ISSCOM 25 March 2002 (025)

The long periods between ISSCOM publications do not mean that I refrained from regular monitoring radio traffic. For my geographical position in The Hague, the Netherlands, I am fully dependent on that what is transmitted from the Russian segments Zarya (telemetry) and Zvezda ( voice, telemetry , radio amateur traffic). This means that mostly Onufrienko can be heard via 143.625 mc during conversations with Tsup-Moscow. Almost always his subjects are related to routine technical matters. Recently about computer problems, like those in the last years on board of MIR, but the crew quickly solved these. A lot of attention had to be given to the air in the mini atmosphere on board and life systems, Elektron (oxygen generator) and the Vozdukh (CO-2 scrubber).

On behalf of the crew of the ISS Onufrienko transmitted on 3.03.02 a long congratulations message to the last of the Mohicans of the famous group of designers, Boris Yevsyevich Chertok for his 90th birthday.
In September 2000 I had a long conversation with this unbelievably clever scientist during which I got answers on a lot of questions about the complicated situation of Soviet space program in the very beginning. (Everybody who might be interested in this interview can send me an E-mail for a copy).

After the installation of a new radio amateur antenna during an EVA not long ago, there is again radio amateur traffic, now and then voice, but mostly the ISS is used for the relay of Packet Radio messages.
For this purpose strong signals can be monitored via 145.800 mc. In the past a P/R modem or interface was needed to handle the P/R signals, but thanks to the Greek radio amateur SV2AGW, who carried out experiments based on the Baycom program, a modem or interface is no longer needed.

Regretfully I thus far did not monitor much voice traffic, for which also the 145.800 mc is used for downlink. For uplink the 145.990 mc is available.

Progress-M1-7: To free the docking port for the freighter Progress-M1-8 the '7' undocked from the ISS on 19.3.02 at 1743UTC. The '7' also served as a launch platform for the scientific micro-satellite Kolibri-2000. This happened after the undocking of the '7' at 2228UTC when the '7' was at a distance of approx. 60 KM-s from ISS.

Pr-M1-7 got the de-orbit burn on 20.03.02 at 0127UTC and burnt up in the atmosphere over the Pacific.

Kolibri: This micro-satellite will be used for comparative studies of near Earth space over Europe and Australia and for investigations of the Earth's radiation belts and the Earth's magnetosphere during solar flares. For transmissions of data the frequency bands 145/435 mc will used.
Thus far, I nor some interested friends did hear anything on the published frequency 145.825 mc. (Max White just reported that during tests in the next 2 weeks most of the time 435.335 mc will be used due to local interference in Russia on 145 mc)

Progress-M1-8: This freighter with equipment for the Soyuz mission to ISS and the usual cargo was launched from Baykonur on 21.03.02 at 20.13.36UTC.
This time the flight to the ISS lasted 3 instead of 2 days.

Communications: Just recovered from a severe influenza I needed my night's rest so that I had to use my time switch to monitor the telemetry transmissions of the ship. At about 4.5 hours after launch I picked up TLM signals via 166.130 mc on 22.03.02 at about 0050UTC.

The following night I could again bear the lack of sleep and on 22.03 between 23.32.58 and 2342UTC I monitored Telemetry as well as beacon signals myself:

23.32.58UTC Telemetry on 166.144.9 mc begins.

23.33.38UTC Begin of monitoring beacon transmissions via 922.784.9 mc.

23.37.04UTC TCA (922.755 mc) for my position in The Hague, the Netherlands.

ISS communications on 23.03: During the pass of ISS in orbit 19074 I received between 2311 and 2321UTC Packet Radio via 145.800 mc from 23.15.30UTC and telemetry by Zvezda from 23.17.13UTC. TCA determined with zero beat on the

ISS communications on 23.03.02: During the pass of ISS in orbit 19074 I frequencies 628.125 and 630.125 mc.

Docking Progress-M1-8 at the ISS on 24.03.02 : During the first pass of Pr-M1-8, as well as the ISS in ISS orbit 19088 between 2043 and 2047UTC, the elevation for my position was only 2 degrees, but nevertheless I could hear that the radio traffic via 143.625 mc was related to the approach operation. During the pass Onufrienko reported data of that operation and that the distance changed from 147 tot 146 meters.

The docking was successfully executed on 24.03.02 at 20.57.57UTC.

During the next pass (orbit 19089, 2221-2226UTC) Onufrienko reported that they would continue to work according to instructions from TsUP-Moscow. The pass thereafter it was clear that the hatches between the Pr-M1-8 and the ISS had been opened. They had met some problems in finding the right key, but after some searching they opened the hatch with the key for the FGB/Progress (Zarya/Progress).

The last pass in which there was radio contact (orb. 19091, 0127-0137UTC) they transferred to the stand-by regime and wished each other good night. For me reason to jump into my bunk!

Chris van den Berg, NL-9165/A-UK3202