SB SPACE @ ARL $ARLS005
ARLS005 Last shuttle SAREX mission is in space!
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Space Bulletin 005 ARLS005
From ARRL Headquarters
Newington, CT July 23, 1999
To all radio amateurs
SB SPACE ARL ARLS005
ARLS005 Last shuttle SAREX mission is in space!
The third time was the charm for shuttle Columbia mission
STS-93--the last shuttle that will carry the Space Amateur Radio
EXperiment. Future Amateur Radio in space activities will involve
the International Space Station.
After a faulty sensor Tuesday and thunderstorms Thursday prevented
Columbia from blasting off with Eileen Collins, KD5EDS, at the helm,
the shuttle took off early Friday, July 23, but not without a
glitch. Collins reported a fuel cell problem nine seconds after
liftoff. Some seven hours after launch, the STS-93 crew deployed the
world's most powerful X-ray telescope, the Chandra X-Ray
Observatory.
Collins is the first woman to lead a US space flight. In addition to
Collins, the STS-93 crew includes Pilot Jeffrey Ashby; and Mission
Specialists Cady Coleman, KC5ZTH; Steven Hawley; and Michel Tognini,
KD5EJZ, a French astronaut.
STS-93 carries the 25th SAREX payload, and students at five US
schools in Virginia, Texas, and Florida, have scheduled Amateur
Radio QSOs with the astronauts. Earthbound stations may be able to
listen to the astronaut side of the QSO on 145.80 MHz FM, but they
will not be able to transmit to them. If all goes as planned,
students at each school will get a chance to directly interview the
astronauts via the SAREX linkups. Typical passes last approximately
10 minutes.
The crew may have time for some random Amateur Radio contacts as
well. This crew prefers voice mode over packet, but the packet robot
will be on when the crew is occupied elsewhere. For all voice
contacts, stations should listen on the downlink for the crew to
call ''CQ.''
The downlink frequency to listen for the STS-93 crew is 145.80 MHz
FM. There are two uplink frequencies--144.47 and 144.45 MHz FM (over
Europe, the single uplink frequency is 144.49 MHz). The crew will
not favor either uplink frequency.
The packet robot downlink frequency is 145.80 MHz FM, and the uplink
is 144.49 MHz FM worldwide. The connect on packet should be to
W5RRR-1; stations will get a connect number if they are successful.
Stations are asked to make only one packet connect to let other
stations have a chance. The robot should never be used to connect to
another station. APRS UI frames are welcome. If you send an APRS
packet, once you see it digipeated, cancel your request to avoid
unnecessary QRM and keep your comments very brief.
The QSL route for random STS-93 SAREX contacts is care of Dan
Miller, K3UFG, ATTN: STS-93, ARRL, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111.
The Dayton Amateur Radio Association has volunteered to handle QSL
duties for this mission.
For updated information on STS-93, visit
http://garc.gsfc.nasa.gov/~kc6rol/sts93.html.
NNNN
/EX
