One day an American painter, Andrew Wyeth, came across his disabled neighbor
in a field gazing back at her home in Cushing, Maine. The lasting impression
inspired him to paint "Christina's World" in 1948.
At ESS, we believe that an important part of a successful business is community
outreach. “Christina’s World” reflects our interest in
programs for the disabled and mentally challenged. Many persons with disabilities
merely need the proper inspiration to reach their full potential; after
all, where would the world be without people like Albert Einstein, whose
teachers assumed was mentally challenged?
At ESS, we have implemented an "ARISS" program for local school
children, especially those who are disabled and mentally challenged. "ARISS"
stands for Amateur Radio on the International Space Station. This program
allows a licensed radio station to communicate with the International Space
Station. We have constructed a 20' radio antenna with azimuth and elevation
tracking rotors. This system will track the International Space Station
by computer as it moves across the sky. We have also purchased an all-band
amateur radio by Yeasu with a tracking interface by Spectrum International.
Our program has demonstrated great success in sparking scientific interest
in children by giving them the privilege of speaking with astronauts from
different countries. A special thanks goes out to Commander Yury Usachev
and Flight Engineers James Voss, and Susan Helms for their time and giving
us the opportunity to speak with them during their five month stay in space.
