All,
Today marks the 2nd anniversary of the deployment of SuitSat-1/Radioskaf/AO-54 from the ISS. I want to take this opportunity to thank all the volunteers around the world that supported the SuitSat-1 development, deployment, public outreach and ground station reception.
Despite its lateness, I would also like to announce that the SuitSat Certificates have been mailed to the regional QSL distributors who will, in turn, mail these to you in the very near future. Specifically, this is the ARRL in the U.S. and ARISS-EU in Europe. The Canadian certificates were mailed directly to their QTHs. I will take responsibility for the lateness in delivery of these. My extensive work travel over the past two years coupled with needing to focus on keeping the ARISS program alive despite looming budget threats were factors in not getting these to you in a timely basis. I hope you will enjoy them, just the same.
I ask that you please wait for about 2 weeks before making further requests regarding the certificates. I would expect that they will be in your hands in that time frame. At the end of February will we make a second call regarding the certificates, if for some reason you did not receive it from us.
2008 brings new opportunities to you, the hams interested in ARISS. This, as we plan to commemorate the 25th anniversary of human spaceflight ham radio operation---the flight of Owen Garriott, W5LFL on the space shuttle Columbia, STS-9 in 1983. As you know, we are working to bring SuitSat-2 to reality. It is not clear when it will be deployed, but we are working feverishly to have it ready for deployment before the end of the year. And we expect to have significant ARISS crew participation starting in the October timeframe with the launch of the Expedition 18 crew and Soyuz taxi flight. As we get more details on specifics, the ARISS team will inform you through e-mail and the ARISS and ISS Fan Club Web sites.
I thank all of you for your interest in ARISS. This program is truly inspirational for students, the ham radio community, and the communities surrounding the schools that have been touched by the 334 (to date) school contacts conducted since December 2001.
Enjoy the currently operational ARISS voice repeater!
73, Frank H. Bauer, KA3HDO ARISS Internatonal Chairman AMSAT-NA V.P. for Human Spaceflight Programs