Space Station contact with UK Girlguides

Space Station contact with UK Girlguides

ARISS) has received schedule confirmation for an ARISS radio contact between an astronaut aboard the International Space Station (ISS) and members of Girlguiding Surrey West County, at the Brooklands Museum and Brookland Innovation Academy, located in Weybridge, UK. ARISS conducts 60-100 of these special Amateur Radio contacts each year between students around the globe and crew members with ham radio licenses aboard the ISS.

Listen 145.800 MHz FM 2:05 pm BST (13:05 GMT) on Saturday, October 5, or watch the livestream at https://live.ariss.org/

Girlguiding Surrey West is a charity organization for girls and young women. Girlguiding wants to inspire their members to learn skills in science, technology, engineering and math with fun guiding activities and science-based activities. The Brooklands Innovation Academy, established in 2022, creates inspirational STEM experiences for young people. The age range of the participants for this ARISS contact are 5 to 19 years old. By hosting this ARISS contact they are also demonstrating real-world application of STEM concepts (an important principle at Brooklands Museum) to space missions and are encouraging the girls to complete their space interest badge. The group is being supported by the Radio Society of Great Britain and the ARISS UK Team to establish the radio link.

https://live.ariss.org/

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As time allows, students will ask these questions:

1. Who or what inspired you to become an astronaut and what advice would you have for any of these girls here today who might want to become an astronaut?

2. Do you have any free time and if so what do you spend your time doing?

3. There are many international time zones so how does time work on the ISS?

4. If you were not an astronaut, what job would you like to have instead?

5. What things do you like to take with you to remind you of home?

6. What is the hardest part of your job?

7. How does the food and drinks do you have in space compare to foods on earth?

8. What do you miss about Earth?

9. How long have you been on the international space station?

10. What was your reaction when you found out you had been selected to fly to the ISS?

11. What stars or other things have you seen in space?

12. Is space hot or cold?

13. Does space smell of anything?

14. How do you sleep in space?

15. What is your favorite planet and why?

16. Have you done a spacewalk? If so, what was it like?

17. The spacesuits look very heavy, are they uncomfortable to wear?

18. What is it like floating in space? Have you ever lost anything from it floating away?

19. What things do you like to take with you to remind you of home?

About ARISS:

Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) is a cooperative venture of international amateur radio societies and the space agencies that support the ISS. In the United States, sponsors are the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), Amateur Radio Digital Communications (ARDC), Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT), NASA’s Space Communications and Navigation program (SCaN) and the ISS National Lab—Space Station Explorers. The primary goal of ARISS is to promote exploration of science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics topics. ARISS does this by organizing scheduled contacts via amateur radio between crew members aboard the ISS and students. Before and during these radio contacts, students, educators, parents, and communities take part in hands-on learning activities tied to space, space technologies, and amateur radio. For more information, see http://www.ariss.org/

Follow ARISS on X at https://x.com/ARISS_Intl

Those satellite enthusiasts thinking of getting their UK Amateur Radio licence may like to know a Free online training courses are available at hamtrain.co.uk

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AMSAT-UK New Project Announcement

AMSAT-UK New Project Announcement

AMSAT-UK is delighted to have been able to accept an opportunity to provide a FUNcube Lite payload, with a mode U/V FM transponder, for the exciting Jovian-1 satellite.  

This 6U CubeSat is being designed and built by Space South Central  which is the largest regional space cluster in the UK.  This is a partnership between industry and academia, designed to accelerate space business growth, grow the reputation of the south central region of the UK and foster an environment of innovation. 

A collaboration between the universities of Surrey, Portsmouth and Southampton, JUPITER – the Joint Universities Programme for In-Orbit Training, Education and Research – will equip participants with invaluable hands-on space industry experience and training for their future careers.

The FUNcube Lite payload from AMSAT-UK will collect and send telemetry from Jovian-1 sub-systems for educational outreach to schools and colleges, using the tried and tested FUNcube data format. 

Telemetry will include data from the payload’s own radiation sensor, along with GPS information gathered from the satellite’s CAN bus.  

These data can be used to map radiation throughout the orbit, identifying planetary radiation ‘hotspots’ such as the polar regions and the 

South Atlantic Anomaly. It will also give an accurate measure of how much radiation reaches the sensitive electronics within the satellite. 

While Jovian-1 and its ground station at Surrey University will use commercial S and X band for primary communication, 

FUNcube Lite will use frequencies in the amateur UHF and VHF spectrum. 

When not sending telemetry, the payload can be configured as a mode U/V FM voice transponder for amateurs to use for international communications.

More information will be provided during the AMSAT-UK Colloquium taking place during the weekend October 12/13th https://amsat-uk.org/colloquium/

Links:

Dave Johnson, G4DPZ

Hon Sec AMSAT-UK

on behalf of the AMSAT-UK Committee & FUNcube Team

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GreenCube (IO-117) Update

GreenCube (IO-117) Update

The GreenCube satellite, developed by S5LAB, has likely ceased functioning due to radiation damage. After a successful mission that exceeded expectations, the satellite is no longer responding to commands, and its onboard radio is believed to have been compromised by the harsh radiation environment in Medium Earth Orbit (MEO).

Approximately ten days ago, GreenCube experienced a reboot, and telemetry data from the event did not indicate any anomalies. However, the S5LAB team now suspects that the satellite’s radio was damaged, leading to the current communication blackout. MEO is notoriously challenging for satellites due to its high radiation levels, and GreenCube was not the only satellite affected. Several other CubeSats launched alongside it only lasted a few days, making GreenCube’s extended mission duration a remarkable achievement.

Despite ongoing efforts to send commands and reactivate the satellite, the team remains pessimistic about restoring GreenCube’s functionality. The satellite’s survival in the hostile MEO environment is seen as a testament to its robust design, but the likelihood of recovery is slim.

At this time, no successor to GreenCube is planned, primarily due to the infrequency of launch opportunities to MEO. Launches to this orbit are rare, which complicates the prospect of future missions.

In response to the satellite’s success and the interest it generated among radio amateurs, S5LAB has promised to host a webinar in collaboration with AMSAT Italia. The event will provide insights into the GreenCube mission, sharing the challenges and triumphs of the satellite’s journey. This is an opportunity for the amateur radio community to learn more about the satellite’s impact and the technical details behind its impressive mission.

While GreenCube’s operational life may have ended, its contributions to satellite technology and amateur radio will be remembered as a significant milestone.

[Information from Piero I0KPT via Facebooks Greencube Group]

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AMSAT-UK Space Colloquium 2024

AMSAT-UK Space Colloquium 2024

RSGB Convention at Kents Hill Park Conference Centre, Milton Keynes, MK7 6BZ on the weekend of 12/13th October 2024.

As in previous years, the AMSAT-UK Colloquium will run as a separate stream within the RSGB Convention and will include presentations on a variety of satellite and space related topics.

The Annual General Meeting of AMSAT-UK will take place during the colloquium.

An AMSAT Gala Dinner will be held on the evening of Saturday 12th October at the Marriott Delta Hotel on Trimbold Drive, Kents Hill, Milton Keynes MK7 6HL. Attendance is restricted this year at the hotel and a limited number of tickets are on sale via the AMSAT-UK Online Shop https://shop.amsat-uk.org/

The cost of the Gala Dinner is £39 per person and includes a three course meal with tea / coffee at its conclusion.

Alongside the Gala Dinner, AMSAT-UK has negotiated a deal at the Marriott Delta for the evening of Saturday 12th October 2024. These rooms include breakfast on Sunday 13th and are priced at £89 per room for single occupancy. Tickets for the Gala Dinner can be purchased on the AMSAT-UK Online Shop.

Bookings for the Gala Dinner are now available on the AMSAT-UK Shop, but must close on 1st October 2024 unless sold out sooner, so please book early to avoid disappointment.

Entrance to the RSGB Convention is managed by the RSGB and you will be required to purchase Day Tickets for the Saturday and/or Sunday to attend the AMSAT-UK Colloquium.

RSGB Convention booking is at https://rsgb.org/main/rsgb-2024-convention/

The schedule of Colloquium talks will be released closer to the date.

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July OSCAR News now available

July OSCAR News now available

E-members of AMSAT-UK can now download the July 2024 edition of OSCAR News, issue 244, here.

The paper edition edition will be sent to postal members and should arrive in the next 2-3 weeks.

In this issue:
• From the Secretary’s Keyboard
• Satellite News
• ARISS International Face to Face Meeting 2024 and 40th Celebration of Amateur Radio on Human Spaceflight by Ciaran Morgan, M0XTD
• QO-100 School contacts by John M5JFS
• FUNcube+ AMSAT-UK’s Next Mission by David Bowman, G0MRF
• Assessing Path Loss Due to Weather in Newfoundland by David Bowman, G0MRF
• VO1/M0XUU Operation from Newfoundland by R. Gopan M0XUU
• The QO-100 Challenge from VO1 by Graham, G3VZV
• VO1NAR Beacon by Graham Dillabough, VO1DZ

In ON245 we will continue with articles on the QO-100 Challenge from the VO100QO

Membership of AMSAT-UK is open to anyone who has an interest in amateur radio satellites or space activities, including the International Space Station (ISS).

E-members of AMSAT-UK are able to download the quarterly publication OSCAR News as a convenient PDF that can be read on laptops, tablets or smartphones anytime, anyplace, anywhere. Join as an E-member at Electronic (PDF) E-membership

PDF sample copy of “Oscar News” here.

Join AMSAT-UK using PayPal, Debit or Credit card at
http://shop.amsat-uk.org/

E-members can download their copies of OSCAR News here.

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