An International Space Station school contact has been planned with participants at Gymnasium Markt Indersdorf, Markt Indersdorf, Bavaria, Germany on 28 June. The event is scheduled to begin at approximately 12:08 UTC. The duration of the contact is approximately 9 minutes and 30 seconds. The contact will be direct between DP0ISS and DN4OD. The contact should be audible over Germany and adjacent areas. Interested parties are invited to listen in on the 145.80 MHz downlink. The contact is expected to be conducted in German.
The grammar school/high school of Markt Indersdorf (Gymnasium Markt Indersdorf GMI, Germany) began operations in the school year of 2001/2002. In 2007 the first students graduated successfully with the certificate qualifying them to go to university (Abitur). Currently, about 90 teachers instruct approximately 1,100 pupils aged 10 to 19, about 250 of them are in the qualification phase (years/grades 11 and 12).
The GMI offers the choice between two faculties, the linguistic and scientific-technological one. Approximately 75 percent of the pupils decide for the latter. The pupils obtain an education in science from the 5th year/grade on, the subject Physics is taught from year/grade 8 on for both faculties, in the scientific-technological profile additional hours for more in-depth education are mandatory. In years/grades 11 and 12, the pupils have the choice between Physics, Chemistry and Biology. Experience has shown that about 30 to 40 per school year decide to take Physics. About half of them vote for Astrophysics in the 12th year/grade. From 5th year/grade on, all pupils study English as their first foreign language.
The ISS project
The pupils are divided for this project into different groups that are each responsible for one of the following activities:
.. Technology: Installation, commissioning and maintenance of the antenna system respectively the radio station as well as all the necessary hardware and software
.. Planning and monitoring: Organization of the overall sequence of events, initiation of a school's competition to select the questions to the astronauts, organization of rehearsals
.. Presentation and documentation: Design of the facilities in question, elaboration of exhibitions and wall papers, construction of a model of the ISS, photo, audio and video documentation
.. Public Relations (local and trans-regional): Press, TV, radio and website.
Pupils of all ages should participate in selecting the questions to the astronauts. The examination of questionnaires of other schools which already made contact with the ISS should secure the creation of uncommon and interesting questions that are not asked in every interview.
At the event in question - depending on the date and time - a large number, if possible, of the school family should be present in the assembly hall, for example, to attend a live broadcast from the radio room.
Participants will ask as many of the following questions as time allows:
1. What made you want to become an astronaut?
2. How did your family react about your plans to fly into space?
3. How often do you have contact with family and friends?
4. Next to your family, what do you miss the most?
5. Which personal things were you allowed to bring on to the ISS?
6. How do you handle living together with your colleagues on very little
space?
7. What does an astronaut do in his free time?
8. How do you feel when you look down on Earth?
9. How does a normal working day on the ISS look like?
10. Which experiments are you carrying out on the ISS at the moment?
11. How do insects fly in zero gravity?
12. Is it possible to light a candle on the ISS? How does the flame look
like?
13. What are the risks when you're working outside?
14. How do you feel during an EVA, when you're wearing your space suit?
15. Are there any health risks after a long weightlessness?
16. How is the medical provision on the ISS guaranteed?
17. How do you like the food on the ISS in comparison to the food on Earth?
18. What are you going to do first, when you're back on Earth?
19. Who is your biggest idol?
20. Which requirements do you need to become an astronaut?
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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
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