An International Space Station school contact has been planned with participants at National Planetarium Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan, Malaysia on 08 Oct. The event is scheduled to begin at approximately 09:34 UTC. The duration of the contact is approximately 9 minutes and 30 seconds.

The contact will be direct between NA1SS and 9M2RPN. The contact should be audible over Malaysia. Interested parties are invited to listen in on the 145.80 MHz downlink. The contact is expected to be conducted in English.

The National Space Challenge program was created to instill the talents and desire in students especially in the primary school Standard 4 level in understanding astronomy and space sciences. This program is organized annually by the National Space Agency in cooperation with Ministry of Education as a part of school curriculum.

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

1. What is it like sleeping in space and what is your bed like? Are you

attached to the wall because there is no gravity? 2. With all the work time in space, is it still fun or has it become a job? 3. What kind of exercises can you do in space? 4. How do you wash and brush your teeth? 5. Is there any food or drink you miss or activities you miss doing while you

are all at work? And what has been your most exciting / interesting moment

while onboard? 6. What does space ice cream taste like? 7. Is liquid and solid human waste discarded in space, or is it stored and

brought back to Earth with the crew? 8. How do you differentiate between a bottom and a top when you are in space?

Is it just above your head and below your head? 9. In the event that the space station crewmembers had to abandon the station

in an emergency, where could they go as a place of safety, and how could

they get off the station without a waiting shuttle? 10.Is the space station always orbiting, or is it stationary? 11 Is the ISS orbiting in the same direction as the Earth's rotation? What

is the relation, if any, of the ISS' orbit and speed versus the Earth's

rotation and speed? 12.Are you able to watch TV and listen to the radio while in space? 13.How is the food? What do you miss the most about Earth? What was the

hardest thing to get used to in space? 14 As you look at the Earth from space, what impresses you the most? 15 Is looking at the stars from space, in your opinion, more beautiful or

less beautiful than looking at them from the Earth? 16.When you go to sleep, what time zone do you use? How do you know what time

it is?

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

Next planned event(s):

1. Belmont Elementary, Langley, BC, Canada, Fri 09 OCT 09 20:20 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