SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-160.01 MORE ABOUT ARIANE 5 LAUNCH FAILURE HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 160.01 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD, JUNE 8, 1996 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT BID: $ANS-160.01 On June 5, the European Space Agency and CNES, the French Space Agency, sent the following joint news release to the public concerning the failure on launch of Ariane 501: N 20-96 - Paris, 5 June 1996 ESA/CNES JOINT PRESS RELEASE FLIGHT 501 FAILURE - FIRST INFORMATION The first Ariane-5 launch took place on Tuesday, 4 June 1996, from the Guiana Space Centre, Europe's Spaceport, at Kourou in French Guiana. The launcher was carrying the European Space Agency's four Cluster satellites, a science mission to study Earth-Sun interactions. Following nominal ignition of the Vulcain engine (H0) at 09.33.59 hours Kourou time, i.e. 12.33.59 hours GMT or 14.33.59 hours Paris time, the flight proceeded as follows: * H0 + 7.5 s : Ignition of solid booster stages and normal lift-off. * Up to H0 + 37 s : Flight guidance and trajectory normal. At this moment the velocity of the launcher was Mach 0.7 (857 kph) and its altitude 3500 m. * H0 + 37 s to H0 + 39 s : Sudden swiveling of both solid booster nozzles up to the limit, recorded by telemetry. This caused the launcher to tilt sharply, giving rise to intense aerodynamic loads on the launcher structure resulting in breakage. Following loss of launcher integrity, destruction of all launcher elements by the onboard neutralization system. Preliminary analysis of the telemetry data confirms that the propulsion stages (solid boosters and cryogenic main stage) functioned correctly. The direction of inquiry is tending towards the launcher's "electrical and software system". An independent inquiry board is being set up by ESA and CNES to determine the causes of the failure and propose corrective action. It will be asked to report by 15 July. ESA, the European Space Agency, has delegated management of its Ariane-5 program to the French space agency, CNES. /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-160.02 AO-13 TO BE OPTIMAL FOR FIELD DAY HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 160.02 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD, JUNE 8, 1996 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT BID: $ANS-160.02 Due to constraints of seasonal variation in solar angle, AO-13 was scheduled to be reoriented on June 17th, prior to this year's Field Day, to an ALON/ALAT of 220/0. The associated much less favorable squint angle would have necessitated the predominant use of the omni antenna. This would obviously have been sub-optimal for AO-13's final Field Day appearance. However, circumstances, for once, have conspired in our favor. The small amount of drag that AO-13 currently experiences at perigee is acting on the spinning satellite to translate the ALAT slowly upward. Coupled with normal changes of precession, the "undisturbed" orientation on Field Day will be ALON/ALAT 187/13. At this orientation, the absolute solar angle is lower (more favorable) than at an orientation of 180/0, and AO-13 can stay in its current configuration for approximately 10 days longer than originally planned. Therefore, the orientation, antenna schedule and transponder schedule for AO-13 will remain "as is" for the 1996 Field Day. Current plans call for reorientation to 220/0 on approximately June 27th. The process takes several days and, therefore, will commence a few days before that time, with schedule changes activated after the position has been stabilized. Users are encouraged to enjoy what could be the final optimum attitude and schedule of this fine satellite. Reorientation to 180/0 in September is likely to be transient at best, with considerable torquing of ALAT around perigee. [ANS thanks Stacey E. (Chuck) Mills, WB4QKT, for this field day update.] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-160.03 DOVE RUNNING AGAIN ON 2 METERS HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 160.03 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD, JUNE 8, 1996 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT BID: $ANS-160.03 Over the past few days the DOVE command team received several reports that the DOVE (DO-17) was no longer being heard on 2 meters. On June 7 at about 04:20 UTC they reset the processor and re-executed the code that had been running. The satellite responded positively and is now again transmitting occasional MBL telemetry on 2 meters at 145.825 MHz. They also sent the commands to turn on the S-band transmitter but have not been able to positively confirm that it is on. Any reports of S-band reception would be appreciated. Please send reports to "wd0e@amsat.org". Work continues by the command and development team to find the cause of the hardware problem that is preventing the standard MICROSAT software package from running properly. [ANS thanks Jim White, WD0E, for this information on Dove.] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-160.04 JAS-2 SET TO FLY HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 160.04 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD, JUNE 8, 1996 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT BID: $ANS-160.04 The launch of JAS-2 is now planned for mid-August 1996. The exact launch date isn't fixed, but the time may be 1:30 to 1:55 UTC, due to the orbital requirements of the ADEOS earth observation satellite that is the main payload of the vehicle (4th launch of H-2 rocket). Here is the proposed launch sequence (in seconds): L -6 1st stage engine(LE-7) ignition L two solid rocket booster(SRB)s ignition and liftoff L+92.6 finish firing of two SRBs L+100.6 SRBs separation L+230.000 fairing separation L+345.431 commanding of quit firing 1st stage engine L+355.431 separation of 1st stage engine L+361.431 ignition of 2nd stage engine L+896.806 suspending of firing 2nd stage engine L+947.000 main payload ADEOS separation ? re-ignition of 2nd stage engine L+2273.000 JAS-2 separation At the moment of JAS-2 separation, JAS-2 will be activated and CW telemetry will be transmitted on 435.795 MHz. [ANS thanks Kazu Sakamoto, JJ1WTK, for this bulletin.] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-160.05 WEEKLY SATELLITE STATUS HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 160.05 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD, JUNE 8 1996 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT BID: $ANS-160.05 NASA has firmed up the date for the next Space Shuttle Mission, STS-78. Liftoff of the Space Shuttle Columbia is now planned for 14:49 UTC on June 20. The primary goal of this long duration (16 day) mission is to conduct microgravity research using the Life and Microgravity Spacelab (LMS) payload. STS-78 will also carry the Shuttle Amateur Radio EXperiment (SAREX). SAREX provides school groups and ham radio operators an opportunity to talk directly with Space Shuttle Astronauts as they circle the Earth. SAREX will be flown in Configuration C on this mission; 2 meter voice and packet. Three of the seven crew members are licensed radio amateurs: Payload Commander Susan Helms, KC7NHZ who is making her third Shuttle flight, Mission Specialist Chuck Brady, Jr., N4BQW and Canadian Payload Specialist Robert Thirsk, VA3CSA. Brady and Thirsk are both making their first flight. During the flight, the shuttle astronauts have scheduled contacts with 11 schools from around the world. A detailed fact sheet for SAREX on the STS-78 mission follows: STS-78 Shuttle Amateur Radio Experiment (SAREX) Information Sheet Mission: STS-78 Space Shuttle Columbia Life and Microgravity Spacelab (LMS) payload Launch: June 20, 1996 at 1449 UTC Landing: July 6, 1996 at 1246 UTC at the Kennedy Space Center Orbit: 39 degree inclination Crew: CDR Col. Terence T. (Tom) Henricks, Commander PLT Kevin R. Kregel, Pilot MS1 Lt. Col. Susan J. Helms, Payload Commander, Flight Engineer, KC7NHZ MS2 Richard M. Linnehan, DVM, Mission Specialist MS3 Dr. Charles E. Brady, Jr., Mission Specialist, N4BQW PS1 Dr. Jean-Jacques Favier, Payload Specialist PS2 Dr. Robert (Bob) Brent Thirsk, Payload Specialist, VA3CSA Modes: FM Voice Callsigns: KC7NHZ, N4BQW, VA3CSA Packet Radio Callsign: W5RRR-1 Frequencies: All operations in split mode. Do not transmit on the downlink frequency. The following frequencies are used for two-way voice communications with the Shuttle astronauts. Please note that THESE HAVE CHANGED SINCE THE LAST MISSION. Downlink: 145.55 MHz Worldwide Voice Uplinks: 144.91, 144.93, 144.95, 144.97, 144.99 MHz (Except Europe) 144.70, 144.75, 144.80 (Europe Only) Packet Uplink: 144.49 MHz Worldwide Note: The crew will not favor any specific uplink frequency, so your ability to communicate with SAREX will be the "luck of the draw." For all operations, Earth stations should listen to the downlink frequency and transmit only when the Shuttle is in range and the astronauts are on the air. Info: Goddard Amateur Radio Club, WA3NAN, Greenbelt Maryland, SAREX Bulletins and Shuttle Retransmissions 3860 KHz, 7185 KHz, 14,295 KHz, 21,395 KHz, 28,650 KHz and 147.45 MHz (FM) ARRL Amateur Radio Station, W1AW, Newington, CT, SAREX News Bulletins 3990, 7290, 14,290, 18,160, 21,390, and 28,590 KHz and 147.555 MHz (FM) NASA Spacelink computer information system, Phone: (205) 895-0028 or via Internet: spacelink.msfc.nasa.gov, ARRL BBS (203) 666-0578 JSC ARC BBS (713) 244-5625, 9600 baud or less. GSFC ARC BBS on internet: wa3nan.gsfc.nasa.gov WWW Home Pages: SAREX: http://www.nasa.gov/sarex/sarex_mainpage.html ARRL: http://www.arrl.org/ AMSAT: http://www.amsat.org Spacelink: http://spacelink.msfc.nasa.gov Shuttle: http://shuttle.nasa.gov Goddard ARC: http://garc.gsfc.nasa.gov/www/garc-home-page.html School Group Participation: The following schools will participate in SAREX with pre-scheduled direct contacts: Bethlehem Central Sr. High School, Delmar, NY; Eisenhower Middle School, San Antonio, TX; Heritage Middle School, Colleyville, TX; Anacortes Middle School, Anacortes, WA; Valley Heights Jr-Sr High School, Blue Rapids, KS; Monroe Elementary School, Santa Barbara, CA; Maple Grove Education Centre, Hebron, Nova Scotia, Canada; Saskatoon Public AreospaCe Education (S.P.A.C.E.), Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada; Toowoomba State High School, Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia; Catholic Ladies College, Eltham, Victoria, Australia; CENG - Nuclear Center of Grenoble, Grenoble, France Keplerian Elements: STS-78 1 99978U 96172.67461119 .00151561 00000-0 28023-3 0 103 2 99978 39.0091 9.5805 0010198 336.2868 23.7631 15.98430480 24 Satellite: STS-78 Catalog number: 99978 Epoch time: 96172.67461119 = (20-Jun-96 16:11:26.40 UTC) Element set: 010 Inclination: 39.0091 deg RA of node: 9.5805 deg Space Shuttle Flight STS-78 Eccentricity: .0010198 Prelaunch element set JSC-010 Arg of perigee: 336.2868 deg Launch: 20-Jun-96 14:49:00 UTC Mean anomaly: 23.7631 deg Mean motion: 15.98430480 rev/day Gil Carman Decay rate: 1.51561e-03 rev/day^2 NASA Johnson Space Center Epoch rev: 2 Checksum: 314 QSL Cards: Send reports and QSLs to ARRL EAD, STS-78 QSL, 225 Main Street, Newington, CT 06111-1494, USA. Include the following information in your QSL or report: STS-78, date, time in UTC, frequency and mode. In addition, you must also include a SASE using a large, business-sized envelope if you wish to receive a card. "The Net" in Anacortes, Washington has generously volunteered to manage the cards for this mission. [ANS thanks Frank H, Bauer, KA3HDO AMSAT V.P. for Manned Space Programs, for this SAREX bulletin.] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-160.0 WEEKLY SATELLITE STATUS HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 160.06 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD, JUNE 8 1996 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT BID: $ANS-160.06 RS-12: Operating normally. RS-10: Operating normally. AO-27: Operating normally. Also, as of 05/27/96 at 17:00 UTC, AO-27's Transmitter schedule is as follows: 20 Minutes after entering the sun, the Transmitter turns on Normal Power 18 Minutes after Turn on it shuts off. (38 Minutes after Entering the sun) To clear up any misunderstanding, the Amateur Transmitter on board EYESAT-1 (known as AO-27) CAN and DOES from time to time run off batteries. The reason for an 18 minute window over latitudes equal to most of the US. is a limited power budget for the Amateur payload. All are reminded that EYESAT-1 is owned by (and runs experiments for) INTERFEROMETRICS, INC. in Chantilly, Va. There is not enough power left over to run the Amateur Radio transmitter full time. AO-10: Activity was recently heard on AO-10 while it was over the Indian Ocean. The following stations were heard: D68ZJ, Jean-Pierre, in Moroni, Comoros Islands, off the NW tip of Madagascar. His QSL address is PO BOX 85, Moroni, Comoros Islands, Indian Ocean. 4S7AVR, Noel, in Colombo, Sri Lanka. He has an excellent signal. QSL direct as per the current International Callbook. Grid locator MJ96SN. Also FO3PJ, Yees, in French Polynesia (Pacific Ocean). His QSL details are PO BOX 439 Raiatea, French Polynesia AO-13: Operating normally. WEBERSAT-OSCAR-18: Initial operating software was reloaded to WEBERSAT-OSCAR-18, and as of 01:59:06 UTC on Saturday 25-May-96, the satellite was transmitting telemetry and spacecraft status information, and reporting an uptime of one day, five hours, 48 minutes, and 41 seconds. Bob Argyle, KB7KCL is asking that anyone who captured telemetry from WEBERSAT-OSCAR-18 on 21-May-96 between 19:28:31 and 20:29:34 UTC please send it to him either via AO-16, unencode and e-mail at (rargyle@cc.weber.edu), or anonymous FTP upload to 137.190.32.131. He is especially interested in any telemetry gathered over Africa. Bob also reports that when WEBERSAT is successfully reloaded, it will be sending several new telemetry frames: WHO-18 was copied in New Jersey during a pass between 15:40 and 15:50 UTC on 01-Jun-96. The satellite was transmitting AX.25 flags, but no data. The downlink signal strength appeared to be normal [Please send your Satellite reports to bjarts@uslink.net or to wt0n@amsat.org] /EX