November 3, 2007

ESA REPORTS ON NESPOLI SCHOOL CONTACTS

The European Space Agency has posted two pages on their website, reporting the ARISS School Contacts of the Italian astronaut Paolo Nespoli, IZ0JPA.

Monday 29 October Nespoli contacted the IIS Deambrosis-Natta high school located in Sestri-Levante and the Faculty of Engineering of the University of L’Aquila.

Wednesday 31 October, Nespoli answered questions of students from Galileo Galilei high school of Civitavecchia, the harbour near Rome, as well as from ITI - LST Mottura in Caltanisetta, Sicily, the oldest mining school in Italy.

One hour later, an audio-visual link was made by ESA between the Node 2, attached to the ISS, and the official Presidential residence at Palazzo del Quirinale. Here, Nespoli informed Italian President Giorgio Napolitano about his recent contact with the students while in space.

“This link with the young generation and the schools is really superb,” replied the Italian President. “I believe that the seeds you are planting will soon reap its benefits. It is necessary to give youngsters the hope, stimuli, and dreams that allow us to look, with faith, towards the future.”

ESA webpages:

1th event
http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Esperia/SEMJC4FWB8F_0.html

2nd event
http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Esperia/SEMAT1NHE8F_0.html

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Gaston Bertels, ON4WF

ARISS-Europe chairman