From: dave@ips.oz.au (Dave Horsfall)
Newsgroups: aus.radio.amsat
Subject: * SpaceNews 31-Aug-92 *
Date: 6 Sep 92 23:57:59 GMT
Distribution: aus
Organization: IPS Radio and Space Services.  Sydney, Australia.

Bulletin ID: $SPC0831


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


                        MONDAY AUGUST 31, 1992


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



* RS-15 NEWS *
==============
As promised last week, here's the first official bulletin regarding RS-15:

RS-15 Information Bulletin no. 1
Moscow  August 15, 1992

Launch of the new amateur satelite RS-15 is planned for early 1993.
The orbit of the spacecraft will be near circular and polar with
a height 2300 km and inclination of 67 degrees.  The weight of
satellite is 70 kg.  The satellite was built by NPO of Applied
Mechanics in Krasnoyarsk, Russia.  The chief constructor is
Arbuzov V.N.  The satellite RS-15 will carry  the radiotechnical
complex "BRTK-11",  designed  in the Laboratory of Space Technology
associated with the Tziolkowskii Museum of Cosmonautics in Kaluga,
under the leadership of Papkov A.P. (UA3XWU), club station RS3X.

BRTK-11 consists of a linear transponder with two beacons, a
bulletin board with 2 mb of memory and a command telemetry system
of 64 parameters.

Working frequencies of BRTK-11 will be as follows:

Uplink passband:   145.857 MHz to 145.897 MHz
Downlink passband:  29.357 MHz to  29.397 MHz

Beacon 1:           29.398 MHz
Beacon 2:           29.353 MHz

The transponder output power is 5 watts, while the beacons will run
between 0.4 watts and 1.2 watts.  Antennas are 1/4 wave monopoles.

The Laboratory of Aerocosmical Technics belonging to the Russian
Defense and the Technical Sports Organization (ROSTO) have helped
in the coordination of the satellite launch and operation.
The laboratory is headed by Yamnikov V.S., and control station RS3A.
The public relations are conducted by Dr. Alexander Zaitzev (RW3DZ).

Any organizations or persons who are interested in the experimental
work of RS-15 should contact with Mr. V.Yamnikov at:

  Laboratory of Aerocosmical Technics, ROSTO,
  ul. Zemlynoi Wal  46/48,
  Moscow 103 064 , RUSSIA

or through e-mail : rw3dz@rw3dz.public.su for A. Zaitzev.

[Info via Alexander Zaitzev, RW3DZ]


* MARS OBSERVER NEWS *
======================
The Mars Observer spacecraft passed another milestone toward
launch when it was moved from the Payload Hazardous Servicing
Facility on Kennedy Space Center to Launch Complex 40 on Cape
Canaveral Air Force Station and mated to the Martin Marietta
Titan III rocket.  With the payload atop the launch vehicle,
checks of the Mars Observer spacecraft and the attached Transfer
Orbit Stage (TOS) were recently conducted.

A countdown dress rehearsal on Aug. 28 simulated launch day
activities and all countdown events as closely as possible.
The mobile service tower was retracted from around the launch
vehicle, and the full NASA, Martin Marietta and Orbital Sciences
launch team participated in this exercise.

All activities currently are on schedule to support a launch
at the opening of the Mars planetary opportunity on September 16.
The launch window extends from 1:02 to 3:05 PM EDT (1702-1905 UTC).

The Mars Observer will be the first U.S. mission to Mars since
the Viking program in 1975.  From a circular Martian polar orbit
of 250 miles, it will create a detailed global portrait of the
planet.  The spacecraft will map the surface and study Mars
geology while profiling its atmosphere and weather.  The mission
is designed to span one Martian year, or 687 earth days.


* MORE COLLOQUIUM NEWS *
========================
Last week it was reported that an OH-built 10 GHz transmitter for the
Phase 3D satellite has already been delivered to Germany.  In reality,
they are still working on the prototype.  The hardware will be delivered
in time for the launch of Phase 3D

Discussions about Webersat-class earth imaging satellites concluded that
developers of color cameras should digitize the RGB outputs rather than
the composite NTSC/PAL/SECAM output.  Webersat does not have the
capability of simultaneously digitizing the R, G and B, and so users
cannot choose them.

[Info via Richard, G3RWL, Peter, DB2OS, and Rob A @ Weber]


* FEEDBACK/INPUT WELCOMED *
===========================
Mail to SpaceNews should be directed to the editor (John, KD2BD) via any
of the following paths:

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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