SB NEWS @ AMSAT $SPC1110 * SpaceNews 10-Nov-97 * BID: $SPC1110 ========= SpaceNews ========= MONDAY NOVEMBER 10, 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-17 / SPUTNIK-40 LAUNCHED * =============================== The Sputnik-40 satellite was hand deployed by Anatoly from the Mir space station during a space walk that took place last Monday. The small satellite is battery powered, and is currently transmitting audio "beeps" on 145.820 MHz FM using 250 milliwatts of power. Reception reports have been received from around the world by people using even modest receiving equipment such as a handheld receiver in a car with a "rubber duck" antenna. The frequency of the audio tone transmitted by the satellite is related to the internal temperature in the spacecraft. Sputnik-40 also goes by the name of "RS-17". The batteries on the satellite are expected to allow operation for about one month. The following Keplerian elements can be used to track this latest Amateur Radio satellite: Sputnik 40 1 24958U 97058C 97308.73090523 .00032204 00000-0 39449-3 0 76 2 24958 51.6583 99.3826 0006309 271.4809 88.5478 15.60040373 160 * MIR ALTITUDE REPORT * ======================= Jean-Claude, FB1RCI, has provided the following graphic showing the altitude of Mir as a function of time based on Mean Motion of the spacecraft. TIME ORBIT REVOLUTION (Summary) MIR Complex 16609 (Period day = 280 to day = 306 1997) Revolution/Day I 15.5500 I I 15.5600 I I 15.5700 I I 15.5800 I I I 15.6000 I-------------------_____________________ I I 15.6500 I Epoch time I____x__________x__________x__________x__________x__________x___ Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Soyuz TM26 docking : 07-Aug-97 STS-86 docking : 28-Sep-97 Progress M36 docking : 07-Oct-97 * MIR NEWS * ============ Miles Mann, WF1F, reports that the crew on Mir is preparing for their next space walk in which they will install a new solar panel in place of an old one removed last Monday. Solar panel replacement is a routine operation as the solar cells used in the panels lose efficiency over time. Not much Amateur Radio activity is expected because of the heavy crew work load. * FO-29 OPERATING SCHEDULE * ============================ Date Mode ----------+------------- 10-Nov-97 : JD 1200 bps 14-Nov-97 : JA 21-Nov-97 : Digitalker 25-Nov-97 : JD 1200 bps 28-Nov-97 : JD 9600 bps 05-Dec-97 : JA 12-Dec-97 : JD 9600 bps 19-Dec-97 : Digitalker 26-Dec-97 : JA 09-Jan-98 : JD 1200 bps 16-Jan-98 : JD 9600 bps 23-Jan-98 : JA 30-Jan-98 : JD 1200 bps FO-20 continues in Mode JA. [Info via Kazu Sakamoto, JJ1WTK] * FALCON GOLD CORRECTION * ========================== Last week it was reported that the US Air Force Academy was the first undergraduate institution to get a live satellite in orbit after the successful launch of the Falcon Gold satellite. In reality, there have been previous satellite projects undertaken by other educational institutions. For example, Weber State University in Ogden, Utah had a satellite called NUSAT deployed from the Space Shuttle in the early 1980s. This was followed by the successful launch of WEBERSAT-OSCAR-18 in January 1990. Both spacecraft were constructed at Weber State University by undergraduate personnel. So, while the Falcon Gold satellite was certainly constructed by undergraduate personnel at the US Air Force Academy, it was not the first undergraduate institution to get a live satellite into orbit. Sorry for the confusion last week's report may have caused. * 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, KITSAT-OSCAR-25 <<=- SpaceNews: The first amateur newsletter read in space! -=>> /EX