Milestones: Three Hams Honored for Looking Skyward

Swedish physics professor and radio amateur Asta Pellinne-Wannberg, SM3UHV, was honored recently by the International Astronomical Union, which named an asteroid for her! In recognition of her work using scattering radar to study meteors and as chair of the Swedish National Committee for Radio Science, Newsline says the IAU has designated a particular asteroid as Asteroid 11807 Wannberg, her very own celestial body.

Frank Bauer, KA3HDO,
receiving his Amateur of
the Year award at the 2017
Dayton Hamvention
(W2VU photo)

NASA's Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, is one of 14 space agency employees to receive this year's Distinguished Public Service Medal. According to the AMSAT News Service, the honors recognize NASA employees who have made "an extraordinary and indelible impact on the agency's mission success." Bauer is the longtime chair of the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program. He was also honored in May as the Dayton Hamvention's 2017 Amateur of the Year

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Amateur radio astronomer as well as amateur radio operator Blair Heath, KD2EPA, has received his Gold certification from the Astronomical League (AL) for making at least ten galactic observations. The ARRL Letter reports that Heath, who lives in Oceanport, New Jersey, made most of his observations using ham equipment and a 60-foot dish antenna. He is scheduled to make a presentation on "How to Use Ham Radio Gear to Do Radio Astronomy" at the AL's international meeting next year.