II0ESA

In occasion of the space mission ENEIDE, the radio club of the Italian branch of the European Space Agency (ESA-ESRIN) organizes some special radio operations from its site of Frascati (Rome).

Roberto Vittori, an Italian ESA astronaut selected to fly onboard of the International Space Station, shall fly on board of the Soyuz for a 10 days mission, planned to start on April 15th. ENEIDE, an ESA mission, is co-sponsored by the Italian Ministry of Defence and the Lazio Region, with the support of Finmeccanica, FILAS and the Rome Chamber of Commerce (CCIAA).

For a full month, the ham radio club station IZ0FEJ shall use the special call II0ESA to follow with all the other radio amateurs the operations of Roberto Vittori, radio amateur himself and honorary member of the club.

For these operations a special QSL card has been printed. In addition for those stations, which will contact the station for more times, the opportunity is offered to receive a certificate signed by our astronaut.

Rules, to obtain the certificate are the following:

General Rules

The participation is open to all radio amateur stations officially authorized from their own country authorities, OM and SWL.

Period

From 00:00 UTC of 15/04/2005 till 24:00 UTC of 15/05/2005

Bands and Cathegories

HF only (1.8 - 3.5 - 7 - 10 - 14 - 18 - 21 - 24 - 28 MHz ).

VHF/UHF (50 - 144 - 432 MHz)

Special prefix

The ESRIN radio club station will operate during the entire period with the special callsign II0ESA

Points

1 point for each contact or heard with the II0ESA station. The station can be contacted or heard every day only once per band, irrespective by the operational mode. A maximum daily possible score of 9 points on HF and 3 on V-UHF is then possible.

How to qualify for the certificate

The following points are needed:

o 50 Points for Italians OM and SWL - HF

o 30 Points for Europeans OM and SWL - HF

o 20 Points for Extra-Europeans OM and SWL - HF

o 20 Points for OM and SWL - VHF/UHF

How to ask for the certificate:

Send by mail the extract of the log, completed with all the station and operator information, to:

ESRIN Radio Club

Via Galileo Galilei snc

I-00044 Frascati (RM)

Italy

No charge is applied for the certificate.