An International Space Station Expedition 17 ARISS school contact has been planned with participants at Colombia Mission Project at Buchanan High School, Clovis, California on 11 October. The event is scheduled to begin at approximately 1611 UTC.

The contact will be a telebridge contact between stations NA1SS and NN1SS. The contact should be audible over eastern N. America. Interested parties are invited to listen in on the 145.80 MHz downlink. The participants are expected to conduct the conversation in English.

The COLUMBIA Mission began three years ago as a classroom project to introduce students to the magnificent accomplishments of space exploration. Due to its popularity with the broad student population, it is now an on-campus club. Each year we create, and continue to evolve, a space station/planetary exploration simulation and ENDEAVOUR to excite, educate, and illuminate young minds to the staggering tasks undertaken by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Each year, approximately 100 students organize themselves into an administrative structure of committees and subcommittees with the shared goal of "launching" our chosen astronauts into space for a two day mission aboard our mock space station.

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

1. Do you notice that your body composition changes over the course of the mission? If so, what training will you do to return it to normal? 2. What has been your favorite moment during your time on the ISS? Do you receive up-to-date entertainment, such as t.v. episodes or movies on the ISS? 3. Have you been following the presidential campaign? How do you see the outcome affecting the space program? 4. Since we last spoke, have you been able to spot any new locations on earth that you were interested in observing? 5. Has being in space affected your dream patterns? 6. What food items on earth do you miss the most? 7. Were you able to see Hurricane Ike form over the Caribbean a few weeks ago? From your view, were you able to observe how devastating it was? 8. What is the most interesting task you've performed this week? 9. What will you miss most about your time on the ISS? We know that you are unable to bathe in a conventional manner. How do you maintain your personal hygiene while on the Space Station? 10. What was either the most gruesome, or the funniest aspect of astronaut training? 11. What was the last thing you did with your family before takeoff? 12. When you have free time, what do you like to think about? 13. What part of the earth (if you can see it right now) can you see right now? 14. For me, looking at photos of the earth from space brings out a sense of spirituality because it makes me realize that humans can accomplish so much even though we're all technically so small. Does being in space affect your spirituality and philosophy of the human race? Does this also cause you to feel like you have a stronger connection with the earth than the average person?

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

Next planned event(s): 1) Combined group of Challenger Learning Centers, telebridge via W6SRJ, Thu 2008-10-16 16:39 UTC Howard B. Owens Science Center's Challenger Center (Lanham, MD, Challenger Learning Center of Columbia (Columbia, SC, Verizon Challenger Learning Center at MOSI (Tampa, FL), Brownsburg Challenger Learning Center (Brownsburg, IN)

2) Budbrooke Primary School, Warwick, England, direct via GB4OBS, Fri 2008-10-17 11:06 UTC

3) Combined group of Challenger Learning Centers, telebridge via W6SRJ, Fri 2008-10-17 15:31 UTC Indianapolis Challenger Learning Center (Indianapolis, IN), Challenger Learning Center at Paducah (Paducah, KY), Challenger Learning Center-St. Louis (St. Louis, MO)

4) Austin Liberal Arts and Sciences Academy, Austin, TX, direct via K5LBJ, Sun 2008-10-19 13:15 UTC

5) Pinehurst School, Ashland, Oregon, telebridge via W6SRJ, Mon 2008-10-20 15:14 UTC

6) National Planetarium, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, direct via 9M2RPN, Tues 2008-10-21 08:30 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, Kenneth - N5VHO