An International Space Station school contact has been planned with participants at Smithsonian Institution, National Air and Space Museum, Washington, DC, on 08 May. The event is scheduled to begin at approximately 17:01 UTC.

The duration of the contact is approximately 9 minutes and 30 seconds. The contact will be a telebridge between NA1SS and VK4KHZ. The contact should be audible over portions of Australia. Interested parties are invited to listen in on the 145.80 MHz downlink. The contact is expected to be conducted in English.

The Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum maintains the largest collection of historic air and spacecraft in the world. It is also a vital center for research into the history, science, and technology of aviation and space flight, as well as planetary science and terrestrial geology and geophysics. This ARISS contact is part of Space Day events at the museum, which include presentations (by astronaut Dan Tani and retired astronaut Jay Apt) and a number of hands-on projects for visitors. Space Day is made possible by the generous support of Lockheed Martin.

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

1. What made you want to be an astronaut? 2. How do you sleep in space? 3. How do you handle home sickness? Did you bring some personal items with

you? 4. What is your favorite thing about being an astronaut? 5. Do you get more tired in space than when you are on Earth? 6. What are some of the differences between training here and doing the real

thing in space? 7. How long can you stay in space without being in danger of life? 8. In your opinion, will people ever explore other planets and galaxies? 9. Can you make gravity on the space station? 10. What is taken into account when they are selecting astronauts for space

missions? 11. What are you having today for breakfast, lunch, and dinner? 12. How did your body feel during the launch? Do you get motion or air

sickness? 13. How many years did you train to become an astronaut? 14. What is the temperature outside the space station? 15. We know you have private family conference time. How long do you talk to

your family and can you see them? How often do you get to talk to them?

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

Next planned event(s):

1. Kursk, Russia, direct via TBD Sun 9 May 2010, 16:50 UTC

2. Komoro Higashi Junior High School, Komoro, Nagano, Japan,

Fri 14 May 2010 11:16 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