[QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] Juno Spacecraft Flyby Ham Radio Activity is Wednesday, Oct. 9

[Bill]

        Juno Spacecraft Flyby Ham Radio Activity is Wednesday, October 9

    Despite the partial US government shutdown, theNASA Juno
    spacecraft*Amateur Radio fly-by activity*
    <http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/hijuno>Wednesday, October 9, 1800-2040 UTC,
    is still on, the website containing full details remains available,
    and the Juno team expects to be able to go forward with the
    experiment as planned.

    “The laws of gravity have not been suspended, and the flyby will
    occur as planned,” Don Kirchner, KDØL, a University of Iowa
    researcher, told ARRL. “The only effect will be that any
    announcements of success will come probably come from Southwest
    Research Institute [which has its own*Say HI to Juno*
    <http://missionjuno.swri.edu/hijuno/>website] and The University of
    Iowa.” He says some hams apparently checked the Jet Propulsion
    Lab/NASA*Juno project website* <http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/juno>, found
    it unavailable, and concluded the flyby experiment had been canceled.

    Juno will be flying past Earth to receive a gravity assist from our
    planet, putting it on course for Jupiter, and the mission has
    invited Amateur Radio operators around the world to say “HI” to Juno
    in a coordinated Morse Code transmission. If enough hams
    participate, Juno's “Waves” radio and plasma wave experiment should
    be able to detect the message.

    Kirchner said he spoke with the director of the NASA Planetary
    Division a few weeks ago, and, he quipped, the director was
    “/very/much looking forward to announcing the discovery of
    intelligent life on Earth.”

    Kirchner stressed that maximum participation is critical to the
    success of the Juno ham radio experiment. Participants can receive a
    QSL card for contacting Juno.*E-mail*
    <mailto:juno_outreach at jpl.nasa.gov>your call sign and mailing address