An amateur radio enthusiast managed to get a quick chat with the International Space Station (ISS) after a month of trying to get through from his shed.
Adrian Lane, of Gloucestershire, sent out a call signal to the ISS and was "stunned" when he received a reply.
He said: "They came back to me and said, 'Receiving you - welcome aboard the International Space Station'."
Mr Lane, from Coleford, and a US astronaut chatted for about 45 seconds before the station went out of range.
He had been trying to "catch the ISS on a pass" when he finally got through at the end of a four-minute "contact window".
'Over so quickly'
"It was a very hectic time on the bands, people were trying hard to get through," he said.
Adrian Lane sent out a call signal to the ISS and was "stunned" to receive a reply
"So, I just sat back and waited until the main stream calling had died down a little bit and gave them a call and they came back to me."
With the "adrenaline pumping", Mr Lane said he had to think of a response fast because "these guys are moving away from you all the time".
"I asked him what the stars looked like from up there and he came back to me and said with no atmosphere up here the stars are really bright," he said.
"But he told me when you look down on earth it's something else - it's just a mass of colour where everything else up here is black."
Although Mr Lane said he had been "really chuffed", he said it was "a shame it was over so quickly".
"It's quite an achievement, especially when you consider he's flying over the top of me at 17,500 mph," he said.
"I don't know if I'll ever do it again but will still be trying."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-gloucestershire-33806298
So he had been trying to talk to them for a month :-\ and hadn't thought about what he wanted to say :-\
;D ;D ;D
"Where ya say ya from, pal? Dijja mean Gloughkester?"
Watched it zoom overhead on one occasion......Mildly interesting, to think there are some folk in that 'tiny speck of light', visible to the naked eye.
Wouldn't bother again, though.
Cheers - Phil
Quote from: Techno on 09 August 2015, 07:36:09 AM
Watched it zoom overhead on one occasion.....
How given your normal cloud cover ?
IanS
It was one of those rare cloudless nights, Ian.
(Stroll on.....It was actually a really nice, hot, sunny day.......Yesterday.......Back to normal today.... :'( :'( :'( :'()
Cheers - Phil
And it will be a nice hot sunny day tomorrow but tomorrow NEVER comes....(courtesy C. Dodgson)
IanS
My great-great-great-great grandfather (illegitimate)
Quote from: Techno on 09 August 2015, 07:36:09 AM
Watched it zoom overhead on one occasion......Mildly interesting, to think there are some folk in that 'tiny speck of light', visible to the naked eye.
Wouldn't bother again, though.
Cheers - Phil
They turn up the lights on Christmas Eve so you can pretend it's Father Christmas flying over for the sproggs 8)
When we took them out to see it last year and they were very excited. One of the twins saw a plane's red light on a similar trajectory - we're quite close to Heathrow here - and decided it was Rudolph! They almost exploded :D
After a bit of thought my 9yo worked out what it really was, so was excited from the science POV :-B ;)
So there you go Phil, unleash your inner child this December and go wave to Santa :-h ;)
Cheers!
Meirion
My inner child, Meirion ?
I don't think he's ever left. ;)
Cheers - Phil
I was lucky enough to see the last space shuttle flight depart the ISS. Interesting to see the dot split in two and watch the seperation grow.
With a dark sky it is amazing how much stuff you can see whizzing past up there
Quote from: Techno on 09 August 2015, 07:52:12 PM
My inner child, Meirion ?
I don't think he's ever left. ;)
Cheers - Phil
I suspect that is true for most, if not all, on this forum :D
Quote from: paulr on 09 August 2015, 07:54:54 PM
I suspect that is true for most, if not all, on this forum :D
Forum event next Christmas Eve: photos of Pendraken figures - plus their owners - with "Father Christmas" flying past in the background? ;)
Quote from: Techno on 09 August 2015, 07:52:12 PM
My inner child, Meirion ?
I don't think he's ever left. ;)
Cheers - Phil
Get ready to wave - and stare in wonder - then ;)
Quote from: O Dinas Powys on 09 August 2015, 05:32:36 PM
They turn up the lights on Christmas Eve so you can pretend it's Father Christmas flying over for the sproggs 8)
When we took them out to see it last year and they were very excited. One of the twins saw a plane's red light on a similar trajectory - we're quite close to Heathrow here - and decided it was Rudolph! They almost exploded :D
After a bit of thought my 9yo worked out what it really was, so was excited from the science POV :-B ;)
We always take ours out as well, nice little treat for them each year. The eldest cottoned on last year but managed to keep schtum for the little one.
Quote from: paulr on 09 August 2015, 07:54:54 PM
I suspect that is true for most, if not all, on this forum :D
I'm sure I don't know what you mean..... :D