Adrian Lane, a former lorry driver, spent weeks trying to make contact after being told that astronauts were due to pass over his home. Mr Lane plotted the space station’s route and worked out the brief window during which it would be 200 miles overhead, travelling at 18,500mph. As it came into his frequency he sent out a call with his unique sign and to his astonishment an American astronaut answered back to "welcome him aboard". The station was in range for just four minutes and the pair chatted for around 50 seconds before they lost contact.
During their brief conversation, Mr Lane said to them how wonderful earth must look from up there and they replied "Adrian, it's amazing, you can't imagine what it looks like from up here". The astronaut went on to say “It was very dark but when you look down at Earth it is full of colour”
Mr Lane spends most of his time using permitted frequencies to talk to fellow enthusiasts around the world. But he admitted that his wife, Deilwen, did not share his passion for the hobby.
N.B. Ten schools have been shortlisted to make contact with British astronaut Tim Peake via amateur radio when he joins the ISS for six months in December. There will be a ten minute window when the space station is flying over the UK and some of the schools will have the opportunity to make direct contact with him during that time.
