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 Space 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 Space 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 U.S. military satellite frequencies (MHz) are:
Kennedy Space Center uses some of the following (MHz):
Dryden/Edwards Air Force Base uses (MHz):
Some known NASA facilities frequencies are:
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 RadioShack 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).