SB NEWS @ AMSAT $SPC1128 * SpaceNews 28-Nov-94 * BID: $SPC1128 ========= SpaceNews ========= MONDAY NOVEMBER 28, 1994 SpaceNews originates at KD2BD in Wall Township, New Jersey, USA. It is published every week and is made available for unlimited free distribution. * AO-21 GONE FOREVER! * ======================= Leo Labutin, UA3CR has reported that the AMSAT-OSCAR-21/RS-14 satellite has been shut off indefinately as a result of the shutdown of its parent spacecraft, INFORMATOR-1. The Space Flight Control Center in Golitsino-2 near Moscow informed the AMSAT-R Group that on September 16, 1994 the radio control of INFORMATOR-1 was switched off, ending all on-board experiments. Leo also cautioned that several other non-profit space objects that only create headaches for the Millitary Department share the same destiny. AMSAT-OSCAR-21's parent satellite, INFORMATOR-1 was an experimental satellite that was built under the order of the Ministry of Geology using technology similar to satellites that launched RS3-8, RS10/11, RS12/13, COSPAS and many others into space. An agreement between AMSAT-R and Golitsino-2 was made early on for joint control of both AO-21 and INFORMATOR-1. The geologists could not find a professional organization to make the transponder fit their requirements and the problem was not solved until the Radio Amateur group AMSAT-U-ORBITA (Molodechno, Byelorus) accepted the responsibility. As a payment for their work, the geologists agreed to install the Radio Amateur transponder on board INFORMATOR-1. In conclusion, as a result of financial difficulties of the Defense Ministry and the joint control of both Amateur and Commercial payloads, INFORMATOR-1 was shut down and the AO-21/RS-14 Amateur Satellite has gone silent as result, and will remain silent forever. [Info via Leonid Labutin, UA3CR] * MIR POWER PROBLEMS * ====================== It is beginning to look like future ham radio activity aboard the Mir space station will be greatly curtailed, or even non-existant! A top Russian official said six cosmonauts on the aging Mir space station would have to ration electricity for several months after the craft's solar batteries were unexpectedly drained when a powerful piece of electrical equipment unexpectedly sprang to life last month. The accident shut down part of the station and discharged four of the six batteries. Four new solar batteries cannot be installed on board Mir until the middle of next year. Until then the cosmonauts will have to ration electricity. Several experiments had to be postponed because of the lack of energy. It is not yet clear what had caused the malfunction. The six cosmonauts on Mir included German Astronaut Ulf Merbold, who holds the ham call: DP3MIR. Although Ulf was able to make some 2-meter contacts especially over Europe, the power supply problem aboard Mir greatly reduced his activity. Merbold has now returned to earth. Incidentally, QSLs for DP3MIR contact go via the German (DARC) QSL Bureau. The problems were just the latest to affect the Mir station. In early September the station was almost abandoned when two attempts to dock a supply craft failed. A last-ditch manual effort saved the day. International expeditions to Mir have pumped much-needed cash into Russia's space program which is in deep trouble because of under-funding. The European Space Agency paid Russia nearly $60 million for the flight involving DP3MIR. Mir is due to play a key role in an international plan to build a $30 billion space station named Alpha. Russia has signed up with the European, Japanese and Canadian space agencies as partners with the United States to build the station. Russian involvement would require up to 10 U.S. shuttle flights to Mir for training and a higher orbit for Alpha to make it accessible to Russian launches. Work on the 200-ton six-man Alpha space laboratory, which will consist of several modules, should start in 1997 and be finished by 2001. [Info from The W5YI Report via KD3OA] * VE3ONT EME NEWS * =================== The Big-Dish operation of VE3ONT during the upcoming EME contest will take place as scheduled. VE3ONT will transmit on 144.100 and listen between 144.100-144.110 for both days of the contest (UTC days November 26 and 27). VE3ONT will be running full legal power into the 46m (150') dish at Algonquin Park, Ontario (grid FN05xw). The lower elevation limit of the dish is 9 degrees, so Moon access will be limited. VE3ONT is especially interested in working small stations. Therefore they will "work through" the bigger stations as rapidly as possible. They plan to do SSB for about an hour at Moonrise and from time to time thereafter. If a station wishes to work VE3ONT on SSB, they are asked to please wait until VE3ONT changes modes. VE3ONT also asks that stations wishing to contact them do not request multiple QSOs, even on different modes, because this practice reduces the chances for small stations to work VE3ONT. VE3ONT will actively avoid dupes. Small (OSCAR-class) station may want to delay their attempts until somewhat later in each Moon pass to avoid QRM. Lastly, avoid calling VE3ONT on 144.100. The QSO format will be rapid-fire. VE3ONT will avoid RST signal reports, relying on the "T-M-O" method. VE3ONT will have no skeds, no "special" listening frequencies, and will not be available via telephone. And now, the bad news: There will be *NO* pre-contest operation. VE3ONT had hoped to activate 50 MHz or 10 GHz, but this is not possible. Please notify others that VE3ONT will not be on the air on any band prior to the EME contest. As users of a non-amateur antenna, VE3ONT is not in competition with any other stations. VE3ONT hopes to work as many stations as possible, including you! [Info via Michael Owen, W9IP] * AMSAT FTP SITE INFORMATION * ============================== The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation of North America (AMSAT-NA) is sponsoring an FTP site that has recently gone on-line and is available via the Internet. The system, named ftp.amsat.org, currently contains software such as the latest copy of WiSP, news files including AMSAT News and SpaceNews, and information including satellite telemetry archives, and has plenty of room for future expansion. This site is made possible in part by a generous contribution from Qualcomm. Several people have reported that they have had problems reaching the site. If trouble is experienced, then any of the following addresses can be tried: ftp.amsat.org ftp.qualcomm.com lorien.qualcomm.com 192.35.156.5 Users wishing to upload files to the site should place new files in the "incoming" subdirectory, and drop Paul Williamson, KB5MU, the site manager an e-mail message (kb5mu@amsat.org) describing the file. Tom Clark, W3IWI, provided an AMSAT FTP archive system to Internet users in the past (tomcat.gsfc.nasa.gov), but took it off line about 20 months ago. Despite this, he still receives one or two inquiries per week asking for ftp access to tomcat. Tom reminds us that users who wish to access the AMSAT archive use any of the addresses listed above, and not tomcat. [Info via Tom Clark, W3IWI] * ITAMSAT NEWS * ================ The following AX.25 packet frames were received from ITAMSAT-OSCAR-26 by KD2BD in New Jersey on 25-Nov-94 on a frequency of 435.822 MHz. Controllers expect to have the file server running by the end of November. IY2SAT-1>AMSAT : ** 24th November 1994 ** IHT ver. 2.0 running. Digi is OFF 73 de ITAMSAT Command team. ITMSAT-1>LSTAT : A: 0x0CAC, P:0x3000, o:0 l:12414 f:12414 d:0 st:0 ITMSAT-1>BCRXMT : v_max=737557 v_bat=701078 temp=750511 ITMSAT-1>TIME-1 : PHT: uptime is 002/04:01:51. Time is Fri Nov 25 01:26:32 1994 * SpaceNews NEWS * ================== Guillermo Gosset, XE1RGL informs us that he is making the latest issue of SpaceNews available on the Internet Relay Chat (IRC) on the hamradio channel. To do this, Gillermo set up a IRC robot that acts as a file server, sending information to users on request. [Info via XE1RGL] * THANKS! * =========== Thanks to all who sent messages of appreciation for SpaceNews, especially: KZ1Z PE1MIZ XE1RGL ZS1CM KA2UPW N2SQW PY2RKL UA3APH VE4STW VK4BSB N8WLJ N0OKW * FEEDBACK/INPUT WELCOMED * =========================== Mail to SpaceNews should be directed to the editor (John, KD2BD) via any of the following paths: FAX : 1-908-747-7107 PACKET : KD2BD @ N2KZH.NJ.USA.NA INTERNET : kd2bd@amsat.org -or- magliaco@pilot.njin.net SATELLITE : AMSAT-OSCAR-16, LUSAT-OSCAR-19, FUJI-OSCAR-20 MAIL : John A. Magliacane, KD2BD Department of Engineering and Technology Advanced Technology Center Brookdale Community College Lincroft, New Jersey 07738 U.S.A. <<=- SpaceNews: The first amateur newsletter read in space! -=>> /EX