SB NEWS @ AMSAT $SPC0815 * SpaceNews 15-Aug-94 * BID: $SPC0815 ========= SpaceNews ========= MONDAY AUGUST 15, 1994 SpaceNews originates at KD2BD in Wall Township, New Jersey, USA. It is published every week and is made available for unlimited distribution. * STS-68 LAUNCH DATE SET * ========================== NASA managers have selected August 18 as the official launch date for Shuttle mission STS-68, the second Space Radar Laboratory flight. Liftoff is planned for 6:54 AM EDT at the opening of a two hour, 30 minute window. The mission is scheduled for 10 days, with a planned landing on August 28. STS-68 will be the seventh flight of orbiter Endeavour, and the 64th mission of the Space Shuttle program. Commander Mike Baker heads a six person crew which will operate in two shifts for continuous scientific data gathering during the mission. Other crew members are pilot Terry Wilcutt, and mission specialists Steve Smith, Dan Bursch, Jeff Wisoff and Tom Jones who flew on the first successful SRL mission in April. Endeavour's primary payload will be the Space Radar Laboratory, part of a comprehensive effort under NASA's Mission to Planet Earth program, to understand how the Earth's environment is changing. [Info via NASA] * MIR NEWS * ============ The Soyuz-TM20 spacecraft will be launched to the Mir space station on 03-Oct-94 carrying a European cosmonaut who will remain on Mir for 30 days. The visiting cosmonaut will conduct experiments relating to life sciences including the monitoring of the human body in microgravity conditions. The launch of the Progress-M24 cargo vehicle to Mir that was originally supposed to be launched during the July/August 1994 time frame has been postponed because of economic reasons. Progress-M24 is now expected to be launched on 24-Aug-94 and will deliver the normal cargo to the Mir complex in addition to equipment to be used by the European cosmonaut (Ulf Merbold or Pedro Duque) during the EuroMir94 mission in October 1994. [Info via Chris v.d. Berg, NL-9165/A-UK3202] * DC-X TO BE REPAIRED * ======================= The DC-X launcher has been in limbo since it was damaged in a ground equipment induced explosion. According to Charles "Pete" Conrad, who is with the McDonnel-Douglas test program, the DC-X vehicle is to be returned to California for repairs so that the flight test program can be resumed. [Info via Andy Reynolds, WD9IYT] * VE3ONT ADDS 50 MHz EME * ========================== As a result of discussions at the recent meeting of the Central States VHF Society, the Toronto VHF Society (VE3ONT) has added 50 MHz to the list of bands to be used in the upcoming EME contest. 50 MHz will on the air on a non-interference basis simultaneously with 1296 MHz on Sunday of the first EME contest weekend. VE3ONT will use the 46m (150') dish operated by the Institute for Space and Terrestrial Science at Algonquin Park (FN05xw). On 50 MHz, the antenna will be linearly polarized, and output power will be 1 kW. UTC Date VE3ONT TX freq listening range approx. times Oct 29 432.050 MHz 432.050 - 432.060 0645 - 1815 UTC Oct 30 1296.050 1296.050 - 1296.060 0754 - 1844 Oct 30 50.100 50.100 - 50.105 0754 - 1844 Nov 26 144.100 144.100 - 144.110 0538 - 1645 Nov 27 144.100 144.100 - 144.110 0646 - 1713 Because the Algonquin dish has a 9 degree lower elevation limit, stations with horizon-only antennas in eastern North America will have a limited chance to work VE3ONT. VE3ONT requests that az-el capable stations in Europe and North America delay their QSOs with VE3ONT until after moonrise/ moonset windows. This will allow the many horizon-only stations a better chance of making an EME QSO during the limited time available. Link budget calculations show that 50 MHz stations with 10 dBd (6 elements or so) beams and 1 kW should be able to work VE3ONT off the Moon; smaller stations are urged to try as well. Use of the dish at the Algonquin Space Complex is always subject to last minute preemption for non-Amateur purposes. QSLs with an SAE to Dennis Mungham VE3ASO, RR 3, Mountain, Ontario, Canada, K0E1S0. Reception reports are also welcome. Send your log to the ARRL. For further information contact Peter Shilton VE3VD, (905) 774-8766. Latest developments will be provided at the International EME Conference, Gottskars, Sweden, August 26-28. [Info via Michael Owen, W9IP] * THANKS! * =========== Thanks to all those who sent messages of appreciation to SpaceNews, especially: NS1Z K5YFW N5XMH KE6FJU KB9DFE Passarello Espedito * 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.de.com -or- kd2bd@amsat.org SATELLITE : AMSAT-OSCAR-16 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