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Amateur Radio on board the International Space Station

ARISS Meetings Held in Houston 

ARISS Meetings in Houston Texas
Provided by:
Frank Bauer, KA3HDO  
ARISS-US Delegation

A series of extremely successful International Space Station (ISS) Amateur Radio accommodation meetings were held at the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston from January 22-27.  These pivotal meetings were sponsored by NASA and by Energia, the Russian space company that is building portions of  ISS. The primary objectives of these meetings were to finalize the design development of the "Initial Station" amateur radio hardware for ISS and to develop a more effective understanding and advocacy of the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program within NASA and Energia.

In addition to representatives from NASA and Energia, the ARISS  "Initial Station" hardware development teams from the US, Russia, Germany and Italy were invited to participate in the meetings.  The Initial Station design, solidified during the July 1998 ARISS meeting in Surrey, England, consists of 2 meter and 70 cm handheld radios, a packet radio system and power supplies, provided by the US team, a Digitalker, provided by the German team, antenna feedthroughs and power and space accommodations provided by the Russian team and the development of an antenna system which is led by the Italian delegation.  NASA will be providing a Space Shuttle launch to transport the Initial Station hardware to the ISS and has financially supported the flight qualification of the Initial Station Hardware.  

Some of the testing required by NASA and Energia to flight qualify this hardware includes the development of a safety analysis package, hardware performance testing, ISS interface testing, electromagnetic interference testing, and toxic chemical offgassing testing.  Both NASA and Energia are intimately involved in the external outfitting of the planned antennas systems  through special astronaut spacewalks or EVAs.   

The following ARISS team members from various IARU and AMSAT 
organizations were invited to attend and participate in these meetings:

  • Sergej Samburov, RV3DR, Representing Energia, AMSAT-Russia and ARISS-Russia
  • Ron Parise, WA4SIR, Representing the ARISS-US Hardware Delegation
  • Lou McFadin, W5DID, Representing the ARISS-US Hardware Delegation
  • Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, Representing NASA, AMSAT-NA, and ARISS-US
  • Matt Bordelon, KC5BTL, Representing NASA and ARISS-US
  • Thomas Kieselbach, DL2MDE, Representing the ARISS-German Hardware Delegation
  • Alberto Zagni, I2KBD, Representing the ARISS-Italian Hardware Delegation
  • Fabrizio Bernardini, I0QIT, Representing the ARISS-Italian Hardware Delegation
  • Luca Bertagnolio, IK2OVV, Representing the ARISS-Italian Hardware Delegation 
During the meeting, Sergej Samburov, RV3DR, the President of AMSAT-Russia in Moscow and the Chief of the Cosmonaut Amateur Radio Department at Energia, confirmed that 4 dual-use antenna feedthroughs have been installed on the Russian Service Module.  These dual-use feedthroughs are expected to support amateur radio operations and ISS proximity video capability during Russian and US spacewalks.   He also confirmed his strong desire to work with the ARISS international partners to develop a single, coordinated amateur radio station on ISS.   

Key NASA official stated that they, too, need a single, international focal point to coordinate amateur radio development and operations on ISS if amateur radio on ISS is to have a future.  During the meeting, these NASA officials were extremely pleased with the high level of flight hardware expertise and on-orbit operations knowledge that the ARISS international partners are providing to NASA and Energia.  The ARISS international team was formed over two years ago to provide this single focal point to the space officials at NASA (US), Energia (Russia), NASDA (Japan) and ESA (Europe).  Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, AMSAT-NA's Vice President for Human Spaceflight Programs, commented, "I was extremely impressed with the tremendous teamwork, camaraderie and cooperation that the ARISS International Partners exhibited during these pivotal meetings with NASA and Energia.  Together we share a common vision to develop and operate a multifaceted amateur radio station on ISS that will be a great recreational outlet for the on-orbit crews, an exciting DXpedition station for hams on the ground and an outstanding educational outreach tool for students."

In the near future, additional information from these meetings will be provided including discussions on: 

  • ARISS Initial Configuration & Delivery Schedule to ISS
  • Antenna System Design
  • Antenna Locations on Service Module and initial plans for ARISS EVAs
  • Meetings with NASA Senior Managers
  • Digitalker design
  • ARISS Frequencies
  • Future installation of an SSTV system
  • Express Pallet opportunities
The ARISS hardware team discussed and reaffirmed their long planned commitment to solicit proposals from the amateur radio community to develop follow-on amateur radio hardware for ISS.  Proposals chosen to proceed forward would then be coordinated through a NASA/Energia employee-based radio working group that would negotiate power, volume and operations scenarios for the proposed equipment.  The ARISS international team is composed of representatives from the IARU and AMSAT societies in Russia, Italy, Germany, England, France, Canada, Japan and the US.  The Space Amateur Radio EXperiment (SAREX) Working Group provides the US hardware  and administrative representation to the ARISS international team.  Within  the US, they coordinate the US hardware development, operations and educational outreach activities for the ARRL, AMSAT-NA and NASA.
 

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