Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) Status Report March 9, 2009
1. Upcoming School Contacts
An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled with the Sewickley Academy at Carnegie Science Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Sewickley is Pittsburgh's oldest co-educational, college-preparatory, independent day school with an enrollment of 800 students in Pre-K through grade 12. Mike Finke, KE5AIT, is an alumnus of the school and plans to speak to the students on Thursday, March 12 at 15:52 UTC via telebridge station WH6PN in Hawaii.
An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled with the Da Vinci Science Center in Allentown, Pennsylvania on Saturday, March 14 at 15:08 UTC via telebridge station WH6PN in Hawaii. Students submitted questions to ask the ISS crew through the Center's Teacher Leader Institute. Eighteen students with the best questions were selected to speak with the astronaut and all students have been invited to attend this educational activity. Media coverage is anticipated and the Da Vinci Web site will publicize the event. The Center has over 200 hands-on exhibits and offers after school laboratory programs which promote understanding of science and technology.
Parkside Community College in Parkside, Cambridge, U.K. has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Monday, March 30 at 16:54 UTC. Station GB4FUN will handle the connection.
The Girls' Middle School (GMS) in Mountain View, California has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Monday, March 30 at 18:16 UTC via telebridge station K6DUE in Maryland. The contact is planned with spaceflight participant Charles Simonyi, KE7KDP/HA5SIK. GMS is a small, independent school for girls in 6th - 8th grade. The school's mission is to nurture and empower girls during this pivotal time in their lives. It looks for non-traditional educational opportunities to help girls expand their horizons.
An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for Marcelino Canino Canino Middle School in Dorado, Puerto Rico. The contact will take place on Tuesday, March 31 at 15:29 UTC. The student body is made up of 577 students of which approximately 77% live under the poverty level. 100% of the students receive Title I services and over 100 students receive special education services. A Microsatellite Student Program has been implemented where students design, construct, build and launch microsatellites which are then tracked and recovered with the help of amateur radio operators. The coordinating teacher has prepared a NASA Explorer Schools proposal and other science oriented proposals in the school to help motivate its largely underprivileged population to become competitive professionals in the global economy. Two contests have been held at the school - one for an activity logo and another for an essay. Scientists, state government functionaries, Department of Education representatives, and students from other grade levels in elementary and high schools have been invited to attend the event. Of major interest to the students is the fact that Joseph Acaba, the first astronaut of Puerto Rican descent, will be going to the ISS on STS 119. The school is planning its own press releases and expects media coverage.
Milwee Middle School in Longwood, Florida has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Wednesday, April 1 at 17:48 UTC via telebridge station ON4ISS in Belgium.
Carl Sandburg Elementary School in the Lake Washington School District, Kirkland, Washington has been approved for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact. The contact is slated for Thursday, April 2 at 19:28 UTC, assisted by telebridge station W6SRJ in California.
2. Padthaway Contact Successful
On Tuesday, March 3, students from Padthaway Primary School in Padthaway, Australia participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact. Telebridge station W6SRJ in California facilitated the connection, allowing fifteen students to ask the astronaut 20 questions. One hundred guests, including the mayor and his wife, attended the event and enjoyed a PowerPoint presentation and a showing of Mike Fincke's Expedition 9 video tour of the ISS. Media outlets were present and the audio was fed to local radio stations. The audio was also fed into the EchoLink AMSAT and JK1ZRW servers with 6 connections made from stations in Australia, England, Italy and the U.S.
3. NASA Teaching From Space Site - Now Available
The NASA Teaching From Space (TFS) Web site is now on-line. A new Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) section is also available. For the TFS site, see: http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/teachingfromspace/home/index.html
To view the ARISS site directly, go to: http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/teachingfromspace/home/ariss.html
4. Astronaut Training Status
Three successful simulated Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contacts took place on Wednesday, March 4. The simulations were held between the following participants:
Technopolis, Belgium and Andre Kuipers, PI9ISS Ralph McCall School, Airdrie, Alberta, Canada and Chris Hadfield, VA3OOG Ralph McCall School, Airdrie, Alberta, Canada and Cady Coleman, KC5ZTH
These training sessions were terrestrial-based amateur radio contacts using ARISS-equivalent equipment. Audio was available on IRLP.
5. Amateur Radio Newsline Posts Article on Simonyi
On March 6, Amateur Radio Newsline (Report #1647) ran a story on Charles Simonyi's upcoming mission. "Ham Radio in Space: Charles Simonyi, KE7KDP Heads Back to the ISS," may be viewed here: http://www.arnewsline.org/