ARISS News Release No.22-65
Dave Jordan, AA4KN
ARISS PR
aa4kn@amsat.org
FORIMMEDIATE RELEASE
ARISSContact is Scheduled with Students at
Stella Maris College, Gzira, Malta
December8, 2022—Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) has receivedschedule confirmation for an ARISS radio contact between an astronaut aboardthe International Space Station (ISS) and students at the Stella Maris College locatedin Gzira, Malta. ARISS conducts 60-80 ofthese special amateur radio contacts each year between students around theglobe and crew members with ham radio licenses aboard the ISS.
Stella Maris College is part of a network (La Salle Malta) of LasallianColleges that include De La Salle College and the Mellieha Retreat Centre. LaSalle Malta was founded as a single school in 1903 by the Brothers of theChristian Schools and is now the La Salle Malta’s Lasallian Colleges, run bythe Malta Trust of the Brothers of the Christian Schools. Stella Maris College ishosting this ARISS contact for participating students in grades 5 through 10(ages 9-15 years). Stella Maris College has partnered with members of the MaltaAmateur Radio League (MARL) (9H1MRL) who will provide support during the ARISScontact. Members of MARL have also made presentations to students about amateurradio, and demonstrated satellite tracking and talking to other hams throughamateur radio satellites. As a member of MARL, Stella Maris College haspreviously operated their own amateur radio station. Members of otherorganizations that are also part of educational activities surrounding thisARISS contact include; the University of Malta, the Malta College for Scienceand Technology, Malta Council for Science and Technology and Malta College forArts, Science and Technology.
This will be a direct contact via Amateur Radio allowing students to take turns asking theirquestions of Astronaut Koichi Wakata, amateur radio call sign KI5TMN. LocalCovid-19 protocols are adhered to as applicable for each ARISS contact. Thedownlink frequency for this contact is 145.800 MHZ and may be heard bylisteners that are within the ISS-footprint that also encompasses the relayground station.
The amateur radio ground station for this contactis in Gzira, Malta. Amateur radio operators using call sign 9H1MRL, willoperate the ground station to establish and maintain the ISS connection.
TheARISS radio contact is scheduled for December 10, 2022 at 8:55:55 am CET (Gzira,Malta)
(7:55:55UTC, 2:55 am EST, 1:55 am CST, 12:55 am MST, 12/9/2211:55 pm PST).
Thepublic is invited to watch the live stream at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fk-Onkbr6PY
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Astime allows, students will ask these questions:
1.What do astronauts normally eat or drink on the space station?
2.How do you sleep in space? Is it comfortable?
3.What do you do in your free time?
4.How long is the training to actually go in space?
5.Why do astronauts wear space suits?
6.Is there a maximum time limit for staying in space?
7.How do you stay healthy (physically and mentally): in space?
8.When you are going up in space, crossing the ozone layer does it hurt?
9.What side effects do you get when returning from space?
10.Can kids go to space?
11.Did you discover something new from another galaxy?
12.What does space food taste like?
13.How does it feel like living in low gravity?
14.What inspired you to work in space and the International Space Station?
15.What are your emotions during lift-off?
16.Why do astronauts need to go to hospital when they return to earth?
17.What do you miss most from Earth when you are in space?
18.How is one chosen to go on the ISS? What inspired you to become an astronaut?
19.What does the training to go to space consist of?
20.Why is there no gravity in space? How does it feel?
21.At what speed does the ISS travel and how many times do you circle the earth ina day
22.How is air generated inside the ISS?
23.What is the best thing to do when you are in a rocket?
24.How would you describe the spacewalk in a few words?
25.What is the hardest part when living in space?
26.What is the most beautiful thing you have ever seen in space?
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, Amateur Radio Digital Communications (ARDC) andNASA’s Space Communications and Navigation program (SCaN). The primary goal ofARISS is to promote exploration of science, technology, engineering, the arts,and mathematics topics. ARISS does this by organizing scheduled contacts viaamateur radio between crew members aboard the ISS and students. Before andduring these radio contacts, students, educators, parents, and communities takepart in hands-on learning activities tied to space, space technologies, andamateur radio. For more information, see http://www.ariss.org
MediaContact:
DaveJordan, AA4KN
ARISSPR
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