AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-288

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:

• FCC Rules Changes Affect Amateur Radio Space Operations
• AO-51 QRP Repeater to be Activated for JOTA on October 21-22
• Satellite DX - Sudan Active During October
• Help Wanted: AMSAT News Service Rotating Editor Positions Available
• Thirty Songs To Be Broadcast From Lunar-Probing Satellite
• PCSAT-1 Enters Negative Power Budget Due to Eclipse
• ARISS Status for the Week of October 9, 2006

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-288 01 FCC Rules Changes Affect Amateur Radio Space Operations

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 288 01

From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD October 15, 2006 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-288 01

The Federal Communications Commission released a Report and Order which modifies several amateur radio regulations Several aspects of the amateur rules are addressed Two key areas will affect operators interested in space communications These include:

• Retransmission of Space Station Communications
• Space Station Launch Notification (to the FCC)

Current FCC rules prohibit amateur stations from retransmitting programs or signals emanating from any other type of radio station with certain exceptions including allowing amateur stations to retransmit communications originating on United States Government frequencies between a space shuttle spacecraft and associated Earth stations The FCC will amend its rules to additionally allow re- transmission of communications between Earth stations and the Inter- national Space Station The FCC agreed that retransmission of space communications is a public service that may be used as an educational resource

Another rules change involves the required timing of notification to the FCC to launch and initiate transmissions from orbiting satellites in the Amateur Satellite Service

The Commission left existing rules in effect in regards to orbital space debris mitigation from amateur satellites

Full details can be found in the documents available on-line at: http://hraunfoss fcc gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-06-149A1 pdf http://hraunfoss fcc gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-06-149A1 txt http://hraunfoss fcc gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-06-149A1 doc

[ANS thanks the FCC for the above information]

/EX

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-288 02 AO-51 QRP Repeater to be Activated for JOTA on October 21-22

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 288 02

From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD October 15, 2006 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-288 02

The AO-51 Operations Group announced plans for AMSAT's support of the Jamboree on the Air event (JOTA) on the weekend of October 21st and 22nd AO-51 will run in dual repeater mode with the 435 150 QRP repeater reserved for JOTA contacts on the weekend Please yield the 435 150 repeater to JOTA contacts, especially between two JOTA stations The normal AO-51 QRP rules apply: 10 watts to omni or handheld antennas only

Visit the AO-51 schedule at: http://www amsat org/amsat-new/echo/ControlTeam php

[ANS thanks the AO-51 Operations Group for the above information]

/EX

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-288 03 Satellite DX - Sudan Active During October

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 288 03

From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD October 15, 2006 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-288 03

A two week window of opportunity for satellite DX into Sudan may give amateurs in Africa, Europe and the Middle East a contact into a new country ST2NH, operator Nader, has made contacts via FO-29 with stations in Europe

[ANS thanks Domenico, I8CVS and Carles, EB3FYM for the above information]

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SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-288 04 Help Wanted: AMSAT News Service Rotating Editor Positions Available

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 288 04

From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD October 15, 2006 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-288 04

The AMSAT News Service (ANS) is responsible for researching, writing, editing, and publishing the weekly amateur satellite news bulletins We have a team of editors who take a turn weekly to publish the bulletins This generally involves taking a turn about every 4 weeks

At present we a looking for interested satellite enthusiasts to join the ANS editorial team Professional writing/editing experience is not a requirement Your interest and enthusiasm in following and reporting on amateur radio in space will get you started!

If you can commit to working on the bulletins for a week on a rotating basis please reply to JoAnne K9JKM, ANS Senior Editor at k9jkm@amsat org

[ANS thanks AMSAT for the above information]

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SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-288 05 Thirty Songs To Be Broadcast From Lunar-Probing Satellite

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 288 05

From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD October 15, 2006 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-288 05

China announced a list of 30 songs to be broadcast to Earth next year from its first lunar-probing satellite The Commission of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense, in charge of the lunar project, announced Friday a list of 30 tunes to be played from the lunar-probing satellite

The lunar satellite is designed to obtain 3D images of the lunar surface, analyze the content of useful elements and materials, and probe the depth of the lunar soil and the space environment between the earth and the moon

The satellite will be 2,350 kg in weight with 130 kg of payload, and will orbit the moon for one year A Chinese Long March III A carrier rocket will be used to launch the satellite

The satellite launch at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China's Sichuan Province next year will be followed by the landing of an unmanned vehicle on the moon in 2010 and collecting samples of lunar soil with an unmanned vehicle in 2020

[ANS thanks SpaceDaily com for the above information]

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SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-288 06 PCSAT-1 Enters Negative Power Budget Due to Eclipse

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 288 06

From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD October 15, 2006 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-288 06

On 11 Oct, after a full 2 weeks of normal operations, PCSAT-1 returned to negative power budget with the default callsign of W3ADO-1 Bob, WB4APR of the US Naval Academy Satellite Lab said, "We have tried on several orbits to restore all parameters, but they are all lost during the next eclipse 30 minutes later "

Bob continues, "So it looks like we will not have reliable APRS digipeating until the next full sun period in the first week of January and then again in the middle of April But then it should really be fun, because there will be 3 APRS satellites all in orbit at the same time on 145 825 "

[ANS thanks Bob, WB4APR for the above information]

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SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-288 07 ARISS Status for the Week of October 9, 2006

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 288 07

From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD October 15, 2006 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-288 07

1. Upcoming School Contacts

The ARISS team continues to work on scheduling the Expedition 14 school contacts The next one is expected to take place at the end of October

1. AMSAT/ARISS Meetings Held

The AMSAT-NA Annual Meeting/Space Symposium was held October 5 – 8 in San Francisco ARISS Chairman Frank Bauer gave two presentations during the Symposium The first speech given covered the tenth anni- versary of ARISS and the second was on the SuitSat-2 project Astronaut Bill McArthur, KC5ACR, was the keynote speaker at the AMSAT banquet on Saturday evening Conferences continue as the ARISS International Team Face to Face Meeting kicks off today, October 9

1. ARISS Members Visit JSC

In August, ARISS-U S team members visited several NASA offices in Houston to discuss the future of Amateur Radio in space ARRL reported on this in its story, “ARISS Team ‘Always on a Roll,’ ARRL Liaison Says ” See: http://www arrl org/news/stories/2006/10/03/101/?nc=1

The article also appeared in the ARRL Letter: http://www arrl org/arrlletter/06/1006/

1. ESA Article on Greek Contact

Students attending the ESA Space Camp in Patras, Greece enjoyed the experience of speaking with Thomas Reiter, DF4TR ESA Education ran an article on the event See: http://www esa int/esaED/SEMYH76LARE_index_0 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, JoAnne Maenpaa, K9JKM K9JKM at amsat dot org

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Via the ANS mailing list courtesy of AMSAT-NA http://amsat org/mailman/listinfo/ans

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