A Satellite Designed to Inspect Space Junk just Made it to Orbit

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A Satellite Designed to Inspect Space Junk just Made it to Orbit

Astroscale's ADRAS-J will attempt to rendezvous with a defunct Japanese H-2A rocket upper stage.

Astroscale’s ADRAS-J spacecraft, a demonstration satellite that could inform future space junk clean-up efforts, is now in orbit after a successful launch from New Zealand on Sunday. The satellite was sent to space atop an Electron rocket from Rocket Lab. Its mission, which was selected by Japan’s space agency (JAXA) for Phase I of the Commercial Removal of Debris Demonstration program, will see ADRAS-J rendezvous with an old Japanese rocket upper stage that’s been in orbit since 2009.

ADRAS-J is now in orbit, ready to start its mission of rendezvousing with an ageing piece of space debris and observing it closely to determine whether it can be deorbited in future.

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Bill S.3690 to Eliminate Private Land Use Restrictions on Amateur Radio

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Bill S.3690 to Eliminate Private Land Use Restrictions on Amateur Radio

On 30th January 2024, US Senators Roger Wicker (MS) and Richard Blumenthal (CT) introduced S.3690, the Senate companion bill to H.R.4006, introduced last June. Both bills reflect the Congressional campaign efforts by ARRL to eliminate homeowner association land use restrictions that prohibit, restrict, or impair the ability of an Amateur Radio Operator to install and operate amateur station antennas on residential properties they own.

Amateur Radio Operators repeatedly are relied upon to provide essential communications when disaster strikes, but their ability to do so is being impaired by the exponential growth of residential private land use restrictions that hinder their ability to establish stations in their homes with which to train and provide emergency communications when called upon.

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You Must be Joking - Amateur Radio Gets Downright Silly

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The multi-mode digital network known as the QuadNet Array doesn't just unite fans of D-STAR, DMR and C4FM Fusion. Starting next month, a new mode will be added to the mix once a week: Pun Mode. Pun Mode is neither digital nor analogue and it's not the exclusive practice of ham radio operators.

Hams who have a reputation for groan-inducing wordplay now have a refuge in which to practise their craft. The Pun in Life Net is starting up on the QuadNet array beginning on Saturday the 2nd March 2024 at 4 p.m. Eastern Time, 1 p.m. Pacific Time. The net control and punster-in-chief is Daryl Stout, N5VLZ, a past participant in the World Championship Pun-Off held every May at the O. Henry Museum in Austin Texas.

Humour must conform to on-the-air standards of decency -- and because this is a digital mode, the only QRM you are likely to hear are the loud groans from everyone else.

Daryl is hoping for a big enough crowd to make this a pun-in-a-million experience.

OpenQuad - https://openquad.net/