An International Space Station school contact has been planned with participants at John XXIII College, Perth, Western Australia, Australia on 11 April. The event is scheduled to begin at approximately 07:17 UTC.

The duration of the contact is approximately 9 minutes and 30 seconds. The contact will be a telebridge between NA1SS and W6SRJ. The contact should be audible over the west coast 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.

John XXIII College operates under the authority of the Catholic Archbishop of Perth. Religious education and Catholic teaching and forms of worship are central in the life of the College. In this context, the College welcomes persons of other denominations who are committed to supporting the Catholic ethos of the College (subject to the availability of places).

Boys and girls associate together in classes, in activities and socially.

The College has a sound reputation for academic and co curricular achievements; teaching and class work reflect this emphasis. The programs, staff and resources provide for wide ranging interests and abilities of all students.

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

1. If someone had a serious illness, would they be treated on board or might

they be returned to earth?

2. How do you think the ISS will bring nations together?

3. How does the ISS prepare us for future missions to Mars?

4. Has anything been discovered that has had a great benefit to life on

earth?

5. Through the ISS, what major advancements or discoveries have taken place

so far?

6. How many hours of exercise do have to do to keep your bones and muscles

healthy?

7. Do you have a gym on board to maintain your muscle strength?

8. Did you do physical and mental training before going in to space? If so,

what sort of things did you do?

9. Does food taste different in space and what food do you eat?

10. Do you undertake experiments with food to plan for long-term missions

into deep space?

11. If any of you have been on board before.....What was it like when you

returned to earth?

12. Being an astronaut and seeing the world from space must change your view

of life? Has it changed yours? If so, how?

13. How did you get to be chosen as a space station astronaut?

14. What inspired you to become an astronaut?

15. You must spend a long time in space. How long exactly and do you get

homesick?

16. What does the world look like at night?

17. What does zero gravity feel like?

18. Do you believe life exists on other planets?

19. When you pass between the earth and the moon, do you get pulled one way

or the other? Is it noticeable on board?

20. What do you do in space when you get bored? Playing cards would be

difficult I suppose?

21. How is human waste disposed of in space?

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

Next planned event(s):

1. Hopewell Ave Public School, Ottawa, ON, Canada, telebridge via WH6PN

Wed 13 Apr 2011, 16:10 UTC

2. Istituto Sociale, Torino, Italy, telebridge via K6DUE

Thu 14 Apr 2011, 08:49 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