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KT0H > SAREX 02.07.97 03:18l 126 Lines 5711 Bytes #-10412 (0) @ AMSAT
BID : STS-94.001
Read: GUEST OE7FMI
Subj: STS-94 SAREX Bulletin Number 1
Path: DB0RGB<DB0MAK<OK0PKL<DB0TUD<DB0NDR<DB0FHO<DK5SG<N0MPI<W0UPS<KF0UW<
KT0H
Sent: 970701/0125Z @:KT0H.#NECO.CO.USA.NOAM #:38628 $:STS-94.001
From: KT0H@KT0H.#NECO.CO.USA.NOAM
To : SAREX@AMSAT
Silver Spring, Maryland USA
June 30, 1997 @ 2010 UTC
Columbia Ready for Latest SAREX Mission
Operations continue on schedule for the launch of Columbia on mission
STS-94 and the Microgravity Science Laboratory. STS-94 is a reflight
of the shortened STS-83 mission of April of this year.
Operations to load cryogenics into the orbiter's onboard storage tanks
began on schedule at about 1500 UTC today and will be complete by about
11 p.m. EDT (-0400).
The STS-94 launch moved up by about 47 minutes. Launch is now scheduled
for 1750 UTC on Tuesday, July 1, however, Air Force weather forecasters
are still predicting a 90% probability of weather prohibiting launch of
Columbia tomorrow. The concern is for thunderstorms and associated rain,
wind, and lightning. Given the possibility of severe weather during
Tuesday's launch attempt, managers may elect to postpone the opening of
the launch window by up to two hours. If this option is selected, the
decision will be reached by late Monday afternoon EDT. For additional
information, see the launch weather forecast at the KSC web site:
http://www.ksc.nasa.gov/weather/weather.html
and follow the latest breaking news on the NASA Shuttle Web:
http://shuttle.nasa.gov/index.html/.
The following STS-94 SAREX summary information was obtained from several
sources at NASA, the ARRL, and AMSAT including portions of AMSAT News
Service bulletin numbers $ANS-166.02 and $ANS-159.02.
During SAREX missions, the astronauts will typically make scheduled radio
contacts with schools, random radio contacts with the Amateur Radio
community and personal contacts with their families.
Seventeen schools, including one in the People's Republic of China, are
scheduled to talk with the astronauts. During the earlier mission,
Columbia's premature return to Earth on April 8 posponed all scheduled
SAREX QSOs. Most of the schools on the earlier schedule remain on tap
for the July mission, which will again carry the microgravity science
lab. Three hams are among the STS-94 crew members.
Under the SAREX program, students at each of the selected schools ask
questions of the astronauts during the contact. The primary goal of
SAREX is to excite students' interest in science, math, technology and
the U.S. space program.
STS-94 is a long duration shuttle flight where crew members will work
in shifts around the clock. Shift team members are as follows:
RED TEAM
Commander (CDR): Jim Halsell, KC5RNI
Pilot (PLT): Susan Still
Mission Specialist (MS3): Donald Thomas, KC5FVF
Payload Specialist (PS2): Greg Linteris
BLUE TEAM
Mission Specialist (MS1): Janice Voss, KC5BTK
Mission Specialist (MS2): Michael Gernhardt
Payload Specialist (PS1): Roger Crouch
The SAREX Working Group has designated the following frequencies
during the STS-94 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-94 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-94 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)
Hams should avoid transmitting on the shuttle's downlink frequencies.
The crew will not favor any uplink frequency, so your ability to
communicate with SAREX will be the "luck of the draw." Transmit only
when the shuttle is within range of your station, and when the shuttle
station is on-the-air.
The crew will use separate receive and transmit frequencies. PLEASE do
not transmit on the shuttle's DOWNLINK frequency. The DOWNLINK is your
receiving frequency. The UPLINK is your transmitting frequency.
QSL VIA: Send reports and QSLs to ARRL EAD, STS-94 QSL, 225 Main Street,
Newington, CT 06111-1494, USA. Include the following information in
your QSL or report: STS-94, 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.
STS-94 will be the 23rd flight of Columbia and the 85th mission
flown since the start of the Space Shuttle program in April 1981.
[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-94.001"
without the quotation marks.]
Submitted by Pat Kilroy, WD8LAQ for Frank H. Bauer, KA3HDO and the
SAREX Working Group.
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