Tag Archives: ISS

May 21 2013

BBC News: US Teenager’s Space Ambitions

Abby HarrisonBBC News reports that fifteen-year-old Abby Harrison is training to be an astronaut and has set herself the goal of being the first person to reach Mars.

“I remember looking up at the night sky when I was five-years-old and thinking that I wanted to go to space” she told the BBC.

Abby is currently in Moscow visiting her mentor, the astronaut Luca Parmitano KF5KDP, who is about to travel to the International Space Station.

Watch the BBC News interview at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-22597923

The Star Tribune newspaper says: This week, she’s traveling to Kazakhstan to watch the launch of the Soyuz TMA-09M, a Russian craft headed for the International Space Station on May 28. She’s used her social media prowess to spearhead a successful Kickstarter-like crowdfunding campaign, raising more than $30,000 to help pay for the rare trip.

Star Tribune ‘Astronaut Abby’ is crowdfunding her way to outer space
http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/208184441.html

Tech Tuesday: Meet 15-Year Old “Astronaut Abby”
http://www.womenyoushouldknow.net/tech-tuesday-meet-15-year-old-astronaut-abby/

High School Student’s RocketHub Project
http://amsat-uk.org/2013/05/11/high-school-students-rockethub-project/

Further information at

May 19 2013

UK Astronaut to fly to International Space Station in 2015

UK astronaut Major Tim Peake

UK astronaut Major Tim Peake

The Guardian newspaper reports that Major Tim Peake has been selected to fly a five-month mission on the International Space Station (ISS) in 2015.

Tim Peake, from Salisbury in Wiltshire, was chosen for astronaut training in 2009 from 8,400 applicants. Since then he has been undergoing training in a number of locations around the world including Köln in Germany, Star City in Russia and Houston in Texas. He had previously served in the army for 18 years primarily flying Apache helicopters and has seen active service in Afghanistan.

The Guardian newspaper says: 41-year-old Peake has been assigned a lengthy stay in orbit in 2015. He will be blasted into space on a Russian Soyuz rocket from Kazakhstan in November that year and flown to the space station where he will stay for five months. He will be able to take part in spacewalks and other complex scientific activities.

Helen Sharman GB1MIR

Helen Sharman GB1MIR

Sarah Brightman

Sarah Brightman

On May 18, 1991 the first UK astronaut Helen Sharman GB1MIR flew to the Mir Space Station in a Russian Soyuz spacecraft and during her 8 day mission contacted a number of radio amateurs around the world. There have been no other UK astronauts since that epic voyage over 22 years ago.

It had been expected that Sarah Brightman would be the second UK astronaut but it looks as though her mission to the ISS will take place after Tim Peake’s.

Read the Guardian newspaper article at
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2013/may/19/tim-peake-mission-space-station

Helen Sharman GB1MIR http://amsat-uk.org/about/history/first-uk-astronaut-helen-sharman-gb1mir/

Sarah Brightman plans ISS mission http://amsat-uk.org/2012/10/10/sarah-brightman-iss/

2013 UK Space Conference Glasgow July 16-17
http://amsat-uk.org/2013/05/18/2013-uk-space-conference-glasgow-july-16-17/

Free CubeSat Workshop Guildford July 19
http://amsat-uk.org/colloquium/cubesat-workshop-2013/

AMSAT-UK International Space Colloquium Guildford July 20-21
http://amsat-uk.org/colloquium/colloquium-2013/

May 15 2013

MAREA: Ham Radio Robotics

MAREA amateur radio robot - Image credit ARRL

MAREA amateur radio robot – Image credit ARRL

An ARRL article describes the Mars Lander Amateur Radio Robotics Exploration Activity.

NASA has been doing some exciting explorations of Mars with robots, currently Opportunity and Curiosity, which are maneuvered on the Martian surface by remote control.  

These robots collect and analyze soil samples and relay the results of these distant experiments back to Earth. While students can learn about these experiments in newspapers, scientific journals, on the Internet or TV, wouldn’t a more active approach provide a more engaging learning experience? Why not let students experience the same thrills as the NASA scientists and engineers through a simulation that they conduct in their own classrooms?

The basic concept of MAREA uses robotic movement commands that are attached in the text portion of an Automatic Position Reporting System (APRS) packet transmission. The APRS packet with the attached commands is sent from a “mission control” school via the terrestrial APRS network or, when possible, even via the Amateur Radio station on the passing International Space Station (ISS), to a “ground station” school. At the ground station school the command packet is received and the command data is linked by UHF radio to the “Mars” robot for execution.

The MAREA system components consist of:
• the typical 2 meter packet capable ham radio transceiver (or receiver if reception only is desired)
• a computer running a free APRS packet display program, sound card TNC (Terminal Node Controller) and serial loopback software packages
• UHF data link transceivers
• an instructional robot

Read the full ARRL article at http://www.arrl.org/marea-ham-radio-robotics

May 12 2013

Frequencies announced for HamTV from the International Space Station

Basic amateur radio station which should receive HamVideo from the ISS - Image AMSAT-Italia

Basic amateur radio station which should receive HamVideo from the ISS – Image AMSAT-Italia

Frequencies have been announced for the new Ham Radio Digital TV transmitter that will send video from the ISS in the amateur radio 2400 MHz band.

The main mission of HamTV is to perform school contacts between the astronauts onboard ISS and the scholarship, not only by voice, but also by unidirectional video from the ISS to the ground within the ARISS program.

In addition to the existing VHF radio amateur station, ISS will host a S-Band video transmitting station. This new equipment can broadcast images from the ISS during the school contacts or other pre-recorded video images up to 24 hours a day to allow ground stations tuning.

It is planned to transmit DVB-S signals on 2.4GHz at either 1.3Msps or 2.3Msps with 10 watts of RF from the ISS Columbus module.

The IARU Amateur Satellite Frequency Coordination Panel have announced frequencies of 2422.0 MHz and 2437.0 MHz.

HamVideo is the name of the onboard DATV S-band transmitter. HamTV is the name of the complete system, comprising DATV downlink and VHF voice uplink. Kaiser Italia SRL was the prime-contractor for the design and development of the flight and ground segment http://www.kayser.it/index.php/exploration-2/ham-tv

Italian astronaut Luca Parmitano KF5KDP is planned to launch from Baikonur in Kazhakstan to the ISS on May 28 (see High School Student’s RocketHub Project). It is understood that the HamTV equipment will be carried to the ISS on the Japanese HTV-4 spacecraft currently planned for a launch on August 4.

HamTV on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Hamtvproject

More information from AMSAT-Italia at http://www.amsat.it/Amsat-Italia_HamTV_brochure.pdf

Link Budget http://www.amsat.it/Amsat-Italia_HamTV.pdf

AMSAT-Italia in Google English http://tinyurl.com/AMSAT-Italia

ARISS Antennas Installed on Columbus http://www.ariss-eu.org/columbus.htm

May 11 2013

High School Student’s RocketHub Project

Abby Harrison - Astronaut AbbyFifteen-year-old Abigail Harrison has a big dream, to be the first astronaut to Mars.

She is currently using the crowd funding website RocketHub to raise money to fund a trip to Baikonur in Kazhakstan to watch her mentor, Astronaut Luca Parmitano KF5KDP, blast-off to the International Space Station at the end of May.

Almost two years ago, on the way home from the final launch of STS 134 Endeavour space shuttle, Abby met and interviewed Italian astronaut Luca Parmitanoo. Luca agreed to become her mentor, and for the last couple of years, he has stayed in touch and offered advice.

On Friday, April 26 Abby took part in a Google+ hangout with Luca KF5KDP, she writes:

The interview was facilitated by the Public Insight Network which is a part of American Public Media. I was so excited to have this opportunity with Luca before he launches on May 28, 2013  to live on the International Space Station (ISS) for six months. We had an awesome chat about both of our passions for space and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) as well as about Luca’s exciting work on the ISS this year.

We also discussed my exciting opportunity to serve as Luca’s Earth Liaison. In the chat, Luca talked about meeting me for the first time, saying, “I like passionate people. Any kind of passion. Any kind of interest in anything that keeps you inspired…I saw a lot of myself in Abby.” He emphasized his excitement and the importance of my job as Earth Liaison and that he was happy his experience could be used to inspire kids throughout the world.

Further information at

Mar 31 2013

Thornton Middle School students contact the International Space Station

Thornton Middle School ISS Contact

One of the Thornton Middle School students

On March 25, using the Thornton Middle School Wireless Technology Club callsign KF5NZD, students from Thornton Middle School in Katy, Texas contacted the International Space Station (ISS). They used ham radio to speak to ISS Commander Chris Hadfield VA3OOG who was operating one of the amateur radio stations onboard the ISS, callsign NA1SS.

“NA1SS..NA1SS this is KF5NZD, KF5NZD, How do you copy, over?” called 13-year-old Chris Bobicchio.

The Cypress Creek Mirror reports a long sticky pause filled the room followed by a clear “This is NA1SS to KF5NZD, you are loud and clear, how do you copy me, over?”

Thornton math teacher and ham radio enthusiast Tom Maxwell AE5QB had been trying to get his school involved in the ARISS program for the past three years and was finally accepted last summer.

AMSAT News Service reports Thornton Middle School students, due to their economic backgrounds, have limited opportunities for enrichment activities beyond those that can be implemented in the classroom. Many of its students and families believe that opportunities in high paying STEM careers are beyond the reach of Thornton students, and that, “other kids have all the luck.” This ARISS contact helped dispel these perceptions and will demonstrate to the students and families that Thornton students are capable of complex problem solving, and that they are capable of learning “Rocket Science” material.

Read the Cypress Creek Mirror story by Crystal Simmons at
http://www.yourhoustonnews.com/cypresscreek/news/thornton-middle-school-students-make-contact/article_508321f1-dbe6-5994-b04d-edb8ae4dab69.html

To see a video of the complete question and answer session, visit
http://www.cfisd.net/movies/zmovies/ariss.htm

A list of the questions asked is at
http://www.southgatearc.org/news/march2013/ariss_event_2503.htm

Thornton Middle School Wireless Technology Club on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/PatriotsInSpace/

Thornton Middle School
http://www.greatschools.org/texas/katy/1727-Thornton-Middle-School/?tab=demographics

Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) http://www.ariss.org/

Mar 22 2013

Tania in Space Comic Book

Tania in Space

Tania in Space

The French language version of the European Space Agency (ESA) website reports the latest in the series of comic books about the Adventures of Tania in Space was published on March 22, 2013.

ESA report that as well as the adventures of Tania the 176 page publication features articles on space and is prefaced by several astronauts such as Frank De Winne, Dirk Frimout, Jean-François Clervoy and Jean-Pierre Haigneré of ESA and even Pamela Melroy and Piers Sellers of NASA.

ESA report on the new comic book http://tinyurl.com/TaniaInSpaceESA

The comic book is published by Editions Joker http://www.editions-joker.com/

Space adventures of Tania http://tinyurl.com/SpaceAdventuresOfTania

Mar 10 2013

Video of ISS amateur radio contact with students at Lycee Polyvalent Anatole France

International Space Station ISS with shuttle Endeavour 2011-05-23A video has been released of the International Space Station (ISS) school contact with participants at the Lycee Polyvalent Anatole France.

The contact took place  at 1142 UT on Saturday, March 9, 2013. ISS Commander Chris Hadfield VA3OOG, used the call sign OR4ISS, and the high school used F4KIS.

Anatole France is a French high school located in Lillers, a small town in the center of the Pas-de-Calais department. There are about 850 students 15 to 20 years old. The science teachers and the local amateur radio club F4KIS, which became in 2010 the ‘Artois Lys Radio Club’, have developed a partnership since 2007 collaborating on projects to send sounding balloons into the stratosphere.

Continue reading →

Mar 9 2013

Amateur Radio CubeSat burns-up in atmosphere

Altitude of the five CubeSats - Image credit Masahiro Arai JN1GKZ

Altitude of the five CubeSats compared with ARISSat-1/Kedr – Image credit Masahiro Arai JN1GKZ

WE-WISH, one five CubeSats deployed from the International Space Station (ISS) on October 4, 2012. burnt up in the Earth’s atmosphere on Monday, March 11. On the AMSAT Bulletin Board Nico Janssen PA0DLO suggested it burnt up at 02:59 UT near 48 degrees North, 119 degrees East. He says TechEdSat is likely to be the next of the five to re-enter sometime in April.

Deployment of CubeSats WE-WISH and RAIKO from the ISS

Deployment of CubeSats WE-WISH and RAIKO from the ISS – Image NASA

Built by members of the Meisei Amateur Radio Club WE-WISH carried an infrared camera for environmental studies. The 320 by 256 pixels images  of the Earth’s surface were transmitted in approx 110 secs using SSTV. The callsign was JQ1ZIJ and the 100mW downlink on 437.515 MHz operated on CW (A1A), AX.25 1200 bps packet radio (F2D) or SSTV (F3F).

Masahiro Arai JN1GKZ has produced a chart that shows the declining altitude of the five CubeSats since their deployment. RAIKO was the largest of the CubeSats at about 2 kg and 10 × 10 × 20 cm and the others being about 1 kg and 10 × 10 × 10 cm. The chart compares their orbital decay with that of ARISSat-1/Kedr (30 kg, 55 × 55 × 40 cm) which was deployed on August 3, 2011 and and re-entered Earth’s atmosphere on January 4, 2012, having spent 154 days in orbit.

Further information and some spectacular pictures of the CubeSats taken just after deployment can be seen at http://amsat-uk.org/satellites/techedsat-f-1-fitsat-1-we-wish/

Feb 17 2013

Astronaut / Radio Ham Chris Hadfield premieres song from space

Sheldon Cooper of Big Bang Theory wearing a 73 T-shirt - Image Warner Bros

Sheldon Cooper of Big Bang Theory wearing a 73 T-shirt – Image Warner Bros

While on-board the International Space Station (ISS) Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield, KC5RNJ/VA3OOG, has been creating music in space .

He has been working with Ed Robertson who created the theme song for the popular comedy show The Big Bang Theory.

CBS News report: “We’ve been pals for a long time and it just seemed like a fun thing to do,” says Robertson of the song that is part of a planned album Chris Hadfield [VA3OOG] wants to record while in space. “Chris and his brother write songs and they’re really great, so he’s going to record a bunch of stuff up there.”

The result of the collaboration has been I.S.S. , Is Somebody Singing, which was premiered on Friday, February 8.

 

Watch the premiere of ‘I.S.S. (Is Somebody Singing)’

Watch Chris Hadfield VA3OOG – mixtape to the moon

I.S.S. (Is Somebody Singing) music score and lyrics
http://music.cbc.ca/#/Space/blogs/2013/2/Ed-Robertson-takes-us-behind-the-writing-of-ISS-Is-Somebody-Singing