AMSAT NEWS SERVICEANS-168
In this edition:
* Starliner Brings Another Ham to ISS
* Q&A Session with AMSAT Engineering
* Voyager 1 is Back To Life, But For How Long?
* AMSAT Mail Alias Service to End August 1, 2024
* The 2024 AMSAT Field Day Rules
* Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for June 14
* 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
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news related to Amateur Radio in Space including reports on the
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The news feed on http://www.amsat.org publishes news of Amateur Radio in Space as soon as our volunteers can post it.
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ANS-168 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
DATE 2024 June 16
Starliner Brings Another Ham to ISS
Working
around multiple helium leaks and thruster problems, the crew of
Boeingâs Starliner spacecraft wrapped up a challenging rendezvous and a
delayed-but-successful docking with the International Space Station
Thursday in a major milestone for the new shipâs first piloted test
flight.
With
commander Barry âButchâ Wilmore and co-pilot Sunita Williams, KD5PLB,
monitoring the Starlinerâs automated approach, the Starlinerâs docking
mechanism engaged its counterpart on the front of the stationâs forward
Harmony module at 17:34 UTC on June 8 as the two spacecraft were sailing
260 miles above the Indian Ocean.
After
extensive checks to verify an airtight seal, hatches were opened and
Wilmore and Williams floated into the lab complex to an enthusiastic
welcome from the seven Expedition 71 crew members: cosmonauts Oleg
Kononenko, RN3DX, Nicolai Chub and Alexander Grebenkin, RZ3DSE, along
with NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, KCÃTOR, Michael Barratt, KD5MIJ,
Jeanette Epps, KF5QNU, and Tracy Dyson.
Wilmore
and Williams plan to spend about a week aboard the outpost before
returning to Earth aboard the Starliner. While theyâre there, the
station crew will install a replacement urine processor pump module that
was loaded aboard the Starliner at the last minute to fix the labâs
water recycling system and allow normal use of the toilet in the U.S.
segment of the station.
Running
years behind schedule after multiple problems that cost Boeing some
$1.4 billion to correct, the Starliner was launched Wednesday with a
known helium leak in the system used to pressurize the spacecraftâs
propulsion system. Launch had been delayed a month, in part because of
work to confirm the ship could safely be launched with the leak as is.
After
reaching orbit, two more helium leaks developed that prompted flight
controllers to close valves leading to the affected plumbing, or
manifolds, while they analyzed leak rates and potential work arounds.
Closing the manifolds took down five of 28 reaction control system jets
in the shipâs service module and three of 20 more powerful âOMACâ
thrusters.
Docking
had to be delayed because five RCS jets were âdeselectedâ by the
capsuleâs flight software when telemetry showed they were not performing
exactly as expected. It was unclear if there would be sufficient
maneuverability for the docking to proceed.
Throughout
the process, Wilmore flew the Starliner manually, holding position
about 650 feet from the space station. When ground teams concluded the
spacecraft had enough thruster redundancy to proceed, the Starlinerâs
automated control system took over and flew the ship in for a
problem-free docking.
As
if the team hadnât had enough problems to deal with, a fourth and a
fifth helium leaks were detected after docking. In any case, per
standard procedure, flight controllers closed all the Starlinerâs helium
manifolds after the linkup to prevent any residual leakage while
attached to the station.
Despite
the leaks, NASA officials said more than enough helium remains on board
to ensure a safe return to Earth at the end of a normal-duration or
even extended mission.
On
June 14, NASA and Boeing teams pushed back the target undocking and
landing date for the Starliner spacecraft from the International Space
Station by four days. They shifted from June 18 to now no earlier than
June 22.
The
reason for the extended stay is in part due to a need to gather more
information about the Starliner capsule with the benefit of having an
astronaut crew assigned to study aspects of the spacecraft with
additional detail.
The
helium leaks are all located in the Starlinerâs drum-shaped service
module, which is discarded to burn up in the atmosphere before the crew
capsule re-enters for landing. Thus, there is no possibility of
post-flight analysis of the problems.
[ANS thanks Spaceflight Now for the above information]
The 2024 AMSAT Presidentâs Club coins are here now!
Help Support GOLF and Fox Plus
![](https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/2024-Coin-Lite-300x148.jpg)
Join the AMSAT President's Club today and help
Keep Amateur Radio in Space!
https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/
Q&A Session with AMSAT Engineering
![](https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/GOLF-300x158.png)
AMSAT Vice President - Engineering, Jerry Buxton, NÃJY, will host Q&A "social gathering" live streams on YouTube and Twitch, as he mentioned in his Hamvention "They Cancelled All My Flights" video. This is an opportunity to follow up with Jerry on developments with GOLF, FoxPlus, and other projects. Come by and chat a question or comment for discussion on your choice of the platforms:
- Friday June 21 at 19:00 - 21:00 UTC (generally for UK-EU-etc. time zones)
- Saturday June 22 at 00:01 - 02:00 UTC (Friday evening-night in the Americas)
- Saturday June 22 at 19:00 - 21:00 UTC (anybody free that afternoon)
- Sunday June 23 at 00:01 - 02:00 UTC (Saturday evening-night in the Americas)
[ANS thanks Jerry Buxton, NÃJY, AMSAT VPE, for the above information.]
Voyager 1 is Back To Life, But For How Long?
NASA
engineers have succeeded in breathing new life into Voyager 1, the
spacecraft launched in 1977 and once again communicating after it went
silent seven months ago. But now comes another challenge: Keeping
Voyager 1 scientifically useful for as long as possible as it probes a
realm where no spacecraft has gone before.
Voyager
1 and its twin, Voyager 2, are treasured at NASA not only because they
have sent home astonishing images of the outer planets, but also because
in their dotage, they are still doing science that canât be readily
duplicated.
They
are now in interstellar space, far beyond the orbits of Neptune and
Pluto. Voyager 1 is more than 15 billion miles from Earth and Voyager 2
nearly 13 billion miles. Both have passed the heliopause, where the
âsolar windâ of particles streaming from the sun terminates.
âTheyâre
going someplace where we have nothing, we have no information,â NASA
Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy said. âWe donât know anything about the
interstellar medium. Is it a highly charged environment? Are there a lot
of dust particles out there?â
![](https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/EDStone-300x215.jpg)
Ed Stone, who guided the mission from 1972 until 2022, died on June 9. (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times/Getty Images)
Even
as the Voyagers continue their journeys, engineers and scientists at
the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. are mourning the
loss of Ed Stone, the scientist who guided the mission from 1972 until
his retirement in 2022. Stone, a former director of JPL, died June 9 at
the age of 88.
Voyager
1 has four scientific instruments still operational in this extended
phase of its mission, but it suddenly ceased sending intelligible data
on Nov. 14. A âtiger teamâ of engineers at JPL spent the ensuing months
identifying the problem â a malfunctioning computer chip â and restoring
communication.
What
no one can change, though, is the mortality of a spacecraft with a
limited power supply. Voyager 1 is running on fumes, or, more precisely,
on the dwindling power from the radioactive decay of plutonium. The
Voyagers use a radioisotope thermoelectric generator. But an RTG doesnât
last forever. Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 will eventually go silent as they
continue to cruise the galaxy.
âAt
some point, weâll have to start turning off the science instruments one
by one,â project scientist Linda Spilker said. âOnce weâre out of
power, then we can no longer keep the spacecraft pointed at the Earth.
And so [the Voyagers] will then continue on as what I like to think of
as our silent ambassadors.â
In
a sense, this is all a bonus because the primary mission for the two
Voyagers was the exploration of the outer planets. Both visited Jupiter
and Saturn, and Voyager 2 went on to Uranus and Neptune in what was
known as the âGrand Tourâ of the outer solar system, enabled by a rare
orbital arrangement of the planets. The Voyagers delivered spectacular
close-up images of the outer planets, and the mission ranks among NASAâs
greatest achievements.
The
gravitational slingshot from the planetary encounters sent Voyager 1
out of the elliptical plane of the solar system and did the same to
Voyager 2 in a different direction.
About
four years ago, Voyager 1 encountered something unexpected â a
phenomenon scientists have dubbed a pressure front. Jamie Rankin, deputy
project scientist, said the instruments on the spacecraft picked up a
sudden change in the magnetic field of the interstellar environment, as
well as a sudden increase in the density of particles.
What
exactly caused this change remains unknown. But NASA scientists are
eager to get all the data flowing normally again to see whether the
pressure front is still detectable.
[ANS thanks The New York Times for the above information]
![](https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/M2_LeoPack_Hi-300x298.jpg)
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/
AMSAT Mail Alias Service to End August 1, 2024
A long-standing member service, the AMSAT Mail Alias Service is scheduled to end on August 1, 2024. A mail alias on AMSAT.ORG
permitted people to send an email to members without knowing their
actual internet email address. They just needed to know their amateur
radio callsign.
Unfortunately,
the unchecked rise in domain name hacking and email account
high-jacking has made it impossible to sustain this service at a
cost-effective level. The number of callsign@amsat.org
email accounts that had been hijacked and converted to zombie spam
accounts over the years had led many internet service providers and
gateway centers to ban all @amsat.org
email addresses, including those business accounts of AMSAT officers
and officials. The tireless efforts of AMSAT's all volunteer IT staff
has worked for years to repair much of the damage, but AMSAT still get
complaints from members who are not getting their personal emails, ANS
bulletins or AMSAT-BB posts because of persistent delivery problems.
It
has come to the point where the AMSAT volunteer IT staff can no longer
keep up with the maintenance requirements to keep the alias mail list
clean and to work with email gateways to remove blocks. And, after
considerable investigation into alternative paid email services, AMSAT
leadership decided that the money required to keep an email alias system
alive would be better spent on building and flying satellites for its
members.
Persons
using the Mail Alias Service should begin to migrate to different email
accounts so they do not lose receipt of personal emails, AMSAT News
Service Weekly Bulletins, AMSAT-BB posts, or official messages from
AMSAT itself. Members are especially asked to make sure they are NOT
using a callsign@amsat.org
as their registered email address in the AMSAT membership portal.
Members can easily change their registered member email address by
logging into the portal and updating their profile.
[ANS thanks AMSAT for the above information.]
The 2024 AMSAT Field Day Rules
The
AMSAT Field Day 2024 event is open to all Amateur Radio operators.
Amateurs are to use the exchange as specified in ARRL rules for Field
Day. The AMSAT competition is to encourage the use of all amateur
satellites, both analog and digital. Note that no points will be
credited for any contacts beyond the ONE allowed via each single-channel
FM satellite. Operators are encouraged not to make any extra contacts
via theses satellites (Ex: SO-50). CW contacts and digital contacts are
worth three points as outlined below.
![](https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/kx9x-website-article-photo-294x300.png)
Analog Transponders
ARRL rules apply, except:
Each phone, CW, and digital segment ON EACH SATELLITE TRANSPONDER is considered to be a separate band.
CW and digital (FT-4, RTTY, PSK-31, etc.) contacts count THREE points each.
Stations
may only count one (1) completed QSO on any single channel FM
satellite. If a satellite has multiple modes such as V/u and L/s modes
both turned on, one contact each is allowed. If the both ISS stations
are operational, one QSO on each mode (1 phone and 1 digital), Contacts
with the ISS crew will count for one contact if they are active.
Greencube (1 digital).
The use of more than one transmitter at the same time on a single satellite transponder is prohibited.
Digital Transponders
Satellite
digipeat QSO's and APRS short-message contacts are worth three points
each, but must be complete verified two-way exchanges. The one contact
per FM satellite is not applied to digital transponders.
The use of terrestrial gateway stations or internet gateways (i.e. EchoLink, IRLP, etc.) to uplink/downlink is not allowed.
For
'Store and Forward' hamsats, each satellite is considered a separate
band. Do not post "CQ" messages. Simply upload ONE greeting message to
each satellite and download as many greeting messages as possible from
each satellite. The subject of the uploaded file should be posted as
Field Day Greetings, addressed to ALL. The purpose of this portion of
the competition is to demonstrate digital satellite communications to
other Field Day participants and observers. Do not reply to the Field
Day Greetings addressed to ALL.
The following uploads and downloads count as three-point digital contacts.
(a) Upload of a satellite Field Day Greetings file (one per satellite).
(b)
Download of Satellite Field Day Greetings files posted by other
stations. Downloads of non-Field Day files or messages not addressed to
ALL are not to be counted for the event. Save DIR listings and message
files for later "proof of contact."
You may make contacts with GreenCube, IO-117, and each one will count as 3 points as do other digital contacts.
Please note AMSAT uploaded messages do not count for QSO points under the ARRL rules.
Sample Satellite Field Day Greetings File:
KK5DO FD EL29 class 2A 20 participants
Note
that the message stated the call, operating class, where they were
located (the grid square) and how many operators were in attendance.
Operating Class
Stations
operating portable and using emergency power (as per ARRL Field Day
rules) are in a separate operating class from those at home connected to
commercial power. On the report form simply check off Emergency or
Commercial for the Power Source and be sure to specify your ARRL
operating class (2A, 1C, etc.).
AND FINALLYâ¦
The
Satellite Summary Sheet should be used for submission of the AMSAT
Field Day competition and be received by KK5DO (e-mail) by 11:59 P.M.
CDT, Monday, July 23, 2024. This year, we are using the same due date as
the ARRL. The only method for submitting your log is via e-mail to kk5do@amsat.org or kk5do@arrl.net. I have not had a mail-in entry in a very long time.
Add photographs or other interesting information that can be used in an article for the Journal.
You
will receive an e-mail back (within one or two days) from me when I
receive your e-mail submission. If you do not receive a confirmation
message, then I have not received your submission. Try sending it again
or send it to my other e-mail address.
Certificates
will be awarded for the first-place emergency power/portable station at
the AMSAT General Meeting and Space Symposium in the fall of 2024.
Certificates will also be awarded to the second and third place
portable/emergency operation in addition to the first-place home station
running on emergency power. A station submitting high, award-winning
scores will be requested to send in dupe sheets for analog contacts and
message listings for digital downloads.
You
may have multiple rig difficulties, antenna failures, computer
glitches, generator disasters, tropical storms, and there may even be
satellite problems, but the goal is to test your ability to operate in
an emergency situation. Try different gear. Demonstrate satellite
operations to hams that don't even know the HAMSATS exist. Test your
equipment. Avoid making more than ONE contact via the FM-only voice
HAMSATS or the ISS, and enjoy the event!
[ANS thanks Bruce Paige, KK5DO, AMSAT Director Contests and Awards, AMSAT Board Member 2016-2024 for the above information.]
Want to fly the colors on your own grid expedition?
![](https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/AMSAT-Car-Flag-e1705691761784-300x235.png)
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 June 14
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/.
No changes reported this week.
[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.
Postponed until fall 2024.:
Instituto
de Aplicação Fernando Rodrigues da Silveira (CAp-UERJ) and The State
University of Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, direct via
PY1AX
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS
The scheduled crewmember is Jeanette Epps, KF5QNU. The ARISS mentor is VE3TBD.
Contact is postponed until fall 2024.
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). The HamTV and SSTV systems are currently stowed.
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
KÃJM will attempt to put the EN47/EN48 gridline on the air on Wednesday, June 19. Watch hams.at for details.
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.
July 20, 2024
âMoon Dayâ Frontiers of Flight Museum
Love Field in Dallas, Texas
AMSAT volunteers needed! Contact tschuessler(at) amsat.org for more information.
August 17-18, 2024
Huntsville Hamfest
Huntsville, AL
AMSAT Booth and Forum
N8DEU and W4FCL
September 7, 2024
Greater Louisville Hamfest
Shepherdsville, KY
AMSAT Forum and Information Table
W4FCL
October 5, 2024
Central Kentucky Hamfest
Lexington, KY
AMSAT and Educational Satellites Forum and Information Table
AI4SR and W4FCL
October 5, 2024
North Star Radio Convention
Hennepin Technical College (North Campus)
Brooklyn Park, Minn.
AMSAT Forum and Information Table
KÃJM and ADÃHJ
[ANS thanks the AMSAT Events page for the above information]
Satellite Shorts From All Over
+
The U.S. spacewalk 90 planned for Thursday, June 13 at the
International Space Station did not proceed as scheduled due to a
spacesuit discomfort issue. NASA astronauts Tracy C. Dyson and Matthew
Dominick, KCÃTOR, completed taking off their spacesuits about an hour
before the crew was anticipated to exit the Quest airlock. With
consideration to NASAâs Boeing Crew Flight Test and other spaceflight
operations, the next spacewalk will be Monday, June 24, followed by
another on Tuesday, July 2, as was previously planned. The June 24
spacewalk will focus on radio frequency group hardware removal, while
the content of the July 2 spacewalk is under evaluation and will be
shared as available. The crew members on the station are healthy, and
spacesuits are functioning as expected. [As always, if there is an EVA, a docking, or an undocking; the ARISS radios are turned off as part of the safety protocol. ANS thanks NASA for the above information.]
+
AMSAT-DL is organizing a symposium, flea market and general meeting in
the radome of the Bochum Observatory, Germany on September 20-22, 2024.
The radome will once again be dedicated to satellite and space research.
AMSAT Deutschland e.V. and the Bochum Observatory are taking the
positive experience of the anniversary conference in 2023 as an
opportunity to inform AMSAT members and other space enthusiasts about
current and future prospects for national and international space
projects with a varied program. As the Radom is also the location of
ESAâs education office in Germany (esero Germany), a goal is to make the
symposium even more attractive in future and at the same time focus
even more on current European space travel. [ANS thanks AMSAT-DL for the
above information.]
+
SpaceXâs enormous rocket took off again from South Texas on June 6,
this time with the sole goal of bringing both the booster and ship
softly back to Earth in (roughly) single pieces. An on-time launch of
the worldâs most powerful rocket delivered excitement from start to
finish. Despite an engine out on launch and landing (with 33 engines
total, Superheavy doesnât care), the first stage was able to complete a
nominal ascent, hot-staging, temporary hot-staging ring jettison, boost
back, and landing burnâall with enough precision that previously
deployed buoy cams were able to capture its soft splashdown. [ANS thanks
The Orbital Index for the above information.]
+
Russian cosmonaut and ISS commander Oleg Konenko became the first
person to reach 1,000 cumulative days in space as of June 4. The
milestone comes amid his fifth flight to space and during his third
stint as the commander of the ISS. His most recent trip to the orbiting
laboratory began with a launch aboard the Soyuz MS-24 spacecraft on
Sept. 15, 2023, alongside cosmonaut Nikolai Chub and NASA astronaut
Loral OâHara, KI5TOM. Heâs scheduled to return with Chub and NASA
astronaut Tracy Dyson in September 2024. [ANS thanks Spaceflight Now 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, KÃJM
k0jm [at] amsat.org