11/13/00 With the successful execution of engineering test communications passes >today, the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station project has >passed a significant milestone. The initial two passes were through the >Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center (GCTC) ham shack R3K in Star City near >Moscow. The control operators were Sergej Samburov, RV3DR, and Vladimir Zagainov, UA3DKR. Sergej is the Russian delegate to the ARISS team. > >Subsequent test passes through the NN1SS station at the Goddard Space >Flight Center (Greenbelt, MD) and the W5RRR station at Johnson Space >Center (Houston, TX) were equally successful. Engineering tests with >the packet rig still need to be organized. > >The crew, while still very busy, expressed their interest and support of >amateur radio activities on the ISS. It seems likely that over the next >few weeks, as the crew's schedule settles out, that we may be able to >look forward to more amateur radio activity from humanity's latest >foothold in space. > >The ARISS web pages at http://ariss.gsfc.nasa.gov/ are the best place to >check for current information on the status of amateur radio operations >on the ISS.