Miles Mann and SSTV

["Frank H. Bauer" <frank.bauer@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

The SAREX Working Group and MIREX have discussed some of the problems
being created by Miles Mann.  We would like to share our concerns with you.

Miles Mann is no longer associated with MIREX.  He is acting as an
individual and we believe his insistence in trying to promote a SSTV
experiment on MIR at this time represents a threat to the future of
Amateur Radio on the International Space Station.  The International
Space Station Phase 1 office also shares that opinion.  

Mr. Mann was separated from MIREX for good cause, and his departure was 
announced publicly. He has refused to accept Dr. Dave Larsen's (and MIREX')
position on Mir and ISS hardware development.

Miles Mann has embarked on a plan to put his own SSTV experiment on MIR.
Using equipment that was on loan to MIREX, he has tried to get United States
suppliers and NASA contractors to use official channels to ship his
hardware.  They refused.

When amateurs from eight nations met in Houston in 1996 to establish
ARISS,they all agreed that there would be one master station to
service amateur radio on the International Space Station.

They also agreed that the ARISS team would implement that master station.
This was requested by NASA management in  the International Space Station
Program
Office and the representatives from the eight member nations signed a
Memorandum Of Understanding to that effect.  Miles knows this; he was
present at that meeting at our invitation.  He has proceded on his own, as an
individual, because existant teams found him too difficult to work with.

SAREX and AMSAT have tried (unsuccessfully) to work with Mann on
numerous occasions but he has insisted on pursuing his own goals. He has
consistently demonstrated complete disrespect for fellow amateur radio
operators, alienating many of them, including some of the astronauts and
cosmonauts in the process. At one point recently, he even demanded that he
personally be considered as a signatory to the MOU agreement.

He has also shown an utter disregard for bandplans and wants to use
frequencies that are in direct conflict with other amateur radio activity.
His comments and actions regarding space frequencies have caused a great deal
of controversy within the U.S. and throughout the world.

Whatever his reasons, we suggest that he not be allowed to go ahead with
his SSTV project at this time. The United States team is working with the
ARISS international partners to formulate a final design of the combined
station hardware for the ISS.  This unified design will be developed at a
meeting which is planned to be held in Surrey, England, during the last week
in July.  The United States team will present the plans that were
negotiated with the Space Station Officials to fly the transportable and
permanent amateur radio stations on the ISS.  We also hope to discuss the
outstanding progress our Russian colleagues have accomplished to incorporate
amateur radio antenna feedthroughs on the ISS.

These matters and our future on the International Space Station are
best discussed at that time.  We have approval from NASA for Amateur
Radio on the International Space Station; an approval that requires a unified
team approach, something that Miles Mann refuses to accept. Incidentally
the U.S. proposal to the International Space Station plan has always
included SSTV and a 2 meter capability.  Frank Bauer and Matt Bordelon
initially presented this at the ARISS meeting in Houston and at the AMSAT
symposium in November 1996.  You are all welcome to see some of the various
ARISS proposals at the ARISS web site:

http://garc.gsfc.nasa.gov/~ariss/drafts.html

In all the ISS developments we will be using new, advanced technology,
including advanced SSTV equipment.

The life expectancy of Mir is short, a year at best.  The life
expectancy of the International Space Station promises a long and healthy
future.  So we ask for your understanding of the inherent danger in the Mann
scheme and its potential danger to the amateur radio station opportunity on
ISS.

The SAREX Working Group asks for your patience to allow
sufficient time to determine a proper course for Amateur Radio aboard the
International Space Station, including slow scan TV.

Signed

Roy Neal, K6DUE
Chairman SAREX Working Group