The US team leaders of ARISS, Amateur Radio on the International Space Station, are extremely happy to officially announce that the philanthropic arm of Amateur Radio Digital Communications (ARDC) has bestowed a substantial grant to help fund the InterOperable Radio System (IORS) and associated infrastructure. The IORS will replace the aging amateur radio stations on the International Space Station.
ARDC wrote, "These projects help to engage students with amateur radio (and STEM in general) by providing exciting capabilities that don't exist in the mobile phone and internet sites that today's young folk take for granted."
ARDC went on the say, "We believe this is a very worthwhile project and that it would be in accord with our mission to offer financial assistance to ARISS."
Some ARDC board members have an interest in ARISS's future plans involving the Lunar Gateway initiative, as well.
ARISS International Chair Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, asserted that he was gratified, and wished to thank ARDC on behalf of the entire ARISS International team. He told ARISS-US team members, "This was fantastic news! ARISS certainly still needs donations to fully fund the IORS, but this gift will significantly help the endeavor."
The ARISS International team has already begun planning Lunar Gateway options, and the ARISS hardware team is now developing augmentations to extend operation capabilities for hams and youth. These would be for ARISS SSTV and HamTV-2.
The next step for the InterOperable Radio System, now that it passed July's week-long testing at the NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) for EMI/EMC, power quality, and acoustics, is final end-to-end testing at JSC in November of the units that will go to space. The lengthy flight- safety certification documentation is also in process. ARISS's plan is for the IORS to be ready for launch by the end of the year.
