FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

13 US Schools/Groups Move Into Phase 2 of ARISS Selections

June 19, 2017 - The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) and the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT), US partners of Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS), are pleased to announce the schools/organizations selected to move into Phase 2 for ARISS ham radio time slots in the first half of 2018. A review team selected 13 proposals after the recent proposal window closed. The 13 groups will go forward into Phase 2, the submitting of an equipment plan to host a scheduled amateur radio contact with crew orbiting on the International Space Station.

The primary goal of the ARISS program is to engage young people in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) activities, and raise their awareness of space exploration, amateur radio, communications, and related areas of study and career possibilities.

The ARISS Team anticipates that NASA will be able to provide scheduling opportunities for these 13 US host organizations during the January-June 2018 time period. These groups must now complete an equipment plan that demonstrates their ability to execute the ham radio contact. Once their equipment plan is approved by the ARISS technical team, the final selected schools/organizations will be scheduled as their availability and flexibility match up with the scheduling opportunities offered by NASA.

The schools and organizations are:

Bellefonte Area Middle School Bellefonte PA

Central Islip Union Free School District Central Islip NY

Central Magnet Match & Science Elementary School Batesville AR

Freeport Public Schools Freeport NY

Indian Trails Middle School Winter Springs FL

Mill Springs Academy Alpharetta GA

Moore Square AIG/GT Magnet School Raleigh NC

Mooreland Heights Elementary Knoxville TN

Museum of Science & Technology w/Danforth Middle School Syracuse NY

Parkside Middle School San Bruno CA

Pinson Valley High School Pinson AL

Salado Intermediate School Salado TX

Students for the Exploration & Development of Space College Station TX

ABOUT ARISS

Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) is a cooperative venture of the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT), the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in the United States, and other international space agencies and international amateur radio organizations around the world. 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 from amateur radio clubs and coordination from the ARISS team, the ISS crew members speak directly with large group audiences in a variety of public forums such as school assemblies, science centers and museums, Scout camporees, jamborees and space camps, where students, teachers, parents, and communities learn about space, space technologies and Amateur Radio.

Find more information at www.ariss.org, www.amsat.organd www.arrl.org.

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Contact:

David Jordan, AA4KN

ARISS PR

aa4kn@amsat.org

(321) 662-9486

www.amsat.org

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