SB NEWS @ AMSAT $SPC0206 * SpaceNews 06-Feb-95 * BID: $SPC0206 ========= SpaceNews ========= MONDAY FEBRUARY 6, 1995 SpaceNews originates at KD2BD in Wall Township, New Jersey, USA. It is published every week and is made available for unlimited free distribution. * SPACE CALENDAR * ================== Feb ?? - Intelsat 706 Ariane Launch Feb 02 - STS-63, Discovery, SPACEHAB-3 Feb 09 - 5th Anniversary (1990), Galileo, Venus Flyby Feb 11 - Mars Opposition Feb 14 - 5th Anniversary (1990), Voyager 1, Family Portrait of Solar System Feb 15 - Progress M-26 Launch (Russian) Feb 16 - Foton Soyuz-U Launch (Russian) Feb 17 - 30th Anniversary (1965), Ranger 8 Launch (Moon Impact Mission) Feb 18 - 65th Anniversary (1930), Clyde Tombaugh's Discovery of Pluto Feb 22 - GMS-5/SFU H-2 Launch (Japan) Feb 25-26 - Space Memorabilia Auction, Beverly Hills, California Feb 27 - Russian Mars Rover Tests, Hawaii Feb 27 - Glonass Proton-K Launch (Russian) * MICROSAT NEWS * ================= PACSAT-1>AMSAT : 12 January 1995 Monthly WOD collection by week 1) Array currents 2)Temperatures 3)Power/Battery 4)Various AO16 Command Team DOVE-1>BRAMST : 27th January 1995 13:37 UTC Voice experiment has been switched OFF. S Band is still ON. Work is progressing on improvements to Dove. 73 Dove Command Team WEBER-1>CAST : 27-Jan-95 *Collecting and Sending WOD Week4: Temps/Impact Ch# 14 2F 30 35 3B 40 *New Images *Monday, New Spectrum 73, IK3WVJ LUSAT-1>AMARG : January 22. Fifth year of Pacsat's and UoSat's in the space. Congratulations to Amsat UK and Amsat NA from Amsat LU. LU8DYF, LO-19 command station. IY2SAT-1>AMSAT : ** 28th January 1995 ** IHTX ver. 2.0 running. AARTD loaded. QAX25 IHTX loading in progress. Digi is ON 73 de ITAMSAT Command team. * MORE ASTRONAUTS/HAMS * ======================== Two astronauts have joined the ranks of Amateur Radio licensees who will fly aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour during mission STS-67 in March. Pilot William G. Gregory has earned call sign KC5MGA and Payload Commander Tamara E. Jernigan is KC5MGF. Both took examinations with ARRL Volunteer Examiners on January 19 and were issued call signs on January 25. The speedy turnaround is a direct result of the ARRL/VEC having started electronically filing all license applications with FCC. The 16 day mission is scheduled to launch on March 2 at 0637 UTC. Six of Endeavour's seven crewmembers have Amateur Radio licenses. School groups >From 26 locations around the world are scheduled to make voice contacts with the crew as part of the Shuttle Amateur Radio EXperiment (SAREX) component of this mission. [Info via Bob Inderbitzen, NQ1R] * ZRO TEST UPDATE * =================== The ZRO Memorial Technical Achievement Award Program, or just "ZRO Test" has had four successful tests so far with the current schedule. The tests of December 31st and January 21st were a bit difficult for participants in North America, but signals were excellent on the January 8th and 15th runs. One test remains on February 11th at 2000 UTC. The downlink frequency will be 145.840 MHz. Conditions are expected to be very good for those in North America, South America, parts of western Europe and western Africa. Plan to participate but please avoid transmitting with a downlink in the vicinity of 145.840 MHz. Some QRM has been noted on two of the tests of this series. Copy the random CW five-digit numbers until the signals are too weak to hear and send your results to: Andy MacAllister, WA5ZIB, 14714 Knights Way Drive, Houston, TX 77083-5640. For those with certificates, endorsement stickers will be sent for any new levels copied. For those without certificates, a report will be returned with results and information on certificates. A self-addressed-stamped envelope is appreciated, but not necessary. Information about the AMSAT Awards Program can be found on page 197 of the "Proceedings of the AMSAT-NA Tenth Space Symposium" (1992). This paper, covering all the AMSAT-NA awards including specifics on the ZRO Test, was reprinted on page 10 in the March/April 1993 issue of "The AMSAT Journal". The ZRO Test information provided in the article covers test procedures, means for obtaining certificates and gives some historical background about the program. Reprints of the article can be obtained for an S.A.S.E. to WA5ZIB at the address above. [Info via WA5ZIB] * KD2BD PACSAT MODEM NEWS * =========================== Just a reminder that copies of the August 1994 issue of "QEX" magazine containing a description of the "KD2BD Pacsat Modem" are available from the ARRL by writing: Maty Weinberg American Radio Relay League 225 Main Street Newington, Connecticut 06111 USA * NEWS CORRECTIONS * ==================== Last week's issue of SpaceNews provided Keplerian data for STS-67 instead of the current STS-63 mission. STS-63 will match closely with Mir's orbit on the forth day of Discovery's mission. Those wishing to view both objects in the morning sky should track Mir and watch for Discovery following nearby. * FEEDBACK/INPUT WELCOMED * =========================== Mail to SpaceNews should be directed to the editor (John, KD2BD) via any of the following paths: FAX : 1-908-747-7107 PACKET : KD2BD @ KS4HR.NJ.USA.NA INTERNET : kd2bd@amsat.org -or- magliaco@pilot.njin.net SATELLITE : AMSAT-OSCAR-16, LUSAT-OSCAR-19 MAIL : John A. Magliacane, KD2BD Department of Engineering and Technology Advanced Technology Center Brookdale Community College Lincroft, New Jersey 07738 U.S.A. <<=- SpaceNews: The first amateur newsletter read in space! -=>> /EX