"It became my emotional, and a really visceral, connection to the planet." just reach out to humanity down there," said Wheelock, who interacted with many operators, known as "hams," during that stay at the space station in 2010. Some, like Wheelock, spend their limited free time making contact with amateur radio operators around the world. "Any station, any station, this is the International Space Station," Wheelock said.Ī flood of voices jumbled out of the airwaves.Īstronauts aboard the space station often speak to students via ham radio, which can also be used in emergencies, but those are scheduled appearances. He figured he'd turn it on-see if anyone was listening. One night, as he looked out a window at the Earth below, he remembered the space station's ham radio. At times, the stress and tension of serving as the station's commander could be intense. Wheelock would be separated from loved ones, save for communication via an internet phone, email or social media. NASA astronaut Doug Wheelock was just a few weeks into his six-month mission at the space station when feelings of isolation began to set in. But perhaps there's a simpler explanation for why astronauts and ham radio operators have been talking, and talking, for years. Perhaps that explains, in part, the appeal of having one of humankind's greatest scientific inventions communicate with Earth via technology that's more than 100 years old.
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