ARISS
CONTACT FOR ESA ASTRONAUT PAOLO NESPOLI, IZ0JPA WITH TWO ITALIAN SCHOOLS SUCCESSFUL
Wednesday,
April 6, 2011 at 07:10 UTC, which is 9.10 CEST, “Scuola Primaria III Circolo
Tiro a Segno”, Fermo, and “Scuola Primaria Viale della Vittoria”, Montecosaro,
Italy established a ARISS contact with Italian
astronaut PAOLO NESPOLI, IZ0JPA onboard the International Space Station. ESA
astronaut NESPOLI operated with the special Italian callsign IR0ISS that he
will use during his mission. The “Tiro a Segno” and “Viale della
Vittoria” primary schools operated the contact with callsign I6KZR.
The
Primary School "Tiro a Segno" (Shooting) is located in Fermo, Marche
Region, Italy. The school developed a project called "New
technologies". The project aims an efficient approach to technology and
the children are involved in educational research and experiments. Members of
the local radio amateurs club teach the students the importance Ham Radio
activities and the practice of telegraphy.
Montecosaro
is a little town in the province of Macerata, in the valley of Chienti. The
school "Viale della Vittoria" offers the
students the opportunity to acquire the knowledge covered by the Ministerial
programs and to use this knowledge for preparing a serene and conscious life.
To increase the educational offer, several projects are developed, such as
computer science, the game of chess engines, pottery, art and expression.
ARISS
mentor Francesco De Paolis, IK0WGF proposed to the radio contact coordinator in
Fermo a direct contact with assistance by ARISS Telebridge station IK1SLD
installed at Casale Monferrato Airport, Piemonte, Italy. Renzo Ciarpella I6KZR,
radio contact coordinator for this ARISS event, decided in favor of this set
up. The questions were asked by the students of both schools where an audience
of about 350 students, teachers, visitors and media participated to the event.
At
07:10 UTC, contact with IR0ISS was established by station I6KZR. Astronaut
Paolo NESPOLI answered 13 questions and exchanged greetings before of the
closing of the contact. The ISS link was provided by I6KZR ground station,
located in Fermo and connected with “Viale della
Vittoria” primary school in Motecosaro per VoIP and UHF, as well as by ARISS
Telebridge station IK1SLD per phone line. The signal from the ISS was loud and
clear all the time.
Regional
Television, local media and newspapers covered the event.
Streaming
video was available on:
http://www.livestream.com/AMSAT_Italia
The
ARISS contact was announced by web story on ESA Portal - National News:
http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMGHF4SZLG_Italy_0.html
Congratulations
to both ARISS “I6KZR” and “IK1SLD” teams!
73
Francesco
De Paolis, IK0WGF
ARISS
mentor