[sarex] ARISS Hardware Update

["Frank H. Bauer" <frank.bauer@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

ARISS Enthusiasts:

I am pleased to inform you that the ARISS-US team delivered a new packet 
module to NASA this week.  This new packet module is expected to correct 
several of the problems that have been observed on the current ARISS packet 
system.  This packet module is expected to go through a "bench review" (or 
inspection) by one of the US astronauts next week.  It is to be flown on 
ISS mission 7A.1 (STS-105) which is currently planned for launch in early 
August.

Expedition 3 astronaut Frank Culbertson, KD5OPQ, is planning to make the 
packet module changeout early in his ISS tour of duty.  The current packet 
module will stay on ISS where it will serve as a power supply for the 70 cm 
station that will be installed in the Service Module later this year.

Some of the new features of this ARISS packet module includes:

1)  All pertinent parameters are embedded in the PROM, so the packet module 
should be fully functional even with a dead battery

2)  The new Russian callsign RS0ISS is installed in the module.  The 
Personal Mailbox System (PMS) uses the callsign RS0ISS-1

3)  A 1 meg memory for adequate PMS data storage

4)  8 bit capability to support Russian Cyrillic typesets

5) A one minute timeout disconnect from the PMS is no pertinent packets are 
heard

I would like to thank the following individuals from ARISS-US who worked 
hard to make get this module ready for flight on the STS-105 mission:

Dan Schultz, N8FGV
Lou McFadin, W5DID
Gil Carman, WA5NOM
Mark Steiner, K3MS
Robert DiRosario, KA3ZYX
Frank Bauer, KA3HDO
Ken Nichols, KD3VK
and Carolynn Conley, KD5JSO

73,  Frank Bauer, KA3HDO

----
Via the sarex mailing list at AMSAT.ORG courtesy of AMSAT-NA.
To unsubscribe, send "unsubscribe sarex" to Majordomo@amsat.org