========= SpaceNews ========= MONDAY MARCH 22, 1993 SpaceNews originates at KD2BD in Wall Township, New Jersey, USA. It is published every week and is made available for unlimited distribution. * STS-55 SAREX LAUNCH! * ======================== With only a few days before launch, the SAREX team is preparing for what promises to be the first of several SAREX flights planned for 1993. The STS-55 Space Shuttle Columbia mission is currently scheduled to be launched into a 28.5 degree orbit on Sunday March 21 at 14:52 UTC. A 2.5 hour launch window is planned. The STS-55 mission, designated SL-D2 (Spacelab Deutsche-2), represents the second in a series of dedicated flights for Germany. The primary goals of the mission are to perform studies in materials and life science research. A 9 day flight is planned. The seven person crew on STS-55 includes ham radio operators Steve Nagel, N5RAW, Jerry Ross, N5SCW, Charlie Precourt, KB5YSQ, Hans Schlegel, DG1KIH and Ulrich Walter, DG1KIM. SAREX operations planned on this flight includes 2-meter voice and packet. The primary voice callsign will be N5RAW. The packet radio callsign is W5RRR-1. The 2-meter FM voice and packet downlinks for the SAREX station are on 145.550 MHz. Uplinks are: Voice Packet Europe 144.80 MHz 144.49 MHz 144.75 MHz 144.70 MHz Rest of World 144.99 MHz 144.49 MHz 144.97 MHz 144.95 MHz 144.93 MHz 144.91 MHz Note: The crew will not favor any specific voice uplink frequency, so your ability to communicate with SAREX will be the "luck of the draw." For all operations, Earth stations should listen to the downlink frequency and transmit only when the Shuttle is in range and the astronauts are on the air. Listen for any instructions from the astronauts as to specific uplink frequencies in use during the current pass. Also, listen to the uplink frequencies before transmitting to avoid interference to other users. In addition to the U.S. SAREX ham gear in the Shuttle mid-deck, an additional ham radio station will be flown in the German spacelab module. This station, designated SAFEX (for Spacelab Amateurfunk-Experiment), includes a 2-meter FM downlink and a 70-cm FM uplink capability. A dual band (2-meter/70-cm) external antenna, mounted on the German spacelab module, will be used for SAFEX contacts. Payload Specialists Schlegel and Walter expect to make a few scheduled contacts with European schools with this equipment. The externally mounted SAFEX antenna gives the SAREX team an opportunity to compare the performance of the U.S. SAREX window mounted antenna to an externally mounted antenna. A special A/B antenna test is planned on orbits 61 and 62 using the normal SAREX downlink frequency, 145.550 MHz. During orbit 61 the crew will transmit using the SAREX window antenna and on orbit 62 the crew will use the SAFEX external antenna. Individuals in the Southeastern U.S. are welcome to help participate in this test by taking signal strength readings of the received signal for both orbit passes. If the shuttle is well above your horizon (>10 degrees) for both passes, see page 42 of the February, 1993 QST to learn more details. The following represents the prelaunch Keplerian Element Set as generated by Gil Carman, WA5NOM. STS-55 1 00055U 93080.67000478 .00120200 00000-0 36300-3 0 49 2 00055 28.4697 233.5969 0003812 314.2100 45.8202 15.90487610 24 Satellite: STS-55 Catalog number: 00055 Epoch time: 93080.67000478 =====> (21 MAR 93 16:04:48.41 UTC) Element set: JSC-004 Inclination: 28.4697 deg RA of node: 233.5969 deg Space Shuttle Flight STS-55 Eccentricity: .0003812 Prelaunch Keplerian Elements Arg of perigee: 314.2100 deg Launch: 21 MAR 93 14:52 UTC Mean anomaly: 45.8202 deg Mean motion: 15.90487610 rev/day G. L. Carman Decay rate: 1.2020e-03 rev/day*2 NASA Johnson Space Center Epoch rev: 2 [Submitted by Frank H. Bauer, KA3HDO, AMSAT V.P. for Manned Space Programs] * OSCAR DOUBLE-HOP TEST * ========================= Double-hop Test 28 March using RS14/AO21 Mode B to RS10 Mode A At approximately 2150 UTC on 28 March, a transatlantic double-hop opportunity will exist for stations in the northeastern part of North America, transmitting via RS14/AO21 Mode B and listening on RS-10 Mode A. The RS3A command station will have RS14/AO21 in Mode B, Transponder 2, from 1700 to 2400 on that day. A group of UK stations organized by G0NKA and G4CUO will transmit to North America beginning at 2150 UTC, as indicated below. North American stations wishing to try should transmit before 2150, using an uplink between 435.100 and 435.110 MHz, LSB or CW. Try to pick an uplink frequency not being used by other stations. North American stations please report your results (UK stations heard/worked plus particulars) via packet to W2RS @ WA2SNA.NJ.USA.NA or via Internet to w2rs@amsat.org. UK stations please report results to G0NKA @ GB7DTX.GBR.EU. Here is some additional information prepared by G0NKA: CHECKLIST: Set shack clock to GMT accurate to within 1 second. Set uplink frequency for RS14 to a spot between 435.100 and 435.110, LSB or CW. To remain fixed throughout. If all OK then GO. Slottime = 0 min 05 sec. (21:49:51 to 21:49:56) TCA between RS10 and RS14 occurs at 21:49:51 DATE AOS LOS LAT LON DURATION RS-10/11 03/28/1993 21:40:29 21:49:56 41.4n 042.1w 00:09:27 SOUTHWRD RS-14 03/28/1993 21:49:51 22:05:01 35.8n 036.4w 00:15:10 NORTHWRD SEPARATION = 921kms Approx. U/Link = 435.105 MHz X/Link = 145.880 MHz +/- Doppler D/Link = 29.374 MHz +/- Doppler On this last pass it will not be possible to work both satellites at TCAsat. However it looks possible for USA stations to TX prior to 21:49:51 using RS-14, and to be RXed in UK from RS-10. Then from 21:49:51 reverse the procedure. Also the TCA given above is not the true TCAsat, because at True TCAsat only one satellite in in range of the UK. We suggest US stations TX " CQ DOHOP de xxxxx " pre 21:50 GMT, we listen. UK stations TX " CQ DOHOP de xxxxx " post 21:50 GMT, you listen. Reports in both directions to include RST + RX freq AT TIME, via packet if possible for speed, to G0NKA @ GB7DTX.GBR.EU. CW SSB Callsigns UK = G4CUO, G4ZHG, G3CAG G6HMS, G7MUB, G4CUO, G4ZHG, G3CAG TX Freq. Station Mode TX Freq. Station Mode =========== ======== ===== =========== ======== ===== 435.108 MHz G7MUB LSB 435.103 MHz G4CUO CW 435.105 MHz G6HMS LSB 435.102 MHz G4ZHG CW 435.101 MHz G3CAG CW 435.100 MHz G3IOR CW If we receive signals from US then we will vary our return to include where possible the callsigns of stations heard, ie. " Wxxxx Kxxxx Dohop de Gxxxx ". [Info via Ray Soifer, W2RS] * FEEDBACK/INPUT WELCOMED * =========================== Mail to SpaceNews should be directed to the editor (John, KD2BD) via any of the following paths: FAX : 1-908-747-7107 UUCP : ...catfish.ocpt.ccur.com!ka2qhd!kd2bd PACKET : KD2BD @ NN2Z.NJ.USA.NA INTERNET : kd2bd@ka2qhd.ocpt.ccur.com -or- kd2bd@amsat.org MAIL : John A. Magliacane, KD2BD Department of Engineering and Technology Advanced Technology Center Brookdale Community College Lincroft, New Jersey 07738 U.S.A. <<=- SpaceNews: The first amateur newsletter read in space! -=>> /EX