An International Space Station school contact has been planned with participants at Polyvalente de Black Lake, Thetford Mines, Quebec, Canada on 29 Apr. The event is scheduled to begin at approximately 17:25 UTC. The duration of the contact is approximately 9 minutes and 30 seconds. The contact will be direct between NA1SS and VA2VDL. The contact should be audible over portions of eastern Canada. Interested parties are invited to listen in on the 145.80 MHz downlink. The contact is expected to be conducted in English.

Black Lake has an elementary school with only grades 5 and 6, secondary school and professional centre for students who wants to do a D.E.P in esthetics, all in the same building. The esthetics have the top floor, the secondary has the 2 middle floors and grade 5 and 6 has the first floor. They have an intensified English program for the grades 5, 6 and this continues all through secondary. This program is only available for the top students who passed a test.

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

1. What is the goal of this mission?

2. What happens during a typical everyday life in space?

3. What is your favorite moment in this mission?

4. What do you miss the most about life on Earth when you are in space?

5. In case of a emergency, how will they come help you?

6. How do you manage to sleep without floating around in the cabin?

7. How do you take care of hygiene problems?

8. Do you have exercises to do in space to keep fit?

9. What does astronaut food look like? Does it taste good?

10. Is it hard to get used to the zero-gravity?

11. Do you sometimes get scared?

12. How do you feel like when you come back to Earth after being in space for a couple of months?

13. Are the excrements thrown into space?

Information about the upcoming ARISS contacts can be obtained by subscribing to the SAREX maillist. To subscribe, go to http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/tools/maillist/ and choose "How to Subscribe".

Next planned event(s):

1. Guilford County Schools, Greensboro, NC, direct via W4GSO

Thu, 02MAY2013, 14:52 UTC

2. Hay River, NWT, Canada, telebridge via VK4KHZ

Fri, 03MAY2013, 19:55 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