DOUBLE CONTACT FOR ESA ASTRONAUT PAOLO NESPOLI, IZ0JPA WITH TWO ITALIAN SCHOOLS

Tuesday, 18 January, 2011 at 13:38 UTC and 15:11 UTC, i.e. 14:38 and 16:11 local time, "Istituto Comprensivo Ladispoli" AND Middle School "Corrado Melone” located in Ladispoli, Rome, Italy, established a double contact with Italian astronaut PAOLO NESPOLI, IZ0JPA on board the International Space Station. Astronaut NESPOLI operated with Italian special callsign IR0ISS that will use for six months of the mission. The Middle School "Corrado Melone” in Ladispoli was the contact site and operated with callsign IK0USO.

The "Istituto Comprensivo Ladispoli" is located in Ladispoli, a town with 40000 inhabitants, situated on the sea at 45 km from Rome. The school has 1.105 pupils, boys and girls, aged 3-14. Most of the classrooms are in  the new building of Via Varsavia, but some students attend lessons in classrooms in other buildings. All the offices, including the principal’s office, are on the ground floor of the school in via Varsavia where there is a gym, a teachers room, a school library, a school hall, some laboratories, an ICT room, an Art room, a Music room.

The Middle School "Corrado Melone" is also situated in Ladispoli, in the Roman province. About 1200 students aged 11 – 14 attend the classes. Teachers and students are interested in learning more about the space station and the activities of the astronauts. as well as in meeting the radio amateurs and learn about their activities.

ARISS mentor Francesco De Paolis, IK0WGF proposed to the radio contact coordinator in Ladispoli a direct contact with assistance by ARISS Telebridge station IK1SLD installed at Casale Monferrato Airport, Piemonte, Italy. Marcelo Teruel IK0USO, contact coordinator for this ISS contact, decided in favour of a direct with assistance by IK1SLD telebridge station. All questions were read by the students from two schools. Contact site was located in the Middle School "Corrado Melone” in Ladispoli. The audience amounted to 250 students, teachers, visitors and media. Before the contact, ARISS mentor Francesco De Paolis, IK0WGF introduced the event and presented the ARISS project.

At 13:38 UTC, contact with IR0ISS was established by station IK0USO. ESA astronaut PAOLO NESPOLI answered 20 questions per direct radio contact. At 15:11 UTC, contact with IR0ISS was again established by station IK0USO. Astronaut ESA PAOLO NESPOLI answered 8 more questions and exchanged greetings. The signal from the ISS was loud and clear all the time.

National Television (RAI NEWS 24 hours), local media and newspapers covered the event.

The event was webcast on: http://www.livestream.com/AMSAT_Italia

ARISS contact was announced by web story on ESA Portal - National News:

http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEM5PB6SXIG_Italy_0.html

Congratulations to both ARISS “IK0USO” and “IK1SLD” teams!

73

Francesco De Paolis, IK0WGF

ARISS mentor

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audio recording mp3