Radio hams help attempts to command NASA spacecraft

ISEE-3 – ICE Spacecraft – Image credit NASA

An IEEE article describes how volunteers, including many radio amateurs, are attempting command a 35-year-old NASA spacecraft, the International Sun-Earth Explorer 3 (ISEE-3).

Rachel Courtland interviews Dennis Wingo KD4ETA about the project and mentions the Bochum facility where AMSAT-DL members will be using their 20 metre dish antenna to help establish communications.

Software-defined radio peripherals built by Ettus Research (founded by Matt Ettus N2MJI) have been purchased, which can be used to implement modulator and demodulator programs that would once have had to be built in hardware.

Read the IEEE article at
http://spectrum.ieee.org/tech-talk/aerospace/satellites/space-hackers-prepare-to-reboot-35-year-old-spacecraft

The Watts Up With That website has a more detailed article on the project. The section about the AMSAT-DL Bochum facility mentions two of the team, Achim Vollhardt DH2VA and Mario Lorenz DL5MLO. The problems caused by ITAR are noted.

Read the Watts Up With That article ISEE-3 Reboot Project: Aiming for First Contact at
http://wattsupwiththat.com/2014/05/15/update-isee-3-reboot-project-aiming-for-first-contact/

Watch ISEE-3 Reboot Project – Recovering a 30 year old space probe