ARISS CONTACT FOR ESA ASTRONAUT PAOLO NESPOLI, IZ0JPA AND ITALIAN SCHOOL SUCCESSFUL

Thursday, 10 February, 2011 at 08:31 UTC, i.e. 09:31 local time, Middle School “Enrico Fermii” in Villasanta, Monza Brianza, Italy, established an ARISS contact with Italian astronaut PAOLO NESPOLI, IZ0JPA on board the International Space Station. This was a telebridge contact by ARISS ground station VK5ZAI, operated by Tony Hutchison , VK5ZAI.

The Fermi Middle School is located in the centre of Villasanta near Monza. There are 400 students and 43 teachers. Two classes (40 students) were involved in the project. These students are 13 years old and they attend the third and final year of middle school.

ARISS mentor Francesco De Paolis, IK0WGF proposed to Mr. Luca Montani, coordinator for this ARISS event a telebridge contact. The questions were read by the students at the school in Villasanta where an audience of more than 100 students, teachers, visitors and media assisted to the contact.

At 08:31 UTC contact with NA1SS was established by station VK5ZAI. Astronaut Paolo NESPOLI answered 19 questions and exchanged greetings before closing the contact.

The signal from the ISS was loud and clear all the time.

Regional and local media and newspapers covered the event.

Streaming video counted more than 80 connections on:

http://www.livestream.com/AMSAT_Italia

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

http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMSSTLTRJG_Italy_0.html

Congratulations to “Fermi” team!

73

Francesco De Paolis, IK0WGF

ARISS mentor

Audio recording mp3