AMSAT News Service

April 30, 2000

Rick Lindquist, N1RL, ARRL Senior News Editor, informed ANS that an ARRL Technical Achievement Award 2000 will be awarded to AMSAT's very own Frank Bauer, KA3HDO.

Living in Silver Spring, Maryland with his wife Janet and their 3 children, Frank is a graduate of Purdue University, earning BS and MS degrees in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering. An active ham, KA3HDO has served as Vice President of the Goddard Amateur Radio Club for the past two years. He is active in Club programs including education and outreach, in Field Day, and of course, both in AMSAT and the ARRL.

In his AMSAT-NA role, KA3HDO is currently Vice President for Human Spaceflight Programs. He was actively involved in Phase 3D, responsible for the spaceborne GPS flight experiment and for vibration testing of the satellite. Frank is also a member of the SAREX Working Group and was responsible for the acquisition, integration and testing of the ARISS Initial Station VHF and UHF radio, TNC, cables and antenna sets for the International Space Station. This equipment will be flown later this year on the Space Shuttle and installed in the Russian FGB Module. In addition, Frank was responsible for setting up and operating the world-wide retransmission of Space Shuttle Air-to-Ground Communications from the Goddard Amateur Radio Club station, WA3NAN -- from its initiation in 1983 until 1990.

In his professional life, Frank is Chief of the Guidance, Navigation and Control Center (GNCC) at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center.

The Technical Excellence award will be presented to KA3HDO at the June ARRL Annual Atlantic Division Banquet in Rochester, New York. ANS, on behalf on AMSAT-NA, offers congratulations to KA3HDO on receiving this prestigious award!

[ANS thanks the ARRL for this information]

AMSAT at Dayton

AMSAT-NA Vice President for Field Operations Barry Baines, WD4ASW, recently updated ANS about AMSAT's 'plan of action' for the quickly approaching Dayton Hamvention. This year, Dayton will also include the ARRL National Convention for the very first time.

Barry reports that AMSAT-NA's activities at Dayton are extensive, starting with a booth on the convention floor (as in previous years). AMSAT booth spaces are numbered 445 through 448. According to WD4ASW, "AMSAT expects to have a very busy booth again this year with a variety of updated and new items."

Some of the available items are as follows:

Steve Thompson, W5PK, has created a new AMSAT design that will be embroidered on golf shirt as well as offered on a new T-shirt. The new design will also be available separately as a patch and as a decal. The AMSAT booth will also have 'Ham in Space' T-shirts available.
An updated laminated AMSAT Frequency Guide with the latest satellite information will be offered.
An updated Amateur Satellite Resource Guide (compiled by ANS Principle Satellite Investigator N1JEZ).
The latest Working the Easy Sats publication (also updated by N1JEZ) will be available.
A revised Digital Satellite Guide by Gould Smith, WA4SXM.
The AMSAT booth will again offer the Arrow Antenna. This is the antenna that many individuals are using to work AO-27, SO-35 and UO-14 utilizing a dual-band HT.
The latest version of WISP on diskette.
The AMSAT booth will also be the only distributor of Nova tracking software at Hamvention this year. For the Mac enthusiasts, the booth will have MacDoppler Pro and for the PC user, the Kansas City Tracker will also be available.
All of the current AMSAT publications will be available
The latest version of the P3D model kit by Steve Thompson, W5PK will be offered. First introduced at Dayton last year, the kit has been updated over the past year.

In addition to booth activities, AMSAT has been offered a wonderful opportunity to build our membership base during the Dayton Hamvention. In addition to the interest being generated by the anticipated launch of Phase 3D later this year (and the opportunities made available by UO-14) AMSAT will have an additional incentive for joining our organization at Dayton. An AMSAT benefactor has offered to cover the cost of an ICOM-821H transceiver to be used as a prize drawing at Dayton!

The drawing for the Icom will be done at the AMSAT booth on Sunday, May 21st. The winner does not have to be present to win.

WD4ASW reminds those Dayton-bound satellite operators not to forget the AMSAT dinner on Friday evening, May 19th, at the Amber Rose Restaurant in north Dayton (the same location that has been used for several years). Barry says that seating is limited and interested parties can pre-register for the dinner with Ed Collins, N8NUY.

E-mail Ed directly at: n8nuy@amsat.org.

AMSAT members will also be involved with several presentations on Saturday, May 20, 2000 during the AMSAT Forum. The AMSAT Forum will be held in the main Exhibit Area (and not offsite).

The schedule is as follows:

12:15-2:30 P.M. AMSAT (Room 3).
Moderator: Robin Haighton, VE3FRH AMSAT-NA Executive Vice President.

Welcome by Keith Baker, KB1SF, President, AMSAT-NA.
Getting Started on the Amateur Radio Satellites by Barry Baines, WD4ASW, AMSAT-NA Vice President, Field Operations.
Phase 3D -- Spacecraft and Launch Status presented by Keith Baker, KB1SF (along with Phase 3D Project Team members).
SAREX, ARISS and the International Space Station: Mission Reports and Plans by Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, AMSAT-NA Vice President, Human Spaceflight Programs. ARISS Team members will also be present.

In addition to all the above mentioned activities, Jerry Schmitt, KK5YY, will be providing demonstrations of AO-27 and other satellites from outside the convention arena using his portable satellite station. Details concerning the times of the passes and where to view the demonstrations will be available at the AMSAT booth.

Barry tells ANS that Dayton is a "unique opportunity to represent AMSAT to an extremely large number of people." If at all possible, Barry asks Dayton bound satellite operators to consider giving AMSAT a hand during this wonderful event!

[ANS thanks Barry A. Baines, WD4ASW, AMSAT VP-Field Operations, for this information]

Phase 3D Integration Lab Update

Lou McFadin, W5DID, AMSAT Phase 3D Integration Laboratory Manager, recently told ANS that "getting Phase 3D ready for launch was the highest priority for the Phase 3D Integration Team."

Because of that concentrated effort, Lou said the Lab's web site (and related P3D information) often was not updated. "We would like to apologize to everybody who helped support Phase 3D, including the many volunteers and especially those who donated to Phase 3D's construction for not keeping our web page up to date in the past," added W5DID.

The good news is the Lab's Internet site has seen some very recent changes, said Lou, "with several photos of Phase 3D's last stages of integration and testing, along with photos of the shipment to French Guiana.

W5DID also informed ANS of recent action at the Lab. "We have cleared out much of the laboratory and taken down our clean room," said Lou, adding, "much of the support equipment for Phase 3D has been put into temporary storage." The reason for the storage is that the Lab's job isn't complete -- yet. The ground support equipment that AMSAT borrows from individual hams still needs to be shipped to French Guiana to support the launch site integration and testing. Other equipment will remain in place until Phase 3D is safely in orbit and everything has been verified.

W5DID told ANS that the Lab will have a work party for volunteers on Saturday, May 6th. If any ANS readers are in central Florida on that date "they are invited to drop by," said Lou. No special skills are necessary, just a desire to help out. W5DID added that in addition to the work party the Lab will be working on some of the ham radio hardware that will be flying to the International Space Station, currently scheduled for flight STS-106 in August.

The lab's web page has more details.

"Thanks for your support!" said W5DID.

The Integration Lab web address is http://www.magicnet.net/~phase3d/

[ANS thanks Lou McFadin, W5DID, Phase 3D Integration Laboratory]

ANS in Brief

ANS news in brief this week includes the following:

Russia successfully launched a supply cargo ship recently, bound for the Mir space station. The Progress M1-2 supply ship was launched on a Soyuz booster rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The cargo (weighing over two and a half tons) includes fuel to raise the space station's dropping altitude, food, water, oxygen reserves and equipment for the two Russian cosmonauts on board.
-Florida Today

Shuttle Atlantis will have to wait until May 18th for its next chance to fly so that a hurricane-monitoring satellite can stay on track for its planned launch attempt, NASA officials announced recently. The hurricane craft is to fly atop a rocket also to be launched from the Cape. NASA had considered delaying that flight so Atlantis could make a fourth launch attempt next week instead of waiting until May 18th. The shuttle's three straight launch tries this week were ruined by bad weather.
-Florida Today

Russ Tillman, K5NRK, AMSAT Journal Editor, reported to ANS that the Fox News Cable will feature a special about a visit that Astronauts Jim Lovell and Owen Garriott, W5LFL recently made to Antarctica. Interestingly, their visit corresponded with AMSAT member Ron Ross, KE6JAB's visit to Antarctica (that he writes about in the March/April issue of The AMSAT Journal). In fact, Ron mentions their visit in his article. This issue has been printed and should be on the way to AMSAT-NA members.
-Russ, K5NRK

The launch of the GOES-L weather satellite for NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) aboard a Lockheed Martin Atlas IIA rocket is scheduled for Wednesday, May 3rd. Liftoff is targeted to occur from Pad A at Complex 36 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. GOES-L is the fourth spacecraft to be launched in the new advanced series of geostationary weather satellites for NOAA.
-NASA

Access to the ARRL Web site was disrupted recently when an unknown individual managed to hijack the League's 'arrl.org' domain name and redirect visitors to a bogus Netfirms site in Canada. ARRL system managers were alerted to the illegal modification within hours and had the change reversed. But the aftereffects continued to reverberate across the Internet throughout the week, affecting access for some to the League's Web pages. The ARRL Web site itself was not 'hacked' and no ARRL files were damaged as a result of the vandalism.
-ARRL

Some doorstep astronomy from ANS: The Big Dipper can be seen floating nearly overhead after dark at this time of year. Face north and look for it very high. Its bowl is on the left. The two leftmost stars of the bowl, forming the bowl's front end, are the Pointers; they point down almost to Polaris, the North Star, about 30 degrees away.
-S&T

Weekly Satellite Report

Mir . RS-12 . RS-13 . RS-15 . AO-10 . AO-27 . UO-14 . FO-20 . FO-29 . KO-23 . KO-25 . UO-11 . AO-16 . DO-17 . WO-18 . LO-19 . UO-22 . IO-26 . TO-31 . GO-32 . SO-33 . PO-34 . SO-35 . UO-36

Mir Space Station

145.985 MHz simplex FM voice and SSTV (Robot 36 mode)

AMSAT's Bruce Paige, KK5DO, reported that two cosmonauts -- Sergei Zalyotin and Alexandr Kaleri -- have arrived on the Russian Mir space station. Several news agencies (including CNN) also reported the April 4th launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome and the successful docking with Mir.

Ham radio activity aboard the Mir space station is apparently back on line -- currently in limited fashion.

Stay tuned to ANS for further details.

RS-13

Uplink 21.260 to 21.300 MHz CW/SSB
Uplink 145.960 to 146.000 MHz CW/SSB
Downlink 29.460 to 29.500 MHz CW/SSB
Downlink 145.960 to 146.000 MHz CW/SSB
Beacon 29.504 MHz
Robot Uplink 21.140 MHz, Downlink 29.458 MHz

Operational, in mode-KA with a 10-meter downlink and a 15-meter and 2-meter uplink.

More information about RS-12 and RS-13 can be found on AC5DK's RS-12/13 Satellite Operators Page: http://www.qsl.net/ac5dk/rs1213/rs1213.html

RS-15

Uplink 145.858 to 145.898 MHz CW/SSB
Downlink 29.354 to 29.394 MHz CW/SSB
Beacon 29.352 MHz (intermittent)
SSB meeting frequency 29.380 MHz (unofficial)
Semi-operational, Mode A (2m uplink, 10m downlink)

Dave, WB6LLO, has operating information for both RS-15 and RS-13 on his personal web site. In addition to satellite data, antenna information for mode A operation is also featured. The WB6LLO web site URL is http://home.san.rr.com/doguimont/uploads

AO-10

Uplink 435.030 to 435.180 MHz CW/LSB
Downlink 145.975 to 145.825 MHz CW/USB
Beacon 145.810 MHz (unmodulated carrier)
Semi-operational.

DX continues to be worked (and heard) on AO-10. Alain, IZ6BYY, reports contacts with LY3BH and DG7MHR. Eddie, DU1EV reports working Len, W7MCU.

Stacey Mills, W4SM, has more information about the satellite at http://www.cstone.net/~w4sm/AO-10.html

[ANS thanks Stacey Mills, W4SM, for his AO-10 status information and web site]

AO-27

Uplink 145.850 MHz FM
Downlink 436.792 MHz FM
Operational.

An AO-27 question-and-answer page is available on the AMSAT-NA web site. http://www.amsat.org/amsat/intro/ao27faq.html

AO-27 uses a method called Timed Eclipse Power Regulation (TEPR) to regulate the on-board batteries. In simple terms, TEPR times how long the satellite has been in the eclipse (or in the sun) and decides what subsystems to turn on or off. The AO-27 pages on the AMSAT-NA web site include an explanation of AO-27 operations at http://www.amsat.org/amsat/sats/n7hpr/ao27.html

Chuck, KM4NZ, recently reset the TEPR states on AO-27 (on March 19).

TEPR 4 is 28 TEPR 5 is 64

[ANS thanks Chuck Wyrick, KM4NZ, and Michael Wyrick, N4USI, for AO-27 information]

UO-14

Uplink 145.975 MHz FM
Downlink 435.070 MHz FM
Operational.

UO-14 was launched in January 1990.

Pedro, CU2AHD, reports contacts with EB/N1/VE from his QTH using an HT and 5-watts. Alain, IZ6BYY, told ANS that he worked TF3FK, EA8CVE and SV1AQY via UO-14.

Tim, KG8OC, has updated the Michigan AMSAT Information Site with UO-14 information, see http://www.qsl.net/kg8oc

[ANS thanks Chris Jackson, G7UPN / ZL2TPO, for UO-14 information]

SunSat SO-35

Uplink 436.291 MHz CW/LSB
Downlink 145.825 MHz CW/LSB
Operational.

SunSat was launched February 23, 1999 aboard a Delta II rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, recently celebrating its first year in orbit.

The SunSat package includes 1200 and 9600 baud digital store-and-forward capability and a voice 'parrot' repeater system that will be used primarily for educational demonstrations. The satellite has two VHF and two UHF transmit-receive systems.

According to the SunSat web page "all amateur transponder operation is cancelled for the coming week due to high satellite temperatures caused by the current satellite orbit orientation."

For more information on SunSat, visit http://sunsat.ee.sun.ac.za

A summary of the active modes and frequency allocations for SunSat is available at http://esl.ee.sun.ac.za/~lochner/sunsat/modes.html

[ANS thanks Garth Milne ZR1AFH, for this information]

JAS-1b FO-20

Uplink 145.900 to 146.000 MHz CW/LSB
Downlink 435.800 to 435.900 MHz CW/USB
Operational.

FO-20 is in mode JA continuously.

JAS-1b (FO-20) was launched in February 1990.

Jim, K6CCC, reports that "it has been lonely on FO-20 lately. FO-20's beacon is either dead or so weak I can't receive it on a AO-10 class station, but the transponder is working great!"

Ken, N1WED, reports a contact with special event station N2SE aboard the submarine USS Ling -- via FO-20.

Takushi, JO2OXL, reports that the JARL FO-20 Ground Station operators believe that with the inability to (now) determine the satellite battery status (through the loss of the beacon), it is possible that FO-20 is in its final phases. Operation will continue as long as possible.

[ANS thanks Kazu Sakamoto, JJ1WTK for the FO-20 status reports]

JAS-2 FO-29

Voice/CW Mode JA: Uplink 145.900 to 146.000 MHz CW/LSB
Downlink 435.800 to 435.900 MHz CW/USB
Operational, rotated with digital mode and digi-talker.
Digital Mode JD: Uplink 145.850, 145.870, 145.910 MHz FM
Downlink 435.910 MHz FM 9600 baud BPSK
Operational, rotated with analog mode and digi-talker.

JAS-2 was successfully launched on August 17, 1996, by an H-II launch vehicle from the Tanegashima Space Center.

Mike, KF4FDJ, has put together a very informative document on FO-29, addressing analog, digital and digi-talker modes. To obtain a copy e-mail Mike at kf4fdj@amsat.org

Kazu, JJ1WTK, reports the FO-29 operational schedule (announced by the JARL) is as follows:

April 21 - May 7	JA
May 8 - 14	JD1200
May 15 - June 8	JA

Mineo, JE9PEL, has updated his FO-29 satellite telemetry analysis program. The software will automatically analyze all digital telemetry from the satellite such as current, voltage and temperature. The JE9PEL FO-29/software update is available at http://www.ne.jp/asahi/hamradio/je9pel/

[ANS thanks Kazu Sakamoto, JJ1WTK, for the FO-29 status reports]

KO-25

Uplink 145.980 MHz FM
Downlink 436.500 MHz FM, 9600 Baud FSK
Operational.

Jim, AA7KC, reports KO-25 is operational with high downlink efficiency and with low to moderate traffic.

[ANS thanks Jim Weisenberger, AA7KC, for KO-25 status information]

UO-22

Uplink 145.900 or 145.975 MHz FM
Downlink 435.120 MHz FM 9600 Baud FSK
Operational

Chris Jackson, G7UPN, reports to ANS that UO-22 continues in full sunlight and the temperatures have increased considerably. Controllers have turned the satellite upside down to point the critical systems to cold space. This has reduced the temperature on various systems (such as the batteries) by between 5 and 10 degrees. The unfortunate by-product of this is that the downlink is now quite weak.

Only the 145.900 MHz receiver is usable for communications at the moment.

More information on the satellite is available at http://www.sstl.co.uk

[ANS thanks Chris Jackson, G7UPN/ZL2TPO for UO-22 status information]

OSCAR-11

Downlink 145.825 MHz FM, 1200 baud PSK
Beacon 2401.500 MHz
Operational.

OSCAR-11 celebrated its sixteenth birthday on March 1, 2000.

The operating schedule is unchanged.

ASCII status (210 seconds)
ASCII bulletin (60 seconds)
BINARY SEU (30 seconds)
ASCII TLM (90 seconds)
ASCII WOD (120 seconds)
ASCII bulletin (60 seconds)
BINARY ENG (30 seconds)

The ASCII bulletin is currently a static message, detailing modes and frequencies of all the amateur radio satellites.

Users should note that the date in the hardware generated ASCII telemetry is now advanced by 3 days and the other dates (which are generated by software) are advanced by 1 day. Ground control may be able to correct the software generated dates, but not the hardware generated date.

More information on OSCAR-11 is available at http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/clivew/

[ANS thanks Clive Wallis, G3CWV, for OSCAR-11 status information]

LUSAT-OSCAR-19

Uplink 145.840, 145.860, 145.880, 145.900 MHz 1200 bps Manchester FSK
Downlink 437.125 MHz SSB, 1200 bps RC-BPSK
Currently semi-operational.

The CW beacon is sending eight telemetry channels and one status channel. Currently, no BBS service is available. The digipeater is active.

Mineo, JE9PEL, has recorded LO-19 CW and PSK telemetry and placed the information on his Internet homepage site at http://www.ne.jp/asahi/hamradio/je9pel/

Telemetry is as follows:

Uptime is 637/07:44:33 Time is Fri Apr 28 21:27:50 2000
+10V Bus 10.617 V  RC PSK TX Out 0.495 W
Bat 1 V 1.330 V  Bat 2 V 1.327 V
Bat 3 V 1.343 V  Bat 4 V 1.332 V
Bat 5 V 1.349 V  Bat 6 V 1.359 V
Bat 7 V 1.337 V  Bat 8 V 1.311 V
Total Array C= 0.008 Bat Ch Cur=-0.252 Ifb= 0.119 I+10V= 0.139
TX:016 BCR:1E PWRC:62D BT:3C WC: 0

General information and telemetry samples can be found at http://www.ctv.es/USERS/ea1bcu/lo19.htm

[ANS thanks Miguel A. Menendez, EA1BCU, for this report.]

AMSAT-OSCAR-16 (PACSAT)

Uplink 145.900, 145.920, 145.940, 145.860 MHz FM, 1200 bps Manchester FSK
Downlink 437.0513 MHz SSB, 1200 bps RC-BPSK 1200 Baud PSK
Beacon 2401.1428 MHz.
Semi-operational.

Russ, WJ9F, reports ground stations are currently running memory test software on the satellite. In addition to the memory testing, the spacecraft spin rate around the vertical (Z) axis has created a less than ideal condition for battery charging. The spin rate evaluation confirms a spin rate of 1 revolution every 18 minutes. Power output is low due to this spin rate.

Normally, the S-band transmitter is off. Recently, WJ9F reported the S-Band transmitter (2401.143 MHz) was recently powered on for a short time. A Whole Orbit Data survey was conducted during this operation. Nando, CX6DD, reports good signals from the S-band downlink of AO-16. He also reports his modem "had a hard time tuning the receiver due to the tremendous doppler!"

Telemetry is as follows:
Note: The batteries are is a state of discharge at the end of a
dark orbit.

Uptime is 075/18:09:07 Time is Fri Apr 28 21:39:20 2000
+10V Bus 10.050 V PSK TX RF Out 0.781 W
Bat 1 V 1.183 V  Bat 2 V 1.177 V
Bat 3 V 1.204 V  Bat 4 V 1.227 V
Bat 5 V 1.182 V  Bat 6 V 1.188 V
Bat 7 V 1.181 V  Bat 8 V 1.242 V
+5V Bus 4.718 V  +8.5V Bus 7.727 V
Total Array C= 0.000 Bat Ch Cur=-0.306 Ifb= 0.154 I+10V= 0.166
TX:1006 BCR:1E PWRC:06C BT:1E WC:25 EDAC:4A

A new WOD collection of current graphics (dated 02/26/2000) can be found at http://www.ctv.es/USERS/ea1bcu

[ANS thanks Miguel A. Menendez, EA1BCU, for this report.]

TMSAT-1 TO-31

Uplink 145.925 MHz 9600 baud FSK
Downlink 436.925 MHz 9600 baud FSK
Operational.

ProcMail V2.00G has been released by G7UPN. This software permits the processing of image files from TO-31. It has been posted to the AMSAT-NA FTP site at http://www.amsat.org/amsat/software/win32/wisp

Many of the high-resolution color images transmitted by TMSAT are compressed using a UoSAT compression format. This format is supported by the VK5HI CCD display program.

[ANS thanks Chris Jackson, G7UPN/ZL2TPO, for this report]

UoSAT-12 UO-36

Uplink 145.960 MHz, 9600 baud FSK
Downlink 437.025, 437.400 MHz, 9600 baud FSK

UoSAT-12 was successfully launched on April 21, 1999 from the Russian Baikonur Cosmodrome. UO-36 carries a number of imaging payloads, digital store-and-forward communications and mode L/S transponders.

The BBS is open, although uploading (and the downlink) may be disabled at times.

The VK5HI TMSAT viewer shareware is available on the AMSAT-NA web site at ftp://ftp.amsat.org/amsat/software/win32/display/ccddsp97-119.zip

Further information on UO-36 is available from: http://www.sstl.co.uk/

[ANS thanks Chris G7UPN/ZL2TPO, and the University of Surrey, for this information]

ITAMSAT IO-26

Uplink 145.875, 145.900, 145.925, 145.950 MHz FM
Downlink 435.822 MHz SSB, 1200 Baud PSK
Semi-operational.

Digipeater function is on.

IO-26 was launched on September 26, 1993.

Alberto, I2KBD, reports IO-26 has been opened to APRS use.

[ANS thanks ITAMSAT Project Manager Alberto E. Zagni, I2KBD, for this information]

The following satellites are in orbit but are non-operational at this time:

KITSAT KO-23

Uplink 145.850, 145.900 MHz FM
Downlink 435.175 MHz FM, 9600 Baud FSK
Non-operational.

Jim, AA7KC, reports KO-23 is (again) non-operational. The downlink transmitter is off, with the last received data received on 4/13/2000 at 04:10 UTC. KyungHee Kim, HL0ENJ, reports (from the KO-23 control team) that part of the problem with recent non-operation has been the power budget aboard the satellite.

[ANS thanks Jim Weisenberger, AA7KC, and KyungHee Kim, HL0ENJ, for KO-23 status information]

RS-12

Uplink 145.910 to 145.950 MHz CW/SSB
Uplink 21.210 to 21.250 MHz CW/SSB
Downlink 29.410 to 29.450 MHz CW/SSB
Downlink 145.910 to 145.950 MHz CW/SSB
Beacon 29.408 MHz
Robot Uplink 21.129 MHz, Downlink 29.454 MHz

Non-operational. No operation in 2000 has been observed.

TechSat-1B GO-32

Downlink 435.225 MHz, HDLC telemetry

Efforts were reported to be underway to bring GO-32 on line, however no additional information has been received by ANS (the last report was dated November 1999).

The TechSat-1B micro-satellite was successfully launched from the Russian Baikonur Cosmodrome on July 10, 1998.

Last reported, the satellite does not have a continuous beacon, but does transmit a 9600-baud burst every 30 seconds (for a continuous 3 seconds in length), currently on 435.225 MHz.

The TechSat team has constructed a home page about TechSat: http://techsat.internet-zahav.net/

PANSAT PO-34

Uplink/downlink frequencies have never been released.
The satellite is not currently available for uplink transmissions.

PanSat, developed by the Naval Postgraduate School, was launched from the shuttle Discovery (during STS-95) on October 29, 1998. At the time of launch, PanSat spread-spectrum digital transponders were promised to be available to amateur radio operators along with software to utilize this technology. To date, this has not happened.

For more information, visit the official PANSAT web site at:

http://www.sp.nps.navy.mil/pansat/

PanSat was the featured cover article in the July/August 1999 issue of the AMSAT-NA Journal (written by KD6DRA and N7HPR).

[ANS thanks Dan Sakoda, KD6DRA, for this information]

DO-17 (DOVE)

Downlink 145.825 MHz FM, 1200 Baud AFSK
Beacon 2401.220 MHz
Non-operational.

DOVE stopped transmitting in March 1998. The 145.825 MHz and 2401.220 MHz downlinks are off the air and the satellite has not responded to ground station control. No additional information is available at this time.

WEBERSAT (WO-18)

Downlink 437.104 MHz SSB, 1200 Baud PSK AX.25
Non-operational.

WO-18 is reported to be in MBL mode after a software crash.

No additional information is available at this time.

SEDSAT SO-33

Downlink 437.910 MHz FM 9600 Baud FSK
The satellite is not currently available for uplink transmissions and image and transponder recovery efforts have been unsuccessful.

SEDSAT-1, signifying Students for the Exploration and Development of Space Satellite number one, was successfully launched and placed in orbit on Saturday, October 24, 1998.

SedSat-1 has downlinked months worth of telemetry data on the performance of its electrical power system parameters. The Nickel Metal Hydride batteries on the spacecraft were experimental and experienced some abuse due to a power negative situation. This information has provided NASA with useful information. With the exception of the imaging system and the use of the transponders, SedSat-1 has been judged a success.

For more information on SedSat-1 visit the satellite web site at http://www.seds.org/sedsat

No additional information is available at this time.

ANS would like to thank Mike Seguin, N1JEZ, ANS principal satellite investigator, for helping provide current satellite information for ANS.

Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to the ANS Editors at ans-editor@amsat.org, or to ANS Editor Dan James, NN0DJ, at nn0dj@amsat.org.

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This week's AMSAT News Service bulletins were edited by AMSAT News Service Editor Dan James, NN0DJ.