Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) Status Report November 9, 2009

1. Upcoming School Contacts

An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for Scuola Istituto Salesiano "Sacro Cuore" Vomero in Napoli, Italy on Friday, November 13 at 15:55 UTC. The contact has been integrated into the school curriculum which covers radio communications, aeronautics, astronomy and English.

An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been approved for Institut Don Bosco in Bruxelles, Belgium. The contact will take place on Monday, November 16 at 09:41 UTC via telebridge station WH6PN in Hawaii. Don Bosco is a secondary industrial technical school with an enrollment of approximately 750 students and offers courses in carpentry, electricity, mechanics, computing, printing and electronics.

Flanders District of Creativity and the Department of Education of the Flemish Government have teamed up for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Tuesday, November 17 at 13:44 UTC via station LU8YY in Argentina. The groups have partnered to organize the very first congress for kids in Belgium. A conference is being set up with keynote speakers and interactive workshops for 1200 twelve year olds. Dirk Frimout & Sijtn Meuris will give a presentation about astronomy.

2. Westbrook Intermediate Experiences ARISS Contact

On Tuesday, November 3, an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact was held with Westbrook Intermediate School in Friendswood, Texas via telebridge station LU8YY in Argentina. Eleven students were able to ask Robert Thirsk, VA3CSA 11 questions before losing the connection with the ISS. Thirsk's son offered his father a surprise with the third question using his newly acquired ham radio license, KF5DRU.

3. Successful ARISS Contact John Taylor Collegiate

On Wednesday, November 4, an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact took place between John Taylor Collegiate in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada and Robert Thirsk, VA3CSA on the ISS. Telebridge station WH6PN in Hawaii provided the link. Fifteen people gathered for the event and observed the students as they asked 13 questions of the astronaut. Media coverage was provided by the Winnipeg Free Press.

4. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Speaks with Stott Through ARISS

Students at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) in Daytona Beach, Florida experienced an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Thursday, November 5. The connection was made through the telebridge station VK4KHZ in Australia. Approximately seventy students and educators were present for the event and eighteen questions were asked and answered. This was a school crew pick of Nicole Stott, KE5GJN, an alumna of ERAU. The ERAU Web site boasts a news release as well as a photo of Stott on the ISS holding an Embry-Riddle banner.

5. ARISS Contact with Tokaisonritsu Muramatsu Elementary School

Tokaisonritsu Muramatsu Elementary School in Tokai Village, Ibaraki, Japan participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Friday, November 6. Eight students posed two questions each to Nicole Stott, KE5GJN on the ISS as an audience of 110 students and parents watched. Media coverage was provided by three newspapers, one magazine and other outlets.

6. Astronaut Training Status

A basic operations session on the ARISS (Amateur Radio on the International Space Station) program was held with astronaut Mike Fossum, KF5AQG on Monday, November 2. Fossum is scheduled to fly with Expedition 28 in May 2011.

7. ARRL Article on WHEELS - ARISS Contact

The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) posted an article on the ARISS (Amateur Radio on the International Space Station) contact that was held with Garfield Elementary School in Boise, Idaho on September 24. Students visited WHEELS, a NASA Exploration Experience traveling exhibit, on display at the Idaho Historical Museum to learn about space exploration and its benefits.The article (information provided by ARISS delegate Rosalie White) talks about how the ARISS contact was integrated into the school curriculum. See: http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2009/11/05/11185/?nc=1

8. ARISS News on Amateur Radio Newsline

On November 6, Amateur Radio Newsline Report 1682 reported on two Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) news items. The first covers the contact with Copernicus Science Centre, the 500th ARISS contact. The second posting is about the request for student papers and STEM related items to fly on ARISSat-1. To view these stories, see: ftp://ftp.arnewsline.org/quincy/News/news.txt

There are approximately 100,000 regular readers of the ARRL Web site.

9. ARISSat-1 Status

Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) members attended a preliminary Safety Review meeting on Thursday, October 29 and the team is compiling data for safety packages for the next review. Work also continues on the software for the Internal Housekeeping Unit (IHU) and the power supply. The team is gathering messages for the audio greetings as well as student lessons, papers and other STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) related items which will be placed on a memory stick and included on the satellite.