- Sarex (INACTIVE) - mailman.amsat.org

STS-115 STATUS
by Arthur Rowe 25 Aug '06

25 Aug '06

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 The Atlantis crew arrived at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida today to begin final preparations for mission STS-115. Flying T-38 trainer jets, the astronauts landed at the Shuttle Landing Facility at 11:30 a.m. EDT. Commander Brent Jett introduced the crew and spoke briefly about the upcoming mission to the International Space Station. "Speaking for myself and my fellow crewmates, I can assure you that we are ready for the challenge and we're ready to restart the assembly sequence." He added, "We have a saying back in Texas: 'It's time to walk the walk.' " Mission Specialist Joe Tanner expressed the crew's appreciation to all the space workers who have worked tirelessly to prepare for the mission, adding, "When we climb aboard Atlantis on Sunday, we do so with confidence that the vehicle is ready, prepared by the best technicians, engineers and managers in the business." Later today, Jett and Pilot Chris Ferguson will return to the runway to practice landings in the Shuttle Training Aircraft. The countdown officially began at noon EDT today, at the T-43 hour mark. The countdown includes about 36 hours of built-in hold time prior to a targeted 4:30 p.m. EDT launch on Sunday; it is the middle point in the launch window that extends for 10 minutes. At the 10 a.m. Countdown Status Briefing, NASA Test Director Steve Payne reported that the launch team is working no issues, saying, "Atlantis is in excellent shape and we're on track for the preparations for Sunday's launch to bring the P3 and P4 truss to the orbiting space station and return her crew safely home." STS-115 Payload Manager Robbie Ashley expressed satisfaction that the P3/P4 segment would be joined to the space station soon, adding, "it's been a long time coming." He said, "We're anxious to see them get on orbit and perform the job they were intended to do." Shuttle Weather Officer Kathy Winters provided a generally positive outlook for launch day conditions. "Overall the weather is looking pretty good for launch day. We do have a 30 percent chance of weather prohibiting tanking in the morning," she said. "We have a 30 percent chance of weather prohibiting launch." She added, "Generally, pretty good weather when it comes to an afternoon summertime day here in Florida." The next status briefing is scheduled for 10 a.m. EDT Friday and will be carried live on NASA TV. + Watch NASA TV <http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html> The STS-115 crew consists of Commander Brent W. Jett Jr., Pilot Christopher J. Ferguson and Mission Specialists Heidemarie M. Stefanyshyn-Piper, Joseph R. Tanner, Daniel C. Burbank and Steven G. MacLean, who represents the Canadian Space Agency. + Learn more about the crew <http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts115/index.html> With this mission, NASA is ready to get back to building the International Space Station, marking the first time in almost four years that a space station component has been added to the orbiting outpost. That also means the shuttle program is coming up on some of the most challenging space missions ever. + Learn more about the mission <http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts115/mission_ov…> During their three spacewalks, crew members of Atlantis will install the P3/P4 integrated truss and a second set of solar arrays on the space station, doubling the station’s current ability to generate power from sunlight and adding 17.5 tons to its mass. + Learn more about the truss <http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/behindscenes/truss_segment.html>

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Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2006-08-24 22:30 UTC
by AJ9N＠aol.com 24 Aug '06

24 Aug '06

Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2006-08-24 22:30 UTC Quick list of scheduled contacts and events: Sendai Yoshinari Junior High School, Sendai, Japan, direct via 8J7YJH Fri 2006-08-25 08:12 UTC 36 deg Northeast Middle School, Clarksville, TN via telebridge VK4KHZ Contact is a go for: Mon 2006-08-28 15:59 UTC via VK4KHZ 34 deg See schedule page for webcast and IRLP info. (***) Total number of ARISS school contacts is 250. 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 2006-08-24 22:30 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 2006-08-18 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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ATLANTIS CREW FLIES INTO KENNEDY
by Arthur Rowe 24 Aug '06

24 Aug '06

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 STS-115 crew members arrive in T-38 jets, streaking across the Florida sky before landing at the Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility TO VIEW THE 3 PLANES THAT BROUGHT THEM TO KENNEDY GO TO:http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/multimedia/index.html

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News from the ESA International Space Station Human Spaceflight and Exploration pages
by Félim Doyle M3HIM 23 Aug '06

23 Aug '06

ESA astronaut Thomas Reiter's 3 August spacewalk from the ISS http://www.esa.int/esaHS/SEM490815QE_iss_0.html ESA astronaut Hans Schlegel assigned to European Columbus laboratory mission to the ISS http://www.esa.int/esaHS/SEM8VDBUQPE_iss_0.html German Chancellor makes in-flight call to ISS http://www.esa.int/esaHS/SEMHI0BUQPE_iss_0.html 73 de Félim M3HIM IO91ot Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, UK

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NASA Announces Space Shuttle Web and TV Coverage
by Arthur Rowe 22 Aug '06

22 Aug '06

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 > Aug. 22, 2006 > > Grey Hautaluoma > Headquarters, Washington > 202-358-0668 > > Bruce Buckingham > Kennedy Space Center, Fla. > 321-867-2468 > > > > NASA ANNOUNCES SPACE SHUTTLE WEB AND TV COVERAGE > > NASA TV and the agency's home on the Internet, http://www.nasa.gov, > will provide extensive prelaunch and launch day coverage of the Space > Shuttle Atlantis mission STS-115 to the International Space Station, > scheduled for a Sunday, Aug. 27 launch. > > A prelaunch webcast is set for 11 a.m. EDT Saturday, Aug. 26, from > NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla. It will feature a mission overview > hosted by Jon N. Cowart, Orbiter Project Office manager at Kennedy. > Highlights will include an interview with STS-114 astronaut Steve > Robinson who will discuss the STS-115 mission and astronaut training. > > > Live countdown coverage from NASA's Launch Blog begins at 10:30 a.m. > EDT Aug. 27. Coverage features real-time updates as countdown > milestones occur, streaming video clips highlighting launch > preparations and liftoff. > > A panel of experts answered questions about NASA's preparation for the > STS-115 mission. Those responses are available online and in > podcasts. > > To access these interactive features and more, go to NASA's Space > Shuttle main page at http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle and follow the links > provided in the right column under the "Mission Information" section. > > On launch day NASA TV will begin broadcasting mission commentary at > 10:30 a.m. EDT. For NASA TV streaming video, scheduling and downlink > information, visit: > > http://www.nasa.gov/ntv > > > -end- > > >

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ISS Crew, ARISS Team Troubleshooting Slow-Scan TV System
by Thomas Frey 22 Aug '06

22 Aug '06

http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2006/08/22/2/?nc=1 Mit freundlichen Grüssen, 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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ARISS Event - Sendai Yoshinari Junior High School, Sendai, Japan, Fri (Aug 25) at 08:12
by Ransom, Kenneth G. (JSC-OC)[BAR] 22 Aug '06

22 Aug '06

An International Space Station Expedition 13 ARISS school contact has been planned with students at Sendai Yoshinari Junior High School, Sendai, Japan on Friday, 25 Aug 2006. The event is scheduled to begin at approximately 08:12 UTC. The contact will be direct between stations NA1SS and 8J7YJH. The contact should be audible to anyone in Japan and portions of Eastern China and far Eastern Russia. Interested parties are invited to listen in on the 145.80 MHz downlink. The Yoshinari Junior High school was established in Yoshinari in the eastern part of Miyagi-cho, on April 1st, 1980. The original school district was comprised of Yoshinari, Iseyoshinari and Nakayamayoshinari. Miyagi-cho subsequently merged to become part of Sendai City, and so the school is now classified under Sendai City. Due to urban development, the building of another school nearby, and shifts in the local population, the school district has changed somewhat over time and now comprises Yoshinari, Kunimigaoka and Kuniminishidai. Now Yoshinari Junior High school has 314 students. Students at Sendai Yoshinari Junior High School will ask as many of the following questions as time allows: 1. How would you like space food to be better? 2. Does heated space food have steam and can you smell it? 3. What differences are there between the pictures of the Earth you saw before you went to space and what you can see now? 4. When part of the Earth is experiencing a solar eclipse, what does it look like from the space station? 5. Can you see the aurora borealis when you pass near one of the Earth's poles? 6. What do you usually do during your free time on the space station? 7. Can you get enough exercise in space? 8. How long do you exercise every day to keep your muscles strong? 9. What problems do you have that are caused by being in space for a long time? 10. What do you check on the space station every day? 11. Is the space station sometimes hit by meteorites or dust? 12. What differences are there between the way the moon looks from the Earth and the way it looks from the space station? 13. What are some interesting and some difficult things you encounter on a space walk? 14. Can you wash your hair on the space station? 15. Why, and at what age did you become interested in space? 16. What should we do to hold on to and fulfill our dreams like you have? 17. Can you watch TV on the space station? 18. Have you made any mistakes because you forgot about zero gravity? 19. On your journey to the space station, at the first moment of zero gravity, how did you feel? 20. In total, how many space suits are there on the space station? 21. Can you get into and out of a space suit by yourself? 22. What are some interesting and some difficult things you are researching in space? 23. Can you see any satellites passing by the space station? 24. How does your body feel upon re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere? 25. What should we do to keep the Earth beautiful? Please note, the amateur equipment on the ISS has been off due to recent SSTV testing. It will be returned to regular amateur radio operations as soon as possible. Information about the next scheduled ARISS contact can be found at http://www.rac.ca/ariss/upcoming.htm#NextContact . Next planned event(s): Northeast Middle School, Clarksville, TN via telebridge VK4KHZ, Mon 2006-08-28 15:59 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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PCSAT2 special Ops Event Update
by Robert Bruninga 22 Aug '06

22 Aug '06

SAREX: PCSAT2 SPECIAL OPERATIONS RESUME. Operations were suspended When PCSAT2 ran out of sunlight on ISS on the 15th. Operations resumed after ISS changed attitude to XPOP on the 18th. > From: Robert Bruninga [mailto:bruninga@usna.edu] > Sent: Saturday, August 05, 2006 8:41 AM > > PCSAT2 SPECIAL EVENT AND OPERATIONS > -------------------------------------------------------------- > Subj: ISS Packet =>VOICE Contacts: > > For the remaining days 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 / 145.800 downlink. The command station's voice > downlink will be on 437.975 +/- Doppler and he/she will attempt to > acknowledge by voice all packets seen on the packet uplink or > generally chat about the system. > > 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 / 145.800 downlink, but listen on the 437.975 > 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 in the > evening. Passes in the Southern Hemisphere right now are from midday. > > 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 (or PCSAT2) digipeater. > > The PCSAT2 Packet system on 145.825 up and 435.275 is also operational > as well as the 10m to 435.275 transponder (for HIGH > power attempts on 29.401 MHz)... Just connect to PCSAT2 on > 145.825 to bring up the transponder. Still no reports of anyone > attteempting it or being successful. > > de WB4APR > US Naval Academy Satellite Station

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Possible ISS simplex operation
by McGrane 21 Aug '06

21 Aug '06

Greetings to kenneth and the group After digesting all the exchanges about ISS simplex, I think kenneth has the right solution. Thanks for your civil exchanges and flexibility. Can NASA coordinate with the ISS astronauts to monitor and use the Ericsson Ultra-HF radio equipment for simplex operation? It would be greatly appreciated. Many amateurs have tracking programs and would know when to call. The astronauts and cosmonauts could monitor the radio lightly squelched while they are awake. I'm confident, if they heard people calling them, they would answer as they are available aside from normal resonsibilities. As kenneth indicated, the frequency is 437.550 Mhz plus or minus about 10 Khz doppler. I've already set up 5 memories on my FT8800 with ascending and descending frequency splits and I have a good idea what memories to use at what time during the satellite pass. If you guys could let the crew know we want to call them it would be appreciated! Thanks kenneth! Patrick, N2OEQ

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EXP-13 STATUS REPORT #SS06-38
by Arthur Rowe 19 Aug '06

19 Aug '06

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 Aug. 18, 2006 Grey Hautaluoma Headquarters, Washington 202-358-4769 James Hartsfield Johnson Space Center, Houston 281-483-5111 STATUS REPORT: SS06-038 INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION STATUS REPORT: SS06-038 The astronauts aboard the International Space Station spent much of their week preparing for the arrival of the Space Shuttle Atlantis, set for launch Aug. 27 on the STS-115 mission. Commander Pavel Vinogradov, Flight Engineer and NASA Science Officer Jeff Williams and European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Reiter of Germany prepared for Atlantis to deliver a new section of the station's girder-like truss. During Atlantis' mission, astronauts will attach the new P3/P4 truss, a segment that includes a huge new set of solar arrays and a giant rotary joint that allows the arrays to track the sun. The mission will mark the resumption of station assembly by delivering the first large new component to the station since late 2002. During the shuttle flight, Atlantis' crew members will perform three spacewalks to complete the installation and setup of the new segment. The spacewalks will begin from the station's Quest Airlock. Complex robotics work is involved as the 17.5-ton, bus-sized truss section is handed from the shuttle arm to the station arm for installation. In preparation for Atlantis, the station crew trained on the robotic Canadarm2 and packed items for return to Earth on the shuttle. They also reviewed Atlantis' mission timeline and trained to photograph the shuttle's heat shield as the orbiter does a backflip while approaching the station. The crew also did several physiological and psychological tests and experiments designed to learn more about how humans react to long periods of weightlessness. Early this week Williams worked with flight controllers and the Dynamic Onboard Ubiquitous Graphics program on robotic arm activities. The program simulates the arm's operation for training. Williams moved the arm from a base on the U.S. Destiny Lab to a power and data grapple fixture on the mobile transporter, enabling the arm to work at different sites along the main truss railway. Subsequently, in an inchworm-like maneuver, the arm was moved to a different grapple fixture on the transporter and used to inspect the outboard end of the P1 truss, where the new segment will be attached. The crew also reviewed installation procedures for the new segment and Williams did spacesuit maintenance. Throughout the week Vinogradov and Reiter worked on the Russian-German Plasma Crystal experiment. The experiment examines the behavior of tiny particles excited by high-frequency radio signals in a vacuum chamber and functions by itself most of the time. It requires a crew member to work with it, however, at some intervals during the day. The EarthKam experiment was activated this week. EarthKam allows students to request photos from space of specific locations on Earth via email and later receive those photos electronically. The remote-controlled camera has been used since October 2001. The next station status report will be issued on Friday, Aug. 25. For more about the crew's activities and station sighting opportunities, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/station -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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