An International Space Station school contact has been planned with participants at ESA-ESTEC, Nederlands Ruimtevaartmuseum, Lelystad, Netherlands on 12 June. The event is scheduled to begin at approximately 09:25 UTC. The duration of the contact is approximately 9 minutes and 30 seconds. The contact will be a telebridge between NA1SS and W6SRJ. The contact should be audible over the west coast of the U.S. Interested parties are invited to listen in on the 145.80 MHz downlink. The contact is expected to be conducted in Dutch.

The questions are asked in Dutch by children who won the Ruimteschip Aarde (Spaceship Earth) competition. In this competition André Kuipers challenged them to research changes on the Earth's surface that are noticeable from space: melting of the polar caps, deforestation, desertification and plastic soup in the oceans. They showed their results in videos on the youtube channel.

Participants will ask as many of the following questions (translated) as time allows:

Hello André, this is Jasper Wamsteker of the Netherlands Space Office and the Ruimteschip Aarde project. I am here together with the proud winners of the second special mission of Ruimteschip Aarde. I see a lot of delighted and excited faces around me. The children here have a lot of questions for you, but first I have a question myself.

1. We can hear you, but we cannot see you. Please could you describe to us

where you are at the moment?

2. How long did you have to train and prepare for this mission?

3. How is the astronaut training on Earth made to resemble the conditions in

Space?

4. Can you see the atmosphere? If yes, can you see the hole in the ozone

layer?

5. What inspired you to become an astronaut?

6. What do you like most about being an astronaut?

7. If one weeps in Space, what happens to the tears?

8. How does the advent of commercial spaceships change space travel?

9. How do you find the balance to keep your body in one place when

necessary, for example in front of a camera?

10. You and your colleagues are not in Space for fun, but to execute

experiments. Did any of the experiments you did turn out different

from what you expected?

11. What is the maximum length of time a human being can stay in Space?

12. How do you get oxygen in the ISS?

13. Can you any changes on earth as a result of climate change from the ISS?

14. What is the first thing you will do when you return form Space?

15. How do you perform sports and fitness activities, as sit ups, in Space?

16. Where do you get electricity from in the ISS?

17. What is your best memory of your stay in Space up till now?

18. What is your most important task aboard the ISS?

19. What future possibilities for Space travel do you see?

20. You have a lot of contact with students during your mission. What does

this mean for you?

21. Could you tell us something about the scientific experiments you are

doing in the ISS? Could you give us an example of what you do?

22. How is the atmosphere in the ISS? Do astronauts make particular jokes? Do

you have any examples?

Information about the upcoming ARISS contacts can be found at http://www.ariss.org/upcoming.htm#NextContact.

Next planned event(s):

1. St Anne's Primary School, Strathfield South, NSW, Australia,

telebridge via LU8YY

Wed 13 June 2012, 10:31 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,

David - AA4KN