From: Andy.Joyce.VK4KIV@mailbox.bison.mb.ca (Andy Joyce VK4KIV)
Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.packet
Subject: STS-47/SAREX Orbit 92 & QUT
Date: 25 Sep 92 13:00:22 CST

Organization: Queensland University of Technology


 
 
                      Space Shuttle (Endeavour) STS-47
                           SAREX Operations from 
                    Queensland University of Technology
                             Kedron Park Campus.
 
                            By Andy Joyce vk4kiv,
                            QUT-KP 23th Sept 1992.
                           - - - - - - - - - - - -  
 
    What follows is a basic overview of the planned SAREX operations with
    Space Shuttle STS-47 from Queensland University of Technology, and
    the events for SAREX with the Space Shuttle's full loss of all NASA
    comms via their TDRS Satellite system.
                                   - - -
    On Monday the 14th Sept a project team comprising of Mr Neville Richter
    lecturer from the School of Computing Science, Faculty of Infomation 
    Technology (FIT), Dr Tee Tang lecturer from the School of Electrical 
    and Electronic Systems Engineering, Faculty of Built Environment and
    Engineering, plus some project students were present in a FIT computing
    laboratory at the Gardens Point (city) campus of Queensland University
    of Technology. A TCP/IP data link (Telnet) was setup between this 
    laboratory and a remote gateway host 10km to the north at the Kedron 
    Park campus of QUT (vk4kiv.qut.edu.au).  Also located there was the RF 
    systems for VHF comms to the shuttle, and was manned by myself Andy 
    Joyce vk4kiv.
 
    This unique contact was for full 'converse' keyboard to keyboard comms
    from the lab at Gardens Point via TCP/IP protocols over the QUT data
    Network then to be re-sent automatically via AX.25 protocol on the 2m
    144-148 MHz Amateur Radio band, where a special set of frequencies was
    selected for half-duplex comms to and from the shuttle.
 
    As Murphy's Law says.. "A short cut is the longest distance between
    two points" or "There's never time to do it right, but there's always
    time to do it over" just about sums up the events on Monday night at
    our planned AOS time of contact.  With NASA on one phone and an audio
    teleconfence link on another to the lab at Gardens point, NO contact
    was made !!  So after many checks and re-checks we still at this point
    in time don't know what really went wrong.  BUT knowing how much work 
    we put into this, the SAREX team at NASA's Johnson Space Center agreed
    to slotting us into an unused time slot pass for one last chance for a
    voice only contact !!  Four days later.
   
    On Friday the 18th Sept we had re-setup all comms equipment on an unused 
    Astromony deck at the Kedron Park campus, knowing that the pass with AOS
    of 08:29 UTC / 6.29pm local would also give us a magnificent opportunity
    of viewing the shuttle as it passed over Brisbane, as well as the planned
    voice comms.  ** At approximately 6.20pm local we had the normal phone
    call from NASA's Johnson Space Center (check for readness of contact)
    BUT we're told that NASA would like a 'special request' for us to relay
    to the shuttle that "there has been a major computer malfunction at an
    uplink site at White Sands New Mexico, losing all comms to and from the
    shuttle via their TDRS Satellite system" also that "they were looking
    into the problem" etc...  with the Shuttle crew being able to tell MCC
    what their plans were etc, and averting any possible confusion........
    So the next 3-5 minutes was spent relaying by voice, then phone-patching
    audio from Mission Control Center at the Johnson Space Center, Houston
    Texas direct to the Shuttle via QUT Kedron Park !!  The total down time
    of NASA's comms system was around 25 minutes, and as it just happened
    was just prior to our planned contact at QUT !! --> Talk about being at
    the right place at the right time !!
  
    NASA restored comms with the Shuttle half-way through our pass and then
    gave us the all clear to go head with our planned operations. Also noting
    the very BRIGHT pass over are location with a 66 deg Elevation, with full
    voice comms, made this a very memorable contact to say the very least.
 
    These events again demonstrate the ability of the Amateur Radio Service
    to providing a wide diversity of Services Supporting Educational Research
    and real time Communications.
 
                       
    Andy Joyce VK4KIV
    Audiovisual Services Dept
    Queensland University of Technology
    Kedron Park Campus
    P.O. Box 117 Kedron
    Brisbane, Qld 4031
    Ph:  +61 7 864 4298
    Fax: +61 7 864 4000
    AARNet/Internet: A.joyce@qut.edu.au
                     joyce@vk4kiv.qut.edu.au
 
-- 
--
  Andy Joyce VK4KIV         AMPRNet:  vk4kiv@vk4kiv.qut.ampr.org
  QUT Kedron Park Campus    Internet: joyce@vk4kiv.qut.edu.au
  TCP/IP Co-ordinator VK4   Email2:   A.joyce@qut.edu.au


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