AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-250
The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and infor- mation service of AMSAT, 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 commun- icating 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@amsat org
You can sign up for free e-mail delivery of the AMSAT News Service Bulletins via the ANS List; to join this list see: http://www amsat org/mailman/listinfo/ans
In this edition:
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-250 01 ANS-250 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 250 01 From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD DATE 2020 Sept 06 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-250 01
First Element of ARISSNext Generation (Next-Gen) Radio System Installed in ISS ColumbusModule
September2, 2020—The ARISS team is pleased to announce that installa- tion and set up of the first element of the InterOperable Radio System (IORS) has been completed and amateur radio operations with it are now underway This first element, was installed in the International Space Station Columbus module The IORS replaces the Ericsson radio system and packet module that were originally certified for spaceflight on July 26, 2000
Initial operation of the new radio system is in FM cross bandrepeater mode using an uplink frequency of 145 99 MHz with an access tone of 67Hz and a downlink frequency of 437 800 MHz System activation was first observed at 01:02 UTC on September 2 Special operations will continue to be announced
The IORS was launched from Kennedy Space Center on March 6, 2020 on board the SpaceX CRS-20 resupply mission It consists of a special, space-modified JVC Kenwood D710GA transceiver, an ARISS developed multi-voltage power supply and interconnecting cables The design, development, fabrication, testing, and launch of the first IORS was an incredible five-year engineering achievement accomplished by the ARISS hardware volunteer team It will enable new and exciting capabilities for ham radio operators, students, and the general public Capabilities include a higher power radio, voice repeater, digital packet radio (APRS) capabilities and a Kenwood VC-H1 slow scan television (SSTV) system
A second IORS undergoes flight certification and will be launched later for installation in the Russian Service module This second system en- ables dual, simultaneous operations, (e g voice repeater and APRS packet), providing diverse opportunities for radio amateurs It also provides on-orbit redundancy to ensure continuous operations in the event of an IORS component failure
Next-gen development efforts continue For the IORS, parts are being procured and a total of ten systems are being fabricated to support flight, additional flight spares, ground testing and astronaut train- ing Follow-on next generation radio system elements include an L-band repeater uplink capability, currently in development, and a flight Raspberry-Pi, dubbed “ARISS-Pi, ”that is just beginning the design phase The ARISS-Pi promises operations autonomy and enhanced SSTV operations
ARISS is run almost entirely by volunteers, and with the help of gener- ous contributions from ARISS sponsors and individuals Donations to the ARISS program for next generation hardware developments, operations, education, and administration are welcome -- please go to https://www ariss org/donate html to contribute to these efforts
(ANS thanks Dave Jordan, AA4KN of ARISS PR for the above information)
ARLB021 FCC Application Fee Proposal Proceeding is Open for Comments
Comments are being accepted on the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in MD Docket 20-270, which proposes application fees for radio amateurs Formal deadlines for comments and reply comments will be determined once the NPRM appears in the Federal Register Comments may be filed now by using the FCC's Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS), located at https://www fcc gov/ecfs/filings, and posting to MD Docket N o 20-270 The docket is already open for accepting comments, even though deadlines have not yet been set
The NPRM can be found online in PDF format at: https://docs fcc gov/public/attachments/FCC-20-116A1 pdf
A review current of information on this proposal follows: Amateur radio licensees would pay a $50 fee for each amateur radio li- cense application if the FCC adopts rules it proposed this week In- cluded in the FCC’s fee proposal are applications for new licenses, re- newal and upgrades to existing licenses, and vanity call sign requests Excluded are applications for administrative updates, such as changes of address, and annual regulatory fees
The FCC proposal is contained in a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in MD Docket 20-270, which was adopted to implement portions of the “Repack Airwaves Yielding Better Access for Users of Modern Services Act” of 2018 — the so-called “Ray Baum’s Act "
The Act requires that the FCC switch from a Congressionally-mandated fee structure to a cost-based system of assessment In its NPRM, the FCC proposed application fees for a broad range of services that use the FCC’s Universal Licensing System (ULS), including the Amateur Radio Service that had been excluded by an earlier statute The 2018 statute excludes the Amateur Service from annual regulatory fees, but not from application fees
“Applications for personal licenses are mostly automated and do not have individualized staff costs for data input or review,” the FCC said in its NPRM “For these automated processes — new/major modifications, renewal, and minor modifications — we propose a nominal application fee of $50 due to automating the processes, routine ULS maintenance, and limited instances where staff input is required ”
The same $50 fee would apply to all Amateur Service applications, in- cluding those for vanity call signs “Although there is currently no fee for vanity call signs in the Amateur Radio Service, we find that such applications impose similar costs in aggregate on Commission re- sources as new applications and therefore propose a $50 fee,” the FCC said
The FCC is not proposing to charge for administrative updates, such as mailing address changes for amateur applications, and amateur radio will remain exempt from annual regulatory fees “For administrative up- dates [and] modifications, which also are highly automated, we find that it is in the public interest to encourage licensees to update their [own] information without a charge,” the FCC said
The FCC also proposes to assess a $50 fee for individuals who want a printed copy of their license “The Commission has proposed to elimi- nate these services — but to the extent the Commission does not do so, we propose a fee of $50 to cover the costs of these services,” the FCC said
The Ray Baum’s Act does not exempt filing fees in the Amateur Radio Service The FCC dropped assessment of fees for vanity call signs sev- eral years ago
Deadlines for comments and reply comments will be determined once the NPRM appears in the Federal Register Interested parties may file com- ments by using the FCC’s Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS), post- ing to MD Docket No 20-270 This docket is already open to accept com- ments, even thoughdeadlines have not yet been set
[ANS thanks ARRL News for the above information]
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the AMSAT office
is closed until further notice
For details, please visit
https://www amsat org/amsat-office-closed-until-further-notice/
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
Vega rocket (VV16) was sucessfully launched September 3, 2020 The rocket left Kourou on 3 September, 2020 at 01h51 UTC with 53 satellites on board
One of the satellites launched is the Amicalsat satellite built by the CSUG (Centre Spatial Universitaire Grenoblois) Measure- ments made by the satellite will be available to all and will assist radio amateurs in making propagation predictions
The project's website (in English) has just been put online: https://bit ly/2YWfs5B
AMSAT-F supported this project Additional information may be found at: https://bit ly/3lHxiCY
Linux & Windows Software is provided for decoding the Amicalsat tele- metry and for sending it to the SatNogs database An English version of the user manual is available at: https://bit ly/2QILo8S
Beacon Frequency Modes Callsign UHF 436 1 MHz AFSK 1200 RS17S S band 2,415 3 MHz GFSK 1000 kb/s https://bit ly/31LGgaq
Reports are welcome Thank you for your help
The first 5 people who receive a frame from AmicalSat will receive a gift To submit your frame uses the satnogs SIDS or email satellite@adri38 fr
2 other satellites are on this mission:
Satellites beacon frequency Modes Identifier UPMSat-2 UHF 437 405 MHz AFSK 1200 UPMST2 TTU100 Primary UHF 435 450 MHz 1k2, 9k6, CW TTU100 TTU100 Secondary SHF 10465 000 MHz OPSK 62 5 Kbs and 20 Mbs
Links: UPMSat-2: https://bit ly/2EL4VTO TTU100: https://bit ly/2QXRmmN
Projected TLE (Updated 03 September, 2020 after launch announcement): 1 74002U 14900A 20247 14839410 00000000 00000-0 50000-4 0 04 2 74002 97 4424 320 0103 0002779 53 5911 328 5572 15 10021350 03
[ANS thanks Christophe Mercier, Amsat-F chairman for the above informa- tion]
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
Need new satellite antennas? Purchase Arrows, Alaskan Arrows,
and M2 LEO-Packs from the AMSAT Store
When you purchase through
AMSAT, a portion of the proceeds goes towards
Keeping Amateur Radio in Space
https://amsat
org/product-category/hardware/
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
TEVEL Mission Nears Projected Launch DATE
TEVEL, a mission with eight identical CubeSats, has been coordinated and approved by the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU), and is scheduled for launch from India sometime this fall The project, lead by the Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya, a private research college in Herzliya, Israel, consists of high-school students’ educational sat- ellite experiments that involve telemetry beacons for educational re- search activities But also on board are FM amateur radio transponders Telemetry will 9k6 BPSK AX25 telemetry downlinks But each satellite can be commanded to operate as U/V FM transponders Planning a launch into a 580 km 98 degree orbit in September 2020 The eight spacecraft in the TEVEL mission, identified as T1OFK, T2YRC, T3TYB, T4ATA, T5SNG, T6NZR, T7ADM, T8GBS will all downlink for beacon, telemetry and trans- ponder on 436 400 MHz and the transponder input on 145 970 MHz
[ANS thanks IARU for the above information]
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
Want to fly the colors on your own grid expedition?
Get your AMSAT car flag and other neat stuff
from our Zazzle store!
25% of the purchase price of each product goes
towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space
https://www
zazzle
com/amsat_gear
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
Changes to the AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for September 3, 2020
The names of the following satellites have been changed as follows:
S-Net G (Cat ID 43186) is now S-Net D S-Net H (Cat ID 43186) is now S-Net B S-Net J (Cat ID 43186) is now S-Net A S-Net K (Cat ID 43186) is now S-Net C Thanks to Sebastian Lange (DL7BST) for the above update
Arianespace launched 53 new satellites on Thursday, September 3, 2020 at 01:51 UTC on a Vega POC (Proof of Concept) mission to test their new SSMS (Small Spacecraft Mission Service) satellite dispenser At least two new satellites, TTU-100 and UPMSAT 2, carry amateur radio transmitters have been placed in orbit So far only UPMSAT 2 has been identified as Cat ID 46277 More later
The following satellite has been and added to this week's AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution:
UPMSat 2 - Cat ID 46277 Thanks to Nico Janssen, PA0DLO, for determining which object is UPMSat 2
[ANS thanks Ray Hoad, WA5QGD, AMSAT Orbital Elements Manager, for the above information]
VUCC Awards-Endorsements for September 2020
Here are the endorsements and new VUCC Satellite Awards issued by the ARRL for the period August 1, 2020 through September 1, 2020 Congratulations to all those who made the list this month!
CALL August September
K8YSE 1926 1935 This was missed last month WA5KBH 759 766 W5RKN 708 721 AA8CH 641 702 N6UK 675 687 N0JE 652 655 NS3L 575 600 KI7UNJ 527 551 AD0HJ 450 478 AF5CC 425 461 KE8FZT 428 450 N9FN 403 450 PS8ET 434 450 W7JSD 355 375 WA9JBQ 326 355 KC9UQR 326 351 KC9VGG 310 336 N3CRT 200 303 K0JM New 300 KS1G 233 285 WW8W 228 260 K5CIS 150 250 KX9X 100 219 WB7QXU 140 204 KF6JOQ 101 201 WD9EWK 164 176 (from DM41) KX9X New 175 (from EN50) LW2DAF 130 166 W8LR 100 149 KB9STR 104 138 K1PAD New 130 DF2ET New 129 WA8ZID New 126 PP2RON New 106 KI4ASK New 105 KO4AQF New 104 K5TA New 101 LU3FCA 100 101 NA1ME New 100
If you find errors or omissions, please contact Ron Parsons W5RKN
at
[ANS thanks Ron Parsons, W5RKN for the above information]
ARISS NEWS
Amateurs and others around the world may listen in on contacts between amateurs operating in schools and allowing students to interact with astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station The downlink frequency on which to listen is 145 800 MHz worldwide
Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2020-09-01 01:30 UTC Quick list of scheduled contacts and events: The KMO Kolska Wyspa, Koło, Poland, telebridge via VK6MJ The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled astronaut is Chris Cassidy KF5KDR Contact is go for: Wed 2020-09-02 12:58:11 UTC 75 deg There has been no report about the success of this contact
College Raymond Sirot, Gueux, France, telebridge via VK5ZAI The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled astronaut is Chris Cassidy KF5KDR Contact is go for: Thu 2020-09-10 08:17:01 UTC 57 deg
There is a new radio on board the ISS The Kenwood D710GA is now in use The crossband repeater is now avail- able when the radio is not being used for ARISS school contacts The frequencies are 145 99 MHz up (67 tone) and 437 800 MHz down Watch the Doppler on the downlink
ARISS is very aware of the impact that COVID-19 is having on schools and the public in general As such, we may have last minute cancella- tions or postponements of school contacts As always, I will try to provide everyone with near-real-time updates
The following schools have now been postponed or cancelled due to COVID-19:
Postponed: Green Bank Elementary Middle School, Green Bank, WV
Cancelled: No new schools
[ANS thanks Charlie Sufana, AJ9N, one of the ARISS operation team men- tors for the above information]
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
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/
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
Upcoming Satellite Operations
DM07, DM08: N6REK will be on vacation next week in the Eastern Sierra and plans to work AO-91, AO-92 and PO-101 from the DM07/08 gridline on a holiday schedule from Wednesday, Sept 2 to Saturday, Sept 5 Watch the AMSAT BB for details
@WA9JBQ has been working through Idaho hitting DN24,DN25,DN26 DN34, DN16, DN15, and DN14 He started August 15th, then moved into Montana for DN35,DN36, DN37, DN38 DN49 DN47 He will be out a total of 5-6 weeks working mostly FM but also some linear birds Details will be posted on twitter com
@AD7DB is heading out to hit a few grids: #Roving announcement! He hopes to activate on Fri 9/11/20 and Sun 9/13 include DM06, DM07, DM08, DM16, DM17 and DM18 He will operate all day Saturday 9/12 from DM19 He is taking just FM gear More info as date gets closer at: https://twitter com/ad7db/status/1300217001726500865
[ANS thanks Paul Overnfor, KE0PBR, AMSAT rover page manager, for the above information]
Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events
Clint Bradford K6LCS has booked his “Work the FM Voice Satellites With Minimal Equipment” presentation for the following clubs: 09/02/2020 – Garden State ARA, New Jersey 09/14/2020 – North Agusta Belevedere Radio Club 10/27/2020 – Cherryland ARC / Traverse Bay ARC TBD – Antelope Valley (CA) ARC TBD – A private presentation fo a Boy Scout troop in Danville, PA These will be Zoom presentations Everyone is asked to update their copies of the Zoom application – by directly visiting Zoom us
[ANS thanks Robert Bankston, KE4AL, AMSAT VP-User Services for the above information]
Satellite Shorts From All Over
4A50, MEXICO (Special Event) Look for special event station 4A50CRH to be active between September 1st and December 31st Activity is to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Club de Radioaficionados Hidro- calidos (XE2CRH) Operations will be on 160-6 meter, satellites, CW, SSB, FM, and the Digital modes QSL via XE2AU, LoTW, eQSL or ClubLog Every QSO will be confirmed (ANS thanks the Ohio/Penn DX Bulletin for the above information)
Flying for the first time since a failure in early July, Rocket Lab’s Electron launcher delivered Capella Space’s first commercial radar remote sensing satellite to orbit after lifting off from New Zealand on Sunday, August 30 The successful mission signaled a return to launch operations for Rocket Lab after suffering a failure on the last Electron flight July 4 Investigators traced the cause of the failure to a single faulty electrical connector on the second stage, which detached in flight and led to a premature engine shutdown (ANS thanks Spaceflight Now for the above information)
A Falcon 9 rocket dodged stormy weather and successfully placed an Argentine radar observation satellite into an orbit over Earth’s poles Sunday on SpaceX’s 100th launch Instead of launching toward the northeast or east, the Falcon 9 darted through a cloudy sky and arced to the south-southeast from Florida’s Space Coast, then made a right turn to fly along the east coast of Florida over Fort Lauder- dale and Miami on the way to a polar orbit The launch Sunday was the first from Cape Canaveral to fly on a southerly track since 1969 (ANS thanks Spaceflight Now for the above information)
A long-retired NASA satellite burned up in Earth's atmosphere last weekend, the agency has confirmed NASA launched the satellite, c alled Orbiting Geophysics Observatory 1, or OGO-1, in September 1964, the first in a series of five missions to help scientists understand the magnetic environment around Earth OGO-1 was the first to launch but the last to fall out of orbit; the satellite had circled Earth aimlessly since its retirement in 1971 (ANS thanks space com for the above information)
Dave, AA4KN relays that Patrice, 3B8FA, and Jean Marc, 3B8DU, held a successful QSO using the new IORS, repeater function: Jean Marc wrote: "Just to let you know that Patrice (3B8FA) and myself did superb QSO via the ISS FM repeater just a few minutes ago (reported 2 September, 2020 @ 02:22:30) Working fine 59+ both ways on V/U (145 990/437 800 MHz), really nice to have the ISS repeater back on air " (ANS thanks Dave AA4KN of ARISS PR for the report)
/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
73 and Remember to help keep amateur radio in space, This week's ANS Editor, Jack Spitznagel, KD4IZ
kd4iz at frawg dot org
Via the ANS mailing list courtesy of AMSAT-NA https://www amsat org/mailman/listinfo/ans
This mailing list is announce-only.
Radio Comm Report list. Deals with all modes of communications in the 150 KHz to 1300 MHz, including solar and atmospheric conditions.
Private List