An Amateur Radio Station on Columbus the European Space Laboratory Presentation Gaston Bertels – ON4WF ARISS-Europe chairman

The European Space Laboratory Columbus will be added to the ISS early Built in Bremen, Germany, the module is presently at Kennedy Space Center Columbus leaves Bremen for KSC, 28 May 2006

Amateur Radio on Columbus ESA has accepted to host an amateur radio station on Columbus Space Laboratory Project : –Patch antennas for L/S-bands on the nadir of the module –Two double band antennas fixed on Meteorite Debris Panels –Linear transponder L-band Up, S-band down –DATV : Digital ATV Development: –Two coaxial cables have been installed –Third series of antennas built and submitted to qualification tests –Antennas survived 49G vibration tests (shaker at ESTEC broke down…) –One antenna showed weekness after 9 days thermal cycles (-100°C / +200°C) in vacuum chamber –3 improved antennas are presently being manufactured –Installation planned October 2007

Amateur Radio on Columbus At EADS, Bremen, technicians install ARISS coaxial cables

ARISS L/S-band patch antennas Front

ARISS L/S-band patch antennas Rear

Funding campaign continues Antenna installation costs € funded by ESA ARISS has paid € 75,000 for antenna development and manufacture Wroclaw University of Technology estimates the project about € , covered by ARISS and Polish subsidies Certification tests cost € 15,000 funded by ESA Equipment has to be developed and built More funding is needed Donations can be done by PayPal at