In this edition:

* Firefly Delivers New Amateur Satellites to Orbit
* Ariane 6 Maiden Flight With GENESIS-A Module
* Logbook of The World Returns To Service
* LUSAT, Dead or Alive?
* LEGO Bricks Printed out of Space Dust
* Field Day Submissions Now Due
* Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution
* ARISS News
* Upcoming Satellite Operations
* AMSAT Ambassador Activities
* Satellite Shorts From All Over

The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and information 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 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

You can sign up for free e-mail delivery of the AMSAT News Service Bulletins via the ANS List; to join this list see: https://mailman.amsat.org/postorius/lists/ans.amsat.org/

ANS-189 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

DATE 2024 July 7

Firefly Delivers New Amateur Satellites to Orbit

The Firefly Alpha FLTA005/NASA ELaNa 43 mission, nicknamed “Noise of Summer,” launched successfully at 04:04 UTC on July 4 (Wednesday evening, July 3 in the U.S.) and deployed eight new cube satellites to Low Earth Orbit (LEO). Five of these cubesats carry amateur radio equipment.

The cubesats were placed into a sun-synchronous Earth orbit, meaning that all locations on earth will see high-elevation passes roughly between 8:00 and 10:00 a.m. and between 8:00 and 10:00 p.m. local time daily, with lower elevation passes earlier and later.

Among the newly-deployed satellites, the one of greatest interest to the amateur radio community is MESAT1. Built by the University of Maine, in cooperation with AMSAT, this satellite carries a 30 kHz wide V/U Transponder plus a 1k2 BPSK telemetry downlink. Telemetry downlink 435.800 MHz with transponder downlink 435.810-435.840 MHz, and transponder uplink 145.910-145.940 MHz. Amateurs are encouraged to use AMSAT’s FoxTelem software to collect telemetry.

MESAT1 being prepared for integration aboard the Firefly Alpha (Photo credit, University of Maine)

MESAT1 involves three missions designed by high school students in Maine. The science payloads are climate focused and include ALBEDO, IMAGER, and HAB. These will identify urban heat islands, determine concentration of phytoplankton in water bodies, and help predict harmful algal blooms. Four multispectral cameras on board will relay the data down to University of Maine’s ground station for further processing. Amateurs are encouraged to use AMSAT’s FoxTelem software to collect telemetry and assist in these science projects.

Also deployed was CatSat, a technology demonstration of an inflatable antenna for high-speed communications, built by the University of Arizona. CatSat’s deployable antenna consists of a Mylar balloon. The front half of the balloon is transparent, allowing microwaves to pass through. The back half of the balloon is aluminized, creating a reflecting antenna. After reaching low Earth orbit, CatSat’s antenna will deploy and inflate to a diameter of just over one-and-a-half feet CatSat’s demonstration will be to transmit high-definition Earth photos to 10 GHz, X-band ground stations at ~50 megabits per second.

Artist’s rendering of CatSat with 10 GHz balloon antenna deployed. (University of Arizona)

In addition to images, data about the structure of the Earth’s ionosphere will be gathered by listening-in to thousands of beacons from ground-based ham radio stations. CatSat will relay WSPR and FT8 signals from HF. Downlinks on 437.185 MHz and 10470.00 MHz.

Other satellites with IARU-coordinated amateur frequency downlinks include:

Serenity, which uses a 4k8 FM with AX25 downlink on 437.100 MHz. Serenity was built by Teachers in Space, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational organization in North America that stimulates student interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). They provide teachers with real space science experiences, space flight opportunities, and industry connections.

KUbeSat-1, revives small satellite research at the University of Kansas and starts a new KUbeSat program that will offer space access to student research. The main payload on KUbeSat-1 is the Primary Cosmic Ray Detector which will use a new method to measure the energy and species of primary cosmic rays hitting the Earth. The secondary payload is the High-Altitude Calibration, (HiCalK) that builds on decades of research surrounding Very High Frequency signals generated by cosmic ray interactions with the atmosphere. UHF downlink using 9k6 GMSK. A downlink on 437.085 MHz.

SOC-i (Satellite for Optimal Control and Imaging) is a technology demonstration mission of attitude control technology and a camera that serves as an instrument to demonstrate SOC-i’s pointing abilities. Developed at the University of Washington, SOC-i has a UHF downlink using 4k8 GMSK. downlink 437.125 MHz.

[ANS thanks NASA, Firefly Aerospace, and Spacflight Now for the above information]

The 2024 AMSAT President’s Club coins are here now!
Help Support GOLF and Fox Plus

Join the AMSAT President’s Club today and help
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Ariane 6 Maiden Flight With GENESIS-A Module

The maiden flight of the new European launcher, Ariane 6, is scheduled for July 9, 2024, with a launch window of 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. local time from the European spaceport in French Guiana (July 9 20:00h to July 10 00:00h CEST). Among many other payloads, it carries our (inside YPSAT) GENESIS-A module, attached to the second stage of the launcher. The module will transmit FT8 and live SSTV images in Robot 36 format.

FT8 transmissions are made every 16 seconds, while SSTV’s are every 5 minutes.

The working frequencies are as follows:

Downlink 144.175 MHz FT8 Mode:

– Callsign AO4ARI HO60 if the antenna has been deployed
– Callsign AO4ARI HO61 if the antenna has not been deployed

Downlink 144.550 MHz SSTV Robot 36 mode with live image and Hades text

A carrier with a frequency of 144.550 MHz (same frequency as SSTV) is left between FT8 tones.

This information is compiled in PDF in the following document on our web:
https://www.amsat-ea.org/app/download/13458580/AMSAT+EA+-+GENESIS-A+transmissions+description.pdf

The only thing ESA has given us is the trajectory over the ground while flying over Europe, but we don’t have TLEs or anything that we can semi-automate. It is available on our website:
https://www.amsat-ea.org/s/cc_images/cache_19006006.jpg?t=1720182961

It will be very difficult to receive it but we thank you all if you try and if you spread this information to have all possible operators tuned into FT-8 that day. The module will fall into the sea with the second stage after a few hours.

More information about the flight including timings here:
https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Space_Transportation/Ariane/Ariane_6_launch_how_to_watch_and_what_to_look_out_for

[ANS thanks Félix Páez, EA4GQS, AMSAT EA, for the above information]

Logbook of The World Returns To Service

Effective 12:00pm ET / 16:00 UTC on July 1, Logbook of The World® (LoTW®) has been to service.

As work progressed on the network, some users encountered LoTW opening briefly during which some 6600 logs were uploaded. The logs were not processed until this weekend as we tested that the interfaces to LoTW were functioning properly.

We are taking steps to help manage what will likely be a huge influx of logs. We are requesting that if you have large uploads, perhaps from contests or from a DXpedition, please wait a week or two before uploading to give LoTW a chance to catch up. We have also implemented a process to reject logs with excessive duplicates. Please do not upload your entire log to “ensure” your contacts are in LoTW as they will be rejected. Lastly, please do not call ARRL Headquarters to report issues you are having with LoTW. You can contact support at LoTW-help@arrl.org.

Through the end of the year, you may experience planned times when LoTW will be unavailable. We have been using this time to evaluate operational and infrastructure improvements we would like to make to LoTW. Those times will be announced.

We appreciate your patience as we worked through the challenges keeping LoTW from returning to service. We know the importance of LoTW to our members, and to the tens of thousands of LoTW users who are not ARRL members. LoTW, just behind QST, is our second most popular ARRL benefit.

[ANS thanks ARRL for the above information]

LUSAT, Dead or Alive?

LO-19, co-ordinated by AMSAT Argentina, the LUSAT (named after the LU amateur designation for Argentina) microsatellite was launched on the first ARIANE ASAP flight V35 with SPOT 2, on the 22 January 1990 (01:35:27 GMT) into an 780 km sun-synchronous, 98 degree inclined orbit.

It carried a Digital Store and Forward packet communications transponder similar to AO-16. Downlink was AX.25 at 437.125 MHz SSB 1200 bps RC-BPSK. It is box shaped with dimensions of 213 × 230 × 230 mm, with four solar panels and weighs 13.76 kg.

Long past its expected useful life, in recent years LUSAT has only been transmitting an unmodulated carrier signal.

On June 29, Gustavo Carpignano, LW2DTZ, reported that recent observers had failed to detect the carrier. Gustavo declared LO-19 dead.

However, on July 1, Nico Janssen, PAØDLO, reported receiving the carrier, but at a signal strength much weaker than over previous years. Nico suggested that, perhaps, the onboard power amplifier has failed.

Well-equipped ground stations may wish to give a listen to test what they can hear.

[ANS thanks Gustavo Carpignano, LW2DTZ, Nico Janssen, PAØDLO, and Gunter’s Space Page, for the above information]

Need new satellite antennas?
Purchase M2 LEO-Packs from the AMSAT Store.

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Keeping Amateur Radio in Space.
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LEGO Bricks Printed out of Space Dust

There have been many proposals for building structures on the Moon out of lunar regolith. But here’s an idea sure to resonate with creators, mechanical tinkerers, model builders and the kid inside us all.

What about using actual LEGO bricks?

Researchers ground up a 4.5-billion-year-old meteorite and used the dust to 3D print LEGO-style space bricks. They actually click together like the plastic variety, with so far only one downside: they only come in one color, grey.
Universe Today

Want to see some of these lunar LEGOs? LEGO will showcase the space bricks at some of its stores.

Creating building materials on the Moon or Mars from the material on hand means construction materials don’t have to be transported from Earth. This would be a huge savings in launch costs because less weight would have to be boosted from Earth.

A group of scientists from ESA (European Space Agency) were inspired by LEGO bricks, and with the advances in 3D printing, had the idea to print space bricks and test how they would work for construction.

The only problem was that except for the Moon rocks brought back by the Apollo astronauts – which are highly guarded for scientific study only — there’s not any lunar regolith available on Earth to experiment with.

But meteorite dust is a close cousin to lunar regolith. The ESA team was able to get a meteorite that was discovered in Northwest Africa in 2000 and is about 4.5 billion years old. It is made of metal grains and chondrules, similar to Moon dust.

Inspired by LEGO, ESA scientists have used dust from a meteorite to 3D-print LEGO-style ‘space bricks’
to test out construction ideas for a future Moon base. Credit: The LEGO Group

They mixed the meteorite dust with a some other things, like a polymer called polylactide and regolith simulant and 3D printed bricks that mimic and behave just like LEGO bricks. While they aren’t smooth like regular LEGO bricks, ESA said the space bricks gave ESA’s space engineers the flexibility to build and test a variety of structures using this new material.

“It’s no secret that real-world scientists and engineers sometimes try out ideas with LEGO bricks,” said Emmet Fletcher, Head of ESA’s Branding and Partnerships Office. “ESA’s space bricks are a great way to inspire young people and show them how play and the power of the imagination have an important role in space science, too.”

“Nobody has built a structure on the Moon, so it was great to have the flexibility to try out all kinds of designs and building techniques with our space bricks,” said . ESA Science Officer Aidan Cowley. “It was both fun and useful in scientifically understanding the boundaries of these techniques.”

For a list of where the lunar LEGOs will be on display worldwide, see https://www.universetoday.com/167675/lego-bricks-printed-out-of-space-dust/#more-167675

The LEGO website has additional details at https://www.lego.com/en-us/aboutus/news/2024/june/lego-bricks-scientists-build-astronaut-shelters-on-the-moon

Hopefully the lunar LEGOs will inspire both children and adults about space and to encourage them to build their own LEGO Moon bases.

[ANS thanks Universe Today for the above information]

Field Day Submissions Now Due

Field Day is behind us and it is time to tally your contacts and submit the for AMSAT Field Day.

The Satellite Summary Sheet should be used for submission of the AMSAT Field Day competition and be received by KK5DO (e-mail) by 11:59 P.M. CDT, Monday, July 23, 2024. This year, we are using the same due date as the ARRL. The only method for submitting your log is via e-mail to kk5do@amsat.org or kk5do@arrl.net. I have not had a mail-in entry in a very long time.

If you need to download a summary sheet, it can be found at https://www.amsat.org/field-day/
or directly from my website https://www.amsatnet.com/2024fd.docx

[ANS thanks Bruce Paige, KK5DO, AMSAT Director Contests and Awards, 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
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Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for July 5

Two Line Elements or TLEs, often referred to as Keplerian elements or keps in the amateur community, are the inputs to the SGP4 standard mathematical model of spacecraft orbits used by most amateur tracking programs. Weekly updates are completely adequate for most amateur satellites. TLE bulletin files are updated daily in the first hour of the UTC day. New bulletin files will be posted immediately after reliable elements become available for new amateur satellites. More information may be found at https://www.amsat.org/keplerian-elements-resources/.

The following satellites from last week’s Firefly Alpha FLTA005/NASA ELaNa 43 launch have been added. They are listed as OBJECT A-H, with the exception of object G which is likely MESAT1.   As is the case with most cubesat  launches, it will take a while to figure out which object is which.

OBJECT A 60203
OBJECT B 60204
OBJECT C 60205
OBJECT D 60206
OBJECT E 60207
OBJECT F 60208
MESAT1     60209
OBJECT H 60210
OBJECT J 60211
OBJECT K 60212

[ANS thanks AMSAT Orbital Elements page 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 CONTACTS:
Youth On the Air 2024, Mount Saint Vincent University, NS, Canada, Telebridge via ZS6JON
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS
The scheduled crewmember is Jeanette Epps, KF5QNU
The ARISS mentor is VE3TBD
Contact is go for: Tue 2024-07-09 15:06:38 UTC 65 degrees maximum elevation

Houjoudu Elementary School, Imizu, Japan, direct via JA9YQJ
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS
The scheduled crewmember is Mike Barratt, KD5MIJ
The ARISS mentor is 7M3TJZ
Contact is go for: Thu 2024-07-11 10:48:03 UTC 83 degrees

The crossband repeater continues to be active (145.990 MHz up {PL 67} & 437.800 MHz down). If any crewmember is so inclined, all they have to do is pick up the microphone, raise the volume up, and talk on the crossband repeater. So give a listen, you just never know.

The packet system is also active (145.825 MHz up & down). HamTV (2.395 GHz) and SSTV (145.80 MHz) are both stowed.

As always, if there is an EVA, a docking, or an undocking; the ARISS radios are turned off as part of the safety protocol.

Note, all times are approximate. It is recommended that you do your own orbital prediction or start listening about 10 minutes before the listed time.

The latest information on the operation mode can be found at https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html

The latest list of frequencies in use can be found at https://www.ariss.org/contact-the-iss.html

[ANS thanks Charlie Sufana, AJ9N, one of the ARISS operation team mentors for the above information]

Upcoming Satellite Operations

NDØC and family will be on another family camping vacation from 24 June thru 7 July, this time through Wisconsin to Michigan and back thru Illinois and Iowa. No super rare grids but several that may be needed by many. The grids and passes will depend on where/when we happen to be while on the road or camping. This will be all LEO sats: FM & SSB. As always, they will try for EU passes on RS-44 when possible. Randy is looking forward to pushing past the 100 grids-roved milestone.

A growing number of satellite rovers are currently engaged in sharing their grid square activations on https://hams.at. By visiting the website, you gain easy access to comprehensive information about the operators responsible for activating specific grid squares. Additionally, you have the ability to assess the match score between yourself and a particular rover for a given pass, while also being able to identify the upcoming satellite passes that are accessible from your location.

[ANS thanks Ian Parsons, K5ZM, AMSAT rover page manager, for the above information]

AMSAT Ambassador Activities

AMSAT Ambassadors provide presentations, demonstrate communicating through amateur satellites, and host information tables at club meetings, hamfests, conventions, maker faires, and other events.

July 20, 2024
“Moon Day” Frontiers of Flight Museum
Love Field in Dallas, Texas
AMSAT volunteers needed! Contact tschuessler(at) amsat.org for more information.

August 17-18, 2024
Huntsville Hamfest
Huntsville, AL
AMSAT Booth and Forum
N8DEU and W4FCL

September 7, 2024
Greater Louisville Hamfest
Shepherdsville, KY
AMSAT Forum and Information Table
W4FCL

October 5, 2024
Central Kentucky Hamfest
Lexington, KY
AMSAT and Educational Satellites Forum and Information Table
AI4SR and W4FCL

October 5, 2024
North Star Radio Convention
Hennepin Technical College (North Campus)
Brooklyn Park, Minn.
AMSAT Forum and Information Table
KØJM and ADØHJ

AMSAT Ambassador Clint Bradford, K6LCS, says,
“Think a 75-minute presentation on “working the easy satellites” would be appropriate for your club or event? Let me know by emailing me at k6lcsclint (at) gmail (dot) com or calling me at 909-999-SATS (7287)!”

Clint has NEVER given the exact same show twice: EACH of the 150+ presentations so far has been customized/tailored to their audiences.

[ANS thanks the AMSAT Events page for the above information]

Satellite Shorts From All Over

+ What GOES up … NOAA’s latest Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite, GOES-U, launched on the first Falcon Heavy of the year on June 25 from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center. The mission, the last of the GOES-R series of geostationary weather satellites, continuously monitors weather systems over the Western Hemisphere. Assuming that next week’s planned burn to lift the satellite to geosynchronous orbit is successful, this satellite will be re-designated as GOES-19 and will, in coming months, take over the GOES-East duties from the aging GOES-16. (See ANS 182 last week for more details.)

+ Musk come down … Elon Musk’s SpaceX has won a contract valued at up to $843 million to build a vehicle capable of safely deorbiting the International Space Station once the station is decommissioned in 2030. While many people have suggested raising the ISS’s orbit and turning it into a museum, the amount of fuel needed to move the approximately 420-ton station to a high enough orbit to remain stable for long durations is prohibitive.

+ Blow up … Russian Resurs-P1, an almost-six-ton defunct Earth observation satellite that stopped orbit maintenance in 2017 but continued operations until 2022, unexpectedly exploded last week into hundreds of fragments. Expected to reenter later this year, Resurs-P1 was orbiting at ~350 km, close enough to the ISS’s orbital altitude that the event forced ISS astronauts into shelter for an hour while debris was tracked.

+ Or go up, come down, and blow up (unexpectedly) … during a static fire test of the first stage of China’s close-to-finished Tianlong-3 rocket, the hold-down hardware failed to do its singular job: hold down the rocket. Moments after ignition, the rocket shot 1.5 km into the sky above the city of Gongyi, China. With no guidance system, gravity took over, resulting in a massive fireball on impact. Very fortunately, there were no casualties as the rocket mostly went straight up and straight back down.
(ANS thanks The Orbital Index for all of the above items.)

Join AMSAT today at https://launch.amsat.org/

In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership to:

* Societies (a recognized group, clubs or organization).
* 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 student rate for a maximum of 6 post-secondary years in this status.
* Memberships are available for annual and lifetime terms.

Contact info [at] amsat.org for additional membership information.

73 and remember to help Keep Amateur Radio in Space!

This week’s ANS Editor, Mark Johns, KØJM
k0jm [at] amsat.org

In this edition:

* Firefly Aerospace’s Alpha “Noise of Summer” Mission Rescheduled
* Curium One Satellite Set to Test SatNOGS-COMMS Transceiver
* SpaceX Falcon Heavy Successfully Launches GOES-U Satellite
* GridMasterMap Satellite Top 100 Rovers July 2024 Rankings
* Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for June 28, 2024
* ARISS News
* Upcoming Satellite Operations
* AMSAT Ambassador Activities
* Satellite Shorts From All Over

The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and information 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 communicating through analog and digital Amateur Radio satellites.

The news feed on https://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

You can sign up for free e-mail delivery of the AMSAT News Service Bulletins via the ANS List; to join this list see: https://mailman.amsat.org/postorius/lists/ans.amsat.org/

ANS-182 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

To: All RADIO AMATEURS
From: Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation
712 H Street NE, Suite 1653
Washington, DC 20002

DATE 2024 Jun 30

Firefly Aerospace’s Alpha “Noise of Summer” Mission Rescheduled

Firefly Aerospace’s Alpha rocket, originally scheduled for launch on June 27th, has been rescheduled to 9:03 pm PDT on July 1st for its #FLTA005 mission titled “Noise of Summer.” This launch will occur from Space Launch Complex-2 at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, carrying NASA payloads and involving a dedicated launch team. For updates closer to the launch window, visit Firefly Aerospace’s official website at https://fireflyspace.com/news/.

A highlight of this launch is the ELaNa 43 mission, featuring the deployment of multiple CubeSats, including the University of Maine’s MESAT1. This satellite, equipped with a Linear Transponder Module (LTM) from AMSAT, will help conduct experiments designed by Maine schools, contributing to educational and research objectives supported by NASA.

MESAT1, beyond its primary mission objectives, will study local temperatures and phytoplankton concentrations using onboard sensors and imaging equipment. It also features a linear transponder for amateur radio use, with telemetry accessible through AMSAT’s FoxTelem program, allowing enthusiasts to decode and analyze satellite data. Users can download the latest version of FoxTelem from the AMSAT website (https://www.amsat.org/foxtelem-software-for-windows-mac-linux/) to decode and forward telemetry results to AMSAT’s central server for further analysis by engineers and students.

Educational experiments aboard MESAT1, such as ALBEDO, IMAGER, and HAB, developed by Maine schools, aim to study light reflection, coastal water turbidity, and early detection of harmful algal blooms, respectively. These projects highlight the collaborative effort between educational institutions and space agencies to promote scientific learning and environmental awareness.

AMSAT’s involvement in the mission underscores its role in advancing amateur radio satellite technology and promoting international cooperation in space science. Through initiatives like FoxTelem, AMSAT enables public engagement with satellite telemetry, thereby enhancing participation in space exploration and scientific discovery.

[ANS thanks Firefly Aerospace, University of Maine, and AMSAT for the above information]

Curium One Satellite Set to Test SatNOGS-COMMS Transceiver

The upcoming launch of the Ariane 6 rocket will carry the Curium One satellite, a 12-unit CubeSat developed collaboratively by Planetary Transportation Systems and the Libre Space Foundation. A primary focus of this mission is the in-orbit testing of the SatNOGS-COMMS transceiver, an open-source radio designed to enhance satellite communication capabilities. This mission aims to validate the performance of the SatNOGS-COMMS transceiver, a dual-band, software-configurable radio transceiver specifically created for Telemetry and Telecommand (TMTC).

The SatNOGS-COMMS transceiver is notable for its dual-band operation in the UHF and SHF bands. It can accommodate a turnstile antenna, which facilitates both transmitting and receiving radio signals. The transceiver’s software-configurable nature allows for in-flight adjustments to carrier and intermediate frequencies, bitrate, modulation options, and channel-filter bandwidth, making it highly versatile for various experimental and educational setups. This flexibility is expected to be a significant asset in the mission’s success.

One of the standout features of the SatNOGS-COMMS transceiver is its open-source nature. By making the hardware and software publicly available, the Libre Space Foundation aims to foster a collaborative environment where amateur radio operators, students, and space enthusiasts can contribute to and benefit from the technology. This approach not only democratizes access to advanced space communication technology but also accelerates innovation and learning within the community. This mission could set a precedent for future open-source space technologies. The GitLab repository for the SatNOGS-COMMS transceiver can be found at https://gitlab.com/librespacefoundation/satnogs-comms.

Curium One’s mission highlights the potential of open-source satellite technology. By promoting amateur radio and providing educational opportunities in space technology, this mission aims to make space more accessible and affordable for everyone. The data and insights from testing the SatNOGS-COMMS transceiver will support more inclusive and innovative uses of space, setting a new standard for collaborative space missions. This mission shows the impact of collaboration and open-source innovation in advancing space exploration and technology.

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

The 2024 AMSAT President’s Club coins are here now!
Help Support GOLF and Fox Plus

Join the AMSAT President’s Club today and help
Keep Amateur Radio in Space!
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SpaceX Falcon Heavy Successfully Launches GOES-U Satellite

On June 25, a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket successfully lifted off from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A at 5:26 p.m. Eastern, carrying the GOES-U weather satellite, the final spacecraft in a series of geostationary weather satellites. This launch featured several notable firsts, overcoming previous weather forecasts that had predicted only a 30% chance of favorable conditions.

The GOES-U satellite, successfully deployed from the Falcon Heavy’s second stage four and a half hours after liftoff, after the stage completed a sequence of three burns to place the satellite into a geostationary transfer orbit. Built by Lockheed Martin for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), GOES-U will be renamed GOES-19 upon reaching geostationary orbit. After on-orbit commissioning, it will be positioned at 75 degrees east in geostationary orbit, taking over from GOES-16 as the operational GOES-East satellite.

GOES-U carries a suite of earth and space science instruments similar to its predecessors but includes the new Compact Coronagraph (CCOR) instrument for solar observation. CCOR will monitor the solar corona for flares and coronal mass ejections, a crucial function for understanding space weather. This role was previously filled by the nearly 30-year-old Solar and Heliospheric Observatory spacecraft.

Among the enhancements in the GOES-R series is a lightning mapper. Pam Sullivan, director of the GOES-R program at NOAA, highlighted its impact, saying it allows meteorologists to better understand storm severity and issue more accurate warnings. “The main thing I hear from forecasters is that they have more confidence in a forecast,” she noted.

NOAA is already planning the next generation of geostationary weather satellites, called GeoXO, set to begin launching in 2032. Contracts have been awarded to Lockheed Martin for satellite construction and BAE Systems for sounder and ocean color instruments. Steve Volz, assistant administrator of NOAA’s Satellite and Information Service, described GOES-U as “the bridge that connects today’s geostationary satellite technology with the technology of tomorrow.”

The Falcon Heavy’s additional performance is a key advantage. Julianna Scheiman, director of NASA science missions at SpaceX, explained that the rocket’s capability allows for a significant delta V reduction, meaning the spacecraft requires less energy to reach its final orbit. This efficiency translates into fuel savings and extended operational life for GOES-U, which has a design specification of 15 years. “With the added capability Falcon Heavy is giving us, we expect to be at 20-plus years of fuel life,” said NOAA’s Sullivan.

The GOES-U launch marked the 10th overall for the Falcon Heavy and the second contracted by NASA, following the Psyche asteroid mission in October 2023. Another Falcon Heavy is set to launch NASA’s Europa Clipper mission this October, continuing SpaceX’s role in advancing space exploration and weather monitoring capabilities.

[ANS thanks Jeff Foust, SpaceNews, for the above information]

GridMasterMap Satellite Top 100 Rovers July 2024 Rankings

The July 2024 rankings for the Top 100 Rovers (Mixed LEO/MEO/GEO) in satellite operations, as determined by @GridMasterMap on Twitter, has been released. The ranking is determined by the number of grids and DXCC entities activated, taking into account only those grids where a minimum number of QSOs logged on the gridmaster.fr website have been validated by a third party. Grid numbers do not directly reflect the exact number of activations. Satellite operators are encouraged to upload their LoTW satellite contacts to https://gridmaster.fr in order to provide more accurate data.

Updated: 2024-06-28

[ANS thanks @GridMasterMap for the above information]

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Keeping Amateur Radio in Space.
https://amsat.org/product-category/hardware/

Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for June 28, 2024

Two Line Elements or TLEs, often referred to as Keplerian elements or keps in the amateur community, are the inputs to the SGP4 standard mathematical model of spacecraft orbits used by most amateur tracking programs. Weekly updates are completely adequate for most amateur satellites. TLE bulletin files are updated daily in the first hour of the UTC day. New bulletin files will be posted immediately after reliable elements become available for new amateur satellites. More information may be found at https://www.amsat.org/keplerian-elements-resources/.

This week there are no additions or deletions to the AMSAT TLE distribution.

[ANS thanks AMSAT Orbital Elements page 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.

+ Recently Completed Contacts

Complejo Educativo Nuestra Señora de Fátima N° 1139 and N° 8119, Pérez, Argentina, Telebridge via VK6MJ
The ISS callsign was NA1SS
The scheduled crewmember was Jeanette Epps KF5QNU
The ARISS mentor was VE6JBJ
Contact was successful Thu 2024-06-27 13:38:07 UTC

+ Upcoming Contacts

Moroccan School of Engineering Sciences, Casablanca, Morocco, telebridge via VK6MJ
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS
The scheduled crewmember is Jeanette Epps KF5QNU
The ARISS mentor is IN3GHZ
Contact is go for: Mon 2024-07-01 12:02:01 UTC

St. Luke’s College, Buenos Aires, Argentina, direct via LU4AA
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS
The scheduled crewmember is Mike Barratt KD5MIJ
The ARISS mentor is VE6JBJ
Contact is go for: Wed 2024-07-03 14:42:53 UTC
Watch for Livestreaming via their Instagram accounts: The school: @stlukes.college / Radio Club Argentino: @rca_sociedad_nacional

The crossband repeater continues to be active (145.990 MHz up {PL 67} & 437.800 MHz down). If any crewmember is so inclined, all they have to do is pick up the microphone, raise the volume up, and talk on the crossband repeater. So give a listen, you just never know.

The packet system is also active (145.825 MHz up & down).

As always, if there is an EVA, a docking, or an undocking; the ARISS radios are turned off as part of the safety protocol.

Note, all times are approximate. It is recommended that you do your own orbital prediction or start listening about 10 minutes before the listed time.

The latest information on the operation mode can be found at https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html

The latest list of frequencies in use can be found at https://www.ariss.org/contact-the-iss.html

[ANS thanks Charlie Sufana, AJ9N, one of the ARISS operation team mentors for the above information]

Upcoming Satellite Operations

From Randy, ND0C: From 24 June thru 7 July, we will be on another family camping vacation, which means another satellite roving expedition! This time, thru WI to MI and back thru IL and IA. No super rare grids but several that may be needed by many. The grids and passes will depend on where/when we happen to be while on the road or camping. This will be all LEO sats: FM & SSB. As always, I will try for EU passes on RS-44 when possible. Looking forward to pushing past the 100 grids-roved milestone.

From Mike, N8MR: I will be in EN57, with roves to EN67 from Friday, June 28 thru Saturday, July 6. Using an Icom 9700, Arrow and Alaskan antennas. Listening for Europe on linear eastern passes. I can rove to EN56, only if needed. Posting passes to hams.at a day in advance. All QSOs to LoTW as N8MR.

VP5/AA5UK will be QRV from FL31 from 23rd June through 5th July. This operation will be holiday style but will cover HF/LEO/MEO. Head over to his VP5/AA5UK QRZ page for all the info you can shake a stick at.

A growing number of satellite rovers are currently engaged in sharing their grid square activations on https://hams.at. By visiting the website, you gain easy access to comprehensive information about the operators responsible for activating specific grid squares. Additionally, you have the ability to assess the match score between yourself and a particular rover for a given pass, while also being able to identify the upcoming satellite passes that are accessible from your location.

[ANS thanks Ian Parsons, K5ZM, AMSAT rover page manager, for the above information]

AMSAT Ambassador Activities

AMSAT Ambassadors provide presentations, demonstrate communicating through amateur satellites, and host information tables at club meetings, hamfests, conventions, maker faires, and other events.

“Moon Day” at the Frontiers of Flight Museum – July 20th, 2024
Dallas Love Field Airport
8008 Herb Kelleher Way
Dallas, TX 75235
https://flightmuseum.com/events/

AMSAT and Amateur Radio satellites will be presented to the general public as part of this annual space themed STEAM event. Volunteers to help at the table space and to do contact demos are welcome. Contact tschuessler [at] amsat.org for more information.

Huntsville Hamfest – August 17th and 18th, 2024
Von Braun Center South Hall
700 Monroe Street SW
Huntsville, AL 35801
https://hamfest.org/

AMSAT Booth and Forum / N8DEU and W4FCL

Northeast HamXpostion – August 22nd thru 25th, 2024
Best Western Royal Plaza Hotel & Trade Center
181 Boston Post Road West
Marlborough, MA 01752
https://hamxposition.org/

Greater Louisville Hamfest – September 7th, 2024
Paroquet Springs Conference Centre
395 Paroquet Springs Drive
Shepherdsville, KY 40165
https://louisvillehamfest.wixsite.com/louisvillehamfest

AMSAT Forum and Information Table / W4FCL

North Star Radio Convention – October 5th, 2024
Hennepin Technical College (North Campus)
9000 Brooklyn Boulevard
Brooklyn Park, MN 55445
https://conv2023.tcfmc.org/

AMSAT Forum and Information Table / KØJM and ADØHJ

Central Kentucky Hamfest – October 5th, 2024
Highlands Baptist Church
2032 Parallel Road
Lexington, KY 40502
https://www.facebook.com/w9khz/

AMSAT and Educational Satellites Forum and Information Table / AI4SR and W4FCL

2024 AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting – October 25th thru 27th, 2024
Doubletree by Hilton Tampa Rocky Point Waterfront
3050 N Rocky Point Drive West
Tampa, FL 33607
https://www.amsat.org/

[ANS thanks the AMSAT Events page for the above information]

Want to fly the colors on your own grid expedition?
Get an 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

Satellite Shorts From All Over

+ The Ariane 6 rocket recently completed its final ‘wet dress rehearsal’ at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana, marking a crucial milestone before its maiden launch. This rehearsal involved loading 180 tons of supercooled propellant into the rocket, cooling its components to cryogenic temperatures, and rolling back the mobile gantry. ESA’s Guy Pilchen highlighted that this rehearsal allowed teams to refine launch operations using the actual flight hardware and software. Following fueling, the rocket underwent final preparations for its upcoming launch, expected to confirm its date after data analysis. With payloads ranging from Earth observation to scientific experiments, Ariane 6 aims to secure Europe’s independent access to space and advance space exploration. (ANS thanks the European Space Agency for the above information)

+ China’s Chang’e 6 probe has returned to Earth on June 25, 2024, with the first-ever samples from the far side of the moon, landing in Inner Mongolia on Tuesday. The successful mission marks a global milestone, with the samples expected to include 2.5 million-year-old volcanic rock that could shed light on the geological differences between the moon’s near and far sides. The probe landed in the moon’s South Pole-Aitken Basin, providing samples from various geological layers. This mission is part of China’s growing space rivalry with the U.S. and other nations, aiming to establish China as a technological power. The journey began on May 3 and lasted 53 days, involving drilling into the core and collecting surface rocks. China plans to share the samples with international scientists, hoping to answer fundamental questions about lunar geology and the solar system’s early days. (ANS thanks Huizhong Wu, Associated Press, for the above information)

+ NASA called off a planned spacewalk on June 24 due to a malfunction in astronaut Tracy Dyson’s spacesuit. Dyson and her crewmate Mike Barratt were preparing to exit the International Space Station to conduct maintenance when a water leak was detected in Dyson’s suit cooling unit. This unit is crucial for maintaining a comfortable temperature during spacewalks. The leak occurred just after the suits were switched to battery power, prompting NASA to abort the mission. Although Dyson reported feeling a bit warm and expressed concerns about potential water damage to electrical connectors, both astronauts were safe throughout the incident. This cancellation follows a similar recent setback on June 13, involving a spacesuit issue, and it raises questions about the potential impact on the return schedule of Boeing’s Starliner capsule. (ANS thanks Jackie Wattles, CNN, for the above information)

+ NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, who flew Boeing’s Starliner capsule to the International Space Station (ISS), have had their return to Earth delayed multiple times due to issues with the spacecraft. Originally planned to stay for about a week, their mission has been extended indefinitely as NASA and Boeing investigate a slow helium leak and malfunctioning thrusters discovered after reaching orbit. The latest delay was announced last week, with no new return date set yet. Despite these issues, the astronauts are assisting with tasks and conducting tests on the ISS, where they are accommodated with sufficient supplies. NASA is taking a cautious approach, allowing data to drive decisions about managing the leaks and thruster performance. This mission aims to certify the Starliner for future routine flights, similar to SpaceX’s Crew Dragon service for NASA. (ANS thanks Denise Chow, NBC News, for the above information)

Join AMSAT today at https://launch.amsat.org/

In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership to:

* Societies (a recognized group, clubs or organization).
* 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 student rate for a maximum of 6 post-secondary years in this status.
* Memberships are available for annual and lifetime terms.

Contact info [at] amsat.org for additional membership information.

73 and remember to help Keep Amateur Radio in Space!

This week’s ANS Editor, Mitch Ahrenstorff, ADØHJ
ad0hj [at] amsat.org

 On one of the most interesting radio days of our recent camping trip, Project TouCans made QSOs with Australia, Japan, Columbia, and Argentina, all on the same day! The QSOs to Japan and Australia were made in the middle of their night. The Japan, Australia, and Columbia QSOs were all made in a sixteen minute window beginning with VK3YV at 12:40 UTC.

What was the Propagation Mode?

Chordal Modes Introduced with Villard

Carter Manny Jr. worked with Stanislaw. Here's his Chicago Tribune obituary.

Finding Our Antipodal Point

To find the anitpoidal point, we can follow our longitude over the North (or South for that matter) where it will become the same longitude minus 180 degrees, or pi radians if that's the unit you prefer. You can see this in the diagram below where our longitude of about -107 degrees traced over the pole becomes about 73 degrees.

Meanwhile, our latitude above the equator will be used to find the same number of degrees below the equator:

37.82275 becomes -37.82275.

More precisely, we get 

37.822754°N 107.717935°W -> 37.822754°N 72.282065°E

And our anitpodal is shown below near the 70 degrees East label.

Pretty excellent discussion of anitpodal points.

Conclusions for the moment

In this edition:

* Starliner Brings Another Ham to ISS
* Q&A Session with AMSAT Engineering
* Voyager 1 is Back To Life, But For How Long?
* AMSAT Mail Alias Service to End August 1, 2024
* The 2024 AMSAT Field Day Rules
* Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for June 14
* ARISS News
* Upcoming Satellite Operations
* AMSAT Ambassador Activities
* Satellite Shorts From All Over

The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and information 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 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

You can sign up for free e-mail delivery of the AMSAT News Service Bulletins via the ANS List; to join this list see: https://mailman.amsat.org/postorius/lists/ans.amsat.org/

ANS-168 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

DATE 2024 June 16

Starliner Brings Another Ham to ISS

Working around multiple helium leaks and thruster problems, the crew of Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft wrapped up a challenging rendezvous and a delayed-but-successful docking with the International Space Station Thursday in a major milestone for the new ship’s first piloted test flight.

With commander Barry “Butch” Wilmore and co-pilot Sunita Williams, KD5PLB, monitoring the Starliner’s automated approach, the Starliner’s docking mechanism engaged its counterpart on the front of the station’s forward Harmony module at 17:34 UTC on June 8 as the two spacecraft were sailing 260 miles above the Indian Ocean.

After extensive checks to verify an airtight seal, hatches were opened and Wilmore and Williams floated into the lab complex to an enthusiastic welcome from the seven Expedition 71 crew members: cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko, RN3DX, Nicolai Chub and Alexander Grebenkin, RZ3DSE, along with NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, KCØTOR, Michael Barratt, KD5MIJ, Jeanette Epps, KF5QNU, and Tracy Dyson.

Wilmore and Williams plan to spend about a week aboard the outpost before returning to Earth aboard the Starliner. While they’re there, the station crew will install a replacement urine processor pump module that was loaded aboard the Starliner at the last minute to fix the lab’s water recycling system and allow normal use of the toilet in the U.S. segment of the station.

Running years behind schedule after multiple problems that cost Boeing some $1.4 billion to correct, the Starliner was launched Wednesday with a known helium leak in the system used to pressurize the spacecraft’s propulsion system. Launch had been delayed a month, in part because of work to confirm the ship could safely be launched with the leak as is.

After reaching orbit, two more helium leaks developed that prompted flight controllers to close valves leading to the affected plumbing, or manifolds, while they analyzed leak rates and potential work arounds. Closing the manifolds took down five of 28 reaction control system jets in the ship’s service module and three of 20 more powerful “OMAC” thrusters.

Docking had to be delayed because five RCS jets were “deselected” by the capsule’s flight software when telemetry showed they were not performing exactly as expected. It was unclear if there would be sufficient maneuverability for the docking to proceed.

Throughout the process, Wilmore flew the Starliner manually, holding position about 650 feet from the space station. When ground teams concluded the spacecraft had enough thruster redundancy to proceed, the Starliner’s automated control system took over and flew the ship in for a problem-free docking.

As if the team hadn’t had enough problems to deal with, a fourth and a fifth helium leaks were detected after docking. In any case, per standard procedure, flight controllers closed all the Starliner’s helium manifolds after the linkup to prevent any residual leakage while attached to the station.

Despite the leaks, NASA officials said more than enough helium remains on board to ensure a safe return to Earth at the end of a normal-duration or even extended mission.

On June 14, NASA and Boeing teams pushed back the target undocking and landing date for the Starliner spacecraft from the International Space Station by four days. They shifted from June 18 to now no earlier than June 22.

The reason for the extended stay is in part due to a need to gather more information about the Starliner capsule with the benefit of having an astronaut crew assigned to study aspects of the spacecraft with additional detail.

The helium leaks are all located in the Starliner’s drum-shaped service module, which is discarded to burn up in the atmosphere before the crew capsule re-enters for landing. Thus, there is no possibility of post-flight analysis of the problems.

[ANS thanks Spaceflight Now for the above information]

The 2024 AMSAT President’s Club coins are here now!
Help Support GOLF and Fox Plus

Join the AMSAT President’s Club today and help
Keep Amateur Radio in Space!
https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/

Q&A Session with AMSAT Engineering

AMSAT Vice President – Engineering, Jerry Buxton, NØJY, will host Q&A “social gathering” live streams on YouTube and Twitch, as he mentioned in his Hamvention “They Cancelled All My Flights” video. This is an opportunity to follow up with Jerry on developments with GOLF, FoxPlus, and other projects. Come by and chat a question or comment for discussion on your choice of the platforms:

• Friday June 21 at 19:00 – 21:00 UTC (generally for UK-EU-etc. time zones)
• Saturday June 22 at 00:01 – 02:00 UTC (Friday evening-night in the Americas)
• Saturday June 22 at 19:00 – 21:00 UTC (anybody free that afternoon)
• Sunday June 23 at 00:01 – 02:00 UTC (Saturday evening-night in the Americas)

[ANS thanks Jerry Buxton, NØJY, AMSAT VPE, for the above information.]

Voyager 1 is Back To Life, But For How Long?

NASA engineers have succeeded in breathing new life into Voyager 1, the spacecraft launched in 1977 and once again communicating after it went silent seven months ago. But now comes another challenge: Keeping Voyager 1 scientifically useful for as long as possible as it probes a realm where no spacecraft has gone before.

Voyager 1 and its twin, Voyager 2, are treasured at NASA not only because they have sent home astonishing images of the outer planets, but also because in their dotage, they are still doing science that can’t be readily duplicated.

They are now in interstellar space, far beyond the orbits of Neptune and Pluto. Voyager 1 is more than 15 billion miles from Earth and Voyager 2 nearly 13 billion miles. Both have passed the heliopause, where the “solar wind” of particles streaming from the sun terminates.

“They’re going someplace where we have nothing, we have no information,” NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy said. “We don’t know anything about the interstellar medium. Is it a highly charged environment? Are there a lot of dust particles out there?”

Ed Stone, who guided the mission from 1972 until 2022, died on June 9. (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times/Getty Images)

Even as the Voyagers continue their journeys, engineers and scientists at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. are mourning the loss of Ed Stone, the scientist who guided the mission from 1972 until his retirement in 2022. Stone, a former director of JPL, died June 9 at the age of 88.

Voyager 1 has four scientific instruments still operational in this extended phase of its mission, but it suddenly ceased sending intelligible data on Nov. 14. A “tiger team” of engineers at JPL spent the ensuing months identifying the problem — a malfunctioning computer chip — and restoring communication.

What no one can change, though, is the mortality of a spacecraft with a limited power supply. Voyager 1 is running on fumes, or, more precisely, on the dwindling power from the radioactive decay of plutonium. The Voyagers use a radioisotope thermoelectric generator. But an RTG doesn’t last forever. Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 will eventually go silent as they continue to cruise the galaxy.

“At some point, we’ll have to start turning off the science instruments one by one,” project scientist Linda Spilker said. “Once we’re out of power, then we can no longer keep the spacecraft pointed at the Earth. And so [the Voyagers] will then continue on as what I like to think of as our silent ambassadors.”

In a sense, this is all a bonus because the primary mission for the two Voyagers was the exploration of the outer planets. Both visited Jupiter and Saturn, and Voyager 2 went on to Uranus and Neptune in what was known as the “Grand Tour” of the outer solar system, enabled by a rare orbital arrangement of the planets. The Voyagers delivered spectacular close-up images of the outer planets, and the mission ranks among NASA’s greatest achievements.

The gravitational slingshot from the planetary encounters sent Voyager 1 out of the elliptical plane of the solar system and did the same to Voyager 2 in a different direction.

About four years ago, Voyager 1 encountered something unexpected — a phenomenon scientists have dubbed a pressure front. Jamie Rankin, deputy project scientist, said the instruments on the spacecraft picked up a sudden change in the magnetic field of the interstellar environment, as well as a sudden increase in the density of particles.

What exactly caused this change remains unknown. But NASA scientists are eager to get all the data flowing normally again to see whether the pressure front is still detectable.

[ANS thanks The New York Times for the above information]

Need new satellite antennas?
Purchase 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/

AMSAT Mail Alias Service to End August 1, 2024

A long-standing member service, the AMSAT Mail Alias Service is scheduled to end on August 1, 2024. A mail alias on AMSAT.ORG permitted people to send an email to members without knowing their actual internet email address. They just needed to know their amateur radio callsign.

Unfortunately, the unchecked rise in domain name hacking and email account high-jacking has made it impossible to sustain this service at a cost-effective level. The number of callsign@amsat.org email accounts that had been hijacked and converted to zombie spam accounts over the years had led many internet service providers and gateway centers to ban all @amsat.org email addresses, including those business accounts of AMSAT officers and officials. The tireless efforts of AMSAT’s all volunteer IT staff has worked for years to repair much of the damage, but AMSAT still get complaints from members who are not getting their personal emails, ANS bulletins or AMSAT-BB posts because of persistent delivery problems.

It has come to the point where the AMSAT volunteer IT staff can no longer keep up with the maintenance requirements to keep the alias mail list clean and to work with email gateways to remove blocks. And, after considerable investigation into alternative paid email services, AMSAT leadership decided that the money required to keep an email alias system alive would be better spent on building and flying satellites for its members.

Persons using the Mail Alias Service should begin to migrate to different email accounts so they do not lose receipt of personal emails, AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins, AMSAT-BB posts, or official messages from AMSAT itself. Members are especially asked to make sure they are NOT using a callsign@amsat.org as their registered email address in the AMSAT membership portal. Members can easily change their registered member email address by logging into the portal and updating their profile.

[ANS thanks AMSAT for the above information.]

The 2024 AMSAT Field Day Rules

The AMSAT Field Day 2024 event is open to all Amateur Radio operators. Amateurs are to use the exchange as specified in ARRL rules for Field Day. The AMSAT competition is to encourage the use of all amateur satellites, both analog and digital. Note that no points will be credited for any contacts beyond the ONE allowed via each single-channel FM satellite. Operators are encouraged not to make any extra contacts via theses satellites (Ex: SO-50). CW contacts and digital contacts are worth three points as outlined below.

Analog Transponders

ARRL rules apply, except:

Each phone, CW, and digital segment ON EACH SATELLITE TRANSPONDER is considered to be a separate band.
CW and digital (FT-4, RTTY, PSK-31, etc.) contacts count THREE points each.
Stations may only count one (1) completed QSO on any single channel FM satellite. If a satellite has multiple modes such as V/u and L/s modes both turned on, one contact each is allowed. If the both ISS stations are operational, one QSO on each mode (1 phone and 1 digital), Contacts with the ISS crew will count for one contact if they are active. Greencube (1 digital).
The use of more than one transmitter at the same time on a single satellite transponder is prohibited.

Digital Transponders

Satellite digipeat QSO’s and APRS short-message contacts are worth three points each, but must be complete verified two-way exchanges. The one contact per FM satellite is not applied to digital transponders.

The use of terrestrial gateway stations or internet gateways (i.e. EchoLink, IRLP, etc.) to uplink/downlink is not allowed.

For ‘Store and Forward’ hamsats, each satellite is considered a separate band. Do not post “CQ” messages. Simply upload ONE greeting message to each satellite and download as many greeting messages as possible from each satellite. The subject of the uploaded file should be posted as Field Day Greetings, addressed to ALL. The purpose of this portion of the competition is to demonstrate digital satellite communications to other Field Day participants and observers. Do not reply to the Field Day Greetings addressed to ALL.

The following uploads and downloads count as three-point digital contacts.

(a) Upload of a satellite Field Day Greetings file (one per satellite).

(b) Download of Satellite Field Day Greetings files posted by other stations. Downloads of non-Field Day files or messages not addressed to ALL are not to be counted for the event. Save DIR listings and message files for later “proof of contact.”

You may make contacts with GreenCube, IO-117, and each one will count as 3 points as do other digital contacts.

Please note AMSAT uploaded messages do not count for QSO points under the ARRL rules.

Sample Satellite Field Day Greetings File:

KK5DO FD EL29 class 2A 20 participants

Note that the message stated the call, operating class, where they were located (the grid square) and how many operators were in attendance.

Operating Class

Stations operating portable and using emergency power (as per ARRL Field Day rules) are in a separate operating class from those at home connected to commercial power. On the report form simply check off Emergency or Commercial for the Power Source and be sure to specify your ARRL operating class (2A, 1C, etc.).

AND FINALLY…

The Satellite Summary Sheet should be used for submission of the AMSAT Field Day competition and be received by KK5DO (e-mail) by 11:59 P.M. CDT, Monday, July 23, 2024. This year, we are using the same due date as the ARRL. The only method for submitting your log is via e-mail to kk5do@amsat.org or kk5do@arrl.net. I have not had a mail-in entry in a very long time.

Add photographs or other interesting information that can be used in an article for the Journal.

You will receive an e-mail back (within one or two days) from me when I receive your e-mail submission. If you do not receive a confirmation message, then I have not received your submission. Try sending it again or send it to my other e-mail address.

Certificates will be awarded for the first-place emergency power/portable station at the AMSAT General Meeting and Space Symposium in the fall of 2024. Certificates will also be awarded to the second and third place portable/emergency operation in addition to the first-place home station running on emergency power. A station submitting high, award-winning scores will be requested to send in dupe sheets for analog contacts and message listings for digital downloads.

You may have multiple rig difficulties, antenna failures, computer glitches, generator disasters, tropical storms, and there may even be satellite problems, but the goal is to test your ability to operate in an emergency situation. Try different gear. Demonstrate satellite operations to hams that don’t even know the HAMSATS exist. Test your equipment. Avoid making more than ONE contact via the FM-only voice HAMSATS or the ISS, and enjoy the event!

[ANS thanks Bruce Paige, KK5DO, AMSAT Director Contests and Awards, AMSAT Board Member 2016-2024 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 AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for June 14

Two Line Elements or TLEs, often referred to as Keplerian elements or keps in the amateur community, are the inputs to the SGP4 standard mathematical model of spacecraft orbits used by most amateur tracking programs. Weekly updates are completely adequate for most amateur satellites. TLE bulletin files are updated daily in the first hour of the UTC day. New bulletin files will be posted immediately after reliable elements become available for new amateur satellites. More information may be found at https://www.amsat.org/keplerian-elements-resources/.

No changes reported this week.

[ANS thanks AMSAT Orbital Elements page 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.

Postponed until fall 2024.:
Instituto de Aplicação Fernando Rodrigues da Silveira (CAp-UERJ) and The State University of Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, direct via PY1AX
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS
The scheduled crewmember is Jeanette Epps, KF5QNU. The ARISS mentor is VE3TBD.
Contact is postponed until fall 2024.

The crossband repeater continues to be active (145.990 MHz up {PL 67} & 437.800 MHz down). If any crewmember is so inclined, all they have to do is pick up the microphone, raise the volume up, and talk on the crossband repeater. So give a listen, you just never know.

The packet system is also active (145.825 MHz up & down). The HamTV and SSTV systems are currently stowed.

As always, if there is an EVA, a docking, or an undocking; the ARISS radios are turned off as part of the safety protocol.

Note, all times are approximate. It is recommended that you do your own orbital prediction or start listening about 10 minutes before the listed time.

The latest information on the operation mode can be found at https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html

The latest list of frequencies in use can be found at https://www.ariss.org/contact-the-iss.html

[ANS thanks Charlie Sufana, AJ9N, one of the ARISS operation team mentors for the above information]

Upcoming Satellite Operations

KØJM will attempt to put the EN47/EN48 gridline on the air on Wednesday, June 19. Watch hams.at for details.

A growing number of satellite rovers are currently engaged in sharing their grid square activations on https://hams.at. By visiting the website, you gain easy access to comprehensive information about the operators responsible for activating specific grid squares. Additionally, you have the ability to assess the match score between yourself and a particular rover for a given pass, while also being able to identify the upcoming satellite passes that are accessible from your location.

[ANS thanks Ian Parsons, K5ZM, AMSAT rover page manager, for the above information]

AMSAT Ambassador Activities

AMSAT Ambassadors provide presentations, demonstrate communicating through amateur satellites, and host information tables at club meetings, hamfests, conventions, maker faires, and other events.

July 20, 2024
“Moon Day” Frontiers of Flight Museum
Love Field in Dallas, Texas
AMSAT volunteers needed! Contact tschuessler(at) amsat.org for more information.

August 17-18, 2024
Huntsville Hamfest
Huntsville, AL
AMSAT Booth and Forum
N8DEU and W4FCL

September 7, 2024
Greater Louisville Hamfest
Shepherdsville, KY
AMSAT Forum and Information Table
W4FCL

October 5, 2024
Central Kentucky Hamfest
Lexington, KY
AMSAT and Educational Satellites Forum and Information Table
AI4SR and W4FCL

October 5, 2024
North Star Radio Convention
Hennepin Technical College (North Campus)
Brooklyn Park, Minn.
AMSAT Forum and Information Table
KØJM and ADØHJ

[ANS thanks the AMSAT Events page for the above information]

Satellite Shorts From All Over

+ The U.S. spacewalk 90 planned for Thursday, June 13 at the International Space Station did not proceed as scheduled due to a spacesuit discomfort issue. NASA astronauts Tracy C. Dyson and Matthew Dominick, KCØTOR, completed taking off their spacesuits about an hour before the crew was anticipated to exit the Quest airlock. With consideration to NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test and other spaceflight operations, the next spacewalk will be Monday, June 24, followed by another on Tuesday, July 2, as was previously planned. The June 24 spacewalk will focus on radio frequency group hardware removal, while the content of the July 2 spacewalk is under evaluation and will be shared as available. The crew members on the station are healthy, and spacesuits are functioning as expected. [As always, if there is an EVA, a docking, or an undocking; the ARISS radios are turned off as part of the safety protocol. ANS thanks NASA for the above information.]

+ AMSAT-DL is organizing a symposium, flea market and general meeting in the radome of the Bochum Observatory, Germany on September 20-22, 2024. The radome will once again be dedicated to satellite and space research. AMSAT Deutschland e.V. and the Bochum Observatory are taking the positive experience of the anniversary conference in 2023 as an opportunity to inform AMSAT members and other space enthusiasts about current and future prospects for national and international space projects with a varied program. As the Radom is also the location of ESA’s education office in Germany (esero Germany), a goal is to make the symposium even more attractive in future and at the same time focus even more on current European space travel. [ANS thanks AMSAT-DL for the above information.]

+ SpaceX’s enormous rocket took off again from South Texas on June 6, this time with the sole goal of bringing both the booster and ship softly back to Earth in (roughly) single pieces. An on-time launch of the world’s most powerful rocket delivered excitement from start to finish. Despite an engine out on launch and landing (with 33 engines total, Superheavy doesn’t care), the first stage was able to complete a nominal ascent, hot-staging, temporary hot-staging ring jettison, boost back, and landing burn—all with enough precision that previously deployed buoy cams were able to capture its soft splashdown. [ANS thanks The Orbital Index for the above information.]

+ Russian cosmonaut and ISS commander Oleg Konenko became the first person to reach 1,000 cumulative days in space as of June 4. The milestone comes amid his fifth flight to space and during his third stint as the commander of the ISS. His most recent trip to the orbiting laboratory began with a launch aboard the Soyuz MS-24 spacecraft on Sept. 15, 2023, alongside cosmonaut Nikolai Chub and NASA astronaut Loral O’Hara, KI5TOM. He’s scheduled to return with Chub and NASA astronaut Tracy Dyson in September 2024. [ANS thanks Spaceflight Now for the above information.]

Join AMSAT today at https://launch.amsat.org/

In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership to:

* Societies (a recognized group, clubs or organization).
* 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 student rate for a maximum of 6 post-secondary years in this status.
* Memberships are available for annual and lifetime terms.

Contact info [at] amsat.org for additional membership information.

73 and remember to help Keep Amateur Radio in Space!

This week’s ANS Editor, Mark Johns, KØJM
k0jm [at] amsat.org

 The gang and I made our first QSO with Australia this week!

The QSO came bundled with two other DX contacts made with Project TouCans—all in a 16 minute window—which I'll write about soon. Our camping site is nestled below Anvil Mountain to the East and across the Million Dollar Highway from South Mineral Springs, about two miles north of Silverton, CO. We're surrounded by peaks on all sides. Bear Mountain peak is framed in my pictures of the rig.

Project TouCans was probably 20 feet up in its dipole. This turned out to be difficult to show in photographs with the proper perspective. I finally decided to make a gif of different zoom levels of a single photo. The picture below starts out focused on Bear Mountain Peak and then zooms out to include the rig and the ground outside my partner's and my tent.

You can see the Bluetooth transmitter that brings the head phone audio down to the ground hanging from the bottom of the rig.

The campsite is gorgeous and almost completely bug free. I managed to make it out on one hike. Tawnse—the nine year-old—our puppy, and I were treated to views like this

That brings us to the circumstances of the QSO with VK3YV, the first DX QSO of that morning. Here's our campsite from a way's out showing the F2 skip path (estimated using real-time data from the Boulder, CO ionosonde), as well as the path of the QSO along the ground. 

So, with all those mountains in the way, how did we talk to Australia?

Project TouCans threaded the valley to the west of our campsite! Check this out!

I'll leave you with the map of the QSO so you can trace along the path at your leisure. Use the time control in the lower left corner or the slider along the bottom of the map to locate the QSO at 12:40 UTC. From there, you can zoom in and out using a mouse center-button wheel. You can also tilt by holding down the control key, and then moving the map using the left mouse button.

Update

Due to a bug in the ionosonde code that I'd immediately introduced, the F2 layer height was not 307 km as shown in the diagram above. It was in fact, 235 km over Hawaii which had data at the time, (Boulder, CO in fact did not), and which was closer to the middle of the QSO path as well. The difference in F2 height resulted in the first mountain intersection that used to look like this

with the incorrect data looking like this with the new F2 height data

References

Ionosonde Data

This was made possible with data collected by 

Reinisch, B. W., and I. A. Galkin, Global ionospheric radio observatory (GIRO), Earth, Planets, and Space, 63, 377-381, doi:10.5047/eps.2011.03.001, 2011.

• http://spase.info/SMWG/Observatory/GIRO

In this edition:

* Last Remaining CubeSatSim Kits Available in AMSAT Store
* Setting Up Your Own Satellite Ground Station with SatNOGS
* SpaceX Aims for Successful Reentry in Fourth Starship Test Flight
* GridMasterMap Satellite Top 100 Rovers June 2024 Rankings
* Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for May 31, 2024
* ARISS News
* Upcoming Satellite Operations
* Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events
* Satellite Shorts From All Over

The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and information 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 communicating through analog and digital Amateur Radio satellites.

The news feed on https://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

You can sign up for free e-mail delivery of the AMSAT News Service Bulletins via the ANS List; to join this list see: https://mailman.amsat.org/postorius/lists/ans.amsat.org/

ANS-154 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

To: All RADIO AMATEURS
From: Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation
712 H Street NE, Suite 1653
Washington, DC 20002

DATE 2024 Jun 02

Last Remaining CubeSatSim Kits Available in AMSAT Store

The final batch of CubeSatSim Kits are now available for purchase have completely sold out in the AMSAT Store. As of Saturday, June 1 at 1600 UTC, these kits are on sale were on sale for $400, including shipping to U.S. addresses. Offering a hands-on experience, the CubeSatSim Kit requires minimal soldering and assembly, making it accessible for both educational and public demonstration purposes. Watch for announcements of future availability of the CubeSatSim Kits from AMSAT.

Editor’s Note: The last available CubeSatSim Kit was purchased around 1815 UTC on Saturday June 1st. Article was left in this week’s ANS to share updated information on the CubeSatSim project.

The CubeSatSim Kit includes:

• Fully assembled and tested PCBs (STEM Payload, Solar, and Battery Boards)
• Raspberry Pi Zero WH with a Pi Camera and fully programmed micro-SD card, along with a fully programmed Raspberry Pi Pico WH
• AMSAT logo Remove Before Flight tag switch
• 3D printed frame, nylon screws, and nuts, with a mini screwdriver included for assembly
• Metal standoffs, stacking headers, and JST jumpers for stacking the PCBs and Pi Zero WH
• 10 solar panels with JST connectors and mounting tape, requiring minimal soldering
• BME280 sensor (pressure, temperature, altitude, humidity) and MPU6050 IMU/gyro with male pin headers for easy socket connection
• Two 6″ SMA coax cables and two SMA antennas

The kit also comes with an instruction sheet, parts inventory, and links to online instructions. Assembly time is estimated to be under two hours, with a soldering iron, solder, scissors, and the provided mini screwdriver required.

For those interested in creating their own CubeSatSim, Beta v1.3 blank PCB sets are available at the AMSAT Store for $35. These require additional components, which can be purchased for approximately $300 using the provided Bill of Materials.

For detailed updates, visit: https://www.amsat.org/amsat-cubesatsim-beta-release-v1-3/

Additional resources include:

• Kit Instructions          https://cubesatsim.org/kit-beta
• Kit Videos                    https://cubesatsim.org/kit-videos-beta
• Discussion Forum      https://github.com/alanbjohnston/CubeSatSim/discussions
• Quick Start Guide      https://cubesatsim.org/qsg-beta

For more information or to borrow a loaner CubeSat Simulator, contact Alan Johnston, AMSAT VP Educational Relations, at ku2y [at] arrl.net.

How to Order
Kits will be sold exclusively on the AMSAT Store website.
Only U.S. shipping addresses are eligible; orders with non-U.S. addresses will be refunded and closed.

About CubeSatSim
CubeSatSim is a low-cost satellite emulator powered by solar panels and batteries. It transmits UHF radio telemetry and can be expanded with additional sensors and modules, making it ideal for educational and public demonstrations.

Get Involved
During the beta period, purchasers are encouraged to test the new hardware and software and provide feedback on the instructions and documentation. Past purchasers of the CubeSatSim v1 PCB board sets are eligible for a free upgrade to the v1.3 set of PCB boards by contacting ku2y [at] arrl.net.

[ANS thanks Alan Johnston, KU2Y, AMSAT Vice President Educational Relations for the above information]

Setting Up Your Own Satellite Ground Station with SatNOGS

Robert Theiss, W5ITR, had the pleasure of interviewing Dan White, ADØCQ, from the Libre Space Foundation at the 2024 Dayton Hamvention about their innovative SatNOGS project. This initiative enables anyone to set up a satellite ground station, collect valuable data, and contribute to global satellite operations. You can watch the interview here on the Digital Rancher YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edNfD_YXZps

Dan explained that SatNOGS provides detailed blueprints and documentation for building a satellite ground station from scratch. The foundation offers the necessary software, identifies accessible hardware, and maintains the infrastructure that allows citizen scientists to engage in satellite-related sciences. Their vision of making outer space open and accessible through open-source technology is truly inspiring.

Setting up a basic SatNOGS station is surprisingly straightforward. All you need is a Raspberry Pi and an RTL-SDR dongle. Dan explained the process: the Libre Space Foundation provides a ready-to-use image for the Raspberry Pi, which includes the operating system and necessary configurations. You just create an account, register your station, and schedule a test observation.

One of the most fascinating aspects of SatNOGS is its network of interconnected ground stations. Once your station is set up, it can schedule satellite passes and collect data, even while you’re asleep. This data is shared across the network, allowing other users to access it, and vice versa. This system ensures continuous monitoring and data collection, maximizing the utility of each station.

The SatNOGS community is highly active and supportive. The forums on the Libre Space Foundation’s website are a great resource for troubleshooting, sharing experiences, and staying updated on new satellite launches and developments.

Dan shared insights into practical aspects such as bandwidth requirements and equipment wear and tear. While the data collected by a SatNOGS station can be bandwidth-intensive, there are settings to optimize for lower bandwidth situations by disabling audio uploads. Additionally, proper setup and maintenance of antennas and rotators can ensure long-term operation without significant issues.

The Libre Space Foundation and its SatNOGS project provide a unique opportunity for anyone interested in satellite and space communications to get involved. Their open-source approach and comprehensive support make it accessible even for beginners. Setting up your own satellite ground station is a rewarding experience, contributing to global space exploration and satellite communication. Check out the resources at https://satnogs.org and get involved!

[ANS thanks Robert Theiss, W5ITR, for the above information]

The 2024 AMSAT President’s Club coins are here now!
Help Support GOLF and Fox Plus

Join the AMSAT President’s Club today and help
Keep Amateur Radio in Space!
https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/

SpaceX Aims for Successful Reentry in Fourth Starship Test Flight

SpaceX is targeting June 6th for the fourth test flight of its Starship megarocket, aiming to demonstrate the rocket’s ability to survive reentry, according to founder and CEO Elon Musk. This objective marks a crucial step in proving the reusability of the world’s most powerful rocket, following three prior test flights that showcased its capacity to reach space.

On May 20th, SpaceX carried out a crucial test by loading over 10 million pounds of super-cold methane and liquid oxygen propellants into the Super Heavy booster and the Starship upper stage. This practice countdown, which concluded before engine ignition, was one of the last major tests before the rocket’s flight. Following the test, the launch team drained the propellants, and ground crews removed the Starship upper stage to perform additional work on its heat shield.

The next steps include installing the rocket’s self-destruct mechanism, to be used if the vehicle deviates off course, and securing a commercial launch license from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The FAA is reviewing the results of SpaceX’s previous Starship test flight in March, which was classified as a mishap after the vehicle lost control and disintegrated during reentry.

SpaceX has requested the FAA approve the upcoming launch before the mishap investigation concludes, arguing that the previous flight did not pose a public safety risk. An FAA spokesperson indicated that this could expedite the licensing process if no public safety issues are identified.

Unlike the March test flight, which included several experiments such as payload bay door operations and liquid oxygen transfer, the upcoming mission will concentrate on controlling the reentry of both the Super Heavy booster and the Starship upper stage. Both components broke apart during descent in the last flight.

SpaceX aims for the Super Heavy booster, named Booster 11, to achieve a controlled splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico, while the Starship upper stage, known as Ship 29, will attempt to survive the extreme reentry conditions. The rocket is equipped with about 18,000 hexagonal heat-absorbing ceramic tiles to protect its stainless-steel structure during reentry, where temperatures can reach approximately 2,600°F (1,430°C).

Musk has indicated that, assuming a successful splashdown, SpaceX could attempt landing a Super Heavy booster back at the Texas launch pad as early as the fifth test flight later this year. However, due to harsher reentry conditions from orbital velocity, landing the Starship upper stage might take longer.

“For us, primarily, it’s the successful light of those Raptor engines and achieving main stage with all of them on Booster 11,” said Lisa Watson-Morgan, manager of NASA’s Human Landing System. The next flight aims to ensure consistent engine performance, crucial for SpaceX and NASA’s lunar ambitions.

Reigniting Raptor engines in space is essential for future missions, but SpaceX is taking a step-by-step approach. “If we can’t light all 33 engines on the booster, and if we can’t light all six engines on the ship, then we’re going to have trouble getting to where we need to go,” Watson-Morgan said. “So it’s basically a building-block approach.”

As SpaceX prepares for its fourth Starship test flight, the focus on surviving reentry represents a critical hurdle in its mission to develop a fully reusable rocket system capable of reaching, and returning from, space.

[ANS thanks Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, for the above information]

GridMasterMap Satellite Top 100 Rovers June 2024 Rankings

The June 2024 rankings for the Top 100 Rovers (Mixed LEO/MEO/GEO) in satellite operations, as determined by @GridMasterMap on Twitter, has been released. The ranking is determined by the number of grids and DXCC entities activated, taking into account only those grids where a minimum number of QSOs logged on the gridmaster.fr website have been validated by a third party. Grid numbers do not directly reflect the exact number of activations. Satellite operators are encouraged to upload their LoTW satellite contacts to https://gridmaster.fr in order to provide more accurate data.

Updated: 2024-06-01

[ANS thanks @GridMasterMap for the above information]

Need new satellite antennas?
Purchase an M2 LEO-Pack 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/

Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for May 31, 2024

Two Line Elements or TLEs, often referred to as Keplerian elements or keps in the amateur community, are the inputs to the SGP4 standard mathematical model of spacecraft orbits used by most amateur tracking programs. Weekly updates are completely adequate for most amateur satellites. TLE bulletin files are updated daily in the first hour of the UTC day. New bulletin files will be posted immediately after reliable elements become available for new amateur satellites. More information may be found at https://www.amsat.org/keplerian-elements-resources/.

The following satellites have been removed from this week’s AMSAT-NA TLE distribution:
+ SO-114 NORAD Cat ID 51081 Decayed from orbit on or about 25 May 2024
+ SO-115 NORAD Cat ID 51080 Decayed from orbit on or about 26 May 2024
+ HODOYOSHI-1 NORAD Cat ID 40299 No Amateur Satellite Service payload

[ANS thanks AMSAT Orbital Elements page 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.

+ Recently Completed Contacts

Children’s Technopark “Quantorium”, Obninsk, Russia, direct via TBD
The ISS callsign was RSØISS
The scheduled crewmember was Aleksandr Grebyonkin RZ3DSE
The ARISS mentor was RV3DR
Contact was successful Mon 2024-05-27 14:10 UTC

Aznakaevsky district of the Tatarstan Republic, Russia, direct via TBD
The ISS callsign was RSØISS
The scheduled crewmember was Aleksandr Grebyonkin RZ3DSE
The ARISS mentor is RV3DR
Contact was successful 2024-05-31 Fri 12:30 UTC

+ Upcoming Contacts

“Creativity Development Center” in Pugachev, Russia, direct via TBD
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS
The scheduled crewmember is Aleksandr Grebyonkin RZ3DSE
The ARISS mentor is RV3DR
Contact is go for 2024-06-03 10:00:00 UTC

Belmont Elementary School, Woodbridge, VA, direct via KM4TAY
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS
The scheduled crewmember is Jeanette Epps KF5QNU
The ARISS mentor is AA4KN
Contact is go for: Mon 2024-06-03 16:03:00 UTC

Agrupamento de Escolas Dr. Serafim Leite, São João da Madeira, Portugal, direct via CS2ASL
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS
The scheduled crewmember is Matthew Dominick KCØTOR
The ARISS mentor is IKØUSO
Contact is go for: Thu 2024-06-06 10:33:44 UTC

Expect ISS radio outage for Progress 88 docking from May 31 1720 UTC until June 2 1415 UTC. The crossband repeater continues to be active (145.990 MHz up {PL 67} & 437.800 MHz down). If any crewmember is so inclined, all they have to do is pick up the microphone, raise the volume up, and talk on the crossband repeater. So give a listen, you just never know.

The packet system is also active (145.825 MHz up & down).

As always, if there is an EVA, a docking, or an undocking; the ARISS radios are turned off as part of the safety protocol.

Note, all times are approximate. It is recommended that you do your own orbital prediction or start listening about 10 minutes before the listed time.

The latest information on the operation mode can be found at https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html

The latest list of frequencies in use can be found at https://www.ariss.org/contact-the-iss.html

[ANS thanks Charlie Sufana, AJ9N, one of the ARISS operation team mentors for the above information]

Upcoming Satellite Operations

G0ABI will activate grid square IN79 from the historic Lizard Wireless Station at Bass Point via GreenCube (IO-117) satellite on June 6th. Lizard Wireless Station is the site where Guglielmo Marconi conducted his pioneering wireless experiments in 1900. Marconi proved radio communication over the horizon by receiving a transmission from the Isle of Wight in 1901 and later received the first SOS call in 1910. His work at “The Lizard” led to the first transatlantic radio signal, paving the way for global wireless communication. Celebrate Marconi’s legacy by making contact with G0ABI from this iconic location. For more details about the Lizard Wireless Station, visit https://shorturl.at/DMZ68.

A growing number of satellite rovers are currently engaged in sharing their grid square activations on https://hams.at. By visiting the website, you gain easy access to comprehensive information about the operators responsible for activating specific grid squares. Additionally, you have the ability to assess the match score between yourself and a particular rover for a given pass, while also being able to identify the upcoming satellite passes that are accessible from your location.

[ANS thanks Ian Parsons, K5ZM, AMSAT Rover Page Manager, for the above information]

Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events

AMSAT Ambassadors provide presentations, demonstrate communicating through amateur satellites, and host information tables at club meetings, hamfests, conventions, maker faires, and other events.

“Moon Day” at the Frontiers of Flight Museum
AMSAT and Amateur Radio satellites will be presented to the general public as part of this annual space themed STEAM event.  Volunteers to help at the table space and to do contact demos are welcome.  Contact tschuessler [at] amsat.org for more information.

July 20th, 2024
Dallas Love Field Airport
8008 Herb Kelleher Way
Dallas, TX 75235
https://flightmuseum.com/events/

38th Annual Small Satellite Conference
August 3-8, 2024
Logan, UT, USA
https://smallsat.org

Northeast HamXpostion
August 22-25, 2024
Best Western Royal Plaza Hotel & Trade Center
181 Boston Post Road W
Marlborough, MA 01752

2024 AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting
October 25-27, 2024
Doubletree by Hilton Tampa Rocky Point Waterfront
3050 North Rocky Point Drive West
Tampa, FL 33607

[ANS thanks the AMSAT Events page for the above information]

Want to fly the colors on your own grid expedition?
Get an 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

 POTA activation from Silverton in twenty-one minutes!

Project TouCans had one of its highest ever antenna placements.

I'm loving the, (very real), yet very sci-fi look of what's going on with the F2 skips from this rig at this location

Turns out, it's line of sight between mountains from here

QSO Map

Here's the map you can steer around in on your own! Remember, click play in the lower left hand corner, then move the time slider all the way to the left. You'll be able to see all the QSO paths and their F2 skip paths (based on Boulder, CO ionosonde data at the time of the QSO.) If you click play again, you'll be able to see how the QSOs played out over time.

Notes

Difference in Altitude

I'm still working through getting the F2 traces to routinely emit from the ground. This time, Google Maps said the elevation here was 2982.468 m, but Cesium is happier with 2947.468 m, co about 35 meters lower than expected. Even then, we're not on the ground

SQL Query

select

  tx_lng,

  tx_lat,

  rx_lng,

  rx_lat,

  rm_rnb_history_pres.timestamp,

  rm_rnb_history_pres.dB,

  rm_rnb_history_pres.Spotter,

  haversine(tx_lat, tx_lng, rx_lat, rx_lng) as total_path,

  gis_partial_path_lat(tx_lat, tx_lng, rx_lat, rx_lng, 200) as el_lat,

  gis_partial_path_lng(tx_lat, tx_lng, rx_lat, rx_lng, 200) as el_lng,

  id,

  strftime('%Y%m%d', timestamp) as date,

  strftime('%H%M', timestamp) as time,

  'US-4399' as park,

  'KD0FNR' as call,

  'BC840' as ionosonde,

  2947.468 as elev_tx

from

  rm_rnb_history_pres

where

  dB > 100

  and timestamp > '2024-05-29'

  and timestamp < '2024-05-30'

order by

  rm_rnb_history_pres.timestamp desc

SQL Query for RBN and QSOs

Due to a bug/oversight in the system, I have to run with tx location coordinates set in the query when I want to include RBN spots, so here's that query

select

  -107.7179358 as tx_lng,

  37.8227611 as tx_lat,

  rx_lng,

  rx_lat,

  rm_rnb_history_pres.timestamp,

  rm_rnb_history_pres.dB,

  rm_rnb_history_pres.Spotter,

  haversine(tx_lat, tx_lng, rx_lat, rx_lng) as total_path,

  gis_partial_path_lat(tx_lat, tx_lng, rx_lat, rx_lng, 200) as el_lat,

  gis_partial_path_lng(tx_lat, tx_lng, rx_lat, rx_lng, 200) as el_lng,

  id,

  strftime('%Y%m%d', timestamp) as date,

  strftime('%H%M', timestamp) as time,

  'US-4408' as park,

  'KD0FNR' as call,

  'BC840' as ionosonde,

  2947.468 as elev_tx

from

  rm_rnb_history_pres

where

  timestamp > '2024-05-29'

  and timestamp < '2024-05-30'

order by

  rm_rnb_history_pres.timestamp desc

References

Ionosonde Data

This was made possible with data collected by 

Reinisch, B. W., and I. A. Galkin, Global ionospheric radio observatory (GIRO), Earth, Planets, and Space, 63, 377-381, doi:10.5047/eps.2011.03.001, 2011.

• http://spase.info/SMWG/Observatory/GIRO

 We got to camp a bit more in the middle of nowhere than we usually do while traveling across Utah last weekend. My partner found the Burr Trail Scenic Byway. I've looked for a route across southern Utah for the last several years, but had somehow missed this really nice, well-paved, little road.

We camped at the foot of an East-facing cliff, and the QSO map for the POTA reflected that fact pretty nicely:

How? How had the signal cleared the cliff and skipped out to Perris, CA?

Using data from the Boulder, CO ionosonde, at the time Project TouCans was spotted in California, the F2 layer skip is modeled in the gif below. Note that it clears the mesa, (just barely.)

The other skip off to the Southeast was headed to the Cayman Islands. All of the skewing around is to convince myself that the the F2 path lines up with the path to the spotting station. You'll notice that there's a slight elevation offset that needs to be fixed.

More Notes on the POTA

I blew out my knee a bit sitting on the ground outside the tent for a three hour podcast interview on Friday night, consequently, the gang did most of the station set up including deploying Project TouCans in its dipole. Throughout that process, the family pup kept me company

When the gang were done, we had what, for Project TouCans, was a fairly typical antenna height of about five feet over the ground

One really interesting aspect of this POTA was that I didn't have the ability to Internet spot myself. Frankly, I wasn't sure it was going to work out at all, and for the longest time from about 00:02 GMT 24-05-27 till 13:50 GMT on the same day, it didn't. (Yes, I was asleep for most of that time with the rig turned off.) And then! Thanks—I think—to a few neighboring POTA stations, ops started to realize that TouCans was there! It may have also helped that my first QSO with WI5D was a bit of a rag chew.

Also, while hanging out on the cliff, the gang found an interesting mineral/quartz/mica/I don't know sample of rock. It was flat, broke easily, and contained pockets of crystals that were translucent. Any ideas what this might be?

For the moment, I'll leave you with this map of all the spots and QSOs for the POTA over the course of the evening, and into the next morning. Click play, then move the time slider all the way back to the left to see all the spots and QSOs with their associated F2 skips at once. Then, you can hit play to see how it all unfolded. (Keep in mind, the overnight nothingness is included in the map. You may want to skip over that.)

As a final note, while I'm waiting for all the F2 data to come back, I've been trying to convince the gang that the F2-height datastream from the Boulder, CO ionosonde 

is in fact entered manually by a room of accountants not unlike those in John Wick, but to no avail. I guess they're just digital natives :) 

Ah! And credits to where the ionosonde data actually is coming from

This was made possible with data collected by 

Reinisch, B. W., and I. A. Galkin, Global ionospheric radio observatory (GIRO), Earth, Planets, and Space, 63, 377-381, doi:10.5047/eps.2011.03.001, 2011.

• http://spase.info/SMWG/Observatory/GIRO

In this edition:

* AMSAT at Hamvention
* Save the Date! Symposium 2024
* Multiple QO-100 DX-Peditions to VO1
* Lost and Found: Missing Satellite Rediscovered
* Starliner: A Decade of Challenges
* 2024 AMSAT Board of Directors Election
* Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for May 16
* ARISS News
* Upcoming Satellite Operations
* Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events
* Satellite Shorts From All Over

The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and information 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 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

You can sign up for free e-mail delivery of the AMSAT News Service Bulletins via the ANS List; to join this list see: https://mailman.amsat.org/postorius/lists/ans.amsat.org/

ANS-140 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

To: All RADIO AMATEURS
From: Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation
712 H Street NE, Suite 1653
Washington, DC 20002

DATE 2024 May 19

AMSAT at Hamvention

This issue of the AMSAT News Service bulletins is being produced at the AMSAT booth at Hamvetion 2024 in Xenia, Ohio. AMSAT has a major presence at Hamvention, with booths devoted to teaching satellite basics, membership recruitment, the AMSAT Store, Engineering, Education, and the Ambassador program.

Traffic was heavy on Friday morning, May 17, as soon as Hamvention opened its doors. While some came directly to the AMSAT booth with their questions, or to make purchases at the Store, many other ham attendees were attracted by the displays as they wandered through the several Hamvention venues.

Volunteer members of the AMSAT Engineering team were on hand to show off models of the GOLF-Tee and Fox Plus satellites currently under construction. Engineering team members also discussed various projects that are part of the ASCENT program, developing possible components for future satellites.

At the Education booth, Cubesat SIM models were transmitting actual telemetry and slow-scan TV data across the table, demonstrating how these tools can be assembled and used in classrooms and other settings to provide hands-on instruction in satellite basics.

At the “Beginners Corner,” experienced satellite operators answered questions and helped the curious to understand how easy and exciting it is to get started in this fascinating aspect of the amateur radio hobby. Rain on Friday morning prevented live satellite demonstrations, but these took place as satellite passes and Hamvention circumstances permitted on Saturday and Sunday.

The sixteenth annual joint AMSAT/ TAPR Banquet was held on Friday evening at the Kohler Presidential Banquet Center in Kettering, Ohio, just south of Dayton. This year’s banquet speaker was Bill Reed, NX5R, AMSAT PACSAT Project Manager, who highlighted the forthcoming PACSAT digital communications payload. This payload is drawing on lessons learned from previous digital satellites to provide smoother operations for users in the future.

The AMSAT Forum was held on Saturday afternoon. Robert Bankston KE4AL, AMSAT President, highlighted recent activities within AMSAT and discussed some of our challenges, accomplishments, projects, and late breaking news (See following story). Jerry Buxton, NØJY, AMSAT Vice President for Engineering, provided a video status update about upcoming satellite missions currently in development. Alan Johnston, KU2Y, AMSAT Vice President Education Relations, spoke about opportunities for using the AMSAT CubeSat Simulator in educational settings. Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA, Vice President Operations, briefed those attending on the status of current satellites. And Frank Karnauskas, N1UW, Vice President of AMSAT Development, reported on the AMSAT Youth Initiative and its features.

Attendance was steady at all AMSAT exhibits throughout the Hamvention weekend, and satellite operators enjoyed meeting, fact to face, the voices and callsigns encountered on the satellites.

[ANS thanks Mark Johns, KØJM,  ANS Senior Editor, for the above information]

The 2024 AMSAT President’s Club coins are here now!
Help Support GOLF and Fox Plus

Join the AMSAT President’s Club today and help
Keep Amateur Radio in Space!
https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/

Save the Date! Symposium 2024

Mark your calendar now for the 2024 AMSAT Symposium, October 25-27, 2024 in Tampa, Florida!

AMSAT President Robert Bankston, KE4AL, announced this week at the Hamvention that the 2024 Symposium will be held October 25-27, 2024 at the Doubletree by Hilton Tampa Rocky Point Waterfront.

[ANS thanks AMSAT President Robert Bankston, KE4AL, for the above information]

Multiple QO-100 DX-Peditions to VO1

This week sees three separate groups operating from just outside the coverage footprint of the QO-100 satellite.

From Newfoundland the geostationary QO-100 satellite is nominally 1 degree below the horizon. After 5 years in orbit and much speculation, three groups are in the St. John’s area to try operating QO-100 with its S band uplink and 10GHz downlink.

First in Newfoundland was Gopan, M0XUU. He was operating with a 0.8m dish from just north of the harbor entrance and updates could be found on the QO-100 DX Club web site. https://qo100dx.club/ Despite frequency periods of no signal or deep QSB, Gopan managed to work stations via FT8, FT4, and CW. After a week on the air as VO1/M0XUU, Gopan left Newfoundland on May 15.

Arriving Monday 13 May and remaining until to Friday 17, was a Canadian team with a 1.8m dish and up to 100W. Poor weather hampered their operations. Details of the operation by Stefan Wagener, VE4SW, and John Langille, VE1CWJ, can be found at the QRZ.com page for special callsign, VO100QO at https://www.qrz.com/db/VO100QO

Finally, Graham Shirville, G3VZV, and David Bowman, G0MRF, arrived on Wednesday, May 15 with two sets of equipment and were active as VO1/G3VZV and VO1/G0MRF. They will fly back to the UK early Sunday, May 19. Operating from the old lighthouse keepers bungalow on the southern side of the harbor entrance, GN37PN85, they attempted working all modes including an attempt with DATV with a 175W S band amplifier. When not actively on the bands, a personal beacon was operating on 10489.539 MHz in CW to act as a propagation indicator.

[ANS thanks David Bowman, G0MRF, for the above information]

Need new satellite antennas?
Purchase 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/

Lost and Found: Missing Satellite Rediscovered

After 25 years lost in the vastness of space, a missing satellite has finally been located, highlighting the challenges of tracking the multitude of objects orbiting Earth. The rediscovery sheds light on the difficulty of monitoring the approximately 27,000 objects that populate Earth’s orbit, a number that continues to grow with each rocket launch and satellite deployment.

The satellite in question, the Infra-Red Calibration Balloon (S73-7), was part of the United States Air Force’s Space Test Program and was launched in 1974. Its purpose was to serve as a calibration target for remote sensing equipment, but a deployment failure left it adrift as space debris. Despite initial attempts to track its whereabouts, it vanished from ground-based sensors in the 1990s, only to resurface last month.

The Air Force’s KH-9 Hexagon satellite deployed the tiny IRCB (S73-7) satellite in 1974. (Illustration: U.S. Air Force)

Jonathan McDowell, an astrophysicist from the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, discovered the satellite’s reappearance while reviewing archival data. He explained that the satellite’s low radar cross section and possible malfunctioning equipment made it difficult to detect. This underscores the challenges faced by ground-based radar and optical sensors tasked with monitoring objects in orbit.

Tracking objects in space is akin to air traffic control, with sensors relying on identifying the orbit of moving objects and matching them with designated satellite orbits. However, this becomes increasingly complex as Earth’s orbit becomes more congested, particularly in geostationary orbit where monitoring is hindered by a lack of radars positioned precisely on the equator.

A screenshot of a screenshot of a graph Description automatically generated

The Department of Defense’s Space Surveillance Network currently tracks over 27,000 objects, predominantly defunct satellites and debris. As the number of satellites and rocket launches continues to rise, maintaining accurate tracking becomes crucial to mitigate the risk of collisions and space debris hazards.

While the rediscovery of the missing satellite serves as a reminder of the challenges of space tracking, it also underscores the importance of continued efforts to monitor and manage Earth’s orbital environment. With technology evolving and space activity increasing, effective space surveillance remains paramount to ensure the safety and sustainability of activities in Earth’s orbit.

[ANS thanks Passant Rabie, Gizmodo, for the above information]

Starliner: A Decade of Challenges

Boeing is delaying its first flight with humans on its Starliner spacecraft yet again, the company said on May 14. The launch, which has been delayed for years and was most recently scheduled for May 18, was pushed back until Tuesday afternoon, May 21 at the earliest because of a helium leak.

Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft marks the culmination of a tumultuous journey fraught with setbacks and challenges. What’s surprising isn’t merely Boeing’s eventual loss in the commercial crew space race to SpaceX but rather the fact that Boeing managed to reach this point at all.

The story traces back a decade when NASA’s human spaceflight leaders convened to select a replacement vehicle for the retired Space Shuttle. Boeing emerged as the frontrunner, backed by its illustrious history in spaceflight. However, the eventual decision to award contracts to both Boeing and SpaceX marked the beginning of Boeing’s struggle to adapt to the demands of a fixed-price environment.

Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft is lifted to be placed atop an Atlas V rocket for its first crewed launch. [Credit: NASA/Cory Huston]

Unlike SpaceX, which was already immersed in multiple space projects, Boeing found itself grappling with a new paradigm. Accustomed to cost-plus contracts, where expenses could be billed to the government, Boeing now faced the challenge of delivering a spacecraft within strict budget constraints. This shift exposed deep cultural and structural inefficiencies within the company.

Boeing’s difficulties were compounded by technical hurdles, particularly in software development and propulsion. Fragmented software teams and strained relationships with suppliers like Aerojet Rocketdyne hindered progress. The consequences of these challenges became evident during Starliner’s ill-fated uncrewed test flight in 2019, marred by critical software errors and propulsion anomalies.

Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner ahead of the Orbital Flight Test-2 (OFT-2) mission in 2022 [Credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky]

While Boeing struggled, SpaceX surged ahead, buoyed by its vertically integrated approach and a culture of innovation. SpaceX’s success underscored the shortcomings of Boeing’s traditional aerospace model, further exacerbated by broader crises within Boeing’s aviation division, notably the 737 MAX disasters and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Boeing’s tumultuous journey with Starliner offers valuable lessons about the perils of resisting change and the imperative of embracing innovation in the rapidly evolving space industry. Despite its setbacks, Boeing’s perseverance underscores the dedication of the engineers and technicians who tirelessly worked to bring Starliner to fruition.

[ANS thanks Eric Berger, Ars Technica, for the above information]

2024 AMSAT Board of Directors Election – Call for Nominations

AMSAT solicits nominations for the 2024 AMSAT Board of Directors election, to be held in the third quarter of the year. The seats of the following three incumbent Directors expire in 2024 and will be filled by this year’s election:

– Mark Hammond, N8MH
– Bruce Paige, KK5DO
– Paul Stoetzer, N8HM

Further, up to two Alternate Directors may be elected for one-year terms. A valid nomination for Director must be written and requires either one Member Society or five current individual members in good standing to nominate an AMSAT member. Written nominations, with the nominee’s name, call sign, and contact information, as well as the nominators’ names, call signs, and contact information, should be sent to the AMSAT Secretary:

Jeff Davis, KE9V
PO Box 11
Yorktown, IN 47396

AMSAT bylaws require that the nomination be written and in the form specified by the Secretary who has elected to accept written nomination materials via postal mail or in electronic form, including email or electronic image of a paper document. Fax transmissions cannot be accepted.

Email nominations may be sent to jdavis [at] amsat [dot] org.

No matter what means are used, petitions MUST be received by the Secretary no later than June 15th. The Secretary will verify the qualifications of candidates and nominating members or Member Societies as petitions are received and will notify candidates whether their nominations are in order by the end of June.

[ANS thanks Jeff Davis, KE9V, AMSAT Secretary 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 AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for May 16

Two Line Elements or TLEs, often referred to as Keplerian elements or keps in the amateur community, are the inputs to the SGP4 standard mathematical model of spacecraft orbits used by most amateur tracking programs. Weekly updates are completely adequate for most amateur satellites. TLE bulletin files are updated daily in the first hour of the UTC day. New bulletin files will be posted immediately after reliable elements become available for new amateur satellites. More information may be found at https://www.amsat.org/keplerian-elements-resources/.

The following satellite has been removed from this week’s AMSAT-NA TLE distribution:

CHOMPTT NORAD Cat ID 43855 Decayed from orbit on or about 13 May 2024

[ANS thanks Joe Fitzgerald, KM1P, AMSAT Orbital Elements page editor, 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.

COMPLETED:
Eric Knows CIC, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom, telebridge via K6DUE
The scheduled crewmember was Matthew Dominick, KCØTOR. The ARISS mentor was MØXTD
Contact was scheduled for: Sat 2024-05-11 08:42:32 UTC 48 degrees elevation

UPCOMING:
Ulukulevo Secondary School, Ulukulevo, Bashkortostan, Russia, direct via TBD
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS
The scheduled crewmember is Nikolay Chub. The ARISS mentor is RV3DR.
Contact is go for Wed 2024-05-22 15:05 UTC

Amur State Medical Academy, Blagoveshchensk, Russia, direct via TBD
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS
The scheduled crewmember is Nikolay Chub. The ARISS mentor is RV3DR.
Contact is go for Thu 2024-05-23 10:25 UTC

Children’s Technopark “Quantorium”, Obninsk, Russia, direct via TBD
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS
The scheduled crewmember is Aleksandr Grebyonkin, RZ3DSE. The ARISS mentor is RV3DR.
Proposed for Mon 2024-05-27 14:10 UTC

The crossband repeater continues to be ACTIVE (145.990 MHz up {PL 67} & 437.800 MHz down). If any crewmember is so inclined, all they have to do is pick up the microphone, raise the volume up, and talk on the crossband repeater. So give a listen, you just never know.

The packet system is also ACTIVE (145.825 MHz up & down). Digital amateur television operations (2395.00 MHz down) is currently STOWED.

As always, if there is an EVA, a docking, or an undocking; the ARISS radios are turned off as part of the safety protocol. Upcoming:
+ Powering off for Progress undocking on May 28. OFF TBD. ON TBD.
+ Powering off for Progress docking on June 01. OFF TBD. ON TBD.

Note, all times are approximate. It is recommended that you do your own orbital prediction or start listening about 10 minutes before the listed time.

The latest information on the operation mode can be found at https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html

The latest list of frequencies in use can be found at https://www.ariss.org/contact-the-iss.html

[ANS thanks Charlie Sufana, AJ9N, one of the ARISS operation team mentors for the above information]

Upcoming Satellite Operations

No rovers have reported operations as of this publication date. Please submit any rover operations to k5zm (at) comcast (dot) net.

A growing number of satellite rovers are currently engaged in sharing their grid square activations on https://hams.at. By visiting the website, you gain easy access to comprehensive information about the operators responsible for activating specific grid squares. Additionally, you have the ability to assess the match score between yourself and a particular rover for a given pass, while also being able to identify the upcoming satellite passes that are accessible from your location.

[ANS thanks Ian Parsons, K5ZM, AMSAT rover page manager, for the above information]

Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events

AMSAT Ambassadors provide presentations, demonstrate communicating through amateur satellites, and host information tables at club meetings, hamfests, conventions, maker faires, and other events.

Hamvention 2024
Continues through 1:00 p.m. EDT, Sunday May 19, 2024
Greene County Fairgrounds and Expo Center
120 Fairground Road
Xenia, OH 45385
https://hamvention.org

[ANS thanks the AMSAT Events page for the above information]

Satellite Shorts From All Over

+ Congratulations to Maksym “Max” Romenskyy, SA5IKN, M0SKN, US6IKN, EI6KC, who has earned his THIRD satellite Worked All Zones (WAZ) award, this time as EI6KC #121. This is the first WAZ Satellite Award in Ireland. He is also the first in the world to complete three WAZ Satellite Awards from three different locations in three countries. He already holds a special plague “IN RECOGNITION OF WORLD # 1 SAT WAZ AWARD WITH TWO CALLS” for WAZ awards #40 as SA5IKN (38 zones) and #92 as MØSKN. (ANS thanks Max Romenskyy, US6IKN, for the above information.)

+ Since April 28, 2019, the Swiss satellite net on QO-100 has been a consistent weekly event, marking its fifth anniversary on the same date in 2024. Hosted by HB9RYZ initially and later by HB9TSI from Italy, the round convenes every Sunday at 9:00 p.m. on 10489.740 MHz, typically with 5 to 10 participants, though 15 joined for the anniversary round. Led by Paul, HB9DFQ, the round maintains a familiar format: participants check in, share station updates and radio experiences, delve into topics, and bid farewell. Despite no specific celebration planned, the anniversary drew a hearty attendance. Notable moments include Roman, HB9HCF’s reports from Antarctica during the pandemic, while regular attendees like IS0/HB9SJP and supportive listeners add to the camaraderie. The inaugural round was preserved on Soundcloud by HB9WDF, encapsulating the enduring spirit of this community gathering. (ANS thanks AMSAT-HB for the above information for the above information)

+ The recently released GreenCube BackPack antenna by Arrow Antennas, designed specifically for IO-117 satellite communication, can now be purchased from their website for $219. It boasts a three-piece split boom design and 15 UHF elements, along with a pre-assembled and pre-tuned Gamma Match compatible only with BNC connectors. Engineered for maximum gain and efficiency, the antenna utilizes aluminum Arrow Shafts for its elements and a 3/4″ square boom measuring 116.8″ in length. Mounting near its balance point is recommended due to its weight, and plastic tips ensure safety. While the foam handle grip can be removed using isopropyl alcohol, using the tripod hole for mounting is discouraged due to balance issues. Additionally, customers have the option to purchase a separate element set for cross-polarized antenna configuration, priced at $99.00. Info at https://arrowantennas.com/arrowii/greencube.html (ANS thanks Arrow Antennas, for the above information.)

+ Prof. Robert “Bob” Twiggs, KE6QMD, and a group of former students and colleagues are working on gathering and publishing a series of books on the history of the creation and adoption of the CubeSat. Take a look at the LinkedIn announcement here: https://lnkd.in/eNZgv6Tk. If this sounds like something you’d be interested in supporting, please take a look at our GoFundMe page here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/cubesat-history-project. The community’s response has been amazing! Over a hundred interviews were conducted, and countless images and documents from the earliest days of the CubeSat were collected! The result is that we have accumulated one of the most comprehensive histories of the CubeSat, with many unique, never-before-told stories! Reach out if you are interested in sponsoring the project to get a signed copy and your organization’s name in the book. Please email Dr. Aaron Zucherman at azucherman@gmail.com. (ANS thanks Aaron Zucherman, KM6CHY, for the above information.)

+ Last week, as Sol continues to edge into the most active phase of its 11-year cycle, multiple massive X-class solar flares (the largest an X5.8 flare) erupted from associated active sunspots, along with coronal mass ejections (CMEs) directed towards Earth. This sustained activity caused a G5 solar storm last weekend (NOAA’s space weather scales for reference), leading to aurorae visible from middle latitudes as far south as Puerto Rico in the US and all over Europe. This was one of the most powerful solar storms since an estimated X28-45 flare in 2003 contributed to the 2003 Halloween solar storms that damaged or interrupted services from multiple spacecraft, saturated measurement instruments, and made ISS astronauts shelter in the more shielded Russian segment. (ANS thanks The Orbital Index for the above information.)

+ Japan’s Moon Sniper, also known as SLIM, has astounded experts by surviving its third lunar night, despite not being designed for such harsh conditions. Initially landing near the Shioli Crater on January 19, the spacecraft encountered an anomaly during descent, landing on its nose and facing west, hindering its solar panels’ ability to generate power. However, Moon Sniper continues to defy expectations by waking up after each lunar night, transmitting new images before going back into hibernation. Despite enduring both the extreme cold of the lunar night and the searing temperatures of the lunar day, the spacecraft has maintained functionality, prompting close monitoring from the mission team to identify potential deteriorating components. As Moon Sniper enters hibernation again, the team plans to resume operations in May, expressing gratitude for ongoing support and even composing a song titled “15 Degree Slope” to commemorate the mission’s unexpected journey. (ANS thanks CNN for the above information.)

Join AMSAT today at https://launch.amsat.org/

In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership to:

* Societies (a recognized group, clubs or organization).
* 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 student rate for a maximum of 6 post-secondary years in this status.
* Memberships are available for annual and lifetime terms.

Contact info [at] amsat.org for additional membership information.

73 and remember to help Keep Amateur Radio in Space!

This week’s ANS Editor, Mark Johns, KØJM
k0jm [at] amsat.org

 The recent pair of QSOs to Japan from Project TouCans from Great Basin National Park has me wondering about F2 layer ionospheric skip propagation again.

I got our F2 skips working for CZML. Here's a look at the skip path for JJ2JQF de KO6BTY. Notice the Earedson ionosonde is almost right in the middle

Here's the map to take a look at 

Note that the path goes for a little while underground. However, Hugyens:

Query for JJ2JQF

Query for JG0AWE

And the data went away!

Notice that the table on the left isn't there. Take a look at the JJ2JQF data (two days later) for comparison

Sources of Ionosphere and specifically F2 data from around the world

New to me: Mirrion ionosonde images from NOAA. I haven't seen this page before. Not super-useful to me because it points at images, not numeric data.

Lowell Digisonde Station list: Handy map of where stations exist.

CZML and HTML style comments

Accessing data via URL

We use an address like this

https://lgdc.uml.edu/common/DIDBGetValues?ursiCode=PA836&charName=hF2,hmF2&fromDate

to pull in ionosonde data. To access different stations, you need different ursiCode values, (one per station.) These can be found at https://www.digisonde.com/ under the URSI column.

This URL worked great in the browser, but thanks to this issue, stumbled a few times in the czml plugin's calls to get_f2m.

References

Ionosonde Data

 Today KO6BTY made a QSO to Japan from Great Basin National Park!!!

Just like last year!

I was using a bit more power this year. Project TouCans is running somewhere between 3 and 5 Watts at the moment.

He caught me just before the gang go the oatmeal ready, (we're camping on the edge of Great Basin National Park), On top of that, a RBN station in Japan had spotted Project TouCans about half an hour before. There wasn't a grey line between our locations, so I'm curious about what was going on, but delighted to have made the QSO!

Here's the activation in Cesium so you can see where the sun was in relation to the QSO. The QSO takes place at 14:49 near the end of the animation.

 Washi tape to the rescue again!

Tuesday morning, with Project TouCans working better that it had in days, I noticed that the ends of our stranded wire antenna had begun to fray out. I grabbed a roll of washi tape from my pocket, (who doesn't take washi tape on a radio outing?), and a few minutes later, voila

 The band's looking alright to Project TouCans this morning!

spotter	● spotted	distance mi	freq	mode	type	snr	speed	time	seen
K3PA-1	KD0FNR/6	1360 mi	14057.4	CW	CQ	8 dB	18 wpm	1244z 17 May	3 minutes ago
ND7K	KD0FNR/6	385 mi	14057.3	CW	CQ	7 dB	18 wpm	1244z 17 May	3 minutes ago
W6YX	KD0FNR/6	207 mi	14057.4	CW	CQ	13 dB	17 wpm	1244z 17 May	4 minutes ago
W1NT-2	KD0FNR/6	2601 mi	14057.4	CW	CQ	8 dB	17 wpm	1243z 17 May	5 minutes ago
W1UE	KD0FNR/6	2579 mi	14057.4	CW	CQ	4 dB	18 wpm	1242z 17 May	6 minutes ago
KO7SS	KD0FNR/6	533 mi	14057.3	CW	CQ	6 dB	18 wpm	1239z 17 May	8 minutes ago
TI7W	KD0FNR/6	2746 mi	14057.4	CW	CQ	8 dB	17 wpm	1238z 17 May	10 minutes ago
AC0C-1	KD0FNR/6	1376 mi	14057.4	CW	CQ	4 dB	17 wpm	1237z 17 May	10 minutes ago
ZF9CW	KD0FNR/6	2633 mi	14057.3	CW	CQ	9 dB	18 wpm	1237z 17 May	11 minutes ago
VE6WZ	KD0FNR/6	1154 mi	14057.2	CW	CQ	11 dB	18 wpm	1236z 17 May	12 minutes ago
W6YX	KD0FNR/6	207 mi	14057.4	CW	CQ	12 dB	18 wpm	1234z 17 May	14 minutes ago
K5TR	KD0FNR/6	1272 mi	14057.4	CW	CQ	5 dB	17 wpm	1234z 17 May	14 minutes ago
ND7K	KD0FNR/6	385 mi	14057.3	CW	CQ	12 dB	18 wpm	1234z 17 May	14 minutes ago
K3PA-1	KD0FNR/6	1360 mi	14057.4	CW	CQ	10 dB	17 wpm	1233z 17 May	14 minutes ago
W1NT-2	KD0FNR/6	2601 mi	14057.4	CW	CQ	4 dB	17 wpm	1232z 17 May	15 minutes ago
W4KAZ	KD0FNR/6	2261 mi	14057.3	CW	CQ	6 dB	18 wpm	1232z 17 May	16 minutes ago
K6FOD	KD0FNR/6	118 mi	14057.4	CW	CQ	4 dB	17 wpm	1231z 17 May	16 minutes ago
W3OA	KD0FNR/6	2145 mi	14057.4	CW	CQ	4 dB	17 wpm	1231z 17 May	16 minutes ago
ZF9CW	KD0FNR/6	2633 mi	14057.4	CW	CQ	6 dB	17 wpm	1230z 17 May	18 minutes ago
KA7OEI	KD0FNR/6	569 mi	14057.4	CW	CQ	16 dB	18 wpm	1229z 17 May	19 minutes ago
KO7SS	KD0FNR/6	533 mi	14057.4	CW	CQ	6 dB	18 wpm	1228z 17 May	20 minutes ago
VE6WZ	KD0FNR/6	1154 mi	14057.3	CW	CQ	12 dB	17 wpm	1226z 17 May	22 minutes ago
N0OI	KD0FNR/6	161 mi	14057.4	CW	CQ	7 dB	17 wpm	1225z 17 May	23 minutes ago
W6YX	KD0FNR/6	207 mi	14057.4	CW	CQ	12 dB	17 wpm	1224z 17 May	24 minutes ago
ND7K	KD0FNR/6	385 mi	14057.4	CW	CQ	8 dB	18 wpm	1224z 17 May	24 minutes ago
AC0C-1	KD0FNR/6	1376 mi	14057.4	CW	CQ	7 dB	17 wpm	1223z 17 May	24 minutes ago
K3PA-1	KD0FNR/6	1360 mi	14057.4	CW	CQ	12 dB	18 wpm	1223z 17 May	24 minutes ago
WA7LNW	KD0FNR/6	348 mi	14057.4	CW	CQ	6 dB	17 wpm	1223z 17 May	25 minutes ago
K5TR	KD0FNR/6	1272 mi	14057.4	CW	CQ	6 dB	18 wpm	1223z 17 May	25 minutes ago
TI7W	KD0FNR/6	2746 mi	14057.4	CW	CQ	5 dB	17 wpm	1223z 17 May	25 minutes ago
KA7OEI	KD0FNR/6	569 mi	14057.5	CW	CQ	28 dB	18 wpm	1218z 17 May	30 minutes ago
W8WWV	KD0FNR/6	2078 mi	14057.4	CW	CQ	5 dB	18 wpm	1218z 17 May	30 minutes ago
VE6WZ	KD0FNR/6	1154 mi	14057.4	CW	CQ	11 dB	21 wpm	1215z 17 May	33 minutes ago
K7CO	KD0FNR/6	530 mi	14057.5	CW	CQ	2 dB	21 wpm	1215z 17 May	33 minutes ago
W6YX	KD0FNR/6	207 mi	14057.5	CW	CQ	18 dB	20 wpm	1213z 17 May	34 minutes ago
ND7K	KD0FNR/6	385 mi	14057.4	CW	CQ	3 dB	21 wpm	1213z 17 May	34 minutes ago
K3PA-1	KD0FNR/6	1360 mi	14057.5	CW	CQ	17 dB	20 wpm	1213z 17 May	34 minutes ago
WA7LNW	KD0FNR/6	348 mi	14057.5	CW	CQ	7 dB	20 wpm	1213z 17 May	35 minutes ago
AC0C-1	KD0FNR/6	1376 mi	14057.5	CW	CQ	13 dB	20 wpm	1213z 17 May	35 minutes ago
K5TR	KD0FNR/6	1272 mi	14057.5	CW	CQ	9 dB	21 wpm	1213z 17 May	35 minutes ago

 The rig is back up and running.

I made two QSOs last night from the home QTH with a lot of noise! They were to KA6JLT in Reno, NV and and WN1Z in Susanville, CA from here in San Francisco.

This time, we did not measure the power out of Project TouCans. I suspect our several decades old Radio Shack power meter has given up the ghost, or there's something wonky in one of the cheapo connectors from Amazon.

As a side note, the radio is much quieter and works better when the RF output leads are soldered directly to the banana binding posts at the top of the rig that the antenna attaches to.

Side, side note. KO6BTY and I need to keep a slightly cleaner workbench. The rig sparked and vaporized a stray shred of wire yesterday once when we powered it up.

 Reading up on the Tuna Topper and funding for amateur radio projects

Since we're now blowing FETs on Project TouCans, and KO6BTY and I are giving a presentation about the rig to the San Francisco Amateur Radio Club on Friday, I've been reading up on amplifier theory. I really like this article explaining how the different classes of amplifiers work except for the horribly gendered  first paragraph.

In other reading news, (it's finals week for KO6BTY and I'm getting ready for our camping trip, so mostly all I've had time to do over the last few days is read), Simon Willison pointed out that the Amateur Radio Digital Communications group has grants for advancing the usage and technology of amateur radio. Here are some examples of what's been funded.

And finally, here's a link to the article that taught me how to increase power output on the Tuna Topper by upping the bias voltage. It's an even more cool article now that I know how the calls A Tuna Topper amplifier actually works.

To wrap things up, we're hoping to get TouCans back up and running today. Here's a nighttime look at the rig from the ground. The white object is the 10 meter rig's balun.

Or, how I learned to miss hard resetting RFI.

Up until about a week and a half ago, Project TouCans and the Flying Rockmite before it had never blown a final amplifier transistor. Our good fortune with transistors was caused in large part not by any particular genius in the construction or handling of the radio, but almost entirely to radio frequency interference. When too much RF energy was reflected back into the radio on key down, the Rockmite's picokeyer would reset chirping out an only slightly irritated 73 in Morse code. Hence, we couldn't use the rig, hence we changed the antenna or repaired the rig, or turned down the bias voltage on the Tuna Topper final until we could use the rig without resetting that little keyer.

Then! Then we did something that was both cool and, (we'd later find out), somewhat daunting. We removed the last of the wires that attached Project TouCans to the Earth and our RFI just went away. Which has been great for signal quality, and as it tuns out it's occasionally been hell on the amplifier.

At present count, we're three transistors down.

After the rig dropped from about 15 feet up to the ground recently, I did a quick inspection and then, (why!!!!??? why did I do that???), decided I'd measure the rig's output power since I hadn't done that in a while. The power meter reported 3 Watts. The rig nominally outputs 5 Watts. I adjusted the bias voltage on the Tuna Topper and.. still 3 Watts. I increased the voltage two more times, and? The final transistor blew out. (Eventually taking the rechargeable battery with it.) KO6BTY and I completed our debug yesterday, reattached the power meter, (which apparently no longer works since it reported 0 Watts at all bias voltages), and fairly quickly blew out the amp transistor again as I blithely upped the bias voltage.

Turns out I can't do that anymore. our keyer RFI safeguard is gone.

Interestingly, we did discover that when the bias is set to low on the amp, there's a whistling feedback tone that appears in the audio output. When the amp is biased correctly, and before it's biased too high and takes out the transistor, (i.e. in nominal operating mode), the whistling tone goes away. Audio debug lives on to a certain extent.

We'll be dropping in transistor number four tomorrow. I'll keep you posted.