Date: February 25th 2008

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-055

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: * AMSAT Keplerian Data Approval * Current AMSAT Awards/AMSAT Journal * Call For European CubeSats on the Vega Maiden Flight * ARISS Status - 18 February 2008 * OSCAR-11 Report

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-055 01 AMSAT Keplerian Data Approval

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 055 01 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD February 24, 2008 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-055 01

I am pleased to announce that AMSAT's 2008-2009 request to re-distribute Keplerian elements from US Air Force Space Command (AFSPC) Space-Track web site has been approved Our USSTRATCOM Form 1 request to re-distribute the Keps was approved as of February 21, 2008

This means that AMSAT will continue to distribute the NASA verbose and the two line format keplerian data for another year Thanks to AFSPC for their help

[ANS thanks Ray Hoad for the above information]

/EX

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-055 02 Current AMSAT Awards/AMSAT Journal

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 055 02 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD February 24, 2008 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-055 02

We would like to welcome the following to the satellite community They have made their first satellite contact and are now members of the AMSAT Satellite Communicators Club

Keith Schlottman, KR7RK Kevin Hartley, VE7OVY Jim Sullivan, WB6TNF

To see all the awards visit http://www amsat org or http://www amsatnet com

Bruce Paige, KK5DO

AMSAT Director Contests and Awards

ARRL Awards Manager (WAS, 5BWAS, VUCC), VE

Also, The JAN/FEB Journal was sent to the printer on 2/22/08 Ed, WA4SWJ, does an excellent job of putting together this publication and we thank him for his continuing efforts

[ANS thanks Bruce, KK5DO & Ed Long, WA4SWJ, for the above information]

/EX

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-055 03 Call For European CubeSats on the Vega Maiden Flight

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 055 03 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD February 24, 2008 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-055 03

Call For European CubeSats on the Vega Maiden Flight

The European Space Agency (ESA) Education Office has the pleasure in issuing a Call For CubeSat Proposals to universities in ESA Member and Cooperating States to participate as an educational payload on the Maiden Flight of the Vega Launcher

The ESA Education Office recognises the growing importance of CubeSat projects as a key tool in providing university students with a valuable hands-on practical education across all space engineering disciplines from end-to-end through the complete space project lifecycle

The launch opportunity on the Vega Maiden Flight is offered free of charge for up to 6 CubeSats, with an additional 2 backup CubeSats on stand-by

Proposals are solicited from interested universities with CubeSat projects of sufficient maturity level to be able to meet the Vega Maiden Flight schedule (current target launch date of December 2008)

Proposals (max 15 pages) must be submitted via e-mail to: education@esa int in PDF or MS Word format by the deadline of 17 March 2008

Proposals will be evaluated by the ESA Selection Board and the selected CubeSats will be announced on the ESA Education web portal by 15 April 2008

Details can be found on-line at: http://www esa int/esaED/SEMSJ8QR4CF_index_0 html

[ANS thanks the European Space Agency for the above information]

/EX

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-055 04 OSCAR-11 Report

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 055 04 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD February 24, 2008 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-055 04

OSCAR-11 Copied But Signal Becomes Intermittent

OSCAR-11 was heard from 22 January to 01 February and from 11 February to 15 February Signals have been very variable in strength sometimes very strong, sometimes undetectable, even at high elevations Low signal strength was particularly noticeable at AOS and LOS, and also towards the end of the transmission periods OSCAR-11 is expected to switch back on under control of its on-board timer around 07 March

There should be a short period of transmissions before permanent eclipses start in mid March After March it is unlikely that the satellite will support any sustained period of operation, and will only transmit for a short time, possibly less than a single orbit, every 21 days

Many thanks to Peter ZL3TC, Chris M0DQO, Tobias DG3LV, Edward BX1AD, Mark KU7Z, Gene WA4UKX, SWL Mark in CM87, Ron G4PGY, Julian WB9YIG and John KB2HSH for their reports

OSCAR-11 beacon frequency is on 145 826 MHz, AFSK FM ASCII Telemetry

See http://www users zetnet co uk/clivew/ for additional information

[ANS thanks Clive, G3CWV for the above information]

/EX

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-055 05 ARISS Status - 18 February 2008

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 055 05 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD February 24, 2008 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-055 05

ARISS Status Report for the Week of February 18, 2008

Upcoming School Contacts

Robespierre Elementary School in Rueil Malmaison, France had an ARISS contact on Thursday, February 21 at 14:21 UTC Two hundred fifty-six students in grades 1-5 are enrolled at the school ESA astronaut LÃƒÂ©opold Eyharts, FX0STD/KE5FNO, participated in this contact which will was conducted in French

An ARISS contact is planned for College Reydellet in Saint-Denis, Ile de La RÃƒÂ©union on Monday, February 25 at 14:44 UTC Approximately 550 students, ages 10-17, attend the school Students contacted Victor Afanassiev on MIR from Tsup, Moscow in September 1999 and the College welcomed Victor Poliakov and Pavel Vinogradov who threw the space model from MIR, and Jean-Lou Chretien , Jean-Pierre and Claudie Haignere ESA astronaut LÃƒÂ©opold Eyharts, FX0STD/KE5FNO, plans to participate in this contact which will be conducted in French

Shukor Debrief Scheduled

An ARISS crew debrief has been scheduled with Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor, 9W2MUS, on Tuesday, February 26 The first Malaysian space visitor, Shukor participated in 5 ARISS contacts with students in Malaysia while onboard the ISS

ARRL Covers Columbus News

The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) posted a W1AW bulletin and a Web story on the Columbus module with the ARISS antennas To view t he story, see: http://www arrl org/news/stories/2008/02/14/101/?nc=1

On Friday, February 15, The ARRL Letter also posted the article, "Astronauts Work on Columbus Lab on the ISS " See: http://www arrl org/arrlletter/08/0215/

Amateur Radio Newsline Articles on ARISS

Amateur Radio Newsline's Report 1592, posted on February 15, 2008 ran two ARISS related articles: "Ham Radio in Space: ISS Repeater Contacts Good for JAMSAT Award," and "Ham Radio in Space: New ARISS Antennas Now on the ISS " To view these articles, go to: www arnewsline org

[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, Dee Interdonato, NB2F nb2f at amsat dot org

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