SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-011.01 RS-17 DECLARED DEAD HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 011.01 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD, JANUARY 11, 1998 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT BID: $ANS-011.01 It's official. The Sputnik PS2/RS-17 mini-satellite ceased transmitting on December 29, 1997. The little satellite, a one-third scale replica of the original Sputnik 1, beep-beeped its way around the globe for 55 days, more than two weeks longer than it had been projected to last. The 100-mW transmitter was powered by lithium batteries. The Sputnik PS-2 was launched by hand from the Russian Mir space station on November 4, 1997, to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the launching of the original Sputnik by the USSR in 1957. The original Sputnik only transmitted for about one month. The Sputnik PS2 beacon, on 145.82, was widely monitored and recorded around the world. The satellite was fabricated by students in Russian and on France's Reunion Island. Sputnik 40 Years, which sponsored the satellite project, said the last known recordings of the Sputnik PS2 beacon were made on December 29 at approximately 2100 UTC by a ham in Washington and by FR1AJ on Reunion Island. At the time, the data indicated an internal temperature of 40 degrees Celsius. Those tracking the satellite reported that the Sputnik PS2's beacon signal had continued to get weaker as the end approached. Even after the beep-beep ceased, however, the satellite's unmodulated oscillator continued to transmit for a while longer. Reception reports go to The Radio Club of Jules Reydellet school on Reunion Island. Those whose reports are confirmed will receive an approximately 6x9-inch color certificate on high-quality paper with number identification and the radio club stamp. Requests for these certificates should be made only by letter with an SASE (6x9 inch) and two (2) IRCs. Do not send requests via e-mail. The mailing address is FR5KJ Radio Club, 103 Rue de la Republique, 97 489 Saint Denis Cedex, Reunion Island. [ANS thanks the ARRL for the news report.] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-011.02 MIR's LIFE EXTENDED HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 011.02 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD, JANUARY 11, 1998 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT BID: $ANS-011.02 The 12-year-old Russian Mir space station may stay in orbit until the first components of the International Space Station are in place in 1999. That's a few months longer than Mir was supposed to stay up. The first ISS units are set to be launched later this year. Hams are scheduled to be among the first crew members to populate the ISS, but the US presence aboard Mir comes to an end this June. Us astronaut David Wolf, KC5VPF, now aboard Mir, is scheduled to be replaced later this month by Australian-born US astronaut Andy Thomas, KD5CHF. Two new Russian crew members, both hams, are due to arrive at month's end. The Russian cosmonauts are Talgat Musabayev, RO3FT, and Nikolai Budarin, RV3FB. Wolf has been on Mir since late September. Thomas will work aboard Mir until June. Wolf's research schedule has allowed him little spare time to use the ham radio equipment aboard Mir. The packet system aboard the space station has been experiencing problems because the crew has not had time to set up the correct parameters for the new TNC aboard Mir. This week, Wolf, 41, monitored and filmed operations from inside MIR's main module as his two cosmonaut crewmates conducted a space walk to check a leaky hatch and to retrieve some equipment. On January 14, Wolf and cosmonaut Anatoly Solovyov will do a spacewalk to recover some experiments. [ANS thanks the ARRL for this information.] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-011.03 STS-89 ORBITAL DATA HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 011.03 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD, JANUARY 11, 1998 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT BID: $ANS-011.03 Ken Ernandes, N2WWD, has uploaded STS-89 nominal orbital data to the AMSAT Web site. This data represents the initial planned orbit for STS-89 based on the following planned launch time: 23-JAN-98 / 02:48:16 UTC The AMSAT Web site data will be updated to reflect any changes to the planned orbit including those due to changes in the launch time. As always, this data will also be maintained during the mission with data reflecting the actual orbit of the STS-89 spacecraft and the Shuttle/Mir complex. The AMSAT Web site Shuttle Orbital Data is at: http://www.amsat.org/amsat/sarex/orbit.html The alternate Web site for Shuttle orbital data is: http://www.mindspring.com/~n2wwd The STS-89 nominal two-line Keplerian elements are: STS-89 1 99989U 98023.14663194 .00037821 59761-8 88592-4 0 17 2 99989 51.6623 59.5301 0017156 330.4488 219.0071 15.95897611 15 Note that "99989" is a temporary catalog number. A permanent catalog number and international designator will be assigned when STS-89 has launched. [ANS thanks Ken Ernandes, N2WWD, for this report.] EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-011.04 FOLLOW-UP TO HOUSTON NET HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 011.04 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD, JANUARY 11, 1998 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT BID: $ANS-011.04 Well if it was missed, the 200th Houston AMSAT Net was one to listen to. One hour of the best information that can be found. The Net contained important up to the minute information about P3D and other projects. The evening had interviews with Bill Tynan, W3XO, AMSAT President talking about P3D and the future of satellites. Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, AMSAT Vice President of Manned Space Flight talked about the Lunar Prospector from Goddard Mission Control and also about ham radio equipment aboard the International Space Station Lou McFadin, W5DID, AMSAT P3D Lab Manager spoke about the construction of the satellite. Stan Wood, WA4NFY, AMSAT Board of Directors member and Vice President for Engineering, as well as a member of the team in Orlando, talked about tests of the antennas and other phases of construction of the satellite. Finally, Keith Baker, KB1SF, AMSAT Executive Vice President talking about launch possibilities of P3D. A Real Audio copy of the interview and net can be listened to by connecting to the Houston AMSAT Net web site and clicking on the "200th Net". The web site address is http://www.amsatnet.com [ANS thanks Bruce KK5DO, Net Producer, AMSAT Area Coordinator, for this info.] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-011.05 SKN BEST FIST NOMINATIONS HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 011.05 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD, JANUARY 11, 1998 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT BID: $ANS-011.05 Ray Soifer, W2RS, tells the Amsat News Service that it's time to send out in nominations for Best Fist in this year's SKN on OSCAR. Please address it via e-mail to