• [ans] ANS-243 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

    From Mark Johns, K0JM via ANS@21:1/5 to All on Sat Aug 29 23:28:37 2020
    XPost: rec.radio.info

    AMSAT NEWS SERVICE
    ANS-243

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

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

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

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

    In this edition:

    * AMSAT Member David Minster, NA2AA, Elected ARRL CEO
    * Jeanette Epps, KF5QNU, Joins Starliner Mission To ISS
    * ANS Editors Wanted
    * CubeSat Challenge Seeks To Inspire, Prepare Students
    * Amateur License Fee Proposal From FCC
    * AO-92 (FOX-1D) Reverting to Safe Mode
    * GRBAlpha Frequency Coordination Completed
    * ARISS News
    * Upcoming Satellite Operations
    * Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events
    * Satellite Shorts From All Over


    SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-243.01
    ANS-243 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

    AMSAT News Service Bulletin 243.01
    From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD.
    DATE 2020 August 30
    To All RADIO AMATEURS
    BID: $ANS-243.01


    AMSAT Member David Minster, NA2AA, Elected ARRL CEO

    The ARRL Board of Directors has elected David Minster, NA2AA, of Wayne,
    New Jersey, as ARRL’s new Chief Executive Officer, starting on Septem-
    ber 28. Minster is currently Managing Partner at Talentrian Partners,
    a management consulting firm serving the consumer goods and luxury
    goods industries.

    Minster began his career as a software engineer, moving into management
    at Unilever, as a Chief Information Officer and moved on to several
    other companies in the course of his career, as CIO, COO, and CEO.

    Minster got his Novice license, WB2MAE, in 1977, when he was in his
    teens. He progressed from Advanced to Amateur Extra and, after a stint
    as NW2D, he settled on the vanity call sign NA2AA in the 1990s as a way
    to honor a mentor, N2AA, and the contest station that he used to fre-
    quent, K2GL, in Tuxedo Park, New York.

    Minster’s ham radio pursuits have ranged far and wide over the years.
    His background includes National Traffic System training and participa-
    tion in public service events, as well as contesting from home, club
    stations, and contest stations in the Caribbean — particularly on Bon-
    aire, where he is a member of PJ4G. Primarily a CW operator, Minster
    collects unique and vintage bugs and keys.

    Minster earned a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering from The
    Ohio State University and has a special interest in satellites, digital communications, remote operation, and ham radio computing and software.
    He has written keyer software for the commercial market, and contest
    logging, packet, and satellite telemetry software for personal use.

    In addition to being an ARRL member, Minster is a member of AMSAT, the Frankford Radio Club, the Straight Key Century Club, CWops, and the
    North American QRP CW Club.

    “I spend every day of my life, one way or another, engaged in amateur
    radio. It is more than just a hobby for me; it is my community. It is
    where I live; where I have built lifelong friendships, and friendships
    that span the globe. Amateur radio allows me to dream and to experi-
    ment. I can’t wait to bring my energy and boundless enthusiasm in
    service to ARRL.”

    ARRL President Rick Roderick, K5UR, said, “We are excited to welcome
    David as our new CEO, and look forward to his progressive leadership.
    His experience in management and operations, plus his activities in
    amateur radio, will serve our organization and members well.”

    Minster will succeed Barry J. Shelley, N1VXY, who was CEO in 2018, and
    who has been serving as ARRL’s Interim CEO since January 2020. Shelley
    had been ARRL’s Chief Financial Officer since January 1992.

    (ANS thanks ARRL for the above information)


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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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    Jeanette Epps, KF5QNU, Joins Starliner Mission To ISS

    NASA Astronaut Jeanette Epps, KF5QNU, NASA's Boeing Starliner-1 mis-
    sion, the first operational crewed flight of Boeing?s CST-100 Star-
    liner spacecraft on a mission to the International Space Station.
    Epps will join NASA astronauts Sunita Williams, KD5PLB, and Josh Cas-
    sada, KI5CRH, for a six-month expedition planned for a launch in 2021
    to the ISS. The spaceflight will be the first for Epps, who earned a
    doctorate in aerospace engineering in 2000 from the University of
    Maryland, College Park.

    [ANS thanks NASA for the above information]

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    ANS Editors Wanted

    Are you the sort of ham who may not have the skills to put together a satellite, but who does a pretty good job of putting *WORDS* together?

    The AMSAT News Service (ANS) prepares and distributes weekly news bul-
    letins about the world of amateursatellites, and ANS is in need of ad-
    ditional rotating editors. Editors take turns putting together the
    weekly bulletins, one week each month, more or less. They also help one
    another out by seeking news items to pass along to the editor of the
    week, and proofreading.

    Online training and mentoring is provided. Time commitment is usually
    4-6 hours per month, once trained and up to speed.

    This is a great way for wordsmiths to contribute to AMSAT and to serve
    your fellow amateurs. Contact k0jm [at] amsat.org with questions or to volunteer.

    [ANS thanks Mark Johns, K0JM, ANS Senior Editor, for the above inform-
    ation]

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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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    CubeSat Challenge Seeks To Inspire, Prepare Students

    The U.S. Department of Education has launched CTE Mission: CubeSat, a
    national challenge to inspire students to build technical skills for
    careers in space and beyond. High school students from across the coun-
    try are invited to design and build CubeSat prototypes, or satellites
    that aid in space research, bringing space missions out of the clouds
    and into the classroom.

    “This is such an exciting way to rethink education and get students
    engaged in hands-on learning in the growing aerospace and technology
    fields,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos. “I look forward
    to seeing the innovative prototypes students develop and hope this
    challenge inspires our next generation of American space explorers.”

    Investors predict that space will be the next trillion-dollar industry,
    and as missions in space continue to expand, so do the career opportun-
    ities. This multi-phase challenge offers high school students across
    the United States the chance to build CubeSat prototypes while learning creative, collaborative, and technical skills for 21st century careers.

    Schools interested in entering CTE Mission: CubeSat should form a team
    and submit a mission proposal by 5:59 p.m. ET, on Oct. 16, 2020 — no in-person collaboration or prior experience with CubeSats is required.
    The online submission form asks for school information, a team profile,
    a project proposal, and anticipated learning outcomes. Curated educa-
    tional resources are available to students and teachers online in the
    CTE Mission: CubeSat resource hub. To learn more, schools can join a
    virtual information session on Sept. 1.

    Up to five finalists will be selected to receive prizes and participate
    in Phase 2, which runs from January to May 2021. Finalists will have
    access to expert mentorship and additional virtual resources as they
    build CubeSat prototypes and plan flight events to launch their proto-
    types. The Department understands that due to current conditions,
    schools will need flexibility to safely collaborate when designing and
    building prototypes during the challenge. The Department looks forward
    to the creative solutions in the mission proposals it receives as
    challenge entries.

    Each finalist will receive an equal share of the $25,000 cash prize
    pool, as well as satellite development, hardware, and software kits.
    Challenge sponsors include Arduino, Blue Origin, Chevron, EnduroSat,
    LEGO Education, Magnitude.io, MIT Media Lab, and XinaBox.

    “Developing a CubeSat prototype is an opportunity for students to learn competitive skills and explore a wide range of careers in space — or
    their own communities,” said Assistant Secretary for Career, Technical,
    and Adult Education Scott Stump. “Through CTE Mission: CubeSat, we aim
    to bring students new learning opportunities to build valuable techni-
    cal skills for in-demand and rewarding careers.”

    For details, see https://www.ctemissioncubesat.com/

    [ANS thanks the U.S. Department of Education for the above informa-
    tion]

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    Amateur License Fee Proposal From FCC

    The FCC has published a proposal to reinstate a $50 fee for new
    licenses, renewal and upgrades to existing licenses, and vanity call
    sign requests. Excluded are applications for administrative updates,
    such as changes of address, and annual regulatory fees. The The FCC
    proposal is contained in a Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) in MD
    Docket 20-270. The ARRL team in Newington and Washington D.C. are
    crafting a response to the NPRM. The ARRL is committed to opposing all
    fees for any aspect of the amateur radio service. Deadlines for
    comments and reply comments will be determined once the NPRM appears in
    the Federal Register. File comments by using the FCC’s Electronic
    Comment Filing System (ECFS), posting to MD Docket No. 20-270. This
    docket is already open for accepting comments even though deadlines
    have not yet been set. For more information see https://bit.ly/3hyNQuB

    [ANS thanks Matt Holden, K0BBC, for the above information]

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    AO-92 (FOX-1D) Reverting to Safe Mode

    AO-92 has been experiencing low battery voltage during many night time
    passes over the last several weeks. While the satellite is in eclipse
    voltage has been dropping low enough (3.6v IIRC) to cause an automatic
    shift to safe mode. It emerges from eclipse toward the end of night
    passes over North America and the transponder will then switch on, us-
    ually with a minute or two remaining in the pass. As we move to winter
    in the northern hemisphere, the end of the eclipse should shift over
    the pole and to the beginning of the descending part of the orbit, and
    this issue should change for at least the northern hemisphere ops.

    [ANS thanks Andrew Glasbrenner, KO4MA, AMSAT VP Operations, and Nate
    White, N5LEX, for the above information]

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    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

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    GRBAlpha Frequency Coordination Completed

    The International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) has approved frequency co- ordination for GRBAlpha, a 1U CubeSat built by students at the Techni-
    cal University of Kosice, Slovakia, with contribution by students in
    Hungary and Japan. In addition to a gamma ray sensor, the satellite
    will have a digipeater functionality with 4k8 or 9k6 GFSK AX25 down-
    links. A downlink on 437.025 MHz and an uplink on 145.905 MHz have been coordinated. Launch should take place in the third quarter of 2020 from Baikonur into a 600 kmm Sun-Synchronous Orbit. For more information
    see https://om3ksi.sk

    [ANS thanks IARU for the above information]

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    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.

    Information and Technologies Branch, Department of Education-Queensland Government, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, telebridge via AB1OC
    The contact was successful: Mon 2020-08-24 09:32:57 UTC. The ISS call-
    sign was NA1SS, and the astronaut was Chris Cassidy, KF5KDR

    The KMO Kolska Wyspa, Koło, Poland, telebridge via VK6MJ. Is scheduled
    for Wednesday, 2020-09-02 12:58:11 UTC. The 75 degee maximum elevation
    pass will be heard across Australia. The ISS callsign is presently
    scheduled to be NA1SS, and the scheduled astronaut is Chris Cassidy,
    KF5KDR.

    ARISS is very aware of the impact that COVID-19 is having on schools
    and the public in general. As such, we may have last minute cancella-
    tions or postponements of school contacts.

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

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

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

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    Upcoming Satellite Operations

    Quick Hits:

    Ron is heading out for the Kansas QSO Party, catch him on HF or
    DM96, 8/27 From 00:00 to 02:00, @AD0DX
    DM97,98, EM07,08, 8/29 from 15:00 to 20:00 @AD0DX

    RJ is also heading out for the party…
    DN80 & DN90, 8/28 FM passes, @WY7AA
    DM99/EM09 AO92 8/29 03:55, @WY7AA

    EL97, 8/29, @KK4YEL, details and passes to come.

    FM15, FM25, FM14, FM04, 8/29 and 8/30 Holiday Style, @N4LAZ.

    Bob Keating, N6REK, will be on vacation next week in the Eastern Sierra
    and plans to work AO-91, AO-92 and PO-101 from the DM07/08 gridline on
    a holiday schedule from Wednesday, Sept. 2 to Saturday, Sept. 5.

    Major Roves:

    @WA9JBQ is heading out to Idaho DN24,DN25,DN26 DN34, DN16, DN15, DN14
    starting August 15th. Then moving into Montana for DN35,DN36, DN37,
    DN38 DN49 DN47. He will be out a total of 5-6 weeks Mostly FM some
    linear. Will post to twitter details.

    [ANS thanks Paul Overnfor, KE0PBR, AMSAT rover page manager, for the
    above information]

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    Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events

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

    Clint Bradford K6LCS has booked his “Work the FM Voice Satellites With Minimal Equipment” presentation for the clubs.

    09/02/2020 – Garden State ARA, New Jersey

    09/14/2020 – North Agusta Belevedere Radio Club

    10/27/2020 – Cherryland ARC / Traverse Bay ARC

    TBD – Antelope Valley (CA) ARC

    TBD – A private presentation for a Boy Scout troop in Danville, Penn.

    These will be Zoom presentations. Participants are asked to update
    their copies of the Zoom application – by directly visiting Zoom.us.

    [ANS thanks Paul Overnfor, KE0PBR, AMSAT Events page manager, for the
    above information]

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    Satellite Shorts From All Over

    + NASA will broadcast a Space Launch System (SLS) rocket full-scale
    booster test at 2:40 p.m. EDT Wednesday, Sept. 2, on NASA Television
    and the agency’s website, followed by a media teleconference. The
    Flight Support Booster-1 test builds on three full-scale development
    test firings and two qualification test firings NASA and Northrop
    Grumman successfully completed with the five-segment solid rocket
    motor in preparation for the first three Artemis missions.
    (ANS thanks NASA JPL and Joanne Maenpaa, K9JKM, for the above infor-
    mation)

    + NASA JPL provides a web application, "Eyes on the Solar System", to
    track the Mars 2020 mission. Fully interactive, Eyes on the Solar
    System. doesn't just let you track Perseverance in real time as it
    travels to the Red Planet. Dozens of controls on pop-up menus allow
    you to customize not just what you see – from faraway to right "on
    board." Give the Mars 2020 Perseverance spacecraft a spin at:
    https://go.nasa.gov/32uc3Mo (ANS thanks NASA JPL and Joanne Maenpaa,
    K9JKM, for the above information)

    + OSIRIS-REx just performed its last dress rehearsal before gathering
    a sample from asteroid Bennu in October. This dress rehearsal maneu-
    ver took the craft down to 40 m and resulted in high resolution
    images of the site. October’s sampling maneuver will use optical nav-
    igation to slowly bring the craft down, with minimal thruster firings
    to avoid contaminating the surface with hydrazine propellant. The
    craft will briefly touch down, dissipating momentum in the spring-
    loaded Touch-And-Go Sample Acquisition Mechanism (TAGSAM) arm, and
    fire a burst of nitrogen to blow particles into its sample collection
    head. These samples will eventually make it back to Earth in fall of
    2023. (ANS thanks The Orbital Index for the above information)

    + Masten Space Systems announced on August 26 that it has selected
    SpaceX to launch Masten Mission One (MM1). As part of MM1, Masten’s
    lunar lander will deliver nine NASA-sponsored science and technology
    demonstration experiments and several commercial payloads to the
    lunar south pole. Masten’s first mission to the Moon, MM1 is a col-
    laboration with NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) Pro-
    ject Office. The Masten XL-1 lunar lander is scheduled to touch down
    on the lunar south pole in 2022, carrying a suite of NASA-sponsored
    scientific instruments and various payloads from commercial space
    customers. (ANS thanks spaceref.com for the above information)

    + In early August a cable snapped at the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto
    Rico, causing substantial damage to one of the largest single dish
    radio telescopes in the world. In an episode of the National Public
    Radio podcast, Short Wave," planetary scientist Edgard Rivera-Valen-
    tín explains what's at stake until the damage can be repaired, and
    he unique role the telescope plays in both scientific research and
    popular culture. Listen to the 12-minute program at:
    https://one.npr.org/?sharedMediaId=906366009:906835109
    (ANS thanks npr.org for the above information)

    + Malcolm "Mal" Preston, NP2L, an AMSAT life member and longtime sup-
    porter, died last month at the age of 85. Mal retired in 1991 and
    moved to St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands, where he practiced accounting
    through 1997. An active volunteer, Mal served on the church vestry,
    was treasurer of St. John’s yacht and hiking clubs. He assumed many
    leadership roles in ham clubs and won many international champion-
    ships as a member of the Contesting Consortium PJ2T. He was the
    Assistant Section Manager for the American Relay League in the USVI.
    (ANS thanks John Shew, N4QQ, and Joanne Maenpaa, K9JKM, for the above
    information)

    + NASA's associate administrator for Human Exploration and Operations,
    Kathy Lueders, has named Robyn Gatens as acting director of the In-
    ternational Space Station at NASA Headquarters. The appointment was
    effective Aug. 25. Sam Scimemi, the former director, has assumed new
    responsibilities as a special assistant for the agency's Human
    Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. In this role, Gatens
    will lead strategy, policy, integration, and stakeholder engagement
    for the space station program at the agency level, working closely
    with International Space Station Program Manager Joel Montalbano at
    NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. Gatens will provide technical
    advice for the program, as well as overseeing program execution and
    managing risks. Gatens has 35 years of experience at NASA in both the
    space station program and in development and management of the life
    support systems for human spaceflight missions.



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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. Application forms are available from the AMSAT
    Office.

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

    73 and Remember to help keep amateur radio in space,
    This week's ANS Editor, Mark D. Johns, K0JM

    k0jm at amsat dot org
    _______________________________________________
    Via the ANS mailing list courtesy of AMSAT-NA https://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/ans

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