Misc Ham News

[Fred_Vobbe]

HAM RADIO IN SPACE: STS-14 FEATURES A 6 HAM CREW

Amateur Radio operators make up 6 of the 7 crew members of the STS-114 Space Shuttle mission crew. They are Mission Commander Eileen Collins, KD5EDS; Mission Specialist Wendy Lawrence, KC5KII; Mission Specialist Charles Camarda, KC5ZSY; Mission Specialist Soichi Noguchi, KD5TVP; Mission Specialist - Andrew Thomas, KD5CHF and Pilot James Kelly, KC5ZSW.

Also carried on the STS 114 mission is the PC SAT2 ham radio satellite. It will not become operational until it has been mounted on the outside of the I-S-S. A spacewalk to do this is scheduled to take place on July 21st. A presentation on PCSAT2 will be held at the AMSAT-UK International Space Colloquium in Guildford, England from July 29th to the 31st. (M5AKA, AMSAT-UK)

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RADIO IN SPACE: SENATE APPROVES TOURISM BILL

Space could become the final frontier of tourism under recently passed legislation by the Senate to regulate commercial human spaceflight. The bill, approved by Congress, would authorize the Federal Aviation Administration to issue permits allowing private spacecraft operators to take paying passengers into space. The agency would also regulate the young space tourism industry, which was invigorated by the successful flights of a privately financed manned rocket over California's Mojave Desert in October of 2004.

Just last week Russia’s space agency announced that United States entrepreneur Gregory Olsen will be the third tourist to visit the International Space Station. According to the Interfax News Agency, a contract has been signed between Olsen and Russia's Roscosmos federal space agency. This has resulted in Olson being added to the crew of the ninth expedition to the I-S-S and he is expected to operate the ARISS ham radio station while on board. (Published reports)

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OPERATING SCENE: COMMEMORATING THE ARIZONE CODE TALKERS

And the Navajo Amateur Radio Club is sponsoring Special Event station N-7-C. This, in honor Arizona Code Talkers Day. For ham radio this is actually a two day event on August 13th and 14th.

For those not aware, the Code Talkers were members of the Navajo nation who took part in every assault the U.S. Marines conducted in the Pacific during World War 2. They served in all six Marine divisions, Marine Raider battalions and Marine parachute units, transmitting messages by telephone and radio in their native Navajo language. This was a code that the Japanese command could never brake.

Now, in 2005 N7C will take to the air both days from 1400 U-T-C through 2400 U-T-C on 14.265 and 7.265. to honor thir contribution during World War 2. If you make contact, QSL with an SASEto Herb Goodluck, N7HG, % Navajo Amateur Radio Club, P.O. Box 3611, Window Rock, Arizona, 86515. (Press release)