ISS Expedition 5 crew member Valery Korzun, RZ3FK, holds the ARISS WA1 VHF-UHF antenna (with feed line and mounting hardware) prior to its installation on the ISS Service Module during an August 26, 2002, space walk. [NASA Photo]
SILVER SPRING, MD, Jul 23, 2004--The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) US team this week successfully completed a comprehensive checkout pass of the ISS Phase II equipment with astronaut Mike Finke, KE5AIT, aboard the ISS. Utilizing ground stations in Greenbelt, Maryland; Orlando, Florida; and Houston, Texas--and linking ARISS team members in Kansas, Colorado, Maryland, Florida and Texas--the ARISS US team performed voice and packet radio uplink tests to fully validate the NA1SS Kenwood TS-D700E Phase II equipment for use during future ARISS school group QSOs. ARISS International Chairman, Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, said the test pass was a tremendous success.
ISS Expedition 5 crew member Valery Korzun, RZ3FK, holds the ARISS WA1 VHF-UHF antenna (with feed line and mounting hardware) prior to its installation on the ISS Service Module during an August 26, 2002, space walk. [NASA Photo] |
"We were able to really ring out the D700 radio system in the Service Module July 22, clearing the way for future use of the radio system with schools," Bauer said. During an East Coast pass, the ARISS team was able to perform signal strength measurements and voice quality checks on 2 meters and 70 cm using the Phase II Kenwood radio and the ARISS-built WA1 antenna system. Completion of testing by the US team now means the ISS has two fully functional Amateur Radio stations onboard.
Installed last December by ISS Expedition 8 Commander Mike Foale, KB5UAC, the new Kenwood dualband transceiver in the Zvezda Service Module--the crew's living quarters--until now has been used only for the RS0ISS packet system and for testing. The ARISS Russia team completed its Phase II Earth-space equipment tests earlier this year. Activation of the new gear will mean a power boost for the NA1SS downlink signal. The modified Kenwood transceiver is capable of operating up to 25 W out, although ARISS has been running it at 10 W.
ARISS team member Mark Steiner, K3MS, said Fincke provided feedback to help the team understand how the radio sounds on orbit. "Mike said that the signals from the 70 cm uplink were especially booming," he added.
From Orlando, ARISS Hardware Specialist Lou McFadin,
W5DID, uplinked a special APRS message to the ISS ham radio station. Finke enthusiastically
read it back to the ARISS team, confirming the message uplink capability.
 Astronaut Mike Fincke, KE5AIT, at the controls of the NA1SS Phase 1 5-W Ericsson handheld transceiver station located in the spacecraft's Zarya Functional Cargo Block--or FGB. |
All participating stations--on Earth and onboard the ISS--reported excellent signals on 2 meters and "tremendous 40 over S9 signals on 70 cm," Bauer said. The International Space Station Amateur Radio Club station, NN1SS in Greenbelt, noted that the team needed to be especially disciplined to track the fast-moving Doppler on 70 cm.
During the test pass, Bauer expressed his thanks to Fincke and to ISS Expedition 9 Commander Gennady Padalka, RN3DT, for their outstanding support to ARRL Field Day and for the casual contacts that Fincke has made recently. "Mike said he is really enjoying the contacts with the ham community and expects to be on more in the future," Bauer said.
Control operators at the three ground stations included Gil Carman, WA5NOM, at the Johnson Space Center Amateur Radio Club's W5RRR in Houston, Lou McFadin, W5DID, in Orlando, and Dave Taylor, W8AAS, NN1SS station in Greenbelt.
ARISS is an
international educational outreach program with US participation from NASA,
AMSAT and the ARRL.
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