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CX7BY > SAT 14.12.03 03:39l 40 Lines 2088 Bytes #999 (0) @ AMSAT
BID : ANS-348.05
Read: GUEST
Subj: This Week's News in Brief
Path: DB0FHN<DB0FOR<DB0SIF<DB0EA<DB0RES<ON0BEL<CX2ACB<CX7BY
Sent: 031214/0119Z @:CX7BY.MVD.URY.SA #:63134 [Montevideo] FBB $:ANS-348.05
From: CX7BY@CX7BY.MVD.URY.SA
To : SAT@AMSAT
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 348.05 From AMSAT HQ
SILVER SPRING, MD. December 14, 2003
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-348.05
** The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency made a final attempt Tuesday, 9
December 2003, to remotely repair electronic circuitry on the Nozomi probe
damaged by a solar flare last year, which caused the main engine to shut
down, officials said. "But we failed to fix the short-circuit in the
electric system and, as the result, we gave up the plan to place Nozomi into
orbit around Mars," said Yasunori Matogawa, an agency researcher in charge
of the mission. "From now on, we will continue trying to fix the circuit so
that we may be able to use the probe for other space observatorial
purposes," Matogawa said. --SpaceDaily
** The Smart-1 is now in its 139th orbit, in good operational status
and with all functions performing nominally. As previously, the spacecraft
was operated in electric propulsion mode almost continuously. We have
however experienced three flame-outs during the previous week. Despite the
fact that the solar activity at the moment is considerably reduced, from the
occurrence of the events, we suspect that the density of trapped protons at
low altitudes of the radiation belts is still quite high and is causing the
flame-outs. We have therefore decided not to thrust when the spacecraft's
altitude is below 10,000 km. --SpaceDaily
** Expressing "grave concerns" about likely interference from unlicensed
Broadband over Power Line (BPL) systems, the Federal Emergency Management
Agency (FEMA) has told the FCC that BPL could "severely impair FEMA's
mission-essential HF radio operations in areas serviced by BPL technology."
FEMA filed comments December 4 in response to last April's FCC BPL Notice of
Inquiry, ET Docket 03-104. FEMA expressed primary concern over BPL's
potential impact on the FEMA National Radio System (FNARS), which operates
on HF and serves as the agency's primary command and control backup medium
as part of the Federal Response Plan. --ARRL
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