SB NEWS @ AMSAT $SPC1109 * SpaceNews 09-Nov-98 * BID: $SPC1109 ========= SpaceNews ========= MONDAY NOVEMBER 9, 1998 SpaceNews originates at KD2BD in Wall Township, New Jersey, USA. It is published every week and is made available for non-commercial use. * KITSAT-OSCAR-23 NEWS * ======================== Richard W. L. Limebear, G3RWL, reports that the KITSAT-OSCAR-23 satellite has once again entered a period of continuous orbital sunlight. The period is expected to end on 1998-Nov-28. The absence of eclipse periods causes the spacecraft temperature to rise. The higher temperature brings on a known fault in the transmitter whereby the FM deviation increases and so stations with narrow filters in their receivers will experience degraded reception (strong carrier but little or no data received). * SPUTNIK-41 NEWS * =================== Miles Mann, WF1F, reports that Sputnik (or Spoutnik)-41 is tentatively planned to be hand launched the morning of 1998-Nov-11 from the Russian Space Station Mir. Anyone with a simple 2-meter receiver or scanner should be able to hear the voice recordings being played by the tiny satellite. The launch time is tentative based on the crews work load. The EVA is currently scheduled to start around 1998-Nov-10 at 2200 UTC and end at 0200 to 0400 UTC. Stations in Europe will be able to hear the Satellite first. North America may be able to hear the satellite beginning on late Monday evening. Sputnik will transmit on a frequency 145.812 MHz using 200 milliwatts of power. Because of Doppler shift, the signal may appear anywhere between 145.808 - 145.816 MHz. QSLs will be available to those who copy the satellite. * MIR ANNIVERSARY * =================== Gustavo Carpignano, LW2DTZ, of AMSAT-LU has forwarded the following text that was sent via Energia's radio amateur office celebrating tenth years of the ham radio station on Mir. On November 6, 1988 amateur radio transmitting and receiving equipment first in the astronautics started functioning on board MIR russian space orbital station. Within the past decade more than 60 cosmonauts and astronauts have made thousands of radio contacts with radioamateurs of the Earth. Many Thanks to those who promoted and participated in amateur radio communication with MIR. RV3DR, Serge Samburov. * LEONIDS SHOWER COULD BE BIG * =============================== The Leonids meteor shower is expected to be much bigger this year, and several Internet web sites have been created to provide information for those interested in the shower. The shower will occur next week, and is expected to produce as many as 100,000 meteors per hour. Satellites in earth orbit will almost certainly be at risk during the shower if this prediction holds true. Further information is available at: http://www.chiangmainews.com http://www.leonids.net (includes a live video feed) http://www.skypub.com/sights/meteors/leonids/98preview.htm [Info via Ken, VK4KWM and Hank, N1LTV] * 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, KITSAT-OSCAR-25 <<=- SpaceNews: The first amateur newsletter read in space! -=>> <<=- Serving the planet (and beyond) since 1987 -=>> /EX