Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) Status Report August 9, 2010

1. Successful ARISS Contact Held with Boy Scout Space Jamboree

An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact was held with Boy and Girl Scouts in Rantoul, Illinois on Sunday, August 8. On-orbit astronaut Doug Wheelock, KF5BOC answered 14 questions prepared for him by the Scouts. The contact was part of the Space Jamboree held at the Rantoul National Aviation Center. Scouts from over eight states in the Midwest attended and earned merit badges in Space Exploration, Aviation, Robotics, Radio & Electronics and others.

2. ARRL Article on ARISS School, Greenville Elementary

The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) posted a story on Greenville Elementary School whose teacher worked to have his students licensed in order to become a NASA Explorer School (NES). In the process, 3 teachers and 17 students were licensed with the help of Okaw Valley Amateur Radio Club. Greenville became an NES in 2006 and the school is on the waiting list for an ARISS contact early next year. See: http://www.arrl.org/greenville-elementary-school-hams

3. Amateur Radio Newsline Covers ARISS Event

On Friday, August 6, the Amateur Radio Newsline Report 1721 posted two items covering the 2010 National Boy Scout Jamboree held in Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia on July 31. The first story, "Ham Radio in Space: ISS to Scouting Jamboree Contact Success," covers the ARISS contact with astronaut Doug Wheelock. The second story, "That Final Item: Ham Radio and the Best Scouting Jamboree Ever," talks about the Jamboree, the 5,000 people that toured the K2BSA demonstration station, the 200 Scouts that earned the Radio Merit Badge, and the 130 people who were licensed during the event. To view the articles, see: ftp://ftp.arnewsline.org/quincy/News/news.txt