SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-318.01 SAT OPS TO HELP NASA WITH SPACE EXPERIMENT AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 318.01 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD, NOVEMBER 14, 1999 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-318.01 Amateur Radio satellite operators will get a chance to contribute to a NASA satellite project by recording the data. The Plasma Experiment Satellite Test (PEST) will ride on the Joint Air Force-Weber State University Satellite, or JAWSAT. A launch is set for early December. JAWSAT will serve as a bus for several deployable payloads and the attached PEST experiment. The telemetry stream from JAWSAT --which includes data from PEST-- will be transmitted on amateur frequencies. "Hams will be able to obtain data that characterizes certain aspects of the ionosphere above the D, E, and F layers where most of their signals are reflected," said PEST Project Manager Fred Berry, WA4IWY. "We're going to publish the data format in terms that everyone can understand," he said. Data from PEST can be received using either a G3RUH modem or a GMSK modem. Data rates should be as high as 38.4 kb/s, transmitted on 437.175 MHz and/or 2403.2 MHz. NASA will publish instructions for sending in the data so the PEST teams can use it. "It's an experiment," WA4IWY said. "We're hoping that high school and college students will get involved and learn something about the ionosphere and radio propagation." Deployable payloads aboard JAWSAT are the Orbiting PicoSat Automatic Launcher--or OPAL-- and ASUSAT, provided by Arizona State University. ASUSAT itself will contain amateur packet hardware and a 2-meter/70-cm FM voice repeater. OPAL will release three tiny picosats --one of them, called StenSat-- will have a crossband repeater aboard that will operate much like the popular AO-27 satellite. After JAWSAT reaches its desired polar orbit altitude of 420 miles, it will be about two weeks before PEST is first powered on. PEST will acquire data for at least a two-month period. For more information on the PEST project, visit the following URL: http://science.nasa.gov/newhome/headlines/ast04nov99_1.htm [ANS thanks the ARRL and NASA for this information] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-318.02 AVIATION AND SPACE EDUCATION DAY HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 318.02 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD, NOVEMBER 14, 1999 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-318.02 Hank, N1LTV, tells ANS that "a tremendous event will happen on Thursday, November 18th involving the Leonids meteor shower, ham radio, balloons and rockets. It's called Aviation and Space Education Day and is part of the Rhode Island Rockets for Schools program. At an old navy airfield (near Charlestown, Rhode Island) more than one thousand students will gather from several states to launch all classes of model rockets --and if weather permits-- three high altitude balloons including the SkyQuest 3 hamradiosonde. One of the high power model rockets will also loft an ATV camera and transmitter. N1LTV notes the highlight of the festivities will be the firing of a Viper-Dart sounding rocket into a 60 mile high suborbital flight with the goal of collecting comet dust from the Leonids meteor shower. The Viper rocket engine should fall into the ocean close to shore and the GPS radio-equipped nosecone will be tracked and then recovered by the U.S. Coast Guard. This marks the first time ever a missile will be launched into space from any New England state. The SkyQuest 3 will be carrying a CW and RTTY modulated 2-meter transmitter that should be heard at least 250 miles away as it reaches its peak altitude. More information is available from the Rhode Island Rockets for Schools web site at: http://users.efortress.com/mudbug/ (or) the SkyQuest web site at the following URL: http://www.geocities.com/capecanaveral/3161/hablic.htm [ANS thanks Hank Riley, N1LTV, for this information] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-318.03 ISS UPDATE HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 318.03 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD, NOVEMBER 14, 1999 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-318.03 NASA reports to ANS that flight controllers in Houston and Moscow continue to verify the health of all systems aboard the International Space Station through routine commanding from the ground. Battery cycling of the five usable storage units inside the Zarya module was completed this past week as controllers prepare for the next round of deep cycling. The deep cycling of each battery takes about five days. The early communications system inside the Unity module continues to operate normally. Every week or two, commands are issued to switch between the right and left low gain antennas to ensure their health. Other weekly checks included measuring and refining the spin rate of the complex, which is oriented with Unity pointed at the Earth. The slow spin maintains even temperatures on all systems and minimizes propellant usage. All other systems are in excellent shape as ISS orbits at an altitude of 242 by 225 statute miles. Since the launch of Zarya last November, ISS has completed more than 5,594 orbits. Space Station viewing opportunities worldwide are available on the Internet at: http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/realdata/sightings/ [ANS thanks NASA for this information] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-318.04 ANS IN BRIEF HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 318.04 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD, NOVEMBER 14, 1999 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-318.04 ANS news in brief this week includes the following: ** The TechSat-1B micro-satellite (GO-32) was successfully launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome on July 10, 1998. It has never been opened for general uplink operation, however, Shlomo, 4X1AS, tells ANS efforts are now underway to bring GO-32 on line. Stay tuned to ANS for further information. -Shlomo, 4X4AS ** AMSAT's Chod Harris, WB2CHO/VP2ML, who recently suffered a massive heart attack, is improving. He is now alert and responding. Flowers are not permitted in the intensive care unit but friends may write to Chod at 201 Franz Valley Road, Santa Rosa, California, 95404. -ARRL Letter ** The 49th consecutive launch success for Arianespace with the Ariane 4 rocket took place recently, matching the commercial record set By Boeing's Delta 2 rocket in the early 1990s. The payload, a GE-4 communications satellite, was released from the Ariane rocket's third stage. The spacecraft is flying free in space in an elliptical transfer orbit. Over the coming weeks, its orbit will be refined to a circular geostationary orbit 22,300 miles above Earth. The satellite will relay television, data transmissions and broadband Internet connectivity. GE-4 is the 160th satellite launched by Arianespace. The company has also lofted 27 secondary payloads over the past two decades in 122 flights. -Florida Today ** Bruce, KK5DO, reports the Houston AMSAT Net has moved its IRC channel to CHATNET.ORG, 6667. Listeners will find instructions on how to connect to this IRC site on the KK5DO home page at http://www.amsatnet.com. Bruce also tells ANS the "live stream Real Audio server is working and in order to listen to the live stream, you must have the Real Audio G2 player." KK5DO says they are losing the commercial satellite feed on November 30th and plan a "satellite going away net" during the regular Tuesday time slot of 8:00 PM CST. Bruce says the group hopes to have a new satellite feed the December 7th net - which will mark the 300th net over commercial satellite transponders. -KK5DO ** ARRL Maxim Memorial Station W1AW will participate for the first time in a meteor-scatter experiment by attempting to bounce APRS packets off the ionized particles resulting from the Leonids meteor shower. From November 12-19th, W1AW will operate WinAPRS equipped stations on 6 and 2-meters. -ARRL Letter ** Space shuttle Discovery has emerged from Kennedy Space Center's Vehicle Assembly Building bound for launch pad 39B at the edge of the Atlantic Ocean. Discovery is scheduled for a 10-day mission to service and upgrade the Hubble Space Telescope, starting December 6th. -Florida Today ** Now that the summer season has ended in North America, James, KD4DLA, reports the South East Michigan AMSAT net has restarted and is active once again. -KD4DLA ** Six weeks after an errant $327 million spacecraft burned up in the Martian atmosphere, NASA investigators have found a flaw in a second robotic explorer speeding toward an early December landing on the Red Planet. Engineers discovered the descent engine on the Mars Polar Lander might not function properly after spending 11 months in the extreme cold of outer space, however, experts at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California believe they can fix the problem by turning on the descent engine heaters earlier than planned. -Florida Today ** Upcoming articles in the AMSAT-NA Journal include a summary (with photos) of the AMSAT Symposium and Annual Meeting; a press release on the Phase 3D Launch Contract (with photo coordination from the AMSAT-DL Journal); Doppler frequency effect on Phase 3D (Part 2) and the StenSat journal describing the experience of building a picosatellite. These are just a few of the stories planned. AMSAT-NA membership includes the Journal. -ANS, Russ, K5NRK ** Arianespace has scheduled the first commercial launch of its new Ariane 5 heavy lifter for December 10th. Flight 119/AR 504 will carry the European Space Agency's XMM scientific satellite. -SpaceDaily ** The Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center has set up a webcam in its restoration area that broadcasts a fresh view of the work being done to refurbish the Liberty Bell space capsule recently recovered from the Atlantic. So far, the view has been very popular -- receiving 20,000 hits on its first day of operation back in September. The webcam and other information about the Liberty Bell project can be found at: http://www.cosmo.org/libertybell7.htm. -Florida Today ** Looking for photo coverage of the recent AMSAT-NA Symposium? Jerry, K5OE, reminds ANS that the AMSAT-NA web site has photos from all the action in San Diego. See the AMSAT-NA coverage at: http://www.amsat.org/amsat/features/symp99photos/. -Jerry, K5OE --ANS BULLETIN END--- /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-318.05 WEEKLY SATELLITE REPORT PART 1 AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 318.05 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD, NOVEMBER 14, 1999 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT BID: $ANS-318.05 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 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 29.458 MHz Robot Uplink 145.840 MHz Robot Downlink 29.504 MHz Operational, in mode-KA with a 10-meter downlink and a 15-meter and 2-meter uplink. RS-13's Robot CW auto-transponder is active. For confirmation of an RS-13 Robot contact, send your QSL card along with the Robot QSL number to: Radio Sport Federation Box 88 Moscow Kevin, AC5DK, has information about RS-12/13 that contains a simple explanation on how to operate on the satellite, including a forum for operators to exchange information, pose questions or even set up schedules via RS-12/13. AC5DK's RS-12/13 Satellite Operators Page: http://www.qsl.net/ac5dk/rs1213/rs1213.html AC5DK's RS-12/13 Satellite Forum: http://www.hotboards.com/powerforum/pwrforum.exe?who=rs1213 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) SSB meeting frequency 29.380 MHz (unofficial) Semi-operational, mode-A, using a 2-meter uplink and a 10-meter downlink. Dave, WB6LLO, has operating information for both RS-15 and RS-13 on his personal web site. In addition to satellite data, antenna information for mode-A operation is also featured. The WB6LLO web site URL is: http://home.san.rr.com/doguimont/uploads 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. W4SM has more information about the satellite at the following URL: http://www.cstone.net/~w4sm/AO-10.html 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 [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. AO-27 uses a method called Timed Eclipse Power Regulation (TEPR) to regulate the on-board batteries. In simple terms, TEPR times how long the satellite has been in an eclipse (or in the sun) and decides what subsystems to turn on or off. Chuck, KM4NZ, reset the TEPR states on AO-27 (on 10/11/99). TEPR 4 is 22 TEPR 5 is 58 [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. FO-20 continues to function quite well. [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. Mike, KF4FDJ, has put together a very informative document on FO-29, addressing analog, digital and digi-talker modes. To obtain a copy e-mail Mike at: kf4fdj@amsat.org Kazu, JJ1WTK, reports the FO-29 operational schedule (announced by the JARL) is as follows: November 11 - 23rd digitalker November 24 - 25th JA November 26 - 30th digitalker Mineo, JE9PEL, has updated his FO-29 satellite telemetry analysis Program. The software will automatically analyze all digital telemetry from the satellite such as current, voltage and temperature. The JE9PEL FO-29/software update is available at: http://www.ne.jp/asahi/hamradio/je9pel/ [ANS thanks Kazu Sakamoto, JJ1WTK, for the FO-29 status reports] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-318.06 WEEKLY SATELLITE REPORT PART 2 AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 318.06 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD, NOVEMBER 14, 1999 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT BID: $ANS-318.06 KITSAT KO-23 Uplink 145.900 MHz FM 9600 baud FSK Downlink 435.175 MHz FM Semi-operational. ANS has learned (from HL0ENJ) that satellite downlink telemetry shows two of KO-23's battery cells to be very unstable. Jim, AA7KC, reports KO-23 again became operational 29-October. Jim notes the downlink transmitter has changed and that has altered the downlink frequency. "Downlink efficiency is greater than 90% if the downlink receiver is tuned 2.5 kHz low," reports AA7KC. [ANS thanks Jim Weisenberger, AA7KC, and KyungHee Kim, HL0ENJ, for KO-23 status information] 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.sstl.co.uk/ [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. The operating schedule is unchanged. ASCII status (210 seconds) ASCII bulletin (60 seconds) BINARY SEU (30 seconds) ASCII TLM (90 seconds) ASCII WOD (120 seconds) ASCII bulletin (60 seconds) BINARY ENG (30 seconds) The ASCII bulletin is currently a static message, detailing modes and frequencies of all active amateur radio satellites. More information on OSCAR-11 is available at the following URL: 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 Operational (with the exception of the mode-S beacon, which is currently off). AO-16 has operated continuously for over 1,800 days since its last software reload. 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. The digipeater is active. 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: http://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 general 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/ PanSat is the featured cover article in the July/August 1999 issue of the AMSAT-NA Journal (written by KD6DRA and N7HPR). [ANS thanks Dan Sakoda, KD6DRA, for this information] SUNSAT SO-35 Semi-operational. SunSat has been in mode-B recently. 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. Hans, ZS5AKV, reports the SunSat ground control team at the University of Stellenbosch are now in the process of loading new control software. ZS5AKV reports "operation as previously scheduled is doubtful." For more information on SunSat, visit the following URL: http://sunsat.ee.sun.ac.za [ANS thanks Garth Milne ZR1AFH, for this information] UoSAT-12 UO-36 Downlink 437.025 MHz 437.400 MHz UoSAT-12 was successfully launched on April 21, 1999 from the Russian Baikonur Cosmodrome. UO-36 carries a number of imaging payloads, digital store-and-forward communications and mode L/S transponders. The satellite is not currently available for general uplink transmissions. S-band high speed downlink commissioning continues at rates between 128kb/s and 1Mb/s. The S-band downlink frequency has not been announced. UO-36 has been transmitting 9600-baud FSK telemetry framed in a VLSI format using a downlink frequency of 437.400 MHz. Chris, G7UPN, reports UO-36 is also (at times) testing on 437.025 MHz at a baud rate of 38,400 (38k4). Presently the BBS is still closed. The VK5HI/TMSAT viewer shareware is available on the AMSAT-NA web site at the following URL: ftp://ftp.amsat.org/amsat/software/win32/display/ccddsp97-119.zip Further information on UO-36 is available from: http://www.sstl.co.uk/ [ANS thanks Chris G7UPN/ZL2TPO, and the University of Surrey for this information] ITAMSAT IO-26 Uplink 145.875 145.900 145.925 145.950 MHz FM 1200 baud Downlink 435.822 MHz SSB Semi-operational, digipeater function is 'on'. IO-26 was launched on the September 26, 1993. Alberto, I2KBD, reports IO-26 has been opened to APRS use. ITAMSAT ground controllers have switched the digipeater function to 'on'. [ANS thanks ITAMSAT Project Manager Alberto E. Zagni, I2KBD, for this information] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-318.07 WEEKLY SATELLITE REPORT PART 3 AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 318.07 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD, NOVEMBER 14, 1999 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT BID: $ANS-318.07 THE FOLLOWING ARE IN ORBIT BUT ARE NON-OPERATIONAL AT THIS TIME: MIR SPACE STATION Ham radio activity aboard the Mir space station came to a close on August 28, 1999 as the crew returned to Earth, leaving the station unmanned. Mir is in a stable orbit with only essential systems running. All Amateur Radio activities have ceased. Currently, the station is being prepared for re-entry sometime in the first quarter of 2000, however, the final fate of the space station has not been formally announced. Stay tuned to ANS for further developments. Current Amateur Radio equipment aboard Mir includes: MIR SAFEX II 70-cm Repeater Uplink 435.750 MHz FM w/subaudible tone 141.3 Hz Downlink 437.950 MHz FM Not 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 Not operational. No operation in 1999 has been observed. MIR PERSONAL MESSAGE SYSTEM (PMS) Uplink/Downlink 145.985 MHz FM 1200 baud AFSK Not operational. DOVE DO-17 Downlink 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. TECHSAT-1B GO-32 Downlink 435.225 MHz using HDLC telemetry Updated status. Shlomo, 4X1AS, tells ANS that efforts are underway to bring GO-32 on line. Stay tuned to ANS for further information. 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 and recovery efforts have been unsuccessful over the past year. Mineo, JE9PEL, reports he has again received minimal telemetry from the satellite, the most recent dated November 11th. 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. /EX