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JEFF WILLIAMS TO BE INTERVIEWED
by Arthur Rowe 03 Nov '06

03 Nov '06

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 NASA NEWS Katherine Trinidad Headquarters, Washington 202-358-4769 James Hartsfield Johnson Space Center, Houston 281-483-5111 Nov. 3, 2006 Newly Returned Station Astronaut Available for Interviews NASA astronaut Jeff Williams, back from six months on the International Space Station, will be available for satellite interviews from 6:15 to 8:30 a.m. EST Thursday, Nov. 9. To participate, media should contact NASA's Johnson Space Center newsroom at 281-483-5111 by 5 p.m. EST Wednesday, Nov. 8. Williams was on the station during the return to assembly mission of the Space Shuttle Atlantis in September, and was also on board during the Return to Flight mission of the Space Shuttle Discovery in July. Williams is a native of Winter, Wis., and an Army colonel. He returned to Earth Sept. 28, landing in Kazakhstan along with Expedition 13 Commander Pavel Vinogradov and Spaceflight Participant Anousheh Ansari. In addition to Williams' stay on the station as a flight engineer, he flew in May 2000 aboard space shuttle mission STS-101. During his career, he has spent more than 193 days in space, including 19 hours doing three spacewalks. As a member of the station's 13th crew, Williams performed a variety of maintenance work and research. He conducted two spacewalks, one using a Russian spacesuit and another using a U.S. spacesuit. His stay included the arrival of two shuttle missions, the addition of a second set of huge solar arrays to the complex and the restoration of a three-person crew aboard the station. For William's biography, visit: http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/williamsj.html For International Space Station information, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/station For information about the Expedition 13 crew, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/expeditions/expedition13/index.ht… The interviews and b-roll of Expedition 13 crew activities will be carried live on the NASA TV analog satellite, AMC-6, Transponder 5C at 72 degrees west longitude, vertical polarization. The frequency is 3800 MHz, with audio at 6.8 MHz. The b-roll airs from 5:45 to 6:15 a.m. EST Nov. 9. For NASA TV digital downlink information, schedules and links to streaming video, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

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Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2006-11-03 04:30 UTC
by AJ9N＠aol.com 03 Nov '06

03 Nov '06

Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2006-11-03 04:30 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 255. 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 2006-11-03 04:30 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 2006-09-27 02:00 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's Space Shuttle Discovery Rolls to Vehicle Assembly Building
by Arthur Rowe 02 Nov '06

02 Nov '06

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 Nov. 1, 2006 > Katherine Trinidad > Headquarters, Washington > 202-358-3749 > > Jessica Rye > Kennedy Space Center, Fla. > 321-867-2468 > > > > NASA'S SPACE SHUTTLE DISCOVERY ROLLS TO VEHICLE ASSEMBLY BUILDING > > NASA's Space Shuttle Discovery completed one milestone and is nearing > another as workers prepare the orbiter for a December 7th launch to the > International Space Station. > > On Tuesday night, drivers moved Discovery from the shuttle processing > facility to the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space > Center in Florida. Discovery, perched on top of the giant, 76-wheel > orbiter transporter system, began moving out of the facility at 9:23 > p.m. EST. > > In the assembly building, technicians attached Discovery to its > propulsion elements, an external fuel tank and twin solid rocket > boosters. Following those operations, final integration, preparations > and closeouts began in preparation for flight. > > Discovery's next milestone is the 4.2-mile trip to Launch Pad 39B in > preparation for its mission, designated STS-116. During the 11-day > mission, the shuttle's seven astronauts will rewire the station to > bring online new power supplies generated by solar arrays installed > in September. > > NASA TV will provide live coverage of Discovery's move to the launch > pad beginning Tuesday at 7 a.m. EST. For NASA TV downlink, streaming > video and scheduling information, visit: > > http://www.nasa.gov/ntv > > For more information on the STS-116 mission and crew, visit: > > http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle > > > > >

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Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2006-11-01 23:30 UTC
by AJ9N＠aol.com 01 Nov '06

01 Nov '06

Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2006-11-01 23:30 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 255. 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 2006-11-01 23:30 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 2006-09-27 02:00 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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A heck of a story re: ISS from ARRL (via N1ORC)
by Roger Kolakowski 01 Nov '06

01 Nov '06

ARISS "Contingency Network" Impresses NASA When Russian flight controllers encountered difficulties during a recent International Space Station cargo rocket docking, NASA called on a special -- although little-known -- Amateur Radio team to stand by if needed. Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) Ops Team "ISS Ham Contingency Network" volunteers around the world immediately swung into action. Within 15 minutes of receiving the call from Johnson Space Center, Kenneth Ransom, N5VHO, reported the ISS Ham Contingency Network was ready to provide any necessary communication support. "The ARISS teamwork was very effective," ARISS Secretary-Treasurer Rosalie White, K1STO said. "Its members learned a great deal, and they impressed NASA with how quickly the system was brought up." During the October 26 Progress docking, NASA says, Russian flight controllers were unable to confirm whether an automated antenna on the rocket had retracted as commanded. If still extended, the antenna could interfere with the final latching of the supply ship to the ISS. To avoid disturbing the softly docked cargo ship and to aid the crew with docking maneuvers, the ISS orientation was allowed to drift freely. During free-drift mode, however, the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS) -- which handles communication between the crew and Mission Control in Houston -- can be lost. That's because the station's solar arrays may not directly face the sun, causing a drop in onboard power. Awakened at 2 AM, ARISS Australian team member Tony Hutchison, VK5ZAI, put out a blind call on VHF to the ISS crew, although no answer was needed at that point. Others available to cover later passes included Gerald Klatzko, ZS6BTD, in South Africa; Gaston Bertels, ON4WF, at ON4ISS in Belgium; Dick Flagg, AH6NM, and Nancy Rocheleau, WH6PN, at Sacred Hearts Academy in Honolulu; and Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, and Mark Steiner, K3MS, at the Goddard Space Flight Center's WA3NAN. Each of these Earth stations has a track record of being able to sustain reliable communication with the ISS. The call-up marked the first time that NASA had asked for such Amateur Radio assistance since the initial crew came aboard the ISS in November 2000. Ransom says that by remaining available to ensure solid communication while Mission Control staff dealt with the docking issue, the ISS Ham Contingency Network provided Mission Control with an additional layer of security. Once the antenna retraction problem had been resolved, the contingency network was able to stand down, ARISS said, but NASA's request and the ensuing ham radio activity did serve as a valuable drill. NASA says Expedition 14 Commander Mike Lopez-Alegria, KE5GTK, and flight engineers Mikhail Tyurin, RZ3FT, and Thomas Reiter, DF4TR, opened the hatch to the supply ship last Friday to unload supplies. The Progress carried food, fuel, oxygen and air, clothing, experiment hardware and spare parts, as well as personal items from the crew's families. The new Progress joins the Progress 22 supply ship that arrived at the ISS in June.

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2 Line ISS Keps 10-31
by Dave Larsen PhD 31 Oct '06

31 Oct '06

ISS 1 25544U 98067A 06304.04280258 .00019307 00000-0 11714-3 0 9630 2 25544 051.6339 207.4189 0012422 155.0964 286.5786 15.77468291454590

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FUTURE LIFE SUPPORT FOR ISS
by Arthur Rowe 30 Oct '06

30 Oct '06

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 Sci-fi Life Support 10.30.2006 Oct. 30, 2006: In Frank Herbert's epic ecological novel Dune (1965), set on the fictitious desert planet Arrakis in another star system, water is so precious that even perspiration and breath moisture are captured and purified for drinking. On real-life voyages to the Moon and Mars, science fact may end up imitating science fiction. Indeed, scientists and engineers at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) are putting the finishing touches on systems for capturing exhaled carbon dioxide and urine and turning them into breathable oxygen and drinking water. "Early space missions—Mercury, Gemini, Apollo—took with them all the water and oxygen they needed and discarded liquid and gaseous wastes into space," explains Robert Bagdigian of the MSFC. In short, the astronauts' life-support systems were "open-loop"—meaning they relied on resupply from Earth, something still true for the International Space Station, today. But for any long-duration missions to the Moon or Mars, "it makes sense to close the loop"—that is, to recycle air and waste water instead of just discarding them. Soon the ISS will be testing just such a regenerative system. Sign up for EXPRESS SCIENCE NEWS delivery The name of the project is Environmental Control and Life Support Systems--better known by its acronym ECLSS (pronounced"EE-cliss"). Bagdigian is the ECLSS project manager. "The Russians are ahead of us," says Robyn Carrasquillo, engineering manager for ECLSS. "The original Salyut and Mir spacecraft were able to condense humidity right out of the air and use electrolysis—an electric current run through the water—to produce oxygen for breathing." NASA's new regenerative ECLSS, to be launched to ISS in 2008, goes further: "it can recover urine in addition to humidity." Urine recovery is an engineering challenge: "Urine is so much dirtier than ordinary humidity," Carrasquillo explains. "It can corrode hardware and clog hoses." ECLSS uses a purification process called vapor compression distillation: urine is boiled until the water in it turns to steam. The steam—essentially clean water vapor except for some traces of ammonia and other gases—rises into a distillation chamber, leaving behind a concentrated brown soup of impurities and salts that Carrasquillo charitably calls "brine" (which is discarded). The steam is cooled and condenses back into liquid. This steam distillate is then mixed with the humidity condensate, and the water further purified to become potable. ECLSS can recover 100 percent of moisture in the air, and 85 percent of the water in urine, resulting in a net overall recovery efficiency of about 93 percent. Stepping-stone to the stars. Regenerative ECLSS will get a field test onboard the ISS That's how it works on Earth. In space, there's an additional challenge: "steam doesn't rise." Buoyancy requires gravity, and in the microgravity of a spaceship, steam just "sits there." It doesn't rise naturally into the distillation chamber. So in the version of ECLSS being completed at Marshall for ISS, "we spin the entire distillation system to create artificial gravity to separate the steam from the brine," says Carrasquillo. Moreover, in microgravity human hairs, skin cells, lint, and other impurities float around in the air instead of falling to the floor. Thus, the processor requires an impressive filtration system. When clean water emerges at the end, iodine is added to retard the growth of microbes (chlorine, used to purify water on Earth, is too reactive and hazardous to store and handle in space). ECLSS hardwareThe regenerative water recovery system for ISS, weighing about a ton and a half, will "produce half a gallon an hour, more than the current of crew three needs," Carrasquillo says. "This will enable the space station to support a total of six astronauts continuously." The system is designed to produce potable water "meeting purity standards better than most municipal water systems on the ground," Bagdigian adds. In addition to providing drinking water for the crew, the water recovery system will supply water to the other half of ECLSS: the oxygen generation system (OGS). The OGS operates by electrolysis. It splits water molecules into oxygen for breathing and hydrogen, which is vented outside the spacecraft. "The air loop needs pretty clean water, so the electrolyte cells don't get contaminated and foul," Bagdigian points out. "Regeneration is far more cost-effective than resupplying the station with water from Earth," Carrasquillo says, especially after the space shuttle is retired in 2010. Recycling up to 93 percent wastewater is impressive. But for missions of months or years to the Moon or Mars, some later version of ECLSS must achieve closer to 100 percent efficiency. Then, astronauts would be ready to survive on our own solar system's versions of Dune. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ECLSS in Iraq--Since April 2006, an Earth-bound application of a portion of the ECLSS water recovery system has been being trucked from one rural village to another in northern Iraq to filter particulates and contaminants out of dirty groundwater or well water to provide residents with clean drinking water. That portable system—about half the size of a refrigerator including all its pumps and computer controls—purifies water at a good clip of 4 gallons a minute, for a cost of only about two cents a gallon. Technical details of ECLSS appear in "Status of the Regenerative ECLSS Water Recovery and Oxygen Generation Systems" by Robert M. Bagdigian, Dale Cloud, and John Bedard (Paper 2006-01-2057) and in NASA Facts "International Space Station Environmental Control and Life Support System" (Pub 8-40399, May 2005). ECLSS fact sheet The Vision for Space Exploration

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After Delay, ISS Crew Opens Hatch to Cargo Supply Ship
by Arthur Rowe 28 Oct '06

28 Oct '06

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 After Delay, Space Station Crew Opens Hatch to Cargo Supply Ship 27 October 2006 International Space Station A technical problem that plagued Thursday's docking of a Russian cargo ship to the orbiting International Space Station has been resolved, allowing the crew to unload fresh supplies. After several hours of checking that the cargo ship was securely docked to the station, mission control gave the go-ahead for the crew to begin unloading fuel, food and water from the cargo ship, which blasted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan earlier this week. The move was only possible after it was determined the unmanned Russian spacecraft had properly latched onto the orbiting outpost. During an initial docking attempt Thursday, the supply craft failed to latch completely. Russian Space Agency official Nikolai Sevasteenov says the concerns stemmed from Mission Control's inability to determine whether the cargo ship's antenna had folded properly, as is required for a secure docking. With the trouble solved, the three-man crew of the International Space Station was happy to open the hatches and begin unloading. Russian space agency officials stress similar problems have been encountered before. They say, at no time was the crew in any danger. Friday's delivery means the crew can look forward to enjoying videos and letters from home. American astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegria, Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Tyurin, and German astronaut Thomas Reiter have logged a little over a month in space as part of a six-month tour to the International Space Station.

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Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2006-10-27 20:45 UTC
by AJ9N＠aol.com 27 Oct '06

27 Oct '06

Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2006-10-27 20:45 UTC Quick list of scheduled contacts and events: Flanders Science Festival, Ghent, Belgium Contact postponed Fri 2006-10-27 10:36 UTC 20 deg via WH6PN (***) Contact will be simulcast on IRLP, Echolink, and the web. 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 255. 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 2006-10-27 20:45 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 2006-09-27 02:00 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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ISS STATUS REPORT #06-47
by Arthur Rowe 27 Oct '06

27 Oct '06

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 *International Space Station Status Report #06-47* *4:30 p.m. CDT, Thursday, Oct. 26, 2006* *Expedition 13 Crew* New supplies arrived at the International Space Station Thursday as an unpiloted Russian cargo spacecraft docked to the aft port of the Zvezda Service Module. With almost 2.5 tons of food, fuel and supplies for the station's Expedition 14 crew, the ISS Progress 23 automatically docked to Zvezda at 9:29 a.m. CDT as the spacecraft and the station flew 220 miles above Italy. The 23rd Progress to visit the station was launched Monday from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Following the initial docking, the final latching of the Progress craft to the station was delayed by about three and a half hours as Russian flight controllers evaluated potential interference by an antenna on the spacecraft. At the time of docking, flight controllers could not confirm that the antenna used by the Progress' Kurs automated docking system had retracted as commanded. If the antenna had remained extended, it could have interfered with the final latching of the supply ship to the station. After reviewing data, Mission Control Moscow commanded the Progress' docking probe to slowly retract, pulling the ship firmly into the port and aligning the hooks and latches that hold it secure. Latches for the craft on the station were secured at about 1 p.m. CDT. Flight controllers will command additional latches on the Progress to close Friday. This allows the operation to be completed in a normal manner over Russian communications sites. During the hours between initial docking and final latching, the station's orientation was allowed to drift to avoid any disturbance of the softly docked cargo ship. The station's drift resulted in lower power generation by the solar arrays. The crew then powered off several pieces of non-critical equipment as outlined in a standard procedure that reduces power consumption. Soon after the latches were closed, however, the station's attitude control was restored and power generation was returned to normal. Due to the long operations Thursday, Expedition 14 Commander Mike Lopez-Alegria and flight engineers Mikhail Tyurin and Thomas Reiter will open the hatch to the supply ship on Friday. Supplies on the Progress include food, fuel, oxygen and air, clothing, experiment hardware and spare parts, as well as personal items from the crew's families. The new Progress joins an older Progress supply ship that arrived at the station’s Pirs Docking Compartment in June. Progress 22 will remain docked until mid-January. It will be used to stow trash, and its supply of oxygen will help replenish the station’s atmosphere when required. ISS Progress 23 holds 1,918 pounds of propellant for the Russian thrusters, 110 pounds of oxygen and almost 2,800 pounds of spare parts, experiment hardware and life support components, including parts for the Russian Elektron oxygen-generation system. The system has been inoperable since last month, and Tyurin is expected to resume repairs on the unit next week. Engineers continue to review data from the station’s S-band communications system, which experienced dropouts late last week in the transmission link of one of two redundant channels used for voice and commanding capability. After collecting data last weekend from “string 1” of the S-band system, its transmitter was reactivated Wednesday, but the communications problem occurred once again. “String 2” of the system is being used for voice and commanding with no impact to station activities. Flight controllers are analyzing the problem to determine if any procedural adjustments must be made for the upcoming flight of Discovery to the station on the STS-116 mission. In other activities, the crew conducted sound level measurements in the station’s modules and installed cables in the Russian segment of the station. They performed regular station maintenance and took time to chat with a reporter from the Orange County Register in California on Tuesday. Reiter continued his work with European plant growth experiments while throughout the week Lopez-Alegria did log entries for a sleep experiment. In two weeks, the crew will begin preparations for a spacewalk Nov. 22 by Tyurin and Lopez-Alegria in Russian Orlan suits from the Pirs Docking Compartment to replace and retrieve several science experiments from the hull of the Zvezda Service Module. Tyurin also plans to hit a golf ball from a bracket on Pirs as part of a Russian commercial activity. The next station status report will be issued Nov. 3 or earlier if events warrant. For more about the crew's activities and station sighting opportunities: http://www.nasa.gov/station

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