An International Space Station Expedition 18 ARISS school contact has been planned with participants at Chatham Public School, Taree, NSW, Australia on 25 February. The event is scheduled to begin at approximately 0732 UTC.
The contact will be a telebridge between stations NA1SS and K6DUE/3. The contact should be audible over eastern N. America. Interested parties are invited to listen in on the 145.80 MHz downlink. Audio from the contact should also be available via the AMSAT conference on EchoLink and via the 9010 Discovery reflector on IRLP. The participants are expected to conduct the conversation in English.
Chatham Public School is situated in Taree on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales. It is 320kms north of Sydney and approximately 10kms off the coast of the Pacific Ocean. Taree (population 20000) was once a prospering dairy farming town however now it is more diversified with dairying, timber, fishing, small industry and tourism. The Manning River runs through Taree and it is one of only three rivers in the world with a twin delta system.
There are 307 students at Chatham Public School with ages ranging from 5 to 12 years. There are 37 Aboriginal students, most from the Biripi tribe, and they are descendants of the original owners of Australia before it was colonized in 1788 by the English. We have 17 teachers with a good mix of experience and younger teachers. A number of teachers live in outlying coastal communities and travel to work each day - ranging from 10 to 50 kms. Chatham PS has a highly resourced technology system allowing students to engage in internet, multi media and publishing activities on a daily basis.
Participants will ask as many of the following questions as time allows: 1) How long did it take you to train to become a qualified astronaut? 2) How do you exercise in space? 3) What type of food do you eat at the space station? 4) How long does it take to get back to Earth from the space station? 5) What is the best part about being an astronaut? 6) Has anyone ever become very sick up there and what happens if they do? 7) How many astronauts go into the space station each year and how many are at the space station at a time? 8) How hard is it to do things in space without any gravity? 9) What types of clothing do you wear up there? 10) How were you selected to go to the space station and were you nervous before you left Earth? 11) What would you like to see happen at the space station in the future? 12) How long are you expected to be up at the space station and what's the longest time anyone has spent up there? 13) What do you miss most about Earth? 14) Where does everyone sleep and how do you stay in bed? 15) What are some of the most interesting things you have seen at the space station? 16) What sort of equipment do you use at the space station? 17) How long does it take to get to the space station from Earth? 18) What do you do to entertain yourselves? 19) Is the space suit heavy? 20) Has anything ever gone wrong at the space station?
Information about the upcoming ARISS contacts can be found at http://www.ariss.org/upcoming.htm#NextContact .
Next planned event(s): 1. 1 Circolo Didattico G.Marconi, Casamassima, Italy, Wed 2009-02-25 07:50 UTC 2. Hampton Bays Middle School, Hampton Bays, New York, Wed 2009-02-25 13:57 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, Kenneth - N5VHO