SB SPACE @ ARL $ARLS021
ARLS021 Shuttle Countdown Continues
ZCZC AS01
QST de W1AW
Space Bulletin 021 ARLS021
From ARRL Headquarters
Newington, CT November 10, 1995
To all radio amateurs
SB SPACE ARL ARLS021
ARLS021 Shuttle Countdown Continues
The countdown for launch of the Space Shuttle Atlantis continues on
schedule today for liftoff on Saturday, November 11. The
seven-minute launch window opens at about 1256 UTC.
The mission includes Amateur Radio activities as part of the Shuttle
Amateur Radio EXperiment (SAREX). The project has flown on 19
previous shuttle flights since 1983.
The mission will be Commanded by Ken Cameron, KB5AWP, who previously
used ham radio from Atlantis during STS-37 in April 1991 and from
the Shuttle Discovery during STS-56 in April 1993. This will be the
third mission Ken has flown where the entire crew are licensed radio
amateurs. The other members include Mission Specialist Jerry Ross,
N5SCW, who was also member of STS-37 SAREX crew, and operated ham
radio aboard the STS-55 Columbia mission in April/May 1993; and
Mission Specialist Bill McArthur, KC5ACR who used ham radio aboard
the Shuttle Columbia during STS-58 in October/November 1993. Two of
the crew members have just recently earned Amateur Radio licenses.
They are NASA astronaut James Halsell, KC5RNI and Canadian Space
Agency astronaut Chris Hadfield, KC5RNJ. Halsell will serve as the
shuttle's Pilot, and Hadfield is a Mission Specialist.
During the flight, the shuttle astronauts have scheduled contacts
with 5 schools from around the US. SAREX general voice contacts are
expected to commence after a rendezvous and docking with the Russian
Mir Space Station has occurred on November 14. There will not be any
packet radio activity for this mission.
The shuttle is scheduled to land at the Kennedy Space Center in
Florida at about 1828 UTC on November 19.
WHEN: Launch is scheduled for November 11, 1995 at 1256 UTC (7:56 AM
EST) from the Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral, Florida. Landing
is scheduled for November 19, 1995 at 1828 UTC (1:28 PM EST) at the
Kennedy Space Center, Florida. 8 day, 5 hour mission.
WHERE: The launch will place the shuttle into Earth orbit at an
altitude of 196-245 statute miles (315-394 km) and an inclination of
51.6 degrees.
WHY: NASA's intent in making astronauts available for SAREX
operations is to involve the largest possible numbers of people,
particularly students, in technology and the US space program with
the help of Amateur Radio.
During SAREX missions, the astronauts will typically make the
following types of Amateur Radio contacts:
Scheduled radio contacts with schools.
Random radio contacts with the Amateur Radio community.
Personal contacts with the astronauts' families.
CREW MEMBERS (and Amateur Radio call signs):
Kenneth D. Cameron, Commander, KB5AWP
James Donald Halsell, Jr., Pilot, KC5RNI
Jerry L. Ross, Mission Specialist 1, N5SCW
William Surles McArthur, Jr., Mission Specialist 2, KC5ACR
Chris Hadfield, Mission Specialist 3, KC5RNJ
PAYLOAD: Primary Payload--Docking Module
The Space Shuttle Atlantis makes its second trip to the Russian
Space Station Mir during this mission, this time to install a
permanent docking module that will simplify future shuttle link ups
to the Russian complex. The target Mir docking date is November 14.
STS-74 is the second of seven shuttle flights to Mir. This effort,
known as Phase 1, is the precursor to building the International
Space Station. This information taken from the NASA STS-74 Mission
Summary, 12/14/94.
Additional STS-74 mission information can be obtained from NASA:
NASA Spacelink computer information system (look under
Spacelink.Hot.Topics)
BBS: (205) 895-0028 VT-100, 8-N-1
Telnet, FTP, and Gopher: spacelink.msfc.nasa.gov
World Wide Web: http://spacelink.msfc.nasa.gov
Internet TCP/IP address: 192.149.89.61
NASA Shuttle World Wide Web Home Page: http://shuttle.nasa.gov
SAREX SPONSORS: The Shuttle Amateur Radio EXperiment (SAREX) is
sponsored by the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), The Radio
Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT) and The National Aeronautics
and Space Administration (NASA). SAREX is supported by the Federal
Communications Commission (FCC).
PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS: A handful of schools are selected from around
the world to make contact with the shuttle during most SAREX
missions. These contacts are prearranged, giving the schools a
greater chance at making a successful contact. Two or more students
at each of the selected schools ask questions of the astronauts
during the contact. The nature of these contacts embodies the
primary goal of SAREX--to excite students' interest in learning.
The following schools have been selected by the SAREX Working Group
for a scheduled radio contact during this mission:
Franklin Junior High School
Pocatello, ID
Connecticut-area schools (combined-effort)
Bedford Middle School (contact site), Westport
Coleytown Middle School, Westport
Western Middle School, Greenwich
Saxe Middle School, New Canaan
Columbus Magnet School, Norwalk
Lake Street Elementary School
Crown Point, IN
Round Lake area schools
Magee Middle School (contact site)
Round Lake Hts., IL
Quimby Oak Junior High School
San Jose, CA
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR AMATEUR RADIO OPERATORS-
SAREX RADIO FREQUENCIES: During most SAREX missions, many of the
crew members will make random contacts with earth-bound hams. They
make these contacts during their breaks, before and after meal time,
and during their pre-sleep time. In fact, over the past years the
astronauts have contacted thousands of amateurs around the world.
Since this flight is a shuttle-Mir docking mission, and SAREX and
Mir Amateur Radio stations usually share the same downlink frequency
(145.55 MHz), the SAREX Working Group has decided to use the
following frequencies during this mission.
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.
FM Voice Downlink: 145.84 MHz
FM Voice Uplink: 144.45, 144.47 MHz
The crew will not favor either 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's station is on-the-air.
CALL SIGNS:
FM voice call signs--KB5AWP, KC5NRI, N5SCW, KC5ACR, and KC5RNJ
QSL VIA: Send reports and QSLs to ARRL EAD, STS-74 QSL, 225 Main
Street, Newington, CT 06111-1494, USA. Include the following
information in your QSL or report: STS-74, date, time in UTC,
frequency and mode (FM voice). In addition, you must also include a
SASE using a large, business-sized envelope if you wish to receive a
card. The Greater Norwalk Amateur Radio Club in Norwalk, CT has
generously volunteered to manage the cards for this mission.
SHUTTLE TRACKING: Current Keplerian elements to track the shuttle are
available from the following sources:
NASA Spacelink computer information system
BBS: (205) 895-0028 VT-100, 8-N-1
Telnet, FTP, and Gopher: spacelink.msfc.nasa.gov
World Wide Web: http://spacelink.msfc.nasa.gov
Internet TCP/IP address: 192.149.89.61
NASA SAREX WWW Home Page:
http://www.nasa.gov/sarex/sarexmainpage.html
ARRL
W1AW news bulletins (frequencies and times listed under
''FOR FURTHER INFORMATION'')
BBS: (860) 594-0306
World Wide Web: http://www.arrl.org
AMSAT
World Wide Web: http://www.amsat.org
Johnson Space Center Amateur Radio Club
BBS: (713) 244-5625
Goddard Amateur Radio Club
BBS: (301) 286-4137
World Wide Web: http://garc.gsfc.nasa.gov/www/garc-home-
page.html
Packet: WA3NAN on 145.090 MHz in DC area
CONFIGURATION: During STS-74, the SAREX hardware will be flown in
configuration M. Configuration M uses the shuttle/Mir VHF radio for
FM voice radio contacts.
During final approaches to the Mir Space Station, a VHF radio is
used by the shuttle Commander to radio the Mir crew by ship-to-ship
communications, providing shuttle status and keeping them informed
of major events from that point on, including confirmation of
contact, capture and conclusion of damping. This same VHF radio is
used by the crew for SAREX activities during shuttle/Mir docking
missions.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:
Contact the American Radio Relay League
Educational Activities Department
225 Main Street, Newington CT 06111-1494 USA
Telephone (860) 594-0301, FAX (860) 594-0259, ARRL BBS (860) 594-0306
Internet sarexarrl.org
World Wide Web http://www.arrl.org/
CompuServe 70007,3373
Prodigy PTYS02A
America Online HQARRL1
ARRL's (Newington, CT) Amateur Radio station (call sign W1AW)
transmits news bulletins (9:45 PM, 12:45 AM EST) on HF bands at
1.855, 3.99, 7.29, 14.29, 18.16, 21.39, 28.59 and in the Connecticut
area on VHF at 147.555 MHz. W1AW bulletins are also forwarded on
packet.
Members of the Goddard Amateur Radio Club (Greenbelt, MD)
re-transmit live, shuttle air-to-ground audio over the amateur
frequencies from their club station, WA3NAN. To listen-in, tune to
Amateur Radio high frequency (HF) bands at 3.86, 7.185, 14.295,
21.395, and 28.65 megahertz (MHz) and in the Maryland/DC area on a
very high frequency (VHF) band at 147.45 MHz.
The ''SAREX Bulletin'' contains additional general information on
SAREX. This document may be obtained electronically from many of the
popular on-line electronic services.
The American Radio Relay League
Newington, CT
USA
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