Gormandale & District
Primary School
&
Read our official press release!
SAREX is a radio system that enables crewmembers to communicate realtime with amateur radio operators on Earth. This payload has flown in several different configurations on many previous shuttle flights. Usually, SAREX is used by the crew to communicate with schoolchildren. The Shuttle Amateur Radio Experiment (SAREX) allows the crew to communicate with amateur radio stations within line of sight of the orbiter.
SAREX-II is operated jointly by NASA, the Amateur Radio Satellite Corporation (AMSAT), and the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) to promote public involvement in the manned space program as well as amateur radio use. SAREX has flown on the shuttle over 20 times, in a variety of configurations and modes.
After putting our name on the list nearly 3 years ago, our school has been selected as one of two Australian schools, that had 10 minutes contact time, between 4.00 & 4.10 PM, on Wednesday, May the 27th., with astronaut Andy Thomas aboard MIR, we had the opportunity to ask him all sorts of questions.
Between March 1995 and May 1998, the Russian Space Station Mir hosts a series of NASA astronauts as crewmembers. The NASA program supporting this endeavor is commonly known as International Space Station Phase 1.Shuttle-Mir participants seek to answer vital questions about the future of human life in space. They work in the safety of a known environment, experiencing real-life issues that might otherwise arise with more serious consequences aboard the International Space Station. Mir is a test site for three main areas of experience and investigation:
Cooperation |
Designing, building, and staffing the International Space Station are big jobs. As participants draw from the experience and resources of many nations to make it all happen, Shuttle-Mir experience teaches them how to work together and learn from one another. |
Investigation |
Mir offers a unique opportunity for long-duration data gathering. Station designers are using Mir as a test site for space station hardware, materials, and construction methods. Mir crew members are taking advantage of the microgravity environment to conduct scientific investigations into biological and material studies. |
Operation |
The Phase 1 program operates under a complicated logistical scheme. In the 35-year history of human space flight, no previous program has required so many transport vehicles, so much interdependent operation between organizations, and so much good timing. Shuttle-Mir experience gives participants an opportunity to gear up for the formidable cooperative effort the International Space Station will require. |
For most shuttle missions on which SAREX is flown, dedicated radio equipment is carried especially for ham radio communication with students and personal contacts. There is no dedicated hardware aboard either Mir or the orbiter for this SAREX configuration. The antenna and radio will be used primarily to provide two-way communication between Mir and orbiter. During the times when it is used for that purpose, the antennas are pre-turned to a non-amateur frequency around 121 MHz. However, the radio can be reprogrammed by the user to different frequencies.
Amateur Radio has been flying aboard the shuttles since 1983, providing the public with a unique vantage point of space. Amateur (or "ham") Radio operators from around the world will point their antennas at the Space Shuttle Columbia, hoping to find the astronauts are on-the-air. Some of these amateurs have volunteered to assist student groups that have prepared questions to ask the astronauts during specially scheduled contact times.
To make their radio contacts, the astronauts will use a radio aboard the
shuttle, on frequencies used by ham radio operators. The contacts will demonstrate to
young people, teachers, parents and communities how Amateur Radio and space energize
students about science, technology, and learning. For the students that participate in
SAREX, the contact is the culmination
of months of hard work. Many of the students have studied space science, communication,
and have trained to use ham radio equipment and shuttle- tracking computer software.
To operate Amateur Radio from the space shuttle, one or more of the astronauts needs to have an Amateur Radio license. One of the crew members who is a licensed Amateur Radio operators is Australian born, Mission Specialist Donald Andrew Thomas. ( KC5FVF )
During SAREX missions, the astronauts will typically make the following types of Amateur Radio contacts:
PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS: Schools are selected from around the world to make contact with the shuttle during most SAREX missions. These contacts are prearranged, giving the schools a greater chance at making a successful contact. A few students at each of the selected schools ask questions of the astronauts during the contact. The nature of these contacts embodies the primary goal of SAREX--to excite students' interest in learning.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR AMATEUR RADIO OPERATORS-
SAREX RADIO FREQUENCIES: During most SAREX missions, many of the crew members will make random contacts with earth-bound hams. They make these contacts during their breaks, before and after meal time, and during their pre-sleep time. In fact, over the past years the astronauts have contacted thousands of amateurs around the world. On many missions, they have even carried a 2-meter packet radio station. Innovative computer software allows the crew to operate the packet gear in an "unattended" mode, allowing amateurs to make contacts with the ROBOT station when the astronauts are working or sleeping.