SB NEWS @ AMSAT $SPC0115 * SpaceNews 15-Jan-96 * BID: $SPC0115 ========= SpaceNews ========= MONDAY JANUARY 15, 1996 SpaceNews originates at KD2BD in Wall Township, New Jersey, USA. It is published every week and is made available for unlimited free distribution. * KANTO FIREBALL * ================== Japanese newspapers and TV news reported that a fireball appeared over Saitama and Ibaraki prefectures about 16:20 (UTC+9h) on January 7. The fireball travelled in an approximately easterly direction. An explosive sound was reported. The event was captured on photo/video recording by the residents. A probable fragment (5cm, 60g) of the meteorite also was found. [Info via Yoshiro Yamada] * MIR NEWS * ============ Thomas Reiter aboard the Mir orbital complex reports that the power supply used for some of the Amateur radio equipment on Mir has failed. An old power supply was installed, but it is only capable of handling the old ICOM transceiver and one TNC. The Digital Voice Module has also failed, so there will be no more automatic voice recordings in the near future. All four fuses in the two connected transceivers blew, and only two spare fuses are left to run the ICOM. [Info via Dave Larse, N6JLH] * SKN NOMINATIONS DUE * ======================= AMSAT has already received a number of "Best Fist" nominations from the 24th annual Straight Key Night on OSCAR, held 1 January 1996. If you participated and haven't yet nominated someone you worked for "Best Fist" honors, please take a moment to do so now. Nominations should be addressed as follows: Internet : w2rs@amsat.org Packet : W2RS @ GB7HSN.#32.GBR.EU or W2RS @ WA2SNA.NJ.USA.NA (whichever is closer to you) or via "snail-mail" to W2RS' Callbook address. Thanks to all who participated. [Info via Ray, W2RS] * SPACE SHUTTLE FREQUENCIES * ============================= The space shuttle Endeavour was launched successfully on 11-Jan-96 at 09:41 UTC. The following is a list of downlink frequencies being used during the mission: 243.000 MHz (AM) Emergency Voice Channel 259.700 MHz (AM) Secondary Voice Channel 279.000 MHz (AM) EVA Voice Channel 296.800 MHz (AM) Primary Voice Channel 2041.900 MHz Data 2106.400 MHz Data 2217.500 MHz Data 2287.500 MHz Data 15003.400 GHz Data Retransmission of space shuttle air-to-ground communications can be monitored on the following frequencies: 147.450 MHz Goddard Amateur Radio Club 3860 kHz (USB) Goddard Amateur Radio Club 7185 kHz (USB) Goddard Amateur Radio Club 14295 kHz (USB) Goddard Amateur Radio Club 21395 kHz (USB) Goddard Amateur Radio Club 28650 kHz (USB) Goddard Amateur Radio Club During this mission, the six person crew will retrieve the Japanese Space Flyer Unit (SFU) spacecraft. SFU's downlink frequency is 2263.6018 MHz. Also during this mission a spacecraft called the Spartan 206/OAST Flyer will be deployed by the shuttle crew for about 48 hours of the mission. This satellite has a FM AFSK 1200 baud packet radio transmitter on board that will downlink on 145.550 MHz. [Info via Keith Stein] * STS-72 ELEMENT SET * ====================== STS-72 1 23762U 96001A 96012.68815534 .00000193 00000-0 55743-5 0 98 2 23762 28.4496 84.4984 0005424 175.6278 0.5580 15.34557256 217 [Info via Gary Morris] * 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/~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