SB SAT @ AMSAT   $ANS-331.01
1995 SAREX Missions Successfully Completed

HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 331.01 FROM AMSAT HQ
SILVER SPRING, MD NOVEMBER 27, 1995
TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT
BID: $ANS-331.01


The final SAREX and Space Shuttle mission of the year was
successfully completed at 17:01 UTC on Monday November 20 with
the landing of the Orbiter Atlantis at the Kennedy Space Center. 
STS-74 marked the fourth and final Shuttle Amateur Radio
EXperiment (SAREX) mission for 1995.  

The five Space Shuttle Astronauts, Commander Ken Cameron, KB5AWP,
Pilot Jim Halsell, KC5RNI, Mission Specialist Bill McArthur,
KC5ACR, Mission Specialist, Jerry Ross, N5SCW, and Canadian
Mission Specialist Chris Hadfield, KC5RNJ (VA3OOG), provided
one of the more outstanding, well rounded SAREX missions ever. 
The Shuttle crew did not waste any time getting on the air. 
Within 7 hours after liftoff, they were making general QSO
contacts.  They also kept the radio warm until late in the
flight.  KC5ACR was still making voice contacts on orbit 125,
less than 7 hours prior to landing.  The SAREX team estimates
that the STS-74 crew made about 100 general voice contacts per
day.  Better statistics will be available once the SAREX voice
tapes are retrieved from Atlantis.  

The SAREX team also chalked up another first on this mission. 
During this flight, the Astronauts and ground operations crew had
100% success on ALL scheduled contacts.  This includes the 5
school contacts, the radio checkout pass and the crew family
contacts.  This outstanding achievement reflects in less stress
at the schools and additional opportunities for ham radio
operators around the world to talk to the crew.

During the mission, the Atlantis astronauts completed 5 scheduled
ham radio contacts with students in the US.  These groups
included students from Franklin Junior High School in Pocatello,
Idaho, Norwalk County schools in Connecticut, Lake Street 
Elementary School in Crown Point, Indiana, Round Lake-area
schools in Illinois, and Quimby Oak Junior High School in San
Jose, California. The students were assisted by their local
Amateur Radio clubs and many AMSAT SAREX volunteers.  During
these 5 school group contacts students asked 54 questions.  More
than 2300 students participated in the 5 events.  

QSL cards and reports may be sent 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 (#10) 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.

Amateur Radio activities will again be conducted from Atlantis
during mission STS-76, scheduled for launch in March 1996.

The SAREX Working Group would like to thank all those from around
the world who have volunteered their time and talent to make the
SAREX project such an overwhelming success.  Special thanks also
goes to the Space Shuttle Astronauts for their interest in this
most rewarding project.  

ANS thanks Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, of the SAREX Working Group and
AMSAT's Vice President for Manned Space Programs, for this
bulletin.

/EX