Hundreds of students at James Bay Elementary School in Seabrook listened to the radio event.

Through the magic of radio, Expedition 8 Commander Mike Foale recently met more than 900 people at once while orbiting the Earth.

Earlier this month, the JSC Amateur Radio Club (JSCARC) connected Foale with hundreds of students and their teachers at James Bay Elementary School in Seabrook. The JSCARC, assisted by the Clear Lake Amateur Radio Club, provided the equipment and expertise that enabled 10 selected students to ask questions of Foale as the Space Station flew over Texas.

The Bay Elementary event was sponsored by the American Radio Relay League as part of the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program. The Bay Elementary event was the 126th such contact since the ARISS program began with the Expedition 1 crew in December 2000. Since then, ISS crews have spoken to students in 18 countries. ARISS is the successor to a similar program that used amateur radio equipment aboard selected Space Shuttle flights to allow astronauts to speak with students around the world.

"I and other amateur radio operators in the JSC Amateur Radio Club, and the Clear Lake Amateur Radio Club, who help make these contacts possible, enjoy sharing the excitement of amateur radio with others, both young and old," said Nick Lance, a member of both the JSC and Clear Lake clubs who has participated in three other ISS contacts with local schools.

"Amateur radio offers the opportunity to talk with and learn from others who you may otherwise never come in contact with,” Lance said. “Most of us would never have the opportunity to talk to the King of Jordan, celebrities like Joe Walsh, or an astronaut on the ISS. But through ham radio, many have had the opportunity to both talk with and learn from these people."

	Ian Foale asks his orbiting father, Mike Foale, a question.

Lance, the Assistance Manager for Engineering Standards in the Engineering Directorate's Advanced Development Office, also teaches amateur radio classes for astronauts, as well as local schoolchildren.

George Stokes said that NASA should "keep on doing this." Stokes was one of the 4th-grade students who had the opportunity to speak with Foale. Stokes' nine classmates included Ian Foale, who was able to ask his orbiting father two questions during the 10-minute pass.

"I think we should let all (students) have an opportunity to do this," said Bristol Gunderson, another 4th grader who asked questions of Foale. "We got to talk to people in space!"

To hear the radio event, visit: http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/audio/station/crew-8/ndxpage1.html



Related links:

Amateur Radio in Space: http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/station/reference/radio/

ARRIS Program – http://www.rac.ca/ariss/

JSC Amateur Radio Club – http://www.w5rrr.org/