[sarex] 2012-09-17 ARISS Status

Mon Sep 17 06:16:43 PDT 2012

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

September 17, 2012

1.            Upcoming School Contacts

Zespól Szkól Technicznych w Kole, Kolo, Poland will participate in an
Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on
Wednesday, September 19 at 07:15 UTC.  Besides learning about space, amateur
radio and satellite tracking in the classroom, students are also attending
lectures on astronautics, engineering and astronomy.  They are involved with
related hands-on activities and competitions, with the winners receiving the
opportunity to question the ISS astronaut. In addition, the school is
forming astronomy and amateur radio clubs for the youth. The event will be
broadcast live via the internet on: http://live.arisspolska.info/

An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been
planned for Sunset Hills Elementary School in San Diego, California on
Thursday, September 20 at 17:24 UTC.  Students are learning about the radio
and space through age-appropriate hands-on activities. NASA education Web
site materials are being used and guest speakers from the local Amateur
Radio club will give a presentation to the students.

Lafayette Middle School, La Fayette, Georgia is slated for an Amateur Radio
on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Friday, September 21
at 15:03 UTC. The school will use the ARISS contact to promote the areas of
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics within its entire system.
It hopes to arrange for Skype interviews with guests for the ARISS event:
Dr. Rob Suggs and Dr. Bill Cooke of Marshall Space Flight Center in
Huntsville, Alabama; Cristi Whitworth, Educational Director for Pisgah
Astronomical Research Institute; and Dr. June Scobee Rodgers, Founding Chair
of the Challenger Center at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

2.            Successful Contacts Held

Students attending Maroochydore State School in Maroochydore, Queensland,
Australia participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space
Station (ARISS) contact on Wednesday, September 12 via telebridge station
VK4KHZ in Australia. Akihiko Hoshide, KE5DNI answered 14 questions of the
students before the ISS went over the horizon. Approximately 40 students and
guests were in attendance and the contact received coverage by radio,
television and newspapers. The contact was integrated into a comprehensive
space curriculum, with lessons focused on the Venus Transit, the Juno
mission and the Curiosity mission.

An ARISS contact was held between Joe Acaba, KE5DAR on the ISS and Marcelino
Canino Canino Middle School in Dorado, Puerto Rico on Wednesday, September
12 via telebridge station K6DUE in Greenbelt, Maryland. The session was
conducted in Spanish, with all 16 questions answered. The students are
involved in a Microsatellite Hardware program through which they design,
build, launch, track and retrieve their microsatellites with the assistance
of many local amateur radio operators.  The school, located in a rural area
of Dorado, has an enrollment of 464 students of which 78% live below the
poverty level and 26% receive special education services.  

On Thursday, September 13, Sunita Williams, KD5PLB spoke with students at
the Gymnasium Unterrieden in Sindelfingen, Germany through an ARISS contact
and answered their space-related questions.  One hundred people showed up
for the event, including 4 media outlets. The audio was broadcasted via 2
amateur radio relays. The contact was integrated into several other amateur
radio activities which included the students preparing for entry level
amateur radio licenses and building a satellite receiving station. Video has
been posted: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_uOnhrsOvg

A second ARISS contact that Akihiko Hoshide, KE5DNI took part in last week
was with children at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt,
Maryland on Thursday, September 13.  The students had 21 questions answered
during the ISS pass, and as the coordinating person at Goddard had
previously asked another astronaut for answers to the questions, the
remaining students still received "official" answers to their questions.
Nearly 100 people were in attendance, with 4 media cameras recording the
event. Prince George's County Community TV reported on the event. See:
http://tinyurl.com/9q939u3

On Thursday, September 13, an ARISS contact was held between children at the
Burns Sci-Tech Charter School in Oak Hill, Florida and Sunita Williams
KD5PLB on the ISS. Daytona Beach Amateur Radio Association supported the
school in this endeavor. The contact was integrated into lessons on radio
waves, electricity, communications, geography and languages.

3.            Astronaut Training Status

Gregory Wiseman, KF5LKT took part in a basic operations training session on
Wednesday, September 12. He is slated to fly with the Expedition 40 crew in
May 2014.

4.            ARRL Articles on ARISS

The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) carried two articles related to ARISS
in its ARRL Letter on September 13. The first item covers the return of
Expedition 31/32 crew members to Earth. The second talks about the ARRL
convention to be held in California on October 12-14. Astronaut Lee Morin
will be a guest speaker at the event and ARISS member Kenneth Ransom, N5VHO
will also attend. 

“Three Hams Return to Earth this Weekend; Watch Live on NASA TV” may be
viewed at:
http://www.arrl.org/news/three-hams-return-to-earth-this-weekend-watch-live-
on-nasa-tv

To read “ARRL Welcomes NASA Astronaut Lee Morin, KF5DDB, to 2012 National
Convention,” see:
http://www.arrl.org/news/arrl-welcomes-nasa-astronaut-lee-morin-kf5ddb-to-20
12-national-convention

5.            Amateur Radio Newsline Covers ARISS

On September 14, the Amateur Radio Newsline report #1831 included an item on
the recent ARISS contact held with German students attending Michelstadt
Gymnasium. “Ham Radio in Space:  ISS to Germany Student Q and A Session” may
be found at: http://www.arnewsline.org/storage/scripts/nsln1831.txt