NASA now says the space shuttle Atlantis flight—mission STS-101--that will carry the initial Amateur Radio gear into space for the International Space Station will launch no earlier than February 10, 2000.
The flight transporting the VHF and UHF hand-held transceivers and associated antennas and accessories to the ISS had been scheduled to launch in December. NASA imposed a shuttle launch hiatus to perform electrical inspections of the entire shuttle fleet, however, disrupting the launch schedule. The inspections came in the wake of problems during the July launch of the shuttle Columbia, when astronauts and ground controllers struggled with power failures in computers controlling 2 of the orbiter’s 3 main engines.
“Our number one priority for the space shuttle is to fly safely, and that is why we delayed our launch preparations and have performed comprehensive wiring inspections and repairs,” Space Shuttle Program Manager Ron Dittemore said.
NASA and Russian space agency officials also have agreed to delay the launch of the Zvezda service module that will house the amateur gear. According to NASA, a US delegation and the Russians agreed that “it is no longer prudent to proceed with the current service module schedule.” The new projected launch window is between December 26 and January 16.
In August, key antenna hardware for the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station project headed for NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center to undergo integration and flight qualification testing. The initial ham gear will support amateur operation from the ISS on voice and AFSK packet on 2 meters and 70 cm.
For more information on ARISS, visit http://garc.gsfc.nasa.gov/~ariss/ariss.html.
A new site devoted to vanity call signs has appeared at http://www.carroll-usa.com/vanity/. Among other things, the site lets users find out if a call sign already has been submitted to the FCC, lists soon-to-be-available call signs, and includes a list of “creative” call signs. Michael E. Carroll, AA4BP, Huntsville, Alabama, is the Webmaster.- thanks to J. D. Delancy, K1ZAT
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Former ARRL Contest Branch Manager Billy Lunt, KR1R, lost his home in Tyringham, Massachusetts, in a fire September 8. No one was injured, and damage was estimated at $100,000, according to the Tyringham Fire Department. It’s believed the structure was uninsured. A fund has been established to assist Billy Lunt and his family. Donations made payable to “Tyringham Fire Department” may be mailed to The Willard Lunt Fund, PO Box 319, Tyringham, MA 01264. For more info, contact Molly Curtin- Schaefer at the town office, 413-243-1749.
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The FCC has announced that the maximum Amateur Radio examination fee reimbursement that Volunteer Examiners and Volunteer Examiner Coordinators can collect during calendar year 2000 is $6.66. The ARRL/VEC has set its 2000 test fee at $6.65. Per ARRL-VEC policy, there is no examination charge for those taking only Elements 1A or 2. A $6.65 fee will be collected from applicants seeking to upgrade using a physician’s certification to waive the Morse code examination.
The “other” Dave Sumner, KD7DS, points out that someone at the FCC must have had a great sense of humor when they came up with FCC Legal Adviser for Enforcement Riley Hollingsworth’s new title under the FCC reorganization. Hollingsworth—who’s K4ZDH—will become Special Counsel for Amateur Radio Enforcement—or SCARE if you’re into the sorts of acronyms our government seems to love. The FCC’s new Enforcement and Consumer Information bureaus become effective November 8, along with Hollingsworth’s scary new title. Just back from a visit to a hamfest appearance in St Paul, Minnesota, Hollingsworth reacted to the frightful acronym by declaring: “Wow, I hadn’t thought of that!” (Guess it wasn’t his idea, then; maybe it was someone’s Halloween prank)--thanks to Dave Sumner, KD7DS
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Knowledgeable sources in Washington say the amateur license restructuring issue has moved to the front burner at the FCC, and a Report and Order could be released before the end of 1999.
The Amateur Radio community has been awaiting license restructuring—known officially as the 1998 Biennial Regulatory Review of Part 97 (WT Docket 98-143)--for nearly one year now. While no one has mentioned a hard-and-fast date to wrap up the long-awaited proceeding, reports from several sources suggest that the R&O draft is in its final stages and could be complete within a month or so.
During a recent a visit to top FCC officials in Washington, League officials pressed again for early action on the license restructuring rulemaking. They were assured that the issue was not stalled and that the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau was “working very actively” to move restructuring along.
Whatever its final form—and no one has hinted at that—license restructuring poses significant implications for Amateur Radio and its future direction and growth. On August 10, 1998, the FCC proposed to phase out the Novice and Technician Plus licenses, leaving just four amateur license classes in place—Technician, General, Advanced, and Extra. The Commission also asked the amateur community to express its opinions on Morse code requirements for licensing and testing, but offered no specific recommendations.
At its July 1998 meeting, the ARRL Board of Directors—attempting to get the jump on restructuring—issued its own plan to restyle Amateur Radio. Among other details, the ARRL plan also calls for four license classes and for “refarming” Novice/Tech Plus subbands to provide additional spectrum for higher-class operators. Under the League plan, the Technician license remains unchanged, and the General becomes the entry-level ticket to HF operation. The ARRL proposed Morse code requirements of 5 WPM for General and 12 WPM for Advanced and Extra class.
The restructuring debate generated more than 2200 comments to the FCC, many of them from individual amateurs. Once the FCC approves the Report & Order, a Public Notice will be issued, and the actual R&O will be released probably within a few days.
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