[sarex] 2012-11-05 ARISS Status

Mon Nov 5 08:11:09 PST 2012

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

November 5, 2012

1.            Upcoming School Contacts

An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact is
slated for Istituto Comprensivo di Govone, Scuola Secondaria di primo grado
"Nino Costa" di Priocca and Istituto Comprensivo di Diano d'Alba in Priocca,
Italy on Thursday, November 8 at 12:04 UTC, direct via station IK1SLD. The
ISS contact will be the culmination of a two year program which involves 150
students, ages 11-14. The students have been working with their teachers and
with educators from the Science Center Infini.to - Museum of Space and
Planetarium of Turin (Italy), attending courses in astronomy, space science
and exploration. Lessons are linked to the national curriculum covering
Earth science, the solar system and technology.

1 Circolo Didattico G.Marconi in Casamassima di Bari, Italy is slated for an
Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Friday,
November 9 at 12:53 UTC. The contact is part of the primary school's
comprehensive STEM curriculum.

2.            Successful ARISS Contacts Held

On Tuesday, October 30, South Florida Science Museum (SFSM) in West Palm
Beach, Florida welcomed county students to participate in an Amateur Radio
on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact with Akihiko Hoshide,
KE5DNI aboard the ISS. The West Palm Beach Amateur Radio Club, WPBARC, which
maintains a ham station within the museum, collaborated with area teachers
to provide educational content to students emphasizing NASA, the ISS and
amateur radio. The club facilitated the radio connection with the ISS.
During the contact, approximately 90 students were present at the radio
station site and another 200 were in an adjacent room watching by CCTV. VIPs
in attendance included Scott Carpenter - one of the original seven
astronauts. The contact was seen by 125,000-187,000 students. The event was
broadcast over the air on the Educational Networks channel 23, the PBS
station's channel 42.4 (digital), and on 2 local Comcast Cable channels,
bringing the estimated live audience to about 250,000 viewers. Others
watched the live stream on the internet. Video is available for viewing:
https://vodcast.palmbeachschools.org/player/812RZ

An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact was held
between students from Southern Tier Catholic and Archbishop Walsh Academy in
Olean, New York and astronaut Suni Williams, KD5PLB on the Space Station on
Tuesday, October 30 using telebridge station IK1SLD in Italy. An audience of
over 100 gathered for the event at the Dresser-Rand Challenger Learning
Center at St. Bonaventure University located in Allegany, New York, and
listened as Williams answered 19 questions during the 11minute pass over
northern Italy. The contact was part of a comprehensive education plan
covering Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). The Olean
Times Herald covered the event. See:
http://www.oleantimesherald.com/news/article_378e5d5e-235e-11e2-9531-0019bb2
963f4.html

Students from Cumberland Elementary School in West Lafayette, Indiana
participated in a Q&A session with Kevin Ford, KF5GPP via an Amateur Radio
on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Tuesday, October 30.
Over 600 students, parents and teachers listened in as the youths asked
their questions. The contact was integrated into a curriculum covering
topics on space research, robotics and engineering. WLFI TV 18 and Lafayette
Journal Courier provided media coverage. See:  

http://www.wlfi.com/dpp/news/local/cumberland-elementary-calling-the-interna
tional-space-station

and

http://www.jconline.com/article/20121030/NEWS0401/310300030/West-Lafayette-s
chool-to-space-station-Do-you-copy-?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE

An ARISS contact was held between Primarschule Aesch students in Forch,
Switzerland and on-orbit astronaut Sunita Williams, KD5PLB on Friday,
November 2. The children had 21 questions answered before the ISS went over
the horizon. Around 40 people attended the event which received extensive
media coverage including 3 newspapers, one country-wide radio station and
one television station. The contact complemented a science curriculum
covering astronomy and spaceflight.

3.            Public Relations Award Received for ARISS Contact

The ARISS contact held with Flabob Airport Preparatory Academy on April 19,
2012 earned Karen and Clint Bradford an award for an annual competition held
by the Public Relations Society of America. For the full story, see:
http://ariss.rac.ca/oindex.htm#Special_event_with_astronaut_wins_public_rela
tions_award

4.            AMSAT News Service on ARISS 

The AMSAT (Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation) News Service bulletin
(ANS-309) posted on November 4 included 2 items about the ARISS program.
"Successful ARISS School Contacts" and "Flabob Airport Preparatory Academy
ARISS Contact Wins PR Award" may be viewed in full at:
http://amsat.org/pipermail/ans/2012/000663.html

5.            Amateur Radio Newsline Covers ARISS

The Amateur Radio Newsline report #1838 posted two ARISS-related items on
November 2. The first piece was about the South Florida Science Museum
contact held on October 30 and the second covered the ARISS contact with
Flabob Airport Preparatory Academy that won Clint and Karen Bradford a
Public Relations Society of America award. "Ham Radio in Space:  Largest
Contact Ever with the ISS" and "Names in the News:  K6LCS Receives Special
Public Service Award" may be viewed at:
http://www.arnewsline.org/storage/scripts/nsln1838.txt