Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) Status Report September 19, 2011
1. Upcoming School Contact
An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for Kiroli Elementary School in West Monroe, Louisiana on Thursday, September 22 at 18:12 UTC. The school, with the assistance of the University of Louisiana at Monroe (ULM), has planned several related activities for its students. Children will participate in an amateur radio satellite communication session with Coats Elementary School in North Carolina. Mr. Jim Halsell, retired U.S. Air Force Colonel, commander of NASA missions STS-83, STS-94, and STS-101, and a Kiroli alumnus, has been invited to speak with the students about his missions. Students will visit the observatory at ULM to view celestial bodies and events and a Louisiana Space Consortium (LaSPACE) grant will be submitted to fund a space camp for the elementary school.
2. ARISS Contact Featured at Researchers' Night Event
On Wednesday, September 14 the Università degli Studi di Foggia in Foggia, Italy took part in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact via station IK1SLD. On-orbit Astronaut Mike Fossum, KF5AQG spoke with the students, answering 13 of their questions and exchanged greetings with the rector of the university. Approximately 100 people turned out to witness the event including representatives from RAI- National TV. The contact highlighted "Researchers' Night" which was held to promote the role of the scientific researcher as well as amateur radio and its role in research and experimentation in communications.
3. ARISSat Used as Teaching Tool, Covered in Local Newspaper
Matt Severin, principal of Dowagiac Middle School in Michigan, took some of his students outside to track and listen to the satellite ARISSat-1 on Tuesday, September 13. Two years earlier, Severin, then principal of Sister Lakes Elementary School, had a picture taken of the students and submitted it to be flown on ARISSat. On Tuesday, the students were able to track the satellite, listen to greetings in several languages and receive telemetry as well as SSTV (Slow Scan Television) images with a goal to promote STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math). The Daily News posted a story on this activity. http://www.dowagiacnews.com/2011/09/13/passionate-principal-stokes-science-i...
4. Astronaut Training Status
Three simulated ARISS contacts are scheduled for Wednesday, September 21 between the following schools and astronauts:
Euro Space Camp, Belgium at 13:15 UTC - Chris Hadfield, KC5RNJ/VA3OOG Manhattan Challenger Learning Center (CLC) at 13:50 UTC - Kevin Ford, KF5GPP CLC of Indianapolis at 14:30 UTC - Tom Marshburn, KE5HOC
These training sessions are terrestrial-based amateur radio contacts using ARISS equivalent equipment. The sessions will prepare the astronauts for participation in ARISS contacts during their upcoming missions on the ISS.
5. EE Times - ARISSat Blog
On September 10, another entry was posted to the EE (Electronic Engineering) Times "Chips in Space" blog about amateur radio satellite ARISSat-1. This week the blog covers the many frequently asked questions about the project. See: http://www.eetimes.com/electronics-blogs/chips-in-space/4226864/Chips-in-Spa...