The Expedition 14 crew members spent a busy week aboard the International Space Station working to install a new oxygen-generating system, adding soundproofing in the living quarters and unpacking supplies delivered by the space shuttle in December.

Commander Mike Lopez-Alegria and Flight Engineer Suni Williams primarily focused this week on the first phase of installing a new oxygen-generating system. This additional system will be needed as a supplement to the Russian Elektron oxygen generator when the permanent crew aboard the station expands from three to six people. The new system will be activated and tested later this year.

Did I miss something here or did no-one know about this contact until after it was made? It would have been nice to get some warning on the site and maybe listen in or possibly catch these guys later if they still had the radio on voice as any contact with ISS is a rarity.

I have updated the list at http://www.issfanclub.com/dxcc-list to show countries that have submitted cards and are confirmed. Looks to be about 30 at this point (Jan 5, 2007).

It would be really nice to get the other 70 cards in before May 2007 (just in case Bill attends Dayton).

I still need to check recheck with the other bureaus but ARRL confirms they have received none since my last inquiry back in Sept, 2006.

Kenneth - N5VHO

Youngsters from an elementary and a junior high school at Kashiwabara Community Center in Sayama, Japan -- some 30 km from Tokyo -- spoke via ham radio December 27 with International Space Station Commander Mike Lopez-Alegria, KE5GTK. The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program arranged the direct VHF contact between 8J1K in Japan and NA1SS in space. Lopez-Alegria told the youngsters that one of the most important characteristics of a good ISS crew member is being a team player who works well with others. The crew's duties are varied, he said.

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