An International Space Station school contact has been planned with participants at Technopolis, Mechelen, Antwerpen, Belgium on 11 July. The event is scheduled to begin at approximately 12:35 UTC.

The duration of the contact is approximately 9 minutes and 37 seconds. The contact will be a telebridge between NA1SS and LU8YY. The contact should be audible over the lower portion of South America. Interested parties are invited to listen in on the 145.80 MHz downlink. The contact is expected to be conducted in English (or Dutch).

Technopolis is a permanent platform for science and technology in Mechelen, Flanders, Belgium. The mission of Technopolis® is to bring science and technology to the people. For this purpose Technopolis® offers permanent and temporary exhibitions, organises workshops, school activities and other outreach activities for 4 to 99 years old : a Science Week and Science Festival, an annual exhibition at the Royal Palace in Brussels and many activities for a variety of organisations (governmental, private and educational). Technopolis® is also involved in a broad range of European projects to promote science and technology to a broad audience.

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

1. How do you make coffee in the ISS? 2. What is the reason that a rocket doesn't make a hole in the ozone layer

and certain gasses do? 3. What if one of the astronauts gets very sick our in the worst case even

dies? 4. How does a rocket touch down? 5. How do astronauts get fresh oxygen in the ISS? 6. Is there an echo in space too? 7. Can you see the effects of global warming from the ISS, and do you see a

difference compared with your previous visit? 8. How long are you allowed to sleep and can you sleep late every now and

then? 9. Can you make French fries in space? 10. How do you survive half a year in space, isn't there just too much to

take with you? 11. Can you see the signs of the zodiac better from there than from the

earth? 12. When you go to America, you have to adjust your watch to the time-zones

there. What do you do in space? 13. Do you wear pyjamas in the ISS when you go to sleep? 14. Do you see the sun or is it dark out there? 15. Do you have the same sensation in space as when you're in a plane?

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

Next planned event(s):

1. Euro Space Center, Air and Space Day, Transinne, Belgium, Sun

12July09, 14:08:41 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