<html><head></head><body><div class="yahoo-style-wrap" style="font-family:Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;font-size:13px;"><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false"><div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false">I mentioned that new Ham Equipment is ISS bound. Here's a news clip with an update.<br></div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false"><br></div><div dir="ltr"><br></div><div dir="ltr">SB SPACE @ ARL $ARLS003<br></div><div dir="ltr">ARLS003 ARISS Celebrating Successful Launch Carrying Interoperable<br></div><div dir="ltr">Radio System to ISS<br></div><div dir="ltr"><br></div><div dir="ltr">ZCZC AS03 <br></div><div dir="ltr">QST de W1AW <br></div><div dir="ltr">Space Bulletin 003 ARLS003<br></div><div dir="ltr">From ARRL Headquarters <br></div><div dir="ltr">Newington, CT March 10, 2020<br></div><div dir="ltr">To all radio amateurs<br></div><div dir="ltr"><br></div><div dir="ltr">SB SPACE ARL ARLS003<br></div><div dir="ltr">ARLS003 ARISS Celebrating Successful Launch Carrying Interoperable<br></div><div dir="ltr">Radio System to ISS<br></div><div dir="ltr"><br></div><div dir="ltr">Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) is<br></div><div dir="ltr">celebrating the successful launch and docking of the SpaceX-20<br></div><div dir="ltr">commercial resupply mission to the International Space Station<br></div><div dir="ltr">(ISS). One payload on the flight is the ARISS Interoperable Radio<br></div><div dir="ltr">System (IORS), which ARISS calls "the foundational element of the<br></div><div dir="ltr">ARISS next-generation radio system" on the space station. Amateur<br></div><div dir="ltr">radio has been an integral component of ISS missions since 2000. The<br></div><div dir="ltr">Dragon cargo capsule docked successfully with the space station on<br></div><div dir="ltr">March 9. ARISS-US Delegate for ARRL Rosalie White, K1STO, said<br></div><div dir="ltr">hundreds of ARRL members contributed to make the IORS project<br></div><div dir="ltr">happen, and ARISS is celebrating the 4-year-long IORS project.<br></div><div dir="ltr"><br></div><div dir="ltr">"ARISS is truly grateful to ARRL and AMSAT for their co-sponsorship<br></div><div dir="ltr">and support of ARISS since day one," White said. "ARISS greatly<br></div><div dir="ltr">appreciates the hundreds of ham radio operators who have stood by<br></div><div dir="ltr">ARISS, sending financial support and encouragement. A robust ham<br></div><div dir="ltr">station is on its way to replace the broken radio on the ISS, and<br></div><div dir="ltr">tens of thousands of hams will enjoy strong ARISS packet and ARISS<br></div><div dir="ltr">SSTV signals as a result. In addition, thousands of students will<br></div><div dir="ltr">discover and use ham radio to talk with a ham-astronaut. We hope to<br></div><div dir="ltr">see the trend continue where more ARISS teachers and local clubs set<br></div><div dir="ltr">up school ham clubs." The new system includes a higher-power radio,<br></div><div dir="ltr">an enhanced voice repeater, updated digital packet radio (APRS), and<br></div><div dir="ltr">slow-scan television (SSTV) capabilities for both the US and Russian<br></div><div dir="ltr">space station segments.<br></div><div dir="ltr"><br></div><div dir="ltr">White called the March 7 launch, "beautiful, flawless." ARRL<br></div><div dir="ltr">President Rick Roderick, K5UR, told ARISS that he had his fingers<br></div><div dir="ltr">crossed for a successful launch.<br></div><div dir="ltr"><br></div><div dir="ltr">According to NASA Mission Control, it will take the three ISS crew<br></div><div dir="ltr">members up to a month to unload and stow the 4,300 pounds of cargo<br></div><div dir="ltr">on board the Dragon capsule, and the IORS is not a priority. The<br></div><div dir="ltr">actual ham equipment will be installed in the ISS Columbus module.<br></div><div dir="ltr">Another IORS unit is in line to be launched and installed in the<br></div><div dir="ltr">Russian segment of the ISS later this year.<br></div><div dir="ltr"><br></div><div dir="ltr">The IORS consists of a custom-modified JVCKenwood TM-D710GA<br></div><div dir="ltr">transceiver, a multi-voltage power supply, and interconnecting<br></div><div dir="ltr">cables. The ARISS hardware team will assemble four flight units -<br></div><div dir="ltr">and 10 IORS units in all — to support onboard flight operations,<br></div><div dir="ltr">training, operations planning, and hardware testing.<br></div><div dir="ltr"><br></div><div dir="ltr">ARISS-International Chair Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, said earlier this<br></div><div dir="ltr">year that future upgrades and enhancements to the next-generation<br></div><div dir="ltr">system are in various stages of design and development. These<br></div><div dir="ltr">include a repaired Ham Video system - currently planned for launch<br></div><div dir="ltr">in mid-to-late 2020, an L-band (uplink) repeater, a microwave "Ham<br></div><div dir="ltr">Communicator," and Lunar Gateway prototype experiment.<br></div><div dir="ltr">NNNN<br></div>/EX</div><div><br></div></div></div></body></html>