SB SPACE @ ARL $ARLS014
ARLS014 STS-84 launch May 15
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Space Bulletin 014 ARLS014
From ARRL Headquarters
Newington, CT May 8, 1997
To all radio amateurs
SB SPACE ARL ARLS014
ARLS014 STS-84 launch May 15
NASA has set May 15 as the official launch date for space shuttle
Atlantis sixth docking with the Russian Mir space station and a trip
back home for ham-astronaut Jerry Linenger, KC5HBR. The STS-84
launch window opens at about 4:08 AM EDT on May 15. STS-84 is the
sixth in a series of docking missions between the shuttle and Mir
and the third involving the exchange of American astronauts.
Linenger, a Mir crew member since January 15, will swap places with
Michael Foale, KB5UAC, who will spend more than four months on the
station before returning to Earth on the STS-86 Atlantis/Mir docking
mission in September. Astronaut Wendy Lawrence, KC5KII, will
replace Foale in September.
Several other hams will be on the STS-84 crew. They include
Commander Charles Precourt, KB5YSQ, and Mission Specialists Edward
Lu, KC5WKJ, Carlos Noriega, KC5WKK, and Jean-Francois Clervoy,
KC5WKG.
Late last month, Linenger--more than 100 days into his four-month
research mission aboard Mir--conducted his first spacewalk. He was
joined by Mir Commander Vasily Tsibliev. It was the first time a US
astronaut conducted a spacewalk while wearing a Russian space suit.
Dave Larsen, N6CO, reports that Foale has received FCC approval to
speak with unlicensed third parties via ham radio during his stay on
Mir. Foale also has permission to use the German Space Amateur Funk
EXperiment (SAFEX) equipment on Mir in addition to the 2-meter gear.
The other STS-84 ham-astronauts also may use the Mir equipment
during the docking mission.
Matt Bordelon, KC5BTL, at Johnson Space Center, said Foale has
promised to keep the packet system on as much as possible. ''He
enjoys talking with people and looks forward to experimenting with
ham equipment onboard Mir,'' Bordelon said. Jay Apt, N5QWL, shares an
office with Foale, and Bordelon says Apt shared his experiences of
visiting the Mir station with Foale. ''Mike will be busy the first
few weeks onboard Mir, but after that he will be on-the-air,''
Bordelon said.
For more information on STS-84 (and pictures of Foale and Linenger),
check out NASA's shuttle Web site at
http://shuttle.nasa.gov/index.html/.
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