[jamsat-news:3449] [ans] ANS-211 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
Joe Spier
wao ＠ vfr.net
2017年 7月 30日 (日) 11:29:58 JST
AMSAT NEWS SERVICE
ANS-211
The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and infor-
mation service of AMSAT North America, The Radio Amateur Satellite
Corporation. ANS publishes news related to Amateur Radio in Space
including 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.
The news feed on http://www.amsat.org publishes news of Amateur
Radio in Space as soon as our volunteers can post it.
Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to:
ans-editor at amsat.org.
In this edition:
* Packet Module Status On Board ISS
* Oklahoma Radio Amateur is First to Score Satellite VUCC from
Greenland
* 437 MHz Sprite Satellites Deployed
* QIKCOM-1 Team Expect Eclipse Day ISS Deployment
* One Radio Amateur is Part of New Crew Increment Heading to ISS
* Fox-1 Operating Guide Updates for 2017
* AMSAT Presentation at the Austin Summerfest, August 5, 2017
* ARISS News
* Satellite Shorts From All Over
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-211.01
ANS-211 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 211.01
>From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD.
DATE July 30, 2017
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-211.01
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Packet Module Status On Board ISS
ARISS has received several reports stating that the packet system on
ISS is down. Here is what we know and our current forward plan.
The packet system in the Columbus module started to act up late last
week, sending only a beacon. The ARISS team requested a power recycle
by the crew, and with that power recycle, the packet system appears to
have stop functioning completely. Note that this unit has been on-
orbit for 17 years. It was launched on the STS-106 Space Shuttle
Atlantis mission in September 2000 and was built, tested and certified
for flight about 20 years ago.
The ARISS team has had some extensive discussions on the way forward.
We would first like to do some additional troubleshooting with the
existing packet module. It will take some time (weeks) to develop
troubleshooting procedures, get the procedures approved by NASA and
then conduct the tests with the crew. This includes an additional
power cycle. The turnaround time is much longer than usual because a
new crew will soon be arriving on ISS. The current crew is focused on
the new crew arrival and there will be about a one- to two-week
transition after the new crew arrives. On the positive side, one
aspect of our troubleshooting—a second power cycle—will occur
automatically because ARISS is shut down during crew docking and
turned on afterwards. However, there will be more to our
troubleshooting than just the power cycle.
We have some additional plans with alternative solutions, but those
are currently being discussed and prioritized within the ARISS team.
All solutions will require international ARISS team coordination,
additional procedures and crew interaction. People who have
carefully followed ISS operations know that crew time continues to
evolve with the more extensive research that is occurring on-board.
Suffice it to say, it will take longer than what it has taken in the
past to work through this issue.
The above information is to make sure that ARISS properly sets
expectations on how long it will take to resolve this. At this point,
expect a few months with no ARISS packet.
As you all can see, deploying the Interoperable Radio system that is
currently under development by ARISS has become even more critically
important. The ARISS team is laser focused on getting that system
developed and deployed. We are conducting a final design review with
NASA on this system next week. But we cannot get to the finish line
without your help. If you can, please consider a donation to the
ARISS radio fund by clicking on the ARISS donate button on the ARISS
web page (www.ariss.org) or the AMSAT web page (www.amsat.org). All
donations, large and small are appreciated.
On behalf of ARISS, we thank you for your sustained interest and
support of our program.
Sincerely,
Frank H. Bauer, KA3HDO
ARISS International Chair
[ANS thanks ARISS and Frank, KA3HDO, AMSAT Vice President, Human
Spaceflight for the above information]
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Oklahoma Radio Amateur is First to Score Satellite VUCC from Greenland
It took just 4 days — some of that time without much sleep — but ARRL
member Gabe Zeifman, NJ7H/VE6NJH, of Oklahoma City recently became the
first radio amateur to earn VUCC — working 100 grid squares — by
satellite from Greenland. In fact, his is the first VUCC award of any
kind from Greenland. A relatively new licensee, Zeifman, 22, has
managed to activate more than 300 grid squares via satellite as well
as nearly 20 DXCC entities. Apart from the operating accomplishment,
Zeifman told ARRL, he was attempting to inspire newcomers.
“I thought it could get more people interested in satellites in
general — VUCC is very achievable for anyone — and could also get more
people interested in roving,” said Zeifman, who began training this
week to become an air traffic controller. “I was overwhelmed by the
support I got; it was really astonishing the number of people that
helped!” He said one operator activated eight grids for him, while
others who don’t typically rove, visited at least one neighboring grid
square to give him a new one.
“It was really cool to see our community throughout the world come
together to help in this goal,” he said. “I really first envisioned
this idea when I realized I had nearly 70 grids confirmed from
Iceland, and I thought ‘hmm, OX is an even better location, I bet it’s
possible.’”
Zeifman said he prefers the linear-transponder satellites such as FO-
29, rather than the FM satellites. He said he may one day get into HF
more seriously, but, for now, he finds VHF/UHF/SHF “more fascinating.”
He said the trip to Greenland, Iceland, and the Faroe Islands with his
mother and his sister, was “fantastic,” although, he noted, “they may
have sometimes been annoyed by my getting up at 3 AM or several times
“Sometimes it was a very nice sunny day, and sometimes it was rainy,
windy, and cold,” he recounted. “But, I was happy to operate in
everything, and it paid off.”
Zeifman, who said he enjoys visiting in “the north,” has been to
Northwest Territories twice in the past couple of years, and is hoping
for an ATC assignment in Alaska. “But now that I’m a ham, I’ve really
developed a passion for operating satellites while all over the
world,” he told ARRL. He said a goal still on the far horizon would be
to complete a “reverse DXCC” on satellite — working the US on
satellites from 100 DXCC entities. “I think it’s definitely achievable
someday,” he added.
[ANS thanks ARRL for the above information]
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437 MHz Sprite Satellites Deployed
Scientific American magazine interviews radio amateur Zac Manchester
KD2BHC in the article Breakthrough Sends Smallest-Ever Satellites into
Orbit.
On June 23, 2017 six tiny satellites were sent into low-Earth orbit as
secondary payloads on the Venta and Max Valier satellites that were
launched on the Indian PSLV-C38 rocket. These six satellites are
comparatively dainty, but punch far above their weight. Called
“Sprites,” each is a 4-gram flake of circuit-board just 3.5
centimeters on a side, packing solar panels, computers, sensors and
communications equipment into an area equal to a U.S. postage stamp.
One Sprite apiece is attached to the outside of each mothership — the
Latvian Venta satellite and the Italian Max Valier satellite, the
latter of which also holds four additional Sprites awaiting deployment
into space as wholly independent spacecraft. Radio telemetry from
minuscule magnetometers and gyroscopes on the deployed Sprites would
then be used to track the spacecraft as they shift, spin and tumble,
to better understand their orbital dynamics.
Signals on 437.325 MHz from at least one of the exterior-mounted
Sprites have been received in California and New York.
Read the Scientific American article at
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/reaching-for-the-stars-
breakthrough-sends-smallest-ever-satellites-into-orbit/
Zac Manchester KD2BHC had 104 Sprite satellites launched into orbit on
board KickSat-1 on April 18, 2014 but the Sprites failed to deploy
https://amsat-uk.org/2014/04/18/successful-launch-of-kicksat-carrying-
104-sprite-satellites/
[ANS thanks AMSAT-UK for the above information]
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QIKCOM-1 Team Expect Eclipse Day ISS Deployment
The US Naval Academy team say their amateur radio QIKCOM-1 APRS
Digipeater payload may be deployed from the International Space
Station on August 21.
The QIKCOM-1 page says:
The Ham Radio QIKCOM-1 module attached to the NovaWurks NanoRacks
SIMPL spacecraft is now finally scheduled for release from the ISS on
21 August 2017!
This is being released on the same day as the solar Eclipse when the
ISS will also be passing over the USA during the eclipse 2 hour window
around 1800z. We are not clear on any correlation with the Eclipse and
our release, but there will be lots of hams in the field and it is a
good day to tune in!
Read about QIKCOM-1 at
http://aprs.org/qikcom-1.html
[ANS thanks AMSAT-UK ans the QIKCOM Team for the above information]
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One Radio Amateur is Part of New Crew Increment Heading to ISS
European Space Agency (ESA) Astronaut Paolo Nespoli, IZ0JPA, NASA
astronaut Randy Bresnik, and Russian cosmonaut Sergey Ryazanskiy will
head to the International Space Station (ISS) on July 28. They will
launch from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The Expedition 52/53
crew will spend more than 4 months together aboard the orbital complex
before returning to Earth in December. After launching in their Soyuz
MS-05 spacecraft, the trio will travel for 6 hours before docking.
Once the hatches between the Soyuz and ISS open, Expedition 52
Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin, RN3FI, and Flight Engineers Peggy
Whitson, ex-KC5ZTD, and Jack Fischer, K2FSH, will welcome the new crew
members aboard. Their arrival will double the population of the ISS.
Expedition 52 will continue work on hundreds of experiments in
biology, biotechnology, physical science, and Earth science aboard the
ISS, NASA said.
AMSAT-IT and the ARISS International community is anticipating a
successful mission from ESA Astronaut Paolo Nespoli, IZ0JPA, with many
direct ARISS contacts scheduled.
[ANS thanks ARRL and ARISS for the above information]
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Fox-1 Operating Guide Updates for 2017
The Fox-1 Operating Guide has been updated for 2017. This can be used
for personal reference and be made available for club meeting and
hamfest handouts. Designed to be printed double sided the Operating
Guide is available in two file sizes:
+ The lower resolution PDF file is designed to shrink file size for
e-mail, web posting, or on-screen viewing. (~300K)
+ The high resolution PDF file is publication quality designed for
hard-copy printing. (~2 MB)
The PDF files can be accessed on the AMSAT web:
https://www.amsat.org/station-and-operating-hints/
[www.amsat.org] --> [Satellite Info] --> [Station and Operating Hints]
Launch status and dates continue to be driven by the space industry
and may change as the year progresses.
[ANS thanks the AMSAT Web Gurus for the above information]
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AMSAT Presentation at the Austin Summerfest, August 5, 2017
The AMSAT Presentation at the Austin Summerfest, August 5, 2017 will
be given by Ron Parsons, W5RKN.
The presentation will consist of two parts:
Introduction to AMSAT --and-- A Software Defined Radio Satellite
Station: The Evolution of its Design
For more information, see
http://www.austinsummerfest.org/
Ron Parsons, W5RKN, has been a licensed amateur radio operator since
1954, a member of AMSAT and active in amateur radio satellite
communications since 1993. He has participated in three ARISS (Amateur
Radio on the International Space Station) school contacts: Fulmore
Middle School (MIR - 1998) and Blackland Prairie Elementary (2008) and
Liberal Arts and Science Academy with Richard Garirott (1998). He has
a Ph.D. in Physics from Stanford and taught at The University of Texas
at Austin.
[ANS thanks Ron, W5RKN for the above information]
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ARISS News
Recent Contacts
A telebridge contact with students from the Tuskegee Airmen Youth in
Aviation Program at The International Space Station (ISS) Research
and Development (R&D) Conference, Washington, D.C., was successful
Thu 2017-07-20 13:23:10 UTC 56 deg.
An International Space Station school contact was successful with
participants at ISS R&D conference, Washington, D.C. on 20 July. The
event began at approximately 13:23 UTC. The contact was a telebridge
between NA1SS and W6SRJ.
See the video at:
https://www.facebook.com/SpaceStationExplorers/videos/334464240317857/
The contact was very successful with 24 questions answered. Five
astronauts were present during the contact.
Frank Bauer KA3HDO, ARISS International Chairperson and AMSAT VP for
Human Spaceflight, said of the event, "Great day [Thursday July 20]
at the ISS R&D Conference. This was a very important contact with
our sponsors---CASIS and NASA SCaN at the event and many of the CASIS
senior leaders in attendance. It was great to see several members of
the multi-generational astronaut team, that have supported ARISS for
over 20 years now, on stage and giving their perspectives of their
ARISS connections from space.
This ARISS contact was conducted with Youth in Aviation Program
students from the East Coast Chapter, Tuskegee Airmen, Inc. (ECCTAI)
attending the ISS Research and Development conference as part of the
conference’s STEM day. ECCTAI is one of the largest Tuskegee Airmen,
Inc. chapters in United States and serves the Washington DC area.
ECCTAI is dedicated to keeping alive the history, achievements, and
importance of the original Tuskegee Airmen. The term, "Tuskegee
Airmen," refers to the men and women, who were involved in the so-
called "Tuskegee Experience", the World War II Army Air Corps program
to train African Americans to fly and maintain combat aircraft.
ECCTAI strives to increase understanding of the “Tuskegee Experience”
by honoring the accomplishments and perpetuating the history of the
men and women who participated in the “Tuskegee Experience” and to
introduce young people to the world of aviation and space through its
Youth in Aviation Program (YIAP). YIAP motivates and inspires
America’s youth to strive for similar excellence of these earlier
pioneers, exposing them to aviation and space careers (Level I),
attending FAA ground school (Level II) and receiving aircraft flight
instruction or interning at an FAA certified A&P (Airframe and
Powerplant) facility (Level III).
Upcoming Contacts:
VCP-Bundeszeltplatz, Großzerlang, Germany, direct via DP9S
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS
The scheduled astronaut is Paolo Nespoli IZØJPA
Contact is a go for: Tue 2017-08-01 18:20:35 UTC 46 deg
Frontiers of Flight Museum/ Moon Day, Dallas, TX, telebridge
via ON4ISS
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be TBD
The scheduled astronaut is Paolo Nespoli IZØJPA
Contact is a go: Sat 2017-08-05 18:02:31 UTC 87 deg
[ANS thanks ARISS and Charlie, AJ9N for the above information]
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Satellite Shorts From All Over
Message from Space hails Big Lottery Fund Award for Norfolk UK Based
Amateur Radio Group
Thanks to UK National Lottery players, the Bittern DXers, a North
Norfolk UK based Amateur Radio club, are celebrating an award of just
under £10,000 by the Big Lottery Fund to help them introduce people to
the endless possibilities in technology that Amateur Radio offers to
young and old alike.
News of the award was heralded around the world by a message
transmitted by the FunCube 1 satellite congratulating the group on
their award. FunCube 1 was built by members of the Amateur Radio
community and launched into orbit on 21st November 2013. It was built
with the goal of enthusing and educating young people about radio,
space, physics and electronics, and is the first satellite with
outreach as its primary mission and demonstrates the depth and breadth
of the hobby of Amateur Radio.
The Bittern DXers' own Educational Outreach Project aims to take
advantage of technology like FunCube to bring demonstrations of as
many aspects as possible of their hobby to public events in Norfolk as
well as reaching out to young people in schools, scouting and guiding
etc.
With the money provided by National Lottery players, the group have
purchased gazebos, radios and demonstration equipment allowing them to
take a complete hi-tech station to public shows and events that
enables conversations with other amateurs around the world, as well as
pick up signals live from the International Space Station, weather
satellites and the many other amateur satellites currently in space.
Chairman, Steve Cordner - callsign M0HET, said: “We are immensely
grateful to the Big Lottery Fund and National Lottery players, for
allowing us the opportunity to introduce amateur radio to people and
show them what we do.
“We already know for example that when young people are shown images
being received live from space, that their imagination is fired up and
they want to find out more. For older people it can break down
barriers of loneliness and disability and allow them to communicate
with others across county, country and world.
“Becoming a Radio Amateur makes one more employable as well as leading
to a lifetime of personal growth in the field of electronics and radio
communication. Many people holding senior roles in high-tech
industries today owe their careers to an early interest in amateur
radio. Our project aims to provide people of all ages that 'first
contact' with Amateur Radio.”
Club Secretary, Linda Leavold, who has been licensed for more than 30
years with her callsign G0AJJ, is proof that it is not just a male
hobby! She remarked “Being a radio amateur gives one a great sense of
personal achievement especially when you make that long distance
contact with someone on another continent. And its something the whole
family can get involved in.”
Laughing she added “Even my husband Richard joined me on the air after
a couple of years! He got fed up with burnt offerings for meals and
decided to discover just what it was that was occupying my time.
“It doesn't matter where you come from, whether you have any
disabilities or what age you are, Amateur Radio has something to offer
everyone and we want to get out there and show people what they are
missing.”
Although they have a very busy calendar already this year, they
welcome contact from any person or organisation who might be
interested in seeing what they do. The contact details are available
on
www.bittern-dxers.org.uk
[ANS thanks Julian, M0NUX for the above information]
NASA Ground Station for Voyager 2
YouTube tour of Deep Space Tracking Station in Austrailia.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rCrfQUcXDI
[ANS thanks Zach, N0ZGO 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.
73,
This week's ANS Editor,
Joe Spier, K6WAO
k6wao at amsat dot org
_______________________________________________
Via the ANS mailing list courtesy of AMSAT-NA
http://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/ans
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