Update 10/19/2008 @ 7p: Here's the MP3 file of Richard Garriott, W5KWQ / NA1SS, acknowledging my call from aboard the International Space Station! Thanks to Doug KC2PCR and the guys over at the Central New York Amateur Radio Association (CNYARA) for getting in touch. It was recorded this morning, 29 Oct 2008 at 13:29 UTC. Since Richard didn't say my complete callsign, only my suffix (QDK, or quebec delta kilo), I'm not sure if this technically counts as a completed contact (QSO). I'm awaiting a ruling from the judges.
On Friday when I was preparing Amateur Radio Newsline for playback on the K2RRA repeater for Sunday night, I heard a story about Richard Garriott, W5KWQ, the sixth private citizen to fly
with the Russian Federal Space Agency (RKA) for a short-term mission on
the International Space Station (ISS). He was to become the first second-generation human in space, and, following in his father's footsteps, make amateur radio contacts while aboard the ISS.
While I have no experience tracking or making satellite voice or slow scan TV (SSTV) contacts via amateur radio, I had the requisite hardware to give it a go. So I started following the passes of the ISS via the web, downloaded Mmsstv software to the laptop to decode the data, set my Yaesu FT-857D to the downlink frequency of 145.800 MHz, and hoped the Bozak 2 Meter vertical antenna would be enough to receive the bird. The typical setup to communicate with passing satellites is a directional beam antenna pointed towards them. During the first pass at 9:00 AM local time (13:00 UTC) 18 Oct, I was shocked to receive the image to the right.
