ARISS News Release No. 20-24
Dave Jordan, AA4KN
ARISS PR
aa4kn@amsat.org
FORIMMEDIATE RELEASE
ARISSContact is Scheduled for
Students at Tecumseh Public Schools District, Tecumseh, Oklahoma, USA
December2, 2020—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 at the Tecumseh High School,Tecumseh, OKand astronautShannon Walker, amateur radio call sign KD5DXB. Bothonsite and remote access will be provided to the student body at the time ofthe contact per Covid-19 guidelines. Amateur radiooperators, using the Tecumseh High School Amateur Radio Club call sign K5THS,will operate the ham radio ground station for this contact. Students will take turns asking Walkertheir questions. The downlink frequency for this contact is145.800 MHz.
The ARISS radio contact isscheduled for December 4, 2020 at 12:33 pm CST (Tecumseh), (18:33 UTC, 1:33pm EST, 11:33 am MST and 10:33 am PST).
The public is invited to watch the livestream at: mkleine@live.comor https://w5nor.org/k5ths/.
Tecumseh PublicSchools District (with about 2000 students in Pre-Kindergarten through 12thgrades) is a rural school district that includes five grade-level sites andalso the College, Career Readiness and STEAM Center and employs nearly 275teachers and support staff. The District’s high school students and staff inthe STEAM Center’s Electronics and Amateur Radio Class will be the lead hostfor this ARISS contact. Students and staff at all the District’s sites andgrades will have been involved at different learning levels (utilizing various grade-appropriateSTEAM class activities) in preparation for the ARISS contact. In developing theschool’s amateur radio class, the school partnered with the local radio operators of the Pottawatomie County Amateur Radio Club and SouthCanadian Amateur Radio Club who were instrumental in providing equipment,installation, and technical expertise, and who will be on hand during the ARISScontact.
Astime allows, students will ask these questions:
1. If you could go back to high school, what is one thing you would make sure you paid more attention to? 2. What was thescariest part when traveling through the atmosphere?
3. Are you longingfor the day you’ll return to earth or already putting on your brakes so thatyou can stay on the ISS longer?
4. What is one skillthat every astronaut should have before entering the astronaut program?
5. Have you seen anychanges in your circadian rhythms, or those of any plants or animals on boardthe ISS?
6. How does NASAtrain you to deal with zero gravity?
7. How do you getdressed without your clothes floating away?
8. How does NASAprepare you for walking on earth after months of being in space?
9. Is there a sightin space that was breathtaking the first time you saw it, and what was it?
10. If there is asmall space particle that penetrates the ISS, how is that handled?
11. What are some ofyour favorite experiments in which you are involved?
12. How much trainingdo you need before going into space?
13. What happens ifyou become sick on an EVA or inside the ISS?
14. What is the mostchallenging plant to try to grow in space?
15. Does time changein space?
16. How do you sleepin space?
17. How do youmaintain body heat in and out of the ISS?
18. If someone isinjured on the ISS, how do you respond?
19. If afree-floating one-ounce drop of water were to freeze in the ISS, would it berough or smooth in shape?
20. What are some ofthe personal items you brought with you to the ISS?
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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, sponsorsare the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT), the American Radio RelayLeague (ARRL), the ISS National Lab-Space Station Explorers, and NASA’s SpaceCommunications and Navigation program. The primary goal of ARISS is to promoteexploration of science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematicstopics by organizing scheduled contacts via amateur radio between crew membersaboard the ISS and students. Before and during these radio contacts, students,educators, parents, and communities learn about space, space technologies, andamateur radio. For more information, see www.ariss.org
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MediaContact:
DaveJordan, AA4KN
ARISSPR
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