California Girl Scouts Get Spaced out

On 22nd February 2024, Girls in a Sacramento, California Girl Scout troop are scheduled for a contact with the ISS and the selected astronaut is Jasmin Moghbeli, KI5WSL. This 10-minute contact is being made as yet another direct contact, which distinguishes this from the many, many, many contacts that happen often in the ARISS programme and often utilise Telebridge and a patch. This is not only a direct contact but the girls were involved from the start.

The collaboration between the River City Amateur Radio Communications Society and the Girl Scouts led to the development of a six-session educational program focusing on Space, the International Space Station (ISS), and Amateur Radios. This initiative included hands-on activities such as building and using radios and viewing the sky with telescopes. They did NOT build the radios used in this contact but were involved heavily in the station’s planning.

To participate in the ARISS program, the Girl Scouts and RCARCS designed and submitted an equipment plan, showcasing their capability to execute the Ham radio contact. Jen Garland, the RCARCS club coordinator, emphasized the significance of this opportunity for young women to explore practical applications of radio frequency technologies.

The program not only exposes them to potential roles as astronauts or emergency responders but also as hobbyists connecting with others globally.

The main goal of the ARISS program is to engage young people in STEM fields and raise awareness.

Originally appeared om ARNewsline - https://www.arnewsline.org/