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

[Bill]

Hi Bob,

Nice work to you and your team. Fingers are crossed.

Question:- Any chance equipment and frequencies can be worked out to 
allow a satellite to satellite link to the upcoming Qatar Es’hail 2 
geostationary satellite. Just thinking out loud not knowing the planned 
geostationary location. The news release didn't mention (unless I missed 
it) what size/volume might be available.

Regards...Bill - N6GHz

On 4/25/2015 3:20 PM, Robert McGwier wrote:
> We agree completely Stefan our trigger here is short and we are going to
> have to rely on the donated SDR from Rincon Research Corp and work we have
> already done in the past. We have twelve months until testing, then a year
> to perfect.
>
> Best 73s,
> Bob
>
>
> On Saturday, April 25, 2015, Stefan Wagener <wageners at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> 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
>> <javascript:;>> 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 <javascript:;>>
>>> Date: 04/25/2015  10:10 AM  (GMT-05:00)
>>> To: AMSAT-BB at amsat.org <javascript:;>
>>> 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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>> _______________________________________________
>> Sent via AMSAT-BB at amsat.org <javascript:;>. 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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>

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