Via the ARRL: Next SpaceX Commercial Crew to ISS Comprised of Radio Amateurs

Four radio amateurs will head to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard a commercial flight, thanks to Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS). They are Raja Chari, KI5LIU; Tom Marshburn, KE5HOC; Kayla Barron, KI5LAL, and Matthias Maurer, KI5KFH. As the most experienced space traveler, Maurer, who is a European Space Agency (ESA) Astronaut, could end up with a very heavy work schedule. The targeted launch date is no sooner than October 31, from Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The launch will mark the third SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket launch combination as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, which provides reliable and affordable transportation to and from the ISS. The crew is scheduled for a long-duration stay aboard the orbiting laboratory, living and working as part of what’s expected to be a seven-member crew.

The launch will be the first spaceflight for Chari, Barron, and Maurer, and the third for Marshburn. The crew will complete a 6-month science mission aboard the microgravity laboratory in low-Earth orbit.

Read more – via American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources http://www.arrl.org/news/view/next-spacex-commercial-crew-to-iss-comprised-of-radio-amateurs