An International Space Station school contact has been planned with participants at South Hobart Primary School, South Hobart, Tasmania, Australia on 27 Aug. The event is scheduled to begin at approximately 06:43 UTC.

The duration of the contact is approximately 9 minutes and 30 seconds. The contact will be a telebridge between NA1SS and K6DUE. The contact should be audible over eastern portions of the U.S. Interested parties are invited to listen in on the 145.80 MHz downlink. The contact is expected to be conducted in English.

South Hobart Primary School is located in one of Hobart's oldest and most diverse suburbs. The picturesque school grounds have Mt Wellington as a backdrop and are adjacent to the Hobart Rivulet. South Hobart Primary School was originally named the Upper Macquarie Street School and the 150th anniversary of the school's founding was celebrated in 2008.

Today, the school caters for 246 students from Kindergarten to Year 6 students, from the inner-city suburb of South Hobart, as well as the communities of Fern Tree and Ridgeway. Access to the CBD and the establishment of an on-site Long Day Care Centre and After School Care, has also seen the school attract enrollments from outside the local area. Over the past eight years, the school's student population has doubled.

South Hobart Primary's key purpose is to nurture students, promote a positive attitude to life and learning and to develop the skills needed to be an active participant in the community, now and in the future.

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

1. How long and wide is the space station? 2. What are the types of emergencies that can happen in the ISS and can fire ignite in zero gravity? 3. What are some of the experiments that you've done and what's one of your favourites? 4. How does it feel to do a space walk, is it scary and how many have you done? 5. How many countries are involved in the ISS and what countries do the astronauts actually come from? 6. How many people can live on the space station at any one time? 7. Is the issue of space junk a concern and how does the ISS steer to avoid it? 8. How long does it take the mind to get used to zero gravity and when you return to Earth does it take the same amount of time to get used to normal gravity? 9. What happens to all the waste: human waste and food scraps that are created while you are on the space station? 10. What level of connection do you have with Earth in regard to receiving current affairs/news and communications with your family?

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

Next planned event(s):

1. Konu Milky Way School Contact Exec Committee, Miyoshi, Hiroshima, Japan, Mon. 30 Aug 2010 09:15 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