Tag Archives: ARISS

Mar 20 2015

Astronaut issues challenge for UK students to “make that call”

Tim Peake KG5BVI, the first British ESA astronaut, has issued an invitation to UK school pupils to contact him via amateur radio whilst he is in space.

Tim will launch to the International Space Station (ISS) in November of this year and will spend 6 months working and living on the ISS. Thanks to a collaboration between Amateur Radio on the International Space Stations (ARISS), the UK Space Agency, the Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB) and the European Space Agency (ESA), UK school pupils will be able to contact him whilst he is on board the ISS via a scheduled amateur radio link-up. Continue reading →

Dec 16 2014

Astronaut’s first school contact from ISS

Samantha Cristoforetti IZ0UDF using the amateur radio station in the ISS Columbus module

Samantha Cristoforetti IZ0UDF using the amateur radio station in the ISS Columbus module

Samantha Cristoforetti IZ0UDF has written about her first amateur radio school contact from the International Space Station.

20 students from “Elena di Savoia” in Bari and “Alessandro Volta” in Bitonto were able to ask her questions about space and the ISS.

Read her post at https://plus.google.com/+SamanthaCristoforetti/posts/do2vfeVgAw7

ARISS contact planned for two Italian schools
http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2014/december/ariss_event_1512.htm

Dec 2 2014

ARISS Officers for 2015-16

ARISS 2015-2016 Officers (L-R) ARISS Vice-Chair Oliver Amend, DG6BCE; ARISS Secretary-Treasurer Rosalie White, K1STO, and ARISS Chair Frank Bauer, KA3HDO

ARISS 2015-2016 Officers (L-R) ARISS Vice-Chair Oliver Amend, DG6BCE; ARISS Secretary-Treasurer Rosalie White, K1STO, and ARISS Chair Frank Bauer, KA3HDO – Credit ARISS

The ARRL report the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) organization is continuing to explore the possibility of establishing a network of ground stations to enable the use of the Ham TV video system during ARISS school contacts.

ARISS LogoMark Steiner, K3MS, updated the ARISS International team on the topic during its November meeting, conducted by teleconference. Kerry Banke, N6IZW, who works on ARISS hardware issues, reported that a document under development will describe just what is required to build a ground station.

He and ARISS International Project Selection & Use Committee representative Lou McFadin, W5DID, have successfully received Ham TV transmissions.

The officers elected for new 2-year terms starting on January 1, 2015 were ARISS Chair Frank Bauer, KA3HDO; ARISS Vice-Chair Oliver Amend, DG6BCE, and ARISS Secretary-Treasurer Rosalie White, K1STO.

Read the full ARRL story at
http://www.arrl.org/news/ariss-discusses-ham-tv-elects-new-international-officers

Read the minutes from the ARISS International November 18 meeting at
http://www.ariss.org/meeting-minutes/november-2014

Previous ARISS International meeting minutes http://www.ariss.org/meeting-minutes

Oct 12 2014

Unforgettable day schoolchildren spoke to an astronaut in space

Reid Wiseman KF5LKT - Image credit NASA

Reid Wiseman KF5LKT – Image credit NASA

The Southend Echo reports on the contact between pupils at Winter Gardens Primary School in Canvey, Essex and the International Space Station.

The contact took place on October 8 having taken two years of preparation. It was organised by the South Essex Amateur Radio Society and involved a link-up with an amateur radio station in California, W6SRJ, who relayed the signal to and from the ISS while it was traveling over the USA at 27,600 km/h. The children were able to speak to astronaut Reid Wiseman KF5LKT who was using the ISS callsign NA1SS.

The newspaper article includes a picture of the school pupils with Pete sipple M0PSX, read it at
http://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/11526478.The_unforgettable_day_schoolchildren_spoke_to_an_astronaut_in_space/

Read a report on the contact at
http://www.essexham.co.uk/news/iss-winter-gardens-2014.html

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

South Essex Amateur Radio Society
http://www.southessex-ars.co.uk/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/South-Essex-Amateur-Radio-Society/348979385223793

Oct 7 2014

The Roy Stevens, G2BVN, Trophy awarded to Gaston, ON4WF

Gaston Bertels ON4WF - ARISS Contact

Gaston Bertels ON4WF conducting an ARISS contact

The IARU Region 1 Roy Stevens, G2BVN, Memorial Trophy was awarded to Gaston Bertels, ON4WF, for his meritorious service to amateur radio over many years. Gaston was the chairman of the Eurocom Working Group and then the chairman of the ARSPEX Working Group. Gaston, aged 87, has decided to step down as ARSPEX WG chairman.

Gaston received a standing ovation when the award was announced.

AMSAT-UK add their congratulations and respect for all his hard work in IARU Region 1 and with the organisation of the ARISS School contacts, as well as his Chairmanship of ARISS-EU and, for a time, of ARISS-International.

Gaston was instrumental in getting DATV antennas for 1260 and 2400 MHz installed on the International Space Station (ISS), see http://www.southgatearc.org/news/march2007/ariss_antenna_donations.htm

Gaston Bertels ON4WF Graham Shirville G3VZV and astronaut Frank De Winne ON1DWN at the European Parliament

Gaston Bertels ON4WF, Graham Shirville G3VZV and astronaut Frank De Winne ON1DWN at the European Parliament

Oct 2 2014

UK schools contact with International Space Station

Astronaut Alexander Gerst KF5ONO

Astronaut Alexander Gerst KF5ONO

On Wednesday, October 8 at 10:08:49 UT there will be an ARISS contact between astronaut Alexander Gerst KF5ONO on the International Space Station (ISS) and students at the Winter Gardens Primary School, Canvey, Essex and Pilton Bluecoat School, Barnstaple, Devon.

The ISS will be over the USA at the time and they will be making use of an amateur radio Telebridge Ground Station in California, W6SRJ, to actually make the link to the Space Station.

South Essex Amateur Radio Club (SEARS) http://www.southessex-ars.co.uk/