| From: US1RMC::"[email protected]" "John Magliacane" 26-SEP-1993
To: [email protected]
CC:
Subj: * SpaceNews 27-Sep-93 *
SB NEWS @ AMSAT $SPC0927
* SpaceNews 27-Sep-93 *
BID: $SPC0927
=========
SpaceNews
=========
MONDAY SEPTEMBER 27, 1993
SpaceNews originates at KD2BD in Wall Township, New Jersey, USA. It is
published every week and is made available for unlimited distribution.
* ARSENE FAILURE *
==================
The ARSENE satellite is no longer responding to telecommands sent by the
FF1STA command station at ENSAE School in Toulouse. Numerous commands have
been sent to try to reactivate the satellite without success. Since
September 9th at around 00:00 UTC when ARSENE signal was last heard in
mode S, controllers have not received any more telemetry from the satellite.
The transmission stopped at the moment ARSENE was moving out of a one hour
eclipse period. Contrasting with was earlier thought, the SHF power output
stage temperature never reached more than 42 degrees Celsius before entering
into the Earth shadow. The temperature dropped by ten degrees when in the
eclipse part of the orbit. The FF1STA command station was able to observe
telemetry data indicating that the automatic system for handling eclipse
power conditions was working fine. All collected telemetry data before the
failure is carefully being investigated by ARSENE experts. There will be
an attempt made to recover ARSENE using the FC1ELL EME station in Argenteuil
near Paris, with an 8m dish and high power UHF transmitter.
[Info via Bernard, F6BVP]
* OSCAR-11 FAILURE *
====================
Controllers at the UoSAT Control Centre at the University of Surrey are
requesting the help of the amateur radio community around the world in
collecting information and data from UoSAT-OSCAR-11. The Forth Diary
Operating system aboard UO-11 has crashed. This has rendered the spacecraft
in a non-nominal operating state. The collection of information and data
related to the operational condition of the spacecraft will be essential in
helping the controllers to understand the spacecraft's current condition.
Therefore the UoSAT command team is asking radio amateurs around the world
to monitor the spacecraft and relay any reception reports and or telemetry
data collected from the spacecraft to them via G0SYX @ UO-22, G0SYX @ KO-23
or via the Internet address: [email protected].
UoSAT-OSCAR-11 operates on a 2M frequency of 145.826 MHz and on a 70 cm
frequency of 435.027 MHz. Controllers are most interested in which beacon
is active at the time of any given observation and whether the signal
contains data or not. Any telemetry data collected would be of particular
interest to the controllers as well. Any observations provided by the
amateur community will be most appreciated. UoSAT controllers will issue
subsequent bulletins about the status of the UoSAT-OSCAR-11 spacecraft as
the situation develops.
[Info via KO5I/G0SYX and the AMSAT News Service]
* VE2ONT MOONBOUNCE TEST *
==========================
All appears ready for the upcoming EME tests by The Toronto VHF Society,
using the callsign VE3ONT. We will use the 46-m (150') diameter radio
telescope at Algonquin Provincial Park (grid FN05xw) during this year's
A.R.R.L. International EME Competition.
VE3ONT will be active the full weekend of each contest period, October 9/10
and November 6/7, 1993. Below is the schedule of operations:
Date VE3ONT TX Freq. Listening range Approx. times (UTC)
Oct 9 432.050 MHz 432.050 - 432.060 MHz 0445-1830
Oct 10 144.029 MHz 144.025 - 144.030 MHz 0550-1900
Nov 6 432.050 MHz 432.050 - 432.060 MHz 0340 1700
Nov 7 1296.050 MHz 1296.050 - 1296.060 MHz 0450-1730
VE3ONT will operate "split" and we ask that stations avoid calling us on
our transmit frequency. VE3ONT will transmit and receive with left-hand
circular-polarization (LHCP) off the dish on all bands. This means that
after reflection from the Moon, signals will be right-hand circular
polarized (RHCP). This will permit us to work stations with vertical,
horizontal, or RHCP polarization. VE3ONT will transmit at the legal power
limit on 144 and 432 MHz and 100 watts on 1296. Power amplifiers and
receiving preamps are located at the dish feed.
As users of a non-amateur antenna, we will not be in competition with other
stations. Our intention is to provide an initial EME contact for as many
stations as possible. Consequently, we strongly discourage duplicate or
"insurance" contacts. Operation will be primarily on CW, although SSB
might be employed depending on signal strength and number of stations calling.
All operation will be "random" format, meaning that VE3ONT will accept no
skeds. If conditions are poor, we will use a 30-second sequence in which
VE3ONT transmits the first 30 seconds and listens during the second 30 seconds
of each minute. Note that this is NOT the usual sequence for EME skeds.
VE3ONT will maintain HF liaison on 14.345 MHz during daylight hours and on
3.818 MHz at night.
We anticipate being able to work OSCAR-class stations with 100 watts of
output power on 144 and 432 MHz; 25 watts should be sufficient on 1296. A
photograph of the dish is shown in the "Up Front in QST" section of the
October issue; see also "The World Above 50 MHz" in the same issue.
Technical information concerning the dish and VE3ONT's operation was
presented by W9IP and VE3ASO at the Central States VHF Conference and the
Eastern VHF/UHF Conference.
For clarification, contact Dennis Mungham VE3ASO (613) 998-7330/989-2339 or
Michael Owen W9IP (315) 379-0161/379-5975. QSL to VE3ONT (Callbook address).
[Info via Michael Owen, W9IP]
* THANKS! *
===========
Thanks to all those who sent messages of appreciation regarding SpaceNews,
especially:
K6CGW AL7KD KB8KBI Roy Stai Paul Milsom
* 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 : [email protected] -or- [email protected]
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! -=>>
--
John A. Magliacane, KD2BD * /\/\ * Voice : 1-908-224-2948
Advanced Technology Center |/\/\/\| Packet : KD2BD @ N2KZH.NJ.USA.NA
Brookdale Community College |\/\/\/| Internet: [email protected]
Lincroft, NJ 07738 * \/\/ * Morse : -.- -.. ..--- -... -..
|
| From: US1RMC::"[email protected]" "John Magliacane" 2-OCT-1993
To: [email protected]
CC:
Subj: * SpaceNews 04-Oct-93 *
SB NEWS @ AMSAT $SPC1004
* SpaceNews 04-Oct-93 *
BID: $SPC1004
=========
SpaceNews
=========
MONDAY OCTOBER 4, 1993
SpaceNews originates at KD2BD in Wall Township, New Jersey, USA. It is
published every week and is made available for unlimited distribution.
* OSCAR-11 UPDATE *
===================
UoSAT-OSCAR-11 was recovered from an OBC crash last Saturday (18 September).
Controllers believe that the UO-11 anomaly was caused by two factors: (1) the
gradual precession of the orbit plane to a position normal to the sun vector
and (2) modifications to the FORTH software magnetorquing routines.
Over the course of its 9.5 year mission, UO-11's orbit has drifted. The
satellite is now in a 6 AM / 6 PM sun synchronous orbit. This means that
the satellite is always in sunlight. It also means that gravity gradient
lock is essential for good power generation. With the sun in the orbit-
normal, some other quasi-stable attitudes have particularly poor power
generation. During modifications to the ancient FORTH diary operating
system, an incorrect sign inversion was applied to magnetometer data.
This lead to non-nominal attitude, which lead to poor power generation.
Eventually, the power system started to "shed loads" starting with the
transmitters and moving to the computers. Hence the OBC 1802 and DCE
NSC800 went down. Generally, one or the other of the computers is essential
to being able to command UO-11, hence controllers were unable to command
until the 2-meter beacon was automatically shut down.
Long-time UoSAT-2 buffs will be interested to know that the spacecraft's
new orbit plane makes the satellite warmer. This seems to have restored to
operation an intermittant data detector circuit. It was the failure of this
circuit shortly after launch in 1984 which lead to the 3-month loss of UoSAT-2.
G0SYX and the other controllers at UoSAT would like to express their
appreciation to all those individuals who provided telemetry and reception
reports to the UoSAT command team following the disruption of UO-11 service.
Later bulletins will be issued as more details become available.
[Info via Jeff Ward]
* WEBERSAT NEWS *
=================
The following packet frames were copied from WEBERSAT-OSCAR-18 by KD2BD:
WEBER-1>CAST <UI>:
25-Sep-93
Spectrum every Monday.
Week 2 WOD (variable channels) at 10 seconds
59 0x3B impact
30 0x1E array V
38 0x26 -X cur
39 0x27 +X cur
40 0x28 -Y cur
41 0x29 +Y cur
kb7kcl
* NEW OSCAR NEWS *
==================
An Ariane rocket blasted off late Saturday from the Kourou Space Center on
a mission to put into orbit seven satellites, officials said. The 59th
rocket of the European consortium Arianespace lifted off from its jungle
launch pad at 01:45 UTC. Among those seven satellites were a cluster of
new Amateur Radio communications satellites known as OSCARs.
After some consultation with AMSAT-NA, AMSAT-UK, SSTL and the other microsat
owners, an agreement on the satellite numbering was reached and is as follows:
- OSCAR-24 will be skipped awaiting the final decision from Arsene. We all
agree that Arsene is AO-24 but of course the request and final decision
comes from RACE.
- The first Amateur microsat from V-59 to be separated is Kitsat-B that will
become Kitsat Oscar 25 (KO-25).
- Itamsat and Eyesat were separated at the same time and we agree that since
the Itamsat project started some two years before Eyesat, Itamsat becomes
ITAMSAT Oscar 26 (IO-26) and Eyesat becomes AMRAD Eyesat 27 (AO-27).
It is not yet clear if PoSat will join the Amateur satellite family, if the
decision is positive (and we all will be pleased to have this sophisticated
bird on our side) it will be PoSat Oscar 28 (PO-28).
Following AOS and LOS timing we have identified Itamsat with the object
V59-D. We should have all microsats identified as follows:
V59-C 22825 Eyesat (AO-27)
V59-D 22826 Itamsat (IO-26)
V59-E 22827 Kitsat-B (KO-25)
V59-F 22828 Healthsat
V59-G 22829 PoSat
At 09:11 UTC on the 26th of September 1993, upon control from Earth, the
ITAMSAT PSK beacon at 435.870 MHz was turned on, and the first frames of MBL
telemetry gathered. All telemetry looks nominal, and the batteries are
being recharged.
The following packet frames were copied from ITAMSAT by KD2BD on 27-Sep-93
at 01:38 UTC on 435.867 MHz:
ITMSAT>MBLCTL <UI>:
TeHYZ/
ITMSAT>MBLCTL <UI>:
TdZ[0
ITMSAT>MBLCTL <UI>:
TcHZ[0
ITMSAT>MBLCTL <UI>:
TbZ[0
ITMSAT>MBLCTL <UI>:
TaHYZ0
[Info via LW2DTZ, I2KBD, and IK1SLD]
* THANKS! *
===========
Thanks to all those who sent messages of appreciation regarding SpaceNews,
especially:
AB3F WA6WZO KB9HRB
* 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 : [email protected] -or- [email protected]
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! -=>>
--
John A. Magliacane, KD2BD * /\/\ * Voice : 1-908-224-2948
Advanced Technology Center |/\/\/\| Packet : KD2BD @ N2KZH.NJ.USA.NA
Brookdale Community College |\/\/\/| Internet: [email protected]
Lincroft, NJ 07738 * \/\/ * Morse : -.- -.. ..--- -... -..
|