- NASA Home
- | Centers
- | Glenn Home
- | News
- | Aerospace Frontiers
- | 2007
Search Glenn
Aerospace Frontiers
Retiree Spotlight
Fleming Promotes Communications Through Ham Radio
Retiree Norman Fleming, 89, is still forging new horizons. An amateur radio "ham" for 65 years, Fleming testifies that anyone can be a ham operator regardless of age, sex or physical ability.
"When you call out on a ham radio, the possibilities are endless," said Fleming, whose station call letters are W8PJ. "The person responding may be next door, across the globe or even an astronaut in outer space."
Image left: Retiree Norm Fleming staffs the Amateur Radio Club Station at the NASA Glenn Visitor Center. Credit: NASA/Doreen Zudell
Fleming dedicated most of his 20-year career at Glenn as a technician in space communications. He helped build payloads with telemetry that launched on Nike Cajun, Nike Apache and Aerobee space probes from Wallops Island in the Atlantic Ocean. The research was aimed at understanding the characteristics of operating in the upper atmosphere. He traveled across the United States operating the portable small Earth terminal downlink station used in conjunction with the Communications Technology Satellite. This pioneered a new era in television communications across the world. He also worked on the telemetry for the Centaur Launch Vehicle.
Fleming attributes much of his career success to his ham radio hobby. "I built a lot of my own ham equipment and learned to improvise when something wasn't working," he explained.
Although he retired in 1980, Fleming stays connected with NASA through the Visitor Center, logging in over 4,000 volunteer hours, to date. On Tuesdays, Fleming operates the NASA Glenn Amateur Radio Club Station. He also uses this opportunity to explain to visitors the benefits of NASA programs such as the space shuttle and International Space Station. Fleming points out that several astronauts are hams and regularly use the amateur radio to talk with people down on Earth while in orbit.
Fleming encourages many of the visitors to get their Federal Communications Commission license so that they can operate ham radios. He feels that this is one of the most educational and worldwide hobbies available.
"A lot of young people I talk with don't feel that math, science and geography have practical applications in their lives," Fleming explained. "I show them how they can apply all these subjects in a fun, exciting way not only as ham operators, but in the design and building of their own antenna systems and equipment. Doing so can open up a brand new world of knowledge and friendship."
+ Return to Front Page
Doreen Zudell
NASA's Glenn Research Center
Fleming Promotes Communications Through Ham Radio
Retiree Norman Fleming, 89, is still forging new horizons. An amateur radio "ham" for 65 years, Fleming testifies that anyone can be a ham operator regardless of age, sex or physical ability.
"When you call out on a ham radio, the possibilities are endless," said Fleming, whose station call letters are W8PJ. "The person responding may be next door, across the globe or even an astronaut in outer space." Image left: Retiree Norm Fleming staffs the Amateur Radio Club Station at the NASA Glenn Visitor Center. Credit: NASA/Doreen Zudell
Fleming dedicated most of his 20-year career at Glenn as a technician in space communications. He helped build payloads with telemetry that launched on Nike Cajun, Nike Apache and Aerobee space probes from Wallops Island in the Atlantic Ocean. The research was aimed at understanding the characteristics of operating in the upper atmosphere. He traveled across the United States operating the portable small Earth terminal downlink station used in conjunction with the Communications Technology Satellite. This pioneered a new era in television communications across the world. He also worked on the telemetry for the Centaur Launch Vehicle.
Fleming attributes much of his career success to his ham radio hobby. "I built a lot of my own ham equipment and learned to improvise when something wasn't working," he explained.
Although he retired in 1980, Fleming stays connected with NASA through the Visitor Center, logging in over 4,000 volunteer hours, to date. On Tuesdays, Fleming operates the NASA Glenn Amateur Radio Club Station. He also uses this opportunity to explain to visitors the benefits of NASA programs such as the space shuttle and International Space Station. Fleming points out that several astronauts are hams and regularly use the amateur radio to talk with people down on Earth while in orbit.
Fleming encourages many of the visitors to get their Federal Communications Commission license so that they can operate ham radios. He feels that this is one of the most educational and worldwide hobbies available.
"A lot of young people I talk with don't feel that math, science and geography have practical applications in their lives," Fleming explained. "I show them how they can apply all these subjects in a fun, exciting way not only as ham operators, but in the design and building of their own antenna systems and equipment. Doing so can open up a brand new world of knowledge and friendship."
+ Return to Front Page
NASA's Glenn Research Center