An International Space Station Expedition 15 ARISS school contact has been planned with students at Samuel-von-Pufendorf Gymnasium, Floeha, Germany on 28 April. The event is scheduled to begin at approximately 14:19 UTC.

The contact will be a direct between stations NA1SS and DL0GYM. The contact should be audible in most of Europe. Interested parties are invited to listen in on the 145.80 MHz downlink. The participants are expected to conduct the conversation in English.

Samuel-von-Pufendorf Gymnasium leads the pupils to the Abitur in a 8 year course beginning with grade 5. More than 600 young people in all grades are taught by 65 teachers. The school amateur radio club DL0GYM was founded in 2003. The main purpose is to prepare pupils to pass the amateur radio examination and become licensees. The club station supports education by demonstrating the possibilities of modern amateur radio technologies like packet radio, satellite communication via the "OSCARs", ATV, SSTV and so on. The club cooperates with the German Amateur Radio Club "DARC e.V." and the "Arbeitskreis Amateurfunk in der Schule - AATiS e.V."

Students will ask as many of the following questions as time allows: 1. Can you watch an eruption of a volcano from your station? 2. Is it possible to you to watch TV programmes by using satellites? 3. Can you receive terrestrial radio programmes in the orbit? 4. Could you watch sport events by television? 5. How does a higher sun activity influence your space station? 6. Can you see Northern Lights from the orbit? 7. Can you see the lightning of a thunderstorm? 8. Can you notice any influences of the atmosphere on the ISS? 9. Does the weather on earth influence your work on the station? 10. Can you notice the melting of our poles? 11. Do you see the ozone layer? 12. Can you surf in the Internet or send E-mails? 13. How can you avoid damages by space debris? 14. Is the ISS hit by cosmic particles? 15. Can you see other satellites? 16. Can you work on the space station with soldering irons? 17. Do you need to clean the windows of the ISS? 18. How can you communicate with your family members? 19. In which language do you talk together? 20. Do you have your personal free time maybe to read a book?

Please note, the amateur equipment on the ISS is not functioning in the automatic modes properly and may be silent more than usual. Information about the next scheduled ARISS contact can be found at http://www.rac.ca/ariss/upcoming.htm#NextContact .

Next planned event(s): Liceo Scientifico Statale "Lorenzo Respighi", Piacenza Italy, direct via IK4MED Sat 2007-05-05 10:24 UTC Erweiterte Realschule, Weiskirchen D-66709, Germany, direct via DN1ERW Sat 2007-05-05 13:34 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.rac.ca/ariss (graciously hosted by the Radio Amateurs of Canada).

Thank you & 73, Kenneth - N5VHO