SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-091.01 PHASE 3D / AMSAT OSCAR 40 UPDATE AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 091.01 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD, APRIL 01, 2001 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-091.01 The month of April begins with the following AO-40 news from AMSAT-DL: The last magnetorqueing session (finished March 20th), reduced the spin rate to 1.8-rpm, the planned final value. The rate of spin reduction was about -0.7-rpm/perigee (at times as much as -1 rpm). Overall, the rate of spin reduction was more effective than expected, getting us from 17.6-rpm down to 1.8-rpm in 21 perigees. Attitude is still being measured, but gave some confusing results. Without magnetorqueing we observed an attitude change of about 5 degrees per day, although calculations show the maximum possible change (due to Sun movement and precession) at only 0.85 degrees per day! This much larger apparent rate of change would explain why the satellite showed larger drops in Sun angle than expected and also why the hibernation period was much shorter than predicted. After some additional WOD analysis it was found that the change in attitude occurred only when AO-40 was in perigee. Effects of drag in perigee were taken into account, but are obviously much higher than anticipated or calculated, perhaps due to recent higher Sun activity. If this would continue without active attitude change, we would run out of Sun lock within 10 days. Therefore, it was decided to spin up the spacecraft to reduce the rapid change in attitude due to drag. This will give us additional breathing space. In addition, preparation to test the Arcjet thruster (as soon as accurate attitude is determined) are under way. AO-40 also stopped sending telemetry recently, as the last data received was from David, 9M2DT. Because of the recent very high solar activity, the AO-40 team at first thought that the IHU-1 had crashed due to an SEU (Single Event Upset) which could not be corrected by the EDAC (Error Detection and Correction) unit. In fact, we noticed that a soft error (which was corrected by the EDAC system) had occurred. After closer examination by James Miller, G3RUH, it was found the IHU-1 computer had not crashed; it was stuck in a navigation routine loop. This routine takes MA (Z) as an argument and returns radius and true anomaly of the orbit. Because of the current orbit, the Keplerian element update for the IHU software resulted in a routine failure. Thus, the flight computer was cycling endlessly in a loop. After discussion with the AO-40 Project leader Dr. Karl Meinzer, DJ4ZC, it was proposed to minimize the pain of reloading the whole software routine by trying a new program, a hot restart procedure that required an 82 byte uploaded. During orbit 191, command station operator Stacey Mills, W4SM, had access to the spacecraft and sent the necessary commands. He was quickly rewarded with telemetry! W4SM also uploaded a software patch, so that the telemetry would not freeze during the next perigee at MA-1. Congratulations to James, Karl and Stacey and the whole command team for a superb job - well done! 73, Peter, DB2OS President AMSAT-DL (end) The latest ALON/ALAT estimated value for AO-40 is 172 / 0. [ANS thanks AMSAT-DL for this information] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-091.02 KC7NHZ ACTIVE FROM ISS AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 091.02 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD, APRIL 01, 2001 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-091.02 The ARRL is reporting that Expedition-2 crew member Susan Helms, KC7NHZ, had barely settled in aboard the International Space Station when she apparently felt the urge to do a little hamming! Sam Danner, N3MPE, of Smithsburg, Maryland, had a scanner set to an ISS 2-meter downlink frequency on the off chance he might hear something - and he did. Danner then ran out to his car, equipped with a VHF radio programmed with ISS frequencies, and made contact with NA1SS. "It was fantastic!" Danner said. Gordon Williams, VK6IU, also reported hearing Helms calling CQ when the orbiter was over western Australia recently. The ISS crew will be busy with upcoming school contacts. The Vicksburg, Mississippi High School is scheduled for a direct contact during the week of April 4th, followed by the Woodford County Middle School, the Admiral Moorer Middle School and the Parkway Central High School, all scheduled during the month of April. NASA has released a photograph of Sergej Krikalev, U5MIR, in the area where the ISS 2-meter radio is located. The corner of the packet module is also visible in the photograph. Point your browser to the following URL to view the NASA release: http://garc9.gsfc.nasa.gov/~ariss/u5mir-is.jpg [ANS thanks the ARISS group and the ARRL for this information] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-091.03 NASA NAMES FUTURE ISS CREWS AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 091.03 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD, APRIL 01, 2001 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-091.03 As the Expedition-2 crew settles aboard the International Space Station, American crew members for future space station missions have been named by NASA. The astronauts will join a corps of expedition astronauts and cosmonauts previously named to the first four crews. Russian members of these new expedition crews will be formally announced in the near future. The Expedition-5 crew will consist of astronaut Peggy Whitson and two Russian cosmonauts, one of whom will be the mission commander. Navy Captain Kenneth Bowersox will command the Expedition-6 crew that includes astronaut Donald Thomas and a Russian cosmonaut. American astronaut Ed Lu along with a Russian commander and flight engineer make up the Expedition-7 crew. Lu will make his third trip to space, having flown on STS-84 in 1997 and STS-106 in 2000. Astronaut Michael Foale, serving as commander of Expedition-8, will have Colonel William McArthur and a Russian cosmonaut as flight engineers. Foale has flown in space five times, including a long-duration stay aboard Mir in 1997. A complete list of all astronauts and cosmonauts in ISS training, along with their biographical data, can be found at the following web site: http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/ [ANS thanks NASA for this information] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-091.04 ISS SPECIAL EVENT PLANNED AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 091.04 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD, APRIL 01, 2001 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-091.04 The ARISS team has received permission from the ISS controllers to declare April 12, 2001 as a special event day for Amateur Radio aboard the International Space Station! The ARISS team is requesting the crew (on a voluntary basis), to attempt as may general ham radio contacts as possible over the major landmasses of the Earth - to help celebrate Cosmonautics Day. This year the April 12th Cosmonautics Day holiday celebrates the 40th anniversary of the first human spaceflight by Yuri Gagarin, the 30th anniversary of the first space station (Salyut-1), and the 20th anniversary of the first launch of the first reusable space vehicle, the American space shuttle. Specific operating times and modes will be announced later. Check to the ARISS web page for the latest details. The URL is: http://ariss.gsfc.nasa.gov/ [ANS thanks ARISS team member Will Marchant, KC6ROL, for this information] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-091.05 AMSAT-UK SECOND CALL FOR PAPERS AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 091.05 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD, APRIL 01, 2001 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-091.05 The 16th AMSAT-UK Colloquium will be held at Surrey University, Guildford, Surrey, United Kingdom, July 27-29, 2001. This is the second call for papers. AMSAT-UK invites speakers to submit papers about Amateur Radio space and associated activities, for this event and for the Proceedings document which will be published at the same time. This year, anticipating some sort of availability of AO-40, we are particularly interested to have papers related to this project. Offers of papers should be submitted as soon as possible; the date for full documents to be received is mid-June 2001. Submissions should be sent via the following routes: Internet e-mail: g3rwl@amsat.org Terrestrial mail: R W Limebear, G3RWL 60 Willow Road Enfield EN1 3NQ United Kingdom AMSAT-UK also invites anyone with requests for program topics to submit them as soon as possible to G3RWL. Additionally, AMSAT-UK will be running sessions specifically for beginners to Amateur Radio satellite operating and volunteers are requested to speak to these sessions. [ANS thanks Richard Limebear, G3RWL, Colloquium Organizer, or this information.] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-091.06 ANS IN BRIEF AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 091.06 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD, APRIL 01, 2001 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-091.06 ANS news in brief this week includes the following: ** The PYØS DXpedition is reported to be active using the callsign ZYØSAT. HF operation is underway in addition to satellite communication via AO-10, UO-14, FO-20 and FO-29. Operation is expected through April 15, 2001. Also, Rolf, DK2ZF, reports he will operate as S79RN (Seychelles/LI75) though April 15th. The preferred mode is CW, with AO-10 operation listed as primary. -Joaquim, PS7JN, Rolf, DK2ZF ** The annual AMSAT-NA banquet at the Dayton Hamvention will be held Friday evening (May 18th) at the Amber Rose Cafe, 1400 Valley St., Dayton. There will be a happy hour from 18:00 to 19:30 local, with dinner served at 19:30. The cost is $20.00 per person and payment can be made at the door. Reservations are required due to space limitations. The point of contact is Ed Collins, N8NUY (N8NUY@amsat.org). Reservations will be limited to 85 people. Confirmations will be sent via e-mail. Maps to the restaurant will be available at the AMSAT Booth at the Hamvention. Talk-in will be via the 145.410 MHz (100 Hz PL) repeater. -Ed, N8NUY ** The Russian Government recently approved co-development of a new launch vehicle dubbed "Aurora" being developed and marketed by the Asia Pacific Space Center. APSC hopes to use a new spaceport, as the aspiring launch company would like to build a facility on Christmas Island. -SpaceDaily ** Steve Ford, WB8IMY, will become the new QST editor effective April 2nd. Ford, who's the QST managing editor and supervises the magazine's editorial staff, will succeed Mark Wilson, K1RO. Ford, 46, came to ARRL Headquarters in 1991 as an editor on the Book Team, and he is the author of several League publications. He became assistant managing editor of QST in 1993 and managing editor in 1995. WB8IMY is active in the Amateur Radio satellite community. -ARRL/ANS ** If you missed the Mir re-entry, watch the video at the following URL: http://www.cnn.com/2001/TECH/space/03/23/mir.descent/index.html. -Arthur, N1ORC ** The Amateur Radio Spectrum Protection Act of 2001, introduced in the U.S. House, now is officially a Senate bill, S.549. The bill has been referred to the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee. S.549 is identical in its wording to H.R.817. If approved by both chambers and signed by President Bush, the Spectrum Protection Act would require the FCC to provide equivalent replacement spectrum should it ever reallocate primary Amateur Radio spectrum to another service. -ARRL ** The era of national space stations may have ended with the death of Mir, but the problems besetting its successor show just how hard it can be to build international cooperation in space. The Soviet-built station, destroyed during re-entry after a 15-year career, was born from the superpower rivalry that catapulted humans into space four decades ago. But the daunting cost of a manned outpost in orbit today means no country, not even the U.S., can do it alone. -SpaceDaily ** Speaking at the 2001 Wireless show in Las Vegas, Nevada, FCC Chairman Michael Powell said the FCC is rethinking its business model. Powell told the gathering that the FCC is "reviewing the optimal organization and structure" with an eye toward a more-responsive FCC. "We are putting increasing emphasis on an enforcement model as opposed to a regulatory model," he said. -ARRL ** A 100 meter-wide space rock known as 2001-EC16 paid a passing visit to Earth's vicinity. As it swept by at a little over 1.7 million km from Earth - approximately four and a half lunar distances - the only people to pay it much attention were a dedicated band of astronomers. -SpaceDaily ** Bruce Paige, KK5DO, recently announced that the Houston AMSAT Net has moved to the 145.190 MHz W5BSA repeater in Houston. The old repeater the group had been using failed about a month ago and has not been repaired. The Houston AMSAT Net meets each Tuesday evening and is heard over geostationary satellite, the Internet and several repeaters across the U.S. See http://www.amsatnet.com for further details. -Bruce, KK5DO --ANS BULLETIN END--- /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-091.07 WEEKLY SATELLITE REPORT PART 1 AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 091.07 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD, APRIL 01, 2001 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-091.07 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 The ARISS team has received permission from the ISS controllers to declare April 12, 2001 as a special event day for Amateur Radio aboard the International Space Station! Specific operating times and modes will be announced. 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. G1NDK, DL9OJ, UR5MGW, F5CAR, OZ5DE, OE1JBC, SM2WRE and PE1RAH have all been active. 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. AMSAT-NA's W2RS (in London recently) worked G6WWY and OZ1MY with his 5-watt HT and whip antenna via AO-27. 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. TEPR states on AO-27 were reset on March 24, 2001 as follows: TEPR 4 is 38 / TEPR 5 is 78 (TEPR 5 is now 20 minutes long) 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-091.08 WEEKLY SATELLITE REPORT PART 2 AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 091.08 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD, APRIL 01, 2001 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-091.08 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 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, downlink efficiency is in the high 90% range, with moderate 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 operational with heavy individual and Satgate 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 information and Jim Weisenberger, AA7KC, for 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 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. Telemetry is as follows: uptime is 412/07:44:09. Time is Sat Mar 31 11:21:13 2001 +X (RX) Temp 9.680 D RX Temp -1.817 D BCR Load Cur 0.397 A BCR Input Cur 0.385 A BCR Output Cur 0.348 A Bat 1 Temp 3.629 D Bat 2 Temp 4.839 D Baseplt Temp 4.839 D PSK TX RF Out 1.805 W RC PSK BP Temp 1.814 D RC PSK HPA Tmp 0.603 D +Y Array Temp -0.002 D PSK TX HPA Tmp 5.444 D +Z Array Temp 21.177 D Total Array C= 0.342 Bat Ch Cur=-0.049 Ifb= 0.043 I+10V= 0.354 TX:1009 BCR:7F PWRC:36D BT:1E WC:25 EDAC:48 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 Happy birthday UO-36, two years in space this month! 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-091.09 WEEKLY SATELLITE REPORT PART 3 AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 091.09 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD, APRIL 01, 2001 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-091.09 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 for the past several months. 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 over 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 over 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 was 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 frequency (listed on the PanSat web site) 436.500 MHz Launched: October 30, 1998 by the Shuttle Discovery Status: Unknown The satellite is not 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] 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 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