Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) Status Report November 22, 2010

1. Upcoming School Contact

Istituto Leopardi - Liceo classico e scientifico, Lecco, Lecco, Italy has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Wednesday, November 24 at 11:17 UTC. The contact has been integrated into the school curriculum which covers the topics of astronautics, astronomy, radio and English.

2. Euro Space Center Contact Successful

Twenty-four students from the International School Zurich North, Switzerland, attending the Euro Space Center in Transinne, Belgium, spoke with ISS astronaut Doug Wheelock, KF5BOC via an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Tuesday, November 16. Telebridge station VK5ZAI in Australia handled the radio link. Wheelock fielded 15 questions about life in space during the session. The contact was an activity incorporated into the Euro Space Center Space Camp which hosts students from all over Europe and abroad.

3. Grand Junction Students Speak with ISS Astronaut

On Friday, November 19, students attending Holy Family Catholic School in Grand Junction, Colorado participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact with on-orbit astronaut Doug Wheelock, KF5BOC. The school involved the entire student body of 400 students in this project. Several of the older students earned their amateur radio licenses prior to the contact and younger students participated in essay contests and art activities devoted to the contact with the ISS.

4. ARISS International Team Meeting Held

The monthly ARISS International Team teleconference was held on Tuesday, November 16. Topics discussed included updates on ARISSat-1and the Columbus module radio equipment. Minutes have been posted. See: https://www.rac.ca/ariss/arisstel2010-11-16.htm

5. ARISSat-1 Approved for Shipping

ARISSat-1 has been approved by Energia for shipment to Russia. The satellite is currently scheduled to arrive in Russia the first week of December. After the battery and the Kursk University experiment are installed, the satellite will be tested for flight and a final safety review will be scheduled.

6. QST Covers ARISS News

The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) included an ARISS item in its December issue of QST (circulation of 150,000). In "Media Hits" there was a section on how Astronaut Doug Wheelock's ARISS educational activities made for good stories about STEM educational outcomes at: Elmira Star-Gazette, NY ABC-TV7 in Pittsburg, TX Pittsburg Gazette, TX KSBW, TX KYTX-TV19, TX Press & Sun Bulletin WBRE News WBGH TV, NY