An International Space Station school contact has been planned with participants at Tara Anglican School, North Parramatta, New South Wales, Australia on 09 Sept. The event is scheduled to begin at approximately 08:50 UTC.
The duration of the contact is approximately 9 minutes and 30 seconds. The contact will be a telebridge between OR4ISS and ON4ISS. The contact should be audible over portions of Europe and adjacent areas. Interested parties are invited to listen in on the 145.80 MHz downlink. The contact is expected to be conducted in English.
Tara was selected by Oxford University as the Australian school to participate in the Global Jet Watch Program which links astronomers at Oxford University with students from four high schools around the world in Australia, Chile, South Africa and India in order to carry out cutting edge research. Oxford University has installed a research grade 20 inch RC Optical telescope, together with custom designed instrumentation and an observatory with a 4.5 metre dome in Tara's grounds for use by the students. Tara also has formed a partnership with the Astronomical Society of NSW (ASNSW) though which the students are mentored in complex astronomy projects by experienced amateur astronomers who volunteer their time and expertise. The ASNSW runs astronomy courses at Tara and has opened Crago Observatory at Bowern Mountain to students of the Space Odyssey Team.
Participants will ask as many of the following questions (translated) as time allows:
1. What inspired you to become an astronaut?
2. What has amazed you most about being in Space?
3. What clock time do you use in Space?
4. Can you tell us about any of the research projects you are working on
during the current ISS mission?
5. What happens if you get sick in Space? Do all astronauts have medical
training to deal with this?
6. Have you ever dropped anything outside of the craft and do you think
there will one day be a ring around the Earth of dropped tools and
debris?
7. How is your day organised on the ISS?
8. Do you ever see, or been hit by, any space junk or meteorites while in
the ISS?
9. How does it make you feel to look back at the Earth from the ISS?
10. Have you ever heard a sound from an object outside your spaceship? If so,
what caused it?
11. What is the thing you miss most from Earth?
12. Where does the energy to power the Space Station for so long come from?
13. How have your experiences in Space altered your view of the world when
you come back to Earth?
14. What is your advice to kids who want to travel in Space one day?
15. What are the side effects of taking off and living in Space?
16. What food do you eat in Space?
17. How long did you train to be an astronaut?
18. Given that you are continuing to move in and out of night, how do you
maintain your body clock in Space?
19. What exercise do you do while in Space?
20. Do you believe there is intelligent life elsewhere in the Universe?
21. How were you chosen to go into Space?
22. What do you do in your spare time in the Space station?
23. If you could take one extra object from Earth, what would it be?
Information about the upcoming ARISS contacts can be found at http://www.ariss.org/upcoming.htm#NextContact.
Next planned event(s):
1. Maroochydore State School, Maroochydore, Queensland, Australia,
telebridge via VK4KHZ
Wed, 12Sept12 07:03 UTC
2. NASA Goddard Child Development Center, Greenbelt, MD, direct via
K6DUE
Thu, 13Sept12 16:43 UTC
3. Burns Sci-Tech Charter School, Oak Hill, FL, direct via KK4KTJ
Thu, 13Sept12 18:21 UTC
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