The first ham in space W5LFL SK

[VK4WDM]

ARRL News reports that Owen Garriott, W5LFL, became a silent key on 15 April. He was 88.

http://www.arrl.org/news/amateur-radio-i...t-w5lfl-sk

He was the first ham to conduct a QSO from space.

73

Wayne VK4WDM

[VK3RX]

I have a recording of his contact with the Orroral Valley tracking station, with the phone patch to Houston (well, his side of the conversation anyway). I don't know if that was his first contact from space and the general contacts happened afterwards though.

Recorded 5 December 1983 when I was working in Mildura, and I subsequently filed a reception report with the ARRL and received a QSL