SB NEWS @ AMSAT $SPC1028
* SpaceNews 28-Oct-96 *


BID: $SPC1028


			       =========
			       SpaceNews
			       =========


			MONDAY OCTOBER 28, 1996


SpaceNews originates at KD2BD in Wall Township, New Jersey, USA.  It
is published every week and is made available for non-commercial use.



* END OF AN ERA *
=================
Jan Hattingh, ZS6BMN, reports that "AR Education News" editor Tom Davis,
EA2CLS/IK3WVJ, has decided to call it quits.  The final edition, dated
October 1996, is currently in circulation, and may be downloaded from
the AMSAT-OSCAR-16 satellite.

Lack of time and increased family and work commitments were given as reasons
as to why AR Education News will cease production.  Also, the increased
availability of Amateur Satellite news via other means such as the Internet
has decreased the value of the monthly AR Ed News reports over what it was
when it first began.

This is indeed an end of an era, and AR Education News will be missed. 
Sincere thanks and best wishes go to Tom Davis and his many contributors
for making AR Education News a valuable resource of information to so many
people.


* SUNSAT UPDATE *
=================
The launch of SUNSAT, South Africa's first satellite carrying an Amateur
Radio and Experimental commercial payload has been  delayed till early
August 1997.  The delay is due to rescheduling by USAF of launch of the
primary payload on a McDonald Douglas Delta II from Van den berg Airforce
Base.
  
SUNSAT is a 60kg, 45 by 45 by 62 cm micro satellite which is being designed,
built and tested by twenty four M.Eng. students at the Electronic Systems
Laboratory (ESL) in the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
at Stellenbosch University. 
  
The final Memorandum Of Understanding was signed between NASA and the South
African Foundation for Research and Development (FRD).  This secured the
NASA launch in return for a inclusion of a NASA GPS receiver in the payload.
Currently the launch is scheduled for early August 1997.  In June Garth
Milne ZS1AFH attended a ground operations meeting at Vandenberg, USA to
finalize the integration details with the launch vehicle.  
  
The flight model assembly is progressing well.  All mechanical items on
the top of the satellite have been assembled.  This includes 4 monopole
antennas for VHF, a modified turnstile antenna with elements bent at 30
degrees, a UHF monopole, the GPS antenna, two horizon sensors, the star
camera, magnetometer and tipmass and folded boom.  The tipmass contains
a star camera, a magnetometer and 8 laser reflectors.  
  
The PACSAT BBS is currently being tested and operating well with WISP.  
  
The operational frequencies are currently being finalized and will be
announced soon.  
  
SUNSAT information is also available on the SUNSAT home page at:  

	http://sunsat.ee.sun.ac.za  


[Info via AR Education News #86]


* NASA TV IS MOVING *
=====================
Rudy Hardy, WB5UUK, reports that NASA TV will be moving next year to GE-2
(85 degrees West).  GE-2 should be launched and operational during the
first or second quarter of 1997.  It will take the present location of
T-2 and should have an outstanding signal. 

Additionally, GE-1 is completing it's testing phase and will be operational
on November 1, 1996.  GE-1 is located at 103 degrees West.


* FEEDBACK/INPUT WELCOMED *
===========================
Comments and input for SpaceNews should be directed to the editor (John,
KD2BD) via any of the paths listed below:
 
WWW       : http://www.njin.net/~magliaco/
PACKET    : KD2BD @ KS4HR.NJ.USA.NA
INTERNET  : kd2bd@amsat.org, magliaco@email.njin.net
SATELLITE : AMSAT-OSCAR-16, LUSAT-OSCAR-19


       <<=- SpaceNews: The first amateur newsletter read in space! -=>>

/EX