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[jamsat-news:1179] ANS 318
AMSAT NEWS SERVICE
ANS 318
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.
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 edition of ANS is dedicated to the memory of Bill Adams, W6BA,
Jean Shepherd, K2ORS, Fred Hammond, VE3HC, Colin Dumbrille,
VE7NN/VP9C and Douglas Blakeslee, N1RM.
Adams died October 29th at 90 years of age. An ARRL member for more
than 60 years, Adams was first licensed in 1924 as 6ANN. Shepherd, 78,
was known as the 'first radio novelist' and as 'the Mark Twain of radio'. He
died October 16th in a hospital near his home in Florida. Hammond was
considered by many to be the 'grand old man of Canadian Amateur Radio.
He died November 7th and had been in failing health since suffering a
stroke last year. Dumbrille, of Maple Ridge, British Columbia, died
July 29th at age 80. A life member of the ARRL, he was first licensed at
age 14. Blakeslee, of Verona, Wisconsin, died November 4th after a short
illness. He was 58. Blakeslee worked in the ARRL Technical Department
from 1964 to 1972 and his byline appeared frequently in QST.
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-318.01
SAT OPS TO HELP NASA WITH SPACE EXPERIMENT
AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 318.01 FROM AMSAT HQ
SILVER SPRING, MD, NOVEMBER 14, 1999
TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-318.01
Amateur Radio satellite operators will get a chance to contribute to a
NASA satellite project by recording the data.
The Plasma Experiment Satellite Test (PEST) will ride on the Joint
Air Force-Weber State University Satellite, or JAWSAT. A launch is set
for early December. JAWSAT will serve as a bus for several deployable
payloads and the attached PEST experiment.
The telemetry stream from JAWSAT --which includes data from PEST--
will be transmitted on amateur frequencies. "Hams will be able to obtain
data that characterizes certain aspects of the ionosphere above the D,
E, and F layers where most of their signals are reflected," said PEST
Project Manager Fred Berry, WA4IWY. "We're going to publish the data
format in terms that everyone can understand," he said.
Data from PEST can be received using either a G3RUH modem or a
GMSK modem. Data rates should be as high as 38.4 kb/s, transmitted
on 437.175 MHz and/or 2403.2 MHz. NASA will publish instructions for
sending in the data so the PEST teams can use it.
"It's an experiment," WA4IWY said. "We're hoping that high school and
college students will get involved and learn something about the
ionosphere and radio propagation."
Deployable payloads aboard JAWSAT are the Orbiting PicoSat Automatic
Launcher--or OPAL-- and ASUSAT, provided by Arizona State University.
ASUSAT itself will contain amateur packet hardware and a 2-meter/70-cm
FM voice repeater. OPAL will release three tiny picosats --one of them,
called StenSat-- will have a crossband repeater aboard that will operate
much like the popular AO-27 satellite.
After JAWSAT reaches its desired polar orbit altitude of 420 miles, it
will be about two weeks before PEST is first powered on. PEST will
acquire data for at least a two-month period.
For more information on the PEST project, visit the following URL:
http://science.nasa.gov/newhome/headlines/ast04nov99_1.htm
[ANS thanks the ARRL and NASA for this information]
/EX
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-318.02
AVIATION AND SPACE EDUCATION DAY
HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 318.02 FROM AMSAT HQ
SILVER SPRING, MD, NOVEMBER 14, 1999
TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-318.02
Hank, N1LTV, tells ANS that "a tremendous event will happen on
Thursday, November 18th involving the Leonids meteor shower,
ham radio, balloons and rockets. It's called Aviation and Space
Education Day and is part of the Rhode Island Rockets for Schools
program.
At an old navy airfield (near Charlestown, Rhode Island) more than
one thousand students will gather from several states to launch all
classes of model rockets --and if weather permits-- three high
altitude balloons including the SkyQuest 3 hamradiosonde. One
of the high power model rockets will also loft an ATV camera and
transmitter.
N1LTV notes the highlight of the festivities will be the firing of a
Viper-Dart sounding rocket into a 60 mile high suborbital flight with
the goal of collecting comet dust from the Leonids meteor shower.
The Viper rocket engine should fall into the ocean close to shore
and the GPS radio-equipped nosecone will be tracked and then
recovered by the U.S. Coast Guard.
This marks the first time ever a missile will be launched into space
from any New England state.
The SkyQuest 3 will be carrying a CW and RTTY modulated 2-meter
transmitter that should be heard at least 250 miles away as it
reaches its peak altitude.
More information is available from the Rhode Island Rockets for
Schools web site at:
http://users.efortress.com/mudbug/ (or)
the SkyQuest web site at the following URL:
http://www.geocities.com/capecanaveral/3161/hablic.htm
[ANS thanks Hank Riley, N1LTV, for this information]
/EX
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-318.03
ISS UPDATE
HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 318.03 FROM AMSAT HQ
SILVER SPRING, MD, NOVEMBER 14, 1999
TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-318.03
NASA reports to ANS that flight controllers in Houston and Moscow
continue to verify the health of all systems aboard the International
Space Station through routine commanding from the ground.
Battery cycling of the five usable storage units inside the Zarya module
was completed this past week as controllers prepare for the next round
of deep cycling. The deep cycling of each battery takes about five days.
The early communications system inside the Unity module continues to
operate normally. Every week or two, commands are issued to switch
between the right and left low gain antennas to ensure their health.
Other weekly checks included measuring and refining the spin rate of
the complex, which is oriented with Unity pointed at the Earth. The slow
spin maintains even temperatures on all systems and minimizes
propellant usage.
All other systems are in excellent shape as ISS orbits at an
altitude of 242 by 225 statute miles. Since the launch of Zarya last
November, ISS has completed more than 5,594 orbits.
Space Station viewing opportunities worldwide are available on the
Internet at:
http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/realdata/sightings/
[ANS thanks NASA for this information]
/EX
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-318.04
ANS IN BRIEF
HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 318.04 FROM AMSAT HQ
SILVER SPRING, MD, NOVEMBER 14, 1999
TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-318.04
ANS news in brief this week includes the following:
** The TechSat-1B micro-satellite (GO-32) was successfully launched
from Baikonur Cosmodrome on July 10, 1998. It has never been
opened for general uplink operation, however, Shlomo, 4X1AS, tells
ANS efforts are now underway to bring GO-32 on line. Stay tuned
to ANS for further information. -Shlomo, 4X4AS
** AMSAT's Chod Harris, WB2CHO/VP2ML, who recently suffered a
massive heart attack, is improving. He is now alert and responding.
Flowers are not permitted in the intensive care unit but friends may
write to Chod at 201 Franz Valley Road, Santa Rosa, California,
95404. -ARRL Letter
** The 49th consecutive launch success for Arianespace with the
Ariane 4 rocket took place recently, matching the commercial record set
By Boeing's Delta 2 rocket in the early 1990s. The payload, a GE-4
communications satellite, was released from the Ariane rocket's third
stage. The spacecraft is flying free in space in an elliptical transfer orbit.
Over the coming weeks, its orbit will be refined to a circular geostationary
orbit 22,300 miles above Earth. The satellite will relay television, data
transmissions and broadband Internet connectivity. GE-4 is the 160th
satellite launched by Arianespace. The company has also lofted 27
secondary payloads over the past two decades in 122 flights.
-Florida Today
** Bruce, KK5DO, reports the Houston AMSAT Net has moved its IRC
channel to CHATNET.ORG, 6667. Listeners will find instructions on how
to connect to this IRC site on the KK5DO home page at
http://www.amsatnet.com. Bruce also tells ANS the "live stream Real
Audio server is working and in order to listen to the live stream, you
must have the Real Audio G2 player." KK5DO says they are losing
the commercial satellite feed on November 30th and plan a "satellite
going away net" during the regular Tuesday time slot of 8:00 PM CST.
Bruce says the group hopes to have a new satellite feed the December
7th net - which will mark the 300th net over commercial satellite
transponders. -KK5DO
** ARRL Maxim Memorial Station W1AW will participate for the first
time in a meteor-scatter experiment by attempting to bounce APRS
packets off the ionized particles resulting from the Leonids meteor
shower. From November 12-19th, W1AW will operate WinAPRS
equipped stations on 6 and 2-meters. -ARRL Letter
** Space shuttle Discovery has emerged from Kennedy Space Center's
Vehicle Assembly Building bound for launch pad 39B at the edge of the
Atlantic Ocean. Discovery is scheduled for a 10-day mission to service
and upgrade the Hubble Space Telescope, starting December 6th.
-Florida Today
** Now that the summer season has ended in North America, James,
KD4DLA, reports the South East Michigan AMSAT net has restarted
and is active once again. -KD4DLA
** Six weeks after an errant $327 million spacecraft burned up in the
Martian atmosphere, NASA investigators have found a flaw in a second
robotic explorer speeding toward an early December landing on the
Red Planet. Engineers discovered the descent engine on the Mars Polar
Lander might not function properly after spending 11 months in the
extreme cold of outer space, however, experts at NASA's Jet Propulsion
Laboratory in Pasadena, California believe they can fix the problem by
turning on the descent engine heaters earlier than planned.
-Florida Today
** Upcoming articles in the AMSAT-NA Journal include a summary (with
photos) of the AMSAT Symposium and Annual Meeting; a press release
on the Phase 3D Launch Contract (with photo coordination from the
AMSAT-DL Journal); Doppler frequency effect on Phase 3D (Part 2)
and the StenSat journal describing the experience of building a
picosatellite. These are just a few of the stories planned. AMSAT-NA
membership includes the Journal. -ANS, Russ, K5NRK
** Arianespace has scheduled the first commercial launch of its new
Ariane 5 heavy lifter for December 10th. Flight 119/AR 504 will carry
the European Space Agency's XMM scientific satellite. -SpaceDaily
** The Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center has set up a webcam in
its restoration area that broadcasts a fresh view of the work being done
to refurbish the Liberty Bell space capsule recently recovered from the
Atlantic. So far, the view has been very popular -- receiving 20,000 hits
on its first day of operation back in September. The webcam and other
information about the Liberty Bell project can be found at:
http://www.cosmo.org/libertybell7.htm. -Florida Today
** Looking for photo coverage of the recent AMSAT-NA Symposium?
Jerry, K5OE, reminds ANS that the AMSAT-NA web site has photos
from all the action in San Diego. See the AMSAT-NA coverage at:
http://www.amsat.org/amsat/features/symp99photos/. -Jerry, K5OE
--ANS BULLETIN END---
/EX
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-318.05
WEEKLY SATELLITE REPORT PART 1
AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 318.05 FROM AMSAT HQ
SILVER SPRING, MD, NOVEMBER 14, 1999
TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT
BID: $ANS-318.05
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
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 for mode-A operation 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.
W4SM has more information about the satellite at the following URL:
http://www.cstone.net/~w4sm/AO-10.html
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
[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.
AO-27 uses a method called Timed Eclipse Power Regulation (TEPR)
to regulate the on-board batteries. In simple terms, TEPR times how
long the satellite has been in an eclipse (or in the sun) and decides
what subsystems to turn on or off.
Chuck, KM4NZ, reset the TEPR states on AO-27 (on 10/11/99).
TEPR 4 is 22 TEPR 5 is 58
[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.
[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, 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:
November 11 - 23rd digitalker
November 24 - 25th JA
November 26 - 30th digitalker
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-318.06
WEEKLY SATELLITE REPORT PART 2
AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 318.06 FROM AMSAT HQ
SILVER SPRING, MD, NOVEMBER 14, 1999
TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT
BID: $ANS-318.06
KITSAT KO-23
Uplink 145.900 MHz FM 9600 baud FSK
Downlink 435.175 MHz FM
Semi-operational.
ANS has learned (from HL0ENJ) that satellite downlink telemetry shows
two of KO-23's battery cells to be very unstable.
Jim, AA7KC, reports KO-23 again became operational 29-October. Jim
notes the downlink transmitter has changed and that has altered the
downlink frequency. "Downlink efficiency is greater than 90% if the
downlink receiver is tuned 2.5 kHz low," reports AA7KC.
[ANS thanks Jim Weisenberger, AA7KC, and KyungHee Kim, HL0ENJ,
for KO-23 status information]
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 active 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 1999 issue of the
AMSAT-NA Journal (written by KD6DRA and N7HPR).
[ANS thanks Dan Sakoda, KD6DRA, for this information]
SUNSAT SO-35
Semi-operational. SunSat has been in mode-B recently.
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.
Hans, ZS5AKV, reports the SunSat ground control team at the
University of Stellenbosch are now in the process of loading new
control software. ZS5AKV reports "operation as previously scheduled
is doubtful."
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.
S-band high speed downlink commissioning continues at rates
between 128kb/s and 1Mb/s. The S-band downlink frequency has
not been announced.
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 (at times) testing on 437.025 MHz at a
baud rate of 38,400 (38k4).
Presently the BBS is still closed.
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]
ITAMSAT IO-26
Uplink 145.875 145.900 145.925 145.950 MHz FM 1200 baud
Downlink 435.822 MHz SSB
Semi-operational, digipeater function is 'on'.
IO-26 was launched on the September 26, 1993.
Alberto, I2KBD, reports IO-26 has been opened to APRS use. ITAMSAT
ground controllers have switched the digipeater function to 'on'.
[ANS thanks ITAMSAT Project Manager Alberto E. Zagni, I2KBD, for this
information]
/EX
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-318.07
WEEKLY SATELLITE REPORT PART 3
AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 318.07 FROM AMSAT HQ
SILVER SPRING, MD, NOVEMBER 14, 1999
TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT
BID: $ANS-318.07
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.
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.
TECHSAT-1B GO-32
Downlink 435.225 MHz using HDLC telemetry
Updated status. Shlomo, 4X1AS, tells ANS that efforts are underway
to bring GO-32 on line. Stay tuned to ANS for further information.
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, the most recent dated November 11th.
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.
/EX
--ANS END---
ANS would like to thank Mike Seguin, N1JEZ, ANS principal satellite
investigator, for helping provide current satellite information.
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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