AMSAT NEWS SERVICE
ANS-171

ANS is a free, weekly, news and information service of AMSAT North
America, The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS 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.

Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to:


In this edition:

* Last Call For Speakers
* BOD Nominations Announced
* AO-51 Field Day Schedule
* Lunar Lander Cubesat Poposed
* 1675-1710 MHz Weather Satellite Band Under Study for Re-Allocation
* Name That Satellite
* Hudson Valley, NY SatCom Net on Thursday
* ARISS Status


SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-171.01
Last Call For Speakers

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 171.01
From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
June 20, 2010
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-171.01


Hi All,

This is the final call for speakers for the AMSAT-UK Colloquium 2010
which will be held at the Holiday Inn, Guildford, UK (same venue as
in 2009) on *Sat 31st Jul and Sun 1st Aug 2010*, with a beginners session
on the afternoon of Friday 30th.

AMSAT-UK invite speakers, about amateur radio, space and associated
activities to this event, details of which, can be found at:

http://www.uk.amsat.org/content/view/32/42/

As this is a late call, the submission of a paper is not required
but any PowerPoint or similar material can be made available online,
afterterwards.

Submissions should be sent *ONLY* to G4DPZ, via the following routes:

e-mail: david.johnson AT blackpepper.co.uk

SnailMail: QTHR from www.QRZ.com

Likewise if anyone knows of a good speaker, please send contact and
other information to G4DPZ.

73

Dave
G4DPZ

[ANS thanks Dave, G4DPZ, for the above information]

/EX


SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-171.02
BOD Nominations Announced

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 171.02
From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
June 20, 2010
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-171.02

It is my pleasure to announce that the following have been
nominated to serve on the AMSAT Board of Directors for
two year terms:

Tom Clark, K3IO
Lou McFadin, W5DID
Tony Monteiro, AA2TX
Gould Smith, WA4SXM

Candidates will be afforded the opportunity to have statements
of their qualifications and positions circulated to the membership.
In accordance with the bylaws of the Radio Amateur Satellite
Corporation, the ballots will be mailed no later than July 15th,
and must be returned no later than September 15h to be counted.

Since there are four candidates for three seats, the three
candidates having the greatest number of votes will be elected
to full terms. The forth candidate will serve as an alternate
until the next annual election.


Alan Biddle
WA4SCA
AMSAT Corporate Secretary

[ANS thanks Alan, WA4SCA for the above information]

/EX


SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-171.03
AO-51 Field Day Schedule

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 171.03
From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
June 20, 2010
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-171.03

AO-51 Operations Team Announces Field Day Schedule

It's that time of year again; summer and Field Day! Each year the
American Radio Relay League (ARRL) sponsors Field Day as an emergency
preparedness exercise. The event takes place during a 24-hour period
on the fourth weekend of June.

For 2010 the event takes place during a 27-hour period from 1800 UTC
on Saturday June 26, 2010 through 2100 UTC on Sunday June 27, 2010.
Those who set up prior to 1800 UTC on June 26 can operate only 24
hours. The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT) promotes its
own version of Field Day for operation via the amateur satellites,
held concurrently with the ARRL event.

AMSAT-NA VP Operations, Drew KO4MA says the AO-51 Command Team and
Operations Group has announced the AO-51 configuration for Field
Day:

June 21 10:40Z - June 24 09:35Z FM Repeater, V/S to allow testing
of V/S station equipment prior to Field Day:
Uplink: 145.880 Mhz FM
Downlink: 2401.200 Mhz FM

June 24 09:35Z - June 27 06:40Z FM Repeater, V/U
Please observe the 1 QSO per repeater Field Day rule
Uplink: 145.920 Mhz FM, PL 67Hz
Downlink: 435.300 Mhz FM

June 27 06:40 - June 27 22:00Z FM Repeater, V/S
Please observe the 1 QSO per repeater Field Day rule
Uplink: 145.880 Mhz FM
Downlink: 2401.200 Mhz FM

AMSAT Field Day rules and scoring instructions are available on-line at:
http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/awards/amsatfd.php
Read the latest AO-51 Command Team and Operations Group News on-line at:
http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/echo/CTNews.php

[ANS thanks the AO-51 Operations Team for the above information]

/EX


SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-171.04
Lunar Lander Cubesat Proposed

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 171.04
From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
June 20, 2010
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-171.04

Lunar Lander CubeSat Proposed

In a story first reported in the European EE Times, Vermont Technical
College, Norwich University, St. Michael's College, and the University
of Vermont are working together to land a CubeSat on the moon.
(EE Times http://tinyurl.com/22vuz7q)

The team is currently working on initial designs for the spacecraft,
with the aim of achieving further NASA funding in June 2011. Primary
funding for this effort is being provided by the Vermont Space Grant
Consortium under NASA grant.

In the current phase of the program The Vermont CubeSat project, led
by Professor Carl Brandon of Vermont Technical College aims to launch
by 2015. It is developing the first CubeSat that can be launched from
a geostationary orbit to successfully land on the moon. The CubeSat
electronics are based on a Texas Instruments (TI) MSP430 processor and
the software will control navigation, communications, scientific ins-
truments, camera and the CubeSat's propulsion system.

SPARK, a new high level programming language and toolset designed to
support the development of mission critical software will be used for
the moonbound cubesat. SPARK was adopted for the CubeSat project be-
cause of Vermont Technical College's experience in using SPARK and the
related Ada programming language in developing mission critical control
systems for a project to create Arctic sea ice monitoring buoys. Both
the CubeSat and buoy systems face similar challenges in terms of coping
with inhospitable conditions and the impossibility of fixing any soft-
ware bugs when deployed.

The proposed lunar lander will be a single unit CubeSat (10*10*10 cm)
with four mini-thrusters on the bottom to maximize control and manoeu-
vrability. Two potential options for propulsion are being examined - a
bi-propellant booster or a Xenon powered ion drive booster. The Xenon
thruster can also be used for a triple CubeSat that would go to and
orbit the moon.

[ANS thanks EE Times and the SouthGate ARC News for the above
information]

/EX


SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-171.05
1675-1710 MHz Weather Satellite Band Under Study for Re-Allocation

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 171.05
From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
June 20, 2010
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-171.05


1675-1710 MHz Weather Satellite Band Under Study for Re-Allocation

The ARRL has picked up on a news item in regards to the National
Broadband Plan (NBP) recommending that the FCC should make 500 MHz
of spectrum available for broadband use within the next 10 years,
including 300 MHz between 225 MHz-3.7 GHz for mobile use in the
next five years. One of the first slices of spectrum being eyeballed
includes the 1675-1710 MHz band utilized by weather satellites.

The FCC's Office of Engineering and Technology (OET) has engaged in
discussions with the National Telecommunications and Information Ad-
ministration's (NTIA) Office of Spectrum Management to begin examining
various frequency bands that may be suitable for mobile broadband use.

NTIA has preliminarily identified the 1675-1710 MHz band for such use
and is examining the impact on its incumbent federal users of the
weather satellite products. The FCC issued a Public Notice (ET Docket
No 10-123) on June 4, 2010, seeking information to help better compre-
hend the current use of the 1675-1710 MHz band by non-federal entities
and better understand its potential utility for broadband.

The full story can be found on the ARRL web site:
http://tinyurl.com/29zv8a6

[ANS thanks the ARRL Letter for June 17, 2010, Editor: S. Khrystyne
Keane, K1SFA for the above information]

/EX


SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-171.06
Name That Satellite

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 171.06
From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
June 20, 2010
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-171.06

SA-AMSAT is inviting radio amateurs to propose a name for its CubeSat
project which was announced at the recently held Space Symposium. The
project name should be a single word in any of South Africa's official
languages and reflect the spirit of the project.

A good example is the name given to the around-the-world-balloon project
which is called "lalela", the Zulu word for "listen".

The winning entry will receive a satellite handbook.
Entries should be sent by e-mail to .
SA-AMSAT's web page is at: http://www.amsatsa.org.za/

The closing date is 15 July.

[ANS thanks SA-AMSAT, SARL, and SouthGate for the above information]

/EX



SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-171.07
Hudson Valley, NY SatCom Net on Thursday

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 171.07
From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
June 20, 2010
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-171.07

The next "HV Satcom" group net is Thursday June 24
8PM (EDT) (Or 2400 UTC), with an echolink Node of
N2EYH-L, & the repeater used is "146.970 (Pl 100;
600 down), & for more info: www.hvsatcom.org
73,.Stu (WA2BSS)
(Director;Mt. Beacon ARC)

[ANS thanks Stu, WA2BSS, for the above information]

/EX


SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-171.08
ARISS Report

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 171.08
From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
June 14, 2010
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-171.08

Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) Status
ReportJune 14, 2010

1. Upcoming School Contact

Asahi Manabiya, located in Owariasahi, Aichi, Japan, has been
scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station
(ARISS) contact on Wednesday, June 23 at 12:48 UTC. Asahi Manabiya
is a volunteer club with approximately 50 members. It hopes to pique
children's interest in natural science including electrical and
electronic phenomena through this ARISS activity.

2. Astronaut Caldwell-Dyson Speaks with ISIS Andrea Ponti via ARISS

On Monday, June 7, students from ISIS Andrea Ponti in Gallarate,
Varese, Italy, linked up with on-orbit astronaut Tracy Caldwell-
Dyson, KF5DBF via an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station
(ARISS) contact. An audience of more than 250 students, teachers and
visitors, located in several classrooms and connected by multimedia
screens, were present for the contact. ARISS mentor Francesco De Paolis,
IK0WGF introduced the event and ARISS activities with a presentation
via phone line. The event was distributed via webcast and was covered
by the local media and newspapers. This contact was the final event
of several cross-curricular activities involving different school
subjects including Science, History, Geography, Math, Information
Technology and English.

3. ARISS News on Amateur Radio Newsline

On June 11, the Amateur Radio Newsline Report 1713 included a short
story titled, "Radio from Space: Astroham Congratulates WIA on its
100th Anniversary." The article is about Tracy Caldwell-Dyson's ARISS
contact during the WIA's anniversary dinner in which she sent greetings
and talked about the advancements in communications over the years. A
link to the audio is provided. To view the article, see:
ftp://ftp.arnewsline.org/quincy/News/news.txt

4.Astronaut Training Status

Astronaut Tom Marshburn, KE5HOC is scheduled to receive ARISS basic
operations training on July 12.

[ANS thanks Carol, KB3LKI, for the above information]

/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 additional benefits.
Application forms are available from the AMSAT Office.

73,
This week's ANS Editor,
Dee Interdonato, NB2F