Columbus Laboratory Credits: ESA / D.Ducros

New Ham Radio antenna installed on the ISS

ARISS US Hardware Manager Lou McFadin, W5DID says that all
the teamwork and effort to expand the ARISS amateur radio station aboard the ISS were successful this weekend when the new dual band 2m/70CM antenna was installed on the outside of ESA's Columbus module.

Lou congratulated the team, "This is an example of what can be achieved by volunteer hams working closely with a space agency. This antenna project was funded entirely by AMSAT-NA and volunteers who built the antennas for both an ESA experiment and for ARISS. I am very proud of all the teamwork and effort that has gone into this project."

The new ARISS antenna is very similar to the antennas already on the Russian service module. Once the antennas are in place the ARISS team will be working to bring amateur radio to the Columbus module.

In conclusion Lou noted the tremendous contribution from ESA for the experiment, the launch and the EVA making this expansion of amateur radio aboard the ISS possible.

Source: AMSAT News Service (ANS)

Watch highlights from the second spacewalk during which the Amateur Radio antenna was installed

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