Man Captures Moment He Speaks To Astronaut After Making Contact With Space Station Using Homemade Device

In July 2023, as the ISS orbited overhead, Doug managed to establish communication and actually spoke to NASA astronaut Woody Hoburg.

In the realm of amateur radio, connecting with the ISS is about as impressive as it gets. 

Credit: Getty Images

Doug shared his excitement and the process in a video on his YouTube channel. 

You can see him repeatedly calling out his call sign, "Kilo Bravo 8 Mike," before finally making a successful connection. 

The response from the space station was thrilling: "Kilo Bravo 8 Mike, NA1SS got you loud and clear aboard the Space Station, welcome aboard," replied Hoburg.

Doug detailed his experience in the video description, noting his previous attempts with voice and APRS (Automatic Packet Reporting System) contacts via FM satellites and the ISS repeater. 

Underneath his video, Doug wrote: "I've made numerous voice and APRS [Automatic Packet Reporting System] contacts over the FM satellites and the ISS repeater."

"But I've always wanted to talk to an astronaut. Over the Memorial Day weekend I finally made that contact. I made contact with the ISS and talked to Woody Hoburg. What a thrill."

But speaking directly to an astronaut had been a dream of his. 

Credit: YouTube / KB8M

"What a thrill," he wrote, expressing the joy of finally fulfilling this dream.

It's interesting to note that many astronauts aboard the ISS are also licensed ham radio operators. 

They often engage in scheduled contact sessions with Earth, part of the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station program. 

This initiative, supported by NASA, ESA, CSA, and Roscosmos, aims to spark children's interest in science by encouraging them to communicate with the station.

However, making unscheduled contact with the ISS using personal equipment is a rare and challenging accomplishment. 

It requires precise timing and conditions, as successful contact is only possible when the ISS is in specific positions relative to the operator. 

Credit: NASA

The difficulty is evident in the fact that you can't contact the ISS from the US if it's currently over Australia.

This extraordinary feat isn't exclusive to Doug. Another ham radio enthusiast, Matt Payne, and his daughter Isabella also managed to reach out to the ISS, speaking with astronaut Kjell Lindgren in August 2022. 

Matt explained to IFLScience the rarity of such an occurrence, emphasizing that several factors need to align perfectly. 

The ISS must be within the Line Of Sight during an astronaut's downtime, and there must be an astronaut actively seeking to make unscheduled contacts via the Amateur Radio equipment.

While the odds are slim, Doug's success story proves that with the right alignment of factors, reaching out to the stars is indeed possible.