roberts@CMR.NCSL.NIST.GOV (John Roberts) (01/17/90)
[There have been several requests in recent months for the frequencies at which one can receive shuttle communications. Somebody sent me this message from an amateur radio list.] Date: 15 Jan 90 21:24:08 GMT >From: masscomp!ocpt!tsdiag!ka2qhd!kd2bd@think.com (John Magliacane) Subject: *COMPLETE* List of Space Shuttle Frequencies! Message-ID: <92@ka2qhd.UUCP> >From NASA SPACELINK Provided by the NASA Educational Affairs Division Operated by the Marshall Space Flight Center -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=-=-=- Amateur Radio Retransmission of Shuttle Audio/Video NOTE: This information is unofficial, and its accuracy is not guaranteed. [Long list of retransmission frequencies in various cities, both audio and video. (I can post if desired.) One example...] People in the greater San Francisco Bay area and Sacremento can view the mission via the W6NKF Amateur Television repeater on MT.Diablo which operates on 427.250 MHZ with vertical polarization. Those with cable ready TVs and VCRs or cable TV converters can tune this equipment to channel 58 in the CATV format and by hooking up an outside TV antenna should be able to receive the telecast. This makes the service available to the general public, including schools, colleges, etc. ===== >From Ron Parise, ASTRO-1 Shuttle Astronaut: Hi Folks! This is in response to the question about shuttle frequencies. I tried to reply the other day but apparently it didn't work. The space shuttle transmits on three frequency bands, UHF, S-Band, and Ku-Band. The UHF frequencies are simple AM voice and very easy to copy. These frequencies are used for launch and landing operations, EVA comunications, (i.e. from the spacesuits back and forth to the shuttle), and as an additional voice downlink when other channels are in use or the current ground station has no S-Band capability. The frequncies in use are: 296.8 MHz - air to ground, or orbiter to suit 259.7 MHz - air to ground, or suit to orbiter 279.0 MHz - suit to orbiter or suit to suit 243.0 MHz - standard Mil aircraft emergency freq. The S-Band system is one of the primary orbiter downlink bands. The voice channels are digital slope delta modulation and are mux'ed in with the rest of the orbiter telemetry, very difficult to copy. Much of the downlink TV is on S-Band also but it is wideband FM and should be easily copyable. The frequencies are: 2287.5 MHz - primary digital downlink 2250.0 MHz - wideband FM with either main engine analog telemetry during launch, or TV during orbit operations. The Ku-Band system is used in conjunction with the tracking and data relay satellites and is used much more heavily in Spacelab flights than in others. The data is *very* high rate digital (50 Mbits/sec range) and therefore essentially impossible for you to demodulate and decommutate in your basement. Nevertheless the shuttle transmits on 15.003GHz. You should also note however that these transmissions are directed toward the TDRS satellite with a high gain antenna and would therefore not be copyable on the ground. The UHF frequencies are fun to listen to but are not heavily used except during EVA's. You will almost always hear some activity on them however sometime during a mission but you just have to be patient. Happy Listening! Ron WA4SIR ==== Other Frequencies of interest: USAF/NASA Frequencies ===================== 4.510 MHz 9.974 MHz 4.760 MHz 10.780 MHz 4.855 MHz 11.104 MHz 4.992 MHz 11.414 MHz 5.350 MHz 11.548 MHz 5.810 MHz 14.615 MHz 6.727 MHz 19.303 MHz 6.740 MHz 19.984 MHz 8.993 MHz 20.191 MHz 9.315 MHz 20.475 MHz HF USED AT KENNEDY SPACE CENTER : 2.182 MHz 3.023 MHz Search/Rescue (Aircraft) : 164.800 MHz (Ships) : 148.500 MHz, 149.100 MHz, 162.000 MHz S-Band Microwave ================ Air-to-Ground : 2205.0, 2217.5, 2250.0, 2287.5 MHz Ground-to-Air : 2041.9, 2201.4 MHz NASA Aeronautical Frequencies VHF/UHF in MHz ============================================ KENNEDY SC PATRICK AFB EDWARDS AFB 117.8 118.4 116.4 121.7 121.7 120.7 126.2 125.1 121.8 126.3 126.2 126.1 284.0 128.7 127.8 138.3 236.6 138.45 269.9 149.925 290.3 162.6120 318.1 273.5 390.1 335.8 340.9 348.4 358.3 KSC Ground Support VHF in MHz ============================= 148.480 163.510 170.350 149.170 163.560 171.150 162.610 165.190 171.260 163.460 170.150 173.560 163.480 170.170 173.680 NASA Malabar (Palm Bay) HF Networks (in KHz) ============================================================================= 2405 Data Buoys 2622 SRB Recovery (Primary) 2664 Backup Mission Audio-Cape/Hou 2678 ETR Range Control 2716 Navy Harbor Cntl-Port Canav. 2764 SRB Recovery Channel 3024 Coast Guard SAR (Primary) 3187 SRB Recovery Ships Channel 4376 Primary Recovery Zone SAR 4510 SRB Recovery Ships Channel 4856 Cape Radio/Leader 4992 Cape Radio/Coast Guard Ships 5180 NASA Tracking Ships 5187 NASA Tracking Ships 5190 ETR Primary Night Channel 5350 Launch Support Aircraft 5680 Launch Support Ships 5810 ETR Secondary Night Channel 6720 SAR Primary Atlantic 6896 Cape Radio 6837 Cape Radio 7412 SAR Communications with Bahamas 7461 Cape Radio/Launch Support A/C 7525 NASA Ground Tracking Net 7676 Launch Support Aircraft 7765 SRB Recovery Ships 7919 Data Channel 7985 Data Channel 9022 Launch Support Aircraft 9043 Launch Support Aircraft 9132 Launch Support Aircraft 10305 Space Missile Tactical Net 10310 Malabar-to-Ascension Is-MUX 10780 ETR Primary Day Channel 11104 Launch Support Ships 11252 Launch Support Ships 11407 SRB Recovery Ships 11414 Cape Radio 11548 Cape Radio 11621 SRB Recovery Ships 13227 Launch Support Aircraft 13237 Data Channel 13495 Data Channel 13600 Malabar-to-Ascension Is-MUX 13878 Launch Support Aircraft 14937 Ascension Is-to-Malabar-MUX 18009 Launch Support Ships 19303 Launch Support Ships 19640 Cape Radio 19966 Ascension Is-to-Malabar-MUX 20186 Launch Tracking Net 20192 Malabar-to-Ascension Is-MUX 20198 OCC Shuttle Mission Audio 20390 ETR-Secondary Day Channel 22755 Ascension Is-to-Malabar-MUX 23413 Cape Radio 27065 NASA CB Radios 73, de John, KD2BD