SB NEWS @ AMSAT $SPC1113 * SpaceNews 13-Nov-00 * BID: $SPC1113 ========= SpaceNews ========= MONDAY NOVEMBER 13, 2000 * PHASE 3D LAUNCH INFORMATION * =============================== Phase 3D is scheduled to be launched aboard an Ariane 5 rocket November 15 at 0107 UTC from the European Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. Details are being worked out for the AMSAT Launch Information Net Service to run "live" during the launch. Houston AMSAT Coordinator Bruce Paige, KK5DO, says the net will provide launch information and commentary via several HF stations on various bands as well as on local repeaters. The current schedule calls for the net to start about 15 minutes before launch and carry through separation of P3D. Paige says the plan is to monitor the Arianespace TV C-band satellite feed for real-time launch information, then communicate that information via a telephone bridge. "We are not re-transmitting the Arianespace audio to avoid possible problems with the FCC," he explained. The telephone linkup will include key AMSAT personnel who will add their own comments and details to the real-time announcements. Participating commentators in addition to Paige include newly elected AMSAT-NA President Robin Haighton, VE3FRH, as well as AMSAT-NA Vice President for Operations Keith Pugh, W5IU; Andy MacAllister, W5ACM; Pat Kilroy, N8PK at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center; launch team second-in-command Chuck Green, N0ADI; North American Command Station Stacy Mills, W4SM; and IARU Satellite Coordinator Hans van den Groenendaal, ZS5AKV. Others may be added as the launch approaches. Paige says the Houston AMSAT Net, http://www.amsatnet.com, will carry the launch information net telephone feed on its normal net connections: satellite (Satcom 3), local repeater and Internet RealAudio. The Launch Information Net also will be carried by key HF stations, led by the Goddard Amateur Radio Club's WA3NAN (http://garc.gsfc.nasa.gov/www/retransmission/retrans_status.html). WA3NAN expects to be on the air an hour prior to launch and will re-transmit on its shuttle frequencies, 3.860, 7.185, 14.295, 21.395, and 147.45 MHz. W5RRR at the Johnson Space Center in Texas, or its alternates, will use 3.840, 7.279, and 14.282 MHz. The Radio Club of Kourou, FY5KE, also has announced plans to broadcast the Phase 3D launch on 14.315 MHz in French "and probably in English." According to Paige, Bob Arnold, N2JEU, is planning to make the Arianespace audio available on the Internet. Details are available at http://www.ralabs.com/livep3d. CQ Amateur Radio magazine has announced plans to offer continuously updated coverage of the Phase 3D launch via its Web site at: http://www.cq-amateur-radio.com. CQ Editor Rich Moseson, W2VU, says Satellite Editor Phil Chien, KC4YER, will author a running "launch log" in which he'll post regular updates every few minutes. CQ also will provide links to sites featuring live launch video. Arianespace is also planning on having a live feed of the launch coverage starting about 15 minutes before before launch till about 45 minutes after launch when Phase 3D is scheduled to separate from the booster stage of the Ariane 5 launch vehicle. The coverage is scheduled to be on the Galaxy 4R C-band Satellite, Transponder 12. An Arianspace webcast of the launch will be available at: http://www.arianespace.com/news_livevideo.html The following is the estimated State Vector and Keplerian Elements for the AMSAT Phase 3D spacecraft that were recently updated. The vector data was computed from Arianespace orbital parameters at the time Phase 3D is scheduled to separate from the Ariane 5 upper stage. The Keplerian Elements were computed, in turn, from the vector. Vector format = 10107 Satellite Name: Phase 3D Catalog Number: 93400 Epoch MET: 0.02983771991 0/00:42:57.979 MET EFG E: 4321.19714449 km F: 10857.07279003 km G: -1323.50573459 km Edot: -3.1484853319 km/s Fdot: 5.7556066452 km/s Gdot: -0.5488001613 km/s ndot/2 (drag): 0.00000000771 rev/day^2 nddt/6: 0.00000E+00 rev/day^3 Bstar: 1.25668E-05 1/Earth Radii Elset #: 1 Rev @ Epoch: 1.52588079822 Launch Window Opens: 2000-NOV-15 / 0107 UTC Phase 3D separation: Launch + 0042:57.979 The following Keplerian elements were computed from this vector and the scheduled date and time of the launch window opening. Updated Keplerian elements will be computed from the vector, based on changes to the scheduled or actual launch time. Phase 3D 1 93400U 00320.07636550 .00000001 00000-0 12567-4 0 13 2 93400 6.5034 246.6469 7357988 175.9296 13.3886 2.02435417 17 Satellite: Phase 3D Catalog number: 93400 Epoch time: 00320.07636550 Element set: 1 Inclination: 6.5034 deg RA of node: 246.6469 deg Eccentricity: 0.7357988 Arg of perigee: 175.9296 deg Mean anomaly: 13.3886 deg Mean motion: 2.02435417 rev/day Decay rate: 7.71000e-09 rev/day^2 Epoch rev: 1 Checksum: 283 Note that "93400" is a temporary Catalog Number. A Permanent Catalog Number and International Designator will be assigned when Phase 3D is launched. The satellite name will also be updated with the next sequential "OSCAR" designator. These Keplerian elements represent a pre-launch estimate of Phase 3D's initial orbit. The orbit will change significantly over the first year the spacecraft is on orbit. Updates will be provided for significant orbital changes. The Phase 3D launch team will be publishing a similar set of Keplerian elements. The data provided by the launch team will be "osculating" parameters, compatible with AMSAT command station software. The osculating elements are the exact physical representation of the orbit as opposed to the "mean" parameters provided in this bulletin. I provide these mean elements as they are fully compatible with the NORAD SGP4/SDP4 orbit propagation algorithms. Tracking software that uses the NORAD propagators should use the "mean" Keplerian elements provided herein for the most accurate result. Tracking software using non-NORAD orbit propagation methods should use the "osculating" elements provided by the Phase 3D launch team. [Info via James Clay French, KD4DLA, and Ken Ernandes, N2WWD] * ARISS NEWS * ============== 2000-11-10 18:00 UTC: The ARISS team was informed on Friday by Mission Control in Moscow that the crew confirmed that they had installed the amateur radio hardware in the FGB. Several engineering test passes need to be performed before general ham radio operations can commence. This is a major step forward for amateur radio in human spaceflight. [Info via Will Marchant, KC6ROL] * SpaceNews ON YOUR PDA * ========================= A comprehensive collection of news and information for the amateur radio enthusiast on the go is now available. Calling CQ is an AvantGo channel that delivers daily news for amateur radio operators via their Palm or WinCE device as well as Web-enabled phones. The required software is free and once installed, and the Calling CQ channel added, mobile devices are updated each time they are synchronized with an Internet connected computer. Content currently includes SpaceNews, AMSAT bulletins, the ARRL Letter, W1AW bulletins, as well as DX and space weather alerts. Visit http://www.callingcq.org/ for more information. [Info via Jeff Davis, N9AVG] * 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/ MAIL: John A. Magliacane, KD2BD Department of Engineering and Technology Brookdale Community College 765 Newman Springs Road Lincroft, New Jersey 07738 U.S.A. PACKET: KD2BD @ WB2COP.NJ.USA.NA INTERNET: kd2bd@amsat.org, magliaco@email.njin.net SATELLITE: KITSAT-OSCAR-25 <<=- SpaceNews: The first amateur newsletter read in space! -=>> <<=- Serving the planet (and beyond) since 1987 -=>> /EX