An International Space Station school contact has been planned with participants at Kopernik Observatory & Science Center, Vestal, NY on 28 Aug. The event is scheduled to begin at approximately 16:41 UTC. The duration of the contact is approximately 9 minutes and 30 seconds. The contact will be direct between NA1SS and K2ZRO. The contact should be audible over the state of New York 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 Kopernik Observatory & Science Center is a non-profit informal educational institution that promotes interdisciplinary education in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). Through its classes, events and programs, Kopernik's multigenerational approach emphasizes experiential, engaged and active learning as a model of STEM education in our region. Founded in 1973, Kopernik has offered hundreds of thousands of students of all ages the opportunity to learn about their world and the universe surrounding them. Kopernik's resources include three permanent telescopes, a heliostat, weather station, three classrooms, computer lab, portable planetarium and amateur radio station. It also offers a robust outreach program in which its educators bring programs directly into the classroom.

This year's summer camp that will host the ARISS contact is entitled "Welcome Aboard the ISS" Fourth and Fifth grade students will learn about what research is being done on the ISS and what it takes to become an astronaut. In preparation for the ARISS contact, the students will learn about satellite orbits and radio communication. Each of the students will build and test a 3 element measuring tape yagi antenna. They will have the opportunity to operate their yagi during a Fox Hunt held the week of the camp. The Fox Hunt will be run by the Binghamton Amateur Radio Association (BARA). BARA members will also be helping Kopernik Observatory staff in the set up and station operation during the ARISS contact.

Kopernik offers a strong, STEM-based, summer camp experience for students between 1st and 12th grades. This summer one of its summer camps had 8th and 9th grade students design and build a weather balloon payload with 3 high-definition cameras and temperature monitoring instrumentation along with an Amateur Radio APRS tracking system. The balloon and payload was launched and reached an altitude of over 97,000 feet before the balloon burst and returned the payload to Earth. The payload was successfully recovered and allowing the students to examine the video, temperature data and tracking history.

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

1. Was it scary going into space? If so what was the scariest part?

2. How can you sleep up there if you're always floating around?

3. What are some of the cool things you have seen from space on earth?

4. Did anyone pull a prank on you in space, and what was it?

5. Does being in space affect how you sleep and dream?

6. How do people in space get protection from DNA-altering gamma rays?

7. Do you need special bathroom appliances in Space because there is no

gravity?

8. Do you think that in one mission we might be able to go outside the Milky

Way and take a picture?

9. Are you working on anything that will help make a colony on Mars.

10. Do you play games in space?

11. If there was a mission to Mars would you be concerned about the

perchlorates in the soil?

12. How do you drink in space?

13. How good is the food on the space station and what's your favorite kind?

14. What is your favorite part of the station, and why?

15. What is it like being an astronaut?

16. Have you ever wanted to walk on Saturn's rings?

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. Integrierte Gesamtschule Osterholz-Scharmbeck, Osterholz -

Scharmbeck, Germany and Gymnasium Soltau, Soltau,

Germany, direct via DN3HB and DN5ABG

The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be DPØISS

The scheduled astronaut is Alexander Gerst KF5ONO

Contact is a go for: Sat 2018-09-01 08:36 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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