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

Sat Apr 25 15:28:13 UTC 2015

True picking frequenties that will allow the same hardware to work on
both geo platforms will cut down costs a lot for groundstations.

73 de Andre PE1RDW

Op 25-04-15 om 17:15 schreef Stefan Wagener:
> 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
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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
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> Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program!
> Subscription settings: http://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
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