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K5ARH > SAREX 05.04.97 04:04l 97 Lines 4052 Bytes #-10586 (0) @ AMSAT
BID : STS-83.001
Read: DF3DB GUEST OE7FMI
Subj: STS-83 SAREX Bulletin Number 1
Path: DB0AAB<DB0KCP<DB0CRL<DB0TTM<DB0SWR<DB0FP<DB0SRS<DB0ZDF<DB0AIS<DB0NDK<
DB0ACH<ON4RAT<ON1ANR<ON6AR<F6CNB<K5ARH
Sent: 970404/2239z @:K5ARH.#LFT.LA.USA.NOAM #:3843 $:sts-83.001
Silver Spring, Maryland USA
April 4, 1997 @ 1944 UTC
Columbia Embarks on Latest SAREX Mission
The STS-83 Microgravity Science Laboratory mission enjoyed a
successful lift off into the clear Florida mid-afternoon sky
after some minor delays.
The Shuttle Amateur Radio EXperiment (SAREX) is flying aboard
space shuttle Columbia among many other experiments. Karen
Nickel, WD5EEU, an AMSAT Representive for SAREX at the
NASA/Johnson Space Center in Houston this mission, reported
that lift off (MET = 0) occurred on Day 94 at 19:20:31.983 UTC.
Those who wish to keep mission time may use this number to set
their MET clock. Upcoming SAREX bulletins will make reference
to the crew clock, based on Mission Elasped Time or MET. One
may learn more about MET at the Web site:
http://liftoff.msfc.nasa.gov/clocks/time-met.html
There are eighteen Amateur Radio contacts scheduled with school
groups and plenty of opportunites anticipated for random
QSOs with the general public.
SAREX operations are scheduled to begin after about one day
into the flight (MET 1/00:00).
Here is an excerpt from AMSAT News Service Bulletin $ANS-068.04,
dated March 9, 1997, regarding SAREX operations.
The following information will aid in communicating with the
space shuttle.
The SAREX Working Group has designated the following frequencies
during the STS-83 mission.
FM Voice Downlink: (Worldwide) 145.55 MHz FM
FM Voice Uplink: 144.91, 144.93, 144.95, 144.97, and 144.99 MHz
FM Voice Uplink: (Europe only) 144.70, 144.75, and 144.80 MHz
FM Packet Downlink: 145.55 MHz***
FM Packet Uplink: 144.49 MHz***
***If packet is on the air.
CONFIGURATION: Officially, the SAREX hardware is flying in
configuration B. SAREX configuration B is voice only, battery operation.
The SAREX equipment on-board STS-83 includes the Motorola 2-meter FM
hand-held transceiver, 15 spare batteries, the window antenna, SAREX
headset assembly, personal recorder and the required interconnecting
cables. Since STS-83 is an extended duration flight with power hungry
primary experiments, the power allocated for SAREX is zero watts. The
SAREX team is also flying the Heathkit Packet Radio TNC for potential
use later in the flight. In the event that power conservation measures
are successful, the mission control team will advise SAREX and the
astronauts to initiate use of the Packet Radio system which also includes
one of the shuttle laptop computers or PGSCs. Please stay tuned to
these SAREX Working Group bulletins and sarex@amsat.org during the
mission for late breaking news regarding packet operation.
CALL SIGNS:
FM voice call signs: KC5RNI, KC5BTK and KC5FVF
FM packet call sign: W5RRR-1 (If turned on during the flight)
CREW MEMBER, title, Amateur Radio call sign:
James D. Halsell, Commander, KC5RNI
Susan L. Still, Pilot
Janice E. Voss, Payload Commander MS1, KC5BTK
Donald A. Thomas, Mission Specialist 2, KC5FVF
Michael L. Gerhardt, Mission Specialist 3
Roger Crouch, Payload Specialist 1
Greg Linteris, Payload Specialist 2
QSL VIA: Send reports and QSLs to ARRL EAD, STS-83 QSL, 225 Main Street,
Newington, CT 06111-1494, USA. Include the following information in your
QSL or report: STS-83, date and time in UTC, frequency and mode (FM, voice
or packet). In addition, you must also include a SASE using a large,
business-sized envelope if you wish to receive a card.
[Pre-launch keplerian element set for STS-83 deleted. Watch for updated
orbital element sets in upcoming bulletins by the SAREX Working Group.]
Deorbit: 20-Apr-97 on orbit 250.
Landing: 20-Apr-97 on orbit 251.
[Radio amateurs are encouraged to relay these SAREX bulletins to
their local packet BBS as long as the Bulletin IDentification (BID)
is preserved. The BID is the character string beginning with the
dollar sign ($), for example as in "SB SAREX @ AMSAT $STS-83.001"
without the quotation marks.]
Submitted by Pat Kilroy, WD8LAQ for Frank H. Bauer, KA3HDO and the
SAREX Working Group.
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