Amateur Radio connects kids, crew as ISS orbits overhead
Watch the ISS-St. Stephen’s contact starting at 1:00 pm CST on Monday, October 3, 2022, here: https://ssesh.zoom.us/j/82960463217
Students at St. Stephen’s Episcopal School, Houston will talk with astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) via Amateur Radio at 1:07 pm CST on Monday, October 3, 2022. This event is part of the ARISS (Amateur Radio on the International Space Station) Program, which promotes learning opportunities as part of the STEM (Science, Technology, Education and Math) initiative.
St. Stephen’s journey to speak with astronauts began in January 2022, when ARISS selected St. Stephen’s as one of eight host organizations to host a scheduled amateur radio contact with the ISS. We would like to say a special thank you to some of the people who helped us get ready for the event, including ham operators Gene (K5YFL), Jeff (W5JEF), and Walter (K5WH). We would also like to thank members of the BVARC and NARS radio clubs, who have been very helpful and patient in helping our students get on the air with Houston’s local repeaters.
In preparation for the direct radio contact with the ISS, Mr. Charlie Larrabee (KG5QNO), Lab Guru, da Vinci Lab for Creative Arts & Sciences (da Vinci Lab), with guidance from ARISS mentors and Amateur Radio volunteers, has constructed a high-gain Yagi antenna, including a 2-dimensional rotator. A robot arm will turn the antenna in azimuth (like a compass), as well as in elevation (like a sextant). The rotator is quite strong, as it is turning an antenna that is ten feet long. This rotational power and precision will allow the antenna to stay in contact with the ISS for the duration of the ISS orbit over Houston, 227 nautical miles/420 kilometers above Earth.
In the da Vinci Lab, St. Stephen’s Elementary and Middle Years students have been involved with the antenna build process, including testing the Yagi antenna and observing how it works. Students have also engaged in immersive learning experiences leading up to the contact, including tracking a Pico Balloon around Planet Earth (twice), viewing the ISS as it passes over Houston, and researching life on the ISS. Da Vinci students also learn from a comprehensive radio curriculum, including Fox Hunts, Slow Scan TV, and Morse Code.
Selected students in Kindergarten through 8th grade are ready for their once-in-a-lifetime moment to speak with an astronaut on the ISS. They have developed their questions, contemplating what they would like to learn and what would be fascinating for students at St. Stephen’s, Houston, and elsewhere in the world, who will be joining the event via live stream.
Watch the ISS-St. Stephen’s contact starting at 1:00 pm CST on Monday, October 3, 2022, here: https://ssesh.zoom.us/j/82960463217
The da Vinci Lab
The da Vinci Lab for Creative Arts & Sciences at St. Stephen’s is both a program and a place, led by Mr. Charlie Larrabee, Lab Guru. The diverse curriculum in the da Vinci Lab (after school) and the da Vinci Classroom (during the school day for Kindergarten through 8th-grade students) includes:
- A progressive radio curriculum, including Fox Hunts, Slow Scan TV, and Morse Code;
- Core computing skills such as typing, internet safety, and basic coding;
- Wood shop skills such as taking measurements and making drawings, cutting and fastening, as well as finishing wood;
- Electronics, including motors, circuits, wearables, sensors, and coding;
- Sewing featuring fabric design, cutting, and stitching;
- Ceramics construction and finishing methods;
- 3D design, including slicing models and creating designs for 3D printing, 3D scanning, Mesh Mixer, and TinkerCad.
ARISS
ARISS is a joint venture by NASA, the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS), the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), and the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT) to facilitate communication via Amateur Radio between astronauts aboard the International Space Station and schools and communities around the world. ARISS programs excite and motivate students in a one-of-a-kind presentation and exchange.
ARISS program goals are:
- Inspiring an interest in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) subjects and in STEM careers among young people.
- Providing an educational opportunity for students, teachers, and the general public for learning about wireless technology and radio science through Amateur Radio.
- Providing an educational opportunity for students, teachers, and the general public for learning about space exploration, space technologies and satellite communications.
Amateur Radio
Amateur, or “Ham,” Radio, is a popular service and hobby in which federally licensed participants operate communications equipment. There are over 700,000 licensed amateurs and nearly 2,300 ARRL-affiliated Amateur Radio clubs in the United States. Hams talk to each other across town, around the world, and even into space without the need for normal communications infrastructure, such as cell phone networks or the internet. Amateur Radio is regularly used during natural disasters to help local emergency and service agencies (such as the Red Cross, Salvation Army, and state and local governments) respond when normal communications methods are disrupted. The Amateur Radio community is a great source of electronics experimentation, public service, and fun.
Watch the ISS-St. Stephen’s contact starting at 1:00 pm CST on Monday, October 3, 2022, here: https://ssesh.zoom.us/j/82960463217
More information on St. Stephen’s contact with the ISS can be found at https://ssesh.org/iss
More information on the ARISS program can be found at www.ariss.org
More information on Amateur Radio can be found at www.arrl.org/what-is-ham-radio