An International Space Station school contact has been planned with participants at the Girl and Boy Scouts of Maur: "Pfadimuur", Forch, CH-8127, Switzerland on 22 August. The event is scheduled to begin at approximately 08:20 UTC. The duration of the contact is approximately 9 minutes and 30 seconds. The contact will be direct between OR4ISS and HB9TSO. The contact should be audible over parts of Europe. Interested parties are invited to listen in on the 145.80 MHz downlink. The contact is expected to be conducted in English.

The international year of astronomy inspired a few scout guides from Maur near Zürich, Switzerland to create a special scout event, the Astrocamp 2009, where participants from 5 to 20 years shall learn about the following three topics which are scout qualifications: astronomy and space technology, communication technologies, journalism and public relation.

Therefore they planned 3 Saturdays, where about 100 active Pfadi Muur scouts have the possibility to visit one of the above named workshops. The event will begin with the ARISS contact, where 20 children get the opportunity to talk to an astronaut and at the end of the course they will present the workshop results such as a planet route, a telescope made out of a drain (astronomy) or a broadcasting local UKW radio station (journalism) as well as a self-constructed aircraft radio receiver in a second event open for public on September 19. The Swiss astronomy expert Bruno Stanek will hold a speech and together with people of a local observatory the scouts will have a look into the sky. The technical team that will provide the equipment for the ARISS contact is led by Mario Malacarne who has established two ARISS contacts so far.

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

1. Have you been a Scout? 2. How many Scouts are now on the ISS? 3. Do the astronauts always eat together? 4. How do you save a lost astronaut outside the ISS? 5. What is the most important experiment you carry out? 6. Is it possible to born a baby in space? 7. Do you have privacy onboard the ISS? 8. What is impressive in space? 9. What is your task on the ISS? 10. Do you sleep well in space? 11. What is dangerous in space? 12. What is your favourite space food? 13. What are the disadvantages of living in space? 14. How do you wash yourself? 15. Is the social life difficult on the ISS? 16. Is your family in fear? 17. Do you feel homesick? 18. What is hard for you in space? 19. How do you feel when you move in zero gravity? 20. How do you eat in zero gravity?

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

Next planned event(s):

1. Nova East Star Party, Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, Halifax Center, NS, Canada, Sat 22 August 09 12:54 UTC

2. Tenison Woods College, Mount Gambier, South Australia, Australia, Mon 24 August 09 07:19 UTC

3. Volkssterrenwacht Urania, Hove, Antwerp, Belgium Mon 24 August 09 11:30 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