Archived ARISS status reports *********************** December 31, 2007 1. ARISS Contact to be Rescheduled Due to technical difficulties, the December 27 Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact scheduled with the 15 Korolev City School in Korolev, Russia was not successful. The contact will be rescheduled during January 2008. 2. ARISS Mentioned in QST The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) referred to Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) in its January 2008 QST. Under "This Just In" there was a section that read, "Astronauts aboard the ISS completed 74 contacts with schools during 2007, an ARISS record." 3. AMSAT Names ARISS in Mission Plans The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT) 2007 President’s Report includes the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) educational program in its Mission and Vision Statements. The report has been posted to the AMSAT Web site. See: http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/index.php *********************** December 24, 2007 1. Upcoming ARISS Contact with Russian School An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled with the 15 Korolev City School in Korolev, Russia on Thursday, December 27 at 10:07 UTC. Fifth graders will speak with flight engineer Yuri Makenchenko, RK3DUP, via the telebridge station ON4ISS in Belgium. The audio for this event will be fed into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) Conference Room servers. It may also be fed into the IRLP Discovery Reflector 9010. 2. ARISS International Team Meeting Held The monthly Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) teleconference was held on Tuesday, December 18. The topics discussed included the 2008 Face to Face Meeting to be held in Moscow, Russia, the progress being made on SuitSat-2 and the Kenwood radio software reload status. Minutes will be posted to the ARISS Web site in the near future. 3. Astronaut Gives Talk on ARISS at AMRASE Conference The first AMRASE International Aerospace Research Conference was held on December 8 in Rio de Janeiro. Brazilian astronaut Marcos Pontes was one of the speakers at the meeting. Pontes gave a presentation on his training and his participation in the Centenario Mission onboard the ISS. He also talked about the importance the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program plays in the education of youth. See: http://www.amrase.org/english.html *********************** December 17, 2007 1. ARISS - Russian School Contact Kursk State Polytechnic University in Kursk, Russia experienced an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Friday, December 14. The students and faculty had previously participated in other ARISS contacts from Kursk, Sochi and Mt. Elbrus with Expedition 15 commander Fyodor Yurchikhin, RN3FI. On this occasion, the students were scheduled to speak with flight engineerYuri Malenchenko, RK3DUP. 2. ARISS School Application Updated The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) team has finalized the updated ARISS school contact application forms. The updated forms have been posted on the ARISS Web site. See: http://www.rac.ca/ariss/oindex.htm 3. Kenwood Radio Software Approved The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) team’s request to have the Memory Control Program (MCP) software added to the Expedition 17 SSC load has been approved. Once onboard, a crew member will be tasked to restore the Kenwood radio to its proper launch configuration. 4. ARISS SuitSat-2 Status The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) team has obtained solar panels for the SuitSat-2 project. Testing continues on the RF and power systems. A SuitSat-2 status presentation was given at the 2007 Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT) Space Symposium held in Pittsburgh in October. It has been posted on the AMSAT Web site. See: http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/Presentations/AMSAT%20Symposiums/2007%20Symposium/Suitsat%202%20Rev%20E%20Symp%2007.pdf 5. ARRL Article on STS-122 Mission The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) ran an article on the STS-122 shuttle mission status. The shuttle will deliver the Columbus module with the installed Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) antennas. See: http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2007/12/11/100/?nc=1 *********************** December 10, 2007 1. Status of ARISS School Contacts Due to the very demanding schedules of the ISS onboard crew, no Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contacts have been planned at this time. The ARISS team expects contacts to resume once STS-122 launches in early January 2008. 2. Crew Debrief Scheduled An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) crew debrief has been scheduled with Clay Anderson, KD5PLA. The debrief session is planned for Tuesday, December 11. Anderson’s participation in 21 contacts helped ARISS reach a record number of 39 school contacts during Expedition 15. 3. ARISS International Teleconference The next Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) International Team teleconference has been scheduled for Tuesday, December 18. The agenda will include the next face to face meeting and SuitSat-2 status. *********************** December 3, 2007 1. Status of ARISS School Contacts Due to the very demanding schedules of the crew onboard the ISS, no Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contacts have been planned at this time. The ARISS team expects contacts to resume once STS-122 launches this month. 2. ARRL Article on ARISS School Contact Status The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) ran a Web story on the status of Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) school contacts. Seventy-four contacts were performed during 2007, reducing the backlog of schools waiting for a contact and making this a good time to submit new applications. See: http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2007/11/29/100/?nc=1 3. ARISS School Application Updated The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) team has been working on an updated school application package. The new and updated forms have been submitted to the ARISS delegates for their review and comments. The application is expected to be finalized by the end of this month. 4. ARRL Story on ARISS Antennas The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) posted an article about the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) antennas on the Columbus Module which is expected to launch on Thursday, December 6. The story, “ARISS Antennas Set to Launch on NASA Mission in December,” was posted in the ARRL Letter and on the ARRL Web site. To view the ARRL Letter, see: http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/07/1130/ The Web site article may be found here: http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2007/11/30/101/?nc=1 *********************** November 26, 2007 1. ARISS School Contacts Status Due to the very demanding schedules of the crew onboard the ISS, no Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contacts have been planned at this time. The ARISS team expects contacts to resume once STS-122 launches in December. 2. ARISS International Team Meeting Held The monthly meeting of Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) International Team was held on Tuesday, November 20. Topics of discussion included the next face to face meeting and SuitSat-2 status. The minutes have been posted to the ARISS Web site. See: http://www.rac.ca/ariss/arisstel2007-11-20.htm 3. ARISS Radio Running Packet Operations The Kenwood radio was turned off for EVAs. It is on again and configured to run packet operations. 4. ARISS Crew Debriefs A crew debrief has been tentatively scheduled with Clay Anderson, KD5PLA, on December 11. Another debrief is planned for spaceflight participant Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor for early December. *********************** November 19, 2007 1. ARISS School Contacts Status Due to the very demanding schedules of the crew onboard the ISS, no Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contacts have been planned at this time. The ARISS team expects contacts to resume once STS-122 launches in December. 2. Columbus Module Installed in Atlantis Payload Bay Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) antennas were installed on the nadir of the Columbus Module in October. The Columbus Module has been moved to the Atlantis payload bay in preparation for a December 6 launch. An article has been posted on the ARISS-Europe Web site. See: http://www.ariss-eu.org/2007_11_18.htm 3. Amateur Radio Day Article Midlakes Intermediate School participated in Amateur Radio Day on November 2 in celebration of Pam Melroy’s STS-120 mission. The local paper ran an article on the event. See: http://www.mpnnow.com/news/x9494626 4. Video Posted of Pontes Radio Contact The first Brazilian astronaut Marcos Pontes, PY0AEB, flew on the ISS in April, 2006. He participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact and made a few radio contacts with the public. Fabiano Moser, PY5RX, was one of those who spoke with Pontes. Upon returning to Earth, Pontes presented Fabiano with a gift during a public speech in Bauru, Brazil commemorating his ISS contact. A video of Pontes during the radio contact with Fabiano was recorded by US astronaut Bill McArthur on the ISS. The video may be found on this website: http://iss.ontwikkel.nl 5. ARISS Mentioned in QST The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) covered Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) in its December issue of QST. Under "Media Hits" (page 12) is a paragraph about the Macomb Daily and the Detroit Free Press -- two articles talking about the September ARISS contact with Martin Luther King Academy in Mount Clemens, Michigan. On page 62 is a section about the ARRL/TAPR (Tucson Amateur Packet Radio) 26th Annual Digital Communications Conference held on September 28-30, in Hartford, Connecticut. A list is given on the presentation topics, including a talk on SuitSat-2. Also on page 62-63 is an article: "Hams Named to Key NASA Positions" listing Ellen Ochoa, KB5TZZ, named as deputy director at JSC, and Bob Cabana, KC5HBV, named director of NASA Stennis Space Center. *********************** November 12, 2007 1. ARISS School Contacts Status Due to the very demanding schedules of the crew onboard the ISS, no Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contacts have been planned at this time. The ARISS team expects contacts to resume once STS-122 launches in December. For a more complete status of the ARISS program, go to: http://www.amsat.org/amsat/archive/sarex/10day/msg01446.html 2. Amateur Radio Day Includes ARISS Program The Ontario County Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Services (RACES) planned a few events in honor of local native Pam Melroy’s STS-120 mission. Midlakes Intermediate School in Clifton Springs, New York was one of eight schools that participated in a video Web conference with Sandy Magnus, KC5FYE, on October 31 which was viewed by 3447 students and 160 teachers. The conference received television and newspaper coverage. On November 2, the school held an “Amateur Radio Day” in which nearly 300 students and 25 teachers participated. The day began with an assembly, followed by a number of activities. Local amateur radio operators gave an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) and satellite presentation. They provided an outdoor antenna exercise, demonstrated tracking software and covered wave theory with a signal generator and oscilloscope. There was also an outdoor transmitter hunt, a special event HF station and a “Send you name in Morse Code” exercise. An Internet Radio Linking Project (IRLP) contact was made through node 5400 in Manchester, England. Media outlets reported on the event. Students and teachers requested information on how to get licensed. The radio club will supply Technician License Manuals to the school’s library. 3. DLN ARISS Module Johnson Space Center is developing a module on the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program for the Digital Learning Network (DLN). The module will incorporate ARISS lesson plans. Thousands of school children are reached through DLN each year. *********************** November 5, 2007 1. ARISS - Italian School Contacts Successful IIS Deambrosis-Natta in Sestri Levante and the Engineering Faculty of the University of L’Aquila, Italy experienced an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Monday, October 29. Approximately 200 attended IIS Deambrosis-Natta and another 350 students, teachers and correspondents were present at the University of L’Aquila. STS-120 Commander Pam Melroy first greeted the students and then Paolo Nespoli, IZ0JPA, answered thirteen questions posed to him over two consecutive passes. Newspapers, television stations and radio stations reported on the event. The audio from this event was fed into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) servers, and into the Internet Radio Linking Project (IRLP) Discovery Reflector 9010. A summary of the contact was posted to the ARISS-Europe Web site with audio and a photograph. See: http://www.ariss-eu.org/2007_10_29.htm The European Space Agency (ESA) ran an article on the ARISS contact: http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Esperia/SEMJC4FWB8F_0.html 2. Second Successful School Contact with Italian Schools On Wednesday, October 31, students attending Liceo Scientifico G.Galilei in Civitavecchia, Roma and others at ITI-LST Mottura in Caltanisetta, Italy participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact. ESA astronaut Paolo Nespoli, IZ0JPA answered 10 questions from as many students during the question and answer session. Approximately 200 and 300 students were in attendance from Civitavecchia and Caltanisetta, respectively. Audio from this event was fed into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) servers and received 14 connections including 3 repeaters, from 8 countries. The audio was also fed into the Internet Radio Linking Project (IRLP) Discovery Reflector 9010. Television stations, radio stations and newspapers covered the event. For more information, see the ARISS-Europe Web site: http://www.ariss-eu.org/2007_11_02.htm The European Space Agency (ESA) ran a story on the Nespoli contact. See: http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Esperia/SEMAT1NHE8F_0.html 3. Malaysian School Contacts Update Malaysian space visitor Dr. Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor, 9W2MUS, participated in the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program while on board the ISS. Five different groups of Malaysian school children gathered at the National Planetarium in Kuala Lumpur and spoke with Shukor, directly via 9M2RPN. All five of the successful contacts took place over the week of October 14. Approximately 90 people attended each of the 1st and 3rd- 5th sessions; the second contact had an audience of 50 students, teachers and others. The National Planetarium provided the youth with shows related to space exploration during their visits and each student was issued a QSL (postcard) to commemorate the event. NASA astronaut Robert “Hoot” Gibson was present during the final session and gave talks about space. Three television stations, one radio station and 5 newspapers covered these events. 4. Status of ARISS School Contacts Schedule Due to the very demanding schedules of the crew onboard the ISS, no Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contacts have been planned at this time. The ARISS team expects contacts to resume once STS-122 launches in December. For a more complete status of the ARISS program, go to: http://www.amsat.org/amsat/archive/sarex/10day/msg01446.html 5. AMSAT Space Symposium Presentation The 2007 Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT) Space Symposium was held on October 26 -28 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) Chairman Frank Bauer’s presentation given during the conference has been posted to the AMSAT Web site. See: http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/Presentations/AMSAT%20Symposiums/2007%20Symposium/ *********************** October 29, 2007 1. Giosuè Carducci Contact, a Success The first Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact of Expedition 16 took place on Tuesday, October 23. Seventeen students from Giosuè Carducci in Santa Marinella, Italy asked one question each of Clay Anderson, KD5PLA as an audience of approximately 265 students, guests and reporters gathered for the event. The audio from this contact was fed into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) servers and received 22 connections, of which 3 were repeater nodes, from 6 countries. The audio was also fed into the Internet Radio Linking Project (IRLP) Discovery Reflector 9010. Two television stations, two radio stations and all local newspapers covered the event. A write up with photos and audio may be found on the ARISS-Europe Web site. See: http://www.ariss-eu.org/2007_10_24.htm 2. Upcoming School Contacts IIS Deambrosis-Natta in Sestri Levante, Genoa, Italy has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Monday, October 29 at 08:23 UTC. The high school emphasizes science and technology and has its own ham radio station, IK1XHI. Students are involved in two radio transmission projects: "Radio Transmissions Experiments for Educational Purposes" (www.iscra.net/radio_educational) and "Satellite Didattico" ("Educational Satellite"), (www.satellitedidattico.it – in Italian). Students from the Engineering Faculty of the University of L’Aquila will also participate in the event. The audio from this event will be fed into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) servers, as well as into the Internet Radio Linking Project (IRLP) Discovery Reflector 9010. It will also be available on the Discovery Reflector’s companion Web site: www.discoveryreflector.ca Liceo Scientifico G.Galilei in Civitavecchia, Roma, Italy has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Wednesday, October 31 at 07:33 UTC. Subjects studied at the high school include mathematics, physics, natural sciences and English. Students from ITI – LST Mottura will also participate in the event. ITI-LST Mottura provides courses in scientific and technological orientation, electrical engineering and automation, and the geo-environment. The ARISS question and answer session is planned with ESA astronaut Paolo Nespoli, IZ0JPA. Audio from this event will be fed into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) servers, as well as into the Internet Radio Linking Project (IRLP) Discovery Reflector 9010. It will also be available on the Discovery Reflector’s companion Web site: www.discoveryreflector.ca 3. AMSAT-NA Space Symposium The 2007 Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT) Annual Meeting and Space Symposium was held Friday – Sunday, October 26 -28 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Four presentations were given covering the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program. The ARISS contact with the Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children, the SuitSat-2 project status, human spaceflight, and the long term impact of the SAREX and ARISS programs were all presented. 4. ARRL Covers ARISS Antennas The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) ran a Web story on the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) antennas recently installed on the Columbus Module. See: http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2007/10/23/102/?nc=1 The ARRL Letter also carried a similar story on Friday, October 26. To view the article, “New ARISS Antennas Installed on Columbus,” see: http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/07/1026/ 5. Space Jamboree Article and Update A local newspaper, The Fountain County Neighbor, ran an article on the October 6 Boy Scouts of America Space Jamboree held at Camp Robert Drake in Oakwood, Illinois. The Scouts participated in a NASA Mission to Mars Expedition through a Digital Learning Lab and approximately 400 witnessed an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact. Over one hundred scouts earned their Radio Merit Badges during the event. *********************** October 22, 2007 1. Five Malaysian School Contacts Successful Malaysian space visitor Dr. Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor, 9W2MUS, participated in the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program while on board the ISS. Five different groups of Malaysian school children gathered at the National Planetarium in Kuala Lumpur and spoke with Shukor, direct via ground station 9M2RPN. All five of the successful contacts took place over the week of October 14. Former Shuttle astronaut, Robert "Hoot" Gibson attended the final ARISS event and also spoke to Shukor. Shukor returned to Earth on Sunday, October 21 with the Expedition 15 crew. The Star Online ran an article on the first contact with the Malaysian students. See: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/10/15/nation/19172923&sec=nation 2. Upcoming School Contact The first Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact of Expedition 16 has been scheduled for Tuesday, October 23 at 10:51 UTC with students, ages 13 – 14, from Giosuè Carducci in Santa Marinella, Italy. Princess Elettra Marconi visits the school annually as it runs a program, “Guglielmo Marconi.” The program covers the research and experiments which were conducted by Marconi at the National Radioelectric Centre located in Santa Marinella. The audio from this event will be fed into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) servers, as well as the Internet Radio Linking Project (IRLP) Discovery Reflector 9010. 3. AMSAT-NA Space Symposium The 2007 Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT) Annual Meeting and Space Symposium will be held Friday – Sunday, October 26 -28 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Among the presentations planned are four covering the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program. A talk will be given on the July 17 Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children-ARISS contact, another on the progress of the SuitSat-2 project, the third will cover human spaceflight and the fourth will be presented on the long term impact of the SAREX and ARISS programs. To view the agenda for these and other presentations, see: http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/symposium/2007/2007Presentations.php 4. ARISS International Team Teleconference Held The monthly Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) teleconference was held on Wednesday, October 17. Topics of discussion included the 2008 ARISS International Face to Face meeting, the Columbus antennas and SuitSat-2. A new Canadian delegate was also announced. Meeting minutes have been posted. See: http://www.rac.ca/ariss/arisstel2007-10-17.htm 5. ARISS Antennas on Columbus A write up on the Columbus Module ARISS antennas has been posted to the ARISS-Europe Web site. Photos of the antennas and movie clips of their installation and inspection are also available. See: http://www.ariss-eu.org/columbus.htm *********************** October 15, 2007 1. Isummasaqvik School Contact Successful On Wednesday, October 10, students from the Isummasaqvik School in Quaqtaq, Quebec participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact via the telebridge station ON4ISS in Belgium. Twenty students asked Clay Anderson, KD5PLA, one question each as approximately 100 students looked on. With time left over, teacher Laurie McFarlane got in two extra questions before losing contact with the ISS. The audio for this event was fed into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) conference room servers and received 22 connections, including 3 repeater nodes, from 8 countries. Among those countries that made connections were the Canary Islands, Denmark and Austria. The audio was also fed into the Internet Radio Linking Project (IRLP) Discovery Reflector 9010. *The Isummasaqvik School contact was the 39th contact made by the Expedition 15 crew members, surpassing Expedition 12 for the most contacts made during one increment.* 2. First Malaysian School Contact, a Success On Sunday, October 14, Malaysian students gathered at the National Planetarium in Kuala Lumpur and asked 16 questions of space visitor Dr. Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor, 9W2MUS, via amateur radio. Shukor was able to answer 11 of the questions before the ISS went over the horizon. The contact was coordinated through the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program and was webcasted on http://www.angkasa.gov.my/webtvAngkasa/index2.html The Malaysian Amateur Radio Transmitters’ Society (MARTS) has posted information about the Malaysian contacts on its website: http://www.marts.org.my/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=117&Itemid=1 3. Upcoming School Contacts While visiting the ISS, spaceflight participant Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor, 9W2MUS, plans to participate in the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program. He has been scheduled for 5 contacts with Malaysian students. Each group of students will gather at the National Planetarium in Kuala Lumpur and will experience a direct contact with Shukor through ground station 9M2RPN. The first contact took place on Sunday, October 14. The other four scheduled contacts follow. The events will be available by means of a webcast at: http://www.angkasa.gov.my/webtvAngkasa/index2.html Malaysian Group of Schools #2, Monday, October 15, 2007 at 16:06 UTC Malaysian Group of Schools #3, Tuesday, October 16, 2007 at16:28 UTC. Malaysian Group of Schools #4, Thursday, October 18, 2007 at 15:39 UTC Malaysian Group of Schools #5, Saturday, October 20, 2007 at 14:50 UTC An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for Tuesday, October 23 at 10:51 UTC with students, ages 13 – 14, from Giosuè Carducci in Santa Marinella, Italy. Princess Elettra Marconi visits the school annually as it runs its program, “Guglielmo Marconi.” The program covers the research and experiments which were conducted by Marconi at the National Radioelectric Centre located in Santa Marinella. 4. Columbus Module Status Two Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) antennas were installed on the Columbus Module on October 9 – 10. A European Aeronautic Defence and Space (EADS) team will proceed with tests of both antennas before launch. The Columbus Module will be delivered to the ISS via STS-122 in December. 5. ARRL Article on ARRL/TAPR Conference The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) ran a web story on the ARRL/TAPR conference over September 28-30. Among the presentations given during the meetings was an update on the SuitSat-2 project. See: http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2007/10/10/102/?nc=1 6. JOTA 2007 Jamboree on the Air (JOTA) 2007 will be held over the October 19 – 21 weekend. This event is sponsored by the World Scout Bureau and has become the largest international scouting event. Astronauts have been invited to participate; however, work duties may prevent them from doing so. 7. Development of ARISS Module for DLN Johnson Space Center is developing a module on the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program for the Digital Learning Network (DLN). Thousands of school children are reached through DLN each year. *********************** October 8, 2007 1. Anamizu Contact Successful On Saturday, October 6, students from seven elementary and junior high schools in Anamizu-town, Housu-gun Ishikawa, Japan gathered to ask Clay Anderson, KD5PLA, questions via an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact. Nearly six hundred students were expected to participate in this event and preparations leading up to and including the contact were to be covered by the media. More information will follow as it becomes available. 2. Boy Scouts Participate in ARISS Contact Boy Scouts from the Prairielands Council who attended the Space Jamboree in Oakwood, Illinois, experienced a successful Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Saturday, October 6 via the telebridge station VK4KHZ in Australia. All twenty questions which had been planned were asked and answered. Clay Anderson, KD5PLA, then answered an additional twelve for a total of 32 questions posed by thirteen of the scouts. Approximately 300 scouts, leaders, parents and one newspaper reporter attended the event. The audio was fed into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) conference room servers, receiving 30 connections, including 4 repeater nodes, from 9 countries. Among those countries listening were Poland, Denmark, Ukraine, and Thailand. The audio was also fed into the IRLP Discovery Reflector 9010. *The Prairielands Council contact was the 38th contact made by the Expedition 15 crew members, tying Expedition 12 for the most contacts made during one increment.* 3. Upcoming School Contacts An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for Isummasaqvik School in Quaqtaq, Quebec, Canada on Wednesday, October 10 at 18:32 UTC. The telebridge station ON4ISS in Belgium will assist in the contact. Approximately 100 students, from Kindergarten through high school levels, attend Isummasaqvik School. Kindergarten, first and second grades are taught in Inuttitut. When students reach the third grade, they are then taught in Inuktitut for half the day and begin to stream into either English or French. The school plans to hold a contest to create a mission patch to be worn on T-shirts by everyone participating in the contact. All classes will participate in space related projects which will be displayed in the school gym on the day of the contact. Media, members of the community and school board and other dignitaries will be invited. The school has plans to form a space club. The audio for this event will be fed into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) conference room servers; it will also be fed into the IRLP Discovery Reflector 9010. Malaysian space visitor Sheikh Shukor will launch into space with Expedition 16 crew members on Wednesday, October 10. While onboard the ISS, Shukor plans to participate in the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program. He has been scheduled for 5 contacts with Malaysian students. Each group of students will gather at the National Planetarium in Kuala Lumpur and will speak with Shukor, 9W2MUS, directly via 9M2RPN. The following contacts have been planned: Malaysian Group of Schools #1, Sunday, October 14, 2007 at 17:17 UTC Malaysian Group of Schools #2, Monday, October 15, 2007 at 16:06 UTC Malaysian Group of Schools #3, Tuesday, October 16, 2007 at16:28 UTC. Malaysian Group of Schools #4, Thursday, October 18, 2007 at 15:39 UTC Malaysian Group of Schools #5, Saturday, October 20, 2007 at 14:50 UTC 4. ARRL Article on 2008 Spaceflight Participant The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) ran a story on Richard Garriott, KE5QNX, (son of Owen Garriott, W5LFL) who will be a spaceflight participant next year, launching to the ISS in October 2008. Garriott plans to make Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contacts while onboard the ISS. See: http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2007/10/03/100/?nc=1 5. The ARRL Letter on ARISS The American Radio Relay League’s October 5 issue of the ARRL Letter posted two items on Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS). The first article covers Richard Garriott’s upcoming flight to the ISS and is entitled, “Son of First Ham to Operate in Space to Follow in Father's Footsteps.” The second article was written about the ARRL and Tucson Amateur Packet Radio (TAPR) Digital Communications conference held on September 28 -30 in Hartford, Connecticut. Several presentations were given during the meetings including an update on the SuitSat-2 project. To view the articles, see: http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/07/1005/ *********************** October 1, 2007 1. Heidelberg University Contact Successful On Monday, September 25, students from Heidelberg University for Applied Sciences in Germany experienced an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact via the telebridge station WH6PN in Hawaii. Clay Anderson, KD5PLA, answered one question from each of twenty students, as 200 youth gathered in the radio shack. Audio and video were linked to the main hall for other students to witness the contact. One television station, 6 radio stations and 4 newspapers covered the event. The audio from this contact was fed into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) conference room servers and received 24 connections including 2 repeater nodes. Among the 10 countries that tied in were Iceland, Philippines and Korea. Three connections from the U.S.A. and Canada were also made to the IRLP Discovery Reflector 9010; two tied into the streaming audio on its Web site. 2. ARISS Contact Achieved with Texas School An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact between students at the Art and Pat Goforth Elementary School in League City, Texas and Clay Anderson, KD5PLA, aboard the ISS took place on Wednesday, September 26 via the telebridge station WH6PN in Hawaii. Approximately 50 students, teachers and parents gathered in the school’s amphitheater as Anderson fielded 25 questions put to him by 13 students, the first question asked by his daughter. The contact was videotaped so that it could be shared with the rest of the school later in the day. Twenty-eight connections from seven countries were made to the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) conference room servers, seven of which were repeater nodes. 3. Smithsonian – ARISS Contact On Saturday, September 29, youth visiting the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact as part of its Family Day, “Commemorating 50 Years in Space.” The telebridge station WH6PN in Hawaii assisted in the contact. Gathered in the Space Race gallery, five children had 25 questions answered by Clay Anderson, KD5PLA. The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT) and ARISS booths were set up near the main entrance and generated much interest. Many local amateur radio operators attended to help out. Approximately 15,000 - 20,000 visitors were expected to attend the event throughout the day. The audio from this contact was fed into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) servers. Eighteen stations, two of which were repeaters, from 10 countries tied in. There were four connections to the IRLP Discovery Reflector 9010 from Canada, England and the United States. Two connections were made to IRLP’s streaming audio via the Web site. 4. Upcoming School Contacts An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for the Town of Anamizu ARISS School Contact Executive Committee in Anamizu-town, Housu-gun Ishikawa, Japan on Saturday, October 6 at 09:24 UTC. Six hundred students from seven elementary and junior high schools will participate in this event. Conversational English, computers, amateur radio and the International Space Station are the subject matter that will be studied in preparation for this event. Because this is the first ARISS contact within the prefecture of Ishikawa, all preparations leading up to and including the contact will be covered in the media. Prairielands Council, Boy Scouts of America in Champaign, Illinois has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Saturday, October 6 at 19:12 UTC via the telebridge station VK4KHZ in Australia. Prairielands Council is made up of three districts supporting Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts in Central Eastern Illinois and Central Western Indiana. Previously home to the Illini Jamboree, the largest Scouting Event in the Midwest (Central Region) which was cancelled, the Prairielands Council has created a new event, the Space Jamboree. Scouts attending will work on the Space Exploration Merit Badge requirements which include designing Mars missions and constructing Moon base models. They will design and launch water rockets and become familiar with robotic technology. Segway of Chicago will assist in robotics education and the FIRST program regional director will bring robots to this first annual Space Jamboree. The local rocket club will be providing rocket launches throughout the event, two during the outdoor viewing of the movie "October Sky." The youth are also expected to complete many of the Radio Merit Badge requirements. Television stations, radio stations and newspapers will report on the event. The audio for this event will be fed into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) conference room servers; it will also be fed into the IRLP Discovery Reflector 9010. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for Isummasaqvik School in Quaqtaq, Quebec, Canada on Wednesday, October 10 at 18:31 UTC. The telebridge station ON4ISS in Belgium will assist in the contact. Approximately 100 students, from Kindergarten through high school levels, attend Isummasaqvik School. Kindergarten, first and second grades are taught in Inuttitut. At grade 3, the students are then taught in Inuktitut for half the day and begin to stream into either English or French. The school plans to hold a contest to create a mission patch to be worn on T-shirts by everyone participating in the contact. All classes will participate in space related projects which will be displayed in the school gym on the day of the contact. Media, members of the community and school board and other dignitaries will be invited. The school has plans to form a space club. The audio for this event will be fed into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) conference room servers; it will also be fed into the IRLP Discovery Reflector 9010. 5. ARISS International Meeting Held An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) teleconference was held on Tuesday, September 25. Topics of discussion included a new telebridge station, status of the Columbus Module antennas and SuitSat-2. The minutes have been posted to the ARISS web site. See: http://www.rac.ca/ariss/arisstel2007-09-25.htm 6. Astronaut Training Status Astronaut Michael Barratt, KD5MIJ, participated in a simulated Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) school contact during a training session held the last week of September. Barratt is the backup for Michael Fincke on Expedition 18. 7. ARRL Article on NASA Hams The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) ran a Web story on Ellen Ochoa, KB5TZZ, and Bob Cabana, KC5HBV and their new positions within NASA. See: http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2007/09/24/100/?nc=1 8. ARISS Mentioned in QST The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) covered Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) in its October issue of QST. "This Just In" (p. 12) mentions Barbara Morgan as a crew member of STS-118. Under "In Brief" (p. 76) is a news item about Morgan’s background at NASA and in Amateur Radio and her plans for the ARISS school contact in which she participated. 9. ARRL Covers Amateur Radio Event for Youth The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) ran an article about the Young Astronaut’s Day workshop held at Georgia’s Museum of Aviation. The Middle Georgia Radio Association operated a special event station for the occasion, introducing youth to amateur radio including Amateur Radio on the ISS. See: http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2007/09/25/100/?nc=1 *********************** September 24, 2007 1. ARISS Contact with NASA Explorer School On Monday, September 17, students from Mitchell Elementary School, a NASA Explorer School (NES) in Ann Arbor, Michigan spoke with Clay Anderson, KD5PLA. Clay answered 7 questions posed to him by seven students. The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact was witnessed by 40 students, parents and educators. Also in attendance were the Mitchell NASA Explorer School Coordinators, Matt Krigbaum and Lisa Thompson and a board member from Ann Arbor Public Schools. The event was broadcast via the local intranet to other class rooms and schools within the Ann Arbor Public School system. The audio from this event was fed into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) servers, and received 18 connections from 6 countries, including 3 repeaters. It was also fed into the IRLP Discovery Reflector 9010 which had 7 connections from the U.S.A. and Canada. Two listened to the streaming audio. 2. Successful ARISS Contact with Pueblo Magnet High School Pueblo Magnet High School in Tucson, Arizona experienced a successful Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Friday, September 21. Twenty-nine students asked 29 questions of Clay Anderson, KD5PLA as 30 others looked on. Approximately 1800 students watched the event on television throughout the school. A DVD of the contact is being prepared so that all other Tucson school students may view the event. Media coverage included one radio station, three television stations, two newspapers, and Pueblo Magnet’s video and journalism teams. The school used their radio club room for the contact which now maintains a fully functional satellite station. Students made SO-50 and AO-51Amateur Satellite contacts in preparation for the ISS Contact. The student video and journalism teams are working on a presentation about the radio club. Fourteen connections were made to the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) servers from 8 countries, including Brazil, Malaysia, Thailand and South Africa. To view the Arizona Daily Star article with accompanying video, see: http://www.azstarnet.com/metro/202565 The Tucson Citizen also ran an article which can be viewed on line: http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/daily/local/63702.php 3. Upcoming School Contacts An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been planned for Art and Pat Goforth Elementary School in League City, Texas on Wednesday, September 26 at 16:52 UTC via the telebridge station WH6PN in Hawaii. The school has a student body of which 25% of the children come from economically disadvantaged families and 12% receive special education. This event is a crew pick of Clay Anderson, KD5PLA. The audio for this event will be fed into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) conference room servers and into the IRLP Discovery Reflector 9010. The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Saturday, September 29 as part of its Family Day, “Commemorating 50 Years in Space.” It will take place at 16:28 UTC via the telebridge station WH6PN in Hawaii The overall theme of the day will be to celebrate at least one major event and object in the Museum’s collection for each decade of the space age. This event will focus on the ISS and the Shuttle program, and will acknowledge its sponsor, Charles Simonyi, who also participated in ARISS contacts with students while on the ISS. Visitors will be encouraged to participate in hands on activities during their time at the museum. Approximately 15,000 - 20,000 visitors are expected to attend throughout the day. The event will be promoted on the National Air and Space Museum’s website, (http://www.nasm.si.edu/events/eventDetail.cfm?eventID=664) advertised by e-flyer to a variety of lists, and have newspaper ads in the Express (a daily tabloid of the Washington Post with a daily circulation of 286,000) and The City Paper, an alternate newsweekly, with a weekly subscription of 85,000.) The audio for this event will be fed into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) Conference Room servers and into the IRLP Discovery Reflector 9010. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for the Town of Anamizu ARISS School Contact Executive Committee in Anamizu-town, Housu-gun Ishikawa, Japan on Saturday, October 6 at 09:24 UTC. Six hundred students from seven elementary and junior high schools will participate in this event. Conversational English, computers, amateur radio and the International Space Station are the subject matter that will be studied in preparation for this event. Because this is the first ARISS contact within the prefecture of Ishikawa, all preparations leading up to and including the contact will be covered in the media. Prairielands Council, Boy Scouts of America in Champaign, Illinois has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Saturday, October 6 at 19:12 UTC via the telebridge station VK4KHZ in Australia. Prairielands Council is made up of three districts supporting Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts in Central Eastern Illinois and Central Western Indiana. Previously home to the Illini Jamboree, the largest Scouting Event in the Midwest (Central Region) which was cancelled, the Prairielands Council has created a new event, the Space Jamboree. Scouts attending will work on the Space Exploration Merit Badge requirements which include designing Mars missions and constructing Moon base models. They will design and launch water rockets and become familiar with robotic technology. Segway of Chicago will assist in robotics education and the FIRST program regional director will bring robots to this first annual Space Jamboree. The local rocket club will be providing rocket launches throughout the event, two during the outdoor viewing of the movie "October Sky." The youth are also expected to complete many of the Radio Merit Badge requirements. Television stations, radio stations and newspapers will report on the event. 4. Westbrook Intermediate School Contact Update Students attending Westbrook Intermediate School in Clear Creek, Texas participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Friday, September 14. Six hundred fifty students and teachers were present to observe the contact and the rest of the student body watched via the school’s television system. To view the Houston Chronicle story, go to: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nb/bay/news/5146111.html The contact video is now available on the Clear Creek Independent School District website. See: www.ccisd.net 5. Article on King Academy - ARISS Contact On September 12, students from King Academy, Mount Clemens, Michigan participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact. The Detroit Free Press ran a story on the event. See: http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070923/CFP06/709230466/1112 6. Malaysian Spaceflight Participant to Engage in ARISS Contacts Malaysian spaceflight participant Sheikh Muszhaphar Shukor will launch into space with the Expedition 16 crew on October 10. Shukor has his Malaysian callsign, 9W2MUS, and expects to participate in several Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contacts during his 10 day visit to the ISS. *********************** September 17, 2007 1. ARISS Contact with M. L. King Academy Successful On Wednesday, September 12, students attending M. L. King Academy (formerly Alexander Macomb Academy) in Mount Clemens, Michigan experienced an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact. Clay Anderson, KD5PLA answered 25 questions put to him by ten students. A crowd of approximately 350 gathered to watch the contact with several television stations and newspapers in attendance to report on the event. The school board director was also present and is now encouraging other schools to submit applications to ARISS. The audio from this contact was fed into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) servers. It received 33 connections, including 6 repeater nodes, from 9 countries. Among those listening were China, Trinidad Tobago, Uruguay and Thailand. To view the Macomb Daily article covering the event, see: http://www.macombdaily.com/stories/091307/loc_students001.shtml 2. Successful ARISS Contact with Westbrook Intermediate Students from Westbrook Intermediate School in Clear Creek, Texas took part in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Friday, September 14. The contact was made possible with the assistance of telebridge station WH6PN in Hawaii. Twenty-four students asked one question each of Clay Anderson, KD5PLA. The audio from this event was fed into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) servers, receiving 28 connections from the U.S., Australia, Thailand and England, including 4 repeater nodes. 3. Upcoming School Contacts Mitchell Elementary School, a NASA Explorer School (NES), in Ann Arbor, Michigan has been slated for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact. The event is planned for Monday, September 17 at 13:39 UTC. The use of Amateur Radio provides for the integration of technology, math, science, geography, writing, reading, and speaking through hands on applications of these concepts. Amateur radio operators in Ann Arbor will present talks and demonstrations covering these concepts prior to the actual contact with the ISS. Through this experience, students will gain an understanding of amateur radio technology and it’s potential. Students will visit websites to view and listen to previous conversations with the astronauts. Mitchell Elementary will download and install tracking software onto the school lab computers to follow the space station as it passes by on the day of the contact. Using computer software, students will write essays explaining why they should be chosen to fly on the ISS. Local, state and federal officials will be invited to attend the event. Television, radio, newspapers, and the internet will cover the contact. The audio from this event will be fed into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) servers, and into the IRLP Discovery Reflector 9010. Pueblo Magnet High School in Tucson, Arizona plans to participate in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Friday, September 21 at 15:04 UTC. The school formed an Amateur Radio Club last year to involve students in math and science. Donations of radio equipment were made by the local Catalina and Green Valley Amateur Radio Clubs. Five students have already earned their Technician licenses and one has upgraded to General Class. Science, art, and the economic departments are involved in this endeavor; the Special Education department has also been included – some of the students who will participate in this event are autistic. Eighty percent of the students come from economically disadvantaged families. Local and national media coverage is anticipated. The audio from this event will be fed into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) servers, and into the IRLP Discovery Reflector 9010. Students from Heidelberg University for Applied Sciences in Heidelberg, Germany will experience an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Monday, September 24 at 08:00 UTC via the telebridge station WH6PN in Hawaii. The university is currently building a CubeSat satellite, “HeidelSat,” which will measure cosmic rays and has a planned launch date of September 2009. The satellite’s ground station will have a 4 meter satellite dish; expected completion date was July 2007. Weekly meetings are held to prepare students for their amateur radio license exams. In preparation for the contact, students will view films about Sputnik, Gagarin, Apollo 11, and Jules Vernes’ story “The travel to the Moon.” Stuttgart Professor Messerschmitt will speak to the students, and a presentation on HeidelSat will be given. The audio for this event will be fed into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) Conference Room servers. It will also be fed into the IRLP Discovery Reflector 9010. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been planned for Art and Pat Goforth Elementary School in League City, Texas on Friday, September 28 at 16:04 UTC via the telebridge station WH6PN in Hawaii. The school has a student body of which 25% of the children come from economically disadvantaged families and 12% receive special education. This event is a crew pick of Clay Anderson, KD5PLA. The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Saturday, September 29 as part of its Family Day, “Commemorating 50 Years in Space.” It will take place at 16:28 UTC via the telebridge station WH6PN in Hawaii The overall theme of the day will be to celebrate at least one major event and object in the Museum’s collection for each decade of the space age. This event will focus on the ISS and the Shuttle program, and will acknowledge its sponsor, Charles Simonyi, who also participated in ARISS contacts with students while on the ISS. Visitors will be encouraged to participate in hands on activities during their time at the museum. Approximately 15,000 - 20,000 visitors are expected to attend throughout the day. The event will be promoted on the National Air and Space Museum’s website, (http://www.nasm.si.edu/events/eventDetail.cfm?eventID=664) advertised by e-flyer to a variety of lists, and have newspaper ads in the Express (a daily tabloid of the Washington Post with a daily circulation of 286,000) and The City Paper, an alternate newsweekly, with a weekly subscription of 85,000.) The audio for this event will be fed into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) Conference Room servers and into the IRLP Discovery Reflector 9010. 4. Scouts Participate in SuitSat-2 Project On Saturday, September 15, approximately 58 boys, ages 6-18, from cub scout packs 983, 977, 778, 997, troop 993 and ham radio explorer post 599 in Maricopa, Arizona met to assemble two non-flight safety boxes for SuitSat-2. The scouts also drew pictures to be included on the SuitSat-2 DVD. Afterwards, the older boys were taught how to solder and lace cables. Photos from the explorer scouts may be found on this site: http://www.briansnapped.com/content/pics/SuitSat_2007/ 5. ISS Radio Running Packet Operations On Tuesday, September 11, the Kenwood radio was turned on and configured to run Packet operations. The Amateur Radio community world wide has been very pleased to have this capability restored. 6. ARRL Letter on Ashland Greenwood Contact On Friday, September 7, The ARRL Letter ran a story on the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) Section Manager Matt Anderson, KA0BOJ, who initiated the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact at Ashland-Greenwood High School in Ashland, Nebraska on August 29. See: http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/07/0907/ 7. Astronaut Training Status On Wednesday, September 12, astronaut Koichi Wakata, KC5ZTA, participated in a simulated amateur radio school contact. Wakata is slated to fly on the shuttle STS-126 mission. *********************** September 10, 2007 1. Successful Contact with Gail Borden Public Library Youth from Elgin, Illinois experienced an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Wednesday, September 5. Astronaut Clay Anderson, KD5PLA, fielded 20 questions put to him by 16 children visiting the Gail Borden Public Library. The contact was held in conjunction with the multi-media educational exhibit “SPACE: Dare to Dream.” Approximately 100 people witnessed the contact, including the mayor of Elgin and three city council members. Two administrators from School District U-46 attended, as did reporters from the Daily Herald and Elgin Courier newspapers. Children were interviewed pre-contact by WGN Radio and the event was reported on by WBBM News Radio 780 in Chicago. Video was also streamed over the internet. The audio from this event was fed into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) servers, and received 16 connections from 6 countries and 3 repeater nodes. Five connections were also made to the IRLP Discovery Reflector 9010. The Courier News ran an article covering the event: http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/couriernews/news/544694,3_1_EL06_A1SPACE_S1.article To view the Daily Herald story, complete with slide show and audio, see: http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=32229 2. Upcoming School Contacts An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for M. L. King Academy (formerly Alexander Macomb Academy) in Mount Clemens, Michigan on Wednesday, September 12 at 14:59 UTC. The academy is a Title 1 school located in a suburb of Detroit and has a population of approximately 66% African American and 30% Caucasian students. Nearly 80% of the students and their families are economically disadvantaged. Students in grades K- 6 will study space and the history of spaceflight. They will participate in related hands on activities and will use several resources available on the NASA education website. As a result of their space science research, lower grades will create posters and upper grades will produce Power Point presentations. All students will be able to witness the contact through the school’s television equipment. Media outlets have been invited to report on the event. The audio from this contact will be fed into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) servers, as well as being fed into the IRLP Discovery Reflector 9010. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) event has been planned for Westbrook Intermediate School in Clear Creek, Texas on Friday, September 14 at 18:48 UTC via the telebridge station W6SRJ in California. Westbrook is a gifted and talented (GT) magnet school with a program known as Webster Academy – Visions in Education (WAVE), which started at Webster Academy in 1996. This GT magnet brings together over 500 gifted and talented students from across the district to participate in a unique program design. One of the opportunities available to WAVE students is an amateur radio license class. In partnership with the Clear Lake Amateur Radio Club, over 300 students have earned their ham radio license over the last 8 years. At any time, there are approximately 100 hams in attendance at the school. Students and teachers have discussed the ARISS contact in their classes, and all students have participated in the development of questions for Clay Anderson. The Clear Creek Independent School District office of media relations has been notified of the event. The contact will be conducted in the school gym in order to accommodate as many students as possible. The audio from this event will be fed into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) servers, as well as being fed into the IRLP Discovery Reflector 9010. Mitchell Elementary School, a NASA Explorer School (NES), in Ann Arbor, Michigan has been slated for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact. The event is planned for Monday, September 17 at 13:39 UTC. The use of Amateur Radio provides for the integration of technology, math, science, geography, writing, reading, and speaking through hands on applications of these concepts. Amateur radio operators in Ann Arbor will present talks and demonstrations covering these concepts prior to the actual contact with the ISS. Through this experience, students will gain an understanding of amateur radio technology and it’s potential. Students will visit websites to view and listen to previous conversations with the astronauts. Mitchell Elementary will download and install tracking software onto the school lab computers to follow the space station as it passes by on the day of the contact. Using computer software, students will write essays explaining why they should be chosen to fly on the ISS. Local, state and federal officials will be invited to attend the event. Television, radio, newspapers, and the internet will cover the contact. The audio from this event will be fed into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) servers, and into the IRLP Discovery Reflector 9010. Pueblo Magnet High School in Tucson, Arizona plans to participate in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Friday, September 21 at 15:04 UTC. The school formed an Amateur Radio Club last year to involve students in math and science. Donations of radio equipment were made by the local Catalina and Green Valley Amateur Radio Clubs. Five students have already earned their Technician licenses and one has upgraded to General Class. Science, art, and the economic departments are involved in this endeavor; the Special Education department has also been included – some students who will participate in this event are autistic. Eighty percent of the students come from economically disadvantaged families. Local and national media coverage is anticipated. The audio from this event will be fed into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) servers, and into the IRLP Discovery Reflector 9010. 3. ARISS - Ashland Greenwood Contact Receives Publicity Omaha Newstand.com ran an article on the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact with Ashland Greenwood High School. The contact took place on August 29. See: http://www.zwire.com/site/index.cfm?newsid=18782692&BRD=2712&PAG=461&dept_id=556245&rfi=8 *********************** September 3, 2007 1. ARISS - Amagasaki Contact Successful On Tuesday, August 28, Amagasaki Child Science Hall in Amagasaki, Hyogo, Japan experienced an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact. Astronaut Clay Anderson, KD5PLA, answered twenty questions put to him by seventeen students. The contact was organized in part to help celebrate the 90th anniversary of the founding of Amagasaki City. Children studied the history of Amagasaki, its economic growth and the environmental issues associated with that growth. Through this contact, students learned about space and were able to practice their English. More information will follow when available. 2. Successful ARISS Contact with Ashland Greenwood High School On Wednesday, August 29, an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact took place between Ashland Greenwood High School in Ashland, Nebraska and Clay Anderson, KD5PLA, aboard the ISS. Anderson, an Ashland Greenwood alumnus, answered 24 questions posed to him by 8 students, as twenty-one people gathered around the radio. The contact was broadcast on the school’s cable television station so that all 839 students could listen in. It was also available on the school’s website and publicized to the parents. Reporters from three television stations, three newspapers and one radio station covered the event. Twenty-four ham stations from 7 countries connected to EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) servers, including 4 repeater nodes. IRLP received 10 connections from the U.S.A. and Scotland and 7 connections to the streaming audio on its website. Video of the event may be viewed on the News radio 1110 KFAB website. See: http://www.kfab.com/cc-common/news/sections/newsarticle.html?feed=159377&article=2577691 The Ashland Greenwood Public School website posted this story: http://news.agps.org/vnews/display.v/ART/2007/08/28/46d5ea4755cdd The Lincoln ARC posted news clips from Channel 8 and Channel 10/11. See: http://www.146760.net/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1188431470/0 The Journal Star, the Omaha World-Herald and KETV also ran articles: http://journalstar.com/articles/2007/08/30/news/local/doc46d60ab04e864109929910.txt http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2798&u_sid=10119034 http://www.ketv.com/technology/14006509/detail.html 3. Upcoming School Contacts Gail Borden Public Library in Elgin, Illinois has been slated for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Wednesday, September 5 at 18:44 UTC. A multi-media educational exhibit entitled, “SPACE: Dare to Dream,” will be on display for four months and is expected to draw 350,000 people of all ages. The exhibit will include the Forest of Dreams where the night sky rises, Galileo’s studios, and a Saturn V section. Other NASA exhibits will be on display, all to encourage the public to join the library’s reading program – “Mission: Read.” In addition to these ongoing displays, many special programs with presentations and hands on activities will be offered throughout the summer. Veteran astronaut Dr. Janice Voss visited on July 10. On the day of the event, space videos will be shown and a slideshow of the crew and earth observation photos will be presented during the contact. As a conclusion to the event, the staff will run the video, “NASA back to the Moon.” The collaborative exhibit and program partners are Adler Planetarium, Chicago, IL; Fermilab, Batavia, IL; Planetary Studies Foundation, Galena, IL; Lizzadro Museum of Lapidary Art, Elmhurst, IL; NASA Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, OH; SciTech, Aurora, IL. Extensive media coverage is planned through newspapers, magazines, television, radio and the internet. Gail Borden plans to webcast this event on http://www.gailborden.info/webcast/ariss/index.html. The audio will also be fed into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) servers, as well as being fed into the IRLP Discovery Reflector 9010. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for M. L. King Academy (formerly Alexander Macomb Academy) in Mount Clemens, Michigan on Tuesday, September 11 at 16:06 UTC. The academy is a Title 1 school located in a suburb of Detroit and has a population of approximately 66% African American and 30% Caucasian students. Nearly 80% of the students and their families are economically disadvantaged. Students in grades K- 6 will study space and the history of spaceflight. They will participate in related hands on activities and will use several resources available on the NASA education website. As a result of their space science research, lower grades will create posters and upper grades will produce Power Point presentations. All students will be able to witness the contact through the school’s television equipment. Media outlets have been invited to report on the event. The audio from this event will be fed into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) servers, as well as being fed into the IRLP Discovery Reflector 9010. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) event has been planned for Westbrook Intermediate School in Clear Creek, Texas on Friday, September 14 at 18:40 UTC via the telebridge station W6SRJ in California. Westbrook is a gifted and talented magnet school with a program known as Webster Academy – Visions in Education (WAVE), which started at Webster Academy in 1996. The audio from this event will be fed into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) servers, as well as being fed into the IRLP Discovery Reflector 9010. 4. Article on Richmond Community Center Contact The Queens Courier ran an article on the August 7 Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact with the One Stop Richmond Community Center in New York. See: http://www.queenscourier.com/articles/2007/08/24/news/regional_news/queens_courier/news/news16.txt 5. Nanjing – ARISS Contact Publicity On Sunday, August 26, China’s Nanjing No. 3 High School in Nanjing, Jiangsu participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact – the first for China. It received extensive media coverage. Video of the contact may be found at: http://tech.sina.com.cn/d/bn/2007-08-26/19421289.shtml A photo report may be viewed here: http://en.chinafotopress.com/index/onegroup?gid=1717212 For articles covering the event, see: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2007-08/27/content_6058744.htm http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-08/27/content_6608493.htm http://english.sina.com/life/p/1/2007/0826/123028.html *********************** August 27, 2007 1. ARISS Contact with Nanjing, China, a Huge Success On Sunday, August 26, the first Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact with a Chinese school was performed with youth from Nanjing No. 3 High School in Nanjing, Jiangsu. Twenty students spoke with astronaut Clay Anderson, KD5PLA. Twenty questions were asked and answered as approximately 300 students and parents looked on. A vice-director of MII (Chinese FCC) was present during the contact, as well as a vice mayor of Nanjing and a group of 60 local government officials. Mr. Chen, BA1HAM, and Mr.Tong, BA1AA, two of the veterans in Chinese Amateur Radio Society, also attended. Local hams and businesses supported the students with the contact. ARISS Chairman Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, was invited to speak via teleconference to the students and other participants prior to the contact. Ten television stations, including local, provincial, and national stations, as well as another television team from Hong Kong reported on the event. The news story was also picked up by several radio stations, and was broadcasted live in several provinces across China. It was also covered by thirty newspapers. Live video of the contact was also available on sina.com and qq.com, which are two major internet news portals in China, and they also put the contact on their front pages as featured reports. A headline about the upcoming school contact in China was posted on the MSN startup window, so every Chinese MSN messenger user would see this notice. Many other websites published their own press releases. Through all media avenues, more than 100 million people were reached! The audio for this event was fed into EchoLink AMSAT (101 377), JSDXC (337 784) and JK1ZRW (277 208) servers, receiving 106 connections from 10 countries, of which five were repeater nodes. (A fourth server in Bangkok was also used, although it was not monitored for connections.) The audio was also fed into the IRLP Discovery Reflector 9010 and received 5 connections and another 9 picked up on the streaming audio. Several press releases may be viewed on the following sites: http://www.lifeofguangzhou.com/node_10/node_37/node_85/2007/08/20/118757580225767.shtml www.nanjing.gov.cn/pub/english/today/njnew/society/200708/t20070808_219253.htm http://en.0437.gov.cn/dispArticle.Asp?ID=1581 http://nanjingbbs.org/bbs/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=7973 http://english.qianlong.com/article1.jsp?oid=23244189 http://en.implight.net/node/54595 http://www.ariss.cn/ (video) 2. Upcoming School Contacts Amagasaki Child Science Hall, located in Amagasaki, Hyogo, Japan has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Tuesday, August 28 at 08:27 UTC. The children are learning the history of Amagasaki, its economic growth and the problems associated with its growth (such as pollution). They will cover environmental issues and weather patterns that occur globally, and will discuss the purpose of the ISS. An engineer will be invited to speak to the children and arrange for a tour at his company’s research institute to increase the children’s interest in space. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been planned for Ashland Greenwood High School in Ashland, Nebraska on Wednesday, August 29 at 15:59 UTC. A NASA committee was formed at the school, comprised of teachers from grades K-12, in order to promote earth and space science. The school will present one space fact per day to the students over a five week period and at the end of this time a contest will be held to see who remembers the most facts. Clay Anderson, KD5PLA, is an alumnus of the school and visited students there in March 2007. Information about him has been posted to a website, http://www.agps.org/ . This event is expected to receive newspaper and television coverage. The ARISS EchoLink and IRLP teams plan on feeding the audio from this contact into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) servers, as well as feeding this audio into the IRLP Discovery Reflector 9010. It is then available via the Discovery Reflectors companion web site www.discoveryreflector.ca . Gail Borden Public Library in Elgin, Illinois has been slated for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Wednesday, September 5 at 18:38 UTC. A multi-media educational exhibit entitled, “SPACE: Dare to Dream,” will be on display for four months and is expected to draw 350,000 people of all ages. The exhibit will include the Forest of Dreams where the night sky rises, Galileo’s studios, and a Saturn V section. Other NASA exhibits will be on display, all to encourage the public to join the library’s reading program – “Mission: Read.” In addition to these ongoing displays, many special programs with presentations and hands on activities will be offered throughout the summer. Veteran astronaut Dr. Janice Voss visited on July 10. On the day of the event, space videos will be shown and a slideshow of the crew and earth observation photos will be presented during the contact. In concluding the event, the staff will run the video, “NASA back to the Moon.” The collaborative exhibit and program partners are Adler Planetarium, Chicago, IL; Fermilab, Batavia, IL; Planetary Studies Foundation, Galena, IL; Lizzadro Museum of Lapidary Art, Elmhurst, IL; NASA Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, OH; SciTech, Aurora, IL. Extensive media coverage is planned through newspapers, magazines, television, radio and the internet. 3. ARISS International Meeting Held The monthly Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) International Team teleconference was held on Tuesday, August 21. Topics discussed included the Malaysian space participant, SuitSat-2 and Columbus Module antennas. The minutes have been posted to the ARISS website. See: http://www.rac.ca/ariss/arisstel2007-08-21.htm *********************** August 20, 2007 1. University Students Radio ISS Fifteen students who attend Kursk State University in Russia experienced a successful Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Thursday, August 9. The students spoke with cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin, RN3FI, on board the ISS from Mount Elbrus in the Caucasus Mountains, Russia. 2. ARISS Contact with Teacher Barbara Morgan, Successful The McCall-Donnelly School District in McCall, Idaho participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Thursday, August 16, via the telebridge station VK5ZAI in Australia. The school district consists of two high schools, one middle school, and two elementary schools and approximately 900 students. During the contact, eleven students asked one question each of Barbara Morgan, KD5VNP, in front of an audience of 300. Local media outlets in McCall, Idaho were present to cover the news. EchoLink received 19 connections, including three repeater nodes; among the 8 countries tying in were Thailand, Malaysia and the Ukraine. The audio was also fed into the IRLP Discovery Reflector 9010 and 8 stations from Canada, the USA, England and Australia joined in. The event was aired live on NASA TV and can be heard online and via podcast. To listen to the contact audio and to view the printed questions and answers, go to: http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/podcasting/STS118_morgan_radio.html Space.com ran an article on Morgan’s space activities including the ARISS contact with the McCall-Donnelly School District. See: http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/070816_sts118_morgan_idaho.html 3. Upcoming School Contacts Nanjing No. 3 High School in Nanjing, Jiangsu, P.R. China has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Sunday, August 26 at 10:49 UTC. To prepare for the contact, elective courses will be offered on amateur radio and contests will be held to determine the best essays and cartoons concerning ARISS. Other schools in the area will be invited to the event. The school has an active amateur radio club which was established in 1992 and has been a five time winner of the national youth amateur radio contest. Local hams and businesses will support the students with the contact. Extensive media coverage is expected from newspapers, television and radio stations and the internet. The audio for this event will be fed into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377), the JSDXC (337 784) and JK1ZRW (277 208) servers. The audio from this event is also planned to be fed into the IRLP Discovery Reflector 9010. Amagasaki Child Science Hall, located in Amagasaki, Hyogo, Japan has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Tuesday, August 28 at 08:27 UTC. The children will learn the history of Amagasaki, its economic growth and the problems associated with its growth, such as pollution. They will cover environmental issues and weather patterns that occur globally, and will discuss the purpose of the ISS. An engineer will be invited to speak to the children and will arrange for a tour at his company’s research institute to increase the children’s interest in space. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been planned for Ashland Greenwood High School in Ashland, Nebraska on Wednesday, August 29 at 15:59 UTC. A NASA committee was formed at the school, comprised of teachers from grades K-12, in order to promote earth and space science. The school will present one space fact per day to the students over a five week period and at the end of this time a contest will be held to see who remembers the most facts. Clay Anderson, KD5PLA, is an alumnus of the school and visited students there in March 2007. Information about him has been posted to a website, http://www.agps.org/ . This event is expected to receive newspaper and television coverage. This contact is a Clay Anderson crew pick. 4. Gail Borden Public Library to Contact ISS via Amateur Radio The Gail Borden Public Library in Elgin, Illinois, has been tentatively scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact during the week of September 3. The Daily Herald has published an article covering the upcoming contact. See: http://www.dailyherald.com/search/searchstory.asp?id=340680 Gail Borden Public Library has posted its own press release on the event. See: http://www.gailborden.info/LivewithISS.html 5. ARRL Article on the Arnold Palmer ARISS Contact The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) ran a web story on the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact with the Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children. See: http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2007/08/16/101/?nc=1 6. Article on Upcoming ARISS - China Contact The Peoples Daily Online ran an article on the upcoming Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact with the Nanjing No. 3 High School in Nanjing, Jiangsu, P.R. China. The article has been posted in two parts. To view the story, see: http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90781/90876/6240550.html http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90781/90876/6240552.html 7. ARRL Letter Covers ARISS Activities The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) Letter ran a short story on the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact with the Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children. It also ran another article on the upcoming contact with Nanjing, China. To view the stories, “ARISS Contact with Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children” and “First Chinese ARISS Contact Scheduled,” go to: http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/07/0817/ 8. ARISS Video to be Presented at AMSAT Symposium The Orlando, Florida Area Coordinator for AMSAT is currently working on a presentation to be given at the 2007 Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT) Space Symposium which will be held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on October 26- 28. The presentation will include video from the July 17 Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact with the Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children. *********************** August 13, 2007 1. ARISS Contact with New York Community Center On Tuesday, August 7, an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact took place between the One Stop Richmond Hill Community Center in Queens, New York and Clay Anderson, KD5PLA, via the telebridge station WH6PN in Hawaii. Twelve students had 23 questions answered by the astronaut as a gathering of 50 people looked on. There was some press interest in the event and the center expects to receive local media coverage. Eleven stations connected to EchoLink from the USA and England, including 3 repeater nodes. 2. Upcoming School Contact Nanjing No. 3 High School in Nanjing, Jiangsu, P.R. China has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Sunday, August 26 at 10:44 UTC. To prepare for the contact, elective courses will be offered on amateur radio and contests will be held to determine the best essays and cartoons concerning ARISS. Other schools in the area will be invited to the event. The school has an active amateur radio club which was established in 1992 and has been a five time winner of the national youth amateur radio contest. Local hams and businesses will support the students with the contact. Extensive media coverage is expected from newspapers, television and radio stations and the internet. 3. ARRL Article on Educator Astronaut The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) ran a web story on Barbara Morgan, KD5VNP, and the STS-118 mission. Morgan plans to talk with school children in Idaho during her flight. See: http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2007/08/08/100/?nc=1 *********************** August 6, 2007 1. 100th Anniversary of Scouts Celebrated with ARISS Contact On Saturday, August 4, an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact took place between scouts attending the 21st World Scout Jamboree in Chelmsford, England and Clay Anderson, KD5PLA, aboard the ISS. Ten scouts were able to ask two questions each of the astronaut using the special event station, GB100J. Approximately 40,000 scouts from 200 countries attended the jamboree. Audio was broadcast on the jamboree FM radio station and was webcast on the radio station’s website. The audio was also fed into the EchoLink JK1ZRW (277 208) server and received 50 connections from stations in12 countries including 6 repeaters nodes. Video and audio may be found on this site: http://www.g6lvb.com/GB100JISS.wmv 2. Upcoming School Contact An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact with the One Stop Richmond Hill Community Center in Queens, New York has been scheduled for Tuesday, August 7 at 13:25 UTC via the telebridge station WH6PN in Hawaii. The Richmond Hill Community Center began as a block association 37 years ago. It expanded to become the One Stop Richmond Hill Community Center and serves the neighborhood with many programs including children's summer camp, citizenship and English as a Second Language courses, after school tutoring for neighborhood children, Mommy and Me preschool programs, Videoconference and Computer Technology after school and summer program for elementary school children, local civilian patrol and a Community Emergency Response Team program (CERT). The community center also holds meetings regularly to get neighborhood feedback and concerns to solve local area problems. 3. ARRL Monthly Publication Covers ARISS The August issue of the American Radio Relay League’s QST mentions Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) media coverage two times in the column, “Media Hits,” found under This Just In, written by Allen Pitts. *********************** July 30, 2007 1. ARISS Contact with Challenger Learning Center On Wednesday, July 25, children attending the Challenger Learning Center of Lucas County, Ohio experienced an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact. Astronaut Clay Anderson, KD5PLA, answered 26 questions posed to him by the 16 students as a crowd of approximately 80 gathered to watch. The audio from this event was fed into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) servers and received 23 connections, including 5 repeater nodes from several countries including Malaysia, Russia and Thailand. 2. Upcoming School Contact An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been planned for the 21st World Scout Jamboree in Chelmsford, England. A Special Event Station, GB100J, will operate at the Jamboree from July 27 to August 8, 2007. Approximately 40,000 scouts from 200 countries are expected to attend this event to celebrate the 100 anniversary of scouting, which originated in England. The audio will be broadcast on the Jamboree FM Radio Station and will be webcast on the radio station’s website. It will also be fed into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) servers, but it is unlikely that it will be fed into the IRLP Discovery Reflector 9010. The contact will take place on Saturday, August 4 at 21:10 UTC. 3. Crew Debrief Held On Tuesday, July 24, an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) crew debrief was held with Sunita Williams, KD5PLB. Williams, an ISS crew member during Expeditions 14 and 15, completed 33 ARISS contacts with school children around the world while aboard the ISS. She provided the ARISS team with positive feedback on her participation in the program. *********************** July 23, 2007 1. Successful ARISS Contact with Hospitalized Children On Tuesday, July 17, long term hospitalized children at the Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children in Orlando, Florida, spoke with astronaut Clay Anderson, KD5PLA, aboard the ISS, via the telebridge station W6SRJ in California. Anderson answered the children’s 20 questions which had been prepared for the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) event, and with extra time available, he answered an additional 13 posed to him by the 10 patients. An ARISS team member gave a presentation to the children covering amateur radio and the ARISS program. The audio was fed into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) servers, and into the IRLP Discovery Reflector 9010. Twenty connections were made to EchoLink, of which 7 were repeaters, from 8 countries, including the Czech Republic and Croatia. Central Florida News, Channel 13, ran a story with video on the event. See: http://www.cfnews13.com/Health/YourHealth/2007/7/18/sick_kids_get_special_talk_with_astronaut.html 2. Upcoming School Contacts The Challenger Learning Center of Lucas County, in Oregon, Ohio has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Wednesday, July 25 at 11:38 UTC. The center has a science lab that is used for the summer camp programs, and schools from northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan participate in the programs which reach approximately 3000 students each year. The audio from this event will be fed into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) servers, as well as being fed into the IRLP Discovery Reflector 9010. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been planned for the 21st World Scout Jamboree in Chelmsford, England. A Special Event Station, GB100J, will operate at the Jamboree from July 27 to August 8, 2007. Approximately 40,000 scouts from 200 countries are expected to attend this event. The audio will be broadcast on the Jamboree FM Radio Station and will be webcast on the radio station’s website. It will also be fed into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) servers, but it is unlikely that it will be fed into the IRLP Discovery Reflector 9010. The contact will take place on Saturday, August 4 at 21:10 UTC. 3. ARISS International Team Meeting Held An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) International Team teleconference was held on Tuesday, July 17. Agenda items covered included the ARISS Kenwood and Ericsson radio systems and SuitSat-2 status. Minutes have been posted to the ARISS website. See: http://www.rac.ca/ariss/arisstel2007-07-17.htm 4. Crew Debrief Scheduled A crew debriefing session with Expedition 14/15 member Sunita Williams has been tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, July 24. Williams completed 33 Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contacts with school children around the world while aboard the ISS. *********************** July 16, 2007 1. ARISS Contact with Canadian High School Students Manitoba high school students attending the Manitoba Space Adventure Camp held at the Canadian Air Force 17 Wing in Winnipeg spoke to Clay Anderson, KD5PLA, on Thursday, July 12. During the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact, Anderson answered 18 questions posed to him by twelve students, while other camp attendees and the media looked on. The event received excellent television coverage by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) and Canadian television (CTV). Four repeater nodes were among the 18 connections made to EchoLink by ham operators in Germany, India, Canada, USA, Japan, and the UK. The CBC news article can be viewed at this link: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/manitoba/story/2007/07/12/space-talk.html#skip300x250#skip300x250 The Winnipeg Sun article may be found here: http://www.winnipegsun.com/News/Manitoba/2007/07/13/4335853-sun.html Another cnews story has also been posted: http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Science/2007/07/12/4334628-cp.html 2. Upcoming School Contacts Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children in Orlando, Florida has been slated for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Tuesday, July 17 at 18:20 UTC via the telebridge station W6SRJ in California. The hospital plans on involving children who have been hospitalized long term with this contact. It will showcase the medical advancements made through space science which are available due to NASA and its research. An ARISS team member will give a presentation to the children on Amateur Radio on the International Space Station and an astronaut will also be invited to speak to the children. Lithographs will be distributed and children will design posters in anticipation of the contact. Newspapers and television stations will be invited to cover the event. The audio from this contact will be fed into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) servers, and into the IRLP Discovery Reflector 9010. The Challenger Learning Center of Lucas County, in Oregon, Ohio has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Wednesday, July 25 at 11:38 UTC. The center has a science lab that is used for the summer camp programs, and schools from northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan participate in the programs which reach approximately 3000 students each year. 3. ARISS TIM Held A productive Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) Technical Interchange Meeting (TIM) was held the week of July 9 -13 in Houston. Discussions included the ARISS radio systems, SuitSat-2 and education. *********************** July 9, 2007 1. Upcoming School Contacts Maples Collegiate in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Thursday, July 12 at 16:45 UTC. The school would like the ARISS contact to be part of the Win-Cube Project in Manitoba. Win-Cube is an innovative science and engineering project that includes students from 10 high schools in Manitoba who will participate in the design, construction, launch, and communication with a pico-satellite in low earth orbit. ARISS will provide students involved in the Win-Cube project with a real application of classroom learning with experiences like the ISS orbital elements and its relation to the availability of ground to orbit communication. Students with their amateur radio licenses will be able to take an active role in establishing and maintaining communication with the ISS. Media will include newspaper, radio, internet, and television coverage at the local and national level. The audio from this event will be fed into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) servers and will also be fed into the IRLP Discovery Reflector 9010. Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children in Orlando, Florida has been slated for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Tuesday, July 17 at 18:20 UTC via the telebridge station W6SRJ in California. The hospital plans on involving children, who have been hospitalized long term, with this contact. It will showcase the medical advancements made through space science, available due to NASA and its research. An ARISS team member will give a presentation to the children on Amateur Radio on the International Space Station and an astronaut will also be invited to speak to the children. Lithographs will be distributed and children will design posters in anticipation of the contact. Newspapers and television stations will be invited to cover the event. The audio for this event will be fed into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) servers, and into the IRLP Discovery Reflector 9010. 2. Challenger Learning Center Experiences Successful ARISS Contact On Saturday, July 7, children visiting the Challenger Learning Center of Alaska in Kenai experienced an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact. Clay Anderson, KD5PLA, answered 12 questions posed to him by the participating students and a few more from the audience. A crowd of approximately 50 people was expected to attend. Media coverage included a few newspapers. The Peninsula Clarion ran a web story on the event. See: http://www.peninsulaclarion.com/stories/070807/news_3014.shtml 3. ARISS TIM An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) Technical Interchange Meeting (TIM) will be held this week, July 9 -13, in Houston. Topics of discussion will include ARISS radio systems, SuitSat-2, and education issues. 4. Amateur Radio Newsline Article on ARISS Member Amateur Radio Newsline posted a story about ARISS member Tony Hutchison, VK5ZAI, who was named to the Wireless Institute of Australia (WIA) board position of Australian National Coordinator for Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS). Tony had recently given a talk on the ARISS education program to the board members. *********************** July 2, 2007 1. Upcoming School Contact The Challenger Learning Center of Alaska in Kenai, Alaska has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Saturday, July 7 at 19:47 UTC. The center engages Elementary and Middle school students in space exploration, science, math and technology. Home schooled children will also be invited to participate in the contact and there is a possibility of reaching rural students through a School Access video conference. Workshops are planned prior to the contact to introduce children to the ISS, its mission and the crew’s responsibilities. Students will participate in poster and essay competitions related to space exploration. Media will be notified and coverage is expected on both a local and national level. 2. Astronaut Training Status Expedition 17 backup crew members Nicole Stott, KE5GJN, and Tim Kopra, KE5LUT, participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) training session on Wednesday, June 27. Using a Kenwood D700, the astronauts answered questions posed to them by the trainers, simulating a school contact aboard the ISS and allowing them to familiarize themselves with the operation of the radio system. 3. ARRL QST Articles The American Radio Relay League’s July QST included several news items about the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program: • An “In Brief” note about the ARRL Foundation granting an additional $2000 toward the cost of constructing and installing antennas on the new Columbus ISS module (page 12). • Two photos and a half column of print space on Space Day at the National Air and Space Museum (page 13). • Author Wayne Yoshida’s technical article on microwave radio (Wayne has written a number of QST items over the years) contained a footnote stating that the most memorable ham radio experience of his life was working in the press room as a volunteer at Johnson Space Center during the 1983 Owen Garriott flight aboard STS-9/Spacelab-1 where Owen made the first-ever ham radio contacts from space (page 30). • A half page special on Bill McArthur’s presentation at the ARRL annual Donor Reception (page 43). • Another 1/4 page on Bill McArthur meeting and greeting hams who came to ARRL’s booths during the Dayton Hamvention held on May 18 -20 (page 43-44). 4. ARRL Article on Sunita Williams The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) ran a web story on Sunita Williams, KD5PLB, who made 33 Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contacts while on board the ISS. See: http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2007/06/26/100/?nc=1 *********************** June 25, 2007 1. Upcoming School Contact The Challenger Learning Center of Alaska in Kenai, Alaska has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Saturday, July 7 at 19:43 UTC. The center engages Elementary and Middle school students in space exploration, science, math and technology. Home schooled children will also be invited to participate in the contact and there is a possibility of reaching rural students through a School Access video conference. Workshops are planned prior to the contact to introduce children to the ISS, its mission and the crew’s workload. Students will participate in poster and essay competitions related to space exploration. Media will be notified and coverage is expected on both a local and national level. 2. Amateur Radio Contact on Youth Day To celebrate Youth Day on Saturday, June 16, students in South Africa spoke with astronaut Bill McArthur, KC5ACR, via amateur radio. Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) member Hans van de Groenendaal, ZS6AKV, arranged the contact with a few undergraduates and other students from a high school radio club who had just earned their ham licenses a few days earlier. The headmaster was pleased with the outcome and plans to promote Amateur Radio as a major support subject at the school. 3. ARISS International Meeting Held An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) teleconference was held on Tuesday, June 19. Agenda items discussed included the next ARISS face to face meeting, SuitSat-2 and the Columbus Module antennas. Minutes from the meeting have been posted to the ARISS website. See: http://www.rac.ca/ariss/arisstel2007-06-19.htm *********************** June 18, 2007 1. Russian ARISS Contact Successful On Thursday, June 14, an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact was made between the International Congress of Slavic States Conference in Sochi, Russia and the ISS. Cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin, RN3FI participated in the event. 2. Upcoming School Contacts The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) team continues to work on scheduling school contacts for Expedition 15. 3. Technical Interchange Meeting The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) team is planning a Technical Interchange Meeting during the week of July 9 in Houston. The team plans to discuss radio system hardware, software and the SuitSat-2 project. 4. ARISS International Meeting The next Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) teleconference will be held on Tuesday, June 19. Agenda items to be discussed include the next ARISS face to face meeting, SuitSat-2 and the Columbus Module. *********************** June 11, 2007 1. Spanish School Experiences Successful ARISS Contact On Friday, June 8, students at the Colegio La Salle in Palencia, Spain experienced an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact via the telebridge station W6SRJ. Ten students asked 14 questions of Sunita Williams, KD5PLB as a crowd of 200 gathered to watch. Students from several schools visited the college to participate in the contact. Media coverage was extensive and included radio stations Cadena SER and RNE, television channels TVE1, Canal 4, CYL and television Palencia, and newspapers El mundo, and El norte de Castilla. The audio was fed into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) servers and into the IRLP Discovery Reflector 9010. EchoLink received eleven connections, of which two were repeaters, from 7 countries. 2. Upcoming School Contact An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been slated for the International Congress of Slavic States Conference in Sochi, Russia on the Black Sea. The event is scheduled for Thursday, June 14 at 15:32 UTC with cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin, RN3FI. 3. ARISS Crew Training A Russian ARISS team member provided Amateur Radio on the ISS training to the Expedition 16 backup crew. Timothy Kopra, KE5LUT, and Frank DeWinne, ON1DWN, participated. Photos are available: http://www.energia.ru/english/energia/iss/iss16/photo_06-04.html 4. Crew Debrief Held On Wednesday, June 6, a crew debriefing session was held with Expedition 14’s Michael Lopez-Alegria. The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) team received valuable feedback about the program’s strengths and weaknesses. 5. Air and Space on SuitSat-1 The Air and Space magazine ran an article entitled, “50 Ways to Space Out,” with SuitSat-1 designated as number 48. See: http://www.airspacemag.com/issues/2007/june-july/50-Ways-to-Space-Out.php The photo of SuitSat-1 may be found in the index: http://www.airspacemag.com/?gclid=CL6Zh5OzxYwCFQf_YAodpCXtmQ 6. Amateur Radio on NPR’s Hidden Kitchens Bill McArthur, KC5ACR, was interviewed by NPR’s Hidden Kitchens. McArthur talked about his time aboard the ISS and mentioned his Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contacts with school children who frequently asked the question about what he ate during his mission. The interview, which included audio clips of ham radio contacts, ran on June 7. The story, “Beyond Tang: Food in Space,” may be found on the internet, with audio, at: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=10792763 Audio from one of McArthur’s contacts (Mattie) was also posted. Go to: http://www.kitchensisters.org/news.htm 7. JSC Education Office Gains Ham Operator An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) member from the JSC Teaching from Space office received training and took and passed his amateur radio license exam. His training in amateur radio will enable him to more effectively participate in the ARISS program and with school partners. *********************** June 4, 2007 1. Belgian School Contact, a Success Students attending EFLS Sainte-Marie SUARLEE in Suarlee, Namur, Belgium participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Tuesday, May 29 via the telebridge station W6SRJ in California. Thirteen children were able to ask astronaut Sunita Williams, KD5PLB, one question each as an audience of 150 students, teachers and parents looked on. Students came from three area schools to take part in the event. Media coverage included newspapers and three television stations, both local and national. The audio of this contact was fed into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) servers, and received 15 connections from 7 countries, including 3 repeater nodes. It was also fed into the IRLP Discovery Reflector 9010. 2. 300th Successful ARISS Contact with NASA Teachers Workshop On Thursday, May 31, Sunita Williams, KD5PLB, answered 9 questions posed to her by instructors attending the NASA Johnson Space Center (Gilruth) Teacher to Teacher Workshop during an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact. Telebridge station WH6PN in Hawaii assisted in the event as approximately 300 K-12 teachers witnessed the event. Prior to the contact, an ARISS member gave a talk to the crowd and explained how an ARISS event gets students interested in math, science, history, geography, and language. Statistics were given on the number of students reached each year, contacts performed per year, and how many more students could participate via the internet and through general contacts. Bill McArthur, KC5ACR, and his activity while on board the ISS was mentioned as was the excitement created from the SuitSat-1 project. Teachers were also given information on the application process. The audio from this event was fed into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) servers. It received 17 connections, including 4 repeaters, from the U.S., England, Canada and Australia. It was also fed into the IRLP Discovery Reflector 9010 which received five connections from the USA and England. This event marked the 300th ARISS contact. 3. Upcoming School Contacts Colegio La Salle in Palencia, Spain has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Friday, June 8 at 10:55 UTC via the telebridge station W6SRJ. One hundred fifty students, ages 6 – 18, are enrolled at the school. Colegio La Salle provides opportunities for the children to pique their interest in technology and science and maintains a close relationship with the local astronomy society. Students from several schools will visit the college to participate in the upcoming ARISS event. The audio will be fed into the EchoLink *AMSAT* (101 377) and *JK1ZRW* (277 208) servers and into the IRLP Discovery Reflector 9010.  4. ARISS Presentation at Huntsville Hamfest A NASA engineer and amateur radio operator plans to give a presentation on the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program at the Huntsville Hamfest in Huntsville, Alabama, which is held annually during the third full weekend in August. This year the event, to be held on August 18 – 19, will also host the American Radio Relay League National Convention. For more information, see: http://www.hamfest.org/ 5. ARRL Article on New ISS Crew The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) ran a web story on STS-117 which is slated to launch on June 8. Astronaut Clay Anderson, KD5PLA, will replace Sunita Williams, KD5PLB on the ISS. See: http://www.arrl.org/?artid=7508 *********************** May 28, 2007 1. Toyon Elementary School Contact Successful On Monday, May 21, Toyon Elementary School in San Jose, California, experienced an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact. Sunita Williams, KD5PLB, answered 13 questions put to her by 13 children. Approximately 470 students attend the school. Toyon Elementary is a 2004 NASA Explorer School with minorities making up 87% of the school population. 2. Upcoming School Contacts EFLS Sainte-Marie SUARLEE in Suarlee, Namur, Belgium has been slated for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Tuesday, May 29 at 07:22 UTC via the telebridge station W6SRJ in California. The Sainte Marie School is located in Suarlee, a village in Wallonia, the French speaking region of Belgium. Sixty-five children, ages 3 - 12 attend the school. There are nineteen 10 – 12 year olds in the class who will participate in the question and answer session with the ISS. The students are excited to be participating in this contact and have been studying the distances between the planets of the solar system. They have also been using the Internet and newspapers to gather information about recent space activities. The audio of this event will be fed into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) servers, and into the IRLP Discovery Reflector 9010. NASA Johnson Space Center (Gilruth) Teacher to Teacher Workshop has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Thursday, May 31 at 17:32 UTC via the telebridge station WH6PN in Hawaii. Approximately 250 K-12 teachers from across the country will be participating in many sessions throughout the two day workshop including Constructive Chaos, Correcting Misconceptions in Science, Engineering Your Way to the Moon, Mars, and Beyond-CEV, Hooked on Math, NASA STS-118 Engineering Challenge, NCLB: Past, Present, and Future, Analogical Reasoning: Real-World Examples for Scientific Concepts, Engineering Design Challenges Program, NASA in Every Child’s World, Robotics, and many more. The event is a partnership between NASA and the U.S. Dept. of Education. U.S. Secretary of Education, Dr. Margaret Spellings and the AA for NASA Education, Dr. Joyce Winterton may attend. The audio of this event will be fed into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) servers, and into the IRLP Discovery Reflector 9010. 3. ARRL Covers ARISS Activities Published in the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) QST June issue (p. 24) is a letter to the editor about how John Spasojevich, K9COE, radio contact coordinator of the Boulder Hill Elementary School’s Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact, is still getting letters commending him on the event, from the school board, village officials, and parents. In addition, the children who participated in the contact are still wearing their ARISS t-shirts. The event took place on March 6, 2007. ARRL’s June QST (p. 78) also ran a column about space participant Charles Simonyi, KE7KDP, and his ARISS work. The article included a photo of him with cosmonauts Oleg Kotov and Fyodor Yurchikhin. 4. Kenwood Radio Status On Monday, May 21, Sunita Williams, KD5PLB, was able to restore a few commonly used configurations in the Kenwood radio. One of the modes that was partially restored was the packet system, although the operations will be on 145.825 simplex. Configurations of general voice communications and those used to support school contacts were also saved. A full restoration of the radio is required for a fully functional radio system. This requires access to a computer system and certification of the required software. *********************** May 21, 2007 1. Canadian School Contact Successful On Tuesday, May 15, students attending Barrhaven Public School in Ottawa, Ontario experienced an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact. Sunita Williams, KD5PLB, answered 21 questions posed to her by 11 students. The audio was fed into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) servers and received 19 connections from 5 countries. Audio was also webcast via NRC Canada and had 300 connections made by schools and other organizations. Approximately 500 witnessed the event including a representative from the Russian embassy. Corporate representatives also attended and have pledged support for future contacts. Some media outlets were present to report on the event. 2. NASA Explorer School Participates in ARISS Contact Kenneth J. Carberry Intermediate School, a 2004 NASA Explorer School, located in Emmett, Idaho participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Wednesday, May 16. Sunita Williams, KD5PLB, answered 16 questions posed to her by 10 students. Boise’s Channel 7, the Idaho Statesman, radio station KIDO, and another newspaper were present to cover the event. The Idaho Statesman posted a story to its website. See: http://www.idahostatesman.com/273/story/84570.html KTVB Channel 7 News posted a video of the event to its site. See: http://www.ktvb.com/video/index.html?nvid=144532 3. Upcoming School Contacts Toyon Elementary School in San Jose, California, a 2004 NASA Explorer School, has been slated for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Monday, May 21 at 17:21 UTC. Students will determine what experiments are being conducted on the ISS. They will research the astronauts and their backgrounds and write compositions based on their findings. A contest will be held to select questions which will be asked of the astronaut. A poster contest will be held and the posters will be displayed around town. Students and their families will be invited to the school’s Family Science Event which will feature guest speakers and hands on activities. EFLS Sainte-Marie SUARLEE in Suarlee, Namur, Belgium has been slated for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Tuesday, May 29 at 07:22 UTC via the telebridge station W6SRJ in California. The Sainte Marie School is located in Suarlee, a village in Wallonia, the French speaking region of Belgium. Sixty-five children, ages 3 - 12 attend the school. There are nineteen 10 – 12 year olds in the class that will participate in the question and answer session with the ISS. The students are excited to be participating in this contact and have been studying the distances between the planets of the solar system. They have also been using the Internet and newspapers to gather information about recent space activities. NASA Johnson Space Center (Gilruth) Teacher to Teacher Workshop has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Thursday, May 31 at 17:32 UTC via the telebridge station WH6PN in Hawaii. Approximately 250 K-12 teachers from across the country will be participating in many sessions throughout the two day workshop including Constructive Chaos, Correcting Misconceptions in Science, Engineering Your Way to the Moon, Mars, and Beyond-CEV, Hooked on Math, NASA STS-118 Engineering Challenge, NCLB: Past, Present, and Future, Analogical Reasoning: Real-World Examples for Scientific Concepts, Engineering Design Challenges Program, NASA in Every Child’s World, Robotics, and many more. The event is a partnership between NASA and the U.S. Dept. of Education. U.S. Secretary of Education, Dr. Margaret Spellings and the AA for NASA Education, Dr. Joyce Winterton may attend. 4. ARISS at Dayton Hamvention The Dayton Hamvention was held at the Hara Arena Complex in Dayton, Ohio over the May 18 – 20 weekend. The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) and the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT) both supported exhibit booths at the event. Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) was also represented there, as several ARISS members gave presentations on the program and the SuitSat-2 project. The Dayton Hamvention is an internationally attended amateur radio convention that draws crowds of 25,000 annually. ARISS Chairman Frank Bauer’s presentation, “ARISS and Future SuitSat Missions,” may be viewed on the AMSAT website. See: http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/Presentations/Dayton%20Hamvention/Dayton%202007%20Final.pdf Accompanying videos on Lunar Exploration and SuitSat-1 Deployment may also be viewed: http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/Presentations/Dayton%20Hamvention/Lunar_Exploration_Trailer.mp4 http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/Presentations/Dayton%20Hamvention/SuitSat Deploy (Short).wmv *********************** May 14, 2007 1. Sunset Mesa Schools Contact Successful On Wednesday, May 9, students attending Sunset Mesa Schools in Albuquerque, New Mexico participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact. Nine students were able to ask one question each of astronaut Sunita Williams, KD5PLB. The Sandoval County Amateur Radio Emergency Service (SCARES) assisted with the contact and gave a presentation on ham radio to the 400 students. Two local television stations covered the event. KOB, News Channel 4 ran an article on the contact. See: http://kob.com/article/stories/S81164.shtml?cat=515 2. Estarreja Contact Successful Escola Secundária de Estarreja in Portugal experienced an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Wednesday, May 9. Sunita Williams, KD5PLB, answered 11 questions put to her by seven students, all licensed ham operators, as approximately 200 students looked on. The contact was covered by nationwide and local television stations, a newspaper and a radio station. 3. Upcoming School Contacts An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for Barrhaven Public School in Ottawa, Ontario on Tuesday, May 15 at 15:27 UTC. The school is forming a space club which is open to first through fifth graders. Through this club, students will learn about the Space Station via the internet and guest speakers. They will track the ISS and plot its course. They will learn how to speak on the radio and work on related art projects such as posters, banners and murals. A contest will be held to create a mission patch which will be used on T shirts for the children. The media will be notified of the event. The audio for this event will be fed into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) servers. Kenneth J. Carberry Intermediate School, a 2004 NASA Explorer School, located in Emmett, Idaho has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Wednesday, May 16 at 18:52 UTC. Students will research and create a Space Program timeline. They will research ISS astronauts and the countries involved with the Space Station, and determine the research being carried out onboard. They will also design posters to announce the upcoming event. Toyon Elementary School in San Jose, California, a 2004 NASA Explorer School, has been slated for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Monday, May 21 at 17:18 UTC. Students will determine what experiments are being conducted on the ISS. They will research the astronauts and their backgrounds and write compositions based on their findings. A contest will be held to select questions which will be asked of the astronaut. A poster contest will be held and the posters will be displayed around town. Students and their families will be invited to the school’s Family Science Event which will feature guest speakers and hands on activities. 4. Crew Debrief Scheduled The ARISS-U.S. team has been scheduled for a crew debrief with Michael Lopez-Alegria, KE5GTK. The Expedition 14 debrief is planned for Thursday, June 7. *********************** May 7, 2007 1. Successful ARISS Contact in Italy On Saturday, May 5, Liceo Scientifico Statale “Lorenzo Respighi” in Piacenza, Italy experienced an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact. Astronaut Sunita Williams, KD5PLB, answered 11 questions posed to her by eleven students, as an audience of approximately 150 looked on. An ARISS mentor set up live streaming audio on the AMSAT Italia website. Five newspapers and the television stations Telelibertà, Teleducato, Telecolor and RAI covered the event. This is the first school in Italy with an amateur radio station, callsign IZ4JSC, which was established for education, instruction and training. 2. German School Contact Successful Students from Erweiterte Realschule Weiskirchen in Weiskirchen, Saarland, Germany participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Saturday, May 5. Eighteen students posed one question each to Sunita Williams, KD5PLB, as 50 people gathered around the group to listen in. Two newspapers, “Saarbrücker Zeitung” and “Hochwald Rundschau,” covered the event. 3. ARISS - Space Day 2007 Event On Saturday, May 5, the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. celebrated Space Day 2007. The event included astronaut appearances, hands-on activities, and model rocket building. Local robotics teams demonstrated their projects with a robot petting zoo. Visitors were also able to view the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle. Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT) and Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) members participated in the event. An ARISS contact was scheduled with Sunita Williams, KD5PLB, and twelve children asked her one question each. The audio was fed into the EchoLink servers and received 14 connections from 7 countries, including 2 repeater nodes. Space Day draws approximately 10,000 visitors to the Air and Space Museum annually. 4. Santa Rosa Junior College Contact Successful Santa Rosa Junior College located in Santa Rosa, California, held its annual open house, “Day Under the Oaks,” on Sunday, May 6. Demonstrations were provided to the public including computer model building, planetarium shows and tours of the ARISS W6SRJ telebridge station. In addition, a robotics competition was held. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact was also scheduled as one of the activities during this event. Ten students spoke with astronaut Sunita Williams, KD5PLB. They were able to ask 14 questions before the ISS went over the horizon. There were several hundred people in attendance. As part of the “Day Under the Oaks” event, ARISS mentors handed out information packets to over 40 teachers. A north San Francisco newspaper, the Press Democrat, covered this very successful event. 5. Upcoming School Contacts Sunset Mesa School, a private school with an enrollment of 400 students, located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Wednesday, May 9 at 14:39 UTC. The contact will be integrated into the following areas of the school’s curriculum: science, social studies, technology, and language arts. Fifth grade students will study the earth’s atmosphere, radio waves, history of the ISS and the cultures of the countries supporting it. They will use the internet for their research and will practice interviewing skills to prepare for the event. The fifth graders will share what they have learned with the rest of the school. Escola Secundária de Estarreja in Portugal has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Wednesday, May 9 at 14:58 UTC. The school has an enrollment of 2000 students with its own amateur radio station, CT6ESE. Each year the Technology Department offers a week of amateur radio activities including lectures, practical applications, and lessons for those interested in taking their ham radio license exam. The Portuguese television networks as well as the local media have been invited to cover the event. The contact has the support of the local government and is being organized by REP (The National Ham-Radio Association) and the Central Portugal Ministry of Education branch. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for Barrhaven Public School in Ottawa, Ontario on Tuesday, May 15 at 15:27 UTC. The school is forming a space club which is open to first through fifth graders. Through this club, students will learn about the Space Station via the internet and guest speakers. They will track the ISS and plot its course. They will learn how to speak on the radio and work on related art projects such as posters, banners and murals. A contest will be held to create a mission patch which will be used on T shirts for the children. The media will be notified of the event. The audio for this event will be fed into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) servers. Kenneth J. Carberry Intermediate School located in Emmett, Idaho has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Wednesday, May 16 at 18:52 UTC. Students will research and create a Space Program timeline. They will research ISS astronauts and the countries involved with the Space Station, and determine the research being carried out onboard. They will also design posters to announce the upcoming event. 6. Astronaut Training Status An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) review session has been scheduled for astronaut Greg Chamitoff, KD5PKZ, on Tuesday, May 15. Chamitoff is scheduled to be a flight engineer on Expedition 18, flying to the ISS on STS-127 in 2008. 7. ARRL Article on ARISS School Contacts On May 4, the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) ran a web story on the last four Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contacts, entitled “Youngsters in Europe, US Get Front-Row Seats to Space via Ham Radio.” See: http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2007/05/04/101/?nc=1 8. ARRL Article on AMSAT Symposium 2007 The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) ran an article announcing the dates for this year’s Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT) Symposium. The conference will be held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on October 26 -28. See: http://www.arrl.org/?artid=7420 9. ARRL Makes Donation to Columbus Project The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) ran a story covering the donation made to the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station – Europe for its Columbus antennas. See: http://www.arrl.org/?artid=7423 *********************** April 30, 2007 1. ARISS – Scuola Europea Varese Contact Successful Scuola Europea Varese in Varese, Lombardia, Italy experienced an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Monday, April 23 via the telebridge station VK4KHZ in Australia. Sixteen students posed one question each to astronaut Sunita Williams, KD5PLB, in front of an audience of 300. Three newspapers, Corriere Della Sera, Varese News and Prealpina, and two television stations, Rete 55 and Tele 7 Laghi, covered the event. Audio from this contact was fed into EchoLink servers and received 14 connections from Romania, Australia, England, USA, and Thailand. Among those connecting were three link nodes and one repeater node. 2. Kingston School Contact Successful On Monday, April 23, students attending Kingston Elementary School in Virginia Beach, Virginia spoke with Sunita Williams, KD5PLB, via the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program. Thirteen children asked 16 questions of the astronaut. Media coverage included a newspaper and television station. The Virginia Pilot article may be viewed on: http://content.hamptonroads.com/story.cfm?story=123431&ran=116848 3. Illinois School Contact, a Success An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact took place between Christian Life Elementary School in Rockford, Illinois and Sunita Williams, KD5PLB, on Wednesday, April 25. Williams answered eleven questions posed to her by 11 children as 1200 students, teachers and parents observed from the audience. One radio station provided streaming audio. Three television stations and one newspaper reported the event. Audio was fed into EchoLink and twenty-four connections were made from 7 countries including China and Poland. There were 4 link nodes and 4 repeater nodes among those connecting. Audio was also fed into the IRLP Discovery Reflector 9010. One of the teachers who witnessed the event remarked, “What an awesome event! What an unforgettable experience! It will be something that will enrich our children’s lives for years to come.” WIFR, Channel 23, ran an article with video of the contact. See: http://www.wifr.com/news/headlines/7192966.html WREX-TV, Channel 13, ran this story: http://www.wrex.com/News/index.php?ID=17472 4. Germany Contact Successful On Saturday, April 28, students attending the Samuel-von-Pufendorf Gymnasium in Floeha, Germany participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact. Sunita Williams, KD5PLB, answered 18 questions posed to her by five students, who were all licensed amateur radio operators. Fifty people were in attendance. One television station (MDR), three radio stations and five newspapers covered the event. The audio was fed into the EchoLink servers and into the IRLP Discovery Reflector 9010. EchoLink received 34 connections from 13 countries including Poland, China, Philippines, Slovenia and Mexico. 5. Upcoming School Contacts Liceo Scientifico Statale “Lorenzo Respighi” in Piacenza, Italy has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Saturday, May 5 at 10:24 UTC. The school plans to incorporate this contact in their curriculum through studies including the law of gravitation, experiments in the absence of gravity, the International Space Station, and English. Italian Astronaut Roberto Vittori has also been invited to visit the school in conjunction with these lessons. Students will be required to work on interview skills, write reports and design posters. Media coverage will include television, radio, newspapers and website postings. Erweiterte Realschule Weiskirchen in Weiskirchen, Saarland, Germany has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International (ARISS) on Saturday, May 5 at 13:34 UTC. The school is one of eleven pilot schools participating in the “Innovative all-day school” project. A radio club was formed at the school. Students participating in the contact are responsible for all aspects of the event: obtaining and working with sponsors, catering, press, documentation and technology. Television and radio stations and the press have been notified. Sunset Mesa School, a private school with an enrollment of 400 students, located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Wednesday, May 9 at 14:39 UTC. The contact will be integrated into the following areas of the school’s curriculum: science, social studies, technology, and language arts. Fifth grade students will study the earth’s atmosphere, radio waves, history of the ISS and the cultures of the countries supporting it. They will use the internet for their research and will practice interviewing skills to prepare for the event. The fifth graders will share what they have learned with the rest of the school. Escola Secundária de Estarreja in Portugal has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Wednesday, May 9 at 14:58 UTC. The school has an enrollment of 2000 students with its own amateur radio station, CT6ESE. Each year the Technology Department offers a week of amateur radio activities including lectures, practical applications, and lessons for those interested in taking their ham radio license exam. The Portuguese television networks as well as the local media have been invited to cover the event. The contact has the support of the local government and is being organized by REP (The National Ham-Radio Association) and the Central Portugal Ministry of Education branch. 6. ARISS at Dayton Hamvention The Dayton Hamvention will be held at the Hara Arena Complex in Dayton, Ohio on May 18 - 20. The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) and the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT) will both support exhibit booths at the event. Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) will be well represented over this weekend. • ARISS Chairman Frank Bauer plans to give a presentation on “ARISS and Future SuitSat Missions” at the AMSAT forum. • Dr. Barry Cohen, K2JV, will speak at the Teachers’ Workshop on “Events Leading up to the ARISS QSO (Contact) at School.” • NASA Astronaut Bill McArthur, KC5ACR will offer a presentation on his ARISS contacts during Expedition 12. • ARISS Hardware Manager Lou McFadin will speak on SSTV, “SuitSat 2, Not the Same Suit.” • ARISS Delegate Rosalie White plans to speak on SuitSat-2 and related lesson plans. The Dayton Hamvention is an internationally attended amateur radio convention that draws crowds of 25,000 annually. 7. University School Contact Update Students from University School in Shaker Heights, Ohio took part in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact with astronaut Sunita Williams, KD5PLB, on March 16. The school has posted photos, audio and video of the event on its website. See: http://www.shaker.us.edu/ariss/ 8. ARRL Article on ARISS Status The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) ran a web story on the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) hardware status. See: http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2007/04/25/101/?nc=1 9. ARRL Article on ISS Crew Change The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) ran an article on the upcoming crew change. Flight Engineer Sunita Williams, KD5PLB, will be replaced by Clay Anderson, KD5PLA. Anderson will fly on STS-117, slated to launch on June 8. See: http://www.arrl.org/?artid=7412 *********************** April 23, 2007 1. ARISS – Redmond Contact Successful Students from Redmond High School in Washington State participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Monday, April 16 via the telebridge station ON4ISS in Belgium. Twenty students asked spaceflight participant Charles Simonyi, KE7KDP, twenty questions as approximately 120 students, parents, teachers and the media looked on. All four local television stations, KOMO Radio, Seattle Times, Redmond Reporter and Metro Radio (for a Westwood One national program) attended. The EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) servers received 27 connections, including 3 repeaters, from 10 countries. Among those countries listening in were Croatia, Portugal, Argentina, and Switzerland. The contact was also webcast courtesy of Verizon Conferencing. To view some of the media coverage, see: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003669344_simonyi17e.html http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_041607WABsimonyi.1745e420.html http://www.kirotv.com/video/12165836/index.html http://www.komotv.com/news/7054477.html http://q13.trb.com/news/041607-kcpq-redmondspace,0,3107718.story?coll=kcpq-n ews-1 2. Kursk Contact Successful On Tuesday, April 17, an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact took place between the Kursk State Technical University in Russia and Expedition 15 Commander Fyodor N. Yurchikhin, RN3FI, on the ISS. Students had prepared eight questions for the contact which was successful. 3. Successful ARISS Contact with Cedar Point Elementary Cedar Point Elementary School in Bristow, Virginia experienced an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Tuesday, April 17 via the telebridge station VK5ZAI in Australia. Nine students asked 19 questions of space visitor Charles Simonyi, KE7KDP. The audio was fed into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) servers, and into the IRLP Discovery Reflector 9010. The contact was also webcast courtesy of Verizon Conferencing. Audio of the contact may be found on Simonyi’s website. See: http://www.charlesinspace.com 4. Upcoming School Contacts Scuola Europea Varese in Varese, Lombardia, Italy has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Monday, April 23 at 14:50 UTC via the telebridge station VK4KHZ in Australia. The school’s curriculum includes the study of Earth and the solar system, living organisms, natural forces, gravity and electricity. Students will visit a planetarium, research books and websites, and watch science related movies. They will write essays, produce plays and create drawings. Media outlets will cover the event and the school will produce its own multimedia presentation which will be passed on to other schools in the area. The team plans on feeding the audio from this contact into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) servers and into the IRLP Discovery Reflector 9010. Kingston Elementary School in Virginia Beach, Virginia has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Monday, April 23 at 18:43 UTC. Students from all grades will participate in activities in the Science, Math and Language Arts curricula related to this event which will include the study of space and weather. Virginia Beach City Public Schools’ Office of Media and Communication, Virginia Beach television, local newspapers and television stations, and Ham radio operators have been notified of this event. The audio from this contact will be fed into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) servers and into the IRLP Discovery Reflector 9010. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact will take place with Christian Life Elementary School in Rockford, Illinois. This event has been scheduled for Wednesday, April 25 at 19:21 UTC. Christian Life schools have participated in many NASA projects: the high school participated in the U.S. First Robotics Competition, the middle school applied to the NASA Explorer Schools program, and an elementary school teacher attended a NASA Educator Workshop. Elementary school students study the History of Flight, learn of NASA’s achievements and will be involved with robotics as they prepare for their ARISS contact. The team plans on feeding the audio from this contact into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) servers and into the IRLP Discovery Reflector 9010. Students attending the Samuel-von-Pufendorf Gymnasium in Floeha, Germany will participate in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Saturday, April 28 at 14:19 UTC. The school amateur radio club, DL0GYM, was established in 2003 and provides courses to prepare students for their radio license exams. Students are introduced to packet radio, satellite communications, Amateur Television (ATV), and Slow Scan Television (SSTV). The audio from this contact will be fed into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) servers and into the IRLP Discovery Reflector 9010. Liceo Scientifico Statale “Lorenzo Respighi” in Piacenza, Italy has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Saturday, May 5 at 10:24 UTC. The school plans to incorporate this contact in their curriculum through the study of the law of gravitation, experiments in the absence of gravity, the International Space Station, and English. Italian Astronaut Roberto Vittori has also been invited to visit the school in conjunction with these studies. Students will be required to work on interview skills, write reports and design posters. Media coverage will include television, radio, newspapers and website postings. Erweiterte Realschule Weiskirchen in Weiskirchen, Saarland, Germany has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International (ARISS) on Saturday, May 5 at 13:34 UTC. The school is one of eleven pilot schools participating in the “Innovative all-day school” project. A radio club was formed at the school. Students participating in the contact are responsible for all aspects of the event: sponsors, catering, press, documentation and technology. Television and radio stations and the press have been notified. 5. Simonyi Contacts with Public The U.K. BBC reported on an amateur radio contact between Matty Cunningham, MD0MAN, and Charles Simonyi, KE7KDP, on the International Space Station. The video clip can be seen at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/avdb/regions/north_west/video/89000/bb/89356_16x9_bb.asx “Space Mann” may be viewed at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/isleofman/content/articles/2007/04/16/spacemann_feature.shtml For the story, “Radio hams contact space station,” see: http://www.manxradio.com/readItem.aspx?ID=12064&cate=General 6. RSGB Runs Story on ARISS The Radio Society of Great Britain ran an article in its magazine, RadCom, which covered the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station and the Columbus Module radio system. The story reported on the request for funds from the IARU and AMSAT societies to support the project. 7. ARRL Article on ARISS Contacts The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) ran an article that covered several Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contacts with schools in Australia, the Netherlands, Russia, Hungary and the United States. The story, “Ham Radio Lets ISS Crew Members Connect with Schools Around the World,” may be found at: http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2007/04/18/101/?nc=1 *********************** April 16, 2007 1. Delta Researchers School Contact Successful Students from 14 Dutch primary schools, visiting ESA’s Space Expo in the Netherlands, participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Tuesday, April 10.The contact was arranged through the Dutch Ministry of Education Delta Researchers School (DRS) Programme. Telebridge station NN1SS in Greenbelt, Maryland supported the contact as eighteen students posed one question each to Michael Lopez-Alegria, KE5GTK, There was extensive media coverage- television, radio, and newspapers. Audio from this contact was fed into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) servers which received 13 connections from the Philippines, Japan, U.S.A., and Thailand; two of these were repeaters. IRLP Discovery Reflector 9010 received two connections and 6 listened into the Shoutcast audio. Verizon Conferencing also webcast the event. 2. Successful Contact with Salt Creek, Australia On Thursday, April 12, sixteen students from Salt Creek Primary School in Australia spoke to Sunita Williams, KD5PLB, via Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS). The telebridge station W6SRJ in California assisted in the contact. An ARISS member talked to the children prior to the contact about amateur radio, and presented Mike Fincke’s ISS tour video and the IMAX production, "The Dream is Alive." Audio from this contact was fed into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) servers. Eighteen connections were made from New Zealand, the U.S., Thailand and Canada, including 4 repeater nodes. Six nodes connected to IRLP Discovery Reflector 9010 from Canada, the U.S. and Australia and three tied into the streaming audio. The audio was also webcast by Verizon Conferencing. The event received television (WIN TV news), local newspaper and national radio (ABC) coverage. 3. ARISS – Fairborn Contact Successful Fairborn High School in Ohio experienced a successful Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Thursday, April 12 via the telebridge station VK4KHZ in Australia. Fifteen students asked a total of 29 questions of Charles Simonyi, KE7KDP. Audio was fed into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) servers, receiving 23 connections from the U.S., Thailand, Australia, the Netherlands, Japan and New Zealand. Two connections were made to IRLP Discovery Reflector 9010; 6 were made to Shoutcast. The audio was also webcast, courtesy of Verizon Conferencing. Channel 2 News reported on the event. The Fairborn Daily Herald and the Dayton Daily News both ran articles. To view, go to: http://www.fairborndailyherald.com/main.asp?Search=1&ArticleID=124690&SectionID=2&SubSectionID=&S=1 http://www.daytondailynews.com/n/content/oh/story/news/local/2007/04/13/ddn041307space.html 4. Hungarian School Contact with ISS, a Success Puskás Tivadar Távközlési Technikum in Budapest Hungary had a successful Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact with Hungarian born Charles Simonyi, KE7KDP, on Wednesday, April 12. Six students asked one question each of the space participant. Six countries made eighteen connections to Echolink. 5. Upcoming School Contacts Students from Redmond High School in Redmond, Washington, Charles Simonyi’s home town, plan to participate in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Monday, April 16 at 21:23 UTC via the telebridge station ON4ISS in Belgium. The ARISS team will feed the audio from this contact into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) servers, and into the IRLP Discovery Reflector 9010. The contact will also be webcast courtesy of Verizon Conferencing. To join the event: URL: https://e-meetings.mci.com CONFERENCE NUMBER: 6847634 PASSCODE: SPACE STATIO The Seattle Times ran a press release on the upcoming contact. See: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/htmal/localnews/2003664850_simonyi13e.html An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been slated for Tuesday, April 17 at 18:33 UTC, between the Kursk Technical University in Kursk, Russia and Commander Fyodor N. Yurchikhin, RN3FI. The school’s radio club, RW3WWW, was founded in 1965 and is a member of SPORADIC – the regional radio club and of the International Amateur Radio Union Region 1 Soyuz Radiolyubitelei Rossii (SRR). An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been planned for Cedar Point Elementary School in Bristow, Virginia on Tuesday, April 17 at19:12 UTC via the telebridge station VK5ZAI in Australia. A science encore program will be employed to teach amateur radio and communication technology to students in grades K-5. This contact will be held in conjunction with Space Week activities which will include a visit from an astronaut, science and technology of hot air ballooning, a Starlab Planetarium, and a Space Traveler trailer with 20 hands on activities related to traveling and living in space and space exploration. This contact is planned for flight participant Charles Simonyi, KE7KDP. The audio will be fed into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) servers, and into the IRLP Discovery Reflector 9010. The contact will also be webcast courtesy of Verizon Conferencing. Scuola Europea Varese in Varese, Lombardia, Italy has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Monday, April 23 at 14:40 UTC via the telebridge station VK4KHZ in Australia. The school’s curriculum includes the study of Earth and the solar system, living organisms, natural forces, gravity and electricity. Students will visit a planetarium, research books and websites, and watch related movies. They will write essays, produce plays and create drawings. Media outlets will cover the event and the school will produce its own multimedia presentation which will be passed on to other schools in the area. Kingston Elementary School in Virginia Beach, Virginia has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Monday, April 23 at 18:33 UTC. Students from all grades will participate in activities in the Science, Math and Language Arts curricula related to this event which will include the study of space and weather. Virginia Beach City Public Schools’ Office of Media and Communication, Virginia Beach television, local newspapers and television stations, and Ham radio operators have been notified of this event. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact will take place with Christian Life Elementary School in Rockford, Illinois. This event has been scheduled for Wednesday, April 25 at 19:10 UTC. Christian Life schools have participated in many NASA projects: the high school participated in the U.S. First Robotics Competition, the middle school applied to the NASA Explorer Schools, and an elementary teacher attended a NASA Educator Workshop. Elementary school students study the History of Flight, learn of NASA’s achievements and will be involved with robotics as they prepare for their ARISS contact. The team plans on feeding the audio from this contact into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) servers and into the IRLP Discovery Reflector 9010. Students attending the Samuel-von-Pufendorf Gymnasium in Floeha, Germany will participate in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Saturday, April 28 at 14:04 UTC. The school amateur radio club, DL0GYM, was established in 2003 and provides courses to prepare students for their radio license exams. Students are introduced to packet radio, satellite communications, Amateur Television (ATV), and Slow Scan Television (SSTV). 6. Simonyi Makes General Contacts Charles Simonyi, KE7KDP, made several amateur radio contacts with ground stations including those in Hawaii and the USA Northern West Coast. The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) ran an article on his contacts. See: http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2007/04/11/100/?nc=1 7. ARRL Article on New ISS Crew The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) ran a story on the Expedition 15 crew and space participant Charles Simonyi arriving at the Space Station and Simonyi’s planned Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contacts with 4 schools. See: http://www.arrl.org/?artid=7363 *********************** April 9, 2007 1. St. Michael’s Primary School Contact Successful On Monday, April 2, students from St. Michaels Primary School in Daceyville, New South Wales, Australia participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact. Sixteen students asked Michael Lopez-Alegria, KE5GTK, one question each as approximately 180 children in grades K-6 looked on. National television and newspapers covered the event. 2. Successful Contact with Glenden State School Glenden State School in Queensland, Australia experienced a successful Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Wednesday, April 4, 2007. Astronaut Sunita Williams, KD5PLB, answered questions from sixteen students and was answering the seventeenth question as the ISS went over the horizon. Approximately 400 teachers, students and others attended the event. A local news crew was there to film the event, and two radio interviews were held, one before the contact and one immediately after. Another local radio station publicized the event during the week prior to the contact. The audio from this contact was fed into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) servers. Among the eight countries that connected (a total of fifteen were made) were Macedonia, India and Ireland. 3. Upcoming School Contacts The Dutch Ministry of Education Delta Researchers School (DRS) Programme has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Tuesday, April 10 at 07:25 UTC via the telebridge station NN1SS in Greenbelt, Maryland. The program looks for ways to excite children’s interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), targeting 9 through 12 year olds, and especially girls. Media coverage will include television, radio, and newspapers. The ARISS EchoLink and IRLP teams will feed the audio from this contact into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) servers, and into the IRLP Discovery Reflector 9010. Verizon Conferencing will webcast the event. To join the event: URL: https://e-meetings.mci.com CONFERENCE NUMBER: 6734366 PASSCODE: SPACE STATIO Salt Creek Primary School in Salt Creek, Australia has been approved for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Thursday, April 12 at 03:10 UTC via the telebridge station W6SRJ in California. Salt Creek is a small rural school with an enrollment of twenty students located 80 km north of Kingston in South Australia. The school serves the sheep and cattle farmers in the area. Audio from this contact will be fed into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) servers, as well as into the IRLP Discovery Reflector 9010. The event will also be webcast, courtesy of Verizon Conferencing. To join the event: URL: https://e-meetings.mci.com CONFERENCE NUMBER: 6734469 PASSCODE: SPACE STATIO An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for Thursday, April 12 at 19:00 UTC with Fairborn High School students in Fairborn, Ohio. Telebridge station VK4KHZ in Australia will assist in the contact. Spaceflight participant Charles Simonyi, KE7KDP, would like to speak to a school related to aviation, and here the connection is to the Wright Brothers, Wilbur and Orville, and the Wright Flyer they designed. Audio from this contact will be fed into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) servers, as well as into the IRLP Discovery Reflector 9010. The event will also be webcast, courtesy of Verizon Conferencing. To join the event: URL: https://e-meetings.mci.com CONFERENCE NUMBER: 6734529 PASSCODE: SPACE STATIO Puskás Tivadar Távközlési Technikum in Budapest Hungary has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Wednesday, April 12 at 23:15 UTC. The School is a technical school that teaches telecommunications. It is the base school of the Hungarian Telecommunications Company, T-Com. The school radio club, HA5KHC, boasts the most members in Hungary. The contact will be held as part of a technical seminar with presentations on Space Tourism, humans in weightlessness, and PILLE - Hungarian equipment in space. Representatives from each grade will be present during the event. Lower grade students will write essays; upper grade students will hold classroom discussions on the contact. This contact is planned for flight participant Charles Simonyi, KE7KDP, who is from Hungary. Students from Redmond High School in Redmond, Washington, Charles Simonyi’s home town, plan to experience an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Monday, April 16 at 21:17 UTC via the telebridge station ON4ISS in Belgium. The ARISS EchoLink and IRLP teams will feed the audio from this contact into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) servers, and into the IRLP Discovery Reflector 9010. The contact will also be webcast courtesy of Verizon Conferencing. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been slated for Tuesday, April 17 at 18:35 UTC, between the Kursk Technical University in Kursk, Russia and Commander Fyodor N. Yurchikhin, RN3FI. The school’s radio club, RW3WWW, was founded in 1965 and is a member of SPORADIC – the Kursk amateur radio regional club and of the International Amateur Radio Union Region 1 Soyuz Radiolyubitelei Rossii (SRR). An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been planned for Cedar Point Elementary School in Bristow, Virginia on Tuesday, April 17 at19:05 UTC via the telebridge station VK5ZAI in Australia. A science encore program will be employed to teach amateur radio and communication technology to students in grades K-5. This contact will be held in conjunction with Space Week activities which will include a visit from an astronaut, science and technology of hot air ballooning, a Starlab Planetarium, and a Space Traveler trailer with 20 hands on activities related to traveling and living in space and space exploration. This contact is planned for flight participant Charles Simonyi, KE7KDP. The audio from this contact will be fed into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) servers, and into the IRLP Discovery Reflector 9010. The contact will also be webcast courtesy of Verizon Conferencing. 4. NA1SS Awarded JARL Award On Monday, April 2, the Japan Amateur Radio League (JARL) issued the All Japan Districts Award to the International Space Station, NA1SS. Astronauts using the station’s callsign NA1SS have contacted a school in all ten of Japan’s amateur radio call areas. 5. ARRL Article on Expedition 15 Crew The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) ran an article on the new ISS crew. “Fourth US Civilian Space Traveler, Expedition 15 ISS Crew Launch April 7” may be viewed on: http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2007/04/03/100/?nc=1 *********************** April 2, 2007 1. ISB School Contact Successful On Tuesday, March 27, students attending the International School of Brussels (ISB) in Belgium participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact via the telebridge station NN1SS in Greenbelt. An audience of 200 students, parents and teachers watched as sixteen students posed one question each to Sunita Williams, KD5PLB. ARISS delegate Gaston Bertels, ON4WF, gave a presentation on amateur radio and the ISS to the students who showed much enthusiasm. At least two of the children asked numerous questions on how to become an amateur radio operator. The audio from this contact was fed into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) servers and received 16 connections of which two were additional servers in Thailand. The following countries tied in: Cambodia, U.K., Italy, U.S.A., Japan, Thailand and the Netherlands. The audio was also webcast by Verizon Conferencing. ISB audio as well as pictures are available on: http://www.ariss-eu.org/2007_03_27.htm 2. Upcoming School Contacts An Amateur Radio on the International Space (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for St. Michael’s Primary School in Daceyville, New South Wales, Australia on Monday, April 2 at 23:35 UTC. Approximately 180 children in grades K-6 are enrolled at St. Michael’s. Students will learn about the ISS, its function and its crew. Students will create models of the Space Station and will participate in a competition to choose the best questions to be asked of the astronaut. National television and newspaper coverage is expected. Glenden State School in Glenden, Queensland, Australia has been slated for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Wednesday, April 4, 2007 at 22:39 UTC. The school will incorporate the contact into the science, social studies, art and math curricula for students in Preschool - Grade12. All students will contribute to a space museum by designing space art, posters and travel brochures. They may also design a space station and robotics for a space vehicle or write letters to NASA concerning careers available in the space industry. Parents and the community will be invited to Space Week to observe the products of these activities. Nights of star gazing and poetry contests will also be held. Television, newspapers and magazines have been notified of the event. The audio from this contact will be fed into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) servers, as well as into the IRLP Discovery Reflector 9010. Salt Creek Primary School in Salt Creek, Australia has been approved for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Thursday, April 12 at 03:10 UTC via the telebridge station W6SRJ in California, USA. Salt Creek is a small rural school with an enrollment of twenty students located 80 km north of Kingston in South Australia. The school serves the sheep and cattle farmers in the area. Audio from this contact will be fed into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) servers, as well as into the IRLP Discovery Reflector 9010. 3. ARRL Article Covers Belgium, Japan Contacts The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) ran a web story on the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contacts with the International School of Brussels and the Juvenile Space Club in Tatsuno. See: http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2007/03/30/101/?nc=1 4. Astronaut Training Status On Tuesday, March 27, Paolo Nespoli received the basic ISS Ham school contact training in preparation for anticipated school contacts to be conducted while he is visiting the ISS during the STS-120 (10A) mission. He was familiarized with both the Ericsson system located in the FGB and the Kenwood system located in the Service Module. Nespoli will be operating under his Italian amateur radio call IZ0JPA. 5. ARRL Article on Ohio, New York Contacts The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) article on the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contacts with the University School and East Aurora Middle School has been posted. To view the story, see: http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2007/03/26/100/?nc=1 6. McArthur to Attend ARRL Expo 2007 The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) ran a web story covering Bill McArthur’s attendance at the ARRL Expo at the Dayton Hamvention 2007 which will be held May 18 -20. See: http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2007/03/27/100/?nc=1 *********************** March 26, 2007 1. University School Contact Successful On Friday, March 16, students from University School in Shaker Heights, Ohio spoke with Sunita Williams, KD5PLB, via amateur radio. Twelve students asked 14 questions. Approximately 500 students, teachers and parents, as well as several local television and radio stations were present for the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) event. Audio was fed into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) servers via Skype and had 19 connections from stations located in 6 countries, including 2 repeaters. Radio station 90.3 FM, WCPN, covered the news. See: http://www.wcpn.org/news/2007/01-03/0320space.html 2. East Aurora Middle School Contact Successful East Aurora Middle School in East Aurora, New York experienced an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact via the telebridge station ZSBTD in South Africa on Monday, March 19. Eleven students each asked one question of Sunita Williams, KD5PLB, as 150 students, teachers, and parents looked on. Three television stations - WKBD (ABC), WIVB (CBS), and WGRZ (NBC) - and the local newspaper were present to cover the event. The audio was fed into the the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) servers, as well as the IRLP Discovery Reflector 9010. EchoLink received 11 connections, including 2 repeaters, from 5 countries. Two connections were made to IRLP from the U.S. and Canada. The audio was also webcast courtesy of Verizon Conferencing. East Aurora Union Free Schools’ website posted a write up. See: http://www.eaur.wnyric.org/popup_info.cfm?story=3887 3. Juvenile Space Club Contact Successful The Juvenile Space Club in Tatsuno, Tatsunomachi,