MIR Crew Uses Ham Radio Before Shutdown

MIR CREW TALKS TO STUDENTS BEFORE HEADING HOME

Mir Cosmonauts Sergei Zalyotin, right, and Alexander Kaleri, left, in an SSTV photo received earlier this spring by Murray Peterson, VK2KGM.

As it prepared to mothball the aging Russian space station--possibly for good--and head home, the crew of Mir spoke via ham radio with youngsters at a school in Pennsylvania on June 12. Handling the earthbound end of the contact was Tom Daniels, N3CXP. Sergej Samburov, RV3DR, of Energia was on-line to assist with translating.

Using the R0MIR call sign, cosmonauts Sergei Zalyotin and Alexander Kaleri held a 10-minute conversation with youngsters at the Schnecksville School. At one point, the cosmonauts were asked if they liked it better in space or home on Earth. "When I live at home, I would like to be in space, but now I would like to be home," one of the two space travelers responded.

The cosmonauts arrived safely back on Earth June 16 after a 10 week mission that was financed in part by foreign investors. The cosmonauts' school contact attracted the attention of MSNBC, which carried the story with video on their web site.

The cosmonauts reportedly prepared to abandon Mir, although Russian space officials still have not ruled out yet another mission if the money can be found.

--Farrell Winder, W8ZCF; press reports

There are no comments on this article: Post One