Scanning Space

by The Majik Man

     Most people are content to listen to conventional police and fire
department frequencies on their scanners, but there are a variety of other
frequencies out there ripe for the picking.  Among the most interesting are
the frequencies which allow you to listen in on low orbiting satellites, the
U.S. Space Shuttle, or the Russian space station, MIR.  Or, if you are near
the shuttle launching and landing, you can hear security operations, launch
platform crews, Coast Guard ships retrieving fuel tanks, plus much more.

     The first frequency to place in your scanner is 145.550 MHz, which is
used by both the shuttle and MIR for voice, packet, and an occasional TV
broadcast.  The MIR uses 143.625, 142.217, and 121.750 MHz for voice
communications with its transport vehicle "Soyuz."

     You can hear polar orbiting (low altitude) weather and experimental 
satellites in the 136-138 MHz range, although these will not be of much
use unless you use your computer in conjunction with your scanner to do
such fun things as print your own weather photos.

     Some known FM military satellite channels are: 248.900, 249.550, 260.475,
260.600, 260.975, 261.450, 261.500, 261.600, 261.650, 261.675, 261.700, 261.900,
261.950, 262.050, 262.100, 262.150, 262.275, 262.300, 262.475, 262.550, 262.675,
262.950, 264.000, 269.075, 269.175, 269.550, 269.850, 269.950, 288.000, 295.075.

Kennedy Space Center uses some of the following:

Operations: 121.900, 126.400, 139.300, 140.200, 142.800, 148.400, 
162.600, 165.190, 171.260, 273.500

Aircraft: 117.800, 118.400, 120.950, 121.500, 126.300, 126.400, 138.300,
148.500, 273.000, 335.800

Ships: 141.000, 148.445, 148.500, 149.000, 149.100, 162.000

Dryden/Edwards Air Force Base uses:

Operations: 138.175, 139.800, 148.675, 170.350, 228.200, 259.700

Aircraft: 116.400, 120.950, 121.800, 126.100, 127.800, 149.100

Shuttle Launch & Landing: 121.750, 123.600, 126.300, 284.000, 296.000,
296.800

Some known NASA facilities frequencies are:

Marshall (Alabama): 122.850, 162.125, 164.175, 166.225, 168.450, 314.600

Johnson (Texas): 164.050, 168.000, 170.100, 173.685, 314.600, 382.600

Goddard (Maryland): 164.175, 167.825, 170.400, 171.150

     As long as a spacecraft is above your horizon (you can use any of 
countless satellite tracking programs designed for ham radio operators to
figure out when they are) you don't need an outside antenna, but you will
eventually want one to improve signal strength and increase the time you have
a usable signal during each pass.  A discone antenna (such as the Radio Shack
20-013) is best for this purpose as it has elements in both vertical and
horizontal plane.

    With this knowledge you should be able to start snooping on NASA.  If you
would like further info on this subject, two good books are Steve Douglass'
Comprehensive Guide to Military Monitoring and Anthony Curtis' 
The Outer Space Frequency Directory, both of which are available from
CRB Research Books, Inc. (800-656-0056).