An International Space Station school contact has been planned with participants at Stonepark Intermediate School, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada on 07 Mar. The event is scheduled to begin at approximately 16:26 UTC. The duration of the contact is approximately 9 minutes and 30 seconds. The contact will be direct between NA1SS and VY2PEI. The contact should be audible over eastern Canada and 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.

Grade 9 students at Stonepark Intermediate, Charlottetown, PEI have been involved in preparing for their contact with the International Space Station through a number of in class activities , research and guest speakers. In the past three months they researched life on the ISS and watched YouTube segments of various facets of the ISS. Any news stories featuring Chris Hadfield and the ISS were read and discussed.

The students attended sessions by a local university professor of engineering who worked for NASA and local amateur radio operators. Both sessions gave students insight into the workings ISS, NASA and the ham radio.

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

1. What does zero gravity feel like and does it affect your thinking?

2. Is earth at night as beautiful as we see in the pictures?

3. When your eyes water in space what happens to the tears?

4. What is your favorite thing to do in space that you could not do on

Earth?

5. What type of qualifications do you need to be commander of the space

station?

6. What is the strangest thing you've ever seen in space?

7. What types of routine activities do you do on a daily basis?

8. What concern you the most about living in space?

9. Who or what inspired you to become and astronaut?

10. What's something that on earth that is just regular everyday stuff, but

in space is really cool and fun to do?

11. Why did NASA cancel the shuttle Program?

12. Would you ever want your family to live in space with you?

13. What is the most difficult adjustment that you have had to make while in

space?

14. What was the hardest part of your training?

15. What does your body feel like when you are in space?

16. What is your favorite view from the space station?

17. What prompted your interest in space?

18. What is the first thing you will eat when you get back to earth?

19. Have you ever played any kind of sport in zero gravity?

20. Does the moon look any different from the space station, than it does

from the Earth?

Information about the upcoming ARISS contacts can be obtained by subscribing to the SAREX maillist. To subscribe, go to http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/tools/maillist/ and choose "How to Subscribe".

Next planned event(s):

1. Valley Manor School, Martensville, SK, Canada, direct via VE5RAC

Mon, 11Mar2013 19:23 UTC

2. Mt. Ousley Public School, Fairy Meadow, NSW, Australia, telebridge via

IK1SLD

Tue, 12Mar2013 07:35 UTC

Due to continuing Space X operations, the above times are subject to last

minute changes or cancellations.

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