From: kd2bd@ka2qhd.DE.COM (John Magliacane)
Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc
Subject: * SpaceNews 27-Jul-92 *
Date: 24 Jul 1992 21:06:56 -0700
Organization: UCSD Usenet Gateway
NNTP-Posting-Host: ucsd.edu



SB NEWS @ AMSAT < KD2BD $SPC0727
* SpaceNews 27-Jul-92 *

Bulletin ID: $SPC0727


                              =========
                              SpaceNews
                              =========


                         MONDAY JULY 27, 1992


SpaceNews originates at KD2BD in Wall Township, New Jersey, USA.  It
is published every week and is made available for unlimited distribution.



* KITSAT-A REPORT *
===================
By Jeff Ward, G0/K8KA

KOUROU, FRENCH GUIANA
20 JULY, 1992

Half way through the KITSAT-A launch campaign, spacecraft checkout has gone
smoothly.  All of the spacecraft subsystems and payloads have been tested,
and other than finding a lizard in one of the tool boxes, there have been no
surprises.  Five engineers from Surrey Satellite Technology (UoSAT), six from
Korean Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) and a few from MATRA and
CNES (France) are preparing two UoSAT-based microsatellites for launch.

One is KITSAT-A, which will provide a new CCD camera, a store-and-forward
transponder, radiation experiments and digital signal processing facilities in
the amateur satellite service.  The second satellite is called "S80-T" and has
been built commercially by the UoSAT/SSTL team at Surrey for MATRA Espace, a
large French aerospace firm, who are in turn contracting for CNES, the French
space agency.  S80-T is not an amateur satellite, but will conduct experiments
for CNES outside the amateur bands.

The launch campaign plan is much the same as that used on previous AMSAT
launches with Ariane.  The satellites and ground support equipment are flown
into French Guiana's main airport in Cayanne, then transported to the "Centre
Spatial Guianase" (CSG) which is about 100 km north up the coast near the city
of Kourou.  This is an outpost of highest technology between the jungle and
the sea, with Devil's Island just off the coast.

At CSG, the team are given a clean room large enough to hold all the AMSAT
spacecraft ever launched, but too small to be of any concern (or trouble) to
the owners of the main payload.  In this case, the primary satellite being
launched is TOPEX/POSIEDON, an oceanographic survey mission jointly funded by
NASA and CNES.

Once set up in the clean room, the microsatellite team starts to
systematically check out their satellites.  For the UoSAT bus, this thorough
checkout involves testing dozens of "back door" data paths which will only be
used in emergencies, but which must nevertheless be tested.  For KITSAT, we
have also taken pictures with both CCD cameras, broadcast speech and data from
the digital signal processing experiment, and taken background readings from
the radiation monitor.  These tests kept us occupied last week.

This week, the final physical preparations will be carried out.  Inside the
satellite, all cables and harnesses will be wrapped with special RFI shielding
(known in French as "papier d'aluminium por les poulets roti").  The exterior
surfaces of the satellite, used for thermal control, are also prepared.  Each
available area is covered by a tape with specific thermal characteristics.
The heat absorption and radiation properties of these areas will keep the
satellite within its temperature limits.  This is particularly critical for the
KITSAT orbit, which is sometimes in full sunlight, and sometimes 30% eclipsed.

Mechanical details - the preparation of cables to connect the satellite to the
"Ariane Structure for Auxiliary Payloads" (ASAP) and the compression of the
attach fitting spring which will eject KITSAT from the ASAP are also under way.


* SpaceNews NEWS *
==================
SpaceNews is generated each week with the intention of keeping the Amateur
Radio community abreast of some of the latest developments in the Amateur
Space Program.  It is made available free of charge using electronic
distribution means.  SpaceNews is the effort of a single individual
who has not and who cannot receive compensation for the service SpaceNews
provides.

Recently, requests have been received asking for personal mailings or FAXs of
SpaceNews to specific home or business addresses.  Sorry, but this cannot
be done.  I also cannot FAX or return long distance telephone calls to answer
specific satellite questions.

For those interested in joining a formal organization, I would suggest they
join their local AMSAT organization.  Membership in these organizations
usually includes a newsletter which contains news and information that
could answer many of the questions I receive on a regular basis.


* 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     : ...ocpt.ccur.com!ka2qhd!kd2bd
BITNET   : ...princeton!ocpt!ka2qhd!kd2bd
PACKET   : KD2BD @ NN2Z.NJ.USA.NA
INTERNET : kd2bd@ka2qhd.de.com

MAIL     : John A. Magliacane, KD2BD
           Department of Electronics Technology
           Advanced Technology Center
           Brookdale Community College
           Lincroft, New Jersey  07738
           U.S.A.


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/EX