NASA International Space Station Science Officer Ed Lu, KC5WKJ, spoke September 4 with students at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. Lu is a Cornell Class of 1984 alumnus and holds a BS in electrical engineering from the Ivy League school. The contact, arranged through the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program, marked the first time students at the university had spoken to an astronaut in space.
Among other topics, the Cornell students were interested in hearing about NASA’s options to replace its aging–and currently grounded–shuttle fleet. At the controls of NA1SS aboard the ISS, Lu replied that NASA is looking closely at a “much smaller, much simpler vehicle”–the Orbital Space Plane–to transport ISS crews in the future.
“It would launch on an expendable rocket, and the idea is to make the thing much less maintenance-intensive than the shuttle is,” Lu said. “And I hope we can get such a thing operational in the next six or seven years.” He said design of the OSP has not yet been finalized.
Lu also said he “absolutely” would be interested in being part of the first human spaceflight to Mars. “I’m hoping that before my career is up at NASA that I do get a chance to do something like that,” he said.
Cornell Amateur Radio Club (W2CXM) President Chase Million, KB9YER, says he’s planning on a career in the space industry upon graduation. “Today was more than just a hands-on experience,” he said. “We actually got to talk to a guy who is on the space station!” Mike Hammer, N2VR, the radio club’s faculty adviser, set up the Earth station for the direct 2-meter contact.
While at Cornell, Lu was a Merrill Presidential Scholar and a member of the Big Red wrestling team. The Cornell Amateur Radio Club http://w2cxm.mae.cornell.edu/ an ARRL-affiliated club–dates back to 1915. Approximately 40 people were on hand for the successful ARISS contact.
Lu also spoke with students at his high school alma mater, R. L. Thomas High School in Webster, New York, on September 10. ARISS