Plishner Site Trip Summary, June 20, 2020

This is a summary of the work done at the Plishner Radio Telescope site on June 20, 2020. Written by Bill Miller.

‘The Invisible Network’ Podcast | NASA – NASA’s podcast series about science with space communications. The latest 6-part series is about using the Deep Space Network. Includes how they are using their radio dishes for public education: 27. DSN – The Ultimate Classroom | NASA’s The Invisible Network Pod | NASA . Also see Goldstone Apple Valley Radio Telescope – Home (lewiscenter.org)– Gary WA2JQZ (July 16, 2022)

Ultimate Space Telescope | NOVA | PBS – About how the new Webb Space Telescope was developed and what it is seeing with first light. – Gary WA2JQZ (July 15, 2022)

Looking to Mars for Life as We’ve Never Known It – YouTube – Another perspective on looking for life elsewhere. 4-minute video originally made in February 2021.

NASA’s solar forecast is turning out to be wrong. This team’s model is still on track. | Space – Dr. Scott McIntosh was our keynote speaker at the Western SARA Conference in 2019, held at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, CO, which we co-hosted. His address to us spoke about how they were modeling this latest solar cycle. (Suggested by Gary WA2JQZ, June 29, 2022)

Archive

Upcoming Activities

DSES is planning to participate in the annual ARRL EME Earth-Moon-Earth Moon Bounce communications contest. The dates are October 15 & 16, and November 12 & 13, 2022 UTC time. We will operate on 1296 MHz using our 60-foot dish antenna at the Plishner site in Kiowa County. Members and guests are welcome to visit and operate with us. We plan to use Morse Code CW, Q65 digital, and SSB voice communications modes. We will start operation on Friday evening October 14, when the Moon rises at about 9:20 PM. The Moon will set the next day Saturday shortly after 1 PM. For information contact us at information(at)dses.science.

DSES is planning to participate at the annual Fall Bazaar in Haswell, CO, on October 15, 2022.

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Deep Space Exploration Society will support the Japanese OMOTENASHI Cube Sat Moon lander, by attempting to receive and record its UHF downlink signals enroute to the Moon and after landing. OMOTENASHI is a project created by the Japanese space agency JAXA Amateur Radio Club, and is one of ten Cube Sat satellites on the NASA Artemis 1 lunar mission.

Several hours after Artemis 1 boosts from an Earth parking orbit to a transfer orbit to the Moon, OMOTENASHI should deploy. After 6 days the OMOTENASHI will separate into an orbiter and lander, and the lander will make a hard landing on the Moon. The lander is designed to survive and then transmit signals.

OMOTENASHI & EQUULEUS: the tiny spacecraft onboard the world’s most powerful rocket – Cosmos

OMOTENASHI (in Japanese): mission movie

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At this time we are holding our monthly meetings as virtual meetings. Our engineering meetings are normally held on the second Monday of each month. Our science meetings are held on the fourth Monday of each month. Start time is now 6:30 PM (Mountain Time). Email notifications are sent to members prior to the meetings. If you would like information to participate, please contact us at information(at)dses.science.

Recent past meetings are presently archived on Floyd Glick's website, at the top section for DSES: http://www.bd-oculars.com/downloads/Equipment_Inventory.htm.

Work trips to the Haswell antenna site are generally scheduled for each third Saturday of the month, with weather alternates on Sunday. This third weekend was chosen because it comes between our engineering and science meetings. Having a regular date helps our members plan ahead, especially those who must travel long distances. During the Covid-19 pandemic, work and science trips may be coordinated for other times. NOTE: Please coordinate with us before you go to the Plishner site, information(at)dses.science.

News

Website Update Notes

Current experiments now in progress at the Plishner Radio Astronomy & Space Science Center site in Haswell:

60-foot dish antenna:

Current main work with the 60-foot antenna is to develop our ability to detect pulsars.

We are regularly using the 60 foot dish antenna for joint observing runs for SETI with Skip Crilly at the Green Bank Observatory in West Virginia. These joint observations are discussed in several of Skip's presentation slides. Please see our presentations page.

Jupiter Radio Science Experiment "Radio Jove":
20.1 MHz monitoring of Jupiter and its moon Io, using a 2-element phased dipole antenna - currently down, pending repair of the receiver.

Experiments in Colorado Springs:

Development of hardware/software and techniques for detecting pulsars.

Sudden Ionospheric Disturbance Monitor (SID):
- 25 kHz VLF Solar flare monitoring