News from ARISS - Amateur Radio on International Space Station
AMSAT-UK ARISS Rep is Howard Long, G6LVB
Information on upcoming live UK ISS link-ups
We have tentatively scheduled two live school Amateur Radio link-ups in the UK for January 2004.
Mike Foale, the British-born astronaut on board the International Space Station, will be fielding questions from school pupils live during the two separate events.
Michael Foale (left) and Alexander Kaleri showing off their Christmas stockings on board the International Space Station (picture courtesy NASA)
Mike, who is a licensed Radio Amateur, specifically asked for the live link-ups with Back School, on the Isle of Lewis, and The King's School, Canterbury, both as ‘crew picks’.
Amateur Radio is the only way that the general public can speak to astronauts live while they live in space.
Back School (Sgoil A’ Bhac), Stornoway, Isle of Lewis, Scotland
The first contact is tentatively scheduled during the week starting 19 January 2004 for Back School about five miles north or Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland.
Back School, Isle of Lewis, Scotland (picture courtesy Back School)
This will be the first ever scheduled ISS contact with a Scottish school.
As a dual-language community, Gaelic is spoken on the Isle of Lewis along side English. With strong traditional values, Sunday remains very special day of the week, when almost all commercial activity ceases.
Mike chose Back School after a trip to the Isle of Lewis in June 2003. He went to Back School to talk to pupils there about his experiences, and promised to speak to them again soon: only this time it will be from space!
Technicalities
Unlike the recent southern United Kingdom live ISS link-ups, passes of the ISS on the Isle of Lewis only achieve a maximum elevation in the sky of 24º. This is because the ISS travels to a maximum latitude of 51.6º, but Back is located further north at 58.2ºN. Correspondingly, the contact time will be slightly shorter than usual at about 9 minutes. Because of the lower elevation and shorter pass time, technically this will be more difficult than those contacts conducted recently in England.
The King's School, Canterury, Kent, England
The second contact with the King's School, Canterbury, is currently scheduled to take place during the week beginning 26 January 2004.
King's School, Canterbury (picture courtesy The King's School)
The King's School was where Mike had his secondary education. It is an ancient school dating back to the 597AD. Situated within the precincts of the world famous Canterbury Cathedral, parts of the school date back to Norman times.
Having taken time to return to the school three years ago, Mike now has the opportunity to speak to the students again from space.
Technicalities
The ISS will pass almost completely overhead, and so technically we should have the maximum amount of time to conduct the live link-up. However there are local obstacles impervious to radio waves - such as the world famous Canterbury Cathedral at 235' (72m) to contend with!
Quick facts
Michael Foale was born in 1957 in Louth, Lincolnshire, England.
He has a PhD in Astrophysics from Queens’ College, Cambridge.
This is Mike’s sixth space mission.
On board Mir in 1997, Mike narrowly escaped with his life after a collision with a Russian supply ship.
His travelling companion on this expedition is Russian cosmonaut Alexander Kaleri.
The ISS Expedition 8 crew: Flight Engineer Alexander Kaleri and Commander Michael Foale
(picture courtesy NASA)
-
Mike has spent longer in space than any other NASA astronaut.
-
The ISS orbits the Earth 250 miles (380km) above us at a speed of 17,000mph (26,720km/h).
-
It takes 90 minutes to orbit the Earth on the ISS, sixteen times each day.
-
As the ISS moves in the sky, specialised directional aerials are used to track the ISS automatically under computer control.
-
Mike and Alex will be in space for about six months, as the Expedition 8 crew.
-
NASA officially recognises Amateur Radio as a means to introduce school children to space and science.
Useful links
Questions?
If you have any questions about these forthcoming live link-ups, Howard Long who will be pleased to answer them:
Howard Long
ARISS UK Representative
+44 (0) 771 076 3670
g6lvb@amsat.org
