[net.ham-radio] Uosat B Launch Activities

dna@dsd.UUCP (02/28/84)

Posted: Thu  Feb 23, 1984   1:34 AM PST              Msg: CGIE-1723-8934
From:   MSWEETING
To:     AMSAT
Subj:   More Uosat-B Predicts   

   Just to add confusion, here are some more predictions
for Uosat-B, calculated by G3RUH here in England, from
Harolds original data.

'OLD TYPE'

Orbit No    : 0

Eqx date    : Mar 1st 1984
Eqx time    : 18:59:25  GMT
Eqx long    : 320.38    deg.w
Mean hgt    : 687       km
Period      : 98.5045   mins
P-drag      : 8.3E-6    *N-ref
Long inc    : 24.6251   degs
L-drag      : 2.1E-6    *N-ref
Inclination : 98.26     degs

'KEPLERIAN TYPE'

Afiliation Set   : UOS-G3RUH/1(pre launch)
Epoch time       : 61.7990741
   19:10:40 GMT March 1st 1984
Inclination      : 98.25967     deg
RA of node       : 124.24       deg
Eccentricity     : 0.0004139783
Arg of perigee   : 174.17       deg
Mean anomaly     : 227.01       deg
Mean motion      : 14.61862     rev/day
Decay rate       : 1.8E-5       rev/day^2
Epoch rev        : 0
Semi Major Axis  : 7065.31      km

If launch time changes.

For 'OLD TYPE' : add/subtract correction to Eqx time.

For 'Keplerian' : add/subtract correction to epoch time AND
                  add/subtract 4.178E-3 deg/sec to RAAN

 These, by the way, are similar to PKARN's numbers (but not exactly the same !)

Posted: Thu  Feb 23, 1984   8:21 AM PST              Msg: FGIE-1724-2525
From:   MSWEETING
To:     hprice,lkayser
CC:     amsat
Subj:   Uosat-1 is ON !   
Anyone interested :

  Uosat-1 is now on, and will stay on for most of the w/e.
  It is sending telemetry.

                    Mac

Posted: Thu  Feb 23, 1984  11:27 AM PST              Msg: HGIE-1724-4487
From:   LKAYSER
To:     AMSAT
Subj:   STATUS UOS-B THUR PM  
AUTOLINK OTTAWA
TO EVERYONE
GANG,
               
1.5 man months were expended yesterday during the premate (32 
people * 12 hours).  The problems were too numerous to go into 
here, I've got several minutes of video tape you can all look at 
some time.  There where no problems attributable to uosat-B.
We called it quits at 4:00am and got it again at 10:00 this 
morning.  We should be ready to go to the pad shortly after noon 
today, if nothing came up.
              
Larry, pls forward to TM, thanks.
              
END, REGARDS LARRY

Posted: Thu  Feb 23, 1984   9:01 PM PST              Msg: CGIE-1724-8162
From:   HPRICE
To:     amsat
CC:     msweeting
Subj:   Uosat-B status, thursday evening.   
Gang,

Just got back from the mate.  The 1 hour procedure lasted from 14:00 
to 20:00 and still isn't done.  Some of the things that were done last
nite got disaproved overnite and had to be redone.  Some new problems 
cropped up at the pad.  The caps on the pyros still need to be put on,
and one of them looks like it will hit the 1.2 Ghz antenna support 
which may require milling of something somewhere. Two 2m/70cm antennas
need to be put on and the array covers removed.  We had to clear the 
pad for the Landsat guys so Martin will finish up tomorrow.  Although 
all the over time business seems dire, there should be no problem 
getting launched.  The NASA and MDAC crews have been great, as has 
everyone else.  It was a real experience, hopfully the hour + of video
will give you some of the feel of the goings on.  Most of the Surrey 
crew leaves for LA tomorrow morning, Martin stays till the weekend and
Ian stays for the launch.  The Surrey crew going to LA leaves for the 
UK at 20:00 Friday.    Collin is staying with me thru launch.

That's it from here, back to packing.
(Colin points out that there is only one L in Collin, but what can you
expect from a bloke who spells color wrong?)

Harold.

Posted: Fri  Feb 24, 1984   1:42 PM PST              Msg: KGIE-1725-6358
From:   LKAYSER
To:     ddaniels
CC:     amsat
Subj:   re urgent msg and uos-b stat  
Dick, your urgent msg has been delivered to Martin and is being worked.

Status as of 4PM EST today is all mounted with only a plastic bag to remove
and some minor taping to do.  Farings are next, main crew leaving Sat for UK
unable to leave today due to strike action on airline.  things are looking good

regards to all, Larry

Posted: Sat  Feb 25, 1984   2:00 AM PST              Msg: TGIE-1725-8627
From:   HPRICE
To:     amsat
CC:     msweeting
Subj:   Uosat-B status, friday nite   
We (Colin, Roger, Dave, Mike, and Nevil) arrived in LA around 19:00 
this evening. Part of british airways is on strick, so they won't be 
going out today.  This has also made shipping the bits of the ground 
station to Surrey in time for launch somewhat of a trickey proposition
as well.  Perhaps more trouble on the ground means less trouble on 
orbit.  Martin just called after getting back from the (22:00 local) 
to say that the fairing had been installed and there was 1/8" to 
spare.  After final positioning, we have one inch clearance, even more
than called for.  All is well, we got past the two last hurdles, the 
fairing installation and the F-3 review.  The F-3 review is the last 
major planned time when UOSAT-B could have been disapproved and de-
mated. We passed.  The only open item before launch can be approved is
checking for correlation between the solids on the delta and the 
failed solids on the PAMs on the last shuttle mission.  The has to be 
looked at but is not viewed as a highly probable item.

Anything can happen between now and 17:59 utc Mar 1, but all is go at 
this time.

The 1.5 hour of video tape came out well.  Many pics were taken.  
Details on availability when available.

Harold.

The only thing left is removal of the safe plugs and
installation of the arm plugs,
shortly before launch.