SB NEWS @ AMSAT $SPC1211 * SpaceNews 11-Dec-95 * BID: $SPC1211 ========= SpaceNews ========= MONDAY DECEMBER 11, 1995 SpaceNews originates at KD2BD in Wall Township, New Jersey, USA. It is published every week and is made available for unlimited free distribution. * SATELLITE SOUNDS AVAILABLE * ============================== Roy Welch, W0SL, has uploaded three .WAV files to the AMSAT (ftp.amsat.org) FTP site that contain recordings of radio signals received from OSCAR 1 (OSCAR1.ZIP), Explorer 1 (EXPLORE1.ZIP) and Sputnik 1 (SPUTNIK1.ZIP). The files each are around 100k each in size and will play about ten seconds of audio. Paul, KB5MU, has placed them in the /amsat/misc/sounds directory at ftp.amsat.org. He has also put them on the AMSAT web page (http://www.amsat.org). Each satellite file at the FTP site has a corresponding text file explaining circumstances of the recording. [Info via Roy Welch, W0SL] * STS-72 KEPLERIAN ELEMENTS =========================== The following are pre-launch Keplerian elements for STS-72: STS-72 1 99972U 96011.41818454 .00005009 00000-0 38064-4 0 11 2 99972 28.4585 93.5775 0118687 51.7790 181.0111 15.62052799 16 Satellite: STS-72 Catalog number: 99972 Epoch time: 96011.41818454 Element set: 1 Inclination: 28.4585 deg RA of node: 93.5775 deg Eccentricity: 0.0118687 Arg of perigee: 51.7790 deg Mean anomaly: 181.0111 deg Mean motion: 15.62052799 rev/day Decay rate: 5.0085E-05 rev/day^2 Epoch rev: 1 [Info via Gary Morris, KK6YB] * AO-13 NEWS * ============== The following is a provisional operating schedule for the AMSAT-OSCAR-13 communications satellite: N QST *** AO-13 TRANSPONDER SCHEDULE *** 1996 Jan 01 - Apr 01 Mode-B : MA 0 to MA 140 | *** P R O V I S I O N A L Mode-BS : MA 140 to MA 240 | Mode-B : MA 240 to MA 256 | Alon/Alat 220/0 Omnis : MA 250 to MA 140 | Move to attitude 180/0, Apr 01 [Info via James Miller, G3RUH] * LEAP SECOND ADVISORY * ======================== The International Earth Rotation Service (IERS) has announced the introduction of a leap second to occur at the end of December 1995. Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) will sequence as follows: 31 Dec 1995 23 hours 59 minutes 59 seconds 31 Dec 1995 23 hours 59 minutes 60 seconds 01 Jan 1996 0 hours 0 minutes 0 seconds For GPS, as with previous leap second updates, the UTC data in subframe 4, page 18 of the navigation message will change in accordance with ICD-GPS 200. Before the leap second, GPS-UTC is 10 (GPS is ahead of UTC by 10 seconds). After the leap second, GPS-UTC will be 11 (GPS will be ahead by 11 seconds). Those with GPS receivers might find it an interesting excercise to watch their receivers just prior to the start of 1996 (UTC) to see if the leap second insertion is handled correctly. [Info via Dr. Tom Clark, W3IWI] * GALILEO NEWS * ================ Those with World Wide Web access through the Internet can follow the Galileo mission as the spacecraft encounters the planet Jupiter at the following URL: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/galileo/countdown/ This page is well done and updated frequently. [Info via Dr. Tom Clark, W3IWI] * SSTV FROM MIR * ================= F1EBE in France has successfully received slow-scan television images from the Russian space station Mir. SSTV was copied on 144.550 MHz and 145.550 MHz FM in AVT94 (Amiga Video Transmission 94 seconds/frame) mode. The only problem is that AVT94 is not as popular as Martin and Scotty SSTV modes among ground stations. It is hoped that the cosmonauts will switch to the other SSTV modes in the future. The SSTV image received by F1EBE was converted to JPG format and uploaded to the AMSAT-OSCAR-16 satellite by F6HCC. Many thanks to both stations for successfully copying SSTV from Mir and uploading it to OSCAR-16. [Info via John, F6HCC] * MIR REFRESHER COURSE * ======================== Speaking of Mir, have you ever tried to contact the Cosmonauts on the Mir space station on packet radio? In this issue of SpaceNews, G. Miles Mann, WF1F presents some useful hints and friendly advice for those who would like to improve their communications success with the Mir space station. Mir Personal Message System (PMS) Tutorial de WF1F: If you plan on sending mail to one of the Mir crew members, keep your message short (2 or 3 lines). Long messages seldom upload successfully. The Mir PMS only has room for approximately 22,000 bytes of information. Make sure you kill any messages that may be addressed to you on Mir and try not to upload too many messages to the Mir PMS at one time. When you are sending messages to the cosmonauts, phrase your questions carefully so they can be understood, and try to use the Russian language whenever possible. This will often speed your response. Remember, English is not the cosmonauts' native language. The Russian crews have asked users NOT to use their Personal Message System as a maildrop between terrestrial stations. If you think having a monoband FM packet satellite or a simplex digipeater in space is a good thing, then build one. Please try not to download Mir's help file. The commands are similar to most Personal Message Systems available on packet radio TNCs. A copy of the help file is reproduced below: B(ye) B [CR] disconnects you from PMS. H(elp) H [CR] or ? [CR] displays this help file. J(log) J [CR] displays a list of callsigns heard (optional date/time) K(ill) K n [CR] deletes message number n (only to/from your callsign). KM(ine) KM [CR] deletes all READ messages addressed to your callsign. L(ist) L [CR] lists the 10 latest messages. M(ine) M [CR] lists the 10 latest messages to/from your callsign. R(ead) R n [CR] reads message number n. S(end) S (callsign) [CR] begins a message addressed to (callsign). Subject: max 28 characters ending with [CR]. Text: End each line with [CR]. End message by typing /ex [CR] or CTRL-Z [CR] at the beginning of a new line. SR(eply) SR n [CR] Sends a reply to message n prompting only for text. V(ersion) V [CR] displays the software version of the PMS system. [Info via Miles, WF1F @ K1UGM.MA.USA.NA] * FEEDBACK/INPUT WELCOMED * =========================== Comments and input for SpaceNews should be directed to the editor (John, KD2BD) via any of the paths listed below: FAX : 1-908-747-7107 FTP : pilot.njin.net cd to /pub/SpaceNews WWW : http://www.njin.net:80/~magliaco/ PACKET : KD2BD @ KS4HR.NJ.USA.NA INTERNET : kd2bd@amsat.org, magliaco@pilot.njin.net SATELLITE : AMSAT-OSCAR-16, LUSAT-OSCAR-19 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