SB NEWS @ AMSAT $SPC0321 * SpaceNews 21-Mar-94 * BID: $SPC0321 ========= SpaceNews ========= MONDAY MARCH 21, 1994 SpaceNews originates at KD2BD in Wall Township, New Jersey, USA. It is published every week and is made available for unlimited distribution. * SAREX FACT SHEET - STS-59 * ============================= WHO: Space Shuttle Endeavour crew WHAT: Talk via Amateur Radio with students on earth. WHERE: Earth Orbit. 57 degrees inclination. Altitude 220 kilometers. WHEN: April 7, 1994 (9 day mission) WHY: As part of the Shuttle Amateur Radio EXperiment (SAREX) component of the STS-59 mission. LAUNCH: Scheduled for April 7, 1994 at 1207 UTC from the Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral, Florida. AMATEUR RADIO LICENSED CREW MEMBERS: Dr. Jay Apt, N5QWL, Mission Specialist Dr. Linda Godwin, N5RAX, Payload Commander PAYLOAD: Primary Payload--Shuttle Radar Laboratory 1 (SRL-1). Apt is the commander of the Blue Shift and will operate the shuttle systems during the "night" shift, while Godwin is responsible for overall operation of three large radars in the shuttle's cargo bay during the "day" shift. Secondary Payload--Shuttle Amateur Radio EXperiment or SAREX, configuration C. SPONSORS: The American Radio Relay League (ARRL), The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT) and The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). SAREX is supported by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). SAREX RADIO FREQUENCIES:Voice Downlink: (Worldwide) 145.55 MHz [Receive Only] Voice Uplink: 144.91, 144.93, 144.95, 144.97, 144.99 MHz Voice Uplink: (Europe only) 144.70, 144.75, 144.80 MHz Packet Downlink: 145.55 MHz Packet Uplink: 144.49 MHz HAM RADIO FM Voice: call signs N5RAX and N5QWL CALL SIGNS: FM Packet: call sign W5RRR-1 QSL VIA: Send reports and QSLs to ARRL EAD, STS-59 QSL, 225 Main Street, Newington, CT 06111, USA. Include the following information in your QSL or report: STS-59, date, time in UTC, frequency and mode (FM voice or packet). In addition, you must also include an SASE using a large, business-sized envelope if you wish to receive a card. The Orange Park Amateur Radio Club in Florida has generously volunteered to manage the cards for this mission. INFORMATION:Goddard Amateur Radio Club (Greenbelt, MD) Amateur Radio station (call sign WA3NAN) news and retransmissions on Amateur Radio high frequency (HF) bands at 3.86, 7.185, 14.295, 21.395, and 28.65 megahertz (MHz) and on very high frequency (VHF) bands at 147.45 MHz. Johnson Space Center Amateur Radio Club (Houston, TX) Amateur Radio station (call sign W5RRR) news bulletins on HF bands at 3.850, 7.227, 14.280, 21.350, and 28.400 MHz and VHF at 146.64 MHz. ARRL (Newington, CT) Amateur Radio station (call sign W1AW) news bulletins (9:45 PM, 12:45 AM EST) on HF bands at 3.99, 7.29, 14.29, 18.16, 21.39, 28.59 and VHF at 147.555 MHz. SHUTTLE TRACKING: Current Keplerian elements to track the Shuttle are available from the NASA Spacelink computer information system BBS (205) 895-0028 and the ARRL BBS (203) 666-0578. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:Tracy Bedlack, N1QDO, Educational Activities Department, American Radio Relay League 203-666-1541 email: ead@arrl.org SAREX configuration C consists of the handheld transceiver, I/F module, PGSC, spare battery set, window antenna, packet module, SAREX headset assembly, personal recorder, and the required cable assemblies. The packet] module contains a power supply and packet TNC. The power supply provides power for the TNC and the handheld transceiver. The TNC interconnects with a radio transceiver so that data to and from the computer is transmitted to and received from other amateur radio stations. Configuration C is capable of operating in either the voice or data mode in communications with amateur stations within LOS of the Orbiter. This configuration can be operated in the attended mode for voice communication and either the attended or automatic mode for data communications. The payload control weights are as follows: Configuration C 45 lb (20.41 kg) STS-59 Keplerian elements for a 1207 UTC launch: STS-59 1 00059U 94097.56425350 .00234441 00000-0 12190-3 0 55 2 00059 57.0018 277.1957 0008733 268.0585 91.9530 16.19594525 26 Satellite: STS-59 Catalog number: 00059 Epoch time: 94097.56425350 = (07 APR 94 13:32:31.50 UTC) Element set: 005 Inclination: 57.0018 deg RA of node: 277.1957 deg Space Shuttle Flight STS-59 Eccentricity: .0008733 Prelaunch Element set JSC-005 Arg of perigee: 268.0585 deg Launch: 07 APR 94 12:07 UTC Mean anomaly: 91.9530 deg Mean motion: 16.19594525 rev/day Gil Carman, WA5NOM Decay rate: 2.34441e-03 rev/day*2 NASA Johnson Space Center Epoch rev: 2 Checksum: 307 [Info via the ARRL] * FO-20 SCHEDULE * ================== The FO-20 command station announced that FO-20 will be placed in Mode JA (Analog transponder mode) during Field Day 1994 (25-Jun-94 18:00 UTC through 26-Jun-94 18:00 UTC). The current operating schedule is as follows: Analog mode: 23-Mar-94 07:52 -to- 30-Mar-94 08:15 UTC Digital mode: Unless otherwise noted above. [Info via Kazu Sakamoto, JJ1WTK] * THANKS! * =========== Thanks for all the messages of appreciation sent to SpaceNews this week especially: IW1QH KZ1Z VK2TFG AD4HJ KD4VGD KD6DSI G8MWF Erik Simonsen Nihat Tsolak * 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 PACKET : KD2BD @ N2KZH.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