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
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Bulletins via the ANS List; to join this list see:
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In
this edition:
* ARRL, AMSAT Seek Changes in FCC Orbital Debris Mitigation
Proposals
* House Committee Leaders Request FCC Delay Rulemaking on Space
Debris
* 3D Printed Cubesat Simulator Frame Design Posted
* New OSCAR
T-Shirt Available from AMSAT Zazzle Store
* Receiving SMOG-P and ATL-1 Nano
Satellites With an RTL-SDR
* Commercial Blogs Feature Introductions to
Satellite Operations
* Upcoming Satellite Operations
* ARISS News
*
Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events
* Satellite Shorts From
All Over
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-110.01
ANS-110 AMSAT News Service
Weekly Bulletins
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 110.01
From AMSAT HQ
KENSINGTON, MD.
DATE 2020 April 19
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID:
$ANS-110.01
ARRL, AMSAT Seek Changes in FCC Orbital Debris Mitigation
Proposals
ARRL Washington Counsel Dave Siddall, K3ZJ, and AMSAT Executive
Vice
President Paul Stoetzer, N8HM, on April 8, discussed with senior
FCC
International Bureau staff by telephone the FCC’s draft Report &
Order
(R&O) on mitigation of orbital debris (IB Docket No. 18-313). The
ama-
teur representatives told the FCC staff that “two aspects of the
draft
regulations are of particular concern…. and would seriously
hinder
amateur radio’s future operations in space, if adopted as
proposed
without the relatively minor changes that we propose.”
First,
ARRL and AMSAT requested a revision to proposed language that
otherwise would
allow only private individual licensees to indemnify
the U.S. for the
operations of an amateur space satellite. ARRL and
AMSAT requested that
satellite owners be added to that provision. The
amateur representatives,
noting that amateur radio licensees may only
be individuals under the amateur
rules, stated that “[i]n no other
service would an individual be required to
personally make a similar
indemnification” and that “it would be difficult to
impossible to find
an individual Amateur Radio licensee willing to bear that
risk.”
Second, ARRL and AMSAT asked the FCC to delay by 3 years the
proposed
effective date of April 23, 2022, for a rule that would require
satel-
lite operators to certify that space stations “be designed with
the
maneuvering capabilities sufficient to perform collision
avoidance”
for spacecraft designed to operate above 400 kilometers in
altitude.
Citing the long lead times to design and construct Amateur
satellites,
ARRL and AMSAT suggested that a more reasonable date would be
April 23,
2025 and noted that, based on recent past years, only an estimated
3-5
amateur satellites likely would be launched during the extra
period.
“We do not disagree with the purpose of this requirement,” they
told
the FCC staff, but “the proposed effective date is unreasonable in
the
case of amateur radio satellites.” The new effective date “would
allow
time for amateur spacecraft designers to adapt to this new
require-
ment,” they said.
Citing the value of amateur satellites to
the development of the com-
mercial small satellite industry, and student
participation in such
projects, ARRL and AMSAT said a strong and robust
Amateur Satellite
Service will help inspire future developments in satellite
technology.
The requested changes to the draft R&O would help ensure that
amateur
radio continues to have a future in space and contribute to the
public
interest on an educational, non-pecuniary basis.
The FCC is
expected to consider the R&O at its April 23 open meeting.
The AMSAT/ARRL
document may be read in full at: https://bit.ly/2KjfHjf
[ANS thanks the
American Radio Relay League for the above
information]
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House
Committee Leaders Request FCC Delay Rulemaking on Space Debris
House
Science, Space, and Technology Committee Ranking Member Frank
Lucas,
Chairwoman Eddie Bernice Johnson, Space & Aeronautics Subcom-
mittee
Ranking Member Brian Babin, and Space & Aeronautics Subcommit-
tee
Chairwoman Kendra Horn sent a letterrequesting that the Federal
Communication
Commission (FCC) delay on their Proposed Rulemaking in
the matter of
Mitigation of Orbital Debris in the New Space Age.
The Science Committee
Members raised a number of concerns with moving
forward on the rule,
including the timing of the action during the
COVID-19 pandemic. “Given the
unprecedented circumstances surrounding
the COVID-19 crisis, the immense
effort undertaken to recover from the
pandemic, and the potential for the
FCC’s proposal to exacerbate im-
pacts on U.S. industry and international
competitiveness at a critical
period in our nation’s history, we hope that
you will agree to postpone
future action,” the letter reads.
The
letter also raises substantive concerns with the rule itself, the
rulemaking
process, and the potential for regulatory and legislative
inconsistency,
noting significant concerns from stakeholders [inclu-
ding
AMSAT].
“The proposal contradicts Executive Branch policy and is
inconsistent
with existing and proposed legislative action,” the letter
states.
“Regulatory action by the FCC at this time, without clear
authority
from Congress, will at the very least create confusion and
undermine
the Commission’s work, and at worst undermine U.S. economic
competi-
tiveness and leadership in space.” The letter also mentions that
FCC
action could duplicate efforts at the Department of Commerce.
The
full text of the letter is available at: https://bit.ly/3bhJqoC
[ANS thanks
spaceref.com 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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3D
Printed Cubesat Simulator Frame Design Posted
AMSAT VP - Educational
Relations, Dr. Alan Johnston, KU2Y, posted his
build of the 3D printed
'Universal 1U Cubesat Frame' by Juliano85
at: https://thingiverse.com/make:789484
Alan notes, "It is a perfect
frame for the new AMSAT CubeSatSim, a low cost
CubeSat functional
satellite model." Information on building the Simulator
can found at:
http://cubesatsim.org
The CubeSatSim is
a low cost satellite emulator that runs on solar pan-
els and batteries, and
transmits UHF radio telemetry. The simulator is
a tool for education and
demonstrations. It can be used in a classroom
or training setting to
introduce the basics of satellites, or it can
be used to teach STEM (Science
Technology Engineering and Math) con-
cepts. It can also be a stepping stone
in a project to build and
launch an actual flight model CubeSat.
[ANS
thanks Alan Johnston, KU2Y, VP - Educational Relations, 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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New
OSCAR T-Shirt Available from AMSAT Zazzle Store
Thanks to an post on
Twitter from Michael Styne, K2MTS, AMSAT is
pleased to offer a new t-shirt on
the AMSAT Zazzle Store. This t-
shirt design is available in variants
suitable for printing on either
dark or lightly colored shirts.
The
shirt features a representation of AMSAT-OSCAR 7 in orbit with the
tagline
"OSCAR - Adventure and Excitement in Space Age Communication"
This image was
used in advertisements for the 1978 ARRL book "Getting
to Know OSCAR." The
ARRL has granted AMSAT permission to republish
this classic image as a
t-shirt.
Get yours today! 25% of the purchase price goes towards
Keeping
Amateur Radio in Space.
https://www.zazzle.com/oscar_t_shirt_dark-235643945481104970
https://www.zazzle.com/oscar_t_shirt_light-235449229998854129
[ANS
thanks Paul Stoetzer, N8HM, AMSAT Executive VP, for the
above
information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Receiving
SMOG-P and ATL-1 Nano Satellites With an RTL-SDR
Zoltan Doczi (HA7DCD)
has published a tutorial that shows how to re-
ceive signals from the SMOG-P
and ATL-1 nano satellites which were
launched via Rocket Lab back in late
2019.
SMOG-P is a Hungarian nano satellite developed by BME University.
It's
payload consists of an on board spectrum analyzer that is designed
to
measure electromagnetic pollution (electrosmog) from space, and to
al-
so monitor the DVB-T spectrum. It currently holds the title of
the
world's smallest satellite in operation. ATL-1 is another
Hungarian
satellite this time developed by ATL Ltd. Its mission is to test a
new
thermal isolation material in space and to monitor the DVB-T
spectrum.
To receive telemetry from these satellites one can use a
Raspberry Pi,
RTL-SDR, Yagi, and optionally an LNA and filter. In his post
Zoltan
shows how to install the SMOG-P decoder, and provides a script
that
automatically decodes, uploads packets to the BME University
server,
and archives old IQ files and packets.
Zoltan notes that if
you wish to receive these satellites, now is the
time to do so as these nano
satellites are in a very low orbit and on-
ly have an orbital lifespan of
only 6-8 months total.
The full blog post with photos may be found at: https://bit.ly/2VeTk56
and at https://bit.ly/3cnfV4Z
[ANS thanks
Zoltan Doczi, HA7DCD, and RTL-SDR.com for the above
infor-
mation]
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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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Commercial
Blogs Feature Introductions to Satellite Operations
The official
corporate blogs of two businesses closely related to the
amateur radio market
have focused attention on introducing newcomers
to the world of satellites in
this past week. Icom America, Inc. and
DX Engineering have both featured
satellite operations in blog posts,
and have promoted these posts on their
corporate social media channels.
Electronics manufacturer Icom America
featured a post introducing sat-
ellite operations to newcomers this week.
The blog post, authored by
Jim Wilson, K5ND, is titled, "Satellite Operations
– Amazing Technol-
ogy, Grids and Grins." The post is dated April 13,
2020.
In a social media post the same day, @IcomAmericaInc
tweeted:
"Have you ever tried satellite operations? If you haven't, we
have
a short blog by Jim Wilson @k5nd that can spark your interest.
Find
out more at: https://bit.ly/2WWF0PU
"
The blog entry, which includes many photos and graphics, offers
some
basic information on satellites currently available, discusses
ideas
for possible ground stations, and mentions satellite operating
activi-
ties such as DX, grid chasing, and roaming. The post also includes
a
link to amsat.org and promotes the 2019 Edition of Getting Started
with
Amateur Satellites, published by AMSAT.
[ANS thanks Icom America for the
above information]
Also, amateur radio retailer DX Engineering placed a
satellite post in
the Technical Articles section of their "On All Bands"
blog. The post,
by Sean Kutzko, KX9X, appeared on April 15.
Titled,
"How to Predict and Track a Satellite Pass," the post offers a
basic primer
on satellite tracking and reviews a number of online sat-
ellite tracking
sites, as well as some of the available tracking soft-
ware and apps for
Windows, iOS, and Android operating systems. SatPC32,
which is available
through AMSAT, is prominently mentioned.
A Tweet from @SeanKutzko states:
"To access a #hamradio satellite, you
have to know when it’s above the
horizon and where to point your an-
tenna. My latest blog for @DXEngineering
shows you how to do both!
https://onallbands.com/how-to-predict-and-track-a-satellite-pass/
@AMSAT
#amsat #hamr #arrl #KX9X"
[ANS thanks Sean Kutzko, KX9X, for the above
information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Upcoming
Satellite Operations
Due to COVID-19, there are no announced satellite
operations at this
moment. Any roving activity of which AMSAT becomes aware
will be post-
ed at:
https://www.amsat.org/satellite-info/upcoming-satellite-operations/
Until
then, stay safe and keep making contacts from home.
Please submit any
additions or corrections to ke4al (at) amsat.org
[ANS thanks Robert
Bankston, KE4AL, AMSAT VP-User Services 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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ARISS
News
ARISS lets students worldwide experience the excitement of
talking
directly with crew members of the International Space Station,
inspir-
ing them to pursue interests in careers in science,
technology,
engineering and math, and engaging them with radio science
technology
through amateur radio.
The ARISS team continues to test and
firm up a plan to transform ARISS
contacts and how ARISS interacts with youth
and education institutions.
ARISS will provide distance learning with every
student and staff mem-
ber in their own homes (even quarantined).
[ANS
thanks ARISS for the above
information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
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 meet-
ings, hamfests, conventions, maker faires,
and other events.
Due to COVID-19, many hamfest and events around the
United States have
been cancelled or postponed. While we make every effort
to ensure the
information contained below is correct, there may be some that
we
missed. We wish all of you safekeeping and hope to be at a hamfest
near
you soon.
Current schedule:
(May 2, 2020) Arrowhead Radio
Amateurs Club Hamfest, Superior, WI
has been postponed to September
26, 2020
June 12-13, 2020, Ham-Com, Plano, TX
The following events
scheduled to have an AMSAT presence have been
CANCELED:
March 21,
2020, Midwinter Madness Hamfest, Buffalo, MN
March 21, 2020, Scottsdale
Amateur Radio Club Hamfest,
Scottsdale, AZ
March 28,
2020, Tucson Spring Hamfest, Tucson, AZ
March 29, 2020, Vienna Wireless
Winterfest, Annandale, VA
April 4, 2020 River Bend Wireless and
Mechanical Society
Presentation, Faribault, MN
April 18,
2020 Brainerd Area Amateur Radio Club Hamfest,
Brainerd,
MN
May 2, 2020, Cochise Amateur Radio Association Hamfest,
Sierra
Vista, AZ
May 8-9, 2020 Prescott Hamfest,
Prescott, AZ
May 15-17, Hamvention, Xenia, OH
A copy of the AMSAT
hamfest brochure is available for download from:
https://bit.ly/2ygVFmV This color brochure is
designed to be printed
double-sided and folded into a tri-fold
handout.
To include your upcoming AMSAT presentation and/or
demonstration,
please send an email to ambassadors (at) amsat (dot)
org.
[ANS thanks Robert Bankston, KE4AL, AMSAT VP-User Services for
the
above
information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Satellite
Shorts From All Over
+ The Hubble Space Telescope explores the universe
24 hours a day, 7
days a week. That means it has observed some fascinating
cosmic won-
der every day of the year, including on your birthday. What did
Hub-
ble look at on your birthday? Enter the month and date to find
out
at: https://go.nasa.gov/2RJeAxu
(ANS
thanks NASA.gov for the above information)
+ The Youth on the Air Camp in
the Americas, a summer camp for licens-
ed amateur radio operators ages 15
through 25 that was scheduled to
take place June 21 through June 26, 2020
at the National Voice of
America Museum of Broadcasting in West Chester
Township (North Cin-
cinnati), Ohio has been postponed until the summer of
2021 due to
the COVID-19 pandemic. A satellite session had been planned for
this
event. For more information about YOTA in the Americas can be
found
at YouthOnTheAir.org.
(ANS thanks Camp Director Neil Rapp,
WB9VPG, for the above informa-
tion)
+ Houston, we’ve had a problem.
April 11th marked the 50th anniversary
of Apollo 13’s launch. Check out the
amazing Apollo 13 in Real Time
to follow the mission as it happened or jump
to any point in the mis-
sion timeline) at: https://apolloinrealtime.org/13/
NASA also re-
leased "Apollo 13: Home Safe," a 30 minute documentary that
follows
the mission, available at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WM8kjDF0IJU
Apollo 13 remains one
of the greatest all-time feats of human ingenuity and
improvisation
under pressure.
(ANS thanks The Orbital Index for the
above information)
+ Space has not been insulated from the virus. An
article cataloging
some of the impacts of the pandemic on the spaceflight,
"How the
Coronavirus Outbreak is Affecting the Space Industry," can be
found
at: http://www.satmagazine.com/story.php?number=818620039
(ANS thanks SatMagazine for the above information)
+ The International
Space Station Expedition 62 crew, consisting of
NASA Flight Engineer
Jessica Meir, Flight Engineer Andrew Morgan,
KI5AAA, and Commander Oleg
Skripochka, RA0LDJ, departed the Interna-
tional Space Station and landed
in Kazakhstan on Friday, 17 April.
The Soyuz MS-15 spacecraft undocked from
the aft port of the sta-
tion's Zvezda service module at 0153z Friday, and
landed on the
Kazakh steppe at 0516z. The replacement crew, consisting of
NASA
astronaut Chris Cassidy, KF5KDR, and Roscosmos cosmonauts Anatoly
Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner arrived at the ISS on April 9.
(ANS thanks
SpacelightNow for the above information)
+ ARRL members will now receive
digital access to four ARRL magazines
beginning with their latest issues.
Joining QST and On the Air maga-
zines on a digital platform will be the
bimonthly editions of QEX —
The Forum for Communications Experimenters and
NCJ — National Con-
test Journal. Print subscriptions of QEX and NCJ will
continue to
be available at additional cost for those who want to receive
them.
All four magazines are easily accessed through any web browser
from
members-only links, or via the free ARRL Magazines app is
available
for iOS and Android.
(ANS thanks ARRL for the above
information)
+ Intelsat’s IS-901 satellite is nearly 20 years old, and
well beyond
its expected lifespan, but a small spacecraft built by
Northrop
Grumman succeeded in docking with the satellite and giving it
an-
other five years of service, the companies announced on Friday.
The
feat is a space industry first. Full article at:
https://tinyurl.com/y7ta8qzr
(ANS
thanks Zach Metzinger, N0ZGO, and CNBC.com for the above infor-
mation)
---------------------------------------------------------------------
/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
