Space Shuttle / ISS (STS-131)

[drewyn]

Hey Guys,

I have been trying to scan the space shuttle and ISS every time it goes up with little success, has anyone got any tips and frequencies they could share? Tracking isn't a problem, but I have never hit on the right frequency.


I have an ICOM PCR2500 with a long wire antenna and am in the Brisbane area,

Cheers

[Switch Team]

If you want to listen to this or track it you can go here via live NASA TV for mission control you have to run the windows media player on the site.

http://www.switchbanks.com.au/astronomy.html

Also the software has some great tracking tools for where it is... as well as mapping within the outer regions of space.

Not sure about scanning NASA - I gather your location and reciever is brillant.

The updated live position of Space Shuttle / ISS (STS-131)is here in real time - at 2.40pm EST we located over Kazakhstan heading to Mongolia


Latitude: 51.79°
Longitude: 67.51°
Right Ascension: 18h 22m 28s
Declination: 50° 23' 54''
Azimuth: 319.12°
Elevation: -53.34°
Altitude [km]: 330.87
Altitude [miles]: 205.59
Speed [km/s]: 7.4
Speed [miles/s]: 4.6


http://www.n2yo.com/

Kind regards

Switch

[Switch Team]

Scanning Live codes
Space Shuttle & Mir Frequencies

Space shuttle communications have been relayed on shortwave at NASA bases. These are in single sideband (SSB), and the frequencies to look for are

WA3NAN at the
Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland
3862
7185
14295
21395
28650 kHz

Johnson Space Center in Texas
3840
14280
21350
28495 kHz

Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California.
3840
21280 kHz

Here are some reported frequencies connected with the shuttle missions:

Shortwave (SSB):

Western Test Range
5700
13218

Eastern Test Range
5190

NASA Tracking Ships
5180
5187

Launch Support Ships
11104
19303

NASA Kennedy Operations
7675

USAF Cape Radio
6837
6896
11414
11548
19640
23413

Shuttle)Mission Control
11201

NASA Ascension Island tracking
20186

NASA CB Radios
27065

Military aircraft emergency frequency
243.0 MHz

Primary shuttle communications
259.7

Shuttle space suits
279.0

Primary UHF downlink
296.0

Air to ground or orbiter-to-suit
296.8

S Band (Wideband FM) via TDRS satellites:


NASA downlink in Mhz.
2217.5
2250.0
2287.5

Primary digital downlink
2287.5

North American satellite TV monitors can watch live video from the shuttle missions via NASA Select on Satcom 2R transponder 13.

A voice TV schedule update can be heard by calling American telephone number 1-202-755-1788. Missions with German astronauts may be relayed on one of the Kopernikus satellites to Europe. Space launches may also be carried on Intelsat 504 at 31.4 degrees West, on 11.133 GHz.

MIR

The former Soviet MIR space station can easily be heard with its powerful FM signals on 143.625 MHz, but this channel is now only being used over Europe, when the station is in range of the ground station in the Crimea. Funding cuts dictated that the communications ships off Sable Island, Madeira, etc., which were relaying MIR by shortwave, are no longer operational. Voice communications have also been reported on 143.42 and 142.42 MHz, as well as a beacon on 121.75 MHz. Data communications from MIR have been heard on 166.130 (or possibly 165.875) MHz. Other frequencies reported from the former Soviet space program are:

Soyuz T-11 space vehicle telemetry
20008 kHz

Soyuz T-11 voice communications
142.423 MHz

Soyuz TM-3 and TM-4
121.750

Progress 7 supply ship
166.000


When out of range of the CIS ground stations, MIR communications are now often relayed through the "Luch" or "Altair" transponder systems of CIS geostationary satellites. The Soviet satellite tracking network is called SDRN, the Satellite Data Relay Network.

Downlinks are on 10.8, 11.3, and 13.7 GHz. The relay most used over Europe is via the satellite at 16 degrees West listed as ZSSRT-2 (an abbreviation of the Russian words "Zemlya S Sputnik Radio Translator", meaning "Western geostationary satellite transponder"). There is also an eastern relay at 167 degrees East.

The SECAM color signals from MIR are listed at 10.835 GHz, but are actually carried at 10.829 GHz (unfortunately just below the range of most satellite TVRO receivers). Monitors can look for the satellite by tuning in to the strong data signals on 11.375 GHz, which can often be seen as flashing lines on the screen.

Voice signals from MIR can be heard near the TV frequency, on a 300 kHz SSB subcarrier, but only when no TV signals are being relayed. MIR video has also been reported on the Ghorizont at 11 degrees West, on 11.525 GHz. The Molniya satellites are also used for relaying manned space voice communications.


Shuttle Frequencies Used During Mission
Frequency MHz Modulation Remarks
121.750 FM Shuttle-Mir during rendezvous/docking/undocking
139.300 FM Shuttle-Mir
143.600 FM Shuttle-Mir
145.840 FM SAREX Amateur Downlink
259.700 AM Shuttle Voice (see note 1)
296.800 AM Air-to-ground & Orbiter to EVA-Suit
279.000 AM EVA-Suit-to-EVA-Suit & Orbiter to EVA-Suit
243.000 AM Standard UHF Mil emergency Freq.
2217.500 Digital Secondary Digital Downlink
2250.000 WFM TV During Orbit (voice can be heard here)
2287.500 Digital Primary Digital Downlink
Whiskey X-ray Yankee Zulu
Channel 1: Fleet Broadcast Channels
250.350 250.450 250.550 250.650

Channel 2: 500 kHz Wideband Channels
263.55-264.05 260.35-260.85 261.45-261.95 262.05-262.55

Channels 3-8: 25-kHz Navy Relay Channels
ch. 3 251.850 251.950 252.050 252.150
ch. 4 253.550 253.650 253.750 253.850
ch. 5 255.250 255.350 255.450 255.550
ch. 6 256.850 256.950 257.050 257.150
ch. 7 258.350 258.450 258.550 258.650
ch. 8 265.250 265.350 265.450 265.550

Channels 9-13: AFSATCOM Narrowband Channels
ch. 9 243.855 243.955 244.055 244.155
ch. 10 243.860 243.960 244.060 244.160
ch. 11 243.875 243.975 244.075 244.175
ch. 12 243.900 244.000 244.100 244.200
ch. 13 243.910 244.010 244.110 244.210

LEASAT Channel Characteristics

Channel Type No. Bandwidth (kHz) EIRP* (dBw) G/T* (dB/K)
Relay 6 25 26 -18
Wideband 1 500 28 -18
Narrowband 5 5 16.5 -18
Fleet Broadcast 1 Onboard Processing 26 -20
*Specific minimum values over the coverage areas for the full service period.

Current Information on Leasat Constellation

Satellite Orbital International SSC Launch
Location Designator No. Date

TX Houston 146.640 today W5RRR NASA/JSC ARC -Shuttle & ISS Audio
TX Houston 171.150 4 april 2010 NASA/JSC

http://www.switchbanks.com.au/scanneraust.html

Switch Team

[Comint]

Hey Guys,

I have been trying to scan the space shuttle and ISS every time it goes up with little success, has anyone got any tips and frequencies they could share? Tracking isn't a problem, but I have never hit on the right frequency.


I have an ICOM PCR2500 with a long wire antenna and am in the Brisbane area,

Cheers

The Shuttle itself does not operate on HF frequencies, so you are not going to get much with a long wire.
Look at using antennas such as Turnstiles or Lindenblads cut for VHF (140 - 150 MHz) and UHF (200 - 300 MHz).

--
Comint

[bodyguard]

or use a 1/4w dipole for 144mhz
Have spoken to Mir a number of times & sent data to them 18years ago with only 5w from a handheld and the above aerial.

[Comint]

The MIR Space Station was deliberately de-orbited in March 2001, and disintegrated on re-entry.

--
Comint

[bodyguard]

The MIR Space Station was deliberately de-orbited in March 2001, and disintegrated on re-entry.

--
Comint

cheers Comint
I often wondered what happened to it

[drewyn]

Thanks guys I appreciate your help... I will check out the shed to see if I have any dipoles, I know I have one low VHF (80MHz ish), might be able to trim it down with a few calcs..... failing that I might have to knock one of those turnstyle antennas up, I should have enough crap lying around lol...

I will let you know how i go..

Cheers

[Switch Team]

You are correct regarding MIR - but believe it or not ....they still use those FREQ's via worldnet Z CZ russia & upload tracking intranet via and Syscyma *static mgx online at 2130.32005 pksd^ output still ok - more likely to recieve sub's and military .... secondly tracking via the other site is correct and in real time [NYO] . I still track every minute with all the live satellites across the world - pinging response and sensitive anomolies still accurate to 1/100 of a nanosecond and without discombobulation.

MIR was a great thing to scan into back then...... and your lucky bodyguard to have that TECH equip as well.... seems that the whole scanning devices have changed...... the old equip is still the best due to no era alert data chips at which are installed now.

I was always listening to live mobile phone calls [trust me some people are weird/sick *^%##%'s on the mobile] or wireless phones at which were picked up via the scanning system ... how times have changed as they have built in now a new era chip reader to eliminate this due to threat of being sued.

But there is always a way around this ..............



Switch

[bodyguard]

You are correct regarding MIR - but believe it or not ....they still use those FREQ's via worldnet Z CZ russia & upload tracking intranet via and Syscyma *static mgx online at 2130.32005 pksd^ output still ok - more likely to recieve sub's and military .... secondly tracking via the other site is correct and in real time [NYO] . I still track every minute with all the live satellites across the world - pinging response and sensitive anomolies still accurate to 1/100 of a nanosecond and without discombobulation.

MIR was a great thing to scan into back then...... and your lucky bodyguard to have that TECH equip as well.... seems that the whole scanning devices have changed...... the old equip is still the best due to no era alert data chips at which are installed now.

I was always listening to live mobile phone calls [trust me some people are weird/sick *^%##%'s on the mobile] or wireless phones at which were picked up via the scanning system ... how times have changed as they have built in now a new era chip reader to eliminate this due to threat of being sued.

But there is always a way around this ..............



Switch

ahh yes the old CDMA phones, ours in NZ operated on about 840mhz to 890mhz, they were fun to listen to. So many domestics happening and the lovey dovey what I want to do to you stuff. And the the older portable home phones that operated in the 35mhz-40mhz bands. I use to hook up the 1/2wave 26mhz aerial to the scanner to get complete coverage of the neighbourhood......ahh the memories

[vk-kev]

Hi all,

the following url is for a page at the ISS Fan Club for all relevant ISS frequencies.

http://www.issfanclub.com/frequencies

It includes telem as well, and space suit channels.

This one still needs to be confirmed,
922.76 Progress CW (morse code) telemetry. Soyuz-TM and Progress M1 beacon.

So do some others mentioned.