Expedition 8 Crew a No-Show for ARISS Roy Neal, K6DUE, Event Opening

ARISS International Chair Frank Bauer, KA3HDO. [ARRL File Photo]

NEWINGTON, CT, Dec 2, 2003--Other priorities onboard the International Space Station apparently kept Expedition 8 crew members Mike Foale, KB5UAC, and Sasha Kaleri, U8MIR, from getting on the air to open a month-long special event in memory of SAREX/ARISS Working Group Chairman Roy Neal, K6DUE, who died in August. The sponsoring Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) still hopes to get the event off the ground, however, and ARISS International Chairman Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, says he's still trying to pin down just what happened. Bauer said the crew had confirmed receipt of the event and pass information, and that Foale indicated he would try to be on the air for about two passes per weekend. More pressing duties rather than a lack of interest on the crew's part probably was to blame for the crew's on-air absence, Bauer suggested.

"The Expedition 8 crew are truly die-hard hams," Bauer said, noting Foale's activity during his past shuttle flights as well as Foale's and Kaleri's ham activity during their tours on the Russian Mir space station. "We also have two guys running an entire space station with a large cadre of scientific experiments," he continued. "A year ago, that took three people. So you can imagine that they are quite busy. This makes ISS ham radio more vulnerable when issues occur on ISS."

Bauer said ARISS has asked if the crew would be able to get on the air for a couple of passes over the December 6-7 weekend.

Expedition 8 crew commander Mike Foale, KB5UAC. [NASA Photo]

A couple of issues that arose last week on the ISS also may have kept Foale and Kaleri otherwise occupied, Bauer pointed out. One was a peculiar "crushing" noise heard last week in the aft end of the Zvezda Service Module--the crew's quarters. "It was speculated that Mike and Sasha might have gotten instructions from the Russian team to scour the Service Module in an effort to determine the cause of this odd noise," Bauer said.

According to NASA, Foale reported hearing "a metallic noise" November 24 that was "similar to shaking a thin sheet of metal." NASA says ground controllers checked all station systems, and the crew used exterior television cameras to inspect Service Module's exterior but came up dry. Bauer says the noise does not appear to have been a result of a collision with space debris, but he said the ISS international partners have asked the Russian team to investigate further, since the incident involved the Russian segment.

Expedition 8's Sasha Kaleri, U8MIR, tries on his space suit aboard the ISS. [NASA Photo]

The other problem onboard the ISS involved what Bauer called "serious issues" with the treadmill the crew uses to keep fit in zero gravity. "It is understood that Mike put a bunch of time--his own time--this past weekend working on this important device that is critical for the crew's health and well being," he said.

Bauer again emphasized that ham radio operation from the ISS is "completely contingent upon the crew schedule and other duties or issues that might crop up" onboard the space station. "We are impressed that the crew agreed to support the ISS commemorative event," he said, and we hope that they will be on the air in the very near future."

ARISS has requested special event participants to keep all contacts short. Those contacting the ISS by voice (NA1SS) or packet (RS0ISS) through the end of December will be eligible for a special anniversary event certificate.

Bauer advised those working NA1SS for the event to not request a certificate until ARISS releases QSL instructions.

ARISS is an international project with participation and support from ARRL, NASA and AMSAT.

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