communication between astronauts in orbit with students on the ground.
SAREX is sponsored by the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), the Radio
Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT), and the National Aeronautics and
Space Administration (NASA). SAREX is also supported by the Federal Communications
Commission (FCC).
Through SAREX, astronauts make scheduled and unscheduled Amateur
Radio contacts from the Shuttle orbiter with schools selected through a proposal
process (see Appendix for proposal process information) from around
the world. These contacts energize students and families about science, technology,
and learning.
The SAREX program will continue on the International Space Station (ISS).
Ham radios provide a necessary secondary system component for communication
between Shuttle orbiter (and will be for the future ISS) crew members and
with Mission Control and workers on the ground.
More than 2.8 million people worldwide, including more than 670,000
Americans, are currently licensed Amateur Radio operators or “hams.” Oddly
enough, there is no universally accepted explanation for where the popular
term “ham” originated. Various theories have been put forth, but all are generally
discredited. The most likely explanation is that the term derives from the
frontier-day custom of referring to unskilled or inept telegraph operators as
“ham-fisted.” Regardless, it is a term in which Amateur Radio operators take
pride.
The term “amateur” refers to one who engages in a pursuit as a pastime
rather than as a profession. Amateur Radio is the personal use of short wave
radio equipment for direct worldwide communications on a one-to-one basis.
Amateur Radio has been a source of communicating and technical skills, especially
during an emergency. Hams never accept compensation for services they
provide.
On November 28, 1983, Space Shuttle mission STS-9 was launched carrying
Mission Specialist Owen Garriott, Amateur Radio call sign W5LFL, and
his ham radio into orbit for 10 days on the Space Shuttle Columbia. For seven
of those days, hams around the world heard Dr. Garriott’s voice calling Earthbound
ham radio stations. Lance Collister, call sign WA1JXN, of Frenchtown,
Montana, became the first Amateur Radio operator to work an astronautham
orbiting the world, and by the end of the mission, over 300 radio calls
were logged by Garriott. The calls ranged from classrooms of children to King
Hussein of Jordan. Garriott was even patched in to the Capsule Communicator
(CAPCOM) at Mission Control Center to demonstrate the utility of the
ham system operating as a backup to some of the orbiter’s communication
systems. SAREX radios are operated on the conditions that they will not interfere
with mission activities and that safety requirements will be met.