Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) Status Report April 5, 2010
1. Upcoming School Contact
An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled with Scuola Primaria De Gasperi in Noicattaro, Bari, Italy on Tuesday, April 6 at 10:47 UTC. This is a public primary school with an enrollment of 700 students, ages 6 - 11. To prepare for the contact, students have studied the principles of radio communications and space missions.
2. Astronaut Soichi Noguchi Chats with Texas Students via ARISS Contact
On Monday, March 29, Walnut Creek Elementary School students in Azle, Texas took part in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact with JAXA astronaut Soichi Noguchi, KD5TVP. All 23 questions were answered with time for a two way "Goodbye." ARISS was integrated into the science curriculum as students researched space objects and gave presentations to their class. The youth also attended satellite communications demonstrations given by retired Lockheed employees and members of local radio clubs. On the day of the contact, a proclamation was read by an Azle City representative declaring it to be Space Day in Azle. Four television stations and one local newspaper covered the event and the audio was available on EchoLink.
3. HAMEX 2010 ARISS Exhibit
HAMEX 2010, the largest RadioFest in Canada, was held on Saturday, March 27 in Toronto. AMSAT (Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation) and ARISS (Amateur Radio on the International Space Station) members attended the event and manned an exhibition booth which displayed two mini satellite communications stations as well as information boards with pictures of astronauts involved in the ARISS program. A large AMSAT banner was posted, along with two 7 foot posters on loan from the Canada Space Agency (CSA). CSA also provided handouts, stickers and various magnetic logos, which along with pamphlets describing AMSAT and the ARISS program, were distributed to the many visitors the exhibit attracted. The event was a success in generating interest in the ARISS program and the team was invited back next year.