An International Space Station school contact has been planned with participants at West Michigan Aviation Academy, Grand Rapids, MI on 22 Oct. The event is scheduled to begin at approximately 17:14 UTC. It is recommended that you start listening approximately 10 minutes before this time. The duration of the contact is approximately 9 minutes and 30 seconds. The contact will be direct between NA1SS and W8ISS. The contact should be audible over portions of the eastern 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.

The West Michigan Aviation Academy is a tuition-free public charter high school founded by Dick DeVos upon encouragement from wife, Betsy. Stemming from their passion for both education and aviation, the school opened its doors in the fall of 2010 and is located on the grounds of the Gerald R. Ford International Airport. Like other high schools, our curriculum includes core subjects. But as an aviation-themed high school the curriculum at WMAA is designed for students who have a passion for aviation and/or an interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. (STEM)

The Aviation program includes training for the Private Pilot certificate in the student's senior year. The school owns our own Cessna 172 that is provided at direct operating costs to the students. Although they must pay for the flight training the total cost is much lower than renting at the local flight school and ground instruction is provided for as part of their elective classes. Currently we have 11 students in the program and hope to have 18 by the time of the contact. We also try to get the kids out around the airport to experience the many different job opportunities available in aviation.

The Robotics program includes FIRST robotics programs and many of our competitors are taking both engineering and aviation classes. Our engineering program provides for instruction in aerospace, robotics and electronic fields. We try to closely alley the Aviation and Engineering departments.

We currently have about 500 students were everyone knows each other. We have students from all walks of life from the suburbs to the inner city all working together and enjoying the diversity this environment offers.

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

1. What courses did you take in high school that you find most relevant to

your work at the International Space Station?

2. Are you planning on expanding the size of the ISS, if so then when do you

plan on starting the constructing?

3. So far during the twin study, what research has been recorded since Scott

Kelly was sent up to the station?

4. What do you think of the liquid water on Mars? Do you think it would make

it possible to colonize it earlier?

5. Waking up in space every day and seeing earth out your window, how has

seeing this and having this opportunity changed your perspective on life?

6. Concerning the twin study, in order to remove variables from the research

on gut organisms, will the twins have the exact same diet during the

space mission?

7. Could you use a gyroscopic space station to simulate gravity so the

astronauts can still maintain balance and bone strength?

8. What are the ways you blend your culture with the other cultures

surrounding you at the station?

9. Do you always have enough food? If not, how is more food sent to you?

10. Being confined in that small area so far away from others, do you guys

ever feel lonely? How are the group dynamics?

11. How does space positively or negatively affect your health?

12. What is the daily checklist for astronauts, in terms of safety

inspections, instrument tuning, and/or incoming information?

13. What types of plants do you grow to study and what are the main

differences between their growth in space and on earth?

14. What kind of emotional impact do you feel being selected out of

thousands of scientists to be one of the few humans to venture into

outer space?

15. Does zero gravity affect your dreams?

16. I understand most astronauts stay in space for approximately six months,

do you feel that astronauts should be kept in space for this long or

should it be longer such as Russian astronauts who have been

known to stay for a year?

17. In your opinion, do you think that commercial rocket companies such as

SpaceX will help the space industry by exploring new realms of our solar

system, or will the cheaper, reusable rockets hurt the industry by

causing a fatal accident?

18. Does Scott Kelly have to do anything different while in space to gather

data for the identical twin/effects of space study?

19. What does a lunar eclipse look like up at the space station?

20. How does having women on the ISS impact the mission?

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):

TBD

ARISS is an international educational outreach program partnering the volunteer support and leadership from AMSAT and IARU societies around the world with the ISS space agencies partners: NASA, Russian Space Agency, ESA, CNES, JAXA, and CSA.

ARISS offers an opportunity for students to experience the excitement of Amateur Radio by talking directly with crewmembers on-board the International Space Station. Teachers, parents and communities see, first hand, how Amateur Radio and crewmembers on ISS can energize youngsters' interest in science, technology, and learning. Further information on the ARISS program is available on the website http://www.ariss.org/

Thank you & 73,

David - AA4KN

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