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UA9FBV > SAT 13.04.03 05:01l 47 Lines 2076 Bytes #999 (0) @ AMSAT
BID : ANS-103.06
Read: DB0FHN GUEST
Subj: "Space is Beautiful!"
Path: DB0FHN<DB0RGB<OK0PPL<RZ6HXA<UA9FBV
Sent: 030413/0244Z @:UA9FBV.PRM.RUS.AS #:33416 [Perm] GATEWAY $:ANS-103.06
From: UA9FBV@UA9FBV.PRM.RUS.AS
To : SAT@AMSAT
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 103.06 From AMSAT HQ
SILVER SPRING, MD. April 13, 2003
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-103.06
Youngsters from Rushey Mead Secondary School in the United Kingdom
gathered at the National Space Centre in Leicester April 4 for a quick
ham radio chat with Ken Bowersox, KD5JBP. The contact was arranged via
the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program.
Students participating from the comprehensive secondary school ranged
in age from 11 to 16. The school also has its own Amateur Radio Club.
John Heath, G7HIA, operated the National Space Centre's GB2NSC club
station for the occasion.
"Space is beautiful," Bowersox rhapsodized in response to one
youngster's question. "It's black with the stars dotting everywhere."
The Expedition 6 crew commander said the space station occupants don't
have TV to watch for entertainment. "We look out the window at the
earth," he said. When they tire of that, there are CDs and books
aboard.
Bowersox noted that he has wanted to be an astronaut since he was seven
years old and trained five years for his current mission. Answering an
oft-asked question about how the crew keeps clean in space, Bowersox
explained that the astronauts and cosmonauts used towels moistened with
soap and water to wash themselves.
In all, 12 youngsters put questions to Bowersox during the direct ARISS
contact that ran under five minutes compared to the usual 10 minutes,
although the ISS remained in nominal range for the full period. ARISS
Vice Chairman Gaston Bertels, ON4WF, speculated that the problem may
have been a result of having to arrange the contact on short notice and
not having optimal Earth-station antennas in place. NSC Amateur Radio
Club President Andy Thomas, G0SFJ, later shared some of the excitement
of the ham radio space chat during a radio broadcast interview. Parents
of the youngsters and several teachers--as well as members of the news
media--were on hand for the occasion.
[ANS thanks ARRL for the above information.]
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