 4 weeks.
At present we a looking for interested satellite enthusiasts to join
the ANS editorial team. Professional writing/editing experience is
NOT a requirement. Your interest and enthusiasm in following and
reporting on amateur radio in space will get you started! The ANS
Editor team helps each other by rounding up items of interest. Plus
we receive submitted items for publication ... so you won't be left
all alone!
If you can commit to working on the bulletins for a week on a rotat-
ing basis please reply via e-mail to AMSAT News Service Editor
JoAnne Maenpaa, K9JKM via k9jkm at amsat.org.
[ANS thanks AMSAT Vice-President User Services, Gould Smith, WA4SXM
for the above information]
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Satellite Shorts From All Over
+ Listen for Tom Deeble, KA6SIP operating on FO-29, SO-50, and AO-27
satellites from the north shore of Kauai in the Hawaiian Islands.
Tom is running a dual FT-817 setup with an Arrow antenna and ARR
440 preamp. Since this is a family trip he will try to operate on
satellites in his spare time. He will be on Kauai until Friday,
September 14.
+ Plan ahead! Scouting's Jamboree on the Air is coming up the week-
end of October 20. If you know of local scout groups latch on to
them and hopefully let's make the satellites come alive with Scout
to Scout contacts. It may end up being the high point for many of
the Scouts involved with JOTA. (Tom Schuessler, N5HYP)
+ Congratulations Bob Bruninga, WB4APR as the ARRL announced him as
the winner of the August QST Cover Plaque award. Bob's article is
“Rethinking Electrical Power for the Ham.” The QST Cover Plaque
award is given to the author or authors of the best article in
each issue of QST Magazine and is determined by a vote of ARRL
members. (ARRL)
+ Enjoy a simulated flyover of the most intriguing landmarks on
giant asteroid Vesta, as seen by NASA's Dawn spacecraft:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=84vz6J8cnc8
+ Congratulations to Hector, CO6CBF on his successful amateur radio
and satellite demonstration in the town's central park at Aguada
de Pasajeros, Cuba. Hector reports 21 stations were worked on 3
satellite passes. He was also able to demonstrate receiving the
contact between the ISS and K3CUJ at the National Electronics
Museum inLinthicum, MD. His gear includes a mobile 2m FM radio with
a homebrew 70cm/2m down converter for receive, a 2M Kenwood TK-270
HT for transmit. He operates with the HT in one hand and his home-
brew Arrow Antenna with a homebrew preamplifier in the other hand.
+ Earth-Mars-Earth Radio Message Received by Curiosity Controllers
Utilizing the radio relay capability of the Mars Science Laboratory
Curiosity Rover on the surface of Mars, an international network of
telecommunications relay orbiters around Mars and NASA's Deep Space
Network (DSN) voice playback of NASA Administrator Charles Bolden's
message to JPL's Mars mission crew was played for the team on August,
27, 2012. The video and audio of the relayed message are available
at: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/msl/news/bolden20120827.html
+ 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, September 13,
and September 27, 8 PM EDT (UTC-4 UTC) on the 146.97 MHz MBARC Re-
peater (PL 100). An echolink connection is available on the N2EYH-L
node. More information at: http://www.hvsatcom.org. (Stu, WA2BSS)
+ YouTube Space Lab Live Broadcast of Space Experiments: NASA has
partnered with Space Adventures and YouTube on a global competi-
tion that challenged 14-18 year old students to design a science
experiment to be performed in space. The winning experiments were
conducted aboard the International Space Station, or ISS, and the
results will be revealed live on YouTube. Of the 2,000 experiment
ideas received from students in over 80 countries, only two were
chosen to fly to space. The live broadcast can be seen on Septem-
ber 13, 2012, at 10:30 a.m. EDT (UTC-4), at:
http://www.youtube.com/spacelab.
+ NASA's Digital Learning Network, or DLN, is hosting a special
event on September 17, 2012, at 1 p.m. EDT to commemorate the
departure of space shuttle Endeavour. Watch the live webstream
from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida as space shuttle
Endeavour continues her journey on the back of the Shuttle Car-
rier Aircraft, a modified 747, to its final destination at the
California Science Center in the heart of Los Angeles. For more
information and to watch the webcast online, visit the DLN web
site at: http://dln.nasa.gov
[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 if you give a man a
fish, he will eat today ... Promise a man a million fish, he will
contribute heap big wampum to your tribal election campaign fund.
73,
This week's ANS Editor,
JoAnne Maenpaa, K9JKM
K9JKM at amsat dot org
_______________________________________________
Via the ANS mailing list courtesy of AMSAT-NA
http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/ans