[sarex] 2012-08-20 ARISS Status

[Carol Jackson]

Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) Status Report

August 20, 2012

 

 

 

1.            Upcoming School Contact

 

Institute for Education on Space, Wakayama University in Wakayama, Japan
will speak with Akihiko Hoshide, KE5DNI via an ARISS contact on Sunday,
August 26 at 10:58 UTC. Educators will engage students in the ARISS contact
as well as other space-related activities and lessons to teach about space,
satellites and radio waves.

 

2.            Successful Contacts

 

An ARISS contact was held with students at the Kangaroo Inn Area School in
Kangaroo Inn, South Australia on Tuesday, August 14 via station W6SRJ in
California.  ISS astronaut Sunita Williams, KD5PLB participated in the
session, answering over 20 questions posed by the students. Nearly 90
visitors attended the event, including local politician Mitch Williams and
his wife, the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) radio network, WIN 8
regional TV and representatives from three newspapers. The contact
complemented a science curriculum covering space and space exploration.

 

On Thursday, August 16, an ARISS contact was held between students attending
Wada Elementary School in Nagawa Town, Japan and Akihiko Hoshide, KE5DNI,
aboard the Space Station, which highlighted a comprehensive education plan
covering space, astronomy and radio communications. The event drew an
audience of approximately 120 students and guests and garnered extensive
media coverage including six television stations and five newspapers.

 

3.            Meikei High School Contact to be Rescheduled 

 

Meikei High School in Tsukuba, Japan had been scheduled for an ARISS contact
on Friday, August 17. The contact was unsuccessful.  ARISS is investigating
the reason for the failure.  Meikei will be rescheduled during the week of
October 22.

 

4.            Debrief Session Held with Expedition 30/31 Crew

 

ISS Ham members participated in a debrief session with Expedition 30/31 crew
members Don Pettit and André Kuipers on Wednesday, August 15. Feedback on
the ARISS program and radio equipment was provided which will help the team
keep its procedures up-to-date.  

 

5.            ARISS in ARRL QST

 

The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) carried a piece about ARISS in its
September issue of QST.  A small item in the "In Brief" column reported that
three ham radio operators are crew members that arrived at the ISS in
mid-July.