An International Space Station school contact has been planned with participants at Scuola Media Statale "Francesco d'Assisi", Modugno, Italy and Scuola 3 Circolo Didattico Don Lorenzo Milani, Modugno, Italy on 12 March. The event is scheduled to begin at approximately 10:22 UTC. The duration of the contact is approximately 9 minutes and 30 seconds.

The contact will be direct between IR0ISS and IZ7RTN. The contact should be audible over Italy. Interested parties are invited to listen in on the 145.80 MHz downlink. The contact is expected to be conducted in Italian or English.

The "Francesco d'Assisi" Middle School is located in Modugno, a little town in the hinterland from the Adriatic coast not too far from Bari. The school is attended by about 300 students, aged from 11 to 14. The school also offers a variety of elective courses in the early afternoon, i.e. extracurricular activities. Priority is given to additional science, mathematics and Italian language courses, sports programs (such as volley), chorus and musical education, visual arts, publishing (student newspaper), preparation to mathematics competitions such as the annual "Kangaroo of Mathematics". The school has a gym, a small library and a number of laboratories: science lab, computer labs, graphic arts lab, music lab.

The Primary School 3° Didactic Circle Be them "Don Lorenzo Milani" is situated in Modugno (BA), inner a city small not a lot far away from the Barium city (9 Km) chief town of the Puglia. The school is made up of 6 plessi: 3 of school of Infancy and 3 of Primary School. In 2010/2011 the school accommodates 1,039 pupils of which 613 of Primary School of age between the 6 and 10 years uniforms in 32 classes, and 426 pupils of School of Infancy of age between the 3 and 6 years uniforms in 17 sections. The pupils attend for 6 days to the week, the timetable for every lesson to the day are 5 hours of 60 minutes of the following matters Italian, mathematical, sciences, geography, English, computer science laboratory, music, image, motoria activity.

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

1. What sound or noise can be heard inside the ISS?

2. Think that all around is infinite which sensation you feel?

3. Can you get used to the absence of gravity?

4. What object that you are affectionate you brought with you on the ISS?

5. How can you see the stars from the Space Station?

6. The astronauts how to adjust the day and night on the ISS?

7. Are there animals on board the ISS?

8. Do you like most Earth's gravity or weightlessness?

9. How you take a shower on board the ISS?

10. Which experiments you do on the ISS?

11. How are you organized in case of illness?

12. Would like to bring your family to the ISS?

13. What does it feel to sleep without gravity?

14. Do you consider yourself a brave person?

15. What happens to a drop of water that is lost on the ISS?

16. On Mars we have sent the spacecrafts, do you think people can go there?

17. On board ISS there are temperature changes?

18. When did you decide to become an astronaut and how long did you training?

19. Is expected to recycle organic waste on board?

20. After so long in the space you have trouble returning to earth?

21. Do you live always with the artificial light on board the ISS?

22. In a confined space on the ISS have you ever feel uncomfortable?

23. Float on ISS is annoying while eating?

24. What benefit will bring to humanity these space missions?

25. Are there risk of fire on board the ISS?

26. Do you celebrate anniversaries? What and how?

27. Do you sport on the Space Station?

28. Can the human body endure a trip to Mars?

29. It's possible to do space tourism?

30. Are there problems of dehydration on board the ISS?

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

1. Shri Krishna Vithyaalayam Matric School, Pollachi (TK), India,

Telebridge via IK1SLD Contact is a go for: Sat, 12 Mar.2011 13:34 UTC

2. Fair Lawn High School, Fair Lawn, NJ, direct via W2NPT

Contact is a go for: Mon, 14 Mar. 2011 15:44 UTC

3. Pawel Wlodkowic University College, ZOK, Zespól Szkól Zawodowych Nr

2, Plock Scientific Society, Primary School in Liszyno, Plock and

Liszyno, Poland, direct via SP5ZBA/5

Contact is a go for: Thu, 17 Mar.2011 09:21 UTC

4. Luitpold-Gymnasium Muenchen, Munich, Bavaria, D-80538, Germany,

direct via DN2MQT Contact is a go for: Thu, 17 Mar. 2011 14:05 UTC

5. SIP Cossar / Da Vinci, Gorizia, Italy, and Elena Guerra Middle

School, Rome, Italy direct via IW3QKU

Contact is a go for: Sat, 19 Mar. 2011 08:38 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