UPDATE

NASA TV to air clean feed of Endeavour's STS-126 countdown.

NASA Television will provide a continuous clean video feed on its Media Channel of space shuttle Endeavour in the hours before its 7:55 p.m. EST liftoff on November 14.

Beginning at 2:30 p.m., video will show one stationary wide shot of Endeavour on Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The feed will include live audio of communications between launch controllers and the shuttle but not the commentary airing on NASA TV's Public Channel. NASA TV commentary will air on both channels beginning approximately nine minutes before the scheduled launch time at the conclusion of what is known as the T minus 9 minute hold in the launch countdown.

During the shuttle's 15-day STS-126 mission to the International Space Station, the crew will deliver supplies and equipment necessary to double the station crew size from three to six members and conduct four spacewalks.

For NASA TV's downlink coordinates, streaming video and scheduling information, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

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Historic QSO

On 14th November, the next launch of the space shuttle
Endeavour is scheduled to take place. This is almost 25
years to the day after a famous QSO took place between
the IRTS headquarters station and Owen Garriot(W5LFL)
aboard the space shuttle Columbia. This was the first
amateur radio operation from space. Mike Staunton
(EI3DY) was at the microphone at EI0RTS when contact
was made on two-metres. The station was set up
especially for the occasion at the RTE museum, then
located in Rathmines. Unfortunately, the Columbia
disintegrated on re-entry to earth's atmosphere in
February 2003 killing all seven aboard.

Two events took place recently which brought to mind
that famous QSO in 1983. Own Garriot's son Richard was
recently a fare-paying space tourist when he spent 12
days aboard the International Space Station. However,
on 25th October members of SDR, including Mike (EI3DY)
paid a visit to EI0MAR at the vintage radio museum in
Howth which has a recording of that famous EI0RTS QSO
with the Shuttle from 1983. Tony, EI5EM played the
recording to the gathering, following which, Mike
received a spontaneous round of applause.

Tony hopes to have that recording on youtube by the
time this news is broadcast. Key search words will be
ei0rts, ei3dy, irts and columbia. The museum in Howth
has now reverted to winter opening hours 11-4 on
Saturdays and Sundays. If any groups or clubs would
like to visit the museum they can email tony@ei0mar.org
or through the museum's web page www.ei0mar.org.
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Shuttle Launch STS-126

The next shuttle launch is scheduled for the 14th of
November, This mission will have four amateur radio
operators onboard. It will be Piloted by Eric Boe and
Mission Specialist Donald Pettit, KD5MDT, Steve Bowen,
Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper, KD5TVR, Shane Kimbrough,
KE5HOD and Sandra Magnus, KE5FYE. Magnus will replace
space station crew member Greg Chamitoff, KD5PKZ, who
has been aboard the station for more than five months.
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Cross band Repeater on board THE I.S.S.

Astronaut Mike Fincke, KE5AIT has turned on the cross
band repeater on board the International Space Station
and early reports indicate that its coverage is quite
good to those within its ever shifting radio range.

The world-wide frequencies are 437.80 MHz as your
uplink while you listen on 145.80 MHz as the downlink
or output channel. Operation is similar to working the
Amsat Oscar 51 satellite or any ground-based cross band
system. The big difference is that in this case you
literally talk through the repeater on board the I-S-S
to other hams within range of the I-S-S radio footprint
on the ground.

How long the cross band repeater will remain in
operation is not known. 145.8 MHz is also used for
normal QSO's and school contacts, you can expect it to
be off during those times. Also, the cross band
repeater uses the cross band repeat function of the
on-board Kenwood D 700 radio. This unit is also used
for other on-orbit ham radio operations and during
those periods the repeater will likely be off line.
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Chinese Amateur Radio Satellite Update

The XW-1 will be launched into a Sun synchronous orbit
to an altitude: 499 kilometres with an inclination of
98 degrees and an orbital period of 94 minutes. It will
be powered by a 16 amp hour Lithium Ion battery that
will recharge off solar cells that will be a part of
the spacecraft.

XW-1's ham radio payload will consist of a Morse beacon
operating at 435 MHz plus a linear transponder for 2
meter and 70 centimetre operations and an FM repeater
operating cross band from 2 meters also up to 70
centimetres. A digital store and forward transponder on
these same bands round out the gear which Chen says
will way in at 5 point 2 kilograms. That come out to be
about 11 pounds.
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