An International Space Station Expedition 17 ARISS school contact has been planned with participants from the Robinson Elementary School, Robinson, Texas at the Mayborn Discovery Museum in Waco, TX on 25 June. The event is scheduled to begin at approximately 15:45 UTC.
The contact will be a telebridge between stations NA1SS and WH6PN. The contact should be audible over Hawaii. Interested parties are invited to listen in on the 145.80 MHz downlink. The participants are expected to conduct the conversation in English. Audio from the QSO is planned to be fed into the EchoLink *AMSAT* (101 377) and *JK1ZRW* (277 208) servers during the contact.
Robinson Elementary is a second and third grade public school. The campus has approximately 250 students and 32 teachers and staff. Students are from, mostly, low to middle income families with a rural background. The school has been recognized by the state of Texas for their performance in the state-based TAKS test. Robinson is a suburb of Waco, Texas. http://www.robinson.k12.tx.us/
Walk across a replica of Waco's famous mammoth site, see a Comanche tipi up close or spend your day exploring the 16 themed Discovery rooms, such as the Communication Room, the Health Room and the Invertebrate Room. The Mayborn Museum Complex is the perfect place to bring the family. http://www.baylor.edu/mayborn/
Participants will ask as many of the following questions as time allows:
1. What countries are represented the space station right now? 2. Do you float or walk in the space station? 3. Have you walked in space? 4. How long have/will you be on the space station? 5. How do you go to the bathroom? 6. What do you do for fun in the space station? 7. Can you email or surf the web on the space station? 8. How long is an orbit around the earth? 9. How do you eat in zero gravity? 10. How do you brush your teeth? 11. What job do you do on the space station? 12. Do you watch your TV shows or any TV shows on the space station? 13. How long did it take you to get to the space station from blast off? 14. Does the space station orbit at the same speed as the earth? 15. How do you take a shower or a bath? 16. What do you eat? 17. Did the toilet get repaired? 18. How do you sleep strapped in? 19. What will/is the laboratory working on? 20. Can you talk with your family by cell phone-if not, how do you talk with your family? 21. How do you keep up with earth's current events while on the space station? 22. Is there a daytime and/or a night time on the space station? 23. How many times have you gone to the space station? 24. How do you become an astronaut?
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): Round Rock Texas Scouts, Round Rock, Texas, Mon 2008-06-30 18:06 UTC 49 deg
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