An International Space Station school contact has been planned with participants at Vrije Basisschool Terbank-Egenhoven, Heverlee, Belgium on 12 June. The event is scheduled to begin at approximately 11:38 UTC.
The contact will be a telebridge between OR4ISS and ON4ISS. The contact should be audible over eastern Europe. Interested parties are invited to listen in on the 145.80 MHz downlink. The contact will be conducted in Dutch.
Heverlee is a suburb of the city of Leuven. Vrije Basisschool is located near the science and engineering campuses of a local university in addition to a number of research centers. In preparation for this contact, the school has added engaging projects to their curriculum involving the physical, biological, environmental and other concerns faced by crew members during a space mission. In addition, the students carried out hands on experiments similar to those performed onboard the ISS, allowing them a better understanding of the crew members' daily tasks in space.
Participants will ask as many of the following questions (translated) as time allows:
1. What do you feel when you look at the Earth from space? 2. What do you eat? Is it tasteful? 3. How can you wash your clothing in the ISS? 4. How cold is it in space? 5. Did you ever cross another spaceship? 6. Do you see the difference between day and night in space? 7. Do you have enough electricity to do all the experiments? 8. Can you grow sunflowers in space? 9. How do you sleep in space? 10. Can you scratch your nose, wearing an astronaut's helmet? 11. Can you smell or hear something in space? 12. Can you collide with something in space? 13. Will it be easier in the future to travel to space? 14. Can oxygen onboard get exhausted? 15. How do you manage that food and drinks don't float around when you are eating? 16. Is it allowed to wear glasses or contact glasses in the ISS? 17. Why isn't there any oxygen in space? 18. What becomes of urine and body waste when you have been to the toilet? 19. Do you see the Earth rotating from the ISS? 20. Where does food come from on the ISS? 21. What do you do in case of engine trouble? 22. How many times did you travel to space?
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, Kenneth - N5VHO