An International Space Station school contact has been planned with participants at Katholieke Centrumscholen Sint-Truiden (KCST), Sint-Truiden, Belgium on 26 Nov. The event is scheduled to begin at approximately 14:24 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 eastern Europe. Interested parties are invited to listen in on the 145.80 MHz downlink. The contact is expected to be conducted in Dutch and English.
The "Katholieke Centrumscholen Sint-Truiden" (KCST) is a secondary school in Sint-Truiden (a city in Belgium). Our student population of 1130 is spread across three campuses according to their age group (three levels of 2 forms each.) Every campus is situated in the heart of the city and accommodates both pupils taking general education (ASO) and a smaller amount taking technical courses (TSO) and vocational training (BSO). The policy of our school has always been to stimulate scientific interest, both through school subjects, extracurricular activities (such as school trips, e.g. visits to the Planetarium in Genk) and the participation in scientific competitions (known as "Olympiads") in the field of Geography, Physics, Chemistry and Biology. Many of our students go on to higher education in sciences and establish a professional career in academics or scientific research. In the 5th form the geography classes cover the subject of cosmography. This course deals with the way we receive information from outer space. In the past, our school has had the pleasure of welcoming Frank De Winne as a guest speaker in a seminar on the subject. In order to prepare our students for the radio contact, headmaster J. Plevoets has informed the pupils about the ISS and his own experiences during two "space camps" in the VS (Huntsville and Cape Kennedy). The school firmly believes that participating in this radio contact is one of the outstanding means to make pupils, teachers and parents more aware of what lies beyond our planet's borders. This event offers the chance to get more pupils than ever before interested in that process of scientific advancement. In this respect the radio contact with Frank De Winne during his space adventure is a unique opportunity for our pupils.
Participants will ask as many of the following questions (translated) as time allows:
1. Hoe bent u geïnteresseerd geraakt in ruimtevaart? 2. Wat vond u het tofste aan de voorbereiding op deze missie? 3. Wat was uw eerste reactie toen u voor het eerst in het ISS kwam? 4. Zijn er verschillen met de vorige keer dat u in de ruimte was? (bv. het
uitzicht op aarde.) 5. Hebt u tijdens deze missie ooit schrik gehad? 6. Binnen het ISS vormen de ruimtevaarders een kleine gemeenschap. Hoe komt
uw militaire vorming u, als gezagvoerder, van pas om deze groep te
leiden? 7. Kan u al wetenschappelijke resultaten van uw missie bekendmaken? 8. Kunt u het uitzicht beschrijven vanuit het ISS? 9. Is het broeikaseffect zichtbaar vanuit de ruimte? 10. Kan u vanuit het ISS orkanen zien? 11. Men spreekt hier wel eens over rondvliegend ruimteschroot...Merkt u daar
iets van? 12. Hoe wordt het ISS beschermd tegen schadelijke straling? 13. Hoe lang duurt het om 1x rond de aarde te draaien? 14. Hoe lang kan u een ruimtewandeling maken? 15. Wat doet u als u vrije tijd hebt? 16. Welk effect heeft een verblijf in de ruimte op het lichaam? Had u na de
eerste missie gezondheidsklachten? 17. Wat gebeurt er wanneer iemand aan boord echt ziek wordt? 18. Wat is het eerste wat u gaat doen als u terugkomt op aarde (na de
verplichtingen) 19. Moet u als u terugkomt wennen aan zonlicht en zwaartekracht? 20. Wat zal u het meest missen van het ISS?
1. How did you get interested in space travel? 2. What did you like most when you were preparing for this mission? 3. What was your first impression when you first entered the ISS? 4. In what way does this journey differ from your first stay in space? (e.g.
the view on our planet) 5. Have you experienced any fear during this mission? 6. Within the ISS the astronauts form a small community. How does your
military training help you, as ISS commander, when leading this group? 7. Can you already share some scientific results of your mission with us? 8. Can you describe the view you see from the ISS? 9. Is the greenhouse effect visible from up there? 10. Can you see hurricanes from up there? 11. We hear reports about scrap metal flying about in space. Have you noticed
this? 12. How is ISS protected from detrimental radiation? 13. How long does it take to orbit the earth once? 14. How long can you go for a walk in space? 15. How do you spend your spare time up there? 16. What effect does a space journey have on the human body? Did you suffer
any health problems after your first mission? 17. What happens when someone on board suffers from a serious illness? 18. What will be the first thing you do after you've returned to earth (and
after you have fulfilled your obligations)? 19. Will you have to get used to sunlight and gravity after your return? 20. What will you miss most about ISS?
Information about the upcoming ARISS contacts can be found at http://www.ariss.org/upcoming.htm#NextContact.
Next planned event(s):
TBD
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