Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) Status Report December 8, 2008
1. Upcoming School Contacts
An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled with Ellis School in Belleville, Illinois on Monday, December 8 at 16:56 UTC. Space studies have been integrated into the school curriculum. Students have created solar system models, written reports and given presentations to their classes. They have designed rockets and given talks to the class about where the rockets will go and what they will do in space. They have planned space colonies and determined how the astronauts will travel, how they will obtain food and where they will live. They have also sampled space food. Students have learned about Expedition 18, the Space Shuttle, the international partners and the ISS and amateur radio. The class is currently growing seeds that were flown in space.
An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for Stephen F. Austin Elementary School in Richmond, Texas on Tuesday, December 9 at 15:45 UTC. Students have studied space and are able to identify characteristics of objects in our solar system including the sun, planets, and moon. Each year the 5th grade students participate in a simulated space shuttle mission, performing tasks that would happen on a regular shuttle flight. Every grade level is involved in some manner with the various missions that occur throughout the day. The school has integrated the ARISS contact as part of this activity.
An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for the Istituto Comprensivo "Marco Polo," in Grado, Italy on Wednesday, December 10 at 10:11 UTC.
An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled with 2 Circolo Didattico San Giuseppe in Mola di Bari, Bari, Italy on Friday, December 12 at 14:14 UTC. Lesson plans have been developed for students that cover amateur radio and space missions. Newspapers, radio and television, both local and regional, will report on the event.
2. India College Experiences Successful Contact
Students attending St. Anthony's College in Shillong, India participated in a question and answer session with Mike Fincke, KE5AIT. The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact took place on Monday, December 1 via telebridge station WH6PN in Hawaii. Over 700 students, staff and guests witnessed the contact as 11 students asked one question each of the astronaut. Television stations covering the news included DD National, Peitngor Cable News (PCN) Channel and Ri Khasi Channel. The Shillong Times, Meghalaya Guardian, Sentinel and other Khasi local newspapers were also present. St. Anthony's college is the alma mater of Mr. Rupesh Saikia, father-in-law of astronaut Mike Fincke.
3. Canadian Contact Successful
Quispamsis Elementary and Middle Schools in New Brunswick, Canada experienced an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Thursday, December 4. Mike Fincke, KE5AIT, answered 20 questions posed to him by twenty students. Representatives from the School District and the Municipal, Provincial and Federal Government were invited. Audio was fed into the EchoLink server and received four connections. Media coverage included television, radio and newspapers. The Telegraph Journal ran an article on the contact. See: http://telegraphjournal.canadaeast.com/city/article/article/502323
CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) News also covered the event. Go to: http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2008/12/05/nb-space-talk.html
Radio station Country 94 CHSJ posted a short summary: http://www.country94.ca/country94/post/13-1658386395336820565/Thursday/
4. ARRL Article on ARISS - IEW Events
Students from Poolesville, Maryland, Raleigh, North Carolina and Quito, Ecuador experienced a joint Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Friday, November 14 as part of International Education Week (IEW). They connected again for another informative session with amateur radio operators from around the world and an expert panel which included astronaut Don Thomas. The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) ran an article on these events. See: http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2008/12/02/10489/?nc=1 The ARRL Letter printed the story in its December 5 issue. See: http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/08/1205/
5. ARRL Covers ARISS Special Event
The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) posted a story on the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) special event to celebrate 25 years of ham radio in space. To view the article, go to: http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2008/12/01/10481/?nc=1 The ARRL Letter included the news in its December 5 issue. See: http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/08/1205/