ISS Packet System changes call sign for Mail box - ISS to Change Frequency for APRS test - Mail from Commander Valery Korzun on ISS - Shuttle Launched

By Miles Mann WF1F,
MAREX-NA News
Manned Amateur Radio Experiment, North American Division

The ARISS team has agreed to a limited test of the ISS packet system as a
dual-hop constellation with PCsat. This means that the ISS packet system will be temporarily QSY'ed to the 145.825 MHz simplex frequency of the PCsat digipeater so that the two satellites can operate together.

On the 1711 EDT pass I had a very good conversation with Cmdr . Korzun and he is looking forward to the arrival of the STS-112. He said it will keep them very busy with the 3 EVAs' that are planned. He was making many contacts in the US and also Canada. Arthur N1ORC

Packet Mail problem
Shuttle Launch expected
MAREX-NA News
Manned Amateur Radio Experiment, North American Division
By Miles Mann WF1F,

Space Shuttle Atlantis mission STS-12 is en
route to the International Space Station.
Launch's happened today October 7, 2002 at 19:46 UTC.

Hello, I have prepared as always a page with information and images about the incoming Shuttle mission STS-112. Countdown and other can be found here at SpaceOnLine Satellite News

With Houston's Mission Control Center (MCC) back in operation, the
deliberate power up of the International Space Station is proceeding as
planned.

ISS astronaut Susan Helms,kc7nhz,who was very active on ham radio from the International Space Station, has left NASA and returned to her primary job as an Air Force Colonel.

The German amateur satellite organization, AMSAT-DL, has proposed sending an amateur radio satellite to Mars!

As envisioned, the satellite would be a "mother ship" for launching smaller probes that would transmit back information about the Martian atmosphere and surface,as well as a repeater that would beam that information back to earth.

For more information, see the AMSAT-DL website at http://www.amsat-dl.org/p5a/p5a-to-mars.pdf

I just talked with Valery Korzun and he says the Shuttle launch will occur on Monday and all is going well and no problem.

Mission Control had been shut down earlier in the week due to the potential threat from Hurricane Lili but it is ready to support countdown activities Sunday.