[ans] ANS-127 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

From: "[RADIOCOMM LIST]" <list.admin@aus-city.com>

Date: May 6th 2012

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-127

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 at amsat org

Volunteers are needed to help at the AMSAT booth at Dayton Gould *
WA4SXM, is looking for volunteers to help man the AMSAT booth dur- *
ing the 2012 Hamvention People are needed all 3 days for 2 hour *
shifts Please send the days and times you are available to help *
as well as how many shifts you are willing to work via e-mail to *
wa4sxm at amsat org *
Monitor http://www amsat org/amsat-new/hamvention/2012/Dayton php *
for the latest AMSAT at Dayton news and developments *

In this edition: * 2012 AMSAT Forum at Dayton - Saturday May 19 * Fox-1 Satellite Project Team Completes Preliminary Design Review * AMSAT Awards * Satellite Operations Planned for Worldwide Museum Ships Weekend * Changes to the IARU Satellite Advisor Region 1 * New Frequencies for AMSAT-UK FUNcube-1 * Delfi-C3 (DO-64) Celebrates 4 Years On-Orbit * Ecuador NEE-01 Pegasus Cubesat Plans Classroom Access to Satellite * Satellite Shorts From All Over

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-127 01 ANS-127 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 127 01 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD May 6, 2012 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-127 01

2012 AMSAT Forum at Dayton - Saturday May 19

The AMSAT Forum at the 2012 Dayton Hamvention will be on Saturday morning May 19 from 11:15 to 13:30 in Forum Room 5 The moderator will be Alan Biddle, WA4SCA

The speakers will be:

Barry Baines, WD4ASW; AMSAT Status Report

Barry, AMSAT President, will highlight recent activities within AMSAT, and discuss some of the challenges and accomplishments of the organization

Mark Hammond, N8MH; AMSAT Educational Relationships

Mark, AMSAT VP of Educational Relationships, will discuss his education activities

Gould Smith, WA4SXM; ARISSat-1 Operation in Space

Gould, AMSAT Project Manager for ARISSat-1, will talk about its operation aboard the ISS, the deployment and operations this past fall and winter

Tony Monteiro, AA2TX; Project Fox - AMSAT's First CubeSat

Tony, AMSAT Engineering VP, will discuss the design and status of Project-FOX

Howard Long, G6LVB; "FUN in Space for All!"

Howard, AMSAT-UK Committee, will discuss the FUNcube project which will enable amateurs and students to have FUN in space For amateurs, the spacecraft will carry conventional UHF to VHF linear transponders For students of all ages, the same space- craft will provide strong telemetry transmissions which they can easily receive at schools in support of science, technology, engineering, and math subjects (STEM)

[ANS thanks Gould Smith, WA4SXM and Alan Biddle, WA4SCA for the above information]

Fox-1 Satellite Project Team Completes Preliminary Design Review

The Fox Project completed its Preliminary Design Review (PDR) over three nights, 24-26 April 2012 Mechanical, RF, control, power, and related issues were reviewed The current status was evaluated, and the needed development for various systems was refined AMSAT Engin- eering Vice President Tony Monteiro, AA2TX, characterized the review as very productive

Help Wanted Fox-1 Satellite

AMSAT is in need of an experienced RF designer for our Fox-1 satel- lite Due to ITAR restrictions, you must be a US citizen or permanent resident If interested please send an email with your phone number to Tony Monteiro - AA2TX@amsat org

Fox-1 Targets Launch in 2013

Project ELaNa, NASA's "Educational Launch of NanoSat" managed by the Launch Services Program at the Kennedy Space Center, announced on February 10 that the AMSAT Fox-1 cubesat has been selected to join the program AMSAT is working with NASA in a collaborative agreement where NASA will cover the integration and launch costs Fox-1 was selected to join the NASA ELaNa program on merit in support of NASA strategic and educational goals

AMSAT's Fox-1 project timeline is based on targeting a launch in the second half of 2013 NASA will determine on which flight each of the Project ELaNa CubeSats are launched

Highlights of the Fox-1 design include:

Fox-1 is designed as the immediate replacement for AO-51 Its U/V FM transponder with a VHF downlink will be easier to hear with small antennas
The same radio equipment used for AO-51 (HT + handheld beam) can be used for Fox-1
Fox-1 sends telemetry in a sub-audible band on the downlink allow- ing simultaneous voice contacts with telemetry decode AMSAT will provide free sound-card PC software
Includes science experiment using MEMS gyros being developed by Penn State students

Find more details of AMSAT Fox-1 Project on-line at: http://www amsat org/amsat-new/fox/

Donate to the Fox-1 Project Fund on-line at http://www amsat org; scroll down halfway to the PayPal donation widget - or at the AMSAT Store http://www amsat-na com/store/categories php

NASA's Cubesat Launch Initiative web page can be found at: http://www nasa gov/directorates/heo/home/CubeSats_initiative html

[ANS thanks AMSAT Engineering Vice-President Tony Monteiro, AA2TX and Alan Biddle, WA4SCA for the above information]

AMSAT Awards

AMSAT Director Contests and Awards, Bruce Paige, KK5DO says congrat- ulations are in order for our latest AMSAT Awards recipients

The following have entered into the Satellite Communicators Club for making their first satellite QSO + Brent Ocken, KJ6MRG + Elizabeth Royer, KB3WSW

The following have earned the AMSAT Communications Achievement Award Hector Luis Martinez Sis, CO6CBF, #547 + Marcelo Teruel, IK0USO #549

The following have earned the South Africa Satellite Communications Achievement Award + Hector Luis Martinez Sis, CO6CBF, #US178

The following have earned their Robert W Barbee, Jr W4AMI Award + Tom Deeble, KA6SIP #77 + Clayton Coleman, W5PFG #78

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

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

Satellite Operations Planned for Worldwide Museum Ships Weekend

Museum Ships Weekend Coming Up June 2-3, 2012 by Allen F Mattis, N5AFV, n5afv@amsat org

The worldwide Museum Ships Weekend Event (MSWE) will be held for two days, June 2-3, 2012 Last year 83 ships in 13 countries around the world participated in the event Amateur radio operators make special event contacts from these museum ships on all amateur radio bands with most of the contacts taking place on the HF bands In the past several years only two or three museum ships in North America have made satellite contacts during the event

This year a number of Houston area AMSAT members, W5ACM, N5AFV and WC5WM, will participate with the Brazos Valley Amateur Radio Club (BVARC) operating club station KK5W from Seawolf Park on Pelican Island in Galveston, Texas Seawolf Park is home to two Second World War vintage museum ships - the destroyer escort USS Stewart (DE-238) and the submarine USS Cavalla (SS-244) As a result, a contact with KK5W counts for two ships Amateur radio operators who make contacts with 15 or more ships qualify for a handsome certificate

The BVARC KK5W station plans to operate the afternoon passes of AO-27 and FO-29 on Saturday June 2nd and hope other AMSAT members will be operating from other ships This will be their fifth year participat- ing in the MSWE and hope to make their first MSWE satellite contact with another museum ship this year

If any AMSAT members are interested in this event they may visit the MSWE website: http://www nj2bb org/museum/index html to find out if any museum ships near them are participating

[ANS thanks Allen Mattis, N5AFV for the above information]

Changes to the IARU Satellite Advisor Region 1

The International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) Satellite Advisor's Advisory Panel assists builders and prospective builders of satel- lites that will operate on frequencies allocated by the ITU to the Amateur Service This panel provides frequency coordination, a com- prehensive set of standards guidelines, and international forums

The IARU Satellite Adviser is Hans van de Groenendaal, ZS6AKV This week AMSAT-DL President Peter Gülzow, DB2OS recommended to the IARU Satellite Adviser that Mike Rupprecht takes over membership of the advisory panel from Norbert Nothoff Hans agreed to appoint Mike, DK3WN as a panel member He thanked Norbert, DF5DP for his support as a member of the Advisory panel for many years and is looking for- ward to working with Mike

Mike Rupprecht, DK3WN will help with the IARU Satellite Frequency Coordination process in Region 1 and in particular in Germany Mike is very active and well known on the satellite bands and Internet boards, and he has particularly profound knowledge of all cubesat operations He is also very well known in the community of cubesat operators, including excellent communication connections with those groups

Mike Rupprecht, DK3WN will support Norbert Nothoff, DF5DP and take over the coordination process of satellite projects from him, which includes correspondence with the coordination group and the satel- lite operators

Norbert Nothoff, DF5DP will continue to stay in charge of anything which is related to government issues (government and office liaison, laws, bylaws, and regulations of satellite operations) in Germany

The following serve on the IARU Satellite Advisor's Advisory Panel:

IARU Satellite Advisor
Hans van de Groenendaal, ZS6AKV

Region 1
Graham Shirville, G3VZV Mike Rupprecht, DK3WN

Region 2
Lee McLamb, KU4OS Art Feller, W4ART

Region 3
Shizuo Endo, JE1MUI

Special Advisors
Ray Soifer, W2RS Jan King, VK4GEY/W3GEY

The IARU Satellite page can be found at: http://www iaru org/satellite/

The status of all satellites requesting coordination and those which have already received coordination can be found at: http://www amsat org uk/iaru/

[ANS thanks AMSAT-DL President Peter Gülzow, DB2OS for the above information]

New Frequencies for AMSAT-UK FUNcube-1

This DNEPR-1 launch in October 2012 could carry around 10 amateur radio satellites including FUNcube-1 into space As a result the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) satellite advisory panel have had to carefully coordinate the planned operating frequencies in order to minimize the risk of interference between FUNcube-1 and other payloads on the same launch

The IARU Amateur Satellite Frequency Coordination Panel have now confirmed the following frequencies for FUNcube-1 (these frequen- cies replace those previously announced)

FUNcube-1 New Frequencies

Inverting linear transponder Uplink 435 150 435 130 MHz (replacing 435 080 - 435 060 MHz) Downlink 145 950 145 970 MHz (replacing 145 960 - 145 980 MHz)

Telemetry: 145 935 MHz BPSK (replacing 145 955 MHz)

UKube-1

Uplink 435 060 - 435 040 MHz Downlink 145 940 - 145 960 MHz

Telemetry 145 840 MHz FUNcube sub system beacon 145 925 MHz S Band downlink 2401 500 MHz myPocketQub 437 425 - 437 525 MHz

Delfi-n3Xt

Inverting linear transponder: Uplink 435 530 - 435 570 MHz Downlink 145 880 - 145 920 MHz

Telemetry 145 870 MHz and 145 930 MHz High Speed 2405 00 MHz

Also on this launch two additional satellites Triton-1 and Triton-2 will include two similar secondary amateur radio payloads, being two single channel mode U/V (435-145MHz) FM to DSB transponders After their three month science mission is complete plans are to have the satellite continue in the Amateur Satellite Service for as long as possible

Triton-1

Main Downlink 145 815 MHz (FM to DSB transponders similar to AO-16) Backup Downlink 145 860 MHz The UHF uplink frequencies will be announced by the project team once the satellite becomes available for amateur operations

Triton-2

Main Downlink 145 860 MHz FM to DSB transponder Backup Downlink 145 815 MHz S-band downlink 2408 00 MHz FM to FM transponder The UHF uplink frequencies will be announced by the project team once the satellite becomes available for amateur operations

The IARU Satellite Coordination data for all of the satellites can be found at: http://www amsat org uk/iaru/

Gunter's Space Page (September 2012) lists the proposed manifest for the DNEPR-1 launch: http://space skyrocket de/doc_chr/lau2012 htm

[ANS thanks AMSAT-UK and the IARU Satellite Advisory Panel for the above information]

Delfi-C3 (DO-64) Celebrates 4 Years On-Orbit

The Technical University of Delft in the Netherlands celebrated the fourth anniversary on-orbit of their student-developed, and -built Delfi-C3 3U Cubesat Launched on April 28, 2008 aboard PSLV-C9 it was also designated DO-64 by AMSAT

Delfi-C3 the first nano-satellite project from the Delfi program of TU Delft The program gives students the opportunity to gain practi- cal experience, but the university would also develop with new tech- nology A small satellite is a relatively inexpensive test platform for new technology of Dutch aerospace companies including thin-film solar cells of Dutch Space solar and autonomous wireless sensors

This satellite also invited amateur radio participation to receive its telemetry downlink using ordinary equipment used by amateur sat- ellite operators The Delfi-C3 team provides the RASCAL software to decode and forward the data to TU Delft The software can be down- loaded at: http://tinyurl com/DelfiC3-RASCAL (www delfispace nl) The satellite continues to transmit telemetry for stations who wish to experiment using the BPSK decoder:

Primary telemetry downlink: 145 870 MHz 1200 Baud BPSK AX 25 400mW
Backup telemetry downlink: 145 930 MHz 1200 Baud BPSK AX 25 400mW
The 435 MHz up/145 MHz down linear transponder is out of service

Delfi-C3 pioneer Jeroen Rotteveel said "It is great to see that our satellite is still performing, especially when you consider that it is an experimental satellite built by students From this one small satellite project a complete nanosatellite program has been set up A spin-off company, ISIS, focusing on providing components for small satellites was created "

Future satellite development at TU Delft includes:

Delfi-n3Xt

Delfi-n3Xt will fly an active attitude control system controlling the satellite's orientation of Delfi-n3Xt with a system of sensors so that the solar panels maintain optimum sun pointing It will test a new type of engine for small satellites

Delfi-n3Xt, equipped with a linear transponder will be launched in September, 2012 aboard a Russian Dnepr rocket along with dozens of other small satellites which include UKube 1, FUNcube 1, which all will carry an amateur radio linear transponder Triton 1, and Tri- ton 2 satellites on this launch will feature FM-to-DSB and FM-to-FM transponders

QB50

After Delfi-n3Xt, TU Delft will work on two nano satellites to fly as part of the 50 Cubesat constellation in the QB50 project QB50 is a European collaborative mission with fifty scattered satellites in orbit around the Earth performing measurements on the upper layer of the atmosphere

OLFAR

This project will develop a radio-telescope based on a swarm of nano satellites in orbit around the moon measuring signals from deep space OLFAR (Orbiting Low Frequency Antenna for Radioastronomy) is an import- ant milestone from which Delfi-C3 was the first step

Find more information about the TU Delft satellites at: http://www delfispace nl http://www isispace nl

[ANS thanks TU Delft, the Delfi-C3 Team, and AMSAT-UK for the above information]

Ecuador NEE-01 Pegasus Cubesat Plans Classroom Access to Satellite

Ecuador's first satellite NEE-01 Pegasus is slated to launch in Octo- ber 2012 on the same DNEPR rocket as the AMSAT-UK FUNcube-1, UKube-1, Delfi-n3Xt, Triton-1, and Triton-2, along with several additional cubesats

One of the satellite's objectives is to serve as a space platform for elementary education The satellite will send two signals that will be received and decoded by the EXAs HERMES-A ground station in Guayaquil and then uploaded live to the Internet using Twitter and Facebook

The first signal will contain text book questions and the second will contain an image related to the question If the students are able to answer the question correctly they will be granted access to the video camera onboard the spacecraft and will be able to see earth from space as the astronauts see it in their space missions

More advanced students will have access to the pure radio signal so they can try decoding it by themselves The EXA will provide them with the appropriate support software free of charge

There is an onboard camera to send live video from space from a 3 watt TV transmitter in the 902 MHz band along with a beacon that will send an ID and Ecuadors national anthem

The cubesat will help monitoring near-earth objects from orbit using its onboard 720p HD video camera and will also help in the catalog and control of orbital debris (space junk), this new mission will turn the NEE-01 in to the first online, real time orbital video sen- try for the planet, as the satellite has the capability to stream its video signal directly to the Internet

Additional NEE-01 Pegasus Cubesat mission goals include:

Technological demonstration/Education
Test of real time video transmission
Test of Thermal/Radiation shield
Test of multiphase solar array
Test of passive antenna deployment
Test of carbon nanotubes thermal control system

AMSAT-UK posted news and photos of NEE-01 Pegasus at: http://www uk amsat org/6932

[ANS thanks AMSAT-UK for the above information]

Satellite Shorts From All Over

It is time to submit nominations for the upcoming open seats on the AMSAT-NA Board of Directors Three directors and two alternate directors have terms expiring this year The director seats open for election are held by Tom Clark, K3IO; Lou McFadin, W5DID; and Gould Smith, WA4SXM The alternate director seats open for election are held by Mark Hammond, N8MH and Patrick Stoddard, WD9EWK The AMSAT front page news at http://www amsat org has the instructions to submit your nominations
The 2012 AMSAT Annual Meeting and Symposium will be held at the Holiday Inn, Orlando (Florida) Airport on October 26-28, 2012 The First Call for Papers has been issued The Symposium Team requests a tentative title of your presentation as soon as poss- ible, with final copy to be submitted by October 1 for inclusion in the printed proceedings Abstracts and papers should be sent to Dan Schultz, N8FGV, at n8fgv@amsat org Watch for the latest 2012 Symposium information to be posted on the AMSAT web at: http://www amsat org/amsat-new/symposium/2012/index php
The CQ Magazine News Room (http://www cqnewsroom blogspot com/) has posted stories covering amateur satellite developments: o Japan Plans 5 Amateur Satellite Launches o Multi-Cubesat Launcher Built by Naval Postgraduate School o ANS Co-Editor Dee Interdonato, NB2F, Silent Key o Hams on 23 Centimeters Must Protect New FAA Radars
The ARISS contact with Flight Engineer Don Pettit and students at Flabob Airport in Jurupa Valley CA US that occurred on April 19 was featured on this week's episode of the Bob Heil & Gordon West "Ham Nation" video podcast The ARISS project is the top story at about the 4-minute mark: http://twit tv/show/ham-nation/46 Video filmed during the contact has also been posted on the Flabob site: http://www iss-flabob com (via Clint K6LCS)
OMG Space (http://visual ly/omg-space?view=true) was made by Margot Trudell as graphic design thesis project at Torontos OCAD University The page displays the Sun, all the planets and all the distances separting them to scale The quickest way to navigate our solar system is to click on the planet names on the bottom of the screen You can also scroll up and down manually if only to see how long it takes you to not get anywhere - this is to scale, the distances are vast (UniverseToday com)
The next Hudson Valley Satcom net date is Thursday, May 10 at 8:00 PM EDT (UTC -4) on the 146 970 MHz repeater, and also on the N2EYH-L Echolink node More info: http://www hvsatcom org/ (via Stu, WA2BSS)
Vince Waelti, K9TSU, Net Manager of the Satchat net on the AMSAT EchoLink server invites all radio amateurs to check-in when the net meets on the 1st and 3rd Saturday of the month 1900-2030 CDT (UTC-5) Vince says the new format of the net will be a roundtable format
Congratulations to Al, W5LUA for working into state number 34 on 2304 MHz via a good tropo opening Al worked North Carolina on April 28 That's really an amazing accomplishment (via NP4Z on the moon-net list)
Check out Markarian's Chain There are well over 100 galaxies in this image: http://tinyurl com/Markarian-Chain (UniverseToday com)

[ANS thanks everyone 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 addi- tional benefits Application forms are available from the AMSAT Office

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 stu- dent rate for a maximum of 6 post-secondary years in this status Contact Martha at the AMSAT Office for additional student membership information And with that please keep in mind the implicit curve equation produces the heart shape: (x^2 + y^2 - 1)^3 - x^2 * y^3 = 0 The web computation engine at: http://tinyurl com/Equation-Engine (wolframalpha com) will plot it for you You may need to click the 'compute' orange button to the right of the equation

73, This week's ANS Editor, JoAnne Maenpaa, K9JKM K9JKM at amsat dot org

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

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