Audio Clips from Ham Radio Contacts

with MIR and the Space Shuttle

During 1995 I was in the Dominican Republic and got very interested in establishing direct ham radio contact with the MIR space station and the Space Shuttle. I was in a good location for this project - I was far enough away from the east coast to avoid the intense competition of thousands of like-minded radio amateurs.

I recorded all of the radio conversations.

Thanks to the help of my friend Tyler Dunn, I had RealAudio versions of the clips. RealAudio has apparently disappeared, so I converted the files to mp3 format.  Just click on the links below. 

Here they are: 

MIR calling N2CQR. Astronaut Norm Thagard calling N2CQR/HI8 (me!) http://www.gadgeteer.us/mir2.mp3

Resupply ship! Astronaut Norm Thagard staying up late to meet a resupply ship.http://www.gadgeteer.us/mirresupply.mp3

Breath Test! Thagard talks about one of his medical experiments.http://www.gadgeteer.us/mirbreath.mp3

Talking to Jay Apt. Thagard talks to Astronaut Jay Apt (N5QWL) http://www.gadgeteer.us/mirn5qwl.mp3

Lightning from Space. Thagard talks about watching lightning from orbit. http://www.gadgeteer.us/mirlightnin.mp3

Sleeping in Space. Thagard tells the kids about sleeping in zero G.http://www.gadgeteer.us/mirsleep.mp3

Moving Modules. Thagard describes rearrangement of MIR's modules. http://www.gadgeteer.us/mirmodule.mp3

GODSPEED! Thagard and N2CQR discuss "The Right Stuff" http://www.gadgeteer.us/mirgodspeed.mp3

Good Night! Hear the MIR slip over the horizon as a contact with N2CQR/HI8 ends. http://www.gadgeteer.us/mirgoodnite.mp3

Listening for the Cubans. Thagard talks of trying to contact hams in Cuba http://www.gadgeteer.us/mircuba.mp3

Thagard in Russian. Thagard speaking Russian (probably to Cuban hams) http://www.gadgeteer.us/mirrussian.mp3

Probably a Russian in contact with compatriot at JSC Houston. http://www.gadgeteer.us/mirhousrus.mp3

Hello Houston? (In Russian) Sounds like one of the Cosomonauts calling Houston. http://www.gadgeteer.us/mirrustalk.mp3

Space Shuttle Contact. Astronaut Don Thomas aboard STS-70. http://www.gadgeteer.us/mirsts70.mp3

German on MIR. Tomas Reiter (DP0MIR) from the MIR http://www.gadgeteer.us/mirdpomir.mp3

I hope you've enjoyed the clips! Please send comments to my current e-mail address