ARISS News Release                                                                                                    No.22-20

Dave Jordan, AA4KN

ARISS PR

aa4kn@amsat.org

 

 

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

 

ARISS Contact is Scheduled with Students at

École Secondaire St. Albert Catholic High School, St. Albert, Alberta, Canada

 

April 8, 2022—Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) has received schedule confirmation for an ARISS radio contact between Axiom Mission-1 (Ax-1) astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) and Canadian students at the École Secondaire St. Albert Catholic High School in St. Albert.  Ax-1 is the first private astronaut mission to the International Space Station. ARISS conducts 60-80 of these special amateur radio contacts each year between students around the globe and crew members with ham radio licenses aboard the ISS.

 

École Secondaire St. Albert Catholic High School (SACHS) is a medium-sized high school in St. Albert, Alberta that offers English and French Immersion and Advanced Placement programs. In preparation for this ARISS contact, SACHS embedded topics related to space exploration and technology in all grade-levels to increase interest and curiosity in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). SACHS’s school-wide events included: observatory fieldtrips, a ‘Space Evening’ that showcased student projects developed around a space theme, and guest speakers on STEM careers. SACHS also partnered with other elementary and junior high schools in the district for a space-themed science fair.

 

This will be a telebridge contact via Amateur Radio allowing students to ask their questions of Ax-1 Astronaut Mark Pathy, amateur radio call sign KO4WFH. Local Covid-19 protocols are adhered to as applicable for each ARISS contact. The downlink frequency for this contact is 145.800 MHz and may be heard by listeners that are within the ISS-footprint that also encompasses the telebridge station.

 

The ARISS amateur radio ground station (telebridge station) for this contact is in Casale Monferrato, Italy. The amateur radio volunteer team at the station will use the callsign IK1SLD, to establish and maintain the ISS connection.

 

The ARISS radio contact is scheduled for April 11, 2022 at 9:50 am MDT (Alberta, CAN) (15:50:31UTC, 11:50 am EDT, 10:50 am CDT, 8:50 am PDT).

 

The public is invited to watch the live stream at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCA55YJg_jvRtoEBPKK-p__A

 

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As time allows, students will ask these questions:

 

1. How long did it take for you to adjust to being in space?

2. What factors did you worry about when going into space, such as space radiation?

3. How are laws enforced in space?

4. Are you able to see space trash and debris fly by as you look out the ISS?

5. What threat does a large solar flare pose to the operation of the space station and the safety of the astronauts? If this is a risk, how is it minimized?

6. How did training in zero gravity compare with how it actually feels in zero gravity?  Do you experience space sickness?

7. Have you seen any significant Earth weather systems (Tornados, hurricanes, fires etc.) from the ISS? If so, how was that?

8. How long will you be away from home since the start of your training until you return?

9. How did the astronauts that were already on the ISS react when your 'private team' showed up?

10. What was your family's reaction to you accepting the mission to space?

11. What kind of training did you need to complete in order to prepare for this mission?

12. Is it difficult to fall asleep?

13. Is the sensation of orbiting the same as a drop on a roller coaster?

 

About ARISS:

Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) is a cooperative venture of international amateur radio societies and the space agencies that support the International Space Station (ISS). In the United States, sponsors are the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT), the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), the ISS National Lab-Space Station Explorers, Amateur Radio Digital Communications (ARDC) and NASA’s Space communications and Navigation program. The primary goal of ARISS is to promote exploration of science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics topics. ARISS does this by organizing scheduled contacts via amateur radio between crew members aboard the ISS and students. Before and during these radio contacts, students, educators, parents, and communities take part in hands-on learning activities tied to space, space technologies, and amateur radio. For more information, see www.ariss.org

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Media Contact:

Dave Jordan, AA4KN

ARISS PR

                                                                              

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