Astronaut Leroy Chiao on June 9 passed his exam receiving his new callsign KE5BRW.
Leroy will be the Expedition 10 Commander scheduled to launch in October 2004.
No other news about the Russian Flight Engineer Salizhan Shairpov. We hope he will take his callsign before flight.

I was delighted to hear Mike Fincke on 145.800 on Sunday, here in Cottonwood, Az. during the 9:00 AM pass. The signal was loud and clear, but I had not prepared the radio for split operation yet as I was preparing for the 10:30 pass!
I was not able to talk, but enjoyed hearing him with the other stations!

Mike K7NRA

My father, Ron Gorzynski, K8DID and an AMSAT Life Member, has worked the ISS twice, along with the space shuttle and MIR numerous times but today was my turn. Visiting my parents this Field Day, we were there listening for the call with each pass and working packet when no voice was heard. Then finally, the signal we had waited for was there - - loud and clear competing with the sound of my excited heart beating loudly in my chest. It's a moment I will never forget..."K7DID this is NA1SS"!! What a treat it was today to have the privilege of working the ISS from my father's QTH.

As reported by various sources, busy ISS voice activity have been copied over North America.
In occasion of the Field Day the station NA1ISS have been operated by Mike Finke permitting numerous contacts with US and Canadian ground stations.
No activity have been reported elsewhere yet.

As our member Kenneth N5VHO remarks in his forum post packet radio have been switched on for the field day.
Phone operations are supposed to take place on Sunday, but a surprise could happen anytime.

The crew of the International Space Station astronaut Mike Fincke, KE5AIT, and Gennady Padalka, RN3DT could be on the air for Field Day 2004. In 2001, astronaut Susan Helms, KC7NHZ, thrilled Field Day participants by showing up unexpectedly on the air and working several dozen stations. ISS crew members have participated in the event each year since. ISS Ham Radio Project Engineer Kenneth G. Ransom, N5VHO, says he's sent Field Day operating instructions and pass times to the ISS support team at Johnson Space Center for relay to Fincke this week.
See www.arrl.org for full details
Tnx to ARRL and Ken, N5VHO for info
73, Gerry VE6GP

A new feature showing allowing users to indicate when the "ISS Crew Active" is now available on the Live OSCAR Satellite Status page.

Let's hope we get the chance to add some purple to the page.

http://oscar.dcarr.org/index.php

Kenneth - N5VHO

I have been looking forward to hear direct Voice operation near my QTH since months. Then I noticed about the possibility to hear the pass of the ISS over France and the school contact planned for afternoon, 20:28 local time.
I prepared all my material (Talky kenwood TH-79 + Homebrew 3 element Yagi 2 m).
My plan was to go to a mountain near my home and record the conversation from astronaut Mike Foale.....

Gegory Olsen, president of Sensor Unliminted inc might become the third lucky space tourist.
Full story on mosnews.com

For safety reasons, the amateur radio equipment aboard the International Space Station will be shut down during Thursday's spacewalk (EVA). The spacewalk is scheduled to begin at 3pm CST or 2100 UTC. The equipment will be shut off prior to the EVA and turned on sometime after the EVA is completed.