UK astronaut Tim Peake KG5BVI / GB1SS

In this special edition, the TX Factor team of Nick Bennett 2E0FGQ, Bob McCreadie G0FGX and Mike Marsh G1IAR, follow the progress of The King’s School GB1OSM, Ottery St Mary, Devon in their attempt to be one of the ten lucky UK schools to use amateur radio to link up with Tim Peake GB1SS aboard the International Space Station.

The team go behind the scenes with the ARISS team to meet the members and see the technology that helped to make the UK schools’ link-ups such a great success.

Among those interviewed are the RSGB Youth Committee Chair Mike Jones 2K0MLJ and the RSGB Communications Manager Heather Parsons.

TX Factor sincerely hope you enjoy their latest feature that has taken over 18 months to make!

Watch TX Factor – Episode 11 (TXF011)

The King’s School Tim Peake contact https://amsat-uk.org/2016/05/02/the-kings-school-tim-peake/

ISS HamTV at Goonhilly in TX Factor Show
https://amsat-uk.org/2016/02/27/hamtv-at-goonhilly-in-tx-factor-show/

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/

A free booklet is available aimed at introducing newcomers to the hobby that can also be used as a handy reference while getting started, see
http://rsgb.org/main/get-started-in-amateur-radio/alex-discovers-amateur-radio-2/

ARISS is an international educational outreach program partnering the volunteer support and leadership from AMSAT and IARU societies around the world with the ISS space agencies partners: NASA, Russian Space Agency, ESA, CNES, JAXA, and CSA.

ARISS offers an opportunity for students to experience the excitement of Amateur Radio by talking directly with crew members on-board the International Space Station. Teachers, parents and communities see, first hand, how Amateur Radio and crew members on ISS can energize youngsters’ interest in science, technology, and learning.

ARISS Principia https://principia.ariss.org/

Sandringham student Jessica Leigh M6LPJ established radio contact with Tm Peake GB1SS

Pete M0PSX had the opportunity to talk about the ARISS school contacts and amateur radio during a radio show aired on Basildon Hospital Radio and community station Gateway FM.

The interview was broadcast on 1287 AM, 97.8 FM, via the patient bedside system at Basildon Hospital, and online via both station’s Internet streams.

In the interview, Pete discussed the perception of amateur radio, how the hobby has kept pace with technology, and some of the activities taking place in Essex. There was also some discussion of the various Tim Peake ARISS contacts, plus a short extract of the first ARISS Tim Peake contact, with Sandringham School in St Albans.

Read the full Essex Ham report and listen to the recording at
http://www.essexham.co.uk/news/radio-interview-may16.html

The interview was arranged by the Chair of Basildon Hospital Radio Jacqui James M3TWO. Jacqui took the amateur radio Foundation training course run by the Chelmsford Amateur Radio Society. To find out more the course contact the CARS Training Manager at:
Email: training2016 <at> g0mwt.org.uk
Web: http://g0mwt.org.uk/training

ARISS UK Team with UKSA’s Libby Jackson and Susan Buckle at The Kings School – Credit Goonhilly GES Ltd

Carole Cadwalladr writes in The Observer newspaper for Sunday, May 29 about the amateur radio contact between students at The King’s School GB1OSM, Ottery St Mary, Devon and Tim Peake GB1SS on the International Space Station.

She says:

A huge team of volunteers worked flat out to make it happen. The project was initiated by ARISS (Amateur Radio on the International Space Station), enthusiasts who work with space agencies all over the world to inspire children about space and technology. Ciaran Morgan M0XTD, its UK leader, tells me how they approached the European Space Agency and persuaded them to let them do it and how the rest has been down to the volunteers. “All Tim has to do is put on his headphones and press a button. We do everything else.”

Ten people spent three days setting up the equipment, the audio feeds, the video feed and the satellite backup at Goonhilly, down the road in Cornwall. “All amateur means is ‘for the love of it’,” Morgan tells the audience. “As you see, the equipment we’re using is very, very professional.”

Read the full story at
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2016/may/29/tim-peake-ground-control-revive-science-interest-schools-space

Watch the video of the contact at
https://amsat-uk.org/2016/05/02/the-kings-school-tim-peake/

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