Proactive securing of former mining shafts on the site of the Bochum Observatory

On the aforementioned site of the Bochum Observatory, there are several old mining shafts from the 19th century or later that were used to develop and mine coal seams. The exact condition and location of these shafts are not known. Since mid-March, therefore, proactive investigation and safety measures have been carried out at these shafts and access points. To do this, drilling must be carried out on the property. After the location of each manhole is determined, they are backfilled or injected with a durable and stable construction material to ensure the safety of the surface and buildings located on it. The securing work is expected to take 4 to 6 months.

Within the scope of these measures, the construction company unfortunately erected a silo directly in front of the antennas of the QO-100 ground station by mistake, whereby the uplink and downlink of the QO-100 beacons and LEILA (LEIstungs Limit Anzeige) are considerably impaired or no function is possible anymore.

Site management has agreed that the silo will be moved another 6m or so on Monday, March 27, 2023, so that the antennas will once again have a clear view of the QO-100 / Es’hail-2 satellite.

Since LEILA is currently out of service, we ask all users of the NB transponder of QO-100 to transmit only with moderate transmission power or less – Thank you!