October 2007 - Sarex (INACTIVE)

NASA TV SCHEDULE FOR STS-120 MISSION
by Arthur Rowe 21 Oct '07

21 Oct '07

******************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19 NASA Television is carried on an MPEG-2 digital signal accessed via satellite AMC-6, at 72 degrees west longitude, transponder 17C, 4040 MHz, vertical polarization. A Digital Video Broadcast (DVB) - compliant Integrated Receiver Decoder (IRD) with modulation of QPSK/DBV, data rate of 36.86 and FEC 3/4 will be needed for reception. NASA mission coverage will be simulcast digitally on the Public Services Channel (Channel #101); the Education Channel (Channel #102) and the Media Services Channel (Channel #103). Further information is available at: http://www1.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/digital.html. Mission Audio can be accessed on AMC-6, Transponder 13, 3971.3 MHz, horizontal polarization. http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html

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Countdown Begins for STS-120
by Arthur Rowe 21 Oct '07

21 Oct '07

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 *Countdown Begins for STS-120 21 Octber 2007 * An extensive staff of controllers, technicians and engineers reported for duty at NASA's Kennedy Space Center on Saturday as the countdown began at 2 p.m. EDT for the launch of STS-120. Liftoff is scheduled for 11:38 a.m. EDT Tuesday. NASA managers overseeing the launch preparations for STS-120 said space shuttle Discovery is ready for two weeks in space. "All of our systems are in good shape," NASA Test Director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson said. The Italian-built Harmony module Discovery is carrying to the International Space Station is also in good shape, payload manager Glenn Chin said. The station segment weighs more than 31,000 pounds and will serve as a connecting point for laboratory modules from NASA and the European and Japanese space agencies. Weather officer Kathy Winters pointed to some concerns that rain showers and clouds could interfere with Discovery's launch. She said there is a 60 percent chance of favorable weather at launch time. Discovery's crew of seven astronauts arrived at NASA's Kennedy Space Center on Friday. They have been going through final checklists and preparations of their own for Tuesday's planned lift off. Crew members Pam Melroy and George Zamka flew simulated space shuttle landings early Saturday morning aboard a Gulfstream business jet modified to mimic the flight characteristics of a gliding shuttle. STS-120 is scheduled to return to Kennedy's Shuttle Landing Facility at 4:47 a.m. Nov. 6. *Mission Information* + STS-120 Mission Overview <http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts120/index.html> + Harmony Node 2 <http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/behindscenes/harmony_payload.html> + Space Shuttle Discovery <http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/shuttleoperations/orbiters/discovery-in…>

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Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2007-10-21 02:30 UTC
by AJ9N＠aol.com 21 Oct '07

21 Oct '07

Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2007-10-21 02:30 UTC Quick list of scheduled contacts and events: Malaysian Group of Schools #5 National Planetarium, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, direct via 9M2RPN Successful Sat 2007-10-20 14:50 UTC 84 deg (***) Giosuè Carducci, Santa Marinella, I- 00058, Italy, direct via IZØLRI Tue 2007-10-23 10:51 UTC 89 deg JOTA 2007 operation by the crew is going to be circumspect. The crew is really busy during the shuttle docked time and so free time will be limited. So monitor the 145.80 MHz downlink. You just never know! Total number of ARISS ISS to earth school contacts is 329. (***) Total number of ARISS supported terrestrial contacts is 1. 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 complete schedule page has been updated as of 2007-10-21 02:30 UTC. Here you will find a listing of all scheduled school contacts, and quest ions, 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 2007-10-21 02:30 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 have been rumors in the past indicating 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 15 on orbit: Fyodor Yurchikhin RN3FI Dr. Oleg Kotov Clayton Anderson KD5PLA Expedition 16 on orbit: Peggy Whitson KC5ZTD Yuri Malenchenko RK3DUP Space Flight Participant on orbit: Dr. Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor 9W2MUS Expedition 16 future: Daniel Tani KD5DXE ***************************************************************************** 73, Charlie Sufana AJ9N One of the ARISS operation team mentors ************************************** See what's new at http://www.aol.com

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[sarex] STS-120 Bringing Space Station ‘Harmony’
by Arthur Rowe 20 Oct '07

20 Oct '07

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 STS-120 Bringing Space Station ‘Harmony’ 09.24.07 Think of the next component set for delivery to the International Space Station as an international crossroads in space. That's the major function of the Italian-built U.S. module that will be ferried to the station aboard space shuttle Discovery during mission STS-120. TO VIEW THE REST OF THE ARTICLE WITH PICTURES GO TO: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/behindscenes/harmony_payload.html

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Discovery, Harmony Ready for Launch
by Arthur Rowe 20 Oct '07

20 Oct '07

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 *Discovery, Harmony Ready for Launch* 20 October 2007 Discovery's crew. Image Above: Commander Pam Melroy and pilot George Zamka leave the Shuttle Training Aircraft after practicing landings at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The aircraft is modified to behave much like a shuttle gliding back from space. Image credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett + View larger image <http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/170419main_sts120debark.jpg> NASA managers overseeing the launch preparations for STS-120 said space shuttle Discovery is ready for two weeks in space. "All of our systems are in good shape," NASA Test Director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson said. The extensive staff of engineers who conduct the countdown will report to the Launch Control Center on Saturday afternoon and the countdown will begin at 2 p.m. The Italian-built Harmony module Discovery is carrying to the International Space Station is also in good shape, payload manager Glenn Chin said. The station segment weighs more than 31,000 pounds and will serve as a connecting point for laboratory modules from NASA and the European and Japanese space agencies. Weather officer Kathy Winters pointed to some concerns that rain showers and clouds could interfere with Discovery's launch. She said there is a 60 percent chance of favorable weather at launch time. Liftoff is scheduled for 11:38 a.m. Tuesday. Discovery's crew of seven astronauts arrived at NASA's Kennedy Space Center on Friday. They have been going through final checklists and preparations of their own for Tuesday's planned lift off. Crew members Pam Melroy and George Zamka flew simulated space shuttle landings early Saturday morning aboard a Gulfstream business jet modified to mimic the flight characteristics of a gliding shuttle. STS-120 is scheduled to return to Kennedy's Shuttle Landing Facility at 4:47 a.m. Nov. 6. *Mission Information* + STS-120 Mission Overview <http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts120/index.html> + Harmony Node 2 <http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/behindscenes/harmony_payload.html> + Space Shuttle Discovery <http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/shuttleoperations/orbiters/discovery-in…>

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FW: Columbus
by Ransom, Kenneth G. (JSC-OC)[BAR] 20 Oct '07

20 Oct '07

>From ARISS-EU ****************** ARISS ANTENNAS ON COLUMBUS Pictures and movies of ARISS antennas installation on Columbus are now available at http://www.ariss-eu.org/columbus.htm 73 Gaston Bertels - ON4WF ARISS-Europe chairman

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Expedition 15 Set to Return Home
by Arthur Rowe 19 Oct '07

19 Oct '07

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 *Expedition 15 Set to Return Home* 19 October 2007 Image above: The crew members onboard the International Space Station pose for a group photo in the Destiny laboratory of the International Space Station. Credit: NASA TO VIEW IMAGE GO TO:http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/index.html As Expedition 15 wraps up and prepares to return home, the Expedition 16 crew members are busy preparing for the arrival of space shuttle Discovery. At a change of command ceremony Friday afternoon, the Expedition 15 crew formally handed over command of the station to Expedition 16. Accepting command of the station from Expedition 15 Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin, Expedition 16 Commander Peggy Whitson remarked, "It's been a very impressive mission, and you guys have performed exceptionally." The crews will bid their final farewells Saturday night, as the Expedition 15 crew, Yurchikhin and Flight Engineer Oleg Kotov, board their Soyuz TMA-10 spacecraft for the return to Earth. They will undock from the station around 3:14 a.m. EDT Sunday and land in the steppes of Kazakhstan around 6:37 a.m. Joining Expedition 15 for the journey home is spaceflight participant Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor, a Malaysian flying under an agreement with the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos). He arrived at the station with the Expedition 16 crew, Whitson and Flight Engineer Yuri Malenchenko, on Oct 12. NASA TV coverage of the crew farewells and hatch closure begins at 11:45 p.m. Saturday. Live coverage of the undocking starts at 2:45 a.m. Sunday. Live coverage returns at 5:15 a.m. for the Soyuz deorbit burn and landing. Flight Engineer Clay Anderson, who joined Expedition 15 in June, will remain onboard as a member of Expedition 16, until his replacement, astronaut Dan Tani, arrives on the STS-120 shuttle mission later this month. + View crew daily timelines <http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/timelines/index.html> + Read more about Expedition 15 <http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/expeditions/expedition15/index.ht…> + Read more about Expedition 16 <http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/expeditions/expedition16/index.ht…>

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Space Shuttle Crew Arrives in Florida
by Arthur Rowe 19 Oct '07

19 Oct '07

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 *Space Shuttle Crew Arrives in Florida* The Shuttle Training Aircraft carrying the STS-120 astronauts touched down on Friday at the Shuttle Landing Facility runway at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. "There's something special about showing up in Florida," said Commander Pam Melroy. "There's a time when you need to talk, and the Flight Readiness Review was a time to talk. Then there's a time when you need to go do it. And I'm happy to say we're really here, and ready to go do it." Melroy said she and her crew are "totally confident" that Discovery's reinforced carbon-carbon heat shield is capable of protecting them on the ride home. Discovery's crew.Image Above: Commander Pam Melroy, with her crew behind her, greets the press upon touch down at the Shuttle Landing Facility in Florida. Image credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett + View larger image <http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/170419main__DSC0056.jpg> The crew's arrival follows the detailed flight readiness review on Tuesday, after which NASA senior managers announced Oct. 23 as the official launch date. Discovery is scheduled to lift off at 11:38 a.m. EDT on its mission to the International Space Station. The 14-day mission includes five spacewalks – four by shuttle crew members and one by the station’s Expedition 16 crew. Discovery is expected to complete its mission and return home at 4:47 a.m. EST on Nov. 6. Looking ahead to launch-day weather, there is a 40% probability that weather could prohibit liftoff.

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[sarex] ARISS event - Giosuè Carducci, Santa Marinella, Italy, Tuesday (Oct 23) 10:52 UTC
by Ransom, Kenneth G. (JSC-OC)[BAR] 19 Oct '07

19 Oct '07

An International Space Station Expedition 16 ARISS school contact has been planned with participants at Giosuè Carducci, Santa Marinella, Italy on 23 Oct. The event is scheduled to begin at approximately 10:52 UTC. The contact will be a direct between stations NA1SS and IZØLRI. The contact should be audible in most of Europe. Interested parties are invited to listen in on the 145.80 MHz downlink. The participants are expected to conduct the conversation in English. The GIOSUE' CARDUCCI secondary school is located in the town of Santa Marinella, 60 km northwest of Rome. The classes having the ARISS QSO are composed of students (boys and girls) aged between 12 and 15 years. The ARISS activity is well integrated into the school curriculum. The project called "Guglielmo Marconi" is about the research and experiments done by the town of Guglielmo Marconi at the National Radioelectric Centre. Marconi carried out experiments on microwaves, RADAR, radio mobile telephone and the use of the moon as a natural satellite. Marconi sent waves from Santa Marinella to the moon and received their reflections. Participants will ask as many of the following questions as time allows: 1. How long can you stay in Space without getting any injuries to your body? 2. What should I do to become an astronaut? 3. When will you finish assembling the International Space Station? 4. What was the most exciting thing during your mission? 5. Is there any risk of being infected by an unknown virus? 6. How do you wash yourself on board the ISS? 7. Why do you have zero gravity on the International Space Station and what is the experience like? 8. What does the landscape look like watching out of the window? 9. Do you regularly get news and updates from Earth? 10. Is the ISS's orbit pre-programmed or does it occur that astronauts have to steer it manually? If so, how is it done? 11. How much did you train to get ready for Space? 12. Do you miss your family and how do you deal with your homesickness? 13. Do you take turns sleeping? Do you float when you sleep? 14. If there are any damages on the International Space Station, can you repair them? 15. How do you spend your free time? 16. What time is it now on the International Space Station? 17. What is the amount of your food and oxygen reserve? 18. What kind of disadvantages does zero-gravity cause? 19. Where does the electric power come from on the International Space Station? 20. How long does an astronaut usually stay on board the International Space Station? Information about the next scheduled ARISS contact can be found at http://www.rac.ca/ariss/upcoming.htm#NextContact . Packet is occasionally active on 145.825 simplex. 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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A SAFER Way To Space Walk
by Arthur Rowe 18 Oct '07

18 Oct '07

* 9-12:A SAFER Way To Space Walk* TOVIEW IMAGES GO TO: http://www.nasaexplores.com/show2_912a.php?id=03-050&gl=912 space walk using safer and the robotic armIt’s a science fiction movie nightmare situation. An astronaut is working outside his spacecraft in the vacuum of space when something happens—his tether breaks, a satellite hits him, or an evil computer pushes him away from the ship. However it happens, the end result is the same. The astronaut ends up floating away from his spacecraft into the endless void of space, with no way to rescue himself. It’s a horrible fate, but a new device for space walking will ensure that it only happens in the movies. Space walks, or *extravehicular activities* (EVAs), are an important part of the assembly of the International Space Station (ISS). By the time the Station is complete, its construction will have required more than twice as many space walks as were previously performed in the entire history of spaceflight. Unlike the Space Shuttle, the Space Station cannot maneuver to rescue a free-floating EVA crew member. NASA is determined to make sure that none of the over 150 ISS assembly space walks ends up like the movie nightmare. One of the ways the agency is doing this is with a device called Simplified Aid For EVA Rescue (SAFER). Essentially a “life jacket” for space walks, SAFER is a self-contained maneuvering unit worn by astronauts like a backpack. The system relies on small nitrogen-jet thrusters to let an astronaut move around in space. safer is worn on the back of a space suit like a backpackIts relatively small size and weight allow for convenient storage on the Station, and let EVA crew members put it on in the Station’s airlock. However, the small size was achieved by limiting the amount of propellant it carries, meaning that it can only be used for a limited time. That is why SAFER is intended primarily for emergency rescue, and not as an alternative to tethers, safety grips, and the Canadarm2 robot arm as a means of getting around the Station. Astronauts control the SAFER device using a hand controller attached to the front of their space suits, and computers assist in its operation. The system has an automatic attitude hold function, in which the onboard computer helps the wearer maintain course. SAFER's propulsion is provided by 24 fixed-position thrusters that expel nitrogen gas and have a thrust of 3.56 Newtons (0.8 pounds) each. SAFER was first tested in 1994 aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery, when astronaut Mark Lee became the first person in 10 years to float freely in space. space walk using a tetherSpace walking has come a long way since the early days. In June 1965, astronaut Ed White became the first American to conduct a space walk. His space suit was smaller than later EVA suits, since it did not carry its own oxygen supply. Instead, a hose to an oxygen supply on the Gemini capsule connected White. Bundled with the oxygen hose were electrical and communication wires and a safety tether. While outside the spacecraft, White was able to maneuver himself outside the spacecraft using a handheld air-pressure gun. However, it quickly expended its supply of gas. On Gemini 10 and 11, a hose to a nitrogen tank aboard the spacecraft connected a modified version of the handheld device. This allowed the astronauts to use it for a longer period of time. Another maneuvering unit was developed for the Gemini program, but was never used during an EVA. This larger device would have been worn like a backpack. Astronauts conducted extensive EVAs during the Apollo program. Most of that time was spent on the surface of the Moon, rather than in the free fall of space. Walking on the Moon meant that astronauts had to be able to leave their craft, untethered, in self-contained space suits. It also meant that the astronauts did not require microgravity-maneuvering units. Such devices were tested inside the Skylab space station. Among them were “jet shoes,” a foot-controlled maneuvering unit designed to leave the astronaut’s hands free. Backpack and handheld units were also tested. spacewalk using saferThe next extravehicular space walks were not until the Space Shuttle era began in the early 1980s. The Shuttle features cargo bay doors that allow astronauts easy access to the vacuum of space. The Gemini and Skylab research led to the development of a Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU) for Space Shuttle astronauts. The nitrogen-jet-powered MMU was essentially a self-contained spacecraft that an astronaut wore like a backpack. The MMU was first used on the 10^th flight of the Space Shuttle. Astronaut Bruce McCandless became the first person to fly freely, untethered in space in February 1984. The MMU was used a total of nine times on three Space Shuttle missions in 1984, but has not been used since. Tethers, grips, and other restraints proved more than adequate for space walks in a Shuttle cargo bay. The Canadarm robot arm proved itself ideal for recovery of satellites and other tasks outside the Shuttle. SAFER, which has been described as a simplified version of the MMU, has two advantages over the earlier system. It is a more convenient size and weight and ideal for an astronaut rescue device outside the Space Station. SAFER is a rare type of technology—the kind that is built hoping that it won’t be used. So far, tethers, safety grips, and the robot arm have proved adequate to safely keep astronauts where they are supposed to be during space walks. But if they ever fail, SAFER will be ready. Courtesy of NASA's Space Operations Missio

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