From: dave@ips.oz.au (Dave Horsfall)
Subject: * SpaceNews 20-Jul-92 *
Organization: IPS Radio and Space Services.  Sydney, Australia.
Distribution: aus
Date: Tue, 21 Jul 1992 03:49:51 GMT

Bulletin ID: $SPC0720


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


                         MONDAY JULY 20, 1992


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



* SAREX NEWS *
==============
Just when you thought it was safe to pack your SAREX equipment away in
the closet, preparations for the next SAREX mission are taking place.
Jay Apt, N5QWL, and Mamoru Mohri, 7L2NJY will operate 2-meter FM from
Space Shuttle "Endeavour" on mission STS-47 currently scheduled for
launch on 11-Sep-92 at 14:23:00 UTC.  Mission duration will be 6 days,
and an orbital inclination of 57 degrees will provide SAREX coverage
between latitudes of 70 degrees south, and 70 dgrees north.

N5QWL is the flight engineer for STS-47 and will operate the shuttle
systems during the "night" shift, while 7L2NJY will be one of the
scientists performing experiments in a laboratory in the shuttle's
cargo bay during the "day" shift.

SAREX on STS-47 will use "split" transmit and receive frequencies
depending on mode of operation and sub-satellite point geographical
location.  FM voice operation will take place on a downlink frequency
of 145.55 MHz.  DO NOT TRANSMIT ON THE DOWNLINK FREQUENCY, 145.55 MHz!
Uplink frequencies will be shared among 144.91, 144.95, and 144.97 MHz
except while over Europe when 144.70, 144.75 and 144.80 MHz will be used.
FM voice contacts will be made using the callsigns N5QWL and 7L2NJY.

Packet radio operations will involve beacon transmissions which will be
updated daily and provide information from N5QWL regarding daily mission
activities.  "Robot" operation will allow grounstations to connect to
SAREX and receive a QSO number.  The packet radio callsign will be W5RRR-1.
The packet downlink frequency will be the same as that for voice contacts,
145.55 MHz.  The single packet uplink frequency will be 144.70 MHz
worldwide.

Successful QSOs on voice will be facilitated by using standard "ICAO"
international phonetics for your callsign.  SAREX will NOT answer any
stations using non-standard phonetics.  Use your entire callsign.
The astronauts log received transmissions with an audio tape recorder.
Do not use the SAREX callsign.  Shuttle passes are very short and the
astronauts want to work as many groundstations as possible.

If possible, decrease your transmitter's deviation to 3 KHz (most are
initially set to 5 KHz) and compensate for the Doppler shift.  If this
is not ppossible, wait until a minute or 90 seconds after the shuttle
comes over your horizon to transmit.  That will put you within the IF
of the SAREX receiver.  If a station transmits without following these
suggestions, the astronauts hear what sounds like a noisy carrier.
This practice applies to both voice and packet.

QSLs will be available directly through N5QWL, 806 Shorewood Drive,
Seabrook, Texas 77586 USA.  Include an SASE with your QSL or SWL
report.  Stations outside the US should include an SASE with $0.50
of US postage or appropriate IRCs.  Include the callsign worked or
heard, Date and time (in UTC), Mode, and Frequency.  Packet contacts
should include the QSO number issued by the robot.

N5QWL will be asleep over most USA passes, and 7L2NJY will be busy
with laboratory duties for most US passes, so try packet over the
USA.  Remember, the packet callsign is W5RRR-1.  The astronauts will
try to work voice when they are not otherwise engaged, and at night or
when the ground is cloudy (they are generally busy taking pictures of the
Earth during clear daylight passes).  The orbit will carry Endeavour over
the Northern hemisphere in daylight.

SAREX plans to work 6 schools on this mission. Two in the US, 3 in
Australia, and 1 in Europe or Africa.

No orbital maneuvers are planned after the first 6 hours of the flight,
so orbital elements obtained early in the flight should remain accurate
for the entire flight.  If time permits, Jay will activate SAREX about
3 hours into the mission.  Deactivation will occur at about 6 days, 8
hours after launch.

The orbiter attitude is planned to be tail down, payload bay south.
The SAREX antenna will be in the right forward window, so most contacts
should have a good antenna pattern from AOS to TCA (time of closest
approach).

Prelaunch Keplerian Elements (Courtesy of Gil Carman of the JSC ARC):

STS-47
1 00047U          92255.65952351  .00092000  00000-0  29200-3 0    44
2 00047  57.0019 106.3148 0009301 264.7374  95.2615 15.90241453    28

[Info from Jay, N5QWL via Gerry, N5JXS]


* MIR NEWS *
============
The following packet beacon was copied by N6RME on 04-Jul-92 at 04:33:55 UTC:

U8MIR>CQ <UI>:
HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY USA TO ALL AMERICANS. CREW OF THE SPACE STATION MIR

Ted, VE7LEE, reports that contrary to what was reported in the 06-Jul-92
issue of SpaceNews, the first full-scale model of Mir was on display
at EXPO 86 during the world's fair that ran from May to October 1986.
This model was also over 14 Metres long.

Alex, U8MIR reports the French Cosmonaut Michel Tognini has obtained
an Amateur Radio license.  His callsign onboard Mir will be F5MIR.
His "ANTARES" mission begins on 26-Jul-92.

The Mir cosmonauts reported that their recent EVA was relatively easy
and short, lasting only 2 hours.  The EVA was needed to install a
"gyrodyne", which acts like a large gyroscope and rotates the Mir
space station without fuel consumption.  There are six gyrodynes in
the KVANT module, and six more in the KVANT-2 module.  They are situated
inside the KVANT module, and are outside of the KVANT-2 module.
However the 5 gyrodynes in KVANT-2 have failed.  Supplementary gyrodynes
were installed inside KVANT-2.  The failure occurred after the launch
of the current Mir crew, who had no experience or training in the
installation of the supplementary gyrodynes.  With the help of some
pictures and consultations with specialists at the Space Missions
Control Center, the work was completed in five days, including a day
devoted entirely to EVA preparations.

[Info via N6RME, VE7LEE, N8DEU, and N6JLH]


* 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 -OR- kd2bd%ka2qhd@ocpt.ccur.com

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


    <<=- SpaceNews: The first amateur newsletter to be read in space! -=>>

-- 
Dave Horsfall (VK2KFU)         VK2KFU @ VK2RWI.NSW.AUS.OC
dave@ips.OZ.AU                  ...munnari!ips.OZ.AU!dave
Newsgroups: aus.radio.amsat