RSID: <<2019-08-22T23:31Z MFSK-32 @ 9265000+1500>>

Welcome to program 114 of Shortwave Radiogram.

I'm Kim Andrew Elliott in Arlington, Virginia USA.

Here is the lineup for today's program in MFSK modes as noted:

  1:37 MFSK32: Program preview (now)
  2:40 Indian spacecraft enters lunar orbit*
  7:33 MFSK64: Data rate increase for the ISS
10:53 This week's images*
27:56 MFSK32: Closing announcements

* with image(s)


Please send reception reports to radiogram@verizon.net

And visit http://swradiogram.net

Twitter: @SWRadiogram






From the Voice of America:

Unmanned Indian Probe Enters Lunar Orbit

VOA News
20 August 2019

An unmanned Indian space probe successfully entered lunar orbit
Tuesday, passing a crucial step towards a historic milestone for
the country's fledgling space program.

The arrival of the $141 million Chandrayaan-2 probe comes nearly
a month after it was launched into space aboard India's powerful
Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark Three rocket. The
probe will orbit the moon for two weeks before its Vikram lander
— named after Vikram Sarabhai, the scientist regarded as the
"father" of India's space program — will undock from the
mothership and land on the moon's South Pole. It will then
release a small rover dubbed Pragyan that will roam for 14 days,
mapping the moon's surface, conducting experiments to search for
signs of water and assessing its topography and geology.

If the planned September 7 landing is successful, India will join
the United States, Russia and China as the only nations to
achieve a soft landing of a spacecraft on the moon. It will also
become the first nation to attempt a controlled landing on the
moon's South Pole.

Although India was a relative latecomer to the space race, it has
developed a reputation for conducting its space explorations at a
fraction of the cost spent by countries like the United States.
It first placed an unmanned spacecraft in lunar orbit in 2008,
which helped confirm the presence of water on the lunar surface.

Among other goalposts India has set in the coming years is to put
a space station in orbit, an astronaut in space by 2022, a
robotic mission to Mars and a mission to explore the sun.

https://www.voanews.com/science-health/unmanned-indian-probe-enters-lunar-orbit

Mission updates:
https://www.isro.gov.in/chandrayaan2-latest-updates

Image: The Chandrayaan-2 lunar orbiter ...

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Shortwave Radiogram now changes to MFSK64 ...


 

RSID: <<2019-08-22T23:37Z MFSK-64 @ 9265000+1500>>


This is Shortwave Radiogram in MFSK64

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From NASA:

Data Rate Increase on the International Space Station Supports
Future Exploration

Matthew D. Peters
19 August 2019

NASA recently doubled the rate at which data from the
International Space Station returns to Earth, paving the way for
similar future upgrades on Gateway, NASA's upcoming outpost in
lunar orbit, and other exploration missions. This new data rate
will enable the space station to send back more science data
faster than ever before.

NASA's missions, both near and far, rely on quick and effective
communications to relay critical mission data to control centers
and scientists here on Earth. The station now supports a 600
megabit-per-second (Mbps) connection, doubling the amount of data
that the station can transmit and receive at a time.

"NASA's communications networks play a pivotal role in every NASA
mission, enabling data from human spaceflight, space and Earth
science research missions and technological demonstrations to
reach Earth for the benefit of humanity," said George Morrow, the
acting center director of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in
Greenbelt, Maryland. "This increase in data rate capability for
the International Space Station underlines our commitment to
provide high-quality operational services for NASA exploration
missions today and in the future."

The space station's unique environment allows astronauts to
conduct research that would not otherwise be possible on Earth.
These experiments and technology demonstrations are increasingly
reliant on high data rates between the station and researchers on
Earth. The work on the orbiting laboratory provides knowledge in
human research, experience in long-duration spaceflight, and
capabilities for technology demonstrations that may enable future
missions. With the data rate increase, the station can now
accommodate new experiments and technology demonstrations that
require higher resolution or more detailed data than was
previously possible.

The space station communicates with Earth through radio frequency
signals using a system of Tracking and Data Relay Satellites
(TDRS) and ground-based antennas called the Space Network. The
TDRS are placed in a high orbit above the Earth, over various
strategic locations so that they can relay data to the ground
from anywhere in orbit. Landlines then send the signal to various
NASA centers, and their computer systems turn the radio signal
back into readable data. To send data back, the process repeats
in the other direction. This happens with less than a one-second
delay in communication.

"This project demonstrated that advanced radio frequency
waveforms can be used efficiently to increase data rates and
improve performance for high-rate communication services," said
Risha George, the upgrade project lead for the Space Network.
"Operational use of these advanced waveforms proves that they can
also be used for future missions, such as on the Gateway, a small
spaceship that will orbit the Moon and provide a stepping stone
to human exploration on Mars."

Several components in this global communications system were
upgraded to support the increased data rate, including a new
digital ground architecture for the Space Network. Technicians
updated the space station's software-based modem, improved data
processors at various NASA centers, and enhanced routers,
interfaces and other equipment and software at the ground
stations. The circuits and bandwidth of the terrestrial data
lines between the various Earth-based components were also
upgraded. The team then performed extensive testing to ensure the
upgrades worked correctly. All of this was done while still
providing real-time support to the more than 40 missions the
network regularly supports.

"Partnerships like this are crucial to our continued success as
an agency," said Penny Roberts, the upgrade project lead for the
space station. "Our continued partnership will transition us to
600 Mbps, and who knows where else we will go together."

https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2019/data-rate-increase-on-the-international-space-station-supports-future-exploration

 

This is Shortwave Radiogram in MFSK64

Please send your reception report to radiogram@verizon.net
 

This week's images ...

 

Sunset on Lake Maxinkuckee, Culver, Indiana. Photo by Elizabeth
Miller ...

Sending Pic:177x201C;

In North Dakota, bright fields of sunflowers reach their peak
during August. From cnn.it/2ZiwqbF ...

Sending Pic:209x117C;

Rainbow and lightning captured in one photo in Chambersburg,
Pennsylvania. From bit.ly/2ZuiShD ...

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A duckling swimming in Japan. From bit.ly/2TSdMX2 ...

Sending Pic:191x179C;

A mother and baby rhino in a sandstorm. From bit.ly/2TYHud8 ...

Sending Pic:208x143C;

Dogs sit outside a home early in the morning in Kulusuk,
Greenland. From bit.ly/2Zczo6k ...
 

Sending Pic:196x161C;

Ionized light surrounding a safety pin connected to a high
voltage AC generator. From cnn.it/2L6z0fI ...





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A close-up of a soap bubble. From cnn.it/2L6z0fI

Sending Pic:207x137C;

Our painting of the week is "Summer Moon" by Denys Golemenkov.
From bit.ly/2ZohzR4 ...

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Shortwave Radiogram returns to MFSK32 ...


 

RSID: <<2019-08-15T23:57Z MFSK-32 @ 9265000+1500>>

This is Shortwave Radiogram in MFSK32 ...


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I'm Kim Elliott. Please join us for the next Shortwave
Radiogram.