Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) Status Report July 20, 2009
1. Upcoming School Contacts
Escola E.B.2/3 de S. Romão do Coronado in Trofa, Portugal has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Tuesday, July 21 at 17:07 UTC. Local amateur radio club Rede dos Emissores Portugueses (REP) is collaborating with the school during this event.
Ugo Guidi in Forte dei Marmi, Lucca, Italy has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Thursday, July 23 at 19:35 UTC.
2. ARISS Contact with Campus Saffraanberg Belgian Defence
On Friday, July 17, an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact was held between Campus Saffraanberg Belgian Defence in Sint Truiden, Limburg and Frank De Winne, ON1DWN on the ISS. The scheduled pass for Campus Saffraanberg was cancelled at the last minute due to STS-127 related tasks. It was re-scheduled for the following pass during which De Winne answered 20 questions posed by the students. Approximately 100 guests were in attendance. The contact was webcast and media covering the event included several newspapers, radio and television stations and the Belgian Army TV Service.
3. ARISS Contact Held with Octave Chanute Air Museum
An Amateur Radio International Space Station (ARISS) school contact was successfully sponsored for participants at the Scout Space Jamboree, at Octave Chanute Air Museum, Rantoul, Illinois on Sunday July 19. The event was audible over portions of North and South America. The Chanute Air Museum preserves, exhibits and interprets aviation and aerospace artifacts that relate to the life and accomplishments of Octave Chanute, Chanute Field/Chanute Air Force Base and its technical training programs, the history of military aviation and Illinois aviation. The museum reaches out to youth with Aviation Camp and this year it hosted its first "Space Jam Enterprise 2009" for Boy and Girl Scouts. The Space Jam team believes that the "space climb" has only just begun! Space Jam is all about exposing pre-college youth to technology, its excitement, and the people embarked on such an adventure. With luck new youth will choose to set sail to careers, hobbies, and providing support to bring the world closer to the next step in the climb!
4. ARISS Contact - European Special Event
On Sunday, July 19, European Special Event, Eichenlaubschule Weiskirchen in Saarland, Germany experienced an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact via telebridge station ON4ISS in Belgium. An audience of about 130 people watched as ESA astronaut Frank De Winne, ON1DWN, answered 18 questions put to him by students from Weiskirchen and Luxemburg. The State Secretary of Economy and Science, Dr. Christian Ege, addressed the audience before the contact. The event was covered by the mass media: Saarländischer Rundfunk (radio broadcast and television), Saarbrücker Zeitung (newspaper) and Concept-TV (local TV production).
5. ARISS Student Wins Newsline Youth Ham of the Year Award
Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) Team member Nick Lance, KC5KBO, who does ham radio mentoring of students at his local school, was pleased to learn that his student, Andrew Koenig, KE5GDB, has won the Newsline Youth Ham of the Year Award. ARISS was one of the main motivators for Andrew to study for his license, and to stay licensed. He continued his interest in space by helping with ARISS contacts and by being active in ham satellite operations.