[FPSPACE] Space Hackers video on YouTube

[Sven Grahn]

Dear Friends,

I have now looked at the documentary about the Judica-Cordiglia brothers available on YouTube (http://www.southgatearc.org/news/july2008/space_hackers.htm). It is of course, the same old story, but very well told by the filmmakers. However, there is nothing that convinces me. The heartbeats and strange radio calls we have heard before - nothing new at all. However, a few more details are given about the recording of Gagain's and Glenn's voices.

Tracking Gagarin
Now they say they were tipped off about and imminent manned launch on 12 April 1961. They could have listened on 20.005 MHz which was used by the Sputniks. The AM voice from Vostok 1 was transmitted on 20.006 MHz and 9.019 MHz according to the TASS news release. So, in principle, they could have picked up Gagarin. What makes me a bit suspicious is the recording played in the documentary. It sounds awfully like the voice recording released by the Soviet Union at that time - and available on a EP record. See:

http://www.svengrahn.pp.se/histind/Vostok1/Vostok1X.htm
http://www.svengrahn.pp.se/histind/Vostok1/VostRec.htm

How good was the original recording made by the brothers? Was it really Gagarin? There was plenty of ground-based Russian AM voice in the 19.995-20.005 MHz band in those days. 

Tracking Glenn
Now they say they measured the HF whip antenna used during recovery operations to figure out the frequency used by Glenn. This is interetsring. The HF telescoping whip antenna deployed during recovery served both the HF AM voice on 15.016 MHz and the recovery beacon on 8.364 MHz (Check the Mercury Familiarization Manuals). This makes it dubious whether it is possible to determine the frequency by measuring the length of the whip. There could have been all sorts of devices to adapt the antenna to both frequencies. Also, the recording played in the documentary is extremeley brief and it is barely possible to hear the word "Mercury".

Tracking Explorer-1
There were no other recordings (except Sputnik 1) played in the documentary that other people have heard. I woud have liked to hear signals from spacerfat that sounds like the signals that other trackers have heard.  The signals from Explorer-1 were not convincing ither. It was just a plain carrier, while other trackers heard commutated subcarriers (See http://www.svengrahn.pp.se/sounds/spectrgr/spectra.htm). 

Allt this is as confusing as it always has been. The broyers say in the documentary that the loved to do "mischief" as young men. Indeed! That is what i think they keep doing.

Sven
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