The ARRL Foundation has granted an additional $2000 toward the cost of constructing and installing Amateur Radio antennas and equipment on the International Space Station's Columbus module, set to launch later this year. Columbus will house an additional Amateur Radio station, including the first digital Amateur Radio TV (DATV) station in space as well as a ham radio transponder. Funding to finish and install ham radio antennas on the European Space Agency (ESA)-built laboratory module has been uncertain, however. Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) Vice Chairman Gaston Bertels, ON4WF, says donations from various sources covered a payment of 9000 Euros (approximately $12,000) in March. A second payment is due this fall. The ARRL Foundation earlier contributed $5000 to the project. Other donations have come from AMSAT-NA and AMSAT-UK, among other organizations, as well as from many individual donors. The yet-to-be-built Columbus Amateur Radio gear will make it possible for ARISS to establish wideband and video operations for the first time and allow continuous transponder operation. AMSAT-Belgium has set up a bank account to receive additional donations for the Columbus project. Details are on the ARISS-EU Columbus Web page (if you have a PayPal account you can easily make a donation by clicking the "Donate" button in the left column).