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[jamsat-news:1152] ANS-262
AMSAT NEWS SERVICE
ANS 262
ANS is a free, weekly, news and information service of AMSAT North
America, the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS reports on the
activities of a worldwide group of Amateur Radio operators who share an
active interest in designing, building, launching and communicating
through analog and digital Amateur Radio satellites.
AMSAT-NA is pleased to announce that recent and future development
in Amateur Radio satellites will be presented in San Diego, California
--October 8-11, 1999-- at the 17th Space Symposium and
AMSAT-NA Annual Meeting. More information is available from
Symposium chair, Duane Naugle, KO6BT, at:
ko6bt@amsat.org (or) the AMSAT web site.
Information on AMSAT-NA is available at the following URL:
http://www.amsat.org (or)
AMSAT-NA
850 Sligo Avenue, Suite 600
Silver Spring, Maryland
20910-4703
Voice: 301-589-6062
FAX: 301-608-3410
Currently, AMSAT-NA supports the following free mailing lists:
* AMSAT News Service (ANS)
* General satellite discussion (AMSAT-BB)
* Orbit data (KEPS)
* Manned space missions (SAREX)
* District of Columbia area (AMSAT-DC)
* New England (AMSAT-NE)
* AMSAT Educational Liaison mailing list (AMSAT-EDU)
To subscribe, or for more list information, visit the following URL:
http://www.amsat.org/amsat/listserv/menu.html
This ANS bulletin set is dedicated to the memory of former
ANS Editor -- 'BJ' Arts, WT0N.
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-262.01
MIR STATUS
AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 262.01 FROM AMSAT HQ
SILVER SPRING, MD, SEPTEMBER 19, 1999
TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-262.01
Several news agencies are reporting that Mir's central computer along
with other dedicated systems have now been switched off in an effort to
save energy on the orbiter. The space station may also see other
systems taken 'off line' during the next six months of unmanned flight.
Russian ground controllers waited until after the station's last permanent
crew returned to Earth and also allowed Mir's interior to completely dry
before switching temperature controls to a minimum, safe level. With the
main computer switched off, Mir's orientation system will now allow the
space station to rotate freely in orbit. Controllers will adjust the station's
position in orbit if they see energy or temperature levels dropping below
the safe minimum.
Energy conservation is needed to allow enough power to be available
for the docking of a final crew in February or March of 2000. This
'cleanup crew' is expected to spend about a month aboard the station as
they gradually lower Mir's orbit. Under the current schedule, immediately
after the cosmonauts leave, ground controllers will lower the orbit of the
140-ton station and allow it to burn it up in the atmosphere, guiding any
remnants into the Pacific ocean. AMSAT News Service should note,
however, the final fate of the space station still has not been formally
announced.
All Amateur Radio operation on board Mir came to a close on
August 28, 1999 as the last active crew returned to Earth.
AMSAT France was actively involved in the FX0STB operation on Mir
by French astronaut Jean-Pierre Haignere. During his 6-month stay on
the station Jean-Pierre made a number of two way voice contacts
(along with SSTV transmissions) to the great pleasure of ham stations
around the world and the school children of many countries.
In order to provide a FX0STB confirmation card, AMSAT-France is
currently designing a special QSL card. In order to receive this card,
stations are invited to send a QSL request including:
* the call used by Jean-Pierre (FX0STB or R0MIR)
* the date, time, frequency and mode of transmission (FM or SSTV)
of the contact or reception report
AMSAT-France suggests using the following address:
AMSAT France
FX0STB QSL Manager
14 bis rue des Gourlis
F-92500 RUEIL-MALMAISON
France
AMSAT-France also recommends a self addressed envelope with the
proper International Reply Coupon(s) for return postage.
[ANS thanks AMSAT-France, Florida Today and SpaceDaily
for this information]
/EX
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-262.02
ZVEZDA SERVICE MODULE UPDATE
AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 262.02 FROM AMSAT HQ
SILVER SPRING, MD, SEPTEMBER 19, 1999
TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-262.02
The Zvezda Service Module, the cornerstone of Russia's contribution to
the International Space Station, is currently scheduled for launch on or
near November, 12, 1999. The launch will take place from the Baikonur
Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
The 'official' launch date will be set at the conclusion of a joint program
review between NASA and the Russian Aviation and Space Agency
along with the General Designer's Review of launch preparations by
RSC-Energia in Moscow.
The program review will take place in late September.
Zvezda is the Russian-built module that will serve as the early living
quarters for the first resident crew and will provide control of the ISS
until the arrival of the U.S. built 'Destiny' laboratory next year.
The European Space Agency is providing the Data Management System
(DMS) or 'brain' of the Russian service module. ESA's contribution to
Zvezda covered the development of an on-board computer hardware
and software system and associated ground systems. Finished in
October 1997, the DMS is the first delivery of ESA flight hardware within
the International Space Station program to another international partner.
Ultimately, ESA's Data Management System will not only control the
service module itself, but also perform overall control, mission and
failure management of the Russian Segment of the ISS, along with
providing overall guidance and navigation functions for the entire
station complex itself.
Stay tuned to ANS for further ISS updates.
[ANS thanks the European Space Agency and Florida Today for this
information]
/EX
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-262.03
AMSAT-NA BOD ELECTION RESULTS
HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 262.03 FROM AMSAT HQ
SILVER SPRING, MD, SEPTEMBER 19, 1999
TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-262.03
AMSAT-NA Corporate Secretary Martha Saragovitz recently announced
the results of the latest Board of Directors election for the Radio
Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT-NA). Martha tells ANS a total of
1,242 AMSAT-NA members cast ballots in this year's election.
The results are as follows:
Dick Daniels, W4PUJ 1,118 votes
Bill Tynan, W3XO 1,049 votes
Robin Haighton, VE3FRH 1,005 votes
Barry Baines, WD4ASW 993 votes
Mike Gilchrist, KF4FDJ 569 votes
Dick Daniels, W4PUJ, Bill Tynan, W3XO, Robin Haighton, VE3FRH,
and Barry Baines, WD4ASW, were elected to serve on the Board for a
two year term. Mike Gilchrist, KF4FDJ, will serve as the alternate until
the next election. The newly elected board members will join their
counterparts in San Diego at the site of the AMSAT-NA annual meeting,
which follows the upcoming AMSAT-NA Symposium.
ANS congratulates all the candidates and salutes their dedication to
AMSAT and to the worldwide Amateur Radio satellite community.
[ANS thanks AMSAT-NA Corporate Secretary Martha Saragovitz and
Bill Hook, W3QBC, for this information]
/EX
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-262.04
ANS IN BRIEF
HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 262.04 FROM AMSAT HQ
SILVER SPRING, MD, SEPTEMBER 19, 1999
TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-262.04
ANS news in brief this week includes the following:
** SpaceLift Australia has announced plans to launch satellite payloads
from Woomera in South Australia into LEO orbits using a modified
Russian SS-25 missile converted to launch commercial payloads.
A test launch is planned for late 2000. -SpaceDaily
** Hurricane Floyd, though downgraded now to the status of a tropical
storm, still brought devastation to broad areas of the East Coast,
stranding thousands of people and destroying hundreds of homes.
Floyd threatened both the Kennedy Space Center and the launch
complex at the Cape. The shuttle Atlantis was in the center's massive
Vertical Assembly Building which reportedly is able to withstand winds
of up to 125 mph. The shuttles Columbia, Discovery, and Endeavor were
in the Orbiter Processing Facilities, which can withstand winds up to
105 mph. The assemblies for the International Space Station were in the
Space Station Processing Facility, a building that can withstand winds up
to 110 mph. Cape Canaveral Air Station was evacuated, with four rockets
stranded on launch pads -- all with mobile service towers placed over the
rockets to protect them. At last report no significant damage was reported
at either facility. -W9GB, Morrack News, ANS
** NASA's future space transportation plans - from next year's
experimental rocket planes to the starships of the next millennium
- will be the focus of Space Transportation Day '99, October 27th at
NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center. The web has more at:
http://www.spacedaily.com/spacecast/news/nasa-99f.html.-SpaceDaily
** AMSAT Area Coordinator and ARRL Awards Manager Bruce Paige,
KK5DO, is working on providing a live satellite feed along with a
RealAudio delay (via the Internet) of the entire Friday and Saturday
functions at the upcoming AMSAT Symposium in San Diego. The
audio will be available at http://www.amsatnet.com. KK5DO
will also be available to check cards for Satellite Worked All States
and VHF/UHF Century Club awards at the Symposium. -Bruce, KK5DO
** Circumstantial evidence for water on Europa is mounting as JPL
scientists try an ingenious experiment to find hexagonal water-ice
crystals on the frigid surface of Jupiter's iciest moon. Check out the
search at: http://www.spacedaily.com/spacecast/news/life-99c.html.
-SpaceDaily
** Ray, W2RS, passes on an interesting thought: a 2-meter HT on the
moon with about 1-watt from its rubber duck antenna would produce a
signal on the Earth's surface of about the same strength as the EME
echoes from W5UN, the world's largest and most powerful amateur EME
station. Ray also mentioned that if any possible future lunar expedition
included ham radio operation using a decent 100-watt VHF transceiver
and an AO-13 class cross-yagi, they would be capable of easy QSO's
with Earth bound hams, even mobile stations. -ANS
** University of Iowa professor and space physicist Don Gurnett has won
a $4 million NASA contract in collaboration with JPL to develop and use
radar in a search for underground water on Mars. Check out this high
power radar at the following Internet web site address:
http://www.spacedaily.com/spacecast/news/mars-water-99a.html
-SpaceDaily
** AMSAT-NA President KB1SF is currently reading a book entitled
"Chile: Space and Future" and tells ANS the book is impressive. Keith
was particularly pleased to see that AMSAT-CE was well represented
in the book. -ANS
** Deep Space 1 has been spending most of its time recently with its
ion propulsion system gently but relentlessly pushing it along to bring it
to its appointments with Comet Wilson-Harrington in January 2001 and
Comet Borrelly later that September. -SpaceDaily
** K2BR, the Miss America Pageant special event station, was active
on HF and AO-27. Operated by Jeff, KB2WQM, he worked as
many AO-27 passes as possible during the event which ended last
Saturday with the crowning of the new Miss America. A special QSL
card with a picture of the winner will be issued. -Jeff, KB2WQM
** An image of Mars taken by the Mars Climate Orbiter Color Imager was
acquired recently, as the spacecraft was approximately 4.5 million
kilometers from the planet. The image has been posted on the net at:
http://www.spacedaily.com/spacecast/news/mars98-99e.html.
-SpaceDaily
--ANS BULLETIN END---
/EX
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-262.05
WEEKLY SATELLITE REPORT PART 1
AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 262.05 FROM AMSAT HQ
SILVER SPRING, MD, SEPTEMBER 19, 1999
TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT
BID: $ANS-262.05
RADIO SPORT RS-12
Uplink 21.210 to 21.250 MHz CW/SSB
Uplink 145.910 to 145.950 MHz CW/SSB
Downlink 29.410 to 29.450 MHz CW/SSB
Downlink 145.910 to 145.950 MHz CW/SSB
Beacon 29.408 MHz
Robot Uplink 21.129 MHz
Robot Downlink 29.454 MHz
Semi-operational, beacon only.
RADIO SPORT RS-13
Uplink 21.260 to 21.300 MHz CW/SSB
Uplink 145.960 to 146.000 MHz CW/SSB
Downlink 29.460 to 29.500 MHz CW/SSB
Downlink 145.960 to 146.000 MHz CW/SSB
Beacon 29.458 MHz
Robot Uplink 145.840 MHz
Robot Downlink 29.504 MHz
Operational, in mode-KA with a 10-meter downlink
and a 15-meter and 2-meter uplink.
RS-13's Robot CW auto-transponder is active. For confirmation of an
RS-13 Robot contact, send your QSL card along with the Robot
QSL number to:
Radio Sport Federation
Box 88
Moscow
Kevin, AC5DK, has information about RS-12/13 that contains a simple
explanation on how to operate on the satellite, including a forum for
operators to exchange information, pose questions or even set up
schedules via RS-12/13.
AC5DK's RS-12/13 Satellite Operators Page:
http://www.qsl.net/ac5dk/rs1213/rs1213.html
AC5DK's RS-12/13 Satellite Forum:
http://www.hotboards.com/powerforum/pwrforum.exe?who=rs1213
RS-12/13 command is now in the hands of Alex Papkov, in
Kaluga City, Russia.
RADIO SPORT RS-15
Uplink 145.858 to 145.898 MHz CW/SSB
Downlink 29.354 to 29.394 MHz CW/SSB
Beacon 29.352 MHz (intermittent)
SSB meeting frequency 29.380 MHz (unofficial)
Semi-operational, mode-A, using a 2-meter uplink and a
10-meter downlink.
Dave, WB6LLO, has operating information for both RS-15 and RS-13
on his personal web site. In addition to satellite data, antenna
information and AMSAT-NA Jewelry Contest information is also featured.
The WB6LLO web site URL is:
http://home.san.rr.com/doguimont/uploads
OSCAR 10 AO-10
Uplink 435.030 to 435.180 MHz CW/LSB
Downlink 145.975 to 145.825 MHz CW/USB
Beacon 145.810 MHz (unmodulated carrier)
Semi-operational, mode-B. AO-10 has been locked into a 70-cm uplink
and a 2-meter downlink for several years.
Kimo, 8J1RL has been active from Syowa Station, Antarctica. Operation
will continue to the end of January 2000. Schedules with 8J1RL are
welcome, arrange via JH3BJN (jh3bjn@amsat.org). Look for Kimo's CW
downlink near 145.890 MHz. QSL to:
Kimio Maekawa
67-9 Shimo-Asoujima
OONO-FUKUI 912
Japan
Masa, JN1GKZ, reports his web page shows the current AO-10
spin period and spin rate (by measuring the beacon with FFTDSP
software). The JN1GKZ web site can be found at the following URL:
http://www.din.or.jp/~m-arai/ao10/beacone.htm
W4SM has more information about the satellite at the following URL:
http://www.cstone.net/~w4sm/AO-10.html
[ANS thanks Stacey Mills, W4SM, for his AO-10 status information and
web site]
AMRAD AO-27
Uplink 145.850 MHz FM
Downlink 436.795 MHz FM
Operational, mode J.
Mike, N1JEZ, was recently active from Bailey Island, Maine (FN53).
Chuck, KM4NZ, recently reset the TEPR states on AO-27 (on
September 3, 1999).
TEPR 4 is 34 TEPR 5 is 70
[ANS thanks Chuck Wyrick, KM4NZ, and Michael Wyrick, N4USI, for
AO-27 information]
JAS-1b FO-20
Uplink 145.900 to 146.000 MHz CW/LSB
Downlink 435.800 to 435.900 MHz CW/USB
Operational. FO-20 is in mode JA continuously.
FO-20 continues to function quite well. Tony, AB2CJ, has been
QRV on FO-20 SSTV.
[ANS thanks Kazu Sakamoto, JJ1WTK, for the FO-20 status reports]
JAS-2 FO-29
Voice/CW Mode JA
Uplink 145.900 to 146.000 MHz CW/LSB
Downlink 435.800 to 435.900 MHz CW/USB
Semi-operational, rotated with digital mode and digi-talker.
Digital Mode JD
Uplink 145.850 145.870 145.910 MHz FM
Downlink 435.910 MHz FM 9600 baud BPSK
Digitalker 435.910 MHz
Semi-operational, rotated with analog mode and digi-talker.
Mike, N1JEZ, has confirmed FO-29 is currently in digi-talker mode.
Mike, KF4FDJ, has put together a very informative document on FO-29,
addressing analog, digital and digi-talker modes. To obtain a copy
e-mail Mike at: kf4fdj@amsat.org
Kazu, JJ1WTK, reports the FO-29 operational schedule
(announced by the JARL) is as follows:
through Sept 21 digitalker
Sept 21 - Sept 22 JA
Sept 22 - Oct 4 digitalker
Oct 5 - Oct 7 JA
Mineo, JE9PEL, has updated his FO-29 satellite telemetry analysis
Program. The software will automatically analyze all digital
telemetry from the satellite such as current, voltage and temperature.
The JE9PEL FO-29/software update is available at:
http://www.ne.jp/asahi/hamradio/je9pel/
[ANS thanks Kazu Sakamoto, JJ1WTK, for the FO-29 status reports]
/EX
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-262.06
WEEKLY SATELLITE REPORT PART 2
AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 262.06 FROM AMSAT HQ
SILVER SPRING, MD, SEPTEMBER 19, 1999
TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT
BID: $ANS-262.06
KITSAT KO-25
Uplink 145.980 MHz FM 9600 baud FSK
Downlink 436.500 MHz FM
Operational.
Jim, AA7KC, reports KO-25 is performing well with good downlink
efficiency.
[ANS thanks Jim Weisenberger, AA7KC, for KO-25 status information]
UOSAT UO-22
Uplink 145.900 or 145.975 MHz FM 9600 baud FSK
Downlink 435.120 MHz FM
Operational.
Carol, W9HGI, reports UO-22 is performing within acceptable limits.
W9HGI operates the West Coast Packet Satellite Gateway (WSPG) for
the Worldwide Packet Network (WPN).
More information on the satellite is available at the following URL:
http://www.sstl.co.uk/
[ANS thanks Carol Byers, W9HGI and Chris Jackson, G7UPN/ZL2TPO,
for UO-22 status information]
OSCAR-11
Downlink 145.825 MHz FM, 1200 baud AFSK
Mode-S Beacon 2401.500 MHz
Operational.
The operating schedule is unchanged.
ASCII status (210 seconds)
ASCII bulletin (60 seconds)
BINARY SEU (30 seconds)
ASCII TLM (90 seconds)
ASCII WOD (120 seconds)
ASCII bulletin (60 seconds)
BINARY ENG (30 seconds)
The ASCII bulletin is currently a static message, detailing modes and
frequencies of all the amateur radio satellites.
More information on OSCAR-11 is available at the following URL:
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/clivew/
[ANS thanks Clive Wallis, G3CWV, for OSCAR-11 status information]
PACSAT AO-16
Uplink 145.90 145.92 145.94 145.86 MHz FM
using 1200 baud Manchester FSK
Downlink 437.0513 MHz SSB RC-BPSK 1200 baud PSK
Mode-S Beacon 2401.1428 MHz
Operational (with the exception of the mode-S beacon,
which is currently off).
AO-16 has operated continuously for over 1,800 days since its
last software reload.
General information and telemetry WOD files can be found at:
http://www.ctv.es/USERS/ea1bcu
A complete collection of WOD graphics corresponding to the
year of 1998 can be found at:
http://www.ctv.es/USERS/ea1bcu/wod1998.zip
[ANS thanks Miguel Menendez, EA1BCU, for AO-16 status information]
LUSAT LO-19
Uplink 145.84 145.86 145.88 145.90 MHz FM
using 1200 baud Manchester FSK
Downlink 437.125 MHz SSB RC-BPSK 1200 baud PSK
Currently semi-operational. No BBS service. The digipeater is active.
General information and telemetry samples can be found at:
http://www.ctv.es/USERS/ea1bcu/lo19.htm
[ANS thanks Miguel Menendez, EA1BCU, for LO-19 status information]
TMSAT-1 TO-31
Uplink 145.925 MHz 9600 baud FSK
Downlink 436.925 MHz 9600 baud FSK
Operational.
ProcMail V2.00G has been released by G7UPN. This software permits
the processing of image files from TO-31. It has been posted to the
AMSAT-NA FTP site at the following URL:
http://www.amsat.org/amsat/software/win32/wisp
[ANS thanks Chris Jackson, G7UPN/ZL2TPO, for TO-31 status
information]
PANSAT PO-34
Uplink/downlink frequencies have not been established.
The satellite is not currently available for general uplink transmissions.
PanSat, developed by the Naval Postgraduate School, was launched
from the shuttle Discovery during STS-95. PanSat spread-spectrum
digital transponders will be available to amateur radio operators in the
near future along with software to utilize this technology.
Dan Sakoda, KD6DRA, PanSat Project Manager recommends
'The ARRL Spread Spectrum Sourcebook' as a good place to start in
understanding the spread-spectrum scheme.
For more information, visit the official PanSat web site at:
http://www.sp.nps.navy.mil/pansat/
PanSat is the featured cover article in the July/August issue of the
AMSAT-NA Journal (written by KD6DRA and N7HPR).
[ANS thanks Dan Sakoda, KD6DRA, for this information]
SUNSAT SO-35
Semi-operational. Modes of operation and uplink/downlink
frequencies have yet to be officially established.
SunSat was launched February 23, 1999 aboard a Delta II rocket from
Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. SunSat stands for
Stellenbosch University Satellite and takes it name from the South
African university whose students constructed the payload.
The SunSat package includes 1200 and 9600 baud digital
store-and-forward capability and a voice 'parrot' repeater system
that will be used primarily for educational demonstrations.
The satellite has two VHF and two UHF transmit-receive systems.
SunSat has been in mode-J recently. ON1DLL, VK3JDG and WY4D
were active on the transponder. Bruce, KK5DO, has recorded several
SO-35 passes in RealAudio, check out the following web site to listen:
http://www.amsatnet.com.
For more information on SunSat, visit the following URL:
http://sunsat.ee.sun.ac.za
[ANS thanks Garth Milne ZR1AFH, for this information]
UoSAT-12 UO-36
Downlink 437.025 MHz
437.400 MHz
UoSAT-12 was successfully launched on April 21, 1999 from the
Russian Baikonur Cosmodrome. UO-36 carries a number of imaging
payloads, digital store-and-forward communications and mode L/S
transponders.
The satellite is not currently available for general uplink transmissions.
UO-36 has been transmitting 9600-baud FSK telemetry framed in a
VLSI format using a downlink frequency of 437.400 MHz. Chris,
G7UPN, reports UO-36 is also transmitting on 437.025 MHz at a
baud rate of 38,400 (38k4). Presently the BBS is still closed.
S-band high speed downlink commissioning continues at rates
between 128kb/s and 1Mb/s. The S-band downlink frequency has
not been announced.
The VK5HI/TMSAT viewer shareware is available on the AMSAT-NA
web site at the following URL:
ftp://ftp.amsat.org/amsat/software/win32/display/ccddsp97-119.zip
Further information on UO-36 is available from: http://www.sstl.co.uk/
[ANS thanks Chris G7UPN/ZL2TPO, and the University of Surrey for
this information]
/EX
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-262.07
WEEKLY SATELLITE REPORT PART 3
AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 262.07 FROM AMSAT HQ
SILVER SPRING, MD, SEPTEMBER 19, 1999
TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT
BID: $ANS-262.07
THE FOLLOWING ARE IN ORBIT BUT ARE
NON-OPERATIONAL AT THIS TIME:
MIR SPACE STATION
Ham radio activity aboard the Mir space station came to a close on
August 28, 1999 as the crew returned to Earth, leaving the station
unmanned. Mir is in a stable orbit with only essential systems running.
All Amateur Radio activities have ceased. Currently, the station is being
prepared for re-entry sometime in the first quarter of 2000, however, the
final fate of the space station has not been formally announced. Stay
tuned to ANS for further developments.
Current Amateur Radio equipment aboard Mir includes:
MIR SAFEX II 70-cm Repeater
Uplink 435.750 MHz FM w/subaudible tone 141.3 Hz
Downlink 437.950 MHz FM
Not operational. No operation in 1999 has been observed.
MIR SAFEX II 70-cm QSO Mode
Uplink 435.725 MHz FM w/subaudible tone 151.4 Hz
Downlink 437.925 MHz FM
Not operational. No operation in 1999 has been observed.
MIR PERSONAL MESSAGE SYSTEM (PMS)
Uplink/Downlink 145.985 MHz FM 1200 baud AFSK
Not operational.
RS-16
The 435 MHz beacon (only) is operational.
Attempts to command the mode A transponder 'on' have been
unsuccessful to date. No additional information is available at this time.
DOVE DO-17
Downlink 145.825 MHz FM 1200 baud AFSK
2401.220 MHz
Non-operational.
DOVE stopped transmitting in March 1998. The 145.825 MHz and
2401.220 MHz downlinks are off the air and the satellite has not
responded to ground station control. No additional information is
available at this time.
WEBERSAT WO-18
Downlink 437.104 MHz SSB 1200 baud PSK AX.25
Non-operational.
WO-18 is reported to be in MBL mode after a software crash.
No additional information is available at this time.
ITAMSAT IO-26
Uplink 145.875 145.900 145.925 145.950 MHz FM 1200 baud
Downlink 435.822 MHz SSB
Unknown status.
Bob, WB4APR, and Alberto, I2KBD, report that IK2XRO is attempting to
reload the software and activate the digipeater on IO-26. The spacecraft
has been in MBL mode for more than 4 months and an overall check has
shown the satellite to be in good condition.
TECHSAT-1B GO-32
Downlink 435.225 MHz using HDLC telemetry
Unknown status. ANS has not received any recent updates concerning
the current status of GO-32.
The TechSat-1B micro-satellite was successfully launched from the
Russian Baikonur Cosmodrome on July 10, 1998.
Last reported, the satellite does not have a continuos beacon, but does
transmit a 9600-baud burst every 30 seconds (for a continuous 3
seconds in length), on 435.225 MHz.
The TechSat team has constructed a home page about TechSat.
To view the site, point your web browser to:
http://techsat.internet-zahav.net/
No additional information is available at this time.
SEDSAT-1 SO-33
Downlink 437.910 MHz FM 9600 baud FSK
The satellite is not currently available for uplink transmissions and
recovery efforts have been unsuccessful over the past year.
Mineo, JE9PEL, reports he has again received minimal telemetry from
the satellite recently, dated August 30, 31 and September 1st.
SedSat-1, signifying Students for the Exploration and Development of
Space Satellite number one, was successfully launched and placed in
orbit on Saturday, October 24, 1998.
For more information on SedSat-1 visit the satellite web site at the
following URL:
http://www.seds.org/sedsat
No additional information is available at this time.
KITSAT KO-23
Uplink 145.900 MHz FM 9600 baud FSK
Downlink 435.175 MHz FM
Not operational. The downlink transmitter has not been operational for
any normal communication for some time.
ANS has learned (from HL0ENJ) that satellite downlink telemetry shows
two (or more) of KO-23's battery cells to be very unstable. Ground
control stations are operating KO-23 with only minimum systems.
Attitude control has been lost and power failures have been experienced
every two months. Control stations will try to verify current power status
during September and decide if recovery is possible.
[ANS thanks Jim Weisenberger, AA7KC, and KyungHee Kim, HL0ENJ,
for KO-23 status information]
/EX
--ANS END---
ANS would like to thank Mike Seguin, N1JEZ, ANS principal satellite
investigator, for helping provide current satellite information for ANS.
Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to
ans-editor@amsat.org
Daniel (Dan) James
AMSAT News Service Bulletin Editor
AMSAT-NA Vice President/Public Affairs
Amateur callsign: NN0DJ
Grid Square EN28iv
Warroad, Minnesota U.S.A.
e-mail: nn0dj@amsat.org
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