An International Space Station school contact has been planned with participants at John Glenn Middle School, Maplewood MN on 22 Feb. The event is scheduled to begin at approximately 18:48 UTC. The duration of the contact is approximately 9 minutes and 30 seconds. The contact will be direct between NA1SS and K0JDD. The contact should be audible over the middle U.S. and adjacent areas. Interested parties are invited to listen in on the 145.80 MHz downlink. The contact is expected to be conducted in English.

An astronaut on the International Space Station looks back at Earth and sees the beauty and diversity of life. They imagine humans of all colors and creeds finding common ground and getting ready for tomorrow. Our school mirrors that ideal in microcosm.

Our school is in North America, in the United States, with latitude of 44° N. John Glenn Middle School is proud to stand in Maplewood, Minnesota ever since it opened in 1962. Generations of citizens have been educated within our walls. Today, parents and grandparents come to conferences to support their student and fondly say, "I remember this classroom." The neighborhoods have grown but the family ties remain the same.

Our students have come together from different nations, cultures, and personal histories. They speak approximately 35 different languages. They find faith in many different religions. Some of us are temporarily out of our homes. Some of our families are hurting financially. Thankfully, all of us have the chance for a bright future.

Our principal, Jill Miklausich, guides us to collaborate in learning and problem solving. She encourages us to band together and reach for the stars. Together our students of all colors and creeds, face adversity, and get ready for tomorrow. Our school embraces the fearless sense of adventure made famous by our namesake, Colonel John Glenn. When we make the call to the International Space Station please know that our hearts and minds are filled with excitement and infinite possibilities. At John Glenn, we celebrate life!

Participants will ask as many of the following questions as time allows:

1. How do you handle an acute illness like one that needs an operation or

immediate help?

2. What do you do in your free time if you have any?

3. What kind of medical testing does an astronaut have to go through to be

physically and mentally fit for duty?

4. What are the difficulties when it comes to being clean, eating food, and

engineering in space?

5. How important is team work to the mission of the ISS crew?

6. What is your favorite piece of research you have done and how is it

impacting our future?

7. When you go up in space, do you feel the loss of home or when you come

back, do you miss sleeping under the thousand stars?

8. How does the International Space Station benefit humanity?

9. Can people with disabilities go in space?

10. What happens if the space station breaks down?

11. Do you have any games or electronics you use?

12. Where could WiFi be in space and cellular connection for phones?

13. What is the best thing you've seen in space?

14. What was going through your mind during your first orbit?

15. Have you made any cool or new discoveries on the ISS?

16. How do you send written messages from Earth to the ISS?

PLEASE CHECK THE FOLLOWING FOR MORE INFORMATION ON ARISS UPDATES:

Visit ARISS on Facebook. We can be found at Amateur Radio on the

International Space Station (ARISS).

To receive our Twitter updates, follow @ARISS_status

Next planned event(s):

1. Ecole primaire Elie Desplan, Boissières, France and Marie Castang,

Saint

Dionisy, France, direct via F4HHV

The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be FXØISS

The scheduled astronaut is Thomas Pesquet KG5FYG

Contact is a go for: Thu 2017-02-23 08:31 UTC

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 Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS) and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The primary goal of ARISS is to promote exploration of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) topics by organizing scheduled contacts via amateur radio between crew members aboard the ISS and students in classrooms or informal education venues. With the help of experienced amateur radio volunteers, ISS crews speak directly with large audiences in a variety of public forums. Before and during these radio contacts, students, teachers, parents, and communities learn about space, space technologies, and amateur radio. For more information, see www.ariss.org, www.amsat.org, and www.arrl.org.

Thank you & 73,

David - AA4KN

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