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For More
Information:
Allen Pitts, W1AGP
American Radio Relay League
860-594-0328
apitts@arrl.org
For Immediate Release
Amateur Radio Community Reflects on Special Relationship with NASA Astronauts
NEWINGTON, Conn., February 7, 2003 -- Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) members, Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES) members, and other ham radio volunteers have been assisting federal, state and local officials and service agencies in the search for debris from the shuttle Columbia.
"Ham radio has proven to be the only reliable communications option during the recovery effort," said Tim Lewallen, a North Texas Public Information Officer for ARRL, the national association for Amateur Radio. "The area's dense forests and hilly terrain make communication via many traditional radio systems difficult."
Authorities have requested that every survey team have at least one Amateur Radio operator with them so the recovery efforts remain coordinated and organized. Along with volunteering their communications expertise, ham radio operators were also involved in the debris cataloging effort early on.
While Amateur Radio operators often get involved when a disaster strikes, the shuttle disaster is one that hit close to home for enthusiasts across the country. Through the Space Amateur Radio EXperiment (SAREX) and -- more recently -- the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) programs, ham radio operators have enjoyed a special relationship with the astronaut corps, many of whom are Amateur Radio licensees. Three of the Columbia astronauts, Kalpana "KC" Chawla, David Brown and Laurel Clark were licensed Amateur Radio operators.
Today, there are nearly 700,000 Amateur Radio operators in the United States and more than 2.5 million worldwide. Information on how to become involved in Amateur Radio is available from the ARRL, the national association for Amateur Radio, 225 Main Street Newington, CT 06111 or by calling 1-800-32-NEW HAM. The URL for ARRL's home page is www.arrl.org.
Editor's Note: ARRL can put you in touch with volunteers in Texas, or Amateur Radio operators in other parts of the country who can talk about their personal experiences with licensed NASA astronauts.
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