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[jamsat-news:588] * SpaceNews 14-Jul-97 *
- From: "John A. Magliacane" <kd2bd@kd2bd.org>
- Date: Sat, 12 Jul 97 19:04:01 -0700
SB NEWS @ AMSAT $SPC0714
* SpaceNews 14-Jul-97 *
BID: $SPC0714
=========
SpaceNews
=========
MONDAY JULY 14, 1997
SpaceNews originates at KD2BD in Wall Township, New Jersey, USA. It
is published every week and is made available for non-commercial use.
* MIR NEWS *
============
News of Mir's Progress docking and EVA has been reported by Mike Foale via
the Amateur Packet Radio communications system on-board the Mir space station:
Stat : PR
Posted : 07/07/97 09:40
To : ALL
From : R0MIR
@ BBS :
BID :
Subject: Mir Progress Docking
Progress docked normally this morning. We are waiting 3 orbits before
we start to unload it, checking the integrity of the hatch seals.
The station attitude control system is working well, using the girodynes,
and the power sth the base block and module Kvant 2 powered (airlock and
toilet) with modules Kristal and Priroda [are] unpowered. Greenhouse
experiment is continuing, using power from the base block, to dry the
seed pods that have formed quite nicely.
Stat : PR
Posted : 07/11/97 16:08
To : ALL
From : R0MIR
@ BBS :
BID :
Subject: Mir EVA
The crew is now extremely busy, trying to crawl through all the bags
unloaded from Progress, which are now stored in dark, wet modules, which
have no power. We are trying to inventory and assemble the 30 or so
cables and adapt, required to install the hatch
umbilical. A training run will be done on the 15th, and the real eva
sometime after that. I will get some refresher training on preparing the
soyuz for evacuation, and will be in a spacesuit,b,in the Soyuz during the
eva itself.
I will still try to read all your messages, but will have to leave most
unanswered because of the little time available to us. Mike. KB5UAC
[Info via Dr. Dave Larsen, and Miles Mann]
* HIGH POWER NOT WELCOME ON OSCARS *
====================================
BJ Arts, WT0N, serves as an Official Observer (OO), and has received many
complaints about satellite operators running excessively high levels of
transmitter power within the uplink passband of Amateur communication
satellites. Last week he observed stations on FO-20 and FO-29 running
enough power to be 5 to 10 'S' units above the level of the beacon signal.
In one case, two operators, who were in contact with one another, were
causing FO-20's AGC to block out all other incoming signals operating
with normal levels of transmitter power.
Satellite users should make certain that their downlink signals are no
stronger than that of the beacon transmitter. Excessive levels of uplink
power pervent other users from equally sharing the satellite's transponder.
It only takes several watts of transmitter power to make contacts through
low-earth orbiting Amateur satellites. If groundstations have difficulty
hearing their uplink signal with more than several watts of power, then
a significant upgrade in receiver sensitivity may be in order. This can
be accomplished by using a higher gain downlink antenna, high quality coax,
or the use of a low-noise preamplifier (preferably mounted at the feedpoint
of the antenna).
* AO-27 SCHEDULE *
==================
AO-27 TEPR (Timed Eclipse Power Regulation) States are expected to follow
the following schedule (as of July 6, 1997):
TEPR STATE Time TX Status
----------------------------------------
1 N/A OFF
2 N/A OFF
3 --- OFF
4 21 OFF
5 17 ON at Medium Power
6 --- OFF
The TEPR States are defined as follows:
TEPR 1, Started when the satellite enters the earth's shadow (eclipse)
TEPR 2, Started at (TEPR 1 time) after the eclipse starts
TEPR 3, Started at (TEPR 1 time) + (TEPR 2 time) ...
TEPR 4, Started when the satellite enters sunlight
TEPR 5, Started at (TEPR 4 time) after the satellite enters sunlight
TEPR 6, Started at (TEPR 4) + (TEPR 5) ...
Please note that TEPR states 1, 2 and 3 occur during nighttime passes, and
TEPR states 4, 5 and 6 occur during the day. These occur during EVERY pass,
not just over the U.S.A.
The times assigned to the TEPR states are chosen for the health of the
satellite over operation convenience. Therefore, during parts of the year
the satellite will turn on late or turn off early as seen by ground stations.
Users are reminded that as an FM-mode repeater, AO-27 is subject to the
"capture effect" and can only transmit one signal at a time. Users are
asked to cooperate, keep calls short, give breaks so as many stations as
possible can work a pass, and above all, listen before and while
transmitting. The satellite has a very sensitive receiver, and stations
running approximately 25 watts power to moderate-gain omnidirectional
antenna can get a good uplink signal into the satellite. A sensitive
UHF-FM receiver with a preamplifier and an omnidirectional antenna can
receive AO-27's downlink with some fading; moderate-gain directional
arrays should provide a solid receive signal. Remember to correct for
the +/- 9 kHz of Doppler shift on the 436 MHz downlink signal during a
pass. No Doppler correction is needed for the 145.850 MHz uplink signal.
Users are asked not to transmit on 145.85 MHz if they do not hear the
satellite's downlink so as to avoid possible interference to other
satellite uplinks and downlinks on adjacent frequencies.
This, and other information on the AO-27 satellite can be can be found at:
http://www.umbra.com.
[Info via Michael Wyrick, N4USI, AO-27 Control Operator]
* FO-29 SCHEDULE *
==================
The following is from the July issue of JARL News (magazine of Japan
Amateur Radio League), originally in Japanese, and is provided by Kazu
Sakamoto, JJ1WTK:
July 4 (Fri) 09:13z Digitalker
July 8 (Tue) 09:05z JA
July 11 (Fri) 09:51z JD 1200 bps
July 18 (Fri) 00:20z JD 9600 bps
July 25 (Fri) 09:23z JA
Aug 1 (Fri) 08:17z JD 1200 bps
Aug 8 (Fri) 00:30z JD 9600 bps
Aug 15 (Fri) 01:08z JA
Aug 22 (Fri) 08:26z JD 1200 bps
Aug 29 (Fri) 00:40z JD 9600 bps
Sept 5 (Fri) 01:18z JA
Sept 12 (Fri) 00:13z JD 1200 bps
Sept 19 (Fri) 00:51z JD 9600 bps
Sept 26 (Fri) 08:09z JA
FO-20 is in Mode JA continuously.
* RS-12 NEWS *
==============
Rusty, NM1K, reports a new regular on RS-12: KL7AH. KL7AH can often be
heard on the east coast of US during passes having elevations of 20 degrees
of less above the horizon.
* STS-94 SAREX NEWS *
=====================
The SAREX experiment package on Space Shuttle Columbia has been activated
in both voice and packet radio modes. An archive of messages regarding
STS-94 SAREX bulletins is available at:
http://www.gsfc.nasa.gov/sarex/sarex_mainpage.html
The SAREX Working Group has designated the following frequencies during
the STS-94 mission:
FM Voice Downlink: (Worldwide) 145.55 MHz FM
FM Voice Uplink: 144.91, 144.93, 144.95, 144.97, and 144.99 MHz
FM Voice Uplink: (Europe only) 144.70, 144.75, and 144.80 MHz
FM Packet Downlink: 145.55 MHz
FM Packet Uplink: 144.49 MHz
FM Voice call signs: KC5RNI, KC5BTK and KC5FVF
FM Packet call sign: W5RRR-1
A surplus of power in the Microgravity Science Laboratory has permitted
packet radio operations to take place on STS-94. Since STS-94 is a
re-flight of the shortened STS-83 flight, and since the SAREX gear did
not go back to NASA/JSC from KSC and was not re-programmed after STS-83,
the Heathkit SAREX TNC aboard Columbia reports "STS-83" in downlink packets.
Hams should avoid transmitting on the shuttle's downlink frequencies.
The crew will not favor any uplink frequency, so your ability to
communicate with SAREX will be the "luck of the draw." Transmit only
when the shuttle is within range of your station, and when the shuttle
station is on-the-air.
The crew will use separate receive and transmit frequencies. PLEASE do
not transmit on the shuttle's DOWNLINK frequency. The DOWNLINK is your
receiving frequency. The UPLINK is your transmitting frequency.
Late aquisition of signal continues to be observed while the orbiter
attitude is roughly "tail down, main engines forward". Most contacts
reported occur well after rise time, but not necessarily after TCA,
due to the observers squint angle of the antenna on Columbia. AOS
seems to be about 1.5 to 2 minutes after rise.
Send reception reports and QSLs to ARRL EAD, STS-94 QSL, 225 Main Street,
Newington, CT 06111-1494, USA. Include the following information in
your QSL or report: STS-94, date and time in UTC, frequency and mode
(FM voice or packet). In addition, you must also include a SASE using
a large, business-sized envelope if you wish to receive a card.
STS-94 represents the 23rd flight of Columbia and the 85th mission flown
since the start of the Space Shuttle program in April 1981. Be advised
that the next SAREX mission is not scheduled until August 1998. A great
deal of effort is being made toward the next phase of SAREX: implementation
on the International Space Station.
[Info via Pat Kilroy, WD8LAQ]
* FEEDBACK/INPUT WELCOMED *
===========================
Comments and input for SpaceNews should be directed to the editor (John,
KD2BD) via any of the paths listed below:
WWW : http://www.njin.net/~magliaco/
PACKET : KD2BD @ KS4HR.NJ.USA.NA
INTERNET : kd2bd@amsat.org, magliaco@email.njin.net
SATELLITE : AMSAT-OSCAR-16, LUSAT-OSCAR-19
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/EX