[jamsat-news:1100] * SpaceNews 08-Jun-99 *

[John Magliacane <magliaco@email.njin.net>]

SB NEWS @ AMSAT $SPC0608
* SpaceNews 08-Jun-99 *

BID: $SPC0608


			       =========
			       SpaceNews
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		 	  MONDAY JUNE 8, 1999



* SAREX NEWS *
==============
The next shuttle flight currently scheduled to carry Amateur Radio
equipment will be STS-93 which is tentatively scheduled for launch
in late July.  Voice and packet radio operations are planned to take
place during this mission.

In the meantime, the SAREX team is busying itself with the development
and qualification of hardware for the International Space Station.  The
International ARISS team (Amateur Radio on the International Space Station)
will be delivering the first, Initial Station, to ISS this July for launch
on STS-101 in December.  This hardware is being built and qualified by a
multinational team with members from Russia, Italy, Germany and the US.
An impressive amount of international cooperation is occurring to bring
all this hardware to flight status.  The first operation of this hardware
is expected to take place as early as this December, with continuous
operation of the equipment expected in March of next year (only 9 months
away).

[Info via Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, AMSAT V.P. for Human Spaceflight Programs]


* OSCAR-36 NEWS *
=================
Chris Jackson reports that due to the increase in satellite temperature
late last week, controllers have been forced to had to turn off the
437.025 MHz 38k4 downlink.  The 437.025 MHz transmitter is generating
too much heat now that the satellite is in continuous sunlight.  The
transmitter is expected to be turned on again after the satellite's
attitude is changed.

The 437.400 MHz 9k6 transmitter is still in operation, although the BBS
is still closed while commissioning continues.  Controllers are currently
commissioning the S band high speed downlink at rates between 128kb/s
and 1Mb/s, and stations who share co-visibility with Surrey may be able
to receive this downlink on 2401 MHz during some passes over Surrey.

[Info via Chris Jackson, G7UPN / ZL2TPO]


* K2ZRO MEMORIAL *
==================
The staff of Kopernik Observatory and ham radio volunteers celebrated
the observatory's 25th anniversary on June 5 with a special event that
also honored the memory of one of the observatory's founders, Kaz Deskur,
K2ZRO, who died in 1984.  Amateur Radio club station KB2UYF is located
at the observatory, and paperwork has been submitted to the FCC to change
the station's call sign to K2ZRO.

Deskur, a satellite pioneer, operated the observatory's Amateur Radio
station under his call sign for many years.  In the early days of the
OSCAR program and AMSAT, K2ZRO was a familiar call sign.  Deskur designed
the original OSCARLOCATOR, a device used to track satellites before the
advent of personal computers. 

The observances on June 5 included a formal dedication of the observatory
club station.  Deskur's widow and family were honored guests, and the
keynote speaker was Dr. Joseph Dervay, a NASA astronaut-physician. 

For many years AMSAT sponsored an engineering award in Kaz Deskur's honor.
A native of Poland and an Amateur there during World War II, Deskur fought
in the Polish Underground.  After the war, he emigrated to the US where he
worked for IBM.  His son, Andy, is KA1M.

The Kopernik Observatory is establishing a special "Wall of Honor for
Amateur Radio Satellites" to honor Kaz Deskur.  All hams who knew or
worked with him are invited to send their QSL cards for display on this
wall.  Send cards in an envelope to Kopernik Space & Science Education
Center (KA2CNG-TR), 30 Front St, Binghamton, NY 13905.

Hams at Kopernik also will be active June 19, hoping to make many contacts
during Kid's Day (see June QST, page 32, for details), operating through
satellites--especially FO-20 and FO-27.

[Info via John Kray, KA2CNG by way of Tom Clark, W3IWI]


* 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/
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SATELLITE : AMSAT-OSCAR-16, KITSAT-OSCAR-25


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/EX

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