ISS-HAM Slow Scan Television ISS-HAM Slow Scan Television (SSTV) Project(SSTV) Project

A joint

AMSAT-NA

And

MAREX-NA

Project

Amateur Radio on Human Amateur Radio on Human Spaceflight MissionsSpaceflight Missions

Since 1983, organizations in the U.S. (SAREX), Germany (SAFEX) and Russia (MIREX), have worked with the space

agencies to fly amateur radio and to support Educational Outreach on:

Space ShuttleMir

ISS

ARISS ObjectivesARISS Objectives

Spark Student’s InterestIn Science & Technology

Human Spaceflight Awareness Experimentation

Promote InterestIn Amateur Radio

Crew Family Contacts(Crew Psychological Ops)

Development & Operations on the Development & Operations on the International Space Station (ISS)International Space Station (ISS)Working with our international partners to develop Working with our international partners to develop & operate Amateur Radio on the International & operate Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS)Space Station (ARISS)

ARISS Organization Nine international partners thus far—

Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Japan, Russia and United States

MOU—Formed ARISS to represent the amateur radio community to the ISS Program

Rules & Bylaws developed with delegates from Europe (4), America (4), Russia (2) and Japan (2)

Next Up: SSTV

SpaceCam 1 H/W & S/W

HistoryHistory

SSTV has flown on the Shuttle four times STS-51F,37,50,56

SSTV Flew on the Mir station for several years

What is Slow Scan Television?What is Slow Scan Television?

SSTV is a system by which pictures can be sent over low bandwidth channels such as voice loops.

A series of tones similar to a modem represent the Television signal.

Amateur radio operators have been using this method to exchange pictures around the world using their ham radio sets.

These methods predate the jpeg and Mpeg formats by many years.

Why SSTV on ISS Why SSTV on ISS

Provides a capability for the crew to exchange pictures with Ham operators around the world as they desire.

The crew can set up the SSTV to send down pictures automatically without crew attention.

Why SSTV ContinuedWhy SSTV Continued

Crew can exchange pictures with school groups during school contacts.

Software is relatively inexpensive and therefore can have a large audience

Great morale boosterJust plain fun for the crew

ISS-HAM with SSTV addedISS-HAM with SSTV added

What Does SSTV System need to What Does SSTV System need to function?function?

A Windows computer with a sound card or equivalent capability. The interface connects to the Microphone input and Earphone output.

Ability to import pictures either via still camera, Video capture or file transfer.

The existing ISS-HAM hardware. The new SSTV software. The SSTV/Vox hardware interface.

Hardware / Software Hardware / Software OverviewOverview

The ISS-HAM SSTV project will consist of two components:

A software application, which will run on the Station Support Computer (SSC)

A VOX/SSTV Interface module . This system will add two-way SSTV support to the ISS-HAM VHF and UHF equipment already onboard the ISS

SpaceCam1 featuresSpaceCam1 features

Slide Show Mode– Images from disk or camera will be sent

continuously.Repeater Mode

– Earth stations can send to SpaceCam1 and it will repeat the image back to any Earth station within the footprint.

SpaceCam1 features continuedSpaceCam1 features continued

Auto Receive– SpaceCam1 will automatically receive

SSTV images (several formats) and save them to disk.

Slide Show Mode– Crew can select a single image or

multiple images to be Repeated over and over again.

Software StatusSoftware Status

The SpaceCam1 Software development is complete except for changes which are required by the ISS program.

Testing with the AMSAT SSTV/Vox audio adapter box has been completed.

There are no, known problems.

VOX/SSTV ModuleVOX/SSTV Module

VOX/SSTV Module SchematicVOX/SSTV Module Schematic

Hardware StatusHardware Status

Prototype Hardware completedFlight Ready Hardware being builtTesting in progress on prototype

hardware with excellent results.The SSTV system has been tested

with the SSC computer in the lab at JSC with no problems noted.

Hardware Status continuedHardware Status continued

A full up configuration test with video interface is desireable.

If the Russian computer is made available more testing with it will be necessary to verify software and hardware compatability.

What do we need from this What do we need from this board?board?Approval to manifest the software on

the SSC computerDirection on how and where to store

images.

What downlink/uplink resources What downlink/uplink resources do we needdo we needNone ISS-HAM sends and receives

it’s images through the ham radio RF links.

System RequirementsSystem Requirements

CPU Usage: 20-40%, depending on options selected (on current SSC)

Memory Requirements: 12mbSize of application/files: 12mbData Storage: Variable, limits TBDHardware resources: Video capture

and sound hardware used

Usage of SSCUsage of SSC

The ISS-HAM project can use any of the SSC computers that can be assigned to the ISS-HAM.

ISS-HAM plans to request the permanent assignment of either a SSC or a Russian computer.

What do we want the board to What do we want the board to manifest for the SSTV?manifest for the SSTV?The software as a part of the

standard loadISS-HAM will manifest the hardware

as a part of the ISS-HAM equipment.

Russian CertificationRussian Certification

Since there are no direct interfaces with the Russian equipment if we use the SSC, the certification should be simple.

The certification will be incorporated into the ISS-HAM certification process presently in work with the Russians