****************************************************************************** * AMSAT NA News Service Bulletins * * NEWS353 19Dec87 * * [ Copyright 1987 by AMSAT NA, The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ] * * [ Permission is granted for unlimited redistribution by electronic or ] * * [ other means provided credit is given to AMSAT NA News Service (ANS). ] * * [ Edited for AMSAT NA by WA2LQQ. ] * * [ (N)=New story; (U)=Updated story; (R)=Reprieved story ] * * [ This edition was forwarded by the W0RPK-AMSAT Bulletin Board System ] * * [ operating on 515-961-3325 24-hours Ralph Wallio, W0RPK SYSOP ] * ****************************************************************************** Headlines: 1.(N) New Crew Poised For Mir Space Station Mission 2.(N) UoSAT OSCAR 11 Returns To Service 3.(N) Seek Health Professionals For International Communications ****************************************************************************** 1.(N) New Crew Poised For Mir Space Station Mission A new crew will be launched to the Mir Space Station Monday, December 21, for what is billed as a one year long mission. If completed, this would comprise the longest space mission in history. The three man Russian team is expected to be launched to Mir at 11:18 UTC Monday aboard the TM-4 module. Mission Commander will be veteran space fairer Vladimir Titov. The Pilot/Engineer will be Musa Manarov and the Research Engineer will be Anatoly Levchenko. This will be the first space flight for both Manarov and Levchenko. In the past, Cosmonauts have been heard on the VHF band at 143.625 MHz making them easily observed on many receivers. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 2.(N) UoSAT OSCAR 11 Returns To Service UoSAT OSCAR 11 was returned to normal operations on Wednesday, December 16, following problems experienced with the new FORTH DIARY On Board Computer (OBC) software. The FORTH DIARY has been developed to support more complex attitude control algorithms on the spacecraft and to simplify routine operations. The new software ran correctly when first loaded into the UO-11 OBC but, when the spacecraft appeared on the next orbit in range of UoS, the OBC had "crashed" leaving null characters being transmitted on the 145 MHz downlink. Efforts at Surrey were immediately directed towards simulation and diagnosis of the problem using the identical UO-11 spacecraft simulator on the ground. It proved impossible to recreate the problem on the ground and thus it has been suggested that possibly the 32k byte memory bank on UO-11 has a bad location or locations. This theory will be tested shortly by running diagnostics on the UO-11 OBC. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 3.(N) Seek Health Professionals For International Communications A special working group in AMSAT is seeking to support a world-wide team of physicians and health professionals interested in satellites, East-West cooperation and health care concerns in the developing countries. SatelLife is a new East-West project serving health communication needs of developing countries. Its co-directors are 1985 Nobel Peace Prize winner Dr. Bernard Lown and Academician Roald Sagdeyev, Director of the Space Research Institute of the Soviet Academy of Sciences. Volunteers are needed to spearhead the development of a global network of "informedics" to help health workers find and exchange information. Health professionals interested in such a program are asked to please send a half-page resume and interests to WA2LQQ, P.O. Box 177, Warwick, NY 10990. AMSAT has prepared a technical proposal for SatelLife which suggests the launch of one or more PACSATs from the Mir Space Station during 1988 and 1989. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 4.(N) Short Bursts American Rocket Company, AMROC, is back in business. The pioneering California commercial launch concern suffered what some saw as a fatal loss of financing as a result of the stock market crash. But now it has rebounded and is back in business sources indicate. AMSAT NA has been offered a free ride on the first launch scheduled for late 1989 or early 1990. The launch appears suitable for a low earth orbit mission such as a PACSAT. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * RECENT NEWS IN REVIEW ===================== Headlines: 5.(U) Phase 3C Tests Called Unqualified Success 6.(R) Launch Insurance Fund Reaches Milestone 7.(R) Meeting In Ottawa To Advance Nordski Plans 8.(R) ARRL Seeks Lab Supervisor 9.(U) AO-10 Ops Schedule 10.(U) FO-12 Ops Schedule * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 5.(U) Phase 3C Tests Called Unqualified Success Dick Daniels, W4PUJ, who recently returned from Germany, reports the propulsion system tests and the shake and vibration tests on Phase 3C went perfectly. The spacecraft passed all the tests with flying colors. The tests were performed in Germany by AMSAT DL and various contractors the week of November 30. The overall spacecraft weight appears to be about 10 % less than earlier estimates. This is good news since it will allow the controllers to place the spacecraft in a higher inclination. A "classic" Molniya orbit has an inclination of 63 degrees. At this inclination the argument of perigee stays fixed. Phase 3C will undergo a plane change during it kick motor firing. With less mass it will be able to attain a higher inclination is desired. A higher inclination orbit will mean slightly improved over-the-pole DX vistas and, for those using manual tracking methods, fewer changes to their tracking overlays. Of especial interest and a major achievement scored was the successful test of the new propulsion system plumbing and valves. This had represented a major risk area since Phase 3C employs a new design. The AO-10 valve system was abandoned since analysis of the performance of the AO-10 system indicated improvements were called for. The new system worked perfectly on its first try according to W4PUJ. In related news, the rough time line for the AMSAT Phase 3C launch campaign was recently laid out. Based on an estimated launch date of March 24, the launch teams from AMSAT DL and AMSAT NA will be arriving in Kourou, French Guiana about mid-February. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 6.(R) Launch Insurance Fund Reaches Milestone Thanks to the leadership of affiliated AMSAT organizations and the generosity of a growing number of individuals, AMSAT NA's Phase 3C Launch Insurance Campaign recently passed the 50% mark with over $5,000 committed to the fund. The fund aims to insure the new spacecraft against any loss due to launch or deployment problems. Individual donations to the insurance fund are now needed to complete the final 50% of the goal. See ASR #160 to see how to make your donation count. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 7.(R) Meeting In Ottawa To Advance Nordski Plans Leo Labutin, UA3CR and a colleague in the joint Canadian-Russian Skitrek project returned to Ottawa on December 11 after several weeks of training at Frobisher Bay on Baffin Island, Canada. The primary purpose of the Frobisher station is to support the actual skiers beginning next March. Then skiers will travel from the USSR to Canada across the North Pole in a trek that will take up to 3 months. Digitalker tests with UoSat OSCAR 9 were successful with UA3CR reporting he heard the voice synthesizer quite well on an HT at Frobisher. The Digitalker demonstrations and tests for the Polar Expedition were arranged by Surrey at UA3CR's request between December 5 through 10. During the actual Skitrek next February, UO-9 or UO-11 will relay navigational information to the Skitrek team. The position of the team will be determined using the COSPAS/SARSAT satellites. The results of the analysis will be uplinked to UoSAT and thence to the skiers in digitized voice. Digitalker is heard on the normal UoSAT downlink of 145.825 MHz, FM. AMSAT and Surrey are supporting the program under their Project Nordski Comm. Educators around the world have expressed interest in receiving the UoSAT Digitalker downlink and in plotting the progress of the Skitrek team on maps. On December 12 a contingent of AMSAT leaders from the U.S. traveled to Ottawa to meet with UA3CR and RW3DR to discuss plans for the polar expedition as well as potential future joint satellite projects between AMSAT-NA and AMSAT-UA. The meeting in Ottawa was arranged by AMSAT's John Henry, VE2VQ, who has acted as AMSAT's liaison to the expedition and to CRRL which is coordinating the overall expedition radio activity. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 8.(R) ARRL Seeks Lab Supervisor An immediate opening exists in the Technical Department at ARRL HQ for a Laboratory Supervisor. They are looking for a licensed and experienced amateur with a BSEE degree, or equivalent experience. A candidate must have sufficient experience in industry to know laboratory procedures and test standards, and must have the ability to train and counsel laboratory personnel. The ideal candidate would have a (analog/digital and hardware/software) design background, and an ability to work with experimenters in the field. Contact Chuck Hutchinson, K8CH at 203-666-1541 for further details. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 9.(U) AO-10 Ops Schedule Here is the AO-10 operating schedule for the next few weeks: AMSAT OSCAR 10 Transponder Operating Schedule ============================================= +---------------------+--------------------------------+ | Time Frame | Mode B Operating Times in MA | +---------------------+--------------------------------+ | Dec 15 thru Dec 21 | 0 thru 109 and 191 thru 255 | | Dec 22 thru Dec 28 | 0 thru 119 and 201 thru 255 | | Dec 29 thru Jan 03 | 0 thru 139 and 221 thru 255 | | Jan 04 thru Jan 10 | 0 thru 154 and 223 thru 255 | | Jan 11 thru Jan 17 | 0 thru 165 and 233 thru 255 | +---------------------+--------------------------------+ As always, please insure you use the lowest uplink power levels so as to insure satellite health as well as good communications. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 10.(U) FO-12 Ops Schedule Here is the operating schedule for FO-12 for the next few days: Operating schedule for FO-12 Mode From (UTC) To (UTC) -------------------------------- JD 20 04:44 -- 21 05:52 JD 22 04:58 -- 23 04:04 JD 24 01:06 -- 25 06:19 JD 26 03:24 -- 27 04:32 JD 28 03:38 -- 29 02:43 JD 31 02:57 -- Jan 1 04:04 JD Jan 2 03:11 -- 3 02:17 JA 5 02:30 -- 6 01:36 The transponders will be off at other time. The schedule may be changed at any time due to unexpected power situations. ******************************************************************************