[Ground-station] Haifuraiya Update - Status, JAMSAT, next steps

[Michelle Thompson]

Greetings all!

Here's an update about Haifuraiya, the world's first open source HEO/GEO
communications satellite design.

Progress is good on communications and propulsion. If you're on our Slack,
please join the #haifuraiya channels. You'll also see activity from #fpga
and #general

I assume you've seen the presentation from QSO Ham Expo about this project?

If not, then: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqnovpV2fww

The repository with the high level summary work is here:
https://github.com/phase4ground/documents/tree/master/Papers_Articles_Presentations/Slide_Presentations/haifuraiya

This project was presented to AMSAT-NA in 2014. It was not received well at
all.

ORI revived this proposal, as we believed it had been unfairly overlooked
given the progress we'd made on the regulatory side, and we presented it to
JAMSAT in late 2022.

In November 2022, the project proposal was translated to the JAMSAT Journal
so the members could review it. The project was presented at JAMSAT's
monthly web meeting (on Zoom). This presentation was made to QSO Today Ham
Expo as well, with very positive feedback and great reviews.

We have the use of a patent, that we have permission to open source, for
the propulsion technology. We have a pledge of 50,000 USD if an "operating"
organization will collaborate. We have dozens of technical volunteers ready
to work. We have demonstrated multiple sections of the design. We have
solved the regulatory problems that have prevented this work from happening
since the 1980s in the US.

Despite all of this, the board of directors of JAMSAT considered the
project, and has decided "no". They did not approve the project as a JAMSAT
effort. The members were not interested in the project.

We thank JAMSAT for their consideration. JAMSAT published ORI work. They
presented it to their membership. It has been talked about at the board of
directors level. This is much more than we've seen from any other AMSAT
organization. In other cases, ORI work has been excluded. JAMSAT did not do
this.

No one from ORI was invited to the JAMSAT board discussions, but I have to
assume these discussions were done with care. I believe that they
understand all the work we have done to date. They simply do not have
people available. The lack of technical volunteers at JAMSAT was brought up
with me as a concern multiple times. I did all I could to assure JAMSAT
that we have a lot of technical volunteers, and that we would get a lot
more - from Japan - if they accepted the proposal. I agreed to a Japanese
project manager and accepted all conditions.

I think we should look for other groups in Japan that might want to work
with us to get a HEO or GEO that would serve Japan. If you are in this area
of the world, and can put us in touch with an integrator, university, or
another amateur satellite group, please do! We are dedicated to getting
satellite work done and really just need willing partners.

If you're unfamiliar with the overall approach, ORI met with the FCC to
spell this out. The ex parte filing about this can be found here:

https://github.com/phase4ground/documents/blob/master/Regulatory/MVP_FCC_Presentation/Open%20Research%20Institute%20Minimum%20Viable%20Product%20Amateur%20Radio%20Satellite%20Service.pdf

Thank you to everyone that has helped Haifuraiya to date - especially Jan
King for all he's contributed towards this effort.

We're also looking towards local integrators in San Diego, CA area, and the
cubesat community through DEFCON. If you can help with any of this outreach
and support, then please get in touch.

-Michelle Thompson
+1 858 229 3399
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