ARISS School Contact planned in Rutigliano, Italy

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An International Space Station Expedition 12 ARISS school contact has been planned with students at 1° Circolo didattico Giuseppe Settanni”, Rutigliano, Italy on Tuesday, 21 March 2006. The event is scheduled to begin at approximately 13:54 UTC, which is 14:54 CET.

The contact will be direct between stations NA1SS and IZ7EVR. The contact should be audible to anyone in central Europe. Interested parties are invited to listen in on the 145.800 MHz downlink. The participants are expected to conduct the conversation in English.

Two elementary schools (6 - 11) and one middle school (11 - 14) participate to this event:

- 1°Circolo didattico Giuseppe Settanni (500 pupils)

- 2°Circolo didattico Aldo Moro” (475 pupils)

- middle school “Alessandro Manzoni” (615 pupils).

Principessa Elettra Marconi, the daughter of Guglielmo Marconi, will probably be present at the contact.

The schools are located in Rutigliano, the “city of red soil”, located 8 km from the Adriatic Sea, near the city of Bari in south-east Italy. Because of the fertile soil, agriculture is very important for the economy of the area, above all the production of grapes and wine.

The following questions were prepared by the students :

1. How long does it take from Earth to the orbit? Over

2. Is it difficult to get used to zero gravity? Over

3. How do you feel in space? Over

4. At what age did you discover your passion for space? Over

5. How many antennas are mounted on the ISS? Over

6. Which studies are necessary to become an astronaut? Over

7. What were the main scientific experiments during Expedition 12? Over

8. What happens if an astronaut gets seriously ill in space? Over

9. Is there any danger for the ISS module to be hit by Space debris? Over

10. How long can a human being stay in orbit? Over

11. Can the ISS provide a mayor help in case of a meteorite impact on Earth? Over

12. How are the daily astronauts´ duties organized on the ISS? Over

13. What do you think about extraterrestrial life in the universe? Over

14. What are you seeing at this moment when you look outside the ISS? Over

15. What did you miss most from Earth during the mission? Over

16. Can you observe terrestrial phenomena from the ISS? Over

17. What do you think about future projects of living on the moon? Over

18. What systems do you use for communicating with the Earth? Over

19. Do the astronauts do any training in Star City before their launch? Over

20. What astronomical events did you see during this mission in space? Over

Please note, the amateur equipment on the ISS will be turned off prior to the contact It will be returned to regular amateur radio operations as soon as possible afterwards.

ARISS is an international educational outreach program partnering the participating space agencies, NASA, Russian Space Agency, ESA, JAXA, and CSA, with the amateur radio societies from participating countries.

ARISS offers an opportunity for students to experience the excitement of Amateur Radio by talking directly with crewmembers on-board the International Space Station. Teachers, parents and communities see, first hand, how Amateur Radio and crewmembers on ISS can energize youngsters'

interest in science, technology, and learning.

Further information on the ARISS program is available on the website http://www.ariss-eu.org.

Gaston Bertels, ON4WF

ARISS-Europe chairman