International Space Station Communications ISSCOM.004 13 Dec 2000

In the period in which Shuttle Endeavour (STS-97) was docked at the ISS the VHF-channels 1 and 2, so resp. 143.625 and 130.165 mc, remained active. The crew of the Shuttle communicated via their own channels with Houston and the ISS crew, Shepherd, Gidzenko and Krikalyov used for voice traffic the VHF. The 2 Russians discussed technical matters with TsUP Moscow. (Repairs of lifesupport systems, like the Vozdukh CO2 scrubber, the Elektron oxygen generator etc.) The heavy workload caused problems. There was not enough time for physical trainings, rest etc. The work schedules in the so called forms 24 could not be executed in space. Even Shepherd was not happy that tasks lasting 30 hours had to be done in 18 hours.

Sometimes I had the impression that I was monitoring MIR-traffic again.

For those interested in communications here some information:

So the Exp-1 crew continues to use the VHF-1 and 2 channels . Sometimes both channels are active, also now and then 1 of them for service traffic by Packet Radio. Relayed by Moscow Shepherd regularly uses a VHF-channel for voice communications with TsUP Houston.

Monitoring traffic during the approach of the freighter Progress-M1-4 was very interesting. During the first pass of ISS and the Progress-M1 for my position Gidzenko reported that the approach had been broken off and that he was ready to take over the operation with the manual TORU system. (18.11.00 between 0251-0258UTC during the pass in ISS-orbit 11405).

One orbit later (0425-0435UTC) Progress-M1-4 had been docked at the nadir port of Zarya and Gidzenko and Krikalyov reported about the observation problems they experienced during the TORU operation.

Endeavour: On 1.12.2000 at 0325UTC so 19 minutes after the launch of this Shuttle, I could monitor Commander Brent Jett when he communicated to Houston via a tracking facility in Spain. This traffic took place via 259.700 mc AM-W.

Progress-M1-4 is flying autonomously waiting for a decision for a redocking with the purpose to check the Kurs automatic approach system. Thusfar I did not log any signals of Pr-M1-4 transmitters.

(Originally a redocking had been planned for 15.12.2000, but this has been put back until 26.12.2000 at about 11 or 12 UTC.)

On 9.12.2000 between 1901-1905UTC I monitored traffic via both VHF-channels while the telemetry transmitters 628.123.7 and 630.124.4 mc (Zvezda transmitters).

Chris van den Berg, NL-9165