Pete Sipple M0PSX from Essex Ham will be giving a talk about the Tim Peake GB1SS amateur radio school contacts at the Southend Raspberry Jam on Saturday, August 20.
The talk about Tim Peake’s amateur radio educational outreach activity starts at 10:30. Other activities during the day include a talk on Tim Peake and the AstroPi at 11:30 and a Build a Radio Workshop at 12:00.
Jessica Leigh M6LPJ with Tim Peake GB1SS – Credit Richard Found
Radio amateurs were invited to a reception at the UK Prime Minister’s residence to celebrate the successful mission of UK astronaut Tim Peake KG5BVI / GB1SS.
Sandringham school student Jessica Leigh M6LPJ and her head teacher Alan Gray G4DJX attended the event with Tim Peake GB1SS. Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti IZ0UDF and the UK’s first astronaut Helen Sharman GB1MIR also attended.
Jessica was the first UK school student to establish amateur radio communications with Tim Peake during his six month mission on the International Space Station. The contact took place on January 8, 2016 and was featured on national TV and in the press.
Year 10 pupil Jessica M6LPJ, along with two other students Polly M6POG and Emma M6GJQ, passed her amateur radio Foundation exam just before Christmas 2015 after training with the Verulam Amateur Radio Club.
Jessica Leigh M6LPJ with Alan Gray G4DJX – Credit Richard Found
Sandringham 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 was extremely supportive of the ISS contact.
Jessica M6LPJ and Polly M6POG will give a talk about their experience of talking to Tim Peake GB1SS to the AMSAT-UK International Space Colloquium at the Holiday Inn Guildford, on Saturday, July 30 https://amsat-uk.org/colloquium/
Broadcaster and technology journalist Rupert Goodwins G6HVY writes about amateur radio on the Technology and Gadget website ARS Technica. He highlights the STEM work carried out by the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program.
Rupert says: It’s a good time to be technical. Maker communities are thriving around the world, tools and materials to create and adapt are cheaper and more powerful now than ever, and open source hardware, software, and information mean that if you can think it, you can learn how to do it and then make it happen.
For one group of technological explorers, this is more than just a golden age of opportunity: it’s providing the means to save one of the oldest traditions in electronic invention and self-education, one that helped shape the modern world: amateur radio.
Sandringham students talk to Tim Peake GB1SS using amateur radio – BBC TV screenshot
The ten school contacts with Tim Peake on the ISS during his Principia mission have inspired thousands of young people and introduced them to amateur radio in a new and exciting way. A new RSGB video celebrates these historic events and the range of linked activities the schools have enjoyed.
Students at Derby High School Bury used amateur radio to link up with Tim Peake
Beginning with the exhilaration of the launch, it follows the competition for schools to host the ARISS contacts, and showcases the variety of science, technology, engineering, maths (STEM) and arts activities that helped pupils to understand more about space and amateur radio.
The contacts themselves, often led by newly-licensed pupils, were the successful culmination of many months of work and anticipation. We congratulate everyone involved and hope you enjoy our celebration.
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.
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.
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.
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
AMSAT-UK 
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