SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-199.01 ISS Crew Begins Week With Science Experiments AMSAT News Service Bulletin 199.01 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. July 13, 2004 To ALL RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-199.01 The Expedition 9 crew worked with several science experiments Monday aboard the International Space Station. NASA ISS Science Officer Mike Fincke conducted a session with the Fluid Merging Viscosity Measurement (FMVM) experiment. This physical science experiment is studying viscosity -- a property of fluids that causes them to resist flowing because of the internal friction created as the molecules move against each other. Researchers hope data from FMVM will provide insight to the behavior of glasses -- materials that may be used to fabricate parts or equipment for long-term space missions and improve future materials processing experiments carried out in space and on Earth. Fincke also set up equipment for the Earth Knowledge Acquired by Middle School Students (EarthKAM) experiment. EarthKAM is a NASA education program that enables thousands of students to photograph and examine Earth from a space crew's perspective by allowing them to control a special digital camera mounted on the ISS. Fincke and Commander Gennady Padalka also performed their fifth session with a Russian biomedical assessment that studies changes in the human body during space travel. They recorded their calf volume and body mass measurements. In other activities, the crew conducted a one-hour training session with the Crew Health Care System and installed new cargo containers in the Zarya Control Module . International Space Station Status Report No. 39 . [ANS thanks SAREX info services] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-199.02 ECHO Testing Update AMSAT News Service Bulletin 199.02 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. July 13, 2004 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-199.02 The remainder of this week is expected to be spent loading some new code, testing the S downlink and the UHF B TX. Note that the S downlink when in digital mode will always be at 38k4 or higher. It is not capable of 9k6 due to limitations involved in making it work properly at speeds up to 76k8. We are pleased so far with the strength of the 2.45W S downlink. At times the UHF A TX (.150) will be off or at very low power. We will also be testing transmitters at higher data rates. Listeners should not be surprised or alarmed if the UHF A TX is not on or if they are unable to copy it at 9k6 during some orbits. The Command Team is carefully checking off the tests and measurements that are part of the commissioning process. They ask everyone to be patient.and again, AO-51 is not yet open for use. Any transmissions aimed at AO-51 by other than command stations will slow down the process and delay the day when it is open for all to use. The coloradosatellite.com/echo web site was off line for a few hours Sunday and Monday due to a data center move. Stations wishing to upload telemetry should find it on line now. [ANS thanks Jim, WD0E for the above information] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-199-.03 ARISS Contact Schedule list updated 2004-07-13 20:00 UTC AMSAT News Service Bulletin 199.03 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. July 13, 2004 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-199.03 Expedition 9 crew is now on the ISS. E. Michael Fincke KE5AIT Gennady I. Padalka RN3DT The schedule page has been updated as of 2004-07-13 20:00 UTC. The successful school list has been updated as of 2004-07-13 20:00 UTC. The latest ARISS announcement and successful school list is now available on the ARISS web site. There are several ARISS web sites: English: http://www.rac.ca/ariss/ French: http://c.avmdti.free.fr/ariss/index.htm ARISS Europe: http://www.ariss-eu.org/ ARISS Japan: http://www.jarl.or.jp/ariss/ Other locations include: Latest ARISS announcements and news http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/arissnews.txt Successful school list http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/Successful_ARISS_schools.rtf or http://ariss.gsfc.nasa.gov One of the ARISS operation team mentors, AJ9N [ANS thanks Charlie Sufana, AJ9N for above information] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-199.04 ECHO Progress Update - 18 July 2004 AMSAT News Service Bulletin 199.04 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. July 18, 2004 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-199.04 Some stations have noted the S testing and reported results, which is appreciated by the command team. The command team has been watching the temperature closely when the S Tx is on. Since it is only about 30 percent efficient a lot of power must be dissipated in the transmitter and its enclosure. So far the temperature rise, while quite noticeable, has not been a problem. AO-51 continues to spin and tumble at a relatively rapid rate. In one axis it's about 15 seconds per rev. While these rates are high they are not a problem for the satellite. They do create some fades on the downlink that will go away once the tumble is damped out. Because of the high rates it is likely to take a while for that stable mode to be achieved. The torq rod has also not yet oriented the satellite to the earth's magnetic field. A new section of the telemetry archive will be open soon with whole orbit data that has been collected by the command stations. Some of it is at a rate of 3 seconds between samples. That high sample rate data is what has been being used to determine the spin and attitude. Once on-line that section of the site will be available for anyone to download archived telemetry. http://coloradosatellite.com/echo Approximately 2500 launch campaign pictures are now available for browsing on the web thanks to Chuck Green, N0ADI. The pictures can be viewed at http://bach.as.arizona.edu/gallery/echo There has been some speculation about modes for future experimenter Wednesday. While AO-51 is a very flexible and capable spacecraft, it is still too early to determine exactly what the final operational parameters will be on Wednesdays or during "normal" operations. [ANS thanks Chuck, N0ADI and Jim, WD0E for the above information] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-199.05 ECHO Transmitter Status - 15 July 2004 AMSAT News Service Bulletin 199.05 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. July 15, 2004 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-199.05 Echo's 2nd UHF transmitter, TXB, has been moved to 435.300 MHz. TXB is currently on and TXA, on 435.150 MHz, was turned off this morning. As testing continues there will be occasions that either or both transmitters may be on. [ANS thanks Mike, KE4AZN for the above information] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-199-.06 AMSAT WEB Site AMSAT News Service Bulletin 199.06 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. July 18, 2004 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-199.06 Our website Guru Emily Clarke, W0EEC, has re-invented the AMSAT-NA Website. She painstakingly put together a work of art and simplified pointing to our volumes of information. This is a great place for beginners to find answers to questions and extract assistance in becoming a Satellite User. She has a spot to comment on what you like or dislike. It is still being refined as comments and suggestions come in. With the soon to be released for general use AO-51, here is where you will find the latest information on our new bird. Robin, VE3FRH, has issued a previous notice about this site, however, I feel that Something that is done so well is worth repeating. Visit the updated site at www.amsat.org. Browse and learn more about our slice of this fascinating hobby. Applause to Emily. 73, This week's ANS editor, Dee Interdonato, NB2F - NB2F at AMSAT.org /EX