Archived ARISS status reports *********************** December 29, 2008 1. Upcoming School Contacts An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled with Technopolis in Mechelen, Belgium on Saturday, January 3 at 10:35 UTC via telebridge station VK4KHZ in Australia. The mission of Technopolis is to bring science and technology to the public. The center has permanent and temporary exhibits and organizes workshops, school activities and other outreach activities. The ARISS contact will be open to all school children 6 -18 years of age and will be supported through a workshop, lecture or science show. Aaxam Jatiya Vidyalaya in Guwahati, India has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Wednesday, January 7 at 07:54 UTC via telebridge station W6SRJ in California. Approximately 1300 students are enrolled at the school. All students are taught in Assamese with English taught as a compulsory second language. 2. Michigan Museum Contact Successful Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum in Ann Arbor, Michigan participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Saturday, December 27. Approximately 100 people witnessed the contact as 13 students posed one question each to Mike Fincke, KE5AIT. The audio was fed into the EchoLink AMSAT and JK1ZRW servers and received 15 connections from 8 countries. Three newspapers sent reporters to cover the event. The Ann Arbor News posted an article to its Web site. See: http://www.mlive.com/annarbor/stories/index.ssf?/base/news-30/1230450021247830.xml&coll=2 To view the Ann Arbor Chronicle story, go to: http://annarborchronicle.com/2008/12/27/to-infinity-and-beyond/ 3. Spaceflight Participants Interviewed Technology Review interviewed the ISS spaceflight participants. The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) equipment is mentioned. Go to: http://www.technologyreview.com/communications/21808/?a=f 4. AMSAT Report Posted The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT) held its 2008 Annual Meeting and Space Symposium in Atlanta, Georgia in October. The president’s State of AMSAT report includes a status on SuitSat-2. The report has been posted to the AMSAT Web site. See: http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/pdfs/2008_Annual_Meeting/2008-10-25_WD4ASW_Annual_Meeting.pdf *********************** December 22, 2008 1. Upcoming School Contacts Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum in Ann Arbor, Michigan has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Saturday, December 27 at 15:53 UTC. The museum provides opportunities to people of all ages to discover science, math and technology in an interactive environment. Science literacy is promoted through experimentation, exploration and education. Among the 200,000 that visit the museum annually are 36,000 students. The museum has received national recognition by the National Science Foundation, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and the Association of Science and Technology Centers. The Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum is consistently rated the Best Kids’ Activity in the annual “Best of Ann Arbor” list. Utilizing the amateur radio station exhibit at the museum to make contact with the ISS will provide validation of how technology can make such an event possible. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled with Technopolis in Mechelen, Belgium on Monday, December 29 at 11:43 UTC via telebridge station WH6PN in Hawaii. The mission of Technopolis is to bring science and technology to the public. The center has permanent and temporary exhibits and organizes workshops, school activities and other outreach activities. The ARISS contact will be open to all school children 6 -18 years of age and will be supported through a workshop, lecture or science show. 2. Canadian School Contact Successful Students from King George Elementary School in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada took part in a question and answer session with Sandra Magnus, KE5FYE. The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact took place on Monday, December 15. Ten students were able to ask one question each of the astronaut as an audience of 320 looked on. Ray Boughen, Minister of Education Provincial Parliament, Dale McBain, City of Moose Jaw Mayor (both former educators) and Brenda Edwards, Director of Education for Prairie South School Division attended. Television stations taped the event and interviewed the children. Radio station CHAB interviewed the school coordinator. The Moose Jaw Times Herald printed an article covering the contact. See: http://www.mjtimes.sk.ca/index.cfm?sid=201052&sc=3 The story includes links to the contact video: http://www.mjtimes.sk.ca/index.cfm?main=broadcast&bcid=10109 Principal Ward Milligan commented, “It was an awesome ‘once in a lifetime experience’ that will become more important in the lives of these students as they look back upon this event in years to come. Having a personal contact with someone in space increased the students’ interest in space by three fold. Sandra Magnus was very enthusiastic and answered the students’ questions in a manner they could relate to. She was very encouraging of the students. It was an inspirational and moving experience." 3. Italian Students Radio ISS On Thursday, December 18, students from Scuola Elementare Faleriense “Gianni Rodari” in Porto Sant’Elpidio, Italy participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact with Mike Fincke, KE5AIT as over three hundred students, teachers and parents gathered for the event. Twenty-one students questioned the astronaut and Season's Greetings were exchanged. RAI3 Regional Television and some local media and newspapers covered the event. The audio was fed into the EchoLink servers. For more information, including photos and audio, go to: www.ariss-eu.org/2008_12_18.htm The Corriere News ran an article (in Italian): http://www.corrierenews.it/index.php/corrierenews3100/content/view/full/22025 ESA mentions the recent Marco Polo, Circolo Didattico San Giuseppe and Gianni Rodari contacts in this story (also in Italian): http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMXK4TTGOF_Italy_2.html 4. Garriott Interview Available Science fiction writer Tracy Hickman interviewed Richard Garriott, W5KWQ about his ISS mission. Richard talked about his experience with the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program and the ham community worldwide. The entire interview is 2h 45m long and is available in 3 installments at: http://feeds.feedburner.com/Dragonhearth. 5. ARISS International Meeting Held The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) team meeting was held on Tuesday, December 16. Agenda items included the next face-to-face meeting, SuitSat-2 development status and the ARISS special event. Minutes have been posted to the ARISS Web site. See: http://www.rac.ca/ariss/arisstel2008-12-16.htm 6. Astronaut Training Status Astronaut Michael Barratt, KD5MIJ, took a refresher course on the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) equipment and operations on Wednesday, December 17. Barratt is looking forward to supporting the program during his time on board the ISS as an Expedition 19 crew member. Expedition 19 is the first half of the planned 6 person crew. 7. ARRL QST Covers ARISS News The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) printed 4 Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) news items in its January 2009 issue of QST. Under "Media Hits" (page 12) is a lengthy paragraph about how the media coverage for Richard Garriott, W5KWQ, was very prolific. A story on pages 59-60 is about Andrea Hartlage, KG4IUM, a student at Georgia Tech who's a ham and was quite interested in ARISS. She was friends with a ham teacher at a middle school near her middle school; the teacher had applied for an ARISS contact. The story is called “DXpedition to Planet Mars” and is about Andrea's involvement in the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS). It says at the end that she wants to be an astronaut. Two columns under "Happenings" (page 63) are titled “Richard Garriott; W5KWQ Back on Terra Firma” which is about Richard and ARISS. It carries two pictures - one of the students in Austin who contacted him during his mission in space and the other is a photo of Richard. "Grants Focus on the Future of Amateur Radio" (page 95) covers three groups that won ARRL Foundation grants. One grant was given to the Eagle Scouts of Indiana who took part in an ARISS contact at the Space Jamboree 2008. The grant received was used to fund equipment for electronic building projects at the Space Jamboree which helped scouts complete the electronics merit badge. The equipment also served other regional and national scout gatherings to introduce amateur radio. Another group that received an award was the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum which is scheduled for an ARISS contact on December 27. The money received funded a ham station (and antenna) in the museum lobby. 8. ARRL and AMSAT Articles on ARISS Special Event The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) ran a Web story about the 25th anniversary of ham radio in space. It includes the latest news covering the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) special event. See: http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2008/12/18/10509/?nc=1 The ARRL also issued a W1AW bulletin on the same subject and an article was published in the ARRL Letter. See: http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/08/1219/ The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT) posted the ARISS special event news on its Web site. See: http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/index.php *********************** December 15, 2008 1. Upcoming School Contacts King George Elementary School in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Monday, December 15 at 16:51 UTC. Following the school’s science curriculum, students studied space, space exploration, satellites and technology. They learned about the Canadian Space Agency, Canadian astronauts and the CanadArm. Students created posters and wrote letters to invite scientists, politicians and the press to the event. They also created PowerPoint presentations about the ISS. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled with Scuola Elementare Faleriense “Gianni Rodari” in Porto Sant’Elpidio, Italy on Thursday, December 18 at 12:10 UTC. The school’s “New Technologies” program presents subjects and activities for skill oriented learning. It involves children in educational research and experiments. Amateur radio operators have participated in teaching the students about the use and importance of radio. Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum in Ann Arbor, Michigan has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Saturday, December 27 at 15:53 UTC. The museum provides opportunities to people of all ages to discover science, math and technology in an interactive environment. Science literacy is promoted through experimentation, exploration and education. Among the 200,000 that visit the museum annually are 36,000 students. The museum has received national recognition by the National Science Foundation, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and the Association of Science and Technology Centers. The Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum is consistently rated the Best Kids’ Activity in the annual “Best of Ann Arbor” list. Utilizing the amateur radio station exhibit at the museum to make contact with the ISS will provide validation of how technology can make such an event possible. 2. Ellis School Contact Successful On Monday, December 8, an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact was held between Ellis School in Belleville, Illinois and Sandra Magnus, KE5FYE, on the ISS. Forty students were present for the contact and watched as all 21 questions were answered. A DVD of the contact was made and will be shown to the rest of the school. Three St. Louis television stations and one newspaper covered this educational event. The Belleville News-Democrat article may be viewed here: http://www.bnd.com/372/story/571661.html 3. Texan Schoolchildren Speak with Astronaut Children at Stephen F. Austin Elementary School in Richmond, Texas participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Tuesday, December 9. Sandra Magnus, KE5FYE answered 20 questions posed to her by 12 students. To view the Fort Bend Herald article, go to: http://www.fbherald.com/articles/2008/12/10/news/doc494013ed5f4d0836743840.txt Approximately forty fourth grade students at Walnut Creek Elementary in Azle, Texas also listened in to this contact. Two children kept a LEO Yagi antenna pointed at the ISS while the other children “asked” the questions. These students enjoyed their simulated contact. 4. Italian School Contact Successful Students at Istituto Comprensivo “Marco Polo,” in Grado, Italy spoke with Sandra Magnus, KE5FYE on the ISS. The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact took place on Wednesday, December 10. Eleven questions were asked and answered. An audience of more than 160 students, parents, teachers and visitors attended. Local media and newspapers covered the event. The contact audio and photos may be found on the ARISS-Europe Web site: http://www.ariss-eu.org/2008_12_13.htm 5. Successful ARISS Contact with Bari Students On Friday, December 12, students attending 2 Circolo Didattico San Giuseppe in Mola di Bari, Bari, Italy participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact with Mike Fincke, KE5AIT. Approximately 250 students, parents, teachers and guests gathered for the occasion. The local media covered the event. For more information, including audio and photos, go to the ARISS-Europe Web site: http://www.ariss-eu.org/2008_12_14.htm 6. Boy Scouts ARISS Contact - Video Posted On Saturday, September 13, Prairielands Council Scouts attending the Space Jamboree at Chanute Air Force Base in Rantoul, Illinois participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact with Greg Chamitoff, KD5PKZ. A video of the contact has been posted on YouTube. See: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsL4OkZb9CQ 7. NASA HQ Cites Stories on ARISS Contacts NASA Headquarters News Service picked up on reports of Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contacts with Quispamsis Schools in New Brunswick, Canada and Ellis School in Belleville, Illinois. It cited stories from CBC News and the Belleville News-Democrat, respectively. 8. ARISS 25th Anniversary Special Event Update To celebrate the 25th anniversary of ham radio in space, an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) commemorative event will be held during the month of December through early January. A special certificate is being developed for those who communicate with the ISS, either 2-way direct (with the ISS crew, the digipeater, or cross band repeater), or 1-way reception of SSTV or voice downlink. For more information and an update on this event, see: http://www.rac.ca/ariss/oindex.htm under “Latest News.” 9. Canadian Contact Video Available Quispamsis Elementary and Middle Schools in New Brunswick, Canada enjoyed an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Thursday, December 4. Live streaming video of the event was available and 1209 connections were made from over 25 countries. The video has been posted to the Aliant Web site. To view the contact, go to: www.aliant.net/SpaceStation *********************** December 8, 2008 1. Upcoming School Contacts An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled with Ellis School in Belleville, Illinois on Monday, December 8 at 16:56 UTC. Space studies have been integrated into the school curriculum. Students have created solar system models, written reports and given presentations to their classes. They have designed rockets and given talks to the class about where the rockets will go and what they will do in space. They have planned space colonies and determined how the astronauts will travel, how they will obtain food and where they will live. They have also sampled space food. Students have learned about Expedition 18, the Space Shuttle, the international partners and the ISS and amateur radio. The class is currently growing seeds that were flown in space. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for Stephen F. Austin Elementary School in Richmond, Texas on Tuesday, December 9 at 15:45 UTC. Students have studied space and are able to identify characteristics of objects in our solar system including the sun, planets, and moon. Each year the 5th grade students participate in a simulated space shuttle mission, performing tasks that would happen on a regular shuttle flight. Every grade level is involved in some manner with the various missions that occur throughout the day. The school has integrated the ARISS contact as part of this activity. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for the Istituto Comprensivo “Marco Polo,” in Grado, Italy on Wednesday, December 10 at 10:11 UTC. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled with 2 Circolo Didattico San Giuseppe in Mola di Bari, Bari, Italy on Friday, December 12 at 14:14 UTC. Lesson plans have been developed for students that cover amateur radio and space missions. Newspapers, radio and television, both local and regional, will report on the event. 2. India College Experiences Successful Contact Students attending St. Anthony’s College in Shillong, India participated in a question and answer session with Mike Fincke, KE5AIT. The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact took place on Monday, December 1 via telebridge station WH6PN in Hawaii. Over 700 students, staff and guests witnessed the contact as 11 students asked one question each of the astronaut. Television stations covering the news included DD National, Peitngor Cable News (PCN) Channel and Ri Khasi Channel. The Shillong Times, Meghalaya Guardian, Sentinel and other Khasi local newspapers were also present. St. Anthony's college is the alma mater of Mr. Rupesh Saikia, father-in-law of astronaut Mike Fincke. 3. Canadian Contact Successful Quispamsis Elementary and Middle Schools in New Brunswick, Canada experienced an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Thursday, December 4. Mike Fincke, KE5AIT, answered 20 questions posed to him by twenty students. Representatives from the School District and the Municipal, Provincial and Federal Government were invited. Audio was fed into the EchoLink server and received four connections. Media coverage included television, radio and newspapers. The Telegraph Journal ran an article on the contact. See: http://telegraphjournal.canadaeast.com/city/article/article/502323 CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) News also covered the event. Go to: http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2008/12/05/nb-space-talk.html Radio station Country 94 CHSJ posted a short summary: http://www.country94.ca/country94/post/13-1658386395336820565/Thursday/ 4. ARRL Article on ARISS - IEW Events Students from Poolesville, Maryland, Raleigh, North Carolina and Quito, Ecuador experienced a joint Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Friday, November 14 as part of International Education Week (IEW). They connected again for another informative session with amateur radio operators from around the world and an expert panel which included astronaut Don Thomas. The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) ran an article on these events. See: http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2008/12/02/10489/?nc=1 The ARRL Letter printed the story in its December 5 issue. See: http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/08/1205/ 5. ARRL Covers ARISS Special Event The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) posted a story on the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) special event to celebrate 25 years of ham radio in space. To view the article, go to: http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2008/12/01/10481/?nc=1 The ARRL Letter included the news in its December 5 issue. See: http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/08/1205/ *********************** December 1, 2008 1. Upcoming School Contacts Quispamsis Elementary and Middle Schools in Quispamsis, New Brunswick, Canada have been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Thursday, December 4 at 18:23 UTC. Math, Social Studies, and Literacy Skills have been emphasized through the participation of students in this project. Subjects of amateur radio, space, satellites and the ISS have been integrated in the science curriculum. Quispamsis Elementary School (QES) and the Loyalist City Amateur Radio Club (LCARC) have participated in Echo-51 Satellite contacts for the past two years. The Quispamsis Middle School has an enrichment program. Two years of students who participated in the satellite contacts at QES are also involved with this program. The amateur radio installation has been used to complement the enrichment program, and to demonstrate amateur radio to girl guides and scout troops. Children have created posters for placement in the school to publicize the event and local and national media coverage is anticipated. Bell Aliant, one of Canada's national telecom providers, will assist in providing live video of the Quispamsis Elementary/Middle School contact. It will be streamed on: http://www.aliant.net/SpaceStation. This site may be active as early as Monday afternoon. New Brunswick based provincial newspaper, the Telegraph Journal, ran a front page story on the upcoming contact. See: http://telegraphjournal.canadaeast.com/front/article/495134. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled with Ellis School in Belleville, Illinois on Monday, December 8 at 16:54 UTC. Space studies have been integrated into the school curriculum. Students have created solar system models, written reports and given presentations to their classes. They have designed rockets and given talks to the class about where the rockets will go and what they will do in space. They have planned space colonies and determined how the astronauts will travel, how they will obtain food and where they will live. They have also sampled space food. Students have learned about Expedition 18, the Space Shuttle, the international partners and the ISS and amateur radio. The class is currently growing seeds that were flown in space. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for Stephen F. Austin Elementary School in Richmond, Texas on Tuesday, December 9 at 15:43 UTC. Students have studied space and the identifying characteristics of objects in our solar system including the sun, planets, and moon. Each year the 5th grade students participate in a simulated space shuttle mission, performing tasks that would happen on a regular shuttle flight. Each grade level is involved in some manner with the various missions that occur throughout the day. The school has integrated the ARISS contact as part of this activity. The Istituto Comprensivo “Marco Polo,” in Grado, Italy has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Wednesday, December 10 at 10:08 UTC. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled with 2 Circolo Didattico San Giuseppe in Mola di Bari, Bari, Italy on Friday, December 12 at 14:14 UTC. Lesson plans have been developed for students that cover amateur radio and space missions. Newspapers, radio and television, both local and regional, will report on the event. 2. New Zealand Homeschoolers Experience ARISS Contact Wairarapa Home School Association students from Carterton, Wairarapa, New Zealand participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Wednesday, November 26 via telebridge stations VK5ZAI and VK4KHZ, both in Australia. Mike Fincke, KE5AIT, answered all 15 questions asked. The audio was available on EchoLink and Internet Radio Linking Project (IRLP). This was the second ARISS contact performed with New Zealand students. 3. Video of ARISS - International Education Week Contact Students from Poolesville, Maryland, Raleigh, North Carolina and Quito, Ecuador experienced a joint Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Friday, November 14 as part of International Education Week (IEW). A video of the participating students from North Carolina and Ecuador has been posted to YouTube. See: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6d3D66DbBEo 4. CQ VHF Article on ARISS Meetings Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) member Keith Pugh, W5IU, wrote an article for the Fall 2008 issue of CQ VHF which covered the ARISS meetings held in Moscow during July 2008. An excerpt from the article may be viewed here: http://www.cq-vhf.com/Fall08Sat.html 5. ARISS Commemorative Event Twenty-five years ago, Owen Garriott, W5LFL, became the first amateur radio operator to talk to hams from space on the STS-9 Space Shuttle Columbia mission which was launched on November 28 and landed on December 8, 1983. To celebrate this event, an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) commemorative event will be held during the month of December through early January. A special certificate is being developed for those who communicate with the ISS, either 2-way direct (with the ISS crew, the digipeater, or cross band repeater), or 1-way reception of SSTV or voice downlink. For more details, see: http://www.ariss-eu.org/2008_11_30.htm *********************** November 24, 2008 1. Upcoming School Contacts The Wairarapa Home School Association in Carterton, Wairarapa, New Zealand has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Wednesday, November 26 at 02:22 UTC via telebridge station VK4KHZ in Australia. Students have been learning about space exploration and the International Space Station to prepare for the contact. Age appropriate studies, exercises, and activities have been undertaken by all those who will be involved in the event which will include some of the parents. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled with St. Anthony’s College in Shillong, India on Monday, December 1 at 08:04 UTC. Telebridge station WH6PN will facilitate the contact. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been approved for Alexandroupolis School of Special Education and 11th Alexandroupolis Primary School in Alexandroupolis, Greece. The contact will take place on Monday, December 1 at 12:14 UTC. Astronomy and amateur radio lectures have been given in preparation for the event. Special attention has been given to the role of humanity and science and to the every day life of an astronaut. The ISS courses have been based on ESA’s education tool “ISS Education Kit.” Quispamsis Elementary and Middle Schools in Quispamsis, New Brunswick, Canada have been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Thursday, December 4 at 18:02 UTC. Math, Social Studies, and Literacy Skills have been emphasized through the participation of students in this project. Subjects of amateur radio, space, satellites and the ISS have been integrated into the science curriculum. Quispamsis Elementary School (QES) and the Loyalist City Amateur Radio Club (LCARC) have participated in AMSAT-Echo-51 Satellite contacts for the past two years. The Quispamsis Middle School has an enrichment program. Two years of students who participated in the satellite contacts at QES are also involved with this program. The amateur radio installation has been used to complement the enrichment program, and to demonstrate amateur radio to girl guides and scout troops. Children have created posters for placement in the school to publicize the event and local and national media coverage is anticipated. 2. First ARISS School Contact in New Zealand Successful The first Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact with a school in New Zealand took place on Thursday, November 20. Students from St. Teresa's School in Wairarapa connected with the ISS via the telebridge station VK4KHZ in Australia. Astronaut Mike Fincke, KE5AIT answered all questions from the 21 students as an audience of 130 watched. The audio was fed into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) servers and received 7 connections from stations in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the U.S. There was extensive media coverage which included TVNZ, The Dominion Post, The Wellington Daily News and The Wairarapa Times Age. The contact was first reported on the late news on TV One at 10.30 pm on Thursday evening. It was repeated on 4 different occasions during the Early Morning and Midday news on TV One and a 3-4 minute slot was given in the Friday 6 pm evening news. The New Zealand Education Gazette editor also asked for details regarding the contact, as it is being written up for the December issue. The Dominion Post article has been posted on-line. See: http://www.stuff.co.nz/4767581a6479.html To view The Wairarapa Times Age story, go to: http://www.times-age.co.nz/localnews/storydisplay.cfm?storyid=3790845&thesection=localnews&thesubsection=&thesecondsubsection= TVNZ One News coverage may be found here: http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/2324497 3. ARISS Celebrates International Education Week Students from Poolesville, Maryland, Raleigh, North Carolina and Quito, Ecuador participated in a joint Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Friday, November 14 as part of International Education Week (IEW). The students, as well as family members and other guests, reconvened on Tuesday, November 18. Poolesville High School students visited the U.S. Department of Education in Washington, D.C. where approximately 150 students participated, and the North Carolina and Ecuador schools tied in via videoconference for another IEW session. Former astronaut Don Thomas gave a presentation on International Exploration, from the past to the present, and ARISS Chairman Frank Bauer gave an overview of amateur radio and the ARISS contact using video of the students from the contact event. They joined GSFC Earth Observation expert Robert Cahalan in the expert panel session. Amateur radio operators from Hawaii, Italy, China, England, Spain, and Canada participated through a teleconference, giving talks about amateur radio and the culture of their countries. Students participated in the sessions and asked questions in English, but also in foreign languages such as Spanish and German. 4. ARISS International Team Meeting Held The monthly Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) International Team teleconference was held on Tuesday, November 18. Agenda items discussed included the next ARISS face to face meeting, SuitSat-2 status and on-orbit hardware. The minutes have been posted to the ARISS Web site. See: http://www.rac.ca/ariss/arisstel2008-11-18.htm *********************** November 17, 2008 1. Upcoming School Contacts Planning continues for Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) school contacts. New approvals are expected this week. 2. Australian School Contact Successful On Monday, November 10, Anderson’s Creek Primary School in Warrandyte, Victoria, Australia experienced a very successful Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact via telebridge station VK5ZAI in Kingston, South Australia. Ten students asked two questions each of astronaut Mike Fincke, KE5AIT. An audience of over 230 witnessed the event including the mayor, sergeant, representative from Rotary, Bendigo Bank and the Warrandyte High School principal. There were also many representatives including the president from the local Wireless Institute. The majority of the teaching staff also joined in. The Herald Sun sent a photographer before and during the event and published an article in the paper and online. The Education Times, the Victorian Teacher newspaper, also conducted an interview and will publish a story in its next edition. The Victorian Space Science Education Centre published an account of the event in their emailed newsletter to teachers, and a student was also interviewed on ABC 774 Melbourne radio station. The audio, which was fed into the Internet Linking Project (IRLP) Discovery Reflector 9010, received 6 connections. EchoLink received 16 connections from Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, England and the U.S. To view The Herald Sun article, see: http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,,24632605-2862,00.html The Wireless Institute of Australia published a story covering the contact: http://www.wia.org.au/newsevents/news/2008/20081110-1/index.php The Victorian Space Science Education Centre also ran a short summary: http://www.vssec.vic.edu.au/resources/download/capcom/capcom30-1108.pdf 3. International Education Week – ARISS Contact Successful Students from Maryland, North Carolina and Ecuador participated in a joint Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Friday, November 14 as part of International Education Week (IEW). The contact was facilitated by telebridge station WH6PN in Hawaii. The students asked 17 questions of Mike Fincke, KE5AIT. Enloe Magnet School had three television stations on site and had interviews with radio stations and the district PR personnel. NASA distributed a press release on this contact. See: http://www.nasa.gov/centers/langley/news/releases/08-072.html On Tuesday, November 18, the schools will tie in to a videoconference for another IEW session with an expert panel. Former astronaut Don Thomas will talk about space exploration and ARISS Chairman Frank Bauer will give an ARISS overview. Amateur radio operators from around the world will also participate, giving talks about amateur radio and their countries. 4. Japanese Club Talks to ISS Astronaut Members of the Newcomers Club in Saitama, Japan participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Saturday, November 15. Mike Fincke, KE5AIT, answered all twenty questions posed to him by the 16 students, giving some answers in Japanese. Approximately 100 parents and guests attended the event. Media coverage included 3 newspapers, one television station and one radio station. To view the contact video, see: http://www.ariss.jp/Newcomers/video/Newcomers_contact.wmv 5. ARRL Publishes ARISS News The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) printed three Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) news items in its December issue of QST. The “Happenings” column (page 54) had a story with a photo about the first few days of Richard Garriott’s mission as the magazine went to press. "This Just In -- In Brief" section (page 12) had a paragraph about Richard Garriott’s mission. A paragraph and photo were printed (page 100) about a revolving display that is circulating in the San Diego Public libraries. The display is about ham radio and includes the topics of satellites, ARISS, packet, moonbounce, and other ham radio modes. 6. NASA Birthday Celebration Includes ARISS Students The Naples Daily News ran an article about a Florida school that was invited to participate in NASA’s Digital Learning Network presentation of its 50th anniversary. Pine Ridge Middle, a NASA Explorer School, was one of ten schools to join in the celebration. Pine Ridge students took part in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact with Bill McArthur, KC5ACR, in February 2006. The story may be found at: http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2008/nov/13/local-students-have-blast-celebrating-nasas-50th-b/ 7. NASA Cites Article on ARISS Students NASA Headquarters News Service picked up on an article about four students attending Humber College in Toronto who are building two communications systems to make contact with the space station. Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) Delegate Daniel Lamoureux was interviewed for the article. See: http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5jiaytfIhmwAy6LAnx0ey42_unrlg *********************** November 10, 2008 1. Upcoming School Contacts An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled in conjunction with International Education Week (November 17 – 21). The contact is slated for Friday, November 14 at 15:02 UTC via telebridge station WH6PN in Hawaii. Three schools will participate: Poolesville High School in Poolesville, Maryland, Enloe Magnet High School in Raleigh, North Carolina, and Academia Cotopaxi in Quito, Ecuador. On Tuesday, November 18, the schools will participate in another session with an expert panel. Former astronaut Don Thomas, KC5FVF, will talk about space exploration and ARISS Chairman Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, will give an ARISS overview. Amateur radio operators from around the world will also tie in to give talks about amateur radio and their countries. Newcomers Club in Saitama, Japan has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Saturday, November 15 at 10:22 UTC. Community involvement and media coverage is expected. 2. Spanish Students Speak to ISS via Radio Students attending IES Trassierra in Córdoba, Spain spoke with astronaut Mike Fincke, KE5AIT, via an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Monday, November 3. Twenty students asked one question each of the astronaut. Approximately 150 students, teachers and guests attended the event including the Cordoba City mayor and the Head Master of Education and Culture of Cordoba. Media coverage included 4 local and regional television stations, 2 local and regional radio stations and 3 newspapers. Photos, an audio recording and a video recording may be found at: http://www.ariss-eu.org/archive.htm An article (in Spanish) has been posted to El Dia de Cordoba: http://www.eldiadecordoba.es/article/cordoba/270358/conocer/como/vive/astronauta.html 3. Successful Australian Contact In preparation for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact, students attending St. Thomas’ Primary School in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia helped build an antenna. They spoke with Richard Garriott, W5KWQ, during his ISS mission and received Slow Scan Television (SSTV) images as well. They also viewed Mike Fincke’s ISS video tour taken during Expedition 9. On Tuesday, November 4, the students spoke with Fincke, KE5AIT, as approximately 400 students looked on. Fincke answered all twenty questions posed to him by the 20 students. The event received extensive local and national media coverage including 2 newspapers, an online magazine, 2 television stations and 5 radio stations. The audio and a partial video of the event is available on the school’s Web site: http://www.members.optusnet.com.au/jandnclark/?reload An interview is available on the ABC site: http://www.abc.net.au/local/photos/2008/11/07/2412996.htm?site=brisbane The City South News posted an article on the contact. See: http://city-south-news.whereilive.com.au/news/story/special-space-link-for-local-students/ 4. India University Contact Successful An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact between Dibrugarh University in Assam, India and astronaut Mike Fincke, KE5AIT, took place on Friday, November 7 via telebridge station W6SRJ in California. Ten students were able to ask eleven questions of Fincke as an audience of 700 gathered for the event. Mike spoke briefly in the Indian language. Media coverage included newspapers and television. Contact audio was fed into two EchoLink servers and into the Internet Radio Linking Project (IRLP) Discovery Reflector 9010. There were 5 known connections from England, Japan and South Korea on the EchoLink servers with uncounted listeners on one repeater and two link nodes. 5. Successful ARISS Simulated Contacts On Thursday, November 6, Chris Hadfield, KC5RNJ/VA3OOG, and Cady Coleman, KC5ZTH, took part in Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) simulated contacts. The astronauts spoke with two groups of students from Manordale Public School in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. These training sessions were terrestrial-based amateur radio contacts using ARISS-equivalent equipment. Hadfield and Coleman are currently assigned as back-up Expedition 19 crew members. 6. ARRL Articles on Garriott Mission On Thursday, November 6, the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) ran an article on Richard Garriott’s mission. “Richard Garriott, W5KWQ, Back on Terra Firma,” may be found at: http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2008/11/06/10437/?nc=1 The ARRL Letter also ran the story. See: http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/08/1107/ 7. Interview on SuitSat ARISS (Amateur Radio on the International Space Station) member Steve Bible, N7HPR, gave an interview on the concept and development of SuitSat-1. His interview has been posted to the Design News, Engineering Concept Conduit Web page. See: http://www.engineeringconceptconduit.com/ 8. Astronaut Makes General Contacts Mike Fincke, KE5AIT, made several contacts with the ham radio community over the November 8 weekend. Using the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) equipment, Fincke talked with stations in Australia, Thailand, South America and North America. 9. ARISS SSTV Web Site Status The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) Slow Scan Television (SSTV) Web site set up for Richard Garriott’s flight was a big success. Over 2200 images from SpaceCam, MMSSTV and the VC-H1 were received by amateur radio operators worldwide and were uploaded to the site. The site received nearly 4 million hits! See the SSTV images: http://ariss-sstv.ssl.berkeley.edu/SSTV/ and the SSTV blog: http://ariss-sstv.blogspot.com/ *********************** November 3, 2008 1. Upcoming School Contacts An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled with St. Thomas’ Primary School in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia on Tuesday, November 4 at 10:15 UTC. The school has its own radio club and has been using packet radio prior to the contact. Topics of space, science and technology have been taught and students, ages 4-12, have participated in related activities such as building models of space stations, using a telescope to explore the night sky, building crystal radios, producing a video and creating an ARISS Web site for the school. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled with Dibrugarh University in Assam, India on Friday, November 7 at 07:15 UTC via telebridge station W6SRJ in California. The university considers this event a great achievement and is planning media coverage. Anderson’s Creek Primary School in Warrandyte, Victoria, Australia has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Monday, November 10 at 07:56 UTC. Telebridge station VK5ZAI will assist with the contact. Students have researched the International Space Station and its experiments and determined the long term impact of these studies. They have studied the history of space exploration and the reasons why humans seek to broaden their horizons. The school has hosted evening sessions to introduce students to astronomy. Newcomers Club in Saitama, Japan has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Saturday, November 15 at 10:22 UTC. Community involvement and media coverage is expected. 2. Italian Students Question Astronaut via Radio On Tuesday, October 28, students attending Scuola Media Statale Donato Forlani in Conversano, Italy participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact with Mike Fincke, KE5AIT. To prepare for the event, the students made satellite contacts and received SSTV pictures, sent from the ISS by Richard Garriott W5KWQ. On the day of the contact, twelve students were able to pose one question each to Fincke as an audience of more than 500 students, parents, teachers and visitors watched. Fincke spoke to the students in Italian at the beginning and end of the contact. Two television stations (CANALE 7, TeleNorba) and three newspapers (L'Informatore, Il Levante, Il Fax) covered the event. 3. School Contact in Rome, Successful Students attending Santa Teresa del Bambin Gesù in Rome, Italy experienced an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Thursday, October 30. Mike Fincke, KE5AIT, answered twelve questions. More than 150 students, parents, teachers and guests were present. Also present were ESA representative Mr. Dieter Isakeit, Head of the ESA/ESRIN Corporate Communication Office (LEX-COR) and Mr. Daniele Giannini, President 18° District of City Hall Rome. Mr. Isakeit translated the astronaut's answers, provided information and offered souvenirs. Four television stations (Regional RAI 3, SAT2000, Telelazio, Rete Blu) and RADIO RAI 1 covered the event. The audio was fed into the EchoLink AMSAT and JK1ZRW servers and received 6 connections from stations in the U.S., U.K. and Belgium. It was also fed into D-Star net and was repeated to 40 nodes in Europe, 70 nodes in USA and 20 in the rest of the world. 4. Budbrooke School Contact Update Students attending Budbrooke Primary School in Warwick, England spoke with Richard Garriott, W5KWQ, during an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Friday, October 17. The British Amateur Television Club posted video of the event. Go to: http://www.batc.tv/channel.php?ch=1 and select "Richard Garriott HD" or "Richard Garriott SD." 5. ARISS Simulated Contacts Scheduled Chris Hadfield, KC5RNJ/VA3OOG, and Cady Coleman, KC5ZTH, have been scheduled for Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) simulated contacts on Thursday, November 6 at approximately 14:30 UTC. The astronauts will speak to two groups of students at a Canadian school for these events. These training sessions are terrestrial-based amateur radio contacts using ARISS-equivalent equipment. Hadfield and Coleman are currently assigned as back-up Expedition 19 crew members. 6. Training Sessions Successful ESA astronaut Frank De Winne, ON1DWN, participated in a successful simulated Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact with students at Technopolis in Mechelen, Belgium on Monday, October 27. He answered twenty-two questions posed to him by the students. ESA astronaut Andre Kuipers took part in an ARISS review session on Friday, October 31. He is currently back-up for Frank De Winne. 7. Amateur Radio Newsline Reports on Garriott’s Mission On Friday, October 24, the Amateur Radio Newsline Report 1628 posted a story on Richard Garriott’s participation in Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) activities during his ISS mission. The article, “Ham Radio in Space: Richard Garriott, W5KWQ, Mission a Success for Ham Radio,” covered Garriott’s involvement in the Scout Jamboree on the Air (JOTA), SSTV, and his contact with Owen Garriott, W5LFL. 8. NASA HQ Cites Stories on Garriott NASA Headquarters News Service picked up on reports of Richard Garriott’s mission, citing articles from CTV (Canada) and the Bennington Banner (Vermont). Both stories are about amateur radio operators who made radio contacts with Richard Garriott, W5KWQ, while onboard the ISS. To view the articles, go to: http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20081025/space_radio_081025/20081026?hub=Canada http://www.benningtonbanner.com/ci_10813257 9. AMSAT Symposium held The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT) held its Annual Meeting and Space Symposium on October 24-26 in Atlanta, Georgia. ARISS (Amateur Radio on the International Space Station) Chairman Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, attended and gave a talk on the ARISS program. ARISS Hardware Manager Lou McFadin, W5DID, presented an update on SuitSat-2. The presentations have been posted to the AMSAT Web site. See: http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/Presentations/AMSAT%20Symposiums/2008%20Symposium/ 10. ARRL ARISS Program Manager Interviewed The ARRL (American Radio Relay League) ARISS (Amateur Radio on the International Space Station) Program Manager Rosalie White, K1STO, was interviewed on QSO, a ham radio interview and talk show. White spoke about Richard Garriott’s flight, the ARRL, ARISS and AMSAT (Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation). The interview took place on Friday, October 24 and ran three times over the weekend on the Nashville station and again on a Miami station. *********************** October 27, 2008 1. Upcoming School Contacts An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled with Scuola Media Statale Donato Forlani in Conversano, Italy on Tuesday, October 28 at 09:37 UTC. Students have been introduced to amateur radio and have covered the importance of space missions. Media coverage is expected to include newspapers, radio and television and will be broadcast live by streaming video on: http://www.telenorba.it/home/streaming_d.php An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled with Santa Teresa del Bambin Gesù in Rome, Italy on Thursday, October 30 at 08:51 UTC. Santa Teresa del Bambin Gesù is a Catholic primary school established to meet the needs for Catholic education of the local population. It has been preparing the children for the ARISS contact with educational projects on related scientific topics. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled with IES Trassierra in Córdoba, Spain on Monday, November 3 at 08:58 UTC. Students have been learning about space and related ISS topics. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled with St. Thomas Primary School in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia on Tuesday, November 4 at 10:10 UTC. The school has its own radio club and has been using packet radio prior to the contact. Topics of space, science and technology have been taught and students, ages 4-12, have participated in related activities. These activities have included building models of space stations, using a telescope to explore the night sky, building crystal radios, producing a video and creating an ARISS Web site for the school. 2. Training Session Contact Scheduled A simulated Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for Monday, October 27 at approximately 17:00 UTC between ESA astronaut, Frank De Winne, ON1DWN, and youth attending the Technopolis in Mechelen, Belgium. This training session is a terrestrial-based amateur radio contact using ARISS-equivalent equipment. 3. Oregon Students Question Garriott on Space On Monday, October 20, Pinehurst School students in Ashland, Oregon participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact via the telebridge stations WH6PN in Hawaii, and W6SRJ in California. Seventeen students had 24 questions answered by Richard Garriott, W5KWQ, as approximately 30 students, teachers and parents gathered for the contact. Audio was available via IRLP (Internet Radio Linking Project) Reflector 9010. The EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) server received six connections. The educational event received newspaper and television coverage. The Daily Tidings posted an article: http://www.dailytidings.com/2008/1020/stories/1020_astronaut.php The Channel 12 News coverage may be viewed here: http://kdrv.com/page/56321 The Pinehurst students also built a turnstile antenna for satellite contacts which they used to download some of Garriott’s SSTV images! 4. National Planetarium, Malaysia - Contact Successful The National Planetarium in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia experienced a successful Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact with spaceflight participant Richard Garriott, W5KWQ, on Tuesday, October 21. The contact was requested for “The National Space Challenge, Prime Minister’s Trophy 2008,” which was held October 21-25, 2008. Students had twenty questions prepared. Richard answered the twenty and a few extra. 5. Armada Area School Students Speak with Space Traveler Youth attending Armada Area Schools in Armada, Michigan took part in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Friday, October 24. Approximately six hundred students, parents, teachers and members from the community gathered for the event as twelve children asked 20 questions of Mike Fincke, KE5AIT. Special guests in attendance were Armada Area Schools Superintendent Dr. Arnold Kummerow, Armada Area Schools Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Operations Michael Musary, district principals and school board members. A local newspaper and the local television channel 6 reported the news. There were 24 known connections on the 2 EchoLink servers and there were also uncounted listeners on 5 link nodes and 4 repeaters. 6. Update on Austin High School – ARISS Contact The Liberal Arts and Science Academy (LASA) High School in Austin, Texas had a direct Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Sunday, October 19 with Richard Garriott, W5KWQ. My Fox Austin posted a video of the contact on its Web site: http://www.myfoxaustin.com/myfox/pages/Home/Detail?contentId=7678113&version=2&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=VSTY&pageId=1.1.1 News 8 Austin also covered the news: http://www.news8austin.com/content/top_stories/default.asp?ArID=222425 7. Article on CLC Contact Four Challenger Learning Centers (CLC) experienced a joint Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on October 16. The Howard B. Owens Science Center’s Challenger Center in Lanham, Maryland was one of those which participated. The local paper reported on the event: http://www.gazette.net/stories/10232008/largnew170337_32474.shtml 8. Garriott SSTV, Voice Contacts Richard Garriott, W5KWQ, transmitted Slow Scan Television (SSTV) images during his flight. Amateur radio operators from around the world receiving these pictures have uploaded them to an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) SSTV Web site. Over 2200 images have been received from SpaceCam, MMSSTV and the VC-H1! See: http://ariss-sstv.ssl.berkeley.edu/SSTV/ Garriott also made hundreds of general voice contacts with the amateur radio community during his flight. A recording of Richard talking to his father, Owen, W5LFL, has been posted to the richardinspace Web site: http://www.richardinspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Multimedia_Gallery.welcome&typeid=060A2E79-19B9-BA51-EE1A0CCF37084B95&albumid=060AA196-19B9-BA51-EEC1C439A223F0C3&media=1 Pictures taken of the Budbrooke School contact have also been uploaded to the richardinspace Web site. See October 20 entry: http://www.richardinspace.com/ More information has been posted to the ARISS SSTV blog: http://www.ariss-sstv.blogspot.com/ 9. ARISS International Team Meeting Held An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) Team teleconference was held on Tuesday, October 21. Discussions included Richard Garriott’s mission and the newly installed ISS Ham radio system. Minutes have been posted. See: http://www.rac.ca/ariss/arisstel2008-10-21.htm 10. Outcomes from Garriott’s ARISS Participation The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) team has received feedback from Richard Garriott’s amateur radio activities while onboard the ISS. A sample of these follow: Ron Hashiro, AH6RH, in Hawaii reported contacts made with Richard Garriott, W5KWQ, during Jamboree On The Air. Two or three Scouts from Boy Scout Troop 49 made their first space contact using the troop callsign WH6DIN, and Trenton, WH7RB made a contact using his own callsign. Trenton became an amateur radio operator on October 7th, and this was his first space contact. Ornono Middle School in Maine is an American Radio Relay League (ARRL) Education Technology Program school which had not reported anything for over a year. The school recently reported making a contact with Richard Garriott. Teacher Richard Glueck, N1MDZ, stated, “I firmly believe that while modern kids take space flight and satellites for granted, that this is a good thing, amateur radio is the most significant manner in which teachers can get kids to interact with spaceflight in a personal manner.” Fernando Casanova, EC1AME, a ham from Ourense, Spain described how he took several children over the weekend to teach them how to contact the ISS from a car. The youth were very impressed when they heard Richard on the radio and saw the Slow Scan Television images coming down and as a result, the children want to become amateur radio operators. Radio amateurs worldwide were very enthusiastic about Richard’s participation in school contacts, general contacts, JOTA, SSTV images and packet. The following note of thanks from the U.K.’s David Barber, G8OQW, sums up feelings felt by many: http://www.amsat.org/amsat/archive/amsat-bb/10day/msg67638.html 11. NASA HQ Cites Story on Garriott NASA Headquarters News Service picked up on reports of Richard Garriott’s mission, citing a Space.com article. The article mentions Garriott’s Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contacts with the Challenger Learning Centers as well as his other experiments. See: http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/081018-space-tourist-station.html *********************** October 20, 2008 1. Upcoming School Contacts An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for Pinehurst School in Ashland, Oregon on Monday, October 20 at 15:06 UTC via the telebridge stations WH6PN in Hawaii, followed by W6SRJ in California. Pinehurst is a small rural school with grades K-8. Students have been learning about the International Space Station and the history and technology of space travel. They have also been engaged in amateur radio projects. Guest speakers have been scheduled to give presentations on space related subjects. Newspaper, television and radio coverage is anticipated. Audio should be available via IRLP (Internet Radio Linking Project) Reflector 9010 and the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) server. The National Planetarium in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact with spaceflight participant Richard Garriott, W5KWQ, on Tuesday, October 21 at 08:30 UTC. The contact was requested for “The National Space Challenge, Prime Minister’s Trophy 2008,” which will be held on October 21-25, 2008. The National Space Challenge is a program that was created in an effort to instill talents and desire in students, especially those at the primary school levels, towards the understanding of space. A total of 32 schools are involved in this challenge, and each school will send 2 participants. Students have been building solar system models and have participated in quizzes and treasure hunts that involve space related objects. They have also participated in public speaking, giving presentations about various space topics. At night, telescope workshops and observation sessions have allowed students to observe and learn more about space objects. Media coverage is planned. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for Armada Area Schools in Armada, Michigan on Friday, October 24 at 17:13 UTC. Students have been researching space exploration, the effects of space on the human body, and technology used for space travel. Middle school students have written essays and high school students have created Power Point presentations. The Detroit News, Detroit Free Press, Armada Times and Macomb Daily newspapers will provide newspaper coverage. The local cable channel will tape and place the contact on the local channels and Channels 2, 4, 7 will also be contacted to provide local Metropolitan Detroit News coverage. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled with Scuola Media Statale Donato Forlani in Conversano, Italy on Tuesday, October 28 at 09:37 UTC. Students have been introduced to amateur radio and have covered the importance of space missions. Media coverage is expected to include newspapers, radio and television. Santa Teresa del Bambin Gesù in Rome, Italy has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Thursday, October 30 at 08:51 UTC. 2. Garriott Contacts Austin Mayor On Wednesday, October 15, spaceflight participant Richard Garriott, W5KWQ, spoke with his friend, Austin Mayor Will Wynn via Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS). Joining the conversation were three students from LBJ LASA (Liberal Arts and Science Academy) and the East Side Memorial Team who asked questions about the benefits of space travel. Approximately 35 students were present for the event. A press release was issued by News 8. See: http://www.news8austin.com/content/top_stories/default.asp?ArID=221997 The Statesman covered the contact: http://www.statesman.com/search/content/news/stories/local/10/16/1016space.html 3. Challenger Learning Centers Speak with Garriott Challenger Learning Centers in Lanham, Maryland, Columbia, South Carolina, Tampa, Florida and Brownsburg, Indiana participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Thursday, October 16. Garriott, W5KWQ, answered one question from each of the sixteen students and former astronaut Owen Garriott, W5LFL, finished the question and answer session with a discussion about ham radio. The contact was made possible through telebridge station W6SRJ in Santa Rosa, California. Audio was fed into IRLP (Internet Radio Linking Project) Reflector 9010. It was also fed into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) server and received 7 connections from four countries. A Brownsburg press release was posted to Channel 13 Eyewitness News: http://www.wthr.com/Global/story.asp?S=9186881 The webcast is available on the Challenger site: http://www.challenger.org/programs/garriottwebcasts.cfm 4. British Students Experience ARISS Contact Students attending Budbrooke Primary School in Warwick, Warwickshire, England and Richard Garriott, W5KWQ, participated in a successful Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Friday, October 17. The British Amateur Television Club broadcasted the event live on streaming video and the contact received local news coverage: http://www.itvlocal.com/central/news/?player=CEN_News_15&void=247290 The BBC also covered the event: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7677274.stm 5. Second Challenger Learning Center Contact, Successful A second Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact was arranged for Challenger Learning Centers in Indianapolis, Indiana, Paducah, Kentucky and St. Louis, Missouri. The contact took place on Friday, October 17 via the telebridge station W6SRJ in California. Fifteen students spoke with Richard Garriott, W5KWQ, and asked 22 questions. Former astronaut Owen Garriott, W5LFL, also participated. Audio was fed into IRLP (Internet Radio Linking Project) Reflector 9010 and the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) server. EchoLink received nine connections from six countries. SpaceRef.com posted a press release on all the Challenger Center contacts: http://www.spaceref.com/calendar/calendar.html?pid=5171 The webcast is available on the Challenger site: http://www.challenger.org/programs/garriottwebcasts.cfm 6. Austin High School Speaks with Space Traveler The Liberal Arts and Science Academy (LASA) High School in Austin, Texas had a direct Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Sunday, October 19 with Richard Garriott, W5KWQ. Ten students asked two questions each of the space traveler, as approximately fifty students looked on. Television stations reported on the event. A press release was posted by the Statesman: http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/theticker/entries/2008/10/14/lbj_students_to_talk_with_rich.html 7. SSTV Update Richard Garriott, W5KWQ, has been transmitting Slow Scan Television (SSTV) images during his flight. Amateur radio operators from around the world receiving these pictures have uploaded them to an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) SSTV Web site. Over one thousand images have been received from both SpaceCam and the VC-H1! See: http://www.amsat.com/ARISS_SSTV/index.php 8. JOTA and General Contacts Richard Garriott, W5KWQ, participated in the 51st Jamboree on the Air (JOTA) over the October 18 weekend. JOTA is an annual event during which Scouts worldwide speak to each other using ham radio. Over the last week, Garriott and Mike Fincke, KE5AIT, also made many general contacts with amateur radio operators around the world. 9. ARISS Presentation at ASTC The Association of Science – Technology Centers (ASTC) held its 2008 annual conference on October 18-21 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NASA representatives gave presentations on NASA’s education and outreach programs and NASA resources. Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) Deputy Program Manager Mark Steiner, K3MS, presented an ARISS overview. 10. Astronaut Training Status Frank De Winne, ON1DWN, has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) simulated contact with students in Technopolis, Mechelen, Belgium on Monday, October 27. De Winne plans to fly on Expedition 19 in May 2009. Chris Hadfield, KC5RNJ/VA3OOG, and Cady Coleman, KC5ZTH, have been scheduled for an ARISS simulated contact on Thursday, November 6. Hadfield and Coleman are currently assigned as back-up Expedition 19 crew members. These simulated contacts/training sessions are terrestrial-based amateur radio contacts using ARISS-equivalent equipment. 11. ARRL Articles on Garriott Operations The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) ran a Web story on Richard Garriott’s Amateur Radio on the ISS (ARISS) activities. The article, “Richard Garriott, W5KWQ, Gets Busy from Space,” may be found at: http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2008/10/17/10392/?nc=1 The ARRL Letter also ran the story. See: http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/08/1017/ 12. QST Article on ARISS News ARRL’s November issue of QST (p. 13) has a write-up with photo on Nancy Rabel Hall, KC4IYD, as the winner of the 15th annual Allan Severson Memorial Award for her volunteer work in Ohio, including assisting several ARISS schools. Hall is a research scientist working at the NASA Glenn Research Center, and has been at NASA for 18 years. *********************** October 14, 2008 1. Upcoming School Contacts Challenger Learning Centers in Lanham, Maryland, Columbia, South Carolina, Tampa, Florida and Brownsburg, Indiana have been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Thursday, October 16 at 16:39 UTC. The contact will be made possible through telebridge station W6SRJ in Santa Rosa, California. Audio should be available via IRLP (Internet Radio Linking Project) Reflector 9010 and the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) server. Budbrooke Primary School in Warwick, Warwickshire, England has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Friday, October 17 at 11:06 UTC. Students have been learning about space exploration and how it has changed in the last 40 years. Spaceflight participant Richard Garriott, W5KWQ, intends to take part in this contact. British Amateur Television Club intends to broadcast streaming video live of the Budbrooke ARISS contact. The streaming media portal is: www.batc.tv Challenger Learning Centers in Indianapolis, Indiana, Paducah, Kentucky and St. Louis, Missouri have been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Friday, October 17 at 15:31 UTC. Telebridge station W6SRJ will assist with the contact. Audio should be available via IRLP (Internet Radio Linking Project) Reflector 9010 and the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) server. The Liberal Arts and Science Academy (LASA) High School in Austin, Texas has been scheduled for a direct Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Sunday, October 19 at 13:15 UTC. The school is an advanced academic magnet school in the Austin Independent School District and hosts gifted and talented students from all over the District. Ninth through twelfth graders are enrolled in the “SciTech” course in which they develop skills in mechanical engineering and computer processing, and “Planet Earth” which focuses on the dynamic relationship between the planet and its life, tracing it through the Earth’s geologic history. They are also taking “Anatomy and Physiology” and “Medical Microbiology.” The topics of space and space travel have been incorporated into these courses. An elective course in Amateur Radio is offered as part of the curriculum and covers radio waves and frequencies, antenna systems and designs, and satellite tracking and communications. Spaceflight participant Richard Garriott, W5KWQ, intends to take part in this contact. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for Pinehurst School in Ashland, Oregon on Monday, October 20 at 15:14 UTC via the telebridge station W6SRJ in California. Pinehurst is a small rural school with grades K-8. Students have been learning about the International Space Station and the history and technology of space travel. They have also been engaged in amateur radio projects. Guest speakers have been scheduled to give presentations on space related subjects. Newspaper, television and radio coverage is anticipated. Audio should be available via IRLP (Internet Radio Linking Project) Reflector 9010 and the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) server. The National Planetarium in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact with spaceflight participant Richard Garriott, W5KWQ, on Tuesday, October 21 at 08:30 UTC. The contact was requested for “The National Space Challenge, Prime Minister’s Trophy 2008,” which will be held on October 21-25, 2008. The National Space Challenge is a program that was created in an effort to instill talents and desire in students, especially those at the primary school levels, towards the understanding of space. A total of 32 schools are involved in this challenge, and each school will send 2 participants. Students have been building solar system models. They have participated in quizzes and treasure hunts that involve space related objects. They have also participated in public speaking, giving presentations about various space topics. At night, telescope workshops and observation sessions have allowed students to observe and learn more about space objects. Media coverage is planned. 2. Italian School Contact to be Rescheduled Scuola Media Statale Donato Forlani in Conversano, Bari, Italy was scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Tuesday, October 7. Due to technical difficulties, the contact did not occur and will be rescheduled in the near future. 3. ARISS Columbia Mission Contact Successful Buchanan High School students in California took part in a successful Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Saturday, October 11. Telebridge station NN1SS in Greenbelt, Maryland assisted with the contact. The event was requested to coincide with the school’s “Columbia Mission,” a student-organized mock shuttle mission. Fourteen students asked one question each of astronaut Greg Chamitoff, KD5PKZ, as approximately 30 people gathered for the event. The audio was available on the EchoLink AMSAT server and on the Internet Radio Linking Project (IRLP) Reflector 9010. 4. SSTV on ISS Richard Garriott, W5KWQ, and Expedition 18 crew members Mike Fincke, KE5AIT, and Yury Lonchakov, RA3DT, successfully launched into space on Sunday, October 12. While onboard the ISS, Garriott plans to take pictures and transmit many Slow Scan Television (SSTV) images. To prepare for this activity, the AO-51 satellite was set up in dual repeater mode over the October 11 weekend to provide ground stations with a practice session during which they sent and received images. The ISS crew also transmitted SSTV images over a three hour period on Sunday, October 12. Amateur radio operators receiving these pictures uploaded them to a Web site which was set up in anticipation of Garriott’s flight. See: http://www.amsat.com/ARISS_SSTV/index.php These pictures will be cleared prior to Richard’s transmissions. To submit images for posting during his flight, go to: http://www.amsat.com/ARISS_SSTV/submit.php. An SSTV blog has also been set up: http://www.ariss-sstv.blogspot.com/ 5. ARISS Presentation to be given at ASTC The Association of Science – Technology Centers (ASTC) will hold its 2008 annual conference on October 18-21 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NASA representatives will give presentations on NASA’s education and outreach programs and NASA resources. Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) Deputy Program Manager Mark Steiner, K3MS, will give an ARISS overview. For more information on this event, see: http://www.astc.org/conference/index.htm 6. Astronaut Training Status Sandra Magnus, KE5FYE, has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) training session on October 15. This refresher course will prepare her for her flight to the ISS on STS-126 when she joins the Expedition 18 crew in November 2008. 7. ARRL Article on Richard Garriott The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) ran an article on Richard Garriott and his plans while on the ISS. The story, “Garriott Gears for Space Journey,” may be viewed on: http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2008/10/09/10382/?nc=1 The information was also distributed in an ARRL W1AW bulletin as well as the ARRL Letter: http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/08/1010/ 8. Jamboree on the Air The 51st Jamboree on the Air (JOTA) will be held over the October 18 weekend. JOTA is an annual event during which Scouts worldwide speak to each other using ham radio. Richard Garriott, W5KWQ, has expressed interest in participating in this event. For more information on JOTA, see: http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2008/10/13/10385/?nc=1 *********************** October 6, 2008 1. Upcoming School Contacts Scuola Media Statale Donato Forlani in Conversano, Bari, Italy has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Tuesday, October 7 at 11:29 UTC. Students have been introduced to amateur radio and have covered the importance of space missions. Media coverage is expected to include newspapers, radio and television. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled with Buchanan High School in Clovis, California on Saturday, October 11 at 16:10 UTC. Telebridge station NN1SS in Greenbelt, Maryland will assist with the contact. This event has been requested to coincide with the school’s “Columbia Mission,” a student-organized mock shuttle mission. Challenger Learning Centers in Lanham, Maryland, Columbia, South Carolina, Tampa, Florida and Brownsburg, Indiana have been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Thursday, October 16 at 16:39 UTC. The contact will be made possible through telebridge station W6SRJ in Santa Rosa, California. Budbrooke Primary School in Warwick, Warwickshire, England has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Friday, October 17 at 11:05 UTC. Students have been learning about space exploration and how it has changed in the last 40 years. Spaceflight participant Richard Garriott, W5KWQ, intends to take part in this contact. Challenger Learning Centers in Indianapolis, Indiana, Paducah, Kentucky and St. Louis, Missouri have been slated for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Friday, October 17 at 15:30 UTC. Telebridge station W6SRJ will assist with the contact. The Liberal Arts and Science Academy (LASA) High School in Austin, Texas has been scheduled for a direct Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Sunday, October 19 at 13:14 UTC. The school is an advanced academic magnet school in the Austin Independent School District and hosts gifted and talented students from all over the District. Ninth through twelfth graders are enrolled in the “SciTech” course in which they develop skills in mechanical engineering and computer processing, and “Planet Earth” which focuses on the dynamic relationship between the planet and its life, tracing it through the Earth’s geologic history. They are also taking “Anatomy and Physiology” and “Medical Microbiology.” Space and space travel has been incorporated into these courses. An elective course in Amateur Radio is offered as part of the curriculum and covers radio waves and frequencies, antenna systems and designs, and satellite tracking and communications. Spaceflight participant Richard Garriott, W5KWQ, expects to take part in this contact. Spaceflight participant Richard Garriott, W5KWQ, has planned an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact with friends and family, students and the mayor of Austin, Texas on Monday, October 20 at 15:05 UTC. This will be a telebridge contact via station WH6PN in Hawaii. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for Pinehurst School in Ashland, Oregon on Monday, October 20 at 15:13 UTC via the telebridge station W6SRJ in California. Pinehurst is a small rural school with grades K-8. Students have been learning about the International Space Station and the history and technology of space travel. They have also been engaged in amateur radio projects. Guest speakers have been scheduled to give presentations on space related subjects. Newspaper, television and radio coverage is anticipated. The National Planetarium in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact with spaceflight participant Richard Garriott, W5KWQ, on Tuesday, October 21 at 08:30 UTC. The contact was requested for “The National Space Challenge, Prime Minister’s Trophy 2008,” which will be held on October 21-25, 2008. The National Space Challenge is a program that was created in an effort to instill talents and desire in students, especially those at the primary school levels, towards the understanding of space. A total of 32 schools are involved in this challenge, and each school will send two student participants. Students have been building solar system models. They have participated in quizzes and treasure hunts that involve space related objects. They have also participated in public speaking, giving presentations about various space topics. At night, telescope workshops and observation sessions have allowed students to observe and learn more about space objects. Media coverage is planned. 2. Astronaut Training Status On Thursday, September 25, JAXA astronaut Soichi Noguchi, KD5TVP, participated in a simulated contact during an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) training session. Noguchi is an Expedition 20 crewmember and will fly in November 2009. 3. ARISS Presentations at 2008 AMSAT-NA Symposium The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT) will hold its Annual Meeting and Space Symposium on October 24-26 in Atlanta, Georgia. ARISS (Amateur Radio on the International Space Station) Hardware Manager Lou McFadin, W5DID, will give a presentation on the SuitSat-2 status and ARISS Chairman Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, will give an update on the ARISS program. *********************** September 29, 2008 1. Upcoming School Contact - Status The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) team continues its work on scheduling the next school radio contacts. 2. ARISS - UK School Contact, Successful Students attending the Michael Sobell Sinai School in Harrow, Middlesex, UK experienced an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Thursday, September 25 via telebridge station WH6PN in Hawaii. Eleven students asked astronaut Greg Chamitoff, KD5PKZ, 15 questions before an audience of 200. The audio was fed into the EchoLink AMSAT server and received 15 connections from seven countries. Four television stations covered this event. The BBC article may be viewed here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/7636229.stm 3. Astronaut Training Status Shannon Walker, KD5DXB, participated in an ARISS (Amateur Radio on the International Space Station) training session on Monday, September 22. She plans to support ARISS activities when she flies on a future ISS Expedition. 4. ARISS International Meeting Held The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) team held its monthly teleconference on September 23. Discussions covered the flight backup ARISS equipment, including the Kenwood D700 radio, which is expected to be swapped out at the end of the month. Other items on the agenda were Richard Garriott’s ARISS schedule and SuitSat-2 progress. The minutes have been posted to the ARISS Web site. See: http://www.rac.ca/ariss/arisstel2008-09-23.htm 5. ARRL Article on Garriott’s Flight The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) ran an article on Richard Garriott’s upcoming flight. The story covers the many contacts and activities planned, including the use of Slow Scan Television. It has been posted to the ARRL Web site: http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2008/09/25/10350/?nc=1 and also in the ARRL Letter: http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/08/0926/ The Challenger Learning Center also posted a link on its Web site to the ARRL Web article: http://www.challenger.org/ 6. ARRL QST Posts ARISS News The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) posted Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) related activities in its October issue of QST. Two items were printed in the column "Media Hits" on page 12. The first news item was the July 30 Associated Press story about Richard Garriott's plans to operate amateur radio on the ISS and highlighted modern ham radio capabilities. Another hit was on July 30. NASA published "Communication from Space Inspires Young Minds" as part of their "Behind the Scenes" features about the space shuttle. 7. CLC Posts Garriott Press Release The Challenger Learning Center (CLC) has posted a press release covering Richard Garriott and his upcoming Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contacts with CLCs across the country. See: http://www.challenger.org/about/media/release.cfm?release_id=79 *********************** September 22, 2008 1. Upcoming School Contacts - Status The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) team continues its work on scheduling the next school radio contacts. Johnson Space Center was closed the week of September 15 due to Hurricane Ike, delaying contact approvals. Scheduling is expected to resume this week. 2. Richard Garriott - ISS Flight Richard Garriott, W5KWQ, will fly with the Expedition 18 crew to the ISS on Soyuz TMA-13 which is scheduled to launch on October 12, 2008. He plans to participate in several Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contacts during his mission. A press release has been posted. See: http://www.rac.ca/ariss/Garriott%20PR%20Final.doc 3. GSFC LaunchFest Update On Saturday, September 13, Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) in Greenbelt, Maryland held a LaunchFest event, during which the Center’s personnel manned exhibits and provided space related demonstrations for the public. Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) supported Launchfest with its own exhibit booth, providing information, distributing lithographs and generating much interest in the program. Approximately 13,000 attended the event. See: http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/news/topstory/2008/launchfest_recap.html 4. ASTC - ARISS Presentation The Association of Science – Technology Centers (ASTC) will hold its 2008 annual conference on October 18-21 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Ten presenters from NASA will describe NASA’s education and outreach programs and NASA resources. Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) Deputy Program Manager Mark Steiner, K3MS, will give an ARISS overview. For more information on this event, see: http://www.astc.org/conference/index.htm 5. ARRL Posts ARISS Update The ARRL (American Radio Relay League) ran an update on recent Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) activities in the September 19 issue of The ARRL Letter. See: http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/08/0919/ 6. ARISS Volunteer Receives Award Nancy Rabel Hall, a Research Scientist working at NASA Glenn Research Center and the current president of the NASA Glenn Amateur Radio Club, was the 15th recipient of the Allan Severson, AB8P memorial award. The Ohio ARRL (American Radio Relay League) Section Manager presents this award each year. Hall has assisted three local schools with ARISS (Amateur Radio on the International Space Station) contacts. For more information, see: http://www.arrlohio.org/arrl_allan_severson.htm *********************** September 15, 2008 1. Upcoming School Contact - Status The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) team continues working to schedule the next contact. Contact approvals for the week have been delayed due to the closure of Johnson Space Center, which was closed for Hurricane Ike. 2. Boy Scouts Contact Successful On Saturday, September 13, Prairielands Council Scouts attending the Space Jamboree at Chanute Air Force Base in Rantoul, Illinois participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact with Greg Chamitoff, KD5PKZ. Telebridge station WH6PN in Hawaii assisted with the contact. Thirteen Scouts were able to ask 17 questions of the astronaut during the pass. Scout leaders replayed the question and answer session later in the day for all 3,000 Scouts attending the Jamboree. The audio was fed into the EchoLink AMSAT server and Internet Radio Linking Project (IRLP) Reflector 9010. The News-Gazette printed a press release for the event: http://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2008/09/12/scouts_at_jamboree_set_to_talk_with_space_station_astronauts 3. ARISS at Launchfest On Saturday, September 13, the public was invited to Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland to attend Launchfest. There were plenty of exhibits and demonstrations of space related activities including model rocket launches and space robots. The event also celebrated NASA’s 50th anniversary. Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) members supported Launchfest and distributed ARISS lithographs. 4. Garriott Prepares for Ham Radio Activities Spaceflight participant Richard Garriott, W5KWQ, is scheduled to launch on October 12 with the Expedition 18 crew. He plans to take part in several Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) activities while onboard the ISS. His activities include speaking with children at Challenger Learning Centers throughout the U.S. He mentioned his radio training in his recent blog. See: http://www.richardinspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.welcome&theyear=&themonth=&view=77#77 *********************** September 8, 2008 1. Upcoming School Contact An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled with Prairielands Council, Boy Scouts of America at Chanute Air Force Base in Rantoul, IL on Saturday, September 13 at 15:54 UTC. The contact will be facilitated by telebridge station WH6PN in Hawaii. During the event, Scouts will earn the Space Exploration Merit Badge, which includes the Mars Mission Design and the Moon Base Model construction. NASA DLN will assist with teaching these two topics. Scouts will design and launch water rockets and explore robotic technology. Segway of Chicago will assist in Robotics education. Participants will also complete many of the Radio Merit Badge requirements. The local rocket club will provide rocket launches throughout the event, two during the outdoor viewing of the movie "October Sky." The event will conclude with a hot air balloon launch. Boy Scouts (ages 11-17), Cub Scouts (ages 6 -10), and adult volunteers have been invited to the event. The Space Jamboree has attracted the attention of regional media outlets. Four television stations, radio stations, and local newspapers are planning features on this Space Jamboree. 2. Successful Contact with Challenger Learning Center On Monday, September 1, ten students visiting the Challenger Learning Center of Lucas County in Oregon, Ohio participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact. The students posed ten questions to Greg Chamitoff, KD5PKZ, in front of an audience of 80. News 24 TV was present and interviewed the students. The audio was fed into the EchoLink AMSAT server and IRLP (Internet Radio Linking Project) Reflector 9010. 3. NZZ Article on Swiss Contact On Saturday, August 30, students attending Schulehaus Feld 1 in Richterswil, Switzerland participated in a successful Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact. Neue Zürcher Zeitung NZZ posted an article (in German) on the contact. See: http://www.nzz.ch/nachrichten/zuerich/telefonkonferenz_mit_der_raumstation_iss_1.820665.html 4. ARISS Presentations Posted On Thursday, August 28, an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) member gave a talk to Rockwell Collins Amateur Radio Club in Richardson, Texas. His talk covered Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT) satellites and ARISS projects. The presentation has been posted to the AMSAT Web site. See: http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/Presentations/AMSAT%20for%20RCARC.ppt The ARISS presentation given at the Challenger Learning Center (CLC) Lead Flight Directors Conference on August 27 has also been posted. See: http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/Presentations/Challenger%20National%20Convention%202008.ppt *********************** September 2, 2008 1. Upcoming School Contact An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled with Prairielands Council, Boy Scouts of America at Chanute Air Force Base in Rantoul, IL on Saturday, September 13 at 15:54 UTC. The contact will be facilitated by telebridge station WH6PN in Hawaii. During the event, Scouts will earn the Space Exploration Merit Badge, which includes the Mars Mission Design and the Moon Base Model construction. NASA DLN will assist with teaching these two topics. Scouts will design and launch water rockets and explore robotic technology. Segway of Chicago will assist in Robotics education. Participants will also complete many of the Radio Merit Badge requirements. The local rocket club will provide rocket launches throughout the event, two during the outdoor viewing of the movie "October Sky." The event will conclude with a hot air balloon launch. Boy Scouts (ages 11-17), Cub Scouts (ages 6 -10), and adult volunteers have been invited to the event. The Space Jamboree has attracted the attention of regional media outlets. Four television stations, radio stations, and local newspapers are planning features on the Space Jamboree. 2. Swiss Contact Successful On Saturday, August 30, youth attending Schulehaus Feld 1 in Richterswil, Switzerland participated in a successful Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact via telebridge station VK4KHZ in Australia. To prepare for the event, children produced drawings, plays, research papers and multimedia products which were displayed the day of the contact. More than 500 students, parents, teachers and visitors gathered in the sports hall to watch as 21 students posed questions to Greg Chamitoff, KD5PKZ, aboard the ISS. Additionally, an audio link was set up outside the sports hall for other visitors to listen in. Two television stations (SF DRS Aktuell Schweizer Fernsehen, Regional Fernsehen Tele Zürich), one radio station (Radio Zürichsee) and three newspapers (Zürichsee Zeitung, Neue Zürcher Zeitung NZZ, Tages-Anzeiger) covered the event. The audio was fed into the EchoLink AMSAT server, which received 12 connections, and also into Internet Radio Linking Project (IRLP) Reflector 9010. 3. ARISS Presentation Given at CLC Conference The Challenger Learning Center (CLC) Lead Flight Directors Conference was held in Wellington, Kansas on August 24 – 28. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) presentation was given during the conference on August 27, covering the ARISS program and the school application process. *********************** August 25, 2008 1. Upcoming School Contacts Schulehaus Feld 1 in Richterswil, Switzerland has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Saturday, August 30 at 13:53 UTC. Telebridge station VK4KHZ in Queensland, Australia will assist with the contact. To prepare for the contact, fifth graders covered the solar system and space in their studies and composed questions during their English classes. The ARISS contact will be part of a large public event covering several aspects of communication. The school will be part of a project involving radio clubs, the army, the fire brigade, rescue teams and many others. Reporters from newspapers, television and radio stations will be on site. Challenger Learning Center of Lucas County in Oregon, Ohio will participate in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact. This activity is planned for Monday, September 1 at 15:22 UTC. The Center is sponsored by the Lucas County Educational Service Center and is one of over 50 Challenger Learning Centers (CLC) across the U.S., U.K., and Canada as a living memorial to the Challenger Crew. It is housed in a small school building that supports the CLC program, 6 Head Start classes, 2 classes from the Oregon City Schools, and a Regional School Improvement Team office. Schools from across northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan participate in onsite missions. The Center reaches over 3,000 students and 100 teachers each year. A science lab onsite also doubles as a distance learning lab. This lab is also used for summer camp programs. 2. Successful ARISS Contact with Los Padres Scouts Los Padres Council Troop 105 experienced a successful Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Tuesday, August 19. Greg Chamitoff, KD5PKZ, answered one question from each of ten Scouts. Approximately 100 Scouts, family and friends gathered on the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) astronomy observation deck for the event. There was extensive media coverage of this educational activity and streaming video was available. Photos, video, news articles and press releases have been posted to: http://www.n6kth.com/iss. 3. Challenger Learning Center - ARISS Presentation The Challenger Center Lead Flight Directors Conference will be held in Wellington, Kansas on August 24 – 28. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) presentation is scheduled to be given during the conference on August 27. It will cover the ARISS program and the school application process. 4. ARISS International Meeting Held The monthly Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) teleconference was held on Tuesday, August 19. Topics of discussion included spaceflight participant Richard Garriott, W5KWQ, and his planned activities while onboard the ISS, Russian plans to fly the ISS Ham backup equipment and SuitSat-2 development progress. Minutes have been posted to the ARISS Web site. See: *********************** August 18, 2008 1. Upcoming School Contacts An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been slated for Tuesday, August 19 at 15:39 UTC with Los Padres Council Troop 105 in Santa Barbara, California. Boy Scouts, ages 12-17 have worked on their Astronomy, Space Exploration and Radio Merit Badges. Materials were made available to Cub Scout units to work on the Astronomy and Science belt loops and Astronomy and Science academic pins. The University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) Physics Department has made available its astronomy observation deck for the contact and provided faculty members to instruct the Scouts. The Scouts were presented with information on the ISS and its crew to prepare them for this activity and the media was notified. The Los Padres Scout ARISS contact team put together a Web site at www.n6kth.com/iss. Streaming video of the event is planned. Schulehaus Feld 1 in Richterswil, Switzerland has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Saturday, August 30 at 13:50 UTC. Telebridge station VK4KHZ in Queensland, Australia will assist with the contact. Fifth graders covered the solar system and space in their studies and prepared questions during their English classes. The ARISS contact will be part of a large public event covering several aspects of communication. The school will be part of a project involving radio clubs, the army, the fire brigade, rescue teams and many others. Reporters from newspapers, television and radio stations will be on site. 2. New Jersey Experienced Successful Contact On Wednesday, August 13, the Town of Berkeley Heights, New Jersey Summer Playground Camp participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact. Greg Chamitoff, KD5PKZ, answered 16 questions of 10 campers, including two counselors, with 200 people in attendance. Sergei Volkov also participated, answering one spacewalk question. There was media coverage of the event. To view the Alternative Press article, go to: http://thealternativepress.blogspot.com/2008/08/local-space-chat-with-astronaut-greg.html A video was taken of the event and posted on YouTube. See: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azBvExXlbsY 3. Training Session Contact Successful An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) training session with European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Andre Kuipers took place on Tuesday, August 12. Kuipers, training at Johnson Space Center (JSC), spoke with students attending the European Space Camp (ESC) in Belgium and answered all twenty questions posed to him. The audio of this contact was available on the Internet Radio Linking Project (IRLP) Discovery Reflector. 4. ESC Radio Session Update Astronaut Mike Fincke, KE5AIT, spoke with U.S. deployed soldier dependents visiting the European Space Center (ESC) in Belgium on August 5. The terrestrial contact was arranged by the U.S. Army Installation Management Command (IMCOM) – Europe Region. IMCOM thanked ARISS for the contact and posted an audio file of the event to its Web site. To listen to the question and answer session, click on the following link and scroll to “Radio Highlights.” http://www.imcom-europe.army.mil/sites/local/ 5. Reisman Debrief Held On Wednesday, August 13, an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) debrief session was held with Garrett Reisman, KE5HAE. Valuable feedback was provided to the ARISS team. Reisman was a flight engineer on Expeditions 16 and 17. 6. Ham Radio Module Available on NASA DLN The new NASA amateur radio Digital Learning Network (DLN) module is now available. Information has been posted on the NASA Web site. See: http://dln.nasa.gov/dln/content/catalog/details/?cid=634 7. ARISS on NASA ISS Science Site NASA has posted updated information on the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program to its International Space Station science site. See: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/science/experiments/ARISS.html 8. ARRL Posts Article on ARISS The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) posted the notice “ARISS Team Looking for Ground Stations” in the ARRL Letter. See: http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/08/0815/ 9. ARRL QST Posts ARISS News The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) posted Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) related activities in its September issue of QST. Two items were listed in the column "Media Hits" on page 12. One news story was about the Austin Amateur Radio Club sponsoring "the ARISS contact with Blackland Prairie Elementary School and Cub Scout Pack 304 covered by Fox 7 News, KVUE 24 News and News 8 Austin." Another story covered the Electronic Engineering Times who printed "an Under the Hood feature, 'Extreme Design: SuitSat pushes engineers' limits' which highlighted Amateur Radio technologies, engineering, and ARISS." 10. ARISS Member Gives Presentation on Ham Radio and Kids Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) member and Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT) area coordinator Keith Pugh, W5IU, gave a presentation on amateur radio, space and kids at the 2006 Dayton Hamvention. An excerpt of his talk may be found on the Radio Amateur Information Network (RAIN) report for the week of August 15, 2008. To listen, go to: http://www.therainreport.com/ *********************** August 11, 2008 1. Upcoming School Contacts An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled with Town of Berkeley Heights, New Jersey, Summer Playground Camp on Wednesday, August 13 at 16:08 UTC. The New Providence Amateur Radio Club has been involved with this camp for the last four years. It has provided an introduction to ham radio on the air by setting up HF and VHF stations and having the campers communicate with hams around the world. The ARISS contact will be an extension of this activity. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been slated for Thursday, August 21 at 14:55 UTC with Los Padres Council Troop 105 in Santa Barbara, California. Boy Scouts, ages 12-17 will work on their Astronomy, Space Exploration and Radio Merit Badges. Cub Scout units will have materials available to work on the Astronomy and Science belt loops and Astronomy and Science academic pins. The University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) Physics Department will make available its astronomy observation deck for the contact and will provide faculty members to instruct the Scouts. The Scouts will be presented with information on the ISS and its crew to prepare them for this activity and the media will be notified. 2. Training Session Contact Scheduled A simulated Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for Tuesday, August 12 at approximately 14:00 UTC between ESA astronaut Andre Kuipers, PI9ISS, and youth attending the European Space Camp (ESC) in Belgium. This training session is a terrestrial-based amateur radio contact using ARISS-equivalent equipment. EchoLink and IRLP coverage is expected. 3. Terrestrial Contacts Successful Two simulated Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contacts were scheduled for Tuesday, August 5 between U.S. deployed soldier dependents visiting the European Space Center (ESC) in Belgium and astronauts Koichi Wakata, KC5ZTA and Soichi Noguchi, KD5TVP. The NASA Johnson Space Center was closed due to tropical storm Eduardo which caused the training sessions to be cancelled. Astronaut Mike Fincke, KE5AIT, stepped in to speak with the youth and answered one question from each of the thirty students. Audio will be posted on the ARISS-Europe Web site when available. *********************** August 4, 2008 1. Upcoming School Contacts Two simulated Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contacts are scheduled for Tuesday, August 5 with U.S. deployed soldier dependents visiting Euro Space Camp (ESC) in Belgium. These training sessions are terrestrial-based amateur radio contacts using ARISS-equivalent equipment. There will be EchoLink and IRLP coverage of both contacts. • The first simulated contact is scheduled with Koichi Wakata, KC5ZTA, at approximately 14:20 UTC. • The second simulated contact will take place with astronaut Soichi Noguchi, KD5TVP, at approximately 14:50 UTC. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled with Town of Berkeley Heights, New Jersey, Summer Playground Camp on Wednesday, August 13 at 16:08 UTC. The New Providence Amateur Radio Club has been involved with this camp for the last four years. It has provided an introduction to ham radio on the air by setting up HF and VHF stations and having the campers communicate with hams around the world. The ARISS contact will be an extension of this activity. 2. United Space School Contact Successful An international group of high school students attending United Space School in Seabrook, Texas experienced an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Thursday, July 31. Telebridge station ON4ISS in Belgium facilitated the contact. Twelve students had16 questions answered by astronaut Greg Chamitoff, KD5PKZ. The audio for this event was fed into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) server, receiving 10 connections and it was also fed into the JK1ZRW (277 208) server. 3. ARISS Meetings Held The annual Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) Face to Face Meeting was held in Moscow on July 17-18. Status reports were given by all committees and the election of officers was held. This meeting was preceded by the first Amateur Radio Working Group (ARWG) conference and was followed by a Technical Interchange Meeting (TIM) on July 21-23 where discussions covered SuitSat-2 and ARISS hardware. A final meeting was held at the Gagarin Cosmonauts Training Centre (GCTC) to discuss astronaut training on the ARISS equipment. All meetings were successful, much was accomplished and minutes will be available in the near future. 4. NASA Posts ARISS Article to Web Site An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) article has been written and posted to NASA Web sites. Several ARISS members were interviewed for the story, including astronaut Bill McArthur, KC5ACR. “Communication From Space Inspires Young Minds” may be found at: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/behindscenes/index.html (and on the Kennedy site http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/news/index.html under "Features"). *********************** July 28, 2008 1. Upcoming School Contact United Space School in Seabrook, Texas is slated for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Thursday, July 31 at 18:45 UTC via the telebridge station ON4ISS in Belgium. The school is held once a year for high school students. These students come from around the world for a two week session, during which they stay with local host families while being mentored by astronauts, engineers, and scientists to design a mission to Mars as their team project. Class sessions are held at the University of Houston at Clear Lake. 2. European Space Camp 2008 Contact Successful On Thursday, July 24, youth attending the European Space Camp 2008 in Zanka, Hungary participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact. Astronaut Greg Chamitoff, KD5PKZ, answered the six questions asked of him as 120 students looked on. The audio from this event was fed into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) conference room server and received 8 connections from 7 countries including Hungary, Switzerland, Belgium and the U.S. It was also fed into the EchoLink JK1ZRW (277 208) server. The audio file may be found on the ARISS-Europe Web site. Go to: http://www.ariss-eu.org/Zanka_2008_07_24.mp3 3. ARRL QST Articles on ARISS Activities The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) published two items covering Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) related news in its August issue of QST. A column called "Hams Head into Space" (page 55) included amateur radio activities that Greg Chamitoff, KD5PKZ, plans to take part in and also activities in which Garrett Reisman, KE5HAE, participated. The column "75, 50 and 25 Years Ago" on page 102 showed the QST August 1983 cover with astronaut Owen Garriott, W5LFL's picture operating the radios from space for the very first space amateur radio contacts ever. *********************** July 21, 2008 1. Upcoming School Contacts European Space Camp 2008 will be held at the Zanka Children and Youth Centre in Zanka, Hungary for the children of ESA employees. The camp has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Thursday, July 24 at 19:01 UTC. The Hungarian Astronautical Society (HAS) is organizing the event. The Radio Club of the Puskas Polytechnic (HA5KHC) will provide equipment and support the contact. United Space School in Seabrook, Texas is slated for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Wednesday, July 30 at 18:16 UTC via the telebridge station ON4ISS in Belgium. The school is held once a year for high school students. These students come from around the world for a two week session, during which they stay with local host families while being mentored by astronauts, engineers, and scientists to design a mission to Mars as their team project. Class sessions are held at the University of Houston at Clear Lake. 2. Kuwait Science Club Contact Successful On Monday, July 14, youth attending the Kuwait Science Club participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact via the telebridge station WH6PN in Hawaii. Greg Chamitoff, KD5PKZ, answered 16 questions posed by 12 children and was answering the 17th question when the signal faded out. The audio from this event was fed into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) conference room server and received 11 connections from 3 countries. It was also fed into the EchoLink JK1ZRW (277 208) server and into the IRLP Discovery Reflector 9010. More information and the audio file may be found on the ARISS-Europe Web site. See: http://www.ariss-eu.org/2008_07_15.htm 3. ARISS TIM The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) team is meeting in Moscow this week for a Technical Interchange Meeting (TIM). The conference will be held July 21-23. *********************** July 14, 2008 1. Upcoming School Contacts An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled with the Department of Astronomy & Space Sciences (DASS) at the Kuwait Science Club in Safat, Kuwait on Monday, July 14 at 17:05 UTC. Telebridge station WH6PN in Hawaii will assist with the contact. DASS aims to spread scientific awareness in the fields of astronomy and space sciences by actively engaging the public in exploring the cosmos. This educational activity will educate young people about space stations, satellites and ham radio. A national competition will be announced through Ministry of Education for all schools in Kuwait. The competition will encourage students to do research in space science. Four students will be selected from 3 levels (elementary, middle, high school) to ask questions of the astronaut. Extensive media coverage is expected from at least 3 television stations, several newspapers, magazines and radio stations. The audio for this event will be fed into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) Conference Room servers. It is also expected to be fed into the IRLP Discovery Reflector 9010. European Space Camp 2008 will be held at the Zanka Children and Youth Centre in Zanka, Hungary for the children of ESA employees. The camp has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Thursday, July 24 at 19:01 UTC. The Hungarian Astronautical Society (HAS) is organizing the event. The Radio Club of the Puskas Polytechnic (HA5KHC) will provide equipment and support the contact. 2. Canadian Campers Participate in Successful ARISS Contact On Wednesday, July 9, youth attending the National Agriculture Museum in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact via telebridge station W6SRJ in Santa Rosa, California. Greg Chamitoff, KD5PKZ, answered 14 questions posed to him by 12 campers as an audience of approximately 120 watched. One television station, 2 radio stations, and one member of the press covered the event. The museum reported on the contact using its Web site. Radio station CFRA, which is the most listened to news radio station in Eastern Ontario, played the audio and interview throughout the day. 3. ARRL Article on ARISS Activities On Tuesday, July 8, the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) ran an article on Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contacts which are taking place during the month of July. See: http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2008/07/08/10202/?nc=1 The story is also available on The ARRL Letter: http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/08/0711/ 4. ARISS Face to Face Meeting The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) team is meeting in Moscow this week for its annual face to face meeting. The conference will be held July 17-18 and will be preceded by an Amateur Radio Working Group (ARWG) meeting July 14-16. *********************** July 7, 2008 1. Upcoming School Contacts An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled with the National Agriculture Museum in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada on Wednesday, July 9 at 15:14 UTC. Telebridge station W6SRJ in Santa Rosa, California will assist with the contact. The museum is a large research facility in the City of Ottawa covering over 1000 years of major contributions to agricultural progress. A public camp is part of the overall operation of the farm. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled with the Department of Astronomy & Space Sciences (DASS) at the Kuwait Science Club in Safat, Kuwait on Monday, July 14 at 17:05 UTC. Telebridge station WH6PN in Hawaii will assist with the contact. DASS aims to spread scientific awareness in the fields of astronomy and space sciences by actively engaging the public in exploring the cosmos. This educational activity will educate young people about space stations, satellites and ham radio. A national competition will be announced through the Ministry of Education for all schools in Kuwait. The competition will encourage students to do research in space science. Four students will be selected from 3 levels (elementary, middle, high school) to ask questions of the astronaut. Extensive media coverage is expected from at least 3 television stations, several newspapers, magazines and radio stations. 2. Simulated Contacts Successful Two simulated Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contacts were held on Thursday, July 3. The training sessions were terrestrial-based amateur radio contacts using ARISS-equivalent equipment. Frank De Winne, ON1DWN, participated in the first contact with ESC (Euro Space Camp) in Belgium. The second contact took place between the Ottawa South United Soccer Club in Canada and astronaut Bob Thirsk, W5/VA3CSA. There was IRLP coverage of both contacts. 3. Successful ARISS Contact with Texan Scouts On Friday, July 4, Round Rock Texas Scout Pack #304 and Blackland Prairie Elementary School in Round Rock, Texas participated in a successful Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact. Ten Scouts asked nearly twenty questions of Greg Chamitoff, KD5PKZ, before an audience of 100. Two broadcast television stations and one local cable news outlet reported on the event. To view the Fox video, see: http://www.myfoxaustin.com/myfox/pages/Home/Detail?contentId=6915557&version=1&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=VSTY&pageId=1.1.1 News 8 Austin also ran an article: http://www.news8austin.com/content/top_stories/default.asp?ArID=213480 *********************** June 30, 2008 1. Upcoming School Contacts Two simulated Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contacts are scheduled for Thursday, July 3. These training sessions are terrestrial-based amateur radio contacts using ARISS-equivalent equipment. There will be IRLP coverage of both contacts. • The first simulated contact scheduled is with Frank De Winne, ON1DWN, and the ESC (Euro Space Camp) in Belgium. It will take place at approximately 19:00 UTC. • Ottawa South United Soccer Club in Canada will also take part in a simulated contact with astronaut Bob Thirsk, W5/VA3CSA. The contact is slated for approximately 20:55 UTC. Round Rock Texas Scout Pack #304 and Blackland Prairie Elementary School in Round Rock, Texas has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Friday, July 4 at 16:32 UTC. This event will introduce scouts to the concepts required for their radio merit badges, giving them a practical example of amateur radio in action. It will also provide an activity for the scientist badge. The entire Pack (50-60 boys of various ranks) will be involved, as well as select Blackland Prairie Elementary School staff and students. Pack 304 will participate in a contest to determine the best questions to ask the astronaut. Media (newspaper, radio, television) coverage is planned and the governor will be invited. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled with the National Agriculture Museum in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada on Wednesday, July 9 at 15:14 UTC. Telebridge station W6SRJ in Santa Rosa, California will assist with the contact. The museum is a large research facility in the City of Ottawa covering over 1000 years of major contributions to agricultural progress. A public camp is part of the overall operation of the farm. 2. Successful Russian Contact Kursk State University students participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact during the Slavic Commonwealth Forum (formerly the International Congress of Slavic States conference) in Sochi, Russia (on the Black Sea). The students spoke with Oleg Kononenko, RN3DX, on June 22. 3. Robinson Elementary School Contact Successful On Wednesday, June 25, students from Robinson Elementary School in Robinson, Texas experienced an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact via the telebridge station WH6PN in Hawaii. Eleven students were able to ask one question each of astronaut Greg Chamitoff, KD5PKZ, as an audience of nearly 300 looked on. After the contact, the bridge connection was kept up to answer the students’ remaining questions. The audio was available via IRLP. 4. Astronaut Training Status Astronauts Joe Acaba, KE5DAR, and Ricky Arnold, KE5DAU, participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) basic operations training session on Thursday, June 26 at JSC. Both crew members are assigned to the STS-119 mission, which will bring Koichi Wakata to the ISS and return Sandy Magnus. Nicole Stott, KE5GJN, Sandy Magnus, KE5FYE, and JAXA astronauts Koichi Wakata, KC5ZTA, and Soichi Noguchi, KD5TVP, received training on the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) ham radio equipment. Photos of the Energia training session are available on the following Web site: http://www.energia.ru/eng/news/news-2008/photo_06-20.html 5. Under the Hood Posts SuitSat Article and Video SuitSat appears on the cover of the June issue of Under the Hood, a supplemental issue of the EE Times. A link to the digital issue may be found here: http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/cmp/uth062308/ A video of Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) member Steve Bible’s talk on SuitSat given at the Embedded Systems Conference (EMS) in April 2008 has also been posted on the Under the Hood Web site. See: http://cmptv.net/teardown/SuitSat 6. ARISS International Team Meeting Held The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) monthly teleconference was held on Tuesday, June 17. Agenda items covered included the upcoming Moscow meeting, Amateur Radio on the Columbus module (ARCOL) and the status of SuitSat-2. Minutes have been posted to the ARISS Web site. See: http://www.rac.ca/ariss/arisstel2008-06-17.htm 7. ARISS Delegate Recognized at Ham Fair Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) delegate Gaston Bertels, ON4WF, was recognized at the Ham Fair in Friedrichshafen, Germany for his many contributions to amateur radio including his ARISS work, his efforts on the Columbus antennas, and his selection for the CQ Hall of Fame. Ham Fair is the largest amateur radio convention in Europe and was held over the weekend of June 27-29. 8. Amateur Radio Video Posted The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) held its annual Field Day over the June 28-29 weekend. A Field Day video has been posted on YouTube. It features the International Space Station and/or Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program several times. To view this, see: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=varHL752Odk *********************** June 23, 2008 1. Upcoming School Contacts An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled with Robinson Elementary School in Robinson, Texas on Wednesday, June 25 at 15:45 UTC via telebridge station WH6PN in Hawaii. This is the first ARISS contact to be held with astronaut Greg Chamitoff, KD5PKZ. Approximately 300 second and third graders are enrolled at the school. Round Rock Texas Scout Pack #304/Blackland Prairie Elementary School in Round Rock, Texas has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Monday, June 30 at 18:06 UTC. This event will introduce scouts to the concepts required for their radio merit badges, giving them a practical example of amateur radio in action. It will also provide an activity for the scientist badge. The entire Pack (50-60 boys of various ranks) will be involved, as well as select Blackland Prairie Elementary School staff and students. Pack 304 will participate in a contest to determine the best questions to ask the astronaut. Media (newspaper, radio, television) coverage is planned and the governor will be invited to the event. 2. Astronaut Training Status Mike Fincke, KE5AIT, recently took part in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) training session in Russia. Fincke will fly in October 2008 as the commander of Expedition 18. Photos have been posted to this Web site: http://www.energia.ru/eng/news/news-2008/photo_06-17.html 3. ARRL QST Articles on ARISS Activities The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) July QST published an obituary on ARISS founder Ron Parise, WA4SIR (page 59). Under "Media Hits” was information on Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contacts making news: "Media hits emphasizing the technology of Amateur Radio were found in stories of ARISS contacts. Among these were Rob Jennings' article in the Morristown, NJ Daily Record and the Star-Ledger (Newark) plus the Independent Press (New Providence NJ) article on astronaut Garrett Reisman contacting Parsippany's Central Middle School." 4. CQ VHF Article on SuitSat-2 The Spring 2008 issue of CQ VHF magazine published an article on SuitSat-2 development. The article was based on Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) hardware manager Lou McFadin’s Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT) Symposium 2007 paper. 5. AMSAT Videos Available The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT) has posted videos of presentations given at the 2008 Dayton Hamvention AMSAT Forum. For a list of presentations, go to: http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/news/ To access the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) presentation directly, see: mms://media.wmfd.com/amsat/VK5ZAI_2008_forum.wmv *********************** June 16, 2008 1. Upcoming School Contact An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled with Robinson Elementary School in Robinson, Texas on Wednesday, June 25 at 15:45 UTC, via telebridge station WH6PN in Hawaii. This is the first ARISS contact to be held with astronaut Greg Chamitoff, KD5PKZ. Approximately 300 second and third graders are enrolled at the school. 2. ARRL PR Campaign Includes ARISS On June 10, the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) ran an article about its new PR campaign called "We Do That." A portion of a new brochure and accompanying Web material cover Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS). There is also an audio sample of an ARISS contact on the Web site. For more information, go to: http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2008/06/10/10151/?nc=1 The story also ran in the ARRL Letter. See: http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/08/0613/ 3. ARISS Face to Face Meeting Preparations continue for the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) Face to Face Meeting. The conference will be held on July 17-18. It will be preceded by an Amateur Radio Working Group (ARWG) meeting on July 14-16 which will be attended by representatives from the international partner space agencies. Both meetings will be held in Moscow, Russia. *********************** June 9, 2008 1. School Contact Status Planning continues for Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contacts; however, the level of school contacts will drop temporarily due to crew time constraints. On Friday, June 6, a successful Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact took place between Kursk State University in Russia and cosmonauts Sergei Volkov, RU3DIS, and Oleg Kononenko, RN3DX, aboard the ISS. Over three hundred students attended the event. 2. ARRL Article on STS-124 The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) posted a story to its Web site on the STS-124 mission. The article covers ISS flight engineer Greg Chamitoff, KD5PKZ, and mission specialist Akihiko Hoshide, KE5DNI, who flew to the ISS on shuttle Discovery. It also includes information on the new JAXA Kibo laboratory. “Hams Head into Space” may be found at: http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2008/06/03/10139/?nc=1 The article was also published in the ARRL Letter. See: http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/08/0606/ 3. ARISS-Europe Posts DRS Article An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact took place with Delta Researcher Schools (DRS) on Friday, May 23 at Space Expo, Noordwijk, the Netherlands. ARISS-Europe has posted a summary of the contact with photos on its Web site. See: http://www.ariss-eu.org/2008_06_06.htm *********************** June 2, 2008 1. School Contact Status Planning continues for Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contacts; however, the level of school contacts will drop temporarily due to crew time constraints. 2. NASM Space Day Article Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT) and Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) members participated in the National Air and Space Museum celebration on Space Day. The event was covered in a local paper. To view the article in the Southwester (page 11), go to: http://swdc.org/news/Southwester_JUNE_2008.pdf 3. Terrestrial School Contact Successful On Tuesday, May 27, European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Roberto Vittori, IZ6ERU, spoke by telephone with students from primary schools San Giuseppe and De Gasperi in Italy. He answered 20 questions posed to him by the students. Approximately 400 people were present during the hour long question and answer session. Newspapers covered the event. These schools plan to participate in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact in the fall. Photos and detailed information on this activity have been posted to the ARISS-Europe Web site. See: http://www.ariss-eu.org/2008_05_27.htm 4. ESA Article on DRS Contact An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact took place with Delta Researcher Schools (DRS) on Friday, May 23 at Space Expo, Noordwijk, the Netherlands. The European Space Agency (ESA) posted a write-up on this educational event to its Web site. See: http://www.esa.int/esaHS/SEMEZ8NKRGF_education_0.html 5. Astronaut Training Status Mike Fincke, KE5AIT, participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) training session on Tuesday, May 27. Fincke is scheduled to fly in October 2008 as the commander of Expedition 18. *********************** May 26, 2008 1. Delta Researchers School Contact Successful On Friday, May 23, Delta Researchers Schools 2008 Space Expo in Noordwijk, the Netherlands, experienced an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact via telebridge station WH6PN in Hawaii. Garrett Reisman, KE5HAE, answered 15 questions posed to him by children from twelve Dutch primary schools. The audio for this event was fed into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) servers. Photos and audio will be posted on the ARISS-Europe Web site when available. 2. ARISS Delegate Receives CQ’s Radio Hall of Fame Award Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) delegate and mentor Gaston Bertels, ON4WF, was inducted into CQ magazine’s Amateur Radio Hall of Fame for making a significant contribution to amateur radio and our planet. This award is given to persons who not only excel in personal performance in amateur radio, but also give back to amateur radio in a significant manner. On May 16, the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) ran a web story covering this news. See: http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2008/05/16/10100/?nc=1 3. ARRL QST Articles on ARISS Activities The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) June QST published an item under "Media Hits" (page 12) about Yi So-yeon launching to space to perform Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) ham activities. Also posted in the June QST is a Field Day multi-page insert. Under ideas for fun things to do on Field Day is a suggestion for hams to listen for general contacts being made from the International Space Station. 4. ARISS International Team Meeting Held The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) monthly meeting was held on Tuesday, May 20. Topics of discussion included the ARISS Face to Face Meeting to be held in Moscow in July and the status of SuitSat-2. Minutes have been posted. See: http://www.rac.ca/ariss/arisstel2008-05-20.htm *********************** May 19, 2008 1. Upcoming School Contact Delta Researchers Schools 2008, Space Expo in Noordwijk, the Netherlands, has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact via telebridge station WH6PN in Hawaii. The contact will take place on Friday, May 23 at 13:59 UTC. Twelve Dutch primary schools which participate in the Delta-project will be represented at Space Expo. The project is a cooperation of the Dutch ministry of Education, Culture and Science, the European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA. The schools participating in the project use the themes of space and space exploration to teach science and technology. Three children (ages 7 – 12) from each school will be present. The audio for this event will be fed into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) servers. 2. Cindy McArthur Receives Silver Snoopy Award Last week, Teaching From Space Project Lead Cindy McArthur became the recipient of a Silver Snoopy award. Astronaut Barbara Morgan, KD5VNP, presented the award in appreciation for McArthur’s work and support of educational activities throughout the STS-118 mission which included an Educational Downlinks videoconference and an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact. 3. ARISS Presentation Given at Dayton Hamvention The Dayton Hamvention was held at the Hara Arena Complex in Dayton, Ohio on May 16 - 18. Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) telebridge operator Tony Hutchison, VK5ZAI, gave a presentation on "A Ham Radio Operator's View of ARISS" at the AMSAT forum. The Dayton Hamvention is an internationally attended amateur radio convention that draws crowds of 25,000 annually. *********************** May 12, 2008 1. Upcoming School Contact Delta Researchers Schools 2008, Space Expo in Noordwijk, the Netherlands, has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact via telebridge station WH6PN in Hawaii. The contact will take place on Friday, May 23 at 15:01 UTC. Twelve Dutch primary schools which participate in the Delta-project will be represented at Space Expo. The project is a cooperation of the Dutch ministry of Education, Culture and Science, the European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA. The schools participating in the project use the themes of space and space exploration to teach science and technology. Three children (ages 7 – 12) from each school will be present. 2. Armada Area Schools – ARISS Contact Postponed The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact which was scheduled with the Armada area schools in Michigan on May 9 was postponed due to crew scheduling issues. It will be rescheduled in the fall. In place of the May 9 contact, the Teaching From Space Office at Johnson Space Center arranged a teleconference between the Armada students and astronaut Bill McArthur in Houston Texas. Bill spent several minutes talking about the International Space Station and answered in detail 15 student questions. There were approximately 550 participants present at the school. The Teaching From Space Office also sent an educational resource package to the school which included seeds that were flown in space. The Armada schools are looking forward to a direct ARISS contact in the fall. 3. ARISS Founder Ron Parise Passes on Astronaut Ron Parise, WA4SIR, passed away on Friday, May 9. Ron was a key player in the development of the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program and a strong supporter of educational outreach activities. He spoke with hundreds of hams on the ground during his Shuttle flights STS-35 and STS-67 and was the first to operate packet radio in orbit. He was instrumental in developing both the ISS Ham radio systems currently onboard the ISS and the telebridge station concept with the specific purpose of encouraging students to pursue studies in technical fields. ARISS Chairman Frank Bauer wrote a memorial to Ron which has been included at the end of this report. The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) published this story: http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2008/05/10/10092/?nc=1 4. ARISS Member Interviewed on Australian TV ARISS member Tony Hutchison, VK5ZAI, was interviewed and appeared on the Australian Channel 7 Today Tonight Show. He described his work with the educational Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program. The Wireless Institute of Australia (WIA) posted the news clip with permission from Channel 7. See: http://www.wia.org.au/discover/videoaudio/video/documents/Low_VK5ZAI_Today_Tonight_320X240X256.wmv 5. NASA Tool Aids Amateur Radio Operators The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) ran an article covering NASA’s new 4D Ionosphere tool. The tool can aid amateur radio operators in radio communications. To view the story, go to: http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2008/05/07/10081/?nc=1 NASA’s article has been posted to: http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2008/30apr_4dionosphere.htm?list212589 6. Wings over the Rockies Amateur Radio Event On Friday, May 23, Wings over the Rockies Air and Space Museum in Denver, Colorado will open a new exhibit, "Colorado's Astronauts: in their own words." It will also host ceremonies for the presentation of NASA's Ambassador of Exploration Award honoring one of Colorado's astronauts, Jack Swigert. NASA officials will present the award to Jack Swigert’s sister, Virginia Swigert. Guests include James A. Lovell, Fred Haise, Ken Mattingly as well as other astronauts and Colorado Governor Bill Ritter. To celebrate the event, an amateur radio special event station K0WAR, will operate on 14250 or 7250 kHz from 09:00 to 21:00 local Denver time (May 23, 15:00 UTC to May 24, 03:00 UTC). An 8-1/2 x 11 QSL certificate will be distributed to confirmed contacts providing an SASE. For more information on the event, see: http://www.wingsmuseum.org/index.php 7. ARISS Presentation at Dayton Hamvention The Dayton Hamvention will be held at the Hara Arena Complex in Dayton, Ohio on May 16 - 18. 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) Australian telebridge operator Tony Hutchison, VK5ZAI, plans to give a presentation on "A Ham Radio Operator's View of ARISS" at the AMSAT forum which will cover new ARISS initiatives and a status report on SuitSat-2. The Dayton Hamvention is an internationally attended amateur radio convention that draws crowds of 25,000 annually. For more information on Dayton Hamvention 2008, go to: http://www.hamvention.org/hv2008/forums/forumlist.htm 8. Ron Parise Memorial It is with a heavy heart that I announce the passing of a great friend, colleague and fellow ham radio operator. Dr. Ronald A. Parise, WA4SIR, left this Earth today, Friday May 9, 2008 after a very long and courageous battle with cancer. Ron Parise was--and continues to be--an inspiration to countless students, ham radio operators, and friends the world over. His accomplishments were many, including: space explorer, pioneer, astrophysicist, pilot, ham radio operator, avionics and software expert, inspirational speaker and motivator, student satellite mentor, husband, father, and friend. While he certainly did some truly extraordinary things in his lifetime, Ron Parise is best known and cherished for keeping family and friends first…and for this, we will miss him most. Ron flew as a payload specialist on two Space Shuttle missions: STS-35 on the Space Shuttle Columbia in December 1990 and STS-67 on the Space Shuttle Endeavour in March 1995. These two missions, called ASTRO-1 & 2 respectively, carried out Ultraviolet and X-ray astronomy observations. He logged over 614 hours and 10.6 million miles in space. Ron and his crew members on ASTRO-1 became the first astronomers to operate a telescope from space, making hundreds of observations during the mission. His personal contributions to these two missions have provided scientists with an unprecedented view of our universe, expanding our understanding of the birth, life and death of stars and galaxies. Ron was also the ultimate ham radio operator—in space and on the ground. First licensed when he was 11, Ron kept the amateur radio hobby at the forefront of everything he did—including his operations from space. During his two Space Shuttle flights, he talked to hundreds of hams on the ground, giving new meaning to the phrase the “ultimate DX-pedition”. He was instrumental in guiding the development of a simple ham radio system that could be used in multiple configurations on the Space Shuttle. As a result, his first flight on STS-35 ushered in the “frequent flyer” era of the Shuttle Amateur Radio Experiment (SAREX) payload. He was the first ham in space to operate packet radio. And his flight pioneered the telebridge ground station concept to enable more schools to talk to Shuttle crew members despite time and orbit constraints. In his two shuttle flights, he inspired countless students to seek technical careers and he created memories at the schools and communities that will never be forgotten. Ron’s love for the amateur radio hobby and his love of inspiring students continued well beyond his two Shuttle flights. During the formation of the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program, Ron was a tremendous resource to the newly forming international team. I know of many instances where Ron’s wisdom and sage advice was instrumental in helping our international team resolve issues when we reached critical technical or political roadblocks. And he was a key volunteer in the development of the ham radio hardware systems that are now on-board ISS. The ARISS team is deeply indebted to WA4SIR for his leadership, technical advice and tremendous vision. Ron worked hand-in-hand with the students at the Naval Academy and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University on the development of their student satellites. He helped develop Radio Jove—a student educational project to listen to the radio signals emanating from Jupiter. And he spoke at numerous schools over the years, inspiring them to pursue careers in science, math and technology. I feel blessed to have had Ron as a friend, colleague, ham buddy and mentor. He gave so much, cheerfully, to our collective hobby and was always there with the right answer no matter the topic. I will miss him dearly. In an effort to continue Ron’s tireless work to inspire the next generation, the Parise family has set up a scholarship fund in Ron’s honor. The scholarship is for students pursuing technical degrees at Youngtown State University, where Ron received his Bachelors of Science degree. In lieu of flowers, those interested are welcome to send donations to the Dr. Ronald A. Parise Scholarship Fund, Youngstown State University, One University Plaza, Youngstown, Ohio 44555. On behalf of AMSAT and the ARISS International team, I would like to extend our collective condolences to the Parise family and to all Ron’s friends. Our thoughts and prayers are with you. And to Ron Parise, WA4SIR SK: Our sincerest 73's and 88's…may your exploration spirit live on in us all!! Frank H. Bauer, KA3HDO AMSAT-NA V.P. for Human Spaceflight Programs Chairman, ARISS International *********************** May 5, 2008 1. ARISS Space Day Contact Successful On Saturday, May 3, the National Air and Space Museum (NASM) in Washington, D.C. participated in Space Day 2008, celebrating the 50th anniversary of NASA and NASA’s achievements through space exploration. Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT) and Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) members manned an activity station during the event. A highlight of the event was an ARISS contact made possible through the assistance of telebridge station NN1SS in Greenbelt, Maryland. Thirty questions were put to Garrett Reisman, KE5HAE, live, by ten children as approximately 200 gathered in the gallery. The audio was fed into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) Conference Room servers and received 25 connections. It was also fed into the IRLP Discovery Reflector 9010, receiving 4 connections from Canada and the U.S. Additionally, the event was taped by the NASM staff. Space Day draws crowds of thousands annually. 2. Astronaut Training Status Bob Thirsk, VA3CSA, participated in a successful Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) training session on Thursday, May 1. He answered questions posed to him by students at the Cedarview Middle School in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Expedition 19 back-up crew member Chris Hadfield, KC5RNJ/VA3OOG, also attended an ARISS operations training session on Friday, May 2. *********************** April 28, 2008 1. Upcoming School Contacts The National Air and Space Museum (NASM) in Washington, D.C. has been approved for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Saturday, May 3 at 15:52 UTC via the telebridge station NN1SS in Greenbelt. This year Space Day will celebrate the 50th anniversary of NASA and NASA’s achievements through space exploration. Youth, ages 12 -18, will participate. The Washington Post, the NASM Web site and NASM e-news will report on the contact. The event is open to the public and thousands are expected to attend. The audio from this contact is expected to be fed into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) Conference Room servers and the IRLP Discovery Reflector 9010. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for Armada Area Schools in Armada, Michigan on Friday, May 9 at 13:38 UTC. Students will research space exploration, the effects of space on the human body, and technology used for space travel. Middle school students will write essays and high school students will create Power Point presentations. The Detroit News, Detroit Free Press, Armada Times and Macomb Daily newspapers will provide newspaper coverage. The local cable channel will tape and place the contact on the local channels and Channels 2, 4, 7 will also be contacted to provide local Metropolitan Detroit News coverage. 2. Arnold Palmer Hospital Contact Successful On Monday, April 21, patients at the Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children in Orlando, Florida participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact with Garrett Reisman, KE5HAE, via the telebridge station W6SRJ in California. Reisman answered the 20 questions which had been planned for him and continued answering another three posed by the seven children. Approximately 30 people were in attendance. Orlando television stations Central Florida News 13 and WESH Channel 2 both reported on the event. The audio was fed into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) Conference Room servers and received 24 connections, including 9 link nodes and 3 repeater nodes, from stations in Australia, USA, Belgium, Canada, England, France, Germany, Japan and Spain. 3. ARISS – Russian School Contact The Peter Klimuk School Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact planned for Wednesday, April 23 was unsuccessful due to technical difficulties. The ARISS team is looking into the problem. 4. ESA Astronaut Visits ARISS Schools ESA astronaut Paolo Nespoli, IZØJPA, gave two presentations to Italian schools which had participated in Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contacts in October 2007. On Wednesday, April 23, Nespoli spoke to 565 students from Galileo Galilei High School of Civitavecchia, Guglielmo Marconi High School of Civitavecchia and Giosuè Carducci Secondary School in Santa Marinella. On April 24, he spoke with 400 students from Aula Magna of the Faculty of Engineering of the University of L'Aquila. ARISS member Francesco De Paolis, IKØWGF, gave a talk on the ARISS program and Nespoli gave a presentation on the Esperia mission which also highlighted the ARISS contacts. Television stations and newspapers covered the events and photographs have been posted to the ARISS-Europe Web site. See: http://www.ariss-eu.org/2008_04_27.htm 5. Astronaut Training Status An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) training session is planned for astronaut Bob Thirsk, VA3CSA, with Cedarview Middle School in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The training session, which is a terrestrial-based amateur radio contact using ARISS-equivalent equipment, is planned for Thursday, May 1 at approximately 19:30 UTC. Expedition 19 back-up crew member Chris Hadfield, KC5RNJ/VA3OOG, will attend an ARISS operations training session on Friday, May 2. *********************** April 21, 2008 1. Upcoming School Contacts Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children in Orlando, Florida has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Monday, April 21 at 17:48 UTC via the telebridge station W6SRJ in Santa Rosa, California. Arnold Palmer is one of 8 hospitals under the Orlando Regional Healthcare umbrella and addresses the unique medical needs of children in the Central Florida area. The children who participate in this contact will be patients at the hospital. It will be an exciting surprise and enriching experience that will make their hospital stay a memorable event. The audio from this contact will be fed into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) Conference Room servers and the IRLP Discovery Reflector 9010. Students from the Shchelkovo School in Star City, Russia, will experience an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Wednesday, April 23 at 09:24 UTC. The school will be assisted by the telebridge station ON4ISS in Belgium. Cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko, RN3DX, will participate using the callsign OR4ISS. The audio from this contact will be fed into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) Conference Room servers and the IRLP Discovery Reflector 9010. The National Air and Space Museum (NASM) in Washington, D.C. has been approved for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Saturday, May 3 at 15:52 UTC via the telebridge station NN1SS in Greenbelt. This year Space Day will celebrate the 50th anniversary of NASA and NASA’s achievements through space exploration. Youth, ages 12 -18, will participate in the contact. The Washington Post, the NASM Web site and NASM e-news will cover the event which is open to the public. Thousands are expected to attend. 2. New Jersey School Contact, a Success On Monday, April 14, students from Central Middle School in Parsippany, New Jersey, participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact with alumnus Garrett Reisman, KE5HAE. Eighteen questions were asked and answered. Over 900 students, parents and others gathered at the school to witness the event. One radio station, three television stations (ABC, CBS, NJ12) and four newspapers including the Star Ledger, the Daily Record, Parsippany Life and the New York Times reported on the contact. The school also had its district communication, “Video on the Go” hooked up. The activity was recorded and available for viewing on their Web site. All 14 district schools had the opportunity to view the contact live. The Daily Record article may be found on: http://www.dailyrecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080415/COMMUNITIES38/804150329&referrer=FRONTPAGECAROUSEL To view the Star Ledger article, go to: http://www.nj.com/starledger/stories/index.ssf?/base/news-4/120823411560940.xml&coll=1 3. ARISS - Korean Museum Contact Successful Students visiting the National Science Museum of Korea participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Friday, April 18. Spaceflight participant Yi So-yeon, HL0ARISS, answered nine questions posed to her by the students in front of an audience of approximately 800. Over five television stations and four newspapers covered the event. 4. ARISS International Team Meeting Held The monthly Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) teleconference was held on Tuesday, April 15. Agenda items discussed included the preparations for the ARISS meeting in Moscow and the status of new telebridge stations under consideration. The minutes have been posted to the ARISS Web site. See: http://www.rac.ca/ariss/arisstel2008-04-15.htm 5. Astronaut Training Status An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) training session was held for Expedition 19 crew member Bob Thirsk, VA3CSA, on Thursday, April 17. Chris Hadfield, KC5RNJ/VA3OOG, Thirsk’s back-up, will attend an ARISS training session on Friday, May 2. *********************** April 14, 2008 1. Upcoming School Contacts Central Middle School in Parsippany, New Jersey, has been slated for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Monday, April 14 at 17:03 UTC. An essay and presentation contest will be held to determine which students will speak with the astronaut. The New Providence Amateur Radio Club will assist with the contact. The event will be available through a live transmission to all local schools using amateur band fast scan television. The school will notify CBS, NBC, ABC, New Jersey 12, the local and state newspapers, New York Times, USA Today, local and state elected officials, Board of Education members, district personnel, and New Jersey Education Association of the event. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled with the National Science Museum of Korea on Friday, April 18 at 01:35 UTC. The Museum is an umbrella organization of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology and as such collects, preserves, researches and exhibits cultural assets in the fields of science, technology, natural science, history of science and technology. It also provides informal education to students. Spaceflight participant Yi So-yeon will participate in this educational activity. Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children in Orlando, Florida has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Monday, April 21 at 17:48 UTC via the telebridge station W6SRJ in Santa Rosa, California. The audio for this event will be fed into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) Conference Room servers and the IRLP Discovery Reflector 9010. 2. Croatian Contact Successful On Monday, April 7, students from Osnovna skola Pazin in Croatia participated in a successful Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact. Garrett Reisman, KE5HAE, answered 15 questions posed to him by 6 students as an audience of 100 people gathered around the radio. Three national television stations, three radio stations and five newspapers covered the event. The audio was fed into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) servers and received 16 connections, including 3 link nodes and 1 repeater node, from 11 countries. 3. First Korean Contact Successful Students attending the Han Gwang Boys & Girls High School in Pyeong Taek City, Republic of Korea experienced an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Sunday, April 13. South Korean space visitor Yi So-yeon, HL0ARISS, answered 12 students’ questions. Over 500 people attended the event. Media coverage included 5 television stations and 10 newspapers. 4. ARISS Crew Debrief Held A debrief session was held between the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) team and Expedition 16 crew member Leopold Eyharts, KE5FNO/FX0STD on Monday, April 7. Eyharts provided feedback on ARISS school contacts and operation of the ARISS radio equipment. 5. ARISS Presentation at Dayton Hamvention The Dayton Hamvention will be held at the Hara Arena Complex in Dayton, Ohio on May 16 - 18. 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) Chairman Frank Bauer plans to give a presentation on "A Ham Radio Operator's View of ARISS" at the AMSAT forum which will cover new ARISS initiatives and a status report on SuitSat-2. The Dayton Hamvention is an internationally attended amateur radio convention that draws crowds of 25,000 annually. For more information on Dayton Hamvention 2008, go to: http://www.hamvention.org/hv2008/forums/forumlist.htm *********************** April 7, 2008 1. Upcoming School Contacts An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled with Osnovna skola Pazin in Pazin, Croatia on Monday, April 7 at 14:52 UTC. Eight hundred students are enrolled at the school which has offered technical classes in robotics, electronics and computer science for the past ten years. Students from Pazin’s two high schools are also expected to attend this event. The schools hope to pique the students’ interest in space and electronics through this educational activity. The audio for this event will be fed into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) servers. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled with Han Gwang Boys & Girls High School in Pyeong Taek City, Republic of Korea on Sunday, April 13 at 10:57 UTC. The school was founded in 1955 and now consists of 4 schools under the same name, Han-Gwang (boys' junior & senior high schools and girls' junior & senior high schools). The four schools have 250 teachers and 5,000 students. It has an amateur radio club station, DS0IC which is the largest school club station in Korea with approximately 150 operators (100 students and 50 teachers). South Korean space visitor Yi So-yeon plans to speak with the high school youth during this event. Central Middle School in Parsippany, New Jersey, has been slated for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Monday, April 14 at 17:05 UTC. An essay and presentation contest will be held to determine which students will speak with the astronaut. The New Providence Amateur Radio Club will assist with the contact. The event will be available through a live transmission to all local schools using amateur band fast scan television. The school will notify CBS, NBC, ABC, New Jersey 12, the local and state newspapers, New York Times, USA Today, local and state elected officials, Board of Education members, district personnel, and the New Jersey Education Association of this event. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled with the National Science Museum of Korea on Thursday, April 17 at 09:13 UTC. The Museum is an umbrella organization of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology and as such collects, preserves, researches and exhibits cultural assets in the fields of science, technology, natural science, history of science and technology. It also provides informal education to students. Spaceflight participant Yi So-yeon will participate in this educational activity. 2. Shanghai Students Experience ARISS Contact On Tuesday, April 1, students attending the Shanghai Youth Centre of Science and Technology Education in Xuhui, Shanghai, China participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact. Astronaut Garrett Reisman, KE5HAE, answered 8 questions posed to him by eight children as an audience of approximately 300 people looked on. Four television station and 8 newspapers covered the event. 3. Debrief Scheduled for Eyharts The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) team has been scheduled for an Expedition 16 crew debrief with Leopold Eyharts, KE5FNO/FX0STD. It will take place on Monday, April 7. 4. DLN ARISS Module Status A draft version of the Digital Learning Network (DLN) Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) module will be ready for review by the end of May 2008. The module will provide grades K-12 with a foundation of what amateur radio is and how it is used, information on NASA and ARISS and will incorporate demonstrations from ARISS lesson plans. It will also highlight special projects such as SuitSat-2. The DLN module will provide education resource links to be used pre- and post-ARISS contact and will give information on how to apply for a contact. 5. Christa McAuliffe Planetarium Radio Station Six staff members at the Christa McAuliffe Planetarium in Concord, New Hampshire passed their amateur radio exams. Two made the General class; the rest Technician. An amateur radio station will be set up at the planetarium on May 3 which will be capable of operating from HF to UHF and will have an antenna system for working satellites. The planetarium is home to the NASA Educator Resource Center (ERC) for New Hampshire. *********************** March 31, 2008 1. Upcoming School Contacts Shanghai Youth Centre of Science and Technology Education in Xuhui, Shanghai, China has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Tuesday, April 1 at 08:10 UTC. The Centre is an after school educational facility that educates teenagers in science and technology. It has its own radio club, callsign BY4AY, which focuses on educating students in science and radio communications and in fabricating electronic toys. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled with Osnovna skola Pazin in Pazin, Croatia on Monday, April 7 at 14:52 UTC. Eight hundred students are enrolled at the school which has offered technical classes in robotics, electronics and computer science for the past ten years. Students from Pazin’s two high schools are also expected to attend this event. The schools hope to pique the students’ interest in space and electronics through this educational activity. 2. Kodomo Contact Successful Youth from the Kodomo Support Project in Kyoto, Japan participated in a successful Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Wednesday, March 26. One hundred thirty parents and community members watched as eighteen children asked astronaut Garrett Reisman, KE5HAE, twenty questions before the ISS went over the horizon. Three television stations, including NHK, the Japan Broadcasting Corporation, and seven newspapers covered the event. To view a video of the contact, go to: http://www.ariss.jp/kyoto/Kyoto.wmv 3. Shukor Crew Debrief Held An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) crew debrief was held on Tuesday, March 25. Spaceflight participant Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor, 9W2MUS provided the team with feedback on his experience with ARISS contacts while onboard the ISS. 4. Articles Cover Upcoming Garriott Activities Articles have been posted covering the educational activities that Richard Garriott, W5KWQ, has planned while onboard the International Space Station. These activities include contacting children at the Challenger Learning Centers and taking part in amateur radio contacts. Prior to flight, children can take part in a contest creating a design for a patch. Spaceref.com and the Challenger Center articles may be viewed here: http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=25010 http://www.challenger.org/programs/garriottdownlinks.cfm 5. Astronaut Training Status An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) training session has been planned for astronauts Bob Thirsk, VA3CSA, and Chris Hadfield, KC5RNJ/VA3OOG, on Thursday, April 17. Thirsk is a scheduled crew member on Expedition 19; Hadfield is his back-up. *********************** March 24, 2008 1. Upcoming School Contacts The Non Profit Organization Kodomo Support Project in Kyoto, Japan has been approved for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Wednesday, March 26 at 10:41 UTC. The Project was established in 2006 to provide a network for parents and the community to support the social, mental and physical education of children. Participants will learn about wireless communication, space and science technology. Shanghai Youth Centre of Science and Technology Education in Xuhui, Shanghai, China has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Tuesday, April 1 at 08:10 UTC. The Centre is an after school educational facility that educates teenagers in science and technology. It has its own radio club, callsign BY4AY, which focuses on educating students in science and radio communications and in fabricating electronic toys. 2. Shukor Crew Debrief Scheduled An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) crew debrief has been scheduled for Dr. Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor, 9W2MUS, on Tuesday, March 25. The spaceflight participant performed 5 contacts with Malaysian school children while onboard the ISS in October 2007. 3. Garriott to Participate in ARISS Contacts Space Adventures has posted an article covering the educational activities that Richard Garriott, W5KWQ, has planned while he is onboard the International Space Station. Inspiring children at the Challenger Learning Centers and taking part in amateur radio contacts are among the activities in which he plans to participate. See: http://www.spaceadventures.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=news.viewnews&newsid=599 4. Amateur Radio Stations in Colorado Air and Space Museum In promoting education, science and technology, Wings over the Rockies Air and Space Museum in Denver, Colorado has included amateur radio stations in its Avionics display and efforts are well under way in setting up a station, callsign K0WAR, in the International Space Station module exhibit. See: http://wings.rmhcn.org/ 5. ARISS International Team Meeting Held The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) monthly teleconference was held on Tuesday, March 18. Topics of discussion included the upcoming Moscow meeting, the ARISS nominating committee and SuitSat-2. Minutes have been posted. See: http://www.rac.ca/ariss/arisstel2008-03-18.htm *********************** March 17, 2008 1. Upcoming School Contact The Non Profit Organization Kodomo Support Project in Kyoto, Japan has been approved for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Wednesday, March 26 at 10:40 UTC. The Project was established in 2006 to provide a network for parents and the community to support the social, mental and physical education of children. Participants will learn about wireless communication, space and science technology. 2. Lycee mixte René Gosse Contact Successful On Monday, March 10, students at Lycee mixte René Gosse in Clermont L'Herault, France participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact. The scheduled contact at 08:32 UTC did not take place due to Eyharts’ work responsibilities. A request to reschedule the contact for the next orbit was made and the ARISS team quickly responded, setting up a telebridge station between Clermont l'Herault and Kingston, Australia. This second attempt was successful. Nine students were able to ask one question each of the astronaut. Approximately 50 students, ten teachers and more than 75 amateur radio operators were present. Audio was fed into the EchoLink server. Three regional and local newspapers covered the event, as well as 3 television broadcast stations. 3. Astronaut Training Status On Thursday, March 13, an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) training session was held with Nicole Stott, KE5GJN, and Sandra Magnus, KE5FYE. Both astronauts successfully participated in terrestrial-based amateur radio contacts using ARISS-equivalent equipment with a Houston area school, Westbrook Intermediate. An ARISS training session has been planned in late April for Canadian Space Agency astronaut Bob Thirsk, VA3CSA, and European Space Agency astronaut Frank DeWinne, ON1DWN. 4. Spaceflight Participant Receives Training on Amateur Radio Richard Garriott, W5KWQ, will fly to the ISS in October 2008 as a spaceflight participant. He has received Russian training on the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) radio equipment and has posted an update covering this to his blog on his “Richard in Space” Web site (February 26 entries). See: http://www.richardinspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.welcome 5. ARISS Presentation Posted Patricia Palazzolo, KB3NMS, a teacher at Upper St. Clair School in Pennsylvania, gave a presentation at the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT) Space Symposium held in Pittsburgh in October 2007. Her presentation, “Launching Dreams: The Long-term Impact of SAREX and ARISS on Student Achievement” covered her experiences with her students, the space program, the Shuttle Amateur Radio Experiment (SAREX) program and the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program. She gives real life examples of the positive impact these experiences have had on her children. The presentation has been posted on the AMSAT Web site. See: http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/Presentations/AMSAT%20Symposiums/2007%20Symposium/Launching%20Dreams.pdf *********************** March 10, 2008 1. Upcoming School Contact Lycee mixte René Gosse in Clermont L'Herault, France will participate in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Monday, March 10 at 08:30 UTC. In preparation for the contact, students will study Math including vector work on gravitational forces, French, Ecology and Sustainable Development, and Physics, including the history of space exploration, principles of inertia, and radio waves. The school held a workshop "English for the sciences" allowing scientific themes to be discussed in English. The object of this workshop was to enable students to develop their knowledge of English while exposing them to international scientific exchanges, primarily written in this language. This course will be extended by a second workshop "Scientific exchanges in English". The ARISS contact will be a continuation of this second workshop and represents a tremendous opportunity for the students to apply their knowledge and language skills. The project will conclude with a visit to the "Cité de l'Espace" in Toulouse. The school will partner with Radio Club F6KEH also known as "Emetteurs Biterrois." Newspapers, television and radio stations will be notified of the event. 2. Lycée de la Borde Basse Contact Successful An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact with Lycée de la Borde Basse in Castres, France took place on Wednesday, March 5. ESA astronaut Léopold Eyharts, FX0STD/KE5FNO, answered 10 questions posed to him by as many students. A representative from the ESA Education Office gave a presentation to the school and a photographer was present to cover this event. The contact audio was fed into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) servers, receiving 7 connections from 6 countries. La Depeche du Midi ran a Web story on the event. The article is written in French. See: http://www.ladepeche.fr/article/2008/03/06/440113-Castres-Les-lyceens-en-direct-avec-l-espace.html 3. ARISS Face to Face Meeting to be Held in Moscow The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) team will meet in Moscow, Russia this summer for its annual Face to Face Meeting. Delegates will arrive on July 15 for the July 17 -18 meeting. Plans are ongoing. 4. ARISS Crew Debrief Session On Friday, March 7, a crew debrief was held with astronaut Dan Tani, KD5DXE. The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) team received feedback on the ARISS radio system onboard the ISS. 5. Astronaut Training Status Two Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) training sessions are planned for astronauts Nicole Stott, KE5GJN, and Sandy Magnus, KE5FYE, with Houston area school, Westbrook Intermediate. The training sessions, which are terrestrial-based amateur radio contacts using ARISS-equivalent equipment, are planned for Thursday, March 13 at approximately 14:50 and 15:15 UTC. Audio is expected to be fed into IRLP and EchoLink servers. Magnus is slated to be a crewmember of Expedition 17/18, flying to the ISS on STS-126 in September 2008. Stott, a member of the Expedition 19 crew, will fly on STS-128 in May 2009. 6. ARRL Article on AMSAT, ARISS The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) ran a Web story covering the 2008 plans of the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT). The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) educational outreach program and SuitSat-2 are included in this web story. See: http://www.arrl.org/news/features/2008/03/05/10005?nc=1 *********************** March 3, 2008 1. Upcoming School Contacts An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for Lycée de la Borde Basse in Castres, France on Wednesday, March 5 at 09:49 UTC. In preparation for the contact, teachers will focus on science applications and the ISS. Activities planned include a visit to the Cité de l’espace in Toulouse and a meeting with a scientist residing in Castres, founder of the “Terre et Espace” association (Earth & Space), who has volunteered to give a presentation to the students on work in space and astronaut training techniques. Students will be divided into different study groups according to personal interest in various related subjects such as the implementation and launch of ISS space modules, re-supply missions, life in micro-gravitational conditions and experiments carried out onboard the ISS. Students will prepare questions in French and English on various subjects. ESA astronaut Léopold Eyharts, FX0STD/KE5FNO, plans to participate in this contact. The audio from this event will be fed into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) servers. Lycee mixte René Gosse in Clermont L'Herault, France will participate in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Monday, March 10 at 08:30 UTC. In preparation for the contact, students will study Math (including vector work on gravitational forces), French, Ecology and Sustainable Development, and Physics, including the history of space exploration, principles of inertia, and radio waves. The school held a workshop "English for the sciences" allowing scientific themes to be discussed in English. The object of this workshop was to enable students to develop their knowledge of English while exposing them to international scientific exchanges, primarily written in this language. This course will be extended by a second workshop "Scientific exchanges in English". The ARISS contact will be a continuation of this second workshop and represents a tremendous opportunity for the students to apply their knowledge and language skills. The project will conclude with a visit to the "Cité de l'Espace" in Toulouse. The school will partner with Radio Club F6KEH also known as "Emetteurs Biterrois." Newspapers, television and radio stations will be notified of the event. 2. College Reydellet Contact Successful On Monday, February 25, youth attending College Reydellet in Saint-Denis, Ile de La Réunion experienced an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact with ESA astronaut Léopold Eyharts, FX0STD/KE5FNO. Ten students were able to ask one question each of the astronaut as approximately 75 students, teachers and parents looked on. Also in attendance were the Regional Director of Research and Technology (DRRT), the Colleges and Schools Supervisor and the Heads of educational institutions. At least part of the audio from this event was fed into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) servers successfully. Fifteen connections were made from 10 countries. Media coverage included RFO Radio, TV Antenne-Reunion (correspondent of TF1, France's national TV), private broadcaster Festival and the local newspapers Le Quotidien and Le Journal de l'ile. Photos have been posted on the ARISS-Europe Web site. See: http://www.ariss-eu.org/2008_02_26.htm Le Journal de l'ile article, in French, can be found here: http://archives.clicanoo.com/index.php?page=article&id_article=175971&recherche=Reydellet+ARISS 3. France Soir Article on Robespierre Contact Robespierre Elementary School in Rueil Malmaison, France participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on February 21. France Soir covered news (in French) of the educational activity. Go to: http://www.francesoir.fr/societe/2008/02/22/leopold-eyharts-en-direct-des-etoiles.html#Séquence_1 4. Crew Debrief Sessions to be Rescheduled The February debrief sessions planned with astronaut Dan Tani, KD5DXE, and space visitor Dr. Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor, 9W2MUS, were cancelled. They will be rescheduled in the near future. 5. ARISS Presentation at NARCON 2008 The National Association of Rocketry’s National Convention, NARCON 2008, will be held March 14 – 16 in Rochester, Minnesota. Will Marchant, KC6ROL, will give a presentation on the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) educational outreach program during the seminar session. For more information, see: http://www.narcon2008.org/event_info/seminars.htm 6. SuitSat-1 Article On February 25, The Daily Galaxy ran an article on the amateur radio satellite SuitSat-1 which was deployed on February 3, 2006. To view the article, see: http://www.dailygalaxy.com/my_weblog/2008/02/suitsat-one--th.html 7. Astronaut Training Status Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) training sessions are being planned for astronauts Nicole Stott, KE5GJN, Sandy Magnus, KE5FYE, and Bob Thirsk, VA3CSA. Magnus is expected to be a crewmember of Expedition 17/18, flying to the ISS on STS-126 in September 2008. Stott, a member of the Expedition 19 crew, will fly on STS-128 in May 2009 and Thirsk, a CSA astronaut, will follow the same month on a Soyuz flight. *********************** February 25, 2008 1. Upcoming School Contacts An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact is planned for College Reydellet in Saint-Denis, Ile de La Réunion on Monday, February 25 at 14:42 UTC. Approximately 550 students, ages 10-17, attend the school. Students contacted Victor Afanassiev on MIR from Tsup, Moscow in September 1999 and the College welcomed Victor Poliakov and Pavel Vinogradov who threw the space model from MIR and also Jean-Lou Chretien , Jean-Pierre and Claudie Haignere. ESA astronaut Léopold Eyharts, FX0STD/KE5FNO, plans to participate in this contact which will be conducted in French. The audio for this event will be fed into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) servers. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for Lycée de la Borde Basse in Castres, France on Wednesday, March 5 at 09:49 UTC. In preparation for the contact, teachers will focus on science applications and the ISS. Activities planned include a visit to the Cité de l’espace in Toulouse and a meeting with a scientist residing in Castres, founder of the “Terre et Espace” association (Earth & Space), who has volunteered to give a presentation to the students on work in space and astronaut training techniques. Students will be divided into different study groups according to personal interest in various related subjects such as the implementation and launch of ISS space modules, re-supply missions, life in micro-gravitational environments and experiments carried out onboard the ISS. Students will prepare questions in French and English on various subjects. ESA astronaut Léopold Eyharts, FX0STD/KE5FNO, plans to participate in this contact. 2. Robspierre School Contact Successful On Thursday, February 21, students at Robespierre Elementary School in Rueil Malmaison, France experienced an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact. Sixteen students asked one question each of ESA astronaut Léopold Eyharts, FX0STD/KE5FNO. Approximately two hundred students, teachers, parents and others in the community attended. Prior to the contact, talks were given to the students about space, the Columbus module, amateur radio, AMSAT-France and ARISS. The national newspapers France Soir, le Parisien and Espace Magazine, and radio and television stations France Inter, RTL, Europe 1 covered the news. 3. ESA Press Release on Eyharts - ARISS Contacts The European Space Agency (ESA) announced the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contacts that ESA astronaut Leopold Eyharts will participate in. The notice was posted on its Web site. See: http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Columbus_Blog/SEM1JYVHJCF_0.html 4. ARISS International Team Meeting Held On February 19, the monthly Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) Team teleconference was held. Topics of discussion included the upcoming ARISS Face to Face Meeting, the Amateur Radio Working Group (ARWG) and SuitSat-2. Minutes have been posted to the ARISS Web site. See: http://www.rac.ca/ariss/arisstel2008-02-19.htm 5. ARISS Presentation at Embedded Systems Conference Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) member Steve Bible, N7HPR, will present the amateur radio satellite SuitSat-1 as a “teardown” subject for the Embedded Systems Conference in San Jose, California on April 16, 2008. He will also speak on the current development of SuitSat-2. See: http://www.cmp-egevents.com/web/esv/event-highlights/teardowns?cid=ESCWK8 6. ARISS – One Reason to Love the ISS On February 14, Universe Today published an article, “I Heart the ISS: Ten Reasons to Love the International Space Station.” Reason number 6 cites ARISS and EarthKAM as educational programs that the general public can participate in. See: http://www.universetoday.com/2008/02/14/i-heart-the-iss-ten-reasons-to-love-the-international-space-station/ 7. Crew Debrief Sessions Two ISS crewmembers will participate in Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) debrief sessions during the upcoming week. Space visitor Dr. Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor, 9W2MUS, is scheduled for Tuesday, February 26, and astronaut Dan Tani will participate in a short session on February 29. *********************** February 18, 2008 1. Upcoming School Contacts Robespierre Elementary School in Rueil Malmaison, France has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Thursday, February 21 at 14:21 UTC. Two hundred fifty-six students in grades 1-5 are enrolled at the school. ESA astronaut Léopold Eyharts, FX0STD/KE5FNO, plans to participate in this contact which will be conducted in French. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact is planned for College Reydellet in Saint-Denis, Ile de La Réunion on Monday, February 25 at 14:44 UTC. Approximately 550 students, ages 10-17, attend the school. Students contacted Victor Afanassiev on MIR from Tsup, Moscow in September 1999 and the College welcomed Victor Poliakov and Pavel Vinogradov who threw the space model from MIR, and Jean-Lou Chretien , Jean-Pierre and Claudie Haignere. ESA astronaut Léopold Eyharts, FX0STD/KE5FNO, plans to participate in this contact which will be conducted in French. 2. Shukor Debrief Scheduled An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) crew debrief has been scheduled with Dr. Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor, 9W2MUS, on Tuesday, February 26. The first Malaysian space visitor, Shukor participated in 5 ARISS contacts with students in Malaysia while onboard the ISS. 3. ARRL Covers Columbus News The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) posted a W1AW bulletin and a Web story on the Columbus module with the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) antennas. To view the story, see: http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2008/02/14/101/?nc=1 On Friday, February 15, The ARRL Letter also posted the article, “Astronauts Work on Columbus Lab on the ISS.” See: http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/08/0215/ 4. Amateur Radio Newsline Articles on ARISS Amateur Radio Newsline’s Report 1592, posted on February 15, 2008 ran two ARISS related articles: “Ham Radio in Space: ISS Repeater Contacts Good for JAMSAT Award,” and “Ham Radio in Space: New ARISS Antennas Now on the ISS.” To view these articles, go to: www.arnewsline.org. *********************** February 11, 2008 1. Upcoming School Contact Robespierre Elementary School in Rueil Malmaison, France has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Thursday, February 21 at 14:21 UTC. Two hundred fifty-six students in grades 1-5 are enrolled at the school. ESA astronaut Léopold Eyharts, FX0STD/KE5FNO, plans to participate in this contact. 2. Astronaut Training Status The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) team coordinated two amateur radio school contact simulations between students at Bay Area Charter Elementary in the Houston area and astronauts Mike Fincke, KE5AIT and Koichi Wakata, KC5ZTA at JSC. The two sessions took place on Friday, February 8 via the JSC W5RRR repeater. These two contacts were retransmitted on the Internet Radio Linking Project (IRLP). They were also fed into the Echolink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) servers and received 8 connections, including 2 link nodes and one repeater node from the U.S., Japan, and the Ukraine. 3. ARRL Articles on Simulated ARISS Contacts The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) ran a Web story on the simulated ARISS contacts that took place between astronauts Mike Finke and Koichi Wakata at JSC and Bay Area Charter Elementary in the Houston area. See: http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2008/02/05/100/?nc=1 The activity was also published in the ARRL Letter. See: http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/08/0208/ 4. Columbus Module Launched Atlantis launched on Thursday, February 7 carrying ESA’s Columbus module with new Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) antennas. ARISS Chairman Frank Bauer sent congratulations to the European team for a job well done. See: http://www.amsat.org/amsat/archive/sarex/10day/msg01509.html 5. Shukor Debrief Scheduled An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) crew debrief has been scheduled with Dr. Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor, 9W2MUS, on Tuesday, February 26. Shukor, the first Malaysian space visitor, participated in 5 ARISS contacts with students in Malaysia while onboard the ISS. 6. Amateur Radio Newsline Article On February 8, the Amateur Radio Newsline ran a story on Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) Chairman Frank Bauer’s promotion at NASA. To view this item, go to: http://www.arnewsline.org/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=18&Itemid= *********************** February 4, 2008 1. ARISS School Contacts - Status Due to crew schedules onboard the ISS, no Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contacts are planned at this time. The ARISS team expects contacts to resume once STS-122 launches in early February. 2. Glenden State School Receives Award for ARISS Contact An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact took place between Glenden State School in Queensland, Australia and Sunita Williams, KD5PLB, on April 4, 2007. On January 26, 2008 the school was presented with an Australia Day Award in recognition of the contact. The mayor who bestowed the award noted that the contact was a very unique educational outreach activity in which the community became involved. ARISS member Shane Lynd, VK4KHZ, submitted an article covering this news to the Wireless Institute of Australia. The story and photos have been posted under News on the ARISS Website. See: http://www.rac.ca/ariss/oindex.htm 3. Astronaut Training Status On Tuesday, January 29, Mike Barratt, KD5MIJ, participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) training session at JSC. Basic radio operations and school contacts were covered during the class. Barratt is a backup crewmember for Expedition 18, and the prime Flight Engineer for Expedition 19A. ARISS plans to conduct an amateur radio school contact simulation utilizing a local school. Students at Bay Area Charter Elementary near JSC will take part in 2 sessions on Friday, February 8 at approximately 9:45 am and 10:10 am CT via the JSC W5RRR repeater. Mike Fincke, KE5AIT, is scheduled to participate in the first contact and Koichi Wakata, KC5ZTA, will participate in the second simulated contact. These two contacts will be retransmitted on the Internet Radio Linking Project (IRLP) and the W5RRR repeater. Actual times may vary depending on how the training session progresses and crewmember availability. This is the first time a school contact simulation training session has been conducted live with students at the other end of the session. If successful, it might be possible to conduct a handful of these sessions each year. 4. ARISS Radio Configured in Crossband Repeater Mode On Thursday, January 31, cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko, RK3DUP, configured the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) Kenwood radio to crossband repeater mode. . The frequencies are 437.800 MHz uplink and 145.800 MHz downlink. The radio will remain in this mode until it is shut down for the Progress 27 undocking operations on February 4. 5. ARRL Article on ARISS Chairman The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) ran an article on Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) Chairman Frank Bauer in its ARRL Letter. To view the story, “ARISS International Chairman Moves into New Position at NASA,” see: http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/08/0201/ 6. SuitSat-1 Certificates The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) team has begun to distribute certificates for participation in the SuitSat-1 project. Additional certificates will be mailed as participant lists are received. SuitSat-1, an amateur radio satellite housed in a Russian Orlan spacesuit, was deployed on February 3, 2006 and received extensive media coverage and over 9.5 million hits on the SuitSat Web site. *********************** January 28, 2008 1. ARISS School Contacts Status Due to crew schedules onboard the ISS, no Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contacts are planned at this time. The ARISS team expects contacts to resume once STS-122 launches in early February. 2. STS-120 Crew Talks with Italian Students On January 22, STS-120 crewmembers visited “La Sapienza” University in Rome where approximately 600 students from several universities and high schools gathered. Among those in attendance were students from the schools that participated in ARISS contacts with astronauts Paolo Nespoli, IZ0JPA, and Clay Anderson, KD5PLA. The crew gave a presentation on their mission which included educational activities, and showed videos to their audience. The complete story and photos of the event have been posted on the ARISS Web site. See: http://www.ariss-eu.org/2008_01_25.htm 3. Astronaut Training Status On Wednesday, January 23, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko, RN3DX, participated in a simulation of an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) school contact. The Kenwood D700 radio in the JSC Service Module mockup was used for the contact. He spoke with the training support team who participated as students, asking Oleg questions about space and his visit on the ISS. Kononenko is scheduled as a flight engineer on Expedition 17. A basic Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) operations and school contact class was held with Soichi Noguchi, KD5TVP, and Koichi Wakata, KC5ZTA, on January 24. Wakata is scheduled to fly to the ISS on 15A (STS-119) toward the end of 2008 as Flight Engineer-2 during Expedition 18. Noguchi is the backup for that flight and could participate as part of the 6 man ISS crew operations in 2010. Mike Barratt, KD5MIJ, has been scheduled for an ARISS training session at JSC on Tuesday, January 29. Barratt is a backup crewmember for Expedition 18. 4. ARISS Looking for New Telebridge Stations The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) team is currently looking to expand its telebridge station network. The proposal has been announced on the ARISS Web site. The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) ran an article, “ARISS Team Looking for Ground Stations,” which may be found at: http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2008/01/22/100/?nc=1 The ARRL Letter also ran the announcement. See: http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/08/0125/ 5. ARRL Article on JPL Amateur Radio Club Anniversary The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) ran an article, “Jet Propulsion Lab's Amateur Radio Club Marks 50 Years in Space.” See: http://www.arrl.org/?artid=7957 *********************** January 21, 2008 1. ARISS School Contacts Status Due crew schedules onboard the ISS, no Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contacts are planned at this time. The ARISS team expects contacts to resume once STS-122 launches in early February. 2. Astronaut Training Status On Wednesday, January 16, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Skripochka, RN3FU, participated in a simulation of an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) school contact. The Kenwood D700 radio in the JSC Service Module mockup was used for the contact. Skripochka spoke with the training support team who participated as students, asking Oleg questions about space and his visit on ISS. He is currently scheduled as an Expedition 17 backup crew member. 3. ARISS Annual Report Posted The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) FY2007 Annual Report has been posted to the ARISS section of the AMSAT Web site. See: http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/Papers/Annual%20Reports/ARISS_Annual_Report_2007_Final.pdf 4. Gail Borden Library Wins Award The Gail Borden Public Library in Elgin, Illinois was one of five libraries to win the 2008 John Cotton Dana Library Public Relations Award. The library won the award for its “Space: Dare to Dream” exhibit. A highlight of the exhibit, which ran for four months during 2007, was an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact. The Summer Reading program resulted in an increase in program participants, library card registrations and material circulation. *********************** January 14, 2008 1. ARISS School Contacts Status Due crew schedules onboard the ISS, no Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contacts are planned at this time. The ARISS team expects contacts to resume once STS-122 launches in early February. 2. Astronaut Training Status Timothy Creamer, KC5WKI, received training on the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) basic radio operations and school contacts on Tuesday, January 8. Creamer is a backup crew member for the Expedition 18 mission. Koichi Wakata, KC5ZTA, and Soichi Noguchi, KD5TVP, will be scheduled for training on ARISS radio operations and school contacts in the near future. Wakata is scheduled to fly on Expedition 18; Noguchi is slated as his backup. Two training sessions have also been scheduled for Russian crew members on January 16 and 24. 3. ARISS International Team Meeting Held Minutes of the December Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) teleconference have been posted. See: http://www.rac.ca/ariss/arisstel20071218.htm The next ARISS teleconference will be held on January 22. 4. South Korean will Participate in ARISS Contact South Korean spaceflight participant Ko San holds a South Korean amateur radio license. San plans to participate in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact while aboard the ISS. He will fly on a Russian Soyuz spacecraft with Expedition 17 crew members Sergei Volkov and Oleg Kononenko slated to launch on April 8, 2008. *********************** January 7, 2008 1. ARISS School Contacts Status Due to ISS crew schedules, no Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contacts are planned at this time. The ARISS team expects contacts to resume once STS-122 launches in late January. 2. Astronaut Training Status Timothy Creamer, KC5WKI, is scheduled for a training session in basic radio operations and school contacts on Tuesday, January 8. Creamer is a backup crew member for the Expedition 18 mission. 3. ARISS Annual Report The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) FY2007 annual report has been written and is being finalized. It will soon be posted on the ARISS section of the AMSAT Web site.