ARISS Equipment on SpaceX Launch

From AMSAT-bb and Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, ARISS International Chair, AMSAT-NA V.P. for Human Spaceflight Programs

Included as part of today's successful launch of the SpaceX Dragon vehicle to ISS is an ARISS Ericsson 2 meter VHF radio.  This radio will replace the Ericsson radio that failed a few months ago.  The VHF radio is used for school group contacts and amateur packet radio in the Columbus module.  Once the Dragon vehicle is berthed to ISS, the Ericsson will be unstowed and, at some point, installed in Columbus, replacing the UHF radio that is now supporting APRS packet and some school contacts.

Our thanks to SpaceX on an outstanding and historic flight from Kennedy Space Center's Launch Pad 39A, where many Space Shuttle missions  and nearly all the Apollo moon missions were launched.  We also would like to thank our ARISS benefactors-NASA and CASIS, the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space.  And, of course, our amateur radio long-time sponsors-our national amateur radio organizations around the world, including the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) in the US, and our international AMSAT organizations, including AMSAT-NA.

 Before closing, I want to let you know that ARISS is making great progress on the development of the new interoperable radio system that we hope to use to replace our aging radio infrastructure in the Columbus module and the Service module.  The hard (and expensive) part of this effort is just beginning, with testing and human certification on the horizon.  We thank all that have donated to the cause thus far.  We hope you continue to help ARISS move forward through your support, including your volunteer time and talent and, of course, financial contributions through the AMSAT web site
donate button.

Two Radio Amateurs Set to Head for the International Space Station

Two Amateur Radio licensees are part of the International Space Station (ISS) crew increment bound for the orbiting outpost this week. NASA astronaut Kate Rubins, KG5FYJ, astronaut Takuya Onishi,
KF5LKS, of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), and cosmonaut Anatoly Ivanishin of Roscosmos will launch early on July 7 (0136 UTC) from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The trio will spend approximately 4 months on station and will return to Earth in October.

An upgraded Soyuz MS-01 spacecraft will carry Rubins, Onishi, and Ivanishin into space. They will test modified systems for 2 days - 34 Earth orbits - before docking with the ISS on July 9. According
to NASA, the modified Soyuz is equipped with upgraded thrusters that are fully redundant, additional micrometeoroid debris shielding, redundant electrical motors for the Soyuz docking probe, and
increased power with more photovoltaic cells on the spacecraft's solar arrays. This week's launch will mark the first of at least two missions in which enhanced Soyuz hardware will be tested and verified.

Once the hatches between the Soyuz and the ISS have been opened, Expedition 48 Commander Jeff Williams, KD5TVQ, of NASA, and Flight Engineers Oleg Skripochka, RN3FU, and Alexey vchinin of Roscosmos will greet their new crewmates.

The Expedition 48 crew members will continue experiments in biology, biotechnology, physical science, and Earth science.

Rubins, Onishi, and cosmonaut Ivanishin will replace Expedition 47 Commander Tim Kopra, KE5UDN; Flight Engineer Tim Peake, KG5BVI/GB1SS, and Yuri Malenchenko, RK3DUP, who returned to Earth in mid-June after a little more than 6 months in space.

NASA TV will cover the launch and the arrival online at,
http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html#public .

ISS SSTV activity planned for late Dec. 2015

 

The ARISS Russia team is making plans to support a couple of Slow Scan TV (SSTV) events in the next few months on 145.800 MHz FM.

 

The first session is being targeted for Dec 26-27 (subject to change) to celebrate 15 years of ARISS school contacts with the ISS crew.

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The down link mode will be PD120 which should allow for the opportunity to receive more images in a single pass. Watch for updates and additional information as it becomes available.

 

The ISS puts out a strong signal on 145.800 MHz FM and a 2m handheld with a 1/4 wave antenna will be enough to receive it. The FM transmission uses 5 kHz deviation which is standard in much of the world. In IARU Region 1 (British Isles, Europe, Africa) FM equipment is usually set by default to the narrower 2.5 kHz deviation.

Many FM rigs can be switched been wide and narrow deviation FM filters. For best results you should select the filter for wider deviation FM. Handhelds all seem to have a single wide filter fitted as standard.

 

ISS Slow Scan TV hints and links http://amsat-uk.org/beginners/iss-sstv/

 

ARISS SSTV Blog http://ariss-sstv.blogspot.co.uk/

 

Source: AMSAT-UK

 

ARISS Finalizes Plans for Silver Anniversary of Amateur Radio from Space

SB SPACE ARL ARLS009
ARLS009 ARISS Finalizes Plans for Silver Anniversary of Amateur Radio from Space

The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) team is currently celebrating the silver anniversary -- 25 years -- of Amateur Radio operations from space. According to ARISS International Chairman Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, the crew on the International Space Station (ISS) has configured the radio to support cross-band repeater operations. They have also supported some SSTV downlinks and participated in a special test of 9600 baud packet radio operations on the simplex frequency of 145.825 MHz. After December 19, Bauer said he expects the ISS ham radio system to be on the 145.825 MHz frequency supporting 1200 baud packet. If PCSAT is configured during the week, he said double hop APRS is possible.

"During the week of December 21-26, we plan to support the cross-band repeater mode with a twist," Bauer said. "Our intent is to configure the radio for 145.99 MHz uplink -- including CTCSS tone of 67.0 and 437.80 MHz down. This will be performed in low power mode. We should also note that an extra-vehicular activity (EVA) is planned for that week -- Expedition 18 Commander Mike Fincke, KE5AIT, and Flight Engineer Yury Lonchakov, RA3DT, plan to perform a spacewalk on December 22. As per standard procedure, the ISS ham radio system will be turned off for the EVA."

Bauer said that from December 28-January 3, the cross-band repeater will be reconfigured for what he called "a special experiment. This will be a test of our L-Band uplink capability, which, to date, has not been proven out. Plan for an uplink of 1269.65 MHz and a downlink on the standard frequency of 145.80 MHz, using low power," he said. "Given the substantial cable losses of the L-band system, we hope some 'big guns' are able to penetrate through, keep up with Doppler and make the connection."

A special certificate is being developed for those who communicate with the ISS from November 30, 2008 to January 15, 2009. This certificate will be awarded to those who have had two-way communications with the ISS on voice, packet (APRS) or through the voice repeater. Those who hear the ISS from space in any of the ARISS operations modes -- voice, SSTV, school contact, voice repeater or digital - will also be eligible to receive a certificate.

To receive the certificate, Bauer said to note the ARISS mode of operation (such as SSTV, voice or school) on your QSL and whether the contact was one-way (receive only) or two-way. "You should send your self-addressed, stamped envelope to the normal ARISS QSL volunteer distributor in your area of the world," he explained. "On the outside of the QSL envelope, please include the words '25th Anniversary Certificate.' Make sure your envelope is big enough to accept an 8.5 x 11 inch certificate and includes the proper postage."

If you do not know where to send your QSL, check the ARISS Web site to find the one that serves your part of the world.

"We will be sending your certificate to the volunteer distributors in bulk after the event is over," Bauer said. "This saves workload and money. So do not expect to see it until 1-2 months after the event closes on January 15." Bauer reminded hams that due to ISS flight requirements related to spacewalks and vehicle activity, the radio onboard the ISS may be off for some portion of this schedule. School contacts and general QSO opportunities by the crew will also preempt this schedule for short periods of time. "But remember that if you hear these," he said, "you still qualify for a commemorative certificate. Enjoy the ARISS ops on ISS!"

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/EX

And from AMSAT.ORG......

ARISS 25th Anniversary Adds New Modes to ISS Amateur Radio Operations

AMSAT-NA V.P. for Human Spaceflight Programs and ARISS International Chairman Frank Bauer, KA3HDO announced, "Twenty-five years ago this week, Owen Garriott, W5LFL, made history by being the first amateur radio operator to talk to hams from space. Owen's historic flight on the STS-9 Space Shuttle Columbia mission was launched on November 28 and landed on December 8, 1983. Owen's ham radio adventure on STS-9 ushered in a host of outstanding outreach activities that continue today with the ARISS program."

Frank continued, "Many will recall that first set of contacts and downlinks with Owen. Those first contacts allowed each of us to share the excitement of space exploration through Owen's first-hand eyewitness accounts. Owen's ham radio legacy enabled space travelers that have flown on the Space Shuttle, the Space Station Mir and now the International Space Station to share their journey of exploration."

"Owen's son Richard, W5KWQ just a month ago carried the torch further to become the first 2nd generation amateur rdaio operator to talk to hams from space. What other hobby, except amateur radio, could or would open the communications lines of space travelers beyond that of the space agencies or international heads of state?"

To date, the ISS crew has configured the radio to support cross-band repeater operations, they have supported some SSTV downlinks and we have had the opporunity to participate in a special test of 9600 baud packet radio operations on the simplex frequency of 145.825 MHz.

Specifically, the following is being planned in the near-term:

December 15-19 - we expect the ISS Ham radio system to be on the 145.825 MHz frequency supporting 1200 baud packet. If PCSAT is configured during the week, double hop APRS is possible.

December 21-26 - we plan to support the Crossband repeater mode with a twist. Our intent is to configure the radio for 145.99 MHz uplink including PL tone of 67.0 and 437.80 MHz down. This will be performed in low power mode.

December 22 - Expedition 18 Commander Mike Fincke and Flight Engineer Yury Lonchakov plan to perform a spacewalk. As per standard procedure, the ISS ham radio system will be turned off for the EVA.

December 28-January 3 - we plan to reconfigure the Crossband repeater for a special experiment. This will be a test of our L-Band uplink capability, which, to date, has not been proven out. Plan for an uplink of 1269.65 MHz and and downlink on the standard frequency 145.80 MHz using low power. Given the subtantial cable losses of the L-band system, we hope some "big guns" are able to penetrate through, keep up with doppler, and make the connection.

And at times, especially during the weekends, you might see some SSTV operations if the crew is available.

We will provide more updates in the near future. We would like to remind everyone that ISS flight requirements related to EVA and vehicle activity may require the radio to be off for some portion of this schedule. And school contacts and general QSO opportunities by the crew will also preempt this schedule for short periods of time. (But remember that if you hear these, you still qualify for a commemorative certificate).

Frank concluded, "In the meantime, enjoy the ARISS ops on ISS! And congratulations to Owen Garriott, W5LFL, on the 25th anniversary of his historic flight!!"

ARISS Commemorative Certificate Information

If you have had two-way communications with the ISS on voice, packet (APRS), or through the voice repeater, or have heard the ISS from space in any of the ARISS operations modes (voice, SSTV, school contact, voice repeater, digital) between November 30, 2008 to January 15, 2009 you qualify to receive an ARISS Commemorative Certificate.

Please note on your QSL the ARISS mode of operation (e.g. SSTV, voice, school, etc) and whether the contact with you was one-way (receive only) or two-way. On the outside of the QSL envelope, please include the words "25th Anniversary Certificate" Make sure your envelope is big enough to accept an 8.5 by 11 inch certificate and includes the proper postage. Please refer to http://www.ariss.org for additional details.

ARISS QSL Addresses:

USA: ARRL Headquarters, 25th Anniversary Certificate, 225 Main Street Newington, CT 06111-1494 USA

Canada: Radio Amateurs of Canada, 25th Anniversary Certificate, 720 Belfast Road, Suite 217, Ottawa Ontario K1G 0Z5

Europe: F1MOJ - Mr CANDEBAT Christophe, ARISS-Europe QSL Manager, 25th Anniversary Certificate, 19 Chemin des Escoumeilles, 66820 VERNET les Bains, FRANCE

Japan: ARISS Japan QSL, 25th Anniversary Certificate, JARL International Section, Tokyo 170-8073 JAPAN

Russia: Alexander Davydov, RN3DK, 25th Anniversary Certificate, Novo - Mytishchinsky prospekt 52 - 111, Mytishchi 18, Moskovskaya obl., 141018, RUSSIA

For other countries, please use the US or Canadian address above until such time as an address for your country is available.

Please note that ARISS will be sending your certificate to the volunteer distributors in bulk AFTER the event is over. It will take 1-2 months after the event closes on January 15 to send out the certificates.

ARISS Antennas Set To Launch On NASA Mission

Article below courtesy of ARRL Letter Vol. 26 No. 47:



Columbus , the laboratory built by the European Space Agency (ESA), is now packed inside space shuttle Atlantis' payload bay. It is the culmination of years of design and engineering work aimed at creating Europe's primary component for the International Space Station (ISS). At 23 feet long and 15 feet in diameter, the cylindrical segment is designed to host specialized experiments examining how humans react to microgravity and the effect of space on various fluids and objects such as crystals. Two Amateur-Radio-on-the-International-Space-Station (ARISS) antennas have been installed on the nadir side of Columbus. NASA is currently planning on a launch date of Thursday, December 6 for Atlantis.

According to ARRL ARISS Program Manager Rosalie White, K1STO, "The ARISS-Europe Team is holding weekly meetings to determine what the ARISS International Team should have for a station in the Columbus module. The Europeans will need to begin fundraising for the multiple sets of equipment, such as the on-orbit equipment, the required back-up on-orbit equipment and the test equipment. Some portions of the equipment system can be purchased, but much of it would need to be built. Once the team purchases or builds the equipment, next comes the special testing (individual equipment tests plus an end-to-end test) for space (probably by ESA), getting the equipment certified (also probably by ESA) and finally manifesting the system for launch. All of that will take many months and help from ARISS volunteers from many countries."

The mission, STS-122, will bring seven astronauts to the ISS: Commander Stephen N. Frick, KD5DZC; Pilot Alan G. Poindexter; Mission Specialist Rex J. Walheim; Mission Specialist Stanley G. Love; Mission Specialist Leland D. Melvin; Mission Specialist Hans Schlegel of Germany, and Mission Specialist/Expedition 16 Flight Engineer Leopold Eyharts, KE5FNO, of France.

Earlier this week, ISS Commander Peggy Whitson and Flight Engineer Dan Tani, KD5DXE, installed the Centerline Berthing Camera System that will be used for visual cues in the installation of the Columbus module to the Harmony connecting node. Russian cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko, RK3DUP, is also on board. Tani is due to depart the ISS when Atlantis returns to Earth; Eyharts will take his place.

Earlier this year, the ARISS antennas successfully passed electrical and SWR tests, with one of the two antennas, Antenna 42, going through a final test -- a thermal test under vacuum. Based on modeling, engineers have no fear the antenna will pass with flying colors. Columbus will house an additional Amateur Radio station, including the first digital Amateur Radio TV (DATV) station in space, as well as a ham radio transponder. The yet-to-be-built Columbus amateur gear will facilitate operation on new frequencies that will make it possible for ARISS to establish wideband and video operations for the first time and allow continuous transponder operation.

At the ARISS International conference last year in San Francisco, Graham Shirville, G3VZV, speaking on behalf of ARISS-Europe, outlined plans for a mode L/S ham radio transponder as well as a DATV downlink on S1 band (2.4 GHz). "So, future ARISS contacts could have pictures as well as sound," Shirville told the delegates. ARISS-Europe is looking at a 10 W transmitter and a signal bandwidth of from 4 to 8 MHz. Since the Columbus module will be some distance from the other two ARISS stations, parallel operation will be possible.

Atlantis' mission to the ISS is scheduled to last 11 days. On flight day 4, Walheim and Schlegel's main task will be to prepare the Columbus module for installation on Harmony. They will install the Power Data Grapple Fixture on Columbus, which will allow the space station's robotic arm to grab the module and move it from the shuttle's payload bay to Harmony. On flight day 8, Walheim and Love will install two
payloads on Columbus' exterior: SOLAR, an observatory to monitor the sun, and the European Technology Exposure Facility (EuTEF) which will carry eight different experiments requiring exposure to the space environment.

Funding to finish and install ham radio antennas on Columbus has been uncertain; however. ARISS Vice Chairman Gaston Bertels, ON4WF, says donations from various sources covered a payment of 9000 Euros (approximately $12,000) in March. Donations already have come in from the ARRL Foundation, AMSAT-NA and AMSAT-UK, among other organizations, as well as from many individual donors. According to Bertels, there is
still a funding shortfall of 14,000 Euros (approximately $20,000 USD). To help out, PayPal donations are being accepted.