The outdoor assembly of young people may well have been the largest of its kind - more than 12,000 students on hand to watch ham radio contacts being made via the International Space Station's repeater -- during a science and space program in Gujarat, India.

The two-way contacts, arranged with support from AMSAT-India and the Indian Space Research Organisation, was demonstrated by Rajesh Vagadia, VU2EXP, AMSAT-India's regional coordinator. It happened in late December as the ISS passed overhead. Using a portable satellite ground station, Rajesh began calling CQ using the space station's crossband FM repeater. The first successful contact - with VU2MZT in Maharashtra - was heard by the students as the downlink audio was amplified through a PA system. The young crowd erupted in applause. Two other contacts followed during the space station's brief overhead pass.

Writing in one of the forums on QRZ.com, Rajesh noted the significance of the moment, saying that many of the students were hearing live signals being transmitted via the space station for the first time in their lives. Rajesh, who called the size of the outdoor ham radio demonstration unprecedented, wrote: [quote] "The event stands as a testament to careful planning, technical expertise, teamwork, and unwavering commitment." [endquote]

To watch the contacts being made, see the short YouTube clip on his channel. The link appears in the text version of this week's newscast at arnewsline.org