ISS CubeSat Deployment, 'Ham Video' Commissioning Postponed:

ZCZC AS01

QST de W1AW

Space Bulletin 001 ARLS001

>From ARRL Headquarters

Newington, CT February 7, 2014

To all radio amateurs

SB SPACE ARL ARLS001

ARLS001 ISS CubeSat Deployment, "Ham Video" Commissioning Postponed

Two Amateur Radio-related activities aboard the International SpaceStation have been postponed. The deployment of Amateur RadioCubeSats planned for February 6 has been put off, and a new date hasnot yet been announced. NASA reported that astronaut Koichi Wakata,KC5ZTA, this week installed a deployer mechanism that will be usedin concert with the Kibo robotic arm to release the first set ofCubeSats. He ran into difficulty last week installing some relatedelectronics, delaying the CubeSat deployments. NASA now wants tomake sure the CubeSats do not fall into the intended orbit of theGlobal Precipitation Measurement satellite, which goes into spacelater this month.

The CubeSats were aboard the Cygnus freighter that launched fromVirginia's Eastern Shore January 9. Since arriving, the CubeSatshave been awaiting deployment by the Kibo robotic arm. Thesatellites include Lithuania's first two satellites - LituanicaSat-1and LitSat-1 - as well as ArduSat-2, UAPSat-1, and the 915 MHzSkyCube. LituanicaSat-1 carries a 145/435 MHz FM transponder, whileLitSat-1 will have a 435/145 MHz linear SSB/CW transponder. TheKaunas University of Technology developed LituanicaSAT-1, while theLithuanian Space Federation developed LitSat-1. Mineo Wakita,JE9PEL, has posted details of these and other Amateur Radiosatellites due for deployment this month at, http://www.amsat.org/amsat/archive/amsat-bb/10day/msg101271.html .

Meanwhile, the European Space Agency has postponed the commissioningof the "Ham Video" system aboard the ISS Columbus module, which hadbeen set to start this week as well. ARISS-Europe Chairman GastonBertels, ON4WF, said the four commissioning steps most likely willtake place on weekend dates in March, and that a couple of the stepsmay be combined to condense the process.

"The agenda is still to be finalized," he said. NASA astronaut MikeHopkins, KF5LJG, was to have installed the Ham TV equipment thisweek and connected the 2.4 GHz transmitter to the ARISS 41 antennaalready installed on Columbus. NASA reported that Hopkins spent muchFebruary 6 in the Tranquility module troubleshooting the carbondioxide removal assembly there. Hopkins also will be involved withthe Ham Video commissioning process.

Once operational, the Ham Video transmitter will be used for ARISSeducational contacts with schools in Europe. There are no immediateplans to deploy downlink video for US ARISS, in part because noNorth American ground stations have been planned.

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Source: W1AW Bulletin via the ARRL.