An International Space Station school contact has been planned with participants at S. K. Seri Suria, Bangsar, Selangor, Malaysia on 09 Oct. The event is scheduled to begin at approximately 09:31 UTC. The duration of the contact is approximately 9 minutes and 30 seconds. The contact will be direct between OR4ISS and 9M2RPN. The contact should be audible over Malaysia 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.

Our first ARISS contact was made in 2007 when, Malaysia's first Astronaut Shiekh Muzapher went on board ISS. We made 5 direct contacts when, some 80 school children to talked to him and asked questions. Since then it has become highly sought after yearly event which is tied up with the Prime Minister's Space Challenge Trophy. This year 2013 we would be making our 8th yearly contact. Since the schools do not have ground stations, they make use of Satellite Ground Station at National Planetarium established in 1995 under the call sign of 9M2RPN. The schools are the nurseries to produce future astronauts and space scientists. The forthcoming contact in October, 2013 provides the hands on experience and the seeding operation for tomorrow's space scientists.

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

1. How far do you have to go to escape gravity?

2. What is the escape velocity to reach ISS?

3. When you have achieved orbit what is the first thing that you do?

4. Is it hard to eat in space?

5. How does it feel to float in space?

6. How does one get treated in case of sudden sickness in space?

7. If there is air leak in ISS what emergency action would be taken?

8. Can you weigh yourself in weightlessness?

9. Do you sweat in space?

10. Can you grow seeds in space?

11. Can you see other satellites from the ISS?

12. What time zone do you observe in space?

13. How many sun rises and sun sets you see in space?

14. How often you get to speak to your families in space?

15. How is garbage disposed in space?

16. How do astronauts train for launch, orbit and reentry?

17. How would a candle burn in space?

18. Can you blow your nose in space?

19. If you sneeze in space do you float backwards?

20. Can you see stars in daytime when you are in space?

PLEASE CHECK THE FOLLOWING FOR MORE INFORMATION ON ARISS UPDATES:

Sign up for the SAREX maillist at

http://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/sarex

Visit ARISS on Facebook. We can be found at Amateur Radio on the

International Space Station (ARISS).

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Next planned event(s):

TBD

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