ARISSNews Release No. 22-36
Dave Jordan, AA4KN
ARISS PR
aa4kn@amsat.org
For Immediate Release
Quarter Century Wireless Association, Inc. (QCWA)
Provides Donation to Support ARISS
June 7, 2022: Amateur Radioon the International Space Station, Inc. (ARISS-USA) is very pleased toannounce that the Quarter Century Wireless Association, Inc. (QCWA) has made a highlynotable contribution--$4,500—to support the ARISS program. QCWA President KenOelke (amateur radio call sign VE6AFO) presented the generous gift to ARISS-USAat the 2022 Hamvention in Xenia, OH, during the ARISS Forum. ARISS is theacronym for Amateur Radio on the International Space Station.
Ken hopes the funding will catalyze individuals and other groupsaround the globe to follow suit and contribute to ARISS. He commented: “I had asked Rosalie White(amateur radio call sign K1STO), the ARISS-US Delegate for ARRL, about newinitiatives ARISS may have and learned of new education programs set intomotion and about ARISS’s enhancements being developed for its amateur radio stationon the International Space Station (ISS). Those things are in addition to the ARISSteam’s daily operating activities—ARISS educational radio contacts for schoolsand education groups with astronauts orbiting on the ISS. I believe ARISSprovides a great opportunity to the QCWA to stand out in the Amateur RadioCommunity, and to carry out QCWA’s education mandate described in itsconstitution.”
In late 2020, Astronaut Chris Cassidy (amateur radio call signKF5KDR) installed ARISS’s new radio system on the ISS. Crew members with hamradio licenses began using it for scheduled ARISS education radio contacts. Inaddition to supporting these student interviews, the radio system allowsamateur radio operators to engage with the ISS using Automated Packet ReportingSystem (APRS), making cross band repeater contacts, and downloading special slow-scanTV (SSTV) images downlinked by cosmonauts.
ARISS-International Chair Frank Bauer (amateur radio call signKA3HDO) thanked QCWA members for their tremendous support, stating: “Thisfunding will help propel forward some of the ARISS educational activities that wererecently put in motion. Also, the gift will spur on the ARISS team working on radiosystem enhancements.” He noted: “It is fantastic to see amateur radio groupssuch as QCWA generously offering a gift to ARISS. It shows potential future ARISSbenefactors, foundations and corporations that the amateur radio community believesin ARISS and wants to further ARISS’s goals.”
Rosalie thanked Ken for the QCWABoard of Directors and members standing with ARISS, and said: “The entire ARISSteam conveys its deep appreciation for this exceptional generosity! We hopeyour members are enjoying ARISS packet and cross band repeater contacts andARISS SSTV sessions while knowing countless students are engaged in science andtechnology activities tied to space and radio.”
Individuals and groups wanting to help ARISS can go to https://www.ariss.org/annual-fund.html, and inmany cases, gifts are tax deductible donations. Donors giving $100 or more are awarded a beautiful ARISS ChallengeCoin.
About ARISS
Amateur Radio on the InternationalSpace Station (ARISS) is a cooperative venture of international amateur radiosocieties and the space agencies that support the International Space Station(ISS). In the United States, sponsors are the Radio Amateur SatelliteCorporation (AMSAT), the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), the ISS NationalLab-Space Station Explorers, Amateur Radio Digital Communications (ARDC) andNASA’s Space communications and Navigation program. The primary goal of ARISSis to promote exploration of science, technology, engineering, the arts, andmathematics topics. ARISS does this by organizing scheduled contacts viaamateur radio between crew members aboard the ISS and students. Before andduring these radio contacts, students, educators, parents, and communities takepart in hands-on learning activities tied to space, space technologies, andamateur radio. For more information, see www.ariss.org
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MediaContact:
DaveJordan, AA4KN
ARISSPR
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