An International Space Station school contact has been planned with participants at ARRL Pacific Division Conference, Santa Clara, CA on 13 Oct. The event is scheduled to begin at approximately 18:57 UTC.

The duration of the contact is approximately 9 minutes and 30 seconds. The contact will be a telebridge between OR4ISS and IK1SLD. The contact should be audible over the Italy and adjacent areas. Interested parties are invited to listen in on the 145.80 MHz downlink. The contact is expected to be conducted in English.

PACIFICON 2012, a premiere wireless event, will be held October 12, 13, and 14, 2012 and will host the 2012 ARRL National Convention and Exposition. Over 2,500 amateur radio enthusiasts are expected to attend. The 2012 PACIFICON Youth program includes a "Youth Lounge" and forums throughout the convention weekend; the Youth program is positioned in the middle of the exhibit hall and provides STEM educational goals which include hands on radio operation, electronics kit building and soldering classes, Ohm's Law, orbital mathematics, CubeSat satellite design, and popular radio transmitter T-Hunts. A scheduled ARISS radio contact and a presentation by NASA astronaut, Dr. Lee M. Morin KF5DDB, will highlight the Youth Lounge activities. Free admission is provided to Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, Camp Fire Girls, Brownie, Cub Scouts, Explorer Scouts, 4-H members, and to all youth. The Youth Forum will include young Amateur radio enthusiasts Andrea Hartlege KG4IUM, former ARRL South Eastern Division Vice Director and Katie Stensrud K7KTI, a young ham from Nevada, and many amateur radio educational resources from the ARRL & AMSAT. Pacificon 2012 will operate the convention FCC Special Event Station W6P, the ARRL's W1AW/6, additional stations will be operated remotely from the convention site as well as two fully automated satellite earth stations. PACIFICON 2012 will offer over 120 educational forums and programs, including a forum hosted by AMSAT on Amateur Satellite Communications, approximately sixteen indoor on-the-air exhibits, and eight outdoor on-the-air exhibits will be hosted.

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

1. What is the space weather forecast for the ISS today?

2. How come there is not a section of the ISS that spins and provides

artificial gravity to help the astronauts stay healthy, and have a,

some what normal existence - like in the movies?

3. How can amateur radio be improved on the ISS?

4. How do you sleep in space? Do you have beds?

5. Do you ever get to talk to your family from space? If so, how?

6. Can you see Venus, Mars, Jupiter or Saturn from where you are in space?

7. How do you get from the space shuttle into the Space Station, and how do

you get from the Space Station into the space shuttle?

8. Of all your everyday things to do at home, what is the hardest to do in

space?

9. How does the lack of gravity effect your muscular structure in space?

10. How did your face handle take off? Did it flap in the wind?

11. What is the most memorable view of Earth you have seen from space?

12. How long can someone live on the space station?

13. How is being in space different than you thought it would be?

14. What are the 3 most important things for someone to do or learn before

they apply to be an astronaut?

15. How far away are you and how long will it take you to get back home?

16. Can you and do you eat ice cream in outer space?

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

Next planned event(s):

1. Wattsburg Area School District, Erie, PA, telebridge via VK4KHZ

Tue, 16Oct12 17:03 UTC

2. National Scouting Museum, Irving, TX, telebridge via VK6MJ

Sat, 20Oct12 18:32 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