Archived ARISS status reports *********************** December 28, 2009 1. Upcoming School Contact Status There are no Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contacts planned at this time. The ARISS team expects scheduling to resume the first week of the New Year. 2. Canadian Web Site Promotes ARISS The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) Canadian delegate has been working to promote the ARISS program. In doing so, a new Web page has been developed by the Ottawa Valley Mobile Radio Club which provides information on amateur radio and the ARISS program. To view the site, go to: http://www.ovmrc.on.ca and select “ARISS” at the bottom of the left hand side menu. 3. ARRL QST Covers ARISS News The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) published an ARISS (Amateur Radio on the International Space Station) news item in its January 2010 issue of QST. The column "This Just In" contains a small item about the Columbus antennas having been delivered to, and installed on, the ISS. The ARRL monthly journal has a circulation of 150,000. *********************** December 21, 2009 1. Jeffrey Williams Chats with Italian Students via ARISS Contact On Monday, December 14, Expedition 21 astronaut Jeffrey Williams, KD5TVQ participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact with students from Istituto Comprensivo di Govone - Scuola Secondaria di primo grado “Nino Costa” di Priocca in Priocca, Cuneo, Italy. The contact was held at Infinito Astronomic Park in Pino Torinese, Torino, where an audience of more than 150 students, teachers, visitors and media watched as the students posed 22 questions to the astronaut during the nine minute pass. Following the contact, ARISS mentor Francesco De Paolis spoke to the children via teleconference about the contact and amateur radio. Regional television, local media and newspapers covered the event. The video, which was streamed on the web, received over 170 connections. The European Space Agency (ESA) reported the news on its Web site. See: http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMLSV9K73G_Italy_0.html 2. ARISS International Team Meeting Held An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) meeting was held on Tuesday, December 15. Agenda items addressed included the VHF AIS (Automatic Identification System) and ARISS antennas which were recently installed on the Columbus module and the status of ARISSat-1. To view the minutes, see: https://www.rac.ca/ariss/arisstel2009-12-15.htm 3. ARRL Articles Cover ARISSat-1 Opportunity for Students, Educators The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) ran an article about ARISSat-1 and the opportunity for students and educators to fly their work on the satellite. The story, “Students and Teachers Invited to "Fly a File" on ARISSat-1” may be found here: https://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2009/12/16/11251/?nc=1 The ARRL Letter also featured the report: https://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/index.html?issue=2009-12-17 There are approximately 100,000 regular readers of the ARRL Web site and 77,000 read the ARRL Letter. 4. ARISS News on Amateur Radio Newsline On December 18, Amateur Radio Newsline Report 1688 reported on two ARISS related items. The first news article under Ham Radio in Space was about the ARISSat-1 opportunity to fly students’ files. The second news clip was about the simulated training contact between astronaut Tracy Caldwell, KF5DBF and Deer Creek Elementary School, Colorado on December 8. To view the stories “ARISSAT One to Carry Student Files” and “Another Successful ARISS Training Contact,” see: ftp://ftp.arnewsline.org/quincy/News/news.txt *********************** December 14, 2009 1. Upcoming School Contact An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for Istituto Comprensivo di Govone –Scuola Secondaria di primo grado “Nino Costa” di Priocca in Priocca, Cuneo, Italy on Monday, December 14 at 08:30 UTC. Students have been working on a mission to Mars project which has engaged them in technology, engineering and problem solving. The contact will be integrated into this project through which students will learn more about the effects of space travel and microgravity. 2. Astronaut Training Status - Simulated Contact Successful A simulated contact took place on Tuesday, December 8 between Deer Creek Elementary School in Bailey, Colorado and astronaut Tracy Caldwell, KF5DBF at Johnson Space Center. This training session was a terrestrial-based amateur radio contact using Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) equivalent equipment. Deer Creek enjoyed its session so much that it plans to apply for a contact with an on-orbit astronaut. 3. Maxim Suraev Participates in ARISS Contact Flight Engineer Maxim Suraev was scheduled to participate in two Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contacts with Russian schools this past week. The first contact was held with Noginsk High School students on Thursday, December 10 and was successful. The second session was scheduled with schoolchildren from Zvezdniy Gorodok in Star City, Russia, on Friday, December 11. Its status is unknown at this time. 4. Italian School Contact to be Rescheduled An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact was scheduled for students from Scuola Primaria De Gasperi in Noicattaro, Bari, Italy on Saturday, December 12. Due to technical difficulties, the contact was not successful. The school will be rescheduled for another session in the near future. 5. Moscow Aviation Institute Experiment Activated Cosmonaut Maxim Suraev activated the Moscow Aviation Institute (MAI-75) experiment onboard the ISS on Wednesday - Friday, December 9 - 11 from approximately 07:00 to 11:00 UTC. Slow Scan Television (SSTV) images of Earth were downlinked to ground stations. Images received were archived to the ARISS SSTV Gallery: http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/SSTV/ 6. CQ VHF Magazine Runs ARISS Article The Fall issue of CQ VHF magazine contained an article about the ARISS International Meeting that was held this year in the Netherlands on June 18 - 19. The story was written by ARISS mentor Keith Pugh, W5IU. *********************** December 7, 2009 1. Upcoming School Contact An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled with Scuola Primaria De Gasperi in Noicattaro, Bari, Italy on Saturday, December 12 at 09:11 UTC. Lesson plans have covered amateur radio communications and space missions. Newspapers, radio and television, both local and regional, will report on the event. 2. Astronaut Training Status - Simulated Contact Scheduled A simulated Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact is planned for Tuesday, December 8 at approximately 14:45 UTC. The contact will take place between Deer Creek Elementary School in Bailey, Colorado and astronaut Tracy Caldwell, KF5DBF. Audio should be available on IRLP (Internet Radio Linking Project). The training session is a terrestrial-based amateur radio contact using ARISS equivalent equipment. 3. Successful ARISS Contact with Utah School On Wednesday, December 2, students from Midvalley Elementary School in Midvale, Utah participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact with Jeffrey Williams, KD5TVQ. The school prepared for the contact using NASA lesson plan resources and integrated the ARISS activity into the school curriculum at many grade levels. Children learned about amateur radio, electromagnetic waves and the ISS and even viewed IMAX Space Station video. Nineteen questions were answered during the nine minute pass. Approximately 200 students were present for the contact and others listened in from their classrooms. Dr. David Doty (the school district superintendent), school board members and district directors were also present. Two major Salt Lake City newspapers, the Salt Lake Tribune and the Deseret Morning News as well as Channel 4 (ABC) television, Fox 13 and the local community newspaper all covered the event. This was the first ARISS contact for Utah. 4. ARISS-Brazil on Twitter ARISS-Brazil is promoting ARISS events on its new Twitter site. It provides an excellent opportunity to better understand what the ARISS education program is. The site is in Portuguese: http://twitter.com/arissbrazil An ARISS-US member has also been posting ISS amateur radio related items to a Twitter site. See: http://twitter.com/RF2Space *********************** November 30, 2009 1. Upcoming School Contact Midvalley Elementary School in Midvale, Utah has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Wednesday, December 2 at 16:13 UTC. The school is using NASA lesson plan resources and has integrated the ARISS activity into the school curriculum at many grade levels. The curriculum includes courses in electricity, radio waves, physics and math. 2. De Winne Speaks with Dumbleyung Primary School through ARISS On Thursday, November 26, Dumbleyung Primary School in Western Australia took part in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact with Frank De Winne, ON1DWN via telebridge station VK4KHZ in Australia. To prepare for the contact, students studied Earth, its structure and the solar system. As part of the ARISS event, students in Years 5 -7 gave presentations of their space work and viewed footage of the ISS as well as video of an astronaut interview. All 21 children had their questions answered during their radio contact and ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) News covered the event. 3. Don Bosco Institut Experiences ARISS Contact On Thursday, November 26, an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact was held between Institut Don Bosco in Bruxelles, Belgium and Frank De Winne on the ISS. The connection was made possible through telebridge station ON4ISS in Belgium. Students asked 19 questions of the astronaut during the ISS pass. Don Bosco is a secondary industrial technical school with an enrollment of approximately 750 students and offers courses in carpentry, electricity, mechanics, computing, printing and electronics. 4. ARISS Contact held with Katholieke Centrumscholen Sint-Truiden Students Students attending Katholieke Centrumscholen Sint-Truiden in Sint-Truiden, Belgium experienced a successful Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact with Frank De Winne on Thursday, November 26 via telebridge station ON4ISS in Belgium. Twenty questions were asked and answered. In order to prepare for the radio contact, the students studied astronomy and science. In addition, the school headmaster talked to the youth about the ISS and his own experiences during two “space camps” in the U.S. (Huntsville and Kennedy Space Center). 5. ARRL Covers Installation of Columbus Module Antennas The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) ran an article about the new antennas that were installed on the Columbus module. To view the story, which ran in the November 25 issue of the ARRL Letter, see: https://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/index.html?issue=2009-11-25 6. ARISS News on Amateur Radio Newsline On November 27, Amateur Radio Newsline Report 1685 reported on the new Columbus module ARISS (Amateur Radio on the International Space Station) antenna. To view “Ham Radio in Space: ISS Gets New Dual Band Antenna,” see: ftp://ftp.arnewsline.org/quincy/News/news.txt 7. New Web Site for ARISS-Brazil ARISS Brazil recently formed a partnership with the internet portal Diário da Produção.com to publicize ARISS activities in Brazil and South America. To view the Web site, go to: http://diariodaproducao.com/ *********************** November 23, 2009 1. Upcoming School Contacts Dumbleyung Primary School has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Thursday, November 26 at 11:51 UTC via telebridge station VK4KHZ in Australia. Students have discussed and explored all aspects of Earth and its position within the solar system, as well as the Earth's structure and how it impacts the way people live. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been approved for Institut Don Bosco in Bruxelles, Belgium. The contact will take place on Thursday, November 26 at 12:49 UTC via telebridge station ON4ISS in Belgium. Don Bosco is a secondary industrial technical school with an enrollment of approximately 750 students and offers courses in carpentry, electricity, mechanics, computing, printing and electronics. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for Katholieke Centrumscholen Sint-Truiden in Sint-Truiden, Belgium on Thursday, November 26 at 14:24 UTC via telebridge station ON4ISS in Belgium. In preparation for the contact, students have studied astronomy and science. Frank De Winne’s son is a student at the school. 2. ARISS Contact with Belgium’s First Congress for Children An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact was held on Tuesday, November 17 with youth attending IKANDA, the first congress for children in Belgium, which was organized by Flanders District of Creativity and the Department of Education of the Flemish Government. The connection was made possible through ground station LU8YY in Argentina. Through this space chat, the highlight of IKANDA, Frank De Winne, ON1DWN answered 20 questions posed to him by the sixth graders. IKANDA, which in Flemish means “I can do that,” was organized with a goal of showing children that when passion and talent come together, all things are possible. The conference arranged for keynote speakers and interactive workshops for 1400 twelve year olds. Dirk Frimout and Sijtn Meuris were present and gave presentations on space and astronomy. 3. Bennett Venture Academy Contact Successful On Friday, November 20, Robert Thirsk, VA3CSA participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact with Bennett Venture Academy students in Toledo, Ohio. The ARISS activity was integrated into the Ohio Content Standards for Earth and Space Sciences for 5th and 8th grades, and the Scientific Inquiry and Technology Standards for K-8 grades, engaging students in the investigation of radio waves and space exploration. During the event, an audience of over seven hundred watched as twelve students asked twenty questions of the astronaut. Media coverage was provided by two television stations – Channel 11(NBC), and Channel 24 (Fox). 4. ARISS Antennas Installed on Columbus Module On Saturday, November 21, the new ARISS VHF/UHF antenna as well as the Automatic Identification System (AIS) VHF antenna was installed on the ISS Columbus module during the second extravehicular activity (EVA) of the STS-129 mission. ARISS plans to move an onboard radio to the Columbus module to make use of its new antenna. The other antenna will be used to support the AIS maritime experiment to help track the passage of ships across the world's oceans. 5. ISS Ham Debrief Held with Astronaut Michael Barratt On November 16, Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) team members participated in an ISS Ham debrief session with Expedition 19/20 astronaut Michael Barratt. Barratt provided the team with feedback about the ARISS contacts held during his ISS mission. The feedback will be used to fine-tune ARISS program operations. 6. ARISS’ Hutchison, Senior Australian of the Year Finalist On November 20, Amateur Radio Newsline Report 1684 reported on ARISS (Amateur Radio on the International Space Station) member Tony Hutchison who was one of four finalists from South Australia in the Senior Australian of the Year Competition. Hutchison was recognized for his contributions to the ARISS program as a school mentor and telebridge station operator as well piquing school children’s interest in ham radio. The story may be found under “Names in the News.” See: ftp://ftp.arnewsline.org/quincy/News/news.txt The Wireless Institute of Australia (WIA) ran a story on Hutchison’s accomplishment as well. See: http://www.wia.org.au/newsevents/news/2009/20091116-1/index.php 7. Astronaut Training Status Two training sessions were held this week with astronauts Tracy Caldwell, KF5DBF and Dan Burbank, KC5ZSX. Both astronauts were given the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) basic operations and school contact course. Caldwell also received her preflight overview as she is scheduled to fly with Expedition 23 in April 2010. Burbank will fly with Expedition 29 in September 2011. *********************** November 16, 2009 1. Upcoming School Contact Flanders District of Creativity and the Department of Education of the Flemish Government have teamed up for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Tuesday, November 17 at 13:44 UTC via station LU8YY in Argentina. The groups are partnering to organize the very first congress for kids in Belgium. A conference has been set up with keynote speakers and interactive workshops for 1200 twelve year olds. Dirk Frimout & Sijtn Meuris will give a presentation about astronomy. 2. Italian Students Contact De Winne via ARISS On Friday, November 13, Frank De Winne, ON1DWN on the ISS spoke with youth from Scuola Istituto Salesiano “Sacro Cuore” Vomero in Napoli, Italy via an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact. De Winne answered twenty questions put to him by the students. Approximately six hundred children were present for the contact which highlighted a curriculum of English, astronomy and physics. Prior to the contact, the students learned from amateur radio operators about the history of radio transmissions, radio equipment, the structure and the scientific goals of the ISS, as well as real HF radio contacts with amateur radio stations from around the world. After the contact, an ESA Communication Office representative gave a presentation on the ESA education program and ESA Astronaut Paolo Nespoli was present to meet with and talk to the students. There was extensive media coverage including television and newspapers as well as video streaming on the Web. 3. ARISS Contact Between Robert Thirsk and Montreal Schoolchildren An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact was held between Marie-Rivier School in Montreal, Quebec, Canada and Robert Thirsk, VA3CSA on Friday, November 13 via telebridge station VK4KHZ in Australia. Sixteen questions were asked and answered during the space chat as students learned about the ISS and work and life in space. 4. ARISS International Team Meeting Held An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) Team meeting was held on Tuesday, November 10. The team provided a status on both the Columbus module antennas and ARISSat-1. See: https://www.rac.ca/ariss/arisstel2009-11-10.htm 5. ARRL Web Article on STS-129 Mission The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) ran a Web story on the STS-129 mission which will carry Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) antennas to the ISS and deploy them during the second spacewalk. See: https://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2009/11/12/11195/?nc=1 There are approximately 100,000 regular readers of the ARRL website. 6. ARRL Letter Posts Two ARISS News Items The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) posted two ARISS (Amateur Radio on the International Space Station) articles in its November 12 issue of the ARRL Letter. The first item covers the STS-129 mission carrying ARISS antennas to the ISS. The second is an article on the ARISS contact with Garfield Elementary School held in conjunction with the WHEELS NASA Exploration Experience traveling exhibit in Boise, Idaho. See: https://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/index.html?issue=2009-11-12 *********************** November 9, 2009 1. Upcoming School Contacts An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for Scuola Istituto Salesiano “Sacro Cuore” Vomero in Napoli, Italy on Friday, November 13 at 15:55 UTC. The contact has been integrated into the school curriculum which covers radio communications, aeronautics, astronomy and English. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been approved for Institut Don Bosco in Bruxelles, Belgium. The contact will take place on Monday, November 16 at 09:41 UTC via telebridge station WH6PN in Hawaii. Don Bosco is a secondary industrial technical school with an enrollment of approximately 750 students and offers courses in carpentry, electricity, mechanics, computing, printing and electronics. Flanders District of Creativity and the Department of Education of the Flemish Government have teamed up for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Tuesday, November 17 at 13:44 UTC via station LU8YY in Argentina. The groups have partnered to organize the very first congress for kids in Belgium. A conference is being set up with keynote speakers and interactive workshops for 1200 twelve year olds. Dirk Frimout & Sijtn Meuris will give a presentation about astronomy. 2. Westbrook Intermediate Experiences ARISS Contact On Tuesday, November 3, an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact was held with Westbrook Intermediate School in Friendswood, Texas via telebridge station LU8YY in Argentina. Eleven students were able to ask Robert Thirsk, VA3CSA 11 questions before losing the connection with the ISS. Thirsk’s son offered his father a surprise with the third question using his newly acquired ham radio license, KF5DRU. 3. Successful ARISS Contact John Taylor Collegiate On Wednesday, November 4, an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact took place between John Taylor Collegiate in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada and Robert Thirsk, VA3CSA on the ISS. Telebridge station WH6PN in Hawaii provided the link. Fifteen people gathered for the event and observed the students as they asked 13 questions of the astronaut. Media coverage was provided by the Winnipeg Free Press. 4. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Speaks with Stott Through ARISS Students at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) in Daytona Beach, Florida experienced an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Thursday, November 5. The connection was made through the telebridge station VK4KHZ in Australia. Approximately seventy students and educators were present for the event and eighteen questions were asked and answered. This was a school crew pick of Nicole Stott, KE5GJN, an alumna of ERAU. The ERAU Web site boasts a news release as well as a photo of Stott on the ISS holding an Embry-Riddle banner. 5. ARISS Contact with Tokaisonritsu Muramatsu Elementary School Tokaisonritsu Muramatsu Elementary School in Tokai Village, Ibaraki, Japan participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Friday, November 6. Eight students posed two questions each to Nicole Stott, KE5GJN on the ISS as an audience of 110 students and parents watched. Media coverage was provided by three newspapers, one magazine and other outlets. 6. Astronaut Training Status A basic operations session on the ARISS (Amateur Radio on the International Space Station) program was held with astronaut Mike Fossum, KF5AQG on Monday, November 2. Fossum is scheduled to fly with Expedition 28 in May 2011. 7. ARRL Article on WHEELS – ARISS Contact The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) posted an article on the ARISS (Amateur Radio on the International Space Station) contact that was held with Garfield Elementary School in Boise, Idaho on September 24. Students visited WHEELS, a NASA Exploration Experience traveling exhibit, on display at the Idaho Historical Museum to learn about space exploration and its benefits.The article (information provided by ARISS delegate Rosalie White) talks about how the ARISS contact was integrated into the school curriculum. See: http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2009/11/05/11185/?nc=1 8. ARISS News on Amateur Radio Newsline On November 6, Amateur Radio Newsline Report 1682 reported on two Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) news items. The first covers the contact with Copernicus Science Centre, the 500th ARISS contact. The second posting is about the request for student papers and STEM related items to fly on ARISSat-1. To view these stories, see: ftp://ftp.arnewsline.org/quincy/News/news.txt There are approximately 100,000 regular readers of the ARRL Web site. 9. ARISSat-1 Status Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) members attended a preliminary Safety Review meeting on Thursday, October 29 and the team is compiling data for safety packages for the next review. Work also continues on the software for the Internal Housekeeping Unit (IHU) and the power supply. The team is gathering messages for the audio greetings as well as student lessons, papers and other STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) related items which will be placed on a memory stick and included on the satellite. *********************** November 2, 2009 1. Upcoming School Contacts An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled with Westbrook Intermediate School in Friendswood, Texas on Tuesday, November 3 at 19:29 UTC via telebridge station LU8YY in Argentina. Westbrook Intermediate is a 6th – 8th grade campus of almost 1500 students. Housed on the campus is the district’s intermediate gifted and talented magnet, Webster Academy – Visions in Education, or WAVE. This GT magnet brings together over 500 gifted and talented students from across the district to participate in a unique program design. One of the opportunities available to WAVE students is an amateur radio license class. In partnership with the Clear Lake Amateur Radio Club, over 350 students have earned their ham radio license over the last 9 years and at any time, there are approximately 100 hams in attendance at the school. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for John Taylor Collegiate in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada on Wednesday, November 4 at 14:38 UTC via telebridge station WH6PN in Hawaii. Students will pose questions about life and work in space to Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Bob Thirsk. John Taylor is a suburban high school with about 750 students in grades 9-12. The school follows the standard Manitoba curriculum, as well as offering Advanced Placement courses in the sciences, math and humanities. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) in Daytona Beach, Florida on Thursday, November 5 at 19:46 UTC via telebridge station VK4KHZ in Australia. This event will be open to all Engineering first year students as a part of their profession awareness requirement for their Introduction to Engineering course. These students are currently working on a launch vehicle design project, where they are required to design a launch vehicle to insert a payload into low earth orbit, as well as several auxiliary systems such as a launch mount and fuel delivery system. The contact will also be attended by the ERAU Amateur Radio Club students and any interested upper level students. Tokaisonritsu Muramatsu Elementary School in Tokai Vill., Ibaraki, Japan has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Friday, November 6 at 08:47 UTC. The school is integrating the contact into its curriculum to make its students aware of the great potential space has. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for Scuola Istituto Salesiano “Sacro Cuore” Vomero in Napoli, Italy on Friday, November 13 at 15:55 UTC. The contact has been integrated into the school curriculum which covers radio communications, aeronautics, astronomy and English. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for the Marie-Rivier School in Montreal, Quebec, Canada on Friday, November 13 at 17:29 UTC via telebridge station ON4ISS in Belgium. The school has formed a space club and students are learning about the ISS, space and amateur radio. 2. Copernicus Science Centre - 500th ARISS Contact On Tuesday, October 27, Frank De Winne, ON1DWN participated in the 500th Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact since December 2000. The contact was held with students visiting the brand new Copernicus Science Center in Warsaw, Poland via telebridge station VK4KHZ in Australia. Nine questions were asked and answered before the ISS went over the horizon. The center is the largest institution of its type in Poland and houses over 400 interactive science exhibits for youth and adults. 3. Successful ARISS Contact with Sherbrooke Community School Youth from Sherbrooke Community School in Sassafras, Victoria, Australia experienced an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Wednesday, October 28 via telebridge station W6SRJ in California. Robert Thirsk, VA3CSA, answered seventeen questions posed to him by eleven students during the contact. Seven of the students asking questions had earned their amateur radio licenses and two of the questions were asked on behalf of their sister schools in China and Bhutan. The school operates Sherbrooke Community Club station, VK3KID and has been successful in generating new radio amateurs - ten students and four teachers, as well as the principal. 4. ARISS Contact Between Thirsk and David Thompson Middle School On Friday, October 30, youth at David Thompson Middle School (DTMS) in Calgary, Alberta, Canada participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact with Robert Thirsk, VA3CSA on the ISS. The contact was facilitated by the ground radio station LU8YY in Argentina. An audience of 220 gathered and watched as students asked 16 questions of the astronaut. The contact was held as part of the celebration of the International Year of Astronomy celebrating the discovery of the telescope. 5. The Rambler Shares ARISS News The October issue of the Ottawa Valley Mobile Radio Club bulletin "The Rambler" is dedicated to ARISS news and activities and includes the recent ARISS contact with Boy Scouts of Canada on October 3. It can be downloaded in PDF format at: http://www.ovmrc.on.ca (Click on Newsletter, then on October 2009 - latest issue is in red). An ARISS-Canada delegate attended the Montreal Amateur Fest over the October 24 weekend where many visitors stopped at the exhibition booth, attracted by two posters of CSA astronauts Bob Thirsk and Julie Payette. Several connections were made with school affiliated personnel concerning the ARISS program. *********************** October 26, 2009 1. Upcoming School Contacts An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled with Copernicus Science Centre in Warsaw, Poland on Tuesday, October 27 at 09:33 UTC via telebridge station VK4KHZ in Australia. The centre organized a student competition for naming the asteroids, using rules of the science naming process. This month the winners travelled to Warsaw for the competition finale and will take part in the ARISS event. Sherbrooke Community School in Sassafras, Victoria, Australia has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Wednesday, October 28 at 07:13 UTC. This will be a telebridge contact with station W6SRJ in California. The school fosters student participation and the advancement of amateur radio in the community. It operates Sherbrooke Community Club station, VK3KID. The school invited representatives from neighboring schools to pose questions to the astronauts and asked its sister schools in China and Bhutan to also submit questions for students to ask the ISS crew. David Thompson Middle School (DTMS) in Calgary, Alberta, Canada has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Friday, October 30 at 21:12 UTC via station LU8YY in Argentina. DTMS and the University of Calgary’s science department will collaborate on this event. 2. Italian Students Contact Astronaut Frank De Winne via ARISS On Tuesday, October 20, students attending Istituto Comprensivo “Romualdo TRIFONE” in Montecorvino Rovella, Salerno, Italy participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact with Frank DeWinne, ON1DWN on the ISS. To prepare for the contact, teachers partnered with astrophysicists of the Astronomical Observatory "Giancamillo Glorious" in M. Rovella and the local amateur radio group ARI Salerno. Assistance was provided by the amateur radio station in “Alighieri Trevigi” School, located in Casale Monferrato, Italy. The school used a combination of a direct and telebridge contact to avoid local obscurations. An audience of more than 40 (Casale Monferrato) and 450 (Montecorvino Rovella) students, teachers and visitors gathered for the event and the webcast received over 500 connections. Regional television, local media and newspapers covered the news. 3. ARISS Contact with Senegal Students On Friday, October 23, C. E. M. IV in Mbour, Senegal experienced an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact with Frank De Winne, ON1DWN on the ISS. Students asked twenty questions of the astronaut. Swiss astronaut Claude Nicollier, HB9CN also participated in a videoconference with the youth. C. E. M. IV is a technical college and has formed a scientific club at the school based on new technologies. 4. De Winne has ARISS Contact with Ieper Students Students from VTI Ieper in Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium spoke with Frank DeWinne, ON1DWN via an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Friday, October 23. Telebridge station VK4KHZ in Australia provided the connection. Twenty questions were asked and answered in front of a large audience including several reporters. The school recently built a replica of the plane, ‘Mourane Parasol’ which Guynemer (a French pilot) flew during World War I and incorporated the ARISS contact as a feature event in their celebration of 100 years of aviation. 5. Astronaut Jeff Williams has ARISS Contact with Arctic School On Friday, October 23, students from Samuel Hearne Secondary School in Inuvik, Northwest Territories, Canada experienced an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact with Expedition 21 astronaut Jeffrey Williams, KD5TVQ. This was a telebridge contact via ground station W6SRJ in California. At the school’s request, ARISS representatives visited the school and classrooms prior to the contact to talk about amateur radio and the ISS. Six hundred people attended the event and watched as the students asked Williams 22 questions about life and work in space. CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) Radio and the local and area press covered the event. The school is located very near the Arctic Ocean which makes this the most northerly ARISS contact to date. 6. Canadian Bel Ayr Pathfinders Speak with Robert Thirsk via ARISS An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact took place on Saturday, October 24 between Bel Ayr Pathfinders in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada and Robert Thirsk, VA3CSA on the ISS via telebridge station W6SRJ in California. Thirsk answered 17 questions posed to him by the students as an audience of 160 gathered for the event, including the media (CBC, CTV, a community television station, a radio station and a local newspaper). The Pathfinders that participated in the ARISS contact earned Galactic Adventures badges and will share this experience with other Girl Guides of all ages. 7. ARISSat-1 Meeting Held The ARISSat-1 Team met in Phoenix, Arizona over the October 23 -25 weekend to assemble and test the integration of the various satellite components. The team has also been compiling voice messages to be included on ARISSat and has been preparing for the Safety Review meeting to be held on Thursday, October 29. 8. ARISS International Meeting Held An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) Team meeting was held on Tuesday, October 20. Topics of discussions included a status on the Columbus module antennas and an ARISSat-1 update. See: http://www.rac.ca/ariss/arisstel2009-10-20.htm *********************** October 19, 2009 1. Upcoming School Contacts An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for Istituto Comprensivo “Romualdo TRIFONE” in Montecorvino Rovella, Salerno, Italy on Tuesday, October 20 at 07:41 UTC. Students have participated in science and technology educational activities. Teachers have collaborated with astrophysicists of the Astronomical Observatory "Giancamillo Glorious" in M. Rovella and the local amateur radio group ARI Salerno. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for C. E. M. IV in Mbour, Senegal on Friday, October 23 at 10:28 UTC. Plans have been made to install a complete NOAA satellite reception system in the school. The students have studied orbit predictions, tracking programs and systems, receiver techniques and antennas. A video conference is planned with the Swiss astronaute Claude Nicollier, HB9CN. VTI Ieper in Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Friday, October 23 at 11:11 UTC via telebridge station VK4KHZ in Australia. The school will use the question and answer session with Expedition 21 astronaut Frank De Winne to commemorate 100 years of aviation. Samuel Hearne Secondary School in Inuvik, Northwest Territories, Canada has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Friday, October 23 at 16:27 UTC via telebridge station W6SRJ in California. The school has an enrollment of 400 students in grades 7-12. Inuvik (the place of man) is situated on the banks of the Mackenzie River and is very close to the Arctic Ocean. It is the economic hub of the Western Arctic. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for Belayr Pathfinders in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada on Saturday, October 24 at 15:12 UTC via telebridge station W6SRJ in California. The Pathfinders participating in the ARISS program will be able to earn the Galactic Adventures badge. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled with Copernicus Science Centre in Warsaw, Poland on Tuesday, October 27 at 09:33 UTC via telebridge station VK4KHZ in Australia. The centre organized a student competition for naming asteroids, using rules of the science naming process. In October the winners travel to Warsaw for the competition finale and will take part in the ARISS event. Sherbrooke Community School in Sassafras, Victoria, Australia has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Wednesday, October 28 at 07:13 UTC. This will be a telebridge contact via station W6SRJ in California. Sherbrooke Community School fosters student participation and the advancement of amateur radio in the community. It operates Sherbrooke Community Club station, VK3KID. The school has invited representatives from neighboring schools to pose questions to the astronauts and asked its sister schools in China and Bhutan to also submit questions for students to ask the ISS crew. David Thompson Middle School (DTMS) in Calgary, Alberta, Canada has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Friday, October 30 at 21:12 UTC via station LU8YY in Argentina. DTMS and the University of Calgary’s science department have collaborated on this event. 2. ARISS Contact Between Thirsk and Boundary Beach Students On Tuesday, October 13, students from Boundary Beach Elementary School in Delta, British Columbia, Canada spoke with astronaut Robert Thirsk, VA3CSA on the ISS via an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact. Seventeen questions were answered, including one from the radio team. The contact was made possible through the Langley Amateur Radio Association. To prepare for the contact, students got involved in many space related activities and participated in Dr. Thirsk’s “Get Fit for Space” program. 3. Glenmore Christian Academy Experiences ARISS Contact An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact occurred on Wednesday, October 14 between Glenmore Christian Academy students in Calgary, Alberta, Canada and Robert Thirsk, VA3CSA. Nearly six hundred students, teachers, parents and guests gathered to watch the youth ask 20 questions of the astronaut. CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) and CTV (Canadian television) covered the event. 4. ARISS Contact with UNICEF – Mali Children in Gao, Mali participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Thursday, October 15 via telebridge station K6DUE in Maryland. The contact was held as part of the UNICEF WaSH (Water, Sanitation, Hygiene) campaign. Astronaut Frank De Winne, ON1DWN, a UNICEF Belgium goodwill ambassador, spoke to the children, answering 5 questions. 5. JOTA Contact Unsuccessful An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact was scheduled for Jamboree on the Air (JOTA), Boy Scouts of America Headquarters in Irving, Texas on Saturday, October 17. Due to technical difficulties, the contact did not take place. Contact demonstrations on other satellites were given during the day, however, and there was an amateur radio balloon flight as well. Scouts also took part in a Jamboree on the Internet (JOTI) activity. Approximately 400 Scouts, parents and officials attended the event. 6. NASA Reports on ARISS Contact NASA posted as one of its “Daily Top Stories” an article from the Vancouver Sun about the October 9 Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact with Belmont Elementary School: Hundreds Of Students "Enthralled" Talking To ISS Astronaut. The Vancouver Sun (10/10, 178K) reported, "Canadian astronaut Robert Thirsk zipped through the heavens above Langley's Ecole Belmont elementary school Friday, riding the International Space Station and chatting with 533 enthralled students." The event was organized by "ARISS (Amateur Radio International Space Station), a NASA- sponsored educational outreach program." According to the article, "Judging by the reaction of the children sitting cross-legged in the gym, the program was an obvious hit." 7. ARRL Letter Posts Article on Columbus Antennas The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) ran an article, written by ARISS (Amateur Radio on the International Space Station) delegate Rosalie White, about the ARISS Columbus antennas in the October 15 issue of the ARRL Letter. To view “Amateur Radio in Space : Columbus Antennas to Take to the Skies,” go to: http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/index.html?issue=2009-10-15 8. ARRL QST Covers ARISS News The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) published three ARISS (Amateur Radio on the International Space Station) related news items in its November 2009 issue of QST. Under the “In Brief” column is a short item about the STS-128 launching on August 28 with 3 ham astronaut crew members. A second item appears in the “Media Hits” column which has a short note about Make Magazine running an article on SuitSat (now ARISSat-1). The final item is an article titled "2009 Teachers Institute Introduced Advanced Satellite Workshop" which describes an experiment to teach a workshop to teachers on how to use ham radio satellite communications to teach technology. One workshop participant, a staff member of the NASA Aerospace Education Services Project, [Jim Fitzgerald, KC8WWJ], wrote on his evaluation form that he thought AESP could use some of the workshop materials to help with professional development of educators using technology in their classrooms. The ARRL monthly journal has a circulation of 150,000. 9. AMSAT Symposium Update The AMSAT (Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation) Symposium was held over the October 9 – 11 weekend in Baltimore, Maryland. AMSAT President Barry Baines’ presentation has been posted to the AMSAT Web site. The presentation names ARISS as a partner and indicates continued support of the ARISSat-1 project. See: http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/index.php A video of symposium highlights was put together and has been posted on YouTube. See: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1efXlL75dvA *********************** October 12, 2009 1. Upcoming School Contacts An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for Boundary Beach Elementary School in Delta, British Columbia, Canada on Tuesday, October 13 at 17:10 UTC. Students have been involved in many space related activities including a trip to the McMillan Planetarium and participation in Dr. Thirsk’s “Get Fit for Space” program. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for Glenmore Christian Academy in Calgary, Alberta, Canada on Wednesday, October 14 at 16:01 UTC. Students will pose questions about life and work in space to Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Robert Thirsk, VA3CSA. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for UNICEF-Mali on Thursday, October 15 at 16:33 UTC via telebridge station K6DUE in Maryland. ESA Astronaut Frank De Winne is a UNICEF Belgium goodwill ambassador. UNICEF Belgium is running a campaign called WaSH (Water, Sanitation, Hygiene) to make students aware of how important water is for humans. To prepare for this campaign, De Winne went to Mali and visited projects related to WaSH. He met with children there and showed them videos about the space mission and water; it is with these children that the ARISS contact will take place. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for Jamboree on the Air (JOTA), Boy Scouts of America Headquarters in Irving, Texas on Saturday, October 17 at 21:56 UTC. This will be a telebridge contact via ground station WH6PN in Hawaii. JOTA is an annual event during which Scouts meet each other through amateur radio contacts. The ARISS activity will provide Scouts with additional background for the Space Exploration and Radio Merit Badges. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for Istituto Comprensivo “Romualdo TRIFONE” in Montecorvino Rovella, Salerno, Italy on Tuesday, October 20 at 07:41 UTC. Students are participating in science and technology related educational activities. Teachers are collaborating with astrophysicists of the Astronomical Observatory "Giancamillo Glorious" in M. Rovella and the local amateur radio group ARI Salerno. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for C. E. M. IV in Mbour, Senegal on Friday, October 23 at 10:28 UTC. Plans have been made to install a complete NOAA satellite reception system in the school. The students are studying orbit predictions, tracking programs and systems, receiver techniques and antennas. A video conference is planned with the Swiss astronaut Claude Nicollier, HB9CN. VTI Ieper in Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Friday, October 23 at 11:11 UTC via telebridge station VK4KHZ in Australia. The school will use the question and answer session with Expedition 21 astronaut Frank De Winne to commemorate 100 years of aviation. Samuel Hearne Secondary School in Inuvik, Northwest Territories, Canada has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Friday, October 23 at 16:27 UTC via telebridge station W6SRJ in California. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for Belayr Pathfinders in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada on Saturday, October 24 at 15:12 UTC via telebridge station W6SRJ in California. The Pathfinders participating in the ARISS program will be able to earn the Galactic Adventures badge. 2. ARISS Contact Held Between De Winne and Sint-Michielscollege On Wednesday, October 7, students from Sint-Michielscollege Brasschaat vzw (SMCB) in Brasschaat, Belgium participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact using homemade tracking antennas. Twenty questions posed to Frank De Winne, ON1DWN were answered. Guest speakers included a representative from Verhaert Space Systems and Dirk Frimout, Belgium’s first astronaut. Television stations and other media covered the event. 3. ARISS Contact Part of Malaysia’s National Space Challenge Students participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact from the National Planetarium in Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan, Malaysia on Thursday, October 8. Thirteen questions were answered by Michael Barratt, KD5MIJ as approximately 50 people observed from the radio station and another 100 students and teachers watched from the main Planetarium. The contact was webcast live. All major newspapers and at least 2 television networks were present. The contact was part of the National Space Challenge, a program that was created in an effort to instill the talents and desire towards the understanding of space in primary school aged children. Sixteen schools participated. 4. ARISS Contact with Belmont Elementary School On Friday, October 9, an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact was held between Belmont Elementary School in Langley, British Columbia, Canada and Robert Thirsk, VA3CSA onboard the ISS. All 17 questions were answered including one in French and an extra question from the school’s coordinating teacher about Bob’s past experience with amateur radio. Over 500 were present for the contact, including the school board and city councillors. Media coverage included local press, Vancouver Sun, CBC radio and television. Students learned about Canada's contribution to space exploration, the Canadian astronauts and the construction of the ISS. The Langley Amateur Radio Association (L.A.R.A.) partnered with the school to organize this event. 5. ARRL Article on Columbus Antennas The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) ran a feature story on the ARISS antennas that will be launched to the ISS on STS-129 in mid-November and installed on the Columbus module during the mission’s second spacewalk. See: http://www.arrl.org/news/features/2009/10/05/11110/?nc=1 6. ARRL Articles on Astronaut Frank Caldeiro The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) posted a web story on Astronaut Fernando “Frank” Caldeiro, KE4RFI who passed away on October 3. The article also appeared in the ARRL Letter. See: http://www.arrl.org/?artid=9219 http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/index.html?issue=2009-10-08 7. AMSAT Symposium Held The AMSAT (Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation) Symposium was held over the October 9 – 11 weekend at the Four Points Sheraton Hotel at the Baltimore Washington Airport in Maryland. Several ARISS (Amateur Radio on the International Space Station) presentations were given and the ARISSat-1 was demonstrated. 8. ARISS-Ops Meeting Held An ARISS (Amateur Radio on the International Space Station) Operations team meeting was held following the AMSAT Symposium on Sunday, October 11. Discussions were held on how to make the educational aspects of ARISS better and the team shared information on how to improve the returns of surveys and evaluations. In particular, ARISS has been doing a great job on the "Inspire" position of the pyramid and goes a little into the "Educate" position, but meeting comments put great emphasis on getting much further into the "Educate" position. Dave Taylor, Mark Steiner, Barry Baines, and Rosalie White participated. *********************** October 5, 2009 1. Upcoming School Contacts An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for Sint-Michielscollege Brasschaat vzw (SMCB) in Brasschaat, Belgium on Wednesday, October 7 at 10:20 UTC. Visits to space and science museums are among the science activities planned for the children. Guest speakers will include a representative from Verhaert Space Systems and Dirk Frimout, Belgium’s first astronaut. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled with the National Planetarium in Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan, Malaysia on Thursday, October 8 at 09:34 UTC. The contact will occur as part of the National Space Challenge, a program that was created in an effort to instill the talents and desire towards the understanding of space in primary school aged children. Sixteen schools will participate. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for Belmont Elementary School in Langley, British Columbia, Canada on Friday, October 9 at 20:20 UTC. Students are working on projects with a “Mission Control” theme and the Langley Amateur Radio Association (L.A.R.A.) is working with the school to organize this event. 2. Thirsk Participates in ARISS Contact with R.T. Alderman Students Astronaut Bob Thirsk, VA3CSA participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact with students attending R. T. Alderman School in Calgary, Alberta, Canada on Monday, September 28. An audience of 615 people gathered, watched and listened as Thirsk answered 15 questions posed to him by the students. Media coverage was provided by a local television station. After the contact, Thirsk changed the ISS radio beacon text to read, “Hello to RT Alderman School!” 3. De Winne Speaks with Lisbon, Portugal Students via ARISS On Thursday, October 1 an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact was held between the Ciência Viva Museum in Lisbon, Portugal and Frank De Winne, ON1DWN onboard the ISS. Ground station ON4ISS in Belgium provide the telebridge connection. An audience of 300 people gathered and watched as twenty-three questions were asked and answered. The ARISS contact at Ciencia Viva was a major event during the nationwide celebrated Space Week. The participating students have been working on space projects for two years and they were highly motivated to do this science-related activity. 4. ARISS Contact with University of Liege An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact took place on Friday, October 2 between the University of Liege in Belgium and on-orbit astronaut Frank De Winne, ON1DWN via telebridge station ON4ISS in Belgium. Eighteen questions were answered before losing contact with the ISS. The University of Liege offers the only aerospace engineering education program in the French part of Belgium. In the context of the OUFTI-1 project (www.oufti.ulg.ac.be) that aims at building a CubeSat featuring the amateur radio D-STAR technology, an amateur radio club was formed at the university. 5. Nicole Stott Participates in ARISS Contact with Italian Students On Friday, October 2, students attending Scuola Secondaria 1° Grado “Alighieri – Trevigi” in Casale Monferrato, Prov. Alessandria, Italy participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact. The youth asked Nicole Stott, KE5GJN 21 questions as an audience of 200 students, parents and teachers looked on. Local media provided news coverage. The event was streamed live on the internet and the audio was fed into the EchoLink AMSAT and JK1ZRW servers. The contact motivated the youth to study Science, History, Geography, Information Technology and English. 6. ARISS Contact with Boy Scouts of Canada On Saturday, October 3, Scouts of Canada in Ottawa, Ontario experienced an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact. Three hundred scouts and parents were present as Robert Thirsk VA3CSA answered questions about life and work in space. Thirsk turned over a few questions to Mr. Guy Laliberte, Circ De Soleil president and spaceflight participant. Audio was fed into the EchoLink AMSAT and JK1ZRW servers. The ARISS contact was held in conjunction with the Scout Science Badge Award system. 7. ARISS News on Amateur Radio Newsline On October 2, Amateur Radio Newsline Report 1677 reported on Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) astronaut licensing. To view “Ham Radio in Space: New Ham Astronaut is KF5DBF,” see: ftp://ftp.arnewsline.org/quincy/News/news.txt *********************** September 28, 2009 1. Upcoming School Contacts An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for R. T. Alderman in Calgary, Alberta, Canada on Monday, September 28 at 20:43 UTC. Educators have developed a series of assignments to reflect both the Alberta curricula and the radio contact experience. Journal entries, computer research projects, skits, and other writing assignments will be required class work in the weeks following the contact. Some teachers are also considering having students design a mural to commemorate this occasion as a companion to the already existing Robert Thirsk mural in one of the stairwells. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for Pavilhão do Conhecimento – Ciência Viva in Lisbon, Portugal on Thursday, October 1 at 14:20 UTC. Telebridge station ON4ISS in Belgium will provide the connection. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for the University of Liege in Liege, Belgium on Friday, October 2 at 13:09 UTC via station ON4ISS in Belgium. The university offers the only aerospace engineering education program in the French part of Belgium. In the context of the OUFTI-1 project (www.oufti.ulg.ac.be) that aims at building a CubeSat featuring the amateur radio D-STAR technology, an amateur radio club was formed at the university. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for Scuola Secondaria 1° Grado “Alighieri – Trevigi” in Casale Monferrato, Prov. Alessandria, Italy on Friday, October 2 at 14:46 UTC. Preparation for the contact will motivate youth to study Science, History, Geography, Information Technology and English. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for Boy Scouts of Canada in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada on Saturday, October 3 at 18:07 UTC. Scouts and Cubs will participate in a “Space Program Event” which will be held in conjunction with the Scout Science Badge Award system. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for Sint-Michielscollege Brasschaat vzw (SMCB) in Brasschaat, Belgium on Wednesday, October 7 at 10:20 UTC. Visits to space and science museums are among the science activities planned for the children. Guest speakers will include a representative from Verhaert Space Systems and Dirk Frimout, Belgium’s first astronaut. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled with the National Planetarium in Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan, Malaysia on Thursday, October 8 at 09:34 UTC. The contact will occur as part of the National Space Challenge, a program that was created in an effort to instill the talents and desire towards the understanding of space in primary school aged children. Sixteen schools will participate. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for Belmont Elementary School in Langley, British Columbia, Canada on Friday, October 9 at 20:20 UTC. Students will complete projects with a “Mission Control” theme and the Langley Amateur Radio Association (L.A.R.A.) will work with the school to organize this event. 2. ARISS Contact Between De Winne and Vrij Technisch Instituut Sint-Lucas An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact took place on Tuesday, September 22. Students from Vrij Technisch Instituut Sint-Lucas in Oudenaarde, Oost – Vlaanderen, Belgium posed 20 questions to Frank De Winne, ON1DWN. An audience of 300 students and teachers were present as well as television, radio and newspaper reporters. The antennas used for the contact as well as a UPS device were constructed by the students. 3. Barratt and HMS Beagle Project Connect via ARISS On Tuesday, September 22, the HMS Beagle Project in Parati, Brazil participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact via ground station K6DUE in Maryland. Approximately sixty students were present and watched as classmates asked ten questions of Mike Barratt, KD5MIJ. The project (which aims to rebuild the ship that carried Darwin around the world) and NASA have signed an International Space Act Agreement, with Barratt as the initiator and main connection on the NASA side of the project. The project will unite ISS astronaut photography with ocean surface water and other biological and physical samples taken by the crew of the new Beagle. 4. ARISS Contact with Cedarview Middle School Students attending Cedarview Middle School in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada experienced an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Thursday, September 24. Astronaut Robert Thirsk, VA3CSA answered 20 questions put to him by the students. The school principal commented on the contact, “I have never seen this kind of quiet on students at a school wide event before.” CTV Ottawa and other local media provided news coverage. 5. Garfield Elementary, WHEELS and ARISS Team up to Talk about Space Garfield Elementary School students in Boise, Idaho participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Thursday, September 24 via telebridge station W6SRJ in California. Students visited the NASA Exploration Experience traveling exhibit on display at the Idaho Historical Museum to learn about space exploration and its benefits. Students were able to ask 16 questions of Astronaut Mike Barratt, KD5MIJ during the 9 minute pass. The event was well attended by youth, teachers and parents. Students were also observing the contact at the W6SRJ ground station - two were students from Santa Rosa Junior College and another student was visiting from a local K-12 school. Media coverage included three television stations and the audio was fed into the EchoLink AMSAT and JK1ZRW servers. 6. Thirsk Speaks with Japanese Students via ARISS Contact On Saturday, September 27, students from Houya Elementary School in Nishitokyo, Japan participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact. Astronaut Robert Thirsk, VA3CSA answered 15 questions posed by the students. An audience of approximately 250 was present for the contact. News coverage was provided by two magazines and an FM radio station. 7. ISS SSTV Active Gennady Padalka, RN3DT activated the MAI-75 experiment onboard the ISS on Thursday and Friday, September 24 and 25 from approximately 1000-1600 UTC. Slow Scan Television (SSTV) images of Earth were downlinked to ground stations, including one at the Moscow Aviation Institute (MAI). 8. Astronaut Training Status Astronaut Tracy Caldwell, KF5DBF was given an overview session on the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program this past week. Caldwell is scheduled to fly with Expedition 23 in April 2010. 9. ARRL QST Covers ARISS News The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) published two ARISS (Amateur Radio on the International Space Station) related news items in its October 2009 issue of QST. The first is a short item regarding the Boy Scouts of America Venture Crew 272 of Hillsboro, IN, and Troop 17 from Champaign IL that hosted hundreds of scouts in July at the third annual Space Jam. The most favorite activity was talking to Astronaut Bob Thirsk, VA3CSA on the ISS. The scouts took part in two high altitude balloon launches, and worked on earning the Radio Merit scouting badges. The second item (page 20) is a short article on ARRL recognizing members of the USS Hornet, some of whom supported the NASA capsule recovery mission for Apollo 11. The USS Hornet Amateur Radio Club sponsors training for Radio Merit scouting badges, and one veteran regaled boy scouts describing his duties as shark sharpshooter during a capsule recovery mission. The ARRL monthly journal has a circulation of 150,000. 10. ARRL Article on Dayton Hamvention The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) posted a web story about an ARISS (Amateur Radio on the International Space Station) team member who attended Dayton Hamvention for the first time this year. This member took in seminars by Richard Garriott and visited the AMSAT (Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation) ARISS-related exhibits, including the ARISSat-1 hardware. See: http://www.arrl.org/news/features/2009/09/18/11083/?nc=1 11. ARISS News on Amateur Radio Newsline On September 25, Amateur Radio Newsline Report 1676 reported on Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) astronaut training. To view “Ham Radio in Space: Astronauts Train with Terrestrial School Contacts,” see: ftp://ftp.arnewsline.org/quincy/News-A/news.txt 12. AMSAT Symposium, ARISS Ops Meeting The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT) Symposium will be held on Friday, October 9 through Sunday, October 11 at the Four Points Sheraton Hotel at the Baltimore Washington Airport in Maryland. Several ARISS (Amateur Radio on the International Space Station) and ARISSat-1 presentations will be given and a demo of ARISSat-1 is planned. To view a list of these presentations, go to: http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/symposium/2009/Presentations.php The ARISS Operations team will hold a meeting after the symposium on Sunday, October 11. *********************** September 21, 2009 1. Upcoming School Contacts An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for Vrij Technisch Instituut Sint-Lucas in Oudenaarde, Oost – Vlaanderen, Belgium on Tuesday, September 22 at 13:47 UTC. Students have learned about Earth rotation, orbit speed, time zones, satellites, weather forecasts and geostationary versus polar satellites. The antennas which will be used for the contact as well as a UPS device have been constructed by the students themselves. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for the HMS Beagle Project in Parati, Brazil on Tuesday, September 22 at 18:20 UTC via ground station K6DUE in Maryland, USA. The project (which aims to rebuild the ship that carried Darwin around the world) and NASA have signed an International Space Act Agreement, with Mike Barratt as the initiator and main connection on the NASA side of the project. The project will unite ISS astronaut photography with ocean surface water and other biological and physical samples taken by the crew of the new Beagle. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for Cedarview Middle School in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada on Thursday, September 24 at 19:07 UTC. Students have learned about the ISS through videos, the internet and guest speakers. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for Garfield Elementary School in Boise, Idaho on Thursday, September 24 at 20:34 UTC via telebridge station W6SRJ in California. Students will visit the NASA Exploration Experience traveling exhibit on display at the Idaho Historical Museum and will learn about space exploration and its benefits. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for Houya Elementary School in Nishitokyo, Japan on Saturday, September 26 at 09:28 UTC. Students will learn about amateur radio, space science and the global cooperation involved with running the ISS. 2. Liberty Middle School – ARISS Contact Successful On Tuesday, September 15, an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact was held between students at Liberty Middle School in Camas, Washington and Mike Barratt, KD5MIJ, on the ISS. Telebridge station ON4ISS in Belgium facilitated the contact. Twelve students were able to ask 17 questions of the astronaut. A large audience gathered to observe the contact, including Barratt’s mother, and his uncle was able to listen in from the hospital. The audio was also fed into the school PA system. Two newspapers covered the event. 3. ARISS Contact Held During Belgian Space Week Euro Space Center (ESC) in Transinne, Belgium experienced an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Wednesday, September 16 via telebridge station W6SRJ in California. Frank De Winne, ON1DWN answered 18 questions posed to him as an audience of approximately 70 people looked on. Audio was fed into the EchoLink AMSAT and JK1ZRW servers. The contact was held as part of Belgian Space Week 2009, which was held at ESC from September 14 -18. The theme of the event was “Life in Space.” ESC is recognized by the educational ministries. 4. Delta Researchers Schools Experience ARISS Contact On Friday, September 18, an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact was held between Delta Researchers Schools, Dutch Ministry of Education and Frank De Winne, ON1DWN on the ISS. Telebridge station VK4KHZ in Australia provided the connection. All 18 prepared questions were answered with time left over for an additional question. This was an ESA event from Space Expo, Noordwijk, the Netherlands. 5. Astronaut Training Status On Wednesday, September 9, Astronaut Tracy Caldwell took and passed her amateur radio license exam. She has been issued the callsign, KF5DBF. Caldwell is scheduled to fly with Expedition 23 in April 2010. 6. AMSAT Symposium, ARISS Ops Meeting The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT) Symposium will be held on Friday, October 9 through Sunday, October 11 at the Four Points Sheraton Hotel at the Baltimore Washington Airport in Maryland. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) presentation will be given and a demo of ARISSat-1 is planned. The AMSAT banquet keynote speaker will be Dr. Martin Collins, a curator in the Space History Division at the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. For more information, see the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) articles: http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2009/09/14/11074/?nc=1 http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/09/0918/ The ARISS Operations team will hold a meeting after the symposium on Sunday, October 11. *********************** September 14, 2009 1. Upcoming School Contacts An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for Liberty Middle School in Camas, Washington on Tuesday, September 15 at 20:25 UTC. Telebridge station ON4ISS in Belgium will facilitate the contact. For twenty years, Liberty’s sixth grade students have actively participated as “astronauts in training” as they completed an eight week training course that culminated with a flight in the school’s space station, Alpha-Z 2000. Computers, with software written by a local parent, linked the students to Mission Control with voice communication and security cameras allowed teachers to observe how the astronauts were progressing on their mission. One of the school’s space station modules has been named in honor of Mike Barratt, who attended Camas Public Schools. The ARISS contact will be integrated into these activities. Euro Space Center (ESC) in Transinne, Belgium is slated for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Wednesday, September 16 at 07:12 UTC via telebridge station W6SRJ in California. ESC is recognized by the educational ministries. It is both a Space Expo open to the public and a Space Camp. The Space Camp provides children with space training and is operational year round. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for Delta Researchers Schools, Dutch Ministry of Education on Friday, September 18 at 15:55 UTC via telebridge station VK4KHZ in Australia. This is an ESA event from Space Expo, Noordwijk, the Netherlands. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for Vrij Technisch Instituut Sint-Lucas in Oudenaarde, Oost – Vlaanderen, Belgium on Tuesday, September 22 at 13:47 UTC. Students have learned about Earth rotation, orbit speed, time zones, satellites, weather forecasts and geostationary versus polar satellites. The antennas which will be used for the contact as well as a UPS device have been constructed by the students themselves. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for the HMS Beagle Project in Parati, Brazil on Tuesday, September 22 at 18:20 UTC via ground station K6DUE in Maryland, USA. The project (which aims to rebuild the ship that carried Darwin around the world) and NASA have signed an International Space Act Agreement, with Mike Barratt as the initiator and main connection on the NASA side of the project. The project will unite ISS astronaut photography with ocean surface water and other biological and physical samples taken by the crew of the new Beagle. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for Cedarview Middle School in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada on Thursday, September 24 at 19:07 UTC. Students have learned about the ISS through videos, the internet and guest speakers. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for Garfield Elementary School in Boise, Idaho on Thursday, September 24 at 20:34 UTC via telebridge station W6SRJ in California. Students will visit the NASA Exploration Experience traveling exhibit on display at the Idaho Historical Museum and will learn about space exploration and its benefits. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for Houya Elementary School in Nishitokyo, Japan on Saturday, September 26 at 09:28 UTC. Students have learned about amateur radio, space science and the global cooperation involved with running the ISS. 2. ARISS Contact with Atheneum Students Successful On Thursday, September 10, students attending Atheneum Middenschool Keerbergen in Keerbergen, Belgium experienced an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact with Frank De Winne, ON1DWN on the ISS. Telebridge station W6SRJ in California provided the connection. An audience of approximately 30 people observed the students as their twenty questions were answered. 3. De Winne Particpates in ARISS Contact During UNICEF Event An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact took place between UNICEF Belgium at the Euro Space Center in Transinne, Belgium and Frank De Winne, ON1DWN, UNICEF’s goodwill ambassador. The contact occurred on Thursday, September 10 via station LU1CGB in Argentina. UNICEF Belgium is running a campaign called WaSH (Water, Sanitation, Hygiene) to make students aware of how important water is for humans. Some of the students participating in the campaign were given the opportunity to travel to the center to speak with the Expedition 20 astronaut. Eighteen questions were answered. 4. ARISS Contact with Tokyo Denki University On Saturday, September 12, an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact was held between students attending Tokyo Denki University High/Junior High School in Koganei, Tokyo, Japan and Michael Barratt, KD5MIJ on the ISS. Thirty people gathered and listened as eighteen questions were asked and answered. The school has a radio club and recruits new members each year. Students study for their licenses, learn how to make radio contacts and learn about space and the ISS. 5. Astronaut Training Status Astronauts Timothy Creamer, KC5WKI and Soichi Noguchi, KD5TVP participated in Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) training sessions on Wednesday, September 9. They spoke with children from the Ralph McCall School in Airdrie, Alberta, Canada. The training sessions were terrestrial-based amateur radio contacts using ARISS equivalent equipment. Audio was available on the Internet Radio Linking Project (IRLP). 6. AMSAT Symposium, ARISS Ops Meeting to be Held in October The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT) Symposium will be held on Friday, October 9 through Sunday, October 11 at the Four Points Sheraton Hotel at the Baltimore Washington Airport in Maryland. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) presentation will be given and a demo of ARISSat-1 is planned. An ARISS Operations team meeting will be held following the symposium on Sunday, October 11. 7. ARISS Presentation Given at Great Lakes Division Symposium The 2009 Great Lakes Division Symposium was held in Findlay, Ohio on Saturday September 12, followed by the Findlay Hamfest on September 13. A presentation on the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program was given at the symposium by ARISS mentor Charlie Sufana, AJ9N. *********************** September 7, 2009 1. Upcoming School Contacts An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for Atheneum Middenschool Keerbergen in Keerbergen, Belgium on Thursday, September 10 at 09:31 UTC. This will be a telebridge contact via station W6SRJ in California, conducted in Dutch, with Frank De Winne, ON1DWN. UNICEF Belgium has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Thursday, September 10 at 09:55 UTC via LU1CGB in Argentina. UNICEF Belgium is running a campaign called WaSH (Water, Sanitation, Hygiene) to make students aware of how important water is for humans. Frank De Winne is one of UNICEF’s goodwill ambassadors and as water provisioning is one of the most challenging problems in space, it seemed appropriate to link the campaign with Frank’s mission. Students participating in the campaign may win a chance to travel to Euro Space Center to speak with De Winne through this contact. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for Tokyo Denki University High/Junior High School in Koganei, Tokyo, Japan on Saturday, September 12 at 08:25 UTC. The school has a radio club which recruits new members each year. Students study for their licenses, learn how to make radio contacts and learn about space and the ISS. 2. ARISS Contact with Craigmore High School On Wednesday, September 2, an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact was held between Craigmore High School in Blakeview, South Australia and Expedition 20 Astronaut Frank De Winne, ON1DWN, on the ISS. An audience of 40 people gathered for the event and one newspaper provided media coverage. 3. ESA Astronaut De Winne Speaks with Vrije Basisschool, Belgium On Thursday, September 3, Frank De Winne, ON1DWN, participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact with Vrije Basisschool in De Haan, Belgium via telebridge station VK4HZ in Australia. De Winne answered twenty-two questions posed to him by the students. Approximately 240 students, teachers and parents attended the event as well as radio, television and newspaper reporters. The audio was fed into the EchoLink AMSAT and JK1ZRW servers. This was a European Space Agency (ESA) event. Students who participated in the ARISS contact were chosen through an ESA competition. 4. ARISS Contact with ESA/ESOC Successful An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact was held at the European Space Agency (ESA)/European Space Operation Centre (ESOC) in Darmstadt, Germany on Friday, September 4 via telebridge station LU8YY in Argentina. The contact was held during an open day event, “The Long Night of the Stars.” Students from a local school, “Schuldorf Bergstrasse,” in Seeheim participated in the contact. Astronauts Robert Thirsk, Frank de Winne and Christer Fuglesang took turns answering eleven questions posed to them. An audience of 200 gathered at the stage for the contact and several audio and video links were provided for all the visitor rooms of the Open Day event at ESOC, so that an additional 750 visitors could connect to the contact. The event was covered by the television station Hessischer Rundfunk HR3, the radio station HR-Info Radio Hessischer Rundfunk Frankfurt and two newspapers, Frankfurter Rundschau and Darmstaedter Echo. There was also a live coverage via the Internet (Kosmologs) and five freelance journalists were present. The audio was fed into the EchoLink AMSAT and JK1ZRW servers. 5. Stockholm Students Question Fuglesang via ARISS Contact On Sunday, September 6, students from Sätraskolan in Skärholmen, Stockholm, Sweden participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact via telebridge station LU8YY in Argentina. STS-128 Mission Specialist Christer Fuglesang, KE5CGR, answered 14 questions as an audience of 400 gathered for the contact. Media covered the event and the audio was fed into the EchoLink AMSAT and JK1ZRW servers. 6. ARISS News on Amateur Radio Newsline On September 4, Amateur Radio Newsline Report 1673 reported on the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) project ARISSat-1. To view “Ham Radio in Space: Good News for ARISSat-1,” see: ftp://ftp.arnewsline.org/quincy/News-A/news.txt 7. Astronaut Training Status Astronaut Tracy Caldwell is scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) licensing session on Wednesday, September 9. Caldwell is scheduled to fly with Expedition 23 in April 2010. *********************** August 31, 2009 1. Upcoming School Contacts Craigmore High School in Blakeview, South Australia, Australia has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Wednesday, September 2 at 00:48 UTC. The school is located approximately 35 Km north of Adelaide, the capital city of South Australia. It encourages participation in projects sponsored by the government and private industry and has established an amateur radio station at the school. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for Vrije Basisschool in De Haan, Belgium on Thursday, September 3 at 07:42 UTC via telebridge station VK4HZ in Australia. This is an ESA Event. Children who will speak to Frank De Winne have been chosen through participation in an ESA competition. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for ESA/European Space Operation Centre (ESOC) in Darmstadt, Germany on Friday, September 4 at 20:10 UTC via telebridge station LU8YY in Argentina. The contact is planned during an open day event, “The Long Night of the Stars,” and 3000 visitors are expected. The event will bring space science and space operations in an audio visual show to the visitors. The event will have presentations, demonstrations of space operations, real satellite hardware and children and student oriented attractions like building and launching of small paper rockets. There will be semi-professional telescopes made available on site for direct viewing of the stars. 2. ARISS Contact Between Michael Barratt and Tenison Woods College On Monday, August 24, an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact was held between Tenison Woods College in Mount Gambier, South Australia and Michael Barratt, KD5MIJ, on the ISS. Telebridge station W6DUE in Maryland provided the link-up. Over 100 attended the event. Two television stations, one commercial television station and one Amateur TV as well as the regional newspaper and ABC radio provided news coverage. 3. Volkssterrenwacht Urania Participates in ARISS Contact with De Winne Students visiting Volkssterrenwacht Urania in Hove, Antwerp, Belgium experienced an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Monday, August 24 via telebridge station VK4KHZ in Australia. ESA Astronaut Frank De Winne, ON1DWN answered twenty questions posed to him by the students. An audience of approximately 150 attended the event including representatives from one radio station, one television station and a newspaper. Urania is a public observatory which provides lessons for children ages 7 - 16. 4. ARRL Article on STS-128 Crew The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) posted an article on the STS-128 crewmembers. “Space Shuttle Discovery to Launch with Three Hams on Board” may be found at: http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2009/08/25/11038/?nc=1 The story was also included in the ARRL Letter: http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/09/0828/ 5. ARRL Article on ARISS Satellite The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) covered Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) news in its story, “SuitSat-2 Now Called ARISSat-1.” See: http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2009/08/26/11039/?nc=1 There are approximately 100,000 regular readers of the ARRL Web site. The article also ran in the ARRL Letter (circulation of approximately 77,000). See: http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/09/0828/ 6. ARISS News on Amateur Radio Newsline On August 28, Amateur Radio Newsline Report 1672 reported two Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) news items. To view “Ham Radio in Space: SuitSat 2 now ARISSat-1” and “That Final Item: The Story of the Man who Trains Astronauts to be Hams,” see: ftp://ftp.arnewsline.org/quincy/News-A/news.txt 7. Astronaut Training Status Astronauts Timothy Creamer, KC5WKI and Soichi Noguchi, KD5TVP are scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) training session on Wednesday, September 9. Calgary school children will participate in the session. *********************** August 24, 2009 1. Upcoming School Contacts An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been approved for Tenison Woods College in Mount Gambier, South Australia. The contact is scheduled for Monday, August 24 at 07:19 UTC via telebridge station W6DUE in Maryland. The contact has been integrated into the curriculum’s astronomy and physics units through participation in hands-on activities. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for Volkssterrenwacht Urania in Hove, Antwerp, Belgium on Monday, August 24 at 11:30 UTC via telebridge station VK4KHZ in Australia. Urania is a public observatory that raises public awareness of astronomy, meteorology and astronautics. A range of activities and services are available: lessons for beginners and the experienced, guided tours of the observatory, an extended documentation center, various publications, stargazing evenings, conferences, Urania Mobile (Flanders' first mobile observatory) and the astroshop. This "Space Talk" will boost activities at the start of the new season. 2. Timothy Kopra Participates in ARISS Contact with KIPP:3D Academy On Thursday, August 20, the Knowledge is Power Program (KIPP:3D) Academy in Houston, Texas participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact with Timothy Kopra, KE5UDN via telebridge station W6SRJ in California. All 18 prepared questions were answered with time for an additional two. The audio was fed into the EchoLink AMSAT and JK1ZRW conference room servers. 3. ARISS Contact Held with Peruvian University On Thursday, August 20, an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact was held between Gennady Padalka, RN3DT on the ISS and participants in the international forum to discuss small satellite development and launch projects, held at the Peruvian National University of Lima in Lima, Peru. Participants were delegates from different South American countries and technical university representatives from foreign countries. Among the participants was the Kursk State Technical University delegate, Valery Pikkiev, who developed a space experiment for SuitSat-2 (ARISSat-1). 4. Successful ARISS Contact with Scouts of Maur The international year of astronomy inspired a few scout guides from Maur near Zürich, Switzerland, to create a special scout event, the Astrocamp 2009, where participants learn about astronomy and space technology, communication technologies, journalism and public relations. One of the activities scheduled for the event was an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact between the Girl and Boy Scouts of Maur “Pfadimuur,” and Frank De Winne, ON1DWN on the ISS. The contact took place on Saturday, August 22. Twelve questions were answered as an audience of approximately 100 listened. Scouts, mass-media representatives, parents and interested parties were present. Television channel TELETOP, radio stations DRS-3, DRS-1 Regional, Radio Energy, Radio 24, Radio Zürichsee and the newspaper Sonntagsblick covered the event. The audio was fed into the EchoLink AMSAT and JK1ZRW conference room servers. 5. Thirsk Participates in ARISS Contact with Nova East Star Party On Saturday, August 22, an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact took place between the Nova East Star Party, sponsored by the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, Halifax Center in Nova Scotia, Canada and Robert Thirsk, VA3CSA, on the ISS. Four hundred people witnessed the contact as Thirsk answered the 18 questions posed to him. Bell Aliant was present to record the event. The Nova East Star Party is Atlantic Canada’s oldest and largest Star Party which draws both professional as well as amateur astronomers from the Atlantic Provinces, Quebec, Eastern Ontario and the New England States. The focus of the event is public outreach and education. Through daytime seminars and workshops and evening observing sessions, the public is introduced to the wonders of the night sky. 6. ARISS International Team Meeting Held An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) teleconference was held on Wednesday, August 19. SuitSat-2 (now ARISSat-1) was among the topics discussed. The minutes have been posted to the ARISS Web site. See: http://www.rac.ca/ariss/arisstel2009-08-19.htm 7. Make Magazine Posts SuitSat Article Make Magazine published an article on Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) project, SuitSat-2 (now ARISSat-1). To view the story, go to: http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/08/suitsat_hacking_for_outer_space.html *********************** August 17, 2009 1. Upcoming School Contacts An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for the Knowledge is Power Program (KIPP:3D) Academy in Houston, Texas on Thursday, August 20 at 18:16 UTC via telebridge station W6SRJ in California. KIPP:3D Academy functions as a public charter school, serving middle school age students. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for Girl and Boy Scouts of Maur “Pfadimuur,” in Forch, Switzerland on Saturday, August 22 at 08:20 UTC. Scouts will focus on the theme, “Year of Astronomy,” and will earn qualifications in astronomy/space technology, communications, public relations or journalism. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for the Nova East Star Party, sponsored by the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, Halifax Center in Nova Scotia, Canada on Saturday, August 22 at 12:54 UTC. This is Atlantic Canada’s oldest and largest Star Party and draws both professional as well as amateur astronomers from the Atlantic Provinces, Quebec, Eastern Ontario and the New England States. The focus of the event is public outreach and education. Through daytime seminars and workshops and evening observing sessions, the public is introduced to the wonders of the night sky. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been approved for Tension Woods College in Mount Gambier, South Australia. The contact is scheduled for Monday, August 24 at 07:19 UTC via telebridge station W6DUE in Maryland. The contact will be integrated into the curriculum’s astronomy and physics units through participation in hands-on activities. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for Volkssterrenwacht Urania in Hove, Antwerp, Belgium on Monday, August 24 at 10:22 UTC via telebridge station W6SRJ in California, assuming STS-128 launches on August 24. (If STS-128 is delayed, the contact will be rescheduled for Monday, August 24 at 11:30 UTC through telebridge station VK4KHZ in Australia.) Urania is a public observatory that raises public awareness of astronomy, meteorology and astronautics. A range of activities and services are available: lessons for beginners and the experienced, guided tours of the observatory, an extended documentation center, various publications, stargazing evenings, conferences, Urania Mobile (Flanders' first mobile observatory) and the astroshop. This "Space Talk" will boost activities at the start of the new season. 2. ARISS Contact Between Robert Thirsk and Ottawa Sports Camp On Tuesday, August 11, an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact was held between Canadian Space Agency (CSA) Astronaut Robert Thirsk, VA3CSA and Ottawa South United Sports Camp held at the Walter Baker Sports Centre in Ontario, Canada. Telebridge station W6SRJ in California facilitated the connection. All 18 questions prepared for the contact were answered with enough time left over for one additional question. Approximately 130 people attended the event. The audio was fed into the EchoLink AMSAT and JK1ZRW conference room servers and the IRLP (Internet Radio Linking Project) Discovery Reflector 9010. 3. ARISS Contact with Euro Space Center, Night of Stars Event On Thursday, August 13, approximately 200 people attending the Euro Space Center, Night of Stars Event in Transinne, Belgium gathered for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact. Frank DeWinne, ON1DWN on the ISS participated in the contact, answering 20 questions. Telebridge station W6SRJ in California assisted with the contact. The audio was fed into the EchoLink AMSAT and JK1ZRW conference room servers and the IRLP (Internet Radio Linking Project) Discovery Reflector 9010. 4. ARISS Promoted at Quebec Hamfest On August 1, Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) Canadian Delegate Maurice-André Vigneault set up an ARISS display and satellite communication demonstration station at the Quebec City Hamfest in nearby St-Romuald. ARISS Delegate Daniel Lamoureux also participated in the Hamfest. Pamphlets explaining the purpose of ARISS and AMSAT (Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation) were handed out. The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) also provided handouts, stickers and decals. The delegates will next visit the Ottawa Hamfest in nearby Carp, Ontario, on September 12 to promote the ARISS program. 5. Astronaut Training Status Christer Fuglesang, KE5CGR/SA0AFS, was given a review of the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) radio system in preparation for an expected contact during the STS-128 mission time frame. Information on his upcoming mission may be found here: http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEM56UE3GXF_index_0.html On Thursday, August 13, an introduction course was also provided to Dan Burbank, KC5ZSX. Burbank is scheduled to fly on a future ISS expedition. 6. Electronics Weekly Interviews ARISS Member AMSAT-UK’s FUNcube satellite has been featured on the front cover of the August 12-18 issue of Electronics Weekly. The full FUNcube article titled, “Bringing FUN back to the classroom,” by Steve Bush may be found on page 8 and contains an interview with Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) member Graham Shirville, G3VZV. See: http://cde.cerosmedia.com/1D4a803d8814a11352.cde 7. ARRL QST Covers ARISS News The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) published two small ARISS (Amateur Radio on the International Space Station) related news items in its September 2009 issue of QST. One item pointed readers to the article on the Garriotts, "Two Generations of Hams in Space" that ran in The Bridge, printed by the Electrical and Computer Engineering Honor Society. The second item was a notice to readers that space shuttle Endeavour carried three astronauts to the ISS who are hams and would be doing ARISS educational activities. The ARRL monthly journal has a circulation of 150,000. *********************** August 10, 2009 1. Upcoming School Contacts Ottawa South United Sports Club in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Tuesday, August 11 at 14:26 UTC via telebridge station W6SRJ in California. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for Euro Space Center, Night of Stars in Transinne, Belgium on Thursday, August 13 at 20:05 UTC via telebridge station W6SRJ in California. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for the Knowledge is Power Program (KIPP:3D) Academy in Houston, Texas on Thursday, August 20 at 18:16 UTC via telebridge station W6SRJ in California. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for Girl and Boy Scouts of Maur “Pfadimuur,” in Forch, Switzerland on Saturday, August 22 at 08:20 UTC. Scouts will focus on the theme, “Year of Astronomy,” and will earn qualifications in astronomy/space technology, communications, public relations or journalism. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for Nova East Star Party, Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, Halifax Center in Nova Scotia, Canada on Saturday, August 22 at 12:54 UTC. 2. Michael Barratt Participated in ARISS Contact with United Space School On Wednesday, August 5, students attending United Space School at the University of Houston experienced an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact with Michael Barratt, KD5MIJ on the ISS. Twelve students asked the 18 questions they had prepared and with time left over, asked an additional three. United Space School is a session of high school students that meets annually in the NASA/Clear Lake Area. 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. 3. Astronaut Training Status A simulated contact between Euro Space Camp (ESC) and Paolo Nespoli, IZ0JPA took place on Thursday, August 6. Audio was available on EchoLink and IRLP (Internet Radio Linking Project). The training session was a terrestrial-based amateur radio contact using Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) equivalent equipment. 4. SSTV Images Received by Ground Stations MAI-75 (Moscow Aviation Institute) experiments were run on August 3 and 4. The VC-H1 unit ran in auto mode (Robot-36 and transmitting once every 3 minutes). Some Slow Scan Television (SSTV) images were received by ground stations. See: http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/SSTV/ *********************** August 3, 2009 1. Upcoming School Contact An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for United Space School in Seabrook, Texas on Wednesday, August 5 at 13:47 UTC via telebridge station ON4ISS. The school is a once a year session of high school students that meets annually in the NASA/Clear Lake Area. 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. The contact will allow students to learn firsthand what the experience of spaceflight is like. They will use this knowledge in putting together their team project presentation, which they will present to the Houston space community at the end of their session. 2. ARISS Contact with Hospital for Sick Children On Thursday, July 30, patients of the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Ontario, Canada participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact. Children spoke with Astronaut Robert Thirsk, VA3CSA via telebridge station ON4ISS in Belgium and were able to ask 18 questions about life in space. Nearly 100 people were present for the event and the contact was broadcasted throughout the hospital on closed circuit television. 3. ARISS Contact Between Michael Barratt and Summer Playground Camp Borough of New Providence, NJ, Summer Playground Camp in New Providence, New Jersey took part in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Thursday, July 30. Ten children asked twenty questions of Expedition 19’s Michael Barratt, KD5MIJ in front of an audience of approximately 100 people. This was a town sponsored summer camp activity for elementary school children (K – 6). The New Providence Amateur Radio Club (NPARC) has been involved with this type of camp for the last five years and regularly provides an introduction to amateur radio on the air by setting up HF and VHF stations so that campers may communicate with hams around the world. The ARISS contact was an extension of this activity. 4. ARISS News on Amateur Radio Newsline On July 31, Amateur Radio Newsline Report 1668 reported on the Scout Space Jamboree in Rantoul, Illinois which included an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact. To view “Ham Radio in Space: Space Jam 3 in Illinois,” see: ftp://ftp.arnewsline.org/quincy/News-A/news.txt 5. ARISS International Meeting Minutes Posted The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) team held its annual meeting at the European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC) in the Netherlands in June. Minutes are now available and have been posted to the ARISS Web site. See: http://www.rac.ca/ariss/ARISS-I%202009%20Annual%20Mtg%20final%20edit%20minutes.doc 6. ARRL Articles on FUNcube The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) posted a Web story on a new AMSAT-UK (Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation) satellite project, FUNcube. FUNcube is a cubesat which will educate youth about radio, electronics and physics. For more information, see: http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2009/07/29/10985/?nc=1 The article may also be found in the ARRL Letter: http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/09/0731/ 7. SuitSat-2 Demo The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) SuitSat-2 prototype was demonstrated at the Microchip Master’s conference which was held in Phoenix on July 29 – August 1. See: https://secure.microchip.com/usmasters/EveningEvents.aspx 8. De Winne Comments on Importance of Amateur Radio on ISS During a recent Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact, Astronaut Frank De Winne was asked about the importance of amateur radio on the ISS. He answered that the radio was an important means of psychological support. The audio of this contact may be found on the ARISS-Europe Web site. See: http://www.ariss-eu.org/2009_07_31.htm 9. ARISS Teleconference Minutes Posted The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) team held its monthly meeting on Tuesday, July 21. Agenda items included a recap of the face-to-face meeting held in the Netherlands and the status of the SuitSat-2 project. The minutes have been posted. See: http://www.rac.ca/ariss/arisstel2009-07-21.htm 10. MAI-75 Experiments Planned MAI-75 (Moscow Aviation Institute) experiments are planned for August 3 and 4. The VC-H1 unit will run in auto mode (Robot-36 and transmitting once every 3 minutes) and should be operational on 145.800 MHz from approximately 0800-1600 UTC each day. Information on the MAI-75 experiment is available at: http://www.energia.ru/eng/iss/researches/education-26.html 11. Astronaut Training Status – Simulated Contact Scheduled A simulated contact is planned for Thursday, August 6 at approximately 13:30 UTC. The contact will be between Euro Space Camp (ESC) and Paolo Nespoli, IZ0JPA. Audio should be available on EchoLink and IRLP (Internet Radio Linking Project). The training session is a terrestrial-based amateur radio contact using Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) equivalent equipment. *********************** July 27, 2009 1. Upcoming School Contacts Borough of New Providence, NJ, Summer Playground Camp in New Providence, New Jersey has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Thursday, July 30 at 17:24 UTC. This is a town sponsored summer camp activity, primarily for elementary school children (K – 6). The New Providence Amateur Radio Club (NPARC) has been involved with this type of camp for the last five years. It regularly provides an introduction to amateur radio on the air by setting up HF and VHF stations and has the campers communicate with hams around the world. The ARISS contact is an obvious extension of this activity. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on Thursday, July 30 at 16:02 UTC via telebridge station ON4ISS in Belgium. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for United Space School in Seabrook, Texas on Wednesday, August 5 at 13:47 UTC via telebridge station ON4ISS. The school is a once a year session of high school students that meets annually in the NASA/Clear Lake Area. 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. The contact will allow students to learn firsthand what the experience of spaceflight is like. They may ask questions about the skills needed to be an astronaut, the effects of weightlessness on the body, the food eaten, leisure activities, etc. They will use this knowledge in putting together their team project presentation, which they will present to the Houston space community at the end of their session. 2. De Winne has ARISS Contact with Portuguese Students On Tuesday, July 21, an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact took place between students attending Escola E.B.2/3 de S. Romão do Coronado in Trofa, Portugal and Frank De Winne, ON1DWN on the ISS. De Winne answered 16 questions put to him by the students. Media coverage included two television stations and the event was highlighted in the evening news. 3. De Winne Participates in ARISS Contact with Ugo Guidi On Thursday, July 23, children from Ugo Guidi in Forte dei Marmi, Lucca, Italy participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact. Frank De Winne, ON1DWN answered twenty questions posed to him by the students. The audio and video were available on: www.ondaforte.tv. OndaForteTV, local media and newspapers covered the event. 4. ARISS Member Comments on Lunar Landing in EE Times EE Times published a July 20 special edition that tells the lunar landing story from the viewpoint of a number of engineers. Comments were included from a number of people who felt it was a very personal event in their lives. Comments by Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) member Steve Bible, N7HPR may be found on page 44. See: http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/cmp/eetimes_apollo_20090720/index.php 5. ARRL Article on STS-127 Crew The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) posted a web story (100,000 readers) about the Endeavour, STS-127 crew. See: http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2009/07/15/10965/?nc=1 The article was also included in the July 17 issue of the ARRL Letter (circulation of approximately 77,000). See: http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/09/0717/ 6. Demonstration of SuitSat-2 Prototype Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) system engineer Gould Smith, WA4SXM attended the Central States VHF Society’s 43rd annual conference in Chicago on July 24 – 25. He demonstrated the prototype of the SuitSat-2 hardware, software and antennas. For more information, go to the AMSAT (Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation) Web site: http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/index.php 7. QST Covers Garriotts at Dayton Hamvention The July issue of the American Radio Relay League's monthly journal, QST, carried a story about its national convention. Astronaut Owen Garriott and Space Flight Participant Richard Garriott were special guests of ARRL and AMSAT (Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation) at this convention in Dayton, the largest ham radio convention in the United States. The article carried a special section about the visiting duo and their forums, and in particular, how Richard signed autographs for students and scouts. Accompanying the story was a photograph of Rosalie White, K1STO, assisting Richard with his autograph duties for a girl who was an admirer of astronauts and spaceflight. *********************** July 20, 2009 1. Upcoming School Contacts Escola E.B.2/3 de S. Romão do Coronado in Trofa, Portugal has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Tuesday, July 21 at 17:07 UTC. Local amateur radio club Rede dos Emissores Portugueses (REP) is collaborating with the school during this event. Ugo Guidi in Forte dei Marmi, Lucca, Italy has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Thursday, July 23 at 19:35 UTC. 2. ARISS Contact with Campus Saffraanberg Belgian Defence On Friday, July 17, an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact was held between Campus Saffraanberg Belgian Defence in Sint Truiden, Limburg and Frank De Winne, ON1DWN on the ISS. The scheduled pass for Campus Saffraanberg was cancelled at the last minute due to STS-127 related tasks. It was re-scheduled for the following pass during which De Winne answered 20 questions posed by the students. Approximately 100 guests were in attendance. The contact was webcast and media covering the event included several newspapers, radio and television stations and the Belgian Army TV Service. 3. ARISS Contact Held with Octave Chanute Air Museum An Amateur Radio International Space Station (ARISS) school contact was successfully sponsored for participants at the Scout Space Jamboree, at Octave Chanute Air Museum, Rantoul, Illinois on Sunday July 19. The event was audible over portions of North and South America. The Chanute Air Museum preserves, exhibits and interprets aviation and aerospace artifacts that relate to the life and accomplishments of Octave Chanute, Chanute Field/Chanute Air Force Base and its technical training programs, the history of military aviation and Illinois aviation. The museum reaches out to youth with Aviation Camp and this year it hosted its first “Space Jam Enterprise 2009” for Boy and Girl Scouts. The Space Jam team believes that the “space climb” has only just begun! Space Jam is all about exposing pre-college youth to technology, its excitement, and the people embarked on such an adventure. With luck new youth will choose to set sail to careers, hobbies, and providing support to bring the world closer to the next step in the climb! 4. ARISS Contact – European Special Event On Sunday, July 19, European Special Event, Eichenlaubschule Weiskirchen in Saarland, Germany experienced an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact via telebridge station ON4ISS in Belgium. An audience of about 130 people watched as ESA astronaut Frank De Winne, ON1DWN, answered 18 questions put to him by students from Weiskirchen and Luxemburg. The State Secretary of Economy and Science, Dr. Christian Ege, addressed the audience before the contact. The event was covered by the mass media: Saarländischer Rundfunk (radio broadcast and television), Saarbrücker Zeitung (newspaper) and Concept-TV (local TV production). 5. ARISS Student Wins Newsline Youth Ham of the Year Award Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) Team member Nick Lance, KC5KBO, who does ham radio mentoring of students at his local school, was pleased to learn that his student, Andrew Koenig, KE5GDB, has won the Newsline Youth Ham of the Year Award. ARISS was one of the main motivators for Andrew to study for his license, and to stay licensed. He continued his interest in space by helping with ARISS contacts and by being active in ham satellite operations. *********************** July 13, 2009 1. ARISS Contact Between Koichi Wakata and Mugegawa Junior High On Saturday, July 11, students from Mugegawa Junior High School participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact with JAXA astronaut Koichi Wakata, KC5ZTA. Wakata answered 17 questions posed to him by the students. Over three hundred parents and guests attended the event, which was covered by five newspapers and a television station. 2. ARISS Contact Held with Technopolis, Belgium An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact was held between ESA astronaut Frank De Winne, ON1DWN on the ISS and Technopolis® in Mechelen, Antwerpen, Belgium. The contact took place on Saturday, July 11 via telebridge station LU8YY in Argentina. Fourteen questions were asked and answered as an audience of 200 looked on. Belgian astronaut Dirk Frimout was present and gave a talk on space. Three radio and television stations and two newspapers covered the event. The contact audio was fed into the Internet Radio Linking Project (IRLP) and EchoLink servers, providing additional outreach. 3. Successful ARISS Contact with Euro Space Center On Sunday, July 12, youth visiting the Euro Space Center in Belgium during Air and Space Day participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact with ESA astronaut Frank De Winne, ON1DWN on the ISS. The contact was made possible through telebridge station WH6PN in Hawaii. Twenty-four students asked one question each of the astronaut in front of an audience of 500 guests. The contact audio was fed into the Internet Radio Linking Project (IRLP) and EchoLink servers, providing additional outreach. 4. SuitSat-2 Becomes a Satellite The Orlan spacesuit that was to house SuitSat-2 amateur radio equipment was recently discarded on a Progress due to space limitations on the ISS. Work continues on the satellite hardware with plans to use a different configuration for deployment. The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) team plans to meet delivery and launch dates for an EVA deployment in April 2010. For more information, see: http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/index.php 5. ARISS Satellite Meeting Held The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) U.S. team met in Phoenix, Arizona over the July 10 – 12 weekend. The team performed integration tests on various components of the SuitSat-2 hardware. 6. Astronaut Training Status A training session is planned this week for astronaut Tracy Caldwell to prepare her for her amateur radio license exam. Caldwell is scheduled to fly with Expedition 23 in April 2010. 7. AMSAT Videos of Dayton Hamvention Available for Viewing The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT) has posted videos taken at the Dayton Hamvention 2009. Several Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) presentations are available for viewing. (ARISS Status, Will Marchant; Columbus Module Antennas, Lou McFadin; SuitSat-2, Gould Smith; Spaceflight Participant, Richard Garriott) See: http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/information/videoNews.php 8. ARISS News on Amateur Radio Newsline On July 10, Amateur Radio Newsline Report 1665 provided a status on the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) SuitSat-2 program. To view “Ham Radio in Space: SuitSat-2 Loses the Suit Part but will Still Fly,” see: ftp://ftp.arnewsline.org/quincy/News-A/news.txt *********************** July 6, 2009 1. Upcoming School Contacts An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for Mugegawa Junior High School in Seki, Gifu, Japan on Saturday, July 11 at 10:15 UTC. The school, which opened in 1965, currently has an enrollment of 250 students. A JAXA representative gave a talk on space and educators from a science museum and the local university involved children in science experiments. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for Technopolis® in Mechelen, Antwerpen, Belgium on Saturday, July 11 at 12:35 UTC via telebridge station LU8YY in Argentina. Technopolis® is a permanent platform for science and technology in Mechelen, Flanders. The mission of Technopolis® is to bring science and technology to the public. It offers permanent and temporary exhibitions, and organizes workshops as well as school and other outreach activities for people of all ages. The ARISS contact is open to all school children and students between 6 and 18 years old and will be supported with a workshop, lecture or a science show. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for Euro Space Center, Air and Space Day in Belgium on Sunday, July 12 at 14:08 UTC via telebridge station WH6PN in Hawaii. 2. Inukjuak Space Camp Participates in ARISS Contact On Wednesday, July 1, Inukjuak Space Camp in Kuujjuaq Quebec, Canada participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact via telebridge station W6SRJ in California. The event took place on Canada Day with Canadian Space Agency astronaut Robert Thirsk, VA3CSA. Thirsk answered 20 questions put to him by the students. Makivik Corporation, a non-profit organization that promotes economic growth of Inuit businesses, sponsored the event. 3. ARISS Contact with New York Scouts On Friday, July 3, an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact was held with Baiting Hollow Scout Camp (BHSC) in Calverton, New York. The contact was made possible through telebridge station WH6PN in Hawaii. Ten scouts asked 18 questions of JAXA astronaut Koichi Wakata, KC5ZTA. The event was held as part of the camp’s theme for 2009, “Final Frontier,” and a variety of other activities have been planned throughout the summer dealing with aspects of manned space flight. 4. Astronaut Training Status On Thursday, July 2, four licensed astronauts took part in Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) simulated contacts. Satoshi Furukawa, KE5DAW and Timothy J. Creamer, KC5WKI had contacts with Ottawa area students in Canada. Doug Wheelock, KF5BOC and Soichi Noguchi, KD5TVP participated in contacts with students visiting the Challenger Learning Center in Indianapolis, Indiana. These training sessions are terrestrial-based amateur radio contacts using ARISS equivalent equipment. *********************** June 29, 2009 1. Upcoming School Contact Inukjuak Space Camp in Kuujjuaq Quebec, Canada has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Wednesday, July 1 at 14:25 UTC assisted by telebridge station W6SRJ in California. Makivik Corporation, a non-profit organization that promotes economic growth of Inuit businesses, is supporting the event. Students from grades 1-6 have been involved in a space club to learn about space, the ISS and radio protocol. 2. Successful ARISS Contact with ESA Astronaut Frank De Winne On Monday, June 22, students from Centre scolaire de Berlaymont in Waterloo, Belgium experienced a successful Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact with European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Frank De Winne, ON1DWN on the ISS. Telebridge station W6SRJ in California facilitated the contact. An audience of approximately 500 students, parents and guests gathered and watched as the youth asked 25 questions about life and work in space. The audio was fed into the AMSAT and JK1ZRW servers. Among the media covering the contact were two newspapers and a national television station. 3. Belgian High School Students Participate in ARISS Contact On Saturday, June 27, students attending Grote-Hogeschool, Departement IWT in Hoboken, Belgium experienced an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact. The contact was held in conjunction with the school’s information day which focused on motivating high school students to continue their studies in technical fields such as engineering. The contact was made possible through telebridge station W6SRJ in California. Twenty students posed one question each to European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Frank De Winne, ON1DWN. Approximately 250 students and guests attended the event. Media coverage included television stations and newspapers. Expanded outreach was provided by EchoLink and Internet Radio Linking Project (IRLP) audio feeds. 4. ARRL Article on Field Day On Thursday, June 25, the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) ran an article about Field Day and the possibility of astronaut participation. See: http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2009/06/25/10910/?nc=1 Expedition 20 crew member Robert Thirsk, VA3CSA did make several general contacts during this annual event. 5. Astronaut Training Status Simulated contacts are being planned for four licensed astronauts during the week of June 29. Soichi Noguchi, KD5TVP, Timothy J. Creamer, KC5WKI, Doug Wheelock, KF5BOC and Satoshi Furukawa, KE5DAW are tentatively scheduled for these training sessions, which are terrestrial-based amateur radio contacts using Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) equivalent equipment. *********************** June 22, 2009 1. Upcoming School Contacts Centre scolaire de Berlaymont in Waterloo, Belgium has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Monday June 22 at 12:15 UTC. This will be a telebridge contact via station W6SRJ in California. Students will pose questions about life and work in space to European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Frank De Winne on the International Space Station. Audio from this contact will be fed into the EchoLink AMSAT (101377) and JK1ZRW (277208) servers. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for Karel de Grote-Hogeschool, Departement IWT in Hoboken, Belgium. The school will use the contact on its information day, June 27, 2009. The goal of this day is to persuade high school students to study a technical subject (e.g., engineering). Therefore, the contact will not be embedded in curricular activities as such, but will be part of this day in the course of a panel discussion around the subject: “the sky is not the limit.” The contact will take place at 09:33 UTC via telebridge station W6SRJ in California. Audio from this contact will be fed into the EchoLink AMSAT (101377) and JK1ZRW (277208) servers. Inukjuak Space Camp in Kuujjuaq Quebec, Canada has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on July 2 at 17:58 UTC, assisted by telebridge station WH6PN in Hawaii. Makivik Corporation, a non-profit organization that promotes economic growth of Inuit businesses, is supporting the event. Students from grades 1-6 have been involved in a space club to learn about space, the International Space Station and amateur radio protocol. Audio from this contact will be fed into the EchoLink AMSAT (101377) and JK1ZRW (277208) servers. 2. ARISS International Meeting Held The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) International Face to Face Meeting was held on Thursday and Friday, June 18 -19 at the European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC) in the Netherlands. Team members gave reports on their respective regions as well as status updates on the program’s committees including education, publicity, operations and hardware. 3. ARISS News on Amateur Radio Newsline On June 19, Amateur Radio Newsline Report 1662 provided a status on the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) education program. To view “Ham Radio in Space: ARISS Reaches 443 School Contacts,” see: ftp://ftp.arnewsline.org/quincy/News-A/news.txt *********************** June 15, 2009 1. ARISS Contact with Tongfu Primary School, China Youth attending Tongfu Road No. 1 Primary School in Guangzhou, Guangdong, P.R. China experienced an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Thursday, June 11. Astronaut Michael Barratt, KD5MIJ answered 19 questions put to him by the students as an audience of approximately 465 people looked on. Extensive media coverage included seven television stations, three radio stations and ten newspapers. 2. Successful ARISS Contact with Italian School On Friday, June 12, children from several schools in L’Aquila, Abruzzo, Italy took part in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact. Approximately 200 students and guests, including European Space Agency (ESA) and Agenzia Spaziale Italiana (ASI) representatives, attended the event. ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti gave presentations on ISS missions and ESA/ASI activities. Astronaut Frank DeWinne, ON1DWN answered 13 questions on the first pass and another 7 questions on the following pass. Many television stations, including CANALE 5 and SKY, radio stations and newspapers provided media coverage. Internet video streaming had more than 6,500 connections. 3. Belgian Students Speak with Frank De Winne An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact took place on Friday, June 12 between Vrije Basisschool Terbank-Egenhoven in Heverlee, Belgium and Frank DeWinne ON1DWN on the ISS. Telebridge station ON4ISS in Belgium assisted with the contact. Twenty-two questions were answered during the nine minute pass, delighting the audience of 400 children, parents and guests. Four television stations and two radio broadcast stations with national and regional audiences covered the event. During the main evening news, a detailed report on telebridge ground station ON4ISS was broadcast by the national television service. 4. Astronaut Training Status Astronaut Doug Wheelock passed his amateur radio licensing exam and was issued the callsign KF5BOC. He is scheduled to be part of Expedition 24 along with Shannon Walker, KD5DXB and Aleksandr Skvortsov. On June 9, Wheelock also received Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) training on basic radio operations. 5. Australia Journalist Takes Interest in ARISS A local journalist in Kingston, Australia has taken an interest in Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) and given great publicity to the program over the past three years. To view her latest article, see: http://www.wia.org.au/newsevents/news/2009/20090603-2/index.php 6. ARISS on Twitter The European Space Agency (ESA) is currently promoting their Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) school contacts on their Twitter site. See: http://twitter.com/esa_oasiss. A U.S. ARISS member has also been posting ISS amateur radio related items to a Twitter site. See: http://twitter.com/RF2Space. 7. ESA Press Release on Frank De Winne’s ARISS Contacts The European Space Agency (ESA) put out a press release on Frank De Winne’s Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contacts. See: http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/OasISS_Mission/SEM6SOQORVF_0.html 8. ARISS International Meeting The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) International Face to Face Meeting will be held on Thursday and Friday, June 18 -19 at the European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC) in the Netherlands. The team will come together to give regional reports as well as status reports from the program’s other committees including education, publicity, operations and hardware. *********************** June 8, 2009 1. Upcoming School Contacts Tongfu Road No. 1 Primary School in Guangzhou, Guangdong, P.R. China has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Thursday, June 11 at 08:24 UTC. The school is over 70 years old with an enrollment of over 1000 students. An amateur radio club was established at the school in 2007 and won the national youngster’s amateur radio contest that same year. Elective courses on amateur radio, space technology and ARISS are offered to the students. Media coverage is planned with newspapers, television and the internet. Liceo Scientifico “A. Bafile” in L’Aquila, Abruzzo, Italy has been approved for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Friday, June 12 at 06:52 UTC. L’Aquila was hit by a 6.3 magnitude earthquake on April 6. The schools suffered major damage and students are now being taught under school-tents provided by the Italian Ministry of Education (MIUR) and by Civil Defense (DPC). Teachers have redesigned their educational proposals in order to keep the attention of students that are still shocked by the quake. Teachers believe that an ARISS school contact can give students a wider look on their future. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been tentatively scheduled for Vrije Basisschool Terbank-Egenhoven in Heverlee, Belgium on Friday, June 12 at 11:38 UTC via telebridge station ON4ISS in Belgium. This elementary school will use the topic of space travel to pique students’ interest in science and technology. The school houses a science classroom with 4 hands-on experiments related to physics, chemistry, technology, and computer science that change every three weeks. An electronics project is planned for fifth and sixth grade students to build small AM radios. Technopolis, Scientastic and “Professor Atoom” in collaboration with the University of Leuven Chemistry Department will provide scientific activities for the children as well. 2. ARISS Contact with Mahopac Public Library Youth visiting Mahopac Public Library in Mahopac, New York participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Wednesday, June 3. The contact was made possible through telebridge station ON4ISS in Belgium. Ten students chatted with JAXA astronaut Koichi Wakata, KC5ZTA who answered 18 questions posed to him. 3. ARISS Contact with Koichi Wakata On Saturday, June 6, Kawanishi Seiwadai Community Center in Hyogo, Japan experienced a successful Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact with Koichi Wakata, KC5ZTA. An audience of approximately 400 gathered and watched as twenty-three students asked one question each of the astronaut. Seven newspapers and five television stations, including NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation) covered the event. 4. 2008 Moscow ARISS International Meeting Minutes Posted The 2008 Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) Face to Face Meeting was held in Moscow on July 17-18. The meeting minutes and presentations have been posted to the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT) Web site. See: http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/Meetings/2008_Moscow/ The minutes have also been posted to the ARISS Web site: http://www.rac.ca/ariss/2008%20Moscow%20ARISS-I%20Meeting%20Minutes%20Final.doc 5. ARISS News on Amateur Radio Newsline On June 5, Amateur Radio Newsline Report 1660 provided information about the 2009 Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT) Space Symposium and ARISS Operations Team Meetings which will be held Friday - Sunday, October 9 -11 at the Four Points Sheraton Hotel near the Baltimore Washington International Airport. See: ftp://ftp.arnewsline.org/quincy/News-A/news.txt . *********************** June 1, 2009 1. Upcoming School Contacts Mahopac Public Library in Mahopac, New York has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Wednesday, June 3 at 15:47 UTC. This contact will be facilitated by telebridge station ON4ISS in Belgium. This school district public library serves six public and five private schools, with a total of 26,485 served. The library will coordinate this question and answer session with the Putnam Emergency Amateur Radio League. Kawanishi Seiwadai Community Center in Hyogo, Japan has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Saturday, June 6 at 07:55 UTC. This question and answer session will be conducted in Japanese. The community center was established in 1987 and serves the area’s 5000 households. To prepare for the contact, children researched the ISS and studied space and the global environment. Tongfu Road No. 1 Primary School in Guangzhou, Guangdong, P.R. China has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Thursday, June 11 at 08:24 UTC. The school is over 70 years old with an enrollment of over 1000 students. An amateur radio club was established at the school in 2007 and won the national youngster’s amateur radio contest that same year. Elective courses on amateur radio, space technology and ARISS are offered to the students. Media coverage is planned with newspapers, television and the internet. Liceo Scientifico “A. Bafile” in L’Aquila, Abruzzo, Italy has been approved for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Friday, June 12 at 06:52 UTC. L’Aquila was hit by a 6.3 magnitude earthquake on April 6. The schools suffered major damage and students are now being taught under school-tents provided by Italian Ministry of Education (MIUR) and by Civil Defense (DPC). Teachers have redesigned their educational proposals in order to keep the attention of students that are still shocked by the quake. Teachers believe that an ARISS school contact can give students a wider look on their future. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been tentatively scheduled for Vrije Basisschool Terbank-Egenhoven in Heverlee, Belgium on Friday, June 12 at 11:38 UTC via telebridge station ON4ISS in Belgium. This elementary school will use the topic of space travel to pique students’ interest in science and technology. The school houses a science classroom with 4 hands-on experiments related to physics, chemistry, technology, and computer science that change every three weeks. Fifth and sixth grade students participated in an electronics project and built small AM radios. Technopolis, Scientastic and “Professor Atoom” in collaboration with the University of Leuven Chemistry Department are providing scientific activities for the children as well. 2. Miyahara Junior High has Successful ARISS Contact On Tuesday, May 26 youth from Miyahara Junior High School in Saitama, Japan participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact with JAXA astronaut Koichi Wakata, KC5ZTA on the ISS. Wakata answered nine questions prepared by the students and with extra time available, answered two additional questions. Approximately 40 people were in attendance at the event which was covered by a newspaper and two magazines. 3. ARRL Article on President’s Award Recipient The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) ran an article on its Web site on past Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) chairman’s ARRL award. “Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, Receives ARRL President's Award” may be found at: http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2009/05/27/10838/?nc=1 There are approximately 100,000 readers of the ARRL Web site. The item also ran in the ARRL Letter (circulation of approximately 77,000). See: http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/09/0529/ 4. ARRL QST Covers ARISS News The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) picked up on a few Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) news items in its June 2009 issue of QST. Under "In Brief" covering the month of May was a mention of Frank Bauer, KA3HDO stepping down from his ARISS duties. Under "Happenings" was an item about Frank Bauer stepping down from ARISS and his successor. 5. Garriott Interviewed at Dayton Richard Garriott, W5KWQ, attended the Dayton Hamvention held May 15-17 and gave several interviews on his ISS flight and amateur radio activities. One of these interviews was with Ciprian Sufitchi, N2YO. This interview was translated and placed on the Romanian amateur radio Web site. See: http://www.radioamator.ro/articole/view.php?id=578 6. Astronaut Training Status The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) team provided training sessions on May 27 and 29 to prepare astronaut Doug Wheelock for his amateur radio license exam. Wheelock is a scheduled crew member of Expeditions 24 and 25 and will fly in the spring of 2010. 7. CQ VHF Article on ARISS Keith Pugh, W5IU wrote an article on the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program that was published in the Spring 2009 issue of CQ VHF. See: http://www.cq-vhf.com/Spr09Satellites.html *********************** May 25, 2009 1. Upcoming School Contacts An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for Miyahara Junior High School in Saitama, Japan on Tuesday, May 26 at 11:12 UTC. Speaking in Japanese, JAXA astronaut Koichi Wakata, KC5ZTA will chat with the students about life in space. Mahopac Public Library in Mahopac, New York has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Wednesday, June 3 at 15:47 UTC. This contact will be facilitated by telebridge station ON4ISS in Belgium. This school district public library serves six public and five private schools, with a total of 26,485 served. The library will coordinate this question and answer session with the Putnam Emergency Amateur Radio League. Kawanishi Seiwadai Community Center in Hyogo, Japan has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Saturday, June 6 at 07:55 UTC. The community center was established in 1987 and serves the area’s 5000 households. To prepare for the contact, children researched the ISS and studied space and the global environment. This ARISS contact will be conducted in Japanese. 2. ARISS International Team Meeting Held The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) International Team meeting was held on Tuesday, May 19. Topics of discussion included the upcoming face to face meeting in the Netherlands and SuitSat-2 status. See: http://www.rac.ca/ariss/arisstel2009-05-19.htm 3. ARRL Article on Dayton Hamvention, Garriott The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) published a story in its May 22 issue of the ARRL Letter about the 2009 ARRL National Convention, Dayton Hamvention and Richard Garriott, W5KWQ. The item on Garriott covers his presentations at the ARRL and AMSAT (Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation) forums, the ARRL Expo, and the ARRL Youth Lounge. See: http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/09/0522/ The ARRL Letter has a circulation of 115,000. *********************** May 18, 2009 1. School Contact Delayed The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact originally scheduled for Kawanishi Seiwadai Community Center in Hyogo, Japan on Wednesday, May 20 has been delayed due to the flu. The contact will be rescheduled. 2. JAXA’s Koichi Wakata Speaks with Students via ARISS Contact On Monday, May 11, twelve students from Besyo Elementary School in Saitama, Japan participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact with JAXA astronaut Koichi Wakata, KC5ZTA. An audience of approximately 800 watched as the students asked questions about life in space. Several newspapers and magazines covered the event. 3. Frank Bauer Receives CQ’s Radio Hall of Fame Award Frank Bauer, KA3HDO was inducted into CQ magazine’s Amateur Radio Hall of Fame for making a significant contribution to amateur radio. 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. Frank was Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) Chairman from 1996-2009 and AMSAT VP Human Spaceflight, 1991-2009. See: http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/index.php http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2009/05/15/10820/?nc=1 4. Frank Bauer Receives ARRL President’s Award The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) President Joel Harrison presented past Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) Chairman Frank Bauer, KA3HDO with the ARRL President’s Award. This award is voted on by the Board of Directors and given out every 7 or 8 years to honor someone’s outstanding work. 5. ARISS News on Amateur Radio Newsline On May 15, Amateur Radio Newsline Report 1657 included a short item, “Ham Radio in Space: European Ham to Become ISS Commander.” The story is about ESA astronaut Frank De Winne, ON1DWN, who is scheduled to fly with Expedition 20 as a flight engineer and as commander for Expedition 21. He plans to participate in Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contacts during his flight. See: ftp://ftp.arnewsline.org/quincy/News/news.txt . 6. Garriotts Attend Dayton Hamvention Over the weekend of May 15-17, Richard Garriott, W5KWQ and Owen Garriott, W5LFL both attended Dayton Hamvention 2009 and graced the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT) and American Radio Relay League (ARRL) booths. Tens of thousands of people were continuously buzzing with excitement regarding the father and son visit. Both of them did a phenomenal job at the various forums, press briefings, and banquets. Richard winning this year's Hamvention Special Achievement Award was appropriate given all he did for amateur radio during his 10 day stay on the ISS. 7. ARRL Article on Dayton Hamvention The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) ran a story on the Dayton Hamvention, held at the Hara Arena in Ohio over the weekend of May 15 -17. The article includes a piece on Richard Garriott, W5KWQ, who spoke about his ham radio activities while onboard the ISS at both the ARRL and AMSAT (Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation) forums. See: http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2009/05/16/10823/?nc=1 The ARRL Web site has 100,000 regular readers. *********************** May 11, 2009 1. Upcoming School Contacts An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for Besyo Elementary School in Saitama, Japan on Monday, May 11 at 11:01 UTC. JAXA astronaut Koichi Wakata, KC5ZTA is an alumnus of the school. The conversation will be in Japanese. Kawanishi Seiwadai Community Center in Hyogo, Japan has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Wednesday, May 20 at 06:57 UTC. The community center was established in 1987 and serves the area’s 5000 households. To prepare for the contact, children researched the ISS and studied space and the global environment. This question and answer session concerning life in space will be conducted in Japanese. 2. ARISS Contact Held During Flemish Space Days Event Flemish Space Days, an event organized by the Flemish Space Industry (VRI), was held in the Brabanthal in Leuven, Belgium on May 8 – 10. Interactive booths, educational workshops and movies on space, avionics and astronomy were some of the activities available to the youth and public. An audience of approximately 110 parents, teachers, students and others attended the event on Sunday, May 10 and watched as twenty students participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact with Michael Barratt, KD5MIJ. Telebridge station W6SRJ in California established the radio link with the ISS. Voice communications were then patched over regular telephone lines, allowing the students to question the astronaut. The contact received newspaper coverage, reaching nearly twenty-five thousand. 3. Astronaut Training Status Astronaut Nicole Stott, KE5GJN, will receive training on the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) radio equipment on Monday, May 18. She is scheduled to fly as part of the ISS Expeditions 20 and 21 crews. 4. ARISS Annual Report Posted The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) Annual Report 2008 has been posted to the AMSAT Web site. See: http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/Papers/Annual%20Reports/ARISS_Annual_Report_2008_Final.pdf 5. ARISS Member Receives Chris Jones Memorial Award On May 2, Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) member Tony Hutchison, VK5ZAI, was presented with the Chris Jones Memorial Award during the Wireless Institute of Australia’s (WIA) Annual General Meeting at Monash University, Churchill. Hutchison received the award in recognition of his work with the ARISS program. The award is the highest honor the WIA can confer on a person. See: http://www.wia.org.au/newsevents/news/2009/20090505-4/index.php 6. AMSAT Posts Dayton Hamvention Events The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT) has posted the activities planned for Dayton Hamvention 2009 to be held Friday – Sunday, May 15 -17. Activities will include talks on the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program and the Columbus antennas, as well as a demo of SuitSat-2. Richard Garriott, W5KWQ will be the keynote speaker at the AMSAT/TAPR Banquet on Friday evening, May 15. See: http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/index.php Garriott has also been scheduled for a 15 minute interview on Saturday, May 16 at 4:00 pm ET. The live Web broadcast will be available on: http://w5kub.com 7. Amateur Radio Newsline Report on ARISS Certificate On May 8, Amateur Radio Newsline Report 1656 included a short item on the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) 25th Anniversary Event. “Ham Radio in Space: ARISS at 25 Certificate” may be found here: ftp://ftp.arnewsline.org/quincy/News/news.txt Certificate development is expected to be completed by June 1 and certificates should be distributed by the end of June. *********************** May 4, 2009 1. Upcoming School Contacts Flemish Space Days, organized by the Flemish Space Industry (VRI), will be held May 8 – 10 in the Brabanthal in Leuven, Belgium. Interactive booths, educational workshops and movies on space, avionics and astronomy are some of the activities that will attract schools, youth and the public to this three-day event. On May 8, the event will be open to school children, ages 3-18, only. A special program has been developed with the cooperation of ESA and ESERO (European Space Education Resource Office) for teachers and students. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for this event on Sunday, May 10 at 10:51 UTC. Telebridge station W6SRJ in California will facilitate the contact. JAXA astronaut Koichi Wakata, KC5ZTA will participate in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact with Besyo Elementary School in Saitama, Japan on Monday, May 11 at 11:01 UTC. Wakata is an alumnus of the school. The conversation will be in Japanese. 2. Space Day Contact with National Air and Space Museum The National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. participated in Space Day on May 2. Visitors participated in hands-on activities, met astronauts and learned about space from experts and museum displays. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact was held in conjunction with these activities through telebridge station W6SRJ in California. Astronaut Ricky Arnold II was present to answer questions prior to the contact and for photo opportunities. The contact was recorded by the museum in high definition for future use. The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT) and the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) members manned an exhibition booth and distributed AMSAT, ARRL and NASA education material including 2009 Space Station calendars. Approximately 20,000 people attended the museum throughout the day. 3. Astronaut Training Status Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) team provided training on its amateur radio equipment to NASA astronauts Nicole Stott, KE5GJN and Catherine Coleman, KC5ZTH. Energia has posted a photo report on the training. See: http://www.energia.ru/eng/iss/iss20/photo_04-23.html 4. ARRL Article on Dayton Hamvention Events The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) posted an article on its upcoming convention at the Dayton Hamvention to be held over the May 15-17 weekend. Richard Garriott will be available to meet and greet attendees and will give a talk about his amateur radio activities onboard the ISS. “The 2009 ARRL National Convention and Dayton Hamvention: Two Weeks and Counting!” may be found at: http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2009/04/30/10793/?nc=1 5. JSC Education Office Meeting Held The NASA Education Office hosted a meeting with the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) team at Johnson Space Center over May 1-2. Program initiatives and educational outreach were addressed. *********************** April 27, 2009 1. Upcoming School Contact An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. on Space Day, May 2 at 15:23 UTC. This will be a telebridge contact via station W6SRJ in California. Students will be pre-recruited, but Space Day visitors will also be invited to ask questions. Visitors will participate in hands-on activities, meet astronauts and learn about space from experts and museum displays. 2. Ashland Contact Successful On Monday, April 20, St. Edward School in Ashland, Ohio experienced an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact. Koichi Wakata, KC5ZTA answered 13 questions posed to him by 12 children as approximately 170 students and teachers looked on. The audio was fed into the EchoLink AMSAT and JK1ZRW servers and received four connections from the U.S., England and Brazil. Television channel 39 and the Times-Gazette both covered the event. The newspaper article may be found here: http://www.times-gazette.com/news/article/4570900 3. ARISS News on Amateur Radio Newsline On April 24, the Amateur Radio Newsline Report 1654 included an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) news item. The story, “Ham Radio in Space: Work Continues on SuitSat” covers the meeting recently held in Phoenix and the progress being made on SuitSat. To view the story, go to: ftp://ftp.arnewsline.org/quincy/News/news.txt 4. Astronaut Training Status Astronaut Mike Fossum took and passed his amateur radio license exam on Wednesday, April 15. His new callsign is KF5AQG. 5. CQ Magazine Article on ARISS Contact Bob Hopkins, WB2UDC wrote an article on the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact between youth attending the Berkeley Heights Recreation Summer Playground in New Jersey and Expedition 17’s Greg Chamitoff, KD5PKZ. NPARC (New Providence Amateur Radio Club) assisted with the contact which took place on August 13, 2008. The story, “Believe in Your Dreams - Anatomy of an ARISS Contact,” was published in the April 2009 issue of CQ Magazine. 6. Marcelino Canino Canino Contact Video Marcelino Canino Canino Middle School in Dorado, Puerto Rico, a 2005 NASA Explorer School, experienced a successful Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on March 31. The video of students speaking with Charles Simonyi, KE7KDP/HA5SIK is now available on YouTube. See: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=toOAAxEhKRA 7. Article on Simonyi Contacts Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) member Maurice-André Vigneault, VE3VIG wrote a short story for the Ottawa Valley Mobile Radio Club (OVMRC) news bulletin The Rambler and Radio Amateurs of Canada (RAC) magazine, TCA. The article is about contacts made between the Canada Science and Technology Museum's VE3JW Amateur Radio Exhibit and Spaceflight Participant Charles Simonyi, KE7KDP/HA5SIK during his recent ISS flight. “Space Contact” may be found on page 7 of the April 2009 issue of The Rambler. See: http://www.pdfdownload.org/pdf2html/pdf2html.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ovmrc.on.ca%2FRambler%2FRam2009-04.pdf&images=yes *********************** April 20, 2009 1. Upcoming School Contacts An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for St. Edward School in Ashland, Ohio, U.S.A. on Monday, April 20 at 16:36 UTC. The ARISS contact has been integrated into the science curriculum which covers topics on satellite images, global positioning of satellites, telescopes, and radio waves. Students read science related books and poems, conducted informational internet searches, wrote stories and informational articles, interviewed amateur radio operators, and studied and applied science and math objectives. Media coverage is expected. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. on Space Day, May 2 at 15:23 UTC. This will be a telebridge contact via station W6SRJ in California. Students will be pre-recruited, but Space Day participants will also be invited to ask questions. Visitors will participate in hands-on activities, meet astronauts and learn about space from experts and museum displays. 2. Finnish School Contact Successful On Friday, April 17, students from Ulvila Upper Secondary School in Ulvila, Satakunta, Finland experienced an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact. Koichi Wakata, KC5ZTA, answered 10 questions posed to him by six students. Media coverage included a television station and local newspapers. An article was posted on the Uusi Suomi Web site: http://www.uusisuomi.fi/kotimaa/57162-astronautti-vastasi-lukiolaisille-avaruudesta-%E2%80%9Duskotko-ufoihin%E2%80%9D 3. ARRL QST Covers ARISS News The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) published several Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) news items in its May 2009 issue of QST. Under "In Brief" on page 12 is a piece about Richard Garriott being at the Dayton Hamvention as a special guest of ARRL and AMSAT (Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation). On page 12 under "Media Hits" is an item about Charles Simonyi's second planned trip to the International Space Station and how he now has a high opinion of amateur radio operators after his first trip. A two-page article by Rosalie White summarizes Richard Garriott’s ARISS activities. "Another Garriott Generates Excitement from Space" may be found on pages 67-68. An article with 4 photos on page 71 is about what will be at ARRL's 2009 National Convention (Dayton Hamvention), with a section about Richard Garriott. Under "Happenings" on page 73 is a story with photo about Richard Garriott’s activities in space. The ARRL monthly journal has a circulation of 150,000. 4. ARRL Public Service Announcement The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) has posted a new Public Service Announcement (PSA). It includes space footage. See: http://www.arrl.org/contests/announcements/fd/2009FieldDayPSA1-2 5. ARISS Presentations at Dayton Hamvention The Dayton Hamvention will be held at the Hara Arena Complex in Dayton, Ohio on May 15 - 17. The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) and the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT) will both support exhibit booths at the event. Several Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) presentations will be given at the Dayton AMSAT Forum and the 2009 ARRL National Convention. AMSAT VP-Member & User Services and SuitSat-2 Systems Engineer Gould Smith, WA4SXM will give a talk on "SuitSat-2 Status Report." AMSAT VP-Human Space Flight Will Marchant, KC6ROL, will give a status on the ARISS program. ARISS Hardware Manager Lou McFadin, W5DID, will give a talk on "Antennas for the Columbus Module." Richard Garriott, W5WKQ, will speak at the AMSAT Forum about his ARISS activities while onboard the ISS. He will talk about his training, flight, and ham radio operations during the AMSAT Banquet. He will also speak at the ARRL National Convention. The Dayton Hamvention is an internationally attended amateur radio convention that draws crowds of 25,000 annually. For more information on Dayton Hamvention 2009, go to: http://www.hamvention.org/ 6. ARISS News in the ARRL Letter On April 17, the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) ran two Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) related items in its ARRL Letter. Under “Look for the May Issue of QST in Your Mailbox,” is an item about the Richard Garriott story and how one can meet Richard in Dayton at the ARRL EXPO. A second entry, “Forum Schedule Announced for 2009 Dayton Hamvention,” includes Richard Garriott’s presentation. See: http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/09/0417/ *********************** April 13, 2009 1. Upcoming School Contacts Students from Ulvila Upper Secondary School in Ulvila, Satakunta, Finland have been preparing for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact, scheduled for Friday, April 17 at 07:40 UTC. They have studied physics and astronomy and have researched the ISS. They have written essays and created posters on related subject matter. Students have also learned about amateur radio. Newspaper, radio and television coverage is anticipated. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for St. Edward School in Ashland, Ohio, U.S.A. on Monday, April 20 at 16:36 UTC. The ARISS contact has been integrated into the science curriculum which covers topics on satellite images, global positioning of satellites, telescopes, and radio waves. Students read science related books and poems, conducted informational internet searches, wrote stories and informational articles, interviewed amateur radio operators, and studied and applied science and math objectives. Media coverage is expected. 2. Japanese Contact to be Rescheduled An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact was scheduled for Thursday, April 9 between Kawanishi Seiwadai Community Center in Hyogo, Japan and Koichi Wakata, KC5ZTA onboard the ISS. Due to technical difficulties, the contact did not take place. The contact will be rescheduled in the near future. 3. Parkside Contact Video On Monday, March 30, students from Parkside Community College in Cambridge, U.K. took part in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact with Spaceflight Participant Charles Simonyi, KE7KDP/HA5SIK. Video of the contact is now available. See: http://www.it-sparkles.co.uk/ARISS/Parkside.aspx 4. Article Posted on ARISS – Kalori Contact On Wednesday, April 1, Kalori Catholic School students in Wallaroo, Australia experienced an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact with Mike Fincke, KE5AIT. The Yorke Peninsula Country Times published an article covering the event. See: http://www.ypct.com.au/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4840&Itemid=66 5. ARRL Article on CLC Contact The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) ran a story about an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact that took place in October 2008 between the Indianapolis Challenger Learning Center (CLC) and Spaceflight Participant Richard Garriott, W5KWQ. The article, “Hams Mentor Challenger Center Students for Garriott Contact,” may be found here: http://www.arrl.org/news/features/2009/04/08/10758/?nc=1 The ARRL Web site has 100,000 regular readers. 6. ARISS News on Amateur Radio Newsline On April 3, the Amateur Radio Newsline Report 1652 included an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) news item. The story, “Ham Radio in Space: KE7KDP, KE5AIT and RA3DT Return from the ISS,” summarizes the ARISS accomplishments of Charles Simonyi and Mike Fincke during their missions. To view the story, go to: ftp://ftp.arnewsline.org/quincy/News/news.txt 7. Astronaut Training Status The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) team provided another training session to Mike Fossum on Thursday, April 9 to prepare him for his amateur radio license exam. 8. ARISS Report to WIA The Wireless Institute of Australia (WIA) will hold its Annual General Meeting (AGM) over the May 1-3 weekend. Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) mentor and telebridge station operator Tony Hutchison, VK5ZAI will give his ARISS 2008-09 report. It has been posted on the ARISS Web site under “Latest News.” See: http://www.rac.ca/ariss/oindex.htm 9. ARISS-Related Article in NASA HQ News Briefs NASA Headquarters News Service cited an op-ed found in the Times of London. The item, written by Lucy and Stephen Hawking, mentions Richard Garriott’s mission and how he inspired youth through his numerous radio contacts while onboard the ISS. See: http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/books/article6027988.ece 10. Simonyi PowerPoint Presentation An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) volunteer prepared a PowerPoint presentation on Spaceflight Participant Charles Simonyi’s mission and used this during the Milwee Middle School (Longwood, Florida) contact on April 1. To view the slideshow, go to www.mydrive.ch/en. Enter username, "plethra2" and password, "aa4kn_1". Select the ARISS SLIDE SHOW folder and download the available files. 11. SuitSat-2 Meeting Held A SuitSat-2 meeting was held in Phoenix, Arizona on April 3 – 5. The team primarily worked on software, but there was also some final coordination on the cabling and hardware. The software team was able to run some integration tests and achieved the first radio frequency (RF) output of the system. During the testing, the team demonstrated the continuous wave (CW) and voice message transmissions. Work continues on the solar panel mounting. Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) plans to have SuitSat-2 hardware ready for delivery by September. *********************** April 6, 2009 1. U.K. Students Contact the ISS On Monday, March 30, students from Parkside Community College in Cambridge, U.K. took part in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact. Spaceflight Participant Charles Simonyi, KE7KDP/HA5SIK answered 17 questions put to him by the students as an audience of approximately 200 watched. British Amateur Television Club (BATC) streamed video of the event on its Web site. 2. U.S. Girls Speak with Spaceflight Participant via Radio The Girl’s Middle School (GMS) in Mountain View, California experienced a successful Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Monday, March 30 via telebridge station K6DUE in Maryland. Twenty girls asked one question each of Charles Simonyi, KE7KDP/HA5SIK as sixty students looked on. The audio was fed into the EchoLink AMSAT and JK1ZRW servers and received 15 connections from stations in the U.S., Poland, Italy, Germany, England, Canada and Brazil. 3. ISS Radio Contact with Japanese Students An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact took place on Tuesday, March 31 between Mike Fincke, KE5AIT and students from Science Dream Association (SDA) in Kobe-city, Japan. The original scheduled pass was too low for a successful contact. Mike Fincke and Koichi Wakata made a connection on the following pass and Fincke was able to answer 22 questions before the ISS went over the horizon. An audience of approximately 100 people attended the event and four newspapers provided media coverage. 4. ARISS Contact with Puerto Rican Students On Tuesday, March 31, students attending Marcelino Canino Canino Middle School in Dorado, Puerto Rico participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact with Spaceflight Participant Charles Simonyi, KE7KDP/HA5SIK. Simonyi answered all 15 questions posed to him by the children. Approximately 300 students and 60 adults, including the Secretary of Education, were present for the event. There was no media coverage, but the school plans to provide television stations with a DVD of the contact. Marcelino is a 2005 NASA Explorer School (NES). 5. Australian Students Question Astronaut Kalori Catholic School students in Wallaroo, Australia spoke with Mike Fincke, KE5AIT on Wednesday, April 1. The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact was facilitated by telebridge station WH6PN in Hawaii. Students were able to have all seventeen questions answered. The audio was fed into the EchoLink AMSAT and JK1ZRW servers and received six connections from stations in England, Germany, Switzerland, and the U.S. 6. Florida Students Speak with Spaceflight Participant Milwee Middle School students in Longwood, Florida spoke with Charles Simonyi, KE7KDP/HA5SIK on Wednesday, April 1. This Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact was made possible through telebridge station ON4ISS in Belgium. The students were able to ask 11 questions of the spaceflight participant before the ISS went over the horizon. The audio was fed into the EchoLink AMSAT and JK1ZRW servers and received 10 connections from stations located in Belgium, England, Germany, Switzerland and the U.S. 7. Japanese Students Radio ISS On Thursday, April 2, students from Miyahara Elementary School in Saitama, Japan participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact. Fourteen students asked one question each of Koichi Wakata, KC5ZTA in front of an audience of 450. Media coverage included two television stations, including NHK (The Japan Broadcasting Corporation), seven newspapers and two magazines. 8. ARISS – France Contact Successful Albert Camus and Jules Verne Elementary Schools in Viry Châtillon, France experienced a joint Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Thursday, April 2. Mike Fincke, KE5AIT answered 16 questions posed to him by the students. Approximately 150 were present for the event including the mayor of Viry-Chatillon and Mr. Alberto Novelli representing ESA. Local newspapers and "Le Parisien" reported the news. The audio was fed into the EchoLink AMSAT and JK1ZRW servers and received three connections from stations in the U.S., China and England. This was the last contact of Expedition 18 and Mike Fincke’s 40th contact during this increment. 9. Carl Sandburg Elementary Participates in ARISS Contact On Thursday, April 1, students attending Carl Sandburg Elementary School in Kirkland, Washington experienced an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact which was made possible through telebridge station W6SRJ in California. Charles Simonyi, KE7KDP/HA5SIK answered the 20 questions put to him by the students. An audience of approximately 75 students, teachers and parents were present for the contact. The audio was fed into the EchoLink AMSAT and JK1ZRW servers and received ten connections from stations located in England, New Zealand, Turkey and the U.S. King-TV posted an article covering the event. See: http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_040209EDB-space-station-simonyi-KC.98b4140c.html 10. ARRL Article on Dayton Award Winners The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) ran an article, “Dayton Amateur Radio Association Announces 2009 Award Winners.” The Special Achievement Award will go to Spaceflight Participant Richard Garriott, W5KWQ who participated in many Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) activities while onboard the ISS. See: http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2009/04/01/10743/?nc=1 The ARRL Web site has 100,000 regular readers. 11. ARISS News on Amateur Radio Newsline On April 3, the Amateur Radio Newsline Report 1651 ran 2 Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) news items. The first, “Names in the News: Dayton Hamvention Announces 2009 Award Winners,” covers Richard Garriott as the Special Achievement Award recipient. The second item, “Ham Radio in Space: KE7KDP Again Operating from the ISS,” is about Charles Simonyi’s mission, including his ARISS school contacts. See: ftp://ftp.arnewsline.org/quincy/News/news.txt 12. Charles in Space Web Site The Charles in Space Web site has a section where the public has posted space related questions concerning Charles’ current mission and his Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) activities. To view the questions and answers, see: http://www.charlesinspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Read_the_Answers.welcome# 13. General Contacts and SSTV Over the past week, Charles Simonyi, KE7KDP/HA5SIK made several general contacts with ground stations around the world including those in the U.S., Canada, Australia, Hungary and Venezuela. He also transmitted Slow Scan Television (SSTV) images using the VC-H1. Images may be viewed on the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) SSTV gallery site: http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/SSTV/ 14. Astronaut Training Status On Monday, March 30, the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) team provided training to Mike Fossum to prepare him for the ham radio licensing exam. ARISS member Kenneth Ransom is also working with other astronauts from Expeditions 25 - 28 to get them trained and licensed. *********************** March 30, 2009 1. ARISS Chairman Frank Bauer, KA3HDO Resigns On March 24, Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) Chairman Frank Bauer stepped down from all his ARISS responsibilities due to personal and increased work responsibilities. This included all the ARISS International Team, ARISS Operations, AMSAT-NA, and NASA responsibilities for all aspects of the program. Frank is working to ensure a seamless transition to the new leadership team. Gaston Bertels will be taking over as ARISS-I Chair until elections can be held in the Netherlands this June. Will Marchant will be taking over as the AMSAT-NA Vice President for Human Spaceflight and stepping up to fill Frank’s role as AMSAT U.S. delegate to the ARISS-I team. Rosalie White will remain as the ARRL U.S. delegate. For the full press release, go to the ARISS Web page under “Latest News.” http://www.rac.ca/ariss/oindex.htm The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) W1AW Bulletin, The ARRL Letter and the ARRL Web page posted this news. For the ARRL Web story, go to: http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2009/03/25/10724/?nc=1 The ARRL Letter may be viewed here: http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/09/0327/ The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT) posted a story on Frank Bauer’s resignation and his replacement, Will Marchant. See: http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/news/morenews.php On March 27, Amateur Radio Newsline carried the story in its Report 1650. See: ftp://ftp.arnewsline.org/quincy/News/news.txt 2. Upcoming School Contacts Parkside Community College in Parkside, Cambridge, U.K. has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Monday, March 30 at 17:00 UTC. Station GB4FUN will handle the connection between the school and Spaceflight Participant Charles Simonyi, KE7KDP/HA5SIK. The Girl’s Middle School (GMS) in Mountain View, California has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Monday, March 30 at 18:22 UTC via telebridge station K6DUE in Maryland. The contact is planned with Spaceflight Participant Charles Simonyi, KE7KDP/HA5SIK. GMS is a small, independent school for girls in 6th - 8th grade. The school’s mission is to nurture and empower girls during this pivotal time in their lives. It looks for non-traditional educational opportunities to help girls expand their horizons. Science Dream Association (SDA) in Kobe-city, Japan has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Tuesday, March 31 at 09:56 UTC. The SDA was founded in 2007 to promote science education in collaboration with children, parents and teachers. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for Marcelino Canino Canino Middle School in Dorado, Puerto Rico. The contact will take place on Tuesday, March 31 at 15:36 UTC. The student body is made up of 577 students of which approximately 77% live under the poverty level. 100% of the students receive Title I services and over 100 students receive special education services. A Microsatellite Student Program has been implemented where students design, construct, build and launch microsatellites which are then tracked and recovered with the help of amateur radio operators. The coordinating teacher has prepared a NASA Explorer Schools proposal and other science oriented proposals in the school to help motivate its largely underprivileged population to become competitive professionals in the global economy. Two contests have been held at the school – one for an activity logo and another for an essay. Scientists, state government functionaries, Department of Education representatives, and students from other grade levels in elementary and high school have been invited to attend the event. Of major interest to the students is the fact that Joseph Acaba, the first astronaut of Puerto Rican descent, recently flew to the ISS on STS-119. The school is planning its own press releases and expects media coverage. This contact is scheduled with Spaceflight Participant Charles Simonyi, KE7KDP/HA5SIK. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled with Kalori Catholic School in Wallaroo, Australia on Wednesday, April 1 at 07:25 UTC via telebridge station WH6PN in Hawaii. Students have learned about the solar system and the history of space exploration. They have written research papers on NASA, planned a Mars Outpost and learned about basic circuitry. They have designed dioramas of the solar system and participated in a poster contest. The students also used a telescope observe the night sky. Milwee Middle School in Longwood, Florida has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Wednesday, April 1 at 17:55 UTC via telebridge station ON4ISS in Belgium. This contact is scheduled with Spaceflight Participant Charles Simonyi, KE7KDP/HA5SIK. Miyahara Elementary School in Saitama, Japan has been approved for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact. It will take place on Thursday, April 2 at 09:14 UTC. Albert Camus and Jules Verne Elementary Schools in Viry Châtillon, France have been scheduled for a joint Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Thursday, April 2 at 13:35 UTC. Students have been given lessons in astronomy, space history and amateur radio. They have learned about and created models of the ISS. They used the internet for research and gained knowledge about NASA and ESA. They have also worked on creating a Web site. Carl Sandburg Elementary in the Lake Washington School district in Kirkland, Washington has been approved for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact. The contact is slated for Thursday, April 2 at 19:35 UTC, assisted by telebridge station W6SRJ in California. This is a planned event with Spaceflight Participant Charles Simonyi, KE7KDP/HA5SIK. 3. New Zealand Contact Successful On Thursday, March 26, students from Cotswold School in New Zealand experienced an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact. Students asked 18 questions of Mike Fincke, KE5AIT via the telebridge station VK5ZAI in Australia. The audio was fed into EchoLink AMSAT and JK1ZRW servers and received 22 connections from stations in 8 countries. The Press ran an article on the contact. See: http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/christchurch/2297671/A-lesson-pupils-will-not-forget 4. Canadian School Contact Successful St. Joseph High School in Nepean, Ontario, Canada participated in a successful Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Friday, March 27 via the new telebridge station LU1CGB in Argentina. Students were able to have 18 questions answered by Mike Fincke, KE5AIT before losing the signal from the ISS. Approximately 200 were in attendance for the event. The audio was fed into EchoLink AMSAT and JK1ZRW servers and received 11 connections from stations in Australia, Brazil, China, England, Malaysia and the U.S. 5. Italian Students Radio ISS Mike Fincke, KE5AIT participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact with the Istituto Comprensivo Statale “Alessandro Volta,” in Mandello Del Lario, Italy on Friday, March 27. This contact was both a direct and telebridge contact due to the local antenna obscuration at the school. The contact was established by school “Andrea Ponti” station I2JRY in Gallarate, Italy, then “Alessandro Volta” station IZ2PBM took over and finally I2JRY ended the contact. Approximately 50 students from “Andrea Ponti” and 200 from “Alessandro Volta” were present for the contact. Streaming video was available and received 64 connections. Media coverage included several television stations and newspapers. The audio was fed into EchoLink AMSAT and JK1ZRW servers and received 16 connections from stations in 8 countries. A summary has been posted on the ARISS-Europe Web site. See: http://www.ariss-eu.org/2009_03_28.htm 6. ARISS Team Meeting Held The monthly Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) Team meeting was held on Tuesday, March 24. Agenda items covered included Frank Bauer’s resignation and the upcoming ARISS face to face meeting in the Netherlands. Minutes have been posted: http://www.rac.ca/ariss/arisstel2009-03-24.htm 7. General Contacts Made Over the past week, Expedition 18 Commander Mike Fincke, KE5AIT made several general contacts with ground stations including those in Brazil, Australia, Canada and the U.S. STS-119 Mission Specialist Joseph Acaba, KE5DAR, called over Puerto Rico. A contact made with Tony Santiago, KP4IA on March 24 was reported on by a local television news channel: http://www.wapa.tv/noticias/locales/obama_elogia_a_los_astronautas/20090324173047 Spaceflight Participant Charles Simonyi, KE7KDP/HA5SIK docked on Saturday, March 28, and was already on the radio Sunday making contacts over North and South America. 8. SSTV Images Spaceflight Participant Charles Simonyi, KE7KDP/HA5SIK has started transmitting Slow Scan Television (SSTV) images using the VC-H1. Received images may be submitted here: http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/SSTV/submit.php Images may then be viewed on the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) SSTV gallery site: http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/SSTV/ More information on SSTV images may be found on the SSTV blog: http://ariss-sstv.blogspot.com/ *********************** March 23, 2009 1. Upcoming School Contacts An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for Cotswold School in Christchurch, New Zealand. The contact will take place on Thursday, March 26 at 23:52 UTC via telebridge station VK5ZAI in Australia. Cotswold is a primary school which has an enrollment of 500 children, ages 5 to 11. The ARISS contact has been integrated into the school’s science curriculum which covers the solar system and space exploration. Students have learned what the requirements are to become an astronaut and about life in space. The school is in the process of setting up an amateur radio station; ten children have joined the amateur radio club. These students have also learned about sound waves, the history of radio communication, and basic circuit building. St. Joseph High School in Nepean, Ontario, Canada has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Friday, March 27 at 13:38 UTC. This will be a telebridge contact via LU1CGB in Argentina. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for the Istituto Comprensivo Statale “Alessandro Volta,” in Mandello Del Lario, Lecco, Italy on Friday, March 27 at 14:03 UTC. This will be a direct and telebridge contact via stations I2JRY and IZ2PBM. The ARISS contact will be integrated into the school curriculum as students are taught lessons in radio, astronautics, astronomy and English. Parkside Community College in Parkside, Cambridge, U.K. has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Monday, March 30 at 17:00 UTC. Station GB4FUN will handle the connection. The Girl’s Middle School (GMS) in Mountain View, California has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Monday, March 30 at 18:22 UTC via telebridge station K6DUE in Maryland. The contact is planned with spaceflight participant Charles Simonyi, KE7KDP/HA5SIK. GMS is a small, independent school for girls in 6th - 8th grade. The school’s mission is to nurture and empower girls during this pivotal time in their lives. It looks for non-traditional educational opportunities to help girls expand their horizons. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for Marcelino Canino Canino Middle School in Dorado, Puerto Rico. The contact will take place on Tuesday, March 31 at 15:36 UTC. The student body is made up of 577 students of which approximately 77% live under the poverty level. 100% of the students receive Title I services and over 100 students receive special education services. A Microsatellite Student Program has been implemented where students design, construct, build and launch microsatellites which are then tracked and recovered with the help of amateur radio operators. The coordinating teacher has prepared a NASA Explorer Schools proposal and other science oriented proposals in the school to help motivate its largely underprivileged population to become competitive professionals in the global economy. Two contests have been held at the school – one for an activity logo and another for an essay. Scientists, state government functionaries, Department of Education representatives, and students from other grade levels in elementary and high school have been invited to attend the event. Of major interest to the students is the fact that Joseph Acaba, the first astronaut of Puerto Rican descent, flew to the ISS on STS-119. The school is planning its own press releases and expects media coverage. Milwee Middle School in Longwood, Florida has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Wednesday, April 1 at 17:55 UTC via telebridge station ON4ISS in Belgium. Carl Sandburg Elementary in the Lake Washington School district in Kirkland, Washington has been approved for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact. The contact is slated for Thursday, April 2 at 19:35 UTC, assisted by telebridge station W6SRJ in California. 2. Article on Hampton Bays Contact Hampton Bays Middle School students participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Wednesday, February 25. The Southampton Press published a news story on the event. See: http://www.27east.com/story_detail.cfm?id=197658 Video is also available: http://www.27east.com/video.cfm?video=98 3. General Radio Contacts STS-119 Mission Specialist Joseph Acaba, KE5DAR, made voice contacts over Puerto Rico on March 20. Mike Fincke, KE5AIT, made general contacts last weekend as ground stations wished him a happy birthday. 4. ARISS Team Meeting to be Held The next ARISS International Team meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 24 at 11:15 UTC. *********************** March 16, 2009 1. Upcoming School Contacts Parkside Community College in Parkside, Cambridge, U.K. has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Monday, March 30 at 17:00 UTC. Station GB4FUN will handle the connection. The Girl’s Middle School (GMS) in Mountain View, California has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Monday, March 30 at 18:22 UTC via telebridge station K6DUE in Maryland. The contact is planned with spaceflight participant Charles Simonyi, KE7KDP/HA5SIK. GMS is a small, independent school for girls in 6th - 8th grade. The school’s mission is to nurture and empower girls during this pivotal time in their lives. It looks for non-traditional educational opportunities to help girls expand their horizons. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for Marcelino Canino Canino Middle School in Dorado, Puerto Rico. The contact will take place on Tuesday, March 31 at 15:36 UTC. The student body is made up of 577 students of which approximately 77% live under the poverty level. 100% of the students receive Title I services and over 100 students receive special education services. A Microsatellite Student Program has been implemented where students design, construct, build and launch microsatellites which are then tracked and recovered with the help of amateur radio operators. The coordinating teacher has prepared a NASA Explorer Schools proposal and other science oriented proposals in the school to help motivate its largely underprivileged population to become competitive professionals in the global economy. Two contests have been held at the school – one for an activity logo and another for an essay. Scientists, state government functionaries, Department of Education representatives, and students from other grade levels in elementary and high school have been invited to attend the event. Of major interest to the students is the fact that Joseph Acaba, the first astronaut of Puerto Rican descent, will be going to the ISS on STS 119. The school is planning its own press releases and expects media coverage. Milwee Middle School in Longwood, Florida has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Wednesday, April 1 at 17:55 UTC via telebridge station ON4ISS in Belgium. Carl Sandburg Elementary in the Lake Washington School district in Kirkland, Washington has been approved for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact. The contact is slated for Thursday, April 2 at 19:35 UTC, assisted by telebridge station W6SRJ in California. 2. Contacts Cancelled The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contacts that were planned for the Sewickley Academy and the DaVinci Science Center on March 12 and 14, respectively, were both cancelled due to scheduling issues. The DaVinci contact will be rescheduled in the near future. 3. Astronaut Training Status An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) basic operations and school contact training course was held with Satoshi Furukawa, KE5DAW, on Friday, March 6. Furukawa is currently assigned as a back up crew member for Expedition 22. 4. Italian School Contact Update On Wednesday, February 25, students attending 1 Circolo Didattico G. Marconi in Casamassima, Italy participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact with Mike Fincke, KE5AIT. News items covering the contact are now available. See: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=571IBetr5l8 http://www.thenewspaper.it/articles.php?article_id=100 http://www.thenewspaper.it/articles.php?article_id=89 5. ARRL Article on Discovery The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) ran a short Web story on the STS-119 mission which will carry ham astronaut Koichi Wakata, KC5ZTA, to the ISS. See: http://www.arrl.org/?artid=8825 The story was also posted in the ARRL Letter: https://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/09/0313/ The ARRL Web site has 100,000 regular readers; the e-newsletter has a circulation of 115,000. 6. ARRL QST Covers ARISS News The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) published an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) news item in its April 2009 issue of QST. It ran a short article called "NJ Scouts Fly High.” It is about Boy Scouts from the Central New Jersey Council earning their Radio Merit Badges, mentored by the Delaware Valley Radio Association and the David Sarnoff Radio Club. The highlight of the educational activities was when Greg Olsen, KC2ONX, gave a presentation to the boys about his time on the ISS and used Amateur Radio to be interviewed by students. There was a photo of the boys readying for their own contacts on the air. The ARRL monthly journal has a circulation of 150,000. 7. ARISS in Amateur Radio Newsline Article On March 13, Amateur Radio Newsline (Report #1648) ran a story on the Radio Club of America (RCA) which donated a radio station to the Lake Monroe Amateur Radio Club in Orlando, Florida. The club gives demonstrations to schools and children’s hospitals on how to contact the International Space Station with amateur radio. The article, “Radio Education: RCA Donates Station to Florida Club,” may be viewed at: ftp://ftp.arnewsline.org/quincy/News/news.txt *********************** March 9, 2009 1. Upcoming School Contacts An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled with the Sewickley Academy at Carnegie Science Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Sewickley is Pittsburgh’s oldest co-educational, college-preparatory, independent day school with an enrollment of 800 students in Pre-K through grade 12. Mike Finke, KE5AIT, is an alumnus of the school and plans to speak to the students on Thursday, March 12 at 15:52 UTC via telebridge station WH6PN in Hawaii. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled with the Da Vinci Science Center in Allentown, Pennsylvania on Saturday, March 14 at 15:08 UTC via telebridge station WH6PN in Hawaii. Students submitted questions to ask the ISS crew through the Center’s Teacher Leader Institute. Eighteen students with the best questions were selected to speak with the astronaut and all students have been invited to attend this educational activity. Media coverage is anticipated and the Da Vinci Web site will publicize the event. The Center has over 200 hands-on exhibits and offers after school laboratory programs which promote understanding of science and technology. Parkside Community College in Parkside, Cambridge, U.K. has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Monday, March 30 at 16:54 UTC. Station GB4FUN will handle the connection. The Girls’ Middle School (GMS) in Mountain View, California has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Monday, March 30 at 18:16 UTC via telebridge station K6DUE in Maryland. The contact is planned with spaceflight participant Charles Simonyi, KE7KDP/HA5SIK. GMS is a small, independent school for girls in 6th - 8th grade. The school’s mission is to nurture and empower girls during this pivotal time in their lives. It looks for non-traditional educational opportunities to help girls expand their horizons. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for Marcelino Canino Canino Middle School in Dorado, Puerto Rico. The contact will take place on Tuesday, March 31 at 15:29 UTC. The student body is made up of 577 students of which approximately 77% live under the poverty level. 100% of the students receive Title I services and over 100 students receive special education services. A Microsatellite Student Program has been implemented where students design, construct, build and launch microsatellites which are then tracked and recovered with the help of amateur radio operators. The coordinating teacher has prepared a NASA Explorer Schools proposal and other science oriented proposals in the school to help motivate its largely underprivileged population to become competitive professionals in the global economy. Two contests have been held at the school – one for an activity logo and another for an essay. Scientists, state government functionaries, Department of Education representatives, and students from other grade levels in elementary and high schools have been invited to attend the event. Of major interest to the students is the fact that Joseph Acaba, the first astronaut of Puerto Rican descent, will be going to the ISS on STS 119. The school is planning its own press releases and expects media coverage. Milwee Middle School in Longwood, Florida has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Wednesday, April 1 at 17:48 UTC via telebridge station ON4ISS in Belgium. Carl Sandburg Elementary School in the Lake Washington School District, Kirkland, Washington has been approved for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact. The contact is slated for Thursday, April 2 at 19:28 UTC, assisted by telebridge station W6SRJ in California. 2. Padthaway Contact Successful On Tuesday, March 3, students from Padthaway Primary School in Padthaway, Australia participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact. Telebridge station W6SRJ in California facilitated the connection, allowing fifteen students to ask the astronaut 20 questions. One hundred guests, including the mayor and his wife, attended the event and enjoyed a PowerPoint presentation and a showing of Mike Fincke’s Expedition 9 video tour of the ISS. Media outlets were present and the audio was fed to local radio stations. The audio was also fed into the EchoLink AMSAT and JK1ZRW servers with 6 connections made from stations in Australia, England, Italy and the U.S. 3. NASA Teaching From Space Site – Now Available The NASA Teaching From Space (TFS) Web site is now on-line. A new Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) section is also available. For the TFS site, see: http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/teachingfromspace/home/index.html To view the ARISS site directly, go to: http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/teachingfromspace/home/ariss.html 4. Astronaut Training Status Three successful simulated Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contacts took place on Wednesday, March 4. The simulations were held between the following participants: Technopolis, Belgium and Andre Kuipers, PI9ISS Ralph McCall School, Airdrie, Alberta, Canada and Chris Hadfield, VA3OOG Ralph McCall School, Airdrie, Alberta, Canada and Cady Coleman, KC5ZTH These training sessions were terrestrial-based amateur radio contacts using ARISS-equivalent equipment. Audio was available on IRLP. 5. Amateur Radio Newsline Posts Article on Simonyi On March 6, Amateur Radio Newsline (Report #1647) ran a story on Charles Simonyi’s upcoming mission. “Ham Radio in Space: Charles Simonyi, KE7KDP Heads Back to the ISS,” may be viewed here: http://www.arnewsline.org/ *********************** March 2, 2009 1. Upcoming School Contact An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled with Padthaway Primary School in Padthaway, SA, Australia on Tuesday, March 3 at 08:32 UTC via telebridge station W6SRJ in California. To prepare for the contact, children wrote essays on space related topics. They chose a planet to analyze for feasibility of life, looked at the life of an astronaut (training, diet, etc), researched an event in space history and created a timeline of important events in space history. Media coverage is planned. 2. Upcoming ARISS Simulated Contacts Three simulated Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contacts have been scheduled for Wednesday, March 4. These training sessions are terrestrial-based amateur radio contacts using ARISS-equivalent equipment. Audio is expected to be available on IRLP. All times are approximate. 15:15 UTC – Technopolis, Belgium and Andre Kuipers, PI9ISS 15:30 UTC – Ralph McCall School, Airdrie, Alberta, Canada and Chris Hadfield, VA3OOG 15:45 UTC - Ralph McCall School, Airdrie, Alberta, Canada and Cady Coleman, KC5ZTH 3. Fassett Middle School Contact Successful Fassett Middle School in Oregon, Ohio experienced a successful Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Monday, February 23. Mike Fincke, KE5AIT, answered 16 students’ questions while over 550 people who gathered for the event looked on. The Oregon school superintendent was also present for the contact. Audio was fed into the EchoLink AMSAT (101377) and JK1ZRW (277208) servers. Thirteen connections were made, including 3 link nodes and one repeater, from England, Germany, Malaysia and the U.S. The Toledo Blade and TV 11 covered the news. To view the WTOL TV 11 story, “Can you hear me now? Oregon students call outer space,” see: http://www.wtol.com/Global/story.asp?S=9889811&nav=menu34_2_4 The Toledo Blade article may be viewed here: http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090224/NEWS16/902249997 4. Australian Contact Successful Chatham Public School in Taree, NSW, Australia, took part in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Wednesday, February 25 via telebridge station K6DUE in Maryland. The event was held at the studios of Radio 2RE. Mike Fincke, KE5AIT, answered 13 questions posed to him by ten children. John Key, the New Zealand prime minister, tied in to the contact and sent greetings to Mike from the Asia/Pacific region. Thirty-eight radio stations belonging to the Super Radio Network covered the event the following morning. The audio was also fed into the EchoLink AMSAT and JK1ZRW servers and received 19 connections from stations in the USA, New Zealand, Australia, Russia, Belgium and England. 5. Italian School Questions Astronaut On Wednesday, February 25, students from 1 Circolo Didattico G. Marconi in Casamassima, Italy participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact with Mike Fincke, KE5AIT. Seventeen students asked one question each of the astronaut. Special guest Princess Elettra Marconi attended the event and spoke briefly with Mike as approximately 250 students, teachers and others watched. Some regional television stations and local newspapers covered the event. For more information, photos and audio, visit the ARISS-Europe Web site: http://www.ariss-eu.org/2009_02_25.htm 6. New York Contact Successful Students attending Hampton Bays Middle School in Hampton Bays, New York took part in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Wednesday, February 25. Students created a mockup set of the ISS from which ten students asked 14 questions of Mike Fincke, KE5AIT. The school’s IT department provided live coverage of the contact to all the schools in the district via intranet. Video of the event will be available on the school Web site in the near future. 7. Astronaut Training Status An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) training session was held with Cady Coleman, KC5ZTH, on Wednesday, February 18. Coleman is a backup crew member for Expedition 20. On Tuesday, February 24, two successful simulated ARISS contacts took place. The first was held between students at the European Space Center, Belgium and Frank DeWinne, ON1DWN. The second was held between the Manordale Public School children in Canada and Bob Thirsk, W5/VA3CSA. 8. ARRL Announces Dayton Hamvention Guest Speaker The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) ran an article about the upcoming ARRL National Convention to be held at the Dayton Hamvention in May. Richard Garriott, W5KWQ, will attend the event and spend time in the ARRL EXPO area greeting visitors. He will also speak at the Hamvention forum. See: https://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2009/02/21/10660/?nc=1 The ARRL Letter also ran the story, “ARRL National Convention to Feature Richard Garriott, W5KWQ.” See: https://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/09/0227/ ARRL's web feature called "ARRL in Action" for the month of March includes an entry on Richard’s attendance at the ARRL National Convention (Dayton Hamvention) May 15-17. The ARRL Web site has 100,000 regular readers; the e-newsletter has a circulation of 115,000. 9. Richard Garriott, Keynote Speaker at AMSAT Banquet The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT) announced that Richard Garriott, W5KWQ, will be the keynote speaker at the AMSAT/TAPR Banquet during Dayton Hamvention 2009. The banquet will be held on May 15. Richard will also give a talk at the AMSAT forum on Saturday, May 16. See: http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/index.php 10. AMSAT Story on SuitSat Meeting The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) team held a SuitSat-2 meeting on Friday – Sunday, February 20 - 22 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT) posted a story summarizing the meeting. See: http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/index.php 11. Amateur Radio Newsline Covers ARISS Contact On February 27, the Amateur Radio Newsline Report #1646 covered the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact with South Park Elementary Center. The report may be found here: http://www.arnewsline.org/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=18&Itemid= *********************** February 23, 2009 1. Upcoming School Contacts An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled with Oregon City Schools, Fassett Middle School in Oregon, Ohio. The ARISS program was incorporated into the curriculum as students studied the positions and motions of objects in the universe, matter and gravity. The students learned about how the universe has been explored and studied how technology affects the quality of life. A contest was held to determine the questions to be asked of the astronaut. The contact will take place on Monday, February 23 at 14:35 UTC. Audio from this contact will be fed into the EchoLink AMSAT (101377) and JK1ZRW (277208) servers. Chatham Public School in Taree, NSW, Australia, will experience an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Wednesday, February 25 at 07:32 UTC via telebridge station K6DUE in Maryland. The school has an enrollment of approximately 325 students, ages 5-12. The ARISS contact has been integrated into the school unit on Communication, Space and the Future. The students have been following the ISS crew’s mission, which has been reported on in the school and community newsletters, the local paper and on television. The event will take place at the studios of Radio 2RE. The 38 radio stations belonging to the Super Radio Network are expected to cover the event the following day. The New Zealand Prime Minister, The Honorable John Key, plans to attend the event to extend his greetings to Mike from the Asia/Pacific region, and to ask the first question. The audio will be fed into the EchoLink AMSAT server and into IRLP node 9010. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled with 1 Circolo Didattico G. Marconi in Casamassima, Italy. The contact will take place on Wednesday, February 25 at 07:50 UTC. The ARISS program will be incorporated into the school’s science curriculum and students will learn about amateur radio and of the importance of space missions. The media have been contacted; newspapers, television and radio stations are expected to cover the event. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled with Hampton Bays Middle School in Hampton Bays, New York. The school curriculum includes topics on planets, the solar system and space travel. Students have been encouraged to investigate careers in the aerospace industry. Weather, space flights, and astronomy have been covered in their science classes. An essay contest was held in grades 5-8 to determine which students will speak to the astronaut. The contact will take place on Wednesday, February 25 at 13:57 UTC. 2. Upcoming Simulated Contacts Several simulated Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contacts have been scheduled. These training sessions are terrestrial-based amateur radio contacts using ARISS-equivalent equipment. Audio will be available on IRLP. All times are approximate. Tuesday, February 24: 18:45 UTC - European Space Center and Frank DeWinne, ON1DWN 19:00 UTC - Canadian School and Bob Thirsk, W5/VA3CSA, Wednesday, March 4: 14:30 UTC – Technopolis, Belgium and Andre Kuipers, PI9ISS 14:45 UTC - Bedford South School, Bedford, Nova Scotia, Canada and Chris Hadfield, VA3OOG 15:00 UTC - Bedford South School, Bedford, Nova Scotia, Canada and Cady Coleman, KC5ZTH 3. South Park Students Speak with ISS On Tuesday, February 17, an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact took place between South Park Elementary Center in South Park, Pennsylvania and Pittsburgh native Mike Fincke, KE5AIT, on the ISS. Telebridge station K6DUE in Maryland facilitated the contact. An audience of approximately 460 watched as twenty questions were asked and answered. The audio was fed into the EchoLink AMSAT and JK1ZRW servers and received 7 connections from stations in England and the U.S. The event received extensive media coverage from television stations and newspapers. The links follow. CBS affiliate: http://kdka.com/video/?id=53487@kdka.dayport.com ABC affiliate: http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/news/18730162/detail.html?taf=pit NBC affiliate: http://www.wpxi.com/news/18729533/detail.html Pittsburgh Post Gazette: http://www.pittsburghpostgazette.com/pg/09049/949857-52.stm Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_612166.html 4. Salluit Students Question Astronaut via Radio Students attending Salluit Schools in Salluit, Quebec, Canada experienced an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Thursday, February 19 via telebridge station W6SRJ in California. Mike Fincke, KE5AIT, answered 15 questions posed to him by the students. The audio was fed into the EchoLink AMSAT and JK1ZRW servers and received 6 connections from the U.S., Spain, Italy and England. Approximately 450 parents, elders and students (out of a village of 1000) were present for the contact. Parents were out and about early in the day, indicating this event was a huge accomplishment, as they do not normally come out early this time of year due to the severe cold. ARISS mentor Steve McFarlane remarked, “The contact was a huge success – these people really enjoyed the experience and are ever thankful to the parties involved for their work in showing their children that there are incredible discoveries and adventures to be had – all they have to do, is believe... apparently we moved them a little closer to that today....” 5. Erie Planetarium Contact Successful On Saturday, February 21, Erie Planetarium in Pennsylvania participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact with Mike Fincke, KE5AIT, via telebridge station W6SRJ in California. Twelve students asked 21 questions of the astronaut in front of a crowd of 200. At least one television station reported on the event. The audio was fed into the EchoLink AMSAT and JK1ZRW servers and had 13 connections, including one repeater, from 8 countries. Among those listening were stations in China, New Zealand and Spain. A ham operator who was manning a Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT) exhibit table at a Yuma, Arizona hamfest used his radio to listen to the contact as part of his demonstrations. Even though only the ISS side of the contact was heard, the crowd enjoyed hearing Mike answer the questions. 6. SuitSat-2 Meeting Held The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) team held a SuitSat-2 meeting on Friday – Sunday, February 20 - 22 in Phoenix, Arizona. Status reports of the different modules were given and reviewed and the team began integration testing. 7. ARISS International Team Meeting Held Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) held its monthly teleconference on Tuesday, February 17. Agenda items discussed included the upcoming face-to-face meeting to be held in the Netherlands in June, Charles Simonyi’s planned activities during his mission in March and a status on SuitSat-2. The minutes have been posted to the ARISS Web site. See: http://www.rac.ca/ariss/arisstel2009-02-17.htm 8. ARRL Letter Article on Dieter Schliemann Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) team member Dieter Schliemann, KX4Y, passed away on Monday, February 9. Dieter had been responsible for coordinating and expanding the educational outreach of ARISS through the use of Voice over the Internet Protocol (VoIP) with Internet Radio Linking Project (IRLP) and EchoLink. As his health deteriorated, Dieter continued his support, making sure that others would carry on in his absence. He will be sorely missed. Dieter was a member of the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT) and the American Radio Relay League (ARRL). The ARRL Letter posted an article on his contributions: https://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/09/0220/ 9. German School Contact Update Städtisches Gymnasium Herzogenrath in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact with Mike Fincke, KE5AIT, on Saturday, February 7. New links are available for related photos, audio, video and newspaper articles. See: http://www.darc.de/g14/ARISS.html *********************** February 16, 2009 1. Upcoming School Contacts An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled with South Park Elementary Center in South Park, Pennsylvania on Tuesday, February 17 at 18:11 UTC via telebridge station K6DUE in Maryland. Students have participated in a contest to determine which questions will be asked of astronaut Mike Fincke, KE5AIT. They have learned about astronauts, shuttles and NASA and have created posters or written essays (depending on grade level) about space related topics. Newspapers, radio and television coverage is anticipated. Salluit Schools in Salluit, Quebec, Canada have been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Thursday, February 19 at 14:17 UTC via telebridge station W6SRJ in California. Approximately 400 students from Kindergarten through Secondary are enrolled in the schools located in a remote North-West Quebec Inuit community. Teachers have included space related topics in their curriculum. All students have created artwork for the event and have submitted questions to ask the astronaut. During morning announcements, a “cool space fact of the day” has been announced daily. The Nunatisaq News may cover the event. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been approved for Erie Planetarium in Erie, Pennsylvania. It will take place on Saturday, February 21 at 18:19 UTC via telebridge station W6SRJ in California. The Planetarium offers astronomy programs, interactive stations and science experiments throughout the year. 2. Italian Students Contact ISS On Tuesday, February 10, students from Istituto Comprensivo Pietrasanta1-Scuola Secondaria 1° Grado “Padre Eugenio Barsanti” participated in a successful Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact. Students posed 12 questions to Mike Fincke, KE5AIT, in front of an audience of 350. Contact video was streamed live on the Web and was seen in 14 countries and in more than 36 different towns around the world. Local television stations and newspapers covered the event. Video of the contact has been posted to the OndaForte TV Web site. See: http://www.ondaforte.tv/eventi/ariss_school_contact/index.php 3. Greek Contact Successful On Wednesday, February 11, an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact took place with students from Alexandroupolis School of Special Education and 11th Alexandroupolis Primary School in Greece. Students asked 20 questions of Sandra Magnus, KE5FYE, in front of an audience of approximately 200. Another 700 students from four schools listened to the contact in the garden. A representative of the Greek Minister of Telecommunications and the Director of Education of Evros also attended. Three television stations, two radio stations and newspapers covered the event. 4. ARISS Presentation at MACUL Conference The Michigan Association for Computer Users in Learning (MACUL) will host its 33rd annual conference in Detroit, Michigan on March 18-20. MACUL aims to bring educators together to share knowledge about educational uses of computers and technology. ARISS member Steve Michalski, KB9UPS, will participate in the conference and give a talk on the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program, showing clips of the Martin Luther King Academy (Mount Clemens, Michigan) ARISS contact which took place in September 2007. The MACUL conference draws 3,000 educators annually. 5. Photos of German Contact Posted Städtisches Gymnasium Herzogenrath in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact with Mike Fincke, KE5AIT, on Saturday, February 7. Photos of the contact have been posted on the Web. See: http://picasaweb.google.de/Rueliman/ARISSContact?feat=directlink# 6. ARRL QST Covers ARISS News The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) published two Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) news items in its March 2009 issue of QST. Under "Media Hits" (page 12) is an item on the Ohio Department of Education Web story about the September 2008 ARISS contact with students at the Challenger Learning Center of Lucas County in Toledo. Also listed is the Ann Arbor Chronicle article about the Ann Arbor, Michigan Hands On Museum contact. The ARRL monthly journal has a circulation of 150,000. 7. ARISS Member Dieter Schliemann Dies Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) team member Dieter Schliemann, KX4Y, passed away on Monday, February 9. Dieter had been responsible for coordinating and expanding the educational outreach of ARISS through the use of Voice over the Internet Protocol (VoIP) with Internet Radio Linking Project (IRLP) and EchoLink. As his health deteriorated, Dieter continued his support, making sure that others would carry on in his absence. He will be sorely missed. Dieter was a member of the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT) and the American Radio Relay League (ARRL). ARRL posted an article on his contributions: https://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2009/02/12/10647/?nc=1 *********************** February 9, 2009 1. Upcoming School Contacts An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been planned for Istituto Comprensivo Pietrasanta1-Scuola Secondaria 1° Grado “Padre Eugenio Barsanti” in Pietrasanta, Lucca, Italy on Tuesday, February 10 at 10:24 UTC. Students have been learning about the planets, planetary systems, rocket technology and radio communications. They have applied their knowledge of English in writing and rehearsing space related questions for the astronaut. They have studied the history of spaceflight and have written essays on space related topics. They have also learned about world geography and have developed cooperation and teamwork skills. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled with Alexandroupolis School of Special Education and 11th Alexandroupolis Primary School in Alexandroupolis, Greece. The contact will take place on Wednesday, February 11 at 07:43 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.” 2. Canadian Contact Successful On Monday, February 2, students from Humber College Institute of Technology and Higher Learning in Toronto, Ontario, Canada participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact. Approximately 100 students gathered in the lab where the radio gear was built and watched as students posed 12 questions to Sandra Magnus, KE5FYE. There was national coverage of the event and it was broadcasted on morning television and radio – Canada AM (CTV Network). The Toronto Star and Toronto Sun were also present. The audience reached in Toronto was estimated to be over 3,000,000. To view the Toronto Sun article, go to: http://www.torontosun.com/news/torontoandgta/2009/02/02/8237126.html Toronto Star’s story may be found at: http://www.thestar.com/sciencetech/article/581309 For CTV coverage, see: http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20090203/students_space_AM_090203/20090203?hub=TopStories The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) network carried a 14 minute piece on the Humber College contact that included an 8 minute interview with one of the lead students, followed by a 6 minute clip of the students and Sandy. The story also ran on the show "As it Happens,” which is part of CBC's national network program feed and airs coast to coast beginning at 18:30 in each respective time zone. It was then posted on the Web: http://www.cbc.ca/radioshows/AS_IT_HAPPENS/20090202.shtml (The interview starts at approximately 16:50 in part one. Contact audio runs from 21:30 to 24:00.) The February 3 issue of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics’ (AIAA) Daily Launch also picked up on the news. It posted a summary, “College Students Contact ISS with Home Built Antenna,” citing and providing a link to the CBC article: http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2009/02/02/students-iss.html 3. UK Students Radio ISS Students attending Pilton Bluecoat Junior School in Barnstaple, Devon, England experienced a successful Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Friday, February 6. Sandra Magnus, KE5FYE answered 20 questions posed to her by ten children as an audience of approximately 260 students and guests looked on. Two newspapers covered the event. The contact video is available for viewing. Go to: http://www.it-sparkles.co.uk/ARISS/pilton.aspx 4. ARISS Contact with German School, a Success On Saturday, February 7, Städtisches Gymnasium Herzogenrath in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact with Mike Fincke, KE5AIT. Students were able to have 18 questions answered before the ISS went over the horizon. Approximately 350 students, teachers and parents were in attendance. The national television channel WDR, two radio stations WDR-Radio and Radio Aachen, and a few local newspapers covered the event. The audio was also fed into the EchoLink AMSAT server. The Aachener Zeitung article (in German) may be found here: http://www.az-web.de/lokales/nordkreis-detail-az/803788/Funk-AG-des-Gymnasiums-Herzogenrath-spricht-live-mit-der-ISS 5. Assam, India Students Speak with Mike Fincke The College of Agriculture, Central Agricultural University in Imphal, Assam, India took part in a successful Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Sunday, February 8 via telebridge station VK4KHZ in Australia. Fourteen of the 16 questions prepared for the contact were answered by Mike Fincke, KE5AIT. The audio was fed into the EchoLink AMSAT and JK1ZRW servers and received 9 connections from 6 countries. An article ran in the Morung Express. See: http://www.morungexpress.com/regional/13605.html 6. Article Posted on Axam Jatiya Vidyalaya Contact On January 7, an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact was conducted between Mike Fincke, KE5AIT and Axam Jatiya Vidyalaya students in Guwahati, India. The Assam Tribune published an article on the event in its February 7 Horizon supplement. See: http://www.assamtribune.com/feb0709/horizon.html 7. Ellis Elementary School Contact Video On December 8, 2008, Ellis Elementary School in Belleville, Illinois experienced an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact with Sandra Magnus, KE5FYE. St. Louis public television KETC featured the contact on its “Living St. Louis” program. The video has been posted to YouTube. See: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2TuJyNXx0c&eurl=http://livingstlouis.wordpress.com/2009/01/22/living-st-louis-video-ham-radio/&feature=player_embedded *********************** February 2, 2009 1. Upcoming School Contacts Humber College Institute of Technology and Higher Learning in Toronto, Ontario, Canada has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Monday, February 2 at 17:34 UTC. The school has concluded an extensive research period in how waves travel through space and the Earth’s atmosphere and plans to put theory into practice. It has assembled the primary ground station right on the main campus, and it is hoped that it will inspire future students in conducting similar studies. With help from the media department and a school contest, the school has been working to involve every student in this project. With over seventy thousand students, which include both full-time and part-time students, the college is excited to promote this project within the community. Pilton Bluecoat Junior School in Barnstaple, Devon, England has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Friday, February 6 at 14:48 UTC. The school has planned an event with the theme “Our Home in Space – The Final Frontier,” in which students learn about Earth as part of the wider universe. All classes took part in the initial selection of questions; the final questions were chosen by the school council. Students have studied the development of the ISS and the history of man in space. Older children have written press releases. Städtisches Gymnasium Herzogenrath in Herzogenrath, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Saturday, February 7 at 10:32 UTC. The school has an amateur radio club whose members initiated the ARISS contact. The students prepared a radio exhibition that was shared with the school. The English and History departments have also participated in this activity. Students competed in an essay contest and created projects related to the “Space Race.” Newspapers and television stations have been invited to cover the event. College of Agriculture, Central Agricultural University in Imphhal, Assam, India has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Sunday, February 8 at 10:06 UTC via telebridge station VK4KHZ in Australia. 2. Russian Students Radio ISS Students attending the Palace of Children’s and Youth’s Creativity in Tver, Russia experienced a successful Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Tuesday, January 27. The children prepared 9 questions to ask cosmonaut Yuri Lonchakov, RA3DT. Approximately 300 people attended the event including cosmonaut S. Treshchev and ARISS delegate Sergey Samburov. The Governor of Tver Region, Dmitry Vadimovich Zelenin was also invited. The contact was made possible through the Amateur Radio Club, “Club-22,” and its chairman, Sergey Kemov, RA3IS. 3. Successful Canadian Elementary School Contact On Tuesday, January 27, Mike Fincke, KE5AIT, participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact with students attending Castor Valley Elementary School in Greely, Ontario, Canada. He answered all 16 questions posed to him by the youth as an audience of 750 students, parents and guests looked on. The students initiated the contact, thanked Mike for the contact midway through the session, and finished the rest of the questions. Media covered the event and the school was featured on the CTV 6 o’clock news. 4. French University Contact Successful Students attending CERAM EAI in Sophia Antipolis, France participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Thursday, January 29 via telebridge station VK4KHZ in Australia. Students were able to ask 15 questions of Mike Fincke, KE5AIT, before interference made the downlink unreadable. Approximately 50 students, faculty members and guests witnessed the event which was covered by the media. The audio was fed into the EchoLink AMSAT and JK1ZRW servers and received 11 connections from 9 different countries. A short write up and contact audio have been posted to the ARISS-Europe Web site. See: http://www.ariss-eu.org/2009_01_30.htm 5. French School Contact Successful Youth attending Ecole & Collège Jean XXIII, a private primary & secondary school in Pamiers, France, experienced an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Friday, January 30. Mike Fincke, KE5AIT, answered 18 questions prepared for him by the students as 150 people gathered to watch. Media coverage included La Gazette Ariegeoise, Le Petit Journal, France 3 and Ariege News. The event is also expected to be reported by La Depeche du Midi, Radio Transparence, Radio Montaillou and Sud Radio. A summary with audio has been posted to the ARISS-Europe Web site. See: http://www.ariss-eu.org/2009_01_31.htm 6. General Radio Operations Mike Fincke, KE5AIT and Yuri Lonchakov, RA3DT made general voice contacts over the last week. Among those contacted were stations in the U.S., Canada, Russia and Brazil. They also had the radio running in packet mode and crossband repeater mode and transmitted several Slow Scan Television (SSTV) images. 7. ARISS International Team Meeting Held The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) team held its monthly teleconference on January 27. Among the agenda items discussed were the ARISS Face to Face Meeting to be held in the Netherlands in June, Richard Garriott’s mission and SuitSat-2 status. Minutes have been posted. See: https://www.rac.ca/ariss/arisstel2009-01-27.htm 8. K6DUE Replaces NN1SS K6DUE, callsign of the late Roy Neal, will now be used for the International Space Station Amateur Radio Club, replacing the Greenbelt, Maryland telebridge ground station callsign, NN1SS. Neal was instrumental in persuading NASA to fly amateur radio on the space shuttle and helped establish the Shuttle Amateur Radio Experiment (SAREX) working group, which ultimately led to the internationally-based ARISS program. The story was reported on the Amateur Radio Newsline. See: http://www.arnewsline.org/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=18&Itemid= *********************** January 26, 2009 1. Upcoming School Contacts An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for Castor Valley Elementary School in Greely, Ontario, Canada on Tuesday, January 27 at 19:33 UTC. A space club at the school has been formed for grades 1-8. Students from this group will ask questions of the astronaut. Students have learned about the ISS via the internet and videos and through guest speakers. They have been taught the correct radio protocol and have tracked and plotted the course of the ISS. All classes have taken part in space projects and activities. Media, members of the community, the school board and other dignitaries have been invited to attend. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for CERAM EAI in Sophia Antipolis, Alpes Maritimes, France. The contact will take place on Thursday, January 29 at 14:54 UTC via telebridge station VK4KHZ in Australia. CERAM University conducts research projects in aviation, engineering and IT. Amateur radio communications has been introduced to students to prepare for the contact. Newspaper and television coverage is anticipated and webcast retransmission is possible. Ecole & Collège Jean XXIII, a private primary & secondary school in Pamiers, France, will experience an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Friday, January 30 at approximately 13:08 UTC. Five hundred students, ages 3 to 15 years old, attend the school. Students in the third cycle classes (3rd – 5th grades) and those in their second year of secondary school have studied radio communications. Radio operators from “l’Institut de Développement des Radiocommunications par l’Enseignement” (IDRE) have introduced radio technology to the children. Topics included remote command use, introduction to Morse code, ham radio phone contact, distress beacon search, electronic kits, and different ham radio station possibilities. This ARISS activity has been incorporated into the educational subjects of Astronomy, History of Space Exploration, Geography and Writing. Humber College Institute of Technology and Higher Learning in Toronto, Ontario, Canada has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Monday, February 2 at 17:29 UTC. The school has concluded an extensive research period in how waves travel through space and the Earth’s atmosphere and plans to put theory into practice. It has assembled the primary ground station right on the main campus, and it is hoped that it will inspire future students in conducting similar studies. With help from the media department and a school contest, the school has been working to involve every student in this project. With over seventy thousand students, which include both full-time and part-time students, the college is excited to promote this project within the community. Pilton Bluecoat Junior School in Barnstaple, Devon, England has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Friday, February 6 at 14:48 UTC. The school has planned an event with the theme “Our Home in Space – The Final Frontier,” in which students learn about Earth as part of the wider universe. All classes took part in the initial selection of questions; the final questions were chosen by the school council. Students have studied the development of the ISS and the history of man in space. Older children have written press releases. Städtisches Gymnasium Herzogenrath in Herzogenrath, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Saturday, February 7 at 10:32 UTC. The school has an amateur radio club whose members initiated the ARISS contact. The students prepared a radio exhibition that was shared with the school. The English and History departments have also participated in this activity. Students competed in an essay contest and created projects related to the “Space Race.” Newspapers and television stations have been invited to cover the event. College of Agriculture, Central Agricultural University in Imphhal, Assam, India has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Sunday, February 8 at 10:06 UTC via telebridge station VK4KHZ in Australia. 2. Children’s Hospital Contact Successful On Tuesday, January 20, patients at the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario in Ottawa, Canada spoke with Sandra Magnus, KE5FYE, during an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact. The children asked 16 questions of the astronaut via telebridge station ON4ISS in Belgium. Due to the hospital’s infection protocol, media was kept from the event and unable to access or interview the students directly. A representative from another children’s hospital in Calgary was present and was very impressed with the event; he plans to submit an ARISS application for his hospital. The audio was fed into the EchoLink AMSAT and JK1ZRW servers and into the IRLP Discovery reflector 9010. EchoLink received 20 connections from 14 countries, including one link node and two repeaters. 3. Astronaut Training Status On Friday, January 23, Jeff Williams, KD5TVQ, received a refresher course covering the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) radio equipment and operations. Williams is scheduled to launch to the ISS in September and will take over as commander in November 2009. 4. General Voice Contacts Mike Fincke, KE5AIT and Yuri Lonchakov, RA3DT made several general voice contacts over the last week. Among those contacted were stations in France, Spain, Chile, Italy and the Netherlands. 5. 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 February 2009 issue of QST. On page 12, the "In Brief" column (a "what's been happening at ARRL recently) mentions ARISS’ 25th commemorative activities "Inside Hq -- 2008 Year-End Review" (page 13) mentions that ARISS "celebrated its 350th QSO (contact)." A story on pages 54-55, "Amateur Radio and Public Education Make for a Bright Future" is about a Kentucky high school teacher who included amateur radio in his science curriculum. There is one small part about him being excited about his students being able to garner an ARISS contact. The "75, 50, and 25 Years Ago" column on page 102 shows the cover of February 1984 QST with Owen Garriott on the front, and the column lists two bullet items for the February 1984-25 years-ago section: the first being about Owen on the cover, and the second being that QST printed an interview of Owen, and it says: "We all hope that Amateur Radio will continue to be a part of the space shuttle missions." *********************** January 19, 2009 1. Upcoming School Contacts Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario in Ottawa, Canada has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Tuesday, January 20 at 18:06 UTC via telebridge station ON4ISS in Belgium. A space club has been formed at the hospital and those children participating in the club have learned about the ISS via videos, the internet and guest speakers. They have learned to use correct radio protocol and have tracked and plotted the course of the ISS. They have also created artwork to be displayed during the contact. Media coverage of the event is expected. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for Castor Valley Elementary School in Greely, Ontario, Canada on Tuesday, January 27 at 19:30 UTC. A space club has been formed at the school for grades 1-8. Students from this group will ask questions of the astronaut. Students have learned about the ISS via video, internet and through guest speakers. They have been taught the correct radio protocol and have tracked and plotted the course of the ISS. All classes have taken part in space projects and activities. Media, members of the community, the school board and other dignitaries have been invited to attend. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled with CERAM EAI in Sophia Antipolis, Alpes Maritimes, France. The contact will take place on Thursday, January 29 at 14:54 UTC via telebridge station VK4KHZ in Australia. CERAM University conducts research projects in aviation, engineering and IT. Amateur radio communication has been introduced to students to prepare for the contact. Newspaper and television coverage is anticipated and webcast retransmission is possible. Ecole & Collège Jean XXIII, a private primary & secondary school in Pamiers, France, will experience an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Friday, January 30 at approximately 13:08 UTC. Five hundred students, ages 3 to 15 years old, attend the school. Students in the third cycle classes (3rd – 5th grades) and those in their second year of secondary school have studied radio communications. Radio operators from “l’Institut de Développement des Radiocommunications par l’Enseignement” (IDRE) have introduced radio technology to the children. Topics covered included remote command use, introduction to Morse code, ham radio phone contact, distress beacon search, electronic kits, and different ham radio station possibilities. This ARISS activity has been incorporated into the educational subjects of Astronomy, History of Space Exploration, Geography and Writing. 2. Richard Garriott Debrief An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program debriefing session was held with spaceflight participant Richard Garriott, W5KWQ, on Tuesday, January 13. Richard gave a status on the ISS Ham equipment onboard the ISS and provided valuable feedback on ARISS operations. 3. Cosmonaut Training Status Cosmonaut Dmitri Kondratiev received training on the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) equipment. He is scheduled to fly on Expedition 20. Photos of the training session are available on the Energia Web site. See: http://www.energia.ru/eng/iss/iss20/photo_01-14.html *********************** January 12, 2009 1. Upcoming School Contact Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario in Ottawa, Canada has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Tuesday, January 20 at 18:01 UTC via telebridge station ON4ISS in Belgium. A space club has been formed at the hospital and those children participating in the club have learned about the ISS via videos, the internet and guest speakers. They have learned to use correct radio protocol and have tracked and plotted the course of the ISS. They have also created artwork to be displayed during the contact. Media coverage of the event is expected. 2. Students in India Experience Successful Contact On Wednesday, January 7, youth from Axam Jatiya Vidyalaya in Guwahati, India spoke with Mike Fincke, KE5AIT on the ISS. During the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact, students asked 14 questions as 1000 students, parents and guests looked on. All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) officials, Mr Brindaban Goswami and many other Guwahati dignitaries attended the event. The contact was facilitated by the telebridge station W6SRJ in California. The audio was fed into the EchoLink AMSAT and JK1ZRW servers and received eight connections including three link nodes and one repeater from five countries. The news was reported on television and in the newspapers. The Assam Tribune posted an article to its Web site: http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/details.asp?id=jan0809/at01 The headliner with photos may be found here: http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/details.asp?id=jan0809/main 3. ARISS Distributes Calendars Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) distributed International Space Station 2009 calendars to over 40 schools that have recently experienced or will be scheduled for ARISS contacts in the upcoming months. Calendars were also distributed to ARISS volunteers worldwide as a token of appreciation for their hard work and dedication to the program. Over five hundred calendars were distributed. 4. Article on ARISS Contact with Challenger Learning Center The Ohio Department of Education posted an article on the September 1, 2008 Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact with students at the Chal¬lenger Learning Center of Lucas County in Toledo. The article, “Students connect with International Space Station,” may be found at: http://www.ode.state.oh.us/GD/Templates/Pages/ODE/ODEDetail.aspx?page=3&TopicRelationID=1601&ContentID=58983&Content=59741 5. Technopolis Contact Video Posted On Saturday, January 3, students visiting Technopolis in Mechelen, Belgium experienced an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact via telebridge station VK4KHZ in Australia. The video of this contact is now available on YouTube. See: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ipy4isPtuKA *********************** January 5, 2009 1. Upcoming School Contacts Axam Jatiya Vidyalaya in Guwahati, India has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Wednesday, January 7 at 08:01 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. Tongfu Road No. 1 Primary School in Guangzhou, Guangdong, P.R. China has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Saturday, January 17 at 10:23 UTC. The school is over 70 years old with an enrollment of over 1000 students. An amateur radio club was established at the school in 2007 and during the same year a team from this school won the national youngster’s amateur radio contest. Elective courses on amateur radio, space technology and ARISS are offered to the students. All grades have participated in essay and cartoon contests to prepare for the contact. Students have written letters to the astronauts and determined the questions to ask. Media coverage is planned with newspapers, television and the internet. 2. Technopolis Contact Successful On Saturday, January 3, students visiting Technopolis in Mechelen, Belgium experienced an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact via telebridge station VK4KHZ in Australia. The students asked Mike Fincke, KE5AIT, 16 questions with time left over to exchange Season’s Greetings. Approximately 100 students, parents and ham radio operators attended the event. Three television stations and two newspapers reported on the contact. The audio was fed into the EchoLink AMSAT and JK1ZRW servers and received 29 connections from ten different countries including the Ukraine and Romania. More information on the contact may be found on the ARISS-Europe Web site. See: www.ariss-eu.org/2009_01_03.htm 3. 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 mid 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.”