QST

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 275.03
From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
October 2, 2011
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-275.03

JM Wersinger, PhD, KI4YAU, Professor Emeritus and Director of Auburn
University Student Space Program in Alabama wrote this week, "We fer-
vently request your assistance in receiving transmissions from an up-
coming satellite, AubieSat-1, immediately after its launch from Van-
denberg AFB, California, 25 October 2011 at 9:52 UTC. AubieSat-1 (AS-1)
is an undergraduate - built CubeSat satellite developed by Auburn Uni-
versity.

AS-1 is designed to transmit with a power of about 800 milliwatts on a
frequency of 437.475 MHz, plus or minus Doppler correction. The beacon
signal, along with telemetry, will be sent using A1A continuous wave
Morse code at 20 words per minute. Additional telemetry from the on
board science experiment will use CW transmissions up to 60 WPM.

Based on the pre-launch orbital data provided by NASA, AS-1 will acti-
vate after deployment at 12:21 UTC, 25 October 2011. At that time,
the sub-satellite point will be at 34.52 S latitude and 1.52 W longi-
tude over the South Atlantic Ocean. Our predictions are that the first
flights over the contiguous United States will begin as shown in the
following table:

Orbit AOS Elevation LOS General Locale
----- --------- ---------- -------- ------------
3 15:54 UTC >50 deg 16:01 UTC New York
4 17:28 UTC >26 deg 17:35 UTC Texas
5 19:07 UTC >48 deg 19:14 UTC California

This information will be updated should there be launch scrubs or per-
formance changes in the launch, and additional information will be
available upon request for specific locations. Reception reports with
data contents are welcomed to the following email addresses:
wersijp at auburn dot edu and tam0013 at auburn dot edu

An internet Echolink conference group is also planned to begin one-half
hour prior to launch and continue until about 30 minutes after confir-
mation of the first receipt of signals from the satellite. Information
on the conference groups title will be distributed nearer to the launch
for interested stations.

Please email wersijp at auburn dot edu if you require additional infor-
mation and can assist in the reception and tracking
of AubieSat-1.

Long-time AMSAT Member John Klingelhoeffer, WB4LNM serves as the Tech-
nical Advisor in Auburn University's Student Space Program.

[ANS thanks Professor Wersinger, KI4YAU at Auburn University for the
above information].

/EX

"You want a launch vehicle today that will service the ISS? We've got it sitting down there. So before we put it in a museum, let's make use of it. It's in the prime of its life, how could we just put it away? ... Get the shuttle out of the garage down there at Kennedy, crank up the motors and put it back in service."

-Eugene Cernan
22 Sept 2011

From the horse's...

2 parts Timothy 1/Orchard 1; 1 part Meadow 2

(0.25 cup/day alfalfa pellets; rice straw bedding)

Are you high right now?

CDR: Houston!...how ya doin'?

CAPCOM: Uh, well, we're doin' just fine down here, Atlantis...how are you doing?

CDR: Oh, we're doin' just fantastic up here, we're just watching this really cool orange glow out the windows, and wishing we could share it with everyone.

CAPCOM: Uh, yeah, roger, Atlantis, we were just talking about that and imaginit...imagait...ahem, um, imagining it ourselves.

CDR: That was easy for you to say...well it looks like we're comin' up on the Yucatan Peninsula right now, and it sure is a beautiful sight.

CAPCOM: Uh...roger...Atlantis...well you are on track. You just crossed over the west coast of Florida...

CDR: Oh! Ok, well, I guess we're farther along than I thought...

And with that, Navy Captain Chris Ferguson demonstrates the widsom of the autopilot re-entry, and totally vindicates these guys.

@Nocera

"Journalists in particular, learn that there are stories that ought not to be pursued."

And verbs that ought not to be unconjugated. 

Editor, Newspaper

Following several days of gunfire in the vicinity of West Park and Ridge Drive in Boulder Creek, a concerned citizen and former police officer dialed 911. The dispatcher thanked the caller and immediately notified Sheriff's deputies. After three hours, more shooting, and no response from law enforcement, a second citizen, then on a walk with his wife and infant son, also called police. After transferring through multiple agencies, this caller was told that his neighborhood was inside a "shoot zone", and that in the absence of "automatic weapons fire" or "dangerous" ricochets, there was nothing for law enforcement to do.

Incredulous, the caller referenced County Code § 8.28.050, restricting gunfire to beyond a 300 foot perimeter from occupied structures. Being that this improvised shooting gallery was within a densely settled neighborhood, the complainant felt this to be a shoot zone exception. The dispatcher asked if the caller could see who was doing the firing. "Well no," the caller said. "But I have limited training in combat reconnaissance, and there's a pretty high fence, and I really have nowhere to put my baby while I strap on some kevlar and try to get a visual." The dispatcher promised that a deputy would return the call, and in short order, he did. "Well I have a couple calls ahead of you," the deputy reported, "but then I'll come by the property and try to make contact with the owners." That was two days ago. In the meantime, the "shoot zone" concept appears to be catching on, just in time for Independence Day. Welcome to the Wild West.

Sincerely,

Patricia Felidae

Boulder Creek

Windfarmsraum

"Chancellor Angela Merkel said she hopes the transformation to more solar, wind and hydroelectric power serves as a roadmap for other countries ... "

You're on notice, Europe.

Editor, New York Times:

Seal:

SEAL:

From CNN.com

• CIA boss expects release of Obama pics

Notice

As a courtesy to the children of the People’s Republic of China, Man-Bunny Matrix Recycles! will no longer accept candy wrappers at its film plastics disposal sites. Please include such items for general landfill disposal. Questions may be directed to Big Pudge, Chief Matrix Refuse Rabbit.