AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-174

The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and infor- mation service of AMSAT North America, The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation ANS publishes news related to Amateur Radio in Space including 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

The news feed on http://www amsat org publishes news of Amateur Radio in Space as soon as our volunteers can post it

Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to: ans-editor at amsat org

In this edition:

• Candidates for the AMSAT Board of Directors Announced
• Help Celebrate AMSAT’s 50th Anniversary – Take W3ZM on the Road!
• Lightsail-2 Scheduled for Launch June 24 - Beacon on 437 025 MHz
• NASA Lightsail-2 PR and TV Coverage
• Listening to Lightsail-2 Co-passengers
• AMSAT President Joe Spier Speaks With SIP Interns
• Upcoming Satellite Operations
• ARISS News
• How to Support AMSAT
• Shorts From All Over

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-174 01 ANS-174 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 174 01 From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD June 23, 2019 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-174 01

Candidates for the AMSAT Board of Directors Announced

The 2019 candidates, in alphabetical order by last name are:

Jerry Buxton, N0JY Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA Jeff Johns, WE4B Brennan Price, N4QX Patrick Stoddard, WD9EWK Paul Stoetzer, N8HM Michelle Thompson, W5NYV

This year AMSAT membership will select four candidates to the Board of Directors The four candidates receiving the highest number of votes will be seated as voting members of the Board of Directors Two alternate directors will be selected based on the next highest number of votes received

Ballots will be mailed to the AMSAT membership by July 15, 2019

The election closes September 15, 2019

[ANS thanks Clayton L Coleman, W5PFG, AMSAT Secretary, for the above information]

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Help Celebrate AMSAT’s 50th Anniversary – Take W3ZM on the Road!

Leading up to the 2019 AMSAT 50th Anniversary Space Symposium and General Meeting, to be held in Arlington, VA, October 18 – 20, 2019, AMSAT’s call sign, W3ZM, will operate from all 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico Not only is this your chance to get Worked All States-Satellites under the W3ZM call sign, but, also, your chance to be a part of this historic effort

Note: When operating outside of the “3” call area, operators will append the W3ZM call sign with “/(call area) ” As an example, someone operating from Texas will use W3ZM/5; from Hawaii, W3ZM/KH6; from Alaska, W3ZM/KL7; and from Puerto Rico, W3ZM/WP4

To make this happen – We need your help! Please volunteer to get on the air and activate your State, using AMSAT’s W3ZM call sign, as well as to cover those States without an active AMSAT Member Activations of other United States Territories (i e Guam, American Samoa, the U S Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands) are also welcome

To volunteer and operate using AMSAT’s W3ZM call sign, you must:

Be a current member of AMSAT Obtain permission by emailing AMSAT VP of User Services, specifying the requested date(s) and location(s) Submit an ADIF log of contacts made for upload to LoTW by AMSAT, as instructed in your notice of approval to use the W3ZM call sign

[ANS thanks Robert Bankston, KE4AL, AMSAT VP of User Services for the above information]

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+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ 2019 marks AMSAT’s 50th Anniversary of Keeping Amateur Radio in Space To help celebrate, we are sponsoring the AMSAT 50th Anniversary Awards Program Full details are available at https://www amsat org/amsat-50th-anniversary-awards-program/ +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+

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Lightsail-2 Scheduled for Launch June 24 - Beacon on 437 025 MHz

LightSail is a citizen-funded project from The Planetary Society This cubesat will be propelled solely by sunlight, to Earth orbit LightSail 2 is scheduled to launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy on June 24, 2019, and we will attempt the first, controlled solar sail flight in Earth orbit

LightSail 2 will ride to space aboard the Department of Defense Space Test Program-2 (STP-2) mission which will send 24 spacecraft to 3 different orbits LightSail 2 itself will be enclosed within Prox-1, a Georgia Tech-designed spacecraft originally built to demon- strate close-encounter operations with other spacecraft Prox-1 will deploy LightSail 2 seven days after launch

After a few days of health and status checks, LightSail 2's four dual-sided solar panels will swing open Roughly a day later, four metallic booms will unfurl four triangular Mylar sails from storage The sails, which have a combined area of 32 square meters [344 square feet], will turn towards the sun for half of each orbit, giving the spacecraft a tiny push no stronger than the weight of a paperclip For about a month after sail deployment, this continual thrust should raise LightSail 2's orbit by a measurable amount

LightSail 2 will fly in a 24-degree inclination, 720 km, circular orbit At latitudes of 42 degrees north it will reach a maximum elevation of 10 degrees above the horizon

Lightsail-2 has been issued an experimental radio license WM9XPA and transmit on 437 025 MHz A morse beacon will transmit the callsign every 45 seconds A packet beacon will transmit AX 25, FSK 9K6 bps data

Beacon information is available at: http://tinyurl com/ANS-153-Lightsail-Morse-Beacon Documentation of the downlink telemetry data structure is posted at: http://tinyurl com/ANS-153-Lightsail-Telemetry

[ANS thanks the Planetary Society for the above information]

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NASA Lightsail-2 PR and TV Coverage

NASA Television coverage is scheduled for an upcoming prelaunch activity and first nighttime launch of a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket, which will be carrying four agency technology missions to help improve future spacecraft design and performance

The launch window for the Falcon Heavy opens at 11:30 p m EDT Monday, June 24, from historic Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida The launch, as well as a live technology show, will air NASA Television and the agency's website

SpaceX and the U S Department of Defense will launch two dozen sat- ellites to space, including four NASA payloads that are part of the Space Test Program-2, managed by the U S Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center The four payloads include two NASA technology demon- strations to improve how spacecraft propel and navigate, as well as two NASA science missions to help us better understand the nature of space and how it impacts technology on spacecraft and the ground

Full NASA TV coverage is as follows: (all times EDT)

Sunday, June 23 Noon - NASA prelaunch technology TV show from Kennedy Subject matter experts will explain each NASA mission and answer questions

Monday, June 24 9:30 p m - Live NASA TV coverage begins of the return to Earth of NASA astronaut Anne McClain and two other International Space Station residents, with landing scheduled at 10:48 p m (Public Channel) 11 p m - NASA TV launch commentary begins ahead of the targeted 11:30 p m launch NASA TV will simulcast the SpaceX STP-2 webcast starting about 15 minutes before liftoff (Media Channel)

Prelaunch and launch day coverage will include blog updates as milestones occur: http://blogs nasa gov/spacex Learn more about the NASA technologies aboard this launch: https://www nasa gov/spacex

[ANS thanks NASA for the above information]

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Listening to Lightsail-2 Beacon Co-passengers

Here are some of the "amateur radio in name only" beacont co- passengers on the LightSail launch Monday night Unless otherwise noted, most are downlink-only satellites

TBEX-A 437 485 MHz 9K6 AX 25 GMSK TBEX-B 437 535 MHz 9K6 AX 25 GMSK Oculus-A SR 437 200 MHz 9K6 AX 25 GMSK CP9 437 505 MHz 9K6/19K2/38K4 AX 25 FSK BRICSat-2 145 825 MHz 1K2/9K6 APRS digipeater 437 975 MHz Telemetry PSAT-2 145 825 MHz 1K2 APRS digipeater 28 120 up/435 350 PSK-31 Armadillo 435 525 MHz 38K4 GMSK + CW telem Prox-1 437 345 MHz up/2 3 GHz non-amateur downlink

Be aware that the two new APRS digipeaters, BRICSat-2 and PSAT-2 are being launched into a 28 degree inclination orbit which might limit their accessibility over many populated areas That said Bob Bruninga WB4APR supplies the following information:

PSAT2 on 145 825 MHz with: * APRS-to-Voice, * DTMF-to-Voice/APRS, * PSK31 HF up - UHF 435 350 down * SSTV camera down on same UHF audio

And, her sister USNAP1 (APRS digi) on 145 825 Initially, only telemetry once a minute, and PSK31 every 20 secs Launch window begins at 1130 PM EDT (4 hour window)

http://aprs org/psat2 html

[ANS thanks JoAnne K9JKM and Bob WB4APR for the above information]

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  Purchase AMSAT Gear on our Zazzle storefront

     25% of the purchase price of each product goes
       towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space
         https://www
zazzle
com/amsat_gear

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AMSAT President Joe Spier Speaks With SIP Interns

AMSAT president Joe Spier recently addressed the Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) Internship Project (SIP) at Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland

During the June 17 event students in the program were provided with two opportunities to learn about space communications from widely different perspectives The first session was led by Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT) president Joe Spier – the second by Dave Israel, the Exploration and Space Communications (ESC) projects division’s lead architect

With Spier, SCaN interns got the chance to learn about AMSAT, a volunteer organization that designs, builds, launches and commands amateur radio payloads on satellites SCaN intern and “ham” Caitlyn Singam was required to pass a rigorous FCC exam to be given her unique callsign, AC3AG, at the highest level of certification, ‘Amateur Extra-class’ Given her history with amateur radio the talk was particularly inspiring

“I actually ended up talking to Mr Spier afterwards about getting involved in AMSAT,” Singam said “It was really exciting ”

Singham enjoyed learning about Spier’s unconventional route to AMSAT, which she related to in her own academic career “I’ve had an interesting route myself, with biological sciences and a master’s in systems [engineering] in the fall,” she said

Spier’s route took him from a background in geology to becoming a leader in the small satellite community He had early dreams of becoming the first to climb Olympus Mons, the highest peak on Mars Today, he refers to the interns as the ‘Mars generation,’ hoping that an intern today might summit that peak in the near future

He shared his personal strategy on making big NASA dreams come true: “I always clarified it by saying, ‘If I can’t be that person, I want to help someone else be that person ’”

In the afternoon, SCaN interns met with ESC’s lead communications architect for an overview of division projects Israel’s work at NASA spans 30 years Interns heard about topics ranging from the development of Tracking and Data Relay Satellites (TDRS) in the late 1980s to the Space Mobile Network, a concept for an interplanetary internet that Israel envisions coming to fruition in the near future

Israel, like Spier, offered the SCaN interns in attendance some advice:

“Never keep any good ideas to yourself, and don’t worry about asking questions from a different perspective,” Israel said “A question from a different perspective gets people to think about it in a different sort of way ”

"Never keep any good ideas to yourself, and don't worry about asking questions from a different perspective "

Dave Israel, ESC Communications Architect

To Grace McFassel, a SCaN intern who attended the talk, Israel’s story was not only interesting, but inspiring “He [has] this specific skillset that he dearly loves, and he’s used that to carry himself through by finding niches where he can be useful,” McFassel said “It’s a good lesson to carry forward ”

To learn more about SIP or SCaN, visit NASA gov/SCaN To apply for internships, visit intern nasa gov

The full article can be viewed at: https://tinyurl com/ANS174-SIP

[ANS thanks Emily Cavanagh, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, via their Explorations & Space Communication Website for the above information]

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AMSAT, along with our ARISS partners, is developing an amateur radio package, including two-way communication capability, to be carried on-board Gateway in lunar orbit Support AMSAT's projects today at https://www amsat org/donate/

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Upcoming Satellite Operations as of June 21, 2019

Post Hot Rod Power Tour Rove (New York to Wyoming) – June 15-27, 2019 Following the Hot Rod Power Tour, RJ, WY7AA, will be heading to FN02 for a few days and plans to work FN01/11 gridline around June 17-18 Details to follow He will be heading as far east as FN32 and then eventually working his way back to DN71 Specifically looking for EN01/02 along the way Details will be posted to Twitter and his QRZ page as the trip plans unfold Follow RJ on APRS fi as WY7AA-9, as he will not have Twtter access along the road

Lost in the Hertz (DN06/07/16/17) – June 23, 2019 Kell (KI7UXT) and John (KC7JPC) will rove to DN06/07/16/17 grid corner (plan A) or DN06/07 grid line (plan B) and work FM satellites and if time/pass permits work a few linear satellites Expect a 18:00 UTC start time Check out Kell’s Twitter feed for specific passes: https://twitter com/KI7UXT

JosephOrBustRove (DN04, DN05, DN15) – June 28-30, 2019

Casey, KI7UNJ, will be wandering around Eastern Oregon and decided to do a little grid activating Look for Casey on FM passes in DN04 mid-Friday, June 28th, in DN15 Friday night to Saturday evening, and DN05 Sunday morning Specific passes to be posted on Casey’s Twitter feed https://twitter com/KI7UNJ

Hawaii (BK29, BL20) – June 27 to July 8, 2019 Mark, N8MH will be operating a bit as N8MH/KH6 June 27-July 3 from BK29 and July 5-8 from BL20, FM and linears Possibility of other grids once there Watch Mark’s Twitter feed for further announcements: https://twitter com/N8MH

mini-Route 66 Rove (DM94/95, EM05/15, EM14, EM23/24) June 28 – July 5, 2019 John, AB5SS, will be driving east from DM85 on a mini-Route 66 trip starting June 28, staying/passing through DM95/94, EM05/15, stopping in EM14 for July 2-4th, then head home thru EM24/23 on July 5th Operating holiday-style, as family allows, posting activations to Twitter: https://twitter com/TxRadioGeek

South Dakota (EN04, EN05) – July 2-3, 2019 Lucky for us, Mitch, AD0HJ, will be stopping at the EN04/05 gridline from July 2nd 22:37z to July 3rd 13:27z, on his way to Iowa Mitch will working the FM Satellites (SO-50, AO-91, AO-92) Check Mitch’s Twitter feed for further announcements: https://twitter com/AD0HJ

Iceland (HP95 IP15 IP25 IP03 HP03) – July 13-19, 2019 Adam, K0FFY, is taking his family (and his radios) to Iceland Tentative schedule is HP95 July 13, IP13 and IP15 July 14-15, IP25 July 16, IP03 or HP93 July 17-18, and HP94 July 19 There’s a lot to see, so passes will be best effort and announced on Twitter shortly prior https://twitter com/K0FFY_Radio

Please submit any additions or corrections to ke4al (at) amsat org

[ANS thanks Robert KE4AL for the above information]

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ARISS News

• 2019-06-13 11:10 UTC between Nick Hague KG5TMV using ISS callsign NA1SS and Peninsula Grammar, Melbourne, Australia Contact was telebridge via VK4KHZ ARISS Mentor was Tony VK5ZAI

• 2019-06-15 10:39 UTC between Cosmonaut Oleg Konenenko using ISS callsign RSØISS and GBPOU RM "Saransk Polytechnic College", Saransk, Russia Contact was direct via R4UAB ARISS Mentor was Sergey RV3DR

• 2019-06-15 18:11 UTC between Nick Hague KG5TMV using ISS callsign NA1SS and Smithsonian Air and Space – Udvar-Hazy, Chantilly, VA, USA Contact was telebridge via W6SRJ ARISS Mentor was Dave W8AAS

• 2019-06-19 08:49 UTC between David St-Jacques KG5FYI using ISS callsign OR4ISS and King Island District High School, Currie, TAS, Australia Contact was telebridge via IK1SLD ARISS Mentor was Shane VK4KHZ

• 2019-06-20 12:48 UTC between Nick Hague KG5TMV using ISS callsign NA1SS and Rowan Preparatory School, Claygate, United Kingdom Contact was direct via GB4RPS ARISS Mentor was Ciaran MØXTD

Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule

Traverse Area District Library, Traverse City, MI, direct via W8TCM The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled astronaut is Nick Hague KG5TMV Contact is go for: Fri 2019-06-28 14:02:16 UTC 25 deg Watch for live stream at: https://m youtube com/channel/UCVyQOrBooJxzLFNGiyz9i2w

[ANS thanks ARISS, Charlie AJ9N and David AA4KN for the above information]

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AMSAT and ARISS are currently supporting a FundRazr campaign
to raise $150,000 for critical radio infrastructure upgrades
on ISS
 The upgrades are necessary to enable students to
continue to talk to astronauts in space via Amateur Radio

 We have reached a great milestone with $26,200 raised
or about 17% towards our goal
 This would not have been
     possible without your outstanding generosity!!

      For more information and to DONATE TODAY visit:

 https://fundrazr
com/arissnextgen?ref=ab_e7Htwa_ab_47IcJ9

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How to Support AMSAT

AMSAT relies on the support of our members and the amateur radio community to Keep Amateur Radio in Space

How can you help?

• Join AMSAT Both you and AMSAT will benefit when you join You get the AMSAT Journal bimonthly and support from AMSAT Ambassadors Member dues and donations provide AMSAT’s primary support Join today at https://www amsat org/product-category/amsat-membership/

• Become a Life Member Becoming a Life Member has never been easier Now you can become a Life Member with 12 monthly payments of $74 through our online store See https://www amsat org/product/lifetime-membership/ for details

• Donate to AMSAT Make a one time or recurring donation to AMSAT today Even as little as one dollar a month can make a difference! Donate today at https://www amsat org/donate/

• Purchase AMSAT gear on our Zazzle storefront AMSAT receives 25% of the price of each sale on AMSAT logo merchandise from our Zazzle storefront located at https://www zazzle com/amsat_gear

• Support AMSAT when you make purchases from Amazon! So far, AMSAT has received $3,913 29 from AmazonSmile Search for "Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation" https://smile amazon com/ref=smi_ext_twt_dshb_smi

• Volunteer for AMSAT AMSAT relies on volunteers for nearly all of our activities If you have an idea for how to help, please let us know, Details on volunteering can be found at https://www amsat org/volunteer-for-amsat/

[ANS thanks the AMSAT office for the above information ]

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Shorts From All Over

• Richmond, BC Radio Club Field Day Article

  Here is a nice article announcing Richmond (British Columbia) ARC satellite presence for Field Day:

  https://tinyurl com/ANS174-RARC

  [ANS thanks Alan Campbell / Richmond News for the above information]

• JAISAT-1 to Launch July 5

  JAISAT-1, built by the Radio Amateur Society of Thailand and carrying a VHF/UHF linear transponder, is scheduled to launch on July 5, 2019 from Vostochny Cosmodrome on a Soyuz/Fregat launch vehicle

  [ANS thanks JM3LGF via Twitter for the above information]

• New Distance Record via AO-91

  News received via the South Africa Radio League's SARL Weekly News in English 2019-6-22 report that a news distance record was set via the AO-91 satellite On Friday 21 June at 12:07 UTC Andre, ZS2BK in grid KF26SB made a FM QSO with Richard, 9G5AR in grid IJ95VN and the distance is 5243 9 km Well done to Andre and Richard!

  [ANS thanks SARL News for the above information ]

• Congratulations AE4FH, WX4TVJ, KM4LAO & AI6V on receiving scholarships awarded by ARRL Foundation! https://tinyurl com/ANS174-Awards

  [ANS thanks ARRL for the above information ]

• The AMSAT Journal Editor-in-Chief Joe Kornowski KB6IGK would like to share your Filed Day Satellite setup pictures

  Please send your pictures in TIF, GIF or JPG format accompanied with a text description Please do not embed graphics or photos in your manuscript Please snd submissions to journal at amsat org

  Selected photos will apear in a futire edition of The AMSAT Journal

  The AMSAT Journal reserves the right to selct materials based on suitability of content and space considerations

  [ANS thanks Joe KB6IGK for the above information ]

• The May/June edition of The AMSAT Journal has been mailed and members should be receiving them

  In this issue:

  Apogee View by Joe Spier K6WAO

  AMSAT CubeSat Simulator Part 3: Failure Simulations and Troubleshooting by Alan B Johnston KU2Y and Pat Kilroy N8PK

  Tom Clark, K3IO, and the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT), By Bob McGwier

  RF Generator Techniques for Space Applications by Jurgen Vanhamel ON5ADL

  DM31 Activation, Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument by Patrick Stoddard WD9EWK/VA7EWK

  Hamvention 2019 in pictures

  To receive a copy of The AMSAT Journal join AMSAT today: https://www amsat org/join-amsat/

  [AMSAT thanks The AMSAT Journal editorial staff for the above information

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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

73, This week's ANS Editor, EMike McCardel, AA8EM aa8em at amsat dot org

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