kd2bd@ka2qhd.UUCP (John) (09/04/88)
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SpaceNews
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MONDAY SEPTEMBER 5, 1988
SpaceNews originates at KD2BD in Wall Township, NJ, and is available on
packet radio bulletin board stations across North America and Canada, as
well as the MTTBS telephone BBS at (201) 494-3649.
** HAPPY LABOR DAY! **
* SHUTTLE DISCOVERY NEWS *
--------------------------
Workers at pad 39-B are busy connecting the Tracking and Data Relay
Satellite/Inertial Upper Stage (TDRS/IUS) to the shuttle. An interface
verification test of those connections was planned on Friday. Post-FRF
main engine and main propulsion system checks are continuing. Leak checks
of the main engine heat exchangers are continuing. Inspections and repairs
of orbiter and external tank thermal protection systems are underway.
* TRACKING SHUTTLE FLIGHTS *
----------------------------
The Space Shuttles provide the opportunity for men to venture over
and over into space for periods of up to 14 days. As the Shuttle orbits
the earth, it passes over many countries on each orbit.
NASA's Shuttle Prediction and Recognition Kit (SPARK) provides an
easy-to-understand procedure to predict shuttle orbits and visibility times.
Information is given on how to recognize the shuttle in the night sky
and how to take a photograph of a Shuttle pass. While the Mission
Control Center in Houston, Texas keeps track of the crew and their
experiments, you can determine if the Shuttle will pass over your home
town.
Along with a SPARK Kit, you will also need a Space Shuttle Mission Chart,
that contains plots of every orbit the Shuttle will make during a mission.
Since the September 25th launch date is still in question, it's best to hold
off on sending for your Mission Chart. Request your SPARK Kit by writing:
SPARK
AP4
NASA Johnson Space Center
Houston, Texas 77058 USA
* MICROSAT LAUNCH NEWS *
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A total of six "MicroSat" amateur satellites are being built for a
launch in June 1989. The launch will take place on Ariane mission V-34
carrying a SPOT-2 primary payload. The MicroSats will be injected into a
sun-synchronous, circular orbit having an altitude of 822 km and an
inclination of 98.7 degress.
Three of the six MicroSats will carry packet radio equipment.
These "PACSATs" are being built by AMSAT-NA, AMSAT-LU and AMSAT-UK
along with the University of Surrey (UoSAT-D). The Center for
Aerospace Technology (CAST) at Weber State College, Ogden, Utah and
Surrey's UoSAT-E will carry low-cost CCD video earth imaging payloads
in space. BRAMSAT (Brazil's AMSAT) is working on Project DOVE
(Digital Orbiting Voice Encoder), a space education payload that will
use Votrax speech synthesis to transmit spoken messages to earth in several
languages in an effort to promote peace between nations. Project DOVE,
or "Peace Talker" will also transmit valuable spacecraft telemetry using
voice synthesis and use frequencies and power levels suitable for reception
by a wide audience of listeners using low-cost "scanner" type FM receivers.
* OSCAR-9 OPERATIONS *
----------------------
The Diary will transmit a CCD video image all day Wednesday and downlink
plain-english telemetry using the "Digitalker" from 00:00 until
14:00 UTC this Thursday. From 18:00 UTC Thursday until 00:00 UTC next Tuesday,
the Diary will transmit a sequence of TELEMETRY, BULLETIN, & WHOLE ORBIT
DATA (WOD) surveys using 1200 baud ASCII on 145.825 MHz.
Command Diary V1.1 is currently in operation. The 21.002 MHz and
14.002 MHz CW beacons are ON the air, transmitting 10 WPM morse telemetry.
* OSCAR-10 NEWS *
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AMSAT-OSCAR 10 is OUT OF SERVICE until further notice.
* RS10/11 OPERATIONS *
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For the time being, RS11 will be in operation. The Mode A transponder and
ROBOT will be available all the time. Mode K operations, however will be
made available Tuesdays through Fridays each week. There are no plans for
Mode T operations at present.
* OSCAR-12 OPERATIONS *
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Here is the FO-12 operating schedule:
From At Mode
------+------------+-----
03Sep : 07:58 UTC : JA
05Sep : 02:01 UTC : D
07Sep : 06:23 UTC : JA
08Sep : 05:29 UTC : D
10Sep : 05:43 UTC : JA
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...where Mode JA is the Analog Mode
and Mode D is where all systems are OFF.
The transponders will be OFF at other times. The operating schedule could
change as the result of unexpected situations such as variations in
available power.
Mode JA Beacon : 435.795 MHz
Mode JD Beacon : 435.910 MHz
* OSCAR-13 NEWS *
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The following operating schedule should remain in effect until September 21.
RUDAK testing continues and operations are pending their outcome. Mode S
operations are expected to begin soon.
Mode Mean Anomaly Comments
----+---------------+------------------
OFF : 241 to 002 : Eclipse window
B : 003 to 099 :
L : 100 to 150 : Mode JL optional
B : 151 to 240 : 224-032: omni ant
---------------------------------------
The sum of uplink and downlink frequencies equals a constant:
Mode B: 581.398 MHz
Mode J: 580.413 MHz
Mode L: 1205.356 MHz
This schedule may change without notice due to engineering tests and
measurements.
* MIR NEWS *
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Two Cosmonauts were launched to the Soviet MIR space station last week
aboard a SOYUZ TM-6 spacecraft. K1KSY reported hearing VHF communications
from SOYUZ TM-6 on 121.750 MHz FM.
On August 30, 1988, NASA issued a special notice stating that object
17851, the Soviet KVANT SERVICE MODULE, decayed in the earth's atmosphere on
August 25th.
The 143.625 MHz FM voice downlink from MIR continues to remain active,
carrying both voice (Russian) and data (RTTY) transmissions. These signals
are easily heard on scanners or 2-meter FM equipment capable of tuning just
below 144 MHz.
Amateur Satellite Report (AMSAT-NA) # 176 reported that according to
John Biro, K1KSY, the following frequencies are used by the Soviets
in connection with the MIR space station:
143.625 MHz : WBFM voice downlink.
166.000 MHz : Wideband telemetry; may be KVANT ot SOYUZ TM-4; Tune to
165.875 or 166.130 MHz where signal power is at end points.
247.500 MHz : Wideband FM telemetry 250 KHz wide from KVANT service pod.
922.755 MHz : 10 Watt CW from SOYUZ TM-4.
925.250 MHz or 925.260 MHH- Progress 36T?
19.954 MHz : +/- 1 KHz FSK from COSMOS 1686, an add-on module to
Salyut 7.
* FEEDBACK WELCOMED *
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Feedback regarding SpaceNews should be directed to: John, KD2BD @ NN2Z.
The NN2Z-4 BBS and TCP/IP Gateway is located in Neptune, NJ.
* SOURCES *
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Some of the news contained in this SpaceNews issue was obtained via
OSCAR-9, OSCAR-11, the KA2QHD PBBS, and "Amateur Satellite Report".
* MESSAGES de KD2BD *
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>> ALL : Look for Keplerian orbital data by KD2BD on your BBS.
>> SpaceNews is a production of KD2BD Software. All rights reversed. <<
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