“International Space Station NA1SS, this is Kilo Five Tango Hotel Sierra” was the only sound heard on the Tecumseh Alumni Building stage. After a few calls, the radio started to crackle, Dr. Shannon Walker said, “K5THS, this is the International Space Station November Alpha One Sierra Sierra, how copy?” This exchange started a 9-minute question and answer session that changed how Tecumseh students think about space travel.
In February 2020, the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) group announced that the Tecumseh High School Amateur Radio Club (K5THS) was selected as one of the ten schools to have a live conversation with astronauts on the ISS. The K5THS team, led by Bill Crow K5LUO, has been working with the local amateur radio groups to build the stations needed to contact the station orbiting 254 miles above the earth.
This contact happened on December 4th, 2020, at 12:33 pm CST. The following video link contains just the 9-minute contact with astronaut Shannon Walker, from the International Space Station.
The following YouTube link will let you watch the entire 67 minute program.
The following list will let you jump to selected parts of the video program:
- Welcome and Introduction – Assistant Superintendent Robert Kinsey 7:45
- Overview – Billy Crow K5LUO 14:40
- Oklahoma Astronaut Connection – Assistant Superintendent Robert Kinsey 18:03
- Video – Gordon Cooper’s Finest Hour 22:20
- Video – Gordon Cooper’s Mercury Flight 28:06
- Biography of Astronaut Shannon Walker – Assistant Principal Jaime Griggs 31:53
- Video – Introduction to ARISS Contacts 35:49
- Introduction of Students 41:10
- Contact with the International Space Station – Shannon Walker NA1SS 54:42
- Wrapup – Assistant Superintendent Robert Kinsey 1:03:51
Publicity from KGFF – Mike Askins KE5CXP
Mike Askins KE5CXP is the general manager of KGFF in Shawnee, OK, and he played tribute to the student contact during his “Mike In The Morning Show.” Mike has provided a clip of that show. Note: This file has been updated and it should now play on Apple devices. A direct link to the audio file is here.
Publicity from Tecumseh Countrywide Newspaper
Gloria Trotter of the Tecumseh Countrywide News produces a great article for her paper and online news. A copy of this article is available at this link.
Publicity from Amateur Radio Newsline
Mike Askins KE5CXP created a great audio spot for the December 10th, 2020 issue of Amateur Radio Newsline. The K5THS story starts at the 4:11 mark. A direct link to the audio is here.
Publicity from Ham Nation – Amateur Radio Newsline Headlines
Don Wilbanks AE5DW included the K5THS information on the December 16, 2020 issue of the Amateur Radio Newsline headlines for Ham Nation. This video was seen by tens of thousands of live and recorded Ham Nation viewers. Don did a great job adding a number of local Shawnee/Tecumseh landmarks to the Mike Askins KE5CXP ARN production. Don shares some personal stories and notes that he and Mike both graduated from Shawnee High School.
Publicity from the SCARS Newsletter
The South Canadian Amateur Radio Society (SCARS) included an article in their 12/8/2020 newsletter. 1,200 hams in the city, state, and region received this message. A copy of that newsletter is available at this link.
Publicity from the CORA Newsletter
The Central Oklahoma Radio Amateurs (CORA) sent a special newsletter to over 1,100 hams in the central United States. A copy of that newsletter is available at this link.
Pictures From the Earth Station
Students from Tecumseh School… Kegan Howard, Dallas Goodman, Tyler Williams KI5LPA, Ryleigh Jolly, Aries Stout, Kaylee Davis, Scottlynn Danner, Kambri Peacock, Baylee Schimmel (not pictured), and Harrison Kinsey.
More Information on Amateur Radio
If you would like more information on how to get your amateur radio license, visit the “Be-A-Ham” web page.
More Information on Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS)
The ARISS program was created and is managed by an international consortium of amateur radio organizations and space agencies, including National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in the USA, Rosaviakosmos in Russia, Canadian Space Agency (CSA) in Canada, Japan Aeronautics Exploration Space Agency (JAXA) in Japan and European Space Agency (ESA) in Europe.
A previous school contact from May 2020 is documented in a YouTube video.
More Information on the International Space Station (ISS)
The International Space Station is currently celebrating 20 years of human habitation. Learn more about the station from the NASA ISS site.
Where is the ISS?
The ISS has been orbiting Earth for over 20 years at an altitude of about 250 miles. The Astroviewer site, at this link, shows where the ISS is currently flying. The station makes an orbit every 93 minutes and some of these passes are visible with the naked eye. The Astroviewer site, at this link, will display when the next pass is available.