SB NEWS @ AMSAT $SPC0203 * SpaceNews 03-Feb-97 * BID: $SPC0203 ========= SpaceNews ========= MONDAY FEBRUARY 3, 1997 SpaceNews originates at KD2BD in Wall Township, New Jersey, USA. It is published every week and is made available for non-commercial use. * RS-16 LAUNCH SOON * ===================== Rumors of an imminent launch of RS-16 continue to circulate. Andy, RK3KPK, reports the launch was planned for December 1996, but due to some problems with the satellite, has been delayed. The launch will take place on a Zeya rocket from a new Far-Eastern spacedrome near Svobodny. The expected orbital altitude is 500 - 600 kilometers with an orbital inclination of 97.2 degrees. The following frequencies will be used by RS-16: Uplink = 145.915 - 145.948 MHz Downlink = 29.415 - 29.448 MHz Beacons = 29.408 , 29.451 MHz Pwr 29 MHz Down = 1.2 W /4 W Beacon 1 = 435.504 MHz Beacon 2 = 435.548 MHz Pwr 435 MHz Beacons = 1.6 W [Info via Andy, RK3KPK, operator of the RS3A RS satellite command station] * COMET HALE-BOPP NEWS * ======================== Comet Hale-Bopp may be headed for a bright encounter later this year. Information on this comet may be obtained on the World Wide Web at: http://www.halebopp.com * STS-82 ORBITAL DATA * ======================= What follows is the nominal OMS-2 State Vector and Keplerian Elements for STS-82. The vector data comes from NASA; the orbital parameters were computed from the vector. This file may be read by VEC2TLE version 9648 to update your Keplerian Elements text file. Vector format = 10117 Satellite Name: STS-82 Catalog Number: 99982 Epoch MET: 0.03153560185 0/00:45:24.676 MET EFG E: 9116609.4 ft F: 18998944.1 ft G: -8769364.4 ft Edot: -20995.653319 ft/s Fdot: 6870.409915 ft/s Gdot: -6942.195073 ft/s ndot/2 (drag): 0.00002367612 rev/day^2 nddt/6: 0.00000E+00 rev/day^3 Bstar: 3.60015E-05 1/Earth Radii Elset #: 1 Rev @ Epoch: 1.64921800407 Note that the 99982 Catalog Number is only a temporary designation. Once STS-82 is launched, a permanent Catalog Number and International Designator will be assigned. Launch is scheduled for 11-Feb-97 / 08:56:00 UTC The following Keplerian elements were computed by VEC2TLE from this vector using a 0.5 drag multiplier: STS-82 1 99982U 97042.40375782 .00002368 00000-0 36002-4 0 13 2 99982 28.4692 121.0404 0180089 53.0905 180.6439 15.36921340 16 Satellite: STS-82 Catalog number: 99982 Epoch time: 97042.40375782 Element set: 1 Inclination: 28.4692 deg RA of node: 121.0404 deg Eccentricity: 0.0180089 Arg of perigee: 53.0905 deg Mean anomaly: 180.6439 deg Mean motion: 15.36921340 rev/day Decay rate: 2.36761e-05 rev/day^2 Epoch rev: 1 Checksum: 297 VEC2TLE may be downloaded from: http://www.amsat.org/amsat/sarex/orbit.html [Info via Ken Ernandes, N2WWD] * CALL FOR PAPERS * =================== The 1997 AMSAT-NA annual meeting and space symposium will be held on 17-Oct-97 through 19-Oct-97 at the Airport Delta Hotel in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. This is the first call for papers to authors who wish to present papers at this event. Topics for all amateur satellite disciplines are sought from the AMSAT community. Authors and titles are requested by 01-Mar-97 with abstracts by 01-Jun-97. Final versions are due by 01-Aug-97. Those not able to attend are encouraged to consider a paper for publication in the Proceedings of the symposium. Submissions and inquiries should be made to: Wayne Chandler, VE3WHC By internet: ve3whc@amsat.org By mail: W. H. Chandler Box 6, Carlisle, Ontario L0R1H0 Canada [Info from VE3WHC via VE3FRH @ AO-16] * AMSAT-OSCAR-16 NEWS * ======================= AO-16 continues to perform well. Whole Orbit Data (WOD) transmissions of Bus/Power channels 10, 13, 1E, 22, 2D, and 33 were conducted for a period of 48 hours starting 29-Jan-97. * WEBERSAT NEWS * ================= WEBERSAT-OSCAR-18 continues to transmit telemetry and picture data on its UHF downlink. Some ASCII packet frames copied on 01-Feb-97 by KD2BD include the following: WEBER>TIME : WEB: uptime is 51/20:15:23. Time is Sat Feb 01 16:06:09 1997 WEBER>CAST : 1-Feb-97 1200utc *Week3 WOD 21 BCR +10V 22 BCR SetPoint 29 +Y Array Cur 2F Bat 1 Temp 33 RC TX Pwr 36 +Y Array Temp *New Photos and Spectra(Monday) 73,IK3WVJ & KB7KCL * ITAMSAT-OSCAR-26 NEWS * ========================= IK2XRO at the ITAMSAT Control Station reported on 28-Jan-97 that IO-26 was in MBL mode in preparation for the new code upload. The transmitter was off. * FEEDBACK/INPUT WELCOMED * =========================== Comments and input for SpaceNews should be directed to the editor (John, KD2BD) via any of the paths listed below: WWW : http://www.njin.net/~magliaco/ PACKET : KD2BD @ KS4HR.NJ.USA.NA INTERNET : kd2bd@amsat.org, magliaco@email.njin.net SATELLITE : AMSAT-OSCAR-16, LUSAT-OSCAR-19 <<=- SpaceNews: The first amateur newsletter read in space! -=>> /EX