Here you are!
This first adventure in Senegal ARISS is complete, and it was a great success. This Friday, October 23, 2009 at 10:20 in College IV Mbour, we were all present, more or less concerned about the proper outcome of this great challenge. With the support of amateur radio club 6W7PCT Saly, students have made under the special call sign 6V7SPACE, a radio contact with astronaut Frank De Winne from the International Space Station: OR4ISS.
The most visible activity of ARISS is to organize in VHF radio contact between schools worldwide and the International Space Station (ISS), thus contributing to the educational program launched into space by NASA in the USA.
ARISS also provides the equipment preparation amateur board (transceivers, antennas, laptop ...) which is then installed on the ISS by astronauts themselves.
At 10 hours, the room of the Science Club college of Mbour IV was full of people. At 10:15 am Gaston Bertels telephoned us from Brussels to follow in live those few minutes of communication with the space. At 10:22, Gaston launched the starting signal: no noise in the room and nothing more was that Jan Francois 6W7RV announce into the microphone "OR4ISS, OR4ISS here is 6V7SPACE from Senegal.
Immediately after, Frank de Winne answered the call of the International Space Station. Perfect communication despite the Doppler effect, the students began to ask their questions, listening carefully to the response of the astronaut. And the 23 questions selected by NASA, 21 were submitted by college kids, happy with this extraordinary contact with a manned space station. These are some 8 minutes of questions and answers will remain forever engraved in their memory.
The authorities present as well as journalists and television Senegalese (RTS) were impressed by the great African first, and a thunderous applause end this intense moment for all.
A huge congratulations to Jan Francois 6W7RV, who performed all the technical equipment and has perfectly managed the entire communication with ISS and a big thank you to Alassane 6W1QR, and all students for their impeccable service.
A short report has been broadcasted on the evening news at 20:00 pm and midnight on the RTS network.
We are all very happy and proud to have been able to establish radio contact with the ISS and I thank all those who take part to this experience.
Daniel Eichenberger / 6W7RP AND Jan-François LORNE 6W7RV (more info on demand at 6W7RV AT le-calao.com)
A link for photo and video:
http://www.senrasec.org/
We appreciate your support.
A VHF contact beetwen a senegalese college and ISS in Africa.
Linear Mode
