AMSAT-UK

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Video of Tim Peake and Oasis Academy contact

Posted: 23 Feb 2016 01:02 PM PST
http://amsat-uk.org/2016/02/23/video...s-brightstowe/

Tim Peake GB1SS contact Oasis Academy Brightstowe student with Ciaran
Morgan M0XTD Credit UK Space Agency

ARISS UK have released an edited 73 minute video of the ARISS contact
between Tim Peake GB1SS and the Oasis Academy Brightstowe, Bristol GB1OAB
which took place on February 19, 2016.
Oasis Brightstowe students learning about radio communications in
preparation for the ARISS contact Credit UK Space Agency

The video starts with a summary produced by the students at the school of
their involvement in, and activities carried out, during their study of
Space and STEM. This portion of the video concludes with the school band
performing a cover of a number of songs related to space!

Sir David Parker, Chief Executive of the UK Space Agency welcomes everyone
present before handing over to Ciaran Morgan M0XTD (at approx 20 minutes)
from ARISS who begins the ARISS programme with an introduction of the team,
their roles and all the equipment that has been brought to the school to
help facilitate the contact.

The actual ARISS contact starts at approx. 37 minutes.

After the contact has finished, the school head students concludes the
afternoon with a thank you speech.
Watch Oasis Academy Brightstowe ARISS contact



BBC TV reports on Oasis Academy Brightstowe ISS contact

http://amsat-uk.org/2016/02/19/oasis...-to-tim-peake/

A list of the questions asked by the students is at

http://amsat-uk.org/2016/02/14/tim-p...y-brightstowe/

ARISS Principia site https://principia.ariss.org/

What is Amateur Radio? http://www.essexham.co.uk/what-is-amateur-radio

Find an amateur radio training course near you
https://thersgb.org/services/coursefinder/

A free booklet is available aimed at introducing newcomers to the hobby
that can also be used as a handy reference while getting started, see

http://rsgb.org/main/get-started-in-...ateur-radio-2/

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UK and Malta University Satellite Collaboration

Posted: 23 Feb 2016 09:45 AM PST
http://amsat-uk.org/2016/02/23/uk-an...ity-satellite/

Mock-up showing typical size of a PocketQube satellite

The UKs University of Birmingham, the University of Malta, the Malta
Amateur Radio League (MARL) and the Italian Astrodynamics company, GAUSS
Srl are collaborating on a project to send a PocketQube satellite with an
amateur radio payload into space.

The Times of Malta newspaper reports:

The 5x5x5 cm device, referred to as a PocketQube pico-satellite, will be
launched in 2018 into a sun-synchronous low earth orbit (LEO) and will be
used to validate on-board equipment that will study the properties the
Earth’s ionosphere.

This project will pave the way for a swarm of eight such satellites that
will spread over a large geographical area and hence gain better coverage
of changeable ionospheric conditions which affect radio communications.

The collaboration has brought together two Maltese post graduate
engineering students – Darren Cachia in Malta and Jonathan Osairiis
Camilleri (Ozzy), a Ph.D. student at the University of Birmingham – who
have joined efforts and are developing the satellite platform and the
scientific payload respectively.

The mission is expected to last about 18 months and will relay information
back to Earth that will be accessible to anyone owning a simple ham radio
set. Information will be made available in due course to allow schools and
interested individuals to participate using inexpensive equipment.

Read the Time of Malta story at

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles...n-space.602663

Read the Independent newspaper story at

http://www.independent.com.mt/articl...ion-6736153637

Martin Sweeting G3YJO gave a presentation to the University of Birmingham
titled: Keeping Satellites in Space Where Science and Engineering Meet

http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/universi...-Sweeting.aspx

Malta Amateur Radio League (MARL) http://www.9h1mrl.org/