ARISS-Europe News Bulletin – 29.06.2006
ASTRONAUT JEFF WILLIAMS TALKS WITH
SCIENTIFIC CENTER KUWAIT
Wednesday 28 June 2006 at 11:26 UTC, i.e. 14:26 local time, the Scientific Center Kuwait in Salmiyah,
Kuwait, performed a telebridge contact with US
astronaut Jeff Williams, KD5TVQ, onboard the
International Space Station, via the ARISS Ground
Station in Hawaii operated by Nancy Rocheleau, WH6PN. Will Marchant moderated
the contact.
The Scientific Center
of Kuwait's (TSCK) mission is dedicated to the
advancement of sciences and the cultural heritage of Kuwait. The Center promotes public awareness, knowledge of and
commitment to the care and conservation of the wildlife and ecosystems of the
Arabian Gulf region. The Center is a gift to the
nation built by the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences and was
opened in April 2000. The Scientific Center serves as
an excellent support for environmental education in the Arabian Gulf region.
Visitors can observe natural habitats such as the desert and marine life.
Maryam Aljoaan, 9K2MD, coordinator for this ARISS
School Contact, decided in favour of a telebridge.
She did a very good job and the students were very well prepared.
At exactly 11:26 UTC,
right on schedule, contact with NA1SS was established
by WH5PN. Astronaut Jeff Williams answered 22
questions on various topics. The astronaut explained that the crew are doing a
lot of experiments based on microgravity and that space-walking is one of his
favourite activities.
Signals from the ISS
were a bit noisy in the beginning, but soon became loud and clear. When the 22
questions were answered, coordinator Maryam Aljoaan thanked the astronaut for a great space talk and let
him hear the enthusiastic applause from the audience. Then Jeff Williams said
Goodbye to Kuwait.
The attending audience was about 40 persons
in the conference room and 100 in central court.
Many media covered the event:
Al-Hadaf;
Weekly Arabic magazine
The Daily Star, Daily Arabic Magazine
Al-Qabas, Local
daily newspaper
Al-Rai Al-Am,
local daily newspaper
Arab Times, local daily English newspaper
Kuwait Times, local daily English
newspaper
Layalina, Arabic bi-monthly magazine
Al-Yaqaza,
Arabic weekly magazine
Kuwait National TV for Evening show
Kuwait National TV Children Program
KUNA, Kuwait News Agency
Al-Nahdha,
Arabic Weekly magazine
Kuwait Science Club Media.
Moreover the event was webcast live on www.tsck.org.kw.
It was a historic moment. The first ARISS School Contact in Kuwait.
A great success in every aspect!
The audio recording of the radio contact
will be appended to this Bulletin, archived on <www.ariss-eu.org/archive.htm>
73, Peter Kofler,
IN3GHZ, ARISS mentor
ARISS, Amateur Radio on the International Space
Station, an international working group of several amateur radio societies from
countries participating to the ISS, provides a free
educational outreach programme in collaboration with the Space Agencies,
involving a team of volunteering amateur radio operators.
ESC picture 1
ESC picture 2
ESC picture 3
ESC picture 4
ESC picture 5
