ZD8SC – Ascension Island

Steve, WB4GHY is currently active on Ascension as ZD8SC, IOTA AF-003.
He will operate on 80 – 10m, SSB, FT8, FT4.
Nearest DX Point ZD8SC
QSL via direct home call, LOTW.
Direct QSL advertising:
Steve R Coleman, 822 S Waco St, Van Alstyne, TX 75495, United States.

Ascension Island

An unusual territory in the tropics, located in the Atlantic Ocean between Brazil and Africa; a small part of the British Commonwealth – this is the peculiarity of Ascension Island. It is located 1,600 km west of the African continent and has an almost perfectly circular shape, although the coastline is completely “cut” by bays and coves.

The island’s uniqueness lies in its status: it is a semi-enclosed area, where a US Air Force military base and a NASA observatory are located. The island’s 800 inhabitants do not have the right to live permanently, despite the fact that many of them have not left the territory for decades. It is also not easy for outsiders to get here: permission must be obtained from the administrators.

Sunset, Ascension Island. Author – R. Brownlow.

History of the island

The island was not inhabited until the beginning of the 16th century. Its history dates back to its discovery in 1501 by a Portuguese expedition led by João da Nova. At that time, the new land had not yet been named. Therefore, this discovery “did not count”. Two years later, in 1503, the ships of another Portuguese expedition led by Alfonso de Albuquerque landed on the coast of the island. This happened on the Feast of the Ascension of Jesus, in honor of which the new geographical name appeared on the maps.

Due to the lack of flora and fauna on the island and the problem of drinking water, it remained uninhabited for the next few centuries, but in 1815, the British decided to turn it into an outpost responsible for supplying passing ships and controlling the security of the west coast of Africa.

During World War II, an airstrip was built here to accommodate cargo planes, and after the war, the United States leased the land from Britain and established a NASA station (now defunct) and an air force station (still in use) there.

Today, Ascension Island has a large GPS satellite navigation antenna and a NATO warship transit base.

Ascension Island. Author – AlxTry.

Island Features

In the middle of the island, at 800 meters above sea level, there is Green Mountain, which was once an active volcano. All the soil on the coast is of volcanic origin, with large rocks. There are no freshwater springs here, only a small pond near the extinct volcano. But it dries up from time to time. Such conditions do not attract settlers at all, just as they did not attract colonists in previous centuries. The main population is British and American servicemen, as well as military personnel of the garrison (in general, they are residents of St. Helena, which is 1,300 km from Ascension). The number of people constantly changes: from a few hundred to 1,500.

The central city of Georgetown, with a population of 500, is located on an area of ​​91 square kilometers, and there are several small towns (executive residence; British military base; American military base).

Crab, Ascension Island. Author – R. Brownlow.

What is there to do on the island?

A dry subtropical climate prevails on the sparsely populated island. The temperature does not fall below +24 degrees throughout the year, but does not rise above +28 degrees. Rainfall is rare: from 155 to 800 mm of precipitation is recorded annually. Such a climate is not conducive to the abundance of flora and fauna. The islands mainly grow shrubby plants, many of which are flowering (ferns, molochai). There are also solitary palm trees, which you can find if you go inland from the coast.

The animal world of the island, although not rich, is quite interesting. There are many insects, butterflies, earth crabs and green turtles. For centuries, turtles were the main feed for sailors. Only in the 1930s were these animals ruthlessly exterminated. There were cases in history when sailors caught 250-300 kg specimens, turned them over and carried them in this state for weeks until they were used for soup. Such an attitude of man towards the ecosystem could not disappear without a trace: the turtles began to leave the island. It took them several decades to come back to lay eggs again.

Nowadays, there are few tourists on the island. Although there is a small hotel in George Town that can accommodate 70 guests, and the pristine beach with volcanic sand is also very suitable for recreation. Three years ago, the first diving club was even opened here. According to statistics, about 600 tourists visit the island every year, most of whom are American citizens. The rest are British residents. Perhaps in the near future, this semi-enclosed island can become an attractive tourist destination for those who seek tranquility and privacy.

ZD8SC. Where is Ascension Island located. Map.