An International Space Station school contact has been planned with participants at Istituto Comprensivo Marco Polo-Viani Scuola Secondaria 1° Grado, Viareggio, Lucca, Italy on 24 Nov. The event is scheduled to begin at approximately 11:17 UTC. The duration of the contact is approximately 9 minutes and 30 seconds.
This contact will be a combination of direct and telebridge due to the local obscuration. Assistance will be provided by IK1SLD, Casale Monferrato, Piemonte, Italy. The contact will be started with telebridge through IK1SLD, then proceed with direct through IZ2PWX and finish with telebridge through IK1SLD. The contact should be audible over Italy 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 "Leopardi" Institute includes a scientific and a classic liceo. The school is located in the upper part of Lecco city. We've already installed a radio station in the school, we got also from the government the callsign to be used for the contact.
Participants will ask as many of the following questions as time allows:
1. Why did you become an astronaut?
2. Is it difficult to become an astronaut?
3. How long have you been on the ISS?
4. Which is your mission on the ISS?
5. What is your typical day on the ISS?
6. What part of your job do you like most?
7. What is your favourite moment during the day on ISS?
8. Do you have any free time?
9. What was your first impression when you saw space?
10. What is life like in a space station?
11. How can you all live together in such a small space?
12. What do you think is Europe's role in the space race?
13. Do you really float, like we see in films, while on the ISS?
14. When you look at space outside the station, do you think about the
infinite?
15. What do you eat on board ISS?
16. Do you ever get news from your family?
17. What are you going to do when you come back home?
18. What will you never forget about this experience?
19. What do you see when you look outside the ISS?
20. Can you go outside the ISS?
21. Have you ever seen any asteroids or meteorites from ISS?
22. If you stay on the ISS for a long time, can you have physical problems?
23. How do the stars appear from space?
24. Is it possible to see the weather on the Earth from the ISS?
Information about the upcoming ARISS contacts can be found at http://www.ariss.org/upcoming.htm#NextContact.
Next planned event(s):
TBD
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.ariss.org/ (graciously hosted by the Radio Amateurs of Canada).
Thank you & 73,
David - AA4KN