SB ALL @ AMSAT $ANS-100.01 Phase 3C Launch Preps On Sked HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 100.01 FROM AMSAT HEADQUARTERS WASHINGTON, DC April 09, 1988 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT Late reports direct form Kourou indicate all is well with preparations for the launch of Phase 3C on or about June 1. The spacecraft has been tested at the launch site and, after a few minor bugs were remedied, is now being readied for the critical fueling operation. According to Jan King, W3GEY, AMSAT NA's team leader in Kourou, the spacecraft is in good condition following complete check out of all its systems except the propulsion system. The propulsion system will be checked out in the next few days. Jan says all the electrical systems were checked out, the transponders were performing as expected, the attitude control and power systems are nominal and the solar arrays have been cleaned and prepared for flight. In addition, the thermal blankets and thermal coatings have been applied to the spacecraft. The spacecraft will be "closed out" on Tuesday, April 12. That means that all preparations, save for the fueling operations, will have been completed. Some members of the first team have already returned home to Colorado. Teams from AMSAT NA and AMSAT DL have been preparing the spacecraft for launch at the Kourou launch facility of the European Space Agency since late March. Elements of the second team arrived on April 9 in preparation for the actual fueling operations. The fueling will be accomplished by Dick Daniels and Dick Sunderland of AMSAT NA and by Wolfgang Mueller of AMSAT DL. The helium pressurizing gas will be loaded on Wednesday, April 13. On Friday the nitrogen tetroxide will be loaded. On Monday, April 18, the fueling operation will conclude with the loading of the Aerozine 50 (AZ50) fuel in the tank. According to King, preparations of Phase 3C are following the planned time line perfectly and the atmosphere is relaxed and professional among the team staffs. There are two launch windows for the mission if it launches on June 1. The first is 1110 to 1146 hours UTC while the second is from 1300 to 1440 UTC. Both windows are for morning launches. There is some softness in the June 1 launch schedule AMSAT has learned, however. If the launch slips to later in June, the windows may move to an evening launch. King said AMSAT should have a better understanding of the launch date later in April. He also mentioned the designation of the launch has been re-asserted as V-22. That yields the possibility of an out-of-sequence launch since the Intelsat launch scheduled for May 11 is being called V-23 while the June 1 launch is being called V-22. /EX SB ALL @ AMSAT $ANS-100.02 Announce Launch Net Plan HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 100.02 FROM AMSAT HEADQUARTERS WASHINGTON, DC April 09, 1988 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT AMSAT-NA will originate a multi-function launch information net in support of the Phase 3C satellite launch now scheduled on (or about) June 1. During the period just before, during and just after the actual launch, special information nets, bulletins and broadcasts will distribute the lastest authoritative information. The Arianespace launch schedule will control when specific nets and bulletins will be transmitted. The current plan is based on a launch date of June 1 with a morning launch window opening just after 1100 UTC. Should a change in launch day or time occur, the AMSAT Launch Information Network Service (ALINS) plan will be updated accordingly. North American HF transmit stations will be as follows: WA3NAN at the Goddard Space Flight Center; W6VIO at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and of course the HQ ARRL station W1AW in Newington. Their operating frequencies will be: W1AW: Published voice bulletin frequencies for North American coverage WA3NAN: 3860, 7185, 14295, 21395, 147.45 beaming east on 20m and 15m W6VIO: 14282, 21280, 3840 or 7165 beaming west on 20m and 15m W0RPK: 3840 and/or 7165. A teleconference of launch information sources and transmit stations will be held from 30-minutes before the primary launch window opens until shutdown of the Ariane-4 third stage approximately 20-minutes after liftoff. Other nets are planned for UK, Southern Africa and other locations to be determined. Repeater operators who wish to obtain ALINS feeds of the launch should contact the ALINS Manager Ralph Wallio, W0RPK. Repeater operators are expected to absorb any telecommunication costs associated with their feed. Complete details of the ALINS with latest schedules and frequencies can be obtained from Amateur Satellite Report #174. ASR is AMSAT's bi-weekly newsletter and is a service to current AMSAT members. Contact AMSAT HQ at 301-589-6062 to inquire about membership. /EX SB ALL @ AMSAT $ANS-100.03 Skitrek Progress Report #11 HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 100.03 FROM AMSAT HEADQUARTERS WASHINGTON, DC April 09, 1988 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT Our report on the Amateur Radio Supported Transpolar Skitrek Expedition this week comes from via packet radio from the Soviet Union. It was filed by Rick Burke, VO1SA, Portable UA0 and was recorded at the University of Surrey, England, and relayed to AMSAT. Rick spent a month in the Soviet Arctic supporting the expedition. His message reads in part: QST FROM VO1SA/UA0. IT IS MY PLEASURE TO OPERATE FROM SREDNIY ISLAND. 79 DEG 33 MIN NORTH 90 DEG 13 MIN EAST. SREDNIY ISLAND IS PART OF (THE) SEVERNAYA ZEMLYA GROUP AND 627 NAUTICAL MILES FROM THE NORTH POLE. (THE) AMATEUR RADIO OPERATION FROM THIS LOCATION IS IN SUPPORT OF A JOINT CANADIAN USSR POLAR SKI TREK VIA THE NORTH POLE. 9 SOVIET AND 4 CANADIAN SKIERS MAKE UP THE MOVING GROUP. OTHER COMMUNICATION SITES LOCATED AT DIXON ISLAND/USSR, RESOLUTE BAY/CANADA AND NP28, AN ICE ISLAND NEAR THE NORTH POLE, SUPPORT THE PROJECT. THE AIM OF THE SKI TREK IS TO JOIN THE TWO COUNTRIES BY A WALK TO SHOW HOW CLOSE THEY ARE AND HOW MUCH THE TWO NATIONS HAVE IN COMMON. MY PRESENCE HERE WITH RECIPROCAL OPERATING PRIVILEGES IS PART OF A VERY HISTORIC EVENT FOR THE SOVIET UNION AND FOR AMATEUR RADIO WITH THE FOLLOWING FIRSTS: 1ST THIRD PARTY AND RECIPROCAL LICENSING AGREEMENTS BY THE USSR. 1ST FOREIGN AMATEUR TO OPERATE INSIDE THE SOVIET ARCTIC CIRCLE. 1ST EVER PHONE PATCH TO OUTSIDE THE USSR AND DONE BY A NON-SOVIET AMATEUR. (VO1SA/UA0 WITH VO1CU) OTHER FIRSTS BY A NON-SOVIET CITIZEN: PACKET (RADIO) QSO VO1SA-1 TO RA3APR. CW SATELLITE QSO VO1SA/UA0 WITH CI8CW. SSB SATELLITE QSO CI8CW AND VO1SA/UA0. AERONAUTICAL MOBILE OPERATION BY A FOREIGN AMATEUR ONBOARD A SOVIET AIRCRAFT MANY RADIO, TELEVISION AND PRESS INTERVIEWS (TOOK PLACE) IN THIS COUNTRY DURING MY STAY. THERE IS MUCH INTEREST IN THIS FOREIGN (CANADIAN) AMATEUR RADIO OPERATOR WORKING IN THEIR HIGH ARCTIC WITH THE SAME PRIVILEGES AS A SOVIET CITIZEN. AMATEUR RADIO PLAYED A SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN SOME OF THESE STORIES AS TELEPHONE PATCHES WERE USED BETWEEN THE REPORTER AND THIS LOCATION. IT WAS MOST INTERESTING TO VISIT THE SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH ICE DRIFTING STATION (ICE ISLAND), NORTH POLE 28, ON APRIL 2/88. THE LOCATION OF 4K0DC, 4K0D AND FUTURE LOCATION OF 4K0DX. VE3CDX (BARRY GARRATT) WILL OPERATE THAT CALLSIGN FROM NP28 IN APRIL AND MAY OF 1988. AS I DEPART, THIS APRIL 3RD DATE, 1988, I LEAVE WITH MANY MIXED EMOTIONS. I AM GLAD TO BE RETURNING TO MY HOME AND WAY OF LIFE IN ST. JOHN'S, NEWFOUNDLAND BUT ALSO VERY SAD TO BE LEAVING THE MANY KIND GENEROUS PEOPLE WHO BEFRIENDED THIS ONE CANASKI, WHO SPEAKS LITTLE TO NONE OF THEIR LANGUAGE, AND MADE ME FEEL WELCOME AT ALL TIMES. I SINCERELY HOPE THIS PROJECT IS ONLY A BEGINNING OF MANY SUCH EVENTS IN THE FUTURE OF AMATEUR RADIO. GOODBYE DEAR FRIENDS. DOS VEE DAH' NYA. 73 VO1SA/UA0. AMSAT is grateful to Advanced Electronic Applications (AEA) for making available its PK-232 packet units which are being used by the Skitrek communication support team. On April 8th the skiers reached 87 degrees north latitude with the Pole only 330 km to the north. Their lightened packs along with moderating temperatures and good ice conditions have allowed them to make excellent progress of late. The third air drop is scheduled to take place on Wednesday April 13th. The "moving group" will arrive at the North Pole on or about April 24th. They will be joined by a number of dignitaries and press from Canada and the Soviet Union who will fly in, weather permitting. Barry Garratt, 4K0DX, will also be travelling to the Pole from Ice Island North Pole 28. This report is prepared by Rich Ensign, N8IWJ, AMSAT Science Education Advisor and edited by WA2LQQ for use with AMSAT's Teacher's Guide, "Exploring The High Arctic From Your Classroom" A continuing series of Progress Reports like this one may be accessed via packet BBS, AMSAT Nets and the main educator source, the W0RPK AMSAT Bulletin Board (1-515-961-3325). Progress Report #12 will be issued on April 16, 1988. /EX SB ALL @ AMSAT $ANS-100.04 Balloon Test Yields Surprises HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 100.04 FROM AMSAT HEADQUARTERS WASHINGTON, DC April 09, 1988 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT The Southern Africa AMSAT Project BACAR (Balloon Carrying Amateur Radio ) was launched from a small airport near Johannesburg on March 26th at 0500 UTC. Air Traffic Control had cleared the flight and had given a launch window 0500 to 0515 UTC. The package consisting of a digital voice repeater, a recovery beacon and parachute was lifted by two weather balloons. The Parrot repeater is a voice store and forward device which receives 15 seconds of speech, digitizes it and then re-transmits in voice on the downlink. The uplink was on 145.200 MHz with its downlink on 145.800 MHz. The recovery beacon operated on 145.550 MHz when below 28,000 feet alternating between a few milliwatts and 300 milliwatts. BACAR achieved an altitude of approximately 75,000 feet. After launch it was carefully tracked and followed for recovery. Normally the balloons burst after 2 or 3 hours but Murphy apparently is in the balloon business too. By 1700 local time the balloons had failed to burst as expected and the recovery effort had to be abandoned near the Botswana border. At that time stations from as far as 500 km away were still operating the Parrot repeater. At 2000 hours local time no more signals were heard and BACAR was given up for lost somewhere in Botswana near Lobatsi. In a late report the downed balloon had been located in Botswana but was being impounded by Botswana police pending clarification of certain issues. /EX