ANS-301 AMSAT Information Service Weekly Bulletins – AMSAT

On this version:

* AMSAT Board of Administrators Elects Officers
* forty second Annual AMSAT Area Symposium Held in Tampa
* GridMasterMap Satellite tv for pc High 100 Rovers November 2024 Rankings
* CatSat Commissioning is Close to
* Administration Eases Restrictions On Area-Associated Exports
* Intelsat Satellite tv for pc Explodes In Orbit
* Adjustments to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution
* Mirror Orbital To Promote Daylight Utilizing In-Area Mirrors
* ARISS Information
* Upcoming Satellite tv for pc Operations
* AMSAT Ambassador Actions
* Satellite tv for pc Shorts From All Over

The AMSAT Information Service bulletins are a free, weekly information and data service of AMSAT, the Radio Novice Satellite tv for pc Company. ANS publishes information associated to Novice Radio in Area together with stories on the actions of a worldwide group of Novice Radio operators who share an energetic curiosity in designing, constructing, launching and speaking by analog and digital Novice Radio satellites.

The information feed on http://www.amsat.org publishes information of Novice Radio in Area as quickly as our volunteers can put up it.

Please ship any beginner satellite tv for pc information or stories to: ans-editor [at] amsat.org

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ANS-301 AMSAT Information Service Weekly Bulletins

To: All RADIO AMATEURS
From: Radio Novice Satellite tv for pc Company
712 H Road NE, Suite 1653
Washington, DC 20002

DATE 2024 Oct 27

AMSAT Board of Administrators Elects Officers

At its assembly previous to the 2024 AMSAT Area Symposium and Annual Normal Assembly, the AMSAT Board of Administrators elected their officers for 2024-25.

• Robert Bankston, KE4AL, President
• Paul Stoetzer, N8HM, Govt Vice President
• Jerry Buxton, NØJY, Vice President – Engineering
• Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA, Vice President – Operations
• Alan Johnston, KU2Y, Vice President – Instructional Relations
• Frank Karnauskas, N1UW, Vice President – Growth
• Steve Belter, N9IP, Treasurer
• Douglas Tabor, N6UA, Secretary

Newly elected First Alternate Director Douglas Tabor, N6UA, has changed Jeff Davis, KE9V, who stepped down previous to the assembly as AMSAT’s Secretary. The AMSAT Board of Administrators expresses its appreciation to Jeff for his work throughout his tenure as Secretary.

The place of Vice President – Consumer Providers stays vacant.

[ANS thanks the AMSAT Board of Directors for the above information]

2024 Cash Are Nonetheless Obtainable!
Assist Help GOLF and Fox Plus.
Be part of the AMSAT President’s Membership immediately!

forty second Annual AMSAT Area Symposium Held in Tampa

The forty second Annual AMSAT Area Symposium and Annual Normal Assembly came about from October 25-27, 2024, on the DoubleTree by Hilton Tampa Rocky Level Waterfront in Tampa, Florida. This yr’s Symposium targeted on the most recent developments in beginner radio satellite tv for pc communications, with a wide range of paper periods and occasions all through the weekend.

Scheduled shows included:

• AMSAT-UK Payload on Jovian-1 CubeSat, David Bowman, GØMRF
• CARD-SAT®: A Step Ahead for Satellite tv for pc Miniaturization by Adrian Totu, YO3HOT
• Working QO-100 from Past the Nominal Footprint by Graham Shirville, G3VZV
• AMSAT & ARISS Over the Previous 40 Years by Frank Bauer, KA3HDO
• MO-122 (MESAT1) Commissioning Recap by Mark Hammond, N8MH
• AMSAT-HB Replace by Michael Lipp, HB9WDF
• Fox Plus Replace by Mike Moore, K4MVM
• AMSAT CubeSatSim Schooling Replace and Software program Overview by Alan Johnston, KU2Y
• Integration of the AMSAT CubeSat Simulator for Schooling and Analysis by Rachel Jones, KO4HLC
• ARISS Engineering Replace – ISS, Lunar, and Business Actions by Randy Berger, WAØD
• Automation and Distant Management of the Inter-Operable Radio System (IORS) on the ISS by Chris Thompson, VE2TCP/GØKLA
• Getting Able to Obtain HamTV from the ISS by Graham Shirville, G3VZV
• GOLF-TEE Flight Software program and Bus Overview by Burns Fisher, WB1FJ
• Dedication of Orbiting Spacecraft Area Vectors Solely from In-flight Place Measurements by Joseph DiVerdi, KØNMR
• AMSAT Engineering Replace by Jerry Buxton, NØJY

Burns Fisher, WB1FJ, presenting on GOLF-TEE’s flight software program. [Photo: AMSAT]

As well as, the AMSAT Annual Normal Assembly & Awards Ceremony was held on Saturday afternoon, and the AMSAT Banquet was to happen on Saturday night. A breakfast for AMSAT Ambassadors was scheduled for Sunday morning.

Symposium Proceedings might be out there for members on the AMSAT Member Portal as quickly as AMSAT volunteers can course of the add.

[ANS thanks Paul Stoetzer, N8HM, AMSAT Executive Vice President, for the above information]

GridMasterMap Satellite tv for pc High 100 Rovers November 2024 Rankings

The November 2024 rankings for the High 100 Rovers (Combined LEO/MEO/GEO) in satellite tv for pc operations, as decided by @GridMasterMap on Twitter, has been launched. The rating is set by the variety of grids and DXCC entities activated, bearing in mind solely these grids the place a minimal variety of QSOs logged on the gridmaster.fr web site have been validated by a 3rd get together. Grid numbers don’t immediately mirror the precise variety of activations. Satellite tv for pc operators are inspired to add their LoTW satellite tv for pc contacts to https://gridmaster.fr with a view to present extra correct knowledge.

Up to date: 2024-10-25

[ANS thanks @GridMasterMap for the above information]

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CatSat Commissioning is Close to

CatSat, a 6U cubesat, was blasted into orbit on July 4, 2024. After some delay, the microwave transponder must be out there quickly.

The idea was offered on the AMSAT annual symposium on two successive years. The design has not modified considerably since then. See https://catsat.arizona.edu for present information.

The undertaking was run by the College of Arizona college students with main help by Rincon Analysis Corp. (onboard DSP and HF electronics) and FreeFall Aerospace (patch, HF whip, and high-gain 10 GHz. inflatable antenna.) The spacecraft bus was provided by Gomspace.

One thing unusual occurred throughout launch or satellite tv for pc deployment, and the satellite tv for pc is believed to be broken by an unknown mechanism. The UHF command and management antenna seems to not have deployed and the primary spacecraft laptop reboots an irregular sample. The coed crew has executed a wonderful job of conserving the spacecraft underneath management whereas troubleshooting the issues, however this has slowed the commissioning course of.

CatSat with inflated spherical microwave antenna [Artist’s rendering: University of Arizona]

SATELLITE MODES OF PARTICULAR INTEREST TO HAMS

1. The HF experiment (also referred to as the WSPR experiment) captures the complete HF band by sampling it with a 50 MHz analog to digital converter. Digital processing in an FPGA creates as much as 4 sub-bands that are saved in CatSat reminiscence. The tuned frequency and bandwidth of those 4 receivers will doubtless be modified sometimes on a schedule to be decided. Then the captured pre-detection knowledge might be saved in CatSat’s AstroSDR reminiscence till it may be dumped to our 6.1 meter dish in Tucson. There the sub-band knowledge streams might be extracted and positioned on the web the place hams may have entry. The intent is to offer a possibility for hams to experiment with ionospheric propagation as considered by a satellite tv for pc with out having to really construct a floor station. In the event that they work HF stations utilizing FT-8 or WSPR when the satellite tv for pc is energetic they are going to be capable of use the web to entry what the satellite tv for pc was listening to. They might even uncover some novel propagation mechanism.
2. At the beginning of every knowledge seize 32k samples of I-Q knowledge might be captured at 50 MHz pattern fee. These knowledge may be Fourier remodeled to create a spectral energy plot of the complete HF band at that location.
3. The ten GHz downlink modulation is DVB-S2. On the time of planning the downlink, there was a variety of AMSAT curiosity in utilizing DVB-S2 as a downlink modulation for proposed excessive orbit birds. That drove our resolution. Receiving this hyperlink might be a problem for many stations, except the inflatable antenna experiment is profitable and we level that antenna at your location.
4. 5.663 GHz to 10.47 GHz transponder with 200 kHz Bandwidth. Throughout design evaluation of CatSat it was realized that there was house for a further 5 GHz patch antenna on the spacecraft. The AstroSDR may obtain 5.663 GHz and translate it to the IF enter of the ten.47 GHz transceiver. So a 200 KHz linear transponding mode was added. It is without doubt one of the first ham satellites to make use of these microwave bands.

PHOTO OF CATSAT SPECTRUM Oct 20, 2024 at Tech Park
10 GHz Patch used for transmitting typically pointed in the direction of floor station.
6.1 meter AzArray dish for receiving
Max elevation 29 levels
LCP on left display screen
RCP on proper display screen
2 MHz/div and 10 dB per division
Remark: Transmitting 2 MSymbols/per second of DVB-S2 Dummy Frames
Sturdy steady sign easily various with time peaking about 20 dB SNR in 2 MHz band.

[ANS thanks Mike Parker, KT7D for the above information]

Administration Eases Restrictions On Area-Associated Exports

The Biden administration on Oct. 17 eased export restrictions on U.S. industrial house corporations to ship sure satellite tv for pc and spacecraft-related gadgets to allies and companions.

The modifications are supposed to make it simpler for the rising U.S. industrial house trade to increase gross sales whereas additionally defending nationwide safety and international coverage pursuits.

Sure gadgets involving distant sensing spacecraft or space-based logistics meeting, and servicing spacecraft will not want licenses for cargo to Australia, Canada, and the UK, the Commerce Division stated within the assertion.

Some much less delicate satellite tv for pc and spacecraft components and elements will not require licenses for cargo to over 40 international locations. The international locations embody Canada, Australia, Japan, South Korea and a lot of the European Union, an individual acquainted with the matter stated.

As well as, the Commerce Division will put off license necessities for the least delicate gadgets like electrical connectors for a lot of the world, however not international locations of concern like Russia and China, the individual stated.

A proposed rule additionally was printed concerning the switch of jurisdiction of sure space-related protection articles from the State Division to the Commerce Division, making it simpler to export them to shut allies and companions.

The foundations come after a proposed rulemaking almost 5 years in the past and a December 2023 Nationwide Area Council request.

[ANS thanks Reuters for the above information]

Intelsat Satellite tv for pc Explodes In Orbit

An Intelsat communication satellite tv for pc constructed by Boeing has exploded and damaged up in geostationary orbit. Intelsat confirmed the information in a press launch on Oct. 21, declaring the satellite tv for pc a “complete loss.” The U.S. Area Drive stated it’s monitoring round 20 related items however “has noticed no fast threats” to different satellites to date (Roscosmos stated it was monitoring 80 fragments). The reason for the explosion shouldn’t be but recognized, however the information is one other blow for Boeing following Starliner’s failed crew take a look at flight, issues with the 737 Max and delays to the 777x.

Intelsat stated it’s working to maneuver prospects to its different satellites or third get together spacecraft. “A Failure Evaluate Board has convened to finish a complete evaluation of the trigger,” the corporate wrote. The satellite tv for pc was uninsured, a spokesperson instructed SpaceNews.

EpicNG [Artist’s rendering: Intelsat]

The explosion fragments may nonetheless pose a danger to different satellites. “The issue is that there’s a lot of uncertainty concerning the orbits of those fragments for the time being,” stated a spokesperson for Spaceflux, a UK firm that tracks objects in orbit. “They are often probably harmful for different satellites however we have no idea that but.”

Intelsat 33e is considered one of six “EpicNG” satellites constructed by Boeing, and makes use of the latter’s 720MP satellite tv for pc platform geared up with 16 hydrazine-powered engines constructed by Aerojet Rocketdyne. The kind is extensively used for phone, web and satellite tv for pc TV/radio broadcast companies.

It entered service three months late on account of a difficulty with its major thruster, and one other propulsion situation diminished its service life by 3.5 years. The primary EpicNG satellite tv for pc, Intelsat 29e, was declared a complete loss in 2019 after simply three years in service, reportedly on account of a meteoroid impression or wiring flaw.

[ANS thanks Engadget for the above information]

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Adjustments to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for Oct. 25

Two Line Components or TLEs, sometimes called Keplerian parts or keps within the beginner neighborhood, are the inputs to the SGP4 commonplace mathematical mannequin of spacecraft orbits utilized by most beginner monitoring applications. Weekly updates are fully ample for many beginner satellites. TLE bulletin recordsdata are up to date day by day within the first hour of the UTC day. New bulletin recordsdata might be posted instantly after dependable parts grow to be out there for brand new beginner satellites. Extra data could also be discovered at https://www.amsat.org/keplerian-elements-resources/.

None reported.

[ANS thanks Joe Fitzgerald, KM1P, AMSAT Orbital Elements Manager for the above information]

Mirror Orbital To Promote Daylight Utilizing In-Area Mirrors

As an alternative of being constrained by the bodily actuality that limits the solar to its day by day cycle, think about a future the place the solar may be turned on and off like a flashlight.

That is the long run that Mirror Orbital imagines is feasible. The startup is creating satellites that will deploy massive mirrors to exactly mirror daylight onto particular factors on the bottom. Rings of satellites in sun-synchronous orbit would comply with the terminator, or the road that separates evening and day, offering extra daylight earlier than daybreak and after nightfall.

Illustration of illuminated websites [Image: Reflect Orbital]

Based on Mirror’s two co-founders, CEO Ben Nowack and CTO Tristan Semmelhack, this additional daylight may improve the quantity of solar energy delivered to the electrical energy grid. As an alternative of constructing extra photo voltaic farms, the pair thinks we are able to merely improve the quantity of energy generated on the ones that exist already.

The pair say they’re nonetheless enjoying with the ultimate configuration for its production-scale automobiles, like the precise measurement of the reflective array or the ultimate variety of satellites that may make up the constellation. However they’re beginning small, and the primary orbital mission will fly a subscale prototype with a reflector that’s 10 by 10 meters.

Most of the debunking movies cite the ten by 10 meter determine, which is simply too small to mirror an economically significant quantity of daylight on the bottom. A information article from earlier this yr additionally stated that the constellation might be simply 57 satellites.

However Semmelhack stated these figures are inaccurate; 57 satellites ringing Earth will assure a half hour of service twice per day, as soon as within the morning and as soon as within the night, the minimal to attain the plans to “lengthen the day.” The pair additionally say that 10 by 10 meters is “simply a place to begin”: Full-scale manufacturing automobiles will deploy arrays which are a lot bigger, round 50 by 50 meters or greater, with the deliberate constellation rising to “1000’s to tens of 1000’s” of satellites.

“The ten by 10 is our demonstration that might be brighter than a full moon, roughly 400,000 instances much less vibrant than the solar at midday,” Nowack defined over e mail. “Our manufacturing service is focusing on 1/5 midday daylight brightness and can use 100’s – 1000’s of bigger automobiles targeted at one spot. A 50 by 50 satellite tv for pc is definitely on the small finish.”

However even given these extra particulars, the satellites would nonetheless must be able to sustaining extremely exact management over their mirrors on orbit, and do that throughout many 1000’s of satellites. It is going to be an enormous problem.

[ANS thanks Aria Alamalhodaei and TechCrunch for the above information]

ARISS NEWS

Amateurs and others all over the world could eavesdrop on contacts between amateurs working in colleges and permitting college students to work together with astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the Worldwide Area Station. The downlink frequency on which to pay attention is 145.800 MHz worldwide.

COMPLETED:
Magnet Innovation Heart, Inlet Seashore, FL, direct through WD9GIU
The ISS callsign was NA1SS. The crewmember was Nick Hague, KG5TMV.
The ARISS mentor was AA4KN
Contact was profitable: Thu 2024-10-24 15:23:10 UTC 39 levels most elevation
Congratulations to the Magnet Innovation Heart college students, Nick, mentor AA4KN, and floor station WD9GIU!

TO BE RESCHEDULED:
Ceip San Ignacio Del Viar, Alcalá Del Rio, Spain, direct through EG7SIV
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS. The scheduled crewmember is Don Pettit, KD5MDT.
The ARISS mentor is IKØUSO
Cancelled on account of change of crew sleep schedule. ARISS is working very arduous to see if this college may be rescheduled for this week.
Look ahead to Livestream at https://www.youtube.com/dwell/rLyPkJ0MAPE

UPCOMING:
Coastal Neighborhood Faculty, Satellite tv for pc Seashore, FL, direct through KD4GPI
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS. The scheduled crewmember is Sunita Williams, KD5PLB.
The ARISS mentor is AJ9N
Contact is go for: Wed 2024-10-30 13:42:01 UTC 42 deg

Colegio Parroquial el Savador, Yerba Buena, Argentina, direct through LU5KHF
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS. The scheduled crewmember is Don Pettit, KD5MDT.
The ARISS mentor is VE6JBJ
Contact is go for: Wed 2024-10-30 15:32:26 UTC 82 deg

The following proposal window for U.S. colleges and academic organizations to host an Novice Radio contact with a crew member on board the ISS opens October 7, 2024 for contacts to be scheduled for July 1, 2025 – December 31, 2025. This proposal window is because of ARISS by November 17, 2024 at 11:59 PM Pacific Time (Nov. 18, 2024, 07:59 UTC). Proposal data and extra particulars equivalent to expectations, proposal pointers and the proposal kind may be discovered at www.ariss.org.

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 should do is decide up the microphone, elevate the amount up, and speak on the crossband repeater. So give a pay attention, you simply by no means know.

The packet system can be ACTIVE (145.825 MHz up & down). Ham TV and SSTV methods are at the moment STOWED.

As all the time, if there may be an EVA, a docking, or an undocking; the ARISS radios are turned off as a part of the protection protocol.

Notice, all instances are approximate. It is suggested that you simply do your personal orbital prediction or begin listening about 10 minutes earlier than the listed time.

The newest data on the operation mode may be discovered at https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html

The newest listing of frequencies in use may be discovered 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 tv for pc Operations

Guyana: Aldir, PY1SAD (ZZ1M), operates from Georgetown as 8R1TM between Oct. 12 and Nov. 24 on 160-10m (CW, SSB, digital modes) and through satellites. QSL through LoTW, eQSL, qrz.com. (From DXNL 2427 – October 9, 2024)

A rising variety of satellite tv for pc rovers are at the moment engaged in sharing their grid sq. activations on https://hams.at. By visiting the web site, you achieve easy accessibility to complete details about the operators accountable for activating particular grid squares. Moreover, you’ve the flexibility to evaluate the match rating between your self and a specific rover for a given go, whereas additionally having the ability to establish the upcoming satellite tv for pc passes which are accessible out of your location.

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

AMSAT Ambassador Actions

AMSAT Ambassadors present shows, reveal speaking by beginner satellites, and host data tables at membership conferences, hamfests, conventions, maker faires, and different occasions.

November 2-3, 2024
Stone Mountain Hamfest, ARRL State Conference
Stone Mountain, GA
https://stonemountainhamfest.com/
K4RGK

November 9, 2024
Oro Valley Novice Radio Membership
Marana Center Faculty
11285 West Grier Rd.
Marana, AZ 85653
https://www.tucsonhamradio.org/copy-of-hamfest-2022
N1UW

February 20-22, 2025
Yuma HAMCON
Yuma, AZ
N1UW

[ANS thanks Bo Lowrey, W4FCL, Director – AMSAT Ambassador Program, for the above information]

Satellite tv for pc Shorts From All Over

+ HADES-D (SO-121) is decaying quick so it should solely final a number of days. Present peak is close to 355 km. Management operators are manually turning on the inner amplifier, so some passes might be in excessive energy, relying on the zone. This must be executed every day as a result of the on board laptop is resetting this configuration every 24 hours. (ANS thanks Félix Páez, EA4GQS, of AMSAT-EA for the above data.)

+ Along with SO-121 (above), UVSQ-Sat, XW-2D and XW-2B are predicted to decay from orbit inside days or even weeks. (ANS thanks AMSAT-AR [http://lu7aa.org/reenter.asp] for the above data.)

+ The ARRL has launched LoTW configuration file model 11.29 including help for QSOs through MESAT-1 (as MO-122) and SONATE-2 (as SONATE). (ANS thanks ARRL for the above data.)

+ FUNcube (AO-73) is now in Autonomous mode, that means excessive energy telemetry when in daylight, and transponder in when the satellite tv for pc is in eclipse. Controllers are watching the impact on its 11 yr outdated batteries. If the batteries undergo badly they are going to revert to Eclipse mode. All telemetry might be gratefully acquired — see http://knowledge.amsat-uk.org/ui/fc1-fm for particulars. (ANS thanks David Johnson, G4DPZ, Honorable Secretary, AMSAT-UK, of the FUNcube Group for the above data.)

+ Crew-8 members, NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, KCØTOR, Michael Barratt, KD5MIJ, Jeanette Epps, KF5QNU, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin, RZ3DSE, all awakened late on Oct. 21, having shifted their sleep schedules in anticipation of Monday’s departure from the Worldwide Area Station. Nevertheless, they spent the remainder of the day persevering with their day by day train routines and commonplace housekeeping duties aboard the orbiting lab. NASA and SpaceX officers delayed the undocking till late Wednesday, Oct. 23 on account of unfavorable climate circumstances close to the a number of splashdown zones off the coast of Florida. Splashdown was early Friday, Oct. 25. Throughout routine medical assessments on the restoration ship, a further analysis of the crew members was requested out of an abundance of warning. One crew member remained hospitalized Friday night. (ANS thanks NASA for the above data.)

+ NASA will use SpaceX’s Crew Dragon for its two crew rotation missions to the Worldwide Area Station in 2025 because it continues to guage if it should require Boeing to carry out one other take a look at flight of its Starliner spacecraft. In an Oct. 15 assertion, NASA stated it should use Crew Dragon for each the Crew-10 mission to the ISS, scheduled for no sooner than February 2025, and the Crew-11 mission scheduled for no sooner than July. Crew-10 will fly NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers together with astronaut Takuya Onishi from the Japanese house company JAXA and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov. NASA has not but introduced the crew for the Crew-11 mission. (ANS thanks SpaceNews for the above data.)

+ The Mauritius Novice Radio Society (MARS) transportable crew, on Oct. 20, enabled many younger Scouts of the Mauritius Scout Affiliation (MSA) to speak with different Scouts across the World on QO-100 GEO satellite tv for pc. See photographs at https://3b8mars.org/2024/10/21/jota-2024/ (ANS thanks Jean Marc Momple, 3B8DU, for the above data.)

Be part of AMSAT immediately at https://launch.amsat.org/

Along with common membership, AMSAT affords membership to:

* Societies (a acknowledged group, golf equipment or group).
* Major and secondary college college students are eligible for membership at one-half the usual yearly fee.
* Submit-secondary college college students enrolled in not less than half time standing shall be eligible for the scholar fee for a most of 6 post-secondary years on this standing.
* Memberships can be found for annual and lifelong phrases.

Contact information [at] amsat.org for extra membership data.

73 and bear in mind to assist Maintain Novice Radio in Area!

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