Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) Status Report July 6, 2009
1. Upcoming School Contacts
An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for Mugegawa Junior High School in Seki, Gifu, Japan on Saturday, July 11 at 10:15 UTC. The school, which opened in 1965, currently has an enrollment of 250 students. A JAXA representative gave a talk on space and educators from a science museum and the local university involved children in science experiments.
An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for Technopolis® in Mechelen, Antwerpen, Belgium on Saturday, July 11 at 12:35 UTC via telebridge station LU8YY in Argentina. Technopolis® is a permanent platform for science and technology in Mechelen, Flanders. The mission of Technopolis® is to bring science and technology to the public. It offers permanent and temporary exhibitions, and organizes workshops as well as school and other outreach activities for people of all ages. The ARISS contact is open to all school children and students between 6 and 18 years old and will be supported with a workshop, lecture or a science show.
An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for Euro Space Center, Air and Space Day in Belgium on Sunday, July 12 at 14:08 UTC via telebridge station WH6PN in Hawaii.
2. Inukjuak Space Camp Participates in ARISS Contact
On Wednesday, July 1, Inukjuak Space Camp in Kuujjuaq Quebec, Canada participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact via telebridge station W6SRJ in California. The event took place on Canada Day with Canadian Space Agency astronaut Robert Thirsk, VA3CSA. Thirsk answered 20 questions put to him by the students. Makivik Corporation, a non-profit organization that promotes economic growth of Inuit businesses, sponsored the event.
3. ARISS Contact with New York Scouts
On Friday, July 3, an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact was held with Baiting Hollow Scout Camp (BHSC) in Calverton, New York. The contact was made possible through telebridge station WH6PN in Hawaii. Ten scouts asked 18 questions of JAXA astronaut Koichi Wakata, KC5ZTA. The event was held as part of the camp's theme for 2009, "Final Frontier," and a variety of other activities have been planned throughout the summer dealing with aspects of manned space flight.
4. Astronaut Training Status
On Thursday, July 2, four licensed astronauts took part in Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) simulated contacts. Satoshi Furukawa, KE5DAW and Timothy J. Creamer, KC5WKI had contacts with Ottawa area students in Canada. Doug Wheelock, KF5BOC and Soichi Noguchi, KD5TVP participated in contacts with students visiting the Challenger Learning Center in Indianapolis, Indiana. These training sessions are terrestrial-based amateur radio contacts using ARISS equivalent equipment.