SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-122.01 UOSAT-12 HEALTHY AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 122.01 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD, MAY 02, 1999 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-122.01 UoSAT-12, -amateur radio's newest satellite- has successfully completed almost two weeks in space. The satellite carries a number of imaging payloads, digital store-and-forward communications and mode L/S transponders. The operations team at the Surrey Space Mission Control Center report to ANS that on-board software has stopped the tumbling of the satellite after release from the launcher. The momentum wheel on the bird was also tested and confirmed as operational. UoSAT-12 is now in a 3-axis stabilized Earth pointing mode. The first images of Earth from the four remote sensing CCD cameras on-board the mini-satellite have been successfully received. The first image from the 10-meter resolution panchromatic camera was taken over Texas and later downloaded for evaluation. The image showed good detail, confirming camera function and focus. After adjusting the camera, a second image over London was captured. Recently a panchromatic image and a 32-meter single-band image from one of the two multi-spectral cameras were captured simultaneously over Los Angeles, clearly showing airport runways, housing, dockyards and freeways. UoSAT-12 also carries a wide-angle color CCD imager for meteorological imaging and this has been used regularly during the past week for Earth cloud cover monitoring. The data from the imaging CCD cameras are compressed on-board the spacecraft prior to transmission to the ground. Very highly-compressed, quick-look 'thumbnail' images are also available and enable ground operators to assess the image quality and content prior to downloading the full image. Spacecraft operators are now refining the camera settings through a series of continuing test images and the first images for release are expected soon. In addition, opening the transponders aboard the satellite for general amateur use is being planned - along with official OSCAR number designation. [ANS thanks Chris G7UPN / ZL2TPO, and the University of Surrey, for this information] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-122.02 SECOND CALL FOR PAPERS AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 122.02 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD, MAY 02, 1999 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-122.02 As announced previously by ANS, recent and future development in amateur radio satellites will be presented in San Diego, California --October 8-11, 1999-- at the 17th Space Symposium and AMSAT-NA Annual Meeting. This is the second call to authors who wish to present papers at the Symposium. Presentations will also be printed in the official Proceedings document. You do not need to be a member of AMSAT-NA to present a paper or attend the Symposium. The subject matter should be topics of interest to the Amateur Radio satellite service. One page abstracts are due and should be submitted as soon as possible for consideration. Other key dates for submitting papers are as follows: June 01, 1999 - authors will be advised if accepted August 01, 1999 - camera ready copy of accepted papers due Abstracts should be sent to Symposium chair Duane Naugle, KO6BT, via email at: ko6bt@amsat.org (or via terrestrial mail to) Duane Naugle, KO6BT 4111 Nemaha Drive San Diego, California 92117-4522 USA Proceedings of the Symposium will be printed by the ARRL and made available at and immediately after the event. If authors do not wish to present a paper but have a topic of interest, please submit the topic and arrangements may be made for a stand-in presenter. Receipt of submissions will be confirmed. Additional information may be found at http://www.amsat.org [ANS thanks AMSAT-NA Symposium chair Duane Naugle, KO6BT, for this information] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-122.03 ISS STATUS AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 122.03 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD, MAY 02, 1999 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-122.03 The second planned power test aboard the International Space Station was completed recently setting the stage for the arrival of the Shuttle Discovery on May 22nd, the first logistics flight carrying hardware and supplies to the outpost. ISS also celebrated its fifth month in orbit. Evaluation testing -also known as 'characterization' testing- of the station's two high-gain antenna was underway when communication was lost through the Early Communications System (ECS). The loss of communication is under evaluation, but a faulty transmitter box may be the culprit. A spare transmitter is already aboard the station and other spares are planned for delivery. In the meantime, communication and command is being conducted in the primary mode by Russian ground stations. Space Shuttle Discovery rolled to its seaside launch pad earlier this week in preparation for the first flight of the year to visit the station. The transport of Discovery to the launch pad at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida sets the stage to deliver supplies that will be used by the first astronauts and cosmonauts to live on the outpost. The next ISS component and the first full Russian contribution to the ISS program was rolled out of its testing plant recently. A certificate of flight readiness was signed signaling the official handover of the Service Module from RSC Energia Corporation to the launch processing team at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. It will be shipped by rail to the launch site from its initial manufacturing plant at the Krunichev State Research and Production Company. The official launch date will be determined once the module reaches Baikonur and assessments can be made on the remaining testing to be done. The International Space Station remains in good health in an orbit with a high point of 252 statute miles and a low point of 238 statute miles, circling the Earth once approximately every 92 minutes. The station has completed 2,504 orbits of Earth since its launch. [ANS thanks NASA and the Johnson Space Center for this information] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-122.04 ANS IN BRIEF HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 122.04 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD, MAY 02, 1999 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-122.04 ANS news in brief this week includes the following: ** AMSAT Net of the week: Fort Worth/Dallas Metroplex VHF Net. This net meets each Wednesday on the 147.140 MHz area repeater. NCS stations include KG5OA, WA5VKS, W5IU and WA5QGD. ** The May/June AMSAT journal will feature a 30th AMSAT Anniversary Interview'. ANS reminds amateurs that an AMSAT-NA membership includes the AMSAT journal. This issue will be in the mail shortly. -Russ, K5NRK ** The Dayton Hamvention AMSAT Dinner list includes N9AVG, KB1SF, WA1QXR, WD4ASW, WS4Z, WU4W, K5NRK, N3KHK, W3FUO, K8YMI, WA1QXR, W9XA, KH6GJV, WA1STO, KE6EAQ, K6ZWB, AC6VJ, KA0SNL, NP2L, AC6VJ, W5IU, W5NI, K5SXK and N3MUZ! -ANS ** The Young Ham of the Year Award will honor the Amateur Radio related achievements of those hams age 18 or younger. In addition to a trip to the 1998 Huntsville Hamfest, the winner will also spend a week in SpaceCamp Huntsville. Full details, rules and a nominating form are available at http://www.arnewsline.org. Bill, WA6ITF ** NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center is celebrating it's 40th anniversary with a special event operation from club station WA3NAN. Operation will take place on 40, 20 and 15-meters. -Ron, WA4SIR ** An Earth-imaging satellite never arrived in orbit recently and probably burned up while falling through the atmosphere, officials confirmed. Engineers say the 1,400-pound payload fairing enclosing the Ikonos-1 spacecraft atop the Lockheed Martin Athena-2 rocket failed to separate as planned, following launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base. -Florida Today ** Why should Europe invest in space? These and many other questions are explored in the second report drawn up by ESA's Long Term Space Policy Committee (LTSPC). The report will give ESA's Member States a framework for long-term strategic thinking and decisions on space activities. -ESA ** Russian officials still have not made a final commitment to de-orbit Mir, as they look for a private-sector benefactor willing to pay the estimated $250 million needed annually to keep Mir in orbit and operating. A final decision on whether to keep Mir aloft or begin preparations to bring it down this fall through a controlled re-entry into Earth's atmosphere is expected very soon. -Florida Today ** NASA has announced a contract award to Lockheed Martin Astronautics to launch the Vegetation Canopy Lidar (VCL) satellite on an Athena rocket. Launch is scheduled for August 2000 from a launch pad located on Kodiak Island, Alaska. This will be the first launch to low Earth orbit from the Alaska Aerospace Development Corporation's new commercial launch facility. The VCL satellite is designed to precisely measure the Earth's vegetation coverage, vegetation depth (or canopy) and topography. -NASA ** After 22 trips into space, Spacelab - Europe's first step into human spaceflight - has returned to Europe. Recently, NASA officially handed the space laboratory over to ESA at a ceremony at the Bremen airport in Germany. The laboratory, to be housed in a special exhibition hall at the airport, will be the foundation stone for Space Academy Bremen, a new educational venture. -ESA ** NASA's Space Shuttle fleet soars toward the 21st century with a host of enhancements that make today's Shuttle safer, more capable and less expensive to fly than ever before. The new systems improve crew/orbiter interaction with the easy-to-read, graphic portrayals of key flight indicators like attitude-display and Mach-speed. In addition, NASA's space shuttle launches are a sold-out show this year as all the launch complex passes have been distributed. -NASA ** Arianespace is putting up "wonderful day-by-day info on launch preparations for AR-504," says W8GUS. AR-504 is scheduled for a mid-June launch. Visit the ESA launch site at the following URL: http://www.arianespace.com/english/orbit_504log.html. -Ron, W8GUS. ** Flight controllers for NASA's Mars Global Surveyor mission are continuing to work toward isolating what caused a hinge on the spacecraft's high-gain telecommunications antenna to stop moving last week. Engineers received the results of a test they conducted that moved the hinge one-half of a degree from side to side. The information from the spacecraft shows that the hinge moves freely in one direction, but it's motion appears to be obstructed in the opposite direction. The spacecraft remains in good health and the science instruments are turned off while engineers continue to define the hinge. -NASA/JPL /EX --ANS BULLETIN END--- SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-122.05 WEEKLY SATELLITE REPORT PART 1 AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 122.05 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD, MAY 02, 1999 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT MIR SAFEX II 70-cm Repeater Uplink 435.750 MHz FM w/subaudible tone 141.3 Hz Downlink 437.950 MHz FM Seldom-operational. No operation in 1999 has been observed. MIR SAFEX II 70-cm QSO Mode Uplink 435.725 MHz FM w/subaudible tone 151.4 Hz Downlink 437.925 MHz FM Seldom-operational. No operation in 1999 has been observed. MIR PERSONAL MESSAGE SYSTEM (PMS) Uplink/Downlink 145.985 MHz FM 1200 baud AFSK Semi-operational. The PBBS is running a Kantronics KPC-9612+ V 8.1 TNC. The commands are similar to most PBBS and BBS systems. AMSAT-France announced that Air Force General Jean-Pierre Haignere has been given a personal amateur radio callsign to use aboard the Mir space station - FX0STB. The QSL manager for FX0STB is: Radio Club F5KAM QSL manager MIR 22 rue Bansac 63000 Clermont Ferrand France Mike, HR1MWM, from Tegucigalpa, Honduras - reports a 2-meter FM Mir voice contact with Jean-Paul, FX0STB. Scott, WA6LIE, has a set of instructions on how to work the Mir space station. Copies are available from Scott by e-mail at: wa6lie@juno.com (or by packet) wa6lie@wa6lie.#wcca.ca.usa.noam [ANS thanks Scott Avery, WA6LIE, and the MIREX team for Mir status information] RADIO SPORT RS-12 Uplink 21.210 to 21.250 MHz CW/SSB Uplink 145.910 to 145.950 MHz CW/SSB Downlink 29.410 to 29.450 MHz CW/SSB Downlink 145.910 to 145.950 MHz CW/SSB Beacon 29.408 MHz Robot Uplink 21.129 MHz Robot Downlink 29.454 MHz Last reported to be semi-operational, beacon only. RADIO SPORT RS-13 Uplink 21.260 to 21.300 MHz CW/SSB Uplink 145.960 to 146.000 MHz CW/SSB Downlink 29.460 to 29.500 MHz CW/SSB Downlink 145.960 to 146.000 MHz CW/SSB Beacon 29.504 MHz Robot Uplink 21.140 MHz* Robot Downlink 29.458 MHz Operational. Last reported in mode KA with a 10-meter downlink and a 15-meter and 2-meter uplink. * Andy, G0SFJ, tells ANS the RS-13 robot uplink may have moved to 145 MHz (from 15-meters). G0SFJ reports RS-13 is currently sending 'CQ CQ de RS-13 QRU 145840 kHz'. Mike, KD9KC, reports working W8JOM and K5TVC via RS-13. Jerry, K5OE, has been active on the satellite. RS-12/13 command is now in the hands of Alex Papkov, in Kaluga City, Russia. RADIO SPORT RS-15 Uplink 145.858 to 145.898 MHz CW/SSB Downlink 29.354 to 29.394 MHz CW/SSB Beacon 29.352 MHz (intermittent) Semi-operational, mode A, using a 2-meter uplink and a 10-meter downlink. The 29.380 MHz SSB 'meeting frequency' used by most RS-15 operators is showing good results. Dave, WB6LLO, reports he has prepared a "quick and dirty" set of operating instructions for RS-15 at the following URL: http://users.aol.com/dguimont/sat.txt OSCAR 10 AO-10 Uplink 435.030 to 435.180 MHz CW/LSB Downlink 145.975 to 145.825 MHz CW/USB Beacon 145.810 MHz (unmodulated carrier) Semi-operational, mode B. AO-10 has been locked into a 70-cm uplink and a 2-meter downlink for several years. Much activity on the satellite with many stations reporting very good signals from AO-10. Jerry, K5OE, tells ANS that the satellite is at signal levels from last January. Andy, W5ACM, tells the Houston AMSAT Net that "AO-10 is alive!" Peter, VE7AHX, reports working GB1IMD and IY0TC, commemorating International Marconi Day. K5OE, reports working T98LWT on AO-10 with "strong signals and easy copy" (QSL via PE1LWT). Hardy, DC8TS/KC2DMA and Mike, N1JEZ, report working T98CHR (QSL via PA2CHR). John, K6YK, reports ZL2VAL, 9V1UV and UA0AET have been active on AO-10. N1JEZ copied several SSTV images from HB9JOI and KD1EH. Tony, AB2CJ, has been active on SSTV a Robot 36 mode. On April 26, 1999 Peter, KD7MW, and Frank, DL6DBN, completed a 2-way PSK31 QSO via OSCAR 10 using the G3PLX software. They believe this is the first documented PSK31 contact by satellite. Masa, JN1GKZ, reports his web page shows the current AO-10 spin period and spin rate (by measuring the beacon with FFTDSP software). The JN1GKZ web site can be found at the following URL: http://www.din.or.jp/~m-arai/ao10/beacone.htm W4SM has more information about the satellite at the following URL: http://www.cstone.net/~w4sm/AO-10.html [ANS thanks Stacey Mills, W4SM, for his AO-10 status information and web site] AMRAD AO-27 Uplink 145.850 MHz FM Downlink 436.795 MHz FM Operational, mode J. Paul, KC7QFS, was active May 1st from the BSA Scout-A-Rama in Utah using the special event call sign N7N. QSL's should be sent with a SASE to KC7IHZ. AO-27 has again been seeing very heavy use especially during the weekends. The TEPR (Timed Eclipse Power Regulation) states on AO-27 were reset by Chuck, KM4NZ, on 13-April-99. They currently are: TEPR 4 is 34 and TEPR 5 is 70. [ANS thanks Chuck Wyrick, KM4NZ, and Michael Wyrick, N4USI, for AO-27 information] JAS-1b FO-20 Uplink 145.900 to 146.000 MHz CW/LSB Downlink 435.800 to 435.900 MHz CW/USB Operational. FO-20 is in mode JA continuously. Tony, AB2CJ, has been transmitting SSTV via FO-20. Bruce, KK5DO, has posted pictures of JARL Headquarters and the FO-20/29 Command Station on his web site. They were taken during a recent visit. Visit the site using the following URL: http://www.amsatnet.com/jarl.html [ANS thanks Kazu Sakamoto, JJ1WTK, for the FO-20 status reports] JAS-2 FO-29 Voice/CW Mode JA Uplink 145.900 to 146.000 MHz CW/LSB Downlink 435.800 to 435.900 MHz CW/USB Semi-operational, rotated with digital mode and digi-talker. Digital Mode JD Uplink 145.850 145.870 145.910 MHz FM Downlink 435.910 MHz FM 9600 baud BPSK Digitalker 435.910 MHz Semi-operational, rotated with analog mode and digi-talker. Kazu, JJ1WTK, reported to ANS that the new operational schedule announced by the JARL is as follows: through May 10 Digitalker May 10 - May 17 JA May 17 - May 24 JD1200 May 24 - May 31 JA Mike, N1JEZ, confirms digitalker operation currently on FO-29. [ANS thanks Kazu Sakamoto, JJ1WTK, for the FO-29 status reports] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-122.06 WEEKLY SATELLITE REPORT PART 2 AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 122.06 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD, MAY 02, 1999 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT BID: $ANS-122.06 KITSAT KO-25 Uplink 145.980 MHz FM 9600 baud FSK Downlink 436.500 MHz FM Operational. Jim, AA7KC, reports KO-25 is performing well with good downlink efficiency. [ANS thanks Jim Weisenberger, AA7KC, for KO-25 status information] UOSAT UO-22 Uplink 145.900 or 145.975 MHz FM 9600 baud FSK Downlink 435.120 MHz FM Operational. Carol, W9HGI, reports UO-22 is performing within acceptable limits. W9HGI operates the West Coast Packet Satellite Gateway (WSPG) for the Worldwide Packet Network (WPN). More information on the satellite is available at the following URL: http://www.ee.surrey.ac.uk/EE/CSER/UOSAT/ [ANS thanks Carol Byers, W9HGI and Chris Jackson, G7UPN/ZL2TPO, for UO-22 status information] OSCAR-11 Downlink 145.825 MHz FM, 1200 baud AFSK Mode-S Beacon 2401.500 MHz Operational. Listeners to OSCAR-11 may be interested in visiting the G3CWV web site. The site contains details of the hardware and some software for capturing OSCAR-11 data and decoding ASCII telemetry and WOD. There is also an archive of raw data (mainly WOD) for analysis, which is continually expanded as new data is captured. Audio files are also included with examples of each type of data transmitted by the satellite (each one plays for about ten seconds). Examples of mode-S reception can also be found at the site. All the audio files are zipped so that they can be played off-line. The URL is: http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/clivew/ [ANS thanks Clive Wallis, G3CWV, for OSCAR-11 status information] PACSAT AO-16 Uplink 145.90 145.92 145.94 145.86 MHz FM using 1200 baud Manchester FSK Downlink 437.0513 MHz SSB RC-BPSK 1200 baud PSK Mode-S Beacon 2401.1428 MHz Operating normally with the exception of the mode-S beacon, which is currently off. Telemetry is as follows: Time is Sat May 01 23:19:49 1999 uptime is 1686/17:41:17 +10V Bus 10.350 V RC PSK TX Out 0.310 W RC PSK BP Temp -5.448 D RC PSK HPA Tmp -3.027 D +Y Array Temp -24.811 D PSK TX HPA Tmp -5.448 D +Z Array Temp -16.339 D Baseplt Temp 3.024 D Total Array C= 0.000 Bat Ch Cur=-0.306 Ifb= 0.161 I+10V= 0.159 TX:0109 BCR:1E PWRC:59E BT: A WC:25 EDAC:E8 General information and telemetry WOD files can be found at: http://www.ctv.es/USERS/ea1bcu A complete collection of WOD graphics corresponding to the year of 1998 can be found at: http://www.ctv.es/USERS/ea1bcu/wod1998.zip [ANS thanks Miguel Menendez, EA1BCU, for AO-16 status information] LUSAT LO-19 Uplink 145.84 145.86 145.88 145.90 MHz FM using 1200 baud Manchester FSK Downlink 437.125 MHz SSB RC-BPSK 1200 baud PSK Currently semi-operational. No BBS service - EA1BCU and ANS have not received any updated information for several months. The digipeater is active. Telemetry is as follows: Time is Sat May 01 23:19:49 1999 uptime is 1686/17:41:17 +10V Bus 10.350 V RC PSK TX Out 0.310 W RC PSK BP Temp -5.448 D RC PSK HPA Tmp -3.027 D +Y Array Temp -24.811 D PSK TX HPA Tmp -5.448 D +Z Array Temp -16.339 D Baseplt Temp 3.024 D Total Array C= 0.000 Bat Ch Cur=-0.306 Ifb= 0.161 I+10V= 0.159 TX:0109 BCR:1E PWRC:59E BT: A WC:25 EDAC:E8 General information and telemetry samples can be found at: http://www.ctv.es/USERS/ea1bcu/lo19.htm [ANS thanks Miguel Menendez, EA1BCU, for LO-19 status information] TMSAT-1 TO-31 Uplink 145.925 MHz 9600 baud FSK Downlink 436.925 MHz 9600 baud FSK Operational. ProcMail V2.00G has been released by G7UPN. This software permits the processing of image files from TO-31. It has been posted to the AMSAT-NA FTP site at the following URL: www.amsat.org/amsat/software/win32/wisp [ANS thanks Chris Jackson, G7UPN/ZL2TPO, for TO-31 status information] PANSAT PO-34 Uplink/downlink frequencies have not been established. The satellite is not currently available for uplink transmissions. PanSat, developed by the Naval Postgraduate School, was launched from the shuttle Discovery during STS-95. PanSat spread-spectrum digital transponders will be available to amateur radio operators in the near future along with software to utilize this technology. Dan Sakoda, KD6DRA, PanSat Project Manager recommends 'The ARRL Spread Spectrum Sourcebook' as a good place to start in understanding the spread-spectrum scheme. For more information, visit the official PanSat web site at: http://www.sp.nps.navy.mil/pansat/ [ANS thanks Dan Sakoda, KD6DRA, for this information] SUNSAT SO-35 Uplink/downlink frequencies have not been established. The satellite is not currently available for uplink transmissions. Hans, ZS5AKV, reports that SunSat is still in the initial test stages and the command team will provide more information as it becomes available. General amateur radio service is planned for the near future. SunSat was launched February 23, 1999 aboard a Delta II rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. SunSat stands for Stellenbosch University Satellite and takes it name from the South African university whose students constructed the payload. The SunSat package includes 1200 and 9600 baud digital store-and-forward capability and a voice 'parrot' repeater system that will be used primarily for educational demonstrations. The satellite has two VHF and two UHF transmit-receive systems. For more information on SunSat, visit the following URL: http://sunsat.ee.sun.ac.za [ANS thanks Garth Milne ZR1AFH, for this information] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-122.07 WEEKLY SATELLITE REPORT PART 3 AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 122.07 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD, MAY 02, 1999 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT BID: $ANS-122.07 THE FOLLOWING SATELLITES ARE IN ORBIT BUT ARE NON-OPERATIONAL AT THIS TIME: RS-16 The 435 MHz beacon (only) is operational. Attempts to command the mode A transponder 'on' have been unsuccessful to date. No additional information is available at this time. DOVE DO-17 Downlinks 145.825 MHz FM 1200 baud AFSK 2401.220 MHz Non-operational. DOVE stopped transmitting in March 1998. The 145.825 MHz and 2401.220 MHz downlinks are off the air and the satellite has not responded to ground station control. No additional information is available at this time. WEBERSAT WO-18 Downlink 437.104 MHz SSB 1200 baud PSK AX.25 Non-operational. WO-18 is reported to be in MBL mode after a software crash. No additional information is available at this time. ITAMSAT IO-26 Uplink 145.875 145.900 145.925 145.950 MHz FM 1200 baud Downlink 435.822 MHz SSB Unknown status. ANS has not received any recent updates concerning the status of IO-26. No additional information is available at this time. TECHSAT-1B GO-32 Downlink 435.225 MHz using HDLC telemetry framed so that a TNC in KISS mode will decode it Unknown status. ANS has not received any recent updates concerning the current status of GO-32. The TechSat-1B micro-satellite was successfully launched from the Russian Baikonur Cosmodrome on July 10, 1998. Last reported, the satellite does not have a continuos beacon, but does transmit a 9600-baud burst every 30 seconds (for a continuous 3 seconds in length), on 435.225 MHz. The TechSat team has constructed a home page about TechSat. To view the site, point your web browser to: http://techsat.internet-zahav.net/ No additional information is available at this time. SEDSAT-1 SO-33 Downlink 437.910 MHz FM 9600 baud FSK The satellite is not currently available for uplink transmissions. Recovery efforts have been unsuccessful. SedSat-1, signifying Students for the Exploration and Development of Space Satellite number one, was successfully launched and placed in orbit on Saturday, October 24, 1998. For more information on SedSat-1 visit the satellite web site at the following URL: http://www.seds.org/sedsat No additional information is available at this time. KITSAT KO-23 Uplink 145.900 MHz FM 9600 baud FSK Downlink 435.175 MHz FM Not operational. The downlink transmitter has not been operational for any normal communication for several months. ANS has learned (from HL0ENJ) that satellite downlink telemetry shows one of KO-23's battery cells to be very unstable. [ANS thanks Jim Weisenberger, AA7KC, and KyungHee Kim, HL0ENJ, for KO-23 status information] /EX