November 2006 - Sarex (INACTIVE)

Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2006-11-30 19:00 UTC
by AJ9N＠aol.com 30 Nov '06

30 Nov '06

Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2006-11-30 19:00 UTC Quick list of scheduled contacts and events: During Expedition 14, ARISS expects to have one ARISS school contact per month rather than approximately one per week. It is also anticipated that there many not be many general contacts. Total number of ARISS school contacts is 258. QSL information may be found at: http://www.arrl.org/ARISS/arissfaq.html http://www.rac.ca/ariss/oindex.htm#QSL's ISS callsigns: DP0ISS, NA1SS, RS0ISS ***************************************************************************** The schedule page has been updated as of 2006-11-30 19:00 UTC. Here you will find a listing of all scheduled school contacts, and questions, other ISS related websites, IRLP and Echolink websites, and instructions for any contact that may be streamed live. http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/arissnews.txt The successful school list has been updated as of 2006-11-20 22:00 UTC http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/Successful_ARISS_schools.rtf Frequency chart for packet, voice, and crossband repeater modes showing Doppler correction as of 2005-07-29 04:00 UTC http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/ISS_frequencies_and_Doppler_correctio… tf Listing of ARISS related magazine articles as of 2006-07-10 03:30 UTC: http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/ARISS_magazine_articles.rtf ***************************************************************************** There has been a rumor that the ISS was having direct contacts on the 40 meter band. There is no HF radio equipment on board and available yet. The HF antenna is mounted. Sometimes WA3NAN will retransmit shuttle audio. ***************************************************************************** Expedition 13/14 on orbit: Thomas Reiter DF4TR Expedition 14 on orbit: Michael Lopez-Alegria KE5GTK Mikhail Tyurin, RZ3FT Expedition 14 future: Sunita Williams, KD5PLB ***************************************************************************** 73, Charlie Sufana AJ9N One of the ARISS operation team mentors

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NASA GIVES 'GO' FOR SPACE SHUTTLE DISCOVERY LAUNCH
by Arthur Rowe 29 Nov '06

29 Nov '06

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 Nov. 29, 2006 Katherine Trinidad Headquarters, Washington 202-358-3749 Jessica Rye Kennedy Space Center, Fla. 321-867-2468 RELEASE: 06-359 NASA GIVES 'GO' FOR SPACE SHUTTLE DISCOVERY LAUNCH CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - NASA senior managers today unanimously recommended launching the Space Shuttle Discovery on December 7. Commander Mark Polansky and his six crewmates are scheduled to lift off at 9:35 p.m. EST on the STS-116 mission, one of the most challenging flights to continue building the International Space Station. During the 12-day mission and three spacewalks, the crew will work closely with flight controllers at NASA's Johnson Space Center, Houston, to install a new segment of the station's girder-like truss and activate the station's permanent, complex power and cooling systems. The launch date was announced after a traditional meeting, known as the Flight Readiness Review. During the two-day meeting, top NASA managers and engineers assess any risks associated with the mission and determine whether the shuttle's equipment, support systems and procedures are ready for flight. "What struck me during this meeting was how complex this mission is and how it fits into the next series of assembly missions," said Associate Administrator for Space Operations Bill Gerstenmaier, who chaired the Flight Readiness Review. "We had a very good discussion on a lot of topics and our teams worked hard to make sure we had all the information we need to set our launch date for next Thursday." Joining Commander Polansky aboard Discovery will be Pilot Bill Oefelein, mission specialists Bob Curbeam, Joan Higginbotham, Nicholas Patrick, European Space Agency astronaut Christer Fuglesang and Sunita Williams. Williams will remain aboard the station for six months. ESA astronaut Thomas Reiter, who has lived on the station since July, will return to Earth on Discovery. For more information about the STS-116 mission, including images and interviews with the crew, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle

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EXP 14 CREW EXTENDED ONE MONTH
by Arthur Rowe 28 Nov '06

28 Nov '06

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 Astronauts currently working on the International Space Station will have their six-month mission extended by another month to avoid early spring flooding on the Kazakh steppe, where they are due to land, a Russian space official said last Wednesday. According to a revised schedule, U.S. astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegria and Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Tyurin of the Expedition 14 crew, who began working on the world's sole orbital station September 20, will return to Earth in April instead of March. They will be joined by the fifth space tourist on their return trip, Hungarian-born American software billionaire Charles Simonyi, who is expected to arrive at the ISS with the 15th crew. The flooding makes it "extremely hard to find a dry place for a capsule with astronauts to land on, and landing on a flooded steppe may be quite dangerous," he said. European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Reiter of Germany, who has been on board the station since July, will work as part of the Expedition 14 crew until December and will then hand off to astronaut Sunita Williams.

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FT-847 Problem
by Tony, VK5ZAI 28 Nov '06

28 Nov '06

Hello all, Has anybody experienced instability with their FT-847 on 2 m SSB every so-often the RX breaks into a shrill chirping for maybe 10 -20 seconds at random, then OK for a week or two (perhaps!) The RF amp and ATT. buttons don't appear to have any effect on stopping it when the problem is there. It doesn't appear to have any real effect on sensitivity, as it will receive a SSB signal while the noise is there, it's just hard to listen too. Any help would be appreciated, the fault being so intermittent it's going to be hard to find. Please reply direct. Thanks. PS. Antenna on or off makes no difference -- Regards Tony. VK5ZAI J.A.(Tony)Hutchison P.O.Box 470 Kingston SE South Australia 5275 Australian ARISS Co-ordinator and Satellite ground Station. Web Site :- http://www.electric-web.org

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ASTRONAUT LANDS IN LAWRENCE,MASS
by Arthur Rowe 28 Nov '06

28 Nov '06

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 > > SUBJECT: ASTRONAUT LANDS IN LAWRENCE,MASS > > PERMISSION GRANTED BY THE EAGLE TRIBUNE N. ANDOVER, MA TO REPRODUCE > THIS ARTICLE > Published: 11/28/2006 > > Astronaut inspires middle-schoolers > By Yadira Betances > Staff Writer > > LAWRENCE - "Can you eat Chinese food up in space?" "Do you have cable > TV?" "How do you brush your teeth?" > > Those were some of the questions sixth- and seventh-graders at South > Lawrence East Middle School asked NASA astronaut George Zamka when he > visited the school yesterday at the invitation of Principal Dina Hickey. > > For the record, you can eat Chinese food, there is no cable television > and you brush your teeth as you do on Earth, except that you can't spit. > > He showed students two videos about the launch process at Kennedy > Space Center in Florida and what life is like for astronauts in space. > > While the first video was more technical, the second got lots of > laughs from students. The children laughed when a female astronaut was > seen on the overhead projector with her frizzy, long blond hair > covering her face. Others giggled when an astronaut waited for a > peeled banana to finally reach his opened mouth. > > Zamka was selected by NASA for astronaut training in 1998 and in > September he will board the space shuttle Atlantis for his first trip > into space. > > Zamka will pilot the mission that will deliver the Node 2 connecting > module to the international space station. > > "It was really cool," seventh-grader Deanna Desfosses, 12, said. "I > have never seen a real astronaut before and it was great that we had > the opportunity to see a real space person." > > Listening to Zamka was especially interesting to Stephanie DeLeon, 12. > > "I love space and studying the planets," said Stephanie, who has a > giant globe in the middle of her bedroom and several books on the > planets on her bookshelf. > > "He really inspired me to try something new," Stephanie said. "He > helped me learn more about what astronauts do up in space and how the > spaceship goes up and how it comes back from atmosphere." > > You could hear the oohs and aahs from the 300 students in the > auditorium as Zamka answered questions from how they prepare for the > launch to personal hygiene in the space station. > > "I want to go to space camp because one day I'll do that," said > sixth-grader Aneuris Reyes. > > Zamka told the children how he grew up building model airplanes. His > childhood hobby led him to train as a Marine pilot, including 66 > combat missions over Kuwait and Iraq in 1993 during Desert Storm. > > The New Jersey native earned a bachelor of science degree in > mathematics from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1984. Upon graduation, he > was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps. He also > received a masters of science degree in engineering management from > Florida Institute of Technology in 1997. > > Liane Arroyo, 13, was mesmerized by Zamka. > > "It was really good and exciting to see how they do such amazing stuff > in space," Liane said. > > "He inspired me to become an astronaut myself," said Jennifer > Guardado, 12. "You have fun but a lot of time it is hard work." > > Zamka remembers having role models to look up to growing up. > > "I want to do the same for these guys if I can," he said. "If I can > get a couple of students wondering about math or what's out there, I'm > happy." > > That was the goal Principal Hickey had when she invited Zamka to talk > to the students. > > "I was thrilled that we got him to visit," Hickey said. "Our students > do not get a lot of exposure (to space travel). Because of this, math, > engineering are areas they will probably explore." > >

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ISS expeiment E.T. shadow
by Kevin Forbes 28 Nov '06

28 Nov '06

Hi all, just making a mention of this experiment again for anyone that missed it. I just received this. > >Dear friends! >Thank you for support of the space experiment "Shadow" on ISS. More than >200 claims have been registered, the experienced hams Gennady Tjapichev >(R3XB) and Guy Roels (ON6MU) presented the special tools for generation of >a short beacon, some groups of hams had conducted trial experiments "in a >ground" air for checkout of a methodology. The ground preparation of the >space experiment "Shadow" in a part of an amateur radio is practically >completed so that we could proceed to a following step, namely to "cold" >experiments in an orbit even an year ago. >However, fulfillment of the scientific programs on ISS was noticeably >quickened only with new flights of "Shuttles". >In order to begin with space experiment "Shadow", it was offered to conduct >a few auxiliary sessions of its cold phase in a digipeater mode. Sergey >Samburov (RV3DR), the employee of space-rocket corporation "Energia" which >is responsible for an amateur radio on ISS, explained that this mode is >already in use for available onboard amateur radio and allows to overcome >many formalities. >At the moment there is a decision to perform the first trial session on the >European measuring field as it is the most long and dense. Never the less >I'd like all to recollect all and look through the results of this European >session in order to be ready in your turn. >So I invite you to visit again our page >http://www.tsniimash.ru/Shadow/Next-eng.htm., check yourself in lists and >on maps, exam the section " Cold experiments " and other new materials and >further take part in the experiment as terms and requirements of its >realization will be additionally presented. Also I ask you to present this >invitation to your local BBS, the more participants the better. > >73, Valentin Strashinski, principal investigator, TSNIIMASH. > >æÏÔÏÐÅÞÁÔØ ÎÁ æÏÔÏ(a)Mail.ru - ×ÓÅÇÏ 2.5 ÒÕÂÌÑ ÚÁ ÏÔÐÅÞÁÔÏË 10È15! >http://r.mail.ru/cln3167/foto.mail.ru/catalog/photoprint.html or google E.T. shadow _________________________________________________________________ Advertisement: Fresh jobs daily. Stop waiting for the newspaper. Search now! www.seek.com.au http://a.ninemsn.com.au/b.aspx?URL=http%3A%2F%2Fninemsn%2Eseek%2Ecom%2Eau&_…

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Re: Windows XP Time Sync
by Gene Harriman 23 Nov '06

23 Nov '06

Hi Everyone, Regarding Dieter's comments about time synchronization...I poked around the 'net and found this program to be the best of the ones I tried. I have it set to sync every 15 minutes and forget it's even running in the background. Each time I open SatSpy the time is right on. http://www.thinkman.com/dimension4/index.htm I also have a program to sync my Palm T/X time to the laptop for portable satellite tracking... http://palm.pair.com/palmsync.html PocketSat+ runs on the Palm... http://www.bigfattail.com/software/pocketsatplus/palm/index.html I hope this is helpful! Everyone have a great holiday season, don't eat too much, (yeah right) and pray for peace! Regards! Gene Harriman N1EH Ground Tracking Station Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA vze2brn7atverizondotnet

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ISS STATUS REPORT #06-51
by Arthur Rowe 23 Nov '06

23 Nov '06

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 *International Space Station Status Report #06-51* *12:15 a.m. CST, Thursday, Nov. 23, 2006* *Expedition 13 Crew* Two residents of the International Space Station ventured outside the complex Wednesday for a 5 hour, 38 minute spacewalk to reposition, deploy and relocate equipment and conduct a commercially sponsored activity. With Flight Engineer Thomas Reiter inside to monitor systems, Expedition 14 Commander Mike Lopez-Alegria and Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin opened the hatch to the Pirs Docking Compartment airlock at 6:17 p.m. CST as the station flew over the Atlantic Ocean near the west coast of Africa. They wore Russian Orlan spacesuits for the 19th spacewalk conducted out of Pirs since it was mated to the Russian segment of the station in September 2001 during Tyurin’s first flight as part of Expedition 3. The start of the spacewalk was delayed more than an hour after Tyurin encountered a problem with a cooling hose for his spacesuit. He climbed out of the suit to reposition the hose, and uninterrupted cooling for the suit was restored. After setting up tools and equipment outside Pirs, Tyurin placed a three-gram golf ball on a spring-mounted tee and clamped it onto the ladder next to the Pirs hatch. Appearing uncomfortable with his feet planted on the ladder, Tyurin used a gold-plated six-iron to tap the golf ball safely away from the aft end of the Zvezda Service Module. Tyurin said he was pleased with his golf shot, and Russian flight controllers chose not to have him hit another ball so the crew could tackle other tasks. Tyurin’s golf shot was part of a demonstration for a commercially sponsored endeavor between a Canadian golf company and the Russian Federal Space Agency. The golf club and three balls were flown to the station on recent Russian Progress cargo ships. NASA's safety analysis showed that the balls will re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere and burn up in about three days. The balls weigh only about as much as three one-dollar bills. The two spacewalkers then moved to the end of Zvezda where the recently arrived ISS Progress 23 cargo ship is docked. Tyurin released a latch on one of the antennas for the craft’s Kurs automated rendezvous system that failed to retract when the Progress docked on Oct. 26. Tyurin and Lopez-Alegria attempted to move the so-called “orientation” antenna back to its retracted and stowed position with their hands and with a prybar, but the antenna would not budge. Russian flight controllers also sent commands to drive the antenna to its retracted position, but that also failed. The spacewalkers took a number of pictures to send to Russian engineers, who will evaluate options for freeing the stuck antenna on a future spacewalk. The engineers surmise something may be frozen in the linkage for the antenna’s drive mechanism, preventing it from moving. While at the aft of Zvezda, Tyurin and Lopez-Alegria spent a few minutes removing and repositioning one of several communications antennas previously installed around the module’s docking port. This will assist the docking of the European Automated Transfer Vehicle that will be launched on an Ariane 5 rocket from Kourou, French Guiana next year. In its previous location, the antenna partially blocked the opening of one of Zvezda’s engine covers. The antenna was reinstalled less than a foot from its original position, out of the way of future operations with the engine. Next, Lopez-Alegria and Tyurin moved to the top of the forward section of Zvezda to install an experiment called “BTN-Neutron” that will measure the volume of neutron particles emitted by solar flares that reach low Earth orbit. The crew wrapped up its work by jettisoning a pair of thermal covers for the experiment that will be tracked by flight controllers to ensure they pose no possibility of hitting the station or the shuttle Discovery that is scheduled for an assembly mission to the station in a few weeks. It was the 73rd spacewalk in support of station assembly and maintenance totaling 444 hours and 14 minutes of time outside the outpost and the first of four scheduled during Expedition 14. The spacewalk was the sixth in Lopez-Alegria’s career and the fourth for Tyurin. The next station status report will be issued Dec. 1, or earlier if events warrant. For more about the crew's activities and station sighting opportunities, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/station

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NASA's Space Shuttle Processing Status Report 11/22/06
by Arthur Rowe 22 Nov '06

22 Nov '06

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 NASA NEWS Jessica Rye Kennedy Space Center, Fla. 321-867-2468 11.22.06 STATUS REPORT: S-112206 NASA's Space Shuttle Processing Status Report *Note:* NASA's Kennedy Space Center issues Space Shuttle Processing Status Reports periodically and is the source for information regarding processing activities associated with the vehicles and payloads. If you are a member of the media and would like further information, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/news/index.html *Mission:* STS-116 - 20th International Space Station Flight (12A.1) - P5 Truss Segment *Vehicle:* Discovery (OV-103) *Location:* Launch Pad 39B *Launch Date:* No earlier than Dec. 7, 2006 *Launch Pad:* 39B *Crew:* Polansky, Oefelein, Curbeam, Higginbotham, Patrick, Fuglesang and Williams *Inclination/Orbit Altitude:* 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles This week at Launch Pad 39B, technicians completed prelaunch propellant servicing in preparation for Space Shuttle Discovery's launch to the International Space Station, set for no earlier than Dec. 7. This servicing includes loading the fuel (monomethyl hydrazine) and oxidizer (nitrogen tetroxide) into the orbital maneuvering system and the forward reaction control system. It also includes loading hydrazine in the solid rocket boosters and the auxiliary power units on the orbiter. Space shuttle main engine ball seal leak checks were completed today. Crew cabin and SPACEHAB leak checks are planned for Sunday. On Nov. 28 and 29, NASA managers will hold the traditional Flight Readiness Review at Kennedy Space Center. The review is a two-day assessment of preparations for Discovery's mission and is designed to produce a number of key decisions about the assembly flight, including selection of an official launch date. If the decision is made to proceed for the opening of the launch window, the seven-member crew will arrive for launch at the Shuttle Landing Facility the afternoon of Dec. 3.

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Launch Preparations Continue
by Arthur Rowe 21 Nov '06

21 Nov '06

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 Launch Preparations Continue Space Shuttle Discovery behind the rotating service structure at Launch Pad 39B. Image above: The rotating service structure is in place around Space Shuttle Discovery at Launch Pad 39B, leaving only the top of the external tank and boosters visible. Image Credit: NASA + View More STS-116 Photos-GO TO:http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/index.htm At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the P5 truss segment and SPACEHAB single logistics module are tucked away and awaiting launch inside Space Shuttle Discovery's payload bay. The payload bay doors were closed for flight on Nov. 16. The STS-116 crew participated in a launch dress rehearsal and simulated countdown earlier that day, wrapping up the four-day terminal countdown demonstration test that took place at Kennedy from Nov. 13-16. The next major prelaunch milestone is the Flight Readiness Review, set for Nov. 28-29. The STS-116 mission will be the 20th flight to the International Space Station. The launch window opens Dec. 7.

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NASA Announces News Conference on Next Shuttle Launch
by Arthur Rowe 21 Nov '06

21 Nov '06

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 > Nov. 21, 2006 > > Katherine Trinidad > Headquarters, Washington > 202-358-3749 > > Jessica Rye > Kennedy Space Center, Fla. > 321-867-2468 > > > NASA ANNOUNCES NEWS CONFERENCE ON NEXT SHUTTLE LAUNCH > > CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - With space shuttle Discovery poised on the > launch pad for the next assembly mission to the International Space > Station, NASA managers plan to hold a news conference at > approximately 3 p.m. EST, Wednesday, Nov. 29 to discuss the status of > the upcoming mission. The news conference will be at the Kennedy > Space Center, Fla., and begin after the conclusion of the traditional > Flight Readiness Review. > > The news conference follows a two-day assessment of preparations for > Discovery's mission, designated STS-116. The Nov. 28-29 meeting may > produce a number of key decisions about the assembly flight, > including selection of an official launch date. The current target > date for the Discovery's launch is no earlier than 9:36 p.m. EST on > Dec. 7. > > Briefing participants: > -- Bill Gerstenmaier, associate administrator for Space Operations > -- Wayne Hale, Space Shuttle Program manager > -- Mike Leinbach, NASA launch director > > The start of the news conference will depend on the ending time of the > Review. It will air live on NASA TV. > > For NASA TV streaming video, downlink and scheduling information, > visit: > > http://www.nasa.gov/ntv > > For STS-116 crew and mission information, visit: > > http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle > > > -end- > > > > To subscribe to the list, send a message to: > hqnews-subscribe(a)mediaservices.nasa.gov > To remove your address from the list, send a message to: > hqnews-unsubscribe(a)mediaservices.nasa.gov > >

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Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2006-11-20 22:00 UTC
by AJ9N＠aol.com 20 Nov '06

20 Nov '06

Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2006-11-20 22:00 UTC Quick list of scheduled contacts and events: Landesmuseum fuer Technik und Arbeit (Mannheim Museum), Mannheim, Germany Successful Mon 2006-11-20 15:57 UTC via telebridge VK5ZAI (***) Centre Hastings Secondary, Madoc, Ontario, Canada, direct via VE3UR Successful Mon 2006-11-20 16:35 UTC 75 deg (***) During Expedition 14, ARISS expects to have one ARISS school contact per month rather than approximately one per week. It is also anticipated that there many not be many general contacts. Total number of ARISS school contacts is 258. (***) QSL information may be found at: http://www.arrl.org/ARISS/arissfaq.html http://www.rac.ca/ariss/oindex.htm#QSL's ISS callsigns: DP0ISS, NA1SS, RS0ISS ***************************************************************************** The schedule page has been updated as of 2006-11-20 22:00 UTC. Here you will find a listing of all scheduled school contacts, and questions, other ISS related websites, IRLP and Echolink websites, and instructions for any contact that may be streamed live. http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/arissnews.txt The successful school list has been updated as of 2006-11-20 22:00 UTC http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/Successful_ARISS_schools.rtf Frequency chart for packet, voice, and crossband repeater modes showing Doppler correction as of 2005-07-29 04:00 UTC http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/ISS_frequencies_and_Doppler_correctio… tf Listing of ARISS related magazine articles as of 2006-07-10 03:30 UTC: http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/ARISS_magazine_articles.rtf ***************************************************************************** There has been a rumor that the ISS was having direct contacts on the 40 meter band. There is no HF radio equipment on board and available yet. The HF antenna is mounted. Sometimes WA3NAN will retransmit shuttle audio. ***************************************************************************** Expedition 13/14 on orbit: Thomas Reiter DF4TR Expedition 14 on orbit: Michael Lopez-Alegria KE5GTK Mikhail Tyurin, RZ3FT Expedition 14 future: Sunita Williams, KD5PLB ***************************************************************************** 73, Charlie Sufana AJ9N One of the ARISS operation team mentors

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STSORBIT Plus Author David Ransom SK
by Arthur Rowe 20 Nov '06

20 Nov '06

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 I HAVE BEEN USING AND STILL USE THE STS ORBIT PROGRAM SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-323.08 STSORBIT Plus Author David Ransom SK AMSAT News Service Bulletin 323.08 >From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. November 19, 2006 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-323.08 Ken Ernandes, N2WWD told AMSAT the sad news of the passing of STSORBIT PLUS author David Ransom on 5 November 2006. While not a ham, Dave was a long-time supporter of AMSAT and a major player in providing Space Shuttle orbital data to the AMSAT and NASA communities. Dave and Ken worked collaboratively to modify STSORBIT PLUS such that it would provide [manual] Doppler tuning information, thus making the software a useful tool for amateur satellite communications. Amateur Satellite operators around the world will remember Dave for his contributions to AMSAT and will miss him. [ANS thanks Ken Ernandes, N2WWD for the above information]

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Windows XP time sync
by Dieter Schliemann 20 Nov '06

20 Nov '06

Hi In getting ready for the two ARISS contacts this morning, I noticed the two of my Windows XP computers showed time about one minute different between the two computers. When I tried to synchronize time by going to settings/control panel/date and time/internet time and do "Update Now", it failed with both of the time servers given there. I put in the time server: time-A.timefreq.bldrdoc.gov (letter L in small in bldrdoc) and it worked. Now these two computers have the same and correct time again. I thought you may want to know, for accurate ISS tracking purposes, especially during ARISS events. 73 de Dieter kx4y Dieter K. Schliemann, kx4y - zs6bbh - hs0zcn ARISS EchoLink audio feed team member 1803 Roseberry Drive, Scottsboro, AL 35769-3960, USA Home Phone - (256) 259-3900 Cell Phone - (256) 599-0581 (only on when away from home) IRLP node 4713, EchoLink node 47135 Skype user ID: zs6bbh If you prefer not to get future notices of upcoming ARISS events with audio feeds into EchoLink, please send me an e-mail to that effect and will be glad to oblige.

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2 Line ISS Keps 11-19
by Dave Larsen PhD 18 Nov '06

18 Nov '06

ISS 1 25544U 98067A 06322.98842593 .00018062 00000-0 10640-3 0 937 2 25544 051.6324 109.5666 0011248 231.8242 258.7157 15.78208629457586

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ISS STATUS REPORT #06-50
by Arthur Rowe 17 Nov '06

17 Nov '06

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 International Space Station Status Report #06-50 3 p.m. CST Friday, Nov. 17, 2006 Expedition 13 Crew Expedition 14 Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria and flight engineers Mikhail Tyurin and Thomas Reiter continue to prepare for a spacewalk Wednesday, Nov. 22 out of the International Space Station's Russian Pirs Docking Compartment airlock. Lopez-Alegria, who will make his sixth spacewalk, and Tyurin, with three previous spacewalks to his credit, climbed into Russian Orlan spacesuits Friday to test all systems and communications gear. This ended a week during which the spacewalkers also installed U.S. lights on their suit helmets, reviewed procedures for the extravehicular activity and performed leak checks on the Progress 22 craft currently docked to the Pirs airlock. The six-hour spacewalk includes a commercial golf demonstration by Tyurin. Under a commercial agreement between the Russian Federal Space Agency and a Canadian golf company, Tyurin will hit a golf ball into space from a spring-mounted tee on the ladder next to the hatch of Pirs. The ball will be tapped over the back of the station's Russian segment so that the ball travels away from the complex. NASA flight controllers have calculated that it will burn up in the atmosphere in about three days. The ball weighs much less than the standard 45 gram golf ball. The ball used for this demonstration weighs three grams, approximately the weight of three paper clips. During the spacewalk, Tyurin will examine part of the ISS Progress 23 cargo ship. One of the antennas for the Progress' automated docking system may have failed to fold back when the spacecraft approached the aft port of the Zvezda Service Module on Oct. 26. If it's necessary, Tyurin will manually retract that antenna. Also, Lopez-Alegria and Tyurin will reposition a communications antenna on the aft end of Zvezda associated with next year’s docking of the European Automated Transfer Vehicle, check restraining bolts on one of two Russian cargo cranes attached to Pirs and deploy an experiment to measure solar flares. NASA TV coverage of the spacewalk on Nov. 22 begins at 4 p.m. CST. The excursion begins one hour later. Wednesday marked the first live high-definition television broadcast from space. It featured Lopez-Alegria, with Reiter serving as camera operator. The broadcasts were conducted by NHK Television in Japan and the Discovery HD Theater. Known as the Space Video Gateway, the HD system onboard transmits high bandwidth digital television signals to the ground through a computer. Previously, high-definition video was recorded and then returned to Earth for viewing. Flight controllers this week continued to test one of the station's four control moment gyroscopes (CMGs). CMG-3 exhibited high vibrations and electrical currents in the past and was shut down Oct. 9. The recent test results will be compared to a previous series of tests to provide additional data on the state of the gyroscope’s accelerometer, lubricant and lubrication of the spin bearings. CMG-3 is scheduled to be removed and replaced on the STS-118 shuttle mission, targeted for launch in June 2007. The gyroscope will be stowed and returned to Earth on the STS-122 mission next fall. The station continues to function on three healthy CMGs without affecting operations. Reiter also continued work this week on a suite of European Space Agency science experiments, including one called CASPER. Its objective is to develop ways to help astronauts sleep better during long-duration missions. Alteino Long Term Monitoring of Cosmic Rays or ALTCRISS is another experiment Reiter performed. It is allowing scientists to study the effects of shielding on cosmic rays. The information gained may help engineers better understand the radiation environment and how to provide efficient shielding against it. The next station status report will be issued early Nov. 23 after the spacewalk, or earlier if events warrant. For more about the crew's activities and station sighting opportunities, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/station ###

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Crabs Give Blood for Space Travel
by Arthur Rowe 17 Nov '06

17 Nov '06

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 Crabs Give Blood for Space Travel 11.16.2006 Soon, astronauts onboard the ISS will test a high-tech medical device that uses primitive enzymes from horseshoe crabs to diagnose human illness. Nov. 16, 2006: Picture this: You're on a mission to Mars, halfway there from Earth, and you're not feeling well. Your throat hurts when you swallow, your forehead is hot. You don't want to get sick or infect your crewmates. Should you take an antibiotic? If so, which kind? With a new biological laboratory on a chip being developed at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, in partnership with outside researchers, you may be able to get the answer in as little as five minutes. The mini-lab goes by the maxi-acronym LOCAD-PTS, which stands for Lab-On-a-Chip Application Development–Portable Test System. The latest version is a handheld device slated for launch this December aboard shuttle mission STS-116 for testing on the International Space Station. FOR THE REST OF THE STORY GO TO: http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2006/16nov_locad.htm?list833780

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ARISS Event - Centre Hastings Secondary, Madoc, Ontario, Canada, Mon (Nov 20) at 16:35 UTC
by Ransom, Kenneth G. (JSC-OC)[BAR] 16 Nov '06

16 Nov '06

An International Space Station Expedition 14 ARISS school contact has been planned with students at Centre Hastings Secondary, Madoc, Ontario, Canada on Monday 20 Nov. The event is scheduled to begin at approximately 16:35 UTC. The contact will be a direct between stations NA1SS and VE3UR. The contact should be audible to anyone in eastern portions of Canada and the Northeastern USA . Interested parties are invited to listen in on the 145.80 MHz downlink. Additional listening options are listed below. The participants are expected to conduct the conversation in English. IRLP - Connect to the IRLP reflector 9010. You may also connect via the IRLP Discovery website at http://www.discoveryreflector.ca/listen.htm. EchoLink - The audio from this contact will be available on the EchoLink *AMSAT* (node 101 377) and the *JK1ZRW* (node 277 208) conference rooms. Please connect to the *JK1ZRW* server to keep the load light on the *AMSAT* server. This will ensure good audio quality for all listeners. Students will ask as many of the following questions as time allows: 1. With each supply shipment to the ISS sending more water from Earth, we are taking away a precious resource. A colony on the moon would need lots of water which would be obtained from our finite supply on Earth. Will this water be returned or is it lost forever? 2. With business tycoons like Richard Branson looking to expand their companies into the cosmos via commercialized space travel, has it now been decided that space travel is to become a routine commercial practice? 3. The Canadian Space Agency and NASA are have you testing your hand eye co-ordination on the shuttle. Do you play video games on the ISS as well as doing this experiment? 4. Chris Hadfield was calm when he told us about the Russian Progress 23 cargo ship having difficulties docking with the ISS and the ISS losing power. Are all astronauts that calm when under pressure? 5. What is your favourite song to play on the guitar while on the ISS? 6. Mr. Hadfield told us Russian bread has a four year shelf life. Does it taste the same after 4 years of not being eaten? 7. Your mission has 4 EVA'S. Have you ever stood on the end of Canadarm2? 8. Luke Skywalker fought a spherical droid in Star Wars. Are the two SPHERES (Synchronized Position Hold, Engage, Reorient, Experimental Satellites) on the ISS like pets to you? 9. Can you see heaven from the ISS? 10. If you got appendicitis aboard the ISS what can you do about it? 11. You are doing a study related to immune function and virus activity. Has an astronaut or cosmonaut ever fallen ill while aboard the ISS, and if so what health measures were taken? 12. In your personal opinion do you believe that there is or ever was, life on other planets, such as Mars? 13. On the ISS, are there any communication problems between the crew due to language and cultural differences? 14. When the Progress cargo ship was docking, you had a problem with the antenna. ARISS became your mode of communication to Earth. How did you fix the antenna retraction problem? 15. Mr. Hadfield said he brought a guitar to the ISS. Does it go out of tune more in space than Earth? 16. How do you protect yourself from germs with limited amounts of water on the ISS? On Earth we handwash. 17. SPHERES are like Tamagotchis. Do the red and blue ones shut down when you go to bed? 18. When you look out the window of the ISS do you see the planets and which one is your favourite? 19. You 're measuring the exposure of cosmic radiation of your crew. Are you concerned about getting cancer? 20. You are trying to grow lentil seeds in artificial gravity. Have they sprouted? 21. For Mikhail Tyruin. Would a "hole in one" be hitting the (Canadian E21) golf ball into a crater on the moon? Please note, the amateur equipment on the ISS has not been functioning in the automatic modes properly and may be silent more than usual. Information about the next scheduled ARISS contact can be found at http://www.rac.ca/ariss/upcoming.htm#NextContact . Next planned event(s): TBD ARISS is an international educational outreach program partnering the participating space agencies, NASA, Russian Space Agency, ESA, CNES, JAXA, and CSA, with the AMSAT and IARU organizations from participating countries. ARISS offers an opportunity for students to experience the excitement of Amateur Radio by talking directly with crewmembers on-board the International Space Station. Teachers, parents and communities see, first hand, how Amateur Radio and crewmembers on ISS can energize youngsters' interest in science, technology, and learning. Further information on the ARISS program is available on the website http://www.rac.ca/ariss (graciously hosted by the Radio Amateurs of Canada). Thank you & 73, Kenneth - N5VHO

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ARISS Event - Mannheim Museum, Germany contact, Mon (Nov 20) at 15:57 UTC
by Ransom, Kenneth G. (JSC-OC)[BAR] 16 Nov '06

16 Nov '06

An International Space Station Expedition 14 ARISS school contact has been planned with participants at Landesmuseum fuer Technik und Arbeit (Mannheim Museum), Mannheim, Germany on Monday 20 Nov. The event is scheduled to begin at approximately 15:57 UTC. The contact will be a telebridge between stations NA1SS and VK5ZAI. The contact should be audible to anyone in southeastern portions of Australia. Interested parties are invited to listen in on the 145.80 MHz downlink. Additional listening options are listed below. The participants are expected to conduct the conversation in German. IRLP - Connect to the IRLP reflector 9010. You may also connect via the IRLP Discovery website at http://www.discoveryreflector.ca/listen.htm. EchoLink - The audio from this contact will be available on the EchoLink *AMSAT* (node 101 377) and the *JK1ZRW* (node 277 208) conference rooms. Please connect to the *JK1ZRW* server to keep the load light on the *AMSAT* server. This will ensure good audio quality for all listeners. _________________________________ AUDIO STREAMING AND AUDIO REPLAY PARTICIPANT INFORMATION: To join the event: URL: https://e-meetings.mci.com CONFERENCE NUMBER: 2545537 PASSCODE: SPACE STATIO To access the Audio Replay of this call, all parties can: 1. Go to the URL listed above. 2. Choose Audio Streaming under Join Events. 3. Enter the conference number and passcode. (Note that if this is a recurring event, multiple dates may be listed.) Replays are available for 30 days after the live event._________________________________ Participants will ask as many of the following questions as time allows: 1. Thomas, du bist auf der ISS, 340 km über der Erdoberfläche. Wenn du jetzt aus dem Fenster guckst, was siehst du da? 2. Wir haben jetzt 17 Uhr, das heißt bei uns auf der Erde in Deutschland haben die meisten Leute bald Feierabend. An welchem Punkt in deinem Tagesablauf bist du denn im Moment, ordne das doch bitte mal für uns ein! . 3. Was machst du, wenn du Feierabend hast? 4. Du bist jetzt gut vier Monate im All. Hattest du auch schon einen Außeneinsatz? 5. Gibt es denn außerhalb der Raumstation überhaupt noch ein bisschen Luft zum Atmen? 6. Vier Monate im All, das heißt eben auch vier Monate schwerelos herumschweben. Da bauen die Muskeln ganz schön ab. Merkst du denn schon, wie das auch an dir zehrt? 7. Welche körperlichen Voraussetzungen muss man denn überhaupt mitbringen, um Astronaut werden zu können? 8. Körperlich bist du also fit. Aber was macht ihr denn, wenn ihr dort oben jetzt Zahnschmerzen bekommt? 9. Gibt es denn auch irgendwelche speziellen Krankheiten, die man nur im All bekommen kann? 10. Hast du darunter gelitten (unter Raumkrankheit)? 11.Was gab es denn heute Mittag bei euch zu essen? 12. Kriegt jeder von euch Drei dasselbe zu essen? 13. Bekommst du denn Heimweh, wenn du ans Essen mit Messer und Gabel denkst? 14. Deine Frau und deine zwei Söhne wirst du wahrscheinlich am meisten vermissen. Konntet ihr denn Kontakt halten während der ganzen Zeit? 15. Im Dezember geht es ja wieder zurück zur Erde. Wie lange braucht ihr denn, um wieder hier unten anzukommen? 16. Für den Flug rauf zur ISS braucht man aber erstaunlich lange. Wieso ist das so? Please note, the amateur equipment on the ISS has not been functioning in the automatic modes properly and may be silent more than usual. Information about the next scheduled ARISS contact can be found at http://www.rac.ca/ariss/upcoming.htm#NextContact . Next planned event(s): Centre Hastings Secondary, Madoc, Ontario, Canada, 2006-11-20 16:35 UTC direct via VE3UR ARISS is an international educational outreach program partnering the participating space agencies, NASA, Russian Space Agency, ESA, CNES, JAXA, and CSA, with the AMSAT and IARU organizations from participating countries. ARISS offers an opportunity for students to experience the excitement of Amateur Radio by talking directly with crewmembers on-board the International Space Station. Teachers, parents and communities see, first hand, how Amateur Radio and crewmembers on ISS can energize youngsters' interest in science, technology, and learning. Further information on the ARISS program is available on the website http://www.rac.ca/ariss (graciously hosted by the Radio Amateurs of Canada). Thank you & 73, Kenneth - N5VHO

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Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2006-11-16 18:00 UTC
by AJ9N＠aol.com 16 Nov '06

16 Nov '06

Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2006-11-16 18:00 UTC Quick list of scheduled contacts and events: Landesmuseum fuer Technik und Arbeit (Mannheim Museum), Mannheim, Germany Mon 2006-11-20 15:57 UTC via telebridge VK5ZAI Thomas Reiter contact, questions now posted in German and English (***) Watch for live IRLP, Echolink, and webcast. Centre Hastings Secondary, Madoc, Ontario, Canada, direct via VE3UR Mon 2006-11-20 16:35 UTC 75 deg During Expedition 14, ARISS expects to have one ARISS school contact per month rather than approximately one per week. It is also anticipated that there many not be many general contacts. Total number of ARISS school contacts is 256. QSL information may be found at: http://www.arrl.org/ARISS/arissfaq.html http://www.rac.ca/ariss/oindex.htm#QSL's ISS callsigns: DP0ISS, NA1SS, RS0ISS ***************************************************************************** The schedule page has been updated as of 2006-11-16 18:00 UTC. Here you will find a listing of all scheduled school contacts, and questions, other ISS related websites, IRLP and Echolink websites, and instructions for any contact that may be streamed live. http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/arissnews.txt The successful school list has been updated as of 2006-11-10 19:00 UTC http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/Successful_ARISS_schools.rtf Frequency chart for packet, voice, and crossband repeater modes showing Doppler correction as of 2005-07-29 04:00 UTC http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/ISS_frequencies_and_Doppler_correctio… tf Listing of ARISS related magazine articles as of 2006-07-10 03:30 UTC: http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/ARISS_magazine_articles.rtf ***************************************************************************** There has been a rumor that the ISS was having direct contacts on the 40 meter band. There is no HF radio equipment on board and available yet. The HF antenna is mounted. Sometimes WA3NAN will retransmit shuttle audio. ***************************************************************************** Expedition 13/14 on orbit: Thomas Reiter DF4TR Expedition 14 on orbit: Michael Lopez-Alegria KE5GTK Mikhail Tyurin, RZ3FT Expedition 14 future: Sunita Williams, KD5PLB ***************************************************************************** 73, Charlie Sufana AJ9N One of the ARISS operation team mentors

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NASA TV Coverage Set for ISS Spacewalk
by Arthur Rowe 16 Nov '06

16 Nov '06

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 Katherine Trinidad Headquarters, Washington 202-358-4769 James Hartsfield Johnson Space Center, Houston 281-483-5111 Nov. 14, 2006 Briefing, NASA TV Coverage Set for Space Station Spacewalk Houston - NASA officials will hold a briefing at 1 p.m. CST Thursday, Nov. 16, to discuss an upcoming spacewalk from the International Space Station. The six-hour spacewalk is planned for the night before Thanksgiving. On Nov. 22, Expedition 14 Commander Mike Lopez-Alegria and Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin will retrieve equipment and photograph the station's Russian Zvezda Service Module’s docking port. Tyurin also will hit a golf ball from a specially designed tee mounted on the Pirs airlock as part of a Russian commercial activity. Flight Engineer Thomas Reiter will remain inside the station tending to systems during the spacewalk. Both the preview briefing and the spacewalk will be broadcast live on NASA Television. During the briefing, questions will be taken from media at participating NASA sites. Journalists must contact their preferred NASA location by Nov. 15 for participation details. Briefing participants include: -- Kirk Shireman, deputy International Space Station program manager -- Holly Ridings, lead spacewalk flight director -- Paul Boehm, Expedition 14 lead spacewalk officer -- Julie Robinson, International Space Station acting program scientist The spacewalk coverage begins at 4 p.m. on NASA TV and the agency's Internet homepage. The spacewalk begins at 5 p.m. For NASA TV downlink, schedule and Internet streaming video information, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/ntv For more information about the space station, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/station

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First Live HDTV Broadcast From Space
by Arthur Rowe 16 Nov '06

16 Nov '06

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 *First Live HDTV Broadcast From Space* The first live HDTV broadcast from space took place Wednesday. It featured Expedition 14 Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria and Flight Engineer Thomas Reiter, serving as camera operator. The broadcast was carried by Discovery HD Theater and NHK and was also shown at Discovery Channel stores. Known as the Space Video Gateway, the system transmits high bandwidth digital television signals to the ground that are not only spectacular, but also valuable to scientists, engineers and managers. More testing of one of the station's four control moment gyros (CMG-3) took place Wednesday. Engineers repeated some of the CMG-3 testing that was performed earlier. The results will be compared to a previous test and provide additional data on the state of the accelerometer, lubricant and lubrication of the spin bearings. CMG-3 is scheduled to be removed and replaced on shuttle mission STS-118 next summer. The suspect CMG will be stowed on an external stowage platform on the station and will be returned to Earth on the STS-122 mission next fall. The Expedition 14 crew continues spacewalk preparations. The Nov. 22 spacewalk includes a commercial golf experiment performed by Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin. This experiment is dedicated to the 200th anniversary of establishing diplomatic ties between Russia and the United States and to commemorate the golf shot of Alan Shepard Jr. on the moon. + Read more about Expedition 14 <http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/expeditions/expedition14/index.ht…> + View crew's daily timelines <http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/timelines/index.html> NASA and the Russian Federal Space Agency have named two astronauts and two cosmonauts to the next International Space Station crew, known as Expedition 15. Astronauts Clayton Anderson and Daniel Tani will travel to the station next year and work as flight engineers. Cosmonauts Fyodor Yurchikhin and Dr. Oleg Kotov will spend six months aboard the orbiting laboratory. + Read more about Expedition 15 <http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/expeditions/expedition15/index.ht…> + Read the press release <http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2006/oct/HQ_06337_new_station_crew.html>

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Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2006-11-15 18:15 UTC
by AJ9N＠aol.com 15 Nov '06

15 Nov '06

Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2006-11-15 18:15 UTC Quick list of scheduled contacts and events: Landesmuseum fuer Technik und Arbeit (Mannheim Museum), Mannheim, Germany 2006-11-20 15:57 UTC via telebridge VK5ZAI (***) Thomas Reiter contact Watch for live IRLP, Echolink, and webcast. Centre Hastings Secondary, Madoc, Ontario, Canada, direct via VE3UR Mon 2006-11-20 16:35 UTC 75 deg During Expedition 14, ARISS expects to have one ARISS school contact per month rather than approximately one per week. It is also anticipated that there many not be many general contacts. Total number of ARISS school contacts is 256. QSL information may be found at: http://www.arrl.org/ARISS/arissfaq.html http://www.rac.ca/ariss/oindex.htm#QSL's ISS callsigns: DP0ISS, NA1SS, RS0ISS ***************************************************************************** The schedule page has been updated as of 2006-11-15 18:15 UTC. Here you will find a listing of all scheduled school contacts, and questions, other ISS related websites, IRLP and Echolink websites, and instructions for any contact that may be streamed live. http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/arissnews.txt The successful school list has been updated as of 2006-11-10 19:00 UTC http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/Successful_ARISS_schools.rtf Frequency chart for packet, voice, and crossband repeater modes showing Doppler correction as of 2005-07-29 04:00 UTC http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/ISS_frequencies_and_Doppler_correctio… tf Listing of ARISS related magazine articles as of 2006-07-10 03:30 UTC: http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/ARISS_magazine_articles.rtf ***************************************************************************** There has been a rumor that the ISS was having direct contacts on the 40 meter band. There is no HF radio equipment on board and available yet. The HF antenna is mounted. Sometimes WA3NAN will retransmit shuttle audio. ***************************************************************************** Expedition 13/14 on orbit: Thomas Reiter DF4TR Expedition 14 on orbit: Michael Lopez-Alegria KE5GTK Mikhail Tyurin, RZ3FT Expedition 14 future: Sunita Williams, KD5PLB ***************************************************************************** 73, Charlie Sufana AJ9N One of the ARISS operation team mentors

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RAFT USNA PROJECT
by Arthur Rowe 11 Nov '06

11 Nov '06

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 > > *Latest Docs:* See*[RAFT-docs]* > <http://www.ew.usna.edu/%7Ebruninga/raft-docs.html> for all the detail > photos, documents, drawings and milestones. > > *Current Status:* Awaiting launch on STS-116 on 6 December. Delivered > 25 Jan 2006 to JSC Houston for vibration testing. Then 17 July 2006 to > Kennedy Space Center for Integration with the Shuttle STS-116 for > launch. **Photo above is delivery from USNA and testing the > separation system in a Zero-G flight. The current debate is the > deployment altitude to safely avoid re-contact with ISS. The plot > below shows how our original altitude ot 180 has been reduced to 175, > and now 165 is being considered which would shorten the life to only 2 > months or less: > > **GO TO FOR THE COMPLETE HISTORY AND CAPABILITIES OF THE "RAFT PROJECT"- > > http://www.ew.usna.edu/~bruninga/raft.html > > >

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ARISS contacts General info
by AJ9N＠aol.com 10 Nov '06

10 Nov '06

Hi all, I see that Kenneth N5VHO and Tim W6MU have addressed some of the questions about ARISS contacts. Here is a bit more. I post the information as fast as I get it and thus there could be changes that happen rapidly; after all this is real space business and ARISS is a guest. There have been times when the contact time changed 2 or 3 times in a day and I try to always post the latest info. Please listen in on the contacts if you are in the footprint. ARISS uses 145.800 MHz FM as the international downlink. Even a simple scanner can be used to hear at least part of a contact if you are in the footprint. About 1/3 of the school contacts are handled via the ARISS Telebridge system. The Telebridge system allows for schools that may not have the technical ability to handle a direct contact but still be able to have a wonderful educational activity. It also allows for ARISS to work in conjunction with the ISS crew work schedules, orbital mechanics, etc. Remember 3 things must happen simultaneously; the crew must be awake and available, the school must be in session, and the ISS must be over the ground station. The ARISS ham radio Telebridge ground stations are located in Australia, Hawaii, California, Texas, Maryland, Belgium, and South Africa. All of these locations have an outstanding satellite station equipped with a phone patch. Verizon provides for the Telebridge hookup; this is truly an international phone hookup that they donate time and personnel for and we at ARISS thank them for their contributions. The participants for a typical Telebridge contact are the school, the ARISS ground station, and an ARISS moderator who acts as net control. The remaining contacts are direct; meaning that all of the equipment is at the school. Think of it as your worst case Field Day exercise. It is not that difficulty technically, but you are dealing with anywhere from 500 to 1000 non-hams who think everything should be perfect. If you ever get the chance to help out or to even be the control op; please do so as I think you will find it pretty rewarding. I always tell the schools to plan on 500 to 700 people hours of prep time; all for 10 minutes of contact time. They always think I am crazy until after the contact and then it hits them as to the impact. Because we realize that many of you wish to listen in but may be out of the footprint, ARISS tries to have a live retransmission via IRLP, Echolink, as a live audio web stream, or a live video web stream. All Telebridge contacts will be able to be on the web courtesy of Verizon and their webservices. ARISS volunteers then pick up that audio stream and put it on Echolink and IRLP. If the contact is a direct one, then ARISS works with the school to determine if a retransmission is possible via IRLP, Echolink, or the web. In any case, as soon as I know whether the contact is going to be retransmitted, I post that information. There have been times when a school decided at the last minute to do a live retransmission, so I suggest you check the ARISS announcements right before a contact to get the most up to date info. If you have not done an ARISS contact, consider finding a school, volunteering, getting the application in, and doing one. I have been the control op for 4 and a mentor for almost 30 and each has been a blast. The present wait time is between 1.5 and 2.5 years. The schedule page has been updated as of 2006-11-10 19:00 UTC. Here you will find a listing of all scheduled school contacts and questions, other ISS related websites, IRLP and Echolink websites, and instructions for any contact that may be streamed live. http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/arissnews.txt There are several ARISS web sites: English: http://www.rac.ca/ariss/ French: http://c.avmdti.free.fr/ariss/index.htm ARISS Europe: http://www.ariss-eu.org/ ARISS Japan: http://www.jarl.or.jp/ariss/ I have also seen comments along the way about what ARISS can and cannot do as far as scheduling. As a school works it way through the scheduling process, it eventually gets to be about 6 months out from a contact date and an ARISS mentor is assigned. So the really hard work may go for about 6 months; serious business where ARISS works with the ISS planners and the school to get a date and for the school to be prepared. But we are only guests and we can only put in our requests for contact times; we can never demand. Sometimes we get our desired times; sometimes it is back to the drawing board. So once again, check for my postings as well as info from the other ARISS mentors for the very latest schedule. I hope this helps explain a bit more on how ARISS works to provide a truly out of this world educational experience. 73, Charlie Sufana AJ9N One of the ARISS Mentors

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