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AMSAT NEWS SERVICE
ANS-222

The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and infor-
mation service of AMSAT, The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS
publishes news related to Amateur Radio in Space including reports on
the activities of a worldwide group of Amateur Radio operators who
share an active interest in designing, building, launching and commun-
icating through analog and digital Amateur Radio satellites.

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

Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to:
ans-editor 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: http://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/ans



In this edition:

* German Satellite Demonstrates Orbit Control on 1U CubeSat
* AMSAT CubeSat Simulator Now Transmits SSTV
* AMSAT-UK OSCAR Satellite QSO Party Ongoing
* Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events
* Upcoming Satellite Operations
* Satellite Shorts from All Over


SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-222.01
ANS-222 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 208.01
From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD.
DATE August 9, 2020
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-222.01

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Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the AMSAT office
is closed until further notice. For details, please visit
https://www.amsat.org/amsat-office-closed-until-further-notice/

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German Satellite Demonstrates Orbit Control on 1U CubeSat

The University of Wuerzburg Experimental Satellite 4 (UWE-4) success-
fully used its propulsion system in order to conduct orbit control.
The 1-unit (1U) CubeSat is equipped with an electric propulsion system
called NanoFEEP, developed by the Technical University in Dresden.
This marks the first time in CubeSat history that a 1U CubeSat has
changed its orbit using an onboard propulsion system. Several man-
euvers were performed within 11 days, between June 23 and July 3,
lowering the CubeSat's altitude by more than 100 meters (328 feet),
compared to an average of 21 meters (69 feet) with natural orbital
decay.

Coincidentally, on July 2, the UWE-4 team received a "conjunction data
message" from the US Air Force, indicating a potential safety threat
from a non-operational Iridium satellite, although UWE-4 was already
below the Iridium satellite at the projected time of conjunction.

Lowering the altitude of a spacecraft in low-Earth orbit (LEO) has the
negative effect of reducing its lifetime, because low-Earth-orbiting
(LEO) satellites usually burn up during re-entry. "Thus, this exper-
iment is a concept demonstration of a deorbiting maneuver shown at the
smallest class of spacecraft in LEO," the university said.

While satellites are not yet required to carry propulsion systems to
facilitate a planned deorbiting, such an obligation is under serious discussion, due to the vastly increasing number of satellites in mega constellations. "The experiment of UWE-4 presents a deorbiting sol-
ution for the fraction of space debris of operational, but unused,
satellites of today and for the mega constellations of tomorrow," the university said. AMSAT notes that US regulations make the ability to
deorbit a requirement for high-Earth-orbit amateur satellites in the
future.

The first activation of the NanoFEEP thruster on UWE-4 took place in
early 2019. UWE-4 transmits telemetry on 435.600 MHz.

[ANS thanks the ARRL for the above information]

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Purchase AMSAT Gear on our Zazzle storefront.
25% of the purchase price of each product goes
towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space
https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear

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AMSAT CubeSat Simulator Now Transmits SSTV

Did you have fun receiving SSTV images from the ISS this past week?
A new development branch of the AMSAT CubeSat Simulator now transmits
SSTV images! See https://github.com/alanbjohnston/CubeSatSim/tree/dev
for details.

A video of FlatSat testing can be found at: https://twitter.com/CubeSatSim/status/1291493708488232964

More information about the AMSAT CubeSat Simulator project can be
found at http://cubesatsim.com/


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

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AMSAT's GOLF Program is about getting back to higher orbits, and it
all begins with GOLF-TEE – a technology demonstrator for deployable
solar panels, propulsion, and attitude control. Come along for the
ride. The journey will be worth it!

https://tinyurl.com/ANS-GOLF

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AMSAT-UK OSCAR Satellite QSO Party Ongoing

The objective of the AMSAT-UK OSCAR Satellite QSO Party is to
encourage all radio amateurs around the world to get on the air and
make contacts via satellites during northern hemisphere summer. We
would like to attract both seasoned die-hard operators as well as all
newcomers who are just getting involved.

While points are given per QSO this isn’t a contest, but we hope it
will encourage people to get on the air and enjoy the excitement of
making contacts through satellites.

The AMSAT-UK OSCAR Satellite QSO Party will be supported by an online leaderboard which will be available from the start of the event which
runs from 00:00 GMT on 1st August until 23:59 GMT on 22nd September.

Prizes will be awarded to those from first to thirteenth place and
are open to both AMSAT-UK and non-members around the world.

● First Place £250 Amazon Voucher
● Second Place £150 Amazon Voucher
● Third Place £50 Amazon Voucher
● Fourth to Thirteenth Place One Year AMSAT-UK Membership

Download the rules for the AMSAT-UK OSCAR QSO Party at https://tinyurl.com/OSCAR-QSO-Party

Leaderboard https://leaderboard.amsat-uk.org/

[ANS thanks AMSAT-UK for the above information]

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Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events

Want to see AMSAT in action or learn more about amateur radio in
space?

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

Due to COVID-19, many hamfest and events around the United States have
been canceled or postponed. While we make every effort to ensure the information contained below is correct, there may be some that we
missed.

QSO Today Virtual Ham Expo - August 9, 2020
Tom Schuessler, N5HYP, will present "Getting Started with Amateur
Radio Satellites" at 22:45 UTC. Details on accessing this presentation
at https://www.qsotodayhamexpo.com/.


[ANS thanks Robert Bankston, KE4AL, AMSAT Vice President - User
Services, for the above information]

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Need new satellite antennas? Purchase Arrows, Alaskan Arrows,
and M2 LEO-Packs from the AMSAT Store. When you purchase through
AMSAT, a portion of the proceeds goes towards
Keeping Amateur Radio in Space.
https://amsat.org/product-category/hardware/

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Upcoming Satellite Operations

Misc Items:
Do you need Hawaii? NH7WN on AO-7 Most days. Reach out for a schedule

Quick Hits:
EM50, EM51 8/8 – 8/9 @KB5FHK is heading home to MS!
DM59, 8/8 – 8/10, @Ledger (Sorry AK7DD): FM and Linear. Maybe even the
58/59 gridline.
EM22, EM23, 8/10/20 @W4IPA, heading out for a mint rove!
DM97/98 & EM08/09, 8/29 & 8/30: Super Rover @AD0DX is heading out for
the Kansas QSO party and N0E. More to come.

Major Roves:
@AD0HJ, is heading out again for the South Dakota Super Rove Part II
Grids DN73, DN82, DN83, DN92, DN93, EN02, EN03, EN12, EN24, and EN25.
August 17th through August 21st.

EA8, CANARY ISLANDS (Reminder/Satellite Op/Rare Grid). Philippe,
EA4NF, will be operating on the satellites from Lanzarote Island,
Canary Islands (AF-004, WW Loc. IL38 & IL39), as EA8/EA4NF between
August 10-17th. A special focus will be from the very rare IL39 Grid.
Portable activation will be with a FT818 and a FT817ND operating in
full Duplex with an Alaskan Arrow Antenna. Activity will be on the FM
and Linear Satellites. QSL via LoTW as EA8/EA4NF. Keep an eye on
Philippe's Twitter feed for further updates and passes at: https://twitter.com/EA4NF_SAT

(Via the Ohio/Penn DX Bulletin #1475)

Please submit any additions or corrections to ke0pbr at gmail.com

[ANS thanks Paul Overn, KE0PBR, for the above information]

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AMSAT, along with our ARISS partners, is developing an amateur
radio package, including two-way communication capability, to
be carried on-board Gateway in lunar orbit.

Support AMSAT's projects today at https://www.amsat.org/donate/

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Satellite Shorts From All Over

+ AMSAT Vice President - Engineering Jerry Buxton, N0JY, was the
keynote speaker at the IEEE Microwave Theory and Techniques Society's International Microwave Symposium's Amateur Radio Social on August 4.
If video from the event is made public, it will be shared via AMSAT
social media and ANS.

+ Burns Fisher, WB1FJ, AMSAT Engineering, will deliver two
presentations at the AMSAT South Africa Symposium on August 22, 2020.
The virtual event will take place between 08:00 - 13:00 UTC. Attendees
may register at http://www.amsatsa.org.za/.

+ Several new products are available on the AMSAT Zazzle store,
including a set of coasters, a watch, a t-shirt featuring the AMSAT
round logo, and more. Check out the new items! 25% of the purchase
price goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space.

+ AMSAT Remove Before Flight keychains are again available on the
AMSAT store. Purchases help Keep Amateur Radio in Space! https://www.amsat.org/product/amsat-remove-before-flight-keychain/

+ Ballots for the 2020 AMSAT Board of Directors election were mailed
on July 14th via presorted standard mail to US addresses and via first
class mail to overseas addresses to all members in good standing as of
July 1st. Members desiring a replacement ballot package should contact
AMSAT Secretary Brennan Price, N4QX, at brennanprice@verizon.net no
earlier than August 12th. AMSAT members may log on to the membership
portal at launch.amsat.org to verify that their address was correct as
of July 1st. (via N4QX)

+ All issues of The AMSAT Journal dating back to 2014 are now
available to AMSAT members on AMSAT's new membership portal. The
1969-2013 archive will be added at a later date. All editions of
AMSAT's Symposium Proceedings are also available for members. If
you're a current AMSAT member, get logged on today. If you are not yet
a member, consider joining today at https://launch.amsat.org/

+ The 2020 edition of AMSAT’s Getting Started with Amateur Satellites
is now available on the AMSAT store. A perennial favorite, Getting
Started is updated every year with the latest amateur satellite
information, and is the premier primer of satellite operation. The
book is presented in DRM-free PDF format, in full color, and covers
all aspects of making your first contacts on a ham radio satellite.
The digital download is available for $15 at https://tinyurl.com/2020GettingStarted

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/EX

In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership in the
President's Club. Members of the President's Club, as sustaining
donors to AMSAT Project Funds, will be eligible to receive addi-
tional benefits. President's Club donations may be made at https://tinyurl.com/ANS-PresClub.

Primary and secondary school students are eligible for membership
at one-half the standard yearly rate. Post-secondary school students
enrolled in at least half time status shall be eligible for the stu-
dent rate for a maximum of 6 post-secondary years in this status.

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

73 and remember to help Keep Amateur Radio in Space,

This week's ANS Editor,

Paul Stoetzer, N8HM
n8hm at amsat dot org
_______________________________________________
Via the ANS mailing list courtesy of AMSAT-NA https://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/ans

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