SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-028.01 PHASE 3D/AO-40 UPDATE AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 028.01 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD, JANUARY 28, 2001 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-028.01 The month of January continues with command stations working in their on-going recovery efforts of AMSAT OSCAR 40. The AMSAT-DL web site is currently featuring the following statement: No news is good news. Due to limited command team access time to AO-40 (because of current orbit parameters), things have slowed down a bit. The spin rate is reported at 17.7 rpm. Whole Orbit Data (WOD) collections are in progress to recover telemetry data from orbit-phases where AO-40 cannot be heard properly. The latest measurements show stable battery-voltages and positive battery charging (except for eclipse times at perigee). (above taken from the AMSAT-DL web site) ANS can report that discussions recently took place between AMSAT-NA President Robin Haighton, VE3FRH, and AMSAT-DL President Karl Meinzer, DJ4ZC, concerning the progress being made in the recovery of AO-40. The current problem is the lack of accurate AO-40 attitude data. Accurate data is not available due to the current off-pointing of the onboard Sun-sensor (the sensor is simply not 'seeing' the Sun). Until accurate measurements can be made AO-40 will remain in a semi-hibernation state. When accurate measurements of attitude can again be made it will be possible to change the satellite's attitude, which will ultimately lead to correct pointing of AO-40's high-gain antennas. If no commands are transmitted to the satellite it will take about 3-months before AO-40's attitude can be measured. However, the command team is currently working on additional measures in the hope that the attitude may be determined by other means (such as measuring the radiation falling on the solar cells). If any of these attempts are successful, then adjustments to the satellite's attitude will begin earlier. On a more positive side there does not seem to be any additional damage to AO-40, at least since communication was re-established on Christmas day, although several systems remain to be tested including the Arc-Jet motor. This motor is a critical item for making future orbit changes that will be required for satisfactory operation of the satellite. Another very positive item is that the magnetorquing systems appear to be working, which should also help make the needed (future) attitude adjustments. Both AMSAT Presidents noted that when P3D was launched it was announced that it would take almost one year of commissioning efforts and orbital changes before the satellite would be considered fully operational. Thanks to the hard work of the commissioning and recovery teams - this time appears to be shortening. The unanswered question remains - what degree of functionality will AO-40 actually meet? This is the question the command team is working very hard to answer. In summary, although optimism is certainly not a guarantee of future success, both Karl and Robin continue to believe that there will be successful long-term Amateur Radio communication through AO-40 - with only the final nature of what these operations will actually be - uncertain at the present time. VE3FRH and DJ4ZC also noted that is very difficult to put out updated bulletins concerning the status of AO-40 on a frequent basis. The command team is involved in their employment and family life in addition to looking after AO-40, however, every (reasonable) effort is being made to report progress as soon as it happens. ALON/ALAT is currently 248/-7, as last listed on the AMSAT-DL web page. AO-40 element set number 28 is as follows: Satellite: AO-40 Catalog number: 26609 Epoch time: 01018.53756618 Inclination: 5.9258 degrees RA of node: 230.0726 degrees Eccentricity: 0.8133560 Arg of perigee: 208.4998 degrees Mean anomaly: 11.7742 degrees Mean motion: 1.26922670 rev/day Decay rate: -1.63e-06 rev/day^2 Epoch rev: 99 Checksum: 299 Stay tuned to AMSAT News Service, the official source of AO-40 news and information. [ANS thanks AMSAT-DL and AMSAT-NA for this information] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-028.02 SPACENEWS FINAL EDITION AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 028.02 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD, JANUARY 28, 2001 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-028.02 After thirteen years of providing cutting-edge satellite news to Amateur Radio operators around the world, SpaceNews, authored by John Magliacane, KD2BD, issued its final release, dated January, 29, 2001. KD2BD reported that it was "with great sadness that after many years of service to the Amateur Radio satellite community, I have decided to bring the SpaceNews publication to a graceful close." KD2BD noted the tremendous amount of time, effort and dedication to publish an electronic newsletter single-handedly each week as part of his decision. SpaceNews originally started out as effort to increase the awareness of advancements being made by the Amateur Radio Service. It was first edited on a Commodore 64 home computer and distributed via packet radio. It led to an Amateur Radio Satellite column in Satellite Times magazine. Calling SpaceNews a "labor of love," KD2BD added that "SpaceNews has been a pretty good success!" ANS could not agree more and congratulates John Magliacane for his dedication to the Amateur Radio satellite community. AMSAT-NA President Robin Haighton, VE3FRH, told ANS the following: I am very sorry to see SpaceNews disappear as John has done sterling service over the past 13 years and I have appreciated each issue. Thank you John for a job well done. An outstanding achievement! 73, Robin Haighton, VE3FRH President AMSAT [ANS thanks John Magliacane, KD2BD, for advancing Amateur Radio satellite technology through his efforts with SpaceNews] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-028.03 AMSAT AT FLORIDA HAMFESTS AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 028.03 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD, JANUARY 28, 2001 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-028.03 AMSAT-NA Vice President of Field Operations Barry Baines, WD4ASW, reported to ANS that AMSAT-NA will be involved in two major hamfests soon to take place in the Sunshine State. The Miami Hamboree will be held February 3-4th and the Orlando Hamcation on February 10-11, 2001. Dave Jordan, AA4KN, is leading the AMSAT booth effort at Orlando and WD4ASW will be responsible for the AMSAT booth at Miami. Both expect to give AO-27/UO-14 demonstrations. An AMSAT forum is scheduled for both hamfests as well. At Miami, the ARRL's Steve Ewald, WV1X, and AMSAT's WD4ASW will be providing a basic overview of AO-40 and the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station program. At Orlando, Stan Wood, WA4NFY, AMSAT-NA Vice President of Engineering (along with other members of the Phase 3-D Integration Team) will give an AO-40 overview. Lou McFadin, W5DID, will handle the ARISS information. Volunteers are needed to help man the AMSAT booth at both hamfests. If planning to attend either Miami or Orlando, please consider volunteering. If interested, contact WD4ASW (wd4asw@amsat.org) for details. Both weekends will provide a great opportunity for highlighting AMSAT! [ANS thanks AMSAT-NA Vice President of Field Operations Barry Baines, WD4ASW, for this information] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-028.04 ANS IN BRIEF AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 028.04 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD, JANUARY 28, 2001 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-028.04 ANS news in brief this week includes the following: ** Nearly seven months after the completion of an extraordinary rescue, Deep Space-1 continues operating splendidly on its journey into the far reaches of space as the mission team prepares to fire up DS1's onboard ion engine. -SpaceDaily ** Students at the George West Elementary School in Texas are next in line to speak via Amateur Radio with Space Station Alpha. The contact is being arranged by the ARISS program. Successful contacts have been completed so far with schools in Illinois, Virginia, and New York. In addition, a contact with a school in Canada is being arranged. -ARISS/ARRL ** Rocket booster cables on Atlantis have passed a series of additional tests and inspections, paving the way for launch of the International Space Station's first science lab. Atlantis and a crew of five astronauts remain scheduled for an early February launch. -Roy, K6DUE ** A space technology team has been awarded almost a 2-million dollar contract from NASA to develop a unique solar array for powering future satellites and spacecraft. The new solar array uses flexible, ultra-light lenses to focus sunlight onto high-efficiency solar cells, achieving unprecedented performance. -SpaceDaily ** Paul, VP9MU, reminds ANS that any AO-40 received telemetry should be sent to ao40-archive@amsat.org. Telemetry should not be sent to VP9MU directly. ANS sends apologies to Paul! -ANS ** The ON1CAU satellite Page has been updated. More information about Drake 2880's has been added, including info about modifications, a conversion summary and a homebrew 2400 MHz signal source. -Berto, ON1CAU. ** A Russian cargo vessel has blasted off from Kazakhstan for the Mir space station recently. Russia plans to ditch Mir in March but hit a snag when ground control postponed the current cargo ship flight last week after a sudden power failure. The Progress craft is ferrying fuel to Mir. Engineers will be able to use the craft to nudge Mir out of orbit late next month and launch its descent. The vessel is also carrying extra oxygen supplies in case an emergency crew has to be dispatched from Earth to prepare Mir manually. -Roy, K6DUE ** This year as in the past, AMSAT-NA has a block of rooms reserved for the upcoming Dayton Hamvention. If interested, please call the AMSAT-NA office and talk with Martha. -ANS ** A team of planet-hunting astronomers announced recently the discovery of two multi-planet systems that are among the most bizarre planetary systems found to date. The team also announced a discovery that will help future researchers better understand planet migration and how gravitational pulls influence each other. -SpaceDaily --ANS BULLETIN END--- /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-028.05 WEEKLY SATELLITE REPORT PART 1 AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 028.05 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD, JANUARY 28, 2001 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-028.05 Phase 3D / AMSAT OSCAR 40 / AO-40 Launched: November 16, 2000 aboard an Ariane 5 launcher from Kourou, French Guiana. Status: S-Band transmitter is active, recovery efforts continue. The V-band, U-band and the L-band (L1) receivers are working on the the high-gain antennas. The omni-directional antennas appear to be non-functional. The attitude control system is functional. Recovery efforts continue. [ANS thanks AMSAT-NA and AMSAT-DL for this information] INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION/ARISS Worldwide packet uplink: 145.990 MHz Region 1 voice uplink: 145.200 MHz Region 2/3 voice uplink: 144.490 MHz Worldwide downlink: 145.800 MHz TNC callsign RZ3DZR ARISS initial station launched September 2000 aboard shuttle Atlantis Status: Operational (although current ISS workload is limiting operation) The George West school contact is in progress as this edition of ANS is transmitted, and preliminary reports indicate it is a great success! ARISS is made up of delegates from major national Amateur Radio organizations, including AMSAT. U.S. callsign: NA1SS Russian callsign: R0ISS, RZ3DZR German call sign: DL0ISS RZ3DZR-1 is the callsign entered into the TNC currently onboard Alpha, operation is expected shortly. More information about the project can be found on the ARISS web site at http://ariss.gsfc.nasa.gov. [ANS thanks ARISS team member Will Marchant, KC6ROL, for this information] RADIO SPORT RS-12 Uplink 145.910 to 145.950 MHz CW/SSB Downlink 29.410 to 29.450 MHz CW/SSB Beacon 29.408 MHz Launched: February 5, 1991 aboard a Russian Cosmos C launcher Status: RS-12 was re-activated in mode A on January 1, 2001 The latest information on RS-12 and RS-13 can be found on the AC5DK RS-12/13 Satellite Operators page at: http://www.qsl.net/ac5dk/rs1213/rs1213.html [ANS thanks Kevin Manzer, AC5DK, for this information] 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) Launched: December 26, 1994 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome Status: Semi-operational, mode-A, using a 2-meter uplink and a 10-meter downlink Dave, WB6LLO, has operating information for both RS-15 on his 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 [ANS thanks Dave Guimont, WB6LLO, for this information] 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) Launched: June 16, 1983 by an Ariane launcher from Kourou, French Guiana. Status: Semi-operational, mode-B. AO-10 has been locked into a 70-cm uplink and a 2-meter downlink for several years. DX continues to be worked (and heard) on AO-10. 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 Launched: September 26, 1993 by an Ariane launcher from Kourou, French Guiana. Status: Operational, mode J. Periodically, AO-27's analog repeater will be turned off for a few days at a time to enable ground controllers to gather Whole Orbital Data (WOD), to verify the health of the satellite. An AO-27 question-and-answer page is available on the AMSAT-NA web site. The URL is: http://www.amsat.org/amsat/intro/ao27faq.html. 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. The current TEPR settings (as of November 25, 2000) are: TEPR 4 18 TEPR 5 36 The AO-27 pages on the AMSAT-NA web site include an explanation of TEPR AO-27 operations (at): http://www.amsat.org/amsat/sats/n7hpr/ao27.html [ANS thanks AMRAD for AO-27 information] UO-14 Uplink 145.975 MHz FM Downlink 435.070 MHz FM Launched: January 22, 1990 by an Ariane launcher from Kourou, French Guiana. Status: Operational, mode J Happy birthday UO-14, now 11 years old! Tim, KG8OC, has updated the Michigan AMSAT Information site to include UO-14 information -- point your web browser to the following URL: http://www.qsl.net/kg8oc [ANS thanks Chris Jackson, G7UPN/ZL2TPO, for UO-14 information] SUNSAT SO-35 Mode J Uplink: 145.825 MHz FM Mode J Downlink: 436.250 MHz FM Mode B Uplink: 436.291 MHz FM Mode B Downlink: 145.825 MHz FM Launched: February 23, 1999 by a Delta II rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Status: Non-operational Amateur Radio service (although Amateur operation was reported noted the weekend of January 13th). The SunSat web page currently contains the following: The orientation changes needed in order to resume imaging activities have been hampered by ground station problems. Due to the additional operational effort required, Amateur Radio services have been suspended until further notice. 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 in addition to Mode B/J operation. The satellite has two VHF and two UHF transmit-receive systems. For more information on SunSat, including the official operating schedule, visit the following URL: http://sunsat.ee.sun.ac.za A summary of the active modes and frequency allocations for SunSat is available at the following URL: http://esl.ee.sun.ac.za/~lochner/sunsat/modes.html [ANS thanks Garth Milne, ZR1AFH, for this information] JAS-1b FO-20 Uplink 145.90 to 146.00 MHz CW/LSB Downlink 435.80 to 435.90 MHz CW/USB Launched: February 07, 1990 by an H1 launcher from the Tanegashima Space Center in Japan. Status: Operational. FO-20 is in mode JA continuously Tak, JA2PKI, reported the FO-20 control station operators believe that the UVC (Under Voltage Controller) now is regulating the transponder. The UVC monitors battery voltage and tries to protect the batteries from over discharge. Tak notes that FO-20, launched in 1990, is now over 10 years old. [ANS thanks Kazu Sakamoto, JJ1WTK, for the FO-20 status reports] JAS-2 FO-29 Launched: August 17, 1996, by an H-2 launcher from the Tanegashima Space Center in Japan. Status: Operational Voice/CW Mode JA Uplink 145.90 to 146.00 MHz CW/LSB Downlink 435.80 to 435.90 MHz CW/USB Digital Mode JD Uplink 145.850 145.870 145.910 MHz FM Downlink 435.910 MHz 1200 baud BPSK or 9600 baud FSK Callsign 8J1JCS Digitalker 435.910 MHz The JARL FO-29 command station has announced the following operation schedule of FO-29: through April 2, 2001 - mode JA Mike, KF4FDJ, has put together a very informative document on FO-29, addressing the analog, digital and digi-talker modes. To obtain a copy e-mail Mike at: kf4fdj@amsat.org. Mineo, JE9PEL, has a FO-29 satellite telemetry analysis program that will automatically analyze all digital telemetry from the satellite (such as current, voltage and temperature). The JE9PEL FO-29/shareware is available at the following URL: http://www.ne.jp/asahi/hamradio/je9pel/ [ANS thanks Kazu Sakamoto, JJ1WTK, for the FO-29 status reports] SO-41 SAUDISAT-1A Uplink to be released Downlink 437.075 MHz Broadcast Callsign SASAT1-11 BBS SASAT1-12 Launched: September 26, 2000 aboard a converted Soviet ballistic missile from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. Status: Commissioning stage, initial housekeeping tasks underway SaudiSat-1A will operate as 9600 baud digital store-and-forward systems as well analog FM repeater mode capability. One of two new ham satellites from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia built by the Space Research Institute at the King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology. SO-42 SAUDISAT-1B Uplink to be released Downlink 436.775 MHz Broadcast Callsign SASAT2-11 BBS SASAT2-12 Launched: September 26, 2000 aboard a converted Soviet ballistic missile from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. Status: Commissioning stage, initial housekeeping tasks underway SaudiSat-1B will operate as 9600 baud digital store-and-forward systems as well analog FM repeater mode capability. One of two new ham satellites from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia built by the Space Research Institute at the King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology. /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-028.06 WEEKLY SATELLITE REPORT PART 2 AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 028.06 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD, JANUARY 28, 2001 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-028.06 TIUNGSAT-1 Uplink 145.850 or 145.925 MHz 9600 baud FSK Downlink 437.325 MHz Broadcast callsign MYSAT3-11 BBS MYSAT3-12 Launched: September 26, 2000 aboard a converted Soviet ballistic missile from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. Status: Operational at 38k4 baud FSK Chris, G7UPN, tells ANS that recently TiungSat-1 has been operating at a data rate of 38k4. Data recovery at 38k4 is reported to be extremely good with efficiencies near 100%. The output power is at 8-watts "which should provide a very good downlink," said Chris, adding "the downside is that with the high power transmitter operating, the power budget is negative so we can't support continuous operation." According to G7UPN, TiungSat-1 now requires the Amateur Radio station to switch the downlink 'on' when the satellite comes into range. The way this works is for the ground station software to send a request to the spacecraft to switch the downlink on. The spacecraft receives this request and checks the battery voltage to see if it can support the operation, and if it can it will activate the downlink. TiungSat-1 is Malaysia's first micro-satellite and in addition to commercial land and weather imaging payloads offers FM and FSK Amateur Radio communication. TiungSat-1, named after the mynah bird of Malaysia, was developed as a collaborative effort between the Malaysian government and Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. For more information on TiungSat-1, visit the following URL: http://www.yellowpages.com.my/tiungsat/tiung_main.htm [ANS thanks Chris Jackson, G7UPN/ZL2TPO, for this information] KITSAT KO-25 Uplink 145.980 MHz FM (9600 baud FSK) Downlink 436.500 MHz FM Broadcast Callsign HL02-11 BBS HL02-12 Launched: September 26, 1993 by an Ariane launcher from Kourou, French Guiana. Status: Operational Jim, AA7KC, reports KO-25 operational but with very low 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 Broadcast Callsign UOSAT5-11 BBS UOSAT5-12 Launched: July 17, 1991 by an Ariane launcher from Kourou, French Guiana. Status: Operational Jim, AA7KC, reports UO-22 is operational with heavy individual and Sat-gate traffic. More information on the satellite is available at the following URL: http://www.sstl.co.uk/ [ANS thanks 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 Launched: March 1, 1984 by a Delta-Thor rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Status: Operational During the period of 16-December 2000 to 16-January, 2001 good signals have been received from the 145 MHz beacon. OSCAR-11 users should note that the year displayed in the ASCII status blocks is incorrect. There is currently a similar error of one year in the date of the latest WOD survey. Ground control should be able to correct these errors shortly Battery voltage observed during daylight passes is unchanged. The average value observed was 14.0, with a range of 13.7 to 14.1 volts. Internal temperatures have continued to decrease by one degree as the eclipse periods lengthen. They are now 5.02 and 3.2 C for battery and telemetry electronics respectively. The spin period has varied between 256 and 311 seconds. Two positive magnetorquer correction pulses and zero negative pulses have been counted, while there have been 324 Z-axis correction pulses. S-band reception reports have been received recently from K5OE, PE5YES and W9JIU. The operating schedule is as follows: 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] LUSAT LO-19 Uplink 145.84 145.86 145.88 145.90 MHz FM (using 1200 baud Manchester FSK) CW downlink 437.125 MHz Digital downlink 437.150 MHz SSB (RC-BPSK 1200 baud PSK) Broadcast Callsign LUSAT-11 BBS LUSAT-12 Launched: January 22, 1990 by an Ariane launcher from Kourou, French Guiana. Status: Semi-operational. The CW beacon is sending eight telemetry channels and one status channel on 437.136 MHz. No BBS service is available. The digipeater is not active. Happy birthday LO-19, now 11 years old! Telemetry (limited) is as follows: Sat Jan 27 at 13:00 2000 UTC LUSAT HIHI 60 AUN ADT AVT ADE AUU A6E A4E AE6 LUSAT HIHI 60 AUN ADT AVT AD4 AUU A6E A46 AE6 Mineo, JE9PEL, has recorded LO-19 CW and PSK telemetry and placed the information on his Internet homepage site at: http://www.ne.jp/asahi/hamradio/je9pel/ General information and telemetry samples can be found at: www.telecable.es/personales/ea1bcu [ANS thanks Miguel Menendez, EA1BCU, for LO-19 status information] PACSAT AO-16 Uplink 145.90 145.92 145.94 145.96 MHz FM (using 1200 baud Manchester FSK) Downlink 437.025 MHz SSB (RC-BPSK 1200 baud PSK) Mode-S Beacon 2401.1428 MHz Broadcast Callsign: PACSAT-11 BBS PACSAT-12 Launched: January 22, 1990 by an Ariane launcher from Kourou, French Guiana. Status: Semi-operational, the digipeater command is on. Happy birthday AO-16, now 11 years old! Russ, WJ9F, reported the 70-cm transmitter is at about 2-watts output and WOD is being collected to watch the battery temps to see if they stabilize to previous levels. Further S-band operation should occur very soon. Thanks to everyone who have sent data and reception reports. Telemetry is as follows: uptime is 349/09:06:01. Time is Sat Jan 27 12:41:49 2001 +X (RX) Temp -3.027 D RX Temp 1.209 D BCR Set Point 122.365 C BCR Load Cur 0.420 A BCR Input Cur 0.456 A BCR Output Cur 0.360 A Bat 1 Temp 6.654 D Bat 2 Temp 10.285 D Baseplt Temp 9.680 D PSK TX RF Out 1.805 W RC PSK BP Temp 0.603 D RC PSK HPA Tmp 0.603 D +Y Array Temp 4.234 D PSK TX HPA Tmp 3.629 D +Z Array Temp 0.603 D Total Array C= 0.431 Bat Ch Cur=-0.060 Ifb= 0.025 I+10V= 0.396 TX:1009 BCR:7E PWRC:36D BT:1E WC:25 EDAC:46 Beacon text: Happy 11th birthday to AO-16, LO-19, UO-14. AO-16 owned and operated by AMSAT-NA AO-16 Command Team A new WOD collection of current graphics along with general information and telemetry samples can be found at: www.telecable.es/personales/ea1bcu [ANS thanks Miguel Menendez, EA1BCU, for AO-16 status information] TMSAT-1 TO-31 Uplink 145.925 MHz (9600 baud FSK) Downlink 436.925 MHz (9600 baud FSK) Broadcast Callsign: TMSAT1-11 BBS TMSAT1-12 Launched: July 10, 1998 by a Zenit rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. Status: Non-operational, no data downlinked since December 18, 2000. Chris G7UPN, (UoSAT operations manager) reports the following to ANS: The TO-31 downlink will be off over most areas, with the exception of Europe and Thailand. This is required to allow control stations to recondition the battery with minimum power drain. 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 Many of the high-resolution color images transmitted by TMSAT are compressed using a UoSAT compression format. This format is supported by the VK5HI CCD display program. [ANS thanks Chris Jackson, G7UPN/ZL2TPO, for TO-31 status information] UoSAT-12 UO-36 Uplink 145.960 MHz (9600 baud FSK) Downlink 437.025 MHz 437.400 MHz Broadcast Callsign UO121-11 BBS UO121-12 Launched: April 21, 1999 by a Russian launcher from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. Status: Semi-operational Chris, G7UPN, reports to ANS that UO-36 may not be available at times due to the satellite currently in continual sunlight. Chris reports this generates considerable heat and command teams try and keep the transmitter off do avoid generating additional heat. Bill, VK3JT, reports that UO-36 should now be into an eclipse period and he notes UO-36 (should be) operational shortly. UO-36 carries a number of imaging payloads, digital store-and-forward communications and mode L/S transponders. NASA has demonstrated on UO-36 the ability to use standard Internet protocols to communicate with an orbiting spacecraft (just like any node on the Internet). NASA has been developing this project by working with the commercial payload aboard UoSAT-12. The BBS is open, although uploading and downloading may be disabled at times. The VK5HI viewer shareware for UO-36 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 Broadcast Callsign ITMSAT-11 BBS ITMSAT-12 Launched: September 26, 1993 by an Ariane launcher from Kourou, French Guiana. Status: Semi-operational, the digipeater function is on and open for APRS users. [ANS thanks ITAMSAT Project Manager Alberto E. Zagni, I2KBD, for IO-26 information] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-028.07 WEEKLY SATELLITE REPORT PART 3 AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 028.07 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD, JANUARY 28, 2001 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-028.07 THE FOLLOWING ARE IN ORBIT BUT ARE NON-OPERATIONAL AT THIS TIME: RADIO SPORT RS-13 Uplink 21.260 to 21.300 MHz CW/SSB Downlink 145.860 to 145.900 MHz CW/SSB Beacon 145.860 MHz Launched: February 5, 1991 aboard a Russian Cosmos C launcher Status: non-operational (last operational in mode-T) RS-12 was apparently re-activated recently. Prior to this switch RS-13 was operational (mode T), but was apparently turned off following the recent RS-12 switch. The latest information on RS-12 and RS-13 can be found on the AC5DK RS-12/13 Satellite Operators page at: http://www.qsl.net/ac5dk/rs1213/rs1213.html [ANS thanks Kevin Manzer, AC5DK, for this information] KITSAT KO-23 Uplink 145.900 MHz FM (9600 baud FSK) Downlink 435.170 MHz FM Broadcast Callsign HLO1-11 BBS HLO1-12 Launched: August 10, 1992 by an Ariane launcher from Kourou, French Guiana. Status: Intermittent operation with the downlink transmitter operating at unpredictable intervals. Jim, AA7KC, reports that KO-23's downlink transmitter continues in non-operational status. Jim says that KO-23 shows some signs of trying to recover, but no useful data has been downlinked. The duration of this status is unpredictable. No data has been received since October 28, 2000. KyungHee Kim, HL0ENJ, reports (from the KO-23 control team) that part of the problem with non-operation has been the power budget aboard the satellite. "We are not sure when the bird might turn off again due to insufficient power. The capability of the onboard power system has been less and less," said Kim. HL0ENJ also noted that as of October 30, 2000 the onboard computer was reset and a reboot of operational software is now underway. [ANS thanks Jim Weisenberger, AA7KC, and KyungHee Kim, HL0ENJ, for KO-23 status information] TECHSAT-1B GO-32 Downlink 435.225 MHz using HDLC telemetry Launched: July 10, 1998 by a Russian Zenit rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. Status: Semi-operational. Efforts were reported to be underway to bring GO-32 on line, however, no information has been received by ANS (the last report was dated November 1999). Last reported, the satellite does transmit a 9600-baud burst every 30 seconds (the GO-32 beacon sends one short telemetry status transmission of 44 bytes) and upon request the complete telemetry buffer. [ANS has no further information] PANSAT PO-34 Uplink/downlink frequencies have never been released Launched: October 30, 1998 by the Shuttle Discovery Status: Unknown The satellite is not currently available for general uplink transmissions. PanSat was developed by the Naval Postgraduate School. At the time of launch, PanSat spread-spectrum digital transponders were promised to be available to Amateur Radio operators along with software to utilize this technology. To date, this has not happened. For more information, visit the official PanSat web site at: http://www.sp.nps.navy.mil/pansat/ PanSat was the featured cover article on the July/August 1999 issue of the AMSAT-NA Journal (the story written by KD6DRA and N7HPR). [ANS has no further information] MIR SPACE STATION 145.985 MHz (FM) voice and SSTV (Robot 36 Mode) Launched: February 18, 1986 Status: Unmanned Currently, there is no human habitation aboard the station and the onboard Amateur Radio equipment has been turned off. Several news agencies are reporting the Mir space station will be ditched in a controlled descent that will send it hurtling into a remote area of the Pacific Ocean in early March 2001. MIR SAFEX II 70-cm Repeater Uplink 435.750 MHz FM w/subaudible tone of 141.3 Hz Downlink 437.950 MHz FM Status: Not operational. No operation in 1999 or 2000 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 Status: Not operational. No operation in 1999 or 2000 has been observed [ANS has no further information] DOVE DO-17 Downlink 145.825 MHz FM (1200 baud AFSK) 2401.220 MHz Launched: January 22, 1990 by an Ariane launcher from Kourou, French Guiana. Status: Non-operational. DOVE has been in orbit for 11 years. 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. [ANS has no further information] WEBERSAT WO-18 Downlink 437.104 MHz SSB (1200 baud PSK AX.25) Launched: January 22, 1990 by an Ariane launcher from Kourou, French Guiana. Status: Non-operational. WO-18 has been in orbit for 11 years. WO-18 was last reported to be in MBL mode after a software crash. [ANS has no further information] SEDSAT-1 SO-33 Downlink 437.910 MHz FM (9600 baud FSK) Launched: October 24, 1998 by a Delta 2 rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida. Status: Semi-operational. The satellite is not currently available for uplink transmissions and the image and transponder recovery efforts have been unsuccessful. SedSat-1 signifies Students for the Exploration and Development of Space (satellite number one). SedSat-1 has downlinked months worth of telemetry data on the performance of its electrical power system parameters. The Nickel Metal Hydride batteries on the spacecraft were experimental and experienced some abuse due to a power negative situation. This information has provided NASA with useful information. With the exception of the imaging system and the use of the transponders, SedSat-1 has been judged a success. For more information on SedSat-1 visit the satellite web site at the following URL: http://seds.uah.edu/projects/sedsat/sedsat.htm [ANS has no further information] /EX