SB NEWS @ AMSAT $SPC1108
* SpaceNews 08-Nov-93 *
BID: $SPC1108


                    =========
                    SpaceNews
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             MONDAY NOVEMBER 8, 1993


SpaceNews originates at KD2BD in Wall Township, New Jersey, USA.  It is
published every week and is made available for unlimited distribution.


* MARS OBSERVER NEWS *
======================
Paula Cleggett-Haleim
Headquarters, Washington, D.C.            October 22, 1993

MARS OBSERVER INVESTIGATION BOARD STATUS REPORT

The Mars Observer Investigation Board held its third set of meetings,
Wednesday through Friday, October 20-22, in Washington, D.C.

Since the last set of board meetings, technical teams conducted reviews of
specific Mars Observer subsystems at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena,
California, and Martin Marietta Aerospace, East Windsor, New Jersey.

Plausible scenarios for what could have caused the loss of communication
with the Mars Observer spacecraft are still being developed and technically
challenged.

The board previously had recommended a program to attempt to activate the
Balloon Relay Experiment, an instrument onboard Mars Observer.  After several
attempts to activate the experiment, ground station engineers did not detect
any return signals.  The NASA Deep Space Network stationed at Goldstone,
California, and the Jodrell Bank Observatory, United Kingdom, were used.
Non-activation of the Balloon Relay Experiment leads the board to conclude
that a Mars Observer failure scenario involving only the spacecraft downlink
portion of the telecommunications system is highly unlikely.

In the coming weeks, the board will evaluate results of hardware and software
tests, and in some cases, computer simulations of various spacecraft
subsystems.

Late November is still the target timeframe for delivering a final report
to the NASA Administrator, who will make the report publicly available.

[Info via NASA]


* STS-58 FAREWELL MESSAGE *
===========================
The following packet radio beacon from Space Shuttle Columbia was received
by Dave, N6JLH in Northern California on 31-Oct-93:

W5RRR-1>SAREX <UI>:
This is STS-58 SAREX Robot station W5RRR-1
onboard the Space Shuttle Columbia.

W5RRR-1>QST <UI>:
73s from Columbia on our last day on orbit.  We have a beautiful planet.
Thanks for participating in this mission with us.
The STS-58 Crew.

[Info via N6JLH]


* TEXAS BALLOON LAUNCH *
========================
The fifth flight of the North Texas Balloon Project will be on 13-Nov-93
at 08:30 CDT from a yet to be decided launch point south of Fort Worth,
Texas.

On board for this flight will be a cross band voice repeater with an uplink
on 445.800 MHz, and a downlink on 147.580 MHz.  Also on board will be a GPS
satellite receiver linked to a packet transmitter.  This will allow ground
stations to 'see' where and how high the payload is.  The packet telemetry
downlink will be on 144.290 MHz, and ground stations may also digipeat
through this beacon using an uplink frequency of 145.890 MHz.  The callsign
for the digipeater is W5SJZ-6.

A launch net will be conducted on 7155 KHz starting about 60 minutes or so
prior to launch.  A local net will be conducted on 146.760 MHz for those in
the Fort Worth, Texas area.  Net Control callsign will be W5SJZ (Lockheed
Amateur Radio Club)

Reception reports are welcomed.  Please contact the mission coordinators on
the HF or VHF nets.  QSL cards will be available for all who send in
accurate reception reports on the high altitude balloon payload.

Questions regarding this mission should be directed to:

Ed, N5PQR @ N5AUX.#DFW.TX.USA.NOAM.

[Info via N5PQR]


* OSCAR-13 NEWS *
=================
*** AO-13 TRANSPONDER SCHEDULE ***  1993 Oct 25-Nov 15
Mode-B  : MA   0 to MA 130 !
Mode-BS : MA 130 to MA 180 !
Mode-S  : MA 180 to MA 205 !<- S transponder; B trsp. is OFF
Mode-S  : MA 205 to MA 210 !<- S beacon only
Mode-BS : MA 210 to MA 226 !        Alon/Alat 210/0
Omnis   : MA 240 to MA  80 !  Move to attitude 240/0, Nov 15
Please don't uplink to B, MA 180-205. Interferes with mode S.

*** AO-13 TRANSPONDER SCHEDULE ***  1993 Nov 15-Jan 31
Mode-B  : MA   0 to MA  95 !                   / Eclipses, max
Mode-B  : MA  95 to MA 180 ! OFF Dec 07 - 24. <  duration 136
Mode-B  : MA 180 to MA 220 !                   \ minutes.
Mode-S  : MA 220 to MA 230 !<- S transponder; B trsp. is OFF
Mode-BS : MA 230 to MA 226 !        Alon/Alat 240/0
Omnis   : MA 250 to MA 150 !  Move to attitude 180/0, Jan 31
Please don't uplink to B, MA 220-230. Interferes with mode S.

[Info via G3RUH]


* THANKS! *
===========
Thanks to all those who sent messages of appreciation regarding SpaceNews,
especially:

IW1CXZ    VU2LBW     K3GLK     N4TYS     AA6TA

* FEEDBACK/INPUT WELCOMED *
===========================
Mail to SpaceNews should be directed to the editor (John, KD2BD) via any
of the following paths:

FAX     :1-908-747-7107
PACKET  :KD2BD @ N2KZH.NJ.USA.NA
INTERNET:kd2bd@ka2qhd.ocpt.ccur.com  -or- kd2bd@amsat.org

MAIL:
John A. Magliacane, KD2BD
Department of Engineering and Technology
Advanced Technology Center
Brookdale Community College
Lincroft, NJ  07738
U.S.A.

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