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TIM held in Houston
by Thomas Frey 15 Aug '06

15 Aug '06

Greetings Is there a report from the Technical Interchange Meeting which was held in Houston ? My special interest is the use of the FT-100 radio on HF which was also discusssed (?). Regards, 73 Thomas Frey, HB9SKA ______________________________________________________________________ Thomas Frey, Holzgasse 2, CH-5242 Birr, Tel. + Fax: 056 444 93 41 http://home.datacomm.ch/th.frey/ Packet Radio (AX.25): HB9SKA @ HB9PD.CHE.EU

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NASA ANNOUNCES CREW AND CARGO TRANSPORTATION PARTNERS
by Arthur Rowe 14 Aug '06

14 Aug '06

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 Aug. 14, 2006 Michael Braukus/Beth Dickey Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1979/2087 Kelly Humphries Johnson Space Center, Houston 281-483-5111 NASA ANNOUNCES CREW AND CARGO TRANSPORTATION PARTNERS NASA Exploration Systems' managers will host a press conference at 4 p.m. EDT Friday, Aug. 18, to announce the organizations selected to develop and demonstrate commercial orbital transportation services. The services could pave the way for contracts to launch and deliver crew and cargo to the International Space Station. The press conference will be in the NASA Headquarters auditorium, 300 E Street S.W., Washington, and it will air live on the Web and NASA TV. Reporters may ask questions from participating NASA locations. Reporters should coordinate with local agency centers by 4 p.m. EDT Thursday, Aug. 19 for access information. Associate Administrator for the Exploration Systems Mission Directorate Scott Horowitz and Commercial Crew/Cargo Project Manager Alan Lindenmoyer will announce the selections and discuss the program. For NASA TV streaming video, downlink and scheduling information, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/ntv For information about NASA's Exploration Systems Mission Directorate visit: http://exploration.nasa.gov/ For information about NASA and agency programs, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/home

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Re: further late reply regarding ISS simplex
by Ransom, Kenneth G. (JSC-OC)[BAR] 14 Aug '06

14 Aug '06

It sounds like your issue is not that split frequencies are bad but that multiple uplinks makes it difficult for the crew to listen to one uplink. ITU region regulations for ground station operations are the culprit. Space has no borders but Earth does so have of the problem is getting everyone to agree on a single uplink. Not everyone in the world has the same frequency allocations nor do they use the available spectrum in their region the same way. The issue is not the 20-30 miles but the number of callers in the 2000 km wide footprint. The station has to listen to all of them. Since you can't hear all of them, it becomes difficult to know when someone is talking or not without guidance from the station operator. In the MIR days, the crew did not have the luxury of near full time satellite communication that provides voice, email communication and an IP phone that lets them make phone calls. If the MIR crew wanted to talk to someone, they needed to use the ham radio or the Russian VHF space to ground system. The ISS crew has plenty of options to choose from when they want to communicate and it depends on the personality of the crew as to which ones get utilized. Kenneth - N5VHO -----Original Message----- From: sarex-bounces(a)AMSAT.Org [mailto:sarex-bounces@AMSAT.Org] On Behalf Of McGrane Sent: Thursday, August 10, 2006 6:43 PM To: Manned space BBS Subject: [sarex] further late reply regarding ISS simplex Greetings from patrick N2OEQ Despite support of the present frequency scheme for the ISS I still wish to disagree with the policy of split operation with different phone uplinks. Back when the MIR was up, the russians operated simplex and left the radio on to listen for callers. On several occasions, I called the MIR according to my tracking program and was rewarded several times with a response. With two different uplink frequencies, the astronauts are less inclined to leave the radio on to listen for callers. When there were several callers here on simplex responding to a CQ call from the MIR, we acted civilized and took turns and everyone made contacts so I dont buy the absolute need for split operation. Besides, how many callers could there be within 20 or 30 miles up to the horizon. We've had years of robot like amateur radio on the ISS. How about loosening the ties! Thanks for the soapbox..... pat ---- Via the sarex mailing list at AMSAT.ORG courtesy of AMSAT-NA. To unsubscribe, visit http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/sarex

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SSTV over Australia.
by Tony, VK5ZAI 13 Aug '06

13 Aug '06

Hello All, SSTV was active on the ISS during the 23:00 utc pass over Australia. I received a good quality picture. Well done to Miles and his team. -- 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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ARISS Frequencies
by Frank H. Bauer 13 Aug '06

13 Aug '06

All, I have seen the back and forth chatter on frequencies. Let me say that the ENTIRE ARISS international team have discussed this subject and debated it for over 10 years now. And the Mir and Shuttle teams have worked on this for about 13 years before the ARISS team. Collectively, we have spent many hours in international meetings discussing this issue. And the ARISS team has developed and implemented an INTERNATIONAL human spaceflight plan for 2 meters. This plan represents the best compromise that can be developed, given the substantial differences that exist in band planning from one area to the next. Several things to think about: 1) We have many astronauts/cosmonauts using the equipment. 2) Those on-board that use the ARISS equipment do not like to hear the uplink chatter of Packet, APRS or SSTV. 3) 1 & 2 above result in the need to separate the uplinks of these non-voice modes from voice. 4) One of the big joys (and learning experiences) of ARISS is to hear the downlink of the on-board crew member. One cannot do this well when some local ham is transmitting on the same freq. This is especially true in big cities where there are a lot of hams. I personally experienced the frustration of hams transmitting on the downlink many times while Mir used simplex. And the reason that DXers use split mode is to prevent this issue, so that all can hear the DX station. 5) ARISS is the ultimate DX, so split operation emulates the DX operations done on the ground. 6) Remember---unless the repeater is in use, you cannot hear who is transmitting from the ground and when they will stop. So it is generally hard to know when to start. For simplex operations, this results in frequency collisions with people on the ground uplinking at the same time that the on-board crew is downlinking. 7) I am really surprised at all the chatter about wanting to get crew members to talk more on the radio. We just had Bill McArthur on board. And Pavel is working hard to get SSTV on the air. Kenneth Ransom and Sergey Samburov have done an outstanding job in getting the on-board crews motivated to use the ham radio systems. I think this community has been around long enough to realize that it is the crew member's prerogative to pick up the mic. Simplex or split. 8) Constant complaints or slams at the space agencies and our crew members will ultimately limit or eliminate our future operations on ISS and other, future vehicles. Remember, there are many that subscribe to these systems that are members of the various space agencies. And we have also have several crew members that subscribe to these systems. 9) Because of the significant frequency contention on 2 meters, we have developed a dedicated, international human spaceflight frequency segment on 70 cm. 10) If we continue to foster a great relationship with the international space agencies, Human spaceflight opportunities beyond low Earth orbit could potentially be in our future. Many of us in the ARISS program are working this very aggressively. These opportunities will dictate the use of much higher bands with smaller antennas and less doppler. We need to prepare for these opportunities by using some of our higher bands on ISS. Something to think about for the future. Personally, I really appreciate the feedback from the amateur community. This is how we learn and grow. But we need to do this in a very constructive way. And while we reminisce about Shuttle or Mir, we need to realize that THESE are the good old days. Let's use them to the best of our abilities. WRT the simplex issue and additional 2 meter frequencies, it is my opinion that we have all beat it to death. We have squeezed just about all we can get from 2 meters. And for those in the US---please remember that our 2 meter band is 2 times larger than that in many other countries. Thanks for all the interest in ARISS. And don't forget that our next international meeting will be in the US this year in conjunction with the AMSAT-NA meeting in San Francisco. This is your opportunity to interact and participate more fully in the ARISS program. I hope to see you there! 73, Frank Bauer ARISS International Chairman AMSAT V.P. for Human Spaceflight Programs

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EXP 13 STATUS REPORT #SS06-037
by Arthur Rowe 12 Aug '06

12 Aug '06

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 August 11, 2006 Allard Beutel Headquarters, Washington 202-358-4769 James Hartsfield Johnson Space Center, Houston 281-483-5111 STATUS REPORT: SS06-037 INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION STATUS REPORT: SS06-037 This week on the International Space Station crew members refurbished their exercise treadmill, prepared areas inside and out for an imminent expansion of their home and took a couple of special calls to discuss soccer and food in space. Commander Pavel Vinogradov, Flight Engineer Jeff Williams and European Space Agency Astronaut Thomas Reiter are gearing up for the second space shuttle visit to the station during Expedition 13. The shuttle Atlantis, targeted to launch in a window that opens Aug. 27, will resume major orbital construction of the complex. During its mission, designated STS-115, Atlantis will deliver and install a 17.5-ton, bus-sized segment of the station's girder-like truss that includes another set of solar arrays, batteries and associated electronics. The station crew started out the week with two days of standard maintenance work on the treadmill vibration isolation system, a special exercise treadmill located on the floor of the Zvezda living quarters module. Crews perform the maintenance task every six months to inspect the treadmill's components, replace worn items and install new bearings. The treadmill is a complex system that uses gyroscopes to stabilize itself and isolates the vibrations created by exercise from being transmitted to the station's structure, where they could disturb sensitive experiments. Extensive exercise is a daily regimen for all station crew members as one method of counteracting the effects of long exposure to weightlessness. The crew had time set aside each day this week to pack up and prepare items that will be moved from the station to the shuttle during Atlantis' flight. In addition, ground controllers worked with the station's Canadarm2 robotic arm to prepare for the upcoming shuttle flight. On Thursday, they moved the arm to position cameras to view markings on the station used for a graphical computer alignment aid when new components are attached. That aid, called the space vision system, will be used during Atlantis' flight to help with the attachment of the new truss section. On Friday, controllers moved the arm to perform an early checkout of its systems, ensuring it is ready for the shuttle mission The station crew greeted special guest calls this week. On Tuesday, the coach and players from the FC Barcelona soccer team talked with the crew as they visited NASA's Johnson Space Center prior to an exhibition game in Houston. Reiter, a soccer fan, showed the team a space soccer move during the call. On Thursday, the crew members spoke with Chef Emeril Lagasse about space food and their mission. Lagasse sent NASA several recipes that were prepared and delivered to the station aboard the last shuttle flight. The Expedition 13 crew tried the dishes this week. The next station status report will be issued on Friday, Aug. 18, 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 STATUS REPORT #06-37
by Arthur Rowe 11 Aug '06

11 Aug '06

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 International Space Station Status Report #06-37 3:30 p.m. CDT, Friday, Aug. 11, 2006 Expedition 13 Crew This week on the International Space Station crew members refurbished their exercise treadmill, prepared areas inside and out for an imminent expansion of their home and took a couple of special calls to discuss soccer and food in space. Commander Pavel Vinogradov, Flight Engineer Jeff Williams and European Space Agency Astronaut Thomas Reiter are gearing up for the second space shuttle visit to the station during Expedition 13. The shuttle Atlantis, targeted to launch in a window that opens Aug. 27, will resume major orbital construction of the complex. During its mission, designated STS-115, Atlantis will deliver and install a 17.5-ton, bus-sized segment of the station's girder-like truss that includes another set of solar arrays, batteries and associated electronics. The station crew started out the week with two days of standard maintenance work on the treadmill vibration isolation system, a special exercise treadmill located on the floor of the Zvezda living quarters module. Crews perform the maintenance task every six months to inspect the treadmill's components, replace worn items and install new bearings. The treadmill is a complex system that uses gyroscopes to stabilize itself and isolates the vibrations created by exercise from being transmitted to the station's structure, where they could disturb sensitive experiments. Extensive exercise is a daily regimen for all station crew members as one method of counteracting the effects of long exposure to weightlessness. The crew had time set aside each day this week to pack up and prepare items that will be moved from the station to the shuttle during Atlantis' flight. In addition, ground controllers worked with the station's Canadarm2 robotic arm to prepare for the upcoming shuttle flight. On Thursday, they moved the arm to position cameras to view markings on the station used for a graphical computer alignment aid when new components are attached. That aid, called the space vision system, will be used during Atlantis' flight to help with the attachment of the new truss section. On Friday, controllers moved the arm to perform an early checkout of its systems, ensuring it is ready for the shuttle mission. The station crew greeted special guest calls this week. On Tuesday, the coach and players from the FC Barcelona soccer team talked with the crew as they visited NASA's Johnson Space Center prior to an exhibition game in Houston. Reiter, a soccer fan, showed the team a space soccer move during the call. On Thursday, the crew members spoke with Chef Emeril Lagasse about space food and their mission. Lagasse sent NASA several recipes that were prepared and delivered to the station aboard the last shuttle flight. The Expedition 13 crew tried the dishes this week. The next station status report will be issued on Friday, Aug. 18, 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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Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2006-08-11 15:30 UTC
by AJ9N＠aol.com 11 Aug '06

11 Aug '06

Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2006-08-11 15:30 UTC Quick list of scheduled contacts and events: Teven-Tintenbar Public School, Tintenbar, NSW Australia, direct via VK2ZTY Fri 2006-08-11 07:32 UTC at 23 deg successful (***) Reece High School/Devonport Maritime Museum, Devonport, Tasmania, Australia Fri 2006-08-18 10:38 UTC telebridge via W6SRJ at 63 deg Contact will streamed via the web. Sendai Yoshinari Junior High School, Sendai, Japan, direct via 8J7YJH Fri 2006-08-25 08:12 UTC 36 deg Total number of ARISS school contacts is 249. (***) 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 2006-08-11 15:30 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 2006-08-11 15:30 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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Re: further late reply regarding ISS simplex
by Ransom, Kenneth G. (JSC-OC)[BAR] 11 Aug '06

11 Aug '06

"In Space There are NO borders." BUT on Earth there are and you must abide by those regulations to talk to space. Kenneth - N5VHO -----Original Message----- From: sarex-bounces(a)AMSAT.Org [mailto:sarex-bounces@AMSAT.Org] On Behalf Of MM Sent: Friday, August 11, 2006 5:48 AM To: McGrane; Manned space BBS Subject: [sarex] Re: further late reply regarding ISS simplex I agree. In Space There are NO borders. Why do we have Regions. Regions reduces the crews abilities to enjoy the Amateur Radio project. wf1f --- McGrane <tmcgrane(a)suffolk.lib.ny.us> wrote: > > Greetings from patrick N2OEQ > > Despite support of the present frequency scheme for the ISS I still > wish to disagree with the policy of split operation with different > phone uplinks. > > Back when the MIR was up, the russians operated simplex and left the > radio on to listen for callers. > On several occasions, I called the MIR according to my tracking > program and was rewarded several times with a response. > > With two different uplink frequencies, the astronauts are less > inclined to leave the radio on to listen for callers. > > When there were several callers here on simplex responding to a CQ > call from the MIR, we acted civilized and took turns and everyone made > contacts so I dont buy the absolute need for split operation. > Besides, how many callers could there be within 20 or 30 miles up to > the horizon. > > We've had years of robot like amateur radio on the ISS. How about > loosening the ties! > > Thanks for the soapbox..... pat > > > ---- > Via the sarex mailing list at AMSAT.ORG courtesy of AMSAT-NA. > To unsubscribe, visit > http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/sarex > __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ---- Via the sarex mailing list at AMSAT.ORG courtesy of AMSAT-NA. To unsubscribe, visit http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/sarex

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further late reply regarding ISS simplex
by McGrane 11 Aug '06

11 Aug '06

Greetings from patrick N2OEQ Despite support of the present frequency scheme for the ISS I still wish to disagree with the policy of split operation with different phone uplinks. Back when the MIR was up, the russians operated simplex and left the radio on to listen for callers. On several occasions, I called the MIR according to my tracking program and was rewarded several times with a response. With two different uplink frequencies, the astronauts are less inclined to leave the radio on to listen for callers. When there were several callers here on simplex responding to a CQ call from the MIR, we acted civilized and took turns and everyone made contacts so I dont buy the absolute need for split operation. Besides, how many callers could there be within 20 or 30 miles up to the horizon. We've had years of robot like amateur radio on the ISS. How about loosening the ties! Thanks for the soapbox..... pat

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