The Women in STEM High School Aerospace Scholars (WISH) project is sponsoring two six-day summer camps for rising high school seniors that should feature an Amateur Radio contact.

Eighty-four female high school students from 29 states will plan a simulated mission to Mars and experience life as an engineer or scientist when NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston hosts two events focused on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in June and July.

“WISH gives some of our brightest future innovators a chance to experience some of the exciting challenges that NASA engineers and scientists face on a daily basis. It shows the young women that there are a variety of opportunities for them in technical fields.”

— Johnson Deputy Director and four-time space shuttle astronaut Ellen Ochoa

The young women will work in teams with female NASA mentors to develop mission plans for launching to Mars, living and working there, and integrating the many components necessary for a successful planetary mission. They will work within the confines of a fictitious budget and build several small mockups of vehicles to demonstrate a successful launch and landing of the Mars spacecraft.

"WISH gives some of our brightest future innovators a chance to experience some of the exciting challenges that NASA engineers and scientists face on a daily basis," said Johnson Deputy Director and four-time space shuttle astronaut Ellen Ochoa. "It shows the young women that there are a variety of opportunities for them in technical fields."

Young women participating June 24-29 will hear a first-hand account of life in space from radio amateur and NASA astronaut Shannon Walker KD5DXB. Participants July 8-13 will have a chance to speak with a current space station astronaut via ham radio as part of the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station program, a NASA educational initiative that facilitates direct links between students and astronauts.

The young women were selected based on completion of interactive, online lessons focused on space exploration and mapped to national education standards, academic merits and geographic diversity. The WISH program encourages young women to pursue science, technology, engineering and mathematics degrees and exposes them to the real-world applications of STEM careers at NASA. This program is in its second year. It began as a NASA accompaniment to the White House Council on Women and Girls.

For more information about WISH and a list of student participants, visit http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/teachingfromspace/students/wish.html

NASA - http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2012/jun/HQ_12-209_WISH.html

Amateur Radio on the International Space Station ARISS - http://ariss.rac.ca/

AMSAT-UK - http://www.uk.amsat.org/

The 15th International Earth-Moon-Earth (EME) Conference will be held at Churchill College, Cambridge, between 15 and 19 August. It is hosted by the UK Microwave Group.

This is the first time that this conference will be held in the United Kingdom (UK), and it provides an opportunity to learn about this most technically challenging aspect of our great science-based hobby.

In addition to EME-specific lectures there will be presentations on radio astronomy and deep space communications, as both these subjects have much in common with EME.

Two Nobel Physics Laureates from the world of radio astronomy will be present at the conference. Joe Taylor, K1JT, is a keen EME enthusiast and will be presenting a paper on MAP65, while fellow-Laureate Professor Antony Hewish FRS is the speaker at the conference gala dinner on Saturday 18th.

With over 150 delegates and 60 partners from 5 continents already registered, this promises to be a great event. All those wishing to attend must pre-register for this conference before 1st August. Day passes and a range of accommodation packages from one to four nights are available.

More details, visit - http://www.eme2012.com