3 May 2007

 

TWO ARISS SCHOOL CONTACTS SCHEDULED IN EUROPE ON SATURDAY 5 MAY 2007

 

An International Space Station Expedition 15 ARISS school contact has been planned with students at Liceo Scientifico Statale "Lorenzo Respighi", Piacenza, Italy on 05 May 2007. The event is scheduled to begin at approximately 10:29 UTC, which is 12:29 continental European time.

 

The contact will be established between stations NA1SS and IK4MED. The contact should be audible in most of Europe. Interested parties are invited to listen in on the 145.800 MHz downlink. The participants are

expected to conduct the conversation in English.

 

Students will ask as many of the following questions as time allows:

1.  Do you have to do any particular manoeuvres with the ISS or with the vehicle that brings you up there?

2.  What kind of experiments and research do you do in the ISS?

3.  Why is it important to do experiments and research in the ISS rather than in any lab on Earth?

4.  What happens if you fall ill during your mission and how can you get medical treatment?

5.  Is the air inside the ISS similar to the air on Earth and how long can you survive if you have problems with pressurization inside the ISS?

6.  How long does it take to get used to zero gravity and how do you move without gravity?

7.  Does the absence of gravity have any effect on your body?

8.  How can you sleep without gravity?

9.  In case of a breakdown are you able to repair the broken part of any kind of equipment?

10.  Do you have any private space inside the ISS?

11.  What's your conception of time when you are in space?

12.  When will be completed the assembly of the ISS and what vehicles carry all the materials needed on board the ISS?

13.  How do you organize the day on board the ISS and how do you spend your spare time?

14.  What is the distance between Earth and the ISS and for what reason the ISS stays in that orbit?

15.  Would you like to go on a mission to Mars?

16.  Have you ever had any emergencies on board the ISS?

17.  Did you have to do any psychological tests before leaving for space?

18.  What is the temperature inside the ISS and does it change if the ISS is in sunlight or in shadow?

19.  How long do you have to train for a space mission and how do you train?

20.  Do you believe that old space vehicles like the Shuttle or the Soyuz will soon be replaced by more modern ones?

 

 

The same day, two orbits later, at 13:39 UTC, which is 15:39 CET, a second ARISS school contact has been planned with students at Erweiterte Realschule Weiskirchen, Germany.

 

This radio contact will be a direct between stations NA1SS and DN1ERW. The contact should be audible in most of Europe. Interested parties are invited to listen in on the 145.800 MHz downlink. The participants are expected to conduct the conversation in English.

 

Students will ask as many of the following questions as time allows:

1. What subjects do you need to have studied to become an astronaut?

2. How long did you need to prepare yourself for the flight?

3. What amateur radio equipment is there on the ISS?

4. Can the radio apparatus be kept on continuous operation or would that use up too much energy?

5. Besides the Earth, can you see other planets with the naked eye from the ISS?

6. Is it possible to recognize buildings on Earth from the ISS?

7. There are often wildfires on Earth. Could you see any of them from the ISS?

8. How many sunrises and sunsets can you see as you orbit the Earth and how do you manage your own waking and sleeping patterns?

9. How do you utilize your free time on board?

10. Do you snore more or less in weightlessness of Space than you do on Earth?

11. Are you repelled backwards when you sneeze in Space?

12. How did you feel during the shuttle launch?

13. When did you last take a shower?

14. What are your expectations of your stay in Space and is there anything that you would particularly wish to achieve?

15. Does your seat belt have to be fastened whilst you are sleeping?

16. Do you need be physically fit to become an astronaut?

17. If someone falls ill aboard the ISS, how can they receive help?

18. How did you feel during the shuttle launch?

19. Do you need to do special exercise to improve muscle strength before you return to Earth?

20. What do you eat aboard the ISS and how do you overcome the difficulties of eating in a weightless environment?

 

Good luck to the schools and listening in stations.


73

Gaston Bertels – ON4WF

ARISS-Europe chairman