SB NEWS @ AMSAT $SPC0321
* SpaceNews 21-Mar-94 *
 
 
BID: $SPC0321
 
 
                               =========
                               SpaceNews
                               =========
 
 
                        MONDAY MARCH 21, 1994
 
 
SpaceNews originates at KD2BD in Wall Township, New Jersey, USA.  It is
published every week and is made available for unlimited distribution.
 
 
      
* SAREX FACT SHEET - STS-59 * 
=============================
WHO:        Space Shuttle Endeavour crew
 
WHAT:       Talk via Amateur Radio with students on earth.
 
WHERE:      Earth Orbit.  57 degrees inclination.  Altitude 220 kilometers.
 
WHEN:       April 7, 1994 (9 day mission)                    
            
WHY:        As part of the Shuttle Amateur Radio EXperiment (SAREX) 
            component of the STS-59 mission.
 
LAUNCH:     Scheduled for April 7, 1994 at 1207 UTC from the Kennedy Space 
            Center, Cape Canaveral, Florida.
  
AMATEUR RADIO
LICENSED CREW
MEMBERS:    Dr. Jay Apt, N5QWL, Mission Specialist
            Dr. Linda Godwin, N5RAX, Payload Commander
 
PAYLOAD:    Primary Payload--Shuttle Radar Laboratory 1 (SRL-1).  Apt is 
            the commander of the Blue Shift and will operate the shuttle 
            systems during the "night" shift, while Godwin is responsible 
            for overall operation of three large radars in the shuttle's 
            cargo bay during the "day" shift.
 
            Secondary Payload--Shuttle Amateur Radio EXperiment or SAREX, 
            configuration C.
 
SPONSORS:   The American Radio Relay League (ARRL), The Radio Amateur 
            Satellite Corporation (AMSAT) and The National Aeronautics and 
            Space Administration (NASA).  SAREX is supported by the Federal 
            Communications Commission (FCC).
 
SAREX RADIO
FREQUENCIES:Voice Downlink: (Worldwide) 145.55 MHz [Receive Only]
            Voice Uplink: 144.91, 144.93, 144.95, 144.97, 
                          144.99 MHz
            Voice Uplink: (Europe only) 144.70, 144.75, 
                          144.80 MHz
            Packet Downlink: 145.55 MHz      
            Packet Uplink: 144.49 MHz
 
HAM RADIO   FM Voice: call signs N5RAX and N5QWL
CALL SIGNS: FM Packet: call sign W5RRR-1
 
QSL VIA:    Send reports and QSLs to ARRL EAD, STS-59 QSL, 225 Main Street, 
            Newington, CT 06111, USA.  Include the following information in 
            your QSL or report: STS-59, date, time in UTC, frequency and 
            mode (FM voice or packet).  In addition, you must also include
            an SASE using a large, business-sized envelope if you wish to 
            receive a card.  The Orange Park Amateur Radio Club in Florida 
            has generously volunteered to manage the cards for this mission.
 
INFORMATION:Goddard Amateur Radio Club (Greenbelt, MD) Amateur Radio station 
            (call sign WA3NAN) news and retransmissions on Amateur Radio 
            high frequency (HF) bands at 3.86, 7.185, 14.295, 21.395, and 
            28.65 megahertz (MHz) and on very high frequency (VHF) bands at 
            147.45 MHz.
 
            Johnson Space Center Amateur Radio Club (Houston, TX) Amateur 
            Radio station (call sign W5RRR) news bulletins on HF bands at 
            3.850, 7.227, 14.280, 21.350, and 28.400 MHz and VHF at 146.64 
            MHz.
 
            ARRL (Newington, CT) Amateur Radio station (call sign W1AW) news 
            bulletins (9:45 PM, 12:45 AM EST) on HF bands at 3.99, 7.29, 
            14.29, 18.16, 21.39, 28.59 and VHF at 147.555 MHz.
 
SHUTTLE     
TRACKING:   Current Keplerian elements to track the Shuttle are available 
            from the NASA Spacelink computer information system BBS (205) 
            895-0028 and the ARRL BBS (203) 666-0578.  
 
 
FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION:Tracy Bedlack, N1QDO, Educational Activities Department, 
            American Radio Relay League 203-666-1541  email: ead@arrl.org
 
SAREX configuration C consists of the handheld transceiver, I/F module, 
PGSC, spare battery set, window antenna, packet module, SAREX headset 
assembly, personal recorder, and the required cable assemblies.  The packet] 
module contains a power supply and packet TNC.  The power supply provides 
power for the TNC and the handheld transceiver.  The TNC interconnects with 
a radio transceiver so that data to and from the computer is transmitted to 
and received from other amateur radio stations.
 
Configuration C is capable of operating in either the voice or data mode in 
communications with amateur stations within LOS of the Orbiter.  This 
configuration can be operated in the attended mode for voice communication 
and either the attended or automatic mode for data communications.  
 
The payload control weights are as follows:
   Configuration C   45 lb (20.41 kg)
 
STS-59 Keplerian elements for a 1207 UTC launch:
 
STS-59
1 00059U          94097.56425350  .00234441  00000-0  12190-3 0    55
2 00059  57.0018 277.1957 0008733 268.0585  91.9530 16.19594525    26
 
Satellite: STS-59
Catalog number: 00059
Epoch time:      94097.56425350   =    (07 APR 94   13:32:31.50 UTC)
Element set:     005
Inclination:       57.0018 deg
RA of node:       277.1957 deg           Space Shuttle Flight STS-59
Eccentricity:     .0008733              Prelaunch Element set JSC-005
Arg of perigee:   268.0585 deg          Launch:  07 APR 94  12:07 UTC
Mean anomaly:      91.9530 deg
Mean motion:   16.19594525 rev/day            Gil Carman, WA5NOM
Decay rate:    2.34441e-03 rev/day*2      NASA Johnson Space Center
Epoch rev:               2
Checksum:              307
 
[Info via the ARRL]
 
 
* FO-20 SCHEDULE *
==================
The FO-20 command station announced that FO-20 will be placed in Mode JA
(Analog transponder mode) during Field Day 1994 (25-Jun-94 18:00 UTC through
26-Jun-94 18:00 UTC).
 
The current operating schedule is as follows:
       
Analog mode:
                23-Mar-94 07:52 -to- 30-Mar-94 08:15 UTC
 
Digital mode: Unless otherwise noted above.
 
[Info via Kazu Sakamoto, JJ1WTK]
 
 
* THANKS! *
===========
Thanks for all the messages of appreciation sent to SpaceNews this week
especially:
 
  IW1QH   KZ1Z   VK2TFG   AD4HJ   KD4VGD   KD6DSI   G8MWF   Erik Simonsen 
  Nihat Tsolak
 
 
* 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.ocpt.ccur.com  -or- kd2bd@amsat.org
 
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
