It's official! Iranian-American businesswoman Anousheh Ansari, 39, will travel to the International Space Station next month as part of the Russian Soyuz TMA-9 "taxi mission," Space Adventures Ltd announced today. Ansari, an eleventh-hour stand-in for Daisuke "Dice-K" Enomoto as the fourth civilian to fly to the ISS, would be the first female civilian "spaceflight participant." Enomoto was removed from the Soyuz flight roster for medical reasons. Although Ansari has had at least some training in using the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) gear, it's not yet known whether she'll make ham radio contacts with Earth during her approximately 10-day stay in space.

Although apparent technical problems plagued an August 18 Amateur Radio on the International Amateur Station (ARISS) contact between NA1SS and students in Tasmania, US astronaut Jeff Williams, KD5TVQ, was able to hear and respond to a few questions. Then, after repeatedly experiencing difficulty copying questions posed by students gathered at Reece High School, in Devonport, Williams opened the NA1SS microphone and ad-libbed for a few minutes, running down what amounted to a short list of frequently asked questions he's heard during past ARISS school QSOs.

arrl.org

Hello TO ISSFANCLUB STAFF!

I willl say tnx STAFFS for this new status report for SSTV.
Better for all to see if SSTV active or not.

73de SWL-CHMY, Christian

- ARISS Contact - Reece High School/Devonport Maritime Museum, Devonport, Tasmania, Australia - 2006-08-18
- ARISS Contact - Teven-Tintenbar Public School, Tintenbar, NSW Australia. - 2006-08-11
- ARISS Contact - Robinson Elementary School, Anderson, Indiana, USA. 2006-08-02

Audio Links

STS-115 Mission:

Links

J

Seems like we burn a lot of go-juice getting getting go-juice up there. Can't we just ask these guys just stick their legs out at the top and pull them in again at the bottom?