August 2006 - Sarex (INACTIVE)

ISS SSTV
by Frank H. Bauer 04 Aug '06

04 Aug '06

All, The ARISS team does not plan to use the 144.49 downlink for SSTV for the long term. The ARISS team fully understands the Region 1 band allocations and wishes to abide by them. It should be noted that amateur satellite communications are allowed by ITU rules in the 144-146 segment. The reason that we have different uplinks in different regions is that the three ITU regions do not have consistent frequency allocations per mode. As an international team, ARISS and many ham radio entities worked hard to clear as many systems (repeaters, APRS, etc) from the lower edge of the AMSAT Satellite band segment (145.80-146) as possible. This enabled ARISS to have a dedicated downlink on 2 meters 145.80. Our Russian team members were running some initial tests on SSTV last weekend. They utilized 144.49 for these initial tests because they wanted to do a full checkout of the SSTV downlink and there are still a few repeaters on 145.80 in Russia. These tests were successful. We appreciate the amateur community's patience on this while our Russian colleagues were running these tests. Based on these initial tests, the ARISS international team has been working on some procedures for long-term use of SSTV. This includes the use of SSTV on the 145.80 international downlink. As we get closer to final checkout of the system, you will see these changes made. Thanks for all your interest in ARISS. We are looking forward to some exciting times as SSTV images once again beam down from space!! 73, Frank Bauer, KA3HDO ARISS International Chairman ------------------------------------------------- Message: 12 Date: Wed, 2 Aug 2006 16:07:55 +0100 From: =?iso-8859-1?Q?F=E9lim_Doyle_M3HIM?= <Felim.M3HIM(a)ntlworld.com>Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] ISS SSTV The 144.490MHz frequency being used on the ISS for the SSTV downlink is not a valid satellite or SSTV frequency in Region 1 as it is just at the top of the CW Beacon segment of the 2m band. So, if the ISS crew are on the ball, they should not have SSTV on when passing over the UK. However, they did have it on during one or more passes at the weekend when I was in the GB4FUN bus at the AMSAT-UK Colloquium. We failed to capture a picture despite having a crystal clear signal and correctly decoding the CW identification. It was possibly because the software was not set up for the correct mode (i.e. not Robot 36). There may be other opportunities over the coming days/weeks but, as I say, strictly speaking it should not be running over Region 1. 73 de Félim M3HIM IO91ot Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, UK

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Lunar X Games
by Arthur Rowe 04 Aug '06

04 Aug '06

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 ALSO CHECK OUT: http://brainbites.nasa.gov/ > NASA Science News for August 4, 2006 > > The X Games are underway in Los Angeles. One day--who knows?--they > might be held on the Moon. This story takes a whimsical look at the > physics and gear of Lunar X Games. > > FULL STORY at > > http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2006/04aug_xmoon.htm?list833780 > > Check out our RSS feed at http://science.nasa.gov/rss.xml ! > >

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Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2006-08-04 03:00 UTC
by AJ9N＠aol.com 04 Aug '06

04 Aug '06

Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2006-08-04 03:00 UTC Quick list of scheduled contacts and events: City of Ottawa Central Experimental Farm, direct via VE3KID Fri 2006-08-04 13:27 UTC 25 deg Teven-Tintenbar Public School, Tintenbar, NSW Australia, direct via VK2ZTY Fri 2006-08-11 07:32 UTC at 23 deg Devonport Maritime Museum, Devonport, Tasmania, Australia Fri 2006-08-18 10:38 UTC telebridge via W6SRJ at 63 deg (***) Total number of ARISS school contacts is 248. 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 2006-08-04 03:00 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 2006-08-02 17:00 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 on orbit Pavel Vinogradov RV3BS Jeff Williams KD5TVQ Expedition 13/14 Thomas Reiter DF4TR Expedition 14 crew: Michael Lopez-Alegria KE5GTK Sunita Williams, KD5PLB Mikhail Tyurin, RZ3FT ***************************************************************************** 73, Charlie Sufana AJ9N One of the ARISS operation team mentors

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ISS STATUS REPORT #06-36
by Arthur Rowe 04 Aug '06

04 Aug '06

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 *International Space Station Status Report #06-36* *5 p.m. CDT, Thursday, Aug. 3, 2006* *Expedition 13 Crew* Space station crewmen Jeff Williams and Thomas Reiter worked quickly through scheduled spacewalk tasks Thursday, then completed three get-ahead jobs, or extra tasks, and were ready for more. Mission Control assigned two more jobs, which the astronauts also completed. Williams and Reiter wrapped up their productive 5-hour, 54-minute excursion and began repressurizing the Quest airlock at 3:58 p.m. EDT. The astronauts left the airlock in U.S. spacesuits at 9:04 a.m. EDT. Station Commander Pavel Vinogradov helped them with spacewalk preparations and getting into their suits. It was the first time in more than three years a third crewmember had been available for those tasks on the orbiting laboratory. Williams, designated lead spacewalker, or EV1, wore the U.S. spacesuit with red stripes. Reiter, EV2, wore the all-white suit. Astronaut Steve Bowen acted as spacewalk intravehicular officer and coached the astronauts from the International Space Station Flight Control Room in Houston's Mission Control Center. Williams and Reiter quickly got ahead of their timeline. First, they installed the Floating Potential Measurement Unit. The device measures the electrical potential of the station so procedures can be devised to minimize arcing hazards, or the jumping of current from a conductor to a ground, as the station grows. Their second job was to install two MISSE containers, or Materials on International Space Station Experiment. The suitcase-like containers are left open to evaluate the long-term effects of space exposure on a variety of materials. The idea is to identify optimal materials for use in future spacecraft. MISSE 3 went on one of the high-pressure tanks around the crew lock, while MISSE 4 was installed on Quest's outboard end. The two astronauts then went on to separate jobs. Williams installed a controller for a thermal radiator rotary joint on the S1 truss, while Reiter replaced a computer on the truss. Williams then began installing a starboard jumper and spool positioning device (SPD) on the S1 truss. Reiter inspected a radiator beam valve module SPD site where one device was already installed and installed an additional one. He then moved on to install a SPD on a port cooling line jumper. The jumpers are designed to improve the flow of ammonia through the radiators once that coolant is installed. Williams began setup for the final major scheduled task, a test of an infrared camera designed to detect damage in a shuttle's reinforced carbon carbon (RCC) thermal protection. The camera highlights damage by showing variations in temperature between clean and damaged RCC test sections. Reiter operated the experiment while Williams went on to one of the additional tasks. The first task was installation of a light to help future spacewalkers on the truss railway handcart. Williams then removed a malfunctioning GPS antenna. After Reiter finished the infrared camera experiment, he installed a vacuum system valve on the U.S. laboratory Destiny for future scientific experiments. Mission control came up with additional tasks. Williams moved two articulating portable foot restraints to prepare for STS-115 spacewalks and then photographed a scratch on the airlock hatch. Reiter went to PMA1, a pressurized "corridor", to retrieve and inspect a ball stack, which holds hardware during spacewalks. The crew also had additional time throughout the spacewalk to photograph the worksites after their tasks were complete and then snap pictures of each other at the end. With no more quick tasks to add, the spacewalkers re-entered the airlock and closed the hatch early. The next station status report will be issued on Friday, Aug. 11, or earlier if events warrant. For more about the crew's activities and station sighting opportunities, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/station -end-

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ISS CREW CHATS WITH FC BARCELONA SOCCER TEAM
by Arthur Rowe 03 Aug '06

03 Aug '06

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 Aug. 3, 2006 Katherine Trinidad Headquarters, Washington 202-358-3749 James Hartsfield Johnson Space Center, Houston 281-483-5111 SPACE STATION CREW CHATS WITH FC BARCELONA SOCCER TEAM The International Space Station crew will take a special call at 4:10 p.m. EDT, Tuesday, Aug. 8, from members of the European champion soccer team, FC Barcelona. During a visit to NASA's Johnson Space Center, Houston, the team will stop in Mission Control to make the call. NASA TV will broadcast the event live. The FC Barcelona team will be in Houston to play an Aug. 9 exhibition game against Club America, one of Mexico's top club teams. Players, coaches and guests of the team will visit mission control rooms used for the station and shuttle, and the historic control room used during Apollo missions and lunar landings. They will also visit training facilities including full-scale mockups of the station and shuttle. The private tour of Johnson Space Center is not open to the public. Media coverage of the visit is only by pool. Media should call the Johnson news room for details. The space station is home to NASA astronaut Jeff Williams, Russian cosmonaut Pavel Vinogradov and European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Reiter. Each crew member is spending approximately six months onboard the station. For links to streaming video, digital downlink and NASA TV information, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/ntv For information about the space station, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/station -end-

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ARISS Event - City of Ottawa Central Experimental Farm, Canada, Fri (Aug 04) at 13:27
by Ransom, Kenneth G. (JSC-OC)[BAR] 03 Aug '06

03 Aug '06

An International Space Station Expedition 13 ARISS school contact has been planned with students at the City of Ottawa Central Experimental Farm, Ottawa, Ontario Canada on Friday, 04 Aug 2006. The event is scheduled to begin at approximately 13:27 UTC. The contact will be direct between stations NA1SS and VE3KID. The contact should be audible to anyone in portions of Eastern Canada and the Eastern United States. Interested parties are invited to listen in on the 145.80 MHz downlink. The Canada Agriculture Museum in Ottawa is a unique combination farm and museum. The Museum offers animated bilingual interpretation which shows the making and tasting of foods such as ice cream, bread and butter. Other demonstrations present farming activities, including year-round animal care and spring sheep shearing. Visitors to the animal barns will see a collection of common farm animals, as well as several rare breeds. The Museum's Tractors exhibition and the exhibition on rural electrification of one hundred years ago bring the science of the past to life. The Canada Agriculture Museum - Where Knowledge Grows! Students at the Experimental Farm will ask as many of the following questions as time allows: 1. What is your function on the Space Station? 2. What is it like flying to the Space Station? 3. How much time have you spent in Space? 4. How do you communicate with family while on the Space Station? 5. How do you deal with fire or medical emergencies? 6. What kinds of fresh foods do you eat or have on the Space Station? 7. What is the most difficult food you have eaten in microgravity? 8. Is it possible to grow food in Space? 9. Do you have Dairy products on board the Space Station? 10. How is food stored on the Space Station? 11. What planet would be the best for farming? 12. Have you seen any hurricanes or other weather systems from the Space Station? 13. What is your favorite farm animal and why? 14. What planet would be the hardest to grow food on? 15. Does food taste differently in space? 16. Do things sound different in space (ex a dog barking)? 17. When you return to Earth, what do you plan to do ? Please note, the amateur equipment on the ISS will be turned off prior to the contact and should remain off until after the space walk on Thursday, June 1 is concluded. It will be returned to regular amateur radio operations as soon as possible afterwards. Information about the next scheduled ARISS contact can be found at http://www.rac.ca/ariss/upcoming.htm#NextContact . Next planned event(s): Teven-Tintenbar Public School, Tintenbar, NSW Australia, direct via VK2ZTY Fri 2006-08-11 07:32 UTC 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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SHUTTLE MOVES TO LAUNCH PAD
by Arthur Rowe 02 Aug '06

02 Aug '06

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 Aug. 2, 2006 Katherine Trinidad Headquarters, Washington 202-358-3749 George Diller Kennedy Space Center, Fla. 321-867-2468 NASA'S SPACE SHUTTLE ATLANTIS MOVES TO LAUNCH PAD The Space Shuttle Atlantis arrived at its launch pad at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla., at 8:54 a.m. EDT Wednesday on top of a giant vehicle known as the crawler transporter. After two days of weather delays, the crawler transporter began carrying Atlantis out of Kennedy's Vehicle Assembly Building at 1:05 a.m. Wednesday. The crawler's maximum speed during the 4.2-mile journey reached 1 mph. While at the pad, the shuttle will undergo final testing, payload installation and a "hot fire" test of auxiliary power units to ensure proper function. When testing is completed, the rotating service structure will be moved around the vehicle to protect it from the elements. The launch window for the Atlantis mission to the International Space Station opens on Sunday, Aug. 27. The mission, designated STS-115, will be the first to perform a major expansion of the station since December 2002. For information about the STS-115 mission and its crew, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle -end-

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PCSAT2 special Operations Event PLAN
by Robert Bruninga 02 Aug '06

02 Aug '06

PCSAT2 SPECIAL EVENT AND OPERATIONS -------------------------------------------------------------- Subj: ISS Packet =>VOICE Contacts: Starting on 4 August, and for the 26 days remaining of PCSAT2's operation on ISS, PCSAT2 will be configured for VOICE response to normal packets transmitted via the normal ISS digipeater 145.99 uplink (or PCSAT2's uplink on 145.825 if the ARISS packet system is not operational). The command station's voice downlink will be on 437.975 +/- Doppler and he/she willl attempt to acknowledge by voice all packets seen on the packet uplink. The UHF downlink will be weak (only 1 Watt) and being UHF (9dB worse than 2m), will need at least a small beam to hear it. Users who want to participate, simply send your packets as normal VIA ARISS on 145.99 uplink (if available or via 145.825 if not) but listen on the 437.925 downlink for the combined voice and packets. This will only work when PCSAT2 is in range of a participating command station and there is no guarantee that all command stations will be available on any given pass. In otherwords, this may be rare, but fun. Right now, passes in the Northern Hemisphere are occuring before sunrise, so only the last two morning passes may be so manned for voice. Passes in the Southern Hemisphere right now are from midday into evening. Best thing to do is simply monitor 437.975 during ISS passes and if you hear a command station, then send us a 'hello' packet via the ISS digipeater. We need a volunteer command station in South America, South Africa and some other footprints too if activity is desired in those areas. de WB4APR US Naval Academy Satellite Station

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Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2006-08-02 17:00 UTC
by AJ9N＠aol.com 02 Aug '06

02 Aug '06

Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2006-08-02 17:00 UTC Quick list of scheduled contacts and events: Robinson Elementary, Anderson, Indiana, direct via W9VCF Successful Wed 2006-08-02 14:16 UTC 47 deg (***) City of Ottawa Central Experimental Farm, direct via VE3KID Fri 2006-08-04 13:27 UTC 25 deg Teven-Tintenbar Public School, Tintenbar, NSW Australia, direct via VK2ZTY Fri 2006-08-11 07:32 UTC at 23 deg Total number of ARISS school contacts is 248. (***) 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 2006-08-02 17:00 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 2006-08-02 17:00 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 on orbit Pavel Vinogradov RV3BS Jeff Williams KD5TVQ Expedition 13/14 Thomas Reiter DF4TR Expedition 14 crew: Michael Lopez-Alegria KE5GTK Sunita Williams, KD5PLB Mikhail Tyurin, RZ3FT ***************************************************************************** 73, Charlie Sufana AJ9N One of the ARISS operation team mentors

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Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2006-08-01 23:00 UTC
by AJ9N＠aol.com 01 Aug '06

01 Aug '06

Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2006-08-01 23:00 UTC Quick list of scheduled contacts and events: Robinson Elementary, Anderson, Indiana, direct via W9VCF Wed 2006-08-02 14:16 UTC 47 deg Watch for IRLP and Echolink coverage. City of Ottawa Central Experimental Farm, direct via VE3KID Fri 2006-08-04 13:27 UTC 25 deg Teven-Tintenbar Public School, Tintenbar, NSW Australia, direct via VK2ZTY Fri 2006-08-11 07:32 UTC at 23 deg Total number of ARISS school contacts is 247. 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 2006-08-01 23:00 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 2006-07-30 21:30 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 on orbit Pavel Vinogradov RV3BS Jeff Williams KD5TVQ Expedition 13/14 Thomas Reiter DF4TR Expedition 14 crew: Michael Lopez-Alegria KE5GTK Sunita Williams, KD5PLB Mikhail Tyurin, RZ3FT ***************************************************************************** 73, Charlie Sufana AJ9N One of the ARISS operation team mentors

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