Curious mind gets lucky: Ahmedabad man video chats with SpaceX crew Dragon aboard ISS

Luck shined over a ham radio enthusiast from Ahmedabad on Wednesday as he got a response from SpaceX Crew Dragon's astronauts while trying to connect with International Space Station. Amateur radio, also known as ham radio, is the use of radiofrequency spectrum for purposes of non-commercial exchange of messages, wireless experimentation, self-training, private recreation, radiosport, contesting, and emergency communication.

Adhir Saiyadh, a computer engineer, said that he was trying to connect with ISS when he suddenly received a response from Dragon capsule which docked with the orbital outpost on Sunday. The ISS was at the time of Saiyadh's contact over India in the lower Earth orbit.

"I was on a video call with my student regarding the ISS. He asked me if we could connect with ISS. I decided to try and connect while I was on the video call. I coincidentally got connected on their frequency and received a reply from the capsule and experienced a video call type connection," Saiyadh told ANI.

He further said that he and his students were in the middle of an e-lecture when this capsule passed over Ahmedabad. "I tried to connect to the ISS and we got connected. They acknowledged the call," said Saiyadh.

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SpaceX's history-making mission

Elon Musk-owned SpaceX Dragon created history on May 27 as it became the first private company to send NASA astronauts to space. This was the first launch from US soil since NASA retired its space shuttle programme in 2011. The mission successfully sent Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley to space and the Dragon capsule approached the International Space Station just hours after a historic lift off from Florida.

(With ANI inputs)

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