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NEW YORK: The International Space Station orbits more than 200 miles above the Earth, traveling five miles per second. Getting in touch isn’t quite as simple as placing a long-distance call. But if you have a ham radio, used by radio amateurs to chat on public frequencies, it actually isn’t much tougher.
Last week, Adrian Lane of Gloucestershire, England, proved the point when he contacted the station and chatted with a US astronaut for about 45 seconds. The astronauts, it just so happens, have their own ham radio, which works like any other down here on Earth. Getting through to them is mostly a matter of knowing how and when to try.
To start, you need a radio (pdf), but before you run off to order one you should know that depending on your country, there are different licenses you may need to transmit on it. In England, for example, it’s fine to listen in without a license, but sending radio messages requires first passing an exam. In the US, three different license classes exist.
If you’re already set up, the next step is to know which frequencies to use. A handy guide is available through ARISS.org. The acronym stands for Amateur Radio on the International Space Station, and the organization is made up of a collection of space agencies and amateur radio groups.
