Hi,

I am passing this along from Rosalie who is still working with ARISS. She wanted Board members to have this information before it was released to the general public.

73,

Harold, WJ1B

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Space Adventures, Lunar Circumnavigation and ARISS

Space Adventures is a relatively new company that coordinates with Russia to set up visits by "space tourists" to the International Space Station. Part of the revenue that Space Adventures earns, goes to the Russian space agency and Energia (builder of the Soyuz).

A few years ago Space Adventures began negotiating with Russia. NASA wasn't totally enamored with the idea. Space tourists don't get nearly the amount of training an ISS crew member receives (Russia trains the tourists), and that could be problematic in the event of an onboard safety issue. The ISS isn't huge, and ISS crew members sometimes feel the tourists hinder progress with ISS science projects and other duties on the official ISS timeline. When Russia agreed to work with the first space tourist, NASA suggested ARISS would be a useful project to occupy space tourists' time -- the ARISS Team could do all the work to utilize the tourist for educational purposes! Space Adventures liked the idea. The US ARISS Team began cultivating a relationship with Space Adventures.

You'll remember that ARISS was thrilled to have more QSOs to offer schools because tourists Dennis Tito and Mark Shuttleworth were going to space. You saw Rick Lindquist's August 18th story (http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2005/08/18/3/?nc=1) about upcoming tourist Greg Olsen earning his ham ticket (thanks to Joyce Birmingham and her VE Team). Greg wants to do school QSOs.

Now, for the new subject. The ARISS international officers learned, in July, the confidential information that Space Adventures wanted to buy a Soyuz to allow space tourists to circumnavigate the Moon! And, Space Adventures asked ARISS to be onboard to do school QSOs! Space Adventures likes it that the ARISS Team is an international team. Energia likes the idea of having ARISS onboard. The ARISS officers kept the exciting offer confidential because 1) Space Adventures hadn't publicized their plans, and 2) the ARISS officers weren't sure how NASA would like the ARISS Team working with the tourist company. ARISS, in the US, is a partnership of NASA, ARRL and AMSAT. NASA considers "anything-Amateur-Radio-in-space" to be ARISS. The ARISS Team does not want to jeopardize relations with NASA in any way.

At last week's ARISS International telecon, the international team was told the above information. Frank Bauer reported he will connect with NASA concerning Space Adventures' offer. He'll tell NASA the ARISS Team is "exploring educational ideas with Space Adventures." Rosalie warned that 1) the ARISS Team must ensure the work with ISS QSOs comes first, and 2) the team can't dilute its efforts with NASA's future "Moon, Mars and Beyond Initiative" -- because that's where the real future of ARISS is. Rosalie asked questions to lay aside concerns about pecuniary interests on the part of Space Adventures.

The ARISS International team was asked to think about our options for the future Moon circumnavigation by space tourists. But the ARISS Team was ordered not to talk about it with the general ham population yet. We must ensure NASA has no issue with us working with Space Adventures.

Harold Kramer, WJ1B

Chief Operating Officer

ARRL - The National Association for Amateur Radio

225 Main Street

Newington, CT 06111

860 594 0220