An International Space Station Expedition 16 ARISS school contact has been planned with participants at the Central Middle School West Parsippany, New Jersey USA on 14 April. The event is scheduled to begin at approximately 17:03 UTC.
The contact will be a direct between stations NA1SS and N2XJ. The contact should be audible over most of the Eastern USA. Interested parties are invited to listen in on the 145.80 MHz downlink. The participants are expected to conduct the conversation in English.
The Parsippany Troy-Hills Township School District is the largest school district in Morris County, New Jersey totaling over 7000 students.
The district encompasses ten elementary schools, two middle schools and two high schools. It is a suburban residential community covering 23.89 square miles centrally located in Morris County.
Central Middle School is the oldest school in Parsippany, with the original structure dating back to 1928. Central presently has a student population of 800 students which include families who speak Spanish, Mandarin, Gujarati, Farsi, Russian and others. Garrett Reisman attended Central Middle School from 1981 to 1982.
Participants will ask as many of the following questions as time allows: 1. Do you wear a space suit during liftoff, and if so - why? 2. If you could bring anything from space back to earth, what would it be and why? 3. How would you evacuate the space station if there was a problem? 4. What kind of research is being performed during your assignment? 5. Who or what inspired you to become an astronaut? 6. Is the ISS stationary or does it revolve around the earth? 7. Does a regular watch tell the same time in space as it would on earth? 8. Does working in low gravity bring fatigue faster or slower than it would on earth? 9. Is it difficult sleeping with zero gravity? 10. What is your main job as an astronaut? 11. What do you most enjoy doing while you are on the ISS? 12. What foods do you like most while you are aboard the ISS? 13. What does Earth look like from space? Can you see cities and rivers? 14. What would you do if someone got sick on the mission? 15. How do you brush your teeth and take a bath on the ISS? 16. What special fitness training is necessary when preparing for a mission? 17. Does working in low gravity bring fatigue faster or slower than it would on earth? 18. Since there is no weight in space, is there friction?
Information about the upcoming ARISS contacts can be found at http://www.rac.ca/ariss/upcoming.htm#NextContact . Packet is transmitted on 145.825 simplex.
Next planned event(s): National Science Museum of Korea, Daejon, Republic of Korea,2008-04-18 01:35 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.rac.ca/ariss (graciously hosted by the Radio Amateurs of Canada).
Thank you & 73, Kenneth - N5VHO