[sarex] Re: FW: [amsat-bb] A Proposal for ARISS

[William Pasternak]

I guess that KL7UW and others have not bothered to read this from the 
current Amsat News Service:

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-177.03
July 15 Deadline to File ARISS Contact Proposals

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 177.03
 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
June 26, 2011
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-177.03

NASA is seeking U.S. formal and informal education institutions
and organizations, individually or working together, to host an
Amateur Radio on the International Space Station, or ARISS, con-
tact between the dates of Jan. 15 and July 15, 2012.

To maximize these radio contact opportunities, NASA is looking
for organizations that will draw large numbers of participants
and integrate the contact into a well-developed education plan.
The deadline to submit a proposal is July 15, 2011.

During the first six months of 2012, crew members aboard the
International Space Station will participate in amateur radio con-
tacts.

ARISS contacts afford education audiences the opportunity to learn
firsthand from astronauts what it is like to live and work in space.
Due to the nature of human spaceflight, organizations must demon-
strate the flexibility to accommodate changes in contact dates and
times.

Interested parties should contact Teaching From Space to obtain infor-
mation related to expectations, content, format, audience, proposal
guidelines and forms by sending an e-mail to JSC-TFS-ARISS at mail.nasa.gov
or by calling 281-244-2320.

The NASA Teaching From Space web page can be found at:
http://tinyurl.com/6fc2lzn (nasa.gov)

[ANS thanks ARISS and NASA for the above information]

/EX

OK,  Im only a news person and not a technologist, but as I read the 
above, it says to me that the NASA Education Office has outright told 
ARISS that from now on the singular mission -- or at least the 
"primary mission" -- of the ARISS program will be to insure large 
audience ISS to classroom contact participation -- and the bigger the 
ground audience -- the better.  Going a bit further, my take on the 
above is that the NASA Education Office cares only about garnering as 
much attention for its programs as is possible and the bigger the 
terrestrial audience for ISS to schoolroom QSO's, the more happy 
those in charge of the Teaching From Space and the NASA Public 
Relations Office will be.  Conversely, if it has nothing to do with 
astro-hams talking to wide audiences of school children, then its not 
going to get a ride to to the ISS or installed there.  Or, another 
way to put it:  The paradigm of ham radio in space as associated with 
the ISS is changing from an "experimental phase" to a "utility 
communications phase." .

Again, let me stress that this is a news person writing this.  Im not 
a technologist nor do I play one on a TV show.  But after 38 years 
doing news, Ive learned how to read between the lines.

de
Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF





At 03:19 PM 7/1/2011, Dee wrote:
>Redirected to the SAREX group.  I do not agree with all of these point,
>however, No standing program should be de funded to do these. Get another
>satellite up ASAP is AMSAT's main goal.
>73,
>Dee, NB2F
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: amsat-bb-bounces at amsat.org [mailto:amsat-bb-bounces at amsat.org] On
>Behalf Of Edward R. Cole
>Sent: Friday, July 01, 2011 4:55 PM
>To: amsat-bb at amsat.org
>Subject: [amsat-bb] A Proposal for ARISS
>
>After posting some thoughts a few days ago (RE: ISS, what the heck
>happened?), I have given the idea more consideration.
>
>Proposal (ARISS on ISS):
>1)  Install a 100-KHz transponder unit on ISS, with usual digital
>beacon/engineering
>2)  It would run mode-UV
>3)  Installed internally in the ISS
>4)  Replace most of the current ISS ham radio equipment
>5)  Could be considered an upgrade/improvement to the existing ham radio on
>ISS
>6)  Use ISS power and existing ham radio antenna infrastructure (no solar
>panels)(no thermal requirements for space environ)(perhaps less radiation
>hardening)
>7)  Use batteries for stand-alone operation (recharged from ISS power)
>8)  Control commanded from ground (no intervention required by astronauts)
>9)  Local access for use of astronaut-hams
>10)  Provide emergency back-up comms for ISS (perhaps with a separate FM
>channel)
>11)  (perhaps) Use of existing ham-radio handheld on ISS on low-power to
>dedicated receiver which would activate astronaut repeater channel.
>12)  This FM channel could be used as FM ham repeater when not in use by
>astronauts  (means world-wide monitoring for the astronauts as well as
>normal Leo FM activity)
>13)  Modular design for future upgrades and/or repair (easy installation by
>astronauts-plug*n*play)
>14)  Segmented pass-band to allow packet/APRS digipeating
>15)  Transmitters able to be shut down for eva and other critical missions
>either locally on ISS or from ground.
>16)  Perhaps a special Rx/Tx on ISS eva channel for cross-band repeat in
>event of loss of atmosphere emergency (help to sell the concept to NASA as a
>comms back-up).
>17)  No need for orientation (spin or de-spin), rad hardening, thermal
>structures (air-cooled), no propulsion, no launch requirements.
>18)  Easily maintained by supply from ground (repairs or upgrades).
>19)  Long-Life
>
>Re-direct of either Fox or P3E efforts?  (no launch requirement-rides as
>cargo to ISS)
>
>
>73, Ed - KL7UW, WD2XSH/45
>======================================
>BP40IQ   500 KHz - 10-GHz   www.kl7uw.com
>EME: 50-1.1kw?, 144-1.4kw, 432-100w, 1296-60w, 3400-?
>DUBUS Magazine USA Rep dubususa at gmail.com
>======================================
>
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