[amsat-bb] ANS Special Bulletin ANS-116.01 AMSAT-NA Opportunity for Rideshare to Geostationary Orbit

Sat Apr 25 15:15:56 UTC 2015

Here is a link to the AMSAT-DL approach. Maybe an opportunity for new
synergies and cooperation between the two organizations especially on
frequencies, ground-station development etc. The more similarities the
better for the community in terms of access and cost for equipment etc.
(basic economies of scale)

http://www.amsat-dl.org/index.php/news-mainmenu-97/237-es-hail-2-satellite-amsat-payload

73, Stefan, VE4NSA

On Sat, Apr 25, 2015 at 10:02 AM, Doug - k4GKJ <k4gkj at embarqmail.com> wrote:

> This is great! Love the idea. I would only hope the bird can handle
> multiple qso's simultaneously..... Something like this will certainly stay
> busy..... Especially for emergency operations.....
> A big 'thank you' to those involved here!
>
> Doug
> K4GKJ
>
>
> Doug Bennight - K4GKJ
> 528-5772
>
>
> -------- Original message --------
> From: JoAnne Maenpaa <k9jkm at comcast.net>
> Date: 04/25/2015  10:10 AM  (GMT-05:00)
> To: AMSAT-BB at amsat.org
> Subject: [amsat-bb] ANS Special Bulletin ANS-116.01 AMSAT-NA Opportunity
> for
>         Rideshare to Geostationary Orbit
>
> SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-116.01
> ANS-116 AMSAT News Service Special Bulletin
>
> AMSAT News Service Bulletin 116.01
> From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD.
> April 25, 2015
> To All RADIO AMATEURS
> BID: $ANS-116.01
>
> AMSAT-NA Opportunity for Rideshare to Geostationary Orbit
>
> AMSAT is excited to announce that we have accepted an opportunity to
> participate in a potential rideshare as a hosted payload on a geostationary
> satellite planned for launch in 2017. An amateur radio payload, operating
> in
> the Amateur Satellite Service, will fly on a spacecraft which Millennium
> Space Systems (MSS) of El Segundo, CA is contracted to design, launch, and
> operate for the US government based on their Aquila M8 Series Satellite
> Structure.
>
> A meeting to discuss this potential rideshare took place on April 13 at
> Millennium Space Systems that included Dr. Bob McGwier, N4HY; Franklin
> Antonio, N6NKF, co-founder of Qualcomm; Jerry Buxton, N0JY, AMSAT Vice
> President of Engineering and member of the board for AMSAT-NA; Dr. Tom
> Clark, K3IO, Director and President Emeritus of AMSAT-NA; Phil Karn, KA9Q;
> and Michelle Thompson, W5NYV.
>
> Hosting the meeting for MSS were Stan Dubyn as founder and chairman of MSS,
> Vince Deno as president of MSS, Jeff Ward, K8KA, of MSS as VP for Product
> Development, formerly with SSTL and University of Surrey Space Center, and
> Ryan Lawrence of MSS as Project Manager on the spacecraft mission.
> Attending
> by telephone were Dr. Jonathan Black, Associate Research Director of Hume
> Center for Aerospace Systems and Associate Professor of Aerospace and Ocean
> Engineering and Dr. Michael Parker, KT7D, founder of RINCON Research Corp.
>
> Following the meeting, Dr. Bob McGwier, N4HY, Director of Research at the
> Hume Center for National Security and Technology of Virginia Tech, and
> former director and former VP Engineering of AMSAT, described this as an
> opportunity to go forward with "AMSAT-Eagle" which, in the 2006-2008
> timeframe, evolved into a microwave payload to be flown to geostationary
> orbit as a hosted payload. It would have provided digital communications to
> small terminals on the ground and a linear bent pipe transponder had it
> flown. This failed to go forward in part due to lack of an affordable
> flight
> opportunity.
>
> McGwier outlined the next steps toward developing this mission:
>
> 1) To organize an effort at Virginia Tech to make a firm proposal
>    to MSS and its US government sponsor, and organize an effort
>    to raise sufficient funds to pay for development of the mission.
>
> 2) Enable Dr. Jonathan Black to lead the construction project at
>    Virginia Tech in the Space at VT Center. Sonya Rowe, KK4NLO, Project
>    Manager at the Hume Center will be the project manager.
>
> 3) Work for development of a low-cost microwave ground station for
>    amateur radio still needs to be determined.
>
> 4) Dr. Michael Parker, KT7D, will  solicit the cooperation of the
>    Rincon Research Corp. for development of the software radio
>    technology for this payload.
>
> The AMSAT Board of Directors has accepted the invitation to participate in
> this potential rideshare payload opportunity. AMSAT expects to be involved
> in the development of the ground station and the payload RF development,
> and
> will serve as the amateur radio (hosted) payload operator once the
> satellite
> has been launched.
>
> McGwier summarized, "The launch is currently scheduled for 2017 and the
> payload must be delivered for testing and integration by Spring of 2016. It
> is an ambitious schedule and all involved will have to gain and maintain a
> serious level of commitment to that which they agree to undertake." AMSAT
> President, Barry Baines, WD4ASW, said, "The AMSAT leadership is excited to
> fly a Phase-IV geostationary amateur satellite payload. This is an evolving
> development as we collaborate with the VT Hume Center with a project that
> provides technical challenges to create a new amateur radio capability in
> space that will provide a variety of benefits not only for amateurs but
> also
> for emergency communications and STEM educational outreach."
>
> The transponder is expected to support a wide range of voice, digital, and
> experimental advanced communications technologies. A decision is expected
> soon specifying the microwave uplink and downlink bands.
>
> Additional information on the Aquila M8 Series Satellite can be viewed
> on-line:
> http://www.millennium-space.com/
> http://www.millennium-space.com/platforms#aquila
>
> AMSAT has posted a photo of the GEO opportunity team with the Millennium
> Aquila satellite at: http://www.amsat.org.
>
> [ANS thanks Bob McGwier, N4HY and AMSAT-NA for the above information]
>
> /EX
>
>
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> _______________________________________________
> Sent via AMSAT-BB at amsat.org. AMSAT-NA makes this open forum available
> to all interested persons worldwide without requiring membership. Opinions
> expressed
> are solely those of the author, and do not reflect the official views of
> AMSAT-NA.
> Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program!
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>