AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-063

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:

• Progress Report on New AMSAT Maryland Laboratory
• TAPR Digital Communications Conference Call For Papers
• Satellite Shorts From All Over
• ARISS Status Report for the Week of February 26, 2007
• Don't Forget the AMSAT-DC Meeting and Space Seminar Coming March 24

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-063 01 Progress Report on New AMSAT Maryland Laboratory

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 063 01

From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD March 4, 2007 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-063 01

Bob Davis, KF4KSS provides ANS readers with an update on the new AMSAT Laboratory, under construction Bob writes,"AMSAT is soon to have a new spacecraft integration lab in Pocomoke, Maryland!

Our lab space is being hosted by the Hawk Institute for Space Sciences (a non-profit affiliated with the University of Maryland Eastern Shore) Since three 24' rental trucks arrived just after the New Year, we've had volunteer Saturdays (including two 3-day weekends)

Thanks go to the 16 volunteers that have come by so far, from Maryland and Virginia Eastern Shore residents, DC area, and two from much farther that drove the rental trucks! After substantial cleaning, sorting and inventory, we have finally seriously addressed assembly of the cleanroom Once finished, it will be 20'x20', as remembered from Orlando, FL, during P3D (later named AO-40) assembly & testing This time, we're preparing for Eagle! Besides the clean room, we have an assortment of parts, tools, test equipment, flow bench, spin balance machine, cleanroom crane, documentation from previous projects, and office/lab furniture and supplies

Look to upcoming AMSAT Journals for additional updates and photos The new lab is located about 3 hours southeast of Washington, DC For further information, contact AMSAT or Bob Davis directly at KF4KSS@amsat org And as always, your volunteerism and donations to AMSAT make it all happen!

[ANS thanks Bob, KF4KSS for the above information]

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SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-063 02 TAPR Digital Communications Conference Call For Papers

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 063 02

From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD March 4, 2007 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-063 02

Technical papers are solicited for presentation at the 26th Annual ARRL and TAPR Digital Communications Conference to be held September 28-30, 2007 in Hartford, Connecticut These papers will also be published in the Conference Proceedings (you do NOT need to attend the conference to have your paper included in the Proceedings) The submission deadline is July 31, 2007 Please send papers to:

Maty Weinberg ARRL 225 Main St Newington, CT 06111 or you can make your submission via e-mail to: maty@arrl org

Papers will be published exactly as submitted and authors will retain all rights

[ANS thanks Steve, WB8IMY at the ARRL for the above information]

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SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-063 03 Satellite Shorts From All Over

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 063 03

From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD March 4, 2007 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-063 03

• Drew, KO4MA reports the ARRL has amended its Field Day rules in regards to satellite stations Details are available at: http://www arrl org/contests/rules/2007/fd html

• Trevor, M5AKA sent information that the United Kingdom is con- sidering band changes at WRC-07 where other services may over- existing amateur allocations at 2300-2400 MHz, 3400 to 3600 MHz, and just below 70cm 410-430 MHz Anyone can respond to Ofcom consultations, they are NOT resistriced to British Isles or EU citizens The deadline for responses is 30 March More info at: http://www ofcom org uk/consult/condocs/wrc07/

• Kosmotras has advised CalPoly CubeSat Management that their next DNEPR launch is scheduled for March 27, 2007 Payloads will include CubeSats, EgyptSat and SaudiSats, and 3 CubeSat P-PODs with assign- ments as follows:

  P-POD A CalPoly PolySat CP4 (OSCAR) AeroSpace AeroCube-2 oeing CSTB-1

  P-POD B CalPoly PolySat CP3 (OSCAR) University of Louisiana CAPE-1 (OSCAR) Universidad Sergio Arboleda (Colombia) Libertad-1 (OSCAR)

  P-POD C Tethers Unlimited MAST (triple-cube)

  More information including OSCAR frequencies and modes will be updated at http://showcase netins net/web/wallio/CubeSat htm Additional info will be available at CalPoly's CubeSat web page: http://cubesat atl calpoly edu/ (Thanks Ralph, WØRPK)

• USA amateurs will have the opportunity this week to copy the ISS in direct ARISS school contacts Monitor the 145 800 MHz FM downlink for these planned school contacts:

  1. Boulder Hill Elementary School, Montgomery, Illinois, direct via W9BHB Tue 2007-03-06 16:06 UTC 87 deg; also with IRLP, Echolink, and web coverage

  2. Mission Viejo, CA, direct via K6UCI Thu 2007-03-08 16:42 UTC 45 deg

[ANS thanks everyone for the above information]

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SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-063 04 ARISS Status Report for the Week of February 26, 2007

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 063 04

From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD March 4, 2007 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-063 04

1. New Delhi School Contact Successful

Vasant Valley School in Vasant Kunj, New Delhi, India experienced a successful Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Saturday, February 24 via the telebridge station WH6PN in Hawaii Thirteen students asked fifteen questions of Sunita Williams, KD5PLB Kalpana Chawla’s niece and nephew were among the participants, and several media outlets attended The audio was fed into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) servers, (receiving 8 connections from 6 countries), as well as into the IRLP Discovery Reflector 9010 It was also webcast by Verizon Conferencing The Hindu posted an article on its website, covering the event See: http://www hinduonnet com/thehindu/holnus/218200702242075 htm

Video from India Broadcast News (IBN) can be viewed on: http://www ibnlive com/news/kids-get-chatty-with-sunita-williams/34396-11 ht ml

1. Additional School Contacts

Escola Camilo Castelo Branco in Carnaxide, Portugal had an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Monday, February 26 via the telebridge station VK5ZAI in Australia The high school students have a curriculum which includes Physics, Chemistry and Philosophy One of the main goals of this project is to study current scientific and technological development Many of these students will continue their studies at the university, choosing areas related to aerospace engineering and taking with them new knowledge from this event

Virginia Run Elementary School in Centreville, Virginia had an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Friday, March 2 Virginia Run is located in a suburb of Washington, D C and has an enrollment of 830 students in grades K- 6 A contest was held to choose the best questions to ask the ISS crew member Astronaut Carl Walz will visit the school prior to the contact to give a presentation to the students He will bring his space- suit, memorabilia and videos to share with the school This contact is a Sunita Williams, KD5PLB, crew pick The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) Virginia Section Manager has posted a press release on the Virginia Section web page See: http://www arrlva us

1. Training Status

Russian delegate Sergey Samburov, RV3DR, took part in a session with flight participant Charles Simonyi, KE7KDP, and provided training on the amateur radio hardware He has been working on a procedure to restore the Kenwood radio to its proper configuration, which Simonyi will carry out once on board the ISS Photos of the session may be viewed on the Energia website: http://www energia ru/english/energia/iss/iss15/photo_02-21 html

[ANS thanks Carol, KB3LKI for the above information]

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SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-063 05 Don't Forget the AMSAT-DC Meeting and Space Seminar Coming March 24

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 063 05

From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD March 4, 2007 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-063 05

Are you near Washington, D C or know someone who is? Then YOU ARE HEREBY INVITED to the next AMSAT-DC Meeting and Space Seminar The day-long event will be held on Saturday, March 24 near BWI airport

Get the meeting announcement at http://www amsat org/amsat-new/fieldops/eventDetail php?eID=259 and share it with others

In building our agenda, we are lining up one or two presentations from local folks who are building a CubeSat of all things! We'll take a close look at the brand new AMSAT lab on our eastern shore Get news on a new S-Band beacon Lots more will be offered too

Please forward this event announcement to one who might like to know about it Take it to a club meeting Announce it on a net Gosh, tell a high school or college student -- and an instructor too All are invited

[ANS thanks Pat, N8PK, AMSAT-DC Co-host 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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