AMSAT NEWS SERVICE
ANS-274
The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and infor-
mation service of AMSAT North America, The Radio Amateur Satellite
Corporation. ANS publishes news related to Amateur Radio in Space
including reports on the activities of a worldwide group of Amateur
Radio operators who share an active interest in designing, building,
launching and communicating through analog and digital Amateur Radio
satellites.
The news feed on http://www.amsat.org publishes news of Amateur
Radio in Space as soon as our volunteers can post it.
Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to:
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In this edition:
* Get Ready for the 2017 AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual Meeting
Everything you need to know and get done today
* Last Call for 2017 AMSAT Space Symposium Papers
* International Space Station Astronauts are Calling CQ Students –
ARISS-US program education proposal deadline is November 15, 2017
* Daniel “Nick” Kucij, KB1RVT, Silent Key
* AMSAT Pioneer Patrick J. A. Gowen, G3IOR, Silent Key
* AMSAT Phase4 weekly report – User Input for Remote Operation
* ARISS News
* Satellite Shorts From All Over
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-274.01
ANS-274 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 274.01
>From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD.
DATE October 1, 2017
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-274.01
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Get Ready for the 2017 AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual Meeting
Everything you need to know and get done today
Here is a summary of what you need to do to get ready for the
2017 AMSAT-NA Space Symposium and Annual Meeting, October 27-29,
2017 at the Silver Legacy Resort Hotel, Reno, NV.
2017 Annual AMSAT Symposium important deadlines.
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The last day to reserve a meal at the Saturday Evening Banquet is
Sunday, October 8, 2017.
The last day to register online at the Silver Legacy with the
guaranteed rate is Friday, October 12, 2017.
The last day to register online is Friday, October 20, 2017.
The last day to reserve a seat at the Area Coordinators Breakfast is
Wednesday, October 25, 2017.
If you miss the Registration Deadline, you may still show up at the
door and pay $55. There will be no late orders for the Banquet or
Breakfast as this has to do with the rooms and tables necessary.
Complete Your Symposium Registration in the AMSAT Store
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You can register for the 2017 Space Symposium, the Saturday Evening
Banquet, the Sunday Morning Area Coordinators breakfast, the Sunday
afternoon tour to Virginia City, and the Monday tour to Lake Tahoe
in the AMSAT store: https://www.amsat.org/shop/
Symposium Registration (including a copy of the Proceedings)
+ Starting September 15 — $50
+ At the door — $55
Make Your Reservations for the Symposium Hotel in Reno
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You must make your hotel reservations at the Silver Legacy at this
link: https://www.amsat.org/symposium-hotel/ (block code ISAMSAT)
The hotel phone number is 1-800-687-8733.
TO GUARANTEE OUR RATES PLEASE MAKE YOUR RESERVATIONS BEFORE
OCTOBER 12, 2017.
The Silver Legacy is a 4-star Resort/Hotel/Casino which is an iconic
42-story hotel with its massive round dome and spires centered in
downtown Reno.
2017 AMSAT-NA Space Symposium Schedule Announced
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The Schedule for the 2017 AMSAT-NA Space Symposium and
Annual Meeting, October 27-29, 2017 at the Silver Legacy Resort
Hotel, Reno, NV.
Check the Symposium Web Page for updates and new information as it
becomes available: https://www.amsat.org/symposium-schedule/
2017 AMSAT-NA Space Symposium Tours Announced
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The 2017 AMSAT Space Symposium will be held Friday, Saturday, and
Sunday, Oct 27-29 in Reno. There will be two tours of the sights
around Reno offered after the Symposium ends on Sunday morning.
The first tour is offered on Sunday October 29, 10:00AM to 4:00PM
This tour will visit Historical Virginia City. Tour cost is $46 per
person. Lunch will be on your own.
The second tour is offered on Monday October 30, 8:30AM to 5:30PM
This tour will Discover Truckee, the Donner Party, Lake Tahoe &
Genoa. The tour cost is $80 per person. There is an optional Lake
Tahoe Cruise on a paddle-wheel ship available. The tour cost with the
Lake Tahoe Cruise is $147 per person. Lunch is provided with either
tour option.
A description of the tours has been posted at
https://www.amsat.org/symposium-tours/
Complete tour information is available by paging through each tour
description and a link to purchase the tour through the AMSAT Store
is provided below the description. You may also purchase all
Symposium events at the AMSAT Store.
https://www.amsat.org/product-category/amsat-symposium/
Introducing Banquet Keynote Speaker Garrett L. Skrobot, NASA
Cubesat Launch Initiative Program, Kennedy Space Center
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Garrett was born in Myrtle Beach, S.C., but moved to West Cocoa,
Florida at the age of six months. Immediately after graduating
from Cocoa High School in 1980, Garrett began a four-year tour
of duty in the United States Marine Corp that took him around
the world.
In 1988 Garrett earned a Bachelor of Science in electrical
engineering from the University of Tennessee; he later received
his master’s degree in space systems from the Florida Institute
of Technology in 1992.
Garrett joined the NASA team at Kennedy Space Center in 2000 as
an Integration Engineer for the Launch Services Program. Prior
to his work with NASA, Garrett was employed by General Dynamics
as a System Engineer for the Atlas/Centaur booster program. Dur-
ing his tenure with General Dynamics, Garret participated in more
than 50 launches while working in the Electrical, Ground Instru-
mentation, Payload Mission Integration, Telemetry and Project
Management divisions.
Garrett continues to live in Cocoa with his wife and their three
daughters. In his free time, Garrett enjoys nature photography,
fishing, and actively supporting his daughters in their sports.
Garrett himself is also an accomplished athlete, having earned
a black belt in karate.
[ANS thanks the 2017 AMSAT-NA Symposium Committee for the above information]
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Last Call for 2017 AMSAT Space Symposium Papers
This is the last call for papers for the 2017 AMSAT Annual Meeting
and Space Symposium to be held on the weekend of October 27, 28, 29,
2017 at the Silver Legacy Resort, Reno, Nevada.
Proposals for papers, symposium presentations and poster presentations
are invited on any topic of interest to the amateur satellite
community. We request a tentative title of your presentation as soon
as possible, with final copy to be submitted by October 6 for
inclusion in the printed proceedings. Abstracts and papers should be
sent to Dan Schultz N8FGV at n8fgv at amsat.org
[ANS thanks Dan, N8FGV, for the above information]
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International Space Station Astronauts are Calling CQ Students –
ARISS-US program education proposal deadline is November 15, 2017
September 18, 2017: The Amateur Radio on the International Space
Station (ARISS) program is seeking proposals from U.S. schools,
museums, science centers and community youth organizations to host
radio contacts with an orbiting crew member aboard the International
Space Station (ISS) between July 1 and December 31, 2018.
Each year, ARISS provides tens of thousands of students with oppor-
tunities to learn about space technologies and space communications
through the exploration of Amateur Radio. The program provides
learning opportunities by connecting students to astronauts aboard
the International Space Station (ISS) through a partnership between
NASA, the American Radio Relay League, the Radio Amateur Satellite
Corporation and other Amateur Radio organizations and worldwide
space agencies. The program’s goal is to inspire students worldwide,
to pursue interests and careers in science, technology, engineering
and mathematics (STEM) through Amateur Radio.
Educators overwhelmingly report that student participation in the
ARISS program inspires an interest in STEM subjects and in STEM
careers. Ninety-two percent of educators who have participated in
the program have indicated that ARISS provided ideas for encourag-
ing student exploration, discussion, and participation, and 78
percent said that ARISS was effective in stimulating student
interest in STEM.
ARISS is looking for organizations that will draw large numbers
of participants and integrate the contact into a well-developed
education plan. Students can learn about satellite communications,
wireless technology, science research conducted on the space
station, what it is like to work in space, radio science, and any
related STEM subject. Students learn to use Amateur Radio to talk
directly to an astronaut and ask their STEM-related questions.
ARISS will help educational organizations locate Amateur Radio
groups who can assist with equipment for this once-in-a-lifetime
opportunity for students.
The proposal deadline for 2018 contacts is November 15, 2017.
The ARISS website has additional details on expectations, proposal
guidelines, and the proposal form. See:
http://www.ariss.org/hosting-an-ariss-contact-in-the-us.html
—
About ARISS
Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) is a coop-
erative venture of international amateur radio societies and the
space agencies that support the International Space Station (ISS).
In the United States, sponsors are the Radio Amateur Satellite
Corporation (AMSAT), the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), the
Center for the Advancement of Science in space (CASIS) and National
Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The primary goal of
ARISS is to promote exploration of science, technology, engineering,
and mathematics (STEM) topics by organizing scheduled contacts via
amateur radio between crew members aboard the ISS and students in
classrooms or public forms. Before and during these radio contacts,
students, educators, parents, and communities learn about space,
space technologies, and amateur radio. For more information, see
www.ariss.org.
Also join us on Facebook: Amateur Radio on the International Space
Station (ARISS). Follow us on Twitter: ARISS_status
[ANS thanks ARISS for the above information]
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Daniel “Nick” Kucij, KB1RVT, Silent Key
It is with a sad heart that I am writing this email, Nick, KB1RVT’s,
family contacted me and asked me to relay this information:
Nick, while riding a bicycle trail in Vermont over the weekend,
suffered a fall, he apparently suffered some head injuries resulting
in hemorrhaging in the brain and passed away suddenly, local
paramedics were quickly on the scene & worked vigorously to tend to
his injuries.
The family is still in the process of contacting people & asked me to
reach out to the satellite community.
Any details about the arrangements should be in the local Burlington
Free Press newspaper,
http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/burlingtonfreepress/obituary.aspx?n=
daniel-nicholas-kucij&pid=186774388
As I receive any additional information I will post it to the various
BB’s. Please pass any information along any of the other social media
conveyances.
Nick will be missed by the satellite community.
[ANS thanks Frank, K4FEG for the above information]
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AMSAT Pioneer Patrick J. A. Gowen, G3IOR, Silent Key
Pat Gowen, G3IOR, of Norwich, Norfolk, passed away on August 17, after
a long illness. He was 85. The amateur-satellite world has lost one
of its true pioneers. Pat was a co-founder of AMSAT-UK, and was
elected to the board of directors of AMSAT-NA in 1974. He was also
the longtime satellite columnist of Practical Wireless, as well as a
frequent contributor to The AMSAT Journal and Oscar News.
He was the first to work 100 DXCC entities via satellite (all LEOs),
and received Satellite DXCC No. 4 when his QSL cards arrived. Fluent
in Russian, Pat enjoyed conversing with the cosmonauts aboard MIR and
ISS. He and I made the first transatlantic QSO between two handheld
transceivers, in 1991.
More recently, Pat was the first to discover the “re-birth” of AMSAT-
OSCAR 7 when its battery returned to life in sunlight. In addition to
his work with AMSAT and satellites, Pat was a prominent HF operator
and DXer. He had confirmed QSOs with all DXCC entities and had also
been a member of the First Class CW Operators Club (FOC), as well as a
leading member of the Norfolk Amateur Radio Club. Literally hundreds
of new amateurs obtained their licenses as a result of Pat’s NARC
training classes.
Martin Sweeting, G3YJO, Chairman of AMSAT-UK and founder of Surrey
Satellite Technology, Ltd. (SSTL) remembered Pat this way, “If my
memory serves me well, I first met Pat G3IOR sometime in the mid-
1970’s when I became interested in space and naturally amateur radio
satellites – starting with OSCAR-6. In 1975, Pat was a founding
member and sometime Chairman of AMSAT-UK along with other stalwarts
such as Roy Stevens G2BVN, Arthur Gee G2UK and Richard Limebear G3RWL
and had a strong interest in not only the OSCAR series but also
especially the RS satellites from the then Soviet Union. Starting in
late 1973, Pat produced the first editions of OSCAR News as a typed
newsletter providing essential orbit tracking information for the new
OSCAR-6 satellite (at a time before easy access via the internet!) and
contributed more timely updates and observations via the AMSAT-UK 80-
metre net each Sunday morning – along with a news round-up each month
transmitted by G3RWL. Pat attended and contributed to the early AMST-
UK Colloquia at Surrey. In June 21, 2002 Pat surprised the AMSAT
community by detecting CW signals from the long-believed defunct
OSCAR-7 satellite whose batteries had failed in 1981 but came back to
life after the batteries eventually went open circuit enabling
operations in sunlight to this day! Pat was passionate about amateur
radio, amateur satellites and the environment; he contributed
much over his long life to each of these and will be sadly missed. ”
Professionally, Pat was a biochemist, retired from the University of
East Anglia. He had also served as a magistrate in the Norfolk
courts, the youngest in England at the time. No mention of Pat would
be complete without noting his decades of work in cleaning up the
beaches and waters of his beloved Norfolk. He leaves his wife Norma,
a noted landscape artist.
[ANS thanks Ray Soifer, W2RS for the above information]
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AMSAT Phase4 weekly report – User Input for Remote Operation
AMSAT’s Ground Station Lead Michelle Thompson, W5NYV has posted
the video for the Phase4 weekly report at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvuadtqp_k0
Remote operation is one of the most talked about and most
requested feature in amateur radio.
Remote operation enables performance improvements (one can put
the radio closer to the antenna and put the antenna in the best
possible location), allows more comfortable and flexible
operating positions (operate from your iPad by the pool), and
dramatically increases potential coverage area (remote stations
can be located where they provide more public service).
Remote operations are a great way to learn about radio, network-
ing, reliability, and protocols. They are a big educational win.
The problem is easily defined and arguably the performance can
be easily measured, but there is plenty more to be done to
improve the current state of the art in remote operations.
We want to define what we’re doing for remote operations that
doesn’t reinvent the wheel or hold us back.
Linux has several time-tested tools and applications. There are
some proprietary solutions. There’s a lot of DIY remote opera-
tions. A lot of you have experience setting up remote operations.
Here’s where we want to start.
+ What works? What is solvable? What is not currently solvable?
+ What should necessarily be included in Phase 4 Ground radios
for successful remote operations?
Steve Conklin (https://twitter.com/sconklin) is our linux plat-
form lead and is very interested in getting this right. Please
help him with your feedback and input.
[ANS thanks Michelle Thompson, W5NYV for the above information]
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ARISS News
Recent Contacts
Colegio Nueva Concepcion, San Miguel de Tucuman, Argentina, direct
via LU1KCQ
The ISS callsign was scheduled to be NA1SS
The scheduled astronaut was Joe Acaba KE5DAR
Contact was successful: Thu 2017-09-28 17:51:00 UTC 37 deg
Heart of America Council Boy Scouts of America, Kansas City, MO,
telebridge via W6SRJ
The ISS callsign was scheduled to be NA1SS
The scheduled astronaut was Paolo Nespoli IZØJPA
Contact was successful: Sat 2017-09-23 12:03:49 UTC 26 deg
Boston Red Sox Outreach to School Groups, Boston, MA, telebridge via
W6SRJ
The ISS callsign was scheduled to be NA1SS
The scheduled astronaut was Paolo Nespoli IZØJPA
Contact was successful: Thu 2017-09-14 15:03:58 UTC 56 deg
Beenleigh State High School, Beenleigh, Queensland, Australia,
telebridge via K6DUE
The ISS callsign was scheduled to be NA1SS
The scheduled astronaut was Paolo Nespoli IZØJPA
Contact was successful: Mon 2017-09-11 12:58:34 UTC 77 deg
Meadows Elementary School, Manhattan Beach, CA, direct via KM6BWB
The ISS callsign was scheduled to be NA1SS
The scheduled astronaut was Paolo Nespoli IZØJPA
Contact was successful: Fri 2017-09-08 17:05:30 UTC 67 deg (***)
Live streamed at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRsKV6gBmGU
West Virginia University, Lane Dept. of Computer Science & Electrical
Engineering, Morgantown, WV, direct via W8CUL
The ISS callsign was scheduled to be NA1SS
The scheduled astronaut was Paolo Nespoli IZØJPA
Contact was successful Mon 2017-09-04 15:50:05 UTC 79 deg
Upcoming Contacts:
Kugluktuk High School, Kugluktuk Nunavut, Canada, telebridge via
IK1SLD.
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be IRØISS
The scheduled astronaut is Paolo Nespoli IZØJPA
Contact is a go for Option #5: Tue 2017-10-03 15:32:57 UTC 30 deg
[ANS thanks ARISS and Charlie, AJ9N for the above information]
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Satellite Shorts From All Over
High Altitude Test Flight Scheduled for AMSAT SA Kletskous CubeSat
South Africa AMSAT wrote, “We have some exciting news! Our
Kletskous CubeSat is scheduled to fly on BACAR High Altitude
Balloon flight on the 21 October 2017.”
The AMSAT SA Kletskous team is putting the final touches on
the CubeSat to be tested on the BACAR flight this October.
The team is integrating the electrical power system (EPS),
the stabilizer board, the on-board computer system, the
transponder and antennas into the new space frame. No
solar panels will be flown on balloon flight configuration.
Kletskous will only be powered by its batteries.
BACAR is scheduled to be launched at 9am from an airfield
near Secunda, South Africa which is south east of Johannesburg.
Kletskous is one of many payloads to be flown.
The transponder frequencies are as follows:
Uplink: 435,135 – 435,165 MHz
Downlink: 145,850 – 145,880 MHz
Kletskous is a crowd funded project. Please become part of the
project by donating to the Kletskous fund. Details and regular
updates can be found on www.amsatsa.org.za. All donors are
acknowledged on the website.
[ANS thanks AMSAT SA for the above information]
Australis Oscar 5 recalled at a book launch
(From the WIA-The Wireless Institute of Australia with additional
audio and interviews at https://vimeo.com/191605076)
Australia’s first ‘home grown’ satellite was built in 1966, then sent
to the USA for launch, but unfortunately this did not take place until
January 1970 on a Delta rocket from the Vandenberg Air Force Base.
Australis Oscar 5, or AO-5, was the product of a keen group of
enthusiasts from Melbourne University, together with a number of
local radio amateurs, and the WIA providing some assistance, finance,
and guidance.
The late Bill Rice VK3ABP, who was the Victorian tracking co-ordinator
and long-time Amateur Radio magazine editor, recalls those days in an
audio played on the VK1WIA broadcast. In it he told of how the
satellite reached the USA ready for launch, but had to wait until 1970
after AMSAT the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation was formed,
taking over from the then defunct OSCAR Association.
The satellite did not have a translator, noted Bill VK3ABP, but its
telemetry was the most advanced for an amateur satellite of the time.
It could be turned on and off by ground stations, and this was mostly
done by Les Jenkins VK3ZBJ.
A book on those times was launched recently, before a number of guests
including the WIA, in the building where the Melbourne University
Astronautical Society met to discuss the possibility of a satellite
and building it.
In introducing the author was Richard Tonkin, who built the satellite
along with a very talented radio amateur Les Jenkins VK3ZBJ (sk). Mr
Tonkin noted that a professor told a student to “stop this silly
satellite stuff”. The team which realized no-one had built a satellite
in Australia, just got on with it.
Book author Dr Owen Mace talked about how fitting the room was for the
launch because it had been used by the satellite team.
At the time, sophisticated electronic measurements were necessary on
the satellites stabilization system, and access to a laboratory at the
university helpful.
WIA Historian Peter Wolfenden VK3RV says many radio amateurs were
involved, a few on the design side, others associated with command and
many with tracking it during its six week life. These included Les
Jenkins VK3ZBJ, Michael Owen VK3KI, David Rankin VK3QV, Ray Naughton
VK3ATN, and Bill Rice VK3ABP – all silent keys.
There were also many local Australian, Japanese, New Zealander and
Malaysian coordinators, and some recordings were taken of the AO-5
telemetry.
A fuller story is being prepared for publication in the WIA journal
Amateur Radio magazine.
Meantime, University of Melbourne students are now well advanced to
build a nano-satellite, with the Wireless Institute of Australia (WIA)
assisting in the IARU frequency and other coordination processes.
Through the Melbourne Space Program affiliated with the University of
Melbourne, the nano-satellite is due to be handed over in November and
launched in early 2018.
Also there has been a strong link on space matters with National
Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), but now it has been
formally announced Australia will have its own space agency.
An event which mostly went unnoticed was in Adelaide last Wednesday
it was a presentation called ” How we built Australia’s first
satellite” again by Richard Tonkin and Dr Owen Mace.
Those who were lucky enough to have been notified heard how two young
University students in the 1950’s, fascinated with space, built Australia’s first satellite.
[ANS thanks the Wireless Institute of Australia VK1WIA News October 1,
2017 for the above information]
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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,
This week’s ANS Editor,
Joe Spier, K6WAO
k6wao at amsat dot org
_______________________________________________
Via the ANS mailing list courtesy of AMSAT-NA
http://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/ans
