Radio Observations During Mark Shuttleworth ISS Visit

South Africa citizen Mark Shuttleworth visited the International Space Station during 2002 April/May as a passenger aboard one of the regular Soyuz "Taxi Flights". The purpose of the mission was to exchange a time-served Soyuz spacecraft (Soyuz TM-33) for a new one (Soyuz TM-34). Mark took the opportunity to buy himself a seat into space. He flew alongside Russian spacecraft commander Yuri Gidzenko and flight engineer Roberto Vittori of Italy who represented the European Space Agency.

The table that follows summarises all observations made from the 'Zarya' home location in the UK. All times quoted are GMT.

Abbreviations: AOS - Acquistion of signal, LOS - Loss of signal.

Date AOS LOS

Transmitter

 Frequency (MHz)

Notes
2002 Apr 25 09:24 09:30 Soyuz TM-34 121.750

Nothing heard but was above Moscow horizon towards end of transit
  11:00:10 11:02:48 Soyuz TM-34 121.750

Switched on at Moscow horizon - Russian, faded at my horizon
  12:33:06 12:35:57 Soyuz TM-34 121.750

Switched on at Moscow horizon - Russian, faded at my horizon
2002 Apr 26 09:21:24 09:22:45 Soyuz TM-34 121.750

Switched on at Moscow horizon - Russian, faded at my horizon
  10:53:35 10:55:25 Soyuz TM-34 121.750

Switched on at Moscow horizon - Russian
2002 Apr 27 07:43:08 07:44:55 Soyuz TM-34 121.750

Switched on at Moscow horizon - Russian, faded at horizon
  09:14:25 09:23:38 Soyuz TM-34 121.750

Transmitter on from horizon to horizon but no verbal communication - background noises audible including an onboard timer "countdown" to 09:19:00 (just before Moscow horizon)
2002 Apr 29 07:28:36 11:10:00 ISS - VHF-1 143.625

Switched on at Moscow horizon - Russian initially then Shuttleworth in general conversation from 07:30:30
  09:03:32 09:07:20 ISS - VHF-1 143.625

Switched on at Moscow horizon - Russian initially then Shuttleworth started "Good Morning Everyone" and answered questions from the ground about the flight
  10:38:53 10:43:09 ISS - VHF-1 143.625

Switched on at Moscow horizon - Russian, faded at my horizon
2002 Apr 30 08:07:56 08:11:45 ISS - VHF-1 143.625

Switched on at Moscow horizon - Russian initially then Shuttleworth started with "Good Morning" at 08:09:05, then asked about news of "The Golf" and discussed timings and details for experiments, Russian again from 08:10:45, lost at my horizon
  09:43:37 09:47:50 ISS - VHF-1 143.625

Switched on at Moscow horizon - Russian initially then Shuttleworth from 09:44:54, spoke to "Ravi" and "Gary", spoke of the world being small from space, followed by a discussion with a group of sportsmen about "inspiration"
  11:20:07 11:23:18 ISS - VHF-1 143.625

Switched on at Moscow horizon - Russian reading numbers
2002 May 1 07:11:44 07:14:27 ISS - VHF-1 143.625

Switched on at Moscow horizon - Russian initially then Shuttleworth from 07:12:22, spoke to "Zoe" among others
  08:46:40 08:51:26 ISS - VHF-1 143.625

Switched on at Moscow horizon - Russian initially identified as "Uran-3" but did not sound like Shuttleworth, interview then conducted from the ground with Shuttleworth in english
  11:53:00 12:05:00 ISS - VHF-1 143.625

Nothing heard but was above Moscow horizon
2002 May 2 07:51:28 07:53:00 ISS - VHF-1 143.625

Switched on at Moscow horizon - Russian initially then Vittori said "Bon Giorno"
  09:26:22 09:31:14 ISS - VHF-1 143.625

Switched on at Moscow horizon - Russian, but took about 40 seconds to raise a response from the ground, lost at my horizon
  10:57 11:10 ISS - VHF-1 143.625

Nothing heard but was low on Moscow horizon
2002 May 3 06:54:03 06:58:42 ISS - VHF-1 143.625

Switched on at Moscow horizon - Russian initially then Shuttleworth from 06:55:30, spoke to "Ravi" about the quality of TV transmission and then spoke about crystallisation and physiology experiments, lost at my horizon
  08:30:54 08:35:03 ISS - VHF-1 143.625

Switched on at Moscow horizon - Russian initially then Shuttleworth "Good Morning" at 08:31:40, then spoke to "Derek" and took part in an interview on technical details and spoke of the Soyuz approach to the ISS, particularly the rapid succession of short thruster firings as it lined up for the docking, lost at my horizon
  10:01:20 10:10:45 ISS - VHF-1 143.625

Present at western horizon but no speech until in range of Moscow - carrier was "beating" with another signal at 10:04:40 so Doppler effect was audible, Russian voice from 10:06:59
2002 May 4 05:53 06:04 ISS - VHF-1 143.625

Nothing heard but was above Moscow horizon
  07:25 07:40 ISS - VHF-1 143.625

Nothing heard but was above Moscow horizon
  09:09:35 09:12:50 ISS - VHF-1 143.625

Brief snatches of voice (Russian)
 

Page Date: 2002 May 15