SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-294.01 STS-73 INFORMATION SHEET HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 294.01 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD OCTOBER 7, 1995 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT BID: $ANS-294.01 SHUTTLE ASTRONAUTS TO SPEAK WITH STUDENTS VIA AMATEUR RADIO Amateur (or "ham") Radio operators from around the world will point their antennas at the sky during the upcoming shuttle mission, STS-74. Many of them hope to make radio contact with the astronauts aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis. And, some of these amateurs have volunteered to assist student groups that have prepared questions to ask the astronauts via the ham radio airwaves. The project is called the Shuttle Amateur Radio EXperiment, or SAREX. The crew will use a radio aboard the shuttle on frequencies used by ham radio operators. They will talk directly with large groups of students, showing young people, teachers, parents and communities how Amateur Radio energizes students about science, technology, and learning. To operate Amateur Radio from the space shuttle, one or more of the astronauts needs to have an Amateur Radio license. Three of the crew members on this flight are licensed amateurs. Commander Ken Cameron, Amateur Radio call sign KB5AWP, previously used ham radio from the Space Shuttle Atlantis during STS-37 in April 1991 and from the Space Shuttle Discovery during STS-56 in April 1993. Mission Specialist Jerry Ross, call sign N5SCW, was also member of STS-37 SAREX crew, and operated ham radio aboard the STS-55 Columbia mission in April/May 1993. Mission Specialist Bill McArthur, KC5ACR used ham radio aboard the Shuttle Columbia during STS-58 in October/November 1993. Mission Specialist Chris Hadfield may also earn his license before the mission--his first shuttle flight. Amateur Radio has been flying aboard the shuttles since 1983. WHEN: Launch is scheduled for November 1, 1995 at 1651 UTC (11:51 AM EST) from the Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral, Florida. Landing is scheduled for November 9, 1995 at 1400 UTC (9:00 AM EST) at the Kennedy Space Center, Florida. 7 day, 21 hour mission. WHERE: The launch will place the shuttle into Earth orbit at an altitude of 196-245 statute miles (315-394 km) and an inclination of 51.6 degrees. WHY: NASA's intent in making astronauts available for SAREX operations is to involve the largest possible numbers of people, particularly students, in technology and the US space program with the help of Amateur Radio. During SAREX missions, the astronauts will typically make the following types of Amateur Radio contacts: Scheduled radio contacts with schools. Random radio contacts with the Amateur Radio community. Personal contacts with the astronauts' families. CREW MEMBERS (and Amateur Radio call signs): Kenneth D. Cameron, Commander, KB5AWP James Donald Halsell, Jr., Pilot Jerry L. Ross, Mission Specialist 1, N5SCW William Surles McArthur, Jr., Mission Specialist 2, KC5ACR Chris Hadfield, Mission Specialist 3, call sign TBD PAYLOAD: Primary Payload--Docking Module The Space Shuttle Atlantis makes its second trip to the Russian Space Station Mir during this mission, this time to install a permanent docking module that will simplify future shuttle link ups to the Russian complex. The target Mir docking date is November 4. STS-74 is the second of seven shuttle flights to Mir. This effort, known as Phase 1, is the precursor to building the International Space Station. [This information taken from the NASA STS-74 Mission Summary, 12/14/94.] Additional STS-74 mission information can be obtained from NASA: * NASA Spacelink computer information system (look under Spacelink.Hot.Topics) BBS: (205) 895-0028 [VT-100, 8-N-1] Telnet, FTP, and Gopher: spacelink.msfc.nasa.gov World Wide Web: http://spacelink.msfc.nasa.gov Internet TCP/IP address: 192.149.89.61 * NASA Shuttle World Wide Web Home Page: http://shuttle.nasa.gov SAREX SPONSORS: The Shuttle Amateur Radio EXperiment (SAREX) is sponsored by the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT) and The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). SAREX is supported by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS: A handful of schools are selected from around the world to make contact with the shuttle during most SAREX missions. These contacts are prearranged, giving the schools a greater chance at making a successful contact. Two or more students at each of the selected schools ask questions of the astronauts during the contact. The nature of these contacts embodies the primary goal of SAREX--to excite students' interest in learning. The following schools have been selected by the SAREX Working Group for a scheduled radio contact during this mission: Franklin Junior High School Pocatello, ID Connecticut-area schools (combined-effort) Staples High School, Westport (contact site) Western Middle School, Greenwich Saxe Middle School, New Canaan Columbus Magnet School, Norwalk Lake Street Elementary School Crown Point, IN Magee Middle School Round Lake Hts., IL Quimby Oak Junior High School San Jose, CA ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR AMATEUR RADIO OPERATORS SAREX RADIO FREQUENCIES: During most SAREX missions, many of the crew members will make random contacts with earth-bound hams. They make these contacts during their breaks, before and after meal time, and during their pre-sleep time. In fact, over the past years the astronauts have contacted thousands of amateurs around the world. Since this flight is a shuttle-Mir docking mission, and SAREX and Mir Amateur Radio stations usually share the same downlink frequency (145.55 MHz), the SAREX Working Group has decided to use the following frequencies during this mission. The crew will use separate receive and transmit frequencies. PLEASE do not transmit on the shuttle's DOWNLINK frequency. The DOWNLINK is your receiving frequency. The UPLINK is your transmitting frequency. FM Voice Downlink: 145.84 MHz FM Voice Uplink: 144.45, 144.47 MHz The crew will not favor either uplink frequency, so your ability to communicate with SAREX will be the "luck of the draw." Transmit only when the shuttle is within range of your station, and when the shuttle's station is on-the-air. CALL SIGNS: FM voice call signs--KB5AWP, N5SCW, KC5ACR QSL VIA: Send reports and QSLs to ARRL EAD, STS-74 QSL, 225 Main Street, Newington, CT 06111-1494, USA. Include the following information in your QSL or report: STS-74, date, time in UTC, frequency and mode (FM voice). In addition, you must also include a SASE using a large, business-sized envelope if you wish to receive a card. The Greater Norwalk Amateur Radio Club in Norwalk, CT has generously volunteered to manage the cards for this mission. SHUTTLE TRACKING: Current Keplerian elements to track the shuttle are available from the following sources: * NASA Spacelink computer information system BBS: (205) 895-0028 [VT-100, 8-N-1] Telnet, FTP, and Gopher: spacelink.msfc.nasa.gov World Wide Web: http://spacelink.msfc.nasa.gov Internet TCP/IP address: 192.149.89.61 * NASA SAREX WWW Home Page: http://www.nasa.gov/sarex/sarex_mainpage.html * ARRL W1AW news bulletins (frequencies and times listed under "FOR FURTHER INFORMATION") BBS: (860) 594-0306 World Wide Web: http://www.arrl.org *AMSAT World Wide Web: http://www.amsat.org * Johnson Space Center Amateur Radio Club BBS: (713) 244-5625 * Goddard Amateur Radio Club BBS: (301) 286-4137 World Wide Web: http://garc.gsfc.nasa.gov/www/garc-home-page.html Packet: WA3NAN on 145.090 MHz in DC area CONFIGURATION: During STS-74, the SAREX hardware will be flown in configuration M. Configuration M uses the shuttle/Mir VHF radio for FM voice radio contacts. During final approaches to the Mir Space Station, a VHF radio is used by the shuttle Commander to radio the Mir crew by ship-to-ship communications, providing shuttle status and keeping them informed of major events from that point on, including confirmation of contact, capture and conclusion of damping. This same VHF radio is used by the crew for SAREX activities during shuttle/Mir docking missions. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Contact the American Radio Relay League Educational Activities Department 225 Main Street, Newington CT 06111-1494 USA Telephone (860) 594-0301, FAX (860) 594-0259, ARRL BBS (860) 594-0306 Internet sarex@arrl.org World Wide Web http://www.arrl.org CompuServe 70007,3373 Prodigy PTYS02A America Online HQARRL1 ARRL's (Newington, CT) Amateur Radio station (call sign W1AW) transmits news bulletins (9:45 PM, 12:45 AM EST) on HF bands at 3.99, 7.29, 14.29, 18.16, 21.39, 28.59 and in the Connecticut area on VHF at 147.555 MHz. W1AW bulletins are also forwarded on packet. Members of the Goddard Amateur Radio Club (Greenbelt, MD) re-transmit live, shuttle air-to-ground audio over the amateur frequencies from their club station, WA3NAN. To listen-in, tune to Amateur Radio high frequency (HF) bands at 3.86, 7.185, 14.295, 21.395, and 28.65 megahertz (MHz) and in the Maryland/DC area on a very high frequency (VHF) band at 147.45 MHz. The "SAREX Bulletin" contains additional general information on SAREX. This document may be obtained electronically from many of the popular on-line electronic services. The American Radio Relay League Newington, CT USA [ANS would like to the thank the ARRL and the SAREX Working Group for this this bulletin item.] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-294.02 PHASE-3D & AMSAT FEATURE TO AIR HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 294.02 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD OCTOBER 21, 1995 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT BID: $ANS-294.02 AMSAT & Phase-3D Program To Air In Mid-November! Keith Baker (KB1SF) has just been informed by Dave Brody, Segment Producer for the Sci-Fi Channel Television Program "Inside Space", that the program featuring AMSAT's Phase 3-D International Satellite is now slated to air on the Network in mid-November. "Inside Space" is a weekly program produced by the Sci-Fi Network in the USA and is beamed to North America via satellite. It's also carried on a number of television cable systems in the USA, Canada and Mexico. The program containing AMSAT's coverage will be featured in the segment now set to air on the Network beginning Friday evening, November 17th at 9 PM (Eastern Time) as well as again at 1 AM (Eastern Time) on the following (early) Saturday morning. In addition, KB1SF has been told that the segment will be repeated on the Network on Sunday morning, November 19th, at 11 AM Eastern time. As some of you may recall, filming for the AMSAT Phase 3-D portion of the program was accomplished last February at the Phase 3-D Laboratory in Orlando, Florida and featured on-camera interviews with Dick Jansson (WD4FAB) AMSAT-NA VP for Engineering as well as yours truly. Together, we attempted to give viewers an "up close and personal" tour of both the Lab and the satellite, including a discussion about the efforts of the international team that's putting the satellite together. Also included was a general discussion on AMSAT and Amateur Radio regarding the contributions Hams have made to the advancement of communications technology over the years. KB1SF has also since learned that, subsequent to the P3-D filming, other AMSAT and Amateur Radio segments, including a SAREX school contact, as well as some 1995 field day activities, were apparently also filmed by a Sci-Fi Channel video crew and may be included in the segment. Dave Brody has also promised to keep KB1SF abreast of any changes to the schedule, and he pass them along to you here if (when) KB1SF receives them. [The AMSAT News Service would like to thank Dave Brody & Keith Baker (KB1SF) for this bulletin item.] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-294.03 WEEKLY OSCAR STATUS REPORTS HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 294.02 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD OCTOBER 21, 1995 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT BID: $ANS-294.03 Weekly OSCAR Status Reports: 21-OCT-95 AO-13: Current Transponder Operating Schedule: QST *** AO-13 TRANSPONDER SCHEDULE *** 1995 Jul 31 - Oct 30 Mode-B : MA 0 to MA 140 | Mode-BS : MA 140 to MA 240 | Mode-B : MA 240 to MA 256 | Alon/Alat 228/-1 Omnis : MA 250 to MA 140 | Move to attitude 180/0, Oct 30 N QST ** AO-13 TRANSPONDER SCHEDULE ** 1995 Oct 30 - 1996 Jan 01 Mode-B : MA 0 to MA 70 | Mode-BS : MA 70 to MA 110 | Omnis : MA 230 to MA 25 Mode-S : MA 110 to MA 112 |<- S beacon only Mode-S : MA 112 to MA 135 |<- S transponder; B trsp. is OFF Mode-S : MA 135 to MA 140 |<- S beacon only Mode-BS : MA 140 to MA 180 | Alon/Alat 180/0 Mode-B : MA 180 to MA 256 | Move to attitude 225/0, Jan 01 [G3RUH/DB2OS/VK5AGR] The AMSAT NEWS Service (ANS) NEEDS YOUR HELP! The ANS looking for volun- teers to contribute weekly OSCAR status reports. If you have a favorite OSCAR which you work on a regular basis and would like to contribute to this weekly bulletin, please send your observations to WD0HHU at his CompuServe address of 70524,2272, on INTERNET at wd0hhu@amsat.org, or to his local packet BBS in the Denver, CO area, WD0HHU @ N0QCU. Also, if you find that the current set of orbital elements are not generating the correct AOS/LOS times at your QTH, PLEASE INCLUDE THAT INFORMATION AS WELL. The information you provide will be of value to all OSCAR enthusiasts. /EX