An International Space Station school contact has been planned with participants at McKay State High School, Mackay MC, Queensland, Australia on 02 March. The event is scheduled to begin at approximately 01:20 UTC.

The duration of the contact is approximately 9 minutes and 30 seconds. The contact will be a telebridge between NA1SS and VK5ZAI. 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 city of Mackay is located on the north east coast of Australia in Queensland adjacent to the Great Barrier Reef. The climate is Sub Tropical.

There is a large number of students in our school and in the junior years "Space" has been incorporated into the normal program in which all students are mandated to undertake. This incorporates various astronomy outcomes from years 8 to 10. Each year consists of approximately 150 to 180 students.

Year 8 students undertake an individual Astronomy Survey as an assessment task in their unit 3 week "Space" unit. The students have to generate ten questions of interest to them, connected with astronomy and then they have to ask a multitude of people for responses to the questions and generate a report in which they analyse results obtained. Some of these questions may assist students in forming the basis for questions in the broadcast with the space station.

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

1. Do you currently employ any methods to combat radiation emitted from the

sun? And if not is anything being tested or planned for this

purpose?

2. What do you see as the future for astronauts and NASA space exploration?

3. What are the physical effects of going into space and coming home?

4. If the Earth was positioned anywhere else in our solar system, do you

think life would be able to exist?

5. Do you get physically tired in space even though your body does not exert

any force when you float and your muscles are not working against

gravity? If you do get tired then why?

6. How much of a difference is it, sleeping in space compared to sleeping on

Earth?

7. What is your opinion on the many conspiracies concerning the moon landing

and do you believe any of them?

8. Does it get hot in your spacesuit?

9. Considering the chain of technical failures that contributed to a near

catastrophic end to "Apollo 13" that was depicted in the film, what

advances in technology and safety has occurred that gives astronauts a

greater sense of safety than what they had during the early days of

space travel.

10. What problems do you face doing experiments up there?

11. How different is the viewing of stars in space since there is no

atmosphere around the ship.

12. What is the Station's defence against solar flares and radiation?

13. How does zero gravity affect bodily functions?

14. What systems do you have on-board the ISS to monitor the weather systems

on Earth?

15. How do you go to the toilet in space?

16. How do you control your movement or walking in space when you have zero

gravity?

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

Next planned event(s):

Technological Centre for Innovation in Communications (CeTIC)

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas, 35017, Spain, direct via EG8ISS

Thu 03 Mar. 2011 14:17 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