An International Space Station Expedition 15 ARISS school contact has been planned with participants at the SRJC Day Under the Oaks in Santa Rosa, California USA on 06 May. The event is scheduled to begin at approximately 16:48 UTC.
The contact will be a direct between stations NA1SS and W6SRJ. The contact should be audible in western portions of North America. Interested parties are invited to listen in on the 145.80 MHz downlink. The participants are expected to conduct the conversation in English.
Santa Rosa Junior College is home to 40,000 students in the California wine country of Sonoma County. We're located approximately 38 miles north of San Francisco. We are fortunate and proud to be the home of W6SRJ - one of the telebridge stations for ISS school contacts.
Day Under the Oaks is our annual open house for prospective students, teachers, and the community. The event attracts over 10,000 visitors and is held on the beautiful 110 acre main campus which has hundreds of majestic oak trees with classic ivy covered brick buildings. Some of the oaks and other tree specimens were planted by renowned botanist Luther Burbank.
Day Under the Oaks (DUO) includes demonstrations for students of all ages, including a robot competition, building computer models, shows in our planetarium and tours of the W6SRJ telebridge station. DUO attendees explore SRJC's outstanding instructional program exhibits and demonstrations and a festive array of other colorful activities, plus sample the delicious array of food prepared by student clubs! At Day Under the Oaks you can visit the stunning world class Pomo basket collection in the Jesse Peter Museum and watch the colorful Native American dancers or the dramatic Chinese Dragon Dance Troup. Other activities include a children's theatre, sports clinics and fencing and karate competitions, and dazzling magic shows in the Chemistry Lab.
Participants will ask as many of the following questions as time allows:
1. What kind of research will be done on the space station (ISS) once it is completed in 2010?
2. What challenges do you face while you're in space without any gravity?
3. You participated in the Anomalous Long Term Effects on Astronauts Experiment - Have you seen the results of this experiment yet and what could be the cause of the light flashes?
4. What has been the most exciting part of the Expedition 15? What has been the least exciting?
5. Describe what you like best about being in space?
6. How long did it take you to adjust to microgravity? How long will it take you to re-adjust to earth's gravity when you return?
7. We visited NASA in Houston last month and saw the astronaut training area. What are some differences between training here and doing the real thing up in space?
8. I'm entering a robotics contest today. Do you think my interest in robotics will help me become an astronaut?
9. What do you enjoy most about your current mission?
10. What type of projects or experiments are they working on right now?
11. Since you hold records for number of spacewalks and total time spent on spacewalks by a woman, can you tell us about what kind of jobs you perform while on your spacewalks?
12. How long does it take to reach your destination in space from the time you leave earth?
13. I understand that the ISS is noisy inside - how high is the noise level and why is it so noisy?
14. Was it more or less effort to run the Boston Marathon from Space?
15. What type of exercises do you do in space so that you don't lose muscle tone?
16. What did you like best about your training? What did you like the least?
17. Have you ever seen satellites or "space junk" from the space shuttle or the space station? If so, what have you seen?
18. How many years of schooling did it take you to become an astronaut?
19. What was one of your most interesting moments in space?
20. For fun, do you ever run up the walls and do stunts like in the Matrix movie?
Please note, the amateur equipment on the ISS is not functioning in the automatic modes properly and may be silent more than usual. Information about the next scheduled ARISS contact can be found at http://www.rac.ca/ariss/upcoming.htm#NextContact .
Next planned event(s):
Sunset Mesa Schools, Albuquerque, New Mexico, direct via W5SCA, Wed 2007-05-09 14:39 UTC
Escola Secundaria de Estarreja, Estarreja, Portugal, direct via CT6ESE, Wed 2007-05-09 14:58 UTC
ARISS is an international educational outreach program partnering the participating space agencies, NASA, Russian Space Agency, ESA, CNES, JAXA, and CSA, with the AMSAT and IARU organizations from participating countries.
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.rac.ca/ariss (graciously hosted by the Radio Amateurs of Canada).
Thank you & 73,
Kenneth - N5VHO
Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2007-05-31 23:00 UTC
Quick list of scheduled contacts and events:
NASA Teacher conference, Houston, Texas, telebridge via WH6PN
Successful Thu 2007-05-31 17:32 UTC 43 deg via WH6PN (***)
Total number of ARISS ISS to earth school contacts is 300. (***)
Congratulations to ARISS for this milestone of 300 contacts. (***)
The first contact occurred 2000-12-21 from Burbank, IL. (***)
There has been much progress in the 6.5 years since then. (***)
Thank you all ham astronauts! (***)
Total number of ARISS supported terrestrial contacts is 1.
QSL information may be found at:
http://www.arrl.org/ARISS/arissfaq.htmlhttp://www.rac.ca/ariss/oindex.htm#QSL's
ISS callsigns: DP0ISS, NA1SS, RS0ISS
*****************************************************************************
The schedule page has been updated as of 2007-05-31 23:00 UTC.
Here you will find a listing of all scheduled school contacts, and
questions, other ISS related websites, IRLP and Echolink websites, and instructions
for any contact that may be streamed live.
http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/arissnews.txt
The successful school list has been updated as of 2007-05-31 23:00 UTC
http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/Successful_ARISS_schools.rtf
Frequency chart for packet, voice, and crossband repeater modes showing
Doppler correction as of 2005-07-29 04:00 UTC
http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/ISS_frequencies_and_Doppler_correctio…
tf
Listing of ARISS related magazine articles as of 2006-07-10 03:30 UTC:
http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/ARISS_magazine_articles.rtf
*****************************************************************************
There has been a rumor that the ISS was having direct contacts on the 40
meter band. There is no HF radio equipment on board and available yet. The HF
antenna is mounted. Sometimes WA3NAN will retransmit shuttle audio.
*****************************************************************************
Expedition 14/15 on orbit:
Sunita Williams, KD5PLB
Expedition 15 on orbit:
Fyodor Yurchikhin RN3FI
Dr. Oleg Kotov
Expedition 15 future:
Clayton Anderson KD5PLA
Daniel Tani KD5DXE
*****************************************************************************
73,
Charlie Sufana AJ9N
One of the ARISS operation team mentors
************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com.
SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468
May 31, 2007
Katherine Trinidad
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-3749
Tracy Young
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
321-867-2468
RELEASE: 07-127
NASA GIVES "GO" FOR SPACE SHUTTLE LAUNCH ON JUNE 8
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - On Thursday, NASA senior managers selected June
8 as the official launch date for space shuttle Atlantis. Commander
Rick Sturckow and his six crewmates are scheduled to lift off at 7:38
p.m. EDT on the STS-117 mission to the International Space Station.
During the 11-day mission and three spacewalks, the crew will work
with flight controllers at NASA's Johnson Space Center, Houston, to
install a 17-ton segment on the station's girder-like truss and
deploy a set of solar arrays. The mission will increase the
International Space Station's power capability in preparation for the
arrival of new science modules from the European and Japanese space
agencies.
Atlantis' launch date was announced at the Flight Readiness Review.
During the two-day meeting, top NASA and contractor managers assess
any risks associated with the mission and determine whether the
shuttle's equipment, support systems and procedures are ready for
flight. The first Flight Readiness Review for STS-117 was held Feb.
27-28. A hail storm on Feb. 26, however, damaged Atlantis' external
fuel tank and delayed the planned mid-March launch.
"While we cannot control the weather, this team can ensure that when
we do launch, it will be as safely as possible," said Associate
Administrator for Space Operations Bill Gerstenmaier, who chaired the
meetings. "This second Flight Readiness Review was as thorough as the
first. The discussions were open, healthy, and are evidence of a team
that is ready for a complicated and important station assembly
mission."
Joining Commander Sturckow on STS-117 will be Pilot Lee Archambault
and mission specialists Patrick Forrester, Steven Swanson, John
"Danny" Olivas, Jim Reilly and Clayton Anderson. Anderson will
replace current station crew member Sunita Williams, who has lived on
the station since December. Williams will return to Earth on
Atlantis.
For more information about the STS-117 mission, including images and
interviews with the crew, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle
-end-
SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468
John Yembric
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-0602
John Ira Petty
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
May 31, 2007
STATUS REPORT: SS07-29
International Space Station Status Report: SS07-29
Two International Space Station cosmonauts stepped outside Wednesday for
a 5-hour, 25-minute spacewalk, installing Service Module Debris
Protection panels and rerouting a Global Positioning System antenna cable.
Wearing Russian Orlan spacesuits, Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and Flight
Engineer Oleg Kotov began their spacewalk from the Russian Pirs airlock
at 2:05 p.m. CDT. The spacewalk was scheduled to begin at 1:20 p.m., but
was delayed due to time required to troubleshoot a communications problem.
First, the cosmonauts moved to the Strela 2, one of the hand-operated,
telescoping cranes at the base of Pirs. They attached an extension to
the Strela boom, increasing its reach from 45 to 60 feet. With Kotov on
the end of the extension, Yurchikhin extended the boom to a point over
Pressurized Mating Adapter 3, or PMA-3, on the Unity connecting node.
Once in place, Yurchikhin, with guidance from Kotov, maneuvered the
Strela end effector to a grapple fixture on an adapter stowage rack. The
adapter is attached to PMA-3 and held three bundles of 17 debris panels.
The assembly is dubbed the "Christmas Tree."
Once the Christmas Tree was attached to the Strela and released from
PMA-3, Yurchikhin moved it and Kotov back to the small diameter of the
Zvezda Module. Yurchikhin joined Kotov there, and together they secured
it to a grapple fixture on Zvezda.
Next, they left the debris panel task and moved aft onto Zvezda's large
conical section. There they rerouted a cable for a Global Positioning
System to be used for future rendezvous operations with the European
Automated Transfer Vehicle. The ATV is an unpiloted cargo carrier with
almost twice the capacity of the Progress cargo craft. It is scheduled
to make its first launch later this year.
Once that task was completed, the cosmonauts moved back to the Christmas
Tree on the forward end of Zvezda, where they removed and opened one of
the three bundles of debris panels. That bundle held five panels. The
aluminum panels vary in size but are about an inch thick. They typically
measure about 2 by 3 feet and weigh 15 to 20 pounds.
Yurchikhin and Kotov installed the five panels on Zvezda's forward
section, the area between Zvezda's large and small diameters.
After the installation task, the spacewalkers moved back to Pirs and
into the airlock. Hatch closure marking the end of the spacewalk was at
7:30 p.m.
This was the first spacewalk for Yurchikhin and Kotov. On their second,
scheduled for June 6, the remaining 12 debris panels will be installed
on Zvezda. Additionally, the cosmonauts also will install a section of
an Ethernet cable on the Zarya module and a Russian experiment called
Biorisk on Pirs.
The three bundles and their adapter were delivered by space shuttle
Discovery during the STS-116 mission in December 2006 and attached to
PMA-3 by spacewalkers Bob Curbeam and Sunita Williams. Williams, an
Expedition 15 crew member, remained aboard the station as the
intravehicular officer for Wednesday's spacewalk, advising and keeping
the spacewalkers on schedule.
Six debris panels were previously installed during an August 2002
spacewalk by Expedition 5 Commander Valery Korzun and Flight Engineer
Peggy Whitson. Those panels were delivered to the station by space
shuttle Endeavour during the STS-111 mission in June 2002.
For more about the crew's activities and station sighting opportunities,
visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/station
<http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/index.html>
The next station status report will be issued Friday, June 1, or earlier
if events warrant.
SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A./C 31468
Katherine Trinidad
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-3749
John Ira Petty
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
May 25, 2007
STATUS REPORT: SS07-28
International Space Station Status Report: SS07-28
HOUSTON - Expedition 15 Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and Flight Engineer
Oleg Kotov prepared this week for two spacewalks while Flight Engineer
Suni Williams prepared for her return to Earth. In preparation for her
successor's arrival, Williams' downlinked a 10-minute video tour for
Clayton Anderson, who will travel to the station on the upcoming space
shuttle flight.
Mission managers gave a "go" for a May 30 Russian spacewalk to install
orbital debris protection panels on the Zvezda service module and a GPS
antenna cable associated with Automated Transfer Vehicle navigation
systems. This will be the 18th Russian spacewalk in support of station
assembly and maintenance. The spacewalk is scheduled to begin at 1:20
p.m. CDT and last approximately six hours. NASA Television coverage will
begin at 12:30 p.m.
First-time spacewalkers Yurchikhin and Kotov checked out the spacesuits
and the Pirs airlock, prepared their tools, and closed the hatch to the
Progress resupply vehicle docked to Pirs. Williams, who will help
coordinate the spacewalk from inside the station, also prepared U.S.
tools that will be used. During the spacewalk, the cosmonauts will
retrieve a package, known as the "Christmas tree," which contains three
bundles of debris panels. They were temporarily stowed on Pressurized
Mating Adapter 3 during the STS-116 mission last December. After
transferring the panels to Zvezda, Yurchikhin and Kotov will install the
panels from one bundle. The others will be installed during their June 6
Russian spacewalk. Mission managers this week conducted a preliminary
review of that spacewalk.
Williams this week installed updated software on the station's laptop
computers, replaced the elastic "flex packs" in two Resistive Exercise
Device canisters used to simulate weightlifting in the absence of
gravity, and worked out on a stationary bicycle while medical experts on
the ground measured her oxygen intake as part of a periodic fitness
evaluation.
The crew members also prepared for the arrival of space shuttle
Atlantis, targeted to launch on June 8. Yurchikhin and Kotov reviewed a
recent digital photography practice session with shuttle imagery
specialists, and Williams assembled a spacewalk tool to be used by
shuttle astronauts who will retract the P6 starboard solar array. Along
with filming the station video, Suni Williams also spoke with Clayton
Anderson to help him prepare for his mission. It will begin officially
when his specially-fitted Soyuz seat liner is transferred from Atlantis
to the station during the STS-117 mission.
On Wednesday, Russian flight controllers executed an orbit adjustment
burn, increasing the station's speed about one mile an hour and putting
it in the proper orbit for Atlantis' arrival.
The Expedition 15 crew also participated in interviews with WBZ Radio,
CBS Radio, ABC News and MSNBC.
For more about the crew's activities and station sighting opportunities,
visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/station
<http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/index.html>
Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2007-05-30 04:30 UTC
Quick list of scheduled contacts and events:
EFLS Sainte-Marie SUARLEE, Suarlee, Belgium, telebridge via W6SRJ
Successful Tue 2007-05-29 07:22 UTC 53 deg via W6SRJ (***)
NASA Teacher conference, Houston, Texas, telebridge via WH6PN
Thu 2007-05-31 17:32 UTC 43 deg via WH6PN
Total number of ARISS ISS to earth school contacts is 299. (***)
Total number of ARISS supported terrestrial contacts is 1.
QSL information may be found at:
http://www.arrl.org/ARISS/arissfaq.htmlhttp://www.rac.ca/ariss/oindex.htm#QSL's
ISS callsigns: DP0ISS, NA1SS, RS0ISS
*****************************************************************************
The schedule page has been updated as of 2007-05-30 04:30 UTC.
Here you will find a listing of all scheduled school contacts, and
questions, other ISS related websites, IRLP and Echolink websites, and instructions
for any contact that may be streamed live.
http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/arissnews.txt
The successful school list has been updated as of 2007-05-30 04:30 UTC
http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/Successful_ARISS_schools.rtf
Frequency chart for packet, voice, and crossband repeater modes showing
Doppler correction as of 2005-07-29 04:00 UTC
http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/ISS_frequencies_and_Doppler_correctio…
tf
Listing of ARISS related magazine articles as of 2006-07-10 03:30 UTC:
http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/ARISS_magazine_articles.rtf
*****************************************************************************
There has been a rumor that the ISS was having direct contacts on the 40
meter band. There is no HF radio equipment on board and available yet. The HF
antenna is mounted. Sometimes WA3NAN will retransmit shuttle audio.
*****************************************************************************
Expedition 14/15 on orbit:
Sunita Williams, KD5PLB
Expedition 15 on orbit:
Fyodor Yurchikhin RN3FI
Dr. Oleg Kotov
Expedition 15 future:
Clayton Anderson KD5PLA
Daniel Tani KD5DXE
*****************************************************************************
73,
Charlie Sufana AJ9N
One of the ARISS operation team mentors
************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com.
SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468
*Launch Preparations Move Forward for STS-117*
*Launch Target:* June 8
*Launch Time: * 7:37 p.m. EDT
Space Shuttle Atlantis sits on Launch Pad 39A Image above: Reflected in
the water of the Banana River at Kennedy Space Center, Fla., Space
Shuttle Atlantis sits on Launch Pad 39A. Photo Credit: NASA/Ken Thornsley
TO VIEW IMAGE GO TO:
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/index.html
+ View High-res Image
<http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/170421main_pad-2.jpe>
*05.25.07 - 4 p.m. EDT*
At Launch Pad 39A, operations are proceeding on schedule for a June 8
launch of Space Shuttle Atlantis on mission STS-117.
The hypergolic propellants were loaded into the orbiter and solid rocket
boosters in the past week.
Spacesuits 1 and 2 were installed in the orbiter airlock for use during
spacewalks planned for the mission.
Functional testing of the external fuel tank camera is complete and the
lens cover has been installed. Loading of the liquid oxygen and liquid
hydrogen storage tanks, which will provide fuel for the shuttle’s
external fuel tank, is complete.
NASA managers will hold a news conference at Kennedy Space Center no
earlier than 2 p.m. EDT, Thursday, May 31, to discuss the status of the
upcoming space shuttle mission. The news conference will begin after the
end of a Flight Readiness Review, a two-day meeting to assess
preparations for Atlantis' mission.
*What is the flight readiness review?
<http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/launch/index.html>*
*STS-117 Mission*
+ The Crew
<http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts117/index.html>
+ The Mission
<http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts117/mission_ov…>
+ The Integrated Truss Structure
<http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/structure/elements/its.html>