An International Space Station school contact has been planned with participants at Middenschool de Regenboog Bree, Bree, Belgium on 16 Mar. The event is scheduled to begin at approximately 10:10 UTC.

The duration of the contact is approximately 9 minutes and 30 seconds.

The contact will be direct between OR4ISS and ON5LL. The contact should be audible over portions of Europe. Interested parties are invited to listen in on the 145.80 MHz downlink. The contact is expected to be conducted in English.

Middenschool de regenboog Bree is a secondary school in Bree, a city in Belgium. This city is well known: 'it's the city of Kim Clijsters', our tennis champion! Student population of 120 is spread across one campus. Our school offers general and vocational education. One teacher, Sabine Teuwen brought us into contact with Rik Strobbe, ARISS mentor. He suggested we could cooperate and have the wonderful opportunity to contact astronaut Andre Kuipers onboard the International Space Station. The head of the school agreed readily. We had great support from the amateur radio team led by Johny Verhoeven. They set up the radio station and prepared the students for the "Space Talk". The whole project is an outstanding means to make pupils, teachers and parents more aware of what lies beyond our planet's borders. This event offers us the chance to get more pupils than ever before interested in the process of scientific advancement. The radio contact with Andre Kuipers is a unique opportunity for our school!

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

1. Were you nervous for take-off?

2. What's the purpose of your mission?

3. What's your favourite food in the ISS?

4. How long will you stay aboard the ISS?

5. What's the most appealing thing to your mission?

6. What are the biggest discomforts?

7. How is the station kept warm?

8. How does it feel to be in such a small space all the time?

9. Did you feel nauseous at the beginning?

10. Can you describe the feeling when you've just landed on earth?

11. What will be the first thing you do when back on earth?

12. Do you have time, time to yourself, in the ISS?

13. Will you leave the station to work during EVA?

14. How is your weight measured in space?

15. How is the ISS steered?

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

Next planned event(s):

1. Istituto Tecnologico Statale Trasporti e Logistica "Leone Acciaiuoli",

Ortona, Italy, direct via IQ6LN

Sun, 18 Mar 2012, 11:31 UTC

Watch for live stream at: http://www.livestream.com/AMSAT_Italia

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