Dr. Charles Simonyi to Use Ham Radio and Share Recordings of Conversations on www.charlesinspace.com
SEATTLE, Wash – March 23, 2007 — In his continued effort to inspire youth in the science of space travel, Charles Simonyi, Ph.D., the fifth private space traveler, will speak with high school students in three events across the United States through the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program.
Students at these schools will have an opportunity to ask Dr. Simonyi questions through Amateur Radio, also known as ham radio, which he will then answer live from the International Space Station (ISS) as it orbits the Earth. These audio sessions will be recorded and featured in the “Kids’ Space” section on Dr. Simonyi’s Web site, www.charlesinspace.com, for all to hear.
“I’m really looking forward to speaking with students while I’m on the ISS,” said Dr. Simonyi. “The hundreds of questions I’ve already received from children around the world on my Web site are very mature and intelligent. It’s clear that today’s young people are eager to learn about space and space travel, and it is great!”
The participating schools, selected by Dr. Simonyi, include Redmond High School in Redmond, Washington; Fairborn High School in Fairborn, Ohio; and Cedar Point Elementary School in the Washington, D.C. suburb of Bristow, Virginia. Visitors to the site will learn more about these schools, ham radio, and Dr. Simonyi’s experience earning his American Amateur Radio license.
Dr. Simonyi also acquired his Hungarian Amateur Radio license, and will be contacting students from the Technical University of Budapest in Hungary during his 10-day stay onboard the ISS, which is provided by Space Adventures, Ltd., the world’s leading space experiences company.
In further support of the ARISS program, Dr. Simonyi will perform maintenance on various pieces of ham radio equipment on the ISS. This work will include testing one radio set to isolate an antenna problem with the equipment and reprogramming the default settings on a second unit to correct a configuration problem.
About Dr. Charles Simonyi
Dr. Simonyi is president and chief executive officer of Intentional Software, a software engineering firm based in Bellevue, Washington, that is focused on improving the way organizations write software. His mission to the ISS is the latest destination in a life defined by exploration and discovery. As a software engineer, aviator and the next civilian space traveler, Dr. Simonyi brings his passion for flight and engineering to the upcoming 2007 Orbital Spaceflight Scientific Mission.
About www.charlesinspace.com
Dr. Simonyi’s site, www.charlesinspace.com, was created to further develop his three space mission objectives: to advance civilian spaceflight, assist in space station research and involve the world’s youth in the science of space travel. Visitors to this interactive publishing site have an opportunity to read Dr. Simonyi’s in-depth blogs, ask questions directly to Dr. Simonyi, see his personal pictures, watch training video and access other space-related links.
In the “Kids’ Space” section of the Web site, children can take an interactive quiz, and parents and teachers have an educational resource at their fingertips. The Interactive Media Council Inc. recently bestowed the Outstanding Achievement Award in Science/Technology to The Garrigan Lyman Group (www.glg.com) for its creation of www.charlesinspace.com.
Erin Lundberg
Space Adventures, Ltd.
8000 Towers Crescent Drive, Ste. 1000
Vienna, Va. 22182
+1 703 894-2186
Fax +1 703 524-7176
elundberg@spaceadventures.com
www.spaceadventures.com
