SB NEWS @ AMSAT $SPC0217
* SpaceNews 17-Feb-97 *


BID: $SPC0217


			       =========
			       SpaceNews
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			MONDAY FEBRUARY 17, 1997


SpaceNews originates at KD2BD in Wall Township, New Jersey, USA.  It
is published every week and is made available for non-commercial use.


* SAFEX NEWS *
==============
German cosmonaut Reinhold Ewald, DL2MIR, is currently aboard the Mir Space
Station.  He is using the SAFEX equipment set up by the German DLR ham radio
group for transmissions of actual reports from on board Mir.  He is using
the Digital Voice Recorder (DVR) of SAFEX transmitting on 437.925 MHz
downlink.

DF0VR copied the SAFEX voice transmission from Mir on 17-Feb-97.  It read
as follows:

"Automatic transmission from Reinhold DL2MIR on SAFEX RR0DL onboard the
Mir space station.  SAFEX is the space amateur ham radio experiment of the
German/Russian cooperation.  The experiments of the Mir '97 mission are
running well.  These experiments are of medical type and use the Titus-Ofen
for material science experiments.  There are 6 people onboard now including
the American astronaut Jerry Linenger, the main crew Valery Korzun, Sascha
Kaleri and the new crew Sascha Lazutkin and Vasiliy Tsibliev.

Automatische Aussendung von Reinhold DL2MIR über die SAFEX-Anlage RR0DL auf
der russischen Raumstation MIR.  Die Experimente der MIR'97 Mission laufen
gut.  Heute ist ein Metabolismus-Experiment an der Reihe, bei dem der
Stoffwechsel des Körpers untersucht werden soll. Außerdem läuft der
Titus-Ofen mit weiteren Proben.

73 von der Raumstation Mir

[Info via Norbert, DF5DP (DARC Staff Satellites and Space Projects)]


* JAVA SATELLITE TRACKING URLS *
================================
Those who have a Java capable Web browser can visit a satellite tracking
Web page sponsored by the Marshall Spaceflight Center at the following URL:

	http://liftoff.msfc.nasa.gov/home/mission/jtrack/welcome.html

A Java tracker for the STS-82 Space Shuttle mission is located at:

	http://www.unitedspacealliance.com/live/tracker3.htm


* HELP SOUGHT FOR PHASE 3D *
============================
In preparation for final tests and acceptance by the European Space Agency
of the Phase 3-D carrying structure (SBS) for flight, the Phase 3-D
Development Laboratory in Orlando, Florida now has an urgent requirement
for the on-site loan and use of the following equipment items:

*  An instrumentation A-D converter and scanner card designed for use in
a personal computer (PC) along with the appropriate DOS or Windows-based
software that can handle data processing for "rosette strain gauge data".

* The A-D/Scanner card must also have an appropriately coupled external
interface (IF) unit suitable to directly input resistance measurements from
strain gauges which have already been procured and are now on-site at the
P3-D Lab in Florida.  Additionally, the A-D/Scanner/IF combination and
software must be able to process at least 16 channels of data, if not 32
channels.

* While not absolutely essential, it would also be very helpful if a person
who is intimately familiar with the calibration, functioning and processing
tasks of such equipment could also be present for up to a week to 10 days
in the late March/early April, 1997 time frame at the P3-D Laboratory in
Florida to help conduct these tests. 

The Phase 3-D team anticipates only needing to borrow the above
instrumentation for a short period of time during these tests.  If suitable
loaner equipment cannot be located, scarce program funds will be required
to purchase these items as their use in conducting these tests is flight
critical.  

If anyone knows of a source where these items can be leased, rented or
otherwise obtained quickly, or who knows of someone with the appropriate
skills and time to give the team on-site help with these tasks, please
contact one of the following individuals with whatever detailed information
about this issue that you may have:

        Keith Baker, KB1SF ("kb1sf@amsat.org")/FAX: 937-429-5325) or 
        Dick Jansson, WD4FAB (wd4fab@amsat.org")/FAX: 407-644-9782  


[Info via Keith Baker, KB1SF, Executive Vice President, AMSAT-NA]


* THANKS! *
===========
Many thanks to all those who sent messages of appreciation to SpaceNews,
especially:

			WA1JVV		KB5VSY


* 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


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