International Space Station Archives - TCARES

Spacewalk to Fix the ISS Ham Station

K6NED — Wed, 10 Mar 2021 01:21:11 +0000

Spacewalk Could Return ARISS Ham Station in International Space Station back on the Air

03/09/2021

Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) reports that efforts to determine what’s keeping the ham station in the ISS Columbus module off the air have been unsuccessful thus far. The radio equipment works, but no signal appears to be reaching the external ARISS antenna. The station, typically operated as NA1SS, has not been usable since new RF cables were installed during a January 27 spacewalk extravehicular activity (EVA) to support the commissioning of the Bartolomeo payload hosting platform installed last spring. During the January EVA, the coax feed line installed 11 years ago was replaced with another built by the European Space Agency (ESA) and Airbus.

ARISS has scheduled a March 10 news conference to discuss efforts to restore operational capability to the Columbus module ham station. The news conference will provide insights into some of the cable troubleshooting already conducted, ARISS said. During a March 13 spacewalk (EVA), astronauts Mike Hopkins, KF5LJG, and Victor Glover, KI5BKC, plan to return the ARISS antenna feed line cabling to its configuration prior to the January 27 spacewalk.

ARISS International Chair Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, said the ARISS team has been working closely with NASA and the ESA to identify what may have caused the “radio anomaly” keeping the ISS Columbus module ham station off the air.

This past week, astronauts on the ISS performed troubleshooting tests on all four new feed lines installed on the Columbus module. One cable was earmarked for the ARISS station, while the other three are for Bartolomeo. ARISS reported over the weekend, however, that it was unable to establish communication using any of the feed line cables connected to the ARISS radio system, which was tested in Automatic Packet Reporting System (APRS) mode.

The plan to return the ARISS cabling to its original configuration was a “contingency task” for a March 5 spacewalk, but the astronauts ran out of time. On March 5, astronauts Kate Rubins, KG5FYJ, and Soichi Noguchi, KD5TVP, worked on some other Bartolomeo cable/connector troubleshooting. If all goes well, the March 13 spacewalk will complete that work.

ARISS became aware of the station problem after a contact with a school in Wyoming, between ON4ISS on Earth and Hopkins at NA1SS, had to abort when no downlink signal was heard. For the time being, ARISS school and group contacts with crew members have been conducted using the ham station in the ISS Service Module.

Original: http://www.arrl.org/news/spacewalk-could-return-ariss-ham-station-in-iss-columbus-module-to-the-air

The post Spacewalk to Fix the ISS Ham Station appeared first on TCARES.

APRS Contact with the Space Station

K6NED — Tue, 24 Nov 2020 21:27:12 +0000

Please enjoy this short video by Jeff, N6WJT about pinging the ISS from his home in Columbia California.\

The post APRS Contact with the Space Station appeared first on TCARES.

SpaceX Dragon Capsule Resilience Delivers Four Ham Radio Operators to the International Space Station

K6NED — Tue, 24 Nov 2020 01:53:00 +0000

From ARRL NEWS

SpaceX Dragon capsule Resilience, carrying four radio amateurs, autonomously docked on November 17 at 0401 UTC with the International Space Station (ISS). A SpaceX Falcon 9 launcher carrying the precious payload went into space on Sunday, November 15, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. They comprise the ISS Expedition 64/65 crew.

“Well, the ISS is loaded with hams now,” Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) US Delegate for ARRL Rosalie White, K1STO, said on Tuesday. “These four arrived very early this morning Eastern Time: NASA astronauts Victor Glover, KI5BKC; Mike Hopkins, KF5LJG, and Shannon Walker, KD5DXB, as well as Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Soichi Noguchi, KD5TVP.” This marks Glover’s first time in space. The others all are ISS veterans.

Earlier this year, NASA ISS Ham Project Coordinator Kenneth Ransom, N5VHO, held amateur radio licensing study sessions for Glover, who passed the Technician exam on August 20.

The four will remain on station until next spring. They joined Expedition 64 Commander Sergey Ryzhikov and Flight Engineer Sergey Kud-Sverchkov of the Russian space agency Roscosmos, on the ISS.

White said all but Noguchi likely will take part in ARISS contacts with schools. White said the first school contact is tentatively scheduled for December 4 with Tecumseh High School in Oklahoma, home of the Tecumseh High School Amateur Radio Club, K5THS. She said the students have earned their ham licenses, and the club has built an antenna and is learning about satellites and circuits.

The Sunday launch from Kennedy Space Center marked only the second crewed-flight for the SpaceX Crew Dragon, which became the first commercial vehicle to put humans into orbit when astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken, KE5GGX, launched in May, and NASA gave SpaceX the go for future such launches.

“The return of human spaceflight to the United States with one of the safest, most advanced systems ever built is a turning point for America’s future space exploration,” SpaceX claimed, “and it lays the groundwork for missions to the moon, Mars, and beyond.”

Original source: http://www.arrl.org/news/spacex-dragon-capsule-resilience-ferries-four-radio-amateurs-to-the-iss

The post SpaceX Dragon Capsule Resilience Delivers Four Ham Radio Operators to the International Space Station appeared first on TCARES.

New Repeater Activated on the International Space Station

K6NED — Sat, 05 Sep 2020 19:01:52 +0000

On September 2 a cross band FM amateur radio repeater with a downlink on 437.800 MHz was activated on the International Space Station.

The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) announcement reads:

The ARISS team is pleased to announce that set up and installation of the first element of our next generation radio system was completed and amateur radio operations with it are now underway. This first element, dubbed the InterOperable Radio System (IORS), was installed in the International Space Station Columbus module. The IORS replaces the Ericsson radio system and packet module that were originally certified for spaceflight on July 26, 2000.

Initial operation of the new radio system is in FM cross band repeater mode using an uplink frequency of 145.990 MHz with an access tone [CTCSS] of 67 Hz and a downlink frequency of 437.800 MHz. System activation was first observed at 01:02 UTC on September 2. Special operations will continue to be announced.

The IORS was launched from Kennedy Space Center on March 6, 2020 on board the SpaceX CRS-20 resupply mission. It consists of a special, space-modified JVC Kenwood D710GA transceiver, an ARISS developed multi-voltage power supply and interconnecting cables. The design, development, fabrication, testing, and launch of the first IORS was an incredible five-year engineering achievement accomplished by the ARISS hardware volunteer team. It will enable new, exciting capabilities for ham radio operators, students, and the general public. Capabilities include a higher power radio, voice repeater, digital packet radio (APRS) capabilities and a Kenwood VC-H1 slow scan television (SSTV) system.

A second IORS undergoes flight certification and will be launched later for installation in the Russian Service module. This second system enables dual, simultaneous operations, (e.g. voice repeater and APRS packet), providing diverse opportunities for radio amateurs. It also provides on-orbit redundancy to ensure continuous operations in the event of an IORS component failure.

Next-gen development efforts continue. For the IORS, parts are being procured and a total of ten systems are being fabricated to support flight, additional flight spares, ground testing and astronaut training. Follow-on next generation radio system elements include an L-band repeater uplink capability, currently in development, and a flight Raspberry-Pi, dubbed “ARISS-Pi,” that is just beginning the design phase. The ARISS-Pi promises operations autonomy and enhanced SSTV operations.

ARISS is run almost entirely by volunteers, and with the help of generous contributions from ARISS sponsors and individuals. Donations to the ARISS program for next generation hardware developments, operations, education, and administration are welcome — please go to https://www.ariss.org/donate.html to contribute to these efforts.

ARISS–Celebrating 20 years of continuous amateur radio operations on the ISS!

The post New Repeater Activated on the International Space Station appeared first on TCARES.

ISS Space Station school contact, Santa Ana, 06 Sept

K6NED — Wed, 05 Sep 2018 14:40:14 +0000

Upcoming Contact with ISS, Listen from Central California on 145.800

Hand held and mobile radios can receive, use largest antenna you have.

Listen at 09:49 AM (9:49 AM pacific) CORRECTED TIME

Mendez Fundamental Intermediate School, Santa Ana, CA, direct via AA6TB (Ricky Arnold KE5DAU)

Thu 2018-09-06 16:49:52 UTC 81 deg

An International Space Station school contact has been planned with participants at Mendez Fundamental Intermediate School, Santa Ana, CA on 06 Sept. The event is scheduled to begin at approximately 16:49 UTC. The duration of the contact is approximately 9 minutes and 30 seconds. The contact will be direct between NA1SS and AA6TB. The contact should be audible over the state of California, U.S.A and adjacent areas. Interested parties are invited to listen in on the 145.80 MHz downlink. The contact is expected to be conducted in English.

Mendez is a public school of choice, located in Santa Ana, a high-density city in Southern California. Mendez serves over 1400 students in grades 6-8 and students enroll through a lottery system. 98% of our students are Hispanic and 20% are English Learners. Our students participate in a robust STEM program including classes and clubs focusing on computer science, mechanical engineering, robotics, and rocketry. Our students have participated in many NASA and space related activities due to the personal interest and dedication of our teachers. For the past 5 years, student teams have participated in the Team America Rocketry Challenge. In 2017 two of our teachers flew aboard the Sophia and in 2016, we sent an experiment to the ISS as part of the Student Space Flights Experiments Program Mission 8. The Mendez flight experiment researched the question, “Does microgravity affect the water absorption of hyaluronic acid?” Most recently, we received a grant from ISS Above for tracking hardware/ software and curriculum. All of our students are enjoying these lessons as we prepare for our ARISS event.

Our students and staff are so grateful for this opportunity. At Mendez, our mission is to continue the work started by the Mendez family by providing our students with a rich array of opportunities, which spark curiosity, lead to deeper learning and open the door to future possibilities.
Thank you for spending some of your time with us.

Participants will ask as many of the following questions as time allows:

1. How is using a ham radio on the ISS different than operating one on Earth?
2. I was wondering if any of the current crew members are artists and if yes, how is it different from doing art on Earth?
3. How is it determined which astronaut conducts which experiments and can you choose which experiments to work on?
4. How does your research on salmonella in microgravity relate to life on Earth?
5. What do you do during your free time and how much free time do you have?
6. How do you deal with the lack of privacy on the ISS?
7. What is something you forgot to bring or wish you’d brought with you on this mission?
8. I’m always losing stuff. Have you ever lost something on the Space Station?
9. How has your time living on the ISS affected the way you live on Earth?
10. I want to be an astronaut when I grow up. What advice can you give me?
11. What is the thing you miss most while on the Space Station?
12. Our school sent up a student space flights experiment in 2016. Are you currently working on any student experiments?
13. How has your time in microgravity affected your coordination and vision? Have you noticed any lasting changes?
14. Do you ever get to contact your family? If yes, how?
15. What has been your biggest “AH HA!” moment? (What has surprised you the most?)
16. How did teaching in a classroom prepare you for doing science on the ISS?
17. How do your eyes adjust to the constant change from daylight to darkness as you circle the Earth?
18. Will you continue your exercise regime when you get back to Earth?
19. Do you ever feel nauseous when you are in space? What do you do if you get sick?
20. When you are sleeping on the ISS, what do you hear?

The post ISS Space Station school contact, Santa Ana, 06 Sept appeared first on TCARES.

Listen to the Space Station from Sonora! (July 26, 1:20 PM)

K6NED — Mon, 23 Jul 2018 02:48:47 +0000

A Live Conversation from the ISS

Thursday July 26: 1:20 PM. Interested parties are invited to listen in on the 145.80 MHz downlink from Sonora on any 2 Meter radio.

Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS), a Space Station Explorers partner organization, will host a live radio contact with an astronaut on the ISS. Local students will ask the astronaut questions about living and working in space and the importance of advancing science on the orbital laboratory.

https://www.issconference.org/stem-day/

http://www.ariss.org/upcoming-contacts.html

Interested parties are invited to listen in on the 145.80 MHz downlink.

ISS R&D Conference-San Francisco, CA, (CASIS#2), participating school: Quest Institute for Quality Education, San Jose, CA, telebridge via VK5ZAI (Serena Aunon-Chancellor KG5TMT)

Thu 2018-07-26 20:22:10 UTC 48 deg

The post Listen to the Space Station from Sonora! (July 26, 1:20 PM) appeared first on TCARES.