Last Thursday, April 30th, 2020  was a day of firsts for the ARISS program and for us here. The COVID-19 situation has forced changes to be made in the way that schools and other groups contact astronauts onboard the ISS. The pandemic has also made it impossible to access many of the ARISS telebridge stations worldwide.

We hosted the first ARISS arranged Multi-Point Telebridge contact with students in the Northern VA School Group and Chris Cassidy, KF5KDR aboard the ISS. The contact was a success and we learned a great deal as we provided in a new format for ARISS contacts.

ARISS First #1 – We’re A New Telebridge Station

We added Telebridge capability to our space communications ground station here in New Hampshire. This involved adding a telephone patch capability to our station and a UPS to the power supply for our station. With all of the tests complete and the station preparation checked one last time before our schedule contact, we were ready!

ARISS First #2 – New Multi-Point Telebridge Format for ARISS

The COVID-19 situation is preventing most schools from assembling in a group for their contacts with the ISS. ARISS created a new, Multi-Point Telebridge format which allows students and their teacher to participate in a contact with an astronaut aboard the ISS from their homes. The new format created additional audio and coordination challenges among the students who participated in our contact.

We practiced the new format with the students multiple times before our actual contact. As a result, the students did a great job during their contact.

ARISS First #3 – Inaugural ARISS YouTube Livestream

With the help of Steve Rys, KB1VYD, ARISS created a live, multi-sourced video feed of the pre-contact program and the actual contact with the ISS.

The live stream included audio from our station, the Moderator for the contact (John Kludt, K4SQC), Chris on-board the ISS, the students, and Kathy Lamont, KM4TAY, their teacher.

ISS Contact Livesream to YouTube

The video portion of the program included videos that explained how the contact was arranged and works, a live video of our antennas as they tracked the ISS, the student’s questions, and a view of the ISS track as it passed overhead.

The live YouTube video stream went extremely well and was well received by over 300 viewers during our contact making it the most widely enjoyed firsts for ARISS on this day.

First #4 – Chris Cassidy’s First Contact From The ISS

The Northern VA School Group contact was Chris’ first from aboard the ISS. Chris had trained for the contact on the ground before his flight to the ISS.

Unbeknownst to Chris and the rest of us, there had been a reconfiguration of the radio equipment we would be using for our contact on the ISS. As a result of this, Chris had trouble getting the Amateur Radio for our contact going on the ISS. We did not make contact with him until some time after the ISS was over our location.

Once we got the problem sorted out, Chris came through loud and clear. He was able to answer several of the student’s questions before the ISS disappeared over the horizon.

What Comes Next

Our contact proved the effectiveness of the new ARISS Multi-point Telebridge format. It also proved-in the operation of our Telebridge Station here in New Hampshire. This was a great outcome given all of the Firsts for ARISS that were involved.

Additional Telebridge stations around the world will be hosting school contacts using the new format in the near future. We are looking forward to continuing to support the ARISS program via additional Teleridge contacts from our station.

Fred, AB1OC