Owen Garriott, W5LFL, became a silent key on 15 April. Garriott was 88. A brilliant electrical engineer with Ph.D. training at Stanford, Garriott did early and definitive work on ducting propagation, among other topics. Joining the Astronaut Corp, Garriott conducted important scientific projects in the early days of the Shuttle an Skylab programs and established ham-radio-from-space as key and lasting outreach initiative. See link for more info: http://www.arrl.org/news/amateur-radio-in-space-pioneer-astronaut-owen-garriott-w5lfl-sk
That's very sad... I remember hearing the space shuttle over the UK way back in the 1980's and managed to get a QSL card and letter confirming contact... I still have the card in my collection.... RIP Owen ... de G6BOP
Please note that G4TUT and myself both presented this as news, in part to inform, but also to pay tribute to a great man and ham. We are both aware of the redundancy. You might want to take a minute to check out Owen's career on the web. Fascinating guy... 73 Chip W1YW
I worked with Owen Garriott on one of the SkyLab missions in the early 70s in crew training and flight simulation at the Johnson Space Center. Even though he was an obviously brilliant man and an astronaut, he was never condescending and invariably friendly. I even have a copy of that very qsl card (somewhere) for my first shuttle contact. Godspeed Owen Garriott
It's with deep regards that I hear about Owens passing, the first ham in space. His dad was one of my Elmer's, he was a old-time ham. I was able to talk to him on his first pass in the space shuttle Columbia, and I cherish the qsl card. And I still have the recording, of his first pass over the United States on the "Spacecraft Columbia" as he called it. The main street in Enid Oklahoma where Vance air force base is is named Owen K Garriott. His son is also a ham and an astronaut They were the first American father-son astronauts. They were both together at Dayton a few years ago. Three generations of amateur radios come from this family. He held the record for longest space flight for quite a number of years being in the Skylab program. Spacecraft Columbia from W5LFL I also talked to his son from the International Space Station from my V31KW station in Belize Central America. A true Ham family, three generations of very knowledgeable and successful people. 73
RIP a great man ! in a group on facebook I talk with an OM in Oregon who was one of the first three who spoke to him when he was in space for the first time! PS a curiosity but how come 2 equal posts here on qrz new, reason? 73 de IW2BSF - Rudy Admin of FB group ISS Space Station International Fan's Group
"Owen Garriott - W5LFL, I'm saddened by your departure; I thank you for the opportunity I have had in being able to communicate with my colleague a few times and to improve myself in space communications. Go back into space and meet God again. " Miguel Kassis - PY5BYE
and.... Richard Garriott (Owens son) was also an astronaut, he flew up in a Soyuz space capsule on October 23rd 2008 and spent 12 days in the ISS (International Space Station) that have a contact via radio with his father on earth (the contact is on Youtube ! ), he’s a successful computer game developer, Although not a Ham, but as goal driven as his father was. 73
Those were exciting times when Dr. Garriott made the first orbital flights carrying amateur radio. I was privileged to be part of the crew to produce the film "Amateur Radio's Newest Frontier" featuring Owen Garriott. Roy Neal (K6DUE - SK) and Bill Pasternak (WA6ITF - SK) and I traveled to several of the NASA facilities to shoot scenes to include in this feature. I and my camera was allowed to spend several hours with the astronauts inside the spacelab simulator to record some of their training efforts for their mission. Owen was certainly a powerful advocate for amateur radio in space and paved the way for many future missions taking ham radio aboard. It is largely due to his negotiations and careful insistence that he was allowed to take some modified radio gear and antenna on the shuttle. He was able to prove the viability of spaceborn amateur radio and we still enjoy the results today.
