“November-Alpha-One-Sierra-Sierra, this is Kilo-Six-Whiskey-Alpha-Oscar.”
That call could be the start of a conversation between a licensed amateur radio operator on the ground and an astronaut aboard the International Space Station.
But the contact would only be possible for up to 10 minutes of the station's orbit as it whizzed 250 miles overhead at 17,500 mph.
Ham radio communication through the space station and other satellites has always been limited to low orbits offering short windows for communication within a spacecraft’s coverage area as it passes by.
Read the full article here