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[jamsat-news:1364] * SpaceNews 13-Nov-00 *


SB NEWS @ AMSAT $SPC1113
* SpaceNews 13-Nov-00 *

BID: $SPC1113


			       =========
			       SpaceNews
			       =========


		 	MONDAY NOVEMBER 13, 2000



* PHASE 3D LAUNCH INFORMATION *
===============================
Phase 3D is scheduled to be launched aboard an Ariane 5 rocket November 15
at 0107 UTC from the European Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.

Details are being worked out for the AMSAT Launch Information Net Service
to run "live" during the launch.  Houston AMSAT Coordinator Bruce Paige,
KK5DO, says the net will provide launch information and commentary via
several HF stations on various bands as well as on local repeaters.

The current schedule calls for the net to start about 15 minutes before
launch and carry through separation of P3D.  Paige says the plan is to
monitor the Arianespace TV C-band satellite feed for real-time launch
information, then communicate that information via a telephone bridge.
"We are not re-transmitting the Arianespace audio to avoid possible
problems with the FCC," he explained.  The telephone linkup will
include key AMSAT personnel who will add their own comments and
details to the real-time announcements.

Participating commentators in addition to Paige include newly elected
AMSAT-NA President Robin Haighton, VE3FRH, as well as AMSAT-NA Vice
President for Operations Keith Pugh, W5IU; Andy MacAllister, W5ACM;
Pat Kilroy, N8PK at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center; launch team
second-in-command Chuck Green, N0ADI; North American Command Station
Stacy Mills, W4SM; and IARU Satellite Coordinator Hans van den
Groenendaal, ZS5AKV.  Others may be added as the launch approaches.

Paige says the Houston AMSAT Net, http://www.amsatnet.com, will carry
the launch information net telephone feed on its normal net connections:
satellite (Satcom 3), local repeater and Internet RealAudio.

The Launch Information Net also will be carried by key HF stations,
led by the Goddard Amateur Radio Club's WA3NAN
(http://garc.gsfc.nasa.gov/www/retransmission/retrans_status.html).
WA3NAN expects to be on the air an hour prior to launch and will
re-transmit on its shuttle frequencies, 3.860, 7.185, 14.295, 21.395,
and 147.45 MHz.  W5RRR at the Johnson Space Center in Texas, or its
alternates, will use 3.840, 7.279, and 14.282 MHz.

The Radio Club of Kourou, FY5KE, also has announced plans to broadcast
the Phase 3D launch on 14.315 MHz in French "and probably in English."

According to Paige, Bob Arnold, N2JEU, is planning to make the
Arianespace audio available on the Internet.  Details are available
at http://www.ralabs.com/livep3d.

CQ Amateur Radio magazine has announced plans to offer continuously
updated coverage of the Phase 3D launch via its Web site at:
http://www.cq-amateur-radio.com.  CQ Editor Rich Moseson, W2VU, says
Satellite Editor Phil Chien, KC4YER, will author a running "launch log"
in which he'll post regular updates every few minutes.  CQ also will
provide links to sites featuring live launch video.

Arianespace is also planning on having a live feed of the launch coverage
starting about 15 minutes before before launch till about 45 minutes after
launch when Phase 3D is scheduled to separate from the booster stage of
the Ariane 5 launch vehicle.  The coverage is scheduled to be on the
Galaxy 4R C-band Satellite, Transponder 12.  An Arianspace webcast
of the launch will be available at:
http://www.arianespace.com/news_livevideo.html

The following is the estimated State Vector and Keplerian Elements
for the AMSAT Phase 3D spacecraft that were recently updated.  The
vector data was computed from Arianespace orbital parameters at the
time Phase 3D is scheduled to separate from the Ariane 5 upper stage.
The Keplerian Elements were computed, in turn, from the vector.

Vector format = 10107
Satellite Name:         Phase 3D
Catalog Number:         93400
Epoch MET:                  0.02983771991
                           0/00:42:57.979 MET
EFG E:                      4321.19714449 km
    F:                     10857.07279003 km
    G:                     -1323.50573459 km
    Edot:                   -3.1484853319 km/s
    Fdot:                    5.7556066452 km/s
    Gdot:                   -0.5488001613 km/s
ndot/2 (drag):              0.00000000771 rev/day^2
nddt/6:                       0.00000E+00 rev/day^3
Bstar:                        1.25668E-05 1/Earth Radii
Elset #:                                1
Rev @ Epoch:                1.52588079822

Launch Window Opens:  2000-NOV-15 / 0107 UTC
Phase 3D separation:  Launch + 0042:57.979

The following Keplerian elements were computed from this vector and
the scheduled date and time of the launch window opening.  Updated
Keplerian elements will be computed from the vector, based on changes
to the scheduled or actual launch time.

Phase 3D
1 93400U          00320.07636550  .00000001  00000-0  12567-4 0    13
2 93400   6.5034 246.6469 7357988 175.9296  13.3886  2.02435417    17

Satellite: Phase 3D
Catalog number: 93400
Epoch time:      00320.07636550
Element set:       1
Inclination:        6.5034 deg
RA of node:       246.6469 deg
Eccentricity:    0.7357988
Arg of perigee:   175.9296 deg
Mean anomaly:      13.3886 deg
Mean motion:    2.02435417 rev/day
Decay rate:    7.71000e-09 rev/day^2
Epoch rev:               1
Checksum:              283

Note that "93400" is a temporary Catalog Number.  A Permanent Catalog
Number and International Designator will be assigned when Phase 3D is
launched.  The satellite name will also be updated with the next
sequential "OSCAR" designator.

These Keplerian elements represent a pre-launch estimate of Phase 3D's
initial orbit.  The orbit will change significantly over the first year
the spacecraft is on orbit.  Updates will be provided for significant
orbital changes.

The Phase 3D launch team will be publishing a similar set of Keplerian
elements.  The data provided by the launch team will be "osculating"
parameters, compatible with AMSAT command station software. The
osculating elements are the exact physical representation of the orbit
as opposed to the "mean" parameters provided in this bulletin.  I
provide these mean elements as they are fully compatible with the NORAD
SGP4/SDP4 orbit propagation algorithms.  Tracking software that uses
the NORAD propagators should use the "mean" Keplerian elements provided
herein for the most accurate result.  Tracking software using non-NORAD
orbit propagation methods should use the "osculating" elements provided
by the Phase 3D launch team.

[Info via James Clay French, KD4DLA, and Ken Ernandes, N2WWD]


* ARISS NEWS *
==============
2000-11-10 18:00 UTC:  The ARISS team was informed on Friday by Mission
Control in Moscow that the crew confirmed that they had installed the
amateur radio hardware in the FGB.  Several engineering test passes need
to be performed before general ham radio operations can commence.  This
is a major step forward for amateur radio in human spaceflight.  

[Info via Will Marchant, KC6ROL]


* SpaceNews ON YOUR PDA *
=========================
A comprehensive collection of news and information for the amateur radio
enthusiast on the go is now available.

Calling CQ is an AvantGo channel that delivers daily news for amateur radio
operators via their Palm or WinCE device as well as Web-enabled phones.
The required software is free and once installed, and the Calling CQ channel
added, mobile devices are updated each time they are synchronized with an
Internet connected computer.

Content currently includes SpaceNews, AMSAT bulletins, the ARRL Letter,
W1AW bulletins, as well as DX and space weather alerts.

Visit http://www.callingcq.org/ for more information.

[Info via Jeff Davis, N9AVG]


* 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/
MAIL:       John A. Magliacane, KD2BD
            Department of Engineering and Technology
            Brookdale Community College
            765 Newman Springs Road
            Lincroft, New Jersey 07738
	    U.S.A.
PACKET:     KD2BD @ WB2COP.NJ.USA.NA
INTERNET:   kd2bd@amsat.org, magliaco@email.njin.net
SATELLITE:  KITSAT-OSCAR-25


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/EX

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