From ans ＠ amsat.org Sun Jan 12 09:04:41 2025 From: ans ＠ amsat.org (Mitch Ahrenstorff (AD0HJ) via ANS) Date: Sun, 12 Jan 2025 00:04:41 +0000 Subject: [jamsat-news:3925] [ANS] ANS-012 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins In-Reply-To: <0100019453031697-34ccb917-13de-472b-a57a-d197741024b9-000000@email.amazonses.com> References: <010001944dd08815-9d782afa-3f44-4f4d-a11b-4a1a4e337555-000000@email.amazonses.com> <0100019453031697-34ccb917-13de-472b-a57a-d197741024b9-000000@email.amazonses.com> Message-ID: <0100019457d3bb0c-5b6fe181-dc70-42c2-800d-2e0908f12955-000000@email.amazonses.com> AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-012 In this edition: * India Launches SpaDeX Satellites with Amateur Radio Experiment * Parker Solar Probe Achieves Closest-Ever Approach to the Sun * 3D-Printed Helicone Antenna Tested for L-Band Weather Satellites * Cold War Mystery: Why Did Jimmy Carter Save the Space Shuttle? * Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for January 10, 2025 * ARISS News * Upcoming Satellite Operations * AMSAT Ambassador Activities * Satellite Shorts From All Over The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and information service of AMSAT, 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 https://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 You can sign up for free e-mail delivery of the AMSAT News Service Bulletins via the ANS List; to join this list see: https://mailman.amsat.org/postorius/lists/ans.amsat.org/ ANS-012 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins To: All RADIO AMATEURS From: Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation 712 H Street NE, Suite 1653 Washington, DC 20002 DATE 2025 Jan 12 ________________________________ India Launches SpaDeX Satellites with Amateur Radio Experiment India has launched the SpaDeX mission, designed to perform the country's first autonomous docking experiment in space. A Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C60) carried two SpaDeX satellites into orbit from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, India on December 30, 2024, at 11:30 a.m. EST (1630 UTC). The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) sees this mission as a step toward supporting future Moon missions and building a space station. The Space Docking Experiment (SpaDeX) consists of two 220-kilogram (485 pound) satellites, the Target and Chaser, which will test rendezvous and docking procedures. ISRO Chairman S. Somanath confirmed the satellites were placed in the correct orbit after launch. The first docking attempt is expected to occur in the next several days. The mission will assess the transfer of power between the docked spacecraft and evaluate dual-spacecraft control capabilities. [https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/ISRO-SpaDeX-Satellite-Docking-Experiment.jpg] The SpaDeX mission will be India's first attempt at rendezvous and autonomously docking two spacecraft. [Credit: ISRO] In addition to the docking experiment, the mission includes the POEM-4 (PS4-Orbital Experimental Module), which carries 24 payloads. These include a robotic arm demonstration and a debris capture manipulator. The robotic arm will test mobility for tasks in orbit, while the debris capture manipulator will attempt to retrieve tethered objects in an effort to address space debris. One of the payloads aboard POEM-4 is the BGS ARPIT, an amateur radio project developed by the SJC Institute of Technology, the Upagrah Amateur Radio Club (VU2URC), and AMSAT-India to support educational activities and celebrate India's 75th year of independence. This payload can transmit images via Slow Scan Television (SSTV), audio messages, and telemetry data on 145.870 MHz, and it also functions as an APRS digipeater on 145.825 MHz. Approved for IARU frequency coordination on December 22, 2024, BGS ARPIT completed its first SSTV transmission period on January 10th, with more trial periods sure to come soon. [https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/AMSAT-INDIA-BGS-ARPIT.jpg] Watch for BGS ARPIT SSTV announcements from @nitin_vu2jek on X. [Credit: SJC Institute of Technology] The autonomous docking technology tested in SpaDeX is crucial for ISRO's planned Chandrayaan-4 lunar mission, which aims to return samples from the Moon's south pole. Docking capabilities will enable the transfer of samples to a return capsule in lunar orbit. This technology is also essential for the assembly and operation of the Bharatiya Antariksh Station, India's planned space station. The SpaDeX mission includes payloads developed by ISRO and collaborators from universities and startups. The experiments focus on areas like satellite servicing, space debris management, and educational outreach. The mission serves as a platform to advance technologies needed for India's space exploration goals. [ANS thanks the Tariq Malik, Space.com, and AMSAT-India, for the above information] ________________________________ Parker Solar Probe Achieves Closest-Ever Approach to the Sun NASA's Parker Solar Probe reached a significant milestone on December 24, 2024, by coming within 3.8 million miles of the sun's surface-the closest a human-made object has ever traveled toward a star. The spacecraft confirmed its survival through a signal received at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) on December 26. This marks another step forward in the mission's effort to study the sun and its influence on the solar system. The probe, traveling at 430,000 miles per hour (692,000 kilometers per hour), continues to push the limits of solar exploration. The mission allows the spacecraft to gather data from regions of the sun that were previously out of reach. Nicky Fox, associate administrator for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, said, "By studying the sun up close, we can better understand its impacts throughout our solar system, including on the technology we use daily on Earth, as well as learn about the workings of stars across the universe." This close approach opens the door for new measurements that could refine knowledge about solar wind, coronal heating, and other fundamental processes. [https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/NASA_Parker_Solar_Probe_TPS_Alignment.jpg] NASA's Parker Solar Probe during pre-launch testing at Astrotech located in Titusville, Florida. [Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins APL] Launched in 2018, the Parker Solar Probe used seven Venus flybys to adjust its orbit and approach the sun. Its current orbit brings it near the sun every three months. A carbon foam heat shield, designed to withstand temperatures up to 2,600°F (1430°C), protects the spacecraft's instruments, which remain at a stable temperature. During its latest encounter, the shield endured temperatures of 1,800°F (980°C), demonstrating the durability of its design and construction. The spacecraft has already provided valuable data about solar phenomena. It has observed magnetic field structures called switchbacks, which help explain plasma heating and acceleration. Adam Szabo, mission scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, noted, "This close approach will give us more data to understand how the solar wind is accelerated closer in." Measurements from within the solar corona offer new perspectives on how energy and particles move through this region. [https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/John_Hopkins_APL_Parker_Mission_Operations.jpg] Johns Hopkins APL confirmed that the Parker Solar Probe survived its close approach to the sun. [Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins APL] The Parker Solar Probe has also contributed to studies of Venus, detecting thermal emissions from its surface and capturing images of its orbital dust ring. These observations highlight the spacecraft's ability to gather insights beyond its primary mission. Data from the recent solar pass will soon be transmitted to Earth, providing additional information for researchers. Future solar passes are scheduled for March 22 and June 19, 2025. Ralph Semmel, John Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory Director, emphasized the team's efforts, stating, "Their incredible technological breakthroughs enabled this amazing mission, and they have delivered critical new insights that are revolutionizing our understanding of heliophysics and space weather." As part of NASA's Living With a Star program, the Parker Solar Probe continues to investigate the relationship between the sun and the Earth, providing valuable knowledge for science and society. [ANS thanks the Michael Buckley and Mara Johnson-Groh, Johns Hopkins University for the above information] ________________________________ The 2025 AMSAT President's Club Coins Have Just Arrived! Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of Amateur Radio on Human Spaceflight [https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/2025-PC-Coin-2-Sided-Color-Web-300x148.jpg] Help Support GOLF and Fox Plus. Join the AMSAT President's Club today! ________________________________ 3D-Printed Helicone Antenna Tested for L-Band Weather Satellites Gabe Emerson, KL1FI, the creator behind the YouTube channel saveitforparts has unveiled a new video highlighting a 3D-printable helical antenna for receiving weather data from polar-orbiting L-band satellites such as NOAA and Meteor. Designed by a user named t0nito, the 1.7 GHz HRPT Helicone Antenna design is freely available on Thingiverse. Its compact size, straightforward assembly, and effective performance have the potential to make it a hit among amateur radio and satellite enthusiasts. The manual, instructions, and 3D printer files can be accessed at https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:6436342. The video begins with the challenges encountered during the printing process. Early attempts at creating the antenna's helical scaffold were plagued by warping issues in the support legs, resulting in several failed prints. To address this, the original 3D model was modified to include additional center supports, ensuring a stable print. Once the printing phase was complete, the assembly process involved wrapping wire around a two-inch pipe, crafting a reflector from metal window screen, and piecing everything together. [https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Saveitforparts-This-3D-Printed-Satellite-Antenna-Is-Fantastic.png] Gabe gives build suggestions for the 1.7 GHz Helicone antenna after completing the initial antenna assembly. [Credit: saveitforparts] Testing the completed antenna proved its effectiveness. Using an RTL-SDR receiver and the SatDump software, Gabe successfully received data from the NOAA-18 HRPT satellite. By manually tracking the satellite, clear and detailed weather images, including nighttime thermal and infrared captures, were obtained, showcasing the antenna's capability for high-quality data reception. Designed with simplicity in mind, the Helicone antenna features a Right-Handed Circular Polarization (RHCP) configuration. Instead of relying on screws, the assembly process used hot glue and materials such as copper wire and sheet metal were sourced from everyday household items. These choices highlight its accessibility and affordability for hobbyists of all experience levels. [https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Saveitforparts-Helicone-Antenna-vs-Dish-Antenna-Comparison-.png] The Helicone antenna provided similar results when compared with a larger L-band dish antenna. [Credit: saveitforparts] A performance comparison with an existing motorized tracking antenna revealed that the Helicone delivered comparable signal strength and image quality. While hand-tracking limited its functionality, its portability and ease of use were standout features. The lightweight design and straightforward assembly make it an ideal choice for amateur satellite enthusiasts looking for a practical and cost-effective solution. Gabe concludes with praise for the antenna's design and a call to action for viewers to try building one themselves. Future enhancements, such as integrating the Helicone with a motorized tracking system, are already being considered. For now, this detailed guide offers an excellent starting point for satellite hobbyists eager to explore affordable and efficient ways to receive weather data from orbiting satellites. The video titled "This 3D-Printed Satellite Antenna Is Fantastic!" can be found on the saveitforparts YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/PFQ6UKulxSo. [ANS thanks Gabe Emerson, KL1FI, and RTL-SDR.com, for the above information] ________________________________ Cold War Mystery: Why Did Jimmy Carter Save the Space Shuttle? The Space Shuttle program, an enduring symbol of American ingenuity, came perilously close to cancellation in the late 1970s. With the recent passing of Jimmy Carter at age 100, a fascinating story has resurfaced: how the 39th president, despite his well-known skepticism toward manned spaceflight, played a critical role in rescuing the program. This surprising twist in Cold War history highlights Carter's pragmatism and the complex interplay between space exploration and geopolitics during his presidency. This story first emerged during an interview with Chris Kraft, the former NASA Johnson Space Center director and a key architect of the Apollo program. Kraft recounted a critical 1978 meeting at NASA's Houston headquarters, where dire financial constraints threatened the shuttle's future. By then, the program was years behind schedule and hundreds of millions over budget. Faced with insufficient funding, NASA leaders considered two bleak options: securing a massive funding boost or relegating the shuttle to a mere research vehicle, incapable of fulfilling its ambitious mission to deliver payloads into orbit. [https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Space_Shuttle_Columbia_First_Launch.jpg] NASA launched the first space shuttle, Columbia, on April 12, 1981, from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. [Credit: NASA] NASA Administrator Robert Frosch took the crisis to Washington, presenting President Carter with a stark ultimatum. Carter, known for his ambivalence toward manned spaceflight, surprised everyone by asking, "How much do you need?" According to Kraft, Carter's decision was influenced by recent discussions with Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev during Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT). Carter reportedly highlighted the shuttle's capability to verify Soviet compliance with arms agreements, a claim that underscored its national security value. While some details of this account remain disputed, Carter's administration approved supplemental funding in 1979 and 1980, effectively saving the shuttle program. Carter's support for the shuttle is striking given his prior skepticism about its purpose. Early in his presidency, Carter dismissed the shuttle as a "contrivance to keep NASA alive." His vice president, Walter Mondale, had also labeled the program a "senseless extravaganza." Yet, by the late 1970s, escalating Cold War tensions reframed the shuttle's significance. A key memo from the National Security Council emphasized the shuttle's strategic value, arguing that canceling the program would undermine national pride and technological leadership. [https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Jimmy_Carter_Vists_Kennedy_Space_Center.jpg] Jimmy Carter, Rosalynn Carter, and Amy Carter touring Kennedy Space Center on October 1, 1978. [Credit: NASA] While some NASA officials, including Shuttle Program Manager Robert Thompson, downplayed the risk of cancellation, the financial reality was grim. Development of critical components, such as the shuttle's main engines and thermal protection tiles, was years behind schedule. Without Carter's intervention, the shuttle might never have achieved its iconic role, flying 135 missions over three decades and laying the groundwork for the International Space Station. In later reflections, Carter acknowledged his lack of enthusiasm for human space exploration but defended his decision to fund the shuttle. "I didn't want to waste the money already invested," he explained, noting that he discussed the shuttle's peaceful intentions with Brezhnev during SALT II negotiations. While Carter's motivations may have been rooted in pragmatism and diplomacy, his actions ensured the shuttle's place in history. Despite his mixed legacy on space policy, Carter's pivotal role in salvaging the shuttle underscores his capacity to recognize the broader implications of technological leadership during a turbulent era. [ANS thanks Eric Berger, Ars Technica, for the above information] ________________________________ Need new satellite antennas? Purchase an M2 LEO-Pack from the AMSAT Store! [https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/cm/LEO-Pack1-300x298.png] When you purchase through AMSAT, a portion of the proceeds goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space. https://amsat.org/product-category/hardware/ ________________________________ Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for January 10, 2024 Two Line Elements or TLEs, often referred to as Keplerian elements or keps in the amateur community, are the inputs to the SGP4 standard mathematical model of spacecraft orbits used by most amateur tracking programs. Weekly updates are completely adequate for most amateur satellites. TLE bulletin files are updated daily in the first hour of the UTC day. New bulletin files will be posted immediately after reliable elements become available for new amateur satellites. More information may be found at https://www.amsat.org/keplerian-elements-resources/. NOTICE: In an effort to minimize confusion between sources of two line element sets, AMSAT is adopting the convention of listing the USSF/NORAD Satellite Catalog name first, followed by any secondary name or names in parentheses. For example this week "POEM 4 (BGS ARPIT)" was added where "POEM 4" is the name that appears in the USSF Satellite Catalog, and "BGS ARPIT" is the name best known within the amateur satellite community. Expect name changes for affected satellites in the coming weeks as this change is fully implemented. The following satellite has been added to this week's AMSAT TLE distribution: POEM 4 (BGS ARPIT) NORAD Cat ID 46495 The following satellites have been removed from this week's AMSAT TLE distribution: PRISM (HITOMI) NORAD Cat ID 33493 Likely defunct YUBELEINY 2 (RS-40) NORAD Cat ID 33735 Likely defunct CHUBUSAT-2 NORAD Cat ID 41338 Likely defunct CHUBUSAT-3 NORAD Cat ID 41339 Likely defunct PRATHAM NORAD Cat ID 41783 Likely defunct D-SAT NORAD Cat ID 42794 Likely defunct RANGE-B NORAD Cat ID 43772 Likely defunct CySat-1 NORAD Cat ID 61501 Decayed from orbit on or about 09 January 2025 MRC-100 NORAD Cat ID 56993 Decayed from orbit on or about 05 January 2025 [ANS thanks AMSAT Orbital Elements page for the above information] ________________________________ ARISS NEWS Amateurs and others around the world may listen in on contacts between amateurs operating in schools and allowing students to interact with astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station. The downlink frequency on which to listen is 145.800 MHz worldwide. + Upcoming Contacts Federal Telecommunications Institute (IFT) and Vermont School, Mexico City, Mexico, telebridge via IK1SLD The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS The scheduled crewmember is Nick Hague KG5TMV The ARISS mentor is VE3TBD Contact is go for: Fri 2025-01-17 17:00:18 UTC The crossband repeater continues to be active (145.990 MHz up {PL 67} & 437.800 MHz down). If any crewmember is so inclined, all they have to do is pick up the microphone, raise the volume up, and talk on the crossband repeater. So give a listen, you just never know. The packet system is also active (145.825 MHz up & down). As always, if there is an EVA, a docking, or an undocking; the ARISS radios are turned off as part of the safety protocol. Note, all times are approximate. It is recommended that you do your own orbital prediction or start listening about 10 minutes before the listed time. The latest information on the operation mode can be found at https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html The latest list of frequencies in use can be found at https://www.ariss.org/contact-the-iss.html [ANS thanks Charlie Sufana, AJ9N, one of the ARISS operation team mentors for the above information] ________________________________ Upcoming Satellite Operations 8R, GUYANA: Watch out for Aldir, PY1SAD, signing 8R1TM from Georgetown between Jan. 1 and Feb. 8. QRV on 160-10m (CW, SSB, digital modes) and via satellites. QSL direct via Home Call, LoTW, eQSL, qrz.com. NA-057; HR, BAHIA ISLANDS: Alex, K6VHF, returns to Roatan Isl. and operates as K6VHF/HR9 between the 5th and 12th. QRV on 160-6m and via RS-44 satellite. QSL via K6VHF (d/B), ClubLog OQRS, LoTW, eQSL. A growing number of satellite rovers are currently engaged in sharing their grid square activations on https://hams.at. By visiting the website, you gain easy access to comprehensive information about the operators responsible for activating specific grid squares. Additionally, you have the ability to assess the match score between yourself and a particular rover for a given pass, while also being able to identify the upcoming satellite passes that are accessible from your location. [ANS thanks Ian Parsons, K5ZM, AMSAT rover page manager, for the above information] ________________________________ AMSAT Ambassador Activities AMSAT Ambassadors provide presentations, demonstrate communicating through amateur satellites, and host information tables at club meetings, hamfests, conventions, maker faires, and other events. AMSAT Ambassador Clint Bradford, K6LCS, says, "Think a 75-minute presentation on "working the easy satellites" would be appropriate for your club or event? Let me know by emailing me at k6lcsclint (at) gmail (dot) com or calling me at 909-999-SATS (7287)!" Clint has NEVER given the exact same show twice: EACH of the 150+ presentations so far has been customized/tailored to their audiences. Cowtown Hamfest / 2025 ARRL North Texas Section Convention - January 17th thru 18th, 2025 Forest Hill Civic and Convention Center 6901 Wichita Street Forest Hill, TX (Fort Worth) https://www.cowtownhamfest.com/ N5HYP Gwinnett Amateur Radio Society TechFest - February 1st, 2025 Gwinnett County Fairgrounds Expo Center Building 2405 Sugarloaf Parkway Lawrenceville, GA 30045 http://www.techfest.info/ K4RGK HamCation 2025 / ARRL Southeastern Division Convention - February 7th thru February 9th, 2025 Central Florida Fairgrounds and Expo Park 4603 West Colonial Drive Orlando, FL 32808 https://www.hamcation.com/ KE4AL Yuma HAMCON and Southwestern Division Convention - February 20th thru 22nd, 2025 Yuma County Fairgrounds 2520 East 32nd Street Yuma, AZ 85365 https://www.yumahamfest.com/ N1UW [ANS thanks Bo Lowrey, W4FCL, Director - AMSAT Ambassador Program, for the above information] ________________________________ Want to fly the colors on your own grid expedition? Get an AMSAT car flag and other neat stuff from our Zazzle store! 25% of the purchase price of each product goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space [https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/AMSAT-Car-Flag-e1705691761784-300x235.png] Keeping Amateur Radio in Space https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear ________________________________ Satellite Shorts From All Over + Eutelsat's OneWeb internet constellation experienced a 48-hour outage starting on December 31, 2024, due to a software glitch likely caused by failing to account for the leap year. The issue disrupted internet services but was resolved once the root cause, a ground segment software problem, was identified and addressed. Eutelsat operates over 630 satellites and has been building the OneWeb constellation since 2020 to provide global high-speed internet, targeting business clients rather than direct consumers. The company faced challenges in launching its satellites due to strained relations with Roscosmos following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, forcing it to rely on SpaceX and India for launches. Despite completing its constellation in 2023, regulatory delays in countries like India and Turkey have prevented global broadband coverage, leaving services available only in limited regions. Eutelsat is now planning to update its constellation with 100 new satellites by Airbus, aiming for improved reliability and full global service rollout by spring 2025. (ANS thanks Gizmodo for the above information) + Florida's Space Coast set a record with 93 launches in 2024, surpassing the previous year's 74, thanks to innovations from Space Launch Delta 45 and private sector collaboration. Brig. Gen. Kristin Panzenhagen credited advancements like automation, modernized infrastructure, and streamlined processes for the milestone. SpaceX dominated with 88 launches from Florida and completed 134 missions globally, including government, commercial, and test flights. The Space Force introduced initiatives like the "One Falcon" program to support SpaceX's rapid launch cadence, unifying personnel across ranges to enhance efficiency. Although only four launches directly supported national security, innovations in commercial space strengthen resilience and responsiveness for military missions, exemplified by the Rapid Response Trailblazer mission. With Blue Origin's New Glenn and ULA's Vulcan Centaur preparing for national security roles, competition is poised to grow, diversifying capabilities and bolstering launch options. (ANS thanks SpaceNews for the above information) + SpaceX's next-generation Starship, Version 2 or Block 2, is set to launch on its seventh test flight from Starbase, Texas, as early as Monday, January 13, 2025, with the launch window opening at 5:00 p.m. EST (4:00 p.m. CST; 2200 UTC). This iteration, taller and more advanced than its predecessors, introduces numerous upgrades, including smaller, repositioned flaps for better heat protection, an enhanced propulsion system, and improved avionics for extended missions. For the first time, SpaceX will test Starship's payload deployment mechanism, releasing mock Starlink satellites on a suborbital trajectory and conducting reentry experiments to refine the vehicle's heat shield and reuse capabilities. The Super Heavy booster, equipped with additional protections and sensor enhancements, aims to achieve another tower catch, a feat last accomplished in October. The mission also marks progress toward full reusability, with one of the booster's engines recovered and reused from a previous flight. These advancements, combined with a focus on orbital refueling and vehicle endurance, lay the groundwork for Starship's future goals, including lunar landings under NASA's Artemis program and beyond. (ANS thanks Ars Technica for the above information) + Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost Mission 1, named "Ghost Riders in the Sky," is set to launch in mid-January aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, marking the company's first lunar mission. The lander, recently integrated at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, will carry 10 NASA payloads and technology demonstrations as part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program. These payloads will test conditions between Earth and the moon, investigate lunar geology, and demonstrate innovative technologies like radiation-resistant hardware and lunar GPS. The 60-day mission includes 25 days in Earth orbit, a four-day translunar injection, 16 days in lunar orbit, and two weeks of operations on the moon's surface. During its time on the moon, Blue Ghost will collect critical data and images, including capturing a solar eclipse and documenting the phenomenon of lunar dust levitation, last observed during Apollo 17. The mission will provide valuable insights to support NASA's goal of a sustainable human presence on the moon through Artemis while also showcasing the technical capabilities of private industry. Firefly CEO Jason Kim emphasized the mission as a tribute to Apollo's legacy and a pivotal step forward in advancing lunar exploration. (ANS thanks Space.com for the above information) ________________________________ Join AMSAT today at https://launch.amsat.org/ In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership to: * Societies (a recognized group, clubs or organization). * 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 student rate for a maximum of 6 post-secondary years in this status. * Memberships are available for annual and lifetime terms. Contact info [at] amsat.org for additional membership information. 73 and remember to help Keep Amateur Radio in Space! This week's ANS Editor, Mitch Ahrenstorff, ADØHJ mahrenstorff [at] amsat.org -------------- next part -------------- HTMLの添付ファイルを保管しました... URL: -------------- next part -------------- ----------------------------------------------------------- ANS mailing list -- ans ＠ amsat.org View archives of this mailing list at https://mailman.amsat.org/hyperkitty/list/ans ＠ amsat.org To unsubscribe send an email to ans-leave ＠ amsat.org Manage all of your AMSAT-NA mailing list preferences at https://mailman.amsat.org From ans ＠ amsat.org Sun Jan 19 09:04:33 2025 From: ans ＠ amsat.org (Mark Johns, K0JM via ANS) Date: Sun, 19 Jan 2025 00:04:33 +0000 Subject: [jamsat-news:3926] [ANS] ANS-019 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins Message-ID: <010001947be0217c-f31bf4ee-47f7-4923-9ca9-314c2a2e2c29-000000@email.amazonses.com> AMSAT News Service ANS-019 January 19, 2025 In this edition: * SpaceX Launches Hamsats on Rideshare Mission * Two Private Moon Landers Have Launched at Once * Blue Origin New Glenn Reaches Orbit on Its First Launch * SpaceX Success & Failure in Starship Flight 7 * Three U.S. Schools Moved Forward in ARISS Selection Process * New ARISS Proposal Window is Now Open * Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution * ARISS News * Upcoming Satellite Operations * AMSAT Ambassador Activities * Satellite Shorts From All Over The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and information service of AMSAT, 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 * Sign up for free e-mail delivery of the AMSAT News Service Bulletins via the ANS List; to join this list see: https://mailman.amsat.org/postorius/lists/ans.amsat.org/ ANS-019 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins SpaceX Launches Hamsats on Rideshare Mission A Falcon 9 rocket carrying 131 different payloads lifted off on the company’s Transporter 12 mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base on January 14 at 19:09z. Included among the payloads were the amateur radio satellites HADES-R, operated by AMSAT-EA in Spain, and PARUS-T1, constructed by National Formosa University of Taiwan, among others. With so many payloads aboard, not all of the satellites will be released at once. Rather, releases will be spaced over a period of time. At this writing, there is no word yet on the successful deployment of HADES-R. Further, the satellite will undergo several weeks of commissioning before the FM repeater is opened for use. HADES-R has a downlink frequency, coordinated by the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) of 436.888 MHz. While FM voice is the primary mission, the downlink may sometimes include FSK data up to 1200 bps, APRS up to 1200 bps, FSK telemetry and experimental data up to 1600 bps or CW. The uplink will be 145.925 MHz, Modes: FM voice (without subtone) and FSK 200 bps, AFSK, AX.25, APRS 1200 / 2400 bps. Also launched on Transporter 12 was PARUS-T1, a 3U CubeSat dedicated to receiving APRS signals on three major global frequencies: 144.640 MHz, 144.390 MHz, and 144.800 MHz. The satellite will record the Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) data for each received APRS packet and utilize a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver to determine the CubeSat’s orbit location during each signal reception. The received APRS data, RSSI values, and corresponding location data will be stored in the On-Board Computer (OBC) memory for transmission to ground stations. PARUS-T1 satellite [*Illustration from Taiwan Space Agency via Taipei Times* ] Students will also be extensively involved in mission data analysis and will gain hands-on experience in understanding ionospheric propagation and its impact on terrestrial and satellite radio communications. The beacon packets shall not be encrypted and made public to the community via websites. Community participation will be encouraged through online leaderboards for example SatNOGS network. Data format of PARUS-T1 health telemetry and payload raw data will also be published and welcome all amateurs to receive 436.850MHz for packet data of AX.25 protocol on 1200bps. PARUS-T1 also has an APRS digipeater to provide global amateur activities at the same frequency of ISS APRS channel 145.825 MHz. A list of amateur radio payloads launched on the rideshare appears below: [*Libre Space graphic*] Thirty-seven of the 131 payloads going up today belong to San Francisco company Planet, which operates three constellations of Earth-observing satellites. Thirty-six of the 37 Planet craft are “SuperDove” cubesats, shoebox-sized craft that collect images with a resolution of about 10 feet (3 meters) per pixel. The other one is Pelican-2, whose resolution is about 7.5 times sharper than that. SpaceX has launched a total of 13 rideshare missions to date ? the 11 Transporter flights and two in a different program known as Bandwagon. Together, these missions have lofted about 1,100 payloads for more than 130 different customers, according to the Transporter 12 description. [ANS thanks Space.com, AMSAT-EA, and IARU for the above information] ------------------------------ *The 2025 AMSAT President’s Club Coins Have Just Arrived!* *Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of Amateur Radio on Human Spaceflight* *Help Support GOLF and Fox Plus.* *Join the AMSAT President’s Club today and help* *Keep Amateur Radio in Space!* *https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/ * ------------------------------ Two Private Moon Landers Have Launched at Once A space twofer took place early Wednesday morning ? two lunar missions for the price of one rocket launch. A SpaceX Falcon 9 lifted off from the NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 1:11 a.m. Eastern time, carrying the Blue Ghost lander built by Firefly Aerospace of Austin, Texas, and the Resilience lander from Ispace of Japan. Why did two moon landers share one rocket? That was the result of fortuitous scheduling by SpaceX and not something that was planned by Firefly or Ispace. Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost lunar lander (*Illustration credit: Firefly Aerospace*) Firefly had purchased a Falcon 9 launch to send its Blue Ghost lander to the moon. At the same time, Ispace, to save on the costs for the mission, had asked SpaceX for a rideshare, that is, hitching a ride as a secondary payload on a rocket launch that was going roughly in the right direction to get its Resilience lander to the moon. That turned out to be Blue Ghost’s trip. ispace’s RESILIENCE Lunar Lander (Illustration credit: Satnow.com) “It was a no-brainer to put them together,” Julianna Scheiman, the director for NASA science missions at SpaceX, said during a news conference on Tuesday. After the Falcon 9 rocket reached orbit, the second stage fired again for a minute so it could deploy Blue Ghost in an elliptical orbit around Earth, about an hour after launch. The rocket stage fired once more, for just a second, to adjust the orbit for the deployment of Resilience, about 1.5 hours after launch. On Wednesday morning, Firefly and Ispace announced that their spacecraft successfully turned on, established communications with ground stations on Earth and were operating as expected. According to AMSAT-DL, the German amateur satellite organization, the Firefly_Space Blue Ghost Mission includes the Lunar GNSS Receiver Experiment (LuGRE) with the goal of demonstrating GNSS-based positioning, navigation, and timing at the Moon. LuGRE will build on the legacy of prior missions in the Space Service Volume (SSV) including the initial experiments by AMSAT on OSCAR-40 (P3-D) satellite and others. Read the full story of the launch at https://bit.ly/4fYhCpV [*may have pay wall*]. More information on the LuGRE payload is at https://way4ward.eu/services/lugre/. [ANS thanks Kenneth Chang of *The New York Times* and AMSAT-DL for the above information] ------------------------------ *Need new satellite antennas?* *Purchase M2 LEO-Packs from the AMSAT Store.* *When you purchase through AMSAT, a portion of the proceeds goes towards* *Keeping Amateur Radio in Space.* *https://amsat.org/product-category/hardware/ * ------------------------------ Blue Origin New Glenn Reaches Orbit on Its First Launch Blue Origin entered into the history books in the predawn hours of Thursday, January 16. The company, founded by Jeff Bezos, became the first to successfully reach orbit on their first launch with a new orbital-class rocket in the new era of commercial spaceflight that dawned in the last two decades. After dealing with an unplanned hold to chill its engines and a wayward boat entering the keep out zone, the New Glenn rocket, standing as tall as a 32-story building, lumbered off the pad under the power of 3.9 million pounds of thrust. The seven BE-4 engines on the first stage booster roared to life at 2:03 a.m. EST (07:03 UTC) shining a brilliant orange that turned to blue as the liquified natural gas (LNG) fueled rocket began its journey from pad 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket lifts off the pad for the first time at Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. [*Image: Pete Carstens/MaxQ Productions for Spaceflight Now*] Blue Origin dealt with multiple weather-related delays to get to launch day and even during the countdown, faced uncertain skies that threatened to potentially delay the mission yet again. It also ran into technical issues on its way to launch. Blue Origin said an issue that prevented Monday’s launch was “ice forming in a purge line on an auxiliary power unit that powers some of [New Glenn’s] hydraulic systems.” Teams worked to clear that issue during the three-hour window, but weren’t able to do so in time. One of the goals of the NG-1 mission was to attempt to land the first stage booster, named ‘So You’re Telling Me There’s a Chance,’ on Blue Origin’s landing vessel, named ‘Jacklyn,’ which was positioned out in the Atlantic Ocean. Ultimately, it was determined that the touchdown on the 380-foot-long (116 m) landing vessel, named ‘Jacklyn,’ was unsuccessful. That said, going into the launch, Blue Origin said repeatedly that landing the booster was an aspirational goal and not their main objective. Read the complete story at https://bit.ly/3CcTSRa [ANS thanks Spaceflight Now for the above information] ------------------------------ SpaceX Success & Failure in Starship Flight 7 SpaceX’s seventh flight of its Starship rocket was a combination of great success and catastrophic loss, with a catch of its Super Heavy booster at the launch tower and the failure of the Starship upper stage as it climbed to space. Beginning around seven minutes and 40 seconds into the flight, SpaceX’s on-screen telemetry data began to show one Raptor engine after another turn off on the Ship until the telemetry froze at eight minutes and 27 seconds. A still image taken from video of what is reportedly the remnants of SpaceX’s Starship upper stage as seen from the vantage point of the Turks and Caicos Islands. [*Image: Alex Davenport and Spaceflight Now.*] The launch began nominally, with the more than 400-foot-tall rocket lumbering off of the pad at 22:37 UTC on Thursday, Jan. 16. The mission featured the first flight of the Block 2 variant of the upper stage. The 33 Raptor engines on the booster powered it down range as expected and beginning about two minutes and 30 seconds into the mission, most of them cut off and the six Raptor engines on the Ship sprang to life to begin carrying it towards space. The booster performed a flip maneuver and another burn to put it on a course towards the launch tower. The Super Heavy booster, B14, performed a final landing burn about 6 minutes and 30 seconds after liftoff and before seven minutes were up, it was caught by the tower. Read the full story, with videos, at https://bit.ly/3WjAXLu [ANS thanks Spaceflight Now for the above information.] ------------------------------ Three U.S. Schools Moved Forward in ARISS Selection Process Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) is pleased to announce the U.S. schools/host organizations newly selected for 2025 ARISS contacts. A total of three of the submitted proposals during the recent proposal window have been accepted to move forward in the processes of planning to host a scheduled amateur radio contact with crew on the ISS. The primary goal of the ARISS program is to engage young people in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math (STEAM) activities and raise their awareness of space communications, radio communications, space exploration, and related areas of study and career possibilities. The ARISS program anticipates that NASA will be able to provide scheduling opportunities for the 3 US host organizations during the July ? December 2025 time period. They are now at work starting to implement their 4?6-month education plan which was outlined in their proposal. These STEAM based educational activities help prepare students for their contact as well as create an on-going exploration and interest in aerospace and amateur radio topics. They are also completing an acceptable equipment plan that demonstrates their ability to execute the ham radio contact. Once their equipment plan is approved by ARISS, the final selected schools/organizations will be scheduled as their availability and flexibility match up with the scheduling opportunities offered by NASA. The schools and host organizations are: - Paterson P-Tech High School, Paterson, NJ - Pinecrest Academy, Cumming, GA - Terre Haute Children’s Museum, Terre Haute, IN [ANS thanks ARISS for the above information] ------------------------------ New ARISS Proposal Window is Now Open The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) Program is seeking formal and informal education institutions and organizations, individually or working together, to host an Amateur Radio contact with a crew member on board the ISS. ARISS anticipates that the contact would be held between July 1, 2025 and December 31, 2025. Crew scheduling and ISS orbits will determine the exact contact dates. To maximize these radio contact opportunities, ARISS is looking for organizations that will draw large numbers of participants and integrate the contact into a well-developed education plan. The deadline to submit a proposal is February 28, 2025. Proposal information and more details such as expectations, proposal guidelines and the proposal form can be found at www.ariss.org. *An ARISS Introductory Webinar session will be held on January 22 at 8 p.m. EST.* The Zoom link to sign up is: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/kznKuyHCRyKi8_j00JBd_g *The Opportunity* Crew members aboard the International Space Station will participate in scheduled Amateur Radio contacts. These radio contacts are approximately 10 minutes in length and allow students to interact with the astronauts through a question-and-answer session. An ARISS contact is a voice-only communication opportunity via Amateur Radio between astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the space station and classrooms and communities. ARISS contacts afford education audiences the opportunity to learn firsthand from astronauts what it is like to live and work in space and to learn about space research conducted on the ISS. Students also will have an opportunity to learn about satellite communication, wireless technology, and radio science. Because of the nature of human spaceflight and the complexity of scheduling activities aboard the ISS, organizations must demonstrate flexibility to accommodate changes in dates and times of the radio contact. Amateur Radio organizations around the world with the support of NASA and space agencies in Canada, Japan, Europe and Russia present educational organizations with this opportunity. The ham radio organizations’ volunteer efforts provide the equipment and operational support to enable communication between crew on the ISS and students around the world using Amateur Radio. Please direct any questions to education ＠ ariss-usa.org . [ANS thanks ARISS for the above information] ------------------------------ *Want to fly the colors on your own grid expedition?* *Get your AMSAT car flag and other neat stuff from our Zazzle store!* *25% of the purchase price of each product goes towards* *Keeping Amateur Radio in Space* *https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear * ------------------------------ Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for Jan. 17 Two Line Elements or TLEs, often referred to as Keplerian elements or keps in the amateur community, are the inputs to the SGP4 standard mathematical model of spacecraft orbits used by most amateur tracking programs. Weekly updates are completely adequate for most amateur satellites. TLE bulletin files are updated daily in the first hour of the UTC day. New bulletin files will be posted immediately after reliable elements become available for new amateur satellites. More information may be found at https://www.amsat.org/keplerian-elements-resources/. This week there are no additions or deletions to the AMSAT TLE distribution. [ANS thanks Joe Fitzgerald, KM1P, AMSAT Orbital Elements Manager for the above information] ------------------------------ ARISS NEWS Amateurs and others around the world may listen in on contacts between amateurs operating in schools and allowing students to interact with astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station. The downlink frequency on which to listen is 145.800 MHz worldwide. *RECENTLY COMPLETED* Federal Telecommunications Institute (IFT) and Vermont School, Mexico City, Mexico, telebridge via IK1SLD The ISS callsign was OR4ISS The scheduled crewmember was Nick Hague, KG5TMV The ARISS mentor was VE3TBD Contact was successful: Fri 2025-01-17 17:00:18 UTC 77 deg *UPCOMING* University of Prešov, Prešov, Slovakia, direct via OM25ISS The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS The scheduled crewmember is Sunita Williams, KD5PLB The ARISS mentor is SP3QFE Contact is go for: Sat 2025-01-25 15:21:17 UTC 52 deg The crossband repeater continues to be *ACTIVE* (145.990 MHz up {PL 67} & 437.800 MHz down). If any crewmember is so inclined, all they have to do is pick up the microphone, raise the volume up, and talk on the crossband repeater. So give a listen, you just never know. The packet system is also *ACTIVE* (145.825 MHz up & down). Ham TV digital amateur television operations (2395.00 MHz down) is currently *STOWED*. As always, if there is an EVA (“spacewalk”), a docking, or an undocking; the ARISS radios are turned off as part of the safety protocol. *Currently scheduled* for powering off for U.S. EVA on Jan 23: OFF Jan 22 about 17:30 UTC. ON Jan 24 about 10:15 UTC. Note, all times are approximate. It is recommended that you do your own orbital prediction or start listening about 10 minutes before the listed time. The latest information on the operation mode can be found at https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html The latest list of frequencies in use can be found at https://www.ariss.org/contact-the-iss.html [ANS thanks Charlie Sufana, AJ9N, one of the ARISS operation team mentors for the above information] ------------------------------ Upcoming Satellite Operations + NR1Z plans to be on RS-44 from EM93 on January 25, CW only, uplink on 145.965 MHz. A growing number of satellite rovers are currently engaged in sharing their grid square activations on https://hams.at. By visiting the website, you gain easy access to comprehensive information about the operators responsible for activating specific grid squares. Additionally, you have the ability to assess the match score between yourself and a particular rover for a given pass, while also being able to identify the upcoming satellite passes that are accessible from your location. [ANS thanks Ian Parsons, K5ZM, AMSAT rover page manager, for the above information] ------------------------------ AMSAT Ambassador Activities AMSAT Ambassadors provide presentations, demonstrate communicating through amateur satellites, and host information tables at club meetings, hamfests, conventions, maker faires, and other events. January 17-18, 2025 *Cowtown Hamfest and 2025 ARRL North Texas Section Convention * Forest Hill Civic and Convention Center 6901 Wichita St. Forest Hill, TX (Fort Worth) https://www.cowtownhamfest.com/?home?.html N5HYP Saturday February 1, 2025 (rescheduled from) January 11, 2025 *Gwinnett Amateur Radio Society ? TechFest* Gwinnett County Fairgrounds Expo Center Building 2405 Sugarloaf Pkwy. Lawrenceville, GA 30045 [ANS thanks Bo Lowrey, W4FCL, Director ? AMSAT Ambassador Program, for the above information] ------------------------------ Satellite Shorts From All Over + NASA astronaut Suni Williams, KD5PLB, one of the two astronauts stuck on the International Space Station by the Boeing Starliner failure, ventured outside for a spacewalk on Thursday, Jan. 16, for the first time since arriving on board seven months ago. Williams ? an experienced astronaut who has conducted many spacewalks during previous stays aboard the ISS ? teamed up with astronaut Nick Hague, KG5TMV, on Thursday to perform maintenance on the craft. (ANS thanks BBC.com for the above information.) + SpaceX maintained its rapid pace of launching an orbital mission on average every two days with its Falcon 9 flight from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Friday, Jan. 10. The Falcon 9 first stage booster for this mission, tail number B1067 in the SpaceX fleet, made a record-setting 25th launch and landing. (ANS thanks Spaceflight Now for the above information.) + After some delay due to drift issues, the two spacecraft from the Indian Space Research Organization’s (ISRO ? India’s national space agency) SpaDex mission successfully docked with one another. On Thursday morning, Jan. 16, the space agency announced that it had made history by becoming only the fourth country in the world with such technology after United States, Russia and China. The booster for those satellites, still in orbit, carries the BGS ARPIT amateur radio experiment (see ANS 012 from last week.) (ANS thanks The Orbital Index and BBC.com for the above information.) + All are deeply saddened by the wildfires in LA. You can watch them continue to unfold on NASA’s FIRMS fire monitoring system , or check out this amateur open source analysis . NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) avoided getting burned, as did the Mount Wilson Observatory, but many folks employed at JPL and beyond lost their homes . *A MAXAR image shows the Eaton Fire in North Pasadena and Altadena near JPL. * If you’d like to donate to support those impacted, there are resources here for the JPL region , or lists of recommended organizations for all of LA from CBS and from Charity Navigator . (ANS thanks The Orbital Index for the above information.) ------------------------------ Join AMSAT today at https://launch.amsat.org/ In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership to: * Societies (a recognized group, clubs or organization). * 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 student rate for a maximum of 6 post-secondary years in this status. * Memberships are available for annual and lifetime terms. Contact info [at] amsat.org for additional membership information. 73 and remember to help Keep Amateur Radio in Space! This week’s ANS Editor, Mark Johns, KØJM mjohns [at] amsat.org ANS is a service of AMSAT, the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation, 712 H Street NE, Suite 1653, Washington, DC 20002 -------------- next part -------------- HTMLの添付ファイルを保管しました... URL: -------------- next part -------------- ----------------------------------------------------------- ANS mailing list -- ans ＠ amsat.org View archives of this mailing list at https://mailman.amsat.org/hyperkitty/list/ans ＠ amsat.org To unsubscribe send an email to ans-leave ＠ amsat.org Manage all of your AMSAT-NA mailing list preferences at https://mailman.amsat.org From ans ＠ amsat.org Sun Jan 26 09:11:34 2025 From: ans ＠ amsat.org (Frank Karnauskas (N1UW) via ANS) Date: Sun, 26 Jan 2025 00:11:34 +0000 Subject: [jamsat-news:3927] [ANS] ANS-026 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <010001949ff31204-d39aa10c-f629-4f14-ae61-aad28fcc4f14-000000@email.amazonses.com> In this edition: * AMSAT Fox-Plus CubeSat Moves Toward CDR Milestone * Hacking a Motorized RV Satellite Dish for Tracking LEO Satellites * AMSAT Thanks 2024 President's Club Members * ARISS News * Upcoming Satellite Operations * AMSAT Ambassador Activities * Satellite Shorts From All Over The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and information service of AMSAT, 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 [dot] org. You can sign up for free e-mail delivery of the AMSAT News Service Bulletins via the ANS List; to join this list see: https://mailman.amsat.org/postorius/lists/ans.amsat.org/ ANS-026 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins To: All RADIO AMATEURS From: Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation 712 H Street NE, Suite 1653 Washington, DC 20002 DATE 2025 Jan 26 AMSAT Fox-Plus CubeSat Moves Toward CDR Milestone Critical Design Review (CDR) of the new AMSAT FOX-Plus CubeSat concept is expected to occur during late May 2025 according to Mike Moore, K4MVM, AMSAT Fox Plus Systems Engineer. Launch of the newly-designed CubeSat is planned for late 2025. Moore explained, “The purpose of the Fox-Plus Amateur Radio satellite is to continue and augment the success of the original Fox series of AMSAT 1U CubeSats. We want to have units ready to fly experimental payloads on short notice.” The term "1U" refers to the standard size CubeSat, also known as a nanosat, measuring 10x10x10 centimeters, weighing one to 1.33 kilograms. [cid:image001.jpg ＠ 01DB6F1E.9EFFD530] According to Moore, “To expedite the development, commercial off the shelf (COTS) components were selected. The components included the frame, electrical power system (EPS), solar panels, and antenna system (AntS) from ISISPACE.” Netherlands-based ISIS describes itself as “Disruptive Space Solutions For A Better Tomorrow” provider turn-key missions, launch services and components. AMSAT concentrates on the Linear Transponder Module (LTM) which includes Legacy Internal Housekeeping Unit (LIHU), Improved Command Receiver (ICR) and receiver/transmitter (RX/TX) subsystem. The CubeSat Power Integrated Unit (PIU) consists of three subsystems deriving electrical energy from solar panels stored in a power battery pack (PBP). AMSAT’s Fox-Plus A began during 2022 with a Concept of Operations (ConOps) presentation on February 11, 2022. ISIS produced components were received during 2023 then evaluated and tested during 2024. EM build and test began in the later part of 2024 and continues into 2025. Mike Moore was first licensed in March of 2018 and earned his extra class license in November of the same year. In addition to his AMSAT work he is the ARES Emergency Coordinator for Culpeper County, Virginia and a member of the Culpeper Amateur Radio Association. He is a charter member of the Rappahannock-Rapidan Regional Emergency Communications, also known as R3EMCOMM, an all-volunteer community-wide public service organization. He uses an Icom 9700 for satellite work. In addition to Moore, the Fox-Plus Engineering Team includes Andrew Robinson, KA3WDW (Mechanical & Structural Engineer), Cliff Jenkins, KE8JAE (Software), Will Brozovic (Software), Leandra MacLennan, AF1R (Electrical Engineer, Hardware), and Patrick Thomas, KB8DGC (System Engineer & PACSAT Liaison). Fox CubeSat Program Background AMSAT’s Fox CubeSat program is aligned with the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) CubeSat Launch Initiative. This provides opportunities for CubeSats built by U.S. educational institutions, and non-profit organizations to fly on upcoming launches. Also known as the Educational Launch of Nanosatellites (ELaNa) program, NASA’s innovative technology partnerships provide CubeSat developers a low-cost pathway to conduct scientific investigations and technology demonstrations in space, thus enabling students, teachers, and faculty to obtain hands-on flight hardware design, development, and build experience. Fox-1A (now designated AO-85) was among the earliest CubeSats launched by NASA. Fox-1 is a 1-Unit CubeSat with U/V FM repeater operating at up to 800mw along with experimental pay-loads facilitating STEM learning. Ham Radio Now Episode 85 show host Gary Pierce, KN4AQ reveals the early days of the Fox program in his July 9, 2013 YouTube video. The show included an interview of Tony Montiero AA2TX (AMSAT VP Engineering) and Mark Hammond N4MH (AMSAT VP Education). They provided background information about the Fox-1 Satellite and talked about the AMSAT transition from purely Amateur Radio satellites to becoming a platform and communications provider for educational space science experiments. AMSAT FoxTelem software for Windows, Mac and Linux operating systems is used to transmit satellite telemetry signals. It was developed by Christopher Thompson, G0KLA/AC2CZ/VE2TCP. Thompson also has developed other Amateur Radio Satellite software. Payloads included a Penn State University capstone project for 2011-2012 academic year, senior engineering students. They developed a 3-axis Micro-Electro-Mechanical-System (MEMS) gyroscope to measure the spin and wobble of the satellite. The second payload was developed by Vanderbilt University students. It recorded occurrences of radiation-induced bit upsets in modern commercial-off-the-shelf memory chips that exhibit a sensitivity to low-energy protons. The mission contributed to the validation of ground-based test methods for hardness assurance and error rate predictions. An offshoot of the Penn State University experiment on Fox-1, Mark Spencer, WA8SME wrote about an Attitude Determination Experiment Simulator (Wobbler) in the AMSAT Journal July/August 2013 issue. [ANS thanks Mike Moore, K4MVM, AMSAT Fox Plus Systems Engineer for the above information.] ________________________________ The 2025 AMSAT President’s Club coins are here now! Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of Amateur Radio on Human Spaceflight Help Support GOLF and Fox Plus [2025 PC Coin Set] Join the AMSAT President's Club today and help Keep Amateur Radio in Space! https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/ ________________________________ Hacking a Motorized RV Satellite Dish for Tracking LEO Satellites Over on the SaveItForParts YouTube channel, Gabe Emerson, KL1FI, has uploaded a new video showing how he's hacking an old motorized Winegard RV satellite dish for tracking low earth orbit satellites, such as the NOAA and Meteor weather satellites as well as the US Military's DMSP system. The motorized RV satellite dish was originally intended for tracking TV satellites, but by connecting to the serial port on the control unit, Gabe is able to control the satellite dish through his own code. [cid:image003.jpg ＠ 01DB6F1E.9EFFD530] Gabe reports, "In this video I'm creating a motorized satellite tracker for S-Band signals. S-Band includes NOAA weather satellites and the US Military's DMSP system (it's also the radio band for WiFi, which I might look at later). "I'm using a Winegard brand "Trav'ler" antenna designed for use on campers and recreational vehicles. It has a built-in three-axis motor system for pointing at TV satellites, but I wanted to use it for tracking satellites closer to earth. Since a low-orbit satellite like NOAA 18 or DMSP passes overhead in about 10 minutes, I need to move the dish faster and more precisely then it was intended for. "This project is still ongoing, and I don't yet have the code up on Github. When I do, it will be available at https://github.com/saveitforparts/ alongside the code for some similar antennas I've hacked in the past. "The serial cable I'm using is described here: https://saveitforparts.wordpress.com/2023/12/29/another-portable-radio-telescope/." [ANS thanks rtl-sdr.com for the above information.] ________________________________ AMSAT Thanks 2024 President's Club Members Now that the books are being closed for the 2024 calendar year, AMSAT would like to extend its deepest thanks to those individuals and organizations for their extraordinary gifts to AMSAT during the past year. The President's Club recognizes these generous donors, who together, have provided over $45,000 during 2024. The AMSAT Officers and Board of Directors thank the following: Titanium Level ($4,800+) Barry Baines, WD4ASW Alan Biddle, WA4SCA William Brown, K9LF Platinum Level ($2,400+) Ray Crafton, KN2K M2 Antenna Systems Quarter Century Wireless Association Gold Level ($1,200+) Anonymous Anonymous Burns Fisher, WB1FJ Mark Hammond, N8MH John Kludt, K7SYS Glenn Miller, AA5PK Michael Stipick, KC4RI Silver Level ($600+) John Boehme, K4PRK Donald Coker, KM6TRZ Richard Dittmer, KB7SAT Warren Fugate, W3WE Mark Johns, K0JM Joseph, Lynch,N6CL Bruce Paige, KK5DO Peter Prendergast, W2PP Jason Schwarz, N4JJS Jim Tittsler, 7J1AJH Bronze Level ($300+) Keith Baker, KB1SF George Gallis, AL7BX Edward Krome, K9EK Donald Lum, WA6ICW Donald Pettigrew, K9ECT Barbara Simpson, KA5CFB Dave Taylor, W8AAS Ronald Verweerdt, ZS6RVC David Vine, WA1EAW Core Level ($120+) Oscar Alonzo, N6PAZ Anonymous Alan Arrison David Batzle, N2VDY Robert Beatty, WB4SON Alan Boggs, K7IIV Carlos Cardon, W7QL James Gallagher III, KB3SQS George Gallis, AL7BX David Hartrum, WA3YDZ Steven Husey, KB1UOJ Brian Lopeman, KI7WXP Doug Papay, K8DP William Pesci, N4WLP Carlos Picoto, AD7NP Tim Pierce, N9PN Larry Schroeder, KD4HSL Martin Shinko, KB3AEV Paul Stoetzer, N8HM Owen Trott, KF5BLK Stefan Wagener, VE4SW Wayne Wagner, AG1A Frank Karnauskas, N1UW, AMSAT VP-Development comments, "AMSAT receives contributions of all sizes from members and other supporters who appreciate the work that AMSAT is doing to keep Amateur Radio in Space. Every donation, big or small, is essential to AMSAT's success. But, it is this group of donors, representing only 1.3% of AMSAT membership, that do the heavy lifting for AMSAT fund raising. "Donations of whatever amount that makes sense for each member is especially important for 2025. After years of design work by AMSAT's Engineering Team, they are now buying tens-of-thousands of dollars worth of parts and beginning to build the actual Fox Plus and GOLF satellites that we will have the benefit of enjoying. If you can, please donate through the members' portal or the AMSAT Store https://www.amsat.org/product-category/amsat-presidents-club-donations/." [ANS thanks AMSAT for the above information.] ________________________________ Need new satellite antennas? Purchase M2 LEO-Packs from the AMSAT Store! [cid:image004.png ＠ 01DB6F1E.9EFFD530] When you purchase through AMSAT, a portion of the proceeds goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space. https://amsat.org/product-category/hardware/ ________________________________ ARISS NEWS Amateurs and others around the world may listen in on contacts between amateurs operating in schools and allowing students to interact with astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station. The downlink frequency on which to listen is 145.800 MHz worldwide. [ARISS News] Upcoming Contacts Pine View School, Osprey, FL, direct via W4AC The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS. The scheduled crewmember is Sunita Williams, KD5PLB. The ARISS mentor is Phillip Shreves, N7GZT. Contact is go for Tuesday, January 28, 2025 at 17:21 UTC. Watch for Livestream at: https://www.youtube.com/@SarasotaSchools https://www.facebook.com/sarasotaschools (Possibly) Kyoto Municipal Shimogamo Junior High School, Kyoto-city, Japan direct via JL3ZPU The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS. The scheduled crewmember is Nick Hague, KG5TMV. The ARISS mentor is Satoshi Yasuda, 7M3TJZ. Contact is go for Friday, January 31, 2025 at 09:09 UTC. Aznakaevsky district of the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia, direct via TBD The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RS0ISS. The scheduled crewmember is Ivan Vagner. The ARISS mentor is A.R.C. "ENERGIA, RV3DR. Contact is go for Saturday, February,1 2025 at 11:15 UTC. The crossband repeater continues to be active (145.990 MHz up {PL 67} & 437.800 MHz down). If any crewmember is so inclined, all they have to do is pick up the microphone, raise the volume up, and talk on the crossband repeater. So give a listen, you just never know. The packet system is also active (145.825 MHz up & down). As always, if there is an EVA, a docking, or an undocking; the ARISS radios are turned off as part of the safety protocol. Note, all times are approximate. It is recommended that you do your own orbital prediction or start listening about 10 minutes before the listed time. The latest information on the operation mode can be found at https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html The latest list of frequencies in use can be found at https://www.ariss.org/contact-the-iss.html [ANS thanks Charlie Sufana, AJ9N, one of the ARISS operation team mentors for the above information.] ________________________________ AMSAT Remove Before Flight Key Tags Now Available Yes, These are the Real Thing! [cid:image006.jpg ＠ 01DB6F4A.93BF6A60] Your $20 Donation Goes to Help Fly a Fox-Plus Satellite Includes First Class Postage (Sorry - U.S. Addresses Only) Order Today at https://www.amsat.org/product/amsat-remove-before-flight-keychain/ ________________________________ Upcoming Satellite Operations NA-002; January 28 - February 2, 2025 VP5, Caicos Islands: Tony, KD8RTT, pays Providenciales Island a visit from Jan. 28 until Feb. 2. QRV as VP5/KD8RTT with a focus on satellites. QSL via his home callsign. (Per DARC DX Newsletter) A growing number of satellite rovers are currently engaged in sharing their grid square activations on https://hams.at. By visiting the website, you gain easy access to comprehensive information about the operators responsible for activating specific grid squares. Additionally, you have the ability to assess the match score between yourself and a particular rover for a given pass, while also being able to identify the upcoming satellite passes that are accessible from your location. [ANS thanks Ian Parsons, K5ZM, AMSAT Rover Page Manager, and JoAnne Maenmpaa, K9JKM, for the above information.] ________________________________ AMSAT Ambassador Activities AMSAT Ambassadors provide presentations, demonstrate communicating through amateur satellites, and host information tables at club meetings, hamfests, conventions, maker faires, and other events. [AMSAT Ambassador News Logo] Saturday February 1, 2025 (rescheduled from January 11, 2025) Gwinnett Amateur Radio Society ? TechFest Gwinnett County Fairgrounds Expo Center Building 2405 Sugarloaf Pkwy. Lawrenceville, GA 30045 K4RGK Friday, Saturday, Sunday February 7-9, 2025 Hamcation 2025 and ARRL Southeastern Division Convention Central Florida Fairgrounds and Expo Park 4603 W. Colonial Dr. Orlando, FL 32808 https://www.hamcation.com/ KE4AL February 14-15, 2025 Yuma HAMCON and Southwestern Division Convention Yuma County Fairgrounds Yuma, AZ https://www.yumahamfest.com/ N1UW April 4 ? 5, 2025 Southeastern VHF Conference 2025 Quality Inn 3095 Wilma Rudolph Blvd Clarksville, TN 37040 W4FCL Interested in becoming an AMSAT Ambassador? AMSAT Ambassadors provide presentations, demonstrate communicating through amateur satellites, and host information tables at club meetings, hamfests, conventions, maker faires, and other events. For more information go to: https://www.amsat.org/ambassador/ [ANS thanks Bo Lowrey, W4FCL, Director ? AMSAT Ambassador Program for the above information.] ________________________________ Satellite Shorts From All Over * HamSCI has announced Personal Space Weather Station sessions via zoom. The Personal Space Weather Station (PSWS) network is a distributed series of receivers designed to measure the space environment. These stations are built by professionals, citizen scientists, and ham radio operators. HamSCI and its partners are constantly at work on expanding the network, improving the PSWS data collection hardware and software, growing the network infrastructure for data storage and retrieval, as well as meeting HamSCI's ultimate goal, analysis of the collected data. HamSCI has announced a recurring series of Zoom based sessions to help those interested in the project. Sessions occur each Thursday at 10:00 AM Eastern. More information is available on the HamSCI website https://hamsci.org/get-involved. [ANS thanks hamweekly.com for the above information.] * The High-frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) will be conducting a research campaign January 27-31 UTC, with operating times specified in the table below. Operating frequencies will vary, but all HAARP transmissions will be between 2.75 MHz and 10 MHz. Actual transmit days and times are highly variable based on real-time ionospheric and/or geomagnetic conditions. All information is subject to change. Research topics for this campaign include VLF generation and ducting, studies on STEVE airglow, and space debris detection. This campaign will also support the GIRAFF rocket launch from Poker Flat Research Range, which is investigating the mechanisms that cause flickering and pulsing within the aurora. Note that a number of experiments will be conducted based on the critical frequency (f0F2) determined by the Gakona ionosonde. The included transmission notice supplement contains information on the frequencies HAARP is authorized to transmit. HAARP transmissions will only occur on our authorized frequencies. More information is available at https://tinyurl.com/ANS-026-HAARP. [ANS thanks hamweekly.com for the above information.] * Electric propulsion is being increasingly used on space missions and could ultimately replace thrusters using chemical rockets. Spacecraft powered by electric propulsion could soon be better protected against their own exhaust, thanks to new supercomputer simulations. Electric propulsion is a more efficient alternative to traditional chemical rockets, and there are even plans to use electric propulsion on NASA's Lunar Gateway space station. The idea behind electric propulsion is that an electric current ionizes (i.e. removes an electron from) atoms of a neutral gas, such as xenon or krypton, stored on board a spacecraft. The ionization process produces a cloud of ions and electrons. Then a principle called the Hall effect generates an electric field that accelerates the ions and electrons and channels them into a characteristically blue plume that emerges from the spacecraft at over 37,000 mph (60,000 kph). Hence an electric propulsion system is also referred to as an ion engine. More information at https://tinyurl.com/ANS-026-ION. [ANS thanks space.com for the above information.] ________________________________ Join AMSAT Today at https://launch.amsat.org/ In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership to: * Societies (a recognized group, clubs or organization). * 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 student rate for a maximum of 6 post-secondary years in this status. * Memberships are available for annual and lifetime terms. Contact info [at] amsat [dot] org for additional membership information. 73 and remember to help Keep Amateur Radio in Space! This week's ANS Editor, Frank Karnauskas, N1UW f.karnauskas [at] amsat [dot] org -------------- next part -------------- HTMLの添付ファイルを保管しました... 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