SB NEWS @ AMSAT $SPC0626 * SpaceNews 26-Jun-95 * BID: $SPC0626 ========= SpaceNews ========= MONDAY JUNE 26, 1995 SpaceNews originates at KD2BD in Wall Township, New Jersey, USA. It is published every week and is made available for unlimited free distribution. * STS-71 LAUNCH DELAY * ======================= The STS-71 launch team at the Kennedy Space Center scrubbed the latest launch attempt on 24-Jun-95 due to bad weather. The next attempt to launch the STS-71 flight to the MIR Space Station will be no earlier than Tuesday 27-Jun-95. The launch window on this date opens at 19:32 UTC and is ten minutes long. Please note that there are concerns regarding Tuesday's weather. If the weather looks questionable, another launch date will be scheduled. [Info via Frank H. Bauer, KA3HDO of the SAREX Working Group] * STS-71 SAREX INFO * ===================== Charlie Precourt (KB5YSQ), Pilot, and Ellen Baker, (KB5SIX), Mission Specialist will be flying on Space Shuttle Atlantis during mission STS-71. They will be making FM voice contacts with ground stations using the SAREX equipment being carried on Atlantis on STS-71. Since both SAREX and the MIR Amateur Radio station are expected to be operational throughout this flight and since the two vehicles share the same downlink frequency, 145.550 MHz, downlink frequency contention between the MIR radio station and SAREX would be expected. Because of this, the SAREX Working Group modified the SAREX operating frequencies for mission STS-71. As a result of the decisions made, the following frequencies will be used for two-way voice communications with the Shuttle astronauts: Downlink : 145.840 MHz Worldwide Uplinks : 144.450, 144.470 MHz Worldwide Note that the crew will not favor any specific uplink frequency, so the ability to communicate with SAREX will be the "luck of the draw." All operations are in split mode. DO NOT TRANSMIT on the downlink frequency! For all operations, Earth stations should listen to the downlink frequency and transmit on one of the uplink frequencies only when the Shuttle is in range and the astronauts are on the air. Reception reports and two-way contacts will be verified with a QSL card. The Sacred Hearts Academy Radio Club, Honolulu, Hawaii has generously volunteered to distribute the QSL cards for this mission. Send reports and QSLs to ARRL EAD, STS-71 QSL, 225 Main Street, Newington, CT 06111, USA. Include the following information in your QSL or report: STS-71, date, time in UTC, frequency and mode. In addition, you must also include a SASE using a large, business-sized envelope if you wish to receive a card. [Info via Frank H. Bauer, KA3HDO, and the AMSAT News Service] * LUSAT-OSCAR-19 NEWS * ======================= The LUSAT-OSCAR-19 satellite experienced a software crash last weekend. Prior to the crash, the BBS was in full operation, and the beacon was transmitting the following message: LUSAT-1>AMARG : June 14. Uplink channels: 145.84 145.86 145.88 145.9 AX.25 manchester (FM) Downlink: 437.125 AX.25 psk (SSB) LU8DYF, LO-19 command station. At last check, the satellite was in MBL mode transmitting telemetry, status frames, and brief text announcements: LUSAT-1>TIME-1 : PHT: uptime is 004/01:00:01. Time is Sat Jun 24 15:04:52 1995 LUSAT-1>AMARG : June 20. Recovery from crash in progress. Don't transmit on uplink channels. As usual, any telemetry report is useful. LU8DYF. South American traffic normally passed through LO-19 has now moved to AMSAT-OSCAR-16. * AMSAT-OSCAR-16 NEWS * ======================= The AMSAT-OSCAR-16 satellite (PACSAT) is functioning well. The satellite is transmitting the following beacon frame on its 1200 bit per second BPSK downlink on 437.051 MHz: PACSAT-1>QST : May 1995 PACSAT AO-16 Owned and Operated by AMSAT-NA Command Team WJ9F, WD0E, VK7ZBX, KB5MU AO16 Command Team Over the past weekend, AO-16 passed many messages between stations participating in Field Day activities. The following is an example of one such message copied by KD2BD in New Jersey: TO: All Hams FROM: WD2K RE: FIELD DAY DATE: 6/25/95 Greetings from WD2K Field Day Satellite Station at the Chatham Fairgrounds in Columbia County, New York, 30 miles south of Albany. We are operating 3A with packet and using generator and solar power. The event is sponsored by the Rip Van Winkle Amateur Radio Society. All the best and 73. * THANKS! * =========== Thanks to all who sent messages of appreciation to SpaceNews, especially: KN6IG ZR6SKY ZS6BMN * FEEDBACK/INPUT WELCOMED * =========================== Comments and input for SpaceNews should be directed to the editor (John, KD2BD) via any of the paths listed below. Please be aware that I do not have time to research answers to questions, nor do I maintain an extensive database of satellite information. Those wishing additional information regarding the Amateur Satellite Program should contact their local AMSAT area coordinators, tune into some of the AMSAT nets on the air, or write their local AMSAT organizations. Check advertisments in Amateur Radio magazines for addresses. FAX : 1-908-747-7107 PACKET : KD2BD @ KS4HR.NJ.USA.NA INTERNET : kd2bd@amsat.org -or- magliaco@pilot.njin.net SATELLITE : AMSAT-OSCAR-16 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