SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-077.01 PHASE 3D / AMSAT OSCAR 40 UPDATE AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 070.01 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD, MARCH 18, 2001 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-077.01 To All Members of AMSAT-NA, The following statement is addressed to those members of AMSAT-NA who have requested an explanation of the December 2000 incident that took place on P3D. This statement has been prepared and developed by Robin Haighton, VE3FRH, President of AMSAT-NA, with input and review from other AMSAT-NA members. As you are aware, Phase 3D was launched on November 16, 2000 into an almost perfect geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO) by an Arianespace launch vehicle (AR-507) from Kourou, French Guiana. Within a few hours of launch excellent telemetry was being received from the 2-meter beacon, and Amateur Radio stations worldwide started downloading data with great accuracy, due in-part to the strong signal strength. The original plan was to use the 70-cm beacon, however, for reasons not yet known, the 70-cm transmitter signal was not heard. Before the satellite could be regularly used for general Amateur Radio communications, it was necessary to carry out orbital changes, stabilize the satellite, open the solar panels, etc. The first changes to the orientation of the satellite were carried out using the onboard magnetorquing system - this worked well and after relatively few orbits the attitude of (now) AO-40 was 270/0, and ready for operation of the 400 Newton motor. Among the many components which comprise this motor system, there are several valves which control pressurizing helium and fuel. During construction of the satellite it was noted that one of the helium valves had a tendency to "stick" when operated. Both of these valves were sent back to the manufacturer for inspection and repair. Both valves were inspected and one valve was repaired, followed by return and re-installation into the system. On the first attempt to fire the 400-N propulsion system, it failed to operate, possibly due to a sticking helium valve. Before the second attempt, it was determined that the fuel tanks could be pressurized (by helium) to their correct pressure over a five minute period, and although this was about one-tenth of the normal helium flow rate, it was still adequate for the planned three minute motor burn. On the second attempt to fire the 400-N motor, all systems appeared to respond correctly at first. At the three minute mark the internal timer transmitted a signal for the main solenoid valve to close, which should have shut off the fuel to the motor. Telemetry shows that the signal was sent and received, but the motor did not shut off for two or three more minutes, placing AO-40 into a higher apogee orbit than was planned at that time. To understand how this may have happened, it is necessary to be aware that the fuel for the 400-N motor is made up of two components, hydrazine (MMH) and nitrogen tetraoxide (N2O4), with each component contained in two separate tanks, both of which could be pressurized by helium. Helium could also be applied to the solenoid motor valve, the output of which operates the two fuel valves which start (and stop) the fuel flow. These valves are actually part of the 400-N motor and are located inside the motor itself. On the solenoid motor valve there is an evacuation port that allows excess helium at the output port of the valve to escape when closing the valve. It is believed that this evacuation port was blocked and that the output port remained pressurized beyond the three minute mark of the motor operation - thus the motor continued to burn for an extended period of time. Between the fuel tanks and the 400 Newton motor there are fuel isolation valves which are pressure operated by the helium system. When the pressure in the helium manifold had been reduced to approximately 6-Bar (100 PSI) the fuel isolation valves closed and prevented any additional fuel from entering the motor, stopping the burn. At this time it is possible that the main motor valves were still open, due to the trapped pressurized helium that had not vented at the solenoid motor valve. Approximately twelve minutes after the motor shut down, a second anomaly occurred. This was detected when the motor solenoid valve changed from closed to open, possibly caused by fuel migrating in the lines between the isolation valve and the 400-N motor. The motor could have also "burped" or "popped" as the fuel mixed and then ignited. High pressure helium (180 Bar) is fed to the motor system via a high pressure on/off valve and a regulator valve - reducing the pressure to a nominal 15 Bar level. It is then fed to the low pressure helium manifold. Because of the longer 400-N burn, a program for testing the high pressure helium valve was written to "cycle" the valve (to insure proper functioning) and uploaded to AO-40. On December 11, 2000, while cycling the helium valve, a sudden loss of signal from AO-40 occurred. It is believed that during this exercise the system became pressurized and that a leakage of fuel was the end result. Initial thoughts were that the spacecraft was completely dead and that chances of recovery were remote, with the possibility that AO-40 was in multiple pieces. However, with help from NORAD, it was determined that the satellite was in one piece, with a possibility of some recovery. At least two automatic resets passed without hearing from the spacecraft. It was decided to try and hear the general beacon on the S-band (2.4 GHz) transmitter. On Christmas Day 2000 the second attempt to activate the S-band transmitter was successful, and since that day downlink telemetry has been recovered on a regular basis. The following items have been found to be working; the 2-meter, 70-cm and 1.2 GHz receivers, the S-2 (2.4 GHz) transmitter, the magnetorquing system, the YACE camera, IHU-2 and the high-gain antennas. The following items are believed not to be working; the 2-meter and 70-cm transmitters and the omni-directional antennas. At the time of this bulletin (March 16, 2001) we still do not know the status of the Arc-jet motor - which is an important item, needed to position the satellite for future use. We do know that the satellite has lost mass, and we attribute this to the loss of bi-propellant fuel from the 400-N motor. The satellite spin rate had increased as the overall weight decreased, but by using the magnetorquing system the spin rate is now nearly down to a usable 5 RPM. In addition, the heat pipe system (which became unusable at the higher spin rates) has now become effective again. Soon AO-40 will be able to be re-orientated so that the high-gain antennas will face the Earth, and the Arc-jet motor will be tested. Following the re-orientation it will be possible to test the remaining systems on board the spacecraft and to determine which systems and bands will be available for future operations and under what conditions. As we all learn more about the status of the satellite, additional bulletins will be posted on AMSAT-BB, and placed on the AMSAT-NA, AMSAT-DL and AMSAT-UK web sites. Meanwhile, all those involved in the recovery of AO-40 are to be congratulated for their skills and perseverance, and may their hard work continue to bring us an operational satellite. 73, Robin Haighton VE3FRH President AMSAT-NA AO-40 is currently transmitting the following message in the A-Block MOTD: Magnetorquing!! At Orbit # 172: ALON=212 / ALAT=45 / SPIN=5.8 <<...OLE_Obj...>> [ANS thanks AMSAT-NA for this information] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-077.02 SYMPOSIUM CALL FOR PAPERS AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 077.02 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD, MARCH 18, 2001 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-077.02 The 2001 AMSAT-NA Annual Symposium is scheduled for October 5-6, 2001 in Atlanta, Georgia. This is the first "Call For Papers" to be presented during the 2001 Symposium. Papers may be presented by the author during the Symposium, or simply offered for inclusion in the Symposium Proceedings publication. The subject matter should be of general interest to Amateur Radio operators involved in satellite communications. Suggested topics include; operating techniques, antenna design and construction, spacecraft design and construction, current mission status, proposed satellite missions, telemetry acquisition and relay, satellite microwave projects, etc. A brief abstract of the proposed paper (in outline format) should be submitted as soon as possible. The final date for abstracts is June 30, 2001. Copy-ready papers must be received no later than August 15, 2001. Electronic submittal is preferred. The format must be either MS Word compatible or in plain text. For security purposes, Symposium chairman Steve Diggs, W4EPI, is asking authors to condense the document file and send it as an e-mail attachment. W4EPI's e-mail address is: w4epi@amsat.org [ANS thanks Symposium Chairman, Steve Diggs, W4EPI, for this information] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-077.03 SPACE STATION ALPHA UPDATE AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 077.03 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD, MARCH 18, 2001 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-077.03 As this edition of ANS was being broadcast, the crews of Discovery and the International Space Station were spending a full day packing the Leonardo cargo module on the station before they detach Leonardo from the complex and secure it in the shuttle payload bay for the trip home. Two more full days of joint work remain before Discovery is scheduled to undock from ISS. A third and final re-boost of ISS will also take place using the shuttle's small steering jets to raise Alpha by a little over two statute miles. Altogether, Discovery will leave Alpha a little more than seven miles higher than when it arrived. The ISS Expedition-2 crew is getting right to its school contacts! The John B. Reible School, in Santa Rosa, California is scheduled for the week of March 26th, with the Vicksburg, Mississippi High School group scheduled for early April. Late breaking news: Randy, KG3N, reported "this morning I heard astronaut Susan Helms calling CQ onboard the International Space Station. I gave here a call (and using the NA1SS callsign) she came back to me. I was able to talk to her for 45 seconds." It appears Susan will be very active (as promised). [ANS thanks NASA and ARISS for this information] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-077.04 MIR END IS NEAR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 077.04 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD, MARCH 18, 2001 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-077.04 When the space station Mir returns to Earth over the remote South Pacific in a few days, it will be big news. Several organizations (such as CNN) are planning live coverage of the de-orbit as it happens. The Russian outpost is the heaviest thing orbiting our planet other than the Moon itself! During its 15-year stint in space, Mir has set endurance and space adventure records, along with providing hundreds of Amateur Radio contacts between ham radio satellite operators and onboard cosmonauts and astronauts. Scientists expect the space station to put on a good show when it returns. Mir is put together much like an erector set. It's an assortment of solar arrays, laboratories and living quarters that was not designed for aerodynamic flight through the atmosphere. Mir has a core module and five other components weighing about 143 tons in all. With a cargo ship and an escape capsule attached, it weighs up to 154 tons. The modules are arranged in a T-shaped structure, 86 by 96 by 99 feet. The station will quickly fall apart as it descends toward Earth. "We expect Mir to break into six or more main pieces when it hits the atmosphere," said Nicholas Johnson at NASA's Johnson Space Center. Each piece will resemble a blazing meteor that spits smaller fireballs as the pieces crumble and burn. [ANS thanks NASA for this information] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-077.05 ANS IN BRIEF AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 077.05 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD, MARCH 18, 2001 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-077.05 ANS news in brief this week includes the following: ** Following objections from the ARRL, AMSAT and others, the FCC has turned down an application from Los Angeles County, California, for an experimental license permitting airborne microwave TV downlinks in the 2402-2448 MHz range. The FCC also canceled an experimental license grant to the City of Los Angeles to operate an identical TV downlink system in same band. Amateurs have a primary domestic allocation at 2402-2417 MHz and a secondary allocation in the rest of the affected band. -ARRL, AMSAT-NA ** The ARRL has suggested that the FCC expand the secondary amateur allocation at 219-220 MHz to provide access to the entire 216-220 MHz band. The League commented this month in response to a Notice of Proposed Rule Making, ET Docket 00-221, that proposes to reallocate 27 MHz of spectrum in various bands, including 216-220 MHz, from government to non-government use. In general, the FCC seeks to allocate the entire 216-220 MHz band to the Fixed and Mobile services on a primary basis. -ARRL ** The ARRL is urging the FCC to deny or dismiss a petition that seeks to boost the field strength and duty cycle of RF identification systems deployed as unlicensed Part 15 devices in the 420-450 MHz band. The League filed comments March 1 in a petition filed by SAVI Technology Inc. The petition, designated RM-10051, asks the FCC to change certain Part 15 rules affecting unlicensed, periodic, intentional radiators. SAVI, which markets radiolocation and wireless inventory control products, says it needs the rules changes to satisfy customer demand for increased RFID system capabilities. -ARRL ** A newly released pair of images taken by NASA's Galileo spacecraft has captured a dynamic eruption on Jupiter's moon Io. They images show a change in the location of hot lava over a period of a few months in 1999 and early 2000. -SpaceDaily ** The Administrative Council of the International Amateur Radio Union has selected the theme "Providing Disaster Communications: Amateur Radio in the 21st Century" for World Amateur Radio Day, April 18, 2001. IARU has been the watchdog and spokesman for the world Amateur Radio community since its founding in Paris, France, in 1925. Hiram Percy Maxim, 1AW, was its first president. -ARRL ** An international team of researchers has discovered compelling evidence that the magnetite crystals in the martian meteorite ALH84001 are of biological origin. The researchers found that the magnetite crystals embedded in the meteorite are arranged in long chains, which they say could have been formed only by once-living organisms. -SpaceDaily ** When last reported, Randy, N7SFI, was only one grid square away from completing his quest to work all the grid squares in the 48 contiguous states! Congratulations Randy! -AMSAT BB ** An Ariane 5 was launched recently from the Kourou spaceport in French Guiana. Flight 140 transported a dual satellite payload: the Eutelsat EUROBIRD satellite BSAT-2a from Orbital Sciences. -SpaceDaily ** The Amateur Radio Spectrum Protection Act of 2001 is now officially HR 817. Rep Michael Bilirakis of Florida introduced the bill on March 1st in the U.S. House of Representatives. ARRL President Jim Haynie, W5JBP, and ARRL First Vice President Joel Harrison, W5ZN, visited the Congressman's office to thank him personally for his continuing interest in protecting Amateur Radio frequency allocations. -ARRL ** Scientists from Bell Labs have created the world's first plastic material in which resistance to the flow of electricity vanishes below a certain temperature, making it a superconductor. The plastic, is an inexpensive material that could be widely used in the future for applications, such as quantum computing and superconducting electronics. -SpaceDaily --ANS BULLETIN END--- /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-077.06 WEEKLY SATELLITE REPORT PART 1 AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 077.06 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD, MARCH 18, 2001 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-077.06 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. [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-1 ARISS initial station launched September 2000 aboard shuttle Atlantis Status: Operational (although current ISS workload is limiting operation) 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 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 Peter, OZ4LP, has been hearing W1 stations via RS-12 and is looking to set up transatlantic schedules with stations in the north east U.S. and eastern Canada. Interested stations can contact him via the RS-12/13 operators forum at: http://www.hotboards.com/plus/plus.mirage?who=rs1213 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 heard and worked on AO-10. Jerry, K5OE, reports contacts with FY1DW, DH5FS, IT9GSV and OE8TPK. Tim, N8DEU, reports QSO's with PP8KWA, IT9GSV, G7MJX, EB4AFK, DG3SAA, SP7JSG and many others! "Big signals on AO-10 this afternoon," reports Ron, W6ZQ, hearing 7M4DUI, VE7STY, NX7U, N8DEU, K5VAS and others. 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 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 Tim, KG8OC, features UO-14 information on the Michigan AMSAT web site -- point your web browser to the following URL: http://www.qsl.net/kg8oc [ANS thanks Chris Jackson, G7UPN/ZL2TPO, for UO-14 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. [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] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-077.07 WEEKLY SATELLITE REPORT PART 2 AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 077.07 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD, MARCH 18, 2001 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-077.07 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 is operational with light traffic. [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 Happy birthday OSCAR-11 - now 17 years in space! During the period 14-February through 14-March 2001 good signals have been received from the 145 MHz beacon. The battery voltage observed during daylight passes is slightly lower. The average value observed was 13.8 volts, with a range of 13.4 to 14.1 volts. The internal temperatures have decreased by about one degree C. They are now 3.2C and 1.6C for battery and telemetry electronics respectively. A WOD survey (dated 06-January), has been transmitted. The array voltage shows the effect of the solar eclipses. The array voltage also shows the decrease of battery voltage during dark periods, the constant voltage during charge, and the over-voltage condition when the battery is fully charged. The spin period has varied between 280 and 329 seconds. In mid-January the Z-axis magnetorquer counter reached 1,024. 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] 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. Russ, WJ9F, reported that at 15:00 UTC on March 17, 2001 AO-16's S-band transmitter (2401.1428 MHz) was turned on. Operation is expected for about 36 hours. Lawrence, DL1FLW, reported "very strong signals from AO-16 on S-band." The next scheduled S-band operation is march 23, 2001. Telemetry is as follows: uptime is 398/08:01:42. Time is Sat Mar 17 11:38:34 2001 +X (RX) Temp 6.654 D RX Temp -0.002 D Bat 1 Temp 7.260 D Bat 2 Temp 6.049 D Baseplt Temp 5.444 D PSK TX RF Out 1.705 W RC PSK BP Temp 1.814 D RC PSK HPA Tmp 1.814 D +Y Array Temp 1.814 D PSK TX HPA Tmp 4.234 D +Z Array Temp 16.941 D Total Array C= 0.365 Bat Ch Cur=-0.064 Ifb= 0.048 I+10V= 0.364 TX:1009 BCR:7F PWRC:36D BT:1E WC:25 EDAC:8D 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] 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: Operational Bill, VK3JT, reports UO-36 was operating normally over VK land. Paul, KB2SHU, reports similar results recently. 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-077.08 WEEKLY SATELLITE REPORT PART 3 AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 077.08 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD, MARCH 18, 2001 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-077.08 THE FOLLOWING ARE IN ORBIT BUT ARE NON-OPERATIONAL AT THIS TIME: 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. Jim, AA7KC, reports TO-31 has been non-operational over North America. 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] 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: Beacon only. The CW beacon is sending eight telemetry channels and one status channel on 437.126 MHz. No BBS service is available. The digipeater is not active. Telemetry (limited) is as follows: Sat Mar 17 at 11:45 2001 UTC LUSAT HIHI 60 AUN ABN AVA AD4 AU4 A6U AEV AE6 LUSAT HIHI 60 AUN ABN AVT ADV AU4 A6U AE4 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] 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: Unknown, this satellite has been in orbit for almost six months. ANS has received no additional information. 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: Unknown, this satellite has been in orbit for almost six months. ANS has received no additional information. 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. 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 The SunSat team released the following statement, dated February 1, 2001: We regret to announce that the last communication with SunSat from our ground station at the Electronic Systems Laboratory at Stellenbosch University took place recently. We are certain, after having performed several tests since the last contact, that an irreversible, physical failure has occurred on the satellite. It is therefore unlikely that we will have any further contact with SunSat, apart from the occasional visual sighting by telescope! When it was operational the SunSat package included 1200 and 9600 baud digital store-and-forward capability and a voice 'parrot' repeater system in addition to Mode B/J operation with 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] 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 re-activated in January 2001. 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. Jeff, KB2WQM, reported to ANS that he noticed KO-23 transmitting a solid carrier recently (no data), Mineo, JE9PEL, also reported receiving KO-23 carrier signals. [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 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 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