SB SPACE @ ARL $ARLS011
ARLS011 Shuttle Astronauts On-The-Air
 
ZCZC AS90  
QST de W1AW  
Space Bulletin 011  ARLS011
From ARRL Headquarters  
Newington, CT  July 14, 1995
To all radio amateurs
 
SB SPACE ARL ARLS011
ARLS011 Shuttle Astronauts On-The-Air
 
NASA astronauts successfully setup the Amateur Radio equipment
aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery on Friday morning. During a test
pass, volunteers at the Johnson Space Center Amateur Radio Club
station, W5RRR, made contact with the crew as the shuttle orbited
over Houston, Texas. Astronaut Don Thomas, KC5FVF said ''Tell
everyone hello and thanks to all of the SAREX volunteers, who are
doing really great work.'' Don began calling CQ right after the test
pass and began working other stations.
 
The crew may make random contacts with many amateurs throughout this
mission, which ends on July 21. The educational nature of these
contacts makes this activity exciting for amateurs and school
children around the world. To avoid causing interference to other
stations, SAREX participants should operate only when the shuttle is
within range and the astronauts are on-the-air. Non-participants are
asked to be patient, as shuttle passes are short and usually occur
only a few times each day.
 
The following frequencies can be used to make contact with the
shuttle astronauts. The crew will use separate receive and transmit
frequencies. The worldwide FM voice downlink is 145.55 MHz. Please
do not transmit on the shuttle's downlink frequency. The downlink is
your receiving frequency. The uplink is your transmitting frequency.
The voice uplink frequencies are 144.91, 144.93, 144.95, 144.97, and
144.99 MHz. In Europe, the uplink frequencies are 144.70, 144.75,
and 144.80 MHz. Look for Don, KC5FVF and Mission Specialist Nancy
Sherlock Curie, KC5OZX. The crew may also operate packet in an
''unattended'' mode, allowing amateurs to make contacts with the
shuttle's ROBOT station when the crew is working or sleeping. The FM
packet downlink frequency is 145.55 MHz. The packet uplink frequency
is 144.49 MHz. The ROBOT call sign is W5RRR-1.
 
Send reports and QSLs to ARRL EAD, STS-70 QSL, 225 Main Street,
Newington, CT 06111-1494, USA. Include the following information in
your QSL or report: mission STS-70, date, 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. The Sterling Park Amateur Radio Club in Sterling, VA has
generously volunteered to manage the cards for this mission.
 
Thanks to the SAREX Working Group for the preceding information. The
Shuttle Amateur Radio EXperiment is sponsored by AMSAT, ARRL and
NASA.

NNNN
/EX