SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-227.01 Next Contact AMSAT News Service Bulletin 227.01 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. August 15, 2004 To ALL RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-227.01 The ARISS team is pleased to announce that the next school contact with the International Space Station astronauts will take place Monday, 16 August between the ISS crew and students at Challenger Learning Center at Prairie Aviation Museum, Bloomington, Illinois, USA. The contact is scheduled to begin approximately 1805 UTC. "The Challenger Learning Center at Prairie Aviation Museum is a not-for-profit educational organization offering an interactive simulated space science experience for students, public and corporate groups. Each of the over 50 centers world-wide are chartered through the Challenger Center for Space Science Education, founded in Alexandria, Virginia, in 1986 by the families of the seven astronauts tragically lost during the STS 51-L Challenger space shuttle mission. Through scheduled team missions, the Challenger Learning Center promotes leadership, communications, problem-solving and critical thinking skills while supporting our country's goals of improving science, math and technology education. For this contact, [the museum is] partnering with Central Illinois Radio Club (CIRC), a local amateur radio club." More details will be provided as they become available. ARISS is an international educational outreach program with US participation from NASA, AMSAT (The Amateur Satellite Radio Corp.), and the American Radio Relay League. ARISS offers an opportunity for students to experience the excitement of Amateur Radio by talking directly with crewmembers on-board the International Space Station. Teachers, parents and communities experience, first hand, how Amateur Radio and crewmembers on ISS can energize youngsters' interest in science, technology, and learning. Further information on the ARISS programme is available on the website http://www.rac.ca/ariss [ANS thanks Scott Stevens, N3ASA] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-227.02 AMSAT Symposium AMSAT News Service Bulletin 227.02 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. August 15, 2004 To ALL RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-227.02 For those planning to attend the AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual Meeting, please note that the cutoff date for the Crowne Plaza is September 16th. All reservations received after that will be accepted on a space availability basis at the group rate. 73- Martha, AMSAT Manager The banquet will include our 35th anniversary celebration. This in itself is quite an accomplishment for our group. Be there for this milestone of AMSAT.(ed.) /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-227.03 ECHO Setup AMSAT News Service Bulletin 227.03 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. August 15, 2004 To ALL RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-227.03 Tonight Echo power was raised on TXB (FM voice) to 1.06 watts output. To accommodate this TXA (digital) will be off. This mode will run until Sunday night. TXA will be turned on over command station to check the satellite and get WOD data down. The first orbit in this configuration looked very good power budget wise. I will check the data in the AM, and should be able to raise the power level. I plan to do this in small increments and collect data at each step. Info was sent to ANS about this mode change to run over this weekend. During the next work week Echo will be back in it "normal" mode, with both transmitters on. I requested, again through ANS, that Telemetry data be collected next week. I will be out of town and not able to collect TLM via the WOD system. [ANS TNX Mike,KE4AZN & W2GPS for this information] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-227.04 ECHO Operations and Contacts AMSAT News Service Bulletin 227.04 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. August 15, 2004 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-227.04 Echo 51 is still in its initial stages. Various modes are being tested and power budgets are still being compiled. While the AMSAT community is trying to become operational on this satellite, it is apparent that the low power operators are finding it dificult to get their signals into the bird. Of course we all realize we want to use the bird while it is in view, many cannot get their first contact yet. Become the "politically correct" amateur operator by using the "minimum" amount of power needed to make the contact. If you've followed some discussions on the AMSAT BB, many operators are using their super power bricks to insure their signal is being heard and making many contacts during the pass. Become more considerate of the low power users trying to get into the bird. Don't forget to assist it's unpaid balance left in the launch fund campaign. 73, This week's ANS editor, Dee Interdonato, NB2F - NB2F at AMSAT.org /EX