Satgen 113  MIR JUNO,  STS 40 , RM - 1    by GM4IHJ    26th May 91

This has been a mixed week for Space Radio users, station GB0JUNO and,
Cosmonaut Helen Sharman GB1MIR/U , did a superb job. Helen in particular
was excellent copy up here in Fife. Being wise after the event, 145.55 MHz
is not the best frequency. We must try to persuade the Russians to move up
into the Space Band above 145.8 MHz. We cannot expect ordinary terrestrial
FMusers to keep getting out of our way. But a very big thank you to all
those GMs who politely got out of the way. No thanks however to the BBC.
We can do without their journalistic nonsense and inventions. Why pay a TV
license fee for it.

Fortunately , Mir amateur radio will continue despite the BBC. Both the
new crew Sergei Krikalev U5MIR, and Anatoly Arsebarsky U7MIR will continue
with packet and voice. Then in Sept/Oct the visiting Austrian cosmonaut is
scheduled to take up and fit the Digital Voice downlink. This is
tentatively planned for 145.805 MHz with both Digitalker telemetry
reporting Mir technical and environmental details, and, digital voice
rebroadcast of messages "taped up" by primary school children around the
world . So schools will get Voice data in English, German, Russian and
Spanish providing data for their space science experiments , and informal
message exchanges between classes in schools on different continents. When
this lot finally gets going we will be able to ignore the BBC knockers and
get on improving Amateur Space Radio for all.

Shuttle STS 40 did not launch on 22nd May. It is not now going until June.
This flight carries the Space Laboratory and will be seeing G and GW but
does not come high enough in latitude to see GM. Will they use 259.7 MHz
as reported for the last shuttle flight ?. No news from US about that so
far.

RadioSport 14 RM-1 had its mode B transponder on, on  23rd  and 24th of
May as predicted by UA3CR. The downlink was a joy to listen to. No spin
mod, No severe polarisation problems, and easy access. Just like splendid
old Oscar 7 which my log shows I last worked on 9th June 81. I hope that
very soon we will get the odd day or two per week on this excellent mode B
LEO low earth orbit bird.

This present sunspot cycle continues to impress. Despite my reservations
in April that the summer season would kill all sub horizon satellite HF
until at least September, the odd signals are still coming in from beyond
8000 kms. In addition the terrestrial beacons down Africa way are still
managing to get to GM now and again. 73 de John GM4IHJ @ GB7SAN