Grant Date: May 2021
Amount: $4,122

The mission of the Milton J. Rubenstein Museum of Science & Technology (MOST) is to provide informal science learning experiences that ignite curiosity, encourage discovery, and inspire investigation.

Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) allows students worldwide to experience the excitement of communicating directly with crew members of the International Space Station, inspiring them to pursue interests in careers in science, technology, engineering and math, and engaging them with radio science technology through amateur radio. MOST will be contacting the crew of the ISS in fall of 2021. This will impact at least 20 middle school children with their direct questions over ham radio to a designated astronaut. More broadly, this event will involve the entire community of parents, siblings, and the City of Syracuse.

For a successful contact with the ISS, the MOST needs the proper equipment. ARDC is providing funding for a ham radio capable of utilizing the proper frequency, related antennas, feed line, tracking software, and computer equipment. Once the contact is complete, this equipment will complement the other ham radio gear in the MOST permanent amateur radio station, K2MST.

To learn more about MOST, visit https://www.most.org/.

Update

With the grant, MOST upgraded its Amateur Radio station K2MST – https://www.most.org/ham-radio-station/ with an Icom IC-9700 radio – https://www.icomamerica.com/lineup/products/IC-9700 to have all-mode, high-power capabilities on the 2 meter (144-148 MHz), 70 centimeters (430-450 MHz), and 23 centimeter (1240-1300 MHz) bands. This radio, combined with new antennas and rotators, enabled K2MST to access Amateur Radio satellites as well as have the capability to contact astronauts on the International Space Station as part of the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program – https://www.ariss.org.

Due to complications from the COVID pandemic, MOST was not able to arrange a contact between MOST (using the new equipment) and an astronaut on the International Space Station. MOST will re-apply to the ARISS program in the future.

MOST’s Amateur Radio station K2MST has been incorporated into MOST’s Telecommunications Lab (https://www.most.org/explore/telecommunications-lab/) and is available for use by visiting radio operators and is mentioned on K2MST’s QRZ page – https://www.qrz.com/db/K2MST.