AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-060

ANS is a free, weekly, news and information service of AMSAT North America, The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation ANS reports on the activities of a worldwide group of Amateur Radio operators who share an active interest in designing, building, launching and communicating through analog and digital Amateur Radio satellites

Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to:

ans-editor@amsat org

In this edition: * Richard Garriott, W5KWQ to speak at the AMSAT/TAPR Banquet during Hamvention * AMSAT INDIA Certificates for Two Way VO-52 Contacts * SuitSat-2 Meeting in Phoenix * ARRL Satellite Handbook Now Available at AMSAT Online Store * Amateur Radio Balloons Over North East Texas (ARBONET) Weekly Net * Call for Papers - NEMS and MEMS for Space Applications * ARISS Status - 23 February 2009

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-060 01 Richard Garriott, W5KWQ to speak at the AMSAT/TAPR Banquet during Hamvention

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 060 01 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD March 1, 2009 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-060 01

We are pleased to announce that Richard Garriott, W5KWQ will be the keynote speaker at the AMSAT/TAPR Banquet during Hamvention 2009 The Banquet will be on Friday evening, 15 May 2009 Richard was aboard the ISS (International Space Station) in October 2008 and delighted many amateur radio operators and school children with contacts He was the sixth private citizen to make the trip In 1983, Richard's father Owen Garriott, W5LFL was the first person to make amateur radio contacts from the Space Shuttle In addition to the banquet speech, Richard will give a short presentation at the AMSAT Forum on Saturday morning, and visit the AMSAT & ARRL booths

There is limited seating for the banquet, and tickets may be purchased for $30 by contacting Martha at the AMSAT office Banquet tickets will also soon be available through the AMSAT web store

Thanks to Frank Bauer and Rosalie White for making the arrangements

[ANS thanks Gould, WA4SXM, for the above information]

/EX

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-060 02 AMSAT INDIA Certificates for Two Way VO-52 Contacts

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 060 02 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD March 1, 2009 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-060 02

AMSAT INDIA will issue a certificate for Radio Hams who establish two way contact thru VO-52 from the period January 26th 2009 until May 5th 2009

The first fifty certificates have been sponsored by a well-wisher including postage This certificate will also be available for a fee which will be announced on a later date

Please send us your QSL card which has details of the QSO on VO-52 to the following address Please provide us the exact mailing address where you would like to receive the certificate

AMSAT India (Regd ) No 201, 2nd Main Road, Mahalakshmi Layout, Bangalore 560086 India

[ANS thanks Nitin, VU3TYG, for the above information]

/EX

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-060 03 SuitSat-2 Meeting in Phoenix

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 060 03 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD March 1, 2009 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-060 03

Many of the members of the SuitSat-2 team participated in a working meeting at the Microchip complex 20 - 22 Feb 2009 Most of the modules were demonstrated and a great deal of work followed to improve the interfaces between the modules Gould, WA4SXM is working on SuitSat-2 web pages that will provide details of the work and photographs of the modules and team members These pages will be added to the AMSAT site soon

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-060 04 ARRL Satellite Handbook Now Available at AMSAT Online Store

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 060 04 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD March 1, 2009 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-060 04

The ARRL Satellite Handbook by Steve Ford, WB8IMY, is now available at the AMSAT online store Visit http://www amsat org and click on Online Store from the menu on the left Follow the link to Publications

[ANS thanks Bruce, KK5DO, for the above information]

/EX

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-060 05 Amateur Radio Balloons Over North East Texas (ARBONET) Weekly Net

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 060 05 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD March 1, 2009 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-060 05

The Amateur Radio Balloons Over North East Texas (ARBONET) Weekly Information Net is held Wednesday evening at 8:30 PM CST via the facilities of the North Texas Repeater Association Repeater Network (NTXRA)

Dallas: 442 025 MHz Offset: +5 MHz PL Tone: 127 3 Ft Worth: 443 450 MHz Offset: + 5 MHZ PL Tone: 127 3 McKinney: 442 575 MHz Offset: + 5 MHz PL Tone: 127 3

The NTXRA network has IRLP capabilities, The node number is 945, channel 1

Repeaters outside the coverage area of the NTXRA network who have IRLP capabilities can link into the network to participate in the weekly nets

Anyone interested in Amateur Radio High Altitude Balloon flights or in participating in ARBONET activities is invited to join this weekly on-the-air activity

[ANS thanks Doug, W5BL, for the above information]

/EX

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-060 06 Call for Papers - NEMS and MEMS for Space Applications

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 060 06 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD March 1, 2009 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-060 06

2009 ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress & Exposition

The symposium will be held at the ASME Congress on November 13-19, 2009, on-site at Lake Buena Vista, Florida (Walt Disney World) The call-for-paper is for Track 13 (Micro and Nano Systems), Topic5-NEMS and MEMS for Space Applications Please note that the goal of this symposium is forward looking and on current/future technologies that can lead toward the goal of highly integrated Nano/Pico-satellites

The goal of this topic is on space sciences and technology with NEMS and MEMS The continuing trend towards smaller satellites has produced operational NanoSats (1-10kg) and PicoSats (<1kg) These satellites will transform the way we study space and terrestrial sciences by providing currently non-existing capabilities such as instantaneous field measurements, ultra large arrays, and sacrificial missions Key attributes of these satellites are smaller, lighter, cheaper, and expendable Naturally, the miniaturization and high density integration capability of N/MEMS are the future for these missions and satellites

Specific areas of interest related N/MEMS include, but are not limited to:

 * Attitude determination and control systems
 * Integrated bus
 * Navigation and positioning
 * Power
 * Propulsion
 * Thermal control
 * Communication
 * Science instruments

[ANS thanks Adam Huang and Eui-Hyeok Yang for the above information]

/EX

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-060 07 ARISS Status - 23 February 2009

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 060 07 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD March 1, 2009 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-060 07

1. Upcoming Simulated Contacts

Several simulated Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contacts have been scheduled These training sessions are terrestrial-based amateur radio contacts using ARISS-equivalent equipment Audio will be available on IRLP All times are approximate

Wednesday, March 4: 14:30 UTC – Technopolis, Belgium and Andre Kuipers, PI9ISS 14:45 UTC - Bedford South School, Bedford, Nova Scotia, Canada and Chris Hadfield, VA3OOG 15:00 UTC - Bedford South School, Bedford, Nova Scotia, Canada and Cady Coleman, KC5ZTH

1. South Park Students Speak with ISS

On Tuesday, February 17, an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact took place between South Park Elementary Center in South Park, Pennsylvania and Pittsburgh native Mike Fincke, KE5AIT, on the ISS Telebridge station K6DUE in Maryland facilitated the contact An audience of approximately 460 watched as twenty questions were asked and answered The audio was fed into the EchoLink AMSAT and JK1ZRW servers and received 7 connections from stations in England and the U S The event received extensive media coverage from television stations and newspapers The links follow

CBS affiliate: http://kdka com/video/?id=53487@kdka dayport com

ABC affiliate: http://www thepittsburghchannel com/news/18730162/detail html?taf=pit

NBC affiliate: http://www wpxi com/news/18729533/detail html

Pittsburgh Post Gazette: http://www pittsburghpostgazette com/pg/09049/949857-52 stm

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: http://www pittsburghlive com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_612166 html

1. Salluit Students Question Astronaut via Radio

Students attending Salluit Schools in Salluit, Quebec, Canada experienced an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Thursday, February 19 via telebridge station W6SRJ in California Mike Fincke, KE5AIT, answered 15 questions posed to him by the students The audio was fed into the EchoLink AMSAT and JK1ZRW servers and received 6 connections from the U S , Spain, Italy and England Approximately 450 parents, elders and students (out of a village of 1000) were present for the contact Parents were out and about early in the day, indicating this event was a huge accomplishment, as they do not normally come out early this time of year due to the severe cold ARISS mentor Steve McFarlane remarked, “The contact was a huge success – these people really enjoyed the experience and are ever thankful to the parties involved for their work in showing their children that there are incredible discoveries and adventures to be had – all they have to do, is believe apparently we moved them a little closer to that today ”

1. Erie Planetarium Contact Successful

On Saturday, February 21, Erie Planetarium in Pennsylvania participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact with Mike Fincke, KE5AIT, via telebridge station W6SRJ in California Twelve students asked 21 questions of the astronaut in front of a crowd of 200 At least one television station reported on the event The audio was fed into the EchoLink AMSAT and JK1ZRW servers and had 13 connections, including one repeater, from 8 countries Among those listening were stations in China, New Zealand and Spain

A ham operator who was manning a Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT) exhibit table at a Yuma, Arizona hamfest used his radio to listen to the contact as part of his demonstrations Even though only the ISS side of the contact was heard, the crowd enjoyed hearing Mike answer the questions

1. SuitSat-2 Meeting Held

The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) team held a SuitSat-2 meeting on Friday – Sunday, February 20 - 22 in Phoenix, Arizona Status reports of the different modules were given and reviewed and the team began integration testing

1. ARISS International Team Meeting Held

Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) held its monthly teleconference on Tuesday, February 17 Agenda items discussed included the upcoming face-to-face meeting to be held in the Netherlands in June, Charles Simonyi’s planned activities during his mission in March and a status on SuitSat-2 The minutes have been posted to the ARISS Web site See: http://www rac ca/ariss/arisstel2009-02-17 htm

1. ARRL Letter Article on Dieter Schliemann

Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) team member Dieter Schliemann, KX4Y, passed away on Monday, February 9 Dieter had been responsible for coordinating and expanding the educational outreach of ARISS through the use of Voice over the Internet Protocol (VoIP) with Internet Radio Linking Project (IRLP) and EchoLink As his health deteriorated, Dieter continued his support, making sure that others would carry on in his absence He will be sorely missed Dieter was a member of the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT) and the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) The ARRL Letter posted an article on his contributions: https://www arrl org/arrlletter/09/0220/

1. German School Contact Update

Städtisches Gymnasium Herzogenrath in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact with Mike Fincke, KE5AIT, on Saturday, February 7 New links are available for related photos, audio, video and newspaper articles See: http://www darc de/g14/ARISS html

[ANS thanks Carol, KB3LKI, for the above information]

/EX

In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership in the President's Club Members of the President's Club, as sustaining donors to AMSAT Project Funds, will be eligible to receive additional benefits Application forms are available from the AMSAT Office

73, This week's ANS Editor, Lee McLamb, KU4OS ku4os at amsat dot org

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