ISS Contact

On January 30, 2023, W1HLO hosted a radio contact with Astronaut Josh Cassada aboard the International Space Station. NFA students asked questions to Dr. Cassada through W1HLO's satellite ground station that was purchased through an ARDC grant. To make this contact possible, W1HLO had to submit a proposal to ARISS. ARISS helps schools with making astronaut contacts on the ISS, with the assistance of amateur radio operators. Since we have our own amateur radio club at NFA, we were able to take care of all aspects of the contact.

W1HLO's ground station used a altitude-azimuth rotator with a cross-polarized VHF antenna. This allowed us to track the ISS as it quickly went overhead at 17,500 miles per hour. We were able to get a solid copy for the 10 minutes the ISS was over NFA. As part of the contact, we also needed a backup station, which was another VHF radio connected to an "egg beater" VHF antenna on the roof. (This kind of cross-polarized loop antenna allows for satellite work without using an alt-az rotator.) With our W1HLO students at the primary and backup radio controls, we keyed the radio when needed and ensured the satellite software kept the antenna on track.

You can see the recorded contact on NFA's YouTube channel.