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

[Alan]

Doug,

>> ....can handle multiple qso's simultaneously.

That is a very safe assumption!

73s,

Alan
WA4SCA

<-----Original Message-----
<From: AMSAT-BB [mailto:amsat-bb-bounces at amsat.org] On Behalf Of Doug - k4GKJ
<Sent: Saturday, April 25, 2015 10:03 AM
<To: k9jkm at comcast.net; AMSAT-BB at amsat.org
<Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] ANS Special Bulletin ANS-116.01 AMSAT-NA Opportunity for Rideshare to Geostationary Orbit
<
<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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<_______________________________________________
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<to all interested persons worldwide without requiring membership. Opinions expressed
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