SB NEWS @ AMSAT $SPC0707 * SpaceNews 07-Jul-97 * BID: $SPC0707 ========= SpaceNews ========= MONDAY JULY 7, 1997 SpaceNews originates at KD2BD in Wall Township, New Jersey, USA. It is published every week and is made available for non-commercial use. * MARS PATHFINDER NEWS * ======================== NASA's Mars Pathfinder landed safely on the surface of Mars on 04-Jul-97. Within hours of its landing, the first images of the Martian landscape were taken by Pathfinder and relayed to Earth. Several minor problems affecting Pathfinder's computer and the communications link between the Sojourner rover were ironed out, and Sojourner was allowed to roll out to the Martian surface on 06-Jul-97, marking the first time a motor vehicle of earth origin has made contact with the surface of another planet. Pathfinder images and news are available via a host of World Wide Web sites on the Internet, including: http://mars.sgi.com/ http://mpfwww.jpl.nasa.gov/ http://dhcom.com/astronomy/pathfinder.htm * MIR NEWS * ============ Gustavo, LW2DTZ, copied the following messages from Mike Foale aboard the Mir space station on 145.985 MHz: Stat : PR Posted : 06/28/97 17:58 To : ALL From : R0MIR @ BBS : BID : Subject: Mir Status We have now got the base block, the module Kvant 2 back on line, leaving 2 more modules. Working very hard, lights in our mouths, in the dark, moving batteries about, to enable better charging, with solar arrays. O2 electrolysis soon, in old Kvant. Much interest from control center to do internal eva to reconnect power to lost Spkektr module, to receive its substantial electrical power from its large arrays. Thanks for all your good wishes. Mike. Stat : PR Posted : 07/02/97 14:00 To : ALL From : R0MIR @ BBS : BID : Subject: Mir IVA/EVA We are still in low power status, only one module and base block are powered presently. Crew preparing to do eva inside node, to open hatch of spektr module, and replace with hatch with special passthrus, to allow power from speon. Date tbd, but after 11th July. Progress docking planned for 8th. Mike. kb5uac. * AMSAT-UK COLLOQUIUM NEWS * ============================ The 1997 AMSAT-UK Colloquium is gearing up with addresses by Martin Sweeting OBE G3YJO, Professor of Satellite Engineering UoS, Chairman of Amsat-UK; Ian Kyle, GI8AYZ, President of RSGB; Ray Soifer W2RS. Presentations include: * A new generation of UoSat Amateur Spacecraft - Chris Jackson G7UPN (UoS) * A New Network Layer Protocol for a LEO Satellite Global Data Network - Bao-zhong Cheng (UoS) * Optimising the LEO Satellite Communications Link Through Hybrid ARQ Techniques - Valerie Chu (UoS) * On-Board Image Processing & Compression for Small Remote Sensing Satellites - Peixin Hou (UoS) * 38.4 Kbps Receiver Requirements - John Paffett (UoS) * Low Cost High Resolution Radar Altimetry Mapping by Micro/Mini Satellite - Yuanxing Zheng (UoS) * The Station Program - Paul Willmott VP9MU * Microwave Measurements - (RSGB Microwave Committee) * The Kettering Group: From Hobby to Profession/Obsession - Geoff Perry MBE * In Orbit Measurement of Long Term Interference Within the "Little LEO" and Amateur VHF Bands - John Paffett (UoS) * Radio Astronomy, Practice & Problems - Dr John Ponsonby, University of Manchester (Jodrell Bank) * Latest State of P3D Integration & Launch Campaign - Frank Sperber DL6DBN (AMSAT-DL) * Machinist Help Wanted! - Fred Kennedy ZL1BYP * Phase-3D Construction (video); commentary by Ray Soifer W2RS * After Phase-3D, What ? - Ray Soifer W2RS * P3D Ranging - James Miller G3RUH * Amateur Radio on the International Space Station - R J C Broadbent (AMSAT-UK) * The Satgate Experience - Andrew Sellers G8TZJ * Single Event Effects in Commercial Memory Devices Operating in the Space Radiation Environment: A Decade of Research at Surrey - Craig Underwood G1WTW (UoS ) * Spacecraft Autonomy via Probabilistic RAM (pRAM) Artificial Neural Networks - Mike Oldfield (UoS) [Paper read by Craig Underwood G1WTW (UoS)] * Computer Security, a Briefing - Richard Limebear G3RWL (AMSAT-UK) * Experts panel * AMSAT-UK Annual General Meeting On Friday evening and Saturday there will be microwave test equipment (and people who know how to use it) available for people to test their projects. [Info via Richard W L Limebear, G3RWL (g3rwl@amsat.org)] * MSL-1 NEWS * ============== The Microgravity Sciences Laboratory (MSL-1) mission is well underway aboard Space Shuttle Columbia. MSL-1 includes experiments that may affect health care (protein crystal growth), the metals industry (metallurgy experiments), transportation (combustion physics), and other areas of the economy. Several Internet URLs of interest dealing with MSL-1 include two at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center: Space Sciences Lab: http://www.ssl.msfc.nasa.gov Liftoff (mission ops): http://liftoff.msfc.nasa.gov/Shuttle/msl/ [Info via Dave Dooling] * DOVE S-BAND RECEPTION * ========================= Fernando, LU1HKO reports reception of DOVE's S-Band beacon over Cordoba, Argentina on 03-Jul-97. Fernando reports the S-Band beacon was weak and unmodulated. Nothing was heard on the 2-meter beacon. * SAREX NEWS * ============== The SAREX experiment has been activated on Space Shuttle Columbia and many two-way voice contacts have been reported, including scheduled contacts with school children. Those wishing to contact the Shuttle are reminded that the SAREX package on STS-94 is completely battery powered, the crew is quite busy with experiments, and packet radio operation isn't expected until possibly towards the end of the 16-day mission. * RS-16 TELEMETRY INFO * ======================== Leo (UA3CR) sent the following RS-16 CW telemetry information Pat (G3IOR) who relayed it to John (KD2BD) for inclusion in SpaceNews: P PSU voltage Volts.................. x0.1 O Solar panel voltage Volts........... x0.1 N Solar panel current mA M TX 29 MHz Output Power mW............ x10 L TX 29 MHz current mA K TX 29 MHz voltage 7V nominal J TX 435 MHz Output Power mW........... x10 I TX 435 MHz current mA H TX 435 MHZ voltage V................. x0.1 G U of the transponder V............... x0.1 F U of stabilizer V................... x0.1 E Temperature of the charger in C deg. D Temperature TX 29 MHz in C deg. C Temperature TX 435 MHz in C deg. B Temperature RX 145 MHz in C deg. A Temperature of the stabilizer in C deg. Parameters M, L, J, I are valid in FM mode only! * 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