ARISS News Release No. 21-63
Dave Jordan, AA4KN
ARISS PR
aa4kn@amsat.org
FORIMMEDIATE RELEASE
ARISSContact is Scheduled for Studentsat Hino Elementary School
And Canna Project-Canna School Contact Team Suzaka, Japan
December1, 2021—Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) has receivedschedule confirmation for an ARISS radio contact with astronauts. ARISS is thegroup that puts together special amateur radio contacts between students aroundthe globe and crew members with ham radio licenses on the International Space Station (ISS).
This will be a direct contact via amateur radio between students in Suzaka, Japan and AstronautRaja Chari, amateur radio call sign KI5LIU. Students will taketurns asking their questions. Local Covid-19 protocols are adhered to asapplicable for each ARISS contact. The downlinkfrequency for this contact is 145.800 MHZ and may be heard by listeners thatare within the ISS-footprint that also encompasses the radio relay ground station.
Amateur radio operators, using the call sign 8NØCAN,will operate the ham radio ground station for this contact.
The ARISS radio contact isscheduled for December 3, 2021, at 7:02 pm JST (Suzaka, Japan), (10:02 UTC, 5:02am EST, 4:02 am CST, 3:02 am MST and 2:02 am PST).
In 2020, studentsat Hino Elementary school along with students in 20 other Japanese schools(from elementary to senior high schools) participated in the Canna Project PeaceSpace Mission. This project consisted of sending seeds of the Canna plant tothe ISS then returning these seeds back to earth to be propagated by these samestudents (who had harvested the seeds). The Canna plant produces a bright redflower and was quick to colonize the area near ground zero after the atomicbombing of Hiroshima. The seeds were sent to the ISS via the SpaceX Falcon 9rocket on March 7, 2020 and returned to earth August 3, 2020. These returnedseeds, so called “Space Canna”, produced flowering canna under the care ofthese students. Their blooms symbolize a “baton of peace” and have been sharedwith students at the United Nations International School in Vietnam, theGallaudet University in the United States, and children in 16 other countries. ThisARISS contact (previously cancelled in 2020 due to the pandemic) will facilitatethe school’s goal: inspiring students’ interest and curiosity in space. TheCanna Amateur Radio Club will be supporting the students during this contact.
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Astime allows, students will ask these questions:
1. What does space smell like?
2. What was it like when the rocketbroke through the atmosphere?
3. Is the feeling of weightlessness likefloating in a pool?
4. Do you ever feel nauseous while inzero-gravity? What is your favorite part of the ISS’s interior?
5. What is the most popular space food?
6. Canna seeds were planted and takento the ISS for five months and were returned to the Earth to continue growing here.Are there any affects to the growth of the plants which have been in space andlater returned to Earth?
7. Can plants, including canna, grow inthe ISS?
8. How does a plant vine grow in space?
9. I heard that the canna seeds that welaunched were held with Velcro, but are there any other items that are alsoheld together with Velcro?
10. Do you have any things like plantson the ISS to help you relax? If not, what kind of plants would you like tohave?
11. How do astronauts, who stay inspace, feel about the various things that happen on Earth while they are upthere?
12. What will you do if you get injuredor sick in space on the ISS?
13. Are there any viruses in space?
14. What would you like to do firstwhen you come back to Earth?
15. What kind of skills should Iacquire as a child to become an astronaut?
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ARISS – Celebrating 20 Years of Continuous Amateur Radio Operations onthe ISS
About ARISS:
Amateur Radio on the InternationalSpace Station (ARISS) is a cooperative venture of international amateur radiosocieties and the space agencies that support the International Space Station(ISS). In the United States, sponsors are the Radio Amateur SatelliteCorporation (AMSAT), the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), the ISS NationalLab-Space Station Explorers, and NASA’s Space communications and Navigationprogram. The primary goal of ARISS is to promote exploration of science,technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics topics. ARISS does this byorganizing scheduled contacts via amateur radio between crew members aboard theISS and students. Before and during these radio contacts, students, educators,parents, and communities take part in hands-on learning activities tied tospace, space technologies, and amateur radio. For more information, see www.ariss.org
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MediaContact:
DaveJordan, AA4KN
ARISSPR
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