Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) Status Report July 11, 2011
1. Upcoming School Contact
City of Ottawa Sports Recreation Camp, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Thursday, July 14 at 16:21 UTC via telebridge station W6SRJ in California. The City of Ottawa owns and operates dozens of recreation facilities throughout the city. The Walter Baker Centre is one of the larger facilities incorporating swimming training at all levels, hockey arenas, weight and cardio rooms, aerobic studios and various other fitness related activity centres for all ages, operating all year. The summer camp groups have access to all these facilities including the high school library that forms part of the facility and is attached directly to the school. This year, summer campers are undertaking some new and interesting activities, one of which includes a brief talk with the International Space Station. Substantial interest in this event is anticipated.
2. Japanese Contact Successful
On Friday, July 8, students from the Matsumoto School for the Visually Impaired, Matsumoto, Nagano, Japan participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact with on-orbit astronaut Satoshi Furukawa KE5DAW. An audience of approximately 40 people listened as eight students got in one question each before the ISS went over the horizon. Media coverage included 5 newspapers. The school, founded in 1912, currently has an enrollment of 29 students of all ages, that all have one or more disabilities. By participating in this NASA educational program, students have become more interested in space and international communication.
3. AMSAT Covers ARISSat-1
The AMSAT (Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation) News Service July 10 bulletin (ANS-191) included an update on the deployment of ARISSat-1. "ARISSat-1/KEDR Deployment Timeline Driven by ISS Schedules" may be viewed here: http://amsat.org/pipermail/ans/2011/000529.html
4. Status of ARISS U.S. Proposal Process
ARISS has received 100 inquiries about the U.S. proposal process for contacts that will be scheduled during the January - July 2012 time frame. Proposals have started to come in and may be submitted until the deadline of July 15, 2011. Another window of opportunity for U.S. schools and organizations to submit proposals will open later in the year.