[SFDXA] 96-year-old ham radio operator makes an out-of-this world connection

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  96-year-old ham radio operator makes an out-of-this world connection

Scott Lightfoot 
<https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/more/bios/scott-lightfoot-1.717074> 
Videojournalist, CTV News Toronto

@SLightfootCTV <https://twitter.com/SLightfootCTV>Contact 
<https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/more/bios/scott-lightfoot-1.717074?contactForm=true> 


Published Wednesday, January 22, 2020 8:02PM EST Last Updated Thursday, 
January 23, 2020 7:58AM EST

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TORONTO -- For decades, Jean Moffatt has been reaching out over the 
airwaves.

An amateur—or ham—radio operator, Moffatt has connected with people 
around the globe.

“You can always talk to other people, in other parts of the world,” 
Moffatt said, speaking to CTV News Toronto.

“You can send your signals to satellites. I’ve talked to people from the 
Arctic to the Antarctic.” And on Wednesday at the Ontario Science 
Centre, the 96-year-old got to go even further.

space

A ham radio connection, relayed through northern Italy, allowed the 
senior and a group of students to speak with Commander Luca Parmitano 
aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

In her first question, Moffatt told the astronaut she was very excited, 
admitting that this was the “manifestation” of a bucket-list wish she 
had for many years.

Parmitano told the Toronto senior he was really honoured to speak with 
her, before answering her questions.

Moffatt wanted to know if the Italian astronaut’s views on 
extra-terrestrials had changed since entering space, and asked about his 
thoughts on cleaning up the environment, adding that as a “mature woman” 
she had done lots of cleaning in her life.

space

Moffatt grew up in North Bay and moved to Toronto as a young girl with 
her family hoping that there would be opportunities for a girl 
interested in science and technology.

“When we moved to Toronto I desperately wanted to go to university, but 
my mom and dad had bought a house, and there was just enough money for 
my brother to go to university.” Undeterred, Moffatt said she took a 
course in amateur radio and shortly after, got her licence.

More than 30 years ago, after retiring, and the death of her husband, 
Moffatt started volunteering at the Ontario Science Centre, an endeavor 
she admits wasn’t successful at first.

“I was working in the greenhouse, killing all the plants because I 
cannot keep plants alive”.

space

Armed with her radio licence, she helped set up the centre’s first radio 
shack with the call sign VE3 OSC.

The idea to connect the nonagenarian with the ISS came just after 
Moffatt’s 96th birthday.

“She mentioned to me that one of the things she’s always wanted to do 
was talk to an astronaut” Christine Pigeon, the volunteer co-ordinator 
at the Science Centre told CTV News Toronto. It all started with an 
e-mail, and three months later with the help of ham radio operators and 
NASA, Moffatt made her connection.

While the connection wasn’t crystal clear, Moffatt was moved to tears, 
telling family and those who had gathered to watch that it was the 
“highlight” of her life.

Moffatt plans to keep volunteering at the centre, introducing younger 
people to an older form of technology, and to keep speaking to anyone 
who can pick up her signal.

“It’s kind of a last resort in our crazy world.. and I love amateur 
radio,” Moffatt added.


_Article with Photos_

https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/96-year-old-ham-radio-operator-makes-an-out-of-this-world-connection-1.4779505