SB SPACE @ ARL $ARLS005
ARLS005 ARISS Board resolves greater cooperation with Canada

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Space Bulletin 005  ARLS005
From ARRL Headquarters  
Newington, CT  April 17, 2002
To all radio amateurs

SB SPACE ARL ARLS005
ARLS005 ARISS Board resolves greater cooperation with Canada

The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station International
Group and the Canadian Space Agency have agreed in principle to
cooperate in areas of mutual interest such as educational outreach,
public relations and Amateur Radio licensing of Canadian astronauts.
The announcement during the ARISS committee meeting at the Canadian
Space Agency in Ste Hubert, Quebec, April 4-6 prompted applause from
delegates and observers. ARISS and CSA will hammer out the specifics
of an umbrella agreement in the coming weeks.

Marilyn Steinberg of the CSA's Education Office outlined CSA's
educational outreach programs and successful Canadian ARISS QSO
activity. She told the gathering she sees a lot of potential in the
ARISS program and that she'd like to see expanded Canadian
participation in future ARISS school contacts. Steinberg also said
she planned to explore ways to have more Canadian astronauts become
licensed.

ARRL Field and Educational Services Manager Rosalie White, K1STO,
serves as ARISS International Secretary-Treasurer and also
represented ARRL at the session. She chairs the Educational Outreach
School Selection Committee. ''No matter how many times I monitor
ARISS school QSOs, it still excites me when the connection is
successful,'' White said.

Those attending the meeting, moderated by Roy Neal, K6DUE, learned
that the remaining two Amateur Radio antennas are scheduled for
installation on the ISS Service Module. ARISS International Chairman
Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, said the antennas would be installed during
spacewalks either this summer by the Expedition 5 crew or in late
2002 or early 2003 by the Expedition 6 crew. The flexible tape
antennas are designed for either VHF or UHF use. The gathering also
heard updates on so-called Phase 2 Amateur Radio hardware. Crews
continue to use the ARISS initial station hardware, which consists
primarily of 2-meter and 70-cm hand-held transceivers.

An ARISS slow-scan television system called SpaceCam also may be in
the offing, although no installation timetable has been set. At this
point, testing and development of SSTV system components continues.
ARISS delegates also said they would welcome a proposal for an
Amateur Radio external payload to be developed by the US Naval
Academy and ARISS, with US Navy sponsorship.  
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