Sandringham students talk to Tim Peake GB1SS using amateur radio – BBC TV screenshot

The BBC report Sandringham School in St Albans has made history by making the first amateur radio call from the UK to a British astronaut on the space station.

Year 10 pupil Jessica Leigh M6LPJ, who has recently passed her amateur radio exam, led the contact which took place on Friday, January 8, 2016.

Headteacher Alan Gray G4DJX with Jessica Leigh M6LPJ – Image Credit Sandringham School

The BBC story says: It took a few minutes for the crackle and hiss to die down and allow the students to put some questions to the astronaut, before the ISS then went over the horizon and out of range.

Jessica called it an “amazing experience” to be talking to someone 400 km above them, but said the significance of the day’s event had yet to sink in: “When I get home, I’ll be completely in shock.”

Her head teacher, Alan Gray G4DJX, said it had been an extraordinary opportunity for the school.

“It’s a way of inspiring young people into science and technology – seeing the opportunities that may be available to them,” he told BBC School Report.

“What you’re seeing is that space has an awful lot to offer. It’s not just about talking to Tim Peake on the space station. There are many other things that are useful for young people and will help with their learning.”

Watch the BBC TV news report ‘Astronaut talks to pupils from space’ at
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-35261160

Watch the interview with Year 10 pupil Jessica Leigh M6LPJ about the Tim Peake GB1SS contact https://twitter.com/BBCScienceNews/status/685396737842753536

Watch the BBC TV report on the preparations for the contact
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schoolreport/35251991

Watch the BBC TV report on student’s reactions after the historic call to Tim Peake
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-35253917

Watch CBBC Newsround: School kids speak to Tim Peake in space
http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/35261190

BBC Pupils celebrate Tim Peake link-up http://www.bbc.co.uk/schoolreport/35280210

Watch SkyNews report with a shot of the Kenwood TS-2000X transceiver
http://news.sky.com/video/1619375/ringing-the-iss-from-school

Ofcom reports the Hertfordshire community radio station Radio Verulam 92.6 FM relayed the school ISS contact http://consumers.ofcom.org.uk/news/space-broadcast/

Herts Advertiser newspaper report
http://www.hertsad.co.uk/news/st_albans_school_talks_to_astronaut_tim_peake_on_the_international_space_station_1_4372999

Sandringham students speak to Tim Peake GB1SS
https://amsat-uk.org/2016/01/08/sandringham-students-speak-to-tim-peake-gb1ss/

The Chair of the RSGB Youth Committee Mike Jones 2E0MLJ and RSGB President John Gould G3WKL attended the contact and the RSGB video  ‘Amateur Radio: A Hobby for the 21st Century’ was shown to the students.

What is Amateur Radio? http://www.essexham.co.uk/what-is-amateur-radio

Find an amateur radio training course near you https://thersgb.org/services/coursefinder/

Sky News interview Year 10 pupil Jessica Leigh M6LPJ

Sandringham students talk to Tim Peake on the International Space Station

On Friday, January 8, students at Sandringham School, St. Albans had an amateur radio contact with UK astronaut Tim Peake GB1SS who was on board the International Space Station.

Initial radio contact with Tim was made by Year 10 pupil Jessica Leigh M6LPJ who, along with two other students, passed her Foundation exam just before Christmas after training with the Verulam Amateur Radio Club.

The school caters for 1300 students aged 11-19 with 100 teachers including specialist teachers of computing science and three female physics teachers all of whom have a specialist interest in space and astronomy. In addition, the head teacher Alan Gray G4DJX is a very active radio amateur who is extremely supportive of this contact.

ARISS UK (Amateur Radio on the International Space Station) has provided and set up all necessary radio equipment such as low earth orbit satellite tracking antennas and radios, to establish a fully functional, direct radio link with the ISS from the school premises. In the few minutes when the ISS was over the UK, an amateur radio contact was established with Tim, and students were be able to ask him questions about his life and work on board the ISS.

The Sandringham School Space Festival started on January 5 and culminated with the live contact with astronaut Tim Peake on Friday January 8 at 08:47 GMT.  During the week there was a wide range of activities to engage the students in space, including a presentation from Spacecraft Engineer Sian Cleaver, mobile planetariums, an amateur radio buildathon, rocket workshops and talks on Mars and Cosmonauts.

What is Amateur Radio? http://www.essexham.co.uk/what-is-amateur-radio

Find an amateur radio training course near you https://thersgb.org/services/coursefinder/

Sandringham School students preparing for Tim Peake contact – Image Credit Sandringham School

Students at Sandringham School, St. Albans have been running through final preparations for their amateur radio contact with UK astronaut Tim Peake GB1SS on board the International Space Station.

The school caters for 1300 students aged 11-19 with 100 teachers including specialist teachers of computing science and three female physics teachers all of whom have a specialist interest in space and astronomy. In addition, the head teacher Alan Gray G4DJX is a very active radio amateur who is extremely supportive of this contact.

ARISS UK (Amateur Radio on the International Space Station) has provided and set up all necessary radio equipment such as low earth orbit satellite tracking antennas and radios, to establish a fully functional, direct radio link with the ISS from the school premises. In a ten-minute window when the ISS will be over the UK, an amateur radio contact will be established with Tim, and students will be able to ask him questions about his life and work on board the ISS.

Sandringham School pupils with Foundation exam certificates – Credit Verulam Amateur Radio Club

Initial radio contact with Tim is expected to be made by Year 10 pupil Jessica Leigh M6LPJ who, along with two other students, passed her Foundation exam just before Christmas after training with the Verulam Amateur Radio Club.

The Sandringham School Space Festival started on January 5 and culminates with the live contact with astronaut Tim Peake on Friday January 8 at 08:47 GMT. The contact will be Web Streamed – Schedule

During the week there has been a wide range of activities to engage the students in space, including a presentation from Spacecraft Engineer Sian Cleaver, mobile planetariums, an amateur radio buildathon, rocket workshops and talks on Mars and Cosmonauts.

As part of the Space festival some of the young women at Sandringham School built a model of the ISS. Watch Women In Engineering #SANDspace

ARISS contact planned for school in St. Albans
https://amsat-uk.org/2016/01/05/ariss-contact-planned-for-school-in-st-albans/

Students in Amateur Radio Buildathon https://amsat-uk.org/2016/01/06/students-in-ham-radio-buildathon/

Model of ISS build by young women at Sandringham School

The contact will be web streamed from the school, watch live at https://principia.ariss.org/live/

The Chair of the RSGB Youth Committee Mike Jones 2E0MLJ and the RSGB President John Gould G3WKL will be attending the contact. The RSGB video  ‘Amateur Radio: A Hobby for the 21st Century’ will be shown to the students.

You can listen to the Sandringham School contact with Tim Peake on the ISS at 0847 GMT on Friday, January 8, either online or by using a ham radio tuned to 145.800 MHz FM, further information at
https://amsat-uk.org/2016/01/05/iss-school-contact-how-to-get-involved/

Huffington Post report http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2016/01/05/this-schoolgirl-is-going-to-operate-a-radio-station-and-call-tim-peake-from-earth_n_8915462.html

What is Amateur Radio? http://www.essexham.co.uk/what-is-amateur-radio

Find an amateur radio training course near you https://thersgb.org/services/coursefinder/

Sandringham School Students – Image Credit Sandringham School