SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-160.01 STS-70 MISSION POSTPONED HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 160.01 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD JUNE 10, 1995 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT BID: $ANS-160.01 STS-70 SAREX Mission Postponed The Space Shuttle Discovery mission, which was planned for a June 8 liftoff, has been postponed at least until July. It is being rolled back to the Vehicle Assembly Building hangar to be inspected and repaired after some yellow-shafted flickers, a type of woodpecker, pecked over 100 holes, some as large as 4 inches in diameter, into the foam insulation of the brownish-red external tank. The STS-70 Space Shuttle Discovery mission's primary objective is to deploy the last in the current series of Tracking Data Relay Satellites. These satellites are used by NASA and the Air Force for Shuttle communications and scientific and military payload data transmissions. STS-70 will also fly Configuration C of the Shuttle Amateur Radio Experiment (SAREX). This configuration allows radio amateurs to communicate with the Space Shuttle Discovery Crew on 2-meters using packet radio and FM voice. With STS-70 delayed, the next Space Shuttle mission will be the MIR docking flight--STS-71. STS-71 is currently scheduled for launch on June 24. When the Space Shuttle Astronauts and Russian cosmonauts liftoff from the Kennedy Space Center on this historic mission, they will carry along SAREX. During the flight, Pilot Charlie Precourt, KB5YSQ, and Mission Specialist Ellen Baker, KB5SIX, will talk to 5 schools in the US and Russia. SAREX will fly Configuration M, 2 meter voice-only. More details on this upcoming SAREX mission will be provided in future ANS bulletins. [Submitted by Frank H. Bauer, KA3HDO for the SAREX Working Group] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-160.02 AMSAT OPERATIONS NETS HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 160.02 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD JUNE 10, 1995 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT BID: $ANS-160.02 New AMSAT Operations Net Schedule Announced To take full advantage of the current "good" phase on AO-13, Keith Pugh, W5IU, AMSAT VP of Operations, has announced the following AMSAT Operations Net Schedule. The primary downlink frequency for all Ops Nets will be 145.950 MHz. In case a QSO is in progress on that frequency at net time, 145.955 MHz will be used as an alternate. Net control for all of these nets will be Keith, W5IU; however, anyone is welcome to serve as an alternate. Reports on all phases of OSCAR operations are welcome. Guest speakers on special topics will be scheduled as availability permits. Day Date Time Coverage ___ __________ ____ _______________ Sat. 17 Jun. 1995 1500 NA, WSA, NZ Field Day - 24-25 Jun. No Net Good Luck on the Birds Sat. 01 Jul. 1995 1430 NA, SA, NZ, EAus Sun. 09 Jul. 1995 1330 NA, WSA, NZ Sun. 16 Jul. 1995 0500 ENA, SA, WEu, Af, MidE Sun. 23 Jul. 1995 1230 NA, SA, NZ, EAus Sun. 30 Jul. 1995 1200 NA, WSA, NZ, JA, EAus Note: All times are in UTC; therefore, Sunday dates may actually be Saturday evening in USA. Times do not conflict with ZRO Tests. [Thanks to Keith Pugh, W5IU, for the information that went into this ANS Bulletin item] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-160.03 AO-13 ZRO TEST SCHEDULE HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 160.03 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD JUNE 10, 1995 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT BID: $ANS-160.03 New AO-13 ZRO Test Schedule Announced The ZRO Memorial Technical Achievement Award Program, or just "ZRO Test", has a new schedule for June 1995 through July 1995, via AMSAT-OSCAR-13. This activity is a test of operating skill and equipment performance. During a typical ZRO run, a control station will send numeric code groups using CW at 10 words-per-minute. At the beginning of the run, uplink power from the control station is set to match the general beacon downlink strength. This is level "zero". The control operator will send and repeat a random five-digit number, then lower his uplink power by 3 dB (half power) and repeat the procedure with a new random number (level "1"). This will continue to a level 30 dB below the beacon (level "A"). A participating listener monitors the downlink signals until they can no longer copy the numbers. Those who can hear the beacon will qualify for the basic award by copying the code group heard at level "zero". The challenge is to improve home-station performance to a point where the lower-level downlink signals can be copied (levels 6 through A). To date, only one station (Darrel Emerson AA7FV) has successfully copied level "A". The following schedule of Mode "B" tests were chosen for convenient operating times and favorable squint angles. Due to the current orbit of AO-13, choices for this round of tests are limited. More tests will be scheduled for the next "season" of "Nadir" pointing. The tests can be heard on 145.840 MHz. Andy, WA5ZIB, will conduct all the tests. Mode "JL" tests are no longer possible due to the failure of AO-13's 70- cm transmitter. Day Date (UTC) Time Areas covered Saturday June 17, 1995 1600 UTC NA, Pacific Sunday July 2, 1995 1300 UTC NA, SA Saturday July 22, 1995 1345 UTC NA, Pacific Note that the dates and days are shown in "UTC". Any changes will be announced as soon as possible via the AMSAT HF and AO-13 Operations Nets. All listener reports, with date of test and numbers copied, should be sent to Andy MacAllister WA5ZIB, AMSAT VP. User Operations, 14714 Knights Way Drive, Houston, TX 77083-5640. A report will be returned verifying the level of accurate reception. An S.A.S.E. is appreciated, but not required. Information about the AMSAT Awards Program can be found on page 197 of the "Proceedings of the AMSAT-NA Tenth Space Symposium" (1992). This paper, covering all the AMSAT-NA awards including specifics on the ZRO Test, was reprinted on page 10 in the March/April 1993 issue of "The AMSAT Journal". The ZRO Test information provided in the article covers test procedures, means for obtaining certificates and gives some historical background about the program. Reprints of the article can be obtained for an S.A.S.E. to WA5ZIB at the address above. [Thanks to Andy MacAllister, WA5ZIB, for the information that went into this ANS Bulletin item.] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-160.04 WEEKLY OSCAR STATUS REPORTS HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 160.04 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD JUNE 10, 1995 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT BID: $ANS-160.04 Weekly OSCAR Status Reports: 10-JUN-95 AO-13: Current Transponder Operating Schedule: *** AO-13 TRANSPONDER SCHEDULE *** 1995 May 22 - Jul 31 Mode-B : MA 0 to MA 70 | Omnis : MA 230 to MA 25 Mode-BS : MA 70 to MA 110 | Mode-S : MA 110 to MA 112 |<- S beacon only Mode-S : MA 112 to MA 135 |<- S transponder; B trsp. is OFF Mode-S : MA 135 to MA 140 |<- S beacon only Mode-BS : MA 140 to MA 180 | Alon/Alat 180/0 Mode-B : MA 180 to MA 256 | Move to attitude 225/0, Jul 31 Note: The Mode-B beacon is ON during the Mode-S transponder operations only. Please do NOT uplink to the B transponder during Mode S only, as it interferes with Mode-S operations. [G3RUH/DB2OS/VK5AGR] The AMSAT NEWS Service (ANS) NEEDS YOUR HELP! The ANS is looking for volunteers to contribute weekly OSCAR status reports. If you have a favorite OSCAR which you work on a regular basis and would like to contribute to this weekly bulletin, please send your observations to WD0HHU at his CompuServe address of 70524,2272, on INTERNET at wd0hhu@amsat.org, or to his local packet BBS in the Denver, CO area, WD0HHU @ N0QCU. Also, if you find that the current set of orbital elements are not generating the correct AOS/LOS times at your QTH, PLEASE INCLUDE THAT INFORMATION AS WELL. The information you provide will be of value to all OSCAR enthusiasts. /EX